K.J. Simmill's Blog, page 61

Book review: Saving Tuma by Molly McGee

Wendy, Much to her mother’s disapproval, was a tomboy. She would rather scavenge [image error]through the woods than sit at a hairdresser, or do anything girly for that matter. She had a mind for an adventure, and the imagination to pursue one, but even  she had not dreamed of discovering a whole new world. Drawn in to Tuma she discovers that she, and her friends are deemed the saviours. Their arrival has been awaited for a very long time. Humans are dangerously close to driving the Tumans to extinction. They don’t even know they are harming their world. Wendy, Cara, and Daniel must work together to devise a means to save the Tumans, before man’s latest expansion drives them to extinction.

Saving Tuma reminded me a little of Ferngully, humans recruited to save an ecosystem being destroyed by development and man as deforestation has a direct effect on the world unseen by the human eye. But it is also a story about growing up, change, and how even the smallest person can make a big difference. It’s well-written for its target audience and is something I will enjoy sharing with my son when he is older. It teaches important lessons, morals, and values, and also instills the notion  of responsibility, not just as a race, but as an individual too.

Book link

Saving Tuma

 

 

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Book review: The Good, The Bad, The Relationship by Deborah Stenton

Nothing is sustainable without effort, and with a relationship often the time spent [image error]investing in it, and the other person, enhances and nurtures it. Over time people change, and so to does the nature of a relationship, they will grow and adapt, sometimes such changes cause tension and strife. Relationships can be difficult at the best of times. There are few out there who get the pinnacle of Disney’s happily ever after. Real relationships take work. They have ups and downs, hardships and rewards. The key is being able to move past the problems in a way which is both productive and progressive. What one person thinks is perfect, could in  fact be a source of unhappiness for the other. But issues left undiscussed and unresolved merely feed the downfall and failure of a relationship. Deborah Stenton’s The Good, The Bad, The Relationship suggests several stages to help forge a successful, mutually rewarding, relationship.

Deborah Stenton’s The Good, The Bad, The Relationship is not only aimed at helping to promote and resolve issues within a current relationship but is also a useful tool for self reflection, allowing a reader to critically assess their own attitudes, hold ups, and reasons for past relationship failures and acknowledge how they contributed and take steps to ensure they don’t self-sabotage, not only themselves but any of their relationships. It builds a foundation of understanding that can be applied to future relationships, or help save failing ones. It gives the reader power to take responsibility and work towards a better them. Best of all, with an occasional word tweak the stages and advice can be moulded to encompass any type of relationship, not just a romantic one, in fact the author openly encourages it to be used this way. The presentation of this book makes it an easy accessible reference, it explains possible feelings and observations, asks questions, and makes suggestions. By using this guide it becomes easy to reflect, and acknowledge our own failings, and move away from laying blame and other unprogressive responses and attitudes. Deborah Stenton makes a lot of sense, and I can see this work making a difference to those who find themselves reading it.

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Book link:

The Good, The Bad, The Relationship The Good, The Bad, The Relationship The Good, The Bad, The Relationship

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Book review: Subnormal by Stuart Kenyon

Britain was in trouble. Austerity became the way of life, global recession hit everyone, with [image error]the election drawing near everyone wanted to win support, but a new group, Unity, made promises which seemed too good to be true. A self-sustaining, profiting Britain on the rise to the glory it knew in the less than distant past. They planned to stop foreign aid and get their own house in order. They won, but people had no idea what voting them into power would reap. They would keep their promises, but Britain would not be recognisable. Its populace had purpose, crime rates are low, unemployment almost a thing of the past. Everyone has a place where their skills were utilised. At least to those looking in, but the truth of Britain’s transformation is darker and more horrific than anyone would realise, and only scarce few evaded the control of this new rule. But they are a minority, subnormal, what could such a selection hope to achieve? Perhaps more than you think, especially when they realise how this drastic and easily-accepted change came about. People thought the government knew what they were doing, but they were wrong. Unity’s queen bee was in charge now, and everyone thought exactly how she wanted them to… Well almost everyone.

I’ll say one thing for Stuart Kenyon , he likes to write the gritty and unpleasant, pulling the reader far from their comfort zones in an unbuffered, non-diluted way. So much of what he writes could easily come to pass, attitudes for such things are already blooming across the world. He simply takes it that little bit further, and some of what he writes will invoke and stimulate an array of emotions within the reader. In Subnormal he designs a vast and complex cast of characters, all cogs within his tale which beautifully mesh and interlink with each other to craft his vivid and well-connected plot. Everything you read eventually becomes part of the bigger picture, and what a terrible one it is.

Book link:

Subnormal

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Book review Sometimes it rains in California by Jennifer Strom

Dr Brad Hubbard was the leading neurosurgeon in his field, possessing a god-like [image error]confidence in his own abilities. He liked to be in charge, everything had to be just so and by his command. There were those who joked he was nothing more than a humanoid robot, never showing emotion. Some thought him to be Dr Perfect, except when it came to women. He loved his women. Supermodels, colleagues’ partners, nothing was taboo. Then a fateful encounter changed his life for ever. He had been determined to leave, but was thrust into the chaos of A&E before a woman about to be pronounced dead. One look at her changed him. He did all he could to wrestle her from the thoes of death, and he had succeed. Leaving people to ask what it was about this woman that broke his steely, infallible nature. The answer was simple, she had been the love of his life, long before he came to work within these walls. Their meeting now, when he could save her, seemed like fate. But he had changed so much from that love sick teenager, life had hardened him, he had grown into a man she would not recognise, least of all because amongst all the changes he had opted to also change his name. She was unaware of their shared history, only of the man before her wanting to help her heal. He loved her more than any other woman, but he could not help but wonder if he should reveal his secret and pursue redemption, or allow her to simply move on and lose her again.

In places the first person narrative of this book was reminiscent in places of the TV series Grey’s Anatomy had it been from Derek Shepherd perspective. But it, of course, has its own tale to tell. One of mistakes and regrets, love and loss, perhaps even amends. Dr Hubbard was well-written, and his inner turmoil reflected well. The character’s reactions in certain circumstances and relating to specific events didn’t enhance the plot, or aid their personal development, like they could have. However it was a book I really enjoyed reading, especially the non-generic ending.

Book link

 

Sometimes it rains in California 

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Book review: Deadly Secrets by Gordon Bickerstaff

Gavin is an influential and recognised scientist, who uses the lab at the university to [image error]investigate enzymes. His own motivations causing him to become renowned in the field. It was this affinity to his work that saw him integrated into a secret government organisation, to be called upon when his particular area of expertise is required. He is sent to investigate an investment potential, but what he happens upon goes far beyond the line of duty. A company he is sent to has developed an enzyme which will change the food industry itself, but their secret development is not as closely guarded as they thought, someone has their targets trained on this revolutionary process, and they will do whatever it takes to take it for their own.

I originally picked up the fourth book and enjoyed it so much I thought I’d circle back to the start. I am so glad I did. I enjoyed Deadly Secrets as much, if not more, than the first one I read. I can only imagine the transformation Gavin undergoes from this starting character, to the one found in Toxic Minds. It is a journey I am eager to follow. The involved plot is enhanced by the revelation of characters’ own story arcs, adding depth to both them and story. Nothing is simple, as in life, and this complex weave of plot and characters will soon have you in its hooks. Gordon Bickerstaff creates a plethora of deep and well-developed characters and constructs a plot with no shortage of action and suspense. Small details from start to finish knit and blend proving an amazingly detailed story. With the vast amount of information needed to ensure the plot works it is clear how much time and research has gone into it, as well as ensuring the more technical matters are easily understandable for those with little to no understanding of the topics. Book two is already on my to read list, and I can’t wait to see where Gavin’s next adventure takes us.

Book Link:

Deadly Secrets

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Book review: Key to the Demon’s Gate by Daniel M Quilter

The Key to the Demon’s Gate: The Cross-Roads Travelers Book 1, is a fantasy fiction written by Daniel M Quilter.

Henry was a typical teenager, worried about typical teenage things like which movie to [image error]see, or how to keep his secret attraction to his childhood friend Alana a secret, especially now she was dating Karl, one of the school’s most popular boys who also happened to be, at one time, a close friend of his. The day of his Seventeenth birthday marked a transition like no other, he, Alana, and Karl had planned to visit the movies, but an earthquake struck, one which changed the very fabric of their world, literally. Washed away they find themselves amidst the ocean of a strange world. Henry is able to catch only a single glimpse of Alana as she is spirited away in a large ship. When next he wakes he finds himself on a strange land, rescued by a boy his own age known by Ace. Henry thought magic was a fiction found only in films, but the people of this island awaken something within him, christen him a wizard who bears part of a demon’s soul. Henry finds himself the wielder of untold power, a power he doesn’t yet understand, and must learn to master should he hope to rescue Alana. But those brought to this world have all been touched by the demon, they all possess a unique gift, and in a world such as this, strife with conflict, there are those who would seek to use the naive youngsters to their advantage. Worse still, they learn their appearance here was a result of a demon being transferred to their own world where it will lay dormant for a single year. In that time, they must discover the means to stop it, or all will be lost, this world and theirs.

Daniel M Quilter has a charming narrative voice, well-suited to this type of tale. He masterfully weaves images of events and descriptions to stimulate the reader’s imagination. His style is suitable for both young adults and adults, bridging the gap between ages seamlessly in an interesting and well-designed tale. The developing relationships between the characters are engrossing, with supporting characters that are as interesting, and developed, as the protagonists. I am a lover of fantasy, and this book reminded me in so many ways of such stories I read as a teenager, a time when magic and peril were all-encompassing as I retreated to my room and lost myself in the pages of an adventure, journeying alongside the characters. Such a feeling of nostalgia is hard to achieve, yet was reborn within these pages. This is certainly one series I intend to give my full attention.

