Book Review: Message From A Bluejay By Faye Rapoport DesPres

I can't remember how I found this book.  But the important thing is I found it.  It was one of the best pieces of writing I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time.  As a writer, I enjoy finding fun stories (similar to my own) that make me feel connected to the literary world, that somehow justifies my placement among other writers.  Message From A Bluejay didn't do this for me.  Instead, Faye Rapoport DesPres's exquisite work demonstrates to me how much more attention my writing needs.

• Genre: I write action/adventure novels, and thus usually read action/adventure novels.  I stepped out of my inner circle and ventured into nonfiction.  I'm SO glad I did.  Message From A Blue Jay is a memoir cataloguing real events, poignant moments of solitude and reflection, spanning a lifetime, from a car ride with her father to a middle-aged concert with her husband (A Boston concert! Fun fact: Boston's first album was the first ever CD I bought.)  This is a nonfiction work that studies key moments in one person's life, an ordinary person who struggles with confidence, love, illness, and who searches for meaning in a world riddled with solitude and pain. 
• Writing Style: The story is told in a series of essays written throughout DesPres's life.  The essays describe singular moments, independent struggles, that when read individually mark one particular time in the author's life, but when taken together, encapsulate the troubled soul of a woman longing for something that's been missing.  Each essay stands alone.  Stories within a much larger and sadder story.  I related to DesPres's essays in a real way.  Perhaps this is because I've experienced many of her themes and felt the same pains she explores in her writing.  
• Voice:  For me, a memoir is only as strong as the voice telling the story.  No matter the story, the writer must connect with his or her readers.  We must care for the storyteller.  We must feel close to her.  Faye Rapoport DesPres accomplishes this.  I fell in love with her in her writing.  I wanted to reach out to her and let her know she isn't alone, that there are others in the world going through similar struggles.  Her honest and sincere prose allowed me to connect with her in a real way, and I came away from the novel feeling like I'd experienced the struggles she detailed.

Memoirs aren't for everyone.  Some readers prefer forgetting the pain in the world.  Message From A Blue Jay may not be for those readers.  But I love this novel.  I'm astonished by the writing.  It brought me closer to my humanity and helped me understand my own struggle a little bit better.  And somehow I hope the quality of this work rubbed off on me and improved me as writer. You should definitely check it out.

Book Review: I Chose To Die (Siren Suicides Book 1) By Ksenia Anske

It came time for me to find another book to read.  I have various ways of finding books, as all readers do.  For this week's novel, I chose to revisit an author I discovered last year and liked.  Thus, insert Ksenia Anske's novel I Chose To Die (Siren Suicides Book 1).  I'd previously read another novel by Anske titled Rosehead (review to be found here.)  Now, let's discuss I Chose To Die:

• Setting: The story is set in modern day Seattle and takes place over the course of one day.  One crazy and eventful day.  Seattle is one of my favorite cities and is completely appropriate for this imaginative and somewhat sad story of a troubled teen coping with depression, isolation, and the tragic loss of her mother.
• Character Development:  Ailen Bright has struggled ever sense the death of her mother.  She's a confused young woman searching for a way out of her depression.  Anske drowns the story in her sadness and forces the reader to care about Ailen.  Without that empathy, a reader might encounter Aileen's seemingly hopeless situation and discontinue reading.  But Anske doesn't stop with her strong development of the novel's main character.  The relationships between Bright, her father, and her boyfriend become the foundation of the story, and Anske pays careful attention to how these relationships build to the climax in the final act of the book.
• Writing Style:  The poetic and quirky writing style of Siren Suicides is what sets it apart from other novels in this genre.  For me, it's the work's strongest aspect.  Writers should read this novel; if you pay attention, it may help improve your style and craft.  The story has two sides: the very real emotional struggles of Ailen Bright and the fantastical world beneath the water, where sirens satisfy their hunger by sucking the souls of unsuspecting humans.  Anske toggles between poetic sadness and playful quirkiness with complete control.  The world she creates is as imaginative as it is somber.  
• Climax: The story, for the most part, follows a linear path that begins in the morning and takes us on a journey that lasts the day.  As the day progresses, the tension builds and builds.  Each new scene leads to another confrontation in another area of Seattle, and throughout, I felt the wave that is the story getting bigger and bigger until it finally crashes to shore in the novel's climax.  And while the ending satisfies the story presented, it leaves the door open to other adventures within the same dark and imaginative world.
• Book 1 of a series: This novel definitely stands on its own, so don't avoid it simply because you don't feel like committing to multiple novels.  This one is worth reading, and if you learn you like the world, then you can venture on to the other installments in the series.

I like this novel.  It's darker than other works I've read by Ksenia Anske.  As always, she brings a playful energy to a serious situation.  She's not afraid to explore serious topics like depression and suicide.  She writes strong characters and adds mystery and fantasy to bring a unique perspective to themes that have been written about before.  And on top of all this, Anske offers it for free on Amazon.  So I see no reason not to check it out. 

Book Review: The Clay Lion by Amalie Jahn

I'd recently read 11/21/63 by Stephen King, and that led me to Time and Again by Jack Finney, as well as watching all the Back to the Future movies in one weekend.  After all that, I still wanted more time travel and so sought out books dealing with time.  I found Trapped In Time by Bree Wolf, which I read and reviewed.  And then I found The Clay Lion by Amalie Jahn.  I read it and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Following is my review:

• Setting: The story is set in a future where time travel is not only possible, but it's accessible by common, everyday people.  The story revolves around a loving family going through a tragedy,  and Brooke Wallace, the story's heroine, desires to change it.  When writing in a genre so specific as time travel, it's important to address the genre in a unique way, to bring something new to it.  Amalie Jahn succeeds in doing that with The Clay Lion.  I'll not go into it more so as not to spoil the story for you.  I will say this: with time travel, my suspension of disbelief is awfully flexible.  So I don't get bothered by the physics of it or the potential space/time conflicts that could arise within the story.  If you do, then you might not like this one.
• Character Development:  The story follows a typical American, suburban family, and relates to readers in a way that we can easily insert ourselves into the story and imagine what we would do to save a beloved family member.  Jahn does a good job of developing the relationships between these characters.  The family felt genuine, and their struggles together felt realistic.  This crosses the boundary into literary fiction, which makes the story that much better. 
• Writing Style:  Amalie Jahn writes in a friendly style that embodies the down to earth spirit of her characters.  She captures the sadness and hope of Brooke Wallace, and takes us seamlessly through her ups and downs as she fights to save her brother.  The style doesn't get in the way of the story, which moves quickly from chapter to chapter.
• Climax: The climax of The Clay Lion was a bit subdued, which actually fits the tone of the novel.  I thought the ending was one of the best aspects of the story.  I don't want to go into it so as not to upset expectations.  All I can say is that endings are important.  A writer must leave an impression on the reader, and Amalie Jahn does this with The Clay Lion.
• Book 1 of a series: This novel definitely stands on its own, so don't avoid it simply because you don't feel like committing to multiple novels.  This one is worth reading, and if you learn you like the world and the style Amalie Jahn presents, then you'll be able to find more novels in the series.

So the final word, check this novel out if your interested in a fairly confined story that centers around love, family, and of course, time travel.  

