Review: Afterlife

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Antonia is a writer and teacher when she retires.  Her life is anything but stable when her husband suddenly dies, her older sister disappears and an undocumented, pregnant teenager appears at her home.  She has always found comfort in literature and the quotes she could pull from it, but her life is now asking for more than quotes.  How will Antonia deal with this influx of issues?

Afterlife is a quick read that hits on many hard issues.  Alvarez has perfectly taken multiple life issues and created a story that would appeal to readers of many ages.  Even if a reader hasn’t lost a husband, they probably have lost someone.  Even if they have never had a sibling disappear, they most likely have seen news clips about a missing person.  Most people have known a pregnant teenager, even if they aren’t undocumented.  Readers will finish this book with hope and the truth that not everything has an easy ending.

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Review: Umbra

Umbra by Christina Bauer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thorne may be in the line of succession for Emperor of the Omniverse, but he knows one thing … he does not want to be a ruler like his father.  Cole is an Emperor who doesn’t keep his promises to those who put him on the throne and Thorne knows that is not right.  When Thorne decides to take a break from saving the Omniverse by going to the human world, he discovers his transcendent … his one true love.  Thorne never thought he would find his transcendent and he is highly motivated to do what he can to keep Meimi safe.  What might this safety cost Thorne?  Will his actions have consequences on his home world of Umbra?

Umbra is the second prequel novel in the Dimension Drift series.  I was expecting this book to pick up where the last prequel stopped, so I was a little confused at first.  Once I realized I was in a different world with a different main character … things fell into place quickly.  There is a lot of action packed into this short book and readers will eagerly work their way through it to find out what happens next.  Bauer now has a strong male character to go along with Meimi from the first book.  I can’t wait to see where this goes in Alien Minds (which is already out).

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Review: Golden Arm

Golden Arm by Carl Deuker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Laz has one thing going for him … pitching baseball.  He knows he stutters; he understands that he isn’t the smartest kid in class, but he also knows that when he gets in the zone, his pitch is unstoppable.  He has no chance to go to college, but he may have a chance to get drafted by the major leagues.  That is … if he can get noticed.  That all changes when the trailer park he lives in is scheduled to be demolished.  Through a series of unlikely events, Laz has the chance to play for a great team, but that means leaving his family behind.  What sacrifices will Laz need to make to work toward his dream?  Will his dream come true?

Golden Arm is a sports fiction novel that will appeal to many readers.  Of course, Deuker spends some time talking about sports (and a little play-by-play), yet he also includes some inner-city drama that will appeal to readers of that genre as well.  The story follows in an orderly fashion without a lot of literary devices, which will make this book appealing to struggling readers.  I recommend this book to all my readers whether you normally read sports fiction or not.

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Review: We Are All His Creatures: Tales of P. T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman

We Are All His Creatures: Tales of P. T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman by Deborah Noyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Many people know the story of P. T. Barnum and his famous shows, but little is known about his family.  Some could argue that he had two families.  He had his two wives and his daughters, as well as the people that worked for him.  All of the women in his life were exploited in one way or another.  It didn’t matter if she was a Little Person, a giantess or his daughter, they all had to overcome life living in his shadow and surviving under his rules.  We Are All His Creatures is a fictional account of many of these women all woven together to bring the memory of these people to life.  The multiple narrators in this audiobook give diversity and authenticity to the many voices represented.  Noyes has crafted a book that is a nice quick escape and should be treated as such.  It is not meant to be a true account of these varied lives.  

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Review: Scythe

Scythe by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Meimi is great with everything science and tech.  She creates this tech for the Scythe to keep her mom and herself off the grid.  There are two choices in the United Americas.  One – you live in a domed city and are constantly being monitored.  Two – you live outside the dome and try to earn illegal money where you can.  Meimi is doing a good job of keeping her family safe until one of her jobs goes sideways.  She temporarily sends her home into two-dimensional space-time and now the government is on a mission to find out what happened.  What will she need to do to keep her family safe?  What sacrifices must she make along the way?

Scythe is the first book in the Dimension Drift series.  Goodreads has it listed as a prequel (#0.1), but this is the book I started with on this adventure.  This is a short book and will most likely cause readers to stay put and finish in one sitting.  I enjoyed reading about the tech and it is always nice to see an underdog stand up for their rights.  Since this book came out several years ago, I already have the next book (Umbra) ready to read and I recommend other readers get this series soon.

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Review: Night of the Dragon

Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yumeko had to relinquish the last piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers to protect the people she loves, but that doesn’t mean she is planning to give up.  She has put together a group willing to travel to Iwagoto to stop the evil that has been planned.  The Master of Demons wants to get a wish from the Great Kami dragon … this wish would take the people into further darkness.  Kage has gained control over his body, but the deal he had to make with the demon inside him may be worse than what he already went through.  Will Yumeko be able to separate Kage and this demon?  Will this group be able to save the empire from the impending darkness?

Night of the Dragon is the final book in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy.  Since all of the world-building transpired in the first two books, Kagawa was able to focus on the characters and the story in this fantasy adventure.  The story is told in alternating voices and the readers will enjoy knowing what is happening in parallel passages.  This novel has a very firm and complete ending, yet as in any fantasy novel, there is always room for more stories.  I recommend Night of the Dragon to everyone who already finished the first two books.

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Review: Pixieland Diaries

Pixieland Diaries by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calla is a faeling.  She was born to human parents who spent a great deal of time near ley lines and the result was a fairy child.  She has been raised by Poppa and Muti and they hope she will one day become a regular fae.  There aren’t many faelings.  The only other faeling lived for 1,000’s of years and recently died.  Faelings are known for their soft hearts, so Calla has to fake her evil and she does this with constant pranks.  After a prank gone wrong gets her banished into the ley lines, Calla quickly learns that she must figure out another way to live in Faerie.  What will Calla learn about herself during this quest?

Pixieland Diaries is the first book in the Pixieland Diaries series.  Bauer has created a story that is more in the relaxed and fun beach read genre than a high fantasy, yet I found myself enjoying the antics of Calla as she went on her quest of self-discovery.  Calla may be a troublesome young faeling at the start of this diary, but readers will see her mature as she faces many hard facts about herself and those she loves.  I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the second book (Calla) to be released in July 2020.

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