REIVEW: Do Lemons Have Feathers?: More to Autism than Meets the Eye by David J. Burns

*** (3) out of 5 stars

I did not enjoy the joke that started this book and precipitated the title of it, so that was a little bit of an off-putting way to begin. I did though enjoy the quotes that proceeded each chapter. There were also little stories that got each section underway, but they often didn’t seem to have much to do with the topic at hand, at least not to my mind. And the last couple of chapters didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the book, those two being on more personal issues for the author, includi I did not enjoy the joke that started this book and precipitated the title of it, so that was a little bit of an off-putting way to begin. I did though enjoy the quotes that proceeded each chapter. There were also little stories that got each section underway, but they often didn’t seem to have much to do with the topic at hand, at least not to my mind. And the last couple of chapters didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the book, those two being on more personal issues for the author, including the final chapter which was on religion, which I personally found rather off-putting. Still, there was a lot of good, insightful information contained in this book as to how the autistic mind often works. It gave a good general overview of life from that perspective for those of us on the more neuro-typical end of the spectrum who might have trouble relating. Actually, I think the best part of the book was the “Help Sheets” at the back! So, probably worth a read for the information and perspective it provides, but definitely not a favorite of mine. I received an eBook copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Storybook Knight (OR The Knight Who Wouldn't Fight) - by Helen Docherty & illustrated by Thomas Docherty

***** (5) out of 5 stars!

I absolutely love this book!  I a big fan of books and reading in general, and I have a special affinity for a good children’s book.  But this one far exceeded anything I could imagine.  The small details, such as the patched picnic blanket, really made each scene seen unique and authentic.  It has all the key elements of a great story: adventure, rhyming cadence, a knight in shining armor, a dragon and other fearsome beasts, gifts of books, etc.  Despite his parents sending him out into the world (well equipped with a wooden sword, I might add) to make a name for himself as a famous knight, Leo is not at all interested in fighting.  Instead, he wins over all the monsters with no violence at all.  He even tames a dragon well enough to get him to clean up the mess he has made of a town.  Leo accomplishes this simply by sharing stories with the creatures that he encounters.  In the end, his parents finally have to admit that knowledge has won out over brawn, and they leave Leo alone to read his books, with all of his new-found friends that he met along his journey. 

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Bad Luck (Bad, #2) by Pseudonymous Bosch

*** (3) out of 5 stars

This is apparently the second book in a series; a fact that I was not aware of when I started reading it. But, other than some apparent inside jokes about past events that I wasn’t privy to, I didn’t seem to be missing much, at least not anything that pertained to the plot of the story. There is definitely going to be at least one more book in the series, because although it didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, there were definitely enough unresolved issues that the story will need to be continued.

I really enjoyed the diverse cast of characters, from the snarky teenagers to the bizarre camp counselors to the rather stereo-typical bad guys to the stubborn llama. Even though most of the main characters were boys, there were a few strong female characters whom I really liked. I would have like to have seen more magic, especially given the title of the book and also the premise of the camp where the main story took place. But perhaps there will be more in the next installment as what we did see was fairly concentrated in the last bit of the book.

The story is mostly told in third person, but there are times when the narrator speaks directly to the reader (which I always find annoying) and other times when he even talks in first person. Personally, I found the narrator extremely annoying; but probably many people will find him entertaining, especially those in the targeted market of middle grade kids. I was especially put off by the narrator describing what was happening with the main cast of characters at Earth Ranch on Price Island, when we later found out that the entire time he was aboard a ship with no way of knowing what was happening on the island. It was just weird.

I also found the constant reference to footnotes about various points in the story annoying. Especially since I read this on my phone via Kindle and I didn’t find it exactly easy to flip back and forth between the main narrative and the footnotes. Besides which, the footnotes were very random and often not even relative. And the appendix I found even more annoying, particularly the story about magic versus science, which didn’t accomplish anything more than to offend cat lovers everywhere.

The ending was rather disappointing overall, as they ended up just relating what happened, instead of having it occur in the story as pretty much everything else did. It just seemed rather lazy of the author to present it that way.

Still, overall, it was an entertaining book and one that I am sure the middle grade target market would really enjoy.

