A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 81

The Truth About Awiti by C. P. Patrick

     I'm not even going to lie; this book startled me.  I sat, pensive at my computer, seeking the right words to describe this book, for quite some time before reviewing.  I started the weekend with three books under my belt and The Truth About Awiti, by CP Patrick dominated my reading schedule.  I couldn't leave it, my heart aching from the bits of historical tragedies.  

     I finally came to realize, I'd developed a sort of 'Love/Hate' relationship with the book.  I became entranced in what felt like a lilting, poetic, historical emprise, bearing a sense of both melancholy and triumph.  The story is powerful, emotional, upsetting even.  I quickly understood why it received so much acclaim.

     The book is an atheneum of lives, a collection of entries from the living and the dead, spanning hundreds of years.  Stories of how White Faces ravaged villages, warriors chained together while witnessing the rapes and murders of mothers, wives and daughters.  Even mutinous battles on the sea where adulterous activities were commonplace.  Each entry carried a theme, a purpose, that either told of a wrong, the dealing of wrong, revenge, remorse and acceptance.  Most of them spoke or concerned Awiti, a bi-racial young woman who was gifted with powers of immortality.  With her power, she exacted revenge, through billowing waves on the seas to wash away evil sailors, or thunderstorms of wind and rain on land.  She creatively did so much more, but her sole purpose was to give those who'd done wrong to the Africans of the world what they deserved.  She went everywhere, filled with a bitterness more hostile than any whipping from the Master, and made them pay...  Other times, someone was  who never imagined they had the strength to run away were blessed with a determination beyond their own ability.  It didn't come from God, but from someplace within.  Girls joined revolutions, men fought to the death, while others found a peace that allowed their their disembodied spirits to curl up in a nook of acceptance in the Bahamas.

     It's hard to say I enjoyed this book, because it's not one where you say, "Girl!  You have got to read this book- it's so good!"  Not that it's not, but it's one that leaves you sad.  Sad and frustrating because, as the reader, you know many of these tales are based on actual facts.  The act of slavery, the punishments for seeking what was a born-given.  It hurts.  Whether black, white, or any other nationality, it affects you as you read (meaning the author did her job well).

     I think this is the longest review I've ever written.  Like I mentioned earlier, I didnt know what to say or how to share it.  So I guess I'll leave close this with, if you are a lover of historical fiction and you have the heart to read the happenings of this book- you won't be disappointed.  It's a book like no other!  
Next book!

Ratings: 

The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      *Audiobook Review

     I kept hearing the Mortal Instruments books and television chatter- even from my daughter, but I didn't follow the noise.  I've never been a follower, you see, so the stories were easy to ignore.  But as you can see, I eventually succumbed to the taunts and fuss.  I regret nothing.  I own both audio and physical books, so I performed a read-a-long.  Do you do that?

     There are many factors that make this book very interesting but I've decided to list two.  (1) It all happens in London!  Are you kidding- how could I resist that?  I love everything in London, even the books that suck are loved, simply for their locations; I can't help it.  (2) It's a time piece, no pun intended.  It's set in Victorian London and, to me, gives an elegance that can not be carried in current day settings.  It's formal, where an insult can feel almost floral and manners count, even when being killed (Nate at the party reference).  (3) The covers are beautiful!  There are new covers, but I refused to purchase them- these are the ones I wanted and will proudly show off.  Original is better.

​     Lastly, I found out, due to timing and storylines, there's a proper order to read the Infernal Devices and Mortal Instruments.  I found this info from a FAQ site if you'd like to check it out:  
Books 1-3 of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones , followed by the second book,  City of Ashes , then City of Glass.  Then take the books like this:
The Infernal Devices Book 1:  Clockwork Angel
The Mortal Instruments, Book 4:  City of Fallen Angels
The Infernal Devices, Book 2:  Clockwork Prince
The Mortal Instruments, Book 5:  City of Lost Souls
The Infernal Devices, Book 3:  Clockwork Princess
The Mortal Instruments, Book 6:  City of Heavenly Fire
​
     Personally, I"m reading the prequels first, but on my bookshelf, they shall stand in the order I shared above.  I enjoyed the series and I'll share, without SPOILERS , what I enjoyed about each book.  I'll also give each book a review, then average out the series review rating.  And away we go!    Clockwork Angel      The story of Clockwork Angel is set about 130 years ago.  A young woman, by the name of Tessa Gray is called to London, from New York, to visit with her brother Nathaniel.  When she arrives, her brother's no where to be found and she's taken as prisoner to a pair of women known as the Dark Sisters.  

     Tessa learns she's not like other people; she is a Downworlder.  And she's wanted for what she is.  She finds refuge from a group called The Pandemonium Club with another group, Shadowhunters.  They explain what's after her and together they find her brother... or do they?  

     There's magic, mayhem, automatons, vampires and demons in this book.  It's adventurous, funny and amazing all at once!  I truly enjoyed the story and this book ignited a great curiosity in me.  This book was nothing like the movie I'd seen, so I'm hoping to take on a greater understanding of the storyline, allowing me to breeze through The Mortal Instruments series when I read them.  I'm on to the next book.

