Fantasy Without Blasphemy Reviewed

Title: Voices of the Sea

Author: Bethany Harar

Website: http://www.bethanymasoneharar.com/

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

ISBN: 1937178544

Purchase Link

Reviewed by Beth Tropp

Never a fan of a certain vampire book (I know, blasphemy!) I began reading Voices of the Sea with some misgivings. Would this just be another vampire book -- with swimming instead of biting?

Happily I was all wrong. Voices of the Sea was a fresh new book that has a little something for everyone: a little romance, a little fantasy, a little adventure. The characters ran true as teenagers. In turn they were lovesick, moody, reckless, defiant, scared and childish.

The first part of the book, where readers get a feel for life as a Siren, is fascinating but when the murders start things really speed up. You'll find you won't be able to stop reading as you try to figure out if there is a traitor among the Sirens or an outsider spying on them. There were also several surprise twists that will keep you from guessing exactly what's happening until the very end.

Yes, it is YA but it's a story I think fantasy readers of all ages will enjoy.

----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Reader Loves the Pinata-Maker's Daughter

The Pinata-Maker's Daughter
Author: Eileen Clemens Granfors
Author's Web site: htttp://www.eileengranfors.blogspot.com
Genre: Women's fiction/late YA
ISBN: 1456341219 (paperback)
5 Stars

Reviewed by Maplesyrup, a reader, originally for Amazon

I loved reading "The Pinata-Maker's Daughter" because it is about families. It is about the family of Carmen and her mother, Lucia. They are the main family since Lucia is the Pinata-Maker. Her daughter Carmen thinks she is so smart and modern and goes off to college pretty much ashamed of her hometown (San Ysidro, CA) and her mother and her old friends. She has her head in the clouds. So Carmen has a lot to learn about life that is not taught in any classroom.

She meets two young men. The one is Hispanic like her, and he tries to keep her focused on handling classes and handling work and handling her heritage. He's very serious all the time, but I could tell he was like Carmen in trying to fulfill a dream. He wants Carmen to become a voice and a role model.

The other young man is a goof off. His name is Joe. He is a fraternity guy, and most of his time is spent looking for pretty girls or practicing his sport. The thing is, even though he doesn't know much about Carmen's heritage, he connects with her by just making her laugh and not be so serious. His family, at least his mother, shows Carmen a whole new side of life.

Carmen's roommate and her roommate's friend also push her in new directions. Isn't that what college is for?

The ending of the book revealed a lot of secrets and surprised me and made me cry. I want to read more about Carmen. She's very funny even when she doesn't mean to be. One of the best things about this book is the way that the author shows young people learning that life isn't just a bowl of cherries, and it's not a pinata-party either!

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Education Expert Reviews Historical Fiction for Youth and Older

THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL
Author: Hitchcock, Shannon
Author's website: http://shannonhitchcockwriter.blogspot.com

Publisher: Namelos
Pages: 131
Price ( Hardcover ): $18.95
Publication Date: February 1, 2013
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-1-60898-141-0
Category: Fiction (ages 10 - up)
Review Rating: Five stars

 

Reviewed by Diana Sharp originally for Amazon

Perfect for historical-fiction fans of books like Sarah, Plain and Tall and Our Only May Amelia, this tale of plucky and loyal Jessie Pearl is aimed at somewhat older readers and gives a taste of life in 1920's rural North Carolina, with details on everything from chicken and dumplings to Model Ts to "stink soup."

As Jessie grows from fourteen years old to sixteen, love with a childhood sweetheart remains innocent and heart-tugging, and her love for her family is as deep as the well where she winds her water. Faith in God is an undercurrent throughout the story as this church-going family struggles with survival in a world where tuberculosis claimed the lives of many. There's no offensive language, and the romance is deftly written to be appropriate for all ages, making this one of those hard-to-find books about teenage life that don't require a parental advisory for younger, advanced readers. Book clubs (especially mother-daughter book clubs) will no doubt find the ending both satisfying and open-ended enough for good discussions about how Jessie's later life may unfold.

About the Reviewer:
 

Diana Sharp, Ph.D.

Consulting, Development, and Writing Services

for Educational Pioneers

diana@DianaSharp.com

http://www.dianasharp.com

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Mystery Reviewed by Justin Lugbill

Heartbreak of Revenge

By: Eleanor Wright
Mystery Fiction,
Ages, 12 and up.
ISBN # 978-0-578-03013-5

Reviewed by Justin Lugbill originally for Christian Book Review

Heartbreak of Revenge is a two part story that takes place during the middle of the 1900s. The first part of the story follows two boys through a period of 14 years (1941-1953). David is a white, middle class boy that enjoys typical activities for a boy. During the warm months, one of his favorite activities is swimming in a pond with his three best friends. However, upon arriving one day, he witnesses something horrific that changes his life forever. He witnesses his friends throwing stones at a small black boy. Realizing that this was not OK, he immediately put a stop to it.

Through that incident, David develops a short lived friendship with the small boy who had stones thrown at him. Jimmy, victim to the rampant, bigoted behaviors of white folks of the day, has a very meager life when he is introduced to David. As I read this book, I couldn’t help but shake my head in disgust at the cruel behavior that David’s four friends exemplified on that day (and throughout the book). While we have a long way to come for social equality, author Eleanor Wright gracefully navigates through the racially charged situations of the time, as well as the emotions, rationalizations, and thoughts that filled the minds of people who lived during that time.

For me, these vivid descriptions of the social injustices that took place during the middle of the century were some of my favorite parts. Writing about these times (I imagine) would be very difficult. However, Wright navigated these murky, dark waters quite well, and portrayed multiple characters ( and their beliefs) with great imagery, and insight into their minds. Born in 1985, I have seen the generational differences when it comes to prejudice. There are frequently stories of violence, verbal abuse, uneven income distribution, and so on, but I cannot imagine living in a time where such blatant acts of racism, and the rationalizations and hatred behind it, existed. The Heartbreak of Revenge did a great job of giving me a window into this time.

Moving back to the story, it becomes clear very quickly that there is more to the story than the initial confrontation. Not wanting to give the entire storyline away, I will simply say that the title is a great indicator to the overall theme of the book. Revenge, in any form, causes harms…often more harm than the initial act that is being vindicated. This book clearly shows this.

If you are looking to read a work of fiction that explores the nuances of racial tension in the 1940s and 1950s, this is a great choice. With some twists and turns along the way, and an ending that will throw you for a loop, Heartbreak of Revenge is a sure pick. Posted 19 Jul 12.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :