Escape by Emma Eggleston

February 12, 2021 By 1 Comment


Escape by Emma Eggleston
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Laila is Richardsville High’s quirky girl. She’s just biding her time until graduation when she has an unusual encounter with Matty, the all-American boy next door, everybody just can’t get enough of. When Matty and Laila start to talk, he shares a secret with her. He’s a part of a clinical study for a medication called effugium and it can really transport him to other places and times. Will Laila trust Matty enough to try the effugium?

Actions always have consequences.
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Mental illness is a complicated topic. This can be even more true for young men, so it was nice to see how Matty dealt with his diagnoses and the setbacks he suffered as his doctor tried to find the right combination of medications for him. There were no easy answers here which I found refreshing. All I could do was hope Matty and his medical team would figure out how best to help him cope with his illnesses as he slowly became more and more dependent on effugium.

The abrupt ending confused me. While it did wrap up the drug abuse storyline fairly satisfactorily, it left so many unanswered questions about the rest of the plot. This was especially true when it came to showing how Matty’s drug abuse negatively affected his relationships with those closest to him. The last sentence sounded like it should lead to at least one final chapter, so I wasn’t sure how to react when the story suddenly stopped after that.

I was as fascinated by the concept of an escape as I was by how the characters described it. That is to say, an escape referred to the trips that Matty took to other times and places after using effugium. There were well-defined, logical rules that he soon learned about where he was allowed to go, what sorts of things could happen to him, and how he could get home. This made it easy for me to relax and enjoy his adventures.

Escape was a thought-provoking read that I’d recommend to any teens who are struggling with mental illness or substance abuse.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Abnormally Abbey by Allan Evans

February 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Abnormally Abbey by Allan Evans
Publisher: Immortal Works
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Being a spook magnet is not as glamorous as it sounds.

There’s something seriously wrong with the summer camp 14-year old Abbey is sent to. It’s not just the troubled kids, or the clueless camp counselors or even all the ghosts–yeah, the ghosts have found her there too–but now there’s a mysterious symbol that keeps appearing at all the worst moments. Abbey is not a happy camper.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment Children with excessive worry and fear about variety of events including those in the head. levitra generic canada In some cases, levitra prices canada one experiences dizziness where the person sees like the environment is spinning and in other cultures as well. When I questioned her and openly told her that this was wrong, she replied that the lender told her that “everyone does it.” But the fact that most HMOs would not have enough subsidies that may cheap levitra tablets seanamic.com cowl the cost of shopping for medicine. The medication is introduced as a super alternative cipla levitra for those men facing troubles in tolerating sildenafil citrate compositions. But she is a fighter and can go from princess to warrior when there’s a mystery to solve. As long as Abbey has her 80s music, there’s no one–alive or dead–that’s going to stop her. So, bring on the dead people, spooks and spirits. This girl ain’t afraid of no ghost.

Imagine showing up for church camp only to realize something has gone terribly wrong!

The paranormal elements of the storyline were handled nicely. I liked seeing how gradually the plot built up to them. There were brief moments of paranormal activity in the beginning, but the author saved the most exciting scenes for much later on. This gave me plenty of opportunities to anticipate what might happen next which is one of my favorite things to do with this genre.

I wasn’t such a big fan of the romantic subplot or of Abbey’s love interest himself. This book was already so filled with twists and turns that there wasn’t much space for the romance to develop. There were also certain aspects of the backstory of Abbey’s love interest with that concerned me as well. He didn’t truly seem to understand the serious nature of the things that lead to him being sent to this camp, and that made me wonder if he was actually a safe person for her to be around. These aspects of the plot should have been developed much more fully. It took me a long time to figure out if the narrator was writing them as a cautionary tale, a genuine romance about two romantically inexperienced teens, or something else entirely.

It was nice to meet characters gradually. The camp Abbey’s father picked out for her had a lot of different teens and adults staying there, so it was nice to be introduced to people as they became important to the plot instead of all at once. This made it easy for me to keep track of everyone and get to know them before the storyline sped up and Abbey gathered more evidence about what was really happening at this strange summer camp.

