Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kimber: Dontcha hate it when you’re late to an appointment cuz you were so absorbed in a good book, you lost track of time? (Hi, Mom.) That’s what happened when Mom started reading E.C. Watt’s debut novel, The Witch of Flickerwood. It grabbed us in chapter one. Reeled us in hook, line, and kibble. Short version:
Addy Warner once dreamed of being a detective. But the 20-year-old sophomore is pursuing a degree in Ecology at a small college in Pennsylvania. The school has a past. A haunting, creepy past. Because there’s clearly more to the town of Flickerwood than meets the eye. In fact, a double murder may be just the tip of the iceberg…
I’ll let Her Royal Momness fill ya in on the longer version (before she’s late to the next appointment!):
Kimber here. Telling you about a very cool new book Her Royal Momness just read. (Well, it was mostly me. Mom helped. A little.)
First off, take a look at this cover. (That’s okay. I’ll wait.) Cuteness Alert! Well. Not as cute as me, ‘natch. But let’s not get picky here, okay?
Co-written by cancer survivor Dr. Kelly Curtin and her daughter Molly Hallinan, Molly and Potato is a book for the little ‘uns. It offers comfort. Connection. And canine companionship to families facing adversity and loss. I’m all over that “canine companionship” thing. But I’ll let She Who Must Be Obeyed fill ya in:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
Let’s just cut to the chase here, shall we? This book was a big disappointment. As in, Ugh! We had high hopes for Unbroken Bones. Overwritten, overlong and overdone, this book was a big disappointment.
To wit:
The story is told through the eyes of its three main characters: Natasha Cunningham, John, and Matthias the angel.
Natasha is a high school student interested in paleontology. Her mom Valerie could give the Polar Ice Caps a run for its money in the familial warmth department. Natasha finds a map in her grandmother’s Bible. With it, Natasha begins to unravel a family secret that holds the key to a major mystery.
John is Natasha’s project partner. He dislikes his competitive classmate and would rather ignore her. John has a prickly, irascible exterior to hide abuse from his alcoholic father. John is interning at the Natural History Museum. His supervisor is George. Who’s kind of a jerk. To put it charitably.
John and Natasha cross paths early on. Not so with Matthias.
Matthias is an angel whose alleged mission is to guard, protect and defend fallen humans. Think Clarence Oddbody, A.S. II. Only younger. We’re more than halfway through the book before Matthias does much of anything besides gawk and wonder and “Golly gee.” Think Gomer Pyle. It takes way too long for him to intersect with the kids. By then, we’ve lost interest.
There’s also Dr. Vanessa Cunningham, Natasha’s beloved grandmother. Grandma was a devout Christian and highly esteemed beloved scientist/researcher. A friend and colleague of Natasha’s scientist mentor, Dr. Betsy, Dr. Cunningham was killed in a tragic car accident.
Kimber the Magnificent
Or was it? An accident, that is. Like, what exactly was Dr. Cunningham working on? What did she discover? Did it get her killed? How? Why? Who? And what’s going on at Kennington Park?
There’s also “Old Ben.” Not a person. In case you’re wondering. Double chocolate mint ice cream. And a foot race between the Creator and Abner. Dreams. And… twins?
We loved the emphasis on education and staying in school a la John’s high school graduation in chapter 17. We did not love the pacing, which is right out of Slugville. The story itself could benefit from a case of Slim Fast.
So while the story is imaginative and creative and the writing is good, it just didn’t keep our interest. It’s hamstrung by uneven pacing and brittle characterizations. Like John’s dad, Kevin. We get it that Kevin is an abusive alcoholic. No need to beat us over the head with it – to the point of a caricatured cartoon. And the bones thing? It doesn’t really put in an appearance until chapter 21. Whether or not readers will stick around that long is open to question
Additionally, some readers may find the text preachy in places. That may be a turn-off. Like Pastor Anderson’s sermon in chapter 9. And the curious exegesis of the Old Testament story of Rahab. (Kimber: Guess what, Buttercup? Some of us can find the books of Joshua and Hebrews unaided. Oh yeah.)
