Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 365

Review: P.I. PENGUIN AND THE CASE OF THE BELL TOWER BANDIT by Bec J. Smith

P.I. Penguin is back on a whole new case.
This particular one was a little confusing.  There’s a bandit in the bell tower. What was he stealing though? Was he just trespassing? What was the crime? Did the bandit just disengage the bells? Not the world’s worst crime.
The pace in the story was a little bit slower than the previous. But again, readers will be regaled with fun rhymes and colorful illustrations.
 
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: A HAIRY TAIL by Jamie Campbell

Hannah loved school and was bored without it—just like me! Her mother told her to get out of the house and get a summer job; she finds one at an animal shelter.

Washing grungy, filthy mutts didn’t sound too appealing to Hannah…until she sets eyes on Harry, the cutest guy at the shelter. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all. But Harry isn’t the only one that has captured her heart; a stray dog named Basil also has a leash to it. Suddenly, Hannah makes it her mission to find the dog’s family.
The story is centered on Hannah finding Basil’s family. Hannah is a cute, clumsy teen most of us can relate to. And what was up with Hannah’s mom wanting her kid to be a party girl? Doesn’t she know that she’s not like that? Most parents would’ve loved that! Like Hannah said, “what’s so great about being normal?”
This is an adorable love story with a “Cinderella” ending. Great for romance and animal lovers!
My only issue was that it was too short.
My rating: 3 stars  

Review: THE DOLLHOUSE MURDERS by Betty Ren Wright

It was just an old dollhouse. Hidden away in the attic-collecting dust. Amy didn't know that the dollhouse held a secret. A deadly secret that hadn't been talked about in years. And now, the dolls have decided that Amy should be the one to know the truth. The truth about the night of the murder...
 




My thoughts: Amy is a 12-year old girl going on 13, who has to constantly watch over her little sister everywhere she goes. Her little sister is this bratty, whiny child, and Amy hates having to drag her along. As an older sibling, I KNOW THE FEELING. The author did a great job rendering the tense problems between the two sisters.

In an attempt to get away from her sister, Amy runs off to her Aunt Clare’s, where she finds this dollhouse, an entity that intrigues and excites her. But then something strange is happening in the dollhouse. The pieces are….MOVING!
Suddenly, it’s up to Amy to solve the mystery being the dollhouse murder in this creepy and chilling tale. It’s a cute children’s mystery.  My rating: 4 stars       

Review: P.I. PENGUIN AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING BOTTLE by Bec J. Smith

This is a lovable children’s story full of fun rhymes. I felt like I was reading a Dr. Seuss version with sea creatures. P.I. Penguin is a regular Dick Tracy.
Illustrations were cute, vibrant and colorful. The artist obviously made good use of color splash in these eye-catching scenes of the sea. I also liked the directive of the compositions. For example, page 25 shows the penguin and dolphin each staring at a clue from opposing sides, allowing their forms to guide the reader through the dialogue.
 
My rating: 4 stars

Review: PARALLEL REALITIES by JC

In “They Hunger,” Lucas battles an insatiable hunger and stalks the night in hunt of prey. “As with Valhalla, Shangri-la and Elysium, had they found the pinnacle of their pitiful culture?” (5)
“Fight or Flight” is a death match between a warrior woman and a despicable beast.
This is a set of short and simple stories, ones that leave you with wonder and intrigue. The reader will get a kick on the irony and get a chuckle. Like Tales from the Crypt, it’s got horror and comedy. I especially liked the one describing this gruesome abdominal torture, concluding with the man just needing to eat more fiber. =D
Well-versed and enjoyable!
 
My rating: 4 stars

Review: MINECRAFT (50 Books in 1) by Billy Miner

50 short stories all revolving around Minecraft, the online game. Cool!
“The only way to save yourself is to lose yourself.” (16)
Tales are a compilation of courage and adventure. You have kings and queens, goblins, and zombies. Good for teens as the language was simple and relatable. Author has a witty and crafty knack. I felt that a few stories could’ve expanded with further detail and some were too outrageous even for fantasy, but, all in all, they’re pretty good. You almost feel like you’re trapped in a Super Mario World and your task is to fight the dragon and save the princess. Great for those fantasy fiction and gamer aficionados.
 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: GODDESS FOR HIRE by Sonia Singh

A hip chick from Newport Beach, California, who's just turned thirty, discovered she's the incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali,and happens to be unemployed and still livingwith her parents. Saving the world, though,may prove to be a curry-scented breezecompared to dealing with her extendedIndian family. In their eyes she isn't just theblack sheep -- she's low-grade mutton.

