BBOOK INFO: Publisher - Catapult Author - Lexi Freiman Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 256 Type - Hardcover Format - Case Binding Cover - Symbol Based Title(s)BBOOK INFO: Publisher - Catapult Author - Lexi Freiman Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 256 Type - Hardcover Format - Case Binding Cover - Symbol Based Title(s) - The Book of Ayn Audience - NA 18+ Genre - Art, Politics, Humor
Summary: Author Freiman sends us on our merry way to navigate the sometimes circuitous and all too often merciless world of comics/writers. Enter the protagonist who endeavors to provide the comic relief we all crave, but only at the expense of others. Laughing at our reflection would suggest that we spend some of our limited time on this planet living contrary to a world engine that can only feed off the desperation of never finding satisfaction that lasts, so we have to use every precious second searching for what everyone else considers precious and take a dump on it while photographing their despair. Our protagonist is locked in a series of cycles, knows it, and in trying to free themselves of systems that dictate their worth, stumbles onto the writings of Ayn Rand and takes a chance on the societal observations of the philosopher who might be able to shine a light on a world that can't decide if it wants the Vegas strip or a cave on the woods.
Pros: Quotable, Relatable internal monologue pushes readers out of their comfort zone.
Cons: Loses cohesion about halfway through (almost two separate stories), a reference section to the pop-culture references and philosophy, no maps (when your protagonist travels to new locations these are a must!).
Recommendation: This book might have two audiences. The first is anybody looking to follow a struggling writer who
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: " Why should empathy only work when you recognized that someone had been hurt like you'd been hurt?" Also, " It curled against the bowl, bereft of any paper. A middle finger to the notion of civility."
*** Manipura = Hunger and Energy Conversion (This book has the 3,5, and 7-second hooks; pray for no bait and switch)...more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - W.W. Norton Author - Susan Stamberg Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 206 Type - Hardcover Format - Perfect Binding Cover - Scene Setter BOOK INFO: Publisher - W.W. Norton Author - Susan Stamberg Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 206 Type - Hardcover Format - Perfect Binding Cover - Scene Setter Title(s) - The Wedding Cake In The Middle Of The Road (23 Variations On A Theme) Audience - NA 18+, A Genre - Short Stories, Writing, Wedding
Summary: Author Susan Stamberg assembled a motley collection of veteran and up and coming writers for a challenge involving of all things a wedding cake. So, these writers did what they do best when given artistic license they went to work unboxing, decorating, baking, climbing upon, stealing, melting down, filling with arsenic, and toppling with megalith sized knives clasped in the hands of steady (and not so steady) brides and grooms. Different in every way but one, whether they were made of plastic, frosting, or cornbread, they all had one thing in coming. The middle of the road. Somehow each matrimonial confection had to end it's life on the road, or on the way to it. This is a book on theme, and anyone looking to see an idea from every angle will never think of wedding cake the same way again.
Pros: The Variety of authors, quick reading, thought provoking.
Cons: lack of symmetry with chapter length.
Recommendation: I recommend this book for our reader/writers, and students of theme.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: "In the beginning was the girl in the black raincoat." - George Garrett
**** Anahata = "Unstruck Sound" - Serenity (You insert yourself among the characters) ...more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - St. Martin's Press Author - Kristin Hannah Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 471 Type - Hardcover Format - Perfect Binding Cover - Scene BOOK INFO: Publisher - St. Martin's Press Author - Kristin Hannah Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 471 Type - Hardcover Format - Perfect Binding Cover - Scene Setter Title(s) - The Women Audience - NA 18+, A Genre - Historical Fiction, War, Romance
Summary: Author Kristin Hannah did more than just write a book; she did a service to the United States of America by ensuring that "The Women" sheds some light on the valiant participation of the mostly forgotten or systematically (at the time) erased contributions that the Female played in the Vietnam War! Through the eyes of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, we are witness to the horrendous cost of war on an entire generation that came back to a country that would have preferred the veterans remain quiet and obscure. Daring to leave her "proper" idyllic life in California, Frankie confronts a war on two fronts as a badly needed nurse in the field hospitals and a woman in the midst of a man's war. Being a good Christian girl and following orders should be no problem for Lt. McGrath, but as the US government attempts to hide the horrors of its own mistakes and the men whose lives she saves continue to forget that it was a band of sisters that got them home Frankie will have to break from a lifetime of social engineering if she is to survive the war that awaits the women who get out alive.
