R.A. White's Blog, page 13
August 21, 2015
Review/Rant
Review of 'Planet Urth: The Savage Lands'.
I read the first book in this series, and although it had typos and a sappy love interest near the end, there was something about it that drew me, so I read the second book, 'The Savage Lands'. There was some cool stuff in this book, creepy even, but unfortunately it had all the flaws of the first one and added regular episodes of teen girl over-the-top lust/infatuation from beginning to end, distracting continuity error, and… drum roll please… a love triangle. *gags*. Not every love triangle I've seen has made me gag, but most of them do, and this was probably the WORST ever love triangle. I mean, we're talking Twilight level bad. At least in Twilight, Bella was more or less committed to Edward, and she was just playing the other dude for her own purposes. Yeah, she was a jerk, but this isn't a review of that book anyway, so don't argue with me about it. Avery, the heroine of THIS book, is a jerk too, but I kind of think it's in a good way, and not because she's playing anybody. She's just no nonsense and ruthless. Except when it comes to hot guys. If you're into super-sappy-I-don't-know-who-I-love-even-when-I'm-looking-at-both-of-them infatuation, then this is the book for you.
I liked Avery in the first book, and there are things I like about her in this one, but EVERYTHING to do with the male characters in the book is overdone and sappy, in my opinion. I am well aware that this is a matter of preference and not objective like the technical errors, but it's what turned me against the series. I'm sure that people who enjoy that sort of stuff are thrilled with these books, but it killed them for me. I really enjoyed the world and creepy stuff in it. I'm kind of sad that I can't stomach the swooning. Ah, well. There are worse things.
Language: Pretty sure it's completely clean.
Sexual Content: Clean unless you count 'Oh, he touched my back' and 'I feel so warm when he looks my way'. I made those examples up, but that's the general idea. There is also a set of scenes where serial rape is talked about, making it unsuitable for young readers.
Violence: Yes.
Overall Message/Plot: The message might be that slaughtering the enemy is the best way to go. Not sure about that yet, since the book kind of ended in the middle of the story. The plot 'Survival in an awesome dystopian world' is way cool and I'd love more of it. The plot 'He's so hot and so is he and they both keep looking at me but I don't know why I feel this way what should I do' is distinctly less cool.
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I read the first book in this series, and although it had typos and a sappy love interest near the end, there was something about it that drew me, so I read the second book, 'The Savage Lands'. There was some cool stuff in this book, creepy even, but unfortunately it had all the flaws of the first one and added regular episodes of teen girl over-the-top lust/infatuation from beginning to end, distracting continuity error, and… drum roll please… a love triangle. *gags*. Not every love triangle I've seen has made me gag, but most of them do, and this was probably the WORST ever love triangle. I mean, we're talking Twilight level bad. At least in Twilight, Bella was more or less committed to Edward, and she was just playing the other dude for her own purposes. Yeah, she was a jerk, but this isn't a review of that book anyway, so don't argue with me about it. Avery, the heroine of THIS book, is a jerk too, but I kind of think it's in a good way, and not because she's playing anybody. She's just no nonsense and ruthless. Except when it comes to hot guys. If you're into super-sappy-I-don't-know-who-I-love-even-when-I'm-looking-at-both-of-them infatuation, then this is the book for you.
I liked Avery in the first book, and there are things I like about her in this one, but EVERYTHING to do with the male characters in the book is overdone and sappy, in my opinion. I am well aware that this is a matter of preference and not objective like the technical errors, but it's what turned me against the series. I'm sure that people who enjoy that sort of stuff are thrilled with these books, but it killed them for me. I really enjoyed the world and creepy stuff in it. I'm kind of sad that I can't stomach the swooning. Ah, well. There are worse things.
Language: Pretty sure it's completely clean.
Sexual Content: Clean unless you count 'Oh, he touched my back' and 'I feel so warm when he looks my way'. I made those examples up, but that's the general idea. There is also a set of scenes where serial rape is talked about, making it unsuitable for young readers.
Violence: Yes.
