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110
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| 163592605X
| 9781635926057
| B09XM5FPVH
| 3.78
| 129
| unknown
| Jan 2023
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really liked it
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For all readers, in books, there should come a time when we are reminded of who we are & from whence we came. Those books help guide us with tender re
For all readers, in books, there should come a time when we are reminded of who we are & from whence we came. Those books help guide us with tender recollections of the paths we have traversed to arrive at the present day; great wealth is held. Within this particular picture book, Boston Weatherford offers young readers a series of numbed & earthy illustrations set as the backdrop to poeticized hymns; gifting the reader the reminder that they are part of so much more than they might think to remember. What I love the most about this book is that the illustrations act as a series of developments that can be appreciated as a standalone feature whereas the same could be said for the prose. I found myself drifting into the world of the paintbrush whose strokes brightened the page. Whereas other times I had to remember that there were pictures to guide the words that had enamoured me. Together these aspects work in tandem to provide a book that is gentle, warm, homely, & loving. Not everyone has the privilege of knowledge, not everyone knows to whom they belong; who their family is, & where their ancestors came from. These aspects of a person's life might lead one to feel ostracized & sad. Within this book I believe that these moments can find reprieve; the sentiments of loneliness in the vast worlds of faces are set aside, if only for a moment so that the reader remembers that they belong to the earth & it is from the earth for whence they came. With that being said, this book gives me the feeling of being very specifically targeted—this is not a bad thing. I appreciate when authors have a set audience in mind or when they provide subtle guides within a story so that it may be found by the person who needs it the most. I suppose it could also be true that I am reading into something that is not fact. Regardless, if you are a person for whom the connection to the land might feel a forlorn longing, these pages might hold some comfort. This book would be ideally enjoyed by a guardian figure who reads alongside the younger individual as the prose is quite advanced & might be confusing to interpret. However, with some repetition & steady practice, I think this will come to be remembered as a book that holds much love to be gifted to the reader, all within the guise of the evolution of the species. Thank you to NetGalley, Astra House Publishing, & Carole Boston Weatherford for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Aug 11, 2022
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Aug 11, 2022
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ebook
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109
| 
| 154204362X
| 9781542043625
| B09D3H6ZDH
| 3.84
| 680
| unknown
| Feb 17, 2022
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really liked it
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**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on grief, terminal illness, the death of a loved one, & others. Walter’s father has requested a move from Arizona to Montana, he is on his last leg, though once he’s arrived at the cottage-style home nestled in the wilderness he will have lost the use of those too. In a bid to halt time, perhaps refute the passage of hands around an invisible orb, Walter expresses worry at the long-haul journey that his father has endeavoured & recruited to have happened. In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is no surprise to see that the roadblocks surmount the transition in place for a passage from this world to the next yet, the patriarch is set & his noon hour has rung. I had little idea what I was going to find in this short story. Grief is a very personal experience & I am therefore always cautious when endeavouring to read a story wherein the author has presented their honest sentiments regarding the experience of loss. I should never want a review to be taken as insulting, insensitive, crass, or derogatory primarily when dealing with the emotions & experiences of another person. Who am I to say that what transpired in this book is too much or not enough? The answer is that no one is quite as well placed as the author themselves. What I will say is that this was a very moving story. Kirn has invited the reader to glimpse the transition that will set his life to exploring new horizons; when once he was a son to parents, he now is a child of singularity from a parentage ancestral to the living world. In this short story, Kirn welcomes the transition as a disjointed cube pulsating through a mangled conceived oval; losing a parent is not easy. Ultimately, what is presented does not necessitate the reader to take a stand on whether or not the type of relationship Kirn had with his father mattered or not. Whether or not we have glorious, loving, warm relationships with our parents do not dictate that their deaths will be a seamless transition for us. All change requires something of the last man standing. The inclusion of metaphors, once experienced in a childhood dream, wanders into the final moments between Walter & his father in something of a fishing line through the fog; hoisting the make-believe world of the misunderstood youthful subconscious into the dreadful world of matured blinded certainty of the adult. The length of this book highlighted how impactful the appearance of the bear was at the beginning of their stay at the cottage as well as adding a tension of desire in the hopes that Walter might recall his past hallucinations of a morphing style from his childhood. The bear is back, you know who he is—ask of him what he wants. Yet, that is seldom how the world works. Viewing the bear through the video footage reinforces the extraterrestrial experience of the final farewell. Once again highlighting that the relationship mattered not as much as the transition itself. In particular, the final notes of an otherwise blurred series of developed photographs led me to experience a moment’s reprieve for, surely, Walter must have felt that his father was where he had longed to be—returned to the place whence we all came, the earth. In all, I am appreciative to read so few glimpses into the life of another wherein the communal sentiment, hidden & repressed, washes over the pages in my hands. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, & Walter Kirn for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Aug 09, 2022
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Aug 10, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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107
| 
| 1789099595
| 9781789099591
| 1789099595
| 4.12
| 1,752
| Oct 11, 2022
| Oct 04, 2022
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it was amazing
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**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the death of an animal, animal cruelty, substance abuse, suicide, graphic depictions of death, body decomposition, psychological distress, child abuse, parental neglect, & others. In the world of books, all things are true—all can be real. A book is a mystery holding the discarded fingerprints of those lonely dearly departed readers; it is a swamp of the cantankerous empyrean. Every story within this collection is a sweetly devious reminder of all the wonders held within the pages of a book. They remind the reader that safety in the imaginary is untrue—false security—we cannot escape the things we seek to hide from, they are there in the inky blotches of words once a seeping serpent of a thought, slithering through the mind of the author. The Skin of Her Teeth Gloria Grossman is a literary agent in New York City, she is in her forties & has no time for any sidetracks; no clients who deal with addiction, no persons derailed in their pursuits. Gloria is a person who is focused to the point of jeopardizing her own life & relationships. In David McElroy she sees the pay-day of her dreams. The screenwriter has been charged with adapting the highly popularized novel by John Fish, a project that has been in the works for longer than Gloria is aware of but which is to be met with its end before she has the chance to believe in the supernatural phenomena hidden in the words long ago written by the polarizing author himself. There is something truly superb about Malfi’s writing that hooks me immediately. I found myself wondering how I was going to find Gloria’s character a comfort in this sad story about the collapse of the mental state that keeps us tethered in this realm of reality—the collective federation of the human species. Her character is at once someone the reader realizes they have no choice but to follow, as she is the main character in this short story, while simultaneously highlighting herself as an individual who seems to lack any apparent abilities to empathize with others. All the while, the writing style employed in this story kept me wanting to read; longing to know if Gloria might grant David some reprieve. When Gloria arrives at David’s house in the secluded woods, his special place for working/writing, she comes upon the man in a state of duress. A normal reaction to this scene, or what one might hope from their fellow human being, would be the approach of kindness as David has evidently experienced some lapse in fortitude. Though Gloria assumes that David has had a substance abuse relapse, it is unfair to assume that this is undeniably true. It seems that Gloria wants to see the worst in people come to fruition so that she can move on without having to put forward any due diligence. Do not mistake me, I do not think it is anyone’s responsibility to carry another person, no matter the circumstances, one’s own person must be responsible for one’s own healing process—whatsoever this might mean & entail. However, Gloria throws relationships to the side in a plight to see her ultimate goal achieved. We see this play out in her actions towards Rebecca, her partner. Why does she always feel the need to lie? Why lie regarding a situation you proclaim to have no patience to dabble in? Ultimately, she gets none of what she destructively sought. I truly adored this story because it holds so many wonderful aspects of traditional, old horror. The grime that goops from the pages of the book, collapsing other entities to its will; the rancid smell of fluids seeping through the floor in an invisible fury; the antiquated bookshop; the morbid cast of characters; a tail spinning of gore & violence all leading to an end that sees the story hold no resolution, the demon lives on, forever. The Dark Brother’s Last Ride Danny Drake is also known as Danny ‘Dark’ to those who deal with him professionally. As something of a glamorized courier for the wanderers of shadowed corners, Danny has never escaped the detriment inflicted on him & his younger brother, Tommy, by their scaly abusive father. As a man in his thirties, Danny has acclimated himself to a life lived in a realm of ‘in-between’, never truly here nor there; somewhat transitioning between the parts of his life that he leans on to move forward. The capstone of all his shelters crumbles as both he & Tommy partake in one last ride together under the guise of delivering a very rare & valuable book. Danny is a character that a person can feel tethered to, similar to how he might feel towards Tommy. Though one knows & acknowledges that his chosen profession is one that deals with the very unseemly aspect of human society, Danny appears to the reader as a moral compass across a desolate land. His character does not read as someone who necessarily revels in the actions he undertakes but rather, he is acting out of habit. This is seen during instances of recollection where Danny’s childhood memories flood the page in a deluge of horror; chased from his bed by a firearm-wielding father, strung-out on drugs, screeching about secrecy to his young children who have come to know nothing but terror at the hands of their only living parent. Once again, Malfi has broached the reality between the fictional & non-fictional worlds to create a story that doubles as a marvel of sorrow. Not unlike the ‘other world’ in which Choptank awaits the delivery of the valued book, our own society is plagued by the shifting tenures of powers unbeknownst to the masses; sequestering identities through tender practice, overthrown tantrums, & perilous intentions. The abusive past that haunts Danny is one aspect of an otherwise jigsaw puzzle of morbid encounters the main character packs away in his anamnesis. I particularly appreciated the resurgence of characters such as the troubled & umbrous George Lee Poach, as well as the vernacularly particular bookshop keeper known as Finter. Their appearances, though still tertiary in nature, brought a level of realism into this story, one that highlighted the base that was being upheld by hosting this story in such a nestled section of palpability. There are, certainly, aspects of this story that led me to wonder about the level of consistency, such as the gas level in the vehicle. However, this never took away from my enjoyment of the story. Rather, it brought a tinge of weightiness to the possibility that there could be other realms cozy & secretive, next to our own. There will remain an aspect of me that feels sadness about Tommy’s death; a person who was simply never given the basis to live a life unplagued by the haunted figure of his demented father. I feel a tenderness towards him, similar to the one I have for Danny, as I view them both as figures