Desert Rice by Angela Scott

March 25, 2013 By 8 Comments

Cover_DesertRice

Desert Rice by Angela Scott
Publisher: Evolved Publishing (206 pgs)
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Length: Full
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rated: 5 Stars
Review by Poppy

Samantha Jean Haggert is a beautiful twelve-year-old girl, but no one knows it. All they see is an awkward boy in a baseball cap and baggy pants. Sam’s not thrilled with the idea of hiding her identity, but it’s all part of her brother’s plan to keep Sam safe from male attention and hidden from the law. 15-year-old Jacob will stop at nothing to protect his sister, including concealing the death of the one person who should have protected them in the first place–their mother.

Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason. But when Sam meets “Jesus”–who smells an awful lot like a horse–in the park, life takes a different turn. He saved her once, and may be willing to save Sam and her brother again, if only they admit what took place that fateful day in West Virginia. The problem? Sam doesn’t remember, and Jacob isn’t talking.

Stunning. Disturbing. Touching.  Raw.

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They aren’t always the most endearing of people. They do things that are frustrating, dishonest, and heart-rending. But they always love each other, and they always determine to make a life for themselves. Jacob’s first and only real goal in life it to take care of his sister. As we learn the truth of what happened, we understand what drives him so frantically to keep her safe.

Sam doesn’t remember what happened to put them in the place where they are. And she’s remarkably typical for a girl her age, except that she’s dressing and acting as a teenaged boy. No punches are pulled in this book; there is language, graphic situations and more. Even something like Sam’s first period are described so clearly I was cramping up right there with her.

Thankfully, all is not bleak here. Eventually they meet a good-hearted man and his girlfriend who take them under their wings, but even that doesn’t go smoothly.

This isn’t a book for light reading. It’s one you will think about long after you finish and wonder if this is how it truly is for some kids out there. It’ll make you grateful for your rather normal life and will cause you to count your blessings, no matter how small.

Reading Desert Rice is a life-changing experience and I’m glad I was able to read it.

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

It Started With A Whisper by A.W. Hartoin

March 18, 2013 By 9 Comments

Cover_ItStartedwithaWhisper

It Started With A Whisper by A.W. Hartoin
Publisher: A.W. Hartoin
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: 399 Pages
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: Best Book
Review by: Jasmine

Wishes are powerful things, if you belong to the MacClarity clan. You can ask Ernest for anything and he’ll make it come true, even though he’s been dead for nearly a hundred years. Puppy MacClarity doesn’t take the rumors about Ernest too seriously. But when he’s had enough of his teacher’s harassment, Puppy asks Ernest to take care of Miss Pritchett for him. Ernest does and family secrets start to surface like magic. During a summer filled with both fear and fun, Puppy begins to realize that Ernest isn’t the only special thing about his family, and their oddities aren’t just skin deep. Too bad he didn’t know sooner.

Every time I hear the name of this book, it makes me want to dance around the room and sing for a minute, I loved it! I mean – with crazy ravens, weird cats, a vengeful, spitting llama, genius older cousins, a boy named Puppy, mysterious moms and a protective ancestral ghost – what’s not to love?

This family is completely dysfunctional but in the best possible way. The best part about this family, though, is that even though everyone is different, they all love and support each other no matter what, even when they don’t agree. While blood-related family is very important to all of them, they also pull others into their “pack” and consider them family. If anyone messes with someone in their pack, they will end up answering to all of them. The presence of unconditional love, acceptance and loyalty is never questioned by family or friends throughout the book and the kids all stick together like glue. Every teenager should get to experience this environment.
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Initially, I wasn’t too sure about reading a book with a main character named Puppy. Then, I started reading it and found out that not only was it a nickname from his mom but it had also carried over to school, teachers and friends and it became even weirder. But somehow it worked. It gave the character a chance to rise above what you expect with a moniker like “Puppy”. Puppy is a lovable, easy-going typical teenager most of the time, but the protective man in him rises to the surface when needed. Puppy stumbles into some adventure (and trouble), with rest of the pack right there to help him, but ultimately there is a moment when it comes down to Puppy alone. In that moment, I think we see Puppy transition from the more innocent childhood days to his real journey to the person he will eventually become.

The pack spends the summer at what they all call “camp”, which is some rural family property with a lake, a creek and woods. With the ever-present ghost of Puppy’s ancestor, shown in very interesting and fun ways, and the question of exactly what it is the moms can do, there is an element of intrigue and mysticism that carries through the entire book. The plot moves along very smoothly and is, at times, fast-paced with some moments that kept me on the edge of my seat.

With two sets of twins, plus moms that are twins, and a multitude of friends and other people that make appearances in the book, it would be easy to start confusing characters but the author does an excellent job of making them all very individual. Even the animals become unique and memorable. This book is very well written, with enough twists and turns to keep my attention from beginning to end, including one incredibly late night.

One of the things that I loved is the song list at the beginning of the book. Throughout the book various characters (usually the moms) are singing different songs – which will end up being one of the songs from the list. I love music and it’s usually a big part of the lives of most of the teenagers that I know, so I love that this is included as a focal point and not just as a background element. In contrast, one thing I was slightly confused by was the elephant. Was it a way to give honor or invoke/evoke? I was just never really sure. I don’t want to say much more than that because I don’t want to give anything away.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned with this book, but not in an in-your-face kind of way. The lessons are subtle, which is perfect for young adults. It is fun, reads at the perfect pace, with mystery, intrigue and hilarious antics of some of the more zany members of the pack. I’ve read that this might be a series (not confirmed by any reliable sources) and I’m really hoping that they are right. I would love to spend some more time with this group. They were just a lot of fun and I was always anxious to see what sort of mess they were going to get themselves into next!