Book link:

The Key to the Demon’s Gate

Published to coincide with release date as I received an ARC

 

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Book review: It Lives by Angel Berry

It started with a storm. Qadir, Uffe, and Ewe had been out on their raft, minding their own [image error]business, fishing, relaxing, bonding as three friends would. Ewe had wanted to bring home a gift for Isla’s father, to prove himself worthy of her hand, but when the storm hit all hopes of such a token had been lost. But then, shrouded by the rain, illuminated by the lightning as it chased across the sky, a ship came into view. What else would three young men do if not investigate? The crew had been slaughtered, but it seemed the boys would not return empty handed after all. They found a metal chest and claimed it as their own, thinking of the riches it could hold. Their bravery on daring to board the sinking vessel had been rewarded. Or had it? They had been warned before even entering their village to return it from whence it came, the chest contained evil. But the chest would not wait for them to open it, and its contents had been nothing like any of them would have dared imagine and it brought with it a story almost as old as time.

Highlighting key areas of religious belief Angel Berry’s It Lives Casts a new spin on religious myth, weaving it into a new fiction. At 35 pages it is quite a short tale, but covers a great span of time in an interesting tale of the ages. Angel Berry takes events such as the garden of Eden, the great flood, etc and weaves them into their own fable, bringing the reader up to the story’s present. Glimpses of insight into past events will intrigue and inspire, as they become a new tale, one of good, evil, balance and corruption.

Book link:

It Lives

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Book review: Gillian’s Island by Val Tobin

Gillian loved her island resort, it was all she had dreamt of and more. It was all she [image error]wanted. The same, however, could not be said for her husband, Josh. He was content at first, ever the social butterfly, but soon this humble life and tomboy wife, was not enough. He started an affair with a younger woman, Candi, and finally decided she was what he wanted, her and his share of the resort. As part of the divorce proceedings he forced Gillian to sell, as if the heartbreak of his betrayal hadn’t been enough. Worse still the buyer was a millionaire playboy with a reputation for tearing things down and building anew. The time had come to show the new owner Daylin, the ropes, but would he be the image of how the media portrayed him, or was there perhaps more to him? It seems Gillian isn’t the only one reluctant to hand her home over to the stranger, since his arrival strange things have been happening, each time escalating. It is only a matter of time until someone gets hurt, or worse.

The first thing I want to say is how incredibly well-written this book is. For me, Gillian’s Island has raised the bar for all future books I read in this genre. The interesting and humanly flawed character cast aside the cookie-cutter casting and invest the reader in a thrilling and addictive reading experience. It is a romance, but it’s also full of suspense and mystery, a perfect combination. I can easily say there was nothing I didn’t like about this book, not even the characters I was made to dislike.

Book link:

Gillian’s Island

https://www.amazon.com/Gillians-Island-Val-Tobin-ebook/dp/B01ETVIYUS
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Book review: Things Fall Apart by Tracy Black

Every parent likes to think they’d see the warning signs that something is wrong with [image error]their child before it is too late. Mandy was no different, sure, her children had the occasion problem, and her hours made it difficult to scrape a living and spend time with them. But still, she thought she knew them. That was until the police knocked at the door with the most terrifying news, her daughter Jenny was in hospital with a suspected drug overdose, all on the same day the school principal reports Jenny’s twin brother, Mark, has been skipping school. The signs had been there, missing jewellery, tempers, but she had been too naive, she never thought her own children would be tempted by Edinburgh’s drug scene. How wrong she had been. Can she hold her broken family together before tragedy further embraces their lives?

Dark, and full of heartbreak we join Mandy through her journey of tragedy. Written in such a manner you can feel and empathise with the mother at every step as she tries her best to support her children while trying to scrape a living together and trying to find answers. There’s an old saying, it takes a town to raise a child, but this town, or city as the case is, is as dark and terrible as can be. A well written, thought promoting and emotional read that could very well be based on a true story. Compelling and real, truly worthy of the five gold stars I’m giving it.

Book link:

Things Fall Apart
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Book review: The Healing Touch by Tita Horvat

Tina goes the gym, teaches at the local school, and is the friendly neighbourhood dog lady. [image error]Not in the sense she keeps them, but even after her own dog died she continued to carry dog biscuits, relishing in the joy such small tokens gave. She had, like any woman, had her fair share of heartbreak, and was done looking for Mr Right. That was until she laid eyes on David. David was handsome, there was just one catch, he lived with her neighbour, Rob. Still, even with Romance off the table she found his company enjoyable. Then one night she sees her neighbour Rob, with another man, she learns from David he has apparently taken a job elsewhere, leaving him alone, without even the dog for company. The two bond, helping each other through their own different hardships, and experience a friendship like Tina has never known.

At 97 pages this romance tale manages to create a good idea of character Tina, dog lover and all around nice person. Being written in first person grants us insight into her personality through her thoughts and actions. It is certainly a good fit for the younger audience, (think teen/young/new adult) as the content is clean and sweet.

Book link:

The Healing Touch
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