I seem to always be making these posts, but I’m sorry I haven’t kept up with my schedule lately, and my posts have been kind of all over the place. I kind of lost my routine and am having trouble settling back into it. I hope you understand. Hopefully will have everything back to normal asap. Thanks!
Month: May 2018
Red as Blue by Ji Strangeway and Juan Fleites Review
Red as Blue by Jjii22
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Ji Strangeway’s Red as Blue beckons LGBTQ youths and GenXers to beautifully come of age again in this prosey hybrid graphic novel.
15-year-old June Lusparian is an outcast caught between worlds. Half Mexican and half Armenian, June hovers on the border of adulthood, searching the streets of Paradise and the halls of Paradise High for signs of redemption – symptoms of life. She longs to carve open her own space to find a beating heart in a barren world. Only her secret gift for music offers a hint of hope. When she falls for blonde, cool girl Beverly, captain of the Spirit Girls cheer squad, June hopes she may, at last, have found that one true thing.
But as their nascent romance grows, June learns true connection requires more than a bond of pain and the ache of desire. Paradise is more than an idea, more than a town. And forgiveness never falls from heaven of its own accord.
Set in a fictional desert town in 1980s Colorado, RED AS BLUE is a moment of eternal tension on the verge of explosion. With a unique, genre-bending style that is sometimes lyrical, sometimes sharp as a razