Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 339

Review: UNDAD by Shane W. Smith

This is a fun graphic novel about a dad zombie—an UNDAD.
Stories are separated into a series of chapters or “episodes.” It certainly didn’t feel like one story and you can tell as you’re reading through it. Each one was rendered by a different author/artist.

In the first chapter, the illustrations felt a little stiff—almost robotic and lifeless. Perhaps it was the 3D-style, which is normally pretty cool, but I just don’t think it worked very well in this story. I don’t think this was hand-drawn; this looks like it was computer-generated. The facial expressions were a little freaky and there weren’t enough active gestures. I mean, this is a comic about zombies. This should allow for a multitude of actions and wild gestures. Even when he gets hit by the truck, it was stiff and bland.

 
In Chapter 2, the style was much better—definitely more in the style of a comic book. And the story delves more into the life after death. It had almost a religious aspect.

Chapter 3 had more expressive rendering. It was simple, but the gestures gave the story more action. It was funny how he couldn’t “perform” with the wife. This was definitely the more hilarious one. The best one of the bunch!

 
Chapter 4 had the same style as Chapter 1—stiff and lame.

 
The overall stories were okay. Some were better than others. This is okay if you like zombie stories.

 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: DRIFTING, FALLING: DIARY OF A CALL GIRL SUICIDE by A.J. Ullman

Note to self: Suicide isn’t only for the depressed. It’s an option when your other options aren’t viable.

This is the diary of a 21-year old call girl. Although she goes by several names because of her profession, her real name—one she hardly ever goes by— is Ripley Luna.

 
“My personal Tarot card would have to be the Joker arrayed upside down. That signifies ill-advised risks, foolishness, rash choices, impulsiveness, and instability.” (21)

 
Story is a well-written account of a girl’s emotional tolls and detachments. Witty and insightful, it briefly encapsulates her childhood, her dreams, her clients, and her therapy sessions, examining the root for why she turned out the way she did.
 
“I am, in this state of complete undress, not even makeup applied, a tabula rasa, a blank slate, a plastic girl capable of being molded into whatever whim or fancy a man may have.” (66)
 
One thing that was unsettling was the shift to the doctor’s POV in the third person. Why would we need to get his story when this was supposed to be about the call girl? Plus, it didn’t really go well with the writing flow of a diary format, which encompasses the bulk of the story. There were also a lot of references to mythology and other rambling notions, some of which was nonsensical in some ways but was somewhat fitting in others. Sometimes it seemed that Ripley was just making various innocuous observations, which felt like her way of questioning her life and her very existence. She was very pensive indeed.

 
Ripley’s story was wisely candid and full of dark retrospect. I found some of her philosophical views to be interesting, but, at times, she’d often veered into lengthy non-sequiturs, which was rather daunting.

 
Overall, this was a fairly good read, one that can make you think and that you might be able to enjoy.

 
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: CHILLS: A SHORT STORY COLLECTION by Sahar Sabati

One woman sees double. Another woman recognizes evil from a mug shot. And a pharmacist in love with a married woman wonders if he could “mistakenly” swap out her husband’s medication.

Although this collection of short horror stories doesn’t necessarily send chills, they do carry a sense of irony. But they’re mostly plain and average—not that bad, but not that great either. The writing was pretty good.

These tales were quick and okay.

 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: FALLING FOR HIM by Jessica Gray

College student Rachel just wants to blow off steam after finals, so goes camping with her roommate’s friend. There she meets Gorgeous Guy. The two don’t get off to a good start—he thinks she’s just like his ex-girlfriend (a manipulative, selfish flirt) and she things he’s a rude jerk.
On the way back from Yosemite, the two get stranded in the rain and take shelter in a cabin in the woods. Basically, the two get stuck in the woods and “couple up.” Very blasé and typical. Overall, this was short , slow, and uninteresting. And there are three books dedicated to these two? Oh, brother!

My rating: 2 stars

Review: SPEED OF MY HEART by Erika Trevathan

Mara just got out of an abusive relationship. It’s a good thing her grandpa is behind her 100% with a shotgun in tow.
Cole is a famous NASCAR race car driver and a hottie that can’t get enough of Mara and will do anything to protect her.
This book is sweet and will have your heart racing at high speeds. There is an interesting thriller scene in there (although downplayed slightly) and the writing was okay.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: HAWAIIAN HEARTBREAK by Libby Cole