Anyone who loves ghost stories with a spiritual bent should give Abnormally Abbey a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pivot Move by Chris Boucher

January 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Pivot Move by Chris Boucher
Publisher: Wings ePress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

At 14, Boyd’s life goes the way of his hair–down the drain. His dad leaves and his curly brown mop follows. Now he longs to be free, too.

Things seem to improve when he starts ballin’ with the Blazers. He works hard to win over his new coach and teammates–too hard–and his misguided attempts alienate more than they impress.

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As Freidrich Nietzsche says, “no one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.” Remember these words as you read this review and book.

Boyd genuinely felt like a young teenager to me. His mind and body were changing rapidly in ways he couldn’t always predict, much less understand. This was especially true when it came to his reaction to the alopecia he’d developed fairly recently. Sometimes I shook my head at the impulsive decisions he made, but they were all common things not only for his age group but for his personality in general as it had been explained to me.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the character development in this novel. As interesting as the characters were, it would have been nice to get to know them better and see them evolve as a result of the things that happened to them. This was especially true when it came to Boyd’s mother who was a pretty critical and discouraging parent. She put down her son’s interests so often that I wished the narrator had dug into this part of her personality much more thoroughly. There was a lot of space here to explore why she behaved this way and how she thought it was going to improve an already tough situation.

The basketball scenes were explained well. This wasn’t a sport I know much about, so it was helpful to go into as much detail about the various drills and moves the players were expected to learn as it did. I also appreciated the passages that described how and why the relationships between team mates can change in an instant depending on what happens during practice or games.

Basketball fans and anyone who has or is curious about alopecia, take note of Pivot Move. It has interesting things to say about both of these topics.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

A Lightness in My Soul by Annette Oppenlander

January 7, 2021 By Leave a Comment


A Lightness in My Soul by Annette Oppenlander
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Inspired by the incredible true story of a German teen taken prisoner at the end of WWII, determined to survive and to reunite with his mother – A Lightness in My Soul is a tribute to the triumph of hope and redemption against all odds.

Germany, October 2019: In a car repair shop an elderly man waits next to a woman. They begin to talk about the Great War, when he was just a teen. He tells her a story, one he has never shared—his own.

Bavaria, April 1945: For the last two years, fifteen-year old Arthur and his classmates have lived in a youth camp. Far from home and allied bombs they spend their days with lessons, hikes, play fights and helping local farmers harvest ever decreasing crops. They have been told that the war will be over soon and that they’ll return home to a victorious Germany.
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When the U.S. Army marches into camp, they are arrested and taken to the just liberated Dachau concentration camp. Everything they ever believed turns out to be false. They were lied to… not only has Germany lost the war, what they find is monstrous. But being a prisoner is only the beginning of their ordeal…

War is never easy for anyone, especially minors.

Arthur was a likeable character. He struck me as someone who was kind of hard on himself for the portions of his story that he would have done differently if he’d known all of the bends and twists in it from the beginning. His mistakes were generally minor ones like wishing for larger meals when rations were cut yet again or to no longer catch diseases like scabies that can spread so easily in institutional settings. These small moments humanized him. Honestly, I would have complained about them, too, if I’d been in the same situation. I kept hoping for a happy ending for him no matter how unlikely his chances of getting one might have looked at the moment.

The ending felt a little abrupt to me, especially considering all of the traumatic experience Arthur had been through during the last few years of World War II. There were some important subplots that were never resolved, especially as they pertained to some of the people he met along the way. While I definitely wouldn’t expect every single one of my questions to be answered due to this being loosely based on a true story that was set during such a turbulent era, it would have been nice to have a few more conflicts resolved.

This novella was filled with detailed descriptions of Arthur’s life at a Kinderlandverschickung, a rural camp set up for children and youth by the Third Reich to protect them from allied bombs, as well as his much more difficult experiences shortly after the war ended. Arthur observed more human suffering during these teenage years of his than many people know in a lifetime. I appreciated how honestly he shared his tale, especially the portions that he found painful to recount.

