ElsBeth and the Pirate’s Treasure by J. Bean Palmer My rating: 5 of 5 stars This children’s book was a cute, short read. True to the book’s blurb, Elsbeth and the Pirate’s Treasure is about a little girl named Elsbeth who is in second grade and happens to be a witch, and becomes embroiled in a search for pirate’s treasure gone awry. Evenly-paced and written for a young reader, this story is nonetheless delivered with…
The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz My rating: 1 of 5 stars Approached by the author with an offer to read this prequel for free in exchange for an honest review, I agreed because I was intrigued by the summary and cover art, and why not? The summary is well written, draws the potential reader in with the promise of an alluring story about a girl harrowed for her paranormal abilities, chased out of town…
The Nephilim and the False Prophet by David Dubrow My rating: 5 of 5 stars Classified as paranormal or supernatural horror, the Armageddon series is a terrifyingly excellent mash-up of Apocalyptic and Dystopian genres. Add in a hefty dose of occult horror and you have a recipe for not just one but two sleeper-stunners in what will eventually culminate in a trilogy. Book 2 in the Armageddon series picks up seamlessly from where Book 1…
The Stable House by Laura Smith My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Stable House was an unexpected pleasure. Reminiscent of Jeanette Walls’ autobiographical tales in both style and often up-close-and-personal storytelling, Smith has given us an insider’s look at an eleven year old girl’s mind and life. Being a child of the late eighties and nineties myself, I was firmly cast back in memory to that era and to the eleven year old girl…
Echoes from the Lost Ones by Nicola J. McDonagh My rating: 5 of 5 stars Echoes from the Lost Ones: Song of Forgetfulness is dystopian done right. Although dystopian fiction is not my go-to, must-read genre I do appreciate a masterpiece when it comes across my desk. This story is one such masterpiece, reminiscent of an Escher painting that ever draws the eye as the brain searches and seeks to map out the complexities of…
The Escape of Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Escape of Princess Madeline was a charming and pleasing read, not just for middle schoolers but for adults as well. A coming-of-age story set in a fairytale land of Soron complete with a king, kingdom and knights, The Escape of Princess Madeline takes us on an unexpected series of events as Princess Madeline, a young girl who dreams of adventure…
5 Minutes by Gareth Stokes My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was overwhelmingly impressed by the levels of complexity that had to have gone into thinking up and writing this story. Gareth Stokes is a master story teller who seems to have an innate understanding of plot structure and placement. I simply could not put this book down, laughed uproariously at many sections (the humor in this book is out of this world, pun…
Righteous Decisions by Casey Harvell My rating: 5 of 5 stars This review is in association with The Review Board: I love a good first person present tense narrative and Casey Harvell delivers in Righteous Decisions (Decisions Series). Lettie is a main character anyone could relate to; her attitude and personality so finely honed I often wondered just how much of her personality had been culled from Ms. Harvell’s. Whether heavily or lightly sampled from,…
Bernie and the Putty by Steve LeBel My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy, having signed up for the possibility based solely on the synopsis and cover art. I was immediately intrigued which says a lot about Mr. LeBel’s ability to hook a reader before they’ve even started reading the book itself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bernie and the Putty. The writing is superb; so much so…
Parallel Worlds by Heather Macauley Noell My rating: 5 of 5 stars I did not expect the content of this story! Although written in a slightly juvenile/amateur style, the concepts behind and beneath the writing appear to be sound and revolutionary in thinking. I have been on a long spiritual journey, seeking Understanding, and this book turned my world on its head and elucidated on a great deal I was unaware of and am so…
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