Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

Zoe was burned on friendship before and has focused her power into science genius instead -she accidentally attracts an island full of city-eating Kaiju when she wishes for a friend. Super fun, really cute illustrations. Zoe is kind of a jerk, but she gets better. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/BR3Q13M-EpQ

Enjoy! ( )

Talk about GIRL POWER!
Here, we have a budding scientific mind trapped in the body of a little girl and while she's ace at robotics, she's striking out at making friends. That's okay though, right? I mean, who needs friends? On your own you can see whatever movies YOU like a hundred times, eat YOUR favorite foods, listen to YOUR favorite music, and persue YOUR beloved hobbies...all without having to compromise for anyone. Sounds like the perfect world...right? Yeah, about that...

Zoe is our leading lady and she's MAD SMART at all the techie stuff, I could never be. Now, I'm not shabby at running programs, and computer work, but building one? HahahahahaHA! Yeah, right. Guess what? It's child's play for her...quite literally child's play as she IS in fact a child, but the things she accomplishs are SO AMAZING! I loved her little pal B-4...from nuts to bolts, he was her companion, voice of reason, and snarky sidekick without an actual pulse...although give her the suggestion and she could probably give him one. Anywho, she and he get pulled into a MONSTER SIZED adventure after a mysterious piece of jewelry winds up on her finger, and that first monsterous surprise is only the beginning! She'll learn that getting what you wish for doesn't always work out the way you wanted, and that sometimes things happen for a reason much BIGGER than you could ever dream.

Aside from the obvious MONSTEROUSLY fun story, it has SO MUCH HEART! No, really! It wasn't just romp-em-stomp-em monsters, robotics, and saving the city....it was also color filled reminder that while we may be able to do it ourselves, we can grow, flourish, and accomplish SO MUCH MORE together. It broke my heart when our little leading lady stepped outside her box, only to be squashed in such a heartless (even if unintentional) way. I saw through Zoe's bravado, and though she was gifted, brilliant, and so many leapyears ahead of her classmates, she still needed the humbling yet heartwarming connection that true friendship brings. No man/woman is an island...an old saying, but oh so true. We all need someone, and there's no shame in that...it's what makes us human. We thrive in communities, share our strengths, overcome our weaknesses, and build a better today, while striving for tomorrow.


**copy received for review ( )

Aww, an excellent story with kaiju (huge Japanese monsters I believe ) and an adorable, realistic main character. Also, I was happy to see a positive, drama-free portrayal of a black family and supportive marriage.

I'm an adult, but I teared up when Zoe broke down after seeing how much her parents loved each other, wishing she had a friend that cared about her like that. When I tell you, I had to fight off those ugly tears with a bat.

Overall, I recommend this story to anyone. It's relatable to anyone's that's been hurt by someone or felt lonely. The artwork's cute too. Now, the "make friends or else" theme is very much present without acknowledging it's okay to be alone sometimes too. But I get it because Zoe was alone because she was too afraid to open herself back up to people and not entirely because she just wanted too ( )