Review: Eden Forest by Aoife Marie Sheridan

Summary

Sarajane Anderson is your regular twenty-one year old with family, friends and a normal job. She also happens to be the only person who can save Saskia, a parallel world to earth. When Sarajane is taken to Saskia, she could never have imagined the reality of the world that she is stepping into- a world where magical abilities are in everyone's possession. She must face a father she never knew, a world that is beyond her belief, a guardian who captures her heart; and a darkness that wants to take it. On her journey, Sarajane discovers her magical abilities, and realizes too that they come with a price. Sarajane is truly tested as her own loved ones are put at risk- the ultimate question she is forced to ask herself is, how do you choose who lives and who dies?

Review

I am absolutely in love with this book. Sheridan went out of her way to create not just an interesting story but a whole new world to parallel earth and create much more drama and action than if the story was set in Ireland the entire time. As you can probably tell, I love the parallel worlds in the story.  By creating Saskia, Sheridan brought a new dimension to the table and made the characters all that more interesting.

Eden Forest has characters in it, like Sarajane, which you just can’t help but love and feel empathetic for. She was forced to leave her home and deal with some very heavy emotional and mental problems without the safety of a place or people she felt comfortable with. Sarajane is a loving, protecting character and even more important, she is strong willed and sassy, pretty much a person everyone wants to be.

Without giving too much away about the journey that Sarajane must go on, it is captivating to say the least. It makes her go through all the hardships she feared and encounter things she never knew existed. Seeing her grow during the process was a great use of character development.

Combined with the wonderful character development was just the beautifully written language. Sheridan went out of the way to create not only a great story but wove it with gold. I was captured from the first word and was unable to put the book down until I finished the second in the series. I strongly recommend this book for those interested in fantasy and paranormal books and even those who have a special place in their heart for Ireland like I do.

Reviewed by Rachel Keane

Pages: 218
Publisher: The Universal Publishing Group (September 28, 2012)

Review: Destruction: The December People, Book One by Sharon Bayliss

Destruction (The December People) by Sharon Bayliss is a fascinating tale, weaving magic with drama, almost soap opera worthy in nature.

I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started reading this book, but I’m glad I was wrong. Bayliss creates a magic system unique to her universe that is so fascinating that I am disappointed that she didn’t go into more detail. I really wanted to know more about the dark wizards and all the different ways they could use their magic. 

Bayliss doesn't go into much detail about how magic works on a technical level. She uses a more intuitive system, making her characters feel their way around this newfound magic rather than read about it in a magic book or practice making magic circles. I would've preferred more of an explanation personally but Bayliss gives enough good description that I am content with it.

The themes of this book are great, with the balance of good and evil, that dark wizards aren't necessarily bad people, and that good people can make bad decisions and that it doesn't mean that they are a bad person.

That being said, there are some things that I take issue with in this book. The story itself doesn't get exciting until chapters ten and twelve when all hell breaks loose. The trauma the kids go through, including several hospital trips, neglect and abuse, are not mentioned much in the story and when it does come up it is only as a side note and not really dealt with. Also, there is this fantastic build-up for a big final confrontation but it falls short to me. I felt as though it could have been more exciting and could’ve tied up the loose ends of the plot much better.

Destruction is an intriguing look at a magical family trying to balance their mundane problems with their magical ones. This story has drama in spades as well as a unique personal voice and is a good read for fans of urban fantasy. I look forward to reading the next book in The December People series.    

Reviewed by Jazmin Gousse

Publication date: 4/14/2014
Pages: 250

Review: The Broken Bottle by Sally Wiener Grotta

The Broken Bottle by Sally Weiner Grotta is more akin to an essay than a short story. In essence, the story is short and introspective, not giving the reader many concrete answers as to what caused the disturbance; the disturbance that, as a result, shook the character Joanne so badly that she has nightmares about the incident.  

Grotta’s prose is wonderfully written, evoking the sense of unease as soon as the two characters, Joanne and Andrew enter the restaurant. Grotta paints a vivid and detailed picture and brings forth old memories from the complacent married couple and their delight over the food. Those touches set the mind at ease, but at the same time she makes sure the reader notices the growing tension on the other side of the room with a choice phrase or sentence. The tension mounts as Joanne becomes more agitated while Andrew is still at ease.

