The Mona Lisa Key by Liesl Shurtliff

The Mona Lisa Key: Time Castaways #1

Author: Liesl Shurtliff

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Published: September 18th, 2018

ISBN13: 9780062568137

Hardcover/e-book: 400 pages

FTC FYI: I received a copy from the author. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Summary

From Liesl Shurtliff, the New York Times bestselling author of Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, comes a thrilling new middle grade trilogy about three city kids who get on the wrong subway train and wind up on a wild, magical mystery-adventure throughout time.

Imaginative, daring, and packed with fun, Time Castaways is perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Percy Jackson.

Mateo, Ruby, and Corey Hudson’s parents don’t have too many rules. It’s the usual stuff: Be good. Do your homework. And never ride the subway without an adult, EVER. But when the siblings wake up late for school, they have no choice but to break a rule. The Hudson siblings board the subway in Manhattan and end up on a frigate ship in Paris…in the year 1911.

As time does tell, the Hudson family has a lot of secrets. The past, present, and future are intertwined—and a time-traveling ship called the Vermillion is at the center. Racing to untangle the truth, the kids find themselves in the middle of one of the greatest art heists of all time.

And the adventure is just getting started.

My review

I am a huge fan of Liesl Shurtliff's books. She always writes fun, sweet, all out wonderful books, so I was excited to read this new series from her! The Mona Lisa Key is a nonstop, time traveling, thrill ride of an adventure. I absolutely loved it. The characters are fantastic and the siblings are great together. Corey made me smile lots of times and Ruby is a doll. Mateo (Matt) is the anchor of the group. He is super smart and a bit of a mystery himself. I really enjoyed their time traveling adventures, but I was very suspicious of their company. They travel to Paris, India, and the famous Game Six (which I personally thought was so fun, I love baseball), to name a few. There are many secrets and twists and turns I don't want to spoil, but it has me eagerly waiting for the next book!

5 out of 5 stars. There are so many enjoyable twists and the author does a great job of planting hints throughout to keep the reader guessing! I didn't want to stop reading at times. I had to find out what happened next. 

Purchase links

Amazon e-book / Amazon hardcover / Barnes and Noble

Author links

Goodreads / Amazon author page / Website

Grump by Liesl Shurtliff

Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Author: Liesl Shurtliff

Release date: May 29th, 2018

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Hardcover: 304 pages

ISBN13: 9781524717018

FTC FYI: I received an ARC from the author/publisher. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rump, comes the true story behind another unlikely hero: a grumpy dwarf who gets tangled up in Snow White's feud with the wicked queen.

Ever since he was a dwarfling, Borlen (nicknamed "Grump") has dreamed of visiting The Surface, so when opportunity knocks, he leaves his cavern home behind.
At first, life aboveground is a dream come true. Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore (E.V.I.L.) is the best friend Grump always wanted, feeding him all the rubies he can eat and allowing him to rule at her side in exchange for magic and information. But as time goes on, Grump starts to suspect that Queen E.V.I.L. may not be as nice as she seems. . . .
When the queen commands him to carry out a horrible task against her stepdaughter Snow White, Grump is in over his head. He's bound by magic to help the queen, but also to protect Snow White. As if that wasn't stressful enough, the queen keeps bugging him for updates through her magic mirror! He'll have to dig deep to find a way out of this pickle, and that's enough to make any dwarf Grumpy indeed.

My Review

I absolutely love a fairy tale retelling, and one from Liesl Shurtliff makes me love them even more! I have adored every book she has written. Liesl writes her characters perfectly and every one is unique and fun. Grump was especially fun. It was written on "Grumpy's" point of view. I loved everything about Borlen AKA Grump. Borlen is a unique dwarf, he doesn't enjoy being underground and is fascinated by The Surface. All the dwarfs think he is strange, but his parents never give up their dream of him being on a digging team. Borlen is assigned to a team as the Seventh, and ends up on an adventure that has him entangled with the "E.V.I.L" Queen and Snow White herself. I loved Borlen's and Snow White's interactions.  As always, Liesl adds her own wonderfully clever and entertaining twists to a classic tale and gives it a fanciful magic of its own. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Purchase Links (pre-order)

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Red by Liesl Shurtliff

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood

Author: Liesl Shurtliff

Publisher: Knopf Books for Readers

Expected publish date: April 12, 2016

ISBN13: 9780385755832

Hardcover: 288 pages

FTC FYI: Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary

"Red is the most wonder-filled fairy tale of them all!”—Chris Grabenstein, New York Times Bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.

Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf. She’s not afraid of anything . . . except magic.  But when Red’s granny falls ill, it seems that only magic can save her, and fearless Red is forced to confront her one weakness.

With the help of a blond, porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red goes on a quest to cure Granny. Her journey takes her through dwarves’ caverns to a haunted well and a beast’s castle. All the while, Red and Goldie are followed by a wolf and a huntsman—two mortal enemies who seek the girls’ help to defeat each other. And one of them just might have the magical solution Red is looking for. . . .

Liesl Shurtliff weaves a spellbinding tale, shining the spotlight on a beloved character from her award-winning debut, Rump. 

And don't miss Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk, "a delightful story of family, perseverance and courage" (Booklist).

My Review

RED is another winner for Liesl Shurtliff.  I loved it, even more than I loved RUMP and JACK.  Red is hands down, an amazing character.  I loved her.  It was enjoyable watching her grow up and learn about herself and learn her potential overcome her fears.  I really loved Goldie too.  She was very funny.  I appreciated their gradual friendship, as Red was a hard one to win over.  Liesl does an incredible job of character development, as Red was truly able to find herself in her own personal journey, as well as her adventure to help Granny.  I really enjoyed the supporting characters too.  Goldie, Borlen and his parents, and the Beast were awesome.  My favorite was Wolf, I missed him when he wasn't around.  I loved the epilogue and I was teary at the end, especially with the last pages.  The mix of different fairytales was very entertaining and I loved Liesl's spin on them.  

5 out of 5 stars.  I can't wait for another release from this fantastic author.  

Author Links

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Jack by Liesl Shurtliff

Jack: The true story of Jack & the Beanstalk

Author: Liesl Shurtliff

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: April 2015

ISBN13: 970385755795

Hardcover: 304 pages

FTC FYI: Received a hardcover copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary

Jack has always been told that giants are not real. But if that’s the case, how do you explain the huge, foot shaped pond in the yard, or the occurrence of strange and sudden storms in which the earth quakes and dirt rains from the sky? When his father is carried away in such a storm, Jack gives chase in the only logical way: by trading the family cow for some magic beans that will give him access to a land beyond the clouds. He arrives to find that the giants themselves have giant-sized troubles. With the help of an overachieving little sister, a magic goose and a chatty cook (who is not interested in grinding human bones into bread, thank you very much!) Jack sets out to save his dad and save the day.

My Review

Another enjoyable and delightful book by Liesl.  I (as you know) love middle grade fiction and I especially love a fantasy re-telling.  As much as I enjoyed RUMP, I liked JACK even more.  Every turn of the page brought new challenges for Jack.  His Papa is taken away by Giants and he is determined to find him.  I loved the events that took place, and to top it all off, there are cameos of characters from RUMP.  I really enjoyed the mixing of the two books, that was a really fun twist.  King Barf is still awful in this book, but I had a greater appreciation for Queen Opal.  I thought Jack was handling things well as on his own, but I really loved it when a special someone comes up the beanstalk too.  I really liked Jack's character, but I loved Annabella, what a fun surprise she was, especially with how she interacted with those in the Above. The whole book is full of fun twists and surprises.  Great characters, with humor and heart.  

5 out of 5 stars!

Author Links

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Purchase Links

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Rump by Liesl Shurtliff

Rump

Author: Liesl Shurtliff

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: April 2013

ISBN13: 9780307977309

Hardcover: 272 pages

FTC FYI: Borrowed from my friend

Goodreads Summary

In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end. 

My Review

What a fun book!  I love retellings.  I really enjoyed Rump's story and his quest to find his name. His journey leads him many places as he tries to find the truth about his family and why/how he can spin straw into gold.  I loved Red, she is Rump's only friend and she was quite the mystery herself.  One thing after another kept happening to poor Rump, but I felt the pacing was perfect, in that he didn't stay down for long.  This is a book of triumphing over evil and a great example of overcoming obstacles.  Liesl wrote her characters well.  The Miller especially, although downright evil, did not disappoint.  The trolls were an enjoyable surprise, I loved the aunts, Red and her grandma were great, and the pixies were so much fun.

5 out of 5 stars.  Rump is a story full of heart and humor.

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Purchase Links

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