Overall Message/Plot: The message might be that slaughtering the enemy is the best way to go. Not sure about that yet, since the book kind of ended in the middle of the story. The plot 'Survival in an awesome dystopian world' is way cool and I'd love more of it. The plot 'He's so hot and so is he and they both keep looking at me but I don't know why I feel this way what should I do' is distinctly less cool.
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August 16, 2015
Review of 'Coal'
'Coal' by Constance BurrisI was given a free copy of 'Coal' in exchange for an honest review as a part of a blog tour with Diverse Book Tours.
Coal, the main character, is a teenaged human living in a fairly world where humans are more or less considered lowlifes, except that he's the fairy princess's best friend. Of course that's part of the conflict, but don't worry, there's more to come. The book springs from there and stays pretty fast paced with Coal's life and the adventures that result from his relationship with the princess and an ill-advised trip to the human realm. His character develops as a good character's should, and although he's not the brightest at times, he does resolve to do the right thing despite many pressures not to. When I say 'not the brightest', I don't mean to say he's especially daft, just that he's a teenaged guy with little experience and… did I say teenaged guy? I don't mean for anyone to take that personally, just take it the way you want.
Anyway, he has some interesting experiences, and some of the secondary characters are pleasantly mysterious (good, bad, just immature? We don't know for sure, and it's nice to wonder) and some are just plain weird. The story didn't go at all the way I might have expected it to, which I appreciated.
My complaints are typos and some scenes where the writing becomes very 'telling'. I lost connection to the characters in the lists of statements about things that were happening. At times this made the writing awkward, and it felt like I was reading an early draft of scenarios that had been pounded out but then not reworked to their fullest potential. Despite this, I never felt so annoyed that I considered putting it down (and I've done that a couple times lately; I may or may not bother to write about them) and I came away from the story feeling that it had been a good use of my time. Also, the ending was too abrupt for my taste, but don't worry, not a dreaded cliff hanger.
'Coal' was odd in that although it was primarily told from Coal's perspective and was named for him, I found more attachment to the world itself than to him. The world is super cool, creatively designed and intricate with magic, creatures, and sentient trees. Coal is kind of a shallow (or maybe just clueless? Not sure) guy, even if he is honorable, and that made him hard for me to relate to. But hey, at least he didn't spend all his time pining away for romance and worrying about his appearance, like most YA heroines do.
Language: Some mild foul language.
Sexual Content: Nothing more than a couple of kisses.
Violence: Pretty mild, and nothing that seemed like it would feel scary to anyone.
Overall Plot/Message: I guess you could say there were some messages, like: 'do the right thing despite pressures to the contrary', 'don't be so naïve', and 'crazy people can still be good'. As for plot, it was pretty straight forward, unlike some of the characters, and I enjoyed it. Also, marks for diversity and dealing with class issues. If you like young adult fantasy and magical worlds, you may enjoy 'Coal'. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because it was a nice diversion.
Find it here .
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August 12, 2015
I Don't Eat Monsters...
The following is two Trooper stories that I wrote while we were in Ohio a few weeks ago, with a couple of follow up notes. I imagine you'll enjoy.
"For a while, the only thing I had to post was a brief story of Trooper taking apart the screen door and hiding the bolt in the dehumidifier, and I didn't really want to post just that. I'm not sure why he was being more 'normal' for a while, but the good news is that we're back to OUR normal. Trooper has been spending a lot of time with my family in Ohio, which is kind of bad in that he's learning all kinds of new mischief, but good because he loves it. Anyway, it's hilarious, so I'm not complaining. Now, if you ask him his name he'll probably answer 'Hubbabubba'. Today I said, "What about Clive White?" and he said, "No, Clive Blue." We went to see the Minion Movie, another bad influence, and I watched him watch the movie as much as I watched it myself. He was so excited that his mouth was smiling open wide and his arms were just flapping and waving all around. It was true love."
"Last night at a Chinese takeout place he was trying to steal the duck sauce from my mom's table and had us all laughing at the competition, and then he said, "Look, a dump truck!" He was so excited about it passing the window that everyone just had to look. And that's when he snagged the duck sauce and ran away with it. I'm not completely convinced that the entire thing was planned--more likely he really was excited by the truck and only thought to steal the sauce when everyone had looked away--but I wouldn't put it past him."
