My Book Reviews

Category: Fantasy

This category contains any posts published in reference to books of Fantasy genre.

In a Glass Grimmly (A Tale Dark & Grimm #2) by Adam Gidwitz

In a Glass Grimmly (A Tale Dark & Grimm #2) by Adam Gidwitz
Release: September 27th 2012
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin Books
Source: Edelweiss+

In a Glass Grimmly Synopsis:

More Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classic

Take caution ahead—
Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.

Lest you enter with dread.
Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.

Step lively, dear reader . . .
Happily ever after isn’t cutting it anymore.

Book Trailer:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2iJBXxhzDI[/embedyt]

Review:

A BIG Thank You to Edelweiss+, Puffin Books and Penguin Publishing Group for providing me a copy of “In a Glass Grimmly (A Tale Dark & Grimm #2)” by Adam Gidwitz in exchange for my review. Edelweiss+ only had a snippet preview of this book, but I loved the first book in this series so much that I decided to purchase the remaining two. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with “In a Glass Grimmly”.

My main problem was with the lead characters. I didn’t enjoy Jack and Jill as much as Hansel and Gretel from Book 1. In the first book, Hansel and Gretel become this brave, mature duo who risk it all to save their loved ones. Moreover, in the first book, a lot of things happen to the two without their control, like Hansel turning into a monster. In this book, I really couldn’t stand Jack for most part. Jill is tolerable as she acts wise and learns from her mistakes. Jack, on the other hand, comes off as a whiny person who keeps pouting and getting into trouble. Sure, he has his moments where he acts smart, but it’s very few.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*. Furthermore, I really didn’t like the way the characters were written towards the end. What particularly irked me was how the kids start acting like their old selves once they go back, only to randomly realize their foolishness one day and walk away. It seemed very awkward that this just happened out of the blue. Even the parents suddenly wake up on hearing about their children and decide to love them again. How did this magic suddenly take place? I feel that the author got lazy towards the end and just wanted to conclude the book with a happy ending.

However, apart from the characters, I actually loved the plot of this book. In some ways, the storylines mentioned in this are much better than the first book. This author has blended so many of our favorite classics like the little Mermaid, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, The Emperor’s New Clothes and even Mother Goose. There are a lot of wonderful supporting characters like the Frog and the man with the red beard. I also loved the idea of people getting ‘con-fused’. The story provides a great moral to just be yourself and do what makes you happy, and not what others think about you.

Overall, I felt like this would have been an amazing book had the characters been more strong and likable.

[Read my Review on Book 1: A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1)]

July 1, 2018
Mae Vol. 1 by Gene Ha

Mae Vol. 1 by Gene Ha
Expected Release: July 3rd 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors
Source: Netgalley

Mae Vol. 1 Synopsis:

Mae’s beloved older sister, Abbie, has been missing for years. Mae has her theories about where Abbie might be. But nowhere in her wildest imagination do those theories encompass a fantasy world full of terrifying monsters, power-hungry nobles, and nefarious scientists. That is, until Abbie suddenly reappears in Mae’s world. And not alone.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a copy of “Mae Vol. 1” by Gene Ha in exchange for my review.

This graphic novel started off well. The two main characters Mae and Abby really complement each other with their distinguished personalities. I liked the bond between the two sisters. In fact, more than Mae, I liked Abby’s character a lot. She seems to be concerned for her sister, is energetic and spunky and awesome fight moves. I also enjoyed Kvido’s character, as he reminded me a lot of Snarf from the Thundercats. It was fun to read how the world and the new characters are revealed to Mae and the readers. The whole concept of the plot had a whimsical Doctor Who feeling to it.

In terms of the plot, the first half of the book was just amazing and I was glued to the pages. It starts off in this mysterious way where you really don’t know what to expect. Even when the new world is introduced to us, it is filled with interesting and dynamic characters. However, the second half of the novel was confusing and really didn’t hold my interest. For one thing, the story breaks into sub plots and moves between the flashbacks and the present. The present story-line tends to move too fast, and I had trouble keeping up with what was happening. There are many new terms and characters thrown out there, and not enough time to digest them. There’s a nice appendix with all the terms mentioned in the back to help the readers, but again, it felt tedious referring to it like a dictionary.

