With thanks to Netgalley and the author Susan Scheafer Bernardo for allowing me to review this book.

An enjoyable young teenage book, that I enjoyed

This story is full of Greek magic and mythology that is perfectly illustrated. Filled with beautiful prose when and statues that appear enrich insight. Rocket's character is described as very strong and tenacious even though she doesn't know the future direction. Families that are quite turbulent, mothers remarry and father commit suicide. When mom says she's pregnant again, Rocket isn't happy.
I will not tell much but the plot in this story was built fresh and fast. I can feel like that is human life when it is full of problems. But the story in it is full of challenges, struggles of self-confidence, reconciliation, friendship and aura. This story is beautiful and I was amazed.

Rocket woke up and she wasn’t sure why but hre cat Moo was very nervous. She had been moving stuff from the cottage and was exhausted as her mother had just got married to Rick and was off on her honeymoon.Rick owns an solar energy company, drives a hybrid and is obsessive about recycling. Rocket is thirteen. Rocket was merging the two households and moving to Rick’s much bigger house in the Hollywood hills. Earlier that day a strange messenger showed up at her new home by the door that led to the patio. He was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt but they looked wrong somehow. There was a crate almost as tall as he was. Than when she asked if she should sign for it he said yes as that was the custom in her world. Than he whisked a gold clipboard and ostrich quill out of thin air, Welcome to Hollywood. Now the mysterious crate was glowing. Rocket opened the crate and a tall narrow mirror with silver glass and a carved wooden frame that looked old sat in the room. There was a tarnished disc made of some sort of metal. The disc pulsed with a soft golden light. Rocket grabbed a sock to polish the disc and a jolt tingled through her fingers. With the tip of her index finger she explored the groves in the disc. Rocket’s skin tingled and the light pulsed more rapidly as if responding to her touch. Than before she knew it both of Rocket’s hands were held captive. Than voices came out of the mirror and the hard surface of the mirror dissolved. She heard voices murmur than she heard a woman say “ Is it done Narcissus? “ “ Yes Cleo” a man said and Rocket recognized the delivery man’s voice. The rocket shouted “ Let go of me!” Than the woman said “ she is not ready.” The mirror went dark and her hands flew out of the disc. She flew back and her mattress frame with her head and blacked out.
I couldn’t get into this book. It just didn’t hold my attention. I even put it down and went back to it a few days later but still no go. I am sure others will enjoy this book it just wasn’t for me.

This book was pretty good for its intended audience. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m usually an advocate for demographic not deciding what a reader would or wouldn’t like but in some cases, I do feel that a younger me would’ve enjoyed this all the more.

The story revolves around Rocket (I loved that name) who’s a fourteen-year-old girl surviving middle school. While the main theme revolves around a coming-of-age story, it takes huge turns when Greek mythology is added to the story line. While the initial focus of the story is about a teenager who’s witnessing a step-dad stepping into a picture, her mom getting pregnant again, moving houses, and her best friend drifting away from her. Wow, sounds like a ton of conflict and it was pretty good in terms of character development because Rocket does gradually transform into a calmer person that what she first comes across as.

Soon Rocket finds out she’s a muse and that’s how Greek gods and famous personalities come into play. First of all, I absolutely love some good mythology and Greek specifically never fails to amuse me. However, most of the time I felt everything was just too much, if you get what I mean. There’s a teenager’s struggle to find a stable place in their upside life and suddenly there are so many names I haven’t heard before but are apparently important. Maybe a few plot lines could’ve kept me interested and not confused but overall, it kinda tired me.

Having said that, this was actually pretty good if I consider myself a middle-grader. It touches themes of self-confidence and becoming stronger ourselves. It’s quite motivational and the journey of Rocket is well sorted to clearer get a message across. Like I already mentioned, there’s a good character development and that works as a subtle inspiration.

