KA,AZULA (Black Hole Radio #3) Ann Birdgenaw

Initially, I felt short-changed because I didn't realize this was the third book. It mentioned events that happened previously that I knew very little about, and the relationships between friends are not fleshed out in this book. It makes sense when I found out.

Growing up, I loved to read Enid Blyton's book, which continued until I was an adult. It sent me places and carried me through adventures I didn't get in real life. Personally, I prefer realism, especially in children's story than trying to imagine a group of kids going through life-threatening situations with skills that are quite a stretch for me to believe (not the 'gifted' ability—that works in the story—but things such as driving like Fast and Furious expert and shooting like John Wick). 

The basketball, school, and ordinary life scenes felt detached from the other two-thirds of the book when they visited the other world. It would be great if there were more relationships between these two parts or some continuation when they return for a bit.

For the characters, it's quite hard to get their age and distinction. Sometimes they speak like adults, and sometimes like children. There are also fewer unique personalities to each of them, but I give it the benefit of the doubt that they are reflected in earlier books. There is excessive use of high-fives that they feel forced to remind the readers that they are kids instead of working it into consistent conversation styles or other ways. 

I like the imagination of the world, the bluest blue, and the meaning that anyone can bring home. I can relate to not knowing that we are different if not for others who make a big deal out of it. The author makes it simple; everyone is open-minded. It's on the contrary in real life, but it works for children's books, and hey, actually, it should work in real-life too! I think it's an excellent message; it just feels a bit too preachy at the end. The earlier and subtle indication works much better, imho.

I round this up for the benefit of the doubt that many issues I have are addressed in the earlier book.

3.5 Random Alien Candies out of 5 Azulizard Sausages

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Talking to a Praying Mantis (Francis T Crowley)

 

The book starts right away with an engaging scene. We are introduced to a man's predicament, with him not really remembering how he got into that situation. It then methodically pulls back to his past and gives us some understanding of what he is doing.

It's an easy read and difficult to put down. We get inside this character's head, justifying his actions and reasoning. The character shouldn't be likable; he is selfish, as we are told about how he slowly destroys his life and those around him. But despite all his shortcomings, I want to read on and, at no point, feel that he is irredeemable. It's not easy, but I think the author managed to do it.

The level of knowledge about the processes and experiences convince me that this is a well-research book or told from actual experience. It's scary to see how one could somehow lose that much control of his life, and just like every real-life struggle, the cure should start within that person. If this is non-fiction, I am very happy about the recovery. The character is fortunate; not everyone has that level of support system, especially financially. Many would fall back into the abyss because of desperation and difficulty.

The book opens my eyes to the struggle and difficulty of getting out of addiction. The book's conclusion is long, but in this case, I think it's fitting. It's beautifully told and believable. So to whoever is making an effort, remember your inner praying mantis even if you don't have that level of support system. You are the first one you should count on.

5 Praying Mantises out of 5 Mission Barcelonas

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Below Torrential Hill (Jonathan Koven)

I am not familiar with this coming-of-age genre; this is my first experience with it.

Possible spoiler

Below Torrential Hill is a story about the personal struggles of Tristen. This protagonist tries to make sense of everything as we enter his mind, feeling his despair, confusion, helplessness, sorrow, hope, denial, and alcoholism.

Personally, reading between the lines of rich and imaginative language is not my cup of tea. The flow of the story is very descriptive and imaginative,  but I am often left to ponder, 'what do I get from this scene?' And there are times when I struggle to differentiate whether the character actually experiences what he describes or is it just another metaphor, especially when things start to detour, and the line between imagination is blurred. However, this style is appreciated by many, and it is fitting for this genre, too, especially when the reality blur is intentional. If readers are looking for this, you are in for a treat because the writing style is very creative and expressive.

There are also some not too/way too distinctive subjects/characters that sometimes it isn't easy to figure out who is talking. For example, when there are only two characters, a male and female, or when there is only one character, the name is being used repeatedly instead of referring to them as he and she. However, when there are two male characters, sometimes it needs to be clarified who is talking, especially when the conversations from two speakers are put in the same paragraph.

I wish there were more balance between the struggle and the conclusion. I feel like we are in the mud for 85-90% of the book, and the leftover is insufficient for the optimistic conclusion, mainly because, along the way, we touch a lot of disturbing things that are not adequately explored. Abusive parents, domestic violence, a possible murder (?), and I wish we know more about Lave's character because he plays a significant role in the conclusion.

