Tag: Reviews

Review | Daughter of Kali: Awakening by Shiulie Ghosh

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Monsters are real. And I might be one of them.

Kaz Deva definitely has her demons. She’s a half-Asian teenager with a chip on her shoulder and a home life she desperately wants to escape. But then she witnesses the impossible – her mother killing a monster without breaking a sweat. And suddenly her world is turned upside down.

Kaz discovers she comes from a long-line of demon-slayers stretching all the way back to the Goddess Kali herself. An ancient deity who seems to have plans for her.

Kaz is dragged right into the middle of a supernatural war, and everything she thought she knew turns out to be a lie. Except her feelings for a guy she can never have.

As she learns the truth of who she is and where she comes from, something awakens inside her. Something cold and ruthless. It could make her almost invincible. But it could also drive her to darkness.

With the battle between Warriors and demons becoming ever more deadly, Kaz must find a way to survive her destiny and save the people she loves.

Can she embrace her power and become the Warrior the world needs?

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one but wanted to read it based on the synopsis. This was a really fun read that moved at a good pace with serious Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes. Kaz as a character definitely had a lot to adjust to and deal with which is not always an easy thing – but was very compelling, even when her behavior wasn’t the best. The side characters also had depth and felt dimensional, which was great to see, especially in a debut. The writing style kept the book moving at a good pace and felt very polished. Overall it was a fun and fast read.

Happy reading!

Review | The Blue Witch by Alane Adams

DeAnne4 Comments

Before Sam Baron broke Odin’s curse on the witches to become the first son born to a witch and the hero of the Legends of Orkney series, his mother was a young witchling growing up in the Tarkana Witch Academy. In this first book of the prequel series, the Witches of Orkney, nine-year-old Abigail Tarkana is determined to grow up to be the greatest witch of all, even greater than her evil ancestor Catriona. Unfortunately, she is about to fail Spectacular Spells class because her witch magic hasn’t come in yet. Even worse, her nemesis, Endera, is making life miserable by trying to get her kicked out.
When her new friend Hugo’s life is put in danger by a stampeding sneevil, a desperate Abigail manages to call up her magic―only to find out it’s unlike any other witchling’s at the Tarkana Witch Academy! As mysteries deepen around her magic and just who her true parents are, Abigail becomes trapped in a race against time to undo one of her spells before she is kicked out of the coven forever!

Rich in Norse mythology, The Blue Witch is the first of a fast-paced young reader series filled with magical spells, mysterious beasts, and witch-hungry spiders!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I went into this one knowing very little about it other than I’ve liked previous books by the author. This was an absolutely adorable story and a great beginning to a series. I enjoyed getting to know Abigail, Hugo and the others as Abigail starts her learning. I also really liked the little tidbits of figures from Norse Mythology and little tidbits of mythology here and there. It is definitely Abigail’s story, but also shows signs of tying into an even bigger mythos. Adams gave each character distinct voices and personalities, showing how some of them weave together really well. Abigail doesn’t always make the right decisions and sometimes stumbles – but has friends who are willing to help, even when those friends are from unlikely places.

Happy reading!

Review | Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

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In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister–at all costs.

Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her–and who won’t make it out of the woods?

It’s been exactly one year since Sara’s sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn’t know whether her former friends no longer like her…or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to “play the game” and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca–before she’s lost forever. And even though she’s hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends–and their cameras–following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I had heard that this book was dark and twisty as well as being told in a mixed media format – which was a huge draw for me – but I didn’t know just how much I would enjoy it. If you’re looking for a spooky book with tons of touches of mythology, urban legend-esque stories, paranormal creatures and dark situations, then make sure you check this one out. This story is so well crafted in it’s writing and structure so that the elements of the story and the twists slowly reveal themselves piece by piece. There are many points where even the reader is left wondering what is truth and what is not and it made it so some twists were hard to predict. It was a hard book to put down once I got about a third of the way in since there was so much happening.

Happy reading!

Review | Haunted New Orleans by Troy Taylor

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Explore the dark and mysterious past of New Orleans with this riveting collection of tales that devle into the most haunted city in America.

