Book Review: The Hollow Girl

Title: The Hollow Girl
Author: Hillary Monahan
Genre: Young Adult, Teen, Horror
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Ugh. 
Where do I even start? 

Setting
This book is set at an indeterminate time... maybe in the late 1800's? Our lead gal is being raised by her gypsy caravan's 'witch'. The lady that everyone goes to for healing, charms, etc. At first we are not sure that any magic is real; that quickly changes. I'm going to use the common words for gypsy, herbal woman/witch, and what not. The book uses (what I assume) are the correct words to describe these groups but let's face it you won't know these words if I use them. So for simplicity sake I'll be generic below. 

Horror that isn't horror
If gruesome, gross and immorale is what you think defines a horror YA book then perhaps The Hollow Girl is for you. For me the only thing scary about this book was that it was: A) making excuses for why it's morale and okay (in some ways) to act on vengeance and take revenge; B) how bad the writing was. 
A good horror book, like a good sword wielding fantasy story will have elements of gore in it; but there is a lot more to the story in that. It should give build slowly, give you shivers at times and make you question the thoughts and beliefs of the main character. And likely have empathy for some of the characters involved (because it's not their fault). 
And yes horrific things happen in The Hollow Girl such as rape, murder, torture, lose of appendages, etc. But none of these events are what I found to be the hardest to accept. Instead I cannot believe that anyone would think it appropriate to torture, murder and maim others in order to save one person. 
There are very few situations in which I am convinced that someone deserves to be physically punished. Now that's not to say that the occasional smack to a small child is wrong. I believe that at certain moments and levels that can be an appropriate parental response. BUT you would always react in an appropriate way and not out of a spiteful revenge filled place. Too bad our lead gal isn't taught this lesson. Instead she is taught the dark magic of her people by the existing herbal doctor she lives and grew up with.

It doesn't really bother me that our lead gal wants vengeance but it does bother me that she enacts her revenge on five of her peers (boys) at the consistent encouragement from the herbal doctor she calls grandmother. I don't want to teach children to be like Stephen King's Carrie and that getting revenge is the right course of action. 
If we all took an eye for an eye each time we were wronged then we would be a society of blind people. 

Between the unnecessary blood and gore, questionable moral compass and the attempt (with the authors note at the beginning of the book) to make readers feel compassionate towards the story without even starting it; I just can't give The Hollow Girl anything more than 2 stars. I only finished it because I was very close to the end (less than 50 pages) and wanted to see if there was some resolution of the morale issues. I was sorely disappointed. 

I would not recommend this book to any one. Even a half-smart teen would see through the typical 'gore' tropes quickly and find it over the top and morally questionable. I love anti-heros and characters you love to hate; but here we are shown a lovely girl that is turned evil in a very unproductive way. I would not recommend this book to any one. Even a half-smart teen would see through the typical 'gore' tropes quickly and find it over the top and morally questionable. I love anti-heros and characters we love to hate; but here we are shown a lovely girl that is turned evil in a very unproductive way. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: The Day the Angels Fell

Title: The Day the Angels Fell
Author: Shawn Smucker
Genre: Young Adult, Grief
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

There is a lot of philosophical, quotable one-liners in this book about a young boy that loses his mother in a freak accident. If you are looking for a story that may help you or someone you know process death then I think The Day the Angels Fell is a good choice. Otherwise I'm not sure it's worth the read. It's very poignant and in places quite intense; but at no point did I really doubt what was going to happen. 

The Story
Told in two parts; the first from the perspective of an old man, and the second, where we spend most of our time, from the perspective of the same old man as a boy. So there is never any doubt that our boy survives the bizarre and sometimes dangerous path he is following. I think Shawn Smucker intended for a 'reveal' at the end that makes you go, oh wow, and then cry. I did not get that and instead felt like the ending made good sense but wasn't anything super special. 
The primary focus story centers around The Tree of Life. A tree that seemingly has the power to bring someone back from the dead. Of course our lead boy wants to find it so he can bring his just deceased Mom back. This is not a spoiler it happens in the first chapter. Surrounding him in this desire are of course the morales of what it means to be dead and if death is a 'good' thing or place. There are some men involved that try to mess things up and impose their will on our young man. And while both of these men appear to be really important; however in the end they are just props to move the plot forward, in my opinion. They say a lot but I'm not sure they are contributing in a valuable way as characters to the overall novel. 

Quotable, but not enough
Overall someone could likely pull out a hundred quotes to use on mugs, posters, etc. from Smucker's debut novel; but for me that wasn't enough. While there is plot that consistently moves us forward in the story and characters that are interesting enough I just didn't care that much. I almost never felt sympathy or grief for our lead boy and so had a hard time connecting. Perhaps if you are in the throes of grief when you read this it would be more impactful? For me it just fell short of what I had hoped for. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: Birdcage Walk

Title: Birdcage Walk 

Author: Helen Dunmore

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Helen Dunmore has written a wonderful literary novel set in London during the French Revolution. Well developed characters and a unique perspective kept my interest; even though the plot doesn't show up in the first half of the book. 

Character Study

The first 200 pages are a character study led by our lead gal, Lizzie, and her view of the world. There is virtually no plot at all during this portion of the novel. Instead we learn of Lizzie's marriage, family, class and more. 

