Welcome to Litsy!

Wow! This middle grade graphic novel packed quite the emotional punch!

The story is based on the author‘s own life. It followed Cindy at age 12 when she discovers some major family secrets.

I loved the structure of the this book. It was a linear story with some flashbacks. The flashbacks added to the story and were well placed.

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/review-how-to-draw-a-secret/

The joy of 114 pages after the previous massive tome! The joy of the glorious cover too. I‘ve been wanting to read more Tessa Hadley; this is a short, sharp novella that perhaps doesn‘t live up to the cover in terms of overall vibe, but was a great little read nonetheless.

Sibling relationships and creative block (like writer's block). The crayons are too new. I love how the illustrator surrounded the character with potential drawings anticipating their creation. The sisters have crayon-names Violet and Marigold.

I enjoyed this book of connected short stories about two sisters from Hardscrabble Bay, New Brunswick. The stories take place over a span of 70 years and are sort of like Anne of Green Gables or Sarah Plain and Tall but with sex and swearing. So many Littens would love this book. Check it out!

Great story and wonderful cute graphics.

For the rest of my review, visit my Vlog at:

https://youtube.com/shorts/bwNi_wgeImA?feature=share

Enjoy!

This was a sweet story of an introverted sister completing her older sister‘s bucket list items after she passes away. The older sister was extroverted & was a social media influencer. A company agreed to sponsor the project if she completed the list and would help pay off the medical bills that were left behind. As the items were checked off she also reconnected with a former boyfriend and a romance developed.

This book was ok for me. I enjoyed digging into the Cold War but didn't find this to be much a spy story. It was an easy read but the characters didn't develop much. More a story about two sisters and the ones husband and how much he likes to drink. The ending also seemed a little too unrealistic for me. I did enjoy the Cold War historical aspects of the book and hope to read more Cold War historical fiction in the future.