Book Review: The Little Bee by Nicola Killen

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The Little Bee  by Nicola Killen  is a children's picture book about a girl name Ollie who follows a bee to a magical, secret garden. But, the next day, the beautiful garden was gone, and the little girl misses her new friends. What will she do? This beautiful book has an expected publication date of May 5, 2026. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Beach Lane Books for approving my request for a digital Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Little Bee . I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Nicola Killen wrote such a beautifully worded story that I found myself immersed in the story, and I'm not even the target audience. It's a charming tale that should encourage children to explore nature and make them want to plant their own secret garden.  Equally beautiful were the illustrations. I found myself taking the time to actually look a the pictures as I read. It's a great story to read   at bedtime  with ch...
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Book Review: That Night by Chevy Stevens

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That Night by Chevy Stevens is a mystery and suspense novel published on June 17, 2014.Not knowing a thing about Chevy Stevens' book That Night, I decided to purchase it from ThriftBooks.com. Within a couple of days of receiving it, I began reading it, and it immediately sucked me in.

There were several things I loved about That Night. One of those things was that the chapters alternated from the present day to past years. This kept the book interesting and me engaged. I think that if Chevy Stevens had started from the beginning of the story, it wouldn't have kept my attention quite as well and wouldn't have had the impact it had.

Additionally, the relationships in the book were right on target, especially the way teenagers act in high school. The gossip and mean girl syndrome were right on par, and the way adults tended to believe Shauna over Toni was very believable as well. Who hasn't encountered a Shauna at some point in their life? The relationship between Toni and her sister Nicole seemed very believable to me, but being an only child, I don't really have anything to base this on except seeing how my friends interacted with their siblings.

Words can't really express how much I enjoyed That Night by Chevy Stevens. My heart pounded at points, not knowing what was going to happen. I even cried at one section because it was such a bittersweet moment . . . I won't say more than that as to not give away anything. Chevy Stevens is a talented writer who really showed a lot of depth in her characters in a way that many other authors don't quite capture. There is nothing bad I can say about this book because it is written that well, and I was totally shocked by the ending of the novel and loved how believable it was. I gave That Night five out of five stars.

Synopsis of That Night by Chevy Stevens:  Toni Murphy is the typical teen who is sullen and doesn't get along with her parents. On top of that, she drinks and smokes pot. Toni resents the fact that her parents think her boyfriend, Ryan, is a bad influence on her. One fateful night, Toni's sister Nicole is found murdered, and Toni and Ryan are convicted of the crime and spend years in prison for the deed. When Toni finally is out on parole, she is determined to find evidence that proves her and Ryan's innocence and chaos ensues.

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