stuck in the tar fields of their memories, cursed into the repetition of cataclysmic behaviours that distance themselves from each other & from the world. This Book Belongs To Olo Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree is nine (9) years old, about to be ten (10) on the upcoming Saturday. Dawning his plastic clown face mask he stands ominously at the periphery of the local playground, watching all the other children interact. On this day, he hands them invitation cards to attend his birthday party—one that promises great surprises, prizes, & fun. However much the other children verbally accost him, Olo remains stoic, wearing a smile that could offtrack a train. Though these other children laugh & taunt Olo for things outside of his control—a dauntingly wealthy house on the hill, homeschooling, personal finance—they make their way to the house in which people have gone missing, only to be hidden in between the spot that marks a biological match to the world in which we all roam. This story is difficult for me to review because it was my least favourite. This is not to say that it’s a bad story, only, that I didn’t much care for Olo & felt certain that there was no conclusive manner in which everyone might escape the dual realm he had fostered within the walls of Helix House. While reading this story I began to feel that it was very long & I wondered why we should be reading about Olo’s parental guardians so much when they mattered, seemingly, not at all. Did I think that his mother deserved to lose a child? Certainly not. However, I truly felt nothing towards her person nor did I seek to see her receive reprieve for what one might assume she may (or may not) be feeling. Perhaps this is the point. Perhaps throughout this story, I was meant to feel as disconnected as Olo; troubled by the home life that sought to actively seclude him from the society that might have accepted his quirks—as we all have some aspects of our person which are truly bizarre—I felt pained with sadness for the child who never got the chance to develop. Yet, here was this same child committing atrocities in the hopes of finding himself, finally, surrounded by people who would not abandon him, who would remain as constant as the interminable clock that ticks all throughout our lives. Can I blame him for that? I don’t think so. It’s not that I actively seek to humanize the outlandish so much as I cannot rightfully look at this character & say that I believe they were capable of anything other than what they were doing. I found the aspects of claustrophobia & entrapment particularly morbid—I appreciated their presence within the story very much. The resurgence of characters from other stories, seeping through various worlds as the baseball that Peyton threw into the glass window that knocked onto the roof of the Dark brother’s car; the literary agent; the versed section of the manuscript. I acknowledge that what sticks out in this story the most are the aspects that render it ambiguous. Does Olo’s mother have a similar ability? Is that why some people connected so strongly to an almost realistic Detective from her crime novels? Will Olo ever escape the ‘other world’? What awaits him & his mannequin friends in the universe of The Cleaner & his world-bending books? Even having written that this was possibly my least favourite of the stories, I cannot fully believe that statement fulfills the definition of the category. Here I am remembering how otherworldly it felt reading a story where the simple picture book of a child catapulted them into a place where they knew no harm & where their actions were not ripening mouldy avocados under a blazing sun; Olo was simply a child within the mist. I cannot decide how I feel because I find myself reflecting on the absurd ways in which the characters were snatched from their freedoms. Most of all, I replay the entombment of Olo’s stepfather who will live in a mouse’s crypt for all of eternity. The Story What becomes of the parts of our life that we leave behind? Are our actions stagnant in a zone of redundancy where they experience scenes in abundance, without making their way with us to the present? Though there are parts of Grady he chose to leave in the past, he finds himself faced with the inability to change what he’s done; languidly looming the concavity of his conscious mind while his body rolls him through another set of circumstances, demanding of him once again to make a life-altering decision he can never take back. Grady is introduced to the reader as he sips a drink amongst a crowd in New York City. His former co-worker, Sammy, calls him in a panic; vomiting the news that Taryn has died by suicide. What follows is a mental bend in perception that results in Grady dying in a similar fashion. Should I be asked, I might say that this was my favourite of all the stories within this book. I found Grady’s character to be particularly vivid; the traits that formed his person were quite overbearing whilst simultaneously allowing him to be a smeared bug’s body on an overheated windshield. His descent into ‘madness’—shall we say, or perhaps into the confines of his own regret—reveal itself slowly. At first glance, he appears to be a person who was able to move forward, even with the presence of recollection, a determined insouciance. Yet, all the while he was replaying scenes in his mind, acting out moments he desired to forget. What made Grady the perfect auctioneer of ‘The Story’ was indeed his ability to gauge his losses with great fortitude while remaining a victim of the sway of life as a drowned rock in a lowly riverbed. It was shocking to see the “Choose Your Own Adventure Series” (1979) come into play, especially given the heavy hand technology plays in our world. I appreciated that ‘The Story’ was something that found the reader, seemingly removing the reader’s ability to actually choose their adventure & instead the premise chooses its actors. I am a sucker for concepts such as the one presented in this book. When a piece of nostalgia is presented to me in such a gruesome way I cannot help but become enamoured with the medium; what more is there to horror than to remind us of our proximity to the reality found within the pages? As always I remain grateful to Malfi for taking the time to write such pointedly macabre stories. Brimmed with aged dedication & devilish prose. This particular story brings the reader to their own personal reflection in a pool of blue lagoons & entices them to drown in a monsoon of their own tears; wailing drearily into the abyss of all the unsaid words, ghostly desires, & second thoughts. Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, & Ronald Malfi for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Aug 05, 2022
|
Jul 29, 2022
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
104
| 
| B0992W87MJ
| 4.33
| 138
| unknown
| May 17, 2022
|
really liked it
|
We all come from somewhere & sometimes, it’s true, we may have a daddy, one or maybe two. In this beautiful picture book, children are presented with
We all come from somewhere & sometimes, it’s true, we may have a daddy, one or maybe two. In this beautiful picture book, children are presented with an imaginative way of seeing themselves & people they can love like a father. There is room for everyone to find themselves in this story & though there is not necessarily a plot to this book, it is often times a simple comfort which remains with a young reader, that is most valuable of all. What I appreciated the most in this book was the author’s ability to weave little words between stunningly colourful illustrations that showcase the variety in family dynamics. This book was able to cover, at once, the wonder that is having a loving & caring parent, while simultaneously welcoming those children who have experienced the opposite, without reminding them of the difference. This, in my opinion, is very important. Children often seek stories as tools to ground them in this big wide world. Literature is an introduction to so much; to welcome a child into the imaginative world of reflected reality within these pages, the author encourages them to be authentic, warm, & kind towards themselves. This book might be dedicated to very young readers but I should think that, at any age, a reader might be encouraged to seek it out to be reminded of all the wonderful love that does exist in the world. There are daddies of all kinds roaming the earth; father figures who step into our lives, some we encounter briefly along the way, those that leave us with feelings of warmth in our hearts; paternal figures encouraging us from afar, & the memories of those who walk beside us in everything we do. This is an important story & I’m glad to see a picture book filled with such warmth, love, & tenderness for all the wonderful fathers in this world. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Beaming Books, & Carol Gordon Ekster for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Jul 28, 2022
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Jul 28, 2022
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
103
| 
| 1982159529
| 9781982159528
| 1982159529
| 3.89
| 1,499
| Jan 24, 2023
| Jan 24, 2023
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really liked it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on abuse, animal abuse, child endangerment, violence, parental neglect, sexual abuse, psychological distress, & others. I have split my thoughts into sections of this collection of short stories that transpire across Cuba, Colombia, & the United States, & see the inclusion of many other countries. Even though there were times when I felt that a specific story was not of great interest to me--that I was perhaps not enchanted with the narrative--I recognize good writing & good stories, & appreciate that Engel crafted a series of realities that can be, objectively, appreciated for all that they are. This is a wonderful collection & Engel's writing is pointed, fantastic, & engrossing. Aida Salma begins talking to the reader in an attempt to recollect a moment in her life that was at once riddled with horror & also leaves her with an emptiness that is difficult to name. During an evening after their shifts at a part-time job, during their 16th year, Salma’s twin sister, Aida, vanishes in the time it takes her to lock-up shop & begin to make her way to their meeting point. Throughout the weeks that follow, Salma recounts the destruction that Aida’s disappearance caused her family; once masked trouble, now outwardly unhinged & poorly positioned, none of the members of the family are able to cope in ways which grant them any semblance of reprieve. What is most troubling about this story is that the reader is never able to know Salma. We are certainly privy to some hints she gives us; those that require one to read between the lines. Yet, in all the pages that we read about her experiences being a twin & a daughter, Salma remains an enigma. Though she is certainly her own person & can appreciate that the world welcomes all as individuals, ever so much as we connect with each other, her relationships guide her throughout her days & result in rendering Salma a shadow of herself. I wanted to hear more about Salma, I wanted to see her thrive. Yet, I knew that she was working against all the odds; she felt responsible for each of her parents as well as for the success of their marriage, she was the lone twin survivor of an attack she didn’t know was coming. Salma is just a kid & she never stood a chance. The only person in this life for whom she could rely on & share love was taken from her & in a final act of violence, hidden from her forever. Fausto Within Miami’s Latin community, lives Paz, a woman who is in love with Fausto, a less-than-respected man. Paz is the daughter of a restaurant owner who practices his catholic beliefs very adamantly, if not religiously. In all the short period of time that Paz has known Fausto, her father has diligently expressed his discontent towards their relationship; he knows that Fausto is not a responsible, honest, genuine man & wants to see his daughter with someone more to her standard. Regardless of him vocalizing these opinions, Paz continues to spend time with Fausto. When he gets a side job working for a wealthy man in a white suit, Fausto recruits Paz under the guise that his brother needs her to bring him his new vehicle; the man who had no motivation for anything now has a career & a brand new vehicle. This story unfolds after the events have long since transpired. Fausto’s recruitment of Paz as a driver was under false pretences. She was a mule driving a loaded vehicle to various sites for members of the industry to load & gather the items that were hidden in the build. It is at once repulsive that Fausto would do this to the person he knows frequents church 3-4 times a week, if not for her strict religious beliefs alone but, on top of this one knows that he asked her to perform these tasks so that he did not have to split the profit he was making. I would love to say that I found something to appreciate in this story but, I was left with displeasure with regard to both the main players. Surely, Paz has redeeming qualities yet we are not privy to them. She sits waiting for a sign that her former lover, having fled to Colombia, will come back for her even after she stated she would never leave her father. Why would she do this? Of course, it is easy to say that love influenced her actions & opinions but she has so much going for her. I recognize that even if this is the case, it does take the person themselves to recognize their own potential, one can wish good things for another but it changes nothing unless that person wants good things for themselves. I suppose that is part of being human. Our decisions are made on the backs of thoughts we hope to be diligently reflected on yet, so often we find ourselves realizing our