 Conspiracy, murder, dystopia, young adult fiction / extreme sports: skateboarding
Blurb: “All he wants to do is skate. But they have other plans for him. Michael Daniels is seventeen and dreams to enter professional skateboarding contests. But beneath New Manhattan, a city under the oppressive shadow of climate change, exists another world altogether--secret laboratories which threaten society as he knows it. Those with power will get what they want. No price is too high, even if it means making someone special or robbing them of their dignity, freedom . . . or life. The price is too high for Michael, though. He has endured his stepfather’s abuse and mind games for almost as long as he remembers. Until one day he takes matters into his own hands, ruining the lives of those he loves most. And his skateboarding friends, Alien and Victor, are his only hope for freedom. When there is no hope left, friendship is what remains.” Michael is a seventeen-year-old boy living in New York. His mother died a few months back, and he cannot find peace of heart and mind ever since. He is not on good terms with his father, Hank Daniels, and his sister Rebecca is in Denver, visiting their grandparents during summer vacation. Yes, it is summer, but a different one. With temperatures more appropriate for winter and with lots of dark events, it resembles more of a cruel summer. Michael loves skateboarding, and his main wish would be to take it to the professional level. And this sport and his friends are what keeps him sane. Behind his beautiful psychical figure, intelligent mind, and good heart, Michael hides a big secret. He is ashamed and afraid to share it with his friends. Michael doesn’t know that his friend Alien knows more about him. However, he does know that his friends are on his side, and he can count on them during the hardest times. There are many touching scenes in the story. I loved the most the one when Michael visits Victor's grandmother, Angela, and he reads her poetry. Skateboarding and poetry may not seem to interest the same person. But it does Michael. Michael visits almost daily his mother's grave. “Mama, I’m not happy. Nothing’s been good since you’ve been gone. I’m lost in a world I do not understand, and I am trying to find myself. I despise so many things, and there is so little worth living.” Michael misses his younger sister and scares her a bit when he’s telling her about the visions he has about her. He calls them presumptions. At his father’s suggestion, Michael starts seeing a psychiatrist, Neil. Neil gains Michael’s trust. For a short period, it seems that Neil can help him. Until one day when Michael decided that he needs to stop it. Rebecca suffers too from her mother’s death and finds a bit of relief in the company of Sunny Red. But this relief is about to end when something terrible happens. Her father is dead, and Michael is assumed to be the killer. A real family drama where murder is only one of the so many awful things that take place. Is Hank the victim here or the one to blame for so many wrong things? It is a heartbreaking story, full of love, trust, loyalty, family drama, conspiracy, and a brilliant inclusion of skateboarding. The author, who ingeniously describes skateboarding moves at the beginning of each chapter, managed to create an unpredictably compelling story, beautifully written and beautifully crafted just like in his other books: A world without color, Look for Me Under the Rainbow, and January River. My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website
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 An emotional rollercoaster wonderfully written and beautifully crafted.
Blurb: “When the body of their best friend, Derrick Zachariah, is found in the bushes along the January River, everything comes crashing down for Ethan and William McCoy, Jason Hawk, and Derrick’s sister Sarah in their idyllic small town in the southwest of Nebraska. Derrick’s sudden death completely changes their lives. Living in the tame and peaceful Greenfield with a secret becomes very hard, and almost unbearable for some of them. Things get worse for Ethan and his brother William after someone poisons Ethan’s golden retriever, the dog Ethan saved from near death when he found him on the banks of January River the previous winter. A few years later, when he has reached adulthood, William leaves Greenfield in search for a better, different life. It doesn’t take too long before Ethan follows the footsteps of his older brother and also leaves his hometown. He goes to New York City to visit Will, with hope to find solace, forgiveness and liberation from the ghosts of his boyhood. Instead, Ethan meets, falls in love and marries Susan Dupie, a successful editor of New York’s prestigious magazine, A Way of Life. Susan also falls in love, not only with him but with his writing too, and helps him become a best-selling author. But it is never quite that easy and Ethan’s idyllic life is shattered again by Susan’s illness. Only after Susan succumbs to leukemia does Ethan muster enough courage to return to Greenfield and after more than twenty years reveals the truth about Derrick’s death to his sister Sarah. Some things are better left untold, but the dark secret in Ethan’s heart lying buried in the silent waters of the January River is not meant to remain a secret forever.” Greenfield, a small American town, where diversity in terms of religion, nationality and personal interests were accepted and tolerated, seems to be the paradise on earth. Surrounded by great forests, a beautiful river, populated with wonderful people, isolated from all the happenings in the rest of the USA, this place is nothing far from the ideal place to live in. Ethan, the main character, had a wonderful and peaceful life in Greenfield, playing with his friends and his brother Will. Unfortunately, when only twelve years old, his life takes an unpredictable turn due to the death of Ethan’s good friend. Greenfield suddenly doesn’t look the same anymore. “In a voice as calm as the descending night, he spoke words as icy as the water of the January River in which Derrick, his belly up, floated at that moment. “Why did you let that happen? Why didn’t you help me?” His voice, distant and cold, echoed in Ethan’s head as he shook it from side to side, his eyes closed.” Ethan, his brother, and the other friends were all affected by the sad event and this will have a huge impact on their life. Ethan’s following his brother’s steps and leaves for New York. He got a job, got married, became a successful writer. After everything he’d been through, Ethan would have deserved to have the happily after. Even though at times things