I found it very interesting to have our leading lady caught between the ideologies of her family and those of her husband. With a mother that writes pamphlets and prose in support of the Revolution and eventual take down of the French King, it's understandable that Lizzie has a very independent view on politics. However her husband does not necessarily agree. As a true capitalist in a class society it becomes difficult for Lizzie's husband to accept that the Revolution is a good thing as it hurts his investments. We are lead to see Lizzie's unique thoughts and both perspectives on the French Revolution, even if from a safe (non-bloody) distance in London. 

Plot

It takes about 200 pages for Birdcage Walk to have some real plot. Once we get into the real story, and not just the characters and their setting, we are then treated to a fast paced mystery that Lizzie is caught in. I enjoyed the overall writing style and setting much better than the plot. I was more intrigued by Lizzie as a character than anything else. If Lizzie had been a boring, stuffy Londoner I would not have enjoyed this near as much. 

Overall

Those who love historical fiction and character studies will likely enjoy this novel. If you're hoping for a book with intrigue and mystery then I recommend you pass; otherwise the first half of Birdcage Walk will possibly suck the life out of your reading enjoyment. 

This was my first Dunmore novel and I'll certainly look to read more by her. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: Hanna Who Fell From the Sky

Title: Hanna Who Fell From the Sky

Author: Christopher Meades

Genre: Ficion, literary, religious

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

When you expect a book to have purpose, like tell a morale, be inspiring, etc., it's a bit odd when it doesn't seem to play out that way. I think Christopher Meades (based on the afterword he wrote) intended for this to be an inspirational story. For me it was a story of being caged and powerless; and while that could be inspiring depending on the end I do not feel like there is any inspiration to be drawn from here. 

Plot

Hanna Who Fell From the Sky had an interesting enough plot. A girl who has been raised on a 'colony' of religious fanatics who have essentially taken the Bible and re-written it. Their version encourages polygamy for older men (3+ wives required) and extensive procreation (no birth control here). Our lead gal is about to be married off and is just starting to question the small, restricted world around her. 

Moral Points

I was expecting a book filled with a lot more moral points than this one has. There are morales to be learned based on how the women and children are treated, maybe something in the story of Hanna being forced into marriage with an elderly man she does not like (his 3rd wife), or in the treatment of the 'crippled' little sister Hanna has. But overall for the average person I don't think there is anything special or new here. 

One Point of Interest

I did find one thing very interesting however. Having not thought much about polygamous societies before it had not occurred to me that you'd have an influx of men, and not enough women to go around. So in this colony they banish the boys at nineteen except for one who is the family heir and remains in the colony. Those who are sent away forbidden to return. 

Fascination

I have a strange (maybe concerning, lol) fascination with cults, religion and faith. I was raised Christian but as a teen turned my back on it when a minister told me my gay friend was evil (don't even start me..). I eventually found my spirit in Wicca (a branch of Paganism). I could write a book about why I ended up with the beliefs I did; but one aspect of many was that Wicca is not an organized, attend somewhere every week religion. Therefore I'm intrigued by those who need a place or are restricted to places of worship. 

When I talk about religious requirements to attend a worship location I'm always reminded of a quote from The Big Bang Theory that sums up my thought perfectly:<I> "I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm just baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."  </I>And thus I'm intrigued by religion that requires no outside influence as it's too falliable. 

Worth the Read?

I'm unsure of whether or not I would recommend this book. While Meades writing is acceptable (but not special) and the characters have sufficient development for the most part; I found myself thinking as I read that I could easily put the book down and not continue. Having read the end I feel even more 'meh' about it than before as it didn't really go anywhere interesting to me. So unless you are dying to read about a society with polygamy I think this is an easy pass. 

A Shout out of the Author

I can't help but have been moved by the afterword in which the author tells us a little of his struggle during writing Hanna Who Fell From the Sky. I actually think those few pages were more interesting than the whole book. Maybe Meades will write a fictional version of his concussion story that occurred while he wrote this book? That I would read. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: The Last Namsara

Title: The Last Namsara

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5

This is an absolutely amazing first book in a debut YA fantasy trilogy! Hunger Games, Graceling, Incarceron and other favourite YA fantasy of mine have a new friend because The Last Namsara deserves a spot next to those gems on my print bookshelf!

I'm not going to tell you what this is about because you can read the blurb. Instead let's talk about things that make this such a wonderful read; but first I have to do some national pride gushing...

Canadian YA Fantasy

It makes me so proud that Kristen Ciccarelli is Canadian! As a fellow Canadian I try to read a few authors a year that are Canadian. I have never ever read a young adult fantasy book by a Canadian that was this amazing! Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful books and authors out of Canada but it's rare to find a teen author with this kind of talent anywhere in the world; never mind my own country! 

An unusual, yet genuine love interest 

My number one complaint in YA books is love interests. The insta-love, triangle, stunningly handsome boys, and over-the-top 'he's so hot' descriptions get boring after a while. Besides the real world is not like that! At 35 with a husband ( yes - I love him more than anything) I can say that you might have chemistry when you first met someone but that doesn't mean it's insta-love or even your life partner. So it's nice to read teen fiction that is realistic, and yet still sweet and romantic in a real life way. 

In addition our main gals love interest is seemingly a very random character. Not someone super special or a prince or any of that crap. Just an average person dealing with the cards in life they've been dealt; just like a real life partner is bound to be. 

Even though it maybe a fantasy world and story I still appreciate characters who are honest and realistic (magic aside) to what real people are like. 

The Last Namsara has everything!

Seriously everything is in this book. Including betrayal, sketchy family, forbidden love, female warriors, dragons(!), magic, 'old' religion, poison, death, double crosses, loyal friends, gorgeous settings, elaborate architecture, cool weapons and so much more! 