After it finally comes to ahead, the couple leave the restaurant and Joanne is fundamentally altered by the experience while Andrew is none the worse for wear. It shows how a single, isolated incident can change how one perceives the world around them for the rest of their life and how it could happen to anyone.

All in all, I feel as it was well written and has an open-ended conclusion that all can be read but will be appreciated by someone interested in psychology as it's more about how one event can change a person's way of thinking and how it can affect them throughout their life.

Reviewed by Jazmin Gousse

Publication date: 12/1/2013
Format: eBook

Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

Summary

Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man—perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths to her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentlemen suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Review

If you are a woman, then you have had (or still do have) a fake or imaginary boyfriend. And if you are a woman who reads, then you have a book boyfriend, a male counterpart that is equal to you and completes you in very single way, however they are not real. But that’s okay. This is one relationship with no break up in sight.

And no one understands that better than our leading lady Jane Hayes. Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, and only Colin Firth’s impersonation of the aristocrat from the BBC series will satisfy her. Unfortunately, one cannot marry a fictional character or an imitation of one and today’s man has not evolved or rather, de-evolved from Darcy mannerisms; thus leaving Jane to fantasize about a man that will never exist to be.

That is until reality takes over again and she is left to deal with subpar men. Yet Jane happens to get a gift from her recently deceased Great Aunt Carolyn, who discovers Jane’s love of Darcy on her last visit with Jane’s mother. And Aunt Carolyn decides to leave Jane an all expenses paid trip to Austenland, which turns out to be a place where you can revisit the time of the Austen era.

At first Jane is cautious. She doesn’t want to slip further into insanity than she already has, but when will she get another opportunity to actually live in the time period that was Jane Austen. Well, she could with a time machine, but who knows when science will advance to such a thing. So she decides to go and have one last hoorah before she officially gives up Mr. Darcy forever.

Jane travels to England where she literally steps back in time into the Jane Austen worlds. There are carriages that take her everywhere she has to go, there are bloomers and corsets and boots. However, she has to give up her modern devices and even her modern clothes. Suddenly Jane’s skepticism slips back in and some of her resolve fizzles a little. That is until she meets the men.

First Jane meets the gardener, one of the tallest men she has ever met and feels a connection. And Jane realizes maybe she wants to hang on to reality, or rather, get reacquainted with it. If there are more men like this gardener, maybe she really can put her obsession with Darcy to rest. That is until she meets the gentlemen. Tall, proper, polite, gentlemanly with long coat tails and snug breeches and shiny black boots, everything Jane has ever wanted in a Mr. Darcy.

There is a Colonel Andrews and a Mr. Nobley. Colonel Andrews is charming, energizing and engaging. While Mr. Nobley is certainly the more Darcy of the two, his attitude is so pompous and off-putting, Jane wonders if Mr. Darcy was truly this arrogant and how could she ever have fallen in love with him? Could Mr. Nobley grow and change the way Darcy did for Elizabeth? Or is her fantasy about to burst before she has even begun?

So far so good. Jane is really getting into the swing of things, although, there is no gym. How do Austen women stay so fit? Was it the corsets that suck everything in and make you sit straight up as though a rod were up your back? And the conversations, how much can one say about the weather? And it all seems so polite, as if no one wants or even is allowed to say something indecent. Heaven forbid one be cad in front of lady. And all the sitting! Being a New York, on the go woman, Jane isn’t used to all this relaxing. In all honestly, Jane feels utterly bored and wonders how Austen ever could write such romances since the women could never be alone with the men and no one ever says what they really mean? Maybe Jane is the one fantasizing the Austen novels into something they never were. Reality was starting to look real good to Jane right about now.

The gardener is her reality since he isn’t really one of the actors. However, Jane is enjoying being fussed over and though Mr. Nobley is a sourpuss, he too has taking an interest in Jane. Albeit just witty banter or rather polite bickering, still Jane is enjoying herself. Now Jane must decide here and now to truly see Austenland through the end and kick her Darcy obsession or throw in the towel for reality? Who knows, maybe she could write her own little Austen adventure and get the Mr. Darcy. How will she know if she doesn’t try?