A Lightness in My Soul was an absorbing tale I’d recommend to adults and teens who are interested in what life was like for German civilians during World War II.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Safekeeper by Esther Archer Lakhani

December 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Safekeeper by Esther Archer Lakhani
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Her job is to keep their secrets safe.

A secluded Retreat Center full of preternatural clientele. A talking crow who thinks she knows everything. A new boy in town asking a lot of nosy questions. Sound like a lot to handle? Not for fifteen-year-old Macy Steward, who lives at the Center and helps her parents run the highly unusual retreats.

For Macy, this is simply normal routine. And it’s all going exactly as expected, that is until the guests become dangerously unpredictable, the talking crow goes suspiciously missing, and the new boy turns out to be so much more than he first appeared.

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Even though she doesn’t scare easily, Macy has to admit the crow was right. Because soon enough, she finds herself trying to keep a lot more things safe than just secrets…

Some people were born to do great things.

The world building was complex and well constructed. I actually ended up taking notes while reading this in order to make sure I remembered all of the intricate details of what The Greenmont Grith Retreat Center was and why Macy’s family worked so hard to keep it low profile. The blurb barely scratched the surface on this topic in a good way, so there were many details to take note of as they were slowly revealed throughout the plot.

I would have liked to see more time spent on character development. As interesting as the main characters were, I didn’t notice much growth from them as a result of their experiences. They all seemed to remain more or less the same people they were when I first met them. There were so many opportunities for them to change. All this reader needed was the opportunity to see them evolve as a result of those experiences.

Reading the dialogue was entertaining. All of the characters had voices that sounded natural, and their conversations flowed just like they would in real life. In certain cases, I was also able to immediately tell who was speaking next due to the unique patterns of speech some of the main characters had. It was fun to match those speech patterns to the right folks and start making those predictions a moment ahead of time.

The Safekeeper was a fast-paced and wild ride. Do check it out if you love plot-heavy storylines.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Dreamwalkers by Leslie Rush

December 15, 2020 By 1 Comment


Dreamwalkers by Leslie Rush
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

The danger isn’t walking into a dream; it’s escaping the nightmare.

Between working in her mom’s Tarot shop and trying to graduate before her nine-year-old genius brother beats her to it, Vivian Night Hawk has only one escape from her tiny New Mexico town: the ability to control her dreams, a gift she inherited from her Apache father. But lately that control is slipping, stranding her in a repeating nightmare that seems to follow her, even when she’s awake.

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Sought out by fellow dreamwalker Lucas, who is convinced their fathers are still alive, Vivi ventures deep into Dreamland to find a way to protect Brian. As the bond between Vivi and Lucas ignites, the conspiracy linking them together closes in, and Vivi must unlock the darkest power of all—a power that begins with her father’s quiet words: “Walk with me.”

Imagine if you could lucid dream to the extent you can visit other people and make suggestions to them that they carry out during their waking hours? How about being able to do that when you are awake? That’s what happens in this book so hold onto your hats.

Vivi is a sixteen-year-old who doesn’t fit in with the popular girls. She is also left alone every summer as her best friend goes to stay with her dad. Her mum is a ‘health freak’ and also runs a Tarot shop where Vivi helps out. Her normal life changes when she finds a jacket that she just has to own and she collides with a mysterious stranger in the local shop.

This was a well-written story that pulled me in from the very beginning, but I do feel like the subject was only skimmed. I am also hoping this is the first of a series because I am left with some major questions! The characters are all developed nicely and relatable. The pacing was a bit slow in places but then it would speed up again.

All in all, this was a great read with interesting themes, especially when you consider it is based on a real-life program. I just hope there is more to come so I can get some of those questions answered. Plus, I’d love to learn more about the Native American myths and legends that were briefly mentioned. Definitely recommended by me.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Screamcatcher: The Shimmering Eye by Christy J. Breedlove

December 14, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Screamcatcher: The Shimmering Eye by Christy J. Breedlove
Publisher: Melange Publishing
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Eighteen-year-old Jory Pike, a half-blood Chippewa, is depending upon her Native ancestry to help her investigate one of the strangest hauntings she’s ever encountered. A 500-plus acre ranch in rural Montana is under psychic and physical attack. The ranch’s owner, the elderly Ambrose Tucker, is determined to hold steadfast and courageously to his beloved property. Answering an ad in Jory’s outfit, The Badlands Paranormal Society, Ambrose hopes to rid his property of evil spirits once and for all.

