I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie by Alison Cybe


I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie by Alison Cybe
Publisher: Deep Hearts YA
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (164 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Y’know, if I was a sexy type of undead, like a vampire or something, I’m sure I’d have some kind of supernatural power to bring any guy I liked under my charismatic control. Best I can hope for is to not decompose over someone’s shoes. How romantic.”

And you thought it was hard coming out as gay… Jay was a perfectly normal teenager, like any other awkward, antisocial, gay teenager. Until he was bitten by a mysterious zombie boy.
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Now, Jay has far more on his mind than he can handle. Not only is he struggling to keep his troubled family together and deal with his unfulfilled love for the hottest guy in school, he also needs to keep in check his urge to devour human flesh. All the while making sure his decomposition doesn’t show. As if he wasn’t already enough of an outsider…

This unique story offers a fresh and exciting new twist on the young adult LGBT coming-of-age comedy horror tale. Shockingly aware and witty, this thrilling tale by acclaimed horror and dark fantasy author Alison Cybe dishes up side-splitting laughter, stomach-churning horror, heart-rending drama and everything you’ll need to know about growing up when you just don’t fit in.

Some zombies are full of surprises.

Jay’s character development was marvelous. Like many teenagers, he dealt with moods that sometimes changed rapidly and often felt like no one in the world understood him. Ms. Cybe captured what it’s like to be a teenager perfectly. If that wasn’t enough, Jay also changed in all sorts of delightful ways as his body continued to look less like the person he’d been before he was bitten. He felt real to me, and that’s always something to praise.

There were some parts of the storyline that weren’t well developed. This was especially true when it came to some of the things the protagonist did to hide his injury, illness, death, resurrection, and undead afterlife from the people closest to him. I was surprised by how oblivious his parents were to all of these developments, and it would have been nice to have more reasons for them missing such blatant signs that something had dramatically changed in their son’s life. If they’d been included, I would have given this book a much higher rating. Everything else about it was great.

The descriptions of what it felt like to be zombie were well done. Every universe has their own rules about how this process works and how long it takes. This was definitely one of the longest transformations I’ve ever read about, so I was fascinated by how slowly Jay changed after he was bitten. It was also interesting to see all of the ways he didn’t conform to the typical stereotypes of this monster. Sharing specific details about them would give away too many spoilers, but the author did a great job of putting her own twist on traditional zombie lore.

I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie should be read by fans of the young adult and horror genres alike.

Seacity Rising: A Tale of Unwatery Adventures by Elika Ansari


Seacity Rising: A Tale of Unwatery Adventures by Elika Ansari
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (232 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the underwater animals of Seacity pond learn that their home is in danger, they decide to investigate further by doing something no one has ever done before – go up to land to seek the answers they need. An unlikely team of two royal turtles, a genius goldfish and a timorous frog are then assembled to embark on a series of adventures. Whether they are racing the fastest tortoise on earth, falling in love with travelling mice theatre, or bringing peace to warring ant colonies, each unique experience is taking the group of friends closer to the heart of what is really going on. But will they make it back in time to save Seacity before the Winter’s Slumber?

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This book was filled with plot twists. I was impressed with how imaginative they were, especially as Babak the Frog and his friends went further into their journey to discover why their home is in danger and what they should do to try to keep it safe. It was fun to be surprised by all of the wonderful and sometimes frightening things they learned along the way.

There were pacing issues in the beginning. While I liked getting to know all of the pond inhabitants so well, this didn’t leave as much room as I would have liked to see for plot development. I had trouble remaining interested in what would happen next because of that. The pacing did eventually pick up, but I do wish the beginning had been easier to get into.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this tale was how much empathy the characters had for each other. Life wasn’t always easy in the pond or the land that surrounded it, but so many of the creatures who lived there were committed to helping each other when they had troubles. I’m always interested in reading about characters who are that compassionate and kind. Luckily, there were plenty of them to be found here!

I’d recommend Seacity Rising: A Tale of Unwatery Adventures to anyone who cares about animals.

Stone Soup by Heather Forest


Stone Soup by Heather Forest
LittleFolk
Publisher: August House
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Two hungry travelers arrive at a village expecting to find a household that will share a bit of food, as has been the custom along their journey. To their surprise, villager after villager refuses to share, each one closing the door with a bang.

