fiction

Graphic Novel Review: Friends With Boys

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Friends With Boys
Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“After years of homeschooling, Maggie is starting high school. It’s pretty terrifying.
Maggie’s big brothers are there to watch her back, but ever since Mom left it just hasn’t been the same.
Besides her brothers, Maggie’s never had any real friends before. Lucy and Alistair don’t have lots of friends either. But they eat lunch with her at school and bring her along on their small-town adventures.
Missing mothers…distant brothers…high school…new friends… It’s a lot to deal with. But there’s just one more thing.
MAGGIE IS HAUNTED.” – GoodReads

I enjoyed this graphic novel so much! The artwork is beautiful, and I love the use of shadow and light to bring emphasis or attention to a particular character or one side of the page or panel. Just brilliant! The art really tells a big part of the story. Continue reading →

Book Review: ArchEnemy

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ArchEnemyArchEnemy by Frank Beddor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“The Heart Crystal’s power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers. But at least the vicious Redd Heart seems to be similarly disabled. Amazingly, she is attempting to team up with her enemy, Alyss, in order to reclaim Wonderland from King Arch. Alyss might have no choice but to accept Redd’s overtures, especially when she begins to receive alarming advice from the caterpillar oracles. . . .”  -GoodReads

(This review is Spoiler Free!)

I thought this was the perfect ending for the Looking Glass Wars trilogy! A big climactic battle at the end and then everything resolved. The world of Wonderland is so imaginative and magical, and I loved how it connects with Earth. Wonderland is very different from the Lewis Carroll books, and has such a cool twist on the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the whole cast of Wonderland characters, and even Alyss herself! Continue reading →

Children’s Book Reviews: “Hairdo You Do?” and “Lap On, Lap Off”

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Hairdo You Do? by Alina Kazarian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This little book is completely adorable! The author is a young girl who has lovely hair, which she likes to style in different ways for different occasions. In this book, she tells about the different hair styles for each activity, sleeping, dancing, playing, going to school or a friend’s house. The cutest part is that it is all told in rhyme! Continue reading →

Book Review: Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter

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Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter
Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Stacy King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so impressed with this graphic novel! The artwork is beautiful and each panel shows a clear story. The classic story of the Scarlet Letter is condensed but retains its integrity, and the characters are powerfully depicted. The tension and emotion of the story really comes through in the art and dialogue. Even small changes in the coloring or lighting show a change in mood or scene, and as the characters develop and change through the story, their appearance slightly changes to reflect that as well. Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: In Real Life

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In Real Life
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It’s a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It’s a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends.

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer–a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person’s real livelihood is at stake.”  – GoodReads

 

I love this story! The artwork is so gorgeous, and I love how the colors subtly change between the real and virtual worlds. The story is really compelling and interesting, and I like that in the beginning Anda is a newb in the game, so that we get to discover the virtual reality along with her and learn about the Coarsegold world. Continue reading →

Book Review: A Sherlock Holmes Devotional

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A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God
A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God by Trisha White Priebe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore this devotional based on lessons from the works of Sherlock Holmes! Each chapter focuses on a particular quote, or a quality of Holmes and Watson, or one of their adventures, and weaves a similarity between that concept and the Christian life. Although Conan Doyle was not a notable Christian and Holmes is somewhat ambiguous about his beliefs, there are still lessons to be learned from the stories! Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Reviews: 2048 and Echoes of Eden

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2048
2048 by Marvin Olasky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this futuristic graphic novel about half-human genetically-engineered “bumans”. The story centers around one Christian senator who is struggling to find the truth about bumans, whether they have souls or are just animals, and whether they have the ability to function in society. Then he has to make decisions about how his stand for freedom and mercy will affect his political career.

I loved that it’s not just a story about politics, but there is a personal side as Continue reading →

Book Trilogy Review: Giants in the Land

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The Way of Things
The Way of Things by Clark Rich Burbidge
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked this book pretty well! In this story, the friendly giants who have always helped the townspeople suddenly disappear, and only one man has the courage to journey into the wilds to locate the giants and find out why they left. The main character, Thomas, grabbed my attention right away, and I liked seeing him deal with each crisis as it comes up in the story, gathering courage and wisdom as he journeys along. He’s a good character!

The writing is blatantly preachy, but still inspiring. I liked how the spiritual message is gradually unfolded, but I wish Continue reading →

Book Review: The Wide Road

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The Wide Road by Kim Balogh
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I was disappointed in this book. I was excited to read a Pilgrim’s Progress type of story told from the sinner’s POV, but there are so many problems with the writing that the story doesn’t come through. It desperately needs an editor. I only read the first 20 pages, and I just couldn’t continue.

The writing is extremely verbose and redundant. There are multiple problems with sentence structure, punctuation, and even word usage. For example, the word “self-perseverance” is used, when I’m pretty sure the author meant “self-preservation”. The word “nowhere” is written as two separate words “no where”. There’s a sentence that talks about the “faucets” on jewels instead of the “facets”, and another says how beautiful the “pedals” on flowers are. I even saw the words “their selves” instead of “themselves.”

I like the idea of retelling Pilgrim’s Progress from another viewpoint, but this book needs some help before it is reader-ready.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review. The opinions here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

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