Blog Archives
Hanging Cloud (Polish Dragon P. I.)
When a sports celebrity hires Tom Sipowicz, of Polish Dragon P.I., to find his missing father, the protagonist of author Steve Zimcosky’s Hanging Cloud commences an investigation that will see him working to uncover a wide-ranging conspiracy against the Native American population of Cleveland. As the American government, the Catholic church, and a local medical practice are all revealed to be colluding together, Sipowicz finds himself embroiled in a cruel scheme that stretches back to the mid-nineteen hundreds and ripples through generations to the modern-day. Facing threats from old friends, Sipowicz learns about American history, and about his own family.
Hanging Cloud by Steve Zimcosky can be described as short, sweet, and simple. This mystery novel is written for middle-grade readers and up. From very early on in the story, the reader can quickly work out what has happened, the greater question that Tom Sipowicz must solve is how it has happened. In this respect, Zimcosky does an excellent job providing the necessary information required to solve the intriguing mystery, while withholding the vital links to put the pieces of the puzzle together into a whole that can be understood. Just like Tom Sipowicz, the reader quickly becomes aware that someone is lying, and they join Sipowicz on his investigation to discover exactly what, or who is amiss.
The mystery is straightforward and the author does not make it too challenging to follow the clues, which makes this crime fiction story perfect for young adults that are just getting into the mystery genre. The pacing is done well and keeps the storyline moving without too much extra information, allowing the reader to focus on facts and not get overwhelmed.
Hanging Cloud is a creative mystery novel that combines elements of historical fiction and Native American culture into the plot. This well-written novel writes about the Native American community with respect for their culture and beliefs, using facts to enhance the story. Middle-grade and young adult fans will enjoy this light-hearted mystery that takes readers on a stimulating journey to reveal the truth.
Pages: 202 | ASIN : B09MC5CH2P
Peeps in Bloom
Isaac is in a new school, making new friends, and carrying an old secret. As he is trying to settle into his role as the boy trying to get noticed on the first day, he makes a couple of discoveries. First, there could actually be a witch living in his new neighborhood, second, he just might have made friends with the school activist. Meg, intent on saving the school’s courtyard, has enlisted the help of her friends, including Issac, and is determined to preserve her favorite part of their school environment. Isaac, willing to help but fighting his own battle, must figure out what is going on with himself before he can help anyone else.
Peeps in Bloom, by J.D. Suhre, is the story of two friends both facing their own very different obstacles but simultaneously solving their own little mystery. Suhre has included several parallel plot lines to capture young readers’ attention and keep them guessing throughout the book. Told in chapters that alternate between the first-person points of view of the two main characters, Suhre’s story offers two unique perspectives of the same plot.
Isaac’s problem is a tricky one. While it is difficult as a parent to watch him face his own health issue virtually alone, I am sure this is a dilemma experienced by many children daily, especially at this upper elementary/middle school age. In fact, his apprehension in telling anyone about his strange episodes reminds me of the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. There is a great lesson to be learned from both stories, and Suhre touches on a hard reality with Isaac’s storyline.
I was pleasantly surprised at the turn the story takes when it comes to rumors of the witch in the neighborhood. There are so many ways a plot like this one can take; it was refreshing to see the way Suhre incorporated Mrs. Peekers into Meg and Isaac’s stories. As an adult reader, if I had an aha moment, young readers are sure to experience a thrill when they realize the truth.
Peeps in Bloom is a short creative novel geared for upper elementary and tweens. It carries within its pages some difficult lessons and wonderful examples of what strength, determination, and courage can do. Young readers will benefit from taking this journey with Issac and Meg.
Pages: 126 | ASIN : B09R1ZDN46
Ghost Flower
Ghost Flower by Kathryn A. Broderick is a fantasy tale of romance and the fight for justice. It follows plucky young Sophia on her journey of self-actualization. At the outset, Sophia discovers her small but immensely effective power to intercept magical spells cast by the more powerful mages. One of these mages, her fiancé Aiden, is the catalyst for Sophia’s rampage of revenge against the magical elite when he mercilessly rejects her. Sophia inadvertently sparks a battle between the Tower, representing the mages and good, kind King Solen. With Sophia’s help as the anonymous Ghost Flower, the Crown fights it out for power and fairness. Throughout it all, Sophia must battle with her conflicted emotions for Casimir. He is the king’s right-hand man and pursues her relentlessly. Her past relationship and a deeper part of her that has been hidden since childhood weigh heavily on her mind.
