Refugee by Alan Gratz (Scholastic)

 

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

By Yara – OnceUponaTwilight.com

Refugee by Alan Gratz, published by Scholastic, is a powerful middle-grade novel that doesn’t shy away from heavy truths. It follows three young characters from different time periods and countries as they each flee their homes in search of safety. Their journeys are intense, emotional, and surprisingly connected.

What drew me to this book wasn’t just the buzz or the cover. I picked it up during our middle school Scholastic Book Fair after seeing that one of the stories follows a Cuban girl named Isabel who escapes on a boat with her family during the 1990s. That hit home. My husband fled Cuba the same way around the same time. Reading Isabel’s journey stirred up memories I’ve only heard about but could now see through a child’s eyes. And here’s the part that completely caught me off guard, one of the other characters is escaping to Cuba. That kind of full-circle storytelling really stuck with me.

Gratz also introduces us to Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy caught in the chaos of modern-day civil war. All three stories are gripping, but I’ll admit one of them didn’t hit quite as hard for me as the others. It’s the only reason I’m giving this 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars.

Still, Refugee is one of those rare books that educates and moves you at the same time. It’s beautifully written and incredibly important, especially for younger readers. If you’ve ever wondered what courage looks like in real life, this book shows you.

Highly recommend adding this to any school or home library.

Live Action Lilo Falls a Little Short but Stitch Still Shines!

 

Disney’s live-action take on Lilo & Stitch tries to recapture the magic of the beloved 2002 animated classic, and while it has its moments, it doesn’t quite match the heart of the original.

Let’s start with what worked: Stitch and the other alien characters looked fantastic. Their design was surprisingly believable, and I actually found myself smiling every time they popped on screen. The visual effects overall had their highs and lows, but Stitch was a win.

The soundtrack was also a strong point. The music helped carry the emotion in a way that felt familiar, and it gave the film that little spark of nostalgia.

Where things stumbled a bit for me was with the human characters. Something about their performances or maybe the way their relationships were portrayed didn’t land the same way. Midway through the movie, I lost interest to the point that I actually dozed off (granted, I was tired from packing up my classroom, but still). That lull in the middle made it clear the pacing needed a little more love.

In the end, I think the biggest challenge was trying to live up to the original. I grew up with the cartoon version, it was funny, touching, and full of charm. This version didn’t quite hit the same notes. It wasn’t bad, just… not enough.

If you’re a big Lilo & Stitch fan, you’ll want to check it out for curiosity’s sake. Just don’t expect to be completely swept away.

Ohana!

Straw Review: Heartbreak, Truth, and Taraji at Her Best

 

Now streaming on Netflix

I watched Straw last night and it shook me. I didn’t get to sleep until well after 3 a.m., and even then, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s been a long time since a movie hit me like this. Honestly, I thought Tyler Perry only made comedies. This changed that for me. I’ll definitely be watching more of his work now.

Straw follows Janiyah, played by Taraji P. Henson, a single mother pushed beyond her limit. She’s dealing with eviction, job loss, a child’s illness, and a healthcare system that just doesn’t care. When she walks into a bank, what starts as a desperate plea for help turns into something much bigger and more heartbreaking. By the time the truth is revealed, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of it all. I sat there in complete silence, wrecked by the ending.

Taraji’s performance is the heart of this film. She’s raw and real. Critics are calling it one of her strongest roles yet. Sherri Shepherd and Teyana Taylor add so much depth, and seeing Sinbad back on screen after recovering from a stroke made everything more emotional. His presence in that final scene hit me hard.

What I appreciated most is how real the story felt. Sure, it’s a movie, but the pain and desperation? That’s real life for a lot of people. The struggles Janiyah faces aren’t fiction. They’re happening right now to people who don’t get headlines. That’s why the film stays with you.

Some reviews called the movie over-the-top or heavy-handed. I don’t agree. When life hits this hard, it’s not going to feel neat or polished. It’s messy, and Perry doesn’t shy away from showing that.

This is not a light movie. You won’t put it on in the background while you scroll your phone. You’re going to feel it. And that’s the point.

I highly recommend watching Straw. Just don’t go into it expecting something easy. Bring tissues. And be ready to think about it long after the credits roll.

Happy 10th Anniversary TWILIGHT!

Happy 10th Anniversary Twilight! 

It seems unreal that Twilight hit bookshelves 10 years ago. Feels like just the other day I swooning over Edward and vicariously living in Forks, WA and La Push beach. 

You have heard this may times in the last 10 years and you'll continue to as the years pass. Twilight was a blessing in disguise as a book. Never would I have imagined that a young adult fiction story would change my life forever. Sounds crazy, but Twilight affected the course my life would take from the moment I read it. I would not be where I am today without having read Twilight. 

It wasn't just about a book, it was about the love story, the impact of the story, the people I sought out after reading this story that understood the withdrawal, the friends that became life long friends, the creation of this site, the many Twilight inspired trips I have taken all over this country, what I read since Twilight, the list can go on and on. It doesn't sound like much, but when you are new to a state where you know no one and all your friends and family are thousands of miles away and all you think about is why, then Twilight happens and you begin to meet people locally and even in other states and you go from knowing no one, to having this large Twilight family of friends that make getting up everyday more tolerable and 10 years later, those friends are still there and will continue to be there. I want someone to argue with me that Twilight did not change my life. 

