Broken Pencils by J.R. Rice

October 7, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Broken Pencils by J.R. Rice
Publisher: Tea With Coffee Media
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jonah Tarver, a troubled Oakland teenager grappling with his parents’ troubled marriage, his own mental disorder, and the weight of his best friend’s death, embarks on a desperate quest to find meaning in life. On his eighteenth birthday, coinciding with his Senior prom, Jonah, along with his girlfriend Taniesha, his best friend Trevon, and a group of peers, spirals into a night of reckless indulgence in drugs and alcohol in the vibrant city of San Francisco. As tensions escalate and emotions run high, Jonah finds himself thrust into a gripping twelve-hour journey through the dark underbelly of San Francisco’s nightlife, forever altering his perception of the world. Will Jonah uncover the purpose he so desperately seeks, or will he discover that life, like broken pencils, may have no point?

Birthdays aren’t always happy days.

Jonah’s character development was well done. He had a lot on his plate and good reasons for the sometimes dangerous choices he made on prom night. I appreciated the way the author took the time to explain why Jonah was struggling so much and where his life became so complicated after the death of his best friend among several other stressors. Reading those passages gave me a lot of sympathy for this character and made me hope he’d live happily ever after in the end.

There were times when I struggled to follow the plot due to how often Jonah talked about things that had happened to him days, months, or even years ago. He jumped from past to present and back again so often that it was a distraction for this reader even though I liked other aspects of the book like the characters. I would have happily chosen a higher rating if the storyline had been more linear.

The ending had some fantastic twists that I didn’t see coming but that helped to clear up some of my confusion about what happened earlier. I especially enjoyed the way it illuminated what assumptions Jonah had made about his life that were accurate verses which ones were influenced by his mental state that other people in his life saw in completely different ways. Yes, I know I’m being vague here, but I want other readers to have the chance to be surprised just like I was. What a treat it was to reach those last few pages and learn more about his family and how those closest to Jonah saw him instead of what he assumed they thought about him.

Broken Pencils was a thought provoking read.

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The Island by Brian Conte

October 4, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Island by Brian Conte
Publisher: Page Publishing
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Island is a coming-of-age story about the real-life adventure that the author’s son, Zeb, had. The story is about Zeb washing ashore as a castaway on a desert island and all the ways he must learn to survive and get off it.

Survival is the goal.

Some of the best scenes were the ones that described how Zeb figured out how to meet his basic needs on the island. He needed the basics like food, water, and shelter, of course, but he also had emotional needs to fulfill in order to remain hopeful that he was going to figure out a way to go home again. I cheered him on every time he made a new discovery that took care of one or more of these needs.

I was never entirely sure who this was written for, so clarity would have been helpful there. Some portions sounded like they were for adults who enjoy magical realism or blending fiction with fact while other ones felt more appealing to middle grade readers who like lighthearted castaway stories or teens who prefer a grittier and more realistic description of what it takes to survive by oneself on an island. Of course there can be more than one target audience, but when something is written for such a large range of ages and reading styles it can make it tricky for me as a reviewer to know who to recommend such a tale to. Some of the whimsical sections would probably fly over the heads of the average preteen while other scenes might feel too playful for anyone who knows how hard it is to catch your own food or keep a fire going on a damp, tropical island. Then again, there is something to be said for rereading an old favorite years later only to discover a deeper layer of meaning to it. This is a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise engaging and well done.

It’s hard to talk about the magical realism and paranormal elements of the storyline without giving away spoilers, but it was such an important part of the plot that I must try. There’s something so emotionally satisfying about being allowed to make up one’s own mind about what was going on in the scenes that could be interpreted in multiple ways, including ones that are only possible in fiction. I have my own theories about how to interpret them, but there are equally valid explanations other readers might prefer about what the causes of these events were and if Zeb’s descriptions of them were what actually happened.

The Island kept me guessing until the final sentences.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Destiny Equation by J.S. Frankel

September 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Destiny Equation by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tempting fate. Is it fixed, or can you fight against it? Jordan Maduro and his girlfriend, Lydia Horiuchi, are about to find out!