mistakes. The Book of Saints In the joining of two worlds, a young girl endeavours to place an advertisement for an American husband; one who will distract her from the predatory ‘relationship’ she was having with her teacher—a man in his 50s. The dialogue shifts between the two characters in this story to reflect how a single experience might be interpreted in vastly different ways. The American man sought out a Colombia ‘girl’—as he specifically put it, someone under 30—after seeing his friends find success. It was difficult for me to gauge whether or not either of the characters here was meant to be antagonists or protagonists. I am left feeling that the purpose was to present both characters as being entirely who they were—honest to a fault with themselves in their inner thoughts—while simultaneously keeping their essence hidden from their partner. It was revolting to read about Paola’s experiences of maneuvering a sexual relationship with her teacher, one that left her feeling sentiments of love & longing for a relationship that would take its place. She deserved better than that. All the while the new man she meets is a fraud seeking to vindicate his failures through someone who doesn’t know better. I wanted to feel sorry for him at the end, watching cancer eat away at him but, I couldn’t. Paola was never seeking to harm him in anything & yet, for whatever reason, his thoughts constantly revolved around slicing her at the knees; preventing her from doing something she never showed an inclination to do. There is no ‘greener grass’, & yet I wish there were, for Paola’s sake. Campoamor Vladimir lives with his parents in a run-down apartment in Cuba. He spends his time searching for meaning in all things but within himself; these endeavours do not lead him far. Though he thinks of himself as a writer, he never writes & though he has many ideas, he connects with none of them. In all his time frequenting the beds of Natasha & Lily, he realizes that neither woman really knows him entirely; the essence of himself is lost within the crevices of his mind. As the government makes its rounds offering to pay-out residents to begin revitalizing the city, Natasha & Vladimir begin the process of immigration to the United States. The tone of this story is very bleak & though there are many instances of physical proximity, the narrator maintains his distance throughout it all. I find this aspect to be most enticing as he appears to be someone who revels in the proximity he can acquire & the physical gain he can amass by being with Natasha & Lily, all the while hiding from everyone. His parents regard him as a child, though he is in his late twenties, while both Natasha & Lily view him as a representation of what they hope a man could be--something that suits them. It’s interesting that a person can be so much themselves while at once having no substance. What distinguishes Vladimir from the shadow figures in this city? What enticed these women to lead him into their lives; allowing him to experience intimacy with each while keeping their blinders on for those parts of him that left much to be desired? I really enjoyed this story because of the presence of a person who wasn’t actually present at all. Guapa Indiana came to New York State because her mother wanted her to live the ‘American Dream’ but that didn’t seem to be in the cards for me. In lieu of a family, a house, & a good-paying career, Indiana spends all the money she makes at her factory job on getting cosmetic surgery. Though she voices there being an end goal in her pursuits, she is the victim of an automobile accident that amputates her legs, before she can complete her cosmetic pursuits. All these are done under the guise of making her beautiful. We know nothing about her except the parts of herself that have been altered due to the perception of others. She expresses having lost ownership over her body upon birth, having been overfed by her parent which led her to be obese for the entirety of her life, up until she began starving herself & undergoing cosmetic procedures. This is insanely sad, for however brutally apathetic Indiana seems to be, she retains everything around her as a sponge does to water. It is as though she is only who she is because of someone else. Though this aspect was disheartening, the author performed her transcription of bland inner monologues, perfectly. The accident that regressed Indiana into someone who was once again dependent on her parent was shocking & sorrowful. I cannot say for certain that there was any reasoning as to why Indiana chose to do what she did. Did she love Edgar or was he simply the pawn present when the position needed to be filled? Did she enjoy companionship or was the social norm something she saw fit to accept? In the end, I do not feel that I know her at all & I suppose that this was the intent; a person everyone recognizes but who remains distant enough that she doesn’t even truly know herself. La Ruta Margarito lives in Cuba & works as a taxi driver. One afternoon he meets a young woman who is on a quest to fulfill her promise to the Saints. She vowed to visit the church every day for a year in the hopes that her prayer is heard; that her aunt in America considers taking the steps to begin the immigration process for her & her spouse. All the while Margarito deals with, what appears to be, a toxic relationship with his long-term partner. I have very little to say regarding this story for at this point I considered not finishing the book. This story did not bring any new format or information to the surroundings & having read five (5) previous stories that resembled this one, I was tired of the familiarity. Another reason for which I did not like this story very much was because of the relationship that Florence has with Margarito; the constant bickering, nagging, & threats of abandonment, all grew to be too much & I lost patience. I am sure there is something here for readers to appreciate, but I am not one such reader. Ramiro Chana meets Ramiro when they are serving time cleaning a local church; both under the watchful eyes of the personnel & the religious figures that watch over the edifice. Chana was given an ultimatum, either she work diligently at servicing the church or she was sent away to a school for troubled youth. Ramiro has been part of a local gang for almost all of his life; his prison sentence was commuted to labour with the assistance of the priest who would guide him through this stage. Both characters have their cards set against themselves. I appreciated that Ramiro’s character seems to play a central role in this story yet, Chana was the person who ultimately paid the price for the depth of actions we were never privy to. Certainly skipping school is unproductive in terms of finishing the required level of schooling. However, the complexities of her relationship with her mother breeze over the pages while she emphasizes that Ramiro was able to change & seize the day, whereas she waited for her parent to save her from the circumstances she left her in. The Bones of Cristóbal Colón Joaquin’s remains have been stolen & his sister Elena, the remaining family member, is left to find them a new burial place. Not unlike Christopher Columbus, whose bones have been stolen, shared, & transferred between countries, Elena cannot locate a final resting place for her brother. During this process, Elena’s old lover, Marco, returns to Cuba & wants to start seeing her again, behind his wife’s back. This seedy character is everything Joaquin warned he would be. This is an unfortunate story, Elena roams in something of a grimy place all her life. That is not necessarily her environment, but her choices never lead her to green pastures. She loves a man who would rather leave the country with another woman than be able to speak earnestly with Elena; her brother was murdered after becoming ordained; her mother a pious woman kept her daughter under her thumb reminding her of her brother’s superior worth. I wanted to see her experience more but, she refuses to budge, like mould in drywall. Libélula An anonymous recounting from the perspective of a woman who went abroad with her husband, divorced, then began working as a housekeeper. In this story, she reveals the proximity to the lady of the house with whom she shares many similarities but to whom she remains an enigma or a shadow figure of what might be a human being with a complex reality. Though they share a home, the lady of the house remains distant, selecting her path in life so as to secure herself the kind of existence she feels she deserves, all while maintaining something of a total lack of self-awareness. Yet, one is left feeling her panic throughout her struggle to maintain her position. I appreciated this story’s flow & the way that both women meet again while travelling back to their home countries, though their situations vary they employ the same transit system, making the list of similarities they share elongate. I felt that this story was told at the perfect length for truly there is nothing left to say. A secret child, an employee who leaves in the middle of the silence that hovers over an empty house, a dissatisfied husband, a wife who settled in wealth. All the characters in which story are complex but the author sees fit to keep the reader at bay, just enough to leave them feeling unsettled by the closeness they weave with each other, in something of a rickety bridge over troubled waters. Aguacero A woman who called herself Sarah, meets a man named Juan in a moment of faith, standing at the side of the road awaiting public transportation. Over the course of twenty (20) days, Sarah is able to work through her trauma-induced insomnia, while Juan is allowed to inhabit the world between his realities in peace with someone who asks nothing of him. Together they share parts of themselves; sitting for meals, sleeping throughout the night, wandering the streets in a friendship that gifts them both the promise of tranquillity. Yet, when the time comes for Juan to return to his realities, those that he shares with his family, his child, & his girlfriends; they never speak again. What renders this story so poignant is the void of the entirety of the self, proclaimed through words, transmitted through actions that are comforted by those of a stranger. Without Juan, Sarah struggled to work through her post-traumatic stress, induced by a sexual assault. Without Sarah, Juan hides within himself completely missing from the world around him. Together, for only a moment, the author reveals how greatly we can be impacted by the simple presence of another, without so much as a request for aid; our partnerships, intimacies, & relationships can shape us into the people we are in the world. I appreciated this story a great deal. Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press & Patricia Engel for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jul 23, 2022
|
Jul 23, 2022
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
102
| 
| 1419749609
| 9781419749605
| 1419749609
| 4.43
| 195
| unknown
| Nov 01, 2022
|
it was amazing
|
Sallie Bee receives a very special parcel in the mail—a homemade scarf from her Grandma Bee. The scarf is lovely & warm & Sallie is eager to thank her
Sallie Bee receives a very special parcel in the mail—a homemade scarf from her Grandma Bee. The scarf is lovely & warm & Sallie is eager to thank her Grandma Bee for how happy her gift makes her feel. While she is waiting to borrow her mom’s cellphone so that she might send her Grandma a quick message, she decides to write down all that she has to say so that she doesn’t forget any details. Sallie’s mother encourages her to post her letter in the mail & this act strikes a chord in Sallie that leaves her eager to send another thank-you note. This is one of the sweetest little stories I have come upon. It was heartwarming to read about Sallie finding ways to let other people know that she was thankful for them. As someone who is a diligent writer, a person who adores writing letters, cards, & notes, this book struck a particular chord in my heart. It’s so important to let others know how you feel. We don’t need big occasions to remind others how valuable they are in this life & watching Sallie thank those around her was a lesson in kindness that exceeds the norm. The illustrations in this book welcome the reader into a kindly world where there is so much love to be shared; not unlike the one we inhabit. I particularly appreciated the vivacity of the colour scheme as it brought to life all the love that was being shared in the swirlies that Sallie included in her thank-you notes. I wish I could read this book for the first time, one thousand times over. I am so happy to know that these stories exist for young readers & that they are filled with messages that encourage them to be kind to themselves & to others, & find ways to speak their truth; in letters, hugs, words, & more. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Abrams Books for Young Readers & Courtney Sheinmel for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jul 22, 2022
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Jul 22, 2022
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
113
| 
| B005F3UETE
| 3.66
| 16,335
| Jan 1993
| Aug 01, 2011
|
it was ok
|
You win some, you lose some; ultimately this was a loss. Unfortunately, there isn’t necessarily one particular aspect of this story that I could highl