It's rare to read a YA fantasy that has all the elements of an amazing adult fantasy series. Yet Ciccarelli manages this without even needing 800+ pages. 

While The Last Namsara is not overly complex, like Sanderson or Martin are, it doesn't need to be. With a full list of 8-10 characters who are all unique and complex, alongside simple yet awfully disturbing politics; I didn't feel like I was reading a 'lesser' novel at any point. 

Still YA writing

Just like Hunger Games, the writing in The Last Namsara is for a teen audience but elevated enough that adults will still love it. If I have one critique of the writing it's that the first 20% or so of the novel is very YA feeling (but hey that is it's genre). However it quickly turns more to showing over telling and eventually the YA voice was irrelevant because I just wanted more! Given this is Ciccarelli's debut novel I'm more than forgiving of the slightly cliche YA sounding beginning. 

In a league of its own

For those who remember earlier this year (2017) there was a ton of hype for: The Bone Witch, Mask of Shadows (both which I thought were decent 4 star books) and Caraval (which is awful!); it appeared early on we might have a stellar YA fantasy year. Yet none of these YA fantasy books really lived up to the hype they had. Luckily just as the year is ending I read the book that deserves all the hype of 2017 and more! 

The Last Namsara could have had huge hype (which it didn't) and still have blown me away!! Proof that having a large marketing budget or bigger publishing house behind your book doesn't mean it's the best of the best. At the end of the day writing, plot, atmosphere, lore and characters are what really counts. Dragons help too! 

Overall

In case you haven't figured it out I absolutely loved this book. I'm desperate for the second book; but will be patient because I want the next book to be as wonderfully put together as this one and it looks like the proposed publishing dates aren't too far away! 

If you want to read a YA fantasy that isn't your average everyday YA story then pick up The Last Namsara. I finished it three days ago and can't stop thinking about it and replaying scenes in my head. Something I only have happen with books that are special and will have staying power. So do yourself a favour and read The Last Namsara; then purchase copies for everyone you know because you want the whole world to appreciate it like you do (wait maybe that's just me). I do know what everyone I buy gifts for is getting next (whether they like to read or not!). 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: Swearing off Stars

 
Title: Swearing off Stars

Author: Danielle Wong 

Genre: Historical fiction, LGBTQ 

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

DNF - 60%

It begins solid

Author Danielle Wong begins by setting up a wonderful story in the 1920s of a young woman attending university. Now at this time in history women could attend university but not receive actual degrees or formally recognized education. An awkward time for women. Made more awkward for our lead lady as she discovers she's a lesbian and falls in love. 

This is a dangerous time for gays and only gets more dangerous as WWII approaches and Hitler's persecution of anyone not like him is brewing. 

Wong takes us through the 20s, and the 30s with our leading lady in a way that shows these challenges for lesbians of the time. 

And then it goes all wrong

But then, suddenly, at about 55% of the way through the book, we go from 1939 to 1955 (in America). And the only comment made back to the war is that our lead gal worked as a nurse after work for a few years, and her male childhood friend enlisted and was injured (but survived) battle. At first all I could think was WHAT?!?! Then as I read on I realized that was really all that was going to be said about the war. 

What could have been

Now if I was going to write a book about lesbians trying to emerge into a world where they are not accepted; and started this story in the roaring 20s, I would be sure to have written about the most significant event of the 1900s and used it to delve deeper into the psyche of the lady's POV. But instead Wong made a unforgivable mistake. And one that had me putting the book down in disgust. She skipped over a section of history because it's a messy, difficult and all around nasty time period. 

This is a showing of a weak story teller. While Wong's  prose is acceptable for publication and her characters well formed; the inability to even give us one or two chapters set in the 40s tells me that she assumes her readers will go along with it. As though we all don't know what happened. 

Cheap tactics

It's an unforgivable error, in my mind, to back your way out of a messy situation. Not unlike authors who create time warps, miracle healing or other cheap ways to avoid something they aren't sure how to handle (but still need to have happened). It's even worse in historical fiction as it's not like the basis of the story doesn't exist. You don't even have to creative enough to think up an awful war and dictator invading countries. Because it ACTUALLY happened. 

What could have been

There are so many places this could have gone to involve our gal in the war from her standpoint on American soil. I can imagine her thoughts on prejudice as it pertained to what was happening around her. Maybe some fear from her that someone would find out she was a lesbian during that time and how that would have been more awful than during the 20s. We have Hitler sending (at the very least) any gay man to concentration camps alongside the Jews, armbands to mark their sexual orientation publicly and more. Our leading gal, hearing this unfold (even from a far) must have had thoughts, fears and emotions right?

There are just so many things that could have been written into this story to at least pay some sort of nod to WWII and its influence on the world as a whole. Hitler's reign influenced future discrimination and thoughts profoundly and possibly shaped the course of some of the acceptance in the world that came after. 

Final thoughts

I read a lot of historical fiction, and truth in the main events is very important to me (altered small details are fine). So skipping an entire decade or more would be nearly inexcusable to start with. Never mind skipping the imperative, relevant and world changing decade that was the 40s.

So I am giving up on reading this. Nothing, no matter how good the end is, will convince me it's okay to skip WWII in a historical story. Our history happened whether we like it or not and ignoring it or brushing it off is an insult to those who lived (and died) during that time period.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review. 