Broderick’s richly descriptive language paints a vivid picture of the kingdom of Arcadia and all its fascinating characters. This enchanting story explores themes like the power of the people against oppression, manipulative relationships and their tragic consequences, and the importance of being your own hero.
This beautifully written book will inspire readers to find greatness within themselves rather than gravitating towards others’ greatness. With a slow burn style to draw the readers in, Broderick reveals vital story elements gradually so as not to overwhelm young adult readers with too much information all at once. Sophia is like most teenagers; she seems to do things haphazardly, giving readers a chance to speculate on her motivation at times. Ultimately Sophia is a complex character who will gain readers’ sympathy and support.
Readers will be surprised and delighted with this imaginative novel’s rich and magical world. The way the author describes being under someone’s spell, and the difficulty of breaking this, is something that many readers will relate to. Sophia’s discovery and mastery of her own shortcomings are superbly developed.
Ghost Flower is a spellbinding young adult novel that will capture the attention of teens and middle-grade students that have a love of fantasy and magic.
Pages: 302 | ASIN : B09PJX5H6Z
Spark
People are gathered in Reunion Square, enjoying things before the area would be flooded by the rising sea waters. Four friends set off for a night of fun, little did they know that their life was to be turned upside down.
Spark is a dystopian science fiction novel set in the future. It is set in a world of rising sea levels where neighborhoods being submerged and lost forever has become a commonplace occurrence. When a massive earthquake hits panic and chaos break out. With the threat of a tsunami, and a fire engulfing the town, this group of friends tries to escape to safety.
Readers follow along on the journey of a group of young adults as they navigate the obstacles that befall them. The story introduces our protagonist, Becky, and her friend Meghan, who is going to Reunion Square to welcome their long-time friends Robert and Connor. And that is when the first catastrophe hits. One after the other, author Y.C. Leung moves the story along a detailed and well-crafted plotline, full of twists and turns such that there are no dull moments.
The author does a fantastic job of keeping the readers engaged right from the beginning. Throughout the book, the characters go through many life-changing events, catastrophes, and inner turmoil, thereby making the story very engaging and realistic. The story covers multiple coming-of-age themes, like self-doubt, inner turmoil, embracing one’s identity, making life-altering decisions, drug abuse, and relationships.
The writing style is relatively straight and simple, making it easy for middle-grade teens to follow and stay engaged. The author doesn’t spend a lot of time setting up the scene and rather goes straight to the action, giving readers just what they need to know to be in the moment. The conversations, the scene-setting, and the action are straightforward, making this fast-paced novel move quickly, adding to the feel and drama of the storyline.
Spark is the coming of age story of a group of teens that were about to set off on the next stage of their lives before apocalyptic events turn their life into a race for survival with action at every turn. I recommend this book for young adults who are interested in dystopian science fiction.
Pages: 228 | ASIN : B09Q93XWK6
Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest
Joseph and Eric can’t wait to start their summer vacation filled with video games and pizza ’til sunrise. But when the two best friends receive an unexpected invitation to try out the most anticipated game of the year at an exclusive tropical island resort, they jump at the opportunity. However, once they arrive, they are thrown into a fantastical adventure where nothing is what it seems. Friends and foes must be sorted, puzzles deciphered, and their own hidden abilities discovered. They will have to fight with all they have because life is not a video game, and there’s no respawning.
In Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of the Sealed Forest, author J.T. Tenera gives us a “finding one’s true self” adventure filled with action and video game references. The main characters go through various settings trying to stop an evil force from being released into the world. There are moments of calm in the book while the main characters enjoy a tropical vacation and meet new friends, followed by fast-paced danger when they encounter enemies much stronger than they are. The heroes are never guaranteed a win in their fights and end up seriously hurt at times. Characters “level up” throughout the book, just as video game characters would. In fact, the book is filled with references to video games – “tutorials” where they learn about hidden abilities and magic spells, new weapons and items found during quests, and a band of characters with specialized skills.