Book Review: Emergence: A Superhuman Detective Novella by Liberty Speidel

Stumbled upon Emergence: A Superhuman Detective Novella, written by Liberty Speidel and was intrigued by the blurb.  Plus, it's available on Kindle for free!  Free doesn't necessarily mean poor quality.  Especially in the indie world where writers are willing to put work out there for free so that they can find readers.  So, I thought I'd give it a chance.  If I didn't like it, I could just stop reading it.  No harm no foul.  Well, I read it, and I liked it.  Following are my thoughts:

• Setting: The story is set in future Kansas City.  Speidel adds futuristic flavor throughout the story without bogging the narrative down with too much description.  I think there's good balance between the description and the plot.  If you prefer a world intricately described ala Lord of the Rings, this one may not be for you.
• Character Development:  The characters are the strongest components to the story.  Speidel does a tremendous job introducing us to many characters in a short period of time in a way that I cared about them and understood the chemistry between each.  This is difficult enough to do when a writer has 250 pages to work with.  Speidel does it with fewer than 100.  If you like these characters like I did, you can continue reading the series, which I will.
• Writing Style:  Speidel writes in a straight-forward style driven by action and dialogue.  It's easy to read, and she does a good job keeping the story moving.  This is the type of novel where plot is more important than style.  Most readers who enjoy this genre will prefer how Speidel crafted the novel with story being more important than style.
• Climax: Because this book has a lot of components being juggled simultaneously, I'd say the climax was the only portion of the story to suffer.  Speidel writes a futuristic world that includes Supers, introduces us to a large cast of characters, and is ultimately setting up for a series worth of stories to be told through several novels.  She does a good job with all of this, but I'd say the climax of the crime in book 1 was less complicated because there were other components to the story to consider.  I don't want to give the wrong impression here.  It was NOT completely lacking.  The wave of the story broke quickly and efficiently, but left me somehow wanting more.
• Book 1 of a series: I knew going in that this was the first volume in a series.  It didn't deter me, and I'm glad I read it.  It's quick, smooth, and worthwhile.  I'm excited to see where Speidel takes it from here.  If you like superhuman stories, or crime detective novels, then this is one to consider.  And if you're lucky, you'll find it for free so you can see if it's a good fit.

Book Review: Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

Time came for me to read another book, and a friend of mine sent me an email consisting of several Kindle deals.  I examined the deals carefully and settled on Tent City because the description was similar in ways to my first novel Exchange Day.  So I got it and read it.  Following are my thoughts on Tent City by Kelly Van Hull:

• Setting: The story is set in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where Dani, the main character, lives in a hideaway campsite along with other teens who are escaping a nation-wide mandate to transfer all youths to safety camps.  I like stories in secluded areas.  I like seeing how people have to survive extenuating circumstances, especially when it's in the wild or in an apocalyptic environment.  I wouldn't categorize this as a survival story, but there is definitely a survival component consistent throughout the story that kept me engaged.  I would've liked a more thorough description of the city.  That includes a physical description of what it's like living in the woods with a bunch of teens, but I also wanted to see more of the logistics.  I must admit those aspects of survival stories intrigue me, and I wanted more there.  
• Character Development: Because the story is set in a secluded area, the relationships between the characters are key to driving the story and conflict forward.  Tent City does a good job portraying these interactions.  Most characters in this story are young, ala The Hunger Games.  It didn't bother me, but I wanted to include that here so prospective readers know what to expect.  I was slightly disappointed by the villain.  Kelly Van Hull does a good job building the infamy of General Burke, the story's chief villain.  But the scene where we actually meet him could have shown more wickedness.  Also, there's a love triangle that develops early on in the novel and is prevalent throughout.  I like the way this is handled.  It's different than most stories I've read where the lead character pines over the choice page after sappy page.  Tent City is much more subdued.
• Writing Style:  Kelly Van Hull writes in a straight-forward style that's easy to follow and keeps the story moving forward at a good pace.  Tent City is definitely on the milder end of the spectrum, so if you're looking for a thick, descriptive piece dripping with poetic comparisons, this one isn't for you.  
• Climax: The novel works through a series of minor conflicts, as opposed to building to one large conflict.  This kept everything moving quickly, and made for a lot of action, which I think is good for this genre.  
• Book 1 of a series: I knew going in that this was the first volume in a series, and so understood that there would be more story when I finished.  Tent City stands on its own, but the ending leaves you in a situation where you want to know more.  Some readers might not like this.  Others will love it. 

