BOOK REVIEW AND TOP 5 REASONS TO READ - Cookie Monsters by Erika J. Kendrick

Cookie Monsters by Erika J. Kendrick

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary

Publishing Date: January 17, 2023

Synopsis:

A fun, fast-paced novel about friendship, family, fighting for what’s right, and standing out from the crowd while standing up for yourself.

Twelve-year-old Brooklyn Ace is ready to take the Valentine World Scouts by storm and build her own cookie empire. She nearly won the top cookie selling spot last year and is determined to make her mom—who recently passed away—proud by coming in first this time around. With her fabulous best friends by her side, Brooklyn knows she’ll become Santa Monica’s District Cookie Queen. The crown is practically in the bag.

Then Piper Parker arrives.

Piper has a rich dad, a fancy hotel, and a drive to steal the cookie crown right off Brooklyn’s head. Before long, most of the seventh grade is under Piper’s spell. But Brooklyn is in it to win the biggest cookie war the school has ever seen. With the help of her cookie squad, her rockstar grandmother, her super cool therapist, and a lot of self-love and inner growth, maybe—just maybe—Brooklyn can end up a winner after all.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Erika J. Kendrick and TBR and Beyond Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.

I love reading Middle Grade novels. I find them to be entertaining and love the innocence of the characters. Middle school is tough, and I enjoy being transported back to this age and thinking about things from an adult perspective.
I was drawn to this book because I was a Brownie and I empathize with the competitive nature of cookie selling season. The characters are well written and realistic. The plot of cookie selling season was the perfect for this book. The antics are nothing short of bullying and I found myself rooting for Brooklyn the whole way.
My Top 5 Reasons to Read This Book:
Strong Female Leads
Eclectic cast of characters
Strong Relationships
Promotes the benefits of therapy
Normalizes mental health issues

I look forward to reading more from this author.
Overall Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

About the Author:

Erika J. Kendrick is an acclaimed writer, a national speaker, and a mental fitness expert. She earned a psychology degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Erika was an NBA cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls before writing her novels, Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader (Random House) and Appetite (Random House). She is currently touring her debut middle grade novel, Squad Goals, with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The spinoff, Cookie Monsters, is set for a summer 2022 release.

After battling her brain pain, Erika founded Mental Fitness For Life where she launched her latest Mental Fitness book tour, “Who Moved My Happy?” While talking to audiences of all backgrounds and ages, Erika shares her story of brain pain and inspires hope by creating safe spaces for life-saving conversations. She has presented and guest lectured at colleges and universities as well as the US Army and US Air Force, national sororities and fraternities, middle and high schools, conferences, retreats, and national organizations, large and small. Erika has toured with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is a speaker with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) where she has been inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Erika is a recipient of several “Who’s Who” honors, a Rising Icon honor, and several Awards of Excellence. Erika has taken the stage for TEDx, appeared on Good Morning America – The Third Hour (GMA3), NBC News, CBS News, The Wendy Williams Experience, national television and radio segments, and a host of other media outlets. She has been featured in several publications, including Page Six of The New York Post, The Huffington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and various other magazines and digital media.

Author Links:

Website: http://xoerika.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikajkendrick

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikajkendrick/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/152001.Erika_J_Kendrick

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erikajkendrick

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60563990-cookie-monsters

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Monsters-Erika-J-Kendrick/dp/0316281484/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cookie-monsters-erika-j-kendrick/1141412017

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Cookie-Monsters-Erika-J-Kendrick/9780316281485

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/cookie-monsters/9780316281379-item.html