Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 335

Review: CHATUR AND THE ENCHANTED JUNGLE by Subhash Kommuru

This is a Hindu children’s book starring Chatur and his donkey, Ghadu.

In search of work, Chatur and Ghadu get lost in the jungle along the way. Sitting under a tree, Chatur begins to make wishes (i.e. “I wish I had a drink of water,” etc.) and they mysteriously come true. But, soon, his wishing gets out of control and Chatur becomes sick with greed.
Story ends with an old Hindu saying: “One who lost his way in the morning found his way back home in the evening.”
Story was simple. Illustrations were cute with a child-like quality.
 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE DEVIL’S FAIRY TALE by Greg Stewart

This book is a compilation of folk tales with a grim twist.


While most of these tales carried an air of sophistication, there were some that were a bit ghastly. I mean, what would you call getting your eye gouged out by a razor? Eeeww!
Although they sounded interesting, the stories didn’t quite lend themselves to intrigue and compulsion. Instead, they were rather bland with no real direction. I almost felt lost. For instance, this book was divided into parts with the first part titled “Samantha Holderfast,” so one would naturally assume that this segment centers on this Samantha; however, there was no clear correlation between the stories. I mean, I can only gather that King William was dreaming about this Samantha. But who was Samantha and why should we care about her? I mostly kept running into faceless and forgettable characters. And, to top it off, the stories didn’t have well-rounded endings.
I wanted to give this book a chance, but, unfortunately, it did nothing for me.
 
My rating: 2 stars

Review: WEEKEND IMMUNE SYSTEM by Holly Tierney-Bedord

The fate of Juniper Owens is in the hands of the reader. At the end of each chapter, you must make a choice for her and hope that it all turns out ok in the end.

I just love these reader’s choice books. Reminds me of those “Reader, Beware, You Choose the Scare” books I used to love as a teen.
 Outcome 1: Juniper ended up breaking up with her boyfriend, goes back to school, majors in Biology, and ends up destroying the planet. Well, dang.
 Outcome 2: I got Juniper married with 4 great kids. Eh!
 Overall, these what-if tales were quick, easy, and just okay. I mean, you can only take these scenarios for so long before it becomes redundant and blasé.
 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: LEXI’S PATHETIC FICTIONAL LOVE LIFE by Jo Noelle

“My wishes equal her life.” Words that haunt Lexi because everything she’s ever wanted seems to gravitate much easier for her little sister.
“The one thing I have is my writing, my only gift, my hobby and my escape. Writers spend large chunks of time alone, typing, considering how another life might be if they were the ones living it.” (3)
Lexi is invisible and unnoticed and wants to change that. She is trying to write a story so she tries to use her life as a reference (relatable.) I didn’t get her writing though. I guess she was writing a romance.
Lexi is neurotic and, yeah, a little pathetic, especially on her crush on the high school jock. Her friends are dull and annoying. Sometimes most of the stuff she talks about is just pure drivel.
This books started off well, but it just wasn’t worth it.

My rating: 2 stars

Review: DIRTY LIKE BRODY by Jaine Diamond

Ever since he defended her against some fifth grade bullies in school, Brody Mason has been the love of Jessa's life. Who in the world would've thought that "Skinny, Dorky Jessa" would grow up to be a supermodel. Yet, even the renowned fame and top-of-the-world confidence could not shake the insecurity and shyness she often felt around Brody. But when they are reunited for her brother's wedding, things are not what they used to be, ever since he became "dead" to her. It's almost like they're perfect strangers. Still...that spark was still there. And, of course, all this drama happens at a wedding, which struck me as a blasé setting--almost predictable, even. Weddings practically invite trouble and drama.

Another thing that kind of deterred me was the abundance of characters. Too many characters can overwhelm a story. I mean, I get that a lot of the characters from the last book are gathering for Jesse and Katie’s wedding (from Dirty Like Me, Book 1,) but I just felt lost in the mayhem of the wedding hoopla.
The bulk of the story centered on Jessa and Brody being consumed by each other (mentally and physically) in the midst of wedding propaganda. Jessa was going on and on how she would be the “perfect wife” and that it should be her up there in the altar. I found that kind of annoying.
 All in all, I just really couldn’t get into this story.
 
My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: JANE OF MANCHESTER by J.G. Dow

This is the story of Jane, a single gal from Manchester working at a floral shop.

Written in diary format, the story provides a simple, enlightening glimpse into the life of a genuine, hardworking girl, who is just trying to make the best of it. Yet, it would seem that she goes to bed with a headache every night. Well, of course, with an annoying boss up your “arse” and taking nightcaps with vapid friends would surely give anyone a headache.
Jane was a fairly quirky and relatable character, but I wasn’t all that impressed with her story, which outlined her day-to-day tasks and activities—most of which were menial and offered little substance to the plot. Of course, we all feel like punching our boss in the nose sometimes. But Jane basically feels confused and directionless about her life, especially since all her friends are getting engaged and having kids. It would seem that it was a freaking epidemic. But who says you have to follow the crowd? I kind of wished that Jane was a little stronger and little more confident. It just seemed like she was down on her life a lot of the time. Yes, we all get depressed, but the thing that bothered me was Jane complaining about her life and doing nothing about it. In fact, I’d say the meat of the story revolved more on the happenings (A.K.A the drama) of Jane’s boss, family, and friends, which is odd considering that this is supposed to be about Jane.

Like I said, I wasn’t too keen on this story, but it wasn’t terrible. There were some amusing anecdotes here and there, but, overall, this was just okay.
 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: CONFESSIONS OF AN ASSISTANT EXTRAORDINAIRE by Lotta Smith (Box Set)

This is a collection of 3 books starrring a P.I. named Michael Archangel and his assistant, Kelly Kinki.

