Capricorn's Journal: My Family's Fight for Survival
(The Munchkins Part 2)
From the award-winning author of The Munchkins, comes this edge-of-your-seat sequel.
While imprisoned by her evil neighbor, Big Boss, Capricorn Munch tells her family’s story.
Stripped of their magical powers, Capricorn and her twelve siblings plan to flee from Big Boss. Then their escape comes to a grinding halt: Their father goes missing. As the Munch children search desperately for their father, their lives rapidly spiral into a living nightmare. They suddenly find themselves in a fight for their own survival, as they struggle to find money, food, and avenues of help, all the while fearing their family being separated. Their greatest threat, however, is Big Boss, who takes advantage of their new vulnerability and torments them daily, using the powers he stole from them against them. Armed with these powers, Big Boss is a nearly invincible enemy, and his cruelty only escalates. As the Munch children find some support from new friends, they uncover a sinister plot against them that goes much deeper than they ever imagined. Now, there are multiple mysteries to unlock, and the key to solving them is connected to their past. In order to survive, the Munch children will need to depend on each other more than they ever had before. But will it be enough?
“Capricorn’s Journal is a YA page-turner that shines with intellect and wit.” – Eli Horowitz, author of Kobold Kody’s Frontier Exposition and Tonic Show
“A breathtaking journey…the kids are a perfect blend of courage, resilience, and innocence…a brilliant portrayal of evil and injustice.” – Readers’ Favorite
Reviewers Are Raving About Capricorn's Journal!
Just let me say….WOW!! “Capricorn’s Journal: My Family’s Fight for Survival” is simply an amazing book. Candice Zee has given readers another installment in The Munchkins series, focusing on the lives of the Munch children – all 13 of them – in this compelling, emotional, and at times very heartbreaking sequel. Just a couple of things to note before I go forward: it will be in your best interest to read the first in the series before tackling this story. This book picks up right after the first one ends, and it will be very helpful (and believe me when I say worthwhile) to have read the first in the series. Second, for more sensitive readers there are parts of this story that will make it somewhat difficult to read, such as starvation and torturing the children to name a couple, and the reader should take that into account and be prepared for it.
“Capricorn’s Journal” is an incredible story that is filled with action from the first to the last page. At the start of the story, we find Capricorn and her sister Kitty trapped in a cage in the basement of Big Boss’ house with no food, no one to help them, and the belief that their father and brothers and sisters are dead. Capricorn has been writing the history of what happened to their family in a journal that Big Boss has taken. He returns the journal to her and allows her to continue writing on the condition that she gives it back to him to read whenever he wants. And this all happens in just the first few pages.
What follows is the story that is in her journal, basically, what happened to the children as she remembers it when they find their father CC has disappeared while they were at their last day of school. They all return home to an empty house with no food, no money, and their neighbor Big Boss (who has already taken all their magical powers in book one) returning to torment them. The children set out to find their father and fight for their own survival while trying to stay away from Big Boss and whatever horrors he has planned for them this time.
“Capricorn’s Journal” is a wonderfully written story, and the author gives the reader amazingly developed characters that are so strong and courageous… and these characters are all children. Add in Big Boss who is, again in this story, the man you really hate and the reason for all the pain these children are dealing with plus a couple of new characters who actually want to help the children and you have an excellent array of great characters. While they are all very different, each character is a huge and important part of the story. The dialogue is excellent, and the story is very well-structured. Candice Zee has created an incredible and complex set of characters in a very interesting world, and I must admit she can hold the reader’s attention from first to last page and beyond. The emotion and the love shown between these children as they try to survive is touching and so apparent.
“Capricorn’s Journal” by Candice Zee is a riveting teen/YA fantasy that I think will be enjoyed by many adults as well. This author has hit a home run with this series, and I would recommend it to everyone out there. The end of the book, while answering most questions, will be one that the reader will remember, and will leave you clamoring for book three. I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens to Capricorn and the others next. This book is definitely 5 Stars!!
