May Bird Warrior Princess

Pages: 244

So here it is. My last review for the next month because, of course, I won't really be reading during November. I have two other books to read this month but they're pretty short and not really worth reviewing. I've been wondering lately if my reviews are actually helpful. I'm not really sure how good I am at them but I'll keep on writing them anyway. It's good practice.

One thing I love in books is how the characters change so much and just enough happens where it feels like forever since the beginning of the book even if it hasn't taken you that long to read it. It's a great feeling to me, and this book has it. It's an almost magical feeling, as if a great period of time has passed while you've been reading and going on with your life. I don't know exactly how to explain it to you but you probably know what I'm talking about anyway. Many avid readers do.

One of the biggest character changes seems to happen to Pumpkin, the house ghost. He is scared and goofy and dramatic, almost to the point of shallowness. Look at these lines from a scene on page 91 where Pumpkin is mad at May and is speaking through another ghost: Pumpkin sighed loudly, then whispered. "He says he's almost been capture by ghouls lots of times and you weren't around to help." May searched for some way to reply, to defend herself. "But he wanted me to go. He said he hoped I'd never come back." Pumpkin seemed to consider this for a long moment, and then another whisper, and Avril turned to May."He says he thought he meant it at the time, but he didn't." He seems pretty snooty here, as if May is just supposed to read his mind. At the end of the book, though, after saving May from Evil Bo Cleevil, The Book of the Dead says this of him (pg. 233): Only slightly more responsible than May Ellen Bird for saving the world. In the end, Pumpkin was brave and loyal. He changed drastically, as all characters should.

This is the third book of the series but there are still some surprises. The astronauts do come to the Ever After as Bertha always predicted they would (pg. 238-241) and though May died she still got to come back to her mom, thanks to a special powder of Bertha's. Legume the long dead pet cat of May's is discovered, as are all the other animals (pg. 153-154). It's really a great end to a story.

Overall, this book tied up all the loose ends. It showed things that prior books hinted to and things that they didn't. It's paced well and just the right amount of spooky. This book is everything it's supposed to be and more. So what are you waiting for? Pick up the May Bird series already.

The next book along the Reading Trail? Vet Volunteers: Fight for Life by Laurie Halse Anderson.

(13 until National Novel Writing Month)