Robin Goodfellow's Blog, page 13

Book Review for Apprenticed to the Night by LindaAnn LoSchiavo

I received this book for free. This does not impact my reviews in any shape or form.

Apprenticed to the Night, by LindaAnn LoSchiavo is a poetry collection about coming to grips with the comforts, as well as the dangers, that the night brings, alongside the nostalgic cacophony the day produces. The collection delves into various experiences LoSchiavo has observed throughout her life, whether it be grief, lost love, broken friendships, or remembrances of childhood innocence. LoSchiavo offers a gentle yet honest portrayal of the reality she’s come to terms with, and weaves lines into her rich narrative.

Within the collection, LoSchiavo discusses how the culture inside is slowly but surely fading, especially within the melting pot known as America, where immigrants are given false promises of immortality and the “American dream”, only to find that they, in the end, are only human. She examines how, despite intoxicating sensation of love and infatuation the day presents, there are times when darkness inevitably comes for that infatuation, not because it wants to shatter the emotion, but moreover because it needs to end. She illustrates her own childlike innocence, and how, despite everything she’s experienced and the lengths she goes to protect it, she still winds up facing the dark. 

Moreover, I love how LoSchiavo details the pain she goes through when she loses her beloved family members, first with her grandparents, then with her aunt and uncle, and finally with her sister and husband. It’s grief at its most palpable. I like the way she incorporates the supernatural into her grief, comparing her aunt’s search for her uncle to her own search for her mother. It provides a haunting atmosphere to the poetry that appears almost seamless. And while this may sound bad, I do like the painted realism as to how hard she tries to preserve her mother’s legacy, even though, one day, she may fade with her. That doesn’t mean LoSchiavo will be alone when she dies; after all she still has her beloved family members to hold on to, even if they are just memories. I especially loved the richness that LoSchiavo’s relationships are; although losing her husband was incredibly painful, there were still other losses that she counted as just as heartrending, if not breaking. I was touched by how close she and her sister were, and how open she was with her mental health because of it. If anything, the poem shows how vulnerable we all can be when our social supports are gone. After all, there’s a reason why, in every crisis plan, mental health professionals ask if a person has someone close they can talk to, someone who isn’t another healthcare professional.

As such, because of the quality of the poetry, as well as the stark portrayal of LoSchiavo’s experiences, I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review for Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story by Winnie D. Pagora

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

Uncluttered: A Survivor’s Story, by Winnie D. Pagora, is an inspirational story about a young woman who overcomes her sexual trauma and goes on to help others going through a similar pain. The book introduces Tina Lauren, a student who had her life nearly stripped away after defending herself against Nicholas Parker, a boy with powerful connections. After being abandoned by friends and ostracized by her community, she meets Dr. Nakamura and a few others, with whom she begins to rebuild herself, slowly and steadily. 

Tina’s story reads almost like a fairytale. Although it was painful to read (I find it quite laughable that her former friends were now trying to get her to speak on the importance of consent), I appreciated how many genuine social supports flocked around Tina. I loved the relationship Tina had with Jai and Nate and Madison. I liked how supportive Ekon was in helping her with her mental health, even though he might not understand all of her experiences. Moreover, I loved how her parents became more supportive of her as well (go Dad for the win). Still, there is an element of realism in Tina’s story, which I did also appreciate; not everything is going to get resolved within the span of a year. Whether or not Nicholas, Pete, or any of the individuals get charged is really none of our business; if anything, our focus remains on Tina and her empowerment. True, she’s healing, and it’ll take time. Nonetheless, while we might not get the perfect happily ever after we were hoping for, that’s okay. I loved how community partners worked with her, from Dr. Nakamura’s therapy sessions, to Officer Hussein’s quick and effective responses, to even the SANE nurse who told her that a rape kit could be taken at any point in time. 