Book Review: The Cathari Treasure by Daniel Arthur Smith

I found this book by searching through my Twitter friends for a writer who recently published a book.  I read a handful of book blurbs and decided to give The Cathari Treasure a chance.  Following are my thoughts:

• Action packed novel that jumps right into the story on the first page.  Fast-paced writing style pushes the story forward.  The action sequences throughout are set up nicely and keep the reader turning pages. 

• Characters are defined by their actions.  Cameron Kincaid is an ex-Legionnaire, who fought covert missions for more than a decade before retiring and becoming a chef at his own restaurant.  The story takes place over a short period of time and is confined to a handful of situations, from which Cameron must escape.  The characterization is built upon his actions, and what he's able to do to help those under attack.  So, if you're looking for a character portrait, then this isn't for you.  But if you're looking for a couple of strong-armed, strong-willed, characters that are helping others through extremely dire circumstances, then you need to check out The Cathari Treasure.  I only had one issue with Characterization.  For a story like this, I prefer a strong villain.  Daniel Arthur Smith does a good job of hiding the true villain from us most of the journey.  But the payoff at the end lacked the strength and wickedness of a great villain.

• I found the setting of this book to be interesting because much of the story takes place in Canada, and that is a country I know little about.  Smith does a good job of tying in the history of the Cathari Treasure that began in France, and traveled to Canada, thus giving this story that takes place over a period of weeks a much grander feel.  

• The conflict builds to a grand confrontation that occurs in a grand cathedral.  The scene is developed well and builds to its ultimate climactic moment.  The prose was easy to read and flowed well throughout this part of the novel.  I liked it very much, but when it was over, I wanted a little more.  And I wanted more wickedness.  But the climax unfolds nicely and we coast into the resolution, and the eventual end of the story.  That's another thing I like about The Cathari Treasure.  There are more Cameron Kincaid novels, but this one holds its own as a self-contained story.

Book Review: Andromeda (ANDROMEDA Series Vol 1) by Amy Bartelloni

My wife found Andromeda through a bookbub ad sent directly to her email.  The blurb described a post-apocalyptic story set in a world ravaged by disease, and since my first novel (Exchange Day) is set in a post-apocalyptic world, we thought it would be a good idea to get it for our Kindles.  Following are a few thoughts on the novel:

• The writing is clear and fast-paced.  The first chapter jumps right into the story, and doesn't stop until the book is finished.  I found it easy to read and completed it within a few short days.
• I knew going in that this was the first volume in a series (3 books total), and so understood that there would be more story when I finished.  Andromeda's story is relatively straightforward and could stand on its own with a clear end to the main conflict.  So, don't be turned off because this is book 1 in a series.  If you like the world and the characters within, you can move on to book 2.  If not, you won't feel let down or frustrated by a cliff-hanger at the end.
• I like stories set in a post-apocalyptic world.  Since this is a genre explored by many writers, I like to see new takes on the desolation and anarchy following a traumatic, world-wide tragedy.  Andromeda takes place only 10 years later, so it is long enough for things to be REALLY messed up, but not so long that people have forgotten what life was like before.  But they are on the verge of forgetting.  The conflicts centers around the disease and the power struggle that exists afterward.  The main players are searching for a cure, so there is this feeling that things could return to life pre-tragedy.
• Character development is achieved through action.  This novel is action packed, so it's only natural that the characters are defined by what they do.  
• There's one central conflict told primarily from two perspectives that drives the story.  The two perspectives give us added insight into the world, and ultimately give depth to the story. Bartelloni organizes the novel well around the central conflict and does a good job progressing the story to a climactic moment in the final act.  Like I said earlier, this story stands on its own and wraps up nicely.  And if you like it, you will be able to continue on in this world with her second book in the series called Orion's Curse.

