REVIEW: Cecil's Pride: The True Story of a Lion King by Craig, Juliana & Isabella Hatkoff, with photographs by Brent Stapelkamp

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

I loved this book!  It is so bittersweet to read though.  It brought so many feelings of anger and sadness from the manner in which Cecil died.  But the story itself, minus that part, was very interesting, quite informative and ultimately very touching.  

I loved that Cecil and Jericho formed not only an unlikely working alliance, but apparently a true friendship.  It was especially poignant that Jericho disappeared right after Cecil was killed, apparently to go looking for his missing buddy.  And it was very touching that Jericho, unlike most male lions who take over a pride, accepted and nurtured Cecil's cubs, rather than killing them.  

The accompanying pictures were beautiful and awe inspiring.  

The only thing I don't like much about these books by the Hatkoffs is when they switch from third person narrative near the end of the book, to a kind of preachy soapbox stance in first person.

REVIEW: The Frog in the Skyscraper by Faiz Kermani

**** (4) out of 5 stars

This is a cute little story about Frijibold the Frog. Instead of the ordinary life at the pond with his extended family, he longs to do something more grand, and hatches a plan to land in a new apartment building. Fate seems to smile on him… for a time. But he soon learns that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the road. This is a very good book for newly independent readers, or even as a read-aloud for younger children. The fairly short chapters make it easy to navigate; the language is straight forward and simple to follow. The occasional pictures are bright and fun. Kids will probably especially enjoy the menu for Mrs. Boggel’s Pond Paradise Café and its description of all the frog delicacies offered there.

I received a free copy of this eBook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

REVIEW: Eye of the Drone (Around the Globe with Suki & Finch, Wild Cats, #2) by Rebecca Merry Murdock

*** (3) out of 5 stars

This book is number two in a series.  It literally drops you right in the middle of the action.  (In the middle of a frozen river, no less – by Santa!)  With no background, it was hard to figure out what in the world was going on.  For readers of the first volume, I am sure that it made much more sense.  But, really, I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the kids’ exploits were, where they got their resources or funding, why they had passports but didn’t have them stamped from any of the countries they’d visited, and later it didn’t even sound like they were human – but I have no idea why.

The book itself though was very clever and unique.  I loved the use of real photographs as the background, especially scenes of wildlife and their habitats.  The little bits of information on many of the pages were quite interesting, whether about the topic at hand or some other related thing.

I think kids would love the multi-media format, especially in an eBook, which is how I read it (on an iPad).  If it comes in a print copy, I’m not sure that it would have the same effect.  Although I did have quite a bit of difficulty getting some of the more graphically heavy pages to load.

There were many inconsistencies that I found quite annoying.  Like how Suki says the iPad and solar pad aren’t working, and then shortly thereafter she is thrusting the iPad at Finch so that he can talk to his grandmother.  Not to mention that the entire episode of him being sick was just weird, especially if the kids are not in fact real humans.  I found it especially odd that everyone they saw either spoke English or they were magically able to translate every language that they heard.  Not to mention the one nightgown that Suki turned into heart decorations for tons of trees across several countries.  That is one big nightgown!

All of the fantasy type elements of the story detracted a bit from the information presented, at least for me.  But I could handle the talking animals and such, even Santa’s presence; but the woodland fairy was a bit too much.

Overall, the one word I would sum it up with is: Eh.  Not horrible, not wonderful, just somewhere in between.  But, again, I probably would have enjoyed it much more if I had read the first book in the series and had some idea of what was going on!

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

REVIEW: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Castaways by David McDonald

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

A story with clear plot-lines, believable situations and straight-forward action. I could visualize the characters from the movie and hear the dialogue in their voices most of the time they were speaking, especially when they were interacting with one another. The only character who really seemed a bit lacking in this regard was Drax, but he also played a very small part compared to the other central characters. The explanation of the happenings on the planet was well thought out and plausible, although the final battle did seem a bit too easy. All in all though, a good, fun read!

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

REVIEW: Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford, with illustrations by Jerome Lagarrigue

*** (3) out of 5 stars

I'm not partial to this type of artwork where everything just looks blurry and out of focus (like I forgot to put my glasses on before viewing), which is the main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating. 

