Happy Book Birthday: Karma Bites by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Hi there!

Happy Monday to you from me, the Insatiable Reader...here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!  (Hmm, good place to be with a name like that....)  Today we usher in a new week, well it is Monday after all, but more than that, we are making a point to say...Hello world!  Did you know a great read was "born" today?  Yep, it was!  Allow me to introduce you...  Okay, so the great read part is my opinion, but it is definitely shared by many folks that have had the privilege of reading this new gem.  Today's book of choice celebrating its birthday-type arrival into the literary world is....

Karma Bites

by

Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

A great story filled with the antics of a young girl just trying to make the world (okay..her world) a better place...one heartfelt wish at a time. Franny Flanders is a border crosser in the hierarchy that is middle school...crossing the lines of peaks, geeks, beeks (and so on) in order to stay a true friend to her two besties.  She's running interference so much , she barely has time for herself, but THAT is all about to change thanks to Franny's Granny (gotta love that combo) and her magic box. Magic box?  Yep, magic box.  It seems it has a recipe to solve whatever ails you. Sort of like a magic eight ball combined with an Easy Bake oven.  Sounds cool, right?  Well, the box comes with a set of strict instructions, the main one being moderation.  You are only to use the box when all else fails and sparingly even then (Okay, now I'm getting a flashback to Gremlins...you know, don't feed the critters after midnight, or else...). But really, what harm could come from trying to spread a little good will? Franny is about to find out...

When reading this book, it's hard not to get caught up in the drama of it all.  I mean whether you're in middle school, looking forward to going, or have been-there-done-that many moons ago, you can relate to at least one character either primary or secondary in this story.  I myself found a bit of myself in Franny, since I was more border crosser than any one group in school.  Let's just hope the one you identify with isn't Elodie.  We're talking school kid Queen B with an attitude to match...and that's not quite a compliment.  *shudders* Franny on the other hand is a jewel.  She tries her best to make everyone happy even when it's at the expense of herself....definitely something she learns from by book's end.  With a full cast of characters worth a mention, it's hard to not list them all.  From Franny's friends Joey and Kate, to her never tired of playing and fighting brothers....and especially Franny's wee tad eccentric Granny (but she KNOWS her stuff!) and Lama Tensing Pasha, guru extraordinaire and spiritual advisor to the stars (and winged taxi to one uber hottie singer Justi....well, you'll see when you read it...hehe.....it's really the only part that threw me for a loop, but the Stacy Kramer was kind enough to explain why it was there....).  You never quite know who you'll bump into next.

Though listed as Middle Grade Fiction, the only thing that keeps it there is the age of the lead characters (they're 12, but they seem far more mature than some adults I know)....the story itself, is perfectly suited to the YA genre and fans of it. Highly recommend this gem of a book if not purely for the fun story for the recipes!  That's right!  YOU, readers, get to try out some of the recipes Franny uses within the story from the "Make-It-Better Munchie Mix" to the "Sensationally Sexy Smoothie" (a favorite of mine I might add.....although the spinning in a circle and chanting bit in the instructions would definitely turn a few heads if done in public), all to rather delicious ends. 

All in all, I'd say this book is really about being true to yourself and therefore presenting the real you to others.  Only in this way can you develop those life long bonds of friendship (and maybe something more with the cute boy she is crushing on) worth nurturing in the years to come.  That and also a great study in social structure.  I mean once the lines begin to cross and the so called rules are removed, utter chaos races right in.  Definitely a good case for mingling among social groups, but not necessarily the total annihilation of them.  This book was scheduled for release TODAY...so a great big HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to both the book and it's illustrious authors!  (I tried putting a cake and candles in the screen to share, but ended up having to wipe icing off the monitor.  This pic will have to do....)

Special thanks to author Stacy Kramer and Jennifer at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  To find out more about Franny, her adventures, and what others are saying about her novel debut, visit the official Karma Bites website, or follow author Stacy Kramer or Valerie Thomas on Twitter!  To learn more about the publisher and their catalog of books, check out their website or...guess where....yep, Twitter!

COMMENT CREATOR

Boy, it's been a while since I've done one of these....for those of you new to the site and wondering what in the world this is....it's an idea starter, a conversation creator if you will.  It gives you something to start from if you should decide to a leave a  comment on my post.  So, today's question...what were YOU like in middle/high school?  Would you be hanging out with the poms (cheerleaders)?  Planning gigs with the beeks (band geek)?  Or perhaps somewhere altogether different?  Do tell!

Until next time....happy reading!