Red River - sequel to Kelly Van Hull's Tent City

I want to thank the author for a sneak preview at this very satisfying sequel to Tent City.

Red River follows up on Dani, her family, and her Tent City crew in this series about life after the food chain in the United States is destroyed and the government collapses, and gives us a better idea of what happened, how, and why.

After the first book, I felt really invested in knowing what became of the kids and their families, and to learn more about the back story of the characters.

The author does this for the reader and more. Some great new characters are introduced. Love interests are sorted out and teenage angst plays out (without getting boring or on my nerves anyway!) Interesting new "advancements" appear and grow. Villains come to light that were previously unknown.

This series reminded me a little of the Tomorrow, When the War Began series by John Marsden with the story revolving around teenage survivors, and I really liked the South Dakotan setting a lot.

I look forward to more from Kelly Van Hull!

Short, but oh so good!

Just read Fifty/Fifty, a short story collection by Belfast author, Matthew W. McFarland which I received in return for an honest review. SCORE! Comprised of 11 vastly different short stories, each shared a couple of common bonds; they were clever, entertaining, and smooth, smooth, smooth. Several of the phrases he used continue to stick with me out of the sheer delight I experienced when reading them – “Fir missile” and “special robot socks which make him go fast” are two in particular. I loved both for the visual imagery invoked but also for the connection I had with them (I’m a mother of 3 boys.) The author mentions in an Afterword that “Some of the stories in this collection are complete fiction, and some are closer to reality than you might imagine.” I’d love to know more about which are which. Complaint? I’ve finished reading them for that first time! I already know that this will be my new “share” book to talk about with family, friends, and strangers after we’ve exhausted the weather situation.

Romance, mystery, teen angst, and ZOMBIES!

Just had the pleasure of reading Out of Darkness (The Starborn Saga #1) by Jason D. Morrow. This is a great story set in a time at least 60 years after society as we know it is destroyed. Humans huddle together for safety from the marauding “greyskins” in isolated villages or concentrated in cities protected by skilled guards under the direction of the powerful, Jeremiah. Mora leaves her grandmother and younger brother, Jake, in her besieged village, Springhill, to seek out and negotiate protection with Jeremiah. Along the way she encounters the brothers, Connor and Aaron, in a protected city of Salem, and discovers new abilities within herself. Additionally, secrets regarding the “greyskins” and the death of her parents are revealed. The story has everything: romance, mystery, horror, engaging characters, an entertaining story, secrets hidden and secret revealed, teen angst, and zombies. I loved it, and look forward to the next volumes in the series: If It Kills Me(The Starborn Saga #2) and Even in Death (The Starborn Sage #3).

The 5th installment in the Whiskey Creek series is another winner!

This episode tells the story of Ted and Sophia – characters introduced in the previous series’ entries. The unthinkable has happened – Sophia’s husband, Skip, has defrauded almost the entire town of Whiskey Creek and accidentally killed himself while sneaking away in the night. (He slips off his yacht while vacationing off the coast of Brazil thinking to swim ashore and run away leaving his innocent and unknowing wife, Sophia, and daughter, Alexa, behind to suffer the consequences – including the ire and treatment of the inhabitants of the town and the FBI.) This story is Sophia’s gradual metamorphosis from alcoholic, abused spouse to a capable, independent woman and mother. Yes, alcoholic – Sophia had escaped from her hard marriage through a wine bottle, and the story realistically presents her battle with addiction. The change from the icy, privileged princess of the high school memories of the series’ core characters to someone you can really get behind and root for is satisfying and a pleasure to experience. I expected this to be a hard sell but I thought the author really nailed it. The dialogues and emotions are real ones, never contrived. The daughter’s former friends act like kids do sometimes. Ted’s mom has trouble accepting Sophia back into her son’s life. And the relationship between the Whiskey Creek’s inhabitants and Sophia isn’t all wrapped up with a bow for Christmas – although positive steps are made. I was hooked by this story (this entire series) from the very first page to the end.

A thoroughly enjoyable story from beginning to end!

I recently read Through the Smoke, a new historical, by Brenda Novak. The story begins with a breakneck race through the darkened countryside in a horse-drawn carriage, and although the pace of the story does let up, the mystery and suspense remain. One of the things that I appreciate about this book (and all of this author’s books that I’ve read to this point) is that characters have normal reactions to events and take reasonable actions accordingly. Conversations make sense (and do not feel contrived) and move the action along. Suspense builds. Characters develop. This story includes details about the coal mining industry of that era which was interesting and frightening at the same time. Supporting characters and enough story left over after a satisfying ending that a sequel would be possible and welcomed.

Tasty and addictive!

Centalpha 6 – Part I by James Todd Cochrane is an interesting, fun and suspenceful start to a new science fiction series suitable for adults, young adults, and so far, older children already reading chapter books. I might even be tempted to try this one with some reluctant readers given its bite-sized, serialized format. Set in the future, Breyden Pry, the son of a senator and a high-level commando, is 16 years old and coming to the end of his military academy training. He and his friends are looking forward to accompanying the older cadets on raids against the “subs” – people that lurk in the background undermining their perfect society. But Breyden is a “star,” a natural until he uncovers something he shouldn’t on his first training raid. With good descriptions of characters, settings and blow-by-exciting-blow action scenes, I felt I could “see” the story. I think it seems like it would make a good movie or television series. While reading it, I got overtones of not only 1984 but Starship Troopers – an interesting and fun mix. My only complaint is that this little bit (Part I) is just enough of a taste to hook you and leave you wanting the rest of the story … now.