I received an advanced copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Normally I enjoy reading books geared towards people of younger ages, teen, and YA but this was admittedly, a bit young even for me. Don't get me wrong, it was packed with really interesting information, fun facts, tips on how to be more environmentally friendly, and cheesy anecdotes, but it just didn't all seem to come together properly.
It's a coming of age tale of young Rocket who is 14 years old. She seems to go through all the usual things young girls go through when graduating middle school, getting her period, getting ditched by her friends, being uprooted from her own life after her mother marries and then gets pregnant, not to mention she comes from a long line of muses...yes muses. She spends her nights on Mount Helikon learning how to become a muse while interacting with other gods and demi gods. Famous people from any point in time litter the pages from references to famous authors, painters, inventors, and composers; temporal zones are not in effect. There's also an incredibly large and somewhat confusing amount of other apprentice muses that get thrown into the mix which are difficult to keep straight. Rocket's new mission in life is to inspire herself as well as others around her, and ultimately save the world from stagnation and mediocrity.
I don't know. I usually love anything with Greek myths in it, and I'm usually a sucker for a young teen struggling to find themselves and their purpose in life but this really didn't jive with me. Perhaps a bit too many liberties were taken and the poems really grated on my nerves. My real rating for this would have been 2.5 stars but I rounded up. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I'd say give it a try to anyone interested in feel good books filled with interesting Greek myths/information. And if you like a bit of cheese, well this one's for you.

Engaging story that interweaves teenagers and old style greek gods. Mix them all together and you have a fantastic, can't put it don't book!

This was a nice and engaging story. I really liked it.

This book was slightly quirky but in a good way. Its use of mythology was refreshing & reminded me a bit of the narnia chronicles with a twist. While I enjoyed it I believe the book is best suited to middle schoolers . Great read !

I can honestly say, I love this book. I haven't read a book about a muse before and this made it extra special. What I love most about this book are the wonderful stories about the Greek gods and goddesses and of course the special appearances of some of the greatest writers and thinkers. Everything is woven amazingly into a story everybody should read. Highly recommended. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Inner Flower Child Books!

That blurb says all about the book. It’s Middle grade Fantasy focuses on 14 old Rocket and on Greek Muses. Book is about self-confidence, believing in your own ability, friendship, growing up, to get inspired and spread inspiration, and how creativity is very important in everyone’s life (that is the basically job of all 9 Muses).

Characters-
Rocket– this 14 year old heroine was smart, valedictorian (I like this word in book), witty, rude (most of the time), who was being teased for her name and her nerdy nature. She was so angry with the changes in life- her mother marries to Rick whom she doesn’t like much, they soon going to have baby, she has to leave her beautiful cottage, her best friend started hanging out with other girl, then there is this mysterious mirror that keep glowing and pretty soon she found out she was apprentice muse. Pheww! Too much for a teen, no doubt she was grumpy. As the story progressed she started to turn from grumpy teen to kind and warm mature young lady. She lacked inspiration in herself and she learned how to find that inspiration in herself by the end. I liked development in her. She was such a nice character that every teen would end up loving her.

Muses were so fun and entertaining in the book, especially Thalia. I liked her ranting on her father, Zeus, how inconsiderate he has been with them. Oh and I loved her witty answer to why he never came on Mount Helikon. They all were so witty and amazing and yeah a bit girly in the book. This book is better to know about Muses.

I liked all secondary characters especially Niko and Rocket’s step dad.

What I liked-
Inspired was narrated by Rocket whose voice made the book so appropriate for readers of her age. In fact even as adult I liked her voice in the book, it was very entreating, light-hearted and refreshing. Her emotions were remarkable throughout the book. I’m sure many middle grader can relate to this character and with the things happening in the book. There was a feel good factor in the book that left me smiling.

Muses were so fun and entertaining in the book, especially Thalia. I liked her ranting on her father, Zeus, how inconsiderate he has been with them. Oh and I loved her witty answer to why he never came on Mount Helikon. They all were so witty and amazing and yeah a bit girly in the book. This book is better to know about Muses.