New Orleans–the Big Easy, the birthplace of jazz, home of Cafe du Monde and what some call the most haunted city in America. Beneath the indulgence and revelry of the Crescent City lies a long history of the dark and mysterious. From the famous “Queen of Voodoo,” Marie Laveau, who is said to haunt the site of her grave, to the wicked LaLauries, whose true natures were hidden behind elegance and the trappings of high society, New Orleans is filled with spirits of all kinds. Some of the ghosts in these stories have sordid and scandalous histories, while others are friendly specters who simply can’t leave their beloved city behind. Join supernatural historian Troy Taylor as he takes readers beyond the French Quarter and shows a side of New Orleans never seen.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

This was another great entry in the Haunted America series, but I think my experience was lowered a bit since I listen to the author’s podcast and had already listened to the season on New Orleans – so I was familiar with a number of the stories included in this book. The stories are still extremely well researched and written in a way that they flow well. With Troy Taylor’s books you get a lot of history as well as information about the specific hauntings reported. I liked that there were some chapters that included smaller snippets about multiple locations, but also chapters that are devoted to a single location that has more gruesome and more in depth historical information.

Happy reading!

Review | Ghosts of Boston by Sam Baltrusis

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It should come as no surprise that one of the nation’s oldest cities brims with spirits of those who lived and died in its hundreds of years of tumultuous history. Boston, Massachusetts, boasts countless stories of the supernatural. Many students at Boston College have encountered an unearthly hound that haunts O’Connell House to this day. Be on the watch for an actor who sits in on rehearsals at Huntington Theatre and restless spirits rumored to haunt Boston Common at night. From the Victorian brownstones of Back Bay to the shores of the Boston Harbor Islands, author Sam Baltrusis makes it clear that there is hardly a corner of the Hub where the paranormal cannot be experienced as he breathes new life into the tales of the long departed.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Having enjoyed Ghosts of Salem by the same author, I was excited to pick this one up. While it was formatted in the same way and had equally compelling and interesting stories, the language used and the flow wasn’t as good as the other book to me. I found myself struggling a little bit to get through this one. The stories were definitely packed full of information and history, as well as interesting ghost tidbits, but I felt like the language used and sentence structure didn’t flow as well as the author’s other writing. Still, it’s a solid entry in the series and the stories were enjoyable and interesting.

Happy reading!

Review | Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace

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In her new standalone poetry collection, flower crowns & fearsome things, bestselling & award-winning poetess Amanda Lovelace explores the complexity of femininity through alternating wildflower & wildfire poems.

Within these pages, you will find that each of us has the ability to be both soft & fierce at the same time. there is no need to choose one or the other.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was excited when I saw that Amanda Lovelace was coming out with a new collection, and seeing the theme of it – the duality of Persephone/women, really got me interested. I really enjoyed the back and forth play between the two voices as the collection progressed. The illustrated pages of the two perspectives also had an impact. There are definitely trigger warnings for domestic abuse, rape, sexism and more, but there is a page in the beginning that gives a list. All in all this is another solid collection to add to your library if you are a fan of Amanda Lovelace’s poetry.

Happy reading!

Review | Questions for Rebel Girls

DeAnne1 Comment

Questions for Rebel Girls sparks lively discussions with more than 500 kid-friendly questions inspired by real rebel women from the best-selling Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.

Jane Goodall devoted her life to studying chimpanzees. If you dedicated your life to one type of animal, what would it be?

When cyclist Alfonsina Strada began racing, she was so unstoppable that newspapers nicknamed her “the devil in a dress.” What would your cycling nickname be?

Celia Cruz is the Queen of Salsa music. Beyoncé is a pop superstar. Roxanne Shante is an amazing rapper. And Joan Jett is all about rock and roll. If you could be a singing sensation, what type of music would you sing? If you could perform a duet with anyone in the world, who would you pick? 

If you could meet any woman from any country and any time in history, who would it be? What would you ask her? 

Would you rather ask questions or answer them? Luckily, with Questions for Rebel Girls, you can do both!