Untethered by Katie Hayoz

Untethered by Katie Hayoz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting story featuring astral projection and out-of-body experiences!

Sylvie has been struggling with a strange disorder where she suddenly "leaves" her body behind where it crumples to the ground alarming family and friends. She and next door neighbor, Cassie, best friends since they were 10 years old, find themselves at odds over a boy: both like the same one and he has settled on Cassis. After discovering that there are other people out there like herself, Sylvie researches astral projection and finds that she may be able to control her disorder to her advantage, and this is when things get even more interesting.

Good characters with typical teenage problems (dealing with divorcing parents, siblings, fitting in, and loyalty) intermixed with the paranormal to give us an exciting and hard-to-put down young adult novel. I highly recommend this book and fervently hope that the author gives us more!

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The Underlighters by Michelle Browne

The Underlighters by Michelle Browne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Make no mistake, this tale is for adults.

The Underlighters by Michelle Browne presents an interesting concept reminiscent of the children’s series - The Chronicles of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau – but make no mistake… this tale is for adults.

The author introduces a variety of characters that I really thought I would like. There is a diverse group of 18 year olds with a wide range of talents, skills and employment including electricians, child care workers and prostitutes. I would have liked to know more about the characters.

Quite a bit of time was spent introducing characters working in the sex industry but I was still confused by some of the distinctions – a sugarplum is a what? (As opposed to a “C” girl. Sorry, the actual term used throughout the story, is graphic and jarring.) And too, they all seemed just so young!

There were not enough backstory woven into the telling for me to comfortably immerse myself in the story. I remained pretty foggy over exactly what had occurred to bring them to where they were at the point of the story even though it was no mystery or secret apparently to the characters. I had the impression from the chapter headings or diary dates that less than 50 years had passed since they’d had to flee the surface.

Where were they exactly? They seem to be in a basement under an apartment building – a huge basement with access to the surface of the world via elevators that existed prior to whatever happened up there. However anytime the author described a location within the city or on the surface, the story really developed an atmosphere and a sense of place. I could “see” the bars they gathered in and the house where they ran into the spider-dogs. Superior.

I had a lot of questions left about “the Dust.” What was known about “the Dust” – was it just on the surface, did it leak through to the city, or was its appearance in the tunnels strange. Was the dust sentient? Did they know this or suspect it before the confrontation on the surface at the end of the book? And how did the dust affect people that came in contact with it? What was “Dust Fever?”

Having said all this, I would absolutely positively read more about these same characters and any further developments. I still want to know where they’ll go from here, whether relationships will develop, their future below the surface of the planet, how the “Lost Ones” or “Sandmen” will survive or be incorporated into the community. In addition, I look forward to reading more by Michelle Browne especially after the teaser at the end of this one about And the Stars Will Sing. I have been hooked.

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Tent City (Tent City, #1) by Kelly Van Hull

Tent City by Kelly Van Hull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A plague of biblical proportions hits the US – literally – when giant swarms of locusts descends on America’s Midwest destroying the food supply for the nation. Because of its similarity to one of the plagues in the Bible, religious leaders take charge of the country (as “The Council”) when traditional institutions fail and fall to the wayside. A mandate goes out that all surviving children between the ages of 5 and 18 are to be gathered into “safety camps” to be protected from rampant starvation. A rumor hints that older youths will be placed in to “reproduction” units to safeguard against population extinction.

Seventeen year old Dani and 5 year old Brody’s parents don’t agree with the strategy and determine to hide their children in the Black Hills at their former summer cabin. The parents remain behind on the farm with fake death certificates for the children to, hopefully, remove them from The Council’s radar.

Dani, Brody and best fried, Kit, make their way to the summer cabin only to find the area already being used as a hideaway for other teens trying to escape internment in the safety camps. The story revolves Dani, Brody, and Kit and the continued operation of the massive and secret “Tent City” under the leadership of Bentley, Callie, and Jack.

I liked so much about this book. The author has given us a variety of interesting and well-defined characters. Each has their own background that is gradually revealed (or kept as a mystery yet to be solved) as the story goes on. Characters display genuine and believable emotion and responses to events. The setting in the South Dakota is different and interesting, and I enjoyed the camp atmosphere. The author introduces real challenges, inherent to having large groups of young adults living together away from civilization, for the characters to overcome.

There were a couple of things that I didn’t like. One, Dani’s parents seem weak. This was the best they could come up with? Pack some food and send your kids to the cabin on a 4-wheeler with absolutely no “intel” beforehand. I just think that more realistically strong parents would have taken a more hands-on approach to getting their children to safety. Two, Dani seems to leave Brody behind and in the care of others way too often and too easily. Granted, she wears herself out about her choices later in the story. (But then goes off and leaves him again later.) And finally, the relationship between Dani and Bentley seems to go from animosity to infatuation overnight. I felt that there should have been more of a build up there. Bentley is pretty moody and Dani does question what’s going on with him but then it seems the next thing we know – he’s totally into her. These are nitpicky, and having said this, none of these issues were enough to keep me from really enjoying the story and wanting to know what happened next.