First off, the cover is very erotic and sensual. It illustrates an enticing holiday fling in the midst of paradise, which is what this story is all about.
Kayla is on her first trip to Hawaii to forget about the stress, the job, and a cheating ex-boyfriend that only saved and never spent. In fact, the only time they ever went out was when she was paying. What a douche! That’s why she’s aiming to enjoy Hawaii!
Loved the exotic scenery of the Hawaiian Islands. It makes me want to visit Hawaii.
“Hawaiian Heartbreak” signifies Kayla’s attempt to escape her own heartbreak. Then she meets Jay, a tour guide, and the two start a sensual romance. The girl has a sexy, holiday fling. The thing is that flings don’t last, and, as Kayla comes to this realization, Jay begs to differ. And that’s pretty much where it ends—with Jay storming out, leaving Kayla hurt and confused. If you want to find out what happens, you gotta get the next book in the series. Quite frankly, I hate cliffhangers. To me, it feels like an incomplete story. But the romance was fitting and the story was okay.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: CAUGHT BY HER SPELL by Shirley Wine

Cassie Piper has always had the gift, but she saw it more as a curse. Even though these visions might’ve saved lives, people grew suspicious with some even calling her a witch.

Then Grayson steps into the picture, and he will do anything to find his missing sister…even enlist the help of a so-called psychic.

 
Although well-versed in that New England style, story was rather slow. I always have a thing for psychic stories, and this one had the alluring concept of the missing person case, but I thought the execution could’ve used more pizzazz. The writing felt almost Puritan with phrases like, “That’s a tough ask” (but this could’ve been a typo, I’m not sure.) But the dialogue was certainly more formal (ex: “Father had a demanding career.”)
I was hoping that this would’ve gotten better the more we got into the mystery and the visions, but it all fell short. I just wasn’t too compelled by this story. I felt like I was dragging through it.

   My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: SEA SHELLS, SPELLS, AND CARAMELS by Erin Johnson

Imogen Banks works as a medical billing administrator, but her true passion lies in baking. Somehow, she ended up taking the task of baking a wedding cake for her horribly demanding boss. But, hey, we’re talking three thousand dollars here. And even though Imogen would feel like strangling the little Bridezilla, this pay-out would bring her closer to her goal: opening her own bakery.
 
At the rehearsal dinner, people raved about the baked goods, indicating that they must possess magic, which then leads to entering in the “The Magnificent Contest for the Water Kingdom’s Next Royal Baker.” And that’s how she finds herself in Paris, France.

 
I admired Imogen’s bold cahonies at quitting her job, throwing away everything (even though she had nothing left after the fire,) and just flew to France. Just like that. Most of us wish we could be that brave.

Story had an interesting premise, but it might’ve been a tad slow and complex. I mean, this involved Earth and Water Kingdoms along with shifters and Badlanders (whatever the heck that was.) Was this some sort of mermaid tale? Imogen was certainly a witty and relatable character.

 
In a nutshell, story consisted of baking and magic; however, the combination of it all made it a little hard to swallow as there were too many elements thrown in there, like an abundance of characters and far-fetched settings. I guess I would’ve preferred a more simplified structure.

 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: JERSEY DINER by Lisa Diane Kastner

This is a story that revolves around a New Jersey diner. Quaint. Average. Just your regular hustle-and-bustle food dive.

It had a slow start, until Lauren, a waitress, discovers that the hot movie actor, Jonathan Pearce, wants to film there. That sounded interesting—certainly not your everyday occurrence.

Story had an appealing premise, but, unfortunately, there was considerable lag. Don’t know if this was because of the plot structure or the writing itself. Plus, I think Lauren and Jonathan’s chemistry was humdrum, and the character cast didn’t really add much pizzazz. I mean, you would think that a diner would have a group of quirky characters.
All in all, I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I thought I would.

 
 
My rating: 2 stars

Review: DEATH OF A COUCH POTATO’S WIFE by Christy Barritt

To live in a city named Boring, in a neighborhood labeled Dullington Estates, is it any wonder that you would have nothing but nosy neighbors and that there’d be nothing to do?
But that seems to change when a neighbor goes missing and is found dead on her couch. So much for life in sweet, but safe, suburbia, right?
Obviously, the likely suspect would be the victim’s husband, the Couch Potato King, who sells couches. How ironic.
As a victim of a crime in the past, Laura is hesitant to get involved, but that all flies out the window when she starts receiving threatening letters and finds out that someone is watching her, actually videotaping her.
Everyone in town is a suspect—a cheating husband, a futon-selling competitor, a candidate for a homeowner’s association.
Being a housewife has bored Laura so much that she is questioning everyone and everything—her neighbor’s motives, her rocky marriage, her happiness, everything.  Could solving a murder actually kick the boredom? Maybe, except that she was terrible at it. I mean, I like stories with amateur sleuths, but, usually, they have some qualified skills for it (eye for detail, good memory, karate skills, something.) Laura didn’t have anything, plus, she kept on guessing wrong throughout the whole book. What kind of amateur sleuth was that?
But, overall, this was a quick, quirky mystery.

My rating: 3.5 stars