Oh My Goodness… Holy Terrors: The end of the Little Thieves Trilogy

 IT’S FINALLY OUT. Well, technically it’s been out for over a month… and I’ve already read it twice, not that I have a problem. Quick warning here, this review will definitely contain spoilers for Painted Devils and maybe Little Thieves, so read at your own discretion (and please just read the books, they’re long but I swear they’re worth it). 

After vanquishing the spirit of her mother, the scarlet maiden, reuniting with her family after nearly fifteen years, and saving the love of her life, Vanja was finally ready to have a normal life. For once, everything she wanted was in her reach. Until she ran away, leaving Emric behind her, stealing herself away and returning to her life as the Penny Phantom… again. Because we have to keep the books coming somehow (not that I’m complaining haha).  

She couldn’t hide forever. Not when the Penny Phantom changed with the beliefs of the people. And certainly not after an imposter killed the Blessed Empress, leaving Vanja’s signature in her mouth, framing her for a murder she would never commit. She couldn’t hide with Emeric tracking her down.

But she had to clear her name somehow, or she would become what people thought of her, a murderous phantom of pennies. She had to clear her name somehow, even if it meant teaming up with the boy she’d abandoned two years ago without so much as a goodbye. And yet, it’s never that simple. Forced to face the demons of her past, Vanja must come to terms with who she has become and the choices she’s made before she becomes everything she fears. Before she loses the penny phantom, before she loses herself, before she becomes what they all believe. 

I don’t think there’s much I can say that I haven’t said before about Maragret Owen’s books other than: OH MY GOD THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK. I’m trying not to spoil it right now, but it just ties everything together so, so, so nicely. Things come back all the way from the first book as HUGE plot components, and it was just so well put together. I enjoyed this series so much and I cannot recommend it enough.

It’s almost bittersweet for me to see the Little Thieves trilogy come to an end. It’s been my favorite series for almost three years now and I have adored every moment of it. That said, I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Margaret Owen does next. That’s it from me. Thank you for reading.

Childhood Books

Hello everybody and welcome to my last blog post of 2025! In honor of this school year ending, I wanted to review some childhood books that I’m sure everyone has read before. Back in elementary school, I remember loving to listen to books on Storyline Online (here is the link: https://storylineonline.net/) and reading books on Epic!. Here are some nostalgic children’s books that I would like to share with everybody.

1. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

• Summary: A bus driver takes a break and leaves the reader in charge, with one important instruction: “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!” and the pigeon shows up pleading and throwing tantrums to get permission to drive. This is a funny, goofy, extremely easy-to-read book for anyone who wants a little chuckle.

• I rate this book an 11/10.

2. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

• Summary: Trixie and her father go to the laundromat with Knuffle Bunny, which is Trixie's beloved stuffed bunny. However, soon after, Trixie realizes that she left Knuffle Bunny behind in the laundromat! The rest of the book is about the family's efforts to find Knuffle Bunny, emphasizing the power of a child's emotional attachment to their favorite toy.

• I love this book. 30/10.

3. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

• Summary: The main character, Camilla Cream, loves lima beans but won’t eat them because she’s worried that people will judge her. One morning, she wakes up covered in colorful stripes! She keeps trying to please others and “fit in”, but her condition just gets worse— she changes colors, shapes, and even turns into her surroundings. Doctors and experts can’t figure it out but eventually, a wise old woman gives her lima beans, and Camilla finally eats them without caring what others think and she gets cured.

• I rate this book a 20/10.

4. Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale

• Summary: Basically, Clark the Shark is really enthusiastic and loves school a little too much. He is too loud, plays too rough, and forgets to share with others. Soon, his classmates start avoiding him. But with help from his teacher, Mrs. Inkidinkity (or something like that) Clark learns to control his behavior by remembering short rhymes like “Stay cool in school.” Over time, he learns to balance his excitement and be a better friend.

• The book has so many fun rhymes and exposes tuff bars to people at a young age! I rate this book a 100/10.

5. Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller

• Summary: Arnie is a freshly made doughnut at a bakery and he is way too excited about being chosen by a customer. One day, Mr. Bing buys him and Arnie learns that he is supposed to be eaten… And he is horrified! Instead of becoming a snack, Arnie convinces Mr. Bing to find a different use for him. Eventually, they come up with a solution and Arnie becomes Mr. Bing’s pet doughnut!

• This is a very fun and cute story. I rate this book a 13/10.

-Chloe L. :)

A new addition to the series! (The final sendoff)

  As we approach the final blog cycle, here is my last blog post for this year! Recently, one of the authors I previously mentioned (Tahereh Mafi) released another book in her Shatter Me series. The new book is called Watch Me, and it was released on April 25th, 2025! I just recently picked it up this previous weekend, and I hope to get around to reading it relatively soon.

Since I have not read the book, there won’t be spoilers in this post, but there will be information given from online sources. Mafi stated that this specific book will be through the perspective of James; James is Adam’s younger brother, and it should also be noted that we have never had James’ perspective. This opens a new point of view since he technically is one of the youngest within the main line of characters. Towards the earlier books in the series, he was being introduced as this shy child who was dealing with an unusual situation. In this world, he lived in his own apartment-like place, and he got pre-packaged meals that he put in the “automat” (microwave). I think it’s rather interesting that only now do we get his perspective. Mostly because he is set as a 21-year-old now, but when he was first introduced, he was 11. The other perspective within the book is a new character who goes by the name Rosabelle. Rosabelle is 21 years old and a mercenary for the reestablishment. That is pretty much all of the information that we are given about this new character, unfortunately.

I feel like this book is also stretched out from the main idea of the initial Shatter Me series. I have talked to some people who have either loved the 5th and 6th books in the series or thought that they were pretty similar. Personally, I do think that the 5th and 6th shared a lot of similarities when it comes down to it, but there are extra details added in each one that were also interesting. When I say stretched out, I mean that the initial idea was about Juliette being in an insane asylum for her accident, but now it has expanded to a lot more, such as her escaping. It has sort of drifted from that initial idea, and now it seems like some sort of battle between the reestablishment and her team is going to happen. I believe, as most books go, the main character(s) will win the battle, and that will be the end. I hope that that isn’t the case, though, and Mafi adds in more information or details, I suppose. With Rosabelle working with the reestablishment, I also hope we get some sort of balancing perspective between the two sides. 

All together, I’m pretty excited to read Watch Me, I think it will bring new insights about the original characters and the new ones too. The cover also deserves an honorable mention because it looks so so pretty. (I’ll link a photo below, but it is actually so gorgeous.) Other notes are not coming to my mind right now, but thank you for reading my post! I hope some of you consider checking this book in the future. That’s all for this post (and year too??). Bye-bye!

-Chloe B.🦆

Some Books on My Shelf that I Actually Need to Read - Max B-M.

    I have quite a large reading list, and a large collection of physical books collecting dust on my shelves. I am a very slow reader and lack the time to read as much as I would like to. 

    Many books on my shelves are ones I have read, but the majority are ones I’ve picked up over the years. I am horrendously guilty of picking up books based on the covers, and often buy books simply for aesthetics. I do usually read the summaries, however, and all the books are ones I genuinely find interesting.

 

    These are some of the books I hope to find the time to read (hopefully sometime before college): 

    The Hill by Ali Bryan

    This book doesn’t exactly fit into my intro because my father actually bought it for me a few years ago, and it’s been collecting dust on my shelf since. It’s 293 pages long and takes place after the fall of humanity. In the summary included in the cover, it describes the setting as “the remains of a world destroyed by oppression, overconsumption, and exploitation.” I think this description fits the current world greatly, with many reasons for the end of the fictional world plaguing the real world for us. The book follows a group of girls living on “the Hill,” an island landfill they’ve lived on since infancy. They follow “the Manual,” which instructs them on how to rebuild society on the mainland. “Men and boys spell danger” is the “cardinal rule” of society. The story seems so interesting, and it will hopefully be my next read. 