Bedlam Lost by Jack Castle

     When I read Jack Castle's first book (Europa Journal 10/12/15), I was wow'd and gave it a raving review.  One reason I love his books- there's always a little bit of faith in there!  Not enough to deter a reader, but still something to think ab out when it comes to your life lived and what comes next.  Cheers to this awesome author.

     At first I didn't get the book cover.  Some loner walking in a thirsty land, into a light... then as I kept reading, I was like, "OH... okay!"  I won't tell you why, because I don't give SPOILERS!  But I can say, the cover fits the tale.

     Bedlam Lost is about several characters, but I'll give two: Hank and Emma.  They're new to the small down in Alaska.  They can't seem to remember much and the first day they arrive, some freaky stuff happens.  It doesn't seem to shadow their experience in the small town of HavenPort, population: 492.  That is, until even more freaky stuff takes place- bigger than before!  Then memories are starting to surface, and people aren't who they think/say they are... or are they?

     This book starts off with some weird happenings.  I was intrigued and found myself interested from the very start, to the end.  I read the book in a few days.  And that's with NaNoWriMo, moving and so much more going on!  It's very interesting because it has to do with the after-life - and that's all I'm going to say to prevent myself from giving anything away!  You have to read it to know just how good it is!

     Next book! 

Aunty Acid's Guide to Life by Ged Backland

     If you are like me, you need laughter in your life.  You need a little cynicism, sarcasm and maybe even a bit of anger.  But what you really need most is Aunty Acid!  I got this book as a part of a huge gift bag for Christmas from a close, church friend.  I love this book!  No really, I love it!

     Aunty Acid tells it like it is.  She's real, she's over-weight and she's hilarious!  She speaks on life and how to take on challenges with, insane positivity?  Yeah, I think that's a good way to describe it.  From computers, to wine; from being robbed to ignorant co-workers; from irritation to house cleaning- she covers it all!  If you haven't seen Aunty Acid in the papers, then you need to grab this book.  You will laugh.  All the time!!
     On to the next book!

Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark

     Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark is such a fun story, I found myself caught up- I almost wanted a dog again!  
... ALMOST...

​     The story is one I'll always peek through and share with my Ewoks.  It's about Plum, who's a Whoosell (a Whippet mixed with Jack Russell and poodle).  He's lovable, funny, annoying and loves the smell of fox poop!  Who couldn't love him?

     The book isn't a story, it's a year in the life of Plum.  Living in London with Emma and Rupert.  It starts at the beginning of the year walks through days of his life.  It's not boring in the least, because it's about a dog and his life with Emma.  They go for walks, visit friends, play in the rain, everything.  It's a sweet book.  It may even have you look at your pets in a different light.  I know I began to wonder about things with our dog, before he left us, after reading it.  

     Read Plumdog- you'll enjoy it, no matter how old you are!  ​

The 4th Estate by Rio Rouge

     Here's another Wattpad story- but it's incomplete so I can't truly rate it the way I view my other shorts and novels.  The 4th Estate by Rio Rouge, is a violent masterpiece- I was very impressed, not to mention it's a 2015 winner on Wattpad.  I don't know if a Watty is for a number of reads or for the quality, but either way, the story is different, good and violent.

     I've never been a huge fan of Wattpad.  I found many of the accounts filled with great ideas but written, excuted in a manner so poorly, I felt like a professional!  And I'm not.  I didn't come away with The 4th Estate, by Ekene Ugbaja (roi_rouge).  This author carried a unique story and made it work.  Other than a few errors, which I was warned about in advance, I found this book carefully thought out and told.

     I did find it repetitive, but the author wanted the reader to truly understand the dangers, high and chasmic lows of The 4th.  It was stressed how one didn't want to be in The 4th, not even those born there but could manage to thrive.  One could thrive and easily be robbed or killed as well as look at a person.  You could fight as with the David and Goliath reference.  And so much more.        The story begins in a court room, representing himself as both protagonist and antagonist.  There have been many murders, deserving murders.  He's poetic, descriptive and overly confident but spraying perfume on a monster doesn't make it a rose.  The man is vile, yet when you understand his background, you end up feeling sorta bad for him.  You want to both hug him and slap him in cuffs and toss him beneath a prison!  A good write can incite feelings like this.

     I enjoyed The 4th Estate and if you're in to Wattpad, you should check it out! Rating:  

If IRun by Terri Blackstock

     So to begin this review, I have to say that Terri Blackstock and I am friends (not really a friendship, but you understand) on Facebook and we've traded comments a time or two, but she wouldn't know me from Adam.  I can also admit, in all honesty, I've read another Blackstock book, but for the life of me- I can't remember the title!  Sad, I know, but I remember it being so good, that's what got me to friend her and experience our little chat to begin with!

     So when I saw the opportunity to receive another title by her, I was ready.  It arrived on a Friday and I began Friday evening.  Had it not been for my working on putting my bedroom furniture together and setting up my master bedroom, I'd have stayed in this book for the evening- It's a thrill from the very first page!