Round up the star for the creativity of involving readers in the character's struggle.

3.5 makeshift trees of out 5 Christmases

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Starlie's Legacy from Tragedy to Triumph

I am trying to figure out how to review this book.

Spoiler review

The title of this book is Starlie's Legacy from Tragedy to Triumph.

It starts with a beautiful introduction about Starlie, who she was, and a brief history of her impact on her loved ones' lives. We get a powerful foreword, and I like her instantly, reminding me about many influential people I look up to in my life.

The introduction ends with: Some of the stories in this book may seem unrelated to her, but none of these stories would have been possible if it hadn't been for the most courageous actions taken by Starlie when she was a mere child. 

This is her story and legacy.

The story starts with a very captivating first chapter. None of the characters or event mention Starlie, but when I continued to the powerful second chapter, everything became clearer, and I was mesmerized. It has a solid connection to the first chapter. I like the way it intertwines and introduces the book; it's perfect. Together with the subsequent four chapters, they create a poignant story that connects me to the characters, makes me feel for them, and captivates me to no end.

And then comes chapter 6 and the rest. I read through them with great interest thinking about how and what powerful connections they have to Starlie. I read through stories about new and different characters, learned dozens of new names, and as the chapters came and went, I only found some little mentions about Starlie in a few sentences.

Let me be clear here. In the book titled Starlie's Legacy, there are a total of 5 chapters about Starlie, direct and indirect, but they clearly set a strong story about Starlie.

The stories are about everybody else in the whopping subsequent 13 chapters (there are 18 chapters in the book). As mentioned, besides a few sentences thrown here and there, they are not about Starlie anymore.

- There are five chapters of the new characters' love story and Hurricane Katrina, and until now, I am still determining the connection, if any, except the setting. I wonder why these people are taking up the same number of chapters as the titular character. I learned nothing about any possible influence of wisdom connected to Starlie.

- There is one chapter about another character dealing with war PTSD. The author, the son of Starlie, knows this character personally, but that is all.

- Six chapters about the author's family life and people who are close to them but not Starlie. Although there are glitters of Starlie's wisdom, there is only one chapter that explores it (The Help) in deeper meaning about her impact, while the other five chapters are about the author's life that are weirdly put together: a brief vacation story, a concert story, a cruise story, English teacher story, and one chapter about some ghostly experience that doesn't seem to mean anything.

- The last chapter, one maddening chapter about the Romanian Rebel (?). I was suddenly thrown into a political essay about more things than I remember. East and West, the United States and the Soviet Union, Berlin Wall. There is a plethora of names and societies, people that the author met, and their stories are mixed together in this chapter.

A quote: ...because we are celebrating thirty years since the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 these days, considering the fact that the historical truth must be spread, acknowledged, and above all, respected, I will recount the things I lived, and, particularly, felt those days... and afterward.

But why here, in this book?

This 'I' refers to a character who is not the author, telling pages and pages about this historical truth from the first person point of view and, at many points, mentioning this character's mother.

And... the book ends here!

Entering the second hour I write this review, trying as hard as I can to preserve the wonderful feeling I had at the start of this book. I must be honest that the last chapter is my peak of frustration. I would never ever prepare to read about some political and historical essay from a character that has nothing to do with Starlie, what the book is supposed to be about (I think), in the first point of view, and numerously mention 'my mother' but not Starlie. And all this because the author knows this character. I fail to see the significance of this inclusion to this book. I don't have doubt that this other character and his mother are wonderful people, but what I want to read is the wonderful mother to which the book is dedicated.

IMO, it has nothing to do with the essence of the book, am I the only one who don't look forward to reading something politically heavy when I pick up something that is supposed to be a biography, especially when it has nothing to do with the said person? There is a disclaimer upfront, but I think that there should be at least some stronger correlation to Starlie. Imo, it's even a stretch if this book is written as the author's biography because an enormous chunk of it is about other people. The stories are also disconnected from each other.

- I would rate the first five chapters as 5 stars. It touches me the most. It's hard to read because of its sensitive and traumatizing nature, and I am sure it's even harder to recall and write. It is a very powerful and inspiring story, there are many gems of wisdom, and I think it's impactful.

- Middle chapters about other people. Why are they here? What are their connections? The story won't be possible if not for Starlie being as wide as possible, as anyone's account would not be possible from (insert some major world/local event/ancestor existence). The stories are decent and captivating enough. They could and should be stand-alone. 

- Middle to end chapters about the author. This would work better if this book is about the author although they are jumpy and feel disconnected at times without an apparent red thread connecting the story to make it smoother. The first five chapters would work great, even if this book is about the author.

- Last chapter. It doesn't belong in this book, because of the vastly different kind of content.

It's hard for me to rate this. Dedicating almost three hours to write this review, I want to ensure everyone reading this that I am trying to be as fair as possible, and this review is based only on my own opinion. 

I probably had the wrong expectation, thinking that it's one story (instead of compilation) about the titular character or the family that is closely connected to her.

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DARKWITCH - DRYWOLF #02 (Kat Kinney)

While this second book regales me with the conclusion of the whole story, I don't enjoy it as much as the first one. 

Possibly spoiler

Personally, I think it doesn't hold the same magic and has become quite predictable. The Chosen One trope is too foreseeable, and it has double dose. I have lost count of how many times the main character wanders into the woods or roams around, gets into life-threatening situations, makes it back/recovered/rescued, and repeats as the main plot points for the story to move forward. It's repetitive and becomes apparent when you binge the book. It's also a bit tiresome that the character is thinking and whining about the same thing repeatedly, sometimes being overly dramatic about things that shouldn't have that much foundation to be upset with based on the personality of the character I read from book one.

Unlike the first book, which introduces us more to the world, cultures, and little things that matter, this one relies more on actions that build up the whole book with a reward of a predictable payout while leaving some critical plot points behind. Monkshood is well underplayed and shoved aside after all the importance in the first book. It almost seems like it's too deadly/powerful that the story chooses to ignore it.

Having written all that off my chest, there are still some gems. I enjoy the Gunnar character; although he is the only one who shines in this book, compared to many in the previous. I like that, as in real life, there is something after happily ever after in the first ending, that things are far from rosy, although I don't think it's explored to its potential. The final battle feels like it's coming out of nowhere, not built enough, and some questions are not really answered, especially tallying from how it has evolved from the first book's ending and events/skills/strategy/strength of each side throughout the two books.

Although it's not as strong, or perhaps I compare it too much to the previous book, it's still an entertaining read and provides the story's closure so that I will round the stars up.

3.5 cats tangled in 5 strands of arrogant Nils' hair

Another thing that I like is that despite the book being in YA Paranormal Werewolf, it touches and handles mature subjects well, and there is no point where I think this is mushy and I'm too old to read it. The problems told are relatable to the real world, and there are many respectable and rootable characters.

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Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

 

I had wanted to read this book for a long time, and I wanted to like it. But I don't. It was such a task to read; I think I hate it.

Warning: possibly spoiler

Let me sum it up:

- I have the conch

- You are the hunter

- We need the fire 

- The beast

- Two characters fighting over the chief position

Repeat as necessary.

I get what the book is trying to convey, but I find it hard to root for almost all one-dimensional characters. I don't know them except for a tiny glimpse of their backgrounds. Tiny is not an exaggeration but a generous remark based on a couple of sentences.

But that is not the point, the point is survival.

Yeah? Survival from the everlasting fruit trees and easily hunted pigs. Minimal shelters for what I assume is tropical weather with ocean water being warmer than the air (is it near a volcano?). What kind of fruit trees provide that kind of nourishment for that many kids continuously? I could be wrong, but as far as I know, tropical fruit trees like papaya, coconut, or banana need months or more to bear fruit. Some roots and tubers are faster, but they are not trees and still need months. See how they fare from a swarm of hungry kids who don't know how to replant them.

I joined several survival expeditions when I was younger; we had nothing but had to make use of what nature gave us. There was a lake and forest in the area. For a week or more, we had almost nothing to eat despite roaming a great area. The delicious banana we have in the stores are clones, genetically modified bananas. What we found in the wild—after happily imagining roasted or fresh bananas—were full of seeds. There was barely any flesh on them, and they were almost inedible. We could probably munch on ferns or leaves (mentioned in the book but not as food sources), but most of those we tried were bitter. We tried to fish and only yielded a pitiful tiny one. We dug for roots, but most that were sufficient for food sources were planted, not wildly grown, and mostly near human settlements. Snakes and small animals prefer to stay away from us, and medium-sized animals watched from far and decided we were not tasty. Have you tried to corner your dog to get something from it? Imagine trying to corner a wild pig in an open space. Maybe we suck, but we were a small group of young adults with some survival knowledge. Maybe we were at the wrong place, but the point is survival in the wild is damn hard, and the natural elements are no joke. And is there any mention of freshwater sources in the book? That should be the number one thing to worry about.