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In this cumulative retelling of an ancient and widely circulated legend, author Heather Forest shows us that when each person makes a small contribution, “the collective impact can be huge.” Susan Gaber’s paintings portray the optimism and timelessness of a story that celebrates teamwork and generosity. This story about community teaches readers the importance of sharing, generosity and vegetables!

Not everyone can turn a pot of plain water into a nourishing meal.

I thought the two main characters were clever men. The fact that they chose not to reveal anything about their backstories only made them more intriguing to me. It was easy to imagine a few of the places they might have first learned how to create stone soup and why it’s something that can only be done after you’ve made everyone irresistibly curious about what this meal is and why it’s a little magical.

The message of this retelling was heavy handed, and I’m saying that as someone who really enjoyed the traditional story it was based on. This sort of soup can only exist if its made with more than just physical ingredients. Spelling out what those things were wasn’t necessary. The plot itself made it very clear. As much as I liked seeing how the author approached this topic, I do think it would have been more effective if she’d allowed her audience to come to their own conclusions about the meaning of it.

With that being said, I did enjoy the multicultural take on this tale. The original version didn’t mention the ethnicities of any of the characters involved. Even if it had, I always find it interesting to see how a familiar plot might unfold if it’s transplanted from the culture that created it to an entirely new home altogether. Ms. Forest did a good job of showing how the same twists could happen anywhere.

Stone Soup should be read by anyone who enjoys retellings of famous legends

The Long Island by Drew Beckmeyer


The Long Island by Drew Beckmeyer
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Childrens, Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short Story (64 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Some of us like the comfort of familiarity—staying close to the home we’ve always known, making a life, building a community. For some, the intimacy of the old routine is satisfaction itself. But the known is not for everyone. When our 5 protagonists get to wondering what’s on the other side of their island, they can’t stop until they find out. What follows is an epic journey of discovery, danger, imagination, and ultimately, bittersweet fulfillment. Is this sophisticated picture book about man versus earth? Man versus man? Or man versus self? Like our protagonists, every reader will find their own right answer in this haunting and deceptively simple modern fable.

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This was one of those tales that can appeal to adults as much as it does for the age group it was originally written for. That’s something I always appreciate finding in a picture book. It’s just rare enough that it’s a real treat to read something that will mean one thing to an elementary-aged reader and quite another to an adult who looked at the same words.

There were barely any explanations at all about what was going on in this plot. I’m comfortable reading about nameless characters, but not knowing anything about them at all was tricky. They were described in such a way that it was impossible to know their ages, genders, or any other details that could round them out as individuals at all. The fact that this pattern repeated again with the plot only made it harder for me to get into it. While I appreciated the attempt to create something that anyone could relate to, I personally need at least a few concrete details in order to connect with the characters and become invested in what will happen next in the storyline.

With that being said, I did enjoy the questions the characters asked about whether it’s best to stick to the places you know or move on to seek adventure somewhere else. Not only will the answer to this be different for each person, what someone wants in one stage of life could easily flip a few years or decades later as their circumstances change and they yearn to reconnect with their roots or explore a new place. It was nice to see such an open-ended approach to what makes for a good life.

The Long Island should be read by anyone who enjoys coming to their own conclusions about the meaning of a story.

The Great Dragon Warrior by Swee San Ng


The Great Dragon Warrior by Swee San Ng
Publisher: Epigram Books
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short Story (33 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Basmi the dragon has always dreamt of becoming a great dragon warrior. Now it looks like his dream might come true, as a great dragon warrior is living in the cave right by him. Oh, the things he could learn from this great dragon warrior! But Basmi learns an unexpected lesson from this dragon warrior when he finally reveals himself.

Courage comes in many forms.
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Basmi was a fantastic role model. Not only was he brave and kind, he was selfless as well. One of the most interesting things about him had to do with how these strengths of his were tied into his greatest weakness. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover that weakness for themselves in order to avoid sharing spoilers, but it was refreshing to meet a picture book character who was so well rounded. He genuinely felt real to me.

There was so much adventure poured into these thirty-three pages. The pacing couldn’t have been written better. It kept me guessing what might happen next all the way through to the final scene. I adored the fact that Basmi and his friends kept so busy as they tried to help the great dragon warrior in his recovery.

As if all of these other things weren’t enough, I was also thrilled by the plot twist that happened near the end. It was something I’d wondered about, but it was written in such a way that there was still plenty of room for an audience to come to other conclusions right up until the big reveal. All of the scenes connected to this twist were as well written as they were a pure joy to discover.

Yes, this was the sort of story that came with a message woven into it. I liked seeing how the narrator created references for the point they were trying to make. Ms. Ng did a wonderful job of pulling all of these hints together into a coherent storyline while still staying true to what the characters and setting were trying to do.

The Great Dragon Warrior was one of the best fables I’ve read in ages. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The Weaver by Qian Shi


The Weaver by Qian Shi
Publisher: Andersen Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by Astilbe

Stanley is a spider, a weaver and a collector. On his web he collects seeds, twigs, leaves and all kinds of precious things he cannot name. Stanley is very proud of his collection, but what can one tiny spider do when it is washed away? In this stunning, deceptively simple and thoughtful debut from animator, illustrator and writer Qian Shi we discover the difference between what you collect in the world and what you collect in your heart.

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As soon as I met Stanley, I wanted to give him a gentle hug. He was such a warm and friendly little spider that I liked him immediately even though I’m a little afraid of his species in real life. It was fascinating to watch him build his web and collect all sorts of treasures in it as time went by. I wanted nothing but the best for him.

The ending didn’t quite make sense to me. After his web was destroyed by a strong rainstorm, Stanley rebuilt it. What happened after that felt slightly out of place in the storyline. While I understood what the author was attempting to say, I suspect his point would be harder to grasp for preschoolers. It would have been nice to have a more concrete explanation of what he was trying to do there given the fact that he was writing for such a young audience, and I’m saying this as someone who enjoyed everything else about it quite a bit.

I loved the message of this tale. It was never heavy-handed, but it did make its point clear to the audience as the plot unfolded. There’s something to be said for story books that have a lesson to teach, especially if they always do so in a way that feels genuine. It was like listening to a friend talk about how their day had gone. The message was unmistakable, but the journey to reach that point was even more important than where Stanley and the reader ended up in the final scene.

Anyone who likes spiders should check out The Weaver.

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit: An Indian Folk Tale by Charlotte Guillain


The Foolish, Timid Rabbit: An Indian Folk Tale (Folk Tales From Around the World) by Charlotte Guillain
Publisher: Raintree
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (24 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This book tells the story of the Foolish, Timid Rabbit, a traditional Indian folk tale. In it, the animals learn that you should always remember to think for yourself before you believe a rumor or follow a crowd.

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Rujul was such a relatable character to me because of how difficult it was for him to ignore the scary things his mind came up with. I had a great deal of empathy for him, especially once I realized that he didn’t necessarily know yet just how much he was over reacting. That can be an easy thing to do for both rabbits and people alike.

As much as I enjoyed the beginning and middle, the ending didn’t quite make sense to me. Rujul the rabbit was the character who kicked off the series of events that make this story happen. I was surprised to see how he reacted to meeting a more sensible character after he stirred up a panic in the forest. There were certain developments in his personality that had been hinted at but then never followed through on. It would have been nice to have some closure in that area.

The message of this book was short and to the point. That’s exactly what should happen with this age group, so I was glad that the narrator cut to the chase and made sure her readers knew that Rujul needed to be kindly reminded that his fears about what could happen weren’t predictions. He knew just as little or as much about what the future holds as anyone else in the world.

I’d recommend The Foolish, Timid Rabbit: An Indian Folk Tale to anyone who has ever assumed their most anxious thoughts are also the ones most likely to come true.

Little Sock by Kia Heise


Little Sock by Kia Heise
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Little Sock is tired of his routine. Day after day, it’s the same old thing. He gets worn, he gets dirty, and he gets washed. Nothing ever changes. The other socks in the drawer don’t seem to mind but Little Sock wants something different. He has heard of a place, Sock City, where everything is new and exciting, so one night he makes his escape from his drawer. Will Little Sock reach his destination? And what will he find there?