Stitching: Free Pattern

A lovely little freebie has been released by Whispered in the Wind. Even though I don't have any ornaments specifically planned for people this year, I may have to stitch this cutey up just because! 

You can get the pattern here: 

http://www.whisperedbythewind.com/Christmas2017.html

Enjoy! 

Book Review: Rebel of the Sands

Title: Rebel of the Sands

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Genre: Young Adult, Teen, Fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

All in all, this was pretty darn good. I certainly didn't want to put it down. It has an intense and fast pace that keeps the pages turning and I was actually okay with our lead girl and her attitude (no special snowflake here). She's a strong, leading girl that understands choices and that sometimes you make crazy ones because you are no other way out. That doesn't make those choices wrong; they just are what they are. 

Setting

I loved the Arabian setting and the feel and context given to the desert. As though it's a living breathing thing. Desert is a distinctly unique environment in that it's habitable for a short period of time. Where water is uninhabitable and most of is very habitable; desert is not unlike the Arctic in that you can survive but you will need supplies because it's mostly a barren wasteland. I hope that the kinds of sentiments, mirages and other things in the desert are truthful. I certainly felt like descriptions and sentiments helped me understand desert living a little better. 

Djinn

I know a little about Djinn. A mythological creature that appears in many Indian or Middle Eastern stories. They are cunning, not quite good or bad, and often have great magical powers. I loved the use of these creatures, and the unique twist on the lore and ability to bring magic into the story that Alwyn Hamilton uses. It's nice that we start out the book with a tiny bit of the desert magic and by the end it's full blown magic everywhere. I liked this because it allowed me to learn about the Djinn and learn to understand them as the story unfolded. 

Step by Step

Hamilton has done something in Rebel in the Sands that all good fantasy authors understand and utilize well; she has built up the world around us from the eyes of our lead gal and brought in elements slowly. If you ever read Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule then you know what I mean. It's a genius way to bring a complex world that is very unknown (to most) and to slowly introduce factors like values, religion, magic and eventually the politics we all crave. Because, lets face it, politics what starts wars and makes our characters lives interesting. 

This step by step introduction helped me feel a part of the desert world I am very unfamiliar with. 

The Romantic Interest

I can't believe I'm going to say this... but I love Jinn. Just for being himself. And I don't mean in the fangirl, omg I want to marry him way, I mean I love him as a person. He's complex, troubled, and above all else, realistic. He's not perfect and he's not immediately in love with our lead gal (thank goodness!!). Romance and relationships are complex and if nothing else Hamilton has established this to be true. 

An absolute A+ for character development and not writing a love troope fantasy novel like everyone seems inclined to do today. 

So why only give 4 stars?

Sounds like I really enjoyed the Rebel in the Sands right? Which is true I did. It was a fun, entertaining read. But... it was missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it, and maybe it's that I didn't quite connect with our lead gal all the time, but something was missing. Unlike recent reads like Cinder, I wasn't immediately drawn to our gal and was very reluctant to put all my faith in her. 

One could argue this is a good thing; but in the end it felt like something was off and it's the only thing I can identify that I didn't love. So I'm going with the theory that the lead gal needed to be more likeable (if that even makes sense). 

Overall

I would definitely recommend this book to YA fantasy story lovers. I would buy it for someone as I think there's a lot to love here. 

And as with many YA novels, if this was a girls first foray into the genre she'd likely think it's the most amazing book ever. As with nothing to compare it to (like the flooded market of fantasy YA out there these days) I could see this being a favourite of a teen. 

So pick it up and read it. If only so you can experience the sand and desert setting. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: The Dollmaker of Krakow

Title: The Dollmaker of Krakow

Author: R.M. Romero

Genre: middle grade, historical, some magic

Rating: 5 out of 5 

Anytime you pick up a book that is set during WWII you must be prepared for a sad or at the very least a bittersweet ending; even when it's a middle-grade book. 

The Setting & Characters

The Dollmaker of Krakow is set in German occupied Poland. As a survivor of WWI whose missing a leg, the Dollmaker is a quiet, downtrodden older man. To me he felt like the kind of old man that you just want to hug and listen to all day long. I adore him. 

As this is a middle grade (ages 9-11) book it conveys the horror of the treatment of the Jews and the Polish people in a way that children can understand. And even though I knew how it was likely to end and that not everyone could get out, I still couldn't wait to read more each time I had to put it down. 

Our other main character is a doll that has come to life. This doll named Karolina, lived in the Land of the Dolls first and experienced a war herself. She is unlike Pinocchio in every way and instead is our Jiminy Cricket of the story, always telling us what is right and wrong. 

Plot

The focus of the book is the telling of two parallel stories. One of the Land of the Dolls being invaded by rats (told in past tense) and the other of Poland being invaded by Germans (told as its transpiring). As the story is told from Karolina's perspective we have a constant voice asking why people are doing these things and questioning why the Germans are so awful; but also questioning why the adults don't fight back. This allows the story to be told in a way that keeps the message clear; the actions of the soldiers are wrong and immoral and that the Polish are afraid and most are not at fault. I like this treatment of the story and morality a lot. It allows R.M. Romero to keep the story true to actual events (ie: Jews being moved around and eventually onto the trains if the Germans aren't just outright killing them in the streets) without the need to lie about what happened. 

I believe it's important we tell children the truth of events and situations so that they can know not to repeat these actions. If we ignore history and it's awful moments then I fear humans will make the same mistakes again. We must teach our children to have their eyes open and be able to identify fascism, racism, injustice, etc. early and then to try and give them the tools to fight back long before an army is invading. 