Younger readers may also connect to game streaming references, with one of the main characters trying to build a subscriber base. I felt at times there were many cryptic messages and long-winded explanations that didn’t add much to the storyline. Young readers will find characters they can identify and relate to, such as the arrogant, wealthy classmate with a posse and a slightly crazy scientist/professor with exploding inventions.
Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest ends with many questions unanswered. This is the perfect lead-in to the next book in the series. This coming-of-age novel for young adults will entertain them with action and adventure on a topic they love, video games.
Pages: 297 | ASIN : B09DMFR44V
Bellocaro
Skye Moon has been trapped on a magical island in the Atlantic ocean called Sceadu. She was transported to the island one day against her will with no clue why or how to leave. Those that arrive on the island like this are called spellbound. They are trapped in this magical paranormal academy till the island decides they can leave.
When Skye does not return the popular boy Chad’s affections, she is shunned by most of the academy. This common scenario plays out all the time in schools with teenagers. The popular kid gets all their friends to ignore someone to get what they want. Teens will relate to many of the characters in this imaginative story.
Skye finds solace in her dreams of her dark-eyed boy, the one she calls Bellocaro. But in one such dream, Ballocaro says that he has put her in danger, and the vampire Nymir will track her down and kill her. To add to her precarious situation, the school’s headmistress has asked her to show around the new students, a family known as the Blues. Thatcher, Rane, Wes, and Alton have taken on the role of personal bodyguards to Skye whether she wants them to or not.
Author P.S. Meraux has written a new young adult vampire and werewolf story. This is not a retelling of other vampire stories, rather a fresh new take to draw in the next generation of paranormal readers. Bellocaro is an enchanting blend of a love story, action, and drama. The mystery of learning who the Blues are keeps Skye on her toes; while everyone else is mesmerized by their beauty, Skye picks up on the details that reveal their true paranormal identities.
The author has done a fantastic job building out the world of Sceadu and capturing the teenagers’ personalities that reside there. I could envision the groups all hanging out, and the characters, even non-human, teenagers are the same in this world, with their quirks and attitudes. The mystery of the brown-eyed boy with a mark on his hand will keep coming back to readers. Also, the drama of if the Blues family will capture Nymire will keep readers on edge.
Bellocaro is the first novel in the series and a fantastic start to this unpredictable storyline. With each mystery uncovered, new questions arise. Readers will be drawn into the fantasy world that seems too real at times and stay for the unforgettable paranormal characters whose personalities will keep them turning the pages to see what happens.
Pages: 467 | ASIN : B08L2M3QD2
The Intra-Earth Chronicles: Book I: The Two Sisters
The Two Sisters, by author Kara Jacobson, is the first book in the Intra-Earth Chronicles series. The story follows the path of two sisters, Adrianne and Sasha, who endure a nuclear fallout in the distant future and are forced apart when the ground splits open and seemingly swallows Adrianne into an abyss.
Although Sasha does not know if Adrianne is dead or alive, we know Adrianne is somewhere deep within Earth and is on the run. The Two Sisters is action-packed and very fast-paced as it takes the reader on a journey into a deep and unknown part of the Earth. Little do we know that this story also takes us on a ride into exploring the unique bond that is sisterhood.
This fantastic book was a very quick read and each chapter ended with an invisible lure pulling you to the next page. I found it difficult to put the book down and thoroughly enjoyed following both sisters as they embark on their own unique missions. It was also easy to imagine each character’s personality even without much description, which is something I find difficult for authors to do.
This heartwarming story focuses on the bond between two sisters. Even separated and not knowing if the other is alive they fight to find them. Sasha refuses to give up on her sister and is willing to take any journey necessary to find her in the ravine.
The only thing I felt that was missing in this entertaining book is more character development. This could be due to the fact this is going to be a series of books and the author was just introducing characters to readers with plans to develop them further in other books.
The Two Sisters, book one of The Intra-Earth Chronicles, is an exciting and fast-paced sword and sorcery novel for middle-grade children. The action and adventure that the characters experience will keep children engaged and waiting to see what happens next.
Pages: 88 | ASIN : B09R6ZZHRM
LITERARY TITAN 