My favorite, favorite thing he did or said was when we were all sitting at a picnic table eating breakfast and having a lively conversation and he said, "I don't eat monsters. They get stuck in my teeth."
When we got home, I was talking to my mom on the phone and she told me that in the hustle and bustle of loading up the car and leaving their house, he had managed to turn on every light in their bedroom and bathroom (he'd been harassing her by turning on lights the entire time we were there) and then locked the door so they couldn't get in. As I began apologizing, my mom laughed and said it was OK, it had given them a good laugh and something else to remember him by.
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"For a while, the only thing I had to post was a brief story of Trooper taking apart the screen door and hiding the bolt in the dehumidifier, and I didn't really want to post just that. I'm not sure why he was being more 'normal' for a while, but the good news is that we're back to OUR normal. Trooper has been spending a lot of time with my family in Ohio, which is kind of bad in that he's learning all kinds of new mischief, but good because he loves it. Anyway, it's hilarious, so I'm not complaining. Now, if you ask him his name he'll probably answer 'Hubbabubba'. Today I said, "What about Clive White?" and he said, "No, Clive Blue." We went to see the Minion Movie, another bad influence, and I watched him watch the movie as much as I watched it myself. He was so excited that his mouth was smiling open wide and his arms were just flapping and waving all around. It was true love."
"Last night at a Chinese takeout place he was trying to steal the duck sauce from my mom's table and had us all laughing at the competition, and then he said, "Look, a dump truck!" He was so excited about it passing the window that everyone just had to look. And that's when he snagged the duck sauce and ran away with it. I'm not completely convinced that the entire thing was planned--more likely he really was excited by the truck and only thought to steal the sauce when everyone had looked away--but I wouldn't put it past him."
My favorite, favorite thing he did or said was when we were all sitting at a picnic table eating breakfast and having a lively conversation and he said, "I don't eat monsters. They get stuck in my teeth."
When we got home, I was talking to my mom on the phone and she told me that in the hustle and bustle of loading up the car and leaving their house, he had managed to turn on every light in their bedroom and bathroom (he'd been harassing her by turning on lights the entire time we were there) and then locked the door so they couldn't get in. As I began apologizing, my mom laughed and said it was OK, it had given them a good laugh and something else to remember him by.
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July 30, 2015
Off to Camp
As I was looking through old posts for the one I linked in the post below, I found my pre-camp post from last year. Apparently, I left my laptop at home since I didn't think I would use it. I don't have any memory of being at camp without a laptop, so I guess I didn't miss it too terribly, but I don't know if I'm going to go that route this year... I'm weeks behind on my writing (darned vacations :) and I'd love to do a little while I'm there if I have a free minute. *sigh* Life decisions can be so tough.
I DO remember that we ran out of noodles on the first night of camp last year, and that about 20 people had to wait for us to make more. And I remember two years ago when I accidentally dumped racks of sandwiches on the ground, and I remember the year before that when one young guy fainted at the sight of his own blood when he cut himself with a knife. That reminds me of another time when I chopped off the tip of my own finger and the skin was only hanging there because it was still connected to my fingernail, which wasn't completely severed at the other end of the nail... I have lots of memories, just not of missing my computer. Maybe that should tell me something. It's a wonder they let me come back every year, but I guess it's hard to find volunteers to run a kitchen for a week. Desperation is working to my advantage in this case.
I hope you all are having a lovely summer. Wish me a safe, happy, smooth week of camp!
I DO remember that we ran out of noodles on the first night of camp last year, and that about 20 people had to wait for us to make more. And I remember two years ago when I accidentally dumped racks of sandwiches on the ground, and I remember the year before that when one young guy fainted at the sight of his own blood when he cut himself with a knife. That reminds me of another time when I chopped off the tip of my own finger and the skin was only hanging there because it was still connected to my fingernail, which wasn't completely severed at the other end of the nail... I have lots of memories, just not of missing my computer. Maybe that should tell me something. It's a wonder they let me come back every year, but I guess it's hard to find volunteers to run a kitchen for a week. Desperation is working to my advantage in this case.