Ghostly Murder (Book 1): Okay, why would they call this a "ghostly murder" if there was no ghost? Probably because this involved the dead of a fish czar, who was murdered from inside a locked room. Of course, this could only be solved the brilliant detective, Archangel, who was also a 6 foot transvestite. How about that? No wonder Kelly hated her job so much and she contends with it in a sassy, witty fashion. The story started off with a wealth of humor and wit; however, the assistant didn't do anything and Archangel solved the case way too fast. In fact, the whole thing was only 3 chapter, making it way too short.


Immortal Eyes (Book 2): A killer is gouging out the eyes of his victims. Yikes! The premise was interesting, but the story was slow and complex. This particular one was way too long.


Deadly Vision (Book 3): In this story, I couldn't really get past the kinky sex dream Kelly was having about her boss. I guess her name suits her after all.


Overall Impression: This box set was a huge dissapointment. I mean, the assistant really doesn't do anything. I thought she was going to have a hand in solving these crimes. And what makes her so extraordinary? She's not a psychic or a witch or anything. I thought that, judging by the intriguing titles, this would have a supernatural element. But they didn't. Yes, you have a quirky duo in Kelly and Archangel, but the cases were just so dull, even with their snazzy personality and humor. Archangle was a brilliant detective, as they said, but he was way too cocky for my taste.

My rating: 2 stars

Review: SARA Trilogy by Ernie Lindsey

Sara's Game (Book 1) - “Are you ready to play the game?”
Compelling from the start, the game begins with Sara’s three missing children. An anxiety-riddled mystery greets the reader and whisks you away on a fast-action thrill ride of craft and intellect. Sara was like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

Could Sara’s husband, who went missing years ago, be involved? Or is it a jealous, competitive co-worker who’s behind this calculating scheme? I loved the riddles and clues. They really made you think while combating the clock.
I also liked how it incorporated video game theory and analogy.
An exciting read! It makes me want to continue the series. What other games await Sara?    Sara's Past (Book 2) - Four bombs in four countries. Could Sara's past have anything to do with it?  Turns out an old high school classmate is looking to even the score.     Sara's Fear (Book 3) - Two dangerous psychopaths and one mother's fear. It's Sara's worst nightmare yet. Shelley Sergeant (Book 1) and Patty Kellogg (Book 2) team up to get revenge on Sara. Best one in the trilogy and a grand finale to the series.    My rating: 4.5 stars

Review: THE LEFTOVER by Brooke Williams

The last thing Megan Malone would do is go on a reality TV show. That’s not exactly what the wire-frame, “frizzy mess” Megan saw herself doing. But when her newly pregnant sister drops out of a Survivor-style show called The Leftover, she really had no other choice. The show could be the start of a whole new world…or be a completely embarrassing disaster.

Megan was never described as graceful, athletic, or social in any way. In fact, “the most interaction she had with the opposite sex was when the pizza boy—pimple faced and barely legal to drive—delivered food to her house.” (6) I liked Megan. She was cute, shy, and quirky with that “subtle sarcasm”—the everyday girl. Kind of reminded me of me.
Then along comes Cane, a paramedic and a former contestant on a reality dating show, who still harbored a broken heart for the woman he thought he loved. “He was every woman’s best friend and no woman’s soul mate.” (14) In trying to forget about his past and move on, he’s stuck being the medic for this show, but it may not be as bad as he thought once he meets Megan.
In preparation for the show, Megan must succumb to tasks she would’ve never touched with a 10-foot pole. And when she meets the competition, most of them looking like gladiators, she realizes that she was way over her head. “Did Megan have the right intuition to know who was lying, who was forming alliances, who could be played, and how?” (53) Talk about being on the “wrong side of the numbers.” Fortunately, Megan has the alliance and support of Cane. Looks like Megan might have more to win than she thought.
A well-written, down-to-earth story full of warmth and hilarity! It’s a tale that pushes the boundaries and tests the limits. Emotions rise high when the game turns more into a battle zone with alliances forming and enemies surfacing. Who will be left standing on this Cast Away island? There may have been a few too many characters to keep track of and sometimes the game got a little confusing.  You actually feel like you’re watching an episode of Survivor with behind-the-scene shots, cast commentaries, and elimination rounds. Over the course, this starts to get a bit daunting (I was never much into reality shows.) But, still, the main focus was obviously on Megan and Cane, which had the endearing story line.
Audiences will cheer for the lovable and awkward Megan as she jumps through outrageous hurdles. She may not fit in with the crowd, but she’s no push-over either. A fish out of water with no clue, she trudges along, picking up as much as she can, taking it one step at a time—“one foot in front of the other.” After all, that was all she could do. Story is a wonderful beacon to the catch phrase: “I y’am what I y’am.”
Overall, this was a fun and light read.
 
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: NEW SHOES by Shelley Coriell (Vol. 2)

This is the second collection of short stories starring the clever granny detective, Lottie King.
Newly-retired Lottie King is in heaven in "New Shoes." On a mission to find the perfect shoes to wear on her Caribbean cruise, she never expected to find a body. Of course, you can't keep a former homicide detective away from a crime scene. This case takes us back 63 years. Who would shoot a guy and stuff him between the walls?
In "First Dance," Lottie signs up for a pole-dancing class. Now there's an image that stays with you. But who would kill the instructor?
Most of these stories were good, except for "Unexpected Delivery," which is a montage of letters written to an unknown recipient. What?
Otherwise, these were clever and witty. A good short story always leaves you wanting more, and this reader definitely wants more Lottie King.

My rating: 4 stars