Review: Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories by Nancy Christie

In Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories, by Nancy Christie, the reader is introduced to an array of characters and plots that range from the incredibly lyrical to intensely morbid. 

These 18 stories examine the human spirit at it’s most vulnerable; the stories are complex, varying, and thoroughly imaginative, introducing a fresh voice to fiction that is both ironic as well as gorgeously gloomy. Throughout, a pervasive sense of melancholy hangs upon each story, coloring them with language that is both lilting as well as arresting in its deep sadness. 

In “Alice in Wonderland”, our protagonist is forced to care for her bitter and caustic mother. Torn between guilt, and a desire to escape her secluded life, Alice finds solace in eating the pages of books—literally ingesting the stories in an attempt to free herself from the dark confines of a life lived in servitude. “The Sugar Bowl” plays with the notion of story telling, and how powerful it can become when manipulated. A few stories later, we find “The Healer”, which tells the tale of a young girl who has inherited her mother and grandmother’s abilities. However, with her gift comes a great cost, which ultimately claims her life. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” serves as a reinforcement of one of the main themes throughout this collection: mental illness, examined from a unique perspective that gives the reader insight into the mind of the insane. In “Waiting for Sara”, our protagonist is a single mother who yearns for her daughter who has run away, and chosen to live a life fueled by drugs and alcohol. It is one of the most realistic stories, and serves as a grounding point, in an otherwise mildly “surreal” collection. My favorite story, “Annabelle”, is a lengthier story, about childhood trauma, the role of women, and art. Anna is forced to confront her troubled past by her therapist, Jules. 

All of these stories have the gusto and literary verve to stand on their own. Their plots are well imagined, and regardless of the varying realism found throughout, believable. Christie gives the reader a cast of men, women, and children, all deeply imbedded into their lives, searching for something that is heart wrenching, and familiar.

Reviewed by MB Sellers

Publication date: 9/9/2014
Pages: 232

Review: Branded by Missy Kalicicki and Abi Ketner

Summary

Fifty years ago The Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. 

To punish the guilty, he created the Hole, a place where sinners are branded according to their sins. Sinners are forced to live a less than human existence in deplorable conditions, under the watchful eye of guards who are ready to kill anyone who steps out of line.

Now, LUST wraps around my neck like thick, blue fingers, threatening to choke the life out of me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit, and the Hole is my new home. 

Constant darkness. 
Brutal and savage violence. 
Excruciating pain. 
Every day is a fight for survival. 
But I won’t let them win. I will not die in the Hole. 
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Review

Dystopian novels have always had a special place in my collection because I am drawn to the experience they introduce to a reader. I went into this read with high expectations that the authors, Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki, went above and beyond with its intriguing plot.

Branded is about a twisted world compared to the one we know, run by one man who classifies the prisoners by their sins with a Brand on their neck. The system is clearly flawed though, with the ability to accuse anyone of a sin and absolutely no system to prove innocence, many people unrightfully end up in the Hole, the prison the commander created to hold all of his sinners. Lexi is one of the unfortunate citizens accused of lust, even worse, it was done by her own mother. With no way to prove the accusations false, Lexi ends up in the Hole. Young and innocent, it is a miracle that Lexi is not alone. There to guard her, for reasons unknown, is Cole, a guard of the Hole. 

The idea of branding each prisoner is horrifying but also adds a certain unique quality that lacks in other books. Prisoners like Lexi who have not done anything wrong to end up in the Hole, will (hopefully) overturn the government in the future but they will always have a piece of it on their neck. Typically, citizens who break free of the government in a dystopian novel get rid of the past, but Lexi is not able to and it will be a constant reminder of the bravery and fighting she learned through her experience. 

I loved watching Lexi transform from a sad girl with a troubled past to pretty much an expert fighter. Branded showed her journey and the many ways that the experience was wrong, but helped her in the end.  She also grew emotionally, from a suicidal girl to a women with a love interest .Here is where the only complaint lies. Sure, Cole and Lexi were in a life and death situation every day, but I felt that their romance just happened in one chapter. The two had tension for a while, but they never told each other and all of a sudden they were a couple, not that I minded I just wish to have had a little more development. 