I hope you all are having a lovely summer. Wish me a safe, happy, smooth week of camp!
What Should You Do?
Here's a good article about what to say and how to act when your child (or you) see a person with any sort of disability. It's written from a mother's perspective and offers great, heartfelt advice. You can find it here. Please give it a read so you'll be better equipped the next time the situation arises. On that note, about a year ago I posted an article with a similar theme, though of course it's very different. If you didn't get the chance to read it, you can find it below. It's called 'He's Not a Poor Thing: What Not to Say to a Child With a Disability' or something like that. http://rawhitebooksandmore.weebly.com/blog/he-is-not-a-poor-thing-what-not-to-say-to-a-child-with-a-disability.
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If you haven't subscribed to this blog yet, what are you waiting for? You know you need it. Subscribe.
July 24, 2015
Diverse Book Tours Presents...
This week I'm doing a promo spot for 'The Legacy' and 'The Missing' by Necole Ryse through Diverse Book Tours. I haven't gotten around to reading the book myself or I'd post a review, but I'm doing my part to spread the word about diverse YA! The book does contain some foul language, which I will asterisk out here in the excerpt so I don't get into trouble :).Excerpt:
The Legacy Book Excerpts
Book Excerpt #1:
I crept closer to the door and realized more than one voice was cutting into each other. This was an argument.
“Are you sure she was sleeping when you left?” someone asked.
“Yes, quit asking me that!” someone else hissed.
“So, what are we going to do? She can’t come back here.”
“Why not?” a third person asked. “You’re the only one that has a problem with her.”
“Corrine, spare me.” I knew that condescending voice from anywhere. That was Andrea. “You have a problem with the *****, too.”
Book Excerpt #2:
He stood up abruptly, towering over me. Instinctively, I backed up, bumping against the railing. He closed the space that slipped between our bodies and placed his icy, calloused hand around the back of my neck, pulling me close. His embrace sent a chill down my spine. My legs shook like pudding and I couldn’t stop myself from falling into him.
“Will you go with me?” he asked, only inches away. His sweet breath warmed my face and the invitation fluttered out of my hand.
Right then, the whole world seemed to stop.
My mind drew a blank. I couldn’t think of any words, so I nodded. Before I knew it, his lips brushed mine, gently at first, almost as if it were a mistake. Somewhere, in the pit of my belly a butterfly bat its wings.
Book Excerpt #3:
I turned around when I saw someone standing there.
Watching.
I froze, too scared to move. Heavy puffs of smoke expelled from the person’s lungs. I watched it dissipate into the air. The person was dressed head to toe in black. A ski mask covered most of his or her face.
B?
And just when I thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, they did.
Find the books here.
Necole Ryse
July 20, 2015
Review of 'Planet Urth'
Planet Urth (Book 1) by Jennifer and Christopher Martucci
This YA dystopian is told in the first person present tense, which isn't my favorite, but I still enjoyed the book. I found the main character relatable as an oldest sibling (if a bit short on humor, but understandably so) and felt her compulsion to protect her younger sister from the mutated creatures that plague her futuristic world. It's slow moving, with many scenes showing the sisters together and their struggles to survive, but to me it wasn't a boring kind of slow. As the book continues we get back story and a little more misadventure.
My main dissatisfaction with the story, other than the relatively slow pace, is hard to say without spoiling things. So I'll just say that in my opinion there is too much time devoted to describing skin tone and eye color over and over. Every once in a while is fine, but this gets downright obsessive. I do appreciate that the skin tone in discussion is dark tan with black hair, and it's the reason I'm bothering to post this review on the blog (rawhitebooksandmore.weebly.com for those reading this elsewhere). I'm not completely sure it's enough to warrant titling the book 'diverse', but I decided to interpret the description as such.
A lot of things happen over and over, showing the monotony of a solitary life, but again, I still felt interested enough to keep reading. I felt distant from the story, like the main character was kind of lifeless, but I think that might have been intentional since she is a really dry character just trying to get by. I felt that it improved as her outlook on life did. There were also some typos, and a weird thing in that the text and dialogue is mostly free of contractions, making it feel kind of formal, but then in odd places there will be contractions again, leaving me to wonder what I was supposed to understand about the way they think and talk.