    The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 

    This novel is well-known, to say the least. It’s been recommended to me by so many people, and I recently bought it. It centers around Pecola Breedlove, a young girl who prays daily for beauty. She’s mocked for her dark skin and curly hair, differentiating her from her peers. She hopes for blue eyes and blond hair, thinking that they’ll let her fit in. The summary describes it as “a brilliant examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity.” I think it seems like an extremely powerful story, and I’d love to read it in the future. 

    The Merciless by Danielle Vega 

    This book is 279 pages, and it definitely has a different vibe than the other two novels I’ve talked about. It’s described as “Mean Girls with an occult twist,” which I find to be a wonderful and hilarious description. The summary in the book starts off strong, describing a girl tied and gagged in blood, in a basement. The story is about Sofia Flores, who befriended the popular girls, not expecting them to believe a fellow student is possessed. The new friends perform an exorcism, but it’s “closer to torture than salvation.” I think it sounds really cool and something with a good amount of horror. 

    These are just three of the many books that I need to read at some point. They all seem to be stories I would enjoy; I just literally need more time. 

Ten books, ten times I wonder if I should find a new favorite author. The answer is no.

 

    It’s been one year and ten Pratchett books. Thud!, Snuff, Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum, Mort, and Reaper Man. I’ve spared everyone from me making a post about each and every one, but now I’ve decided as a final hurrah that I’m going to go through each and give a few reasons why you should read each of them. This hyperfixation isn’t going away anytime soon.

Thud!: A story about trolls and dwarves, and how religion changing causes harm between people. It’s an incredible look at how religion in the UK has affected the laws for much too long, told through a recovering alcoholic's eyes. The peace that canna’ be bracken.

Snuff: The final book in an incredible sub-series, Snuff goes about how the main character deals with his own bias both as a policeman and as a citizen of Ankh Morpork. Also his wife is awesome, long live Sybil Ramkin.

Equal Rites: The first in the Witches series, following a girl named Esk who was mistakenly given a wizard's staff at birth (clearly, a man’ job). It follows Granny Weatherwax, one of the best characters on the disc, and Esk trying to get to Ankh Morpork and get Esk into Unseen University, the wizarding school

Wyrd Sisters: A funny Macbath parody with three witches, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick try to remind the citizens of Lancre that witches were there long before some duke that tries much too hard to be a king. The fool is quite some help too.

Witches Abroad: Mirrors are never good, but now it’s worse. Magrat was given a fairy godmother’s wand, with the explicit orders to go against the story. Granny and Nanny are told explicitly not to come along, so of course they do. Never tell a Weatherwax what to do.

Lords and Ladies: Elves. Ironically, this is a parody of Midsummer Night's Dream, so you all can understand the jokes (Tailor the Weaver, Weaver the Thatcher, and Thatcher the Tailor). It’s great, funny, and Margat is more than a wet hen.

Maskerade: They need another witch, and Perdita “X” Nitt would be perfect. If she didn’t run off to Ankh Morpork to be an opera singer, that is. Thanks to that and a coincidence of name that ends with Nanny rich and Granny angry, they’re off to Ankh Morpork to find Perdita Nitt, and eventually stop this strange Phantom in the Ankh Morpork Opera House.

Carpe Jugulum: The final book of the witches series, this book follows the witches trying to stop a group of vampires from invading the kingdom (they were invited, though). Not only are they vampires, but they can eat garlic, bury themselves in crossroads, and cross running water! Granny uses The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats, also known as the religious fanatic Mightily Oats, to defeat them.

Mort: The first in the Death series. At the stroke of midnight on the day of apprentices, death makes on his new apprentice: Mortimer. Of course, on just his third job, Mort messes up. He saves Keli, a girl he finds attractive. Now reality has changed, and Mort must learn to deal with Death’s annoying daughter Ysabella so they can figure out how to fix this mess.

Reaper Man: I’m currently reading this, about halfway through. Death has been nervous, and when his servant asks why, Death pulls out someone's hourglass to look at their time left. It’s his. It’s strange to think of the mortality of Death, as he must take every one. He becomes a farmer, simply killing instead of taking. Windall Punes is a casualty of this, being unable to reincarnate into a different body. So, of course he reincarnates into himself. We know this process as zombification.