     If I Run has Casey, frantically pulling a 'Me': Get rid of all the bloody evidence, cause they'll use that luminole, like they do on tv!  Okay, I've never killed a person, but because of all the CSI and shows like The First 48 and more on A&E, I think I know what will happen next too!  Her friend's been killed and it looks like she's the culprit behind the murder... but she's not!  She's got to save herself and flush the killers out.  While she's doing this, someone's looking for her, a detective, hired by the victim's family.  Thank goodness, he already knows, by studying her and all she's managed,  she's not the killer.  But who is?

     This book starts and does not stop.  Well, until it ends.  It is non-fiction in fiction, at it's best!  In order to write a good bock, which Terri Blackstock seems to always do, you have to have enough realism in your make-believe.  If I Run feels real and so does Casey.  The incident in the library and conversations she has on the way to her unknown destination for safety are engaging and understandable, even though she's in danger.  Even her talk with Brent is so good- I need to stop!   Before I hand off some SPOILERS- and you know how I feel about that!  lol

     You have to check out, If I Run by Terri Blackstock.  She's an amazing author and I'm compelled to read her work as soon as I possess it.  Yes, she's that good!  On to the next book!

Under the Dome by Stephen King

                                                                                                                                                                         *Audiobook Review
     I never thought of reading Under the Dome, by Stephen King, before October of 2015.  I found the book in my favorite used bookstore, V-Stock.   I found the book for five bucks ($5) and it's well-over a thousand pages (1072 to be exact)!  So when I found out, Audible.com let me have the 34-hours & 29 minute audio for 1 credit- FREE, I jumped all over it!  

​     Did you watch the tv mini-series?  I didn't.  I couldn't!  It came on when so many of my other shows played- there was no way I could watch.  I know, shame on me, but what's better than the book anyway?  After this listen and review, I'm going to rent the show in Apple TV to see how the adaptation faired.  On to the review!      The story is about the town of Chester's Mill being trapped within a glassy prison.  It all begins with severed limbs, car crashes and panic and ends with everyone going plumb crazy!  The military tries to enforce Marshall Law but they can't do anything more than cut the phones and internet, leaving the town to its own devices.  There's drugs, rape, murder and so much more going on; characters as nutty as Needful Things or Storm of the Century!  

     Sadly, the ending sucked!  After everything that happened in this long, freaking book, the conclusion came so fast- I had to go back and reread!  I thought to myself, "What the heck?  Is that all it took?  All that hassle, trouble and death and that's all that was needed to end it all?"  Needless to say, I wasn't happy.  

     In the end, the story is weird but still a good listen/read.  If you're a King fan and used to the calamity that is almost true-to-life in most of King's stories, then you'll enjoy this one.  On to the next read!  

The Razor's Adventures Pirate Tales by P. S. Bartlett

     Here it is- my next adventure is on the open waters!  The Razor's Pirate Adventures by P. S. Bartlett is one you may want to check out.  I love adventure as much as fantasy, horror and every other genre out there and now I can add piratic romance too.  I had a feeling these books were going to be fun and I was right!!  

     With each read, I rated the book and then averaged them out for an over-all rating.  So let's get this show on the road! Prequel: Ivory Dawn      You know me, so you know how much I love the covers to this series!  I've not seen anything like it before.  The colors are rich and the pictures, though brief, are amazing!  It's original and speaks volumes to me!  Also, the interior of the book is gorgeous.  There are illustrations and the fonts perfect for my feeble eyes.  Plus's all around on this.

     The story is great as well.  Ivory Dawn is an introduction to Demon's & Pearls, the first novel of the series.  Ivory Shepard and her cousins were trying to live a good, quiet life along a river, as farmers.  Unfortunately, a group of pirates, headed by Captain Barclay had other plans.  Through Ivory's skills and training given to her cousins, they not only survive the raid but win a spot abroad the Demon Sea, Captain Barclay's ship.  

     Ivory Dawn is a brief novella that kicks off my adventure on the high seas.  I loved the book and I'm all set to go!

The Night Our Parents Went Out by Katie Goodman & Soren Kissel

     OMGoodness- if this book isn't about the cutest children's story ever written!  I took a chance on winning it in two different book drawings and I happily got this one.  Had I won both, I'd have given it to my Ewoks... too bad for the woks!  LOL  I'm keeping this baby!  I'll read it to them though.

     So first, the book cover is totally amazing!  The illustrations, by Cat Tuong Bui, are so bright, colorful and nostalgic- I can't help but love it!  They make me think of cartoons from the 60's and 70's- they're the type of pics I'd love to have in my own children's book.  If I wrote children's books.

     Okay, so the story is about a brother and sister who are nameless.  They're terrified for their parents' safety.  Anything could happen to them while going out on this so-called date.  Thank goodness for Abby, their babysitter who uniquely counters each and every danger two children below the age of ten can think of!      From evil unicorn-elevators to braiding squid tentacles; from jet-packed guard ostriches to quicksand monsters- these kids think of it all and Abby thinks of amusing antics where Mom and Dad defy all laws of zany situations!  This story and it's pictures are more than a children's book.  It's a TRUE ADVENTURE!  Check out The Night Our Parents Went Out, by Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel!