Monday, January 14, 2013

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Iron Hearted Violet

The winner of my ARC of The 13th Sign is . . .
Yay! Email your mailing address to barbarawatson94(at)gmail(dot)com
and I'll get this action-packed read to you.

The day Iron Hearted Violet released, in October 2012, my daughter and I attended a reading by its author, Kelly Barnhill. It was fun to hear Kelly read her story's opening, and we all oooh'ed and ahhh'ed over the book's cover and interior art. It was even more fun in the days after, however, to read the rest of Iron Hearted Violet.

The premise: Princess Violet is not a beautiful princess. But she is smart . . . and very good at story-telling. She and her best friend Demetrius find a book one day--a forbidden book--that tells of an evil being who has been imprisoned in their world. But stories are just stories . . . until they become more than that.

What keeps readers reading: The twisty-curvy plot. A girl, a boy, and the last dragon alive can save all they love -- if they are brave enough and have the courage to see beyond the story they know. What makes this novel even more rich is its point of view. It's told by the palace storyteller. Brilliant.

What I loved: Kelly Barnhill's storytelling. The world she created and the characters who live there and the things they experience are so developed and so much more than simply a story. Kelly makes readers think -- and I love that in a story.

For more middle grade reviews, visit the links on
Happy middle grade reading! 
 
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28 comments:

  1. I'll have to look at Iron Hearted Violet even though I am VERY tired of princess type fantasy books. There are already so many.

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  2. Ooh, this sounds like a great book. I'll have to check it out. Awesome that you got to meet the author.

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  3. YAY for Lisa! She's awesome, but I wanted that book. *clears throat* lol

    IHV looks awesome. Love the cover. Thank you for sharing this one.

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  4. Always love the forbidden book concept. I have four in my first novel. That could be a question in a blog post - if there really was a forbidden book, what would be in it?

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    1. That sounds like a good question for a bunch of elementary school kids.

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  5. This sounds like a good one. I love the cover. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Sounds awesome - adding it to my wish list! Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Dragons make almost everything better.

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    1. P.S. I think we have similar tastes as almost everything you review sounds fabulous.

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  8. Loving the sound of Iron Hearted Violet! I'm always such a sucker for fantasy stories. And the cover artwork is so gorgeous, too!

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  9. The Palace story teller point of view! Brilliant!!

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  10. Love that the princess is smart and that's better than beautiful! Sounds fun and I love the cover.

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  11. Why is it that Middle Grade covers are so much more interesting than most YA covers these days. Or maybe it's me. This one is fascinating. Also love the story line.

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  12. DRAT! I didn't win your book... LOL! j/k--BIG congrats to Lisa! :D

    And wow! Iron Hearted Violet sounds great! I bet my daughters will like this one. Thanks, Barbara! :o) <3

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  14. Oooh, I like twisty-curvy plots! This sounds a bit steampunkish too.

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  15. I just found your blog by visiting Creative Writing in the Blackbery Patch. This book review is awesome. Sounds like HEARTED VIOLET is a great children's book. I would like to check it out of the library and read it, too. I will visit your blog again to learn more about children's literature. I'm a retired teacher and love children's books. Have a good day.

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  16. Interesting review. I might check this one out. Thanks for posting it.

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  17. I have to check this one out for my daughter. It might be something she would like to read. What's the reading level like?

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  18. I really like this one! Putting it on my TBR list. :)

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  19. that is a great cover. so lucky you got to go to a reading, i haven't as of yet been to one. new follower, hi!

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  20. I love books that make you think too. I'm also ooh'ing and ahh'ing over this cover!

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  21. Love that cover! And yep I'm all for thinking books! Sounds like a fun story.

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  22. The cover is beautiful. And the story sounds like something wonderful to share with your daughter. :-)

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  23. i'm a fan of the cover as well. haven't read this one but Kelly Barnhill's "Mostly True Story of Jack" is already on my list.

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  24. This sounds like a book I will LOVE! How exciting that you got to meet the author and the book sounds so wonderful. :) Great cover, too!
    ~Jess

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  25. Oh man..I LOVE that cover! Okay. Now I will read the post, lol.

    It sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing and I will for sure get and read.

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  26. I finished that about a month ago. So cool you live near KB!

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