But the story itself, about the sit-ins and other civil disobedience begun at the Woolworth's lunch counter by four young men in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1st, 1960, and told from the perspective of an 8-year-old black girl, was very moving and very informative.  I wonder how many children and teens - or even adults - in our society today even know who are the Greensboro Four. 

The struggles experienced by the main characters of the story - not being allowed to use certain public facilities (i.e. lunch counters, water fountains, and especially bathrooms) - simply because of the color of their skin, are so poignant because of similar fights being waged today by others because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. 

I was especially happy that the book included references to those who had nothing to gain and much to lose by supporting the Greensboro Four and their efforts - such as the old white lady who told them loudly how proud she was of them.  And those caught in the middle who (probably like the majority of people at the time) didn't have strong feelings either way but were just trying to do their job and get along under the prevailing system - such as the waitress at the lunch counter who had to refuse them service. 

Definitely a book I would recommend to those wanting to learn, and a simple and straight-forward way, more about the happenings of the time.

REVIEW: The Promise (Scott James & Maggie, #2; Joe Pike, #5; Elvis Cole, #16) by Robert Crais

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

This is a great crime and mystery fiction book!  I read it as the second in the series about Scott James & his K9 partner Maggie.  Which I really hope there are more of in the future!  I just love these characters.  This is the first time that I've read an Elvis Cole or Joe Pike novel, but I think I may be checking out more of those as well. 

The story was compelling and surprising enough to retain some mystery through until almost the very end of the book.  (Although I did find it very hard to believe that practically no one guessed Amy Breslyn's true plan until well towards the climax.)  The writing style was such that it just kept drawing me on, making me not want to put the book down until it was done.

The book kept switching perspective among many of the major characters, including Maggie, which made it very interesting to get some idea of how each of them viewed things.  Most of this was done in third-person narrative mode.  But the chapters focused on Elvis Cole were instead first-person, which I just found confusing and annoying. 

Otherwise, however, it was a really good read, and one that I would definitely recommend!

REVIEW: Ghostbusters International (#1) by Erik Burnham

** (2) out of 5 stars

I just was not impressed with this work! 

First of all, the artwork was horrible.  I did not like the style at all.  All of the characters had strangely pointy facial features.  Janine was rendered just absurdly ugly and weird looking.  And I couldn’t ever tell Peter and Ray apart.

The story seems to begin in the middle of a plot in motion.  There were several characters that it seemed we were supposed to know, but I didn’t have a clue as to who were they. 

The scene of negotiating the international deal was simply boring and dumb.  And there didn’t appear to be any reason for the Ghostbusters to be there.

The story itself seemed like it could have been going somewhere, but the galley I read ended before anything really became clear. 

All in all, a huge disappointment!

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

REVIEW: Faith, Vol 1: Hollywood & Vine by Jody Houser

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

Definitely a fresh take on an old story!  I was pleasantly surprised to learn of this new superhero whose character is uniquely her own.  First there was a new superhero Canadian young woman (Superhero Girl), then a Muslim teen girl (Ms Marvel AKA Kamala Khan); and now this overweight, young adult woman from Valiant Entertainment.  Talk about turning the genre on its ear!  No more are all the heroes these pasty, middle-aged, white dudes in tights.  I love it! 

I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the comic seemed to live up to the hype of its promo description.  While the galley I read contained only the first two volumes of the series (where the actual graphic novel will contain the first four), it still presented enough story to draw me in.  The characters were minimally introduced, the bad guys hinted at but not really explained; basically, the background was set for the anticipated action of the coming battle.  Although only from the intro material did I know that it is an alien invasion that Zephyr (AKA Faith, AKA Summer) will be fighting. 

I did feel like, even though these were the first editions in the series, there was an awful lot of backstory that I should know, even though the reader isn’t really made privy to it, at least not yet.  All the stuff about “psionically gifted ‘psiots’ discovered by the Harbinger Foundation” just left me wondering… Who?  Where?  What now??  But hopefully more of that will be filled in as the series progresses. 

The artwork was clear, concise and easy to follow, with clear definitions between each of the seemingly main and secondary characters, with subtle differences even between some of the minor characters who were apparently supposed to look very similar.