To make matters worse, despite frequent andtherapeutic bouts of shopping and Starbucks,and the mentoring of a Taco Bell-loving,Coca Cola-guzzling swami, Maya hastrouble just surviving, thanks to the attentionsof a Kali-hating fanatic and a matchmaking aunthell-bent on finding her a nice Indian boy. Maya hasno interest in boys. She wants a man and she may have found one.

He's tall, dark, and gorgeous ... and completely uninterested in her.



My thoughts: This is the Indian version of My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding. Your duties: marry an Indian and have Indian babies by age 25. Oh, and be a doctor or a lawyer. For Indians, it’s all about status. That’s why they live in Newport Beach.

I liked Maya. She’s an independent, fierce woman with an acid tongue. Outrageously funny! But is she the reincarnated spirit of a goddess? Apparently.
The story had a quick overview of Indian culture. It was fun seeing Maya harnessing “the Goddess within” and unleashing this massive power. Whoa! She was kind of like Buffy—always having to vanquish the evils of the world as long as it didn’t conflict with her shopping at Fashion Island. It was funny how hooked she got on the power. Of course, darkening and bring lightning to the skies can do that.
“Women like me had only one hope: Marriage.” (173) Maya had more power and potential than credited.
I was all for Girl Power. I absolutely loved this story!
Light-hearted, humorous, and frank!
My rating: 5 stars

Review: JUST A LITTLE CRUSH by Tracie Puckett

Julie is a high school senior with no direction and no plans after graduation. Then a job-shadowing program suddenly puts her to work at a police station for her uncle, the chief. But they didn't give her a desk to push papers around. Oh, no! They put her in the squad car to patrol the streets. What!? I mean, yeah, sure the cop that's toting her around is super gorgeous, but c'mon!

Julie is a spunky kid with wild wit; she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. So, of course, she would predictably get a crush on Luke, the arrogant, egotistical ass. Officer Luke: "It's just a little crush." (Oh, SO infuriating!) I'd want to smack him too. The reader will enjoy the love/hate relationship between the two.
But even though Luke blows hot and cold, which confuses Julie, there is a connection and the two help each other heal.
A plucky, funny, little novel!
My rating: 4 stars
 
Note to self: Check out Just a little Crushseries.

Review: THE WISHING COIN by Antara Mann

“There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” –Oscar Wilde
Julia is a goal-oriented up-and-coming news reporter, but her career ambition is not working out as planned because there’s always some newbie that gets ahead of her. Imagine what it would be like to get one thing that you wanted. Then she meets a coin vendor selling wishing coins. A coin that grants wishes? Cool!
“Remember that now looks like a gift may very well soon turn into a curse.” Intrigue!
But what harm could a couple of wishes do? It’s nice to get what you want, but then there’s that whole “be careful what you wish for” thing. But Julia tries to be smart about, wording her wishes carefully so as not to accidentally kill someone.
But then the power becomes addicting. What started off as simple wishing soon gets out of control, especially when interfering with people’s lives.
This book is relatable and hits that yearning spot in all of us. Although Julia eventually comes to the realization that you can’t get what you want by wishing it, I wish she would’ve made more wishes before coming to the conclusion. Her story was just too short.
Still this was a quick, easy, and witty read!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: BEDDING THE WRONG BROTHER by Virna DePaul

This is the story of Melina and the Dalton twins. Melina has had a crush on Rhys since they were kids; now grown up, she wants to practice pleasing a man so she recruits his twin brother to be her tutor. But she ends up bedding the wrong brother—she ends up with Rhys instead. Of course, in actuality, she beds the “right” brother because, undoubtedly, the two end up together in the end.
I liked the concept of the twin-switch and mixing it with sex and love. I loved the look of horror on Melina’s face the morning after when realized she bagged Rhys, not Max.
Book was nothing but a lesson and challenge in wild passionate sex; it was about taking a risk for a chance at love.
Quick and stimulating read!
 My rating: 3.5 stars