Furthermore, each of the sub stories and flashbacks have a different style of illustration to them. While some might enjoy this, it didn’t really suit me. I loved the style of art that’s shown in the first half, and felt the illustrations in the last two episodes were childish in comparison. It was frustrating seeing a different style of artwork in each chapter. However, I did like the standalone illustrations inserted in the end by different artists, depicting the main characters. The author has also included few prototype sketches and designs that were interesting to view.

Overall, “Mae” is one of those graphic novels that has a great concept but really needs to improve on the pacing. They can easily slow down on the adventure themes and focus more on character development instead. Having said that, it is an interesting series and I am keen on picking up the next volume to see how it turns out.

June 25, 2018
A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1)

A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1) by Adam Gidwitz
Release: August 18, 2011
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin Books
Source: Edelweiss+

Tale Dark and Grimm Synopsis:

Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm (and Grimm-inspired) fairy tales. An irreverent, witty narrator leads us through encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons, and the devil himself. As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of their destinies and create their own happily ever after. Because once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

Book Trailer:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q08Ad7D98h8[/embedyt]

Review:

A BIG Thank You to Edelweiss+, Puffin Books and Penguin Publishing Group for providing me a copy of “A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1)” by Adam Gidwitz in exchange for my review. Edelweiss+ only had a snippet preview of this book, but I was hooked on the first page itself and decided to purchase it online immediately. I loved every bit of this story!

I’m not sure how true this story is to the original Grimm version, but it kept me glued. It is fast paced and has a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Initially, I expected the main plot to only cover the story we are used to. Instead, in this retelling, the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale that we know of gets over in the beginning itself. What follows are more gruesome unfortunate adventures of the siblings. The book wonderfully portrays how they grow and mature and adapt to the harsh realities of life.

Even though the story and the world building are purely fantasy, the characters are very realistic and down to Earth. I loved the three ravens who part their wisdom with their cranky humor. Hansel and Gretel are strong, smart, courageous and very inspiring. The story perfectly blends humor, suspense, adventure and mystery in it. The scenes where Hansel hides in the Devil’s home to outsmart him was hilarious and suspenseful at the same time. Another interesting factor is how the author disperses elements from the original story across this novel. For example, there are no breadcrumbs throws in the woods when the children are going to the witch’s house. Instead, Gretel throws lentils and seeds on her way to see the mysterious man that she has a crush on.

Adam Gidwitz has a wonderful talent for writing children’s books and especially fairy tales. I enjoyed how he put his own commentary and warnings, and it felt like he is narrating the story to the reader. Moreover, some of the passages are written in a pure fairy tale like poetic manner that is so delightful to read. The author uses a lot of hidden themes, metaphors and morals in each story that we can reflect with in our lives. Probably the only thing that was a little uncomfortable to read was the gory descriptions. This book gets really graphic for a children’s novel and I don’t think it is suitable for younger readers. Even though the author gives warnings for small children to not read the scary details following it, it would make them want to read it anyway.

Overall, I loved this first book in the ‘Tale Dark and Grimm’ series and I will definitely read the others as soon as I get my hands on them.

[Read my Review on Book 2: In A Glass Grimmly (A Tale Dark & Grimm #2)]

June 16, 2018
The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby

The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby
Expected Release: July 24th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Netgalley

Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery Synopsis:

Flossie Birdwhistle is the Turnkey at London’s Highgate Cemetery. As Turnkey, it’s Flossie’s job to ensure that all the souls buried in the cemetery stay at rest. Not an easy job for a young ghost, but a task made especially difficult by World War II: London is being attacked every night by enemy bombers, and even the dead are unsettled. When Flossie encounters the ghost of a German soldier carrying a mysterious object that seems to exist in both the living and spirit worlds, she becomes suspicious — what is the officer up to? Before long, Flossie uncovers a sinister plot that could destroy not only her cemetery, but also her beloved country. Can Flossie and her ghostly friends stop the soldier before it’s too late? History collides with the supernatural in this exciting, ethereal mystery from Allison Rushby.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me a copy of “The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery” by Allison Rushby in exchange for my review. This was an interesting read. The story is unique and has a good blend of adventure, fantasy, mystery and drama into it.

I enjoyed Allison Rushby’s style of writing. I really liked that the backdrop was set against World War II and we get an insight of the war from a ghost’s perspective. The story is set against the backdrop of London and the author depicts the grim environment it was in during that time. She doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities that the people faced during the bombings. Furthermore, it was interesting that the author has portrayed life after death in a very peaceful way. There is no mention of heaven or hell. Even the ghosts are not vengeful and restless as we would imagine. It is just about keeping souls at rest in the afterlife, and shown in a very serene manner.

