Reviews of young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) books.
Jack is a 35 year-old eligible bachelor living in rural Florida. He dates attractive locals, but first they must pass “The Phil Test”. Phillipa, an Australian shepherd, has the task of meeting Jack’s potential mates. When she does, first her fur stands on end, followed by a low growl, and ending with bared teeth. Jack’s…
Brandon Chambers experiences visions foretelling future events. Shortly after witnessing a rabbit scurrying by his window wearing a gas mask, his father, Captain Matt Chamber, is implicated in a tragic explosion at his Tacoma, Washington military base. Once the story goes public, the Chamber name joins the list of historical traitors like Benedict Arnold, Nidal…
Tuesday mornings at 10:46 am rat children meet up at Rat Park for fun and games. The big rats think they are so tough and prove it in contests of stamina and strength. But such challenges become old and new ideas are a must to keep Tuesdays special. Brock had the idea that won…
Employer Alexander and Levy mandates weird requests of its top executives. One year the crew had to meet on the corporate office rooftop for calisthenics. The next the board of directors decided everyone take up the vegetarian lifestyle, and on another occasion they were given transcendental meditation breaks. This year CEO Vincent Alexander gives his top…
Ceres, Earth’s first colony and a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy, is a habitable world for human habitation. An influx of civilians from Earth necessitates expansion, so geologist Dean Flavin and botanist Carol Walker volunteer to scout out a second settlement for Ceres colonists. Once the couple reaches the site, study the plant life, and…
Nurse Ilsa Michalski runs a Miami Beach boarding house filled with interesting people, a few of whom survived the Holocaust. Dr. Ustin Jankauskas (Dr. J) receives an accident victim from a vehicle that turned over on the highway traversing the Everglades. The police believe Mr. Behrman’s death was due to the accident. Dr. J recognized…
Katie and husband Dane built a beautiful bread & breakfast establishment in the Virginia Mountains named the Gingerbread House. Unfortunately, Dane contracted cancer and passed away, but Katie keeps their dream alive with booked guests, an upbeat personality, excellent meals, and a tidy home. One day, just before Christmas, business tycoon Noah Kent shows up…
When Harper Deveraux was a small child, her mother, Isabelle, told her fairy tales about the magical land of Non, which existed in a forever twilight with flowers that glow in the dark. Now, sixteen-year old Harper is desperate to leave boring Glen Eden, a sleepy town at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains in…
Venus is the artificial intelligence of a submerged research facility in the North Atlantic Ocean. Mick is the son of the lead scientist team heading the mission. Their vision for their son’s future is radically different than Mick’s, setting up a conflict from the get-go. His mother and father insist he follows in their footsteps…
Readers of revised fairytale stories are wary of Once Upon a Cursed Time: Dark Fairytale Anthology edited by Rebecca Weeks and Aimee Shaye. To quote the editors, “[It’s] a collection of fourteen dark fairytale stories written by eleven twisted authors.” It is also a retelling of childhood favorites from a very dark perspective. First, I…