I absolutely loved Branded, Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki did a wonderful job to say the least. It was entertaining and funny with all the right amounts of action and of course, romance. What is a dystopian novel without romance? 

Branded kept you on your toes guessing, mostly wrong, the whole book right up until the very last shocking detail, which you never see coming. The unexpected details are so satisfying, even if you could not figure it out on your own. The length was perfect for me because I love books you have to struggle to finish in one sitting, the longer the better. Even though I am hoping to see another book in this series in the future, I am completely satisfied with the way it ended, for now. 

Reviewed by Rachel Keane

Publication date: 6/30/2014
Series: Sinners Series , #1
Pages: 384

Review: The Last Days of California by Mary Miller

Mary Miller’s The Last Days of California is a quiet epic, the sort you kind of stumble into, and then get stuck—out of pure fascination, and something akin to nostalgia. It’s also the type of novel that feels familiar, harkening to a time, and certain feelings you may have forgotten about in the process of growing up. Fifteen-year-old Jess, her older, darkly glamorous, rebel sister, Elise, and their parents, set out on a road trip to California because the world is ending, and their father believes that the Second Coming is very near. Urged by their evangelical father to distribute tracts to nonbelievers everywhere they go, Jess is subjected to a litany of Waffle Houses and McDonald’s, long stretches of dry, dusty land, and the unfortunate realization that something may be amiss. 

Miller writes in quick, decisive language. She is able to capture, completely, the lonesome feelings of a teenage girl, the sisterly squabbles that perpetually erupt in backseats with too little A.C. and not enough legroom, and a child’s realization that parents are just as human, and just as wrong, as the rest of us. From contraband beers, to boys at late nights, to keeping secrets, Miller’s prose is rife with a specific kind of adolescent longing that gnaws at the insides. It is uncomfortable, it is unabashedly honest, and it is beautifully real. 

Miller deftly peppers the story with subtle asides—the plight of eating fast food daily, the pros and cons to hamburgers, and the crazy, breathtaking sensation one feels after texting a new boy, for the first time. The novel is largely centered in the car, as well as various hotels—some nice, some terrible, some with open bars and pink, fruity cocktails. It’s just this sort of description that renders her story, both easily digestible, surface-wise, as well as literarily significant. It’s the kind of writing that sinks in it’s teeth, and stays.

Reviewed by MB Sellers

Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication date: 9/2/2014
Pages: 256

Review: I Am the Weapon (Unknown Assassin Series #1) by Allen Zadoff

Book Summary

They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone to die — of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.

But when The Program assigns him to the mayor of New York City, things change. Somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and a girlfriend; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.

Review

Taking a chance on this book, I am so glad I decided to read it. I was sort of walking the fence fearing the potential violence I perceived it would be. Don’t get me wrong, I can take a little action but when I see assassins, I think about the sleep I will lose. Once that book was open, the plot just takes off to be quite the page turner.

You have this young kid, who had the normal perceived life that was turned upside down after the introduction of this guy Mike. After seeing his parents, presumed dead, he was taken into “The Program” which his identity was taken from him. Not remembering who he was, where he came from, all he knows is that he is given assignments from the two people he is to call Mother and Father, which he is given a target to kill. Without giving too much away, it isn’t until his last assignment that something happens that is the catalyst for a change of events that affect who he thinks he is and what he really wants to do that leaves the reader holding on not wanting to let go.

I Am Weapon, is the first book of the Unknown Assassin series. I’m really looking forward to reading the second book. It was definitely a book that was thoroughly entertaining. For a young adult book, it was action pack and well thought out. If you have a kid that reading isn’t really their thing but like this genre of books, trust me when I tell you that this is one of those that will make them want to read. Like I said before, I have a tolerance level for violence but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be considering these days the boundaries of kids and adults are that different.