You win some, you lose some; ultimately this was a loss. Unfortunately, there isn’t necessarily one particular aspect of this story that I could highlight as being the reason for which I found it one of the less desirable stories in this series. I initially started reading this story via traditional book format but found myself rather irritated with the way that Sari & Gabe interacted. Some of their behaviours appeared excruciatingly immature, even for kids aged 12 years. Whenever I go about reviewing books directed at younger audiences I always keep in mind how I might have viewed this same story, had I read it at the target audience's age. This is a case wherein I might have abandoned the book altogether. The majority of this story’s focus is on the relationship—rather teasing & taunting—between Sari & Gabe. They are granted a beautifully unique experience of travelling inside a pyramid in Egypt & instead of being enthused, they spend their time razing the other. Certainly, this book reeks of 90s nostalgia. There are few aspects of this series to date that don’t. However, in this particular case, the plot itself is almost lost for the long-winded build it receives wherein the reader has to experience the drum of the children hiding in caskets as though the adult caretaker doesn’t spend all his time explaining how vulnerable these artifacts are. These same children express a lack of basic respect for almost everything & that’s just how it goes—they get lost, they roam, they act apathetic, they’re scared, & the adults are seemingly unfazed galavanting around town doing who knows what. In all, I know that the odds are high that there be an even keel of this series that I enjoy & others, such as this, that find my mind wandering to more enticing things. Regardless, I am enjoying making my way through the series. I appreciate the freedom these books grant younger readers; to explore the confines of tombs long since closed off to the public, from the safety of their reading nooks. Special praise to the "Scariest Stories" channel on YouTube for their stellar narration— Part 1 // Part 2 ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Aug 17, 2022
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Jul 17, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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121
| 
| 3.53
| 9,022
| Feb 07, 2023
| Feb 07, 2023
|
did not like it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on financial insecurity, kidnapping, psychological distress, bigotry, racism, child endangerment, the death of a child, suicide, violence against an animal, & others. In a small town within the State of Texas flows the poisonous gas known to the residents as the smell of crisp new dollar bills. Under the watchful eye of a woman playing the part of a jolly Saruman—one who gifts her money to all those who will adopt her every whim & fancy—the Spite House lies solitary & daunting within the woods. Eunice Houghton is the last remaining member of the Houghton family. In a bid to not be met with the ghosts of victims her ancestors hung to death, Eunice decides that standing on the doorstep of the Crypt Keeper’s layer is as good a time as any to endeavour a paranormal investigation so that she may be free of what haunts her. Truly what better reason is there to do good in the world than because you want to maintain a facade to save face? If it wasn’t clear, that last sentence was written sarcastically. Rather alike are my feelings towards this story & the things it asks the readers to feel when meandering through the plot—ridiculous. First & foremost, this book is done a huge disservice by being presented as Adult Fiction. The dialogue alone is incredibly juvenile & might be better suited for a matured Middle Grade or Young Adult Fiction audience. There are rather few, if any, aspects of this book that lead it to thrive within the Adult Fiction genre. Should the author & editors rework certain aspects to encourage the flow that is already present within this story, I believe that the piece in question will see many eager young readers devour what might be their first introduction to Horror. Unfortunately, because this book was received in my eager hands at the ripe old age of adulthood & presented to me as one such book that an adult would devour & which would insight dread, fear, turmoil, & terror into the hearts & minds of matured homo sapiens, I am left rather disappointed in what resulted in being an incredibly corny story that truly blew past its ideal audience in a plight to present itself along Titans of the genre. This style of Horror is dramatic, mawkish, & filled with elements of a teetering fantasy that require the reader to abandon their inhibitions to be able to move through the novel swiftly & without muscle cramps to their cerebellum. That said, I think that Compton had a clear idea of the world he wanted to present & the characters he wanted to see flourish within this plot. Though there were certainly far too many chapters granted to an array of characters—we do not need to hear everyone’s take on everything, this is incredibly tedious & amputates the thrill the author is attempting to build—I acknowledge that the voices of each character were clear. Compton presented emotions & motivations in concise ways that fit within the world he crafted. This approach to Horror truly requires the patient reader or, more realistically, the reader who is easily spooked. For those such as myself, this long-drawn-out approach to a mysterious occurrence that turns out to be not so mysterious after all feels like a cheat & had me rolling my eyes. I return to my original points here when saying that this story would prosper in the hands of younger readers who have perhaps not been acclimated with the graphically morbid genre that is Adult Horror Fiction. Stories like this are important because everyone deserves to have the opportunity to dip their toes into a vast array of genres. In that same breath, one is not crafting a substantial Horror when one is littering the story with pitiful characters, all of whom make ridiculously stupid decisions & are troubled to their core, rendering them unreliable narrators. Again, seasoned readers will easily piece together where this plot is going & the ways in which it will approach arriving at its final conclusion. These same casually joyful readers might not be left wondering how a body that was buried in a locked coffin might escape in that same body without markers of decomposition. Or, perhaps, they might not wonder how a body that was practically desecrated in a bomb blast made its way to recuperating its limbs. I understand that the subject matter in this story is otherworldly—it’s not supposed to make sense to the logical world in which we live. However, it does have to make sense in terms of the writer's world. What faults this premise is the author’s lack of substantial explanations. Certainly many cultures of people are familiar with the folklore of the Changeling. I just read a Goosebumps book—“Let’s Get Invisible” (1993)—that presented some of the aspects of this lore alongside the beliefs associated with mirrors. This leads me to wonder why this Adult Fiction’s details simply state that a Devil-like entity was responsible for the Changeling occurrences. Where did this entity come from & how long has it been chasing random souls to reincarnate them in a bid to gain their spiritual matter for its own? What is the purpose behind reincarnating people such as Frederick Emerson when the demon could go after people who would truly do damage? To what goal is this endeavour succeeding? Did the demon want to see the underdog have a win against Uncle Sam? What is the point? I’m aware that not everything has a necessity for meaning but in this case presenting a life-altering demonic entity that casually resides in a random house in a random township in Texas makes me feel confused, not afraid. There were so many arbitrary occurrences in this book that I didn’t have time to care about any of them. We follow Eric for too long in his ramblings of his grandfather perhaps being a reincarnated Changeling for me to care when we finally got to the end & the demonic entity got its stage time. Frederick was an exceedingly aggressive man who assaulted a dog because it was protecting its home & owners, just to say to Dess that one has to act so one is not acted upon. The gratuitous reliance on threats of violence was exceedingly high throughout this book & within circumstances that did not necessitate it. Was it right for Eric to accuse Emily (“Millie”) of being racist against Black folks because she wrote an article questioning the totalitarian practices of a Millionaire in rural Texas? No. Was he valid in questioning the motives of everyone in the town given they were only acting kindly due to the promise of money? Yes. Much of what transpires in this story could have been cut to the quick if Eric had acted in any semblance of reason. It’s bizarre to me that he would take his two (2) children through the American South where they hadn’t been treated with dignity only to jump at the first instance where an entire town is flamboyant in their ‘acceptance’. Perhaps he had yet to see “Get Out” (2017) I make note of Eric’s behaviour because I could not rationalize his actions. I appreciate what it is to live in financial insecurity—having little opportunity to cherry-pick your endeavours. However, this whole scenario read as bashfully ignorant, especially because Eric was involving his children. There was no forethought in his mind as to how this would impact them & I can certainly appreciate that the forward moving of the plot is thanks to his shocking inability to ask questions, of any kind. Regardless, I was frustrated with his character. I didn’t want to see Dess have to act older than her years because she felt the need—-responsibility—to care for her parent whom she deemed catatonic in life. I felt horribly for both the children & also for those who met their demise & were left to haunt the house that they were killed within. I cannot even begin to list my questions with regard to this because, again, it makes no sense. Why would the children become evil after death? I suppose one might regard this in terms of its hidden meaning; our intentions do not dictate whether what we are doing is truly being taken in the ways in which we desire. The children who died within the house received no reprieve & were transformed into little devils roaming the corridors in search of a sacrifice for the demonic entity that killed them. Why he did that, I cannot begin to know. If a demon can roam the earth reincarnating dead matter, why stay in a house in the middle of the woods that could easily be burned down? The reliance on a building that is of no substance, given that it was built purely out of spite by Peter Masson, is bizarre & illogical. Lest we take into account the natural progression of nature to overtake the abandoned building. I digress. This leads me to my next point; how long had Eunice been attempting to prove there were ghosts in the Masson House? Why was the house in her possession & not a descendant of Peter Masson? Why would she keep this house in her possession given the curse that plagued her family was around prior to its construction? What did proving there were ghosts bring to her fear of dying? This woman is well into her eighties, long gone is the time to confront a demonic being whom you suspect is waiting for you. The whole thing just felt so boring to me. Where am I meant to gather the empathy to feel bad for a woman who manipulated society into performing her every whim because her financial situation permitted it? The reliance on the hangings being the reason her family was cursed simply disconnected me from the story; I do not care that you are being haunted by people whom your family killed at whim. It feels weird that these same spirits are written as grovelling morons waiting like mosquitoes for a piece of flesh to appear. You would think they would want to rest with the rest of their deceased family members & not spend their time antagonizing a child—Stacy—into feeding Eunice to them. As is evidenced in this review, I did not enjoy this story. I was hoping that this would be a story of haunting occurrences & utter terror. Rather, this was a story that fore-fronted the grief & banality of decisions made under duress. Eric’s course of action was absurd & truly those made by a man who was withheld by bereavement. I would have appreciated it if he questioned one of the events transpiring. It might have added some level of depth to his character to wonder why a random elderly lady was giving away six-figure salaries to people who would stay in a house on the hill. Alongside my qualms with the plot, there was a substantial level of edits that had been overlooked. I acknowledge that at the time I am writing this review the book has not yet been published & therefore these errors may have been resolved by the date of publication. Primarily among these errors was the misspelling of character names which made it difficult to track who a character was. For example, Peter Masson was often called “Pete” by both himself & other people. Another instance of this is Lukas Masson being referred to interchangeably as “Luke”. As well, when Peter is in France, the French portion of the story should be edited to reflect the correct spelling of numbers. We do not say “dix-neuf cent dix-neuf” this would be a direct translation from English. Rather, 1919 is written as “mille neuf cent dix-neuf”. When all is said & done, this was not a book that had me as the target audience. I know that none of my friends or family would have recommended me this book, but I know some of them might enjoy it because it is not written as being a distinctly horrific Horror story. The haunting of the Masson House plays second fiddle to the roaming of Eric & the enumerable point of view chapters that clutter the book. The raving paranoia experienced by a multitude of the characters was sad but never left me to feel any levels of empathy as the flow of the story & the way in which it was written was like boogie boarding on Tsunami sickened seas. I have confidence that this book will be appreciated & adored by people who are easily scared. Those that can walk the dark halls at night & imagine The King of the Dead & the Dead Men of Dunharrow roaming in the periphery waiting to combat the oath that sent them into the hills all those years ago as the demon in the house watches them in throbbing anticipation. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, & Johnny Compton for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