The characters are all displayed wonderfully. Flossie is a strong, brave and helpful girl who persists in doing what she feels is right. She is a wonderful role model for younger readers and is very inspiring in her actions to help others. Even the supporting characters are charming in their own manner, especially Violet and Hugo Howsham. On a side note, I would have liked to read a bit more about Viktor Brun and why he turned out to be such a psychopath.

There were a few small tidbits that I felt could have been better. Personally, I would have liked it if the author removed the character of Grace completely. I felt this side story was unnecessary and too melodramatic. I can understand why the author would want to include her in the plot, but I didn’t care for it. Also, some of the facts mentioned in the book are inaccurate and could be misleading to younger readers. The author does highlight it in the end, but could have been better if it was accurate. Also, I wasn’t really clear as to the time-lapse that happens when Flossie travels to different locations. I felt that a lot of time passes by while she travels and had trouble imagining the timelines in the story.

Overall, “The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery” was a nice read but could have been better. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. I hope this becomes a possible series as I would enjoy reading Flossie’s adventures during different incidents and milestones.

June 9, 2018
Unwritten by Tara Gilboy

Unwritten by Tara Gilboy
Expected Release: October 16th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Source: Netgalley

Unwritten Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Gracie Freeman is living a normal life, but she is haunted by the fact that she is actually a character from a story, an unpublished fairy tale she’s never read. When she was a baby, her parents learned that she was supposed to die in the story, and with the help of a magic book, took her out of the story, and into the outside world, where she could be safe.

But Gracie longs to know what the story says about her. Despite her mother’s warnings, Gracie seeks out the story’s author, setting in motion a chain of events that draws herself, her mother, and other former storybook characters back into the forgotten tale. Inside the story, Gracie struggles to navigate the blurred boundary between who she really is and the surprising things the author wrote about her. As the story moves toward its deadly climax, Gracie realizes she’ll have to face a dark truth and figure out her own fairy tale ending.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley, Jolly Fish Press and North Star Editions for providing me a copy of “Unwritten” by Tara Gilboy in exchange for my review. I loved the concept of this book! It was so unique and different from others I have read recently.

The main reason why this novel stands out is because of its characters and what they go through. Gracie, Jacob, Walter, and the others are very down to Earth and realistic even though they are literally only characters in the story. The novel highlights that you can be the author of your own destiny, and choose your own path. The book also focuses on constructively dealing with emotions. In the story, Gracie fights with her emotions and tries to not be her written form. There are some gripping scenes where Gracie tries to control herself from being destructive. Like Gracie, we also have moments where anger and sadness consumes us, but we should not let it control us. This is a nice message that younger readers can learn from. One of my favorite passages in the story mentions the same:

“Being angry doesn’t make you a villain, Gracie. Anger can help you stand up for yourself, do the things you need to, It can be a good thing, if you control it rather than letting it control you.”

Tara Gilboy has done a wonderful job in writing “Unwritten”. She has a wonderful style of writing that’s easy to read yet gripping with a consistent pace. It is a great debut novel, and I would love to see what she comes up with next. I hope that there is a sequel coming up soon as I would love to read more. There are many reasons I can think of for having a sequel. Firstly, the author has created the world building nicely that could easily include new villains. Secondly, as the book ends in a slightly open ended manner, I would like to see how it continues. Thirdly, I want to find out how Winters story came to life and possibilities of crossovers with her other novels.

Overall, “Unwritten” is one of those books that is targeted for a middle grade readers, but it can be enjoyed by anyone who loves to read adventure/fantasy novels.

June 8, 2018
Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen
Expected Release: July 10th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: NetGalley

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge Synopsis:

They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can’t believe such foolishness about handsome Jean-Loup Christian Henri LeNoir, Chevalier de Beaumont, master of the estate. But when the chevalier’s cruelty is revealed, Lucie vows to see him suffer. A wisewoman grants her wish, with a spell that transforms Jean-Loup into monstrous-looking Beast, reflecting the monster he is inside. But Beast is nothing like the chevalier. Jean-Loup would never patiently tend his roses; He would never attempt poetry; He would never express remorse for the wrong done to Lucie. Gradually, Lucie realizes that Beast is an entirely different creature from the handsome chevalier, with a heart more human than Jean-Loup’s ever was. Lucie dares to hope that noble Beast has permanently replaced the cruel Jean-Loup — until an innocent beauty arrives at Beast’s château with the power to break the spell.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me a copy of “Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge″ by Lisa Jensen in exchange for my review.

When I first started reading this book, I honestly did not expect to enjoy it. This story depicts a dark retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. Moreover, I really didn’t like the idea of the main characters portrayed in a negative manner. Having said that, I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would.

Let’s start with the story line. Frankly speaking, I found the story to be dragging in the first half and I had trouble with the pacing. The plot is indeed very dark and disturbing in the first few chapters as it deals with rape and suicide. However, once the transformation happens and the two protagonists are stuck in the Chateau, the story shifts pace and nothing really happens for a while to progress it. True, it is interesting to see the nuances in the Beast’s personality initially, but I found this to be repetitive after sometime. However, the story considerably picks up in the second half when Rose enters the Chateau. There are lots of twists and turns that happens after she arrives, and I found myself glued to the book. I also loved the climax of the book and was satisfied with how the characters were treated.

Now let’s talk about the controversial topic that others are talking about this book, which is the victim falling in love with her rapist. I completely agree that if that were the case, I would have hated this book and put it down immediately. However, I disagree with respect to this story because I feel that the Beast and Jean-Loup are two completely different identities. It is clear that the Beast does not have any idea about the actions or the personality of Jean-Loup and vice versa. Furthermore, they don’t even look alike when they transform into their form. So while they may be using the same body to transform in, I felt that they were two completely different people and Lucie could clearly distinguish between both.

Lisa Jensen has written this story in a beautiful and majestic manner. Her words are like fine wine and compliment to the setting and timelines of the story. The cover design of the book is also amazing and I hope it remains the same for the final publication. Overall, this was an interesting retelling to Beauty and the Beast and I rate it 4/5 stars.

June 2, 2018
Dragons in a Bag (Dragons in a Bag #1) by Zetta Elliott

Dragons in a Bag (Dragons in a Bag #1) by Zetta Elliott
Expected Release: October 23rd 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Random House
Source: NetGalley

Dragons in a Bag Synopsis:

When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she’s not his grandmother–but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they’ll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don’t let them out of the bag, and don’t feed them anything sweet. Before he knows it, Jax and his friends Vikram and Kavita have broken both rules! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever?

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me a copy of “Dragons in a Bag″ by Zetta Elliott in exchange for my review. “Dragons in a Bag” was a nice, interesting book and I feel a good start to the series.

Let’s start with the characterization. It’s really hard to dislike any of the characters as all of them are charming in their own manner. My favorite characters in the story are Ma and Trub. What I surprisingly enjoyed was that the characters and the settings are still vague after completing the book. Usually, the first book sets the ground for the world building and clearly outlines the rules. When you pick out the second one in the series, you can predict what is going to happen. However, after finishing this book, I am still not completely clear as to where the plot is going or what the characters might do. Ambrose, Trub, Ma and Sis still remain a mystery to me.

That doesn’t mean that the story is boring. It’s a wonderful concept and draws you in as soon as you start reading. The author has written the characters in a compelling manner that makes you want to pick up the next book and continue. Actually, I was expecting a lot of interactions between Jaxon and the dragons. Instead, I liked that the story focused more on the relationships between Jaxon and his new friends. On a side note, as an Indian, I chucked when I read Jaxon’s reaction to pedas (it is a delicious Indian sweet!)

Coming to the negatives, there were some minor glitches that bothered me while reading the story. While I enjoyed the time travel element, I found some parts of the story a bit unrealistic. For instance, when Jaxon goes into the dinosaur era, he swats some mosquitoes during that time. Wouldn’t this alter the future, in some way? I’m not going to get technical on the metaphysics of time travel, but it was hard to believe that things remained exactly the same when Jaxon came back to the present time. However, considering that it is a middle grade fantasy, I didn’t take this matter too seriously.

Also, I wish there were some proper names for the characters to easily distinguish them. I really liked the characters being referred to as ‘Ma’ and ‘Mama’ and thought it was a cute concept. However, since many sentences had Jaxon relating between his Ma and Mama, at times I read one as the other, causing some confusion.