But even without the ending, this still feels like a fairytale. This might sound horrible, but this book is the idealistic setting for healing from trauma, even though Tina had to suffer through even more trauma (fuck Pete and Nicholas and Harriet and Laila). A lot of people who experience this might not talk for a long, long while, and even if they do, there’s a chance not everyone will believe them, especially if the figure is a powerful, popular figure in the community. And true, it did take Tina a while to get her resources together, but as someone who works in community mental health and with the police, again, this is the ideal. Communication issues are a motherfucker, and of course, not everyone in the community knows one another; I was a case manager and I’m still finding new resources. More unfortunately, I’m from the South, and as many of you may or may not know, many people from the South are reluctant about matters that are supposedly “private”. It isn’t appropriate to talk about sex in general, much less having safe sex and consent.

The tone of everyone supporting Tina reads straight off of workbooks like The Courage to Heal. It got to the point where I thought Madison was a robot and Nate was this hacker fairy godmother who could make life a living hell for the villains with a wave of his technological wand. That being said, it was a feel good story, and while I wished I knew what’d happened with the villains of this story, I’m glad I was able to read Tina’s. As such, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review for If Only I’d Known by Chelsey Brooke Cole

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

If Only I’d Known, by Chelsey Brooke Cole, is a self-help guide dedicated to helping individuals heal from narcissistic abuse. The book is divided into three sections. Part One: The Inner Workings of a Narcissist, teaches the tolls that a narcissist will use to make their “loved ones” more codependent on them for validation, support, love, and everything in between. Part Two: Finding Yourself, details coping skills, both beneficial and maladaptive, that an individual uses to survive narcissistic abuse. Finally, Part Three: Healing Your Past, Present, and Future offers different strategies that an individual can use to either eliminate the narcissist from their lives, or at the very least, minimize the mental and emotional pain they go through when interacting with said narcissist. 

While the personality disorder in and of itself is rare, there are people who have a lot of narcissistic traits that have resulted in pain for everyone around them, themselves included. There are people who cry out, “Why doesn’t anyone love me?” not bothering to see the impact of their own behavior. Because of this, I feel that this book not only helps individuals deal with the abuse, but will also allow them to walk away without any guilt. I especially enjoyed the exercises that were listed towards the end, from the CALM acronym, to the encouragements in practicing positive self-talk and gratitude. The book has a mixture of inspirational and therapeutic tones that acts as a soft nudge to encourage them to heal, whether it be by themselves or with others. 

Helping people who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault has always been a special interest of mine, so I can definitely see this book pair well with other resources such as 5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life by Bill Eddy and Why Does He Do That by Lundy Bancroft. The book also reminds me of a relationship class for women that this rehab center I interned at used to do. The class talked a lot about codependency, violence, why we come back to partners who have abused us, ect. True, individuals who have abused may have, in turn, been abused in the past. Similarly, there was a parenting class I helped teach in the facility as well, and in the curriculum, an emphasis of healthy boundaries was made over and over and over again. It really just shows that narcissists can be anyone, whether it be a parent, a partner, a sibling, and more, and that it was important for us to be protective of ourselves with everyone. However, while that means we can feel sorry for them, even love them, that doesn’t mean we need to allow these individuals to keep hurting us. 

Because of this, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to those who are experiencing narcissistic abuse, codependency, ect. 

Book Review for Henbane and Halibut by E.R and Cass Blackwell

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

Henbane and Halibut, by E.R and Cass Blackwell, is a cozy mystery about a woman who tries to save her mother after a murder grips her entire community. The book introduces Wyllow, a book illustrator who lives in the small, magical town of Seaglass Cove. One day, while out and about, she stumbles across a body, and soon, all eyes are on her mothert. Wyllow begins her own investigation to prove her mother’s innocence, only to find that not everything is as it seems.

I’ll admit, Seaglass Cove is somewhere I picture myself to live. There’s a lot of fun, whimsical names I couldn’t help but laugh at. This was certainly a book I could curl up next to near the fireplace (I just moved. I have that now) with old herbs and candles scattered around me. The mystery was fun to solve. Moreover, I especially enjoyed the crafter storyline. I do wish we could get more out of it, especially since it sounds like a precious, encouraging source of magic I’d be more than happy to learn any day.  