|
Sep 11, 2022
|
Jun 24, 2022
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
111
| 
| 1643752995
| 9781643752990
| B09F5YHL4N
| 4.26
| 4,387
| Jul 26, 2022
| Jul 26, 2022
|
it was ok
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on substance abuse, terminal illness, grief, graphic depictions of violence, racially motivated bigotry, parental abuse, fertility, & others. Beginning in the late 1970s, the matriarch recalls the event that became the stone that broke her grandson, Ever. In this introductory way the reader is welcomed into the thoughts &, sometimes, written dedications from members of Ever’s family; waltzing us through cataclysmic events that shaped him to be the man sitting in line waiting for the gift of a safe home. Regarding Ever, one never truly knows him; preferring to keep the main character & ultimate study of this generational account a mystery sulked in the lore of his people, Hokeah allows the reader to come to their own conclusions. I will begin with noting the aspects of this book that I enjoyed & will do so firstly by stating that I had been eagerly anticipating this book for months. The cover art stands on its own as an aspect of great beauty & power; a sliver strangling the skin of the man who wishes to be all that he is; broken down by the actions of those who were not enough themselves to allow him to see his wish fulfilled. The story behind the cover art does not disappoint. Presenting the inter-generational accounts of a single family as they divulge precious moments in the life of Ever & culminating in his final appearance in the story, in a fashion eerily similar to that of his father’s last months on earth. I find it difficult to review this book because I find myself standing at something of a mental crossroads. On the one hand, I very much appreciated the narrative that was being presented in this book. The writing style was dissociated to the point of leaving me feeling exceedingly disconnected from the experiences as though I really were a friend of a friend & someone had been telling me Ever’s story. However, in that same breath, I do not enjoy that presentation in literature. I would say this is specifically something I seek to avoid because it is very difficult to present readers with a story—at once overwhelmingly moving while steadfastly realistic—& keeping them at arm’s length, asking them to become emotionally involved with a person they cannot begin to know. Working through chapters wherein family members recounted specific events in Ever’s life, ones they were privy to knowing, left me initially intrigued because I felt that there might be a connection to the man we were beginning to know. However, at some point in the middle of the book, I grew tired of the seemingly random recounts & wondered when we might, once again, regain traction & return to the essence of the plot. I acknowledge that my feelings towards the general format & presentation of this book are exceedingly personal. Many readers who do not mind sustaining such a casual distance will be fine with this approach. As well, readers who do not find the jumble of casual accounts off-putting, for lack of realistic details that they might provide, might also enjoy this read. That is not to say that I do not trust Ever’s family but, in essence, they are not him & therefore cannot accurately account for the person he became. I feel this principally in the chapter that explores his mother’s memory of the moment when he enlisted in the Army. For the entirety of Ever’s childhood, his parents were both physically abusive & entirely neglectful. I cannot think to care that Turtle felt worried about the behaviours of her 20-year-old son when the time had long since passed for her to present herself as a parent worth commemorating. She remained in a house with a partner who literarily beat their child senselessly, leading him to evoke distressing behaviours. Not once did she think that it would be to her children’s benefit to leave the abusive home. It’s important that I highlight that I am in no way saying that it is an easy feat to leave an abusive relationship or home. I have first-hand experience of the difficulties that surround these environments. However, because I have that first-hand experience, I am also, unfortunately, lacking in patience to see children placed in situations in which they do not belong nor should they ever have to live through. Coming across instances such as these, wherein the actions of a character are reinforced by the deliberate repetition of a cycle, I find it most difficult to swallow my annoyance—please do better for your children. Yet, in that same breath, I understand that when you are that person—when you are Turtle, in this case—breaking the cycle of abuse seems practically impossible. In the end, she maintained her relationship with her father who was a violent alcoholic & absentee parent for the majority of her existence. Why? I cannot begin to assume her many reasons for doing so. Nor would I want to appear insensitive towards her choices as, again, I have a leg to stand on in this situation as well. Hokeah has written a story that appears personal while retaining an air of unawares, as though the premise simply came to him by a rain cloud. Much of what transpires within the chapters lingers in the mind due to the lacking depth that would expound this story into the hearts of every reader, not just those who find themselves within the pages. I do acknowledge that one is able to propel a profound story into the minds of many a reader, with simplistic & distinct prose however, this was no such case. This book might have done well had the chapters included someone worth rooting for; someone who had emotional depth without being out to lunch. Saying this I acknowledge that the grandmother figure was indeed very emotionally driven yet, neither of her children took her seriously. I appreciate those amongst our species who are able to be vulnerable & gentle—to be soft is the utmost strength & I admire that, innately. However, no character within this book presented themselves in ways that might lead the reader to feel that they were to be trusted; that this character truly had their act together. Even within the first chapter one is left feeling that there is a distinct detail within the story that is missing. Why is Lena so transactional with her children? Why does she need to sway them with money to spend time with them? Were her feelings towards Ever having a sickness in his soul accurate? Perhaps the sickness is the experiences that haunt our memories without granting us the reprieve of a window in which to filter fresh air; cloistering the confines of our strangled mind. Perhaps the sickness was a lack of health; a morphing malaise running through the blood of all those sliced at the knees by figures meant to love them. In all, I wanted more from this book. I wanted the writing to sweep me away. Instead, I found myself longing to skim the majority of the chapters. It is not enough to simply present events that are relatable, familiar, common, or otherwise communal; one needs to swindle the reader into the story, leaving them feeling that there is little disconnect between their own lived experiences & the tenderly swaying emotions of the characters. Those present in this book were strangers; hidden figures in an otherwise troubled river of water. I am left feeling that something intrinsic was missing from this story to rivet me to the core with floundering feelings of fondness for a book written well. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
|
Aug 12, 2022
|
Jun 08, 2022
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||
120
| 
| 178909738X
| 9781789097382
| B08LT3F8BK
| 3.95
| 12,685
| Jan 01, 1981
| Jul 20, 2021
|
it was ok
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the death of a minor, the sexual endangerment of a minor, graphic description of body decomposition, child endangerment, sexual violence, domestic abuse, judicial corruption, violent crime, psychological distress, parental neglect, grief, & others. Aaron Decker is thirty-two (32) years old. He lives in a quaint townhouse with his wife, Allison, & on a morning like any other, Allison is shot dead at point-blank range during an active shooter attack at the local mall. From that moment onward, Aaron dives headfirst into the haunting of the periphery of his life; meandering behind the twinges of grief, hopeful of the ghostly apparition of his deceased wife, confident of his own ticking time bomb life. This novel explores the dual narratives of grief, dissociative actions, & the timely question of good versus evil. Who is the antagonist & who is the protagonist of an otherwise obvious struggle between the victims & the perpetrators of casual gun violence? Before beginning this review I would like to acknowledge my appreciation & awareness of the reason behind this book’s creation. Within the author’s note, readers are privy to the devastating personal connection that Malfi has with the plot. Regardless of my feelings towards the story itself, I think that the reason for which Malfi sought to write through his own personal grief is admirable. It is a sadness to be aware of the continual role that gun violence plays within society, primarily highlighted through the casual devastation that poisons the schools, religious buildings, office spaces, shopping centres, & rendezvous locals throughout the United States of America. First & foremost, I enjoy Malfi’s writing. He is an author I can rely on when I need to read a book that contains effort & skill—something akin to the innate skill that is required when crafting a story. After scrolling through my ever-growing list of books that I would like to read in this lifetime, I came across this one. It is no secret that the book is very highly regarded; a profile boasting of exceedingly high ratings & reviews of readers bursting at the seams with glee from having read a fantastic story. I was eager to find myself among them. Unfortunately, I look on from the pasture, unable to connect with the narrative at play. What leaves me feeling less than enthusiastic about this story is the way the plot moves forward, this combined with the mislabeling of the book as being a Horror, created a serious disconnect between myself & the cast of characters. To begin at the start, I wanted to root for Aaron however, he soon developed into a character I was loath to see appear on the pages—to my peril because he was the main character. I struggled to understand the motivation behind any of his actions & was disappointed when he received no lived consequences for his actions. After Allison dies, Aaron is immersed in grief, so much so that he begins to imagine that every casual encounter with technology & electrical work is the doing of his deceased wife. I can obviously respect that this man was going through something that is insanely difficult to overcome; the sudden & jolting insertion of solitude when once you were surrounded by security & love. I did not necessarily blame him for wanting to see paranormal occurrences when these could have easily been blimps in the wiring of the house. Therefore, I welcomed the obsessive regard of lights flickering as the desires of a grief-stricken man. It was not difficult for me to welcome these actions because I was led to believe that the events within this story would nestle themselves in the Horror genre. I have read other Horror stories by Malfi & absolutely adored them—there was nothing here that would lead me to believe that this book would be any different, except the reviewers. It is with a grain of salt that I consult reviews, this is mostly done after I finish reading a book because I cannot say that I innately trust the opinions of every single person on this earth. I suppose if you have not read many such books that include apparitions & paranormal occurrences, this one might leave you feeling as I did when in my childhood I first watched “Dragonfly” (2002). There is something quaintly spooky about someone who may or may not appear on screen & a series of events that are difficult to explain with logic. As a child, I was accurately fascinated by the denouement of events that led Kevin Costner’s character to walk into a house on a stormy night only to be possibly faced with his dead wife. With that being said, the apparitions or occurrences, that Aaron concluded must be Allison drew me into myself & out of the story. The couple became more & more insufferable as the narrative progressed—to the point where I was waiting for Aaron’s final death scene to arrive so that the story would be at its end. Though I appreciated that Aaron would certainly not move through the stages of grief in any timely manner, I also did not understand why he would roam the forest looking for a possible serial killer because the woman he was married to might have imagined this to be a possibility. By this, I mean that as the novel progresses we learn that the views that Aaron holds regarding trauma are very inappropriate & unfortunately just as common. In all the instances wherein he learns something new about Allison that he didn’t know before we are faced with his acute confusion as to why Allison would not have simply sat him down & told him all the terrible things that occurred to her, in her childhood & adult life. I am quite biased in this domain because my experiences place me snug like a bug alongside Allison. I tried to understand how someone might go about accusing a dead relative of abandoning the relationship with their abusive parent with a derogatory lens, but