Review: Floresha (Metamorphosis#1) by L.C. Perry

Floresha (Metamorphosis#1) 

by L.C. Perry

Seventeen year old Ringzette Almer is a Torosapien that lives in a world that is just as gripping as it is beautiful. The world, Floresha, has taken the place of Earth which was destroyed centuries ago by an unknown power. There are four main tribes that live as a part of its inhabitants: The Chayas, the Marconnis, the Wielders and the Juugulars. 

Ringzette, a Chaya, is plunged deeper into her world when she comes across a mysterious man who implants a gem on her stomach. As if things couldn’t get any stranger, she is told that her claimed to be dead brother may not be dead after all and a father she never knew has left her with an unfeasible mission that he himself was unable to complete. Now with her whole world on her shoulders, Ringzette must break the forbidden rule of travelling to the other tribes and find the six guardians that are born to protect this planet. She not only has to race against time, but also the enemies destined to destroy the very same people she must find and protect. To make matters worse, she will have to accomplish all this while managing to survive the treacherous lands of the tribes she's only heard of from her textbooks. As a lazy teenager born from a tribe of peacekeepers, what are her chances of making it through this alive?

My Take:

All Ringzette wants is another hour of sleep. But that's not going to happen, with the fate of the entire planet on her shoulders. A mysterious wizard hands her a huge gem that embeds itself into her stomach, a gem that will help her detect the Six Foreigners, whose reincarnated destiny is to save the world from an impending entity bent on its destruction. 

The six Foreigners are in the forbidden lands of the other Torsapien species, lands not only off-limits to the Chayas, but deadly as well. To make matters worse, the Foreigners have six counterparts, the Terrestrials, whose only goal is to slay the Foreigners before they can be awakened to their powers and destiny. Without any authority, without any abilities, without any plan other than to get moving, Ringzette must somehow save the world. But hey, that's what heroes do.

Content:

Drug Content:
G – There is very little alcohol in this novel, and no substance abuse. 
 
Violence:
PG-13 – There's a lot of violence, a lot of blood, and characters nearly burned to death. A healer really has her work cut out for her here.
 
Language:
R – The F-bomb is dropped almost 50 times here, with a lot of other coarse language spewed out, mainly from one race of creatures in this party. I get it, it's a plot device, to show the differences between the prim Chayas and the down and dirty Juugulars. But it's a bit to wade through.
 
Adult Content:
PG – The Juugulars are a violent race, and there are several attacks leading towards rape of one of the characters. Nothing occurs specifically onscreen, but there's a lot of adult language and innuendo scattered around..
 
Christian content:
Not a bit. This isn't a hymnal, and it's not the book of common prayer. It's a hard and fast adventure story, and none of the characters in the novel seemed to show much faith other than in one another or themselves. That having been said, I did discover that some characters that seem irredeemable turn a corner, and several are willing to die for one another, or at least get in harm's way to protect each other. So there's that. 

  

Final Analysis:
The Good Parts first: Floresha was a good start to what looks like an excellent epic fantasy, with stunningly detailed worldbuilding, a nicely defined main character arc, reasonable side character development, and acceptable banter. Hints of romantic interest added just a touch of spice. Floresha contained plenty of action, lots of complex battle scenes involving multiple supernatural powers. There were places where I found the book difficult to put down. But unfortunately those times weren't the majority. The fight scenes were frenetic and a little confusing, and moved so fast I had to reread a few passages to figure out who nearly killed who. There was plenty of action, which kept coming over and over again. The bad guys (and girls) were sufficiently bad, but their taunts and actions seemed a bit one-dimensional. The language was a bit much also, and kept kicking me out of the story. I read and review a wide range, and am ok with language in a book (though I'll report what I find here of course, it's what I do). But this seemed a little gratuitous.

All in all, the best things about this book were the worldbuilding, the plot, and the stakes, which couldn't have been higher. I'm a fan of epic fantasy, and this book did deliver the goods, but the dialog and pacing just didn't send me. Four Stars!