This is insane, I need new authors. To paraphrase a reddit user on r/discworld: I don’t want to oversell Sir Terry Pratchett’s work, but his series changed my life. It's shocking how a series about a flat world, on the back of four elephants, on the back of a turtle flying through space can have so much of an affect on me.

-Elanor

Fairy Tales: Their Influence Over Modern-Day Media

    Pretty much everyone has heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood or Jack and the Beanstalk. They’re kids' stories. Ones passed down long enough that they’re almost unrecognizable compared to the Grimm’s fairy tales that most originated from. But the stories almost always hold a lesson. Something that teaches the new generations to be “better” than the countless others that have ignored the basic human decency taught by these stories. 

    Many of the morals are applicable in solid stories today. Little Red Riding Hood teaches not to talk to strangers, and Jack and the Beanstalk teaches to reach for opportunity. So many stories have values that many could benefit from learning, but books catered to older audiences usually keep these as a theme. 

    Even if it isn’t through the moral, many modern novels take inspiration from classic tales but twist them into something enjoyable for teenagers and up. How to be Eaten by Maria Adelmann shows twisted and modern versions of classic fairy tales (Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella). She keeps the basic story of each fairy tale in her novel, but makes the stories far more intriguing for adult readers. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, however, provides a dystopian version of fairy tales. I know someone else has reviewed them in blog posts, but I quite enjoyed these books. They were interesting (albeit cringey) and an intriguing take on the older stories. Ash by Malinda Lo is yet another retelling of a classic tale. It is a saphic rendition of the Cinderella story and is, once again, a generally good book. 

    So many stories are even loosely based on old ones. That’s how literature works. No idea is completely and truly original. It’s important to recognize the stories that came before the ones today. Even if the inspiration is subtle, I still think it’s very interesting how much literature is wrapped around the so-called “children’s stories”. Maybe your favorite movie took an idea from The Sleeping Beauty, or you have to solve a riddle in a game (like Rumpelstiltskin). No matter what media you're consuming, it has to come from somewhere. 

    So yeah, fairy tales are kind of part of everything we consume. I think it’s pretty cool, but I also think fairy tales are pretty cool. I any of y’all like fantasy, look at the original Grimm Brothers’ stories, a lot of them are far more interesting than the watered-down Disney stories we were raised on. 

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories

 

I have already written a blog post about Wonder, written by R.J. Palacio, a few months ago, but now I am reviewing the companion of it, Auggie & Me. 

Auggie & Me is actually three short stories—The Julian Chapter, Pluto, and Shingaling. Each is told from the perspective of someone who’s crossed paths with Auggie. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about reading more from side characters and I expected it to be more repetitive because it is three sides of similar stories. However, each one brought something fresh. 

Julian’s story was probably the most unexpected to me because he was portrayed as the main bully in Wonder. Based on his actions in the first book, I didn’t think I’d feel any sympathy for him, but seeing his backstory gave me a new light and view. In his chapter, the readers learn about his fears, insecurities, and the pressure he felt from his parents. Especially, his grandmother’s story about her own childhood experience during the Holocaust helps him realize the importance of kindness and acceptance.

Christopher’s story (Pluto) was kind of heartwarming and possibly relatable to people; it was about old friendships and how the dynamics changed as Auggie and him grew up. Christopher and Auggie had been best friends since they were little, and they shared a lot of good memories in Wonder. But as they got older, especially when Christopher moved to a new town and started a new public school, their bond started to fade a bit. It wasn't because they didn’t care about each other, but because life naturally pulled them in different directions.

Then there’s Shingaling, told by Charlotte; I loved how it explored the middle school social scene. It reminded me how complicated being a kid can be, especially when you’re trying to do the right thing in a world full of cliques, unspoken rules, and drama.

Overall, I liked that the book didn't feel like an unnecessary afterthought or just a spin-off. It seemed like the author, R.J. Palacio, wanted it to feel intentional; she really wanted us to understand that everyone has their own background and story. It introduces mature themes to elementary and middle school kids and is a great lesson. I definitely recommend reading this book!

-Chloe L.