I could not. What on the green & blue globe would lead Aaron to believe that he had any actual ground to stand on when confronted with the reality that his wife had kept secrets from him? What made him believe that he could stand around & tell everyone that Allison should have kept up a relationship with her mother, that her mother should care about a daughter she fed to wolves? How is this any of his business? The man just learnt that Allison was subject to terrible levels of a multitude of abuse. I do not care if you feel ‘cheated’ out of knowing your wife, I do not care. It was difficult for me to work through this section of the book because, as I said, I understand the reasons for which Allison did what she did, or withheld so much as she was right to do. Aaron is owed nothing. I wondered if Malfi chose to have his main character bemoan the victim of abuse because he was an idiot or because he was imagining himself up against a wall, encountering a great number of people whom all knew his wife more than he did. At the end of the day, the reason doesn’t matter so much as it’s important for the reader to understand that someone does not need to keep a relationship with parents, family, friends, or anyone who hurt them—you are allowed to move forward towards a life you deserve; safety, love, & security. These scenes did bring up an important question & one I continue to ponder. Do we owe our romantic partners an explanation, a detailing of where we come from & what we’ve seen? Allison chose to hint at the reasons for which she was aloof & darkened to life. Did Aaron deserve to know why Allison assaulted a man with a slab of wood after witnessing an argument? Yes. Did Aaron deserve to be sat down & dictated the entirety of the elements of the abuse Allison lived? No. There is an equal medium that exists between the spectrum of truth kept & shared. So much of ourselves is told when we say nothing at all. I suppose that many people might be left pondering Allison’s moral dilemma & her subsequent actions. In that same breath, I acknowledge that there might have been a very real & obvious reason for which Allison kept her past to herself; Aaron isn’t the brightest or most trustworthy bulb in the batch. Certainly, he loved his wife & wanted the best for her but, everything we know about Allison is because of things she made clear to Aaron, none of which he was able to glean from her character. First of all, if Allison had naturally light features (i.e. she was a natural Goldilocks blonde) it’s very difficult for me to believe that Aaron would never have noticed that she died her hair & eyebrows jet black. There is an obvious difference between people who have darker hair & lighter hair, down to the shading of their eyelashes. However, none of this mattered to Aaron because he fell for Allison because she had presented herself to have dark features & he read into that what he wanted to see. To him, this woman was dark, mysterious, & held secrets—nothing sinister, she was brooding & an intellectual. Technically speaking, we don’t know if any of this is true. What made Allison so smart? Could she write superbly or was she a math wiz? What led Aaron to believe that she was mysterious & ‘deep’? Did her dyed hair give him the ability to gauge an illusion or was it in the way she spoke? I knew nothing of this woman except the things that Aaron thought he knew & I grew tired of hearing how Allison wasn’t like other women because she had dark hair & wore red. The specific part of this story that drew me to conclude with certainty that I didn’t appreciate what was being presented was the nuance of gun use. On the one hand, we have someone (Glenn) who certainly deserved to be taken out because he was serial murdering young girls because he had chemically induced brain damage that was leading him to believe that the voice of a godly figure within him was directing him to purge the world of the victims of abuse. On the other hand, we have Allison who was going around with a loaded weapon with the intent to murder someone whom I truly believe she could not pin for the murders save for circumstantial evidence. I believe this because never once are we presented with anything of substance. Aaron is wrought with the belief that the murderer was Paul for a greater chunk of the book. Though I appreciate that it was in fact Glenn who was murdering these girls, the legality of the story falls quite flat & I struggle to maintain my cognitive dissonance long enough to appreciate the surface-level win of the death of the villain. It would be lovely to believe that Aaron’s kill shot was not taken into consideration because the case revolved around someone who was, arguably, committing worse crimes than a one-time homicide. However, the way this was presented was blazé at best. Paul tells Aaron that the blood splatter analysis indicated that his story of self-defence was a lie but not to worry because no one cared. Glenn’s wife obviously cared. The police who vocalized doubts obviously cared. This is an open-shut case for convicting Aaron of premeditated murder. Unlike with the case against Glenn, Aaron was leaving a bread-loaf trail of evidence to be used against him at every township. Even if the judicial bodies did not want a long-standing trial, it is enough to question why this man—whose wife died of gun violence—was roaming the motel in search of someone for whom he brought the gun in the first place. I could go on about this for ages because a plea of self-defence in this case is easily disputable. There is no self-defence if you brought an unlicensed firearm to the residence of a man you were tracking with the intent to use, especially when said other man was unarmed, save for the few instances in which he also held the firearm you brought—again, with intent to use against him in his own home. If anything, Glenn was defending himself. This is but a simple scenario which highlights why it is so easy to have violent criminals go free. What Aaron chose to do placed him at the forefront of the jury, not the serial murderer. I digress. The nuance of gun violence within this story is interesting & leads me to wonder how many others might feel when posed with the same real-life conundrum. Did Glenn deserve to be shot in the head for the violent murders of those girls? Did Aaron do right to use the same weapon that killed his wife in a battle against someone who was using their hands to kill? Was Glenn’s wife validated in killing Aaron in his home? Let me be clear, I do not think that the opportune reliance on the Constitution of the United States of America’s Second Amendment is any reason to blast firearms around civilians. I do not see the validity in believing that one should be able to walk the streets of a town, city, village, or State, with a weapon is reasonable in the least. When all is said & done, I appreciated & understand why so many people adored this story. I am happy for them that they were able to read a book that they found riveting & a thrill. The plot itself is interesting & one that I did not have trouble working through. There was a serious delay between my solving the next set of clues & waiting for Aaron to do the same but, this did not affect my desire to conclude the read. Stories such as this are important because they allow the writer time to process, present, & put forth everything in a way that alleviates the reality of their experiences. These stories are good for readers to pose questions; inquisitions about the otherwise subversive beliefs that meander them through a society that holds the weighed stone they are ready to throw. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Sep 10, 2022
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Jun 08, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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96
| 
| 1646032187
| 9781646032181
| 1646032187
| 4.62
| 24
| unknown
| May 24, 2022
|
it was ok
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on parental abandonment, financial insecurity, parental neglect, judicial equality, gender norms, political structures, sexism, racism, bigotry, religious freedom, educational equality, & others. Ember & Bernard—nicknamed ‘Amber’ & ‘Beetle’—notice something different about their mother during their drive to school one morning. Things aren’t quite right with Sandra, whom the children call by her first name with her support—comfortable with the use of her legal name rather than any of the alternatives. The children must journey through the reflective surface of an old building, into a parallel universe, in an attempt to find their real mother. What ensues is a confrontation of variables; the cruel world of the parallel resembles the comfortable world they knew as their own, with distinct extremism. I want to highlight the reasons for which I included the content warning in this book before moving on into the girth of my review. What is, at surface value, a commentary about societies & the dystopian counterparts that await them, separated only by small choices & decisions, becomes an overall discourse on extremism in a way that leaves the reader very little opportunity to grapple with the subject matter. Having read this book as an adult some of the more nuanced aspects of the story appear quite clear to me but I suspect they might not for a younger reader. Therefore, should this be a book you are endeavouring to pass along to a young reader or one that someone close to you has completed reading, please be aware that the discourse that this book requires—further research & conversations—should be performed so that any younger reader might not leave this story behind without comprehending the nuances of what was written. The reader is introduced to Amber & Beetle in an offhanded way; without dedicated time to weave a reveal of what their family or social lives are like whilst still allowing the reader enough information to form their own understanding of the characters. This is not innately bad & I do think that this succinct approach towards the introduction of the three (3) main characters works towards encouraging a speedy flow of events. The reader can deduce that Amber is sporty, & enjoys friendships but is struggling to find ones with people who respect her values; she is an older sister who has taken on the responsibility of safeguarding her mother to the world around them & this is where my worry towards the approach of the story comes forward. The presentation of Sandra as a single mother is intriguing, coming from the perspective of a grown adult. However, I found much of what she chose to do, distressing & could not help but wonder how this subject matter would be absorbed by those who are actively living through these scenarios—having been one such child myself, once upon a time. Sandra is eccentric & colourful. She values animal rights, & human rights & does a lot for the political community; encouraging people to vote & research their government representatives. Yet, for all the good Sandra does as an individual adult person, these endeavours appear to succeed at the expense of her children’s well-being. Amber & Beetle's reality is troubling. Their mother refuses to keep steady employment which causes them to live through financial insecurity, all of which is put on the shoulders of Amber & Beetle—more so the eldest child who pointedly does not bring up school activities to her mother knowing they can not afford to participate. They eat nothing but cheese sandwiches for lunch, with some little carrots on the side. While supper consists of noodles, every single day. I appreciate that this is a fictional account meant to put pressure on our understanding of societies, but, there are children who live with the burden of their financial situations, every single day & reading this book without being aware of that is very overwhelming. I found it particularly sad to read about Amber’s interpretation of the situation they find themselves in. She voices not trying to counter her mother’s eccentric nature because she’s afraid she will quit her ‘job’ as a mother to herself & to Beetle. Having no known memories of their biological father & no secure explanations as to why he is not present in their lives, Amber & Beetle are at the forefront of attempting to protect their mother’s feelings for fear that she will abandon them as well. The representation of all the different kinds of families in the world is very positive. We read about how every family at Amber & Beetle’s school isn’t necessarily the same as the next. This approach is wonderful as it allows every reader to find themselves in the positive representation of reality. In that same breath, one cannot help but feel badly reading about the responsibility that Amber has taken on, as the older sibling, while her mother lives in a world riddled with witches & fairies. Beetle exhibits some characteristics of a person with severe anxiety but this is never touched on whatsoever. What this story would benefit from would be adding further depth to the characters. I appreciate that every single person plays a part in the running of society & therefore also plays an important role within this book but, by the end I realized I knew nothing of any of the characters & this story reads as pedantic rather than genuinely informative. Perhaps this is the point that the author sought to achieve. Presenting a family of ‘Parallels’ in place of the main characters showcases how shadow-like they are to each other. What makes an individual unique? How much impact do our choices have on those around us? 