Book Reviews

The latest indie book reviews from Self-Publishing Review

Review: Window Spit by Alan David Pritchard

Window Spit by Alan David Pritchard

In Window Spit, poet Alan David Pritchard expresses how reflections through an imagined window can reveal the way a poet sees the world outside, and the way he sees himself.

Pritchard is an author, educator, and poet who has chosen in Window Spit to depict himself as both observer and the observed. Part I of the collection – “Looking Out” – details in verse his view of humanity through a hypothetical glass. He warns, “Beware the poet who spits in your eye.”

In several poems, Pritchard laments that people choose to communicate with unseen others on their wifi devices […]

2020-12-18T05:31:47+02:00August 23rd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Worst Pet Peeve Ever by Anne Marie Hanlon Cook

The Worst Pet Peeve Ever by Anne Marie Hanlon Cook

Defining a “peeve” as something that annoys you, and a “pet peeve” as something you just like to be annoyed about, writer and illustrator Anne Marie Hanlon Cook has created an engaging, readable fable for children, though there is a message In The Worst Pet Peeve Ever for readers of all ages.

The narrator’s plaint in this colorful tale is that her mother’s determination to keep the house clean means no company and no pets. The little girl lives happily enough with mother, father, sister and brother, but no human visitors and definitely no animals are allowed. Pets are her […]

2019-02-11T08:37:55+02:00August 21st, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: To Seduce an Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2) by Jayla Jasso

To Seduce an Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)

To Seduce an Assassin by Jayla Jasso, the second book in her Omaja series, is an electrifying romantic adventure that manages to improve on its predecessor. In Book 1 of the Omaja series, the rugged Yavi lost his love and has sworn off entering into another torrid affair. The younger sister of Jiandra – the heroine of the first novel, married to Yavi’s brother – has had a crush on Yavi since her teens. Now twenty, Graciella has her sights set on him, even though he’s taken an oath of celibacy so he can concentrate on his duties as Emperor.[…]

2019-10-04T07:35:31+02:00August 18th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , , |

Review: Jake & the Dragons of Asheville by Brian Kacica

★★★½ Jake and the Dragons of Asheville

Writing a unique YA novel in this saturated genre can be a challenge, as dozens of new authors seemingly pop up every week. The key to finding a niche in the ever-crowded YA genre is a clever take on a popular theme, combined with interesting characters and an engaging plot. In Jake & the Dragons of Asheville, author Brian Kacica delivers a fun and memorable novel that both young readers and adults will enjoy.

As with many YA adventure stories, there is an unprepared hero, Jake Winston, who is living a relatively normal early teenage life in North […]

2017-09-15T12:53:24+02:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Steel, Blood & Fire (Immortal Treachery Book 1) by Allan Batchelder

★★★★ Steel, Blood and Fire (Immortal Treachery Book 1)

There are many fantasy authors who rely too heavily on the work of others, or the favorite tropes of the genre, when creating their own worlds. Fortunately, there are authors like Allan Batchelder who derive inspiration from fantasy masters and then construct wholly new and endlessly engaging realms for readers to enjoy.  Steel, Blood & Fire, Book 1 of the Immortal Treachery series, is a grim, edge-of-your-seat pleasure to read.

Batchelder doesn’t concern himself with too much exposition, but instead jumps right into the action, transporting readers into a dark, brutal world and introducing them to one of […]

2017-09-18T07:20:14+02:00August 14th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: If Nobody Listens by Rikard Sommer

If Nobody Listens

Scandinavian writers have recently captivated the attention of the literary world, beginning with Stieg Larsson’s breakout trilogy, and Rikard Sommer’s debut novel certainly follows in those illustrious footsteps. If Nobody Listens is a novel that defies classification to a certain degree – one part social commentary, one part an emotional tale of personal growth, and a final dash of thrills and danger for good measure. The subject of medical research and the struggles of global pharma companies may not sound like compelling reading, but in this case, you would be mistaken.

With a patient, methodical approach to exposition and storytelling, […]

2019-02-11T08:53:04+02:00August 8th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: The Curse Ends by Jeff Attinella, Illustrated by Mike Pascale

The Curse Ends by Jeff Attinella

The Curse Ends: The Story of the 2016 Chicago Cubs, written by Jeff Attinella, is a great bedtime read that will be a source of inspiration for future Little Leaguers, as well as inspire a love of the great American pastime.

In rhyming prose, this charming children’s books tells the story of the Chicago Cubs “curse” and how they beat the curse in 2016. The year is 1945 and it’s game four of the World Series. A man wants to buy a seat for his Billy goat but the crowd protests and they’re kicked out of the stadium, leading […]

2019-02-11T08:35:08+02:00August 7th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Brainwalker by Robyn Mundell & Stephan Lacast

★★★★ Brainwalker

“Getting inside someone’s head” tends to be a figurative idea, or turn of phrase, but in Brainwalker, the boundlessly creative new novel from Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast, the concept is taken quite literally. This fast-paced novel takes readers deep into the actual human brain – and beyond.

Bernard is a typical YA literature protagonist – an unusual teen with some personality quirks who is suddenly thrown into an extraordinary situation. For Bernard, that situation arises when his curiosity gets the best of him in his father’s lab, who happens to be a particle physicist. After fiddling like […]

2017-08-08T04:25:50+02:00August 6th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |
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