About the Author:

L.C. Perry is a young Black bi aromantic/grey-ace author who’s both socially awkward and distractingly imaginative. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Emory University and is a proud binge-watcher of anime and horror movies. She also knows too many Spongebob quotes, can’t dance to save her life, and has an unhealthy obsession when it comes to vanilla almond milk and caramel cake. Her goal as a writer is to continue writing YA while elevating underrepresented voices. Her areas of expertise are the Fantasy, Dystopian and Contemporary genres for the YA audience.
When she isn’t writing, reading, or binge-watching, she’s visualizing original stories inside her head—with the help of music, of course.

Feel free to follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L.C.Perry3350/

Review: Claire the Au Pair on a Tear (Celtic Hearts) by Peggy McGee

 

Claire the Au Pair on a Tear

by Peggy McGee

Claire Mahoney, a nurse at a care center near Cork, Ireland, became independent once her dad remarried and moved to Michigan to begin a new life. Taking after his traits, it frayed relationships between her embittered mother and sister Bree who was recently divorced herself.

Though, when her flat mate found a job as an au pair in the States, it enticed Claire to follow suit. Being a nurse, she was quite sought after for special needs children, finally accepting one close to her dad, hoping to reconnect and begin anew. Placed with a family with an Irish background, who owned a winery to care for a boy recovering from leukemia and his younger sister, became a challenge for someone who had limited experience around kids.
However, it did increase her social life, presenting other opportunities including meeting her step-siblings for the first time and touring the area. Unexpectedly, declining health issues of her mum called her back home finding her sister mired with addictions. Ironically, it was her sister’s ex Eric who was there to support her with Ava her niece becoming a common denominator between the two.
Because of the circumstances, they emotionally maintained their distance not wanting to make issues worse. Now, it was decision time whether Claire was to return to Michigan to pursue past friendships or remain in Ireland, knowing any relationship with her sister’s ex could further cause a rift within the family. Join Claire the au pair on a tear between continents to decide her future happiness.

My Take:

Claire Mahoney is a nurse at a convalescent facility in Ireland, trying to keep her head above water and escape from an abusive home. Since her parents had gotten a divorce, her mother and sister had practically disowned her, wrapped up as they were in their own addictions. But when she voiced the concerns of a patient to not be resuscitated, against the wishes of a daughter who couldn't let go, her job was in jeopardy. A friend had taken a job as an au pair in the United States, and put her name in as a good candidate. After all, nurses were in high demand for this role, especially for wealthy families with kids suffering from life-threatening illnesses. With few other options, Claire jumped at the chance to serve a family in Michigan within 100 miles of her father. 

The son, Aiden, was struggling with cancer, and the younger daughter, Kayla, had been a bone marrow donor. Both children were sickly and in need of her expert care. her nursing duties were the least of her worries, however, as she soon found herself the unwilling recipient of the amorous attentions from several handsome suitors. While struggling between the need to serve, and the chance for love, Claire received a call from her sister, informing her that their mother was dying of cancer, and needed her help back in Ireland. She returned with little hope of reconciling with her caustic mother, and the toxic vitriol she received from her dying mother was all the thanks she was to receive. Surprisingly, her sister's ex-husband became the only assistance she received when she got back. Would Claire survive the abuse from her mother and sister, and find love in the process? 

Content:

Drug Content:
PG – There is a considerable amount of drinking in this novel. The mother and sister are both alcoholic, and the sister struggles with a cocaine addiction. The family Claire is working for in the States runs a winery, and there is casual drinking there, but no drunkenness. A drug dealer makes things a bit dicey. 
 
Violence:
G – None at all. There is death but it's all natural causes, and most life-threatening situations are medical in nature.
 
Language:
G – Nada.
 
Adult Content:
G – This is a lighthearted romance, but there's only a few stolen kisses.
 
Christian content:
There's a bit here. This is not specifically a Christian romance, but several characters struggle with their faith. Church is attended, prayers are made, and a character receives Last Rites. In some respects, we see faithfulness in the face of severe persecution, service under fire, and a mix of characters who show self-control and shoulder responsibility, counterposed with those who have no self control and no accountability. 