Pros: A handful of memorable characters, smooth chapter breaks, dialogue narration transitions, and relatability.
Cons: No Table of Contents, No Maps (war novels should have maps!), and no page or chapter headers (missed opportunity!)
Recommendation: Anyone looking to experience the growing pains with the characters, new readers looking to try out a "war" novel, and readers who might need a reason to keep trying in real life. Oh, and readers looking to immerse themselves in a world that went by one letter at a time.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: "Women can be heroes."
** Sahasrara = "Six Plus One" - Great Bliss ("The Four Noble Truths" and "The Five Stages Of Grief" had a baby, and it wasn't 9 because math doesn't count anymore. Reaching the last page WILL hurt you.)...more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - Palmetto Publishing Author - Jim Overstreet Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 459 Type - Paperback Format - Perfect Binding Cover - SceneBOOK INFO: Publisher - Palmetto Publishing Author - Jim Overstreet Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 459 Type - Paperback Format - Perfect Binding Cover - Scene Setter - Velvet Title(s) - A Montana Inheritance - Book 2 (Rodeo in the Blood Series) Audience - NA 18+, A Genre - Western, Family, Rodeo
Summary: Author Jim Overstreet gets us up close and personal with book 2 of the "Rodeo in the Blood." Series. Saddling up with old hands like Rusty Blackstone and his Steer wrestling rival Warren Weston, readers get the box seat treatment to the high-tension world of "Bulldogging" when seconds decide who walks away with the money and who ends up in the dirt. New characters join the main cast as hungry banks look for failing ranches to swallow up, while lost, rekindled, and transformed love threatens to split loyalties and families that can trace their inheritance back to the settling of the land. For the likes of Rusty Blackstone and Warren Weston, a raging bronco in the arena with only the instinctual desire to put an overbold cowboy six feet under might be preferable to the legal battles that don't count time in seconds but lifetimes.
Pros: Petty tension is petty, Rodeo terms and jargon are fun to learn, and character growth is slow, like in real life.
Cons: No Table of Contents, no chapter headers, and a large cast of characters that shrink the chapters down, creating some intense whiplash.
Recommendation: Fans of Western, specifically Rodeo and Ranching, and readers who enjoy "family/friend/foe." politics.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: "You can call me Buckshot. Everybody else does."
*** Manipura = Hunger and Energy Conversion (This book has the 3,5, and 7-second hooks; pray for no bait and switch)...more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - Penguin Random House LLC Author - Gregory A. Freeman Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 336 Type - Paperback 2007 Format - Perfect BindinBOOK INFO: Publisher - Penguin Random House LLC Author - Gregory A. Freeman Illustrator - N/A Page Count - 336 Type - Paperback 2007 Format - Perfect Binding, pages country white Cover - Scene setter Title(s) - The Forgotten 500 Audience - NA, A Genre - Non-Fiction, Biography, World War II
Summary: If we have seen one World War II book, we have seen them all right? Well, Author Gregory Freeman didn't think so. Into our hands fall 500+ airmen, no small number, undertaking one of the most critical missions of the war: Bombing Nazi-held Romanian oilfields. So why have we heard so little of them and their deeds while they hid in the wilderness of Yugoslavia? From an Operational point of view trying to communicate with your aircrews with German radio operators listening in is no easy task. A near civil war between communists and nationalists delayed only by a mutual hatred of the Third Reich requires the Allied Powers to choose their friends carefully as the shadow of a larger Cold War looms on the horizon. Author Freeman drops us out of the bellies of B-24s and into the Yugoslavian countryside, where the beleaguered crews attempt to link up with one another in a country that may or may not be friendly to Allied airmen, so from the first-hand accounts of many of the young men who had been there we come face to face with General Mihailovich who has his own reasons for gathering up the Americans and ensuring they get home safety.
Pros: 1. Chapter length is good, with time to settle in before transitioning. 2. a satisfactory "side-mission." in the grand scheme of WWII. 3. Time is of the essence atmosphere.
Cons: 1. It might be petty (due to the difficulty of acquiring them.) But more photo inserts, or maybe line art of airmen then and now. 2. No page headers. 3. No maps.