'The Parallels' chose to leave their city because it was exhibiting controls that they did not agree with so, they traded places with Amber, Beetle & Sandra against their knowledge. Is it wrong to leave something destructive behind while not attempting to save any of the people who are unknowingly stuck there? The core of this plot is interesting & induces reflectiveness in the reader. I would have appreciated a bit more decorum when presenting some of the extremist beliefs that Sandra exhibited & forced on her children. However, I am, again, left wondering if that was intended. For example, Sandra chooses to be a vegetarian because she does not support the meat industry & therefore even if her children wanted to try meat, they are not permitted to do so because Sandra believes that the practices big corporations & farming institutions take to produce the food is unethical. Yet, there are several religious beliefs that present ethical ways to consume meat. I found it ironic to read about Sandra who presents herself as free-loving & dedicated ‘to the cause’, actively ignoring the alternatives to things she believes are innately the truth. That being said, Amber states that there is one South Asian person in her school year & we read about no other person present in the community whose ethnicity diverges from the one we might rightfully presume to be the main family’s. Therefore, perhaps I should grant Sandra some leeway—maybe she didn’t know that halal meat is not produced the same as fast-food burgers. The lack of diversity in the narrative does render this book to be particular for a very distinct & specific reader. Would a reader—young or old—be unaware of the discrimination faced by their parents who might be in a same sexe relationship? Would a reader who was not White need to be explained that the judicial & policing bodies pay closer attention to them because they’re not White? Therein lies, again, my question—Amber is able to distinguish her reality from those in her class because she is poor; she doesn’t have nearly the same financial situation as her peers & this is distinctly obvious to her. Is the point of this story to find its way into the hands of someone identical to Amber? Or perhaps, this story is meant to be interpreted uniquely per the readers’ experiences? The reason for which I ask these questions is that I would have felt very disconnected from this book as a young person. I had no interest in having lessons dictated to me, ones I very obviously already knew. I can imagine I am not the only child in history to have felt this way, which is why I wonder who this book is for. The subject matter is touched on very critically. Creationism is viewed as simplistic & for those of subpar intelligence—as noted while Amber flies through her school assignments. Yet, there are no explanations as to why it is important to understand why certain people choose to follow scientific rationals versus religious beliefs. One is simply presented as being better than the other. Though the topics explored throughout this book are important to discuss they are written very briefly. Due to the short number of pages of which this book is composed, there is little opportunity to simmer on a claim. I appreciate that this is a book that could be read in the hopes of igniting future conversations but, it would not have been negative to add a bit more discussion surrounding these topics so that the reader who may be unaware of social complexities might not feel that, if they eat meat (for example) they are innately in the wrong. With that being said, it was nice to come across a dystopian story for younger readers. I remember when I was first introduced to the genre; I found the subject matter & reflections insightful & intriguing, some of them have nestled into my constant reflections ever since. I should hope that the reader who comes upon this book is gifted with the encouragement to further their own comprehension of the status quo & the ways in which our difference enhance the culture of the collective. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Fitzroy Books & Marcie Roman for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 27, 2022
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May 28, 2022
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Paperback
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108
| 
| 1419742078
| 9781419742071
| 1419742078
| 4.09
| 338
| Nov 08, 2022
| Nov 08, 2022
|
really liked it
|
A beautifully illustrated book that welcomes the reader to peek into the life of a very young child as she wakes before dawn. This story is ideal for A beautifully illustrated book that welcomes the reader to peek into the life of a very young child as she wakes before dawn. This story is ideal for very young children; the ones who are still waking, as the protagonist does, before the break of dawn & who are eager to see the faces of their parent(s)/guardian(s). What an older reader might garner from this book is that our young protagonist feels that she always wakes up just in time, rather than feeling that the wee hours of the morning are for sleeping in. She gets to spend quality time in something of a routine, with her father, while her mother & the baby remain sleeping upstairs. One might read a great many positive things into what this story presents but, overall, it is simply a nice thing to see a young child eager to spend tender moments with her parent. In tandem, both reader & narrator—the voice of the advanced reader, in this case, the person reading to a child—might take something out of this story that leaves them both feeling closer & bonded by their jaunt through the pages. This is a lovely little read that I’m sure young children will adore. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Abrams Books for Young Readers & Nora Ericson for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 15, 2022
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May 15, 2022
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Hardcover
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94
| 
| 1536214973
| 9781536214970
| 1536214973
| 4.45
| 309
| unknown
| May 17, 2022
|
it was ok
|
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on th
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on animal neglect, & others. Every night, soon after she discovers that her neighbours have a dog, a young girl reads to him the stories that she keeps in her library. They spend every evening together & develop a very close bond. However, what is rather, immensely, sad is the fact that the dog appears to be totally forgotten by its owners. This is, an assumption, based on a very short story but, the bulk of the plot relies on the absence of said people; the dog is constantly outside in all kinds of weather & has never known the inside of a human house. Having been a child who questioned things & always requested further information, this book—as now—would have not been fully appreciated by me for what it presents at face value. If you have a young child who might wonder at the seemingly non-existent presence of the dog’s owners & the logistics behind randomly gifting your pet to a neighbour after seeing the dog sit longingly by the fence every night waiting for some form of attention; I advise you to be in the right place to sit & explore the reality of varied relationships that people have with their animals. Some animals live outside on farms & some prefer the outdoors for the multitude of pleasures they find there. Some people prefer to have animals simply for the sake of saying they own something & some people work full-time jobs & might not always be able to spend time outside with their pets. All this to say, this book opens the door to further discuss the subject matter. I found the illustrations of this book stunning & Devon Holzwarth did a fantastic job at crafting a world in which everything was vivid & exuberant. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Walker Books US, & Carlie Sorosiak for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
|
May 15, 2022
|
May 15, 2022
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
93
| 
| 1773216554
| 9781773216553
| 1773216554
| 4.03
| 2,668
| Feb 01, 1988
| Oct 11, 2022
|
really liked it
|
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed to help a young reader explore sounds, consonants, character voices & plot comprehension. Poor Jason is simply trying to snuggle in for the night & find himself in his favourite sleeping place, ironically the same place he wakes to find his father has taken; the top of the refrigerator, the top of the car in the garage, & against a tree in the woods. This story is silly & for no reason at all, it works to bring a smile to the face of the reader. Nothing much happens; Jason is chasing after his sleep-walking father as he wanders around to the comforts unknown to the rest of us, cozy in our beds. Yet, with so little transpiring, the final reveal leaves one with a giggle. The matriarch wanders in the night to find that both Jason & his father are asleep in awkward positions in the kitchen. These are the kind of goofy stories that leave room for a child to explore the events at large & are fun to talk about afterwards. No tangible themes are presented but, the plot functions by implementing tinges of reality into the illustrations. We all sleep, as does Jason & so too does his father, yet there they are wandering around at night. This ‘Early Reader’ edition will work well for young ones to explore the different venues the story could have taken. Overall, it’s just a fun story to read & that is reason enough to appreciate it. Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press Ltd & Robert Munsch for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
|
May 13, 2022
|
May 13, 2022
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
92
| 
| 1773216511
| 9781773216515
| 1773216511
| 4.03
| 3,037
| 1986
| Oct 11, 2022
|
it was ok
|
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed to help a young reader explore sounds, consonants, character voices & plot comprehension. As much as I love Munsch’s stories since having been introduced to them, this particular book was never very much a favourite of mine. I remember the distinct talks & ‘last calls’ we had growing up to ‘go’ before we all left the house. I can’t say there was ever a moment for me, that I took that lightly. However, I recognize that this story will be wonderfully cheery & helpful to many young children who may not find it important to ‘go’ before being zipped up snug in their layered snowsuits or sat buckled upright in the car. For those children, this story might seem funny & relatable & quirky. I am glad to know that this book will & has been finding itself in the hands of those who need the reminder that being stuck needing to go to the bathroom when you’ve no opportunity to do so, is a rather unfortunate predicament to be in. Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press Ltd & Robert Munsch for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 13, 2022
|
May 13, 2022
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
91
| 
| 1773216473
| 9781773216478
| 1773216473
| 4.10
| 3,835
| 1985
| Oct 11, 2022
|
really liked it
|
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed to help a young reader explore sounds, consonants, character voices & plot comprehension. It’s incredible what a small bout of nostalgia can do for the soul. Coming upon the revival of some of Robert Munsch’s books brought a smile to my heart as a 90s baby & I am happy to report that in this edition of the book, children & guardian-readers are encouraged to have fun & learn while reading these delightful stories. I can personally attest, having been a child growing up in Canada, that wearing a snowsuit can feel like the ultimate chore & for some odd reason, often felt as though we were being set apart; from whom, I truly have no idea because everyone was wearing snowsuits on Halloween so, none of my qualms mattered but it certainly made a difference not freezing to death whilst collecting candy, tobogganing or wadding through winter. The main character in this story, Thomas, is at the crossroads of the same decisions & irritation we have probably all felt at some point in time. Dressing for winter is a task & for those of us who live in countries, provinces or territories, wherein the weather becomes truly frosty, we have no choice but to double down on the layers. Yet, Thomas refuses with a snarly, booming, elongated: “NNNNNO”. The adults find themselves tussled with the young independent thinker as they struggle to maintain control, attempting to reinforce the safety of the snowsuit on young Thomas. I remember thinking this book was quite humorous as a child & I still do. The scenes depicted by Michael Martchenko are ridiculous, absurd & abundant in the extreme yet, they depict exactly what it felt like to attempt to get to the end goal. Not being a parent myself I cannot speak to the experiences of all those deep-sighing-parental figures as they patiently encouraged their children to put on their winter gear every day. However, I still find it hilarious to see play out in this book. With the inclusion of little tips & tricks that guardians can use to help young readers enunciate, distinguish characters & reflect on the storyline, I am very glad to see these books making their way to a greater audience of people that would profit from the guides provided. I was very lucky growing up; my mom was a distinguished voice actor for my stories & I am happy to believe that these guides might help encourage others to experience a story to the uttermost of their imagination’s potential. Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press Ltd & Robert Munsch for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
|
Apr 27, 2022
|
May 13, 2022
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||
90
| 
| 1773216562
| 9781773216560
| 1773216562
| 3.78
| 1,022
| 1982
| Oct 11, 2022
|
really liked it
|