 
Final Analysis:
I'm not usually a reader of lighthearted romances, but I enjoyed this book. The plot was interesting, and the characters had some depth. The pacing started out well but bogged a bit at the midpoint, and didn't start clicking well until about the 3/4 mark. I found some characters unredeemable, but all were believable and most had flaws of some sort that lent depth to them. The conflict in this book was raw and real, especially between Claire and her mother. I especially like the interactions between Claire and Eric, and was satisfied with the book's resolution. It's a reasonable read, with likable characters. Four Stars!

About the Author:

Peggy McGee, author of "The Psychic Sara Series", the Orphan Train Adventures, and the Wildflower Series (to name a few) taught school, covering many grade levels and college courses in various states, during the first part of her employment years. She has a MS in Education, to include Social Sciences and a Reading Specialty. Most recently, prior to retirement, she was involved with the elderly, providing for their psycho-social needs. During this time, she published many newsletters; however, her ultimate goal was always to become an author. She has three children, five grandchildren and currently lives with her husband in Michigan.

Review: The Sins of Men: Tragic Saga of the Cabin Boy by Danny J. Bradbury

The Sins of Men: Tragic Saga of the Cabin Boy 

by Danny J. Bradbury

Can an impoverished boy overcome his humble beginnings, abduction and abuse to participate in a series of pivotal events in world history? In the same manner as John Jake's classic saga, The Bastard, this novel attempts to document the boy's trials and follow his journey in conquering his past. Set during the turbulent period leading up to the American Revolution, the boy must either slay his demons or perish to be lost as another footnote in history. The story will tear at your heart, but will you believe that such a boy can actually make a difference?

My Take:

 Peter Beale is a young boy from an impoverished family in England. He steals to help his large family have food to eat, and this lands him in prison, where he is selected and impressed into His Majesty's Navy, to serve as a cabin boy and the HMS Progress under Captain Auger. He is tasked with assisting the cook in preparing meals, swabbing the deck, and personally serving the captain dinner, in his cabin, alone. Some of the crew, and especially the greasy cook, have some idea what the captain does to little cabin boys. Peter manages to escape while the ship is being repaired in Boston, and is adopted by a wealthy merchant. But the demons from what happened on that ship continue to torment him. As he matures and war with England looms, will Peter gain victory over his past, or die in the process?

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There is drinking and drunkenness, but not any more than you might find in a Disney film.

Violence:

PG-13 - Wartime is a bloody mess. Crewmen are hung, and men are shot, bayonetted, and mangled by cannon fire. A character loses a limb in a battle. 

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

R - Early in this book there is a somewhat graphic description of an act of sodomy with a boy. Many other acts like that occur but occur completely off-screen. If it was not for that first graphical depiction, this would be PG.

Christian content:

This book is not overtly Christian in nature or content. However, faith plays a significant part in multiple characters in the work. A mysterious protector in the jail teaches the bible to the boy. The sister of his adoptive mother uses the bible to teach him to read, and her husband is a pastor. In several instances, there is a call to pray for guidance and protection. Self-sacrifice, courage against overwhelming odds, and faith in God's cause are significant threads in this tapestry of the American Revolution.

Final analysis:

The Sins of Men: Tragic Saga of the Cabin Boy by Danny J. Bradbury is a well-researched historical novel, with gripping action, immersive worldbuilding, and high stakes. It is emotionally charged, and the author put enough into that first scene of sodomy to draw me into the work in hopes the victim would get his revenge. There were issues with tense and pacing in the first half, or I definitely would have given this one five stars, because it was extremely well-written, and by the end of the book I was fully invested and could not put the book down. Four Stars!

About the Author:

Danny J Bradbury is originally from Greeley, Colorado. He has a lifetime love of history and telling stories which he learned from his father. After spending years working in corporate America, he started writing alternate historical fiction novels to share his accumulated knowledge.

​

He is married and has three grown daughters and two grandsons. He served in the US Navy and now resides in South Carolina.