Reviewed by Afifa Raisa for Readers' Favorite
Capricorn’s Journal: My Family’s Fight for Survival by Candice Zee is the second book of the Munchkins series. It tells the story of Capricorn and her twelve siblings, who, after losing their magic, are ready to flee from the wicked neighbor who goes by the name of Big Boss. Casey Munch, their adoptive father, goes missing the day they are about to leave the country. With no one to defend them, Big Boss begins to torment the children in nefarious ways. Fearing that they may get separated, the children initially decide not to seek help from others. When they are compelled to change their decision, they discover that the law is refusing to help them. Soon they realize that they are in the middle of a deep-rooted conspiracy. A terrible and uncertain future stands before them, and they must stick together to fight against their nearly invincible enemies.
Candice Zee’s Capricorn’s Journal: My Family’s Fight for Survival was a breathtaking journey. It is impressive how Candice managed to feature so many characters without getting me confused or overwhelmed. I absolutely loved how the kids are a perfect blend of courage, resilience, and innocence. The book, despite being long, was engaging enough to keep me glued to it from the beginning until the end. Candice did a brilliant job with the portrayal of evil and injustice; I could in fact feel the characters’ rage in me. I also appreciate the fact that she brought up important issues like corruption and racism. I would definitely recommend the book to readers aged twelve and above.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Capricorn’s Journal: My Family’s Fight for Survival is a work of fiction in the fantasy, action, and adventure subgenres, and is the second part of The Munchkins series. It is best suited to mature teen readers owing to some fantasy violence and mild explicit language. Penned by author Candice Zee, this gripping sequel continues the riveting story of the Munchkins, a group of siblings with extraordinary powers. The narrative delves into the aftermath of the first book, with Capricorn Munch recounting their family’s tumultuous journey. Stripped of their magical abilities by the sinister Big Boss, the Munch children face a dire situation with their father missing. As they fight for survival, the story unfolds into a nightmarish battle against a powerful adversary.
Author Candice Zee has crafted a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, blending elements of fantasy, suspense, and family drama into an atmospheric world of supernatural powers and high-stakes thrills. The characters are well-developed with close attention to the narrative and dialogue exchanges, and their struggles evoke empathy as we see them combat their adversaries, but also their inner demons. The plot twists and turns at a great pace to keep YA readers engaged, introducing new mysteries and challenges that deepen the complexity of the story, but never overload the moment. The themes of survival, sacrifice, and family unity are sure to resonate powerfully with the intended readership, making it a captivating and emotionally resonant read that also teaches some wonderful lessons about loyalty and self-discovery. Overall, I would certainly recommend Capricorn’s Journal as a must-read for fans of the first book, and the series in general for fantasy enthusiasts everywhere.
Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite
A family of 10-year-olds finds that their adoptive father, Casey Munch (CC), is missing. To make matters worse, an evil psychopath, Big Boss, lives next door to them. This is the same person who stole their magic and now has 13 times the power of any one of them. Capricorn and the other children must find a way to survive Big Boss’ evil intentions and find food, even if it means plotting to steal and planning an attack. Unfortunately, they learn that Big Boss’ power is bigger than they could ever imagine after a revelation of the FBI’s interest in them. They must learn to forgive one another and work together to improve their survival chances. In Candice Zee’s Capricorn’s Journal, 13 children struggle to escape the clutches of a powerful, relentless villain while learning about teamwork, forgiveness and trust the hard way.
Kudos to Candice Zee for creating such a menacing character that rivals the darkest, most infuriating villains in Hollywood. From saying antagonistic words like ‘brat’ to using magic to create invisible barriers and cut people, he proves he can’t be trifled with. In contrast, Capricorn and her siblings are conscientious and empathetic. They are forced to consider why stealing is bad even when experiencing hunger and uncertainty about the future. Capricorn, who tells the story in the first person, uses a conversational tone that’s rife with intriguing similes and keen observations. I was eager for a win. Candice keeps readers on the edge of their seats with a chaotic series of events that ignite strong emotions and interest in seeing justice served. Capricorn’s Journal is a good fit for preteens and teens who love stories about magic and survival.