Girls love to explore their feelings, uncover their personality, and decode the world around them. One way to do that is to explore their answers to provocative questions about anything and everything. Questions for Rebel Girls introduces readers to extraordinary women throughout history and asks them to imagine themselves in similar scenarios. Designed to ignite exciting discussions between little rebels and their siblings, friends, and grown-ups, Questions for Rebel Girls is packed with more than 500 entertaining and thought-provoking questions—including some questions submitted by young fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This addition to the Rebel Girls series is a little different, it still includes snippets about many different women/girls and what they are known for, but the main aspect of this one is asking questions of girls who are reading it. Some of them are very deep and introspective questions, some are questions that are simpler such as ‘this or that’ questions and there are even questions sent in by readers! The colors are bright and fun, and as in the other books the artwork is done by different artists that showcase their individual styles. This is a great addition to the series as a whole.

Happy reading!

Oddball (Sarah’s Scribbles #4) by Sarah Andersen

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The fourth book in the enormously popular graphic novel series, the latest collection of Sarah’s Scribbles comics explores the evils of procrastination, the trials of the creative process, the cuteness of kittens, and the beauty of not caring about your appearance as much as you did when you were younger. When it comes to humorous illustrations of the awkwardness and hilarity of millennial life, Sarah’s Scribbles is without peer.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As someone who has followed Sarah’s work for a long time, I was excited to see she has another collection coming out. In it we have a collection of Sarah’s webcomics covering a range of topics from being an introvert, living in the time we live in, being artistic and more. I especially love her comics that highlight awkwardness and of course cats. This collection also highlights a few that are references to how hard the last couple years have been. Sarah does not disappoint with this collection and it is a great addition to the series.

Happy reading!

Review | Oh My Gods! by Stephanie Cooke, Insha Fitzpatrick and Juliana Moon

DeAnneLeave a comment

Karen is just an average thirteen-year-old from New Jersey who loves to play video games with her friends and watch movies with her mom. But when she moves to Greece to live with her eccentric, mysterious father, Zed, suddenly everything she thought about herself—about life—is up in the air.

Starting a new school can be difficult, but starting school at Mt. Olympus Junior High, where students are gods and goddesses, just might take the cake. Especially when fellow classmates start getting turned to stone. Greek mythology . . . a little less myth, a little more eek! And if Karen’s classmates are immortal beings, who does that make her?

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This graphic novel was a cute take on the Greek gods and what would happen if Zeus had a daughter that knew nothing about the gods and suddenly has to move in with him in Mt. Olympus. It was a fun modern story of Karen suddenly being among the gods and goddesses in a high school setting with a mystery that they band together to solve. I really liked Karen’s developing relationship with her father and how she bonded with some of the gods she met. It was an adorable story all in all.

Happy reading!

Review | Beneath the Moon: Fairytales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World by Yoshi Yoshitani

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Powerful and universal retellings of seventy-eight divine stories, legends, and myths from around the world, each accompanied by a gorgeous illustration from acclaimed artist Yoshi Yoshitani.

Many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. In this riveting collection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe, characters from beloved fairytales, cultural fables, ancient mythologies, and inspirational deities are brought to life, including Sleeping Beauty (Italy), Rapunzel (Germany), Jack and the Beanstalk (England), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico), Sun God Ra (Egypt), the Crane Wife (Japan), and dozens more.

Lesser-known stories introduce characters such as the volcano goddess Pele from Hawaii; Mwindo, the wise and powerful king of the Nyanga people; and the strong and resilient Yennenga, mother of the Mossi people in Burkina Faso. The recurring themes of conquering evil, overcoming adversity, and finding love and companionship are woven throughout this collection.

Yoshi Yoshitani’s art style is fresh and unique, featuring diverse and multicultural characters. Each story will be featured opposite a correlating illustration, both lush and vibrant.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book is a collection of fairy tales, legends and divine stories from cultures all over the world. Each one is condensed to one page, so it’s a good taste of a wide range of stories. Each story also has an accompanying illustration, which is absolutely stunning. I really enjoyed the mix of cultures and regions that the stories come from, some that I had already heard of and many that I had never heard. Though some could argue that the stories needed more detail or fleshing out, I think this was a great way to share as many stories as possible, give a good foundation and make these stories accessible to a wider audience.

Happy reading!