Review: Zombie! Haunted Mansion: Memoir of Jesse Jamieson by Zombie Origin Media

Zombie! Haunted Mansion: Memoir of Jesse Jamieson

by 

Zombie Origin Media

Stranded in the middle of nowhere, an unlikely group of high school friends embark on a series of adventures and mishaps to survive a remote zombie outbreak. With bloodthirsty ghouls trailing close behind, Jesse and his friends stumble upon an eerie mansion offering refuge from the zombie infested woods. But the residents of Krakuz Manor may be hiding a sinister secret more dangerous than the undead threat outside, or they might just be complete lunatics. Either way, Jesse and his friends must prepare for the impending zombie horde if they hope to survive their trip to hell. With no communication to the outside world for help, can a mismatched group of teenagers defend Krakus Manor against the undead, or will they fall victim to a living dead nightmare?

My Take:

Jesse's Prom date could not have gone worse. Literally. The girl of his dreams, Chloe, was asked to the prom by his best friend Bud, because he'd waited until the last possible second to ask her, for, you know, suspense. With poster and flowers in hand he ends up trapped asking the captain of the cheer squad to the prom. Someone who could not be less compatible. Then they all packed into Bud's truck with his friend Emu and his date Lexi, to head to Crystal Lake... er, Clearlake. Cheerleaders and Football jocks with the school nerd, all headed to a lake getaway after the prom. What could go wrong? Vhen you Vander in the Voods...

Jesse's date Becky manages to wreck the truck trying to play her vampire tunes, and they quickly run afoul of Zombies wandering in the woods too. They manage to find refuge from the rapidly growing crowd of zombies, in a mysterious old mansion hidden in the darkest part of the forest. But will the creepy inmates in the haunted mansion be any safer than the zombies milling around outside?.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There are a few references to crack. High school kids run off to the lake with a case of vodka. But it doesn't end up getting drunk, but being used for weapons.

Violence:

R - Oh wow. Head shots, eye-socket impalings, rampant wanton gunning down of poor defenseless zombies. Slaughtering them with bayonets and butter knives. There seems to be an endless supply of zombies to kill, and an endless supply of weapons to kill them with, from Russian Assault rifles and cannons filled with grapeshot to buckets of poo. One friend ends up with his hands cut off and other unfortunate things happening to him, from one mutilation to the next. Many of these are described in significant detail.

Language:

PG - There are a few cuss words, nothing serious. God's name is taken in vain um... many times, especially if you count the preponderance of 'oh my god' references throughout.

Adult Content:

PG-13 - There's actually not a bit of sexual content in this book, just a few kisses, no petting. But there are many titillating innuendos and a man's 'parts' are kept in a jar on the mantle, with a discussion about why they are there and not on, ahem, him.

Christian content:

Hmmm. One character refers repeatedly to Black Jesus. Several times the characters pray, as their situation gets more and more serious. One might consider that friendship plays a large part of this hilarious romp, but when the chips are down it seems to practically be every couple for themselves. A few times there is self-sacrifice, but if you enter this book for a moral lesson you likely won't get one, that's obviously not its purpose. There's about ten times people thank God for escaping, or some other minor miracle. One chapter references a priest with a taste for boys.

Final analysis:

I gotta admit, I started this book with some high hopes. The basic plot has been overused, one of high school prom kids out to get slaughtered by some Freddy Kreuger or Jason Voorhees. But these often are not laced in wit and humor, so I figured I was in for a treat.

The book is entirely written from Jesse's point of view, and the only content is conversation, onomatopoeia, and internal monologue in the main character's head. While this deep dive into first-person perspective is interesting in a short work, and can quickly put you into the quirky brain of an adolescent male, it becomes extremely frustrating trying to figure out what is going on without any description of action or surroundings. And repetitive uses of the Whack and Bang, Snap and Crackle, and pop, pop, pop, pop... you get the idea. It grew on me... like a rash where you couldn't reach.

So, here's my final word on it - this is a hilarious romp, a somewhat light-hearted if graphically gory humorous story; the characters are interesting and somewhat believable, the plot is sound, the action fast paced and the dialogue entertaining, the slapstick humor hilarious and the interactions interesting. However, the world-building was completely absent, the action confusing, the onomatopoeia extremely wearing and the pacing just dragged in the middle, and raced at the end. I found the gore to be a bit over the top, and would place the book based on that and the innuendos securely into the YA category. I'd like to give this Three and a Half Stars, but my scoring system is in whole numbers, so I'll round up. Four Stars.