Magic

There is some fictional magic in this book. It's used sparingly and really only to allow for two major events. First for Karolina to exist at all in our world (talking doll and all) and second for a major plot point to be plausible. I think it's brilliantly used and absolutely love that it's very specific and used sparingly. It helps keep the majority of the events in the story realistic. 

Word Choice

I have only one major complaint about this book. Which frankly is amazing as even some of my favourite books still have multiple issues. 

Word choice is something that really good authors pay a lot of attention to and actually think about. 

All of the vocabulary in The Dollmaker of Krakow is well chosen (for reading comprehension of the 9-11 age bracket and for tone and impact to the story). All except for one word:

Witch

This is what Karolina calls the Germans. Some are worst witches than others in the dolls mind and she does discuss that briefly. There is also a distinction made between magicians and witches (I will concede that witch is lowercase on all uses at least). A magician can be good or bad. I'm not sure why Romero decided to use the word witch, but I really hate it. Using it to describe the Germans soldiers perpetuates the use of witch as a word for someone evil or wrong. 

In actual fact there are people who identify as Witches in modern day (yes my caps usage is intentional). Witches are commonly followers of Wicca but can be Pagans in general depending on who you ask. Witches are generally people who believe in nature as the strongest force in the world and follow the sentiment of 'If ye harm none, do what you will'. An obvious hurt no one belief and certainly contrary to the definition used. 

I believe this is likely an innocent mistake by Romero to choose the word but it's still a mistake. If Romero wants a word for monster or evil that children would understand easily I believe there are much better choices. 

Overall

Despite my cringe each time Karolina called a soldier a witch, I still absolutely loved this book. The Dollmaker of Krakow is a gem. Written in the magical voice of a little doll who comforts and helps a lonely old man; it's impossible not to be in love from the opening word to the final period. 

If you are a crier I would recommend some tissues for sure. I'm not a crier but still nearly succumbed at one point. For me that is a showing of how amazing and powerful this story is. 

This is a book that transcends age or genre. It tells the truth, and reminds the reader at every turn of what is right and wrong. In the scenarios in The Dollmaker of Krakow there are very few grey moments of morality. Instead it is black and white which I believe will help children understand the travesties better. Destroying people is never okay; whether the destruction is running people from their homes, starving them or (obviously) ending their lives. 

A Special Spot

A spot next to The Book Thief and The Sky is Falling.  is now being reserved on my shelf for The Dollmaker of Krakow. I can't imagine not adding it to my permanent library in a place of honour. It definitely deserves to be there next to other fantastic WWII children's novels. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: The Infinite Now

Title: The Infinite Now

Author: Mindy Tarquini

Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Supernatural

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

DNF @ 40%

While the concept and set-up of The Infinite Now are really good; the actual execution of story is so boring. I can't believe I was only at 40% when I stopped reading this as it felt like the story should be almost over. By 40% I felt like I had been reading for thousands of pages (even though it was only just over 100 pages in reality). 

The Plot

It's really unfortunate as the concept is quite god. Our lead gal has lost her parents due to the influenza outbreak during war time in London. Her mother was a seer or witch. Subsequently the superstitious Londoners are afraid of her and she is lucky to be taken in by an old man who seems to have some loyalty to her family. 

She inherits a curtain that seems to help tell the future, meets another witch who may be nefarious but appears to be trying to help, everyone in her area is ailing, children are starving as their parents have influenza and can't get out of bed, meanwhile war is raging elsewhere. 

Sounds kind of good right?

It should be but sadly it's not. I'm not sure if it's the writing, the repetitive nature of the narrative or that our lead gal is just boring. But I can say with certainty that I'd had enough and just wanted to read anything else. So a DNF it is. 

I'm always sad to DNF (as it's maybe unfair to the author) but at some point you have to stop the bleeding and move on. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Alice Page 2 Complete!!

Well I know I always saying I'm almost there on things for Alice. But here's a for real page 2 finish. 

Black is always such a pain as the coverage never feels right up close. As you can see here: 

There are white gaps showing. However when I draw back to the width of the piece then of course it looks just fine. 

So I know I need to curtain my expectations when I'm looking at it from an inch or two away. 

Because here the 1 thread on 28ct over 1 looks fine: 

There you have it two pages done of more than I want to think about (40+ pages). At the rate I'm Stitching I'll be lucky to finish this in 10 years! Gotta have lofty goals right (lol). 

More Dragons on their way shortly and I just got amazing threads for Autumn Quaker by Rosewood that is sooo pretty. Once I pick out some fabric for it then it may need to be moved near the top of the list to be started. 

Thanks for drppping by and happy stitching! 

Book Review: Strange Practice

Title: Strange Practice

Author: Vivian Shaw

Genre: Supernatural, Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I'm rounding up from 3.75 as I really enjoyed this book; but I think others will possibly disagree with me. There are a number of small annoyances in Strange Practice and some of its oddness distracts from the story itself. 

Vocabulary

I had to look up multiple words while reading. This is something that can be both good and bad. It can be educational to learn new words, but it can also just be snobbery that has an author including those words. It doesn't help that Vivian Shaw has actually created new words in order to support her variety of medical conditions for the supernatural. 