I liked all secondary characters especially Niko and Rocket’s step dad.

What I liked-
Inspired was narrated by Rocket whose voice made the book so appropriate for readers of her age. In fact even as adult I liked her voice in the book, it was very entreating, light-hearted and refreshing. Her emotions were remarkable throughout the book. I’m sure many middle grader can relate to this character and with the things happening in the book. There was a feel good factor in the book that left me smiling.

Author did a very good in turning the main theme- self-confidence, inner strength- into a beautiful inspirational middle grade novel. When Rocket was losing her friend and was not happy with changes in her life, I thought this book was going to be little sad and whiny but I’m glad it was not. The ups and downs in the life of Rocket was smooth and well balanced.

Talking about Greek Muses– Their introduction in the Museum was cool and unique. All things that readers need to know about them was told nicely. All info about Muses was not dumped at once, it was represented a way that as you progress in the story you know more about them, which made it intriguing. I loved to know their story at mount Helikon, why they were living there, their issues with Zeus, what was their aim or job or goal as being Muse, and little more stories. This was my second book about Muses and I suggest to read this one if like to know about them.

Where there are muses there will be talk about astral form and astral travel (I don’t know why, if anyone know please let me know). Astral thing was like time travel which was very nicely explained in the book, it was easy to understand for any age group. I liked Rocket’s astral travel and things she learned from Muses. There was mention of all sort of legendary persons in different kind of creative skills and gifts like Homer, Amelia Earhart, and many other. There was also mention of Greek stories here and there in the book like story of Prometheus, Daedalus and Icarus, Narcissus, Echo, Artemis and so more. Overall mythical part was good.

I loved the message in the book that creativity is there in all of us, we have creative spark in us. We just need to find it out, should keep it burning and spread it to others. There will always be a negative people who try to suck our creative energy that can make us unhappy (it was represented amazingly by zombie effect on everyone in the school) but should not be discouraged by that. I also liked what Rocket learned by her guitar lesson. Many other little things were said in the book that left me inspired at the end of the book.

I loved the climax and that little tour with Pegasus, it was a nice tiny twist in the end. End was good. That small drop of romance was totally not required and that is too with that Grossman! no…!

why not 5 stars-
It was easy to guess the story. It was totally focused for middle grade audience. The learning part at Mount Helikon was confusing at some points, I kept thinking what they were trying to teach her. But I liked when muses started coming to main point as story progressed and at the end I understood it.

Overall, it was amazing inspirational and entertaining mythological urban fantasy for Middle Grade readers. Those who like to read about Muses and Greek Mythology will enjoy this book.

This is such a good book for a kid who is interested in Greek Mythology. I feel like its a little young for a YA audience but I loved the plot and storyline. The message was something I really appreciated as well. Love Rocket!

If you're looking for a book that's a fun, quick read that will leave you smiling, look no further. Personally, I love Greek mythology, so it was pretty much a given that I would like this one a lot. The writing is good, the story is fun to read and there are some quite thought-provoking lines in the book that I loved.

I only have one small criticism: The little hint of romance that was added towards the end seemed forced to me. This book would've been just as great without it in my opinion, and I felt that it was added just so it was there.

Other than that? I really liked the book and would definitely recommend it.

I really went back and forth with this book. One minute I loved it and enjoyed reading it, then it would get slow and I would have to push my way through it. I will say this, the author has a knack for writing some witty and humorous lines. I liked the character, Rocket, and was able to connect with her, but not so much with a lot of the other characters. Overall, I did enjoy it but it lacked that 'hook' that causes me to love a book.

Really enjoyed this book, original, well written, captured a teenagers thoughts perfectly, would love to read more.

I don't think the cover really goes with the story, but that's about the only negative thing I can think of. I like the original name "Rocket" being a female. I like this whole book is a journey in her believing in herself. The new use of the old Gods is great. This is a great book for any age group.