John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Blackest Blue by Luna Wright

A classic fellowship fantasy with original twists and a dystopian mystique, The Blackest Blue by Luna Wright is an ambitious novel that tackles broad ideas of power, loyalty, and freedom. A young woman living a double life – plotting long-term revenge on a society that demands absolute subservience – seeks to expose the truth, even if it costs her everything, in this powerful piece of cautionary fiction.

Sy shines at the heart of this story, brazen and bold in her deception as an acolyte of the all-powerful Rem, deeply committed to a dark purpose instilled in her after witnessing the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-18T14:25:13+02:00August 18th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Sports Betting Down to the Bones by Manuel Angela

Tearing down the assumed barriers to becoming a successful gambler, Sports Betting Down to the Bones: 5 Easy Steps to Making Your First Bet by Manuel Angela is a well-structured guide for average people who want to try their luck in the world of high-stakes betting. Acknowledging critical ways to work smart, this book highlights common-sense strategies for early success, as well as necessary questions to ask yourself before starting this potentially lucrative venture. Covering every subject from betting safety and economic stability to the common jargon of placing bets and essential fundamentals of specific sports, this contemporary layman’s term […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-18T09:49:24+02:00August 18th, 2022|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge

Disaster has struck the frightened animals of Earthwood, thus beginning The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge, a clever and tender fable that also acts as a dire warning.

Under the guidance of Gollah and bound by faith in one another, Gavin, his brothers, and a gathering band of survivors must brave Everdark and re-cross the Serpentine Ridge, while avoiding pterodactyls, wolves, and a nightmare’s worth of other beasts. A children’s book at first glance, this well-penned read has the maturity and intention of Watership Down, without losing its innocent soul. As Gavin the raccoon struggles […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-17T18:57:32+02:00August 16th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

Heartfelt and uniquely heroic, Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman is an electrifying opening chapter to a new superhero series. An average kid lands an impossible spot at the most exclusive high school in the world, and must overcome his own self-doubt, recognize his powers, and seize his birthright.

Fueled by the same YA fervor as Harry Potter, this superhuman high school series deals with the supernatural and superhuman, but also explores the deeply relatable issues of growing up feeling different. Regularly challenging the boundary between reality and fantasy, from the prologue onwards, this is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-16T18:04:22+02:00August 16th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Superhero Book Reviews|

Review: The Reject Bench by James H. Morgan

James H. Morgan pulls back the curtain on his own high school experiences during the early 1960s in his The Reject Bench, a sensitive, authentic, and eye-opening look back. Celebrating the uncertainty of youth, and acknowledging the weight of adulthood, this is a nostalgic and vulnerable read.

Setting the internal tensions of normal teenagers against the external stress of the early 1960s, this six-year memoir is an impressive glimpse into the past, imbued with the honesty of autobiography. From playing catch with his friends and chauffeuring the family to church to SoCal free thinking and the assassination of JFK, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-15T11:31:44+02:00August 15th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Boxed In by Joseph DeMatteo

Wielding a vitriolic pen to summon a protagonist with a black cloud perpetually hanging over his head, Joseph DeMatteo’s Boxed In is a character-driven drama that unpacks the toxicity of men and modern life.

Ernie Eubanks is fed up with everything – he still lives with his mother, he lost his job as a salesman after thirty years, and every person he meets seems hellbent on irritating him. There aren’t enough cups of coffee or cheeseburgers in the world to chuck at all his problems, but he is about to learn that his bad behavior does have repercussions, and some […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-15T14:06:29+02:00August 15th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

An Erotic Phenotype by Sherman P. Bastarache

Author Sherman P. Bastarache presents a masterful new thesis on sexuality, eroticism, human anatomy, and emotional exploration in An Erotic Phenotype.

With each chapter probing deeper into the body, mind, and societal structures that define sexuality and pleasure, the average reader will be wide-eyed by how much they learn about their own erotic potential. Even for those who consider themselves well-versed in the intimate aspects of their reproductive systems, this book will surely shed fresh light, given its comprehensive overview. From quantum physics and multiple orgasms to “Gray’s Anatomy” and bisexuality, this far-ranging read is enlightening in numerous ways.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-11T16:36:29+02:00August 11th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Health Book Reviews|

Oblivion Black by Christa Wojciechowski

A recovering addict attempting to rejoin society is swept into the mysterious world of an eccentric sculptor in Oblivion Black by Christa Wojciechowski, a shadowy meditation on art, lust, fame and its ensuing destruction.

From the first explosive, mind-rattling pages, this novel hits like a tailor-made drug, with well-timed jump cuts of narration and insightful drop-ins to critical moments and revelations. Anton, Ona, Aunt Vee, and Oz make an interesting core of this darkly entrancing story, their fates seemingly entwined, despite their haphazard involvement in one another’s lives. Ona’s relationship with the regulars of her NA meetings adds another layer […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-09T16:58:06+02:00August 8th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|