RECOMMENDATION: I recommend The Forgotten 500 for anyone who wants to firm up their knowledge of the battles fought for all the good reasons but hidden for all the wrong ones. Non-WWII readers might also enjoy the book, as it will be far enough away from the deep end of that period of history that you can ease yourself into the topics without feeling like you are treading water with the "Big Kids."
MY FAVORITE QUOTABLE MOMENT: "But damn if that didn't sound like a C-47."
* Ajna = "The Sound Of All The Universe" - Third Eye (You give a piece of the real you to a non-living idea)...more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - Running Press Teens Author - Katherine Locke Illustrator - Shanee Benjamin Page Count - 120 Type - Hardcover Format - Perfect BindingBOOK INFO: Publisher - Running Press Teens Author - Katherine Locke Illustrator - Shanee Benjamin Page Count - 120 Type - Hardcover Format - Perfect Binding Cover - Flat Sheen, Portraiture Title(s) - Gender Rebels Audience - YA, NA 18+, A Genre - Nonfiction, LGBT, Biography, History
Summary: Katherine Locke and Shanee Benjamin tag team in "Gender Rebels," a book geared towards teens and young adults (We older kids might learn a thing or two as well.) who might have or might be going through transitions or doubts about who they are in a world still very much built around the temple of MALE THIS & FEMALE THAT.
The 30 succinct biographies of the LGBTQIA+ community, both very much past and contemporary, all lend their brush strokes to the narrative of being different in a world where freedom of expression is what the prevailing culture says it is.
When the world is set in a particular mold, anyone who would change the contours, depths, or temperature at which to burn runs the risk of being ostracized from their homes and communities, in the most severe instances of challenging "The way things are," witch hunts would ensue.
A great many persons who never got to live their truth had to (and still do) pay the ultimate price for offending the established order, their beaten and bruised bodies placed upon alters of comfortable conformity and eternal continuity.
Encountering the DIFFERENT is time-consuming and sometimes hard, but it is not necessarily bad or broken. Maybe it just means growing, and the best spice gardens are overflowing with diverse tastes, textures, and tones.
AND OF COURSE.......
Being brave is harder, and Gender Rebels gave 30 pairs of shoes to fill—no easy task. They understood all too clearly that you can't live, play, and love hard if you don't know what it is like to work even harder!
Pros: Straightforward language, colorful illustrations, quick read, variety of LGBTQIA+ characters, glossary, and additional resources.
Cons: There is no thought experiment or Q&A for readers' full engagement, polarized material (The British Empire = Bad & Native Cultures = Good), and the narrative could have been rounded out with a few non-LGBTQIA+ biographies.
RECOMMENDATION: Fans of biographies abridged or otherwise, and lovers of self-discovery.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: "For everyone who lived their truth, whether history recorded them or not."
**** Anahata = "Unstruck Sound" - Serenity (You insert yourself among the characters)...more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - Moerlein Publishing LLC Author - David Moerlein Page Count - 249 Type - Paperback Format - Perfect Binding, bright white Cover - ObjeBOOK INFO: Publisher - Moerlein Publishing LLC Author - David Moerlein Page Count - 249 Type - Paperback Format - Perfect Binding, bright white Cover - Object-Based, flat sheen Title(s) - The Safety Effect Audience - NA 18+, A Genre - Non-Fiction, Self-improvement, Team-building, Business strategy
Summary: So, you find yourself entering the workforce, maybe joining a book club, or possibly being initiated into that new cult to the Old Gods. Where do you start the contract or the interview? Well, according to author David Moerlein, none of the above. Before you go binding yourself to Cthulhu, you should ask those robed figures, "What are you doing for me, and how does that benefit the next person in line?" At the heart of "The Safety Effect," the concepts of societal programming and teamwork are at odds, and this gridlock hurts peer-to-peer relationships, workforce productivity, and corporate bottom lines. With the chapters broken down into parts, David challenges the reader to do some mind yoga and address very real-world situations they experienced with some straight-shooting Q&A sections. This will open up the audience to the idea that just because the office building is shaped like a box doesn't mean our behavior has to follow suit.
Pros: The notes section is extensive and cites all sources. Chapter headers aid in easy navigation. Q&A helps the reader connect to the author's experiences in a hands-on way.
Cons: Q&A could be limited to one question per number. This book could have been condensed to half the length without losing impact. Mild suggestions against "The White Man," which come off as social justice complaints instead of valid environments of isolation that hinder every outsider or "new kid" regardless of skin tone.