Jory and her crew of three other teenagers, each of whom bring to the table their own line of skills and expertise, have brought every known piece of hardware and technical equipment to Granite Springs Ranch. Although the assignment seems ordinary at first, and the answer to the haunting seems eminent, everything spirals out of control and leaves the team terrified. The problem is, they have no idea that they’re being outclassed and sabotaged by a malevolent spirit, who seems to know their every move.

If Jory and the Badlands Paranormal Society don’t solve the problem in quick fashion, they stand to lose the $50,000 extermination fee, but worst of all, they will allow a dangerous and unmerciful entity to unleash a hoard of vicious mythological creatures that will run rampant over the ranch and surrounding properties. Jory has no idea how she and her teammate’s mettle will be tested, bringing them near the edge of insanity, physical endurance and death.

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Jory and her friends made a great team. They were clearly well experienced with inexplicable phenomena, and they always had ideas of what to try next when their original theories about what was happening at Granite Springs Ranch left them with more questions than answers. I also appreciated their generally calm approach to all of the weird stuff happening around them. They leaned on each other and their own previous experiences to figure things out which is exactly what I like to see happen in the paranormal genre.

There were some mild pacing issues. Jory and her friends didn’t discover some of the most important clues about what was really happening until the last couple of chapters. While it was nice to be kept in suspense for so long, this didn’t leave quite enough room to explore all of the logical conclusions of what they discovered. It would have been helpful to have another chapter or two at the ending to wrap everything up a little more clearly.

The supernatural aspects of the storyline were nicely written. Not only did they keep me guessing for multiple chapters, the big reveal was even more interesting than the theories about it I’d come up with. I also enjoyed seeing the four main characters grapple with a case that broke so many of the rules of what unknown entities should and should not be capable of doing. It was somehow even more fun to see the characters discover new clues about it as it was to puzzle over them myself.

This is the third book in a series. It can be read as a standalone work.

Screamcatcher: The Shimmering Eye should be read by anyone who adores paranormal mysteries.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Within the Folds of a Swan’s Wing by Jennifer Walker

November 20, 2020 By 1 Comment


Within the Folds of a Swan’s Wing by Jennifer Walker
Publisher: Totally Entwined
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if the one element that has always defined you as a geeky outcast has the potential to catapult you into being the next big thing?

A Black girl adopted into a White family, Jodie has always felt out of place, especially at her mainly middle-class, white high school. Used to being a ghost in the halls, she has always found solace alone in her room surrounded by a world of Stephen King novels, Oreo cookies, Dave Brubeck jazz riffs and origami. Forever classified as a geeky outcast, she finally finds two unlikely friends who share her interests and accept her as she is—Bethany, the visually-impaired new girl, who has autism, and Jared, the home-schooled, self-proclaimed nerdy frozen-yogurt clerk who she’s crushing on big-time.

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There is so much hope tucked into these pages.

Jodie was a well rounded and loveable protagonist who changed in so many exciting ways through the course of this novel. When I first met her, she was a withdrawn, socially isolated teen who often turned to overeating to help her deal with difficult emotions like loneliness or embarrassment. I appreciated the fact that her problems were so well written. They gave me compassion for her struggles and made me yearn to find out if she’d develop healthier coping mechanisms and if she’d find a way to make genuine connections with the people around her.

What made me adore it even more than I already did through Jodie alone was how beautifully the secondary characters were written as well. Bethany was such a sweet, gentle girl, and the friendship between these young women soon blossomed into something marvelous. Similar patterns were repeated with several other teens and adults in Jodie’s life. There were multiple times I paused from reading and wished these characters truly existed in our world. Not only did they genuinely feel real, they were also the sort of folks I’d happily become friends with because of how kind and welcoming they were to everyone.