I received an eBook copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Beast of Cretacea by Todd Strasser

**** (4) out of 5 stars!

This book was incredible! I have to admit that even though the description intrigued me, I was somewhat leery about reading it! First of all, the 414 page size was a little intimidating, even for an avid reader like myself. Also, the references to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick kind of worried me. I tried to read that classic when I was in high school and only made it about 30 pages into the book because it was so incredibly dry and boring. That was definitely NOT the case with this book! Strasser just dumps you right into the middle of the story and then draws you along as things progress. And progress they do! It seems there is just one adventure after another for the main characters. Even in the down times of the storyline, when not much is happening to progress the plot, there is generally a lot of character building stuff going on anyway, not to mention vivid world-building descriptions. And the author’s writing style is so good that the narrative just flows along, making the journey enjoyable even when nothing much is happening.

I really appreciated most of the characters, although some were definitely more fleshed out than others, and some were just plain odd. I especially liked the friendship that developed between Ishmael and his original core group of workmates: Billy, Queequeg, Pip, and Gwen. That they are all strangers to begin with seems impossible by the end when they have become like family to one another. The integrity and honor that they show, despite the dire circumstances they often find themselves in, is a real credit to Ishmael and the leadership qualities he possesses, even though he initially seems totally unaware if his own positive attributes. In fact, it is watching each of the characters grow and come into their own that is especially satisfying about the story.

I was rather surprised that Ishmael didn’t take more heed once on Cretacea of the final request Old Ben made of him while still on Earth. As it turns out, learning what you do later, I don’t see how he could have done anything differently. But it seemed like he could and should at least have tried.

I was quite intrigued by a couple of rather unexpected plot twists toward the end, which in hindsight should have been more apparent. Strasser does an excellent job of weaving just enough detail into the story to make it all come together in the end, without giving too much away up front. (Without offering any spoilers myself, I was very happy, in a melancholy sort of way, to discover in the end what became of Ishmael’s foster brother Archie!)

Even though I rather enjoyed the (apparent) ending, I did think that it felt very rushed. The story progresses slowly over about 400 pages – and then seems to wrap everything in about the last 14 pages! I felt like there could have been a lot more explained and more time taken to make it better understood. Overall though, it was a very clever story, with an interesting take on a classic, an entertaining read and overall a very good book.

I received this book free from The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Summer the World Ended by Matthew S. Cox

*** (3) out of 5 stars

I must say that I really liked the main character, Riley, even though she came off as a bit one-dimensional and somewhat unbelievable to me.  But I got SO tired of listening to her whine through the entire book.  Granted, she had every reason to do so: her mom dies, then she gets dragged away from her one and only friend, and shipped off across the country to live with a rather odd dad whom she hasn’t seen in years.  I’d be crying and whining the entire time too!  But it got real old real fast having to listen to (read about) it constantly.  And the fact that there was very little to no other action occurring in the book certainly didn’t help.  I felt as trapped in this story as the people she meets feel trapped in the isolated little town she moves to with her father. 

Most other reviews I’ve read talk about the astonishing twist near the end; which I did find interesting, but actually wasn’t all that surprised by.  Maybe just because I’ve seen and read quite a bit about mental health issues, I started wondering about certain things quite early on.  But there were explanations that could be made for many of the things Riley encountered, so things could have gone either way.

And it was pretty much a fairy tale ultimate ending; with things seeming to work out almost too well in the end.  Having worked in foster care, it seemed almost unbelievable how smoothly everything went.  Although it was nice to see Riley finally somewhat happy! 

Overall, it was not a bad read at all, but I just couldn’t past the incessant whining!

I received an electronic copy of this book free from the author and Choosy Bookworm in exchange for an honest review. 

REVIEW: Dead Girl Running (The New Order, #1) by Ann M. Noser

**** (4) out of 5 stars!

As a Hunger Games fan, the YA dystopian aspect of this novel enticed me.  But since I am definitely not a runner, I did not expect to find it more than mildly amusing.  I am happy to admit how wrong I was!  The author’s style was incredible, drawing you into the story from the very beginning, and forcing on the reader an emotional connection with the characters.  

**WARNING: Intentionally vague but potentially major spoiler alerts!!**

I absolutely adored Silva!  But then I generally do admire strong female protagonists (à la Katniss).  It is only as the story progresses and we learn more about her that we come to realize just how amazingly tough Silva really is.