Needless to say, there were times when it got a little trying, especially since this was less murder mystery than Disney plotline. Moreover, while I do enjoy the character Wyllow (awesome spelling by the way), she felt more like a caricature than a character I could relate to. It’s similar with all the characters. It doesn’t help that all the characters in the book are living lives that all introverts (myself included) probably want. The final reveal was a bit of a let down; it seemed lazy to just introduce a new suspect even though the Blackwells already had a list of suspects in the first chapter. Nonetheless, it made for an okay twist, even if it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Because of this, I would give this book a rating of a 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review for Serenity: A Dark Romance by Skye Bailey

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

Serenity: A Dark Romance, by Skye Bailey, is a romance thriller about a woman who, after being forced into sex slavery, finds herself again in the midst of the pain. The book introduces Serenity, a disgruntled housewife who gets abducted by a mysterious man. After being given the name, “Donna”, Serenity is forced to endure the brutalities of sex slavery before being rescued by Chris. As she falls in love, Serenity is forced to choose between the life she made with Chris, and her old one with her family, all the while learning to about herself again.

This book had so much potential. Serenity’s storyline was rife with tragedy and pain, as well as hope and encouragement. Meanwhile, Jack’s taking Serenity for granted and Chris’s subsequent lack of it would’ve made an interesting dichotomy between the two. I felt horrified at the things that man put Serenity through, and was all the more glad that Bailey didn’t put a name to the perpetrator; it would’ve put the focus on that man rather than Serenity, and it would’ve derailed the story completely. The kids were cute of course.

That being said, I couldn’t help but be just a little disappointed. Both Serenity’s, Jack’s, and Chris’s POVs could’ve been fleshed out more. The way it is now, it felt like Bailey was telling me what was going on rather than show me. The romance between the two love interests definitely felt rushed. In regards to what Serenity experienced, it didn’t make sense for Serenity to slowly lose her memories, but still keep her name as “Serenity”. If anything, Bailey should’ve changed it to “Donna” since that was what she introduced herself to Chris as. As for what constitutes as a dark romance, I didn’t see anything immoral between Chris or Jack. I appreciate the fact that they were both supportive of her, but regardless, there was no dark romance to be found. Unless Bailey meant for Ray to be another contender, which I highly doubt she, or the readers, want. There were mistakes littered throughout the book, punctuation that needed to be corrected and words that I figured were more typos than anything. 

Again, this book has a lot of potential. But the pacing needs to slow down, and the POVs need to be fleshed out for me to be more immersed in the story. As such, I’ll be giving this book a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars. 

How Much Love Can a Heart Hold? by Angela Panayotopulos

How Much Love Can a Heart Hold, by Angela Panayotopulos, is a children’s poetry book about encouraging children to love their ever changing families.

I absolutely loved this book. The poetry was lyrical. The illustrations were gorgeous, and I’ve got to admit, while I was in training with other mental health professionals, I showed them the book and they loved it too. One line that really got to me was , “no matter how big our family gets, you’ll always be loved as deeply by me.” Moreover, while the book does focus on siblings at first, I can definitely see this book being used for foster children who are going into new homes, children who are adopted, children who have experienced trauma, ect. It can also be a good way for children who have a diagnoses of a mental illness to build rapport with their siblings, living or waiting to be born. It’s a good way defuse conflict between children, although talking it out helps too. 

Moreover, there are organizations that would benefit from using this book. There’s a counseling group that offers free counseling for foster children from 0-17. There’s a children’s emergency shelter who would benefit from a little literary loving from this book every now and then. Heck, I live near a military base, and I know how many kids would love to read this with their parents, even though they may be deployed, or working, whatever the case may be. The book is magical without it ever being a fairytale. When I read it, it introduced an element of enchantment I didn’t realize I’d forgotten. I’m pretty sure others would agree with me as well. As such I would honestly give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review for Waves: Inhuman Love Collection by Howl Avery

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

Waves, by Howl Avery, is the first in the Inhuman Love Collection, and delves into the surprisingly wholesome relationship between a male selkie and his human counterpart. The book is separated by month. May introduces Ezra, a marine biologist who had recently broken up with his fiancé, and Kai, a male selkie who had lost his coat and their meet cute. June demonstrates just how difficult it is for selkies and humans to be intimate, although it’s more than clear that the two are infatuated with one another. July and August showcase the lengths that Kai and Ezra are willing to go to protect each other, and September leaves readers with a promise that, while Kai needs to go back into the ocean, he will return to Ezra, as he always does and always will. 

Personally, I feel the way Avery ended this relationship was absolutely perfect. Humanity’s always had a penchant of trying to conquer things that shouldn’t be conquered, especially with nature. So it’s comforting to know that already, Ezra is going against the flow; he’s keeping track of the seal populations, doing what he can to keep them safe even before he met Kai. He respects nature, which is a refreshing turn of events. And yes, that tendency did rear its ugly head when he tried forcing Kai to choose between himself and the ocean, but nonetheless, I’m glad he was able to prioritize Kai’s wellbeing. I also liked how he wasn’t forcing Kai to stay with him, although the kitty pool was a nice touch. We tend to love things we can’t keep, so for Ezra to demonstrate this much maturity makes me admire his character. Should Avery ever decide to write more about this couple, I would love to read it.  

Needless to say, Thom is an asshole. He will always be an asshole. I loved the support system that Ezra had in Mary and Eric. In a way, it felt like Ezra and Kai were in their own little fairytale, and when they were ready to come out, those two were waiting. I did feel at times they were distracting from the romance, but their presences were welcome nonetheless. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review for The Belladonna Invitation by Rose Biggin

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

The Belladonna Invitation, by Rose Biggin, is a gothic tale about a young woman who gets caught up in the snares of the Belladonna. The book is separated into 4 parts. Part I details a young woman named F, who decides to give everything up to join the Belladonna as her companion. Part II introduces Lucian, who falls prey to the Belladonna’s charm, and F’s subsequent jealousy of how easily the Belladonna plays with him. Part III shows the Belladonna’s compassionate facade unraveling, revealing an unfeeling woman who desires fame and immortality above all else. Part IV finally shows just how far the Belladonna would go to preserve said facade, even if it means giving up her life for it. 

I’ve got to admit; at first I was a little bit bored. I didn’t know what the book was going to be about, and those long winded “proper” phrases caused me to struggle. However, as I delved further into the book, it won me over. From Luce’s ill-fated desire for the Belladonna’s love, to F’s eventual desire to break free from the Belladonna’s strings, it goes to show just how much of a goddess the Belladonna has become in their eyes. And it’s not just them; everyone is tracking the Belladonna’s movements. And while F once considered herself to be grateful for getting so much of the Belladonna’s attention, it’s all she can do but realize just how much of a pawn the Belladonna treats her as. Nothing F, or rather Flora, wants matters; it’s only just how useful she is to the Belladonna. I don’t even think F knows the Belladonna’s name, and she’s obsessed with this woman. 

Thought I must admit; even the Belladonna seemed to have fallen victim to her own pride. She’d rather die perfect in everyone’s eyes then become human. And although F will now have to take on the responsibility, it seemed F will follow the Belladonna’s poisonous legacy. She was in love with the idea of the woman than the actual woman herself. It’s the same thing with Luce, and honestly, it’s kind of sad. It reminds me of a line from the movie, The Devil Wears Prada, in that everyone wants to be like the ones at the top, but no one wants to take the time to get to no them. It reminds me of old Hollywood  actresses like Marylin Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, in which it’s better to die young than to live old. Moreover, the Belladonna, or rather Atropa belladonna is a type of nightshade that’s garnered a reputation of being poisonous. Many practitioners, myself included, prize its hallucinogenic properties. It’s beautiful, and is often used in baneful magic, primarily those associated with glamours. It’s fitting for Biggin, then, to name our star prima donna the Belladonna. 