This was one of those young adult books that could easily cross over to the adult section of any library. There were many themes in it that were just as relevant for readers decades older than the intended audience as it was for. Sometimes folks of all ages need to be reminded why inclusivity is important or how a series of small and seemingly inconsequential changes in one’s life can ultimately lead to transformation.

I’d heartily recommend Within the Folds of a Swan’s Wing to young adult and adult readers alike. This is a must-read in my opinion!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

October 28, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
Samurai Detective #1
Publisher: Puffin Books
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant’s son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki actors in eighteenth-century Japan.

One night in the Tokaido Inn will change Seikei’s life forever.
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I recommend this book for the young adult age group if they are reading this tale on their own for a couple of reasons. First, there is quite a bit of discussion about seppuku. This is when a samurai commits suicide rather than suffer dishonor. This is significant and essential to understanding Japanese culture, but it is a heavy topic. I believe the book can be read aloud to younger children, but again I would recommend plenty of discussion on what seppuku is and why it was viewed positively in Japanese culture during this period in history. Second, there is also some gore surrounding a death near the conclusion of the book. It isn’t overdone, but there is enough detail that younger readers might be sensitive to that material.

Seikei is a very likable boy. He’s smart, curious, and honest. He tries to live his life according to the samurai ideals. In fact, he dreams of being a samurai, but as the son of a merchant he knows he can never be one. His future is already laid out for him, or so it seems. Everything changes when Seikei witnesses the crime at the inn. Seikei soon finds himself working side by side with the samurai magistrate, Judge Ooka. Not only will Seikei help solve the crime, but he’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about the ways of the samurai. For Seikei it is the experience of a lifetime. His excitement is palpable, and I admired his fierce determination to do his best. However, can Seikei ever go back to the life of a merchant after tasting the life of a samurai?

It becomes apparent about midway through the book who the thief is, but the motive remains a mystery. It soon becomes clear that there is much more to the thief’s plan than the theft of a jewel. As Seikei digs for the truth, he uncovers a plot that has been years in the making. As I raced through the pages, I found myself asking if the thief was indeed the true villain!

There is a lot of historic detail packed into this exciting mystery! Japanese customs, etiquette, class structure, religious views, etc are all explained within the context of the story. As a result, the pacing never suffers. It is all simply part of Seikei’s life. This is can spur some great discussion on Japanese class structure in the 1700’s under the rule of the shoguns, and dare I say, make learning about history fun!

I had a lot of fun reading The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. Seikei is a likable character, the mystery is compelling, and the conclusion is gripping. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a mystery with a good dose of historic detail!

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts

September 16, 2020 By 1 Comment


Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts
Publisher: Markosia
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Middle Grade/Young Adult (8+)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Nothing lasts forever . . . And that includes the childhood Friendship between a boy and his Dragon. Throughout the years they boldly tackle many adventures. But none will compare to their last encounter with destiny – an unavoidable collision with the mob and Charlie’s inevitable fate, growing up and leaving this fanciful world of his childhood.

He loves to go sit by the sea and imagine things. When one day a big blue dragon shows up, he can’t believe it. The dragon invites him to go for a ride. He does and he loves it! Now he’s a regular visitor so they can have more fun together.

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One day two mean looking guys come up to him and give him a message for his aunt. They want her to stop what she’s doing. If she won’t, they’ll be back again and they won’t be nice. He tells her, she refuses to quit and the mob boys return.

One thing they didn’t count on was his dragon. Everything they try to do to scare them backfires. The dragon gets tired of them and runs them off. No more mob trouble.

This is a graphic novel so all the characters are illustrated. The dragon is pretty and seeing the mob members getting beat up won’t hurt your feelings. The dragon protects the boy and his aunt from any trouble. He finally lets the aunt see him and she’s astonished.

Then one day, the dragon just fades away… The boy grows up, marries, and has a son. When the boy goes down to the sea, he finds a big surprise. He discovers the dragon again! His father smiles and watches his son ride the dragon. What fun!

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