Two universes, two lives… one shared fate. Jordan Maduro and Lydia Horiuchi come from two different Earths, but they share a destiny, one that could either mean their salvation—or their destruction.

Adventure is right around the corner.

The pacing was strong and exciting. This was one of those cases where I couldn’t find a good stopping spot when I needed to do something other than read for a while. No sooner did Jordan and Lydia get out of one sticky situation than they soon found themselves in another one thanks to fun plot twists and, in some cases, characters who didn’t do what I expected them to do in all sorts of creative ways. As much as I want to share specific scenes here, I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers given just how many surprises were packed into these pages and how closely entwined some of them are to each other. All I can say is to expect the unexpected, beware of moments that feel peaceful, and don’t assume that the way our world works is necessarily going to be repeated in other universes.

What held this back from a higher rating for me was the character development. There were details about Lydia and Jordan’s lives that were never fleshed out. For example, I wondered why both of them had spent so much of their childhoods in foster care without anyone adopting them. Normally, young, healthy children who can’t reunite with their birth families are adopted pretty quickly where I live, so it surprised me that these two had grown up in foster care. I would have also liked to learn more about their personalities and hobbies as I’d struggle to describe those things in much detail.

As usual, Mr. Frankel did an excellent job with his world building. I’ve been reviewing his books for about a decade now, and his ability to immerse his audience in worlds that have so many important differences from our own is one of the many reasons why I try to be the first reviewer to request his works whenever Long and Short Reviews receives them. I especially loved his descriptions of how one logs into the Internet or makes dinner in this particular world, but I really should leave the details of that for others to discover for themselves just like I did earlier. It was well worth the wait once it did show up in the plot.

The Destiny Equation was an engrossing read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Sunhammer and the Infinite Cold: Village Monsters by George L. Soriano

September 11, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Sunhammer and the Infinite Cold: Village Monsters by George L. Soriano
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The denizens of Nercaza Rajh call themselves Nercazans, and they have a peculiar life cycle. A Nercazan does not die of old age. Upon reaching a certain point in their lives, their bodies are reborn as they return to their youth. This is known as New Star.

It is also possible for them to switch genders during New Star. This is known as New Cycle.

Follow the adventures of two adopted brothers, Zhuri and Malkavek. They are Nercazan Knights who have pledged to help any who summon them. Having gone through New Star and also New Cycle, they are now sisters.

As well as facing monstrous enemies, they must also face the challenges of their new identities in their new bodies.

Nothing lasts forever.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones describing the monsters that the protagonists were fighting. Wow, those were some scary beasts! I shuddered as I imagined what it would be like to face one in person and wondered how these sisters were going to fight back against such powerful creatures. They certainly had their work cut out for them, but I was sure Malkavek and Zhuri could figure out a way to tip the scales in their favor.

While I understand that this was the introduction to a new series, I still would have liked to see more world building in it. There were so many different aspects of this world that were not explained well to the audience, especially when it came to how the cycle of reincarnation worked and why Zhuri and Malkavek were remarkably similar to their previous selves in certain ways while being wildly different in other ones. I was also surprised by how others reacted to them in their current female forms and wished I had more information about what the average person knows about reincarnation in this universe.

I adored Zhuri and Malkavek’s sibling bond. They could switch from arguing about something silly in one scene to protecting each other from violent monsters in the next. There’s something special about growing up together and knowing a brother or sister so well that all it takes is one wordless glance to immediately know what they’re thinking. Mr. Soriano did a good job expressing that here.

The Sunhammer and The Infinite Cold: Village Monsters intrigued me.

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Secret of the Whispering Woods by Jordan Gray

September 6, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Secret of the Whispering Woods by Jordan Gray
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This enchanting story, perfect for early teens and young adults who love fantasy and adventure, will whisk you away to a magical world where sparkling fairies and mischievous sprites live side-by-side with humans. Featuring a magical world, thrilling battle between good and evil, bravery, friendship, and a touch of magic. It’s a tale about the power of courage, the importance of friendship, and the enduring hope for a happily ever after.

Magic is everywhere.

