Book Reviews

My Life As A Bench is Available Now!

There is something in the mountains... something not human. What is it? Can it be trusted and who's side will you take in this engaging novel from Laura Bickle. A slow-burn story that builds until you finally meet the book's namesake. It is well worth the wait, the magnificent creature trundling into your imagination spectacularly. Will you side with the creature living in the mountain? The miners who have worked in the mountain? Or the environmental protestors? I urge you to find out! Three Stars/Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Available on Wattpad Now!

Starswept by Mary Fan entices the reader into a world where questions are piled upon questions until they are finally answered. Sometimes all at once, sometimes through little inklings of Information. The description included in the book details Starswept as "In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce. 
 A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her. 
 When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music. 
 But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows." A chance encounter introduces Iris, a student at the Papilio School to Daimiul, an alien from the planet Adrye. Fan drags the reader in a confused journey with the main protagonist to figure out who this strange story, where he is from and whether he can be trusted at all. A compelling read and a must-have for any science fiction lover! Four Stars/Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Starswept will be released on August 29th 2017.

Element Unknown by Brittani S. Avery is described as: "In fifteen-year-old Rex Marshall’s mystical world, beings are classified by and can harness the powers of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Light, and Darkness. When Rex, the rebellious son of an abolitionist councilman, impulsively purchases the freedom of Meenal, a peculiar blue slave, they discover a deep connection over one commonality: both don’t know who—or what—they are." The plot sounds like it has the potential to be interesting but unfortunately the author is unclear in the decisions she makes while writing. The writing level and tone is monotonous and resembles that of a fifth grader. This is at odds with the misogyny present within the text. Descriptions of naked slave girls and brutal violence against women at the hands of their owners. I'd like to believe that this was social commentary but I don't think it is. Even Rex, the main character who "saves", Meenal, the blue-skinned former slave, is not exempt from raising a hand against her on occasion. Something which is excused by the explanation that he is a fire elemental and it's in his nature. There are no female characters that are not there to directly serve the purpose of a man and even Leeni, the only independent female character in the book is a servant and is therefore not truly independent. There are also racist and ableist undertones present within the novel. I couldn't even finish the book for these exact reasons, even though I valiantly tried. Regardless of these major issues, the author does not even have the ability to weave a compelling story as all her sentences seem forced and shoved next to each other haphazardly. I also have an incredibly hard time believing that if Rex and his father, Kadmus are such determined abolitionists, that they still keep servants, and female ones at that, who are expected to bow to them. Finally, the plot takes a back seat to the misogyny and none of the promised story is delved into in any detail. I can only give this 1 star ⭐️ and even that's pushing it! Element Unknown by Brittani S. Avery is available for purchase from August 5th 2017.