Once Upon a Twilight is here because of Twilight, just like the tag line says "A Book Began The Bond of A Lifetime". This blog exist thanks to Twilight and my Twilight friends that encouraged me to start a blog so that I could share my Twilight trips and share my thoughts on whatever book I was reading. So if you are a fan of this site, then thank Twilight because if not Once Upon a Twilight would have never existed. And I know for a fact many of the authors and books you love today exist because of Twilight and how they were also affected in some way! 

I'm sharing this quote that a friend (which Twilight brought us together) posted today:

You don't have to like the books, but respect the fact that through this book series, lives were changed, touched, and affected. - Lauren

So join me today in celebrating these 10 years!!!

---

Pick up your copy today of the Twilight 10th Anniversary edition. This edition features the classic novel and a reimagined story Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer.

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.
Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover "flip book," this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.

Twilight has enraptured millions of readers since its first publication in 2005 and has become a modern classic, redefining genres within young adult literature and inspiring a phenomenon that has had readers yearning for more. The novel was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1 USA Today bestseller, a Time magazine Best Young Adult Book of All Time, an NPR Best-Ever Teen Novel, and a New York Times Editor's Choice. The Twilight Saga, which also includes New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella, and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, has sold nearly 155 million copies worldwide.

Please Help: Shepeta Family Fundraiser - Horrible House Fire

Calling all OUaT readers!!!

On December 10th 2014, The Shepeta family lost everything in a horrible house fire. The family barely made it out safely with their two young children (ages 6 & 3) and their dog. They had just purchased their home this year.

Many of you know Stacey O'Neale in the bookish world from blog tours you hosted of her or your a fan of her Mortal Enchantment series. O'Neale and The Shepeta's are close friends. Stacey is wanting to get the story out in order to raise money since they will have to replace clothing, furniture, household items and Christmas presents for their children they lost. 

If you can share this story via you blog, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media outlet, this will greatly help out The Shepeta family. 

Stacey has set up a GoFUndMe Fundraiser to make it easy for anyone able to help donate. Any amount will greatly help this family during this tragic time. 

Shepeta Family Fundraiser

If you aren't able or prefer to mail items to the family. You can send your donations to their grandparents:

Hank and Susan Shepeta
101 Kent Road
Glen Burnie, MD 21060

Clothing: Elijah wears 3T & Shoe Size: 8-8.5

Clothing: Amya wears 6x or 7/8 & Shoe Size: 13 or 1

---

I know first hand what this family is going through and what is to come in the future. Some of you might remember that my family also lost everything in a fire back in Jan 2012. What was such a dark tragic event in our lives was turned into some of the brightest and happiness days from the amount of support and love we received from so many folks all over the world. Everything that was raised and donated really help us survive such a trying time. And we are forever grateful.

So this is why I ask that even if you can only donate $5.00 dollars, it will help. And please help spread the word so that we can make this transition easier for The Shepeta family. 

Here is a post created by Mundie Moms after our own fire in 2012, CLICK HERE.

It's Monday and OUaT is Back!

Hey everyone! We hope everyone had a nice winter break and that your holidays were great.

It was really nice to have 2 weeks off from almost everything which included the site, work stuff and just other things going on in my life. I needed the breather. I didn't get as much reading as I hope I would but the reading I did get in was good. I read some new books for 2014 and some old books I had sitting on my shelf.

The site kept going thanks to my awesome team but an extra thank you to Leydy for keeping post going almost like normal. She pretty much rocked it and I'm not sure if you guys have been following Deitre's Saturday postings, its quite the treat and now I'm always waiting for Saturday to arrive to see what Dee has to talk about. This past Saturday Dee shared that she started a review site which would be a safe site for kids, teachers and parents to visit to know which books are safe for that young person to read. So if you have been looking for a site like that then you will want to bookmark Dee's new site called A Leisure Moment.

So its 2014 and this year OUaT will turn 4 in March, I still can't fathom being here 4 years later. I honestly thought that no one would care what I would have to say about a book but they did and we grew and this site is my family now, I can't see myself without it even when it bugs me some days. LOL! But like every year things change in a good or bad way I guess depends how one looks at it. And during this break I had tons of time to reflect on the site.

One thing I did come to finally admitting is that I didn't feel the same love and desire to read, review and post as the years before. So I sat there wondering why. So after I figured out why, it was time to figure out how to get back to the way things were before. This past year became very robotic to me and that's where I lost my drive. So 2014 I plan to get it back, I will have to accept that I can't tell everyone Yes or that I will be able to read everything even if I want too. The whole reason this site began was because of how much I fell in love with reading again after reading Twilight and was introduced to YA books. So to have lost that in 2013, it really makes me sad. I got to the point where I didn't even feel like reading and forced myself so I could get that review out by deadline, then I ended up reading the book already with bad taste and my reviews sucked because of that. I want to be able to look at my pile of books and just pick one up for whatever reason not because I HAVE to and I want to be able to write my reviews again like if I were chatting with a friend about the book I just finished.

I know that in the book review world, to get books from publishers and authors you have to agree to several things and I get it and I am thankful for everything in the past. But I'm ok if I stop receiving books or emails queries. I don't want to feel pressured anymore and I don't want to pressure my team either. With that being said we just will have a realistic outlook. Sadly book reviewing is not a full-time paid job and many of us have real job or carriers we manage everyday plus families and a whole bunch of other things that do come first. So if we can, we will but if we can't it will be ok. No harm done.

So in 2014 my resolution is to fall in love again with reading. 

Should you be worried? I hope not. This just means I won't be taking on everything that gets sent my way personally, someone on my team might or we just might pass in general. We will continue to bring you all sorts of reviews and of course everything else we have done before. But just know that when you do read one of my reviews, it was done with a happy heart.

So what is your New Years resolution?