Supernatural conditions

This is probably one of the most unique things in Strange Practice that sets it above other paranormal/supernatural stories. There are different kinds of vampires. For example, some are deathly allergic to garlic, others have sun allergy, some need blood of a virgin (not kidding!) and whatnot. Shaw has set up an elaborate world of supernatural beings (inside our existing world) in order to support her main characters job of doctor to the supernatural. From baby ghouls with ear infections to knife wounds to mummy's that are falling apart, there's no lack of creativity in ailments that are treated. 

Characters

Shaw has excelled at creating interesting and likeable (while still a little scary) characters. Many of them remind me of the first time I met characters like Jean-Claude and Richard in Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. It helps that demons and vampires tend to have interesting back stories but it's still easy to do it wrong. Reveal too much (or too little) about each person/creature and you can collapse the intrigue. I thought there was a good mix and lots to still learn about our main players. I just hope Shaw doesn't get carried away with too much sex like Hamilton did in her series. 

Plot

Which brings me to plot. There is a very solid, easy to follow plot that brings our characters together and gives valid and easy to recognize reasons for them to do what they do. 

That said one of my sticking points in books is when things are too convenient. There were two major moments near the end where I rolled my eyes because things were a bit too convenient. This is definitely part of why this was an enjoyable book but not a five star one for me. 

Religion

The inevitable topic that needs sorting in any supernatural universe is religion. It's pretty tough to have angels, demons, vampires, etc without touching on the religious basis for your beings. 

Shaw takes an interesting approach to this by having some characters be directly from Heaven or Hell; yet others that just exist, no religion needed. She also sets up a world in which it's less of good vs. bad and more about a balanced existence. 

This certainly plays well into my own personal beliefs and didn't rub me the wrong way at all (unlike the Supernatural tv show where Dean's quick conversion was a bit too in my face). I think it's a very thin strand to walk the line between not offending anyone and also being a bit neutral. Shaw hit the nail on the head for me and set-up a world and characters I got easily on board with. 

Overall

I would recommend this book for folks who feel supernatural books are often too 'dumbed down' (ie: smutty romances) as there is a lot here to take away. The ingenious medical set-up of the beings certainly sets it apart from so many others almost like it in the genre. 

I will definitely be carrying on with this series as I think it stands out in a genre I love (but often hate because of the style of writing and choice of plot points). 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: The Visitors

Title: The Visitors

Author: Catherine Burns

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

For three days I have been trying to figure out what to say in this review. This is an odd and fairly disturbing book. I think my biggest problem with it is I can't figure out what the point is in it. Especially given that the blurb gives away that the brother gets ill and yet that doesn't happen until almost the very end of the novel. 

Perhaps as a short story this might work. It could still hold the creep factor without being so drawn out. 

The Premise

This is not a pleasant book. Be warned. It's clear from the beginning that the 'visitors' are being held captive. That the brother is the one doing it and his unintelligent sister is (mostly) a passive bystander. Both siblings are rich by inheritance so there is none of the usual issue with getting a job or being concerned about funds. This may help to distance the average person even further from the sister (whom the story perspective is written from); but for me this doesn't make any of the things she does more acceptable or less horrific. 

Pity Party?

I think Catherine Burns intends to make us feel badly for our lead gal (the sister) at points. She's a 50+ virgin with no friends or true relationships (except for her brother). She has a low IQ and some large mental health issues. But being less intelligent doesn't (generally) mean you are less morale. It just means you are not as clever. And this is where I don't like the way she is portrayed; as though her lesser IQ is an excuse for many things she does or doesn't do. I don't believe that IQ indicates a person's morality or capability to feel emotions. The traits of a sociopath are available to any intelligence level and, perhaps ironically, often to those more intelligent than the average. 

Nothing to see here

I honestly feel like I want to use the force to wave my hand and say there's "nothing to see here" because there really isn't. If you want to read horrific literature just because you like crazy creepy and terrifying things happening to others then sure maybe The Visitors is for you. But go in knowing it's not a horror novel; it's a literary novel that has horrifying things happen in it. And maybe that's what's most odd of all; the writing is good and the characters themselves are well developed, it's just there is no substance of plot here except to maybe say that the sister is naive or chooses to be blind to her circumstances. I'd love to hear what Burns has to say about why she wrote this book.  

But does it turn out okay?

Some who have read this novel may say "oh but there's a sort-of happy ending". I disagree there is absolutely nothing happy about this ending. In fact the ending may be more unsettling than the obvious horrifying things due to its skewed perspective. 

Unless you are obsessed with serial killers or kidnappers then I just can't see a reason to pick The Visitors up. 

I generally like creepy, smart thrillers (although not my primary genre choice); but neither smart nor creepy are really present here. Instead it's just flat out horrifying because it could be real (has been all too real to some real-life women) and seems to provide no context that allows the reader to 'get something' out of the book (other than perhaps a sick to your stomach feeling). 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: Dreamwielder

Title: Dreamwielder (book 1)

Series: Dreamwielder Chronicles 

Author: Garrett Calcaterra

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

There are so many great things about Dreamwielder and yet I am only giving it 3 stars (maybe this is like 3.25 stars). The characters, plot, world building and magical system are wonderful. They could easily come from any high-end fantasy book. Author Garrett Calcaterra of Dreamwielder (the first book in the Dreamwielder Chronicles) is clearly talented. Right up until you need him to describe a building or scene; or show you what is happening….

Give me more cowbell!

Really good fantasy books require some intricate descriptions. I’m not talking about 10+ pages about rocks (ugh Emyn Muil) but there has to be some sort of substance to the descriptions. If I’m in a throne room numerous times which is enthralling to the characters then I’d like to be able to see it in my head. Instead it was as if it was a generic “Lightbringer” throne room. 

