“Fighting Words” is a book by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, who has written other books, such as “The War That Saved My Life,” “The War I Finally Won,” and “The Lacemaker Princess. However, “Fighting Words” stands out amongst all of these because of how expertly written it is.

This book focuses on Della, a 10 year old girl living in eastern Tennessee, and her 16 year old sister, Suki. Suki is almost like a second mother to Della, and is very protective of her because their mother wasn’t very present in their lives, as she was suffering from a drug addiction. After their mother’s boyfriend is arrested for attempting to abuse Della, they are sent to Francine, their new foster mother. Everything is going well, until Suki attempts to kill herself because of the abuse she was suffering through from their mother’s boyfriend throughout all of those years. Luckily, she fails, but it is a shocking event for Francine and Della. Della is entered into therapy, and is taught healthy methods to cope with her trauma. The therapy changes Della’s outlook on life, helps her navigate tough situations, and helps her learn how to stand up for herself.

This book has funny moments, sad moments, and scary moments. Kimberly Bradley mixes all of these moments to give us the masterfully crafted novel, “Fighting Words.” Overall, I would give this book a rating of 4 stars.

“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is a fast-paced novel that tells the story of four siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter. When Lucy stumbles upon an old wardrobe, it leads her to the magical world of Narnia, where an evil witch has cast an eternal winter over the land. With the help of her siblings, some beavers, and a mighty lion named Aslan, Lucy is determined to stop the witch. But will they be able to win when there is a traitor in their midst? 

A lot of people have recommended this book to me, but I had never really bothered trying it until now. Now I am so glad that I have had the experience of reading this book. Readers are sure to get whisked along in the adventures of Lucy and her siblings as they rally an army, slay a demon wolf, and even meet Father Christmas. C.S. Lewis’s descriptive writing format was such a delight to read, and it felt as though I were really there in Narnia, watching everything happen. 

My only question about the book is why this is the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, and not the first. Now I am so excited to read the rest of the series! Five out of five stars!