I think I’m not alone with other people when you first read the summary, the plot may leave you on the fence. Well, jump over because when you start reading the book and get in the head of the character, he is more exciting that he initially sounds. Told through his pov, you forget you are reading about a kid because he is so believable and keeps your interest the entire book. The chapters are quick, so if your reader is the type to get bored after a few pages, it’s just the right pace for them to keep going. I think this is going to be an awesome series. If they are looking for something action packed and exciting, I’d give this one a try.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Publication date: 5/13/2014
Series: Unknown Assassin Series , #1
Pages: 368

Review: Poison Makers by Jimmy Olsen

If you’re a fan of mystery and suspense, you’ll enjoy Poison Makers. It is an interesting and suspenseful romp into the mystery genre that jumps from Santo Domingo to Haiti to New York and back again.

The plot follows Edgar Espinosa-Jones (EJ), a scuba diver and part-time detective as he is hired to investigate the death of an ambassador. His investigation leads him to Haiti and deep into Haitian voodoo religion. Things are not all that they seem in this world of murder and voodoo and EJ has to figure out whom to trust if he wants to solve this mystery and get out unscathed.

I am not an avid reader of mystery novels, but Olsen grabbed my attention with its dip into Haitian voodoo religion. The writing is solid and delves into beautiful descriptions about its surroundings as well as Dominican politics (or how it was in the 70’s anyway) It is an interesting and unique look at another culture that many people won’t get to experience firsthand. The plot is engaging, you are given just enough information to follow the mystery without guessing the ending.

This doesn’t mean the book doesn’t have its flaws. I felt as if the prologue was unnecessary and Olsen tends to mention EJ’s American-Dominican heritage too often, but the story was fun, had interesting side characters like Sonja Cadavid and Mickey Alba and was filled with twists and false leads and leading to surprising climax near the end of the novel.

This novel is recommended if you are a fan of the thriller and mystery genres. It’s witty, fast paced, and has a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewed by Jazmin Gousse

Publisher: Hoffman House Press
Publication date: 6/1/2011
Pages: 347

Review: Forensic Songs by Mike McCormack

Book Summary

"A prisoner is drawn from his cell in the middle of the night to play a video game; two rural guards ponder the security threat posed by the only man in Ireland not to have written his memoirs; a child tries to thwart his destiny as a serial killer; a couple has a strange, spiraling argument while watching an American cop show. In twelve stories of menace, ingenuity and formal precision, McCormack charts new connections between Ireland, the world of globally interconnected information, and the darkness inside us all." 

Review

The authors of short story collections face many challenges foreign to writers of lengthy novels. They must pack the emotional depth and complexity of each stories' own unique cast of narrators and passing personas into only a few pages. They must make the few, often mundane, incidents hold the meaning of a much grander scale. And finally, they must try to make a cohesive whole, a collection, out of these individually complete fragments. So whenever I curl up with a book of short stories, I open the cover with a great appreciation for the degree of skill and effort that went into its creation.

Mike McCormack's Forensic Tales, true to the implications of its title, smolders with all the undiscovered things beneath the surface of the story, the character's dialogue is simmering with the tension of unexplained, pre-existing relationships, and the reader slips into the role of investigator. Thrown into the middle of often surreal situations, I found myself constantly attempting to reconstruct scenes that I was not privy to and trying to guess at the intentions of people I did not know. As a reader used to automatically and easily inhabiting the minds of a vast array of characters, I found this sort of disorientation challenging and interesting. 

There's no question that Forensic Tales is full of well-crafted stories. There are so many piercingly beautiful sentences and my copy is now full of underlined passages. However, while impressively ambitious in scope and subject matter, these stories often fell short of any true personal connection and its ideas and speculative scenarios rang hollow in their execution. In one of his most interesting stories, "There Is a Game Out There," a falsely condemned prisoner is asked to use his experiences to evaluate a video game. As the exchange between the prisoner and the corporate negotiator escalates, the narrator reflects that "The whole encounter feels like some intricate construct dropped from a higher, more abstract realm." That's a pretty accurate summary of how I felt about most of the stories- they were intricate and well-constructed, but they felt so strange and abstract that I never forgot for a second that I was reading a story. I was never able to lose myself in it. 

So if you're looking for a nice beach read, the type of book that you just can't put down, this is probably not the book for you. But if you're looking for thought-provoking, philosophical writing that you can digest in small doses, it's definitely worth checking out. 

Reviewed by Miranda Wojciechowski

Publisher: Soho Press, Incorporated
Publication date: 7/8/2014