About the Author:

Zombies! Looking for a zombie story with zombies and humor? Check out Zombie! Haunted Mansion and Zombie! Origins. Brought to you by Zombie Origin Media, a joint authorship of three idiot siblings writing complete and udder nonsense.

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Review: Sweet-pea's Thief by J. Cassidy

Sweet-pea's Thief

by 

J. Cassidy

“If you can pay, I can get you your body back.”

Her body stolen, her soul pushed into a world of magic and monsters, Sweet-pea's best chance of survival is to stick with Alan and his promise of protection.
Hounded by the threat of bounty hunters, wanted by the mysterious Tin Master and chased by monsters attracted to her, getting home soon takes second place to staying alive.

My Take:

Gambling for dollars is one thing. But gambling for days is something else. Charlie is dying of cancer. He only has months to live. But he hears of a raven-haired girl that will play poker with you, gambling for your remaining time. If you win, you leave with more time. If you lose, you... lose time. With little to lose, he plays poker with Sweet-pea, who relates during the game the incredible tale of why she is gambling Years of Life with the dying.

With her body stolen by a monster, and her soul pushed into another parallel realm with monsters and magic, Sweet-pea's survival depends on the protection of others stuck in this horrific realm with her. Hunted by bounty hunters, monsters and the mysterious Tin Master,  Sweet-pea finds that while attempting to regain her life, she may lose her soul.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Sweet-pea is given a bottle of pills to help her cope with the shock of losing her body, pills she quickly becomes addicted to.

Violence:

R - There's a good deal of violence and death, blood and gore. A torture chamber provides a horrific gory backdrop for one of the scenes. A hand is cut off, a throat is slit.

Language:

PG - There are a few cuss words, nothing serious.

Adult Content:

G - there's really no sexual content, though some obviously happened once off-screen.

Christian content:

Nada. There are some concerning concepts in this work, mainly that souls aren't eternal and can be used for food, that Time can be gambled away, or gained through a game of chance. There are some references to an afterlife. Heaven and Hell are referred to as real places, in other dimensions, but monsters can capture your soul during the 'tunnel experience' while heading to the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Loyalty, self-sacrifice, destiny and friendship play large parts in this tale. There is a definite struggle between good and evil here, but the lines are grayed.

Final analysis:

This book has an incredible concept - that between life and death there is a dimension the soul must travel through, and those souls can be stolen. That the body can be stolen, and the soul released to wander rather than move on to heaven or hell. The plot behind this story is gripping, the world-building phenomenal, and the action fast and furious. New life, Old life, are gathered like glowing marbles. Strange creatures like Griwald and Deadly Mimics threaten constantly, along with Tin Men and other horrific creatures. Magic amulets and spells are formulated and used to gain access to further dimensions, while time passes at alarming rates. Characters are often larger than life. However, the pacing dragged for me. It seemed to take an eternity for me to plow through some sections, while other sections moved so quickly I had to reread to catch important details. So, a great read, but some pacing issues. Four Stars!

About the Author:
J. Cassidy's website reads,

I’m J. Cassidy and I used to be an oak tree growing in a park in England. I still like to be decorated once a year.

Pink, sparkly fluffles and rainbows make everything better.

Her website is https://6twistedbiscuits.wordpress.com/j-cassidy/

She can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/6twistedbiscuit

Review: A Poem for Britain (Bards of Fantasia #1) by S.W. Wilcox

A Poem for Britain

(Bards of Fantasia #1)

by 

S.W. Wilcox

First the world was nuked, then mythic monsters invaded. What a life, and I, Dormira, am only 16--but going on 30. Good thing my boyfriend Skall is a genius. I'm a co-minstrel, linguist--and his bodyguard too, as we face Magic schools...Stolen youth...and Love-obsessed gods. Now the ancient Fire & Ice giants want the world to end. But they're opposed by elements of water, air, and earth, the shock-troops of friendlier gods and wizards. And bards from our techie future are a new piece on the chessboard. It figures the gods, ghosts & ghouls we're pitted against don't like our meddling. That's their shapeshifting sport. Skall urges we race mythic British landmarks within 48 hours of Halloween, performing key songs as hero-minstrels, solving ancient riddles and tragedies. Things move fast when deaths need avenging and you're time-skipping and running for your own life as well! Can our music save the world from chaos?

My Take:

Dor and Skall are witnesses to a great destruction at the end of time, driven by an ancient red-hooded sorceress intent on the destruction of man. With their electric guitars, songwriting and ninja skills they jump through a portal back in time to attempt to change the past which will change the future which will make the trip to the past unnecessary, er, and I rub my templs and quip with Captain Janeway, that time travel makes the head hurt.

The Norse and British demi-gods vie for mastery and love while Dor and Skall try to stay alive long enough to make friends and influence the movers and shakers of the skies. But will their time-changing machinations and their songwriting skills save them from the master of the underworld and a fate worse than, but including, death?

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - There are several drunken parties while cavorting through the past, but overall not a lot..

Violence:

PG - There are several scenes involving war and a few brawls that take place.

Language:

G - Relatively clean.

Adult Content:

PG - There's a scene where Skall is enthralled by a goddess and heads off to her bedchamber. There's a scene where the Norns discuss mating.

Christian content:

Nada. There's a scene where Christian warriors are battling the pagan forces. For the most part the only gods depicted in this novella are the Norse ones of Fire, Ice, Death, and the Sea. Frost-Hel, Etain, Gyn, Deirdru, Angus, Mannanan, Dovnu, the Norns, and the World-Tree people the past and fight each other for mastery of the all-important World-Tree and its many dimensions.

Final analysis:

Each chapter in this book began with sketches of the action inside, and it reads like a screenplay, which it devolved from. The action is quick and gripping, and the many worlds visited are panoramic in view. The World-building is immersive, and the humor and interplay outstanding. But the characters in the story were a bit wooden to me and could have used better dimension, the gods and supporting cast were almost one-dimensional. The stakes were high, of course, the fate of all the dimensions, but the action was a bit jerky for my taste. Focus went from one gripping scene to a quick flight or rescue, to another crisis without any real transition.

I found the world-building stellar, the plot outstanding, but the character development and pacing unfortunately in need of fleshing out. This could have found a home as a trilogy, with the amount of action it contained, but in its brief form it was a bit like a sped up movie, panoramic and epic and all-too-soon over. Four Stars.

Review: A Window to Your Heart by Sean McKissack

A Window to Your Heart

by 

Sean McKissack

Imagine if you could make you're cherished dream come true. If you could look into A Window to Your Heart and pull that dream into reality. For Jason Dennereck, the ever-vigilant wallflower, his dream is to one day talk to one girl in particular...the one who makes each day brighter every time he sees her...to just say something more than "hello" to her. His dream could come true as he is a given a glimpse into what could happen if he puts his trust in God and allows him to lead the way. However, the temptation to do it all his own way causes more pain he may be left with an empty feeling and a lonely heart.

My Take:

Jason Dennereck has a serious problem. He can't seem to get past the word 'Hello' with the girl he wants to spend the rest of his life with. As chance after chance to push the relationship past that word pass him by, he begins to realize that she may slip away without even knowing how he feels. His best friend informs him that everyone, including the girl, is aware of his infatuation, so why can't he summon up the courage to just ask her out? But for Jason, that moment never can seem to come.

Enter Lydia, the strange, Goth girl who promises she can help him achieve those dreams, his own way, without any fear of rejection. At the same time, a new teen at school, named Gabe, tries to encourage him to do things God's way, and let the relationship grow organically.

As Gabe pulls out a flaming sword and opens a portal to show Jason his past, and Lydia brings him a tome she promises is a recording of his dream girl's entire life, and the easy way into a future with her, Jason begins to realize these two are not average students.

Jason is given the rare opportunity to choose the future he wants, or accept the future God gives him. If he chooses to do things his own way, he may gain everything he's ever dreamed of, but lose himself in the process.

Content:

Drug Content:

G - squeaky clean.

Violence:

PG - There is a fist fight at school. There is one scene, a dream, where a student is cut to pieces by flaming daggers.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

G - It's clean. Pre-teen angst is about as far as it goes.

Christian content:

Gabe is obviously a younger rendition of the Angel Gabriel, and his encouragement to have Jason follow the guidance of God is clear Christian content. Lydia is never truly described as the demoness she probably is. The book of Life is referred to. The importance of a life, of the destiny of an individual, temptation and character, longing and patience, are discussed and dealt with. The battling of Good and Evil is clear, and the spiritual forces are represented well. An event in the past concerning a church youth camp is visited.

No scripture is quoted, God is not given center stage, and church attendance is only present during a wedding. But that does not mean that Christian values or an eternal perspective are not here.

Final analysis:

Window to Your Heart explores the struggle most boys this age go through. I certainly went through it myself. The struggle to overcome the fear of rejection enough to tell a girl how you feel about her. The struggles Jason goes through, the trauma and drama of Junior High School is very real, painful, dimensional. Trips through time, alternate realities, life-altering decisions, all make for an exciting and spellbinding MG fantasy with some life lessons thrown in. Jason is likable, realistic, and has to go through a very real character arc to navigate the dangerous waters of Middle School.

I would love to have given this a five star rating, but I found some of the scenes, carried primarily by dialog, to be a bit confusing, and I got lost trying to follow who was saying what, and where they were, to the point where it pulled me out of the story for a bit. This was an excellent read, though. Fast action, a quick read, real characters, and a solid plot. Four Stars!

About the Author:

Sean McKissack's ability to view the world around him and find a story and truth enables him to prepare the stage in a reader's mind for a heart-felt life cinema. Inspired by God, music and his experiences, he captures teaching and growing moments commonly found during adolescence. His writings epitomize the good and the bad in life, the joys and the pain, culminating in the coming of age and wisdom.

Sean hails from Southaven, Mississippi and he's always thinking of new stories to write

Review: How to Remove a Brain and Other Bizarre Medical Practices by David Haviland

How to Remove a Brain and Other Bizarre Medical Practices

by David Haviland

The medical community since Egyptian times has mad an amazing number of advances, but surprisingly, the primitives of the dusty past had some of it right, while much of it was quite barbarically wrong.

From Egyptian brain surgery to Cesarean birth, with every possible outlandish idea in between, David Haviland exposes medical science, and the lack thereof, for what it's been down through the ages. With fascinating tidbits of trivia concerning snake oil and quacks, and why we call them that, the author unpacks and analyzes purported myths like whether Jack the Ripper was a doctor, whether surgical instruments get left in patients, whether criminals harvest organs, why the stethoscope was invented, where birthing forceps were invented, early medical theories like bleeding and miasmas, versus germ theory and the accidental discovery of X-rays.

My Take:

This book was an interesting ride of medical trivia, and I found it quite entertaining and well written. The style was engaging and a bit titillating, the facts generally checked out when I took trouble to check them.

Content:

Even though this is a non-fiction book, figured I'd better put a bit about the content in here.

Violence:
PG - The ravages of many diseases, and post surgical infections are discussed with some candor, and the violence of certain serial killers is described with a light level of detail.

Language:

R - While the majority of the book is squeaky clean, there is an interesting chapter on doctor's shorthand that drops the F-bomb multiple times, as well as a few other expletives.

Adult Content:

R+ - There is quite a bit of medical information on breast enlargement ideas, penile enlargement, and some completely unmentionable other early medical practices that resulted in sterility, death, etc. A frank discussion of bra sizing in the US and abroad, a discourse on STDs, impotence, and sexual contact with patients, as well as early methods of birth control. 

Christian content:

Pretty much nada. While the Hippocratic Oath is discussed in some detail, faith of any sort really doesn't hit the pages here.

Final analysis:
While I found this to be an entertaining read, I would not recommend it for teens or below, as it covers some barbaric practices before anesthesia. A light read, easy to put down or thumb through, with many interesting facts, some quite interesting and informative, some just, well, gut-turning. The writing style was decent and the information seemed well-vetted, but I just couldn't quite pull this one up past Four Stars.

