michelle cuevas » The Novel Hermit

Smoot the shadow has been living a yawn-filled life for years. His boy never laughs and never leaps, so Smoot never does either… until the day he pops free.

This is his chance to live the life he has been dreaming of. And as he enjoys his first colorful day—singing, dancing, and playing—other shadows watch him, and they become brave, too.

Will their bravery and gusto inspire the timid creatures they’ve left behind? Will Smoot’s boy find his own dreams, and become a more joyful version of himself?[/note]

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from Penguin for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “If life is a book, then Smoot the Shadow had been reading the same yawn-colored page for seven and a half years.”

Move over, Peter Pan’s shadow! There’s a new shadow that’s breaking free, and his name is Smoot.

When eleven-year-old Stella Rodriguez shows up at NASA to request that her recording be included in Carl Sagan’s Golden Record, something unexpected happens: A black hole follows her home, and sets out to live in her house as a pet. The black hole swallows everything he touches, which is challenging to say the least—but also turns out to be a convenient way to get rid of those items that Stella doesn’t want around. Soon the ugly sweaters her aunt has made for her all disappear within the black hole, as does the smelly class hamster she’s taking care of, and most important, all the reminders of her dead father that are just too painful to have around.

It’s not until Stella, her younger brother, Cosmo, the family puppy, and even the bathroom tub all get swallowed up by the black hole that Stella comes to realize she has been letting her own grief consume her. And that’s not the only thing she realizes as she attempts to get back home. This is an astonishingly original and funny adventure with a great big heart.[/note]

myreview

First sentence: “This story began on an afternoon the color of comets, with a girl dressed all in black. “

“Have you heard about the new book about anti-gravity?”

“What about it?”

“It’s impossible to put down.”

The Care and Feeding of A Black Hole isn’t about anti-gravity, but it is a book that you won’t be able to put down.

REVIEW • A New Shadow In Town (Smoot: A Rebellious Shadow by Michelle Cuevas)

REVIEW • My Pet Black Hole and A Dog With No Name (The Care and Feeding of A Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas)