I was very intrigued by the storyline but some parts did seem a little far-fetched. The pacing wasn’t the best as adult, but good for a middle grade reader.

Tally Jo and Tempest Trimble become two real-life characters in magic and family curses. I was impressed by the way Gina Linko made this story alive even with calm steps. Relationships and character growth are very strong when they have to be separated. This story is impressive in many ways, especially those related to magic and curses.
Tally's ideas for fighting curses are indeed very strong. But all of that was sometimes not followed by Tempest. But in the end the reader knows that these twins live differently. Until finally I was impatient whether this twin story would be separate or not. This is an amazing magical story that deserves to be a best story. Thank you Gina Linko and Skyhorse Publishing.

Linko, Gina Flower Moon, 256 pages. Sky Pony, 2018. $16. Language: PG (6 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

Twins Tempest and Tally are rapidly approaching their thirteenth birthday. Both are excited to spend their summer with their grandpa at his traveling carnival, but something is going sour between the twins themselves. They know that their mother never sees her own twin sister, Aunt Grania, and they are worried that they will also pull apart. The sisters will need to listen to each other carefully and support and trust each other like never before, or after this summer they may never see each other again.

The reason for the separation is quite a bit mystical, but works as a metaphor for twins growing up and away from each other. If they want to remain friends, then they have to work at it. Another sweet book that will have a small, faithful audience.

MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Tally and Tempest are two middle grade heroines worth getting to know. Their story inspires courage against the odds, bravery, hope, and love. The characters were easy to fall in step with, though I did feel the author could have developed the story a tiny bit further and gone on to explain a few things a little better. Perhaps that’s just coming from my adult mindset, however; most likely a younger reader would be quite content with things exactly as they were. All in all, Flower Moon was a cute story unlike any I’ve read before. The vibrant cover art was an added bonus. Yes, I’m very happy to have had the chance to check this book out.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

I enjoyed this tale. I've know some twins over my lifetime and each set is very different from each other. Some twins remain close their whole lives, others will part to discover their own lives individually. It's all good and interesting. As it is, Tempest and Tally are growing up and each needs to find her own way in this story. I liked the carnival setting. The writing was really good. I think middle schoolers will relate to this story and enjoy it. It's a good fit for them.

Tally Jo and Tempest Trimble are mirror twins, so alike they were almost born the same person. Inseparable, but more than that. Connected.

That is, until this summer. The twins are traveling with Pa Charlie’s carnival just like always, but there’s a new distance between them. Tempest is so caught up in her own ideas, she doesn’t seem to have space left in her life for Tally. And, more than that, Tally’s started to notice there’s something between them. Something real, growing with the phases of the moon, pushing them apart. Sparking, sputtering, wild. Dangerous.
With the full moon approaching, Tally knows it’s up to her to find out what’s going on—and to beat it. If she can’t, she might just lose her sister. Forever.
For fans of Savvy and A Snicker of Magic, this is a spellbinding story of friendship and family—a poignant ode to both what’s worth holding on to and what we have to let go.
Flower Moon is one of those books that once you start reading, it is hard to set down. Fans of magical realism will really enjoy this story that combines elements of magic and coming of age. Emotional, coming of age, family themes all combined in this adorable story.
Not only children but adults as well will enjoy the carnival themes, which implies, magic, mystery and the unknown as something hard not to get enchanted.
Gina Linko has created many teachable moments, especially for the Science class, when talking about magnets.

Sweet, adventurous, dealing with the fact of growing up, and how these twins deal with matters that sometimes cannot be expected but it happens.
Adorable, beautiful writing. The publisher has sent me this ARC for an honest review. Thank you.
Published January 2nd, 2018.

You know the average middle age growing up story? Regular kid ends up in an irregular situation and with passion and love fights their way out. You know the one you've probably read it dozens of times by different people.
Now do you remember your very first story like this? The one that maybe got you hooked on reading, spoke to your soul or was just perfect to you. Was there anything super special about it?
Sadly the answer is probably not. It just happened to be the first time you read a book like that and now it lives in a place in your heart forever.
This is what Flower Moon could be to some middle grade kids. The first story that really touches them. Where the lead gal feels and thinks like they do. Where the selfish, annoying yet endearing moments are a reflection of what that kid feels many days.
But guess what? Rarely are these stories super special in any literary way.
Flower Moon is like that.

Carnival could be cool
While Gina Linko sets up this cute story about twin sister, whose mother is also a twin, in a fairly average way. The girls characteristics are defined. Paying particular attention to what makes them different from each other even when they look identical.
The family is pretty typical as well. The one thing that caught my attention in the blurb was that they travel with a carnival (run by their Grandfather) every year. And let's face it carnivals can be amazing settings (The Night Circus!) but I should have maybe known better after the mess that was Caraval last year. In any case Linko's carnival setting disappointingly ends up irrelevant which is perhaps the most disappointing thing of all. This story could have taken place anywhere with an ocean to link i the moon tides. It would not have made any fundamental difference to the outcome or feel of the story.

Flower Moons
Yes a 'Flower Moon' is a real thing. And the magnetic tides and concepts that Linko briefly touches on here are (mostly) true. Except for the whole magical part (lol). I actually think this could have been a better story if it had happened over a slightly longer period of time to really investigate the phases of the moon and their effect on the girls. But instead the story is shoved into a few days time (for the most part) so that no actual development of characters, setting or plot is required.

Overall
Like I said in the intro this could become some twin girls "the one" book if read at just the right time with just the right elements in place. But it is also a book that I think would be reread as an adults and inevitably disappoint. So I would wish for a better book for the average 9-11 aged child to read.

It's not that it's bad. It's just that it's not that special.
There was/is so much potential to the story if only Linko had incorporated more of the carnival and moon phases into it. It's really too bad.
That said if this book finds the right kid then it was worth publishing. It's not that I wouldn't recommend it, more that after I write this review it will be gone from my mind as another typical story for kids that could have been something more.

Psychic twins aren't exactly a new concept but this is at least a fresh examination. I found the carnival setting a bit over done but the exploration of magnetism was an interesting twist. The symbolism is great and makes it a good choice for explaining the literary concept to middle grade readers.

This pulled me in from the start. The story is just believable enough that you find yourself wondering if somewhere out there are two twins, on a journey of discovery. Although geared for a younger crowd, adults will also really enjoy this story!

Do you remember lazy summer afternoons as a child, laying on the grass under the shade of a tree, watching clouds pass overhead? You could hear the leaves rustle above you and feel the wind on your face. A friend was laying beside you and you’d laugh together, deciding what animals the clouds resembled. That’s what the first half of Flower Moon felt like to me. There was a pervading sense of nostalgia and I felt like the words were just washing over me.

Tempest and Tally Jo are twelve year old mirror twins. Tally has always been the leader and protector, whereas Tempest has been the shy follower. Throughout the past year the twins have started to grow apart. This summer, like every year, the girls will be spending time with the travelling carnival their Pa Charlie runs. Twin girls run in their family, as does the mysterious Greenly Curse. Told from abrupt Tally’s point of view, we follow the twins as they embark on a summer like no other.

I felt as though I was transported to 1950’s America, so much so that the occasional references to the present, like a Pokemon bandaid, felt jarring. I would have preferred for there to have been no references to any specific time period at all in this book. I could hear the words spoken in a southern accent and while some of the phrases didn’t sit right with me, overall I inhabited this world with Tempest and Tally Jo.

As an only child I grew up wishing for a sibling and romanticised the idea of being a twin for several years, most likely in response to my The Parent Trap obsession. That said, I can only imagine what having a sibling must be like. I’m also not quite sure the world could handle two of me!

Growing up I looked on with fascination at the relationships my friends had with their siblings and have witnessed some siblings cast long shadows, with others living their lives inside them. Even without siblings, I understand what it’s like to live in the shadow of someone’s expectations of you.

In Flower Moon, Tempest has lived in the shadow of Tally’s limelight all of her life, and both girls seem to think that the reason they’ve grown apart over the past year is because the other twin has changed and is pulling away. Sometimes you don’t realise what you’re projecting into the world and your relationships until it’s mirrored back to you.

There’s a growing tension in this book and from my perspective it felt like the heart of this tension really stemmed from the difficulties that come with trying to hold on to how things were in the past (or how you remember them to be) at the expense of appreciating what’s in front of you in the present. Fear and issues of trust are addressed, including the fear of what the future will look like if the dynamics in relationships change over time.

I really liked Digger and would have loved to have learned more about him and for his personality to be shown separate to his connection with Tally. I loved the animals and the atmosphere of the carnival. I had unresolved questions about the curse, including why it affects this family, and I wanted more background information about the twins’ mother and aunt, and their mother and her twin.

I didn’t always like Tally that much. She was quite abrasive and self-centred, and I spent some of the book wishing it had been written from Tempest’s point of view instead. However, the realisation that the world doesn’t solely revolve around her added more depth to Tally’s character.

The first half of the book may not have enough action for those who only equate magic with wands. The amount of introspection may also be off putting for some readers. While I expect I would have enjoyed this book as a child I doubt I would have appreciated its beauty like I do now.

I am almost certain I felt my heart grow while I was reading and although I spent some of the book feeling sad at the loneliness and disconnect between the twins, I came away feeling better about the world. While difficult subjects were raised, there was still enough of a feeling of childhood innocence that I felt heartened by it. I loved the messages of hope and empowerment. I think what I’m going to take away from this book above all is the reminder that magic is both around and within you.

Favourite section in the ARC: “Maybe that was what growing up was, understanding where the real magic lived in this world. Inside our very own hearts.” (89%)

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Sky Pony Press for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

The first book of 2018. I wanted something light and heartwarming and this did the trick. A sweet story of sisterhood, embracing change and supporting each other. Great book primary school students, ages nine to 13.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Sky Pony Press for granting me access to this ARC.

Blog review will go live on January 2nd 2018

Tempest and I were mirror twins; our cells had decided at the last possible moment to divide into two people in the womb. So that meant we shared everything , but flipped. The part in my hair was on the right; hers was on the left. I was right-handed; she was a lefty. That kind of thing.

Opposites.
Opposites, but more than that: Connected. Intertwined.

The same.

But things had changed this year somehow; a weird friction had crept in between us.

And I didn’t like it.

I have to admit that I was initially drawn in by the stunning cover, then by the description of the carnival setting – I am a sucker for stories set in the circus or carnival! It is quite a short book, describing twin sisters who suddenly find that something is pushing them apart and being together can lead to accidents. There is a mystery surrounding their mother and grandmother, both of whom were also identical twins, yet no longer see each other.

The story is told from Tally’s point of view and she is fully fleshed out – she is, at times, immature, frustrating and kind, developing her understanding of her sister by whom she feels overshadowed, never pausing to consider that her twin may feel the same about her!

Magical realism is a genre which can be hit or miss for me as I am often disappointed by how little magic there actually is in the story. Unfortunately, this was the weaker point of this story for me as I feel like the magical aspect was not fully-explored nor added much to a solid coming-of-age story.

Recommended for younger readers who like just a smidgen of magic!

There in my bed, that first night back at Pa Charlie’s, I found myself thinking more and more about the day before kindergarten when Mama told us she was putting us in separate classes. “So you can have your own life too,” she’d told us then, her smile faltering just a little. “But we’re the same,” was all I could come up with.

Tempest had been silent. “Come here,” Mama had said, and she’d pulled out a bottle of nail polish. “Give me your index fingers. Both of y’all.” We obliged, and I remembered being so surprised when Mama brushed the paint onto the pads of our pointer fingers, instead of on the nails. Then she’d pressed our fingerprints onto an index card, side by side. “Look closely.” I’d studied them, narrowing my eyes.

“They’re different!” I had said, so surprised after six years of sharing everything with my sister.

Our secret sign language of our toddler years, the same bed half the time, the freckle under our eye— hers on the left, mine on the right.

What I liked: Carnival setting, wider cast of characters, friendship between Tally and Digger, teacher supporting Tempest. I liked Tally’s character development as she felt flawed and realistic.

Even better if: It did feel like there could have been more magic. I know that magical realism can struggle to get the balance right, but I really wanted to find out more about what had happened with their grandmother and mother, as well as the reasons why their family was afflicted with this ‘curse’.

How you could use it in your classroom: It would make an interesting read for children to spark discussions about sibling relationships and twins who are identical in looks but not personalities. Could also be good for those who want a bit of magic, but you are trying to push on to more complex books than The Rainbow Fairy series. Some of the language is beautiful so short passages could be pulled out to discuss, though it may not go down well as a class readaloud.

View on my blog: https://chrikarublog.wordpress.com/2017/12/28/book-review-flower-moon/

Flower Moon, by Gina Linko, is a magical middle-grade read. A coming-of-age story that blends magical realism with family drama & mystery. Twins Tally and Tempest, who have always seemed so alike and close - are feeling different and disconnected. They spend the summer with their Pa Charlie and his traveling circus, and as each day passes they grow more and more distant. There is magic at work - and that magic comes to its climax on their thirteenth birthday, the night of the Flower Moon. A story that will keep readers intrigued with its mystery and dazzle those who love both carnivals and magic, this was a fun middle-grade read.

A lovely story about the destiny of twin sisters and the complexity of becoming a teenager. The cover is just beautiful and I can't wait for the children in our library to read it!

A great book about the power of family and siblings.
I really liked the 2 main characters and loved how their story unfolds; finding out about the generations before them.
I think readers aged 12 and above would enjoy.

Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a galley of this book!

This was one of the most touching, sweet stories I have read in a long time. The main character, Tally, and her sister, Tempest, are sweet and interesting girls with a lot of depth, and their changing relationship as they grow up is a pleasure to read about. The book deals with some very relatable themes for its intended middle grade audience, and the writing style works well with the story. There is just enough magic to give the book a distinct fantasy feel without overwhelming the more realistic aspects of the story, and the magical elements are woven in beautifully, in my opinion.

The one aspect I would say could be fleshed out further is some of the family history and some more of the backstory to the particular type of magic in the story, but overall I was happy with the book and I think students I work with will enjoy it as well. Definitely recommend!

*thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars.
Firstly I need to say look at that cover! Its gorgeous! Ok, so the story. It was good! Twin (almost) teenage girls, Tally Jo and Tempest Trimble aged 12 (almost 13), a carnival and an important message of, figuring out '....what’s worth holding on to and what we have to let go.'
It focuses mainly on the relationship between the two sisters and is quite a well written middle grade novel. This book is probably more appealing to preteen girls but also older ones would enjoy it too and get something out of it.

This one gave me serious A SNICKER OF MAGIC vibes. Gentle magical realism combined with a complex sisterly relationship, plus curses & a carnival setting made for a fabulous read. I adored our two main characters, and the similarities and differences between them, and enjoyed that they were able to be rash & argumentative and make mistakes (like all nearly 13 year olds do!). The writing was beautiful and colourful, and reading this was like drinking hot chocolate on a cold night.

There is always the point, in any review, where you have to decide if you want to say a lot about a book because you didn't like it, or a lot about a book because you did like it, and wondering how to weight each one.

In this case, I don't want to praise this book, because I had to slog through it, until about the last quarter. Tally is not likable, at all. She is annoying, and opinionated, and stubborn, and I suppose that will resonate with some, but it just made me want to slap her a few times. Perhaps she is a typical teenager. Her twin sister, Tempest, is every likable, and tries to get Tally to see reason. I am right there with Tempest, getting annoyed with her twin.

The action is supposed to take place in the south, and so there is "you'all", thrown in, as well as other expressions, but it felt, off, some how. This could have taken place anywhere, although I presume the local color or the areas they are in is real. I am unfamiliar with Georgia.

The action takes place at a traveling carnival, but other than the animal pen, where they are keeping wolf pups (for some reason), there is no local color, no feel of the carnival, because Tally tends to hang out with the animals.

I'm sure there are kids that would love a book about twins. I'm sure there are sisters that would love to read about conflicts with sisters, but the reason for the conflict, and the solution to the confilit takes so dang-darn long to get to, and we have to suffer with Tally the whole time being annoying, that I would suggest just skipping all the stuff in the middle, and going as fast to the last few chapters as you can possibly turn the pages.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.