I appreciated how magic worked in this universe. The same rules applied to everyone regardless of who they were and whether or not they were aware that their choices were being so carefully observed. Sometimes this led to characters experiencing consequences to their actions that they never would have expected but that were deeply satisfying to read. Without giving away any spoilers, keep an eye out for how characters react to frustrating situations and how they behave when they have no reason to believe anyone will ever know what they’re doing. If only our world always operated on the same principles of justice and equality.

It would have been nice to have more details to work with. Whether I was thinking about the character development, the plot twists, or the descriptions of the settings, this was a thought that continued to pop up as I read. There simply wasn’t enough information about any of these things for me to easily visualize them in the majority of the scenes. To give one concrete example, there were a few feasts mentioned that barely spent any time describing what the otherworldly food at them looked or tasted like. Not everything needs to be described in great detail, of course, but including some passages like this here and there would have gone a long way in encouraging me to choose a higher rating.

One of the unique things about this tale was how much of it was written from the villain’s perspective. Elara was an interesting person, and learning about her sad and difficult childhood made it easier for me to understand why she had grown into such an angry, jealous, and selfish adult. Of course, this wasn’t an excuse for the terrible things she did, but it can be hard for someone to make good decisions if they haven’t had positive role models to show them a better way to live. Elara certainly had her work cut out for her there!

Secret of the Whispering Woods was a cute fairy tale.

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The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella

August 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a sleepy little town, an ordinary-looking cat hides an extraordinary secret that will transform his owners’ lives forever.

When the Thompson family inherits a dilapidated old house, their overprotected son Timmy forms a strong bond with Whiskers—a chronically lazy tabby who’s not what he seems.

As Timmy explores the house’s mysteries, a chilling discovery puts his courage to the test. With the help of Whiskers and some newfound friends, he must face supernatural forces beyond his imagination and rescue a soul in peril.

Would you trust a ghost?

This was a delightfully spooky read that added exactly the right amount of horror to everything else that was going on. I especially enjoyed the scariest scenes that happened right before the end. They played around with the audience’s expectations of which characters we should trust and what might happen next just like Neil Gaiman’s Coraline did years ago, and they kept me guessing until the end.

It would have been helpful to have more character development, especially when it came to Timmy. As much as I liked him, I did find myself wishing I knew more about his personality and how these adventures changed him. He was obviously a caring kid, but I’d find it a little difficult to describe him in other ways like whether he was extroverted or introverted or what hobbies he had with the exceptions of spending time with cats and trying to solve old mysteries. This is something I’m saying as someone who adored the plot and wished I could give this a five-star rating. Everything else about it was excellent.

I loved the timeless feeling of this story. While it was definitely set in the present, there was so much about it that could have just as easily happened fifty years ago or fifty years from now. After all, there are always children who don’t quite understand the mysterious and confusing rules that grownups follow and adults who never quite forget what it feels like to be a child. The author’s humorous approach to these evergreen themes made me chuckle, and I nodded my head along as I found ways to empathize with every single character here, including smart little Whiskers! While this was obviously intended for the middle grade age range, I’d warmly encourage adult readers to give it a try, too, as it has something to say to them about the quiet magic of life as well.

The Cat Who Chased Ghosts made me yearn for Halloween even though I read this in the middle of summer.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Seven Times Unto Eternity by J.S. Frankel

July 12, 2024 By 2 Comments


Seven Times Unto Eternity by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Being reincarnated over and over is one thing. Becoming the opposite sex is another. But saving the world is an entirely different story—and it’s also a lot stranger.

You get only one go-around in life, or so the experts say. Paige DeMaster, almost nineteen years of age, formerly Callisto Merriwether, formerly five other lives, has seven chances to right a major wrong. She has seven chances to save the world as well as save herself—and now she’s down to her last chance.

Saving the world is much more difficult than it looks!

I enjoyed the casual and friendly dialogue in this book. It sounded just like the sort of conversations one might accidentally overhear in public places or share with friends and family. This also made it easy to get to know the characters and figure out what their personalities were like as the way they spoke always felt natural to me. It’s certainly not easy to write these things out in such a realistic manner, so I must tip my cap to Mr. Frankel for pulling it off!