Here’s an example of a lack luster description: ”…the ceiling of the throne room was vaulted, and there was a high balcony lining the rear and side walls, but apart from that it was similar in size and layout to the throne room in Castle Pyrthin.” 

That’s it? I want sooo much more; what are the colours, what’s on the tapestries, what does the throne look like, how big is it, are there windows, is it intimidating, etc. I started (by the halfway point of the novel) rewording the sentences to have descriptions in them that incorporated more of the plot, what characters were seeing and descriptions. 

Even a phrase like (forgive my bad writing) “Not unlike Castle Pyrthin the vaulted ceilings, held up by stone columns, gave the room the impression of being larger than it was. As Caile walked towards the throne he realized that the man on the small, but ornate, gold throne didn’t fit in with the elegant royal purple tapestries which depicting epic fights and sorcerers of great power flinging their blue balls of magic in battle. The Emperor instead appeared…” 

Yes I made up those details, because in my head that’s what I started to do when given no descriptions of the settings. I just wanted so much more! 

Simply put, I wanted someone like Robin Hobb, Brandan Sanderson or Elizabeth Haydon to have written this story because it could be a rich, intriguing and intricate fantasy story. Instead Calcattera gives us a glimpse into what could be an intricate, intriguing and impressive fantasy world and then lets us down with mediocre descriptions and not enough showing. 

Yes I really mean it, give me more!

Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Mel, are you saying you wanted this book to be longer?” Yes!! There’s a first time for everything (lol). I wanted to be immersed in this world where we swap characters points of view and split up only to reunite characters later on. It’s an absolute tragedy to me that there is sooo much good stuff here and yet the core base of what makes a book readable and immersive is missing. 

The characters, plot and world are more than good enough that I will read the next book in the series; but I suspect I will be re-writing it with descriptions in my head as well.

 

Genre

I know this is listed as a young adult book, and yes it’s suitable for a young adult. But I think it’s mis-categorized. This is really an epic high fantasy book that just needs a good fantasy treatment added to it. What I mean is that I want it to feel grander than it does right now. Again, I just think there’s so much more Dreamwielder could be. I’d hate to see Calcaterra stay at this level of writing because I think he can be so much more than he is. That’s not to say YA books aren’t good (I personally love them); it’s only to say that Dreamwielder feels bigger and I want a lot more out of it so an epic fantasy treatment feels like the way to go here. 

In Conclusion 

I’m a broken record by now because all I can say is give me more! Calcaterra should re-write this with a more adult audience in mind, add-in descriptions to flesh out this world, and overall step up the writing to a more show and less tell approach. If this was to happen I honestly believe there is a promising future for not only Dreamwielder but Calcaterra himself. 

If I could afford to I’d hire him a big-time editor and copy-editor from TOR or Orbit to work with Calcaterra and make this the grand story it deserves. In the meantime I’ll be moderately content with what I have and keep hoping that a larger publishing house sees what I do in this wonderfully set-up series.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

More and more Dragons!!

I've got 2 dragons today to share! I know it's crazy to have 2 done. It's amazing what you can get done when you put down your phone and actually get stuff done (lol). 

This is July and August Dragons. Meaning I'm only 3 behind now. Although given there are only 4 left that isn't very impressive. 

Here's the bottom 5 Dragons together. I was too lazy to take the rods off to show it all off. I won't lie that is why they aren't all there. 

Overall I continue to be huge happy with these guys. I did change some colours here and there but mostly they are as they should be. I have not yet figured out what I plan to do about the birthstones each has that I didn't stitch in. On lots of places I just figured out the stitches to make the dragon whole where the stones were. I have been thinking maybe krenik thread overlaid, or many ladies in the SAL have used actual stones stitched on. 

If you've got suggestions I'd love to here them! 

Also stones are not needed... except for many the tiny green guy (but I could always figure something out for him). He's originally standing on the stone. 

In other news

- page 2 of Alice is really close to done!

- got a new SAL (bands in variegated thread) to start 

- made some progress on Here there be monsters 

- and have kitted up the Feminist ladies. 

Never mind all the next things I want to do and stash I keep buying!! :) 

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching! 

Book Review: Blood & Ink

Title: Blood & Ink 

Author: Stephen Davies

Genre: Historical, Young Adult

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is a difficult book to know what to do with. 

On one hand it's a fairly boring, typical Romeo and Juliet story (with a twist). On the other hand it's based on real events in Timbuktu in 2012 which makes it both relevant, educational and sad all at once. 

Historical Content & Importance

Blood and Ink is set in 2012 Timbuktu when radicals Muslims took over the city. These are real life people who believe women should always be veiled in public. Now Timbuktu had been, to date, a very progressive Muslim society in which many women chose not be veiled. So this was an obvious infringement on their rights. Among many other things that happened during that time of occupation 

Timbuktu had public lashings!! 

I cannot even begin to tell you how disturbing I find this. Not only, that it happened a mere five years ago; but also that my sheltered Canadian self remembers hearing of the occupation of Timbuktu and not thinking it meant much at the time. Let me stand corrected now. Stephen Davies has opened my eyes to the radical violence that came (and in some cases still comes) from these jihads. I find it truly disturbing. 

I pledge from here forward to be more aware of the actual circumstances that fair practicing, innocent Muslims undergo. And that if anything is in my power to act or do something I will. Even if it's only to bring awareness.