Austenland is a novel for all us women who have been in love with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and especially Mr. Darcy himself. This novel is kind of like a mirror showing us the crazy delusion we have been living and either helping us see the light or furthering our denial that is Darcy. Austenland shows the downside to having a fictitious boyfriend. That sometimes you lose touch with reality and could miss out on a really good thing. Also, this novel shows us that living in a fantasy could cause us to lose sight of reality. So not only do we miss out on things, but have no idea what is real and fake anymore, and skepticism is all we have left to comfort us. Although most importantly, and this kind of contracts the two earlier points, our Darcy is out there and we really can have him if keep just a little of the fantasy and open our eyes to what could be out there. Basically, have a little faith and the man of your dreams will come your way.

Reviewed by Camia Rhodes

Publication date: 5/27/2008
Pages: 208

Review: The Winter Boy by Sally Wiener Grotta

The Winter Boy by Sally Wiener Grotta is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the dystopian novel, and a character-driven plot. Though not fantasy, there is a resounding magic to this book that is reminiscent of some of the greats.

The Alleshi are a society of widows who use a variety of methods to train young men for greatness. Part mother, lover, and instructor, these women are called upon to mold their boys into the type of man that will meet success in all forms.

Rishana is embarking on her first season, and is equally parts anxious and excited about it. At the request of her beloved mentor, she takes on a troubled boy named Dov, who proves to be both a delight, as well as hindrance. Through kindness, strength, sex, lessons, and guidance, the young Allesha proves herself to be a capable and oftentimes fearless teacher. However, there is trouble stirring in the Alleshi’s cloistered world, and Rishana cannot help but take notice.

The Winter Boy is a study on human character, and an interesting lesson on the psychology of the pupil as well as the teacher. The reader is given access to many characters’ heads at once, which, in many ways, deepens the ties between all of the main characters. The prose is lyrical, though straightforward. There are elements of philosophy, spirituality, and sensuality that are thought provoking, disturbing, even. It is a deep, all-encompassing story, well imagined and exotic.

I was mostly fascinated by the relationship between the boy and his Allesha. It is tender, complicated, and wholly unique. The idea of love, and all that it entails—it’s many reaches, it’s nooks, it’s various forms—is readily apparent in the novel. At first, I was reticent due to the possible patriarchal overtones that come stem from talented women sacrificing their lives for men. However, the author does a skilled job in shedding equal light and importance on both its male and female characters. They all have roles, many roles, but there is no question of equality. The Winter Boy is an ambitious novel. 

Reviewed by M.B. Sellers

Publication date: 11/6/2014
Pages: 508

Review: The Dog Park by Laura Caldwell

Book Summary

A couple's best friend?

Stylist Jessica Champlin knows it takes more than a darling goldendoodle to save a marriage. She and her ex-husband, investigative journalist Sebastian Hess, had too many irreconcilable differences for even their beloved dog, Baxter, to heal. So they've agreed to joint custody, and life has settled into a prickly normalcy.

But when Baxter heroically rescues a child and the video footage goes viral, Jess and Sebastian are thrown together again, and her life takes some very unexpected twists. The line of dogwear she creates becomes wildly successful, and suddenly she's in the spotlight with everyone watching—the press, the new guy she's seeing, Sebastian and the past she never imagined she would face again. Soon there's only one person by her side—and it's the person she least expected. She's willing to open up to a new normal just as long as Baxter approves.

Review

Despite my love for dogs, I was never one of those people who understood the type who took their dog everywhere and treated them as if they were their children. Don't get me wrong, I grew up with a dog that I adored and was part of the family but I just didn't get it until I read The Dog Park. Whether you are crazy in love with your dog or not, this is the type of story that will make any dog lover swoon and for those who are not, fall in love with their love for what everyone considers man's best friend.

Overall, I thought the book was a delight to read. It was so much more than a dog book. It was a beautiful story that portrayed an animal in a way that I haven't read before. For those of you who are dog lovers, Baxter, is someone that you will definitely identify with. You really as a reader can embrace the love of one's pet through the eyes of Jess and Sebastian. He wasn't just a dog but a member of their lives captured in moments that bring tenderness to the book which definitely he was the star that shined throughout. Their story, definitely unique brought an interesting storyline worth reading considering you might find yourself with a love/hate relationship with Sebastian but that is to be determined. Overall, cute and heartwarming, I'd definitely recommend for anyone who is definitely a pet lover.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Publication date: 7/29/2014
Pages: 352