The Dog Illusion: Why My Golden Retriever Is More Enlightened Than You: Mwelwa Tambule: Book Review

 4.5/5

I was sent this book by the author to review, which has in no way impacted the outcome of the review. The thoughts and opinions presented are mine and mine alone. 

The Dog Illusion starts off with an interesting introduction that tells the reader that they are in for a fun read. It really makes the reader smile. Throughout the book the use of humor and wit made for a unique experience. It was both funny and tasteful. Looking at life through a dog's perspective on many issues that we as humans let divide us was fresh and creative. Mwelwa is a skilled writer who knows how to be creative and draws laughs in a world where too many people are serious. Often people who use humor are disrespectful, but this author does not do that. None of what is in the book is meant to be rude or insulting, it is simply meant to be amusing and draw a smile.

I did find that by mid-book some of the content was starting to seem a bit repetitive and like it had been used before. To avoid this, I would suggest dividing the book into 2. This way, it would have been more fresh. Humor is good in doses, so perhaps reading the book in smaller bits is what I would advise. All of that aside, I do have to admit that my own dog has many of the same triggers and habits that the dogs in this book have. This makes it easy for dog owners to relate to.

Overall, I would recommend this book to dog owners, or anyone who just wants a decent laugh.

Liam and the Keepers of the Runes by Giovanna Rizza: Book Review

 4/5 

This book was sent to me for review. This has not impacted the outcome in any way. The opinions stated are mine and mine alone.

Liam and the Keepers of the Runes begins with a good preface that had a solid message for kids. Giovanna utilizes descriptive writing in a professeional manner that is appropriate for the age level targeted by the book. Balancing this in books for older kids, is a challenging line to walk. Too much and the kids get bored, but what she used was just the right amount. With her introduction she could have done a bit better to capture the reader's attention, it missed that initial hook, that something that peeks the reader's interest. Recovering from this fairly quickly, she provides an interesting storyline that a young reader would find captivating. She is able to engage the reader and show unique trials that kids will find some connection with.

Giovanna also has a wonderfully crafted world with some parts whimsy and fantasy, with some more daunting locations. Her descriptions mixed with images will get their minds going as they paint a picture in their minds. I did feel that the characters were just alright, they could have used more filling out to get past that surface level. Liam has his own separate description prior to the book beginning, and that information needed to find its way into the pages of the book itself, as well as for more than just him. The climatic moment was a good one and continued with some key messages for kids to take away from the book.

Overall, I would recommend this to young reader's who enjoy created worlds, fantasy, and adventure. 

Range Error: Behind the Curtain by JM Britten: Book Review

 3.5/5

This book was sent to me for review, which has not impacted the review in any way. The opinions stated are mine and mine alone.

Range Error starts off with a good opening that grabs the reader's attention and sets the stage for the rest of the book. JM Britten has a great grasp on descriptive writing and knows how to create images in the reader's mind. Range Error was well written, however there are many grammatical and structural errors in sentences. The author has a good ability to use scientific and mathematical jargon that makes what she is writing plausible. That being said, it did become heavy in some parts and did struggle to hold my attention. Including some parts that felt unnecessary, or slowed the book down. At times it also felt a bit disjointed, jumping back and forth from reality to what is being viewed in a dream-like state. 

Britten did an amazing job at creating characters. They seemed well thought out and were crafted in such a way that you felt like you knew them. She also had a really good climatic moment, but then the book continued on for a while afterwards. Wrapping the book up better would leave a stronger lasting impression on the reader.

Overall, for a debut novel, she did a great job. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

The Saderian Chronicles: Settling New Hope: Chapter 7 Links

 The Saderian Chronicles: Settling New Hope: Chapter 7 Links

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/126157/the-saderian-chronicles-book-1-settling-new-hope/chapter/2555334/chapter-7

https://www.wattpad.com/1572428501-the-saderian-chronicles-book-1-settling-new-hope

https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1518797/chapters/7

Pieces Of Her That Nobody Saw: Behind every smile there is a story no one saw by Tania Gulati: Book Review

 3.25/5

This is book was sent to me by the author for review. This has not impacted the outcome of the review in any form. The opinions stated are mine and mine alone. 

Pieces of Her That Nobody Saw starts off with a good prologue that really does a good  job of setting the stage and tone of the book. Throughout the book Tania expertly grabs at your emotions and neart strings. You really feel for Zovia. Knowing that this is a combination of fiction and true events, makes the reader want change. I did struggle with some of the grammar and lack of translation is some of what was said. It is clearly a case of English as a second language and without the knowing what was said, connecting or understanding was hindered. The conversations being translated is truly a key part that was missed. The reader needs to know what was said, so that the emotion is not lost. On the same note, sentence structure made little sense. There were breaks and new paragraphs in the middel of a sentence, which is distracting and made it more challenging to follow.

I did like the letter to herself by Zovia. This was a nice touch and added to the characters emotion. Seeing the healing involved was also nice, though I wish that this had gone a bit farther. At times it read more as a search for pity, over a path to healing. The goal should be change through understanding, and that seemed to be faintly there, but not fully formulated. Part of this would be in the fact that the writing lacked depth, it just felt surface level, like brief journal entries, which left it feeling incomplete. As a reader you look for fully rounded out thoughts and events, but it didn't really have that. If this had been included, it would have felt more like a complete work. The conclusion was a final note to girls, which was a great way to end the book. 

Overall, I would recommend this to girls and women who have struggled with being held back or held down, simply because of their gender. 

Enceladus by Jim Miller Book Review

 2.75/5

This book was sent to me by the author for review, which has not impacted the outcome of the reviews. The opinions stated are mine and mine alone.

Enceladus starts of with a very interesting prologue that grabs the reader's attention. It makes them wonder just how this is going to tie into the rest of the book and provides good background information. Jim Miller utilizes great descriptive writing skills, giving clear images of what is going on in the novel. He also provides science language that seems plausible for something set in the not so distant future. I did feel that this descriptive writing did not carry forward into the characters. I kept searching for some back ground information on them and even some basic descriptions on any of the characters, but there really wasn't any. By the end of the book, I felt like I really did not know the main character, nor any of the characters. 

On a personal preference side, there were a lot of sections divided by 3 Asterix, but there was no real reason for it. The same scene, same person, same focus, so these really only served as a distraction. I was finding Enceladus difficult to get into, as there really was no hook moment. It simply read as slow and didn't catch my attention. Part of this might have something to do with the fact that the plot seemed surface level and did not seem very well thought out in terms of book structure. One key element that it lacked was a true climatic moment. The villains themselves were barely noticeable, and aside form being on opposing sides, it never really was obvious nor explained why they were supposed to be bad. This led right up until the end that was anti-climatic. 

Overall, I see skill in this writer on the descriptive side, they just need to work on hooking a reader.

 

The Saderian Chronicles: Settling New Hope: Book 1: Chapter 6 Links

 The Saderian Chronicles: Settling New Hope: Book 1: Chapter 6 Links

https://www.wattpad.com/1571656085-the-saderian-chronicles-book-1-settling-new-hope/page/6

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/126157/the-saderian-chronicles-book-1-settling-new-hope/chapter/2546679/chapter-6

https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1518797