RECOMMENDATION: This would be a good resource for anyone working or transitioning into a team setting in both work and non-work environments. The concepts and Q&A sections can be tweaked and applied to the individual as well, or aged up or down depending on the reader audience.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: "Psychological Safety is not constant positivity..."
**** Anahata = "Unstruck Sound" - Serenity (You insert yourself among the characters) ...more
Max Hastings provides up close and detailed accounts of the battles, skirmishes, and political gaming that resulted in the tug of war contest between Max Hastings provides up close and detailed accounts of the battles, skirmishes, and political gaming that resulted in the tug of war contest between the West and the Communists. ...more
What if Operation Sea-Lion had been launched, and succeeded in hammering Great Britain into a Nazi puppet? Well, Author Len Deighton's Alternate HistoWhat if Operation Sea-Lion had been launched, and succeeded in hammering Great Britain into a Nazi puppet? Well, Author Len Deighton's Alternate History does just that blending all the dreaded "what ifs" with the gritty characters that are forced by fate and happenstance to live in eachothers lives wether it is wanted or not. ...more
If a Western could be in the Caribbean this book fits the bill. I laymen sailing the Bahamas as a medical doctor. Direct and exotic, this is an oldie If a Western could be in the Caribbean this book fits the bill. I laymen sailing the Bahamas as a medical doctor. Direct and exotic, this is an oldie but a goodie!...more
Author Neal Shusterman really hit the ball out of the park with this semi-dystopian novel following to youths who are apprenticed to scythes, chosen hAuthor Neal Shusterman really hit the ball out of the park with this semi-dystopian novel following to youths who are apprenticed to scythes, chosen humans whose job it is to harvest the lives of immortal humans that have overstayed life on earth....more
BOOK INFO: Publisher - The Dial Press Author - Helen Simonson Page Count - 432 Type - Paperback/ARC Format - Perfect Binding, Pages "Off-White," Dear ReadBOOK INFO: Publisher - The Dial Press Author - Helen Simonson Page Count - 432 Type - Paperback/ARC Format - Perfect Binding, Pages "Off-White," Dear Reader, Epilogue, Acknowledgements, Uncorrected Proof Copy (paperback) Cover - Scene Setter, textured Matte finish Title(s) - The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club Audience - YA, NA 18+, A Genre - Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Coming Of Age
Summary: Author Helen Simonson deserves every penny made off this book! It is 1919 and the end of "The War to End All Wars" - For Men at least. Constance Haverhill finds herself the caretaker for a high borne Ladies mother in the sea-side town of Hazelbourne-On-Sea, something of a favor owed by her patron for the work rendered from her late mother. This favor buys Constance only so many weeks of reprieve to find suitable work for a young woman now that she no longer needs to manage her benefactor's estate. But as time and tide would have it, a chance encounter in the hotel lobby with a trouser-wearing motorcycle driver, Poppy Wirrell, forces Constance to challenge the conventions that are expected of women in the home and in the workforce. And heaven forbid! In the air. The Old Ways are challenged at every hairpin turn by the likes of Poppy and Co., who try to hold on to the new place women have earned at the table, holding down jobs instead of children, the rush of wind in unpinned hair, goggle marks on pretty faces and oil-stained hands tug at Constance's heart, but offer no promise of stability as more soldiers return from Europe looking for work and finding themselves facing the danger of females who not only talk back but are determined to work harder for less pay if it means keeping their own money and dictating their fate. The Old Ways have their own temptations for the hearts and minds of these war-weary Hazelbourne ladies: New dresses, social events, servants, waking up with no worries of food shortages or debts owed. If you know the right people, all those things go away; all you need do is find the proper suitor and leave the machines to the men. Being small, delicate, and quiet is easy; it is familiar to keep your head down, but is it the right choice for Constance?
PROS: Excellent Dialogue (requested permission to quote this one!), A character for every reader, balanced chapter lengths, and smooth scene transitions.
Cons: No Table of Contents, no chapter headers/hooks, British literature is just more fun if you have some maps (this one doesn't).
RECOMMENDATION: I strongly suggest this book for anyone who enjoys fun, witty dialogue and quotable moments, slow-burn romances, and daring the frighteningly new when everyone else keeps their heads down with the safety and security of the establishment of "normal".