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed to help a young reader explore sounds, consonants, character voices & plot comprehension. In this story, we follow Michael & Sheila as they take it upon themselves to explore the environments where various groups of first responders work; more specifically, where their vehicles are parked until an emergency calls them onto the roads. What I enjoyed so very much about this book as a child were the illustrations. There is something absolutely touching about the way the images by Michael Martchenko have nestled themselves into my brain. Calling to mind the little adventure of the two main characters was closer to the surface of my brain than I had anticipated; finding myself laughing as the children joyfully make their way into a police cruiser after their escapades with the firetruck. A good story is one that sticks with us for far longer than it might have taken us to read the book. Though this story in particular calls to mind the boisterous adventures of youth; I cannot pin what it is about it that has remained nestled in my mind for all of this time. Regardless, I am certain that the young readers of today will see themselves looking back at the bubbles mounting the walls of the bathroom in rainbow shaded colours as the children are faced with the begrudging reality after their stellar adventures. Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press Ltd. & Robert Munsch for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
|
May 03, 2022
|
May 13, 2022
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
89
| 
| 1773216503
| 9781773216508
| 1773216503
| 3.89
| 1,133
| May 01, 1988
| Oct 11, 2022
|
liked it
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As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed
As part of their ‘Early Reader’ re-release, some of the classic works of the beloved Robert Munsch have been adapted to include a guide that is placed to help a young reader explore sounds, consonants, character voices & plot comprehension. Cheeky, curious Angela is wandering around without her father at an airport & stumbles upon an airplane that is unmanned. Of course, she asks herself permission to wander in & touch a button—just one button. To which a slew of chaos & adventure ensues, culminating in Angela landing the plane & becoming a pilot when she is all grown up. Munsch’s stories are uncomplicated & quick. They rely on the reader’s imagination & ability to marvel at the absurd. This is certainly not a negative thing. This story highlights how such a short book can hold so very much—Angela flew a six-propeller plane all alone! Without holding on to fear or worry, she decided that she had enjoyed her experience so very much that it merited making it into a full-blown career. By relying on the imagination of a child to read something so pointed—a crazy story some might feel—& allowing them to view what might be a scary event as something that can be turned around & brought to life—a career as a pilot, for example—children may be allowed to dream to their fullest abilities without worrying about any pebbles in the road or being held back by the mistakes they may have made. Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press Ltd & Robert Munsch for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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Hardcover
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88
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| 076367754X
| 9780763677541
| 076367754X
| 4.24
| 3,303
| Oct 10, 2017
| Oct 10, 2017
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really liked it
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In a wood, dark & dreary wanders a wolf who gobbles up a mouse. Inside the wolf, in the dark of its tummy, sleeps a duck who made the hollow place the
In a wood, dark & dreary wanders a wolf who gobbles up a mouse. Inside the wolf, in the dark of its tummy, sleeps a duck who made the hollow place their home. Together they wonder at the vast array of objects they find inside the wolf & they decide that living on the inside is better than on the outside. Together these little creatures sing songs & dance around the wolf’s tummy, then they gather more comforts to make their little corner a safe home. This was a funny little story with characters who charter sarcasm & tricks in good faith. The introduction of the hunter adds an element of suspense—will the wolf become what he had intended of the mouse & the duck? This style of book reminds me of some of the ones I used to enjoy as a young child & the way this story is presented, alongside the illustrations done by Jon Klassen, truly brings the book together to form something quite quirky. This is the perfect book to read as an introduction to elaborating the concept of thinking outside the box; exploring different laneways & confronting what might initially seem scary, & turning it into something humorous instead. One might find themselves rooting for the success of every character—save the hunter for, who could really bear to part with the wolf who carries the others safely with him through the deep, dark woods? This is a sweet & funny tale of friendship, adventure & intrigue. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Candlewick Press & Mac Barnett for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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Hardcover
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87
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| 1536223891
| 9781536223897
| 1536223891
| 3.85
| 124
| unknown
| Nov 01, 2022
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liked it
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Introductions to the little seaside town, cozy with the wind sailing off the waves of a deep mountain of water, the fishing people go about their day
Introductions to the little seaside town, cozy with the wind sailing off the waves of a deep mountain of water, the fishing people go about their day from dawn until dusk; sailing & netting & tasking their way through the waves. The young boy narrator watches as his father remains safely on land. He doesn’t build boats nor does he peel fish or leave the land; he wanders in the bakery where he makes bread & biscuits for all the townspeople & the young narrator asks himself why. What I found most enamouring about this book were the illustrations that showcase the fine lines of a pencil, shaping the atmosphere & the people without structuring them distinctly. The colours are few yet the words carry through & allow the reader to understand that though the sky is blue & the town is grey, it is the lives that are lived that add colour to the page. The questions posed within the book are soft & interesting. Who feeds those who wander in adventure & who feels thankful for each of the other? Why choose one thing & not another? When the narrator asks his father why he bakes when he could sail the sea, his father does not feel the need to give a long-winded answer; suffice it to say he works the job he wanted to do & it brings him satisfaction & joy, things we can intone it is worthwhile to pursue. Some of the words & ways in which the book was written appeared tongue-twisty & I think this story will require a more advanced reader to make their way through the vocabulary. Much of what is written reappears more than once & so if the reader struggles with a succession of the letter 'B' they might find it tiring to continue trying. Given the simplicity of the story at hand, I think perhaps the repetition of certain aspects might be trimmed to include or remove the wording so as to appeal to those who are narrating to a younger reader & to those who want to try reading it for themselves. I think this story will be enjoyed by others on blustery evenings before bed as a gentle reminder that all parts are vital to the working clock. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Templar Books & Paula White for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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Hardcover
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my rating |
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110
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| 3.78
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really liked it
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Aug 11, 2022
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Aug 11, 2022
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109
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| 3.84
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really liked it
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Aug 09, 2022
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Aug 10, 2022
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107
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| 4.12
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it was amazing
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Aug 05, 2022
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Jul 29, 2022
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104
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| 4.33
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really liked it
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Jul 28, 2022
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Jul 28, 2022
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103
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| 3.89
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really liked it
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Jul 23, 2022
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Jul 23, 2022
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102
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| 4.43
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it was amazing
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Jul 22, 2022
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Jul 22, 2022
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113
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| 3.66
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it was ok
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Aug 17, 2022
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Jul 17, 2022
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121
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| 3.53
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did not like it
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Sep 11, 2022
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Jun 24, 2022
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111
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| 4.26
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it was ok
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Aug 12, 2022
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Jun 08, 2022
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120
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| 3.95
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it was ok
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Sep 10, 2022
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Jun 08, 2022
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96
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| 4.62
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it was ok
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May 27, 2022
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May 28, 2022
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108
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| 4.09
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really liked it
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May 15, 2022
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May 15, 2022
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94
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| 4.45
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it was ok
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May 15, 2022
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May 15, 2022
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93
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| 4.03
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really liked it
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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92
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| 4.03
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it was ok
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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91
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| 4.10
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really liked it
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Apr 27, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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|||||
90
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| 3.78
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really liked it
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May 03, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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89
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| 3.89
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liked it
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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88
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| 4.24
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really liked it
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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87
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| 3.85
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liked it
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May 13, 2022
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May 13, 2022
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