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored Paige’s romantic relationship. They fit in so seamlessly to everything else that was going on in the storyline and showed me aspects of her personality that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise taken note of. I thought she and her partner were a lovely match and hoped for a happy ending for them as soon as they became an item.

The world building was strong and consistent from beginning to end. I especially liked the flashbacks to Paige’s previous lives that showed what she learned from them and how she adjusted every time she woke up again in a new era. Of course it would be disorienting at first to speak a new language, worship different gods, and eventually even figure out how the Internet works! Seeing how the main character interacted with the various people she met from one lifetime to the next as she tried again and again to save the world made me yearn for more.

Seven Times Unto Eternity was lovely.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Because of You by Fiona Brands

April 16, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Because of You by Fiona Brands
Publisher: FriesenPress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Liv and her best friends Travis and April have just started their last year of high school and things have gotten complicated—Liv has feelings for Travis, April is getting into trouble already, and Travis has a new girlfriend. But then Liv’s mom reveals a long-buried secret about Liv’s father, who took his own life when Liv was only two, and her life is turned totally upside down.

Reminded of unresolved trauma, Liv’s mom starts drinking heavily and Liv is haunted by the thought that her parents could have had good lives if they had never met. When Liv visits the antique shop of Travis’s grandpa, she discovers a grandfather clock they suspect can transport people back in time. As Liv’s life becomes increasingly chaotic, she’s forced to decide: will she travel back in time to stop her parents’ complicated relationship, or will she endure an uncertain future?

Whether platonic or romantic, love makes everything in life better.

I adored the close-knit friendships between Liv, Travis, and April. All three of them were kind and generous people who looked out for each other. Their banter made me smile, and I enjoyed seeing how they navigated their final year of school together as all three tried to figure out what the future might hold for them.

The pacing felt slow at times to me, especially in the first half of this novel. Based on the reference to time travel in the blurb, I was surprised to see so many chapters go by without a single mention of anything related to speculative fiction at all even though I later came to understand why the author made this choice. Some of the subplots also soaked up a lot of time in the beginning for reasons that I did not understand until much later or, in some cases, at all. The writing itself was nice, I simply felt that it could have been tightened up in the beginning so the characters could move on to the main conflict faster.

Most of the science fiction I read is harder and more definitive than this, so it was refreshing to see how lightly it was sprinkled into this tale. There were hints of it sprinkled here and there, but the majority of the scenes only contained moments that could happen in real life. This could be a good introduction to science fiction for readers who don’t generally read it because of that.

Because of You was heartwarming.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

If We Were Stars by Eule Grey

April 11, 2024 By Leave a Comment


If We Were Stars by Eule Grey
Publisher: NineStar Press
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The final countdown begins in three hours.
…

Blimey. The last thing Kurt wants is to wear a space helmet, and, no, they didn’t plan on saving the world either—Not before their eighteenth birthday anyway. Who’d have thought friending a lonely alien would lead to the Cape Canaveral launch pad.

Best friends since they were ten years old, Kurt O’Hara and Beast Harris tackle the typical teenage challenges together: pronouns, AWOL bodies, not to mention snogging. A long-distance relationship with an alien named Iuvenis is the least of their troubles.

Kurt loves programming, people-pleasing, and yellow dresses. Most of all, Kurt loves Beast.

Beast adores elephants, protest marches, and Kurt. Rules?—Nah. Humanity’s way down on Beast’s list of to-dos.

Beast and Kurt, Kurt and Beast. The end. Exactly how their love turns into a scene from Red Dwarf is anyone’s guess. Spaceships? NASA at the doorstep? No biggie. As long as they’re together, Kurt and Beast can survive anything.

Except, apparently, lift-off. Because nobody considered sensory issues, did they? Nope. NASA never made adjustments for neurodivergent astronauts. Unbelievable.

Will science be enough to blast Kurt and Beast—unlikely superheroes—into space to save the planet? Or will it take something much more extraordinary?