MY FAVORITE QUOTE: "ARC not Quotable :)" -
* Ajna = "The Sound Of All The Universe" - Third Eye (You give a piece of the real you to a non-living idea)...more
Fans of Horror, paranormal, and period pieces will enjoy these short stories. If you are a coward like me, read this book during the day.
Favorite QuotFans of Horror, paranormal, and period pieces will enjoy these short stories. If you are a coward like me, read this book during the day.
Favorite Quote: "N/A-ARC"
BOOK INFO: Publisher - Random House Author - Jorden Peele (Editor/ Intro) Page Count - 400 Format - Paperback - ARC Genre - Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Paranormal, Adult Fiction Title(s) - Out There Screaming: Anthology of New Black Horror Audience - 18+ NA ISBN 13: 978-0593243794
Summary: Jordan Peele presents us with a collection of short stories with one thing in common: scaring those who think we are brave enough to read horror tales as Halloween quietly sneaks up behind us. Here is Peele's list of 19 ways to paint the walls red.
(Anthology rated per piece)
Forward ***
I was hooked on the concept of Peele's interest in the Oubliette and Medieval torture. Still, the transition to psychological effects on blacks waters down the significance of human hatred and wickedness being universal.
Authors rated collectively for Short Story Titles
Some titles gave me hints, some held secrets to the very end, and some got me thinking outside the box.
STORIES RANKED:
Reckless Eyeballing ***
The idea of a police officer's fears of being caught and that fear manifesting in the cars having eyes as a divine punishment disguised as a blessing was fascinating. Creative Title. The police vs. Citizens concept keeps this from being four stars.
Eye & Tooth ****
Duo-Protagonists a brother-sister team with the feel of a Hansel and Gretal vibe, revenants, dark TX cornfields, and an exciting title.
Wandering Devil **
It has good pacing, 1/8 dialogue, and an interesting premise about wanderlust. Banjo Devil Guy, the Protagonist's comeuppance was jarring, too much soft magic.
Invasion of the Baby Snatchers
This story had me on the edge of my seat; the author blends dialogue and narration well. I would certainly read more. No politics or race issues pulled here; it is a full-on paranormal horror read!
The Other One ***
A 7-page break-up regret with a clingy protagonist. It has the feel of a psychopath on drugs that makes you want to get in touch with your inner Joker/Hannibal Lecter. I could have used a few more pages of madness, jarring soft magic.
Lasiren
A Sirens tale with the feel of the Carribean, I wish it were longer! You are right there with the characters. The recurring theme is "Truth and lie."
The Rider ****
Duoprotagonists. The reader follows two black sisters in 1961 on a bus to Montgomery, Alabama. The dialogue and tenseness make you feel right there without guilt-tripping a lighter-toned reader audience. The ending feels rushed. Reasonable amounts of "show, don't tell."
The Aesthete ****
More of a Sci-fi Thriller. Body modification, sentient art pieces, and blended in world terms: "POA," "Spectators." It could be 30 pages longer.
Pressure **
It starts with the Protagonist having trouble hearing, a great set-up to cripple readers and make them feel more vulnerable; not enough follow through. 3rd person narration allows more background set-up, which helps keep the short story "short," but this does not restore readers' trust when the plot seems to shift.
Dark Home ***
Strong Female Protagonist, high-tech home, owns a business, AND HAS A CORGI! No consequences for sexist Nigerian male relatives or writing up an employee making racist statements left a plot hole. A business owner has to follow non-discriminatory laws, and this was not done. A question was left unanswered. How does a Nigerian Death God walk with impunity in Arizona? Would Native American Deities take offense? This was mentioned in one line, but no follow-up to flesh out the soft magic—nice internal dialogue.
Flicker ****
Characters with personality, end of the World as a video game program, fast-paced. Protagonist Counting seconds for the duration of each event helps keep tension. Could have used more introduction on videogame design for a layperson audience to experiance stories full depth.
The Most Strongest Obeah Woman in the World ***
Reverse horror with madness in the front and salvation in the back. The accent of the speakers feels forced; otherwise a curious read.
The Norwood Trouble ****
Some time after the Civil War, a free black community builds up around an orchard. Protagonist focus is on "Being" a "live and let live" theme permeates the writing. Pacing is good, characters relatable. Could have been longer.