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Gateway to Reality by Becca J. Campbell

Gateway to Reality by Becca J. Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Something is off-kilter in Wes Teague's world.

Wes feels like life has an unreal or dream-like quality whereas his dreams are so much clearer (even with their acid-trip chaos). As the truth unfolds, he discovers that his dream world is actually real and what he's thought of as reality is an extremely addictive "construct" of his artistic imagination.

Friends in the real world or "The Existence" people Wes's dream world or "Logiverse" (LV, for short) in both similar and widely divergent roles. His best friend, Andy, is also his best friend in his dream world of Chicago. However, the girl he only longs for from the sidelines in “The Existence” is his long-time girlfriend in the LV.

Wes is an artist in the LV; a CREATIVE (or world builder) in “The Existence.” These created worlds - private imaginary spaces - are open to anyone that can find them (all you have to know is the name of the world). Wes and Andy (who has an especially lively world - Andy's Awesome Zone!), travel between locations in “The Existence” by means of portals and dodge black holes that suck people into non-existence along the way. Other inhabitants have their ways and means of travel. Desired girlfriend, Emily, travels in a puff of green smoke.

Author Becca Campbell has created an amazing multi-faceted world herself, and you don’t have to exude green smoke to get there. With interesting characters, mystery, and most definitely some romance, I can honestly recommend Gateway to Reality to other readers. On another note, this book reminded me of the 1970s fantasy series by Roger Zelazny - the Amber Chronicles. The last of those novels was published in the early 90s (I believe) so I was delighted with the elements that made me think about those great stories. Other fans of that series may also enjoy this updated, contemporary tale.

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Home to Whiskey Creek (Whiskey Creek, #4) by Brenda Novak

Home to Whiskey Creek by Brenda Novak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another seamless entry in Brenda Novak’s Whiskey Creek series!

Home to Whiskey Creek, Book 4 in the Whiskey Creek series by Brenda Novak, is the story of Adelaide Davies and Noah Rackham. This satisfying installment is about tragedies of the past that continue to wreak havoc in the lives of those in this community in the future: a gang rape, the truth behind the death of the town’s favorite son, and a young man’s heart-wrenching dilemma about whether to tell his secretly adored, life-long friend about true nature of his sexuality.

Characters from past books make appearances giving continuity to storylines running throughout the series and welcome updates to the lives of those featured in the previous books.

The story opens with action! Noah rescues Addy from a mine reuniting her with the object of an immense high school crush, Noah himself. The tension between the two is immediate although they become easy-going and comfortable with each other early on in the story even as she pushes Noah away and insists to herself that she cannot become involved nor stay in Whiskey Creek. The author has Noah and Addy take two steps forward and one step back maintaining our suspense but with the underlying feeling that this could only come to a satisfactory conclusion. As I was rooting for this couple from the very beginning – yay for that!

I recommend this good story to readers who have enjoyed the previous books in this series and anyone looking for a wonderful second chance romance.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author.

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Suzie and the Monsters: A Fairytale of Blood, Sex and Inhumanity by Francis James Franklin

Suzie and the Monsters: A Fairytale of Blood, Sex and Inhumanity by Francis James Franklin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where the vampire is NOT the only monster in town!

Sexy, erotic, loving, exciting, capable, and dangerous – Suzie Kew is all these things. A modern-day vampire, Suzie travels the path of her immortal life without the kinship of other vampires. There are no relationships with any other vampires nor word or knowledge that others like her even exist. She is on her own century after century. There are no sparkles, no coffins, some extra-strength and speed, and she likes wine, women, and the smell of coffee.

Created without her consent by her husband in early 1500 England, she was Elizabeth Grey, one of Anne Boleyn’s cousins. After the husband’s betrayal and Elizabeth’s subsequent revenge, they part ways – he in custody – never to meet again. Suzie ever remains a 20-something wanderer requiring regular relocation to a new life and new identity. This time she is in London making a living as a contract investigator and part-time stripper/pole dancer.

The author has created a capable and modern female vampire. The plot – finding a missing person – cleverly takes us to some great and seedy locations and introduces interesting and believable supporting characters. I thought having her working as a stripper/pole dancer was a fresh idea and obviously placed her in position for her next meal. Sex is critical and integral to the story (and explicit – so not for the squeamish, although I thought the scenes well done.) And sex is the linking activity to her sources of nourishment – humans and their blood, of course.

The mystery of the missing girl is resolved and some really villainous bad guys - the real monsters of the story - are defeated. The author integrates historical persons, events, and details in Suzie’s past that really added a lot to my enjoyment of the book.

The ending was somewhat of a surprise but I felt it left a nice jumping-off place for possible future adventures for Suzie and her current love and soul mate, Cleo. I look forward to seeing how Cleo develops and where we find Suzie next.

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