seemed to take a positive turn, life gave one strike after another. “Big decisions are often made suddenly. The biggest deals are made in a fraction of a second. It’s up to our wisdom, wits and shrewdness whether they will be worth the trouble or boomerang and hit us in the head.” I liked the fact how the whole story was centered around the January river, the river that passed through Greenfield. All the great and bad things happened there. There’s not a big coincidence why also the dogs that Ethan had were named after the river. Once by choice and the other time, by coincidence. This is a heartbreaking story, full of true love between brothers, parents and sons, friendship, and self-searching. The author managed again to create a real emotional rollercoaster wonderfully written and beautifully crafted as he did with the other books A world without color and Look for Me Under the Rainbow. My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  Inspired by the journal of Helen, an animal activist aka “Rainbow Warrior”, on a mission to protect as many animals as she can, the author takes us on another emotional journey. After reading A World Without Color by the same author, I knew this was a book I had to read. The writing style of the author remained as beautiful as I knew it was, honest, poetic and full of emotions.
This time the author tells us about Danny, a harp seal pup, his parents and brother Jon. This could have been a happy story about all the funny stuff a seal pup could do, right? But no, unfortunately, due to the man’s ignorance and greed this is a really sad story written though in a relaxing way. It is a story of life, love, existence, and humanity at both its worst and very best. This is more than a novella, it is a cry for awareness and a call to action to anyone that wants to stop the slaughter of innocent creatures. In time, many organizations, and individuals, including the author, have been actively united forces and did what they could to slow down the annihilation and ease the tragic destiny of these adorable, innocent creatures. We are being offered with a set of links of different organizations for any one of us that wants to join. The message of this book was honest, sincere and it truly moved me. Type of reader: Readers of any age, lovers of animals and anyone else that searches for an emotional read. My favorite quotes from this book: “Man’s a great mystery. We know not where he comes from, nor where he’s going. Elusive, like a shadow, he leaves wasteland in his wake.” “I do not doubt I have a big heart and burning desire, but is that enough for a person to become a Rainbow Warrior, or is there something higher in us, something better? Something that lies hidden deep in our innermost selves, something only some of us manage to express and turn into what we have long missed—humanity.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  A masterpiece by all means!
The stream-of-consciousness style chosen for big parts of Moirae was something new to me. Nalia is an intelligent, poor village girl. At the age of 16, she married Romeo, the love of her life. Unfortunately, on the wedding night, he was arrested and her suffering starts to evolve in front of our eyes, All this time she is knitting a pink sweater. I could feel Nalia’s feelings and thoughts while she was caught in some kind of a lucid dream. While she was trapped in this strange dream phase, danger loomed ahead for her, her friends and family and yet I felt so relaxed, due to the masterly deployed stream-of-consciousness writing. All the retailed happening is sad and it really touches your heart. I felt sorry for Nalia, yet I felt her strength too. As for the other characters, in stream-of-consciousness, they are conceived in Nalia’s dream, where thoughts, voices, actions, and experiences have slipped. I must point out the many “errors” littered across the novel are meant to be, due to the writing style. Despite the fact that the action takes place in a village called Lost Winds, on a planet with two moons, it does resemble quite a lot with certain parts of our world. I would dare and say that the Lost Winds can be actually any village or smaller city in underdeveloped countries. And all the happenings may look similar to especially some current worldwide happenings. The villagers suffer from oppression, killings, and rape take place. Some people flee to a better place, Draviland, where they seek safety. While some riders may need to change their religion to be accepted, others have not. Destines are different, some are luckier, some are not. And above everything, there is love too, pure, deep, honest, overcoming barriers, pain and time. Moirae it does urge an open mind with a thirst for a multifaceted wave of knowledge. A real masterpiece from the literary point of you but also through its deep and straightforward messages. Type of reader: Anyone that loves literary fiction, contemporary, poetry, fantasy and interested to try new writing styles such as stream-of-consciousness. My favorite quotes from this book: “Tahu What a joke peace had become Joke People have forgotten about peace They craved for peace No Then why were people leaving in droves if they did not crave peace Tahu” “Riders were not welcome here. Yet, some people’s hearts said differently, as they took to the streets for rallies and demonstrations. What crimes had the riders committed though? Being poor. Was that a crime? Were proper avenues open only to those who had clout and money? Queue jumpers, what other pathways were available for the poor?” “They both faced each other quietly and remained looking for a long time; sipping out of the cup of joy, the tender moments of delightful love in infinite profusion.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  The writing style of the author is simply beautiful; honest, poetic and full of emotions. I could feel his love for his dear cat, Marcel, and it made me think that some humans aren't capable to feel the same for another human being. And it is really a pity. I knew from the beginning that it will be an emotional, heartbreaking story, but I was impressed with how the author managed to transmit some of his thoughts and I do applaud him for the strong messages. Yes, it is a sad novella and I could feel tears in the corner of my eyes quite often. I felt lucky I never got to experience the tragic past days, months of pain, the loss of a pet, but I also felt admiration for what the author stands for. I am sure that Marcel was the happiest cat in the world. If only all the animals would face the same destiny. Or humans? We can do much more to make this world a better place. What is stopping us?
