The Write Reads Tour | Book Review | The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips

Simon and Schuster Children’s
TBP Dec 8th 2020
240 Pages

Beauty comes at a price. And no one knows that better than Ebenezer Tweezer, who has stayed beautiful for 511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents.

But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast.

The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?- Goodreads

I love when books switch things up. And I also love when books remind me of thing. In particular this book gives me “Little Shop of Horror” vibes ( my favorite musical btw). You know Seymour finds this plant that names it Audrey and feeds it his blood to grow and then Audrey demands more specifically a full human, so he gives him the nastiest person he can think of. . . the dentist.

So when I saw the summary of this book, that is what I thought of and just fell in love.

The writing style of this book is detailed, fun and at the same time you don’t feel as if the author added a bunch of fluff to drag the book. Ebenezer is a great villain because he doesn’t know he is a villain. Its not one of those good intention situations but its because he just don’t know. So anything really goes such as kidnapping a child even if it is a mean one.

There are mean and nasty children in the world. Seeing Bethany, although I don’t wish any child harm was interesting to read. Because on one hand you’re like why are you like this and on the other you’re like… well.

The characters were written extremely well.  I loved the pace of the novel and its creativity.

Overall,

4 Pickles

Book Review: Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

Lake Union Publishing
Published Aug. 1, 2018
267 Pages

Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.

But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.

Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.

Just as he did to her.- Goodreads

I requested this book on Netgalley by a referral from another book reviewer. The premise of the story sounded great and when I jumped into, I was genuinely looking forward to reading this. I know this intro sounds like I didn’t like the book but I did but I also know what it is.

Jane Doe is a slow burn to a predictable conclusion. Yup, that is the book in a fairly completely nutshell. There are things that are great about this book but it is simple. Like all revenge novels, the book is slow. There needs to be a build up of suspense and as a reader you need to get to know the characters.

Jane is dull and completely uninteresting. The author did nothing to really spice her up but played on the fact that she was a plain girl that was extremely intelligent when it came to manipulation and seduction.  I can see why the author did this. She wrote Jane to be as unemotional except for the reason why she is seek revenge. She made her really lacking to make what she was doing even more spectacular, for the lack of a better term. Jane, despite her non-existing personality, there is something about her that you know if you passed her on the street, you may do a double take.

As I mentioned this book is a slow burn. It takes its time to build up because although Jane’s plan is predictable it is the perfect plan. Not a whole lot happens, so if you are expecting Jane to be diving in and out of cars and sneaking into office buildings for files in the middle of the night, don’t pick up this book. Jane does her stealthy thing but the mission impossible theme music or even thrill is not to be found in this read.

Overall, if this is your first time reading a revenge book, I would highly recommend it. Its a solid read and I enjoyed it. It was the perfect book for a road trip.

3 Pickles

 

 

 

Book Review: Hidden by Brandi Janai

Self-Published
May 26th 2018

CAN A SELF-HELP AUTHOR HELP HERSELF?
An authority figure, Mrs. Dinah Bradley is a tell-it-like-it-is therapist turned self-help author. Her provocative book teaches women how to rediscover the love within. But what lies within Dinah are nightmares and faulty memories.

Dinah chooses to focus on her promising career instead of listening to the little voice telling her something is wrong. Triggered by secret recordings and a stalker threatening to expose her, she is forced to confront the past.

Afraid of the unknown and afraid of the truth, Dinah must choose between who she was and who she wants to be.- Goodreads

*slight spoilers*

Dinah is a hard character to like and it isn’t because she tries to make herself to be as perfect as possible. Well maybe, kind of. Due to the fact that she is so sent on being perfect, she has zero personality. Everything is her book and how basic she needs to be as a wife i.e. simply fill a role but there is just a obsession to be normal and that is all there is to her.

Even when we discover, what is really behind her reasoning for trying to be normal and perfect, she has no depth. Because the book, was solely focused on her, I was genuinely bored and almost at the do not finish level. However, I kept reading and glad that I did.

The book picks up or at least for me at a family dinner and you can begin seeing the strings unravel and the truth come out. At this point, I was very interested in the book because I didn’t actually see what her issue was. The author stretched the book a great deal that you literally cannot see it coming. You have an idea but what actually happened is just a whoa moment.

What I liked about the book was the hypocrisy the author was living. And it made me think that or reminded me of the people in real life that try to do so much to show they have a perfect life. Granted, surprisinginly enough, the use of social media isn’t used to show this in the novel. I was cool with this. It added light to a type of lifestyle people think is the best route but isn’t necessarily the case.