Why just the event is not enough

No matter how important or world shattering a book may be due to its context and content that doesn't make it good writing or characters interesting. 

Without a doubt the main events, based on true stories, are compelling and horrifying in Blood and Ink but that's really where it ends. Everything Davies added to the book; his characters, motivations, etc are dull and cliche. 

To take an event like the protecting of the manuscripts and dumb it down to a couple children being responsible seems offensive to the original folks who actually spent weeks achieving his smuggling act. To indicate somehow that the entire occupation somehow laid on one little boys shoulders in many ways is also ludicrous. 

What I would normally accept in completely fictional stories (extraordinary children) I just cannot abide by when the events actually happened in a completely different way. What was wrong with telling the story the way it happened? 

Historical Fiction is Different

I read a lot of historical fiction based on true events. This is one of a rare few where it's historical fiction written for the young adult crowd. This intrigued me at first; but after reading Blood and Ink I think that Davies has taken complex human emotions, motivations and acts, and dumbs them down to lowest common denominator. 

I'm not a fan of this as it seems to do disservice to the actual history. 

I look at stories like Titanic where the storyline we follow plays no bearing on the ship sinking. This I'm okay with as our characters did not cause or create the iceberg hit. But in Blood and Ink our two main characters appears to be behind almost all the major decisions and events. This doesn't feel right to me. 

Finally

I know there are extraordinary people and children in our world. And I love to read about them. But don't downplay the importance of real people by having your fictional characters take credit for things they shouldn't. Because somewhere out there now is someone(s) who perhaps believes a teen girl in Timbuktu single-handedly actually did what this girl does in the book. 

We should be cautious of ever giving too much credit to the wrong people in historical fiction. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: The End of the World Running Club

Title: The End of the World Running Club

Author: Adrian J. Walker

Genre: fiction, post-apocalyptic, survival

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The first four chapters would make an amazing short story about an asteroid(s) impact on Earth. I rate those four chapters 5 out of 5. And then the rest of the book comes... and ruins the magic. 

The world is scorched, people die, horribleness ensues, and through it all our annoying, whiny lead character (an overweight, disengaged father of 2) leads us on his painfully boring trek. 

I'm actually not sure why I kept reading The End of the World Running Club to the end. So let's look at what was good and what was bad. 

The 4 Great Things

1) Like I said the first four chapters are fantastic. I absolutely loved them. Read them and make up your own ending. 

2) The title, The End of the World Running Club, is clever given where the book heads. I do appreciate the sarcasm and irony that is used throughout the world ending story. 

3) I loved that the lead character is an average 30-something man, Edgar. A father to two small children, with a wife, a moderate house, and a job he goes to because he must. He's the archetype of the regular middle class Joe existing in a first world society. 

4) The end is a perfect combination of victory and sadness. A way to resolve a story such as this without coming out too optimistic is difficult and I do appreciate that Adrian J. Walker resisted the urge to tie it all in a bow. 

The 4 Awful Things

Are you ready for this? The four things that were great are also the same four things I hated. Let me explain:

1) It is so frustrating to read four chapters of brilliance and then wait for that magic during the last 3/4 of the book. Only to realize as you approach the end that his boring, annoying dribble of a story is all you're going to get after the amazing start. Makes the rest of the book feel worse than it probably is. 

2) In most running clubs you, you know, run. While a small part of this book is certainly about running (and it's clear our author has experienced a runners wall, high and all the emotions and pains that come with it); the reality is it's really just your average the world went to hell the moment we lost amenities book. The attempted scary, philosophical mini side stories fall flat. It's so sad to me that Walker created a world where so many things could be done and instead there is no depth to these events.

3) Edgar is the most annoying man ever. He constantly complains, gives up and is really lucky to have people with smarts and perseverance around him. I guess while I think I want books about regular people in extraordinary situations maybe I'm totally deluding myself. Maybe I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy because I want exceptionally competent and capable characters..? All I know for certain is that Edgar made me want to throw him off a cliff; instead of cheering him up the cliff. 

4) I am not a fan of a book that has you believe one premise throughout the entire book; only to throw that awry at the end. There was absolutely no reason for the moment of possible uncertainty that was written in. It's like it was put there because book clubs would salivate over it; not because it made sense to the story or added to the ending in any way. Additionally it felt forced and that is a huge pet peeve for me. Endings should make sense. There can be twists or reveals, of course, but they need to make sense and feel natural. 

Just read Station Eleven instead

Maybe I've just read too many post apocalyptic books lately... or maybe I've just read the best of the best and now no one will ever measure up to Station Eleven (read it if you haven't; amazing piece of literature!). I was moved by Station Eleven, excited to tell everyone I knew about it and loved the side stories and philosophy. In this book the most moved I felt was to close the book and do something else. 

Overall I'm not convinced that Edgar ever felt a genuine emotion towards anyone in his family, running club or whatnot. I'm not even sure he felt emotions about himself. When I should have been crying over events that happened I just felt 'meh'. When I should have felt joy and awe, I felt 'meh'. And when I should have been afraid for our characters and their safety I mostly wanted to cheer for the crazy people they were encountering because then maybe the story would end sooner. This just didn't do it for me. Call me out for being a hypocrite, I'm okay with that. Apparently a story about a boring person who barely feels emotions himself meant I just never had any emotions either (except ones that involved being frustrated and annoyed). 

But seriously read the first four chapters and then imagine your own end; because they are brilliantly put together. And because the actually journey to the end is just a bunch of running, crazies and a whole mediocre mess of nothing. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.