About the Author:

David Haviland is a bestselling author, ghostwriter, and journalist. He lives in London, England. For more amusing trivia, you can check out his website at www.davidhaviland.com.

Review: Immaculate Assumptions: All the Stuff You Heard About the Bible That Isn't True by Cornelia Scott Cree

Immaculate Assumptions: All the Stuff You Heard About the Bible That Isn't True

by Cornelia Scott Cree

In a society increasingly ruled by secular humanism the notion that the unseen, unable-to be-seen-spirit world rules the natural seems almost quaint especially since modern men only want solutions not ideas. But increasingly the data of reality and science makes this more probable than not.

If we do the radical thing, accept the Holy Bible as truth whether we understand it or not, we can join theology with the movement of history as a spiritual exercise. This book is not about religion; religion is the day-to-day practice of faith. This book exposes the assumptions we have about faith and practice which keep us from learning and realizing truth in our daily lives.

My Take:

There is a lot of misinformation spread around concerning the Bible, God, faith, the path to salvation, the life and eternal security or lack thereof of the believer. In a hard-hitting, fireside-chat voice, Cornelia Scott Cree exposes 35 commonly heard heresies and untruths concerning the faith, backed with scripture and wit.

With a clear view on scripture based on a lifetime in the Lord's service, Cornelia lays down foundational principles by dissolving misconceptions that lead entire denominations astray.

Content:

Even though this is a non-fiction book on theology, figured I'd better put a bit about the content in here.

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG - There's some discussion of homosexuality, gender identification, and sex trafficking, rape. 

Christian content:

Um, it's a book about theology. It's principally Christian in content and nature. I have a few points where I may differ concerning the answers to a few of the questions, especially in regards to commentary and extrabiblical references in #15, Once Saved, Always Saved. But for the most part, the book is spot on in its treatment of the gospel, of faith, of the Spirit. Of the inaccuracy of the Word of God. Of the deity of Christ. I will just suggest that you be grounded in the Word and sober-minded.

Final analysis:
Cornelia has created a timely, witty and relevant quick read here that clearly presents biblical answers to common misconceptions concerning the Christian faith. The anecdotal stories and sometimes sarcastic commentary cause me to imagine her standing over me with a wooden spoon ready to give me a whack. An example of this is her declaration that she would soon expect Millennials to identify as cocker spaniels, referring to recent gender confusion.

While I found most of this short book to be meat, and entertaining, I will end with a note that there are a few places where I differ, and while I am not a qualified theologian, I expect these might take the reader through some bumps. There were also some ramblings which caused the pace through this to be a bit slow for my liking. So, a relatively well-researched and well written and entertaining read. Four Stars!

About the Author:
God said in Jeremiah 1:12 "I will watch over my word to perform it." At no time has He said "I will watch over the word of a TV anchor, the President or a movie star, or even you and me. Only His. 

"So I scoured the Bible to affirm how modern events verify His words. It is an inductive study, truthful and untainted for 4,000 years and my books and other writings are not about a church or what any man says, but what God says and means to come true. So you can see the future in the Bible too."

Cornelia Scott Cree studied the Bible especially in the original Greek, plus Latin for vocabulary and etymology, French, and Chinese; she wrote her Master’s degree thesis on theological sign language and finished one-half her doctorate at University of South Africa. She had a private school classical education, attended Smith College and other universities and colleges as well.

On TV Churchill's grand-daughter said the following. "Hitler made you believe he could do anything. Churchill made you believe you could do anything." As an author of Christian books my mission is to make you believe God can do anything.

She has an unusual work history, as a print journalist for a scientific, business and tech newspaper, as a wallpaper hanger and many years working with inmates and victims. She has three grown children, three grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. Except for those years spent in the foreign mission fields of China and the Philippines, in Texas and her youth in the Eastern USA she lived most of her adult life in North Carolina.

Please visit http://www.americanthinker.com/ to read her other articles and blog posts.

Waynesville, Maggie Valley, North Carolina 2017 桃李