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

Dromos by G. Arden O’Feden

February 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Dromos by G. Arden O’Feden
Publisher: Torquere Press, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (11 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Lavender
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Thousands of people go missing each year, and Everett Lacrowe discovers where they go when he falls into a world where the only purpose seems to be collecting others like himself. While most people in Dromos accept their surroundings and use a pointless routine to distract themselves, Everett will attempt to find out a way out.

What an interesting and strange experience Everett Lacrowe is about to have. He is a young man working in the local museum. Things seem normal in his life; then he has an accident. This bizarre occurrence sends him on a journey between dimensions. He walks into a place hard to imagine in real life, and the adventure begins.

Unusual beings wander about in this crazy new world. Everett tries to figure out how things work here because it seems like he could be trapped. Threats abound. He’d better catch on quick. Luckily, he meets a nice man, Frank, who helps him. Both Everett andFrank are kind, honest characters. It’s easy to root for them. Everett shows courage, and a reader can get behind him.

Dromos means passageway—a passageway between worlds. Suspense happens as one wonders if Everett will ever get back to the real world where life is mundane. There is some vagueness in the tale such as “When food wasn’t enough to satisfy, they had other things you could taste.” What other things? Some details would have been nice here. And jumping to conclusions happened at times. For instance, how did Everett have certain knowledge about Dromos? It’s not explained within the story. Sometimes the plot jumps around, throwing off the pace, but there are some good descriptions, especially of the illusory inhabitants of the new place. It’s certainly an imaginative story. It’s also interesting when Everett wonders if he’s mentally ill. This is a fast read with a unique storyline.

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

The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper

February 14, 2013 By 6 Comments

DreamSlayerBookCover

The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Length: Full (312 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Review by Poppy

In the young adult teen series Dream Slayer, Natalie Johnson has always dreamed she’s someone else; calm, beautiful, in control. A chosen warrior with a maniacal arch nemesis and a dreamy boyfriend, the type that can make your knees melt and your heart quiver.

Real life is much different. She’s tormented by a bully and endures the sharp tongue of her father, but finds solace in her dreams.

When her bully ends up dead, de ja vu from a dream hits her hard as everything around her begins to fall apart. Whatever killed Sarah in her dreams is now in reality, hunting her from the shadows. And it wants her dead.
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Somehow as the lines between reality and nightmare blur, Natalie must discover hidden strength to pull her friends and family back from the brink of madness.

Natalie has a rotten life. An alcoholic, verbally abusive father, a school bully and more — who could blame her for dreaming a whole new life for herself?

I was fascinated by the idea of a dream world becoming real and am glad to say the story didn’t disappoint. With a nod to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in a few ways, The Dream Slayer is a book about a young girl with no self-confidence becoming empowered, first in her dreams and then in her life.

The author does a great job with her parallel universes, making the characters in each similar but just a bit different. This is awesome, but can occasionally make you wonder which Meadow’s Creek you’re in at any given time.  Regardless, it’s exciting and interesting to see the story unfold.

Ms. Cooper has a way with words that is descriptive but not dull, and she completely creates her world. The place and the people are three dimensional and real. The writing is clean and well-edited, and never intrudes on the reader’s enjoyment of the story itself. I wasn’t fond of the romance with Damien in the “real” Natalie’s world, since it’s mentioned he’s “too old” for her and it made it felt a bit inappropriate (in the dream world, it hadn’t felt as though he was so much older so I never got that vibe until later), but thankfully he isn’t her only romantic interest — of course. Because, what kind of YA story would it be without a love triangle?

With some surprising twists and turns, with a heroine who becomes truly admirable despite her situation and with sidekicks who will make you smile and sigh, The Dream Slayer is a great book for paranormal loves of all ages.

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Wolf Sirens: Forbidden by Tina Smith

January 16, 2013 By 5 Comments

Cover_WolfSirensForbidden

Wolf Sirens: Forbidden by Tina Smith
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Length: full (382 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review by Poppy

When Lila unwillingly moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the innocent.

Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadowlands of fantasy and reality, where destiny collides. A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
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Cresida knows their fatal secret and she is honour-bound to protect those who are endangered. But she underestimates Lila’s passion for the mysterious and charismatic clan of youths. Lila begins to feel a call she cannot ignore. Yet her heart is filled with vulnerable desires that begin to turn the underworld upside down, for both hunter and hunted, as she learns they have been waiting for her… Inspired by the legend of the mythical femme fatale, Wolf Sirens is an intimate tale of unrequited and forbidden love in the underworld, a masterpiece of romance fantasy.

An interesting twist on your typical werewolf story, Wolf Sirens: Forbidden was a good, compelling read.

Our heroine is a mixed up teenager who, after moving to the odd little town of Shade, finds herself pulled between various groups at school. She’s especially shocked with the “in” crowd wants her to hang out with them. But strange things happen, including a cryptic warning from the very odd Cresida, that starts Lila on a path she’d never expected.

I liked this book. Its story was different, full of angst and conflict, has the (now required) love triangle of sorts, and plenty of suspense. I liked that I, as well as our heroine, didn’t know who to trust. Nothing is as it seems, and friends and enemies aren’t who you suppose at all. The author is skilled, and her writing itself solid, but I do wish the book hadn’t been quite as long. There were several places where things dragged and I found myself skimming and waiting for something new to happen.  The book would have been well-served by having a skilled editor tighten things up a bit.

Still, the book was a good read and the ending leaves no doubt that it’s part of a series. I admit to not believing the ending is true (and I imagine Lila will feel the same as the next book starts). Thankfully, many ends are wrapped up with the book, but many more threads are left hanging or introduced.

A solid start to a decent paranormal YA, I enjoyed Wolf Sirens: Forbidden and will absolutely pick up the next in the series to see what happens next.

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