The story leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and I can’t wait for the sequel to read more! Perhaps there is a logical explanation to these inconsistencies mentioned above and provided in the next book. I enjoyed Zetta Elliott’s style of writing and how she made her characters feel down to Earth. Geneva B. has also drawn some nice illustrations that I feel would look even better in the final draft. Overall, “Dragons in a Bag” is a fun adventure start to the series and I rate it 3.5 / 5 stars.

May 23, 2018
The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr

The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr, Katie Harnett (Illustrator)
Expected Release: June 26th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Source: NetGalley

The Language of Spells Synopsis:

Grisha is a dragon in a world that’s forgotten how to see him. Maggie is a unusual child who thinks she’s perfectly ordinary. They’re an unlikely duo—but magic, like friendship, is funny. Sometimes it chooses those who might not look so likely. And magic has chosen Grisha and Maggie to solve the darkest mystery in Vienna. Decades ago, when World War II broke out, someone decided that there were too many dragons for all of them to be free. As they investigate, Grisha and Maggie ask the question everyone’s forgotten: Where have the missing dragons gone? And is there a way to save them? At once richly magical and tragically historical, The Language of Spells is a novel full of adventure about remembering old stories, forging new ones, and the transformative power of friendship.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me a copy of “The Language of Spells″ by Garret Weyr in exchange for my review. Before I begin, I would like to say that I have read some of the other reviews for this book, where readers criticize it for not doing justice for WWII and Jewish people. I am not basing my rating on that aspect as I didn’t have these expectations when reading the story. Having said that, this book was a mixed bag for me. While I enjoyed some aspects of the story, I had a few problems reading it.

Let’s start off with the pros that stood out in the story. Firstly, I loved the plot and the concept, and actually enjoyed reading the first half of the book. It starts off as a fairy tale and talks about a magical world where dragons and men coexist. Secondly, I simply adored the main protagonists, Grisha and Maggie, and their unusual friendship. Some scenes were intriguing, like when Grisha turns into a teapot, not knowing what would happen next. Grisha also has some memorable moments like facing self-esteem issues because he feels that he hasn’t done anything worthwhile. I also enjoyed the special friendship that is formed between Maggie and Grisha. It’s very gradual and innocent and comes off as a true friendship between the two. Even the secondary characters like Yakov, and his daughters Ella and Rachel are very charming.

However, the second half of the book didn’t hold my interest as I hoped. Mainly, I found the villain of the book, Leopold Lashkovic, to be very boring. The authors give him a big buildup and make him scary and powerful. But, when Maggie comes face to face with him, he seems like such an old weakling who hardly has any powers. There is no closure given as to what happens to him either. Assuming that this is a standalone, it’s very frustrating when things are left open ended. Moreover, things run very smoothly for Grisha and Maggie on their quest and they hardly face any dangers. With a weak villain and the characters not facing any dilemmas, this was pretty much boring in the second half.

Furthermore, I felt that the pacing was haphazard towards the climax. The story is slow for the most part and suddenly rushes to a conclusion. It felt like the characters are aimlessly wandering, and just stumbled upon clues that magically solved all their problems. I also had trouble with the concept of who could see dragons and who couldn’t. For example, when they go to see Ella and Rachel, Ella can see Grisha but Rachel cannot. However, when they go to London, how can nobody see Grisha except Maggie? This didn’t make sense and I dad trouble connecting to the story-line. I feel like the authors had a great idea going but didn’t know how to steer the story and patched it in places to conclude it.

Katie Harnett has provided nice illustrations, but they are a bit rough on the eyes. As I have read the advanced copy, I hope the illustrations are cleaned up in the final version, and makes the book stand out. Overall, this was a good attempt to try something different but it didn’t have the impact on me as I imagined it would. I rate “The Language of Spells” 3/5 stars.

May 20, 2018
The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond

The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond, Alex T. Smith (Illustrator)
Release: February 28th 2018
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Amazon

Tale of Angelino Brown Synopsis:

Bert and Betty Brown have got themselves a little angel. Bert found him in his top pocket when he was driving his bus.

Their friends think he’s lovely. So do Nancy and Jack and Alice from Class 5K. What a wonder!

But Acting Head Teacher Mrs Mole is not so sure. Nor is Professor Smellie. Or the mysterious bloke in black who claims to be a School Inspector.