Type of reader: Lovers of animals, readers of memoirs and anyone else that searches for an emotional read. My favorite quotes from this book: “But we, humans, have a choice: the choice between good and evil, compassion and cruelty, empathy and ignoring, and we do not use it. We do not use common sense because our stomach blinds our mind and everything flows through it. At least most of us.” “There are the days when I feel like one of them—a hypocrite—when I am not persistent enough, stubborn and determined enough...” “I challenge death to the last duel. Defying it with the strength, I wish to believe, of not-wasted life. My actions will speak for or against me. And one monument I built.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  This is a wonderfully written romance novel. Descriptions and dialogues flow smoothly and you don’t really realize when the time has passed as you don’t want to put the book down until you reached the end. After a bad marriage, Cadence Adams returns to her hometown and gets back into the life of her family that she had not seen or been in contact with for many years. It wasn't easy for her to admit that Nathan, the guy she ran from home with and she married, wasn’t worth all the trouble and the years she has spent with him. Yet, he continues creating her nightmares also later on when Cadence falls in love with James, a gorgeous goodhearted man that was in love with her his whole life. Their love story sounds like a fairy-tale and on top of that James even bought and restored an old castle for her. This may seem cheesy at the first glance, but it was sweet and it felt that it was right for Cadence to finally have some beautiful time. Still, life happens, past messes up often the present, lots of drama has to be overcome in order for the true love to be enjoyed fully at last. Despite the elements from the fairy-tale, in the play of tragedy and happy moments, the end may surprise you. Still, we should not forget that, no matter how beautiful it sounds, life it’s not a fairy-tale. I truly recommend.
Type of reader: Lovers of romance (not necessarily expecting a happy ending) and those that believe or want to read about true love, the one that doesn't fade in time even when not reciprocated. My favorite quotes from this book: "I would wait a thousand years for you." His voice was sincere, and I believed him." "I would regret life without you, and even if I had to wait another thirty years for you, that would be my best day. The one when we are together. Nathan was a bad story, but you have a chance for happy ever after, and I want that to be with me,” James confessed." “Without you, I would be lost. I cannot promise perfect days, but I offer you my love, my heart, and my soul. They are forever yours." My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  Everything happens to, around and only because of Poppy. She seems to have it all: beauty, character, good manners, intelligence, love, success...but as there is no such thing as perfection, life was often cruel to her. Even though she never lost her smile and her good heart, she did at moments lost her hope. The hope to have again something that she once lost. Page after page, with a gradually increased intensity, the story of Poppy becomes addictive and you simply can’t put the book off, curious and surprised to see what’s happening next. It is definitely a plot that proves that everything does happen for a reason and the author worked it brilliantly. Wonderfully written, smartly deployed, a novel I surely recommend. This is the author’s debut novel and it simply makes you wanna read the sequel and find what more had happened in The Hamptons.
Reader type: If you like romance, chick lit or a lover of women’s fiction with twists and turns, look no further. The book is so wonderfully written, perfectly crafted and you will not even realize what is going on around you as you are breathing with the story and its characters. A true page-turner. My favorite quotes from this book: “Then, suddenly, Poppy recalled her thoughts from earlier in the day, making her gasp. Hadn’t she’d wished for an urgent drama to appear, enabling her to escape tonight’s dinner? Completely horrified at having harboured such thoughts – which had now become reality – her hand flew to her mouth in an effort to stifle the sob that was currently rising in her throat. Of course, she knew it wasn’t her fault really, but that didn’t stop the small feeling of guilt from blossoming deep in her gut.” “She was quite taken aback; no one had ever been this forthright with her before. Ever. And anyway, what did he mean she intrigued him? Irked, she turned to look at him, her eyes flashing dark with anger.” “His gaze fell to her dark hair, cascading gently around her face and shoulders. She was so beautiful; all he really wanted to do was to envelope her in his arms.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website: http://www.tinamariemiller.co.uk/ |
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Message to you:In order to be a good writer, one has to read a lot. And I do and I love it....and I chose to share my readings with you. Feel free to share with me any of the books you have read or wrote, if I find them interesting I will add them to my list. I'll post my reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and all my social accounts. |
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