Book Review: Trapped In Time By Bree Wolf

I stumbled upon Trapped In Time, by Bree Wolf, accidentally one day while snooping through the endless wonder that is Twitter.  I can't say exactly how I found this book, only that I discovered it just a few days after it was published, and so decided to give it a chance.  Following are my thoughts:

• Ever since Back To The Future blew my mind in 1985 (I was 8 years old), I've been fascinated with time travel stories.  Trapped In Time qualifies; it deals with shifts in time as the character experiences life in a nonlinear way. However, this story focuses more on the close relationships within the main character's life, including a mysterious character that drops in and out of the narrative, rather than on the paradoxes and interesting situations that arise from time travel.  This is not a bad thing.  I'd just like to make it clear the story is more based on characters than sci-fi aspect of time travel.

• The characters in this story are quirky and young.  The story takes place within the 10 year period following college, the years of discovery that accompany one's first taste of independence.  Wolf does a good job of showing the angst of this time period, as her characters grapple with career, romance, and love, which are the novel's key themes.  I did feel that the characters could have been developed further.  I got a sense of the characters interactions with each other, but I didn't get a good sense of them as people outside those interactions.  This story relies less on character development, and more on the exploration of strange occurrences that happen to the main character.

• The writing style encourages a fast-paced reading experience.  Dialogue and simple, every day scenes drive the story forward.   Taking a step back, Wolf gets caught in a plot cycle--I think used to enhance the mystery--that causes the overall story to bog down in places.

• The story builds, like a wave, into one climactic scene that occurs in the last chapter, which is the best chapter in the book.  Wolf does a good job tying everything together and explaining the mysterious nuances she develops throughout.

Overall, I think this novel is for readers who prefer a fast-paced story with quirky, and oftentimes snarky, banter between the main characters.  There's one main conflict driving the story with one resolution.  This is not a complicated novel, and is definitely not steeped within the realm of science fiction, like one might expect from a time travel story.

Book Review: Time and Again By Jack Finney

In the afterword to 11/22/63, Stephen King describes Time and Again as the great time-travel novel.  I enjoyed King's exploration into the Kennedy assassination and so decided to read and review Time and Again.  Following are some things to keep in mind if you should chose to read it.

• Finney's story, which was first published in 1970, follows an artist who had been hand selected by a secret government agency tasked with discovering, and eventually utilizing, time travel.  The book is filled with hand-drawn renderings of New York City and its people in the late 1800's, which I liked.  
• Finney's ornate style and realistic depiction of the events places this book into more of a literary genre than science fiction.  This is not a fast read.  I would say it's the opposite.  The story focuses on a slow, developed sensory experience of 1882 instead of being focused on the action of the story.  
• Finney has a good eye, and he does well to describe physical locations as well as his character's state of mind.  I can see how this might bother some readers who like stories to be faster paced.  Time and Again is not that kind of story, so beware.
• The setting of this book is unique for me.  I'd not read many books set in either the 1970s or the 1880s.
• I like Finney's characters.  He has a good villain, which I think is important, and his main characters are likable and realistic.
• The story does build to a worthy and interesting climax.  I prefer novels that are NOT predictable.  I don't require a massive twist, or anything, but I don't like guessing the key plot points along the way only to discover a formulaic story that's been written dozens of times before.  This novel is NOT predictable.  And the ending was worth it.

All in all, I say this book is worth reading, especially if you can enjoy a slow-moving plot.  If you prefer a page-turning, action-oriented story, then Time and Again may not be for you.

Book Review: Rosehead By Ksenia Anske

Book:  Rosehead
Author:  Ksenia Anske

This is a difficult novel for me to review because it doesn't fit into a genre I read often.  Rosehead hits the younger end of the Young Adult spectrum.  That is to say it's for readers aged 10-16.   A whimsical story with quirky characters and a strong villain.  I like Lilith and Panther, and I wanted to follow them on their adventure through the Bloom Family garden.  I think younger readers will do the same.  The writing style mimics the quirkiness of the story's characters and does a good job to engage the reader's imagination.

Final word: This book is definitely for the young, imaginative reader.