Then there’s Basher Malone – big, lumbering Basher Malone. He REALLY doesn’t like Angelino. And it looks like he’s out to get him..

Review:

“The Tale of Angelino Brown” tells the tale of an adorable angel who shows up in the pocket of a bus driver, and changes the lives of people around him. This was such a cute and charming book to read!

My favorite aspect of this story is the positivity that seamlessly flowed from this story. Most of the kids and adults were not scared of Angelino at all when they meet him! They immediately considered him as one of their own, even though he was different. Betty instantly took to caring for him. It gives a perfect moral to just be yourself and people will like you for who you are. True, there were also some schemers in the book who took advantage of Angelino, but every story needs a villain. However, even the villains are written in such an appealing manner that you realize why they are behaving that way, and feel sympathetic towards them.

Most of the characters are charming and quirky in their own manner. It’s so hard to choose one special character because I was fond of all of them. Angelino is so cute with the way he talks and farts. Bert and Betty are the parents my heart went out to because they accept and take care of Angelino. Alice, Nancy and Jack are inspiring for befriending and supporting Angelino. Moreover, Ms. Monteverdi is so delightful, that I wish she taught in my school when I was young. Even Mrs. Mole and Professor Smellie are hilarious at times with their mannerisms.

Is David Almond the new Roald Dahl? The author tells the story in such a beautiful childlike way that you just get immersed in the story. In a way, his writing style made me feel the same way I felt when I read ‘Matilda’ by Dahl as a child. Suffice to say, I loved his style of whimsical writing and hope he continues writing such stories. Alex T. Smith has added beautiful illustrations to the book. To be honest, the illustrations made the book even more light-hearted that how I imagined. For example, when I first read about Mrs. Mole and Alice, I thought Mrs. Mole was going to be mean and Alice was a snob. However, the illustrations portrayed Alice as cute and smart, and Mrs. Mole as stern but kind. I feel the illustrations made the book story more fresh and interesting.

The only negative part for me was not knowing more about Angelino. Can the author make a sequel to the origins of how Angelino came to being? I would love to read more about them! Overall, I adored “The Tale of Angelino Brown” and give it 4.5/5 stars.

May 18, 2018
Whisper (Whisper #1) by Lynette Noni

Whisper (Whisper #1) by Lynette Noni
Release: May 1st 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Pantera Press
Source: NetGalley

Whisper Synopsis:

“Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me.

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

I’m different. I’m a monster.

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Pantera Press for providing me a copy of “Whisper” by Lynette Noni in exchange for my review. This is such an amazing book to read!

“Whisper” is written from a first person perspective of Jane Doe, which I liked as it made me feel closely connected to her. Even though she doesn’t speak much, I was immersed in JD and her thoughts and could easily relate to her. Furthermore, I loved how complex Jane Doe is as we progress with her in the story. She is vulnerable, frustrated, confused, and scared, but yet determined and hopeful considering whatever she has been through. The reader can slowly see her becoming confident and in control once she learns more about what’s going on. In fact, all the supporting characters have their own unique personality that make them likable in some way. I loved Cam and Kael in particular because of their friendliness and honesty towards JD. I adored Enzo as well for how he supports JD throughout her battles.

The author has written the story in simple but gripping manner. Initially, I didn’t know how the story would turn out with Jane Doe being a prisoner in Lengard. As the story develops, there are so many twists and turns that made me wonder what will happen next! Without giving much away, the incidents that take place in the Market in Sydney, at the zoo and when JD sees Dinger are some of my favorite moments. Not just in terms of the plot, but the characters also shocked me as well. Sometimes I would image a character reacting a certain way, only to find that they behaved exactly the opposite. Even now, after reading this book, I am not sure whether I should love Ward or hate him!

Another aspect I particularly loved is that it focuses mainly on JD, without turning it into a love story between her and her love interest. While I would have enjoyed seeing more romance between JD and the men to come into her life, I liked that it primarily concentrated only on JD finding herself. I also enjoyed the fact that there is some closure in the end, but still so many questions that makes me want to pick out the next book in the series!

This book just has everything in it for a great read! Mystery, suspense, science fiction, supernatural, romance, friendship rooted on an unforgettable plot surrounded by wonderful characters! Lynette Noni has created a masterpiece with this novel and I can’t wait for the sequel to release!

May 8, 2018