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This was one of the most creative children’s stories I’ve read so far this year. The thought of missing socks ending up in Sock City made me smile. I don’t want to give away too many details about later plot twists, but the author clearly spent a lot of time developing a reason why socks sometimes go missing when they’re washed or dried. Her reasoning for what happens to them was as it was logical according to the rules of this universe as it was imaginative.

What was missing in this tale was conflict. The characters were fascinating and the world-building made me wish for a sequel, but I didn’t feel the same way about the storyline itself. While I definitely wouldn’t expect to read anything too in-depth or potentially scary for this age group, it would have been helpful if Little Sock had dealt with more obstacles on his journey to Sock City and back home again.

The main character was such a brave little dude. His self-confidence was strong, and he always kept his head held high. I admired that about him and thought it made him a good role model for young readers. He was the sort of character who could teach more timid or frighten children a thing or two about going on an adventure and looking for the bright side of life.

Little Sock is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered what might have happened to a favorite sock that disappeared on laundry day.

Siren’s Call: Cursed Seas by Amy McKinley


Siren’s Call: Cursed Seas by Amy McKinley
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult
Length: Full length (223 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Chamomile

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Fate will not be denied.

Nerissa thinks she’s safe from the gods and elders that rule her village. She’s wrong. It’s only a matter of time before she is chosen to pay the ultimate price—her life.

For decades, the gods have protected the small seaside village where she lives. That’s about to end. Fishermen return with empty nets, trees cease to bear fruit, and the winds whisper of an ancient curse. There’s still hope that the offering of an unmarried woman will return the god’s favor.
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As the maiden sacrifice nears Nerissa takes matters into her hands. All she needs is a husband to escape the terms of the offering. When she meets Zeer, a visiting fisherman, he sweeps her off her feet.

Are her prayers truly answered?

Everyone around her is keeping secrets, and there is no one left to rely on but herself. As the night ushers in a violent storm that echoes the god’s anger, she realizes the worst is yet to come. When the first rays of dawn arrive, a knock sounds at her door and she knows her entire world is about to turn upside down.

Love stories with strong female lead, mythology and siren lore, atmospheric settings, and all the feels? Siren’s Call: Cursed Seas doesn’t disappoint!

I picked this one up without having seen or heard any mention of it, but suddenly many of the people I follow in the book community started talking about it, and I could wait to start reading. They were right! I loved reading Nerissa’s story, which is well written, and impossible to put down!

Mrs. McKinley really knows how to hook a reader, and even from the first page, I found I wanted to know more, and couldn’t get enough! I flew through this one, and loved every minute, from the witty dialogue to the suspense and surprises, this book has a little of everything, and the romance added an interesting balance to all the chaos.

When I found this one, I was wanting a story that combined mythology, romance, and plenty of emotions to pull on my heart-strings, boy did Siren’s Call: Cursed Seas deliver! It also introduced my to a new author, and as mentioned, was a title I hadn’t heard of before, so it was extra exciting how much I enjoyed it!

This story is perfect for fans of paranormal/fantasy romances written for upper YA readers who enjoy siren/mermaid lore, and stories set on or near the sea! I loved reading this one, and highly recommend it to readers who are looking for their next read! You know a book is good when it has both characters you can’t help but love, and those you love to hate! With complex personalities, and some well placed snark, these characters take on a life of their own, and I’d love to see similar stories from Mrs. Amy McKinley in the future!

October Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ The Fog Ladies by Susan McCormick


The Fog Ladies by Susan McCormick
A San Francisco Cozy Murder Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full length (321 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

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Young, overworked, overtired, overstressed medical intern Sarah James has no time for sleuthing. Her elderly neighbors, the spunky Fog Ladies, have nothing but time. When, one by one, old ladies die in their elegant apartment building in San Francisco, Sarah assumes the deaths are the natural consequence of growing old. The Fog Ladies assume murder.

Mrs. Bridge falls off a stool cleaning bugs out of her kitchen light. Mrs. Talwin slips on bubbles in the bath and drowns. Suddenly, the Pacific Heights building is turning over tenants faster than the fog rolls in on a cool San Francisco evening.

Sarah resists the Fog Ladies’ perseverations. But when one of them falls down the stairs and tells Sarah she was pushed, even Sarah believes evil lurks in their building. Can they find the killer before they fall victim themselves?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!