Still, I liked it enough to buy the second book, which long time readers will know I don't always do. I have no trouble stopping a book midway or quitting a series when I see that it's not going a way that will please me. I bought book two, Planet Urth: The Savage Lands this morning and plan to read it right after I finish the book I started last night.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: I think I can safely say it stays in the realm of infatuation, and doesn't creep into the territory of lust. No sexual content.
Violence: Yeah, some stabbing, sword fighting, and associated gore. Most of it is against non-humans.
Overall Plot/Message: I enjoyed the theme of self sacrifice and true love (not romantic), and Avery's personal growth and the growth of her relationship with her sister. The characters are strong despite their flaws and made me want to root for them.
Find the book here.
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This YA dystopian is told in the first person present tense, which isn't my favorite, but I still enjoyed the book. I found the main character relatable as an oldest sibling (if a bit short on humor, but understandably so) and felt her compulsion to protect her younger sister from the mutated creatures that plague her futuristic world. It's slow moving, with many scenes showing the sisters together and their struggles to survive, but to me it wasn't a boring kind of slow. As the book continues we get back story and a little more misadventure.
My main dissatisfaction with the story, other than the relatively slow pace, is hard to say without spoiling things. So I'll just say that in my opinion there is too much time devoted to describing skin tone and eye color over and over. Every once in a while is fine, but this gets downright obsessive. I do appreciate that the skin tone in discussion is dark tan with black hair, and it's the reason I'm bothering to post this review on the blog (rawhitebooksandmore.weebly.com for those reading this elsewhere). I'm not completely sure it's enough to warrant titling the book 'diverse', but I decided to interpret the description as such.
A lot of things happen over and over, showing the monotony of a solitary life, but again, I still felt interested enough to keep reading. I felt distant from the story, like the main character was kind of lifeless, but I think that might have been intentional since she is a really dry character just trying to get by. I felt that it improved as her outlook on life did. There were also some typos, and a weird thing in that the text and dialogue is mostly free of contractions, making it feel kind of formal, but then in odd places there will be contractions again, leaving me to wonder what I was supposed to understand about the way they think and talk.
Still, I liked it enough to buy the second book, which long time readers will know I don't always do. I have no trouble stopping a book midway or quitting a series when I see that it's not going a way that will please me. I bought book two, Planet Urth: The Savage Lands this morning and plan to read it right after I finish the book I started last night.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: I think I can safely say it stays in the realm of infatuation, and doesn't creep into the territory of lust. No sexual content.
Violence: Yeah, some stabbing, sword fighting, and associated gore. Most of it is against non-humans.
Overall Plot/Message: I enjoyed the theme of self sacrifice and true love (not romantic), and Avery's personal growth and the growth of her relationship with her sister. The characters are strong despite their flaws and made me want to root for them.
Find the book here.
Subscribe to R.A. White Books and More here.
Whew
Well, I'm pleased to announce that last week's promo (a week and a half ago, really) more than paid for itself. I'm still hoping to double follow-up sales of 'Kings of the Red Shell', but at least I can rest knowing that I didn't waste my money.
For those of you who joined our ranks or wrote reviews this week, thank you very much. Your support means the world to me, especially the reviews. Really.
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For those of you who joined our ranks or wrote reviews this week, thank you very much. Your support means the world to me, especially the reviews. Really.
Subscribe.
July 12, 2015
Book Giveaway
Well, I just wrapped up a giveaway of Kergulen using a discount reading site called 'Ereader News Today'. I gave away approximately 1,300 e-copies of the book, which I hope will result in several reviews and in at least 35 sales of KotRS. That's a high number considering that people estimate only 1% of free books are even read, but if I'm hoping I might as well hope big. And that's about what happened last time I did a giveaway, so it's not completely unreasonable even if it does defy the norm.
Wish me luck and divine intervention!
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Wish me luck and divine intervention!
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