I’m already enjoying Zephyr, glad she dumped her loser ex-hero-turned-reality-TV-star boyfriend, anxious to learn more about her friends and coworkers, and to see if things get more interesting with her new neighbor!  It is definitely invigorating to see the diversity and fresh view that this character brings to the genre.  I can’t wait to read the entire volume, and any that may follow it.

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

REVIEW: Artificial (The Kepler Chronicles, #1) by Jadah McCoy

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

This book was amazing!  A true sci-fi thriller that had enough twists and turns to really keep things interesting.  And it seemingly has everything you could ask for in such a story: human civilizations at the edge of collapse on distant planets, androids, genetic experiments and their creepy monster concoctions.  It’s like “Terminator” meets “The Hunger Games” with some “Predator” thrown in for good measure.

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

At its core, the story is about what it means to be human.  We’re treated to different examples of such through the alternating outlook of Syl, a young human girl struggling to survive, and Bastion, a male android trying to do the same.  I don’t normally like books with alternating narrators and points of view, but it worked very well for this narrative.  Their attitudes and perceptions were so different that it was easy to tell them apart.  Each had their own distinct voice that rang very true to who they were and the positions in which they found themselves. 

Syl is all attitude and derring-do, very abrupt and often even rude to those around her, with very little regard for much of the danger that permeates her world.  Bastion is more controlled and reserved, but pretty much rendered as helpless in the face of his feelings for Syl as she is in many of the dangerous situations in which she finds herself.  The interaction between the two of them is so fun to watch.  The author uses great writing to weave amazing dialogue into the narrative in subtle ways, not least of which is with Syl’s sarcastic assertiveness to Bastion’s subtle but witty humor.  And the hint of obvious attraction between them that doesn’t seem likely to be realized is just gold. 

Some of the more minor characters are also quite intriguing.  I absolutely loved Michelo and kept hoping for more interaction with him.  And even though Micro is not one of my favorite personalities at first, as you discover more about how kind-hearted she is, she does tend to grow on you.

A lot is made of the fact that some of the androids are “glitches” because they have feelings.  But I thought the entire point of their uprising was that they had changed while the humans slept on their voyage across space, and that they had in the process become capable of having reactions.  Indeed, all of the androids could be considered to have feelings, just different types of them.  Certainly the main antagonist, Lexion, is full of emotions, just mean and hateful ones instead of anything the least bit pleasant.  In that way, he is little different from the humans in the cages who prey upon and abuse one another.  No matter how either of them would like to think of themselves as superior, they are very much the same. 

The very concept of Bastion’s existence, built as he was to be a pleasure android, is kind of confusing.  In a society of beings who aren’t supposed to have passions or sentiments, why do you need sex workers.  But the way in which the author describes how the androids can feel sensations akin to what humans do goes a long way toward explaining this or at least making it plausible.  This explanation and many other such things showcase just what a masterful world-builder is the author.  

There were many things that weren’t explained or just didn’t make sense to me.  For instance, who exactly was making the Cull and why?  Why hadn’t the Cull eaten all the humans yet?  And why didn’t the humans do more about trying to destroy the Cull?  Why didn’t the humans know the androids were still around?  And why hadn’t the androids bothered finishing the extermination of the humans?  I think that many of these items and potentially lots for others may be set up for reveals in future books in the series.  At least I hope they are! 

There was a fair amount of swearing in the book, and some quite graphic scenes of violence and mayhem, all of which I personally could have done without.  But none of it seemed gratuitous or out of context for what was happening in the story at the time.  And there was enough lighter fare and actual storyline to keep me intrigued and reading through those parts.     

I was happy that the book, given it is apparently the first in a trilogy, did not end on a cliff-hanger!  Thinking about having to wait a year for the next installment to find out the resolution of such scenes just makes me want to throw my book or Kindle out the window!  This ending was sufficient enough to allow you a feeling of partial resolution.  Although there are definitely a ton of loose ends to be tied up and additional potential plot lines to be explored that the author could probably write a trilogy of trilogies.  I can’t wait for the next installment, but I’m holding onto this book until then!

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

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.