I thought this was a solid book. While it did take a while, it ended up being an important lesson on cementing beauty’s immortality, no matter how far you have to go to do it. The way that the Belladonna plays with her victims as well reminds me of the Affair of the Poisons, Hollywood, and other corrupt times that prioritized our perception of beauty. As such, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review for Ally and Her Mad Hatter by S.N Hunt

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

Ally and Her Mad Hatter, by S.N Hunt, is a continuation of Alice and Her Knave, in which Alice’s daughter, Ally, descends into Wonderland and meets the Mad Hatter, who, whether he wants to or not, encourages her madness. After the death of her parents, Ally stumbles into Wonderland, where she is briefly mistaken for Alice. Once she realizes her mother was telling the truth about wonderland, and had killed herself because no one believed her, Ally decides to journey into the heart of Wonderland to discover what exactly it was her mother was so enamored with. From there, she can only unravel the lies her father wove, and shoulder the burdens both her parents have left her. 

The characters have a lot of potential. I could see Ally’ descent into madness, especially since she had the same violent proclivities her father had before her. The Hatter on the other hand, had already gone down that dark path. Hunt had no problem showing just how dangerous this couple is; I would go as far as to compare them to Joker and Harley Quinn, albeit with way more love and sex. Despite this, I would’ve wanted Hunt to flesh out Ally’s dynamics with Alice and the Knave; they’re partly the reason why Ally’s here in the first place. Moreover, for Ally to play the part of the Knave, rather than another Alice, makes me wonder just how much of her father’s twisted heart did Ally inherit. I would’ve appreciated it if Hunt explored those tendencies just a little more. 

What makes this so bittersweet, however, was how far the Hatter was willing to drag Ally down with him. If anything, I feel that the voices he pushes away so forcefully are a part of him. They whisper to him, and while he tries to fight them off, at the end of the day they’ll do his bidding, because they represent his true desires. He knows it won’t be long before Ally succumbs to Wonderland’s insanity. He knows just how dangerous this place is, and yet he’s willing to destroy her if it means possessing her. It reminds me of that song, Kill Bill by SZA, where the singer would “rather be in Hell than alone.” 

The sex scenes were good, and although I was looking forward to some knife play, I’m okay with settling for cannibalism and blood and gore. I appreciated seeing the degradation of the other characters, and just how, at the end of the day, Wonderland isn’t some fairytale that you can escape to. While I did wish the characters were fleshed out more, I still enjoyed the book as a whole. As such, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review for A Light Amongst Shadows by Kelley York and Rowan Atwood

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

A Light Amongst Shadows, by Kelley York and Rowan Atwood, is a historical romance about two young men who fall in love in spite of the darkness lurking nearby. James Spencer has just recently enrolled in Whisperwood, a school dedicated to reforming troubled boys. Although abandoned by his family, he’s able to make friends with other students such as Oscar, all the while meeting with and becoming infatuated with William. However, he soon realizes that something monstrous stalks the school’s halls. And when Oscar suddenly disappears, James finds himself in a race against time as he tries to find out what happened to his friend. 

From James becoming enamored with William, the social pariah, to him hunting for Oscar, I loved the dynamics of all the characters. Moreover, I enjoyed how shameless James was in his attraction to William, and how he doesn’t question himself even though it’s actively discouraged by his other peers. The couple compliment each other; they were both willing to embrace the other’s demons so that they can be together. While I’m heartbroken Oscar didn’t get the same ending as William, nonetheless I’m glad they were able to find solace in each other. But then of course, being in a haunted school with the spirits of murdered school boys would do that to you.

That being said, similar themes of power and hiding who you are for safety have come up. William needed to continue taking opium, in spite of what it was doing to him (props to York and Atwood for weening the poor boy off, rather than going cold turkey altogether). And while James’s past gives him no excuse for what he did to his family, it explains his protectiveness of both William and Oscar, and why he would go so far as to risk dying to discover what happened to his friend. There’s a certain darkness to James I feel that William will have to face, but they’re taking it one step at a time. And while it does sadden me to know that they’ll have to keep their relationship a secret, that they would have to sever their ties with their family, I’m happy they have each other.

I can honestly see myself rereading this again. I did wish Maxwell was more fleshed out, especially with all the deaths that are tied to him. Then again, while I’m a sucker for dramatic, nightmarish romances, but I can admire the simplicity. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.