There’s also the odd word choice/typo that pops up occasionally. Example: “… the idea that she might actually become his stepmother always drudged up feelings of anger within him” (p. 70). Or “Her mother had been too upset with her come” (p.166.)
We had to take a break from reading this book. It’s slow out of the gate. The first nine or ten chapters feel “boggy.” Like the author tried to cram in every conceivable detail under the sun in less than 100 pages.
Came back to it later, hoping it’d get better. Leaner. More mature. It picks up, yes. But not enough to rise to the level of “captivating.”
So again, we had high hopes for this book. It has This Present Darkness-ish potential with Matthias. (Kimber: We like, Totally Love-ify Frank Peretti!). But this character gets lost in the weeds.
Our biggest beef with this book? It just tries too hard. It can’t seem to decide what it wants to be: Fiction, social commentary, or homily? So it falls short in all three. Another problem is basic structure and mixed POVs. For instance, Natasha and John are third person. Matthias is first person. The inconsistency is jarring and doesn’t really work.
Bottom line: We could not force ourselves to finish this book. Frankly, we shouldn’t have to. We bailed out about page 230. (Kimber: That’s considerably more pages than most books get. In case you’re wondering, Cupcake.) So we won’t be rating this book. We will, however, be reaching for the Advil.
It’s been forever since we did a Fine Wine Friday post. So here ya go. No extra charge:
***
“Alright Kimber. Step away from the Narrative Non-Fiction (NNF) book stash and I’ll forget all about the incident with that double cheeseburger.”
“Drat! I was kinda hoping Mom already forgot about that. But anyway, you’re probably asking, What’s ‘narrative non-fiction’ and why should I care?”
Bet this tastes great if I can ever get it off the fence!
Glad you asked. Basically, narrative non-fiction is non-fiction that reads like a novel instead of a dry-as-burnt-toast textbook. Or War and Peace. ( Mom said I oughtta throw in that last one.)
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Can a faded Polaroid and an inconspicuous thumb drive untangle a sophisticated web of deceit and corruption that spans centuries, continents, and the highest corridors of political power? And what about the shadowy organized crime ring known as the Saffron Veil, where “entrap, entangle, and extract” is the name of the game?
And the Veil is good at it.
So good, in fact, that when nineteen-year-old Maria Hernandez leaves El Salvador to pursue her dreams of Hollywood stardom, she falls prey to cut-throat coyotes – owned and operated by the Veil – who smuggle her across the border. But Maria never makes it to Tinseltown. She winds up in a California mansion, a victim of human trafficking. Pregnant, Maria escapes with a dangerous secret. She’s pursued by the powerful Senator Edward Grayson. (Kimber: This guy makes pond scum look good.)
I don’t know about your neck of the dog run, but here in the Northwest it’s been pouring rain for so long, I may be sprouting gills.
Not that I mind, mind you. Mom says this is great reading weather. Something about curling up by the fire with a good book. I don’t really get it. I just like sitting in her lap while she turns pages. And tells me what a “good dog” I am.
As if I didn’t know that already.
Anyway, here are 10+ top picks fur wet weather. (That’s not a typo.) These books are brisk and engaging. With good solid story lines. Lots of adventure. As much “flavor” and “texture” as those beef broth and steak treat thingies Mom makes. And of course sparkling canine personalities. Like mine. You’ll enjoy these even if you’re a feline fan. (Yech! Can’t believe I just said that.):
2. Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery– Spencer Quinn. (Told from the dog’s point of view) A good ‘ole fashioned “whodunit” mystery with a dog who’s way smarter than Bernie, his crime-solving human. Laugh out loud funny in places.
3. Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls. Old Dan. Li’l Ann. A young boy growing up in the Ozarks and sacrificial love. Bring tissue.
