Review - Coriander Jones Saves the World by Kim English

8/29/2014

Thirteen year old Coriander Jones expects another summer as usual at Happy Haven, a run-down summer camp for "underprivileged youth." But when the bus ride doesn't go as planned, she discovers that she is part of a centuries-old organization that battles ancient deities known as the "Old Ones." Happen Haven serves as ground zero when the oldest of the Old Ones comes calling, determined to breach the barrier that keeps them at bay.

Along with her little sister and best friend, Coriander also joins forces with her former enemy, mean girl Olivia, and the mysterious teenager Cole, whose secret agenda puts the team in more peril. Juggling nosy counselors, homicidal maintenance men, and the first annual Happy Haven Color War, Coriander may save the world, if she can survive summer camp.

Title: Coriander Jones Saves the World
Author: Kim English
Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Cricket Cottage Publishing
Publication Date: September 12, 2013

My Thoughts

First, I want to mention the cover. I really like it a lot. The artwork is perfect for this age group and genre.

Let's talk characters. I love Coriander's spit-fire attitude and the way she is so protective of her friends and little sister, Autumn. Autumn, who "can't go five minutes without having her hands on a book" and who has an odd obsession with grammar is my kind of girl. I can't name all of the delightful characters, but Colette was so quirky and adorable. And, how can I not refer to Marcus, a Florida State fan who was upset about the team colors: blue and orange. I totally understand you, Marcus. ;) I can't possibly name all of the great characters, but all were very well developed, and the three-dimensional characters made this story for me.

The setting was pretty cool, too. Born and raised in Florida, I connected with hot summers and swatting bugs, even the summer camp. I remember sleeping in a leaky cabin on hot, muggy nights. Plus, the summer camp worked well to give the kids an isolated setting and allow them to save the world without their parents getting involved.

I like the overall storyline, but the writing wasn't tight, meaning there were issues with tense and dialogue tags. And don't get me started on the many typos and missing punctuation. This should have been a quick read, but it was very difficult to stay with the story with so many unnecessary distractions.

However, it was a fun read, and one I couldn't give up on because I truly wanted to see how things turned out for the "geology club."

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Rating: 3/5

About the Author

Kim is a ninth generation Floridian, wife, and mother of a teenager. She has always had a passion for reading and storytelling. In 2013 she published Coriander Jones Saves the World. She currently juggles a full time job, parenthood and multiple works in progress while trying to keep the family's rescue pet population under control.

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