A Grief of the Dead **
Some voodoo magic "Screechers" collecting zombies that started on a slave plantation was undoubtedly interesting and worked for a soft magic system, however the present day Protagonst is wanting to end his life to be with his lost family and this feels more like a thriller. About 2/3 of the story was planning a suicide by mass-shooting the rest was the plantation zombies. The crossover did not carry over. These could have been seperate stories.
A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree
Protagonist died in a car accident over an old freed slaves graveyard-turned-highway. She competes with another young woman to win a game of 21 murders to leave her mile marker enclosed existance. Simple tally marks and mentions of tech and songs they werent around for makes being a zombie a job with day-to-day tasks. Writing did well transitioning between dialogue and narration—soft magic with rules.
An American Fable ****
The title hints at the continued racism in the US even for a black soldier who is trying to flee the south in 1918. Protagonists train stops and black passengers are chased by a white mob to a house were a Yuroba priestess helps the WW1 veteran. Historical with soft magic. Author made you feel right there on the platform getting kicked by hateful bigots.
Your Happy Place ***
Matrix/Insane asylum setting. Was rushed in beginning, but exciting concept on AI, 13th amendment, and incarceration.
Hide & Seek ****
Trapped in a house with their drug/magic-"junk" addicted mother two brothers play hide-and-seek, so her monster form can't find them. Story starts at conclusion. 1st person�50/50 of magic and single parent addict home. Decent world building.
Origin Story *
4 Protagonist boys arranged on a stage as "The White Boys." Race-cards, reparations by decendance, and guilt-tripping are present. The story antagonist doesn't respond to White Boy #1 claiming "I am just a child." Overuse of pop-culture, and trigger issues with hardly any attempt to get reader to suspend disbelief. 1 Star goes to the mechanism of gradually giving "character" to the stage cast but this would have needed to be a longer play/story to make this more than just putting white male students on a stage until they piss themselves out of fear.
Pros: Short horror stories released in October tricks readers into doing more reading than they probably would have otherwise and treats them with the accomplishment 400 pages of it. Each author was given rouphly the same number of pages weather 1 star or 5 in their writing careers, that is fair.
Cons: Some of the stories relied too heavily on either political or ethnic trains of thought that suggests the authors bias with the story and damages suspension of belief, or they lacked confidence to flesh the character and plot out.
Recommendation: Fans of Horror, paranormal, and period pieces will make quick work of these short stories. If you are a coward like me, read this book during the day.
My Favorite Line: "N/A - ARC"
*** Manipura = Hunger and Energy Conversion (This book has the 3, 5, and 7-second hooks; pray for no bait and switch.)...more
I didn't know watching people SLOOOWLY take off their gloves could be a hobby, now I do.
If time travel, romance, etiquette, and "just having a look" aI didn't know watching people SLOOOWLY take off their gloves could be a hobby, now I do.
If time travel, romance, etiquette, and "just having a look" are the ingredients for a potluck stew then tuck in cause Rachael Lippincott's Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh isn't stingy dishing it out. We are unceremoniously dumped into the life of recently broken-hearted Audrey Camaron who is trying to make peace with the safe predictable life of running her parent's corner shop while staring at the blank pages of her sketchbook trying to find the spark that will get her accepted to art school, giving her a chance to be seen for who she is.
With the flip of a coin, she might just find both, and possibly so much more.
Entering Stage right in 1812 might have been the end for Audrey, if not for the perfectly refined, perfectly timed entrance of one Lucy Sinclair who at first glance might be a young woman out of a fairy tale, but one being written by her father and a society that expects daughters to be cooperative, quiet, and thoroughly dressed. Fed and watered in her golden cage she is going to have to learn to love a world that will never love her back.
But, 1812 is due for a software update. 200 years overdue, and the package arrives in Lucy's backyard in the form of a scandalously underdressed foul-mouthed Audrey Cameron. So lace up your corsets, and bring a phone charger cause you're going to want a few selfies.
PROS: Short chapters, a manageable amount of primary and secondary characters, relatable life situations.
CONS: The short chapters might give whiplash to readers not used to quick POV changes, the soft magic system could have been explored a bit more.
Shout out! To The Folks at Simon and Schuster for sending me the ARC copy!
**** Anahata = "Unstruck Sound" - Serenity (You insert yourself among the characters)...more
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