But the survival detail is not the main point; it is what they become.

Yeah, it's fun when they FINALLY stop bickering and do something (or not, they actually never stop bickering). No, I don't at all condone the animalistic behavior that finally takes place, but at this point, it was almost too late for me. Do something FFS I don't care. Heads should roll for my amusement at this point. I had almost stopped reading and had fallen asleep way too many nights. Yeah, this should show a chilling fact about human nature, and that would be good. But do we see the development of the characters that lead to that? Nope, not internally, besides war paint and bickerings. Cult-like? It was never consistent. On and off, and suddenly, it was a full-blown cult. Is there something supernatural? Hallucination? Probably. But I'm not aware of any hint about it until the titular character shows up in a paragraph, and for the life of me, I'm not even sure what it was. Then it was never mentioned again. GAH. Maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to understand, but I want something more than a pig head with flies that may or may not talk.

And the collective chants and conversations drive me nuts the longer it is in the book. Double name calling, repeat after the others. I get that it's difficult to involve that many characters, but they shouldn't just be a group of talking robots who imitate everything the named characters say.

And the big picture. Nothing? The plane crash is implied, a dead body is finally found, but what?? Why are the boys scattered all over the island without any serious injuries? Where is the wreckage, the adult, whatever hints of memory and recollection? No!

Just repeat after me

- I have the conch

- You are the hunter

- We need the fire 

- The beast

- Two characters fighting over the chief position

I thought of 3 stars, but only because it's a classic.

Then, I wrote this, and I hate it again.

2 talking pig heads out of 5 magical fruit trees.

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DRYWOLF (Kat Kinney)

First of all, I was nervous picking up this book. I knew nothing, literary nothing about werewolves except the eighties TV series, which I only watched for a few minutes. I remember the hideous effect that made it scarier, imprinted in my core memory with running away from a carnival where they pretended to unleash a werewolf. I swear everyone else ran too.

Well, I guess it'd be fair to say that no one actually knows anything about werewolves, but there are at least common ideas about them, right? 

So, it's not my cup of tea in the first place, so are Fantasy/Paranormal/Young Adult/Romance/genres. There are a lot of odds against me liking the book.

When I started, I didn't initially warm up to it and was wary about many torturous nights ahead. It was confusing to me, at first, with many names thrown around with their unfamiliar terms and settings. I didn't know what Proving, Alder, or Dyr are, and a ridiculous image of a wolf carrying a spear in its paw sent a knobby knot on my forehead.

Besides those and the initial alarming sign of what I thought would be a mushy teenager romance-erotica, I persevered through; it was not hard because I found many things that I enjoyed going on reading.

The pace is good. At times it goes very fast, but unless I was dead tired of too many other useless things in my life, I wanted to continue. One of the things that floats my boat is that, even though this is a fantasy, it doesn't use flowery-mundane language or unreasonable names for its genre. I loved the creative descriptions of everything: the scenes, settings, foods, senses, and expressions without overdoing them.

The characters are rootable and believable, I started investing in them around one-third of the book, and besides the initial alarm, the connections of the main protags are earned. There are distinctive enough personalities of important supporting characters, especially the father, which I learned a lot about without having many actual scenes with him in it. I felt Lea's pain, hope, and disappointment. I liked her thinking; it's not always right or good, but it shouldn't have to be.

Several funny moments made me chuckle. I enjoyed how everything unfolds, layer by layer, and thankful that the story and characters are deeper and more realistic. I wish Astrid is revealed more but the little scenes she has are impactful. Too many characters clean under their nails with the point of their knives, but I can't expect them to scratch their backsides while trying to act cool.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a 4.5 round-up because again, it has the recipe with all ingredients that I don't like but turns me around just for this, for now. This teaches me that there is no reason to shy away from any genre, as again, paranormal young adult fantasy is not something I normally touch with a loooong pole, but I am glad I did. I appreciate the storytelling, the message the story tries to convey using rootable characters. I can almost smell and see the world. I can relate it to problematic human nature through an unusual way to tell it. Maybe not to others, but uncommon for me, a virgin in this genre.

4.5 overgrown dandelion out of 5 furry white rugs

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