Beyond this, I felt that the book was good but it took too long for me become invested into it. Also the ending was forced and Dinah still had zero personality and depth.

2.5. Pickles

Book Review: The Song From Somewhere Else by A.F. Harrold, Levi Pinfold (Illustrator)

Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Published Nov. 10, 2016
216 Pages

Frank doesn’t know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He’s big, he’s weird and he smells – or so everyone in Frank’s class thinks.

And yet, there’s something nice about Nick’s house. There’s strange music playing there, and it feels light and good and makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever.

But there’s more to Nick, and to his house, than meets the eye, and soon Frank realises she isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one who needs help …-Goodreads

This will be a short review and mainly because I am not sure how I feel about this book. To begin this book was not what you think it is. Although I would consider this a coming of age story it isn’t a typical coming of age story. Frank is a difficult character to love. I say that because there was no real personality to her. She was a very shy girl that was being bullied and cared  a lot about her reputation. But beyond that there was not a lot to her. I couldn’t say she was strong, noisy a bit but she was truthful as much as she could has been. She was very unsure of herself but there was some growth, especially towards the end, which is why I consider this a coming of age story.

However, what shifted in this book was the magical element. It came out of nowhere…nothing lead up to it. I liked that aspect of the book. But I didn’t feel that the magic was the best route for this book. I am not the author, obviously, therefore, I had no right to say that but something was off, maybe misplaced about Nick and his secrets. Maybe it was Frank and the lack of life she brought to the book. I am not exactly sure.

But the entire book felt monotone and it was slow; even when thing were happening. I love this author but this was not the strongest book.

Overall,

2 Pickles

Book Review: The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion

St. Martin’s Press
TBP May 2, 2017
352 Pages

On the cusp of turning fifty, Adam Sharp likes his life. He’s happy with his partner Claire, he excels in music trivia at quiz night at the local pub, he looks after his mother, and he does the occasional consulting job in IT.

But he can never quite shake off his nostalgia for what might have been: his blazing affair more than twenty years ago with an intelligent and strong-willed actress named Angelina Brown who taught him for the first time what it means to find—and then lose—love. How different might his life have been if he hadn’t let her walk away?

And then, out of nowhere, from the other side of the world, Angelina gets in touch. What does she want? Does Adam dare to live dangerously? -Goodreads

If you haven’t noticed, I love reading Graeme Simsion books. There is something about his writing that is honest and reliable even from a male’s perspective. This is still the case with The Best of Adam Sharp, however, I didn’t really enjoy this book.

Firstly, this book was different and I can see the author taking a risk. I don’t mind the risque scenes; they were surprising but I don’t mind them. What bothered me about this book was Adam and how boring he was even when his past was discussed. His tone never changes… not even once throughout the book. Because of that it made it extremely difficult to read this book (took me a week).

The book was slow and it dragged. There was no real life or passion within this book. It was hard to tell if Adam was actually in love or if it was more infatuation. It didn’t feel real at the beginning nor at the end. Overall that is what the book was lacking; deep emotion, real heartbreak, real anger etc..

Another issue I had was Adam is selfish and the love of his life was just as selfish and became even a worst person as she got older. This told a lot about Adam. He wasn’t the hero you want to love and I was disappointed in him and the weak characters around him. I say weak characters because no one really fought for what they wanted. I can’t even say Adam did because he went with whatever was allowed.

The music element was cute. It added some character to the book but the music didn’t define Adam nor was it as important as I thought it would be. The music was defined based on his relationship.  Yeah, he did trivia at the pub but he music wasn’t his life nor was he missing it.

I wanted better from this book. I wanted to be moved because it was different from The Roise Project. I like where the author is going with this but it needs some more work. I didn’t feel this was a bad book but it wasn’t something I would read or recommend unfortunately.

2 Pickles

Book Review: Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers’ Club by Robert J. Harris

Kelpies
TBP: June 15, 2017

Artie Conan Doyle is 12 years old and while in the future he will write the great Sherlock Holmes for now he has to deal with the mystery before him. When sneaking out with his best friend, Ham, to explore Greyfriars Kirkyard, the two spot a woman in grey walking through a cemetery and footprints of enormous hound.

Not one to look past questions, Artie, with the reluctance of Ham, follow clues to discover a series robberies that will lead to a villain that Artie may not be able to defeat.

Jumping right in, I would recommend this read to children who have not been introduced to Sherlock Holmes. It is a really creative spin to focus on the author as a child. Yes, it has been done with Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland) but only to a certain extent.

What I liked about this book is how the author was able to show the reader glimpse of Sherlock, without actually mentioning it. I enjoyed the personal struggle Artie goes through, although it is not the full focus it is a starting point in the book and a good one I might add. It shows, for a lack of better term, a human emotion/reaction other than curiosity and the need to solve something. I appreciated that.  I also loved how the story was told through Artie and not by his friend Ham or some random voice. It was a better read because of that.

The pace of the novel was acceptable. At one point, it did feel like the book was going nowhere but with the turning point(s) it added more depth to the novel. Character development was non-existing but I didn’t have an issue with this. The way the author wrote this book, there wasn’t any real need for it. Did some things change? Yes. Did any characters change? Kind of. One character, side character, a fairly key character experienced a significant change but it didn’t really apply to the mystery.

Overall, I would recommend this to my nieces and any child that wants a good mystery. As an adult I am glad I found this series.

4 Pickles

 

Book Review: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

Algonquin Young Readers
Published April 25, 2015
240 Pages

Corinne La Mer doesn’t fear anything; not even Jumbies in the forbidden woods. Jumbies are simply made up stories that parents use to keep their children out the woods, but Corinne knows better. 

But when Corinne notices yellow eyes staring at her at the edge of the woods. She begins to doubt her fearlessness. And when a beautiful stranger shows up at the marketplace and then her home with her father, Corinne knows that danger is near. 

Using her courage, the help of her friends and a ancient magic, she had no idea she possessed, Corinne must save her home and everyone in it. 

I really have a hard time finding good fantasy books for children (maybe YA) written by African-Americans. So, I jumped on this one purely based on the author and I wasn’t disappointed. This book was written extremely well that I would even recommend it for YA readers.

Firstly, characters. You knew from beginning and end that these were children. However, you didn’t feel the immaturity, even when the kids were acting a fool with each other. Corinne and her friends had a sense of wisdom about them that I didn’t feel was out of place. It fit them. They were kids but not reckless children trying to prove a point.

I loved how the author seamlessly tied mythology into the story without feeling like a history lesson. It was part of the culture, part of everyone’s lives and I loved how relevant it was in the beginning and end of the story. Also the author added something in there regarding history and I liked it. I was very surprised but thought it was perfect.

I enjoyed the pace of novel. However, at a certain point, the constant movement hit a plateau and I was stuck wondering if this was going to be end of my enjoyable ride. But it wasn’t. The pace began to build after this point and it did well til its descent at the end. Speaking of the end, it was great but it was a hard reality to swallow. I liked how the author did not shy away from the outcome because it is true. In real life and in every fantasy story, where the hero proves to be different it happens.

Would I consider this story horror? No, there is nothing exactly scary about it (even from a kids perspective) but it is deeper than just a fantasy story. You see how much a myth or a fable affects communities/cultures no matter what the generation is.

Overall,

4 Pickles

Book Review: Pursued by Gary Urey

Albert Whitman & Company
To be published Feb. 28, 2017

For thirteen year-olds, Axel Jack and Daisha Tandala life cannot get anymore complicated. Running from  a billionaire, who killed their scientist parents for their device, the Geoport.

The Geoport, which can teleport any person to any place on Earth within a matter of seconds can be deadly in the wrong hands. As a dying wish from their parents, Axel and Daisha race to destory the Geoport. But when the two are separated, finding each other becomes just as important as in running for their lives. 

I am going to come out and say that I cannot give this book a rating. I can’t because I am so conflicted. There were a lot of good points in this book but then as an adult reading it there were issues. So I don’t believe it would be fair to rate this book as it is for children and I would recommend it for children.

Anyway, what I loved about this book was the diversity. It is a breath of fresh air to see authors use non-white main characters. It is just really good to see. I also loved the story and the intensity you feel once the story beings. You jump into the story instantly and I love that.

However, that intensity quickly dies down and it takes a bit too long for it to pick back up. I didn’t like the villain. Not because he was a villain but he was a brat and appears to be extremely childish. Axel and Daisha, two thirteen year-olds had much more maturity and I was not enjoying that. In my head, he had this real annoying, whinny voice that I couldn’t shake.

The pace of the novel was slow; even for a children’s book. Because of this, it was much harder to stay focused on it; therefore making it hard to finish. Do I believe my nieces or a young child would enjoy this? Yes and no. Because for a race against a billionaire with everything at his disposal it was slow. But it was a good book. Just not something I would read or any other adult should read.

 

No rating.