Gus was another clever personality who I really enjoyed getting to know.  I was a bit confused by the entire fireworks scene; at first I thought they were trying to blow up the incinerator or something.  And I was also somewhat thrown by the entire episode with Edwina.  Other than exposing just how important it was that Gus keep his job and showcasing his inordinate skill at gaming the system, the entire incident seemed nothing more than a brief, unnecessary distraction from the real plots that were unfolding.  

I totally loved Franco!  He was perhaps the most intriguing character of the entire book because we learn so little about him as the story progresses, and don’t really come to know him at all until he is basically out of the picture.  His feelings for Silva are so obvious to everyone but her, which makes them seem even more profound.  Their all-too-brief interlude of shared emotions is far too short, and made me want to see more of them together; especially when the very last scene begins to unfold and we learn the extent of Franco’s feelings for Silva.  I did find it hard to believe, however, that he would let her go off alone, to go home and be captured by the bad guys so easily.  

I even came to like Liam.  Once a true friendship developed between him and Silva, he became much more of a real person and not just a cliché.  His reaction at the race celebration, while perfectly ordinary for the person we originally meet, seemed very much out of character for the individual that he had come to be.

I had, at least by the end, guessed at the motivations behind all of the pregnancy tests; I clearly figured it out before Silva did anyway.  But I was truly taken by surprise by the reasons for it, not to mention the connection to the red-haired girl.  That Silva ran into her as the story begins becomes very auspicious.  I was completely astonished by what becomes of Liam.  Even seeing the old geezer hacking away on television, I did not see that one coming.  It was pretty apparent early on that Gus was hiding something, and Franco as well; although I hadn’t quite figured out how they fit together.  Nor did I anticipate the info we discover about Silva’s father.  Basically, the author was just full of unexpected plot twists and entertaining surprises.

I was so happy to hear that this is the first of a series, not just a stand-alone book.  Because although there were so many questions answered by the end, there were still so many left unanswered; not to mention the fact that the action just did not seem in any way complete!  I definitely recommend this book, and I personally can’t wait for the sequel!

 

I received an eBook copy of this book free from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for my honest review. 

REVIEW: Emma and the Banderwigh (Tales of Widowswood, #1) by Matthew S Cox

*** (3) out of 5 stars

This was a rather odd tale.  The world the author creates is very different from our modern one.  Several little things highlight this, from descriptions of their surroundings and living arrangements (including a family bed!), to tales of fantastic beasts and magic creatures.  Some of the dialogue seems forced and false, probably a result of trying to create a dialect similar enough to ours to be understood and different enough to be distinctive.   

Most of the characters are very believable and quite affable.  The main character, Emma, is an amazing child, mature beyond her years, and incredibly brave.  In fact, it is she who defeats the Banderwigh, not just once but twice, and even actually saves the man he was, although it does little good in the end.  

The hardest part for me to believe was that Emma was so oblivious, prior to the events of the book, to the fact that her mother and grandmother were apparently some type of Druid priestesses, dispensing justice and assistance as they saw fit to humans and non-humans alike.  Even for someone who admittedly was a non-believer prior to this, missing the fact that your mother returns home from a walk in the woods with green blood on her staff from mythical creatures that she’s been clubbing and that your grandmother often has feathers flying around her from her shape-shifting forays as a raven is rather hard to believe.  

Some large sections of the story just seemed to go back and forth between nothing, with scenes written just for the sake of writing them and adding to the word count, rather than actually advancing the plot.  Those portions I found boring and more than a tad annoying.  

Overall, however, the story was good, definitely unique, and I appreciated the relatively happy and yet realistic ending for the main characters.  A book that I would recommend for a fanciful read, if you can make it through the slow parts.   

I received a copy of this book free from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for my honest review. 

REVIEW: A Swift Kick In The Asteroids (The Wave Gate Cycle, #1) by Edward Zajac

*** (3) out of 5 stars

Despite the fact that there were several things about this novel that I found highly annoying, it was quite a good story with some rather endearing primary characters.  You feel almost immediate sympathy for Zagarat, who is quite obviously a good person who is not only stuck in a rut of a life, but also faced with a difficult decision in regards to his mother.  Fletcher is more of an anomaly; you’re never seem quite sure of who or what he is, or what his motivations are.  Not to mention Aurora May, and certainly Devon; we know even less about either of them, but they both seem such intriguing characters.

The author inserts a LOT of world-building, atmosphere-setting, back-story that generally has nothing to do with the story, most of which is just annoying, repetitive drivel.  That got real annoying - real fast!  Some of it was initiated by Zag and actually helped to somewhat establish his character as an annoying, easily distracted dweeb.  But much of it was narrator initiated, and mostly just served to distract from the story and bog down the plot.  

The cliché angel and devil on Zag’s shoulders were extremely annoying as well.  Not to mention how often an expletive of “by the suns” or some such was used.  And there were quite a few instances where things just didn’t seem to jive with prior aspects of the narrative.  The story seemed to take a long, drawn out, indirect, almost boring route as we waited for more of it to unfold.  And then it just wrapped up extremely quickly.  Zag wasn’t the only one left feeling in a bit of a funk at the end.

But despite all of the things that I didn’t like about the book… I still wanted more!  I want to know what happens to the characters and see them in action again!  I definitely hope there is a sequel in the works.  The story itself, underneath all of the extraneous annoying stuff was really quite good, and I would definitely recommend this book, as long as you have the patience to wade through a bunch of unrelated rambling.  

I received a Kindle copy of this book free from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Gyre (Atlas Link, #1) by Jessica Gunn

**** (4) out of 5 stars!

This was a really good story with many of the elements that make a tale great: powerful characters you grow to care about, mysteries and intrigue, action, intellectual pursuits, romance. 

I especially like the strong female lead character of Chelsea.  Even though she was often afraid, admittedly didn’t know what to do, and often over-reacted emotionally, she still forged ahead, did the best job she could do and tried to do what she felt was right.   

The male lead, on the other hand, was not as endearing; mostly, Trevor was just annoying.  His inability to make a choice about anything or to do something productive probably led to or at least exasperated some of the bad spots they got themselves into.   

Personally, I did not like how the narrative switched from the male protagonist to the female protagonist every other chapter.  While I know that is a popular method of late, and it can be helpful to give insight to what both characters are thinking and how things appear from their perspective, I still found it rather confusing.  Not to mention that the chapter would often end on what seemed like a significant moment, but then the next chapter would start up with something entirely different, frequently with no resolution of the prior situation. 

I found it interesting how many times the author was able to weave the word gyre into the narrative, especially without it looking forced or overdone, and also while utilizing the various definitions of it in different settings.  I thought this was a nice way to tie-in the title without breaking the fourth wall, and to remind the reader about this theme that seems to be underlying just about everything in the story. 

The use of Atlantis as having been a real place and the discovery of apparent proof of it was very intriguing.  I was, however, very confused about who was working for which side in the conflict, how many factions there were in each group, and what were everyone’s objectives and motivations.  Hopefully that will be made more clear in future titles; since the story pretty much ends on a cliff-hanger, I’m fairly certain there will be at least one more book in the series!  I can't wait to read it!

I received a free eBook of Gyre from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review. 

REVIEW: Out of the Blue: A Book of Color Idioms and Silly Pictures by Vanita Oelschlager with illustrations by Robin Hegan

***** (5) out of 5 stars!

What a great idea for a book! I had no idea there were so many color related idioms in the English language. Many of them are so integral a part of life here in the USA that we don’t even think of them. As the author points out in her Afterwards, there is no way to understand these figures of speech without being told what they are. A literal translation of the words themselves give you no indicate of what the phrase actually means. As the mother of a child with autism who takes everything literally, and as the wife of someone who is not a native English speaker, I am constantly reminded of how difficult idioms can be to understand. This book takes a playful approach to them by showing what people probably think of when they consider just the words of these figures of speech. The drawings are bright, fun and clear, but not so complicated as to be distracting. I love that each page also tells you the intended meaning of the idiom, along with an example of it in a sentence. These explanations are in a bottom corner of the page and up-side-down so as not to divert attention from the main photo and text. I understand that the author has other books along this same line, i.e. idioms and silly pictures, which I will now have to seek out and read as well! 

I received a digital copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.