5. The Empty City (Survivors #1) – Erin Hunter. Lucky is a golden-haired mutt with a nose for survival. He’s always been a loner, relying on his instincts to get by. Then the Big Growl strikes. Suddenly the ground is split wide open. The Trap House is destroyed. And all the longpaws have disappeared. Is it time to find a Pack?
6. The Journey Back – Priscilla Cummings. #2 in the Red Kayak series. Not strictly a dog book. But Digger’s daring escape from a juvenile detention facility includes hijacking a tractor trailer, “borrowing” a bicycle, stealing a canoe, and befriending a stray mutt who becomes Digger’s best friend.
7. Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers – Gary Paulsen. Minnesota author and dog musher Gary Paulsen reflects on the growth of his sled dogs as he and his animals discover the world around them.
An abandoned, half-feral border collie reluctantly taken in by author Jon Katz, Izzy becomes a hospice dog. Somehow Izzy learns what can’t be taught: how to help the dying leave this world with dignity – “Oh! A dog! Where on earth did you come from, you handsome thing?” – and how to best comfort those left behind.
Lenore – from the Edgar Allen Poe poem – is a “portable happiness generator.” “The UPS driver threatened to steal her,” says Katz. Big hearted and good natured, Lenore can pierce the armor of the hardest heart. As Katz battles a deep depression and phantoms from his past, the rambunctious Lab pup gently reminds him why he wanted to work with animals in the first place.
Set in first century Jerusalem, The Dog Who Was There is a heart-warming, surprising story about a little dog, Barley (that’s not a typo), and a Teacher from Galilee. This wonderful story is soaked in loss, loyalty, sadness, promise, and Great Joy. I’ve never read anything quite like it. You won’t want to miss this one.
Genre: Fiction – YA, Dystopian, Christan Speculative Fiction
Pages (print): 253
Via: Author Request
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
Three young adults have magical-ish gifts. There’s a mysterious Prophecy. Some really, really bad fiery dudes in serious need of chill pills. And some other equally nasty types with red skin, black clothes and murderous intent.
Blurb:
Sophie and her friends have been captured and held prisoner for the purpose of obtaining intelligence they do not have. They have been burned, tortured, and abused for days right after having everything that they have ever known destroyed and taken away from them. They discover from a prophecy that mysteriously appeared to them in the night that they are destined to escape. Motivated with determination and purpose, they must develop a plan for freedom. What they don’t know is that past all the dangerous guards and the unsurpassable escape route is a surprise that will change their lives forever.
“Kimber, what do you think is better? Book or movie?”
Depends, says I, Kimber the Magnificent. Usually on whether we’re reading or watching before or after dinner. Lemme backtrack for a min and explain-ish.
Book Memories
Her Momness has been skipping down Memory Lane via books for much of the summer. She’s re-visited a ton and a half of old favorites. See: The Dog Days and Children’s Classics.
Poppins?
The other day Mom re-read Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers. Just a few days after watching the Disney movie with Julie Andres and Dick Van Dyke. Having read and watched both versions within a few days of each other, Her Momness was somewhat astonished. At how far apart they are.
Granted, there are things you can and can’t do on the silver screen that you can do in a book. Some book scenes just don’t translate well onto film. But in the case of Mary Poppins The Book vs. Mary Poppins the Movie, the two are almost oceans apart. (We loved Saving Mr. Banks, thank you very much.)
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Whaddya do when it’s 1800, your dad is King Louis XVI, bloodthirsty Parisian mobs are hot on your trail, and it’s a really, really bad time to be the dauphin of France?
Author Daniela I. Norris tackles that question and more in this charming historical fiction novel about 15 year-old Louis-Charles and his adventures in worlds both Old and New.
Part historical fiction, part coming-of-age tale, and part young love, The King of Montréal spins a sail-able story that may have you packing for Montréal to find out more. Or maybe catching the next flight to Paris.
Julie Andrews’ second memoir, Home Work is a substantial tome, clocking in at over five hundred pages. Is Home Work worth the time? Mom will let you know – if ever stops prancing around the house singing about female deer and a drop of golden sun. Oh, wait:
Pages & Paws 