Neurodivergence is a gift.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that explored how autism affected Kurt and Beast’s lives in both positive and negative ways. It was interesting to read along as Kurt described their childhoods and how they struck a balance between finding ways to fit in when necessary while also remaining true to themselves. This is something everyone needs to learn how to do, of course, but it can be more challenging for people who stick out from the crowd and don’t always have an intuitive understanding of which rules to follow and which ones can be broken.

I struggled with the transition to a new narrator at the end of this book. Kurt was someone I enjoyed getting to know better, and their replacement didn’t have much time to become well-rounded due to how quickly they were introduced before the storyline began to wrap up. It was also disappointing to lose touch with Kurt just as they were about to meet the aliens and arguably have the biggest adventure of their lives, especially since earlier scenes had hinted that something tragic was about to occur.

The romantic subplot was nicely written. It fit into the themes of this tale seamlessly and made me hope that both of the characters involved in it would live happily ever after as they truly seemed like a great match for one another. This was a good example of how to include romance in a science fiction adventure in ways that enhanced both the science fiction and the adventurous elements of the plot.

If We Were Stars was a creative take on what it might be like to meet aliens.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Alice in Wonderland by Lena Heide-Brennand

April 3, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Alice in Wonderland by Lena Heide-Brennand
Publisher: Brennand Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Lena Heide-Brennand’s dark and poetic interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” is an enchanting and captivating one where Alice’s dreams take a rhythmic and playful form. In this adaptation, Heide-Brennand has seamlessly blended the atmospheric visuals from the 1915 film version with her own unique mixed media artworks. These original artworks transport us into a world of dark and gothic beauty, infused with steampunk Victorian vibes and a subtle touch of horror undertones. The result is a visually stunning experience that sets the mood for a darker and more mysterious atmosphere, capturing the essence of Alice’s strange and twisted dreams.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Heide-Brennand’s version is the poetic narrative style. Alice in Wonderland unfolds as a 112-page long poem, where every line is meticulously crafted with end rhymes. This poetic form not only pays homage to the original story, first published in 1865, but also adds a lyrical touch that enhances the enchantment of Alice’s magical journey. However, be prepared for a departure from the traditional children’s versions of Alice’s adventures. In Heide-Brennand’s adaptation, Alice’s dreams take her through scenes and encounters that are far more eerie and dark. The artist delves deep into the recesses of Alice’s imagination, exploring the hidden depths of her subconscious, and visually bringing forth characters and settings that are both mesmerizing and haunting. As you turn the pages you will encounter twisted versions of familiar characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and the Hatter. These iconic figures, rendered through Heide-Brennand’s unique artistic lens, take on a new life and add layers of complexity to their personalities.

Prepare to be enthralled by the interplay of light and shadow, and the subtle nuances that breathe life into each character. The dark and scenic mixed media artworks that accompany the poetic narrative serve as windows into Alice’s psyche. With each turn of the page, you will be transported to eerie landscapes, mysterious forests, and intricate settings that mirror the intricacies of Alice’s mind. The detailed craftsmanship and the rich colour palette create a visual feast for the eyes, immersing you in a world that is simultaneously beautiful and foreboding.

Who wouldn’t want to follow a rabbit and go on an adventure?

I appreciated the way the author emphasized the horror themes in this tale. The original was much more subtle about that aspect of Alice’s adventure, but it was an important part of the storyline that made the whimsical scenes even better when everything was mixed together. This was a good introduction to horror for readers who might not be very familiar with that genre yet. It was frightening without ever crossing the line into something gory.

While I know that the author was following a specific meter and rhyme scheme, it would have been helpful to have more descriptions included in this poem. There were times when I would have been confused about what just happened if I wasn’t already familiar with the original Alice in Wonderland, and other scenes remained fuzzy even after that. This dampened my enthusiasm for something I otherwise enjoyed quite a bit.

The puns and wordplay made me smile. I was glad to see that this aspect of the plot was left intact as it is one of the many reasons why this story is such a classic and appeals to people of all ages. Some of these jokes will be more meaningful to adult readers, of course, but all of them can be explained easily for younger folks who want to understand why a certain word or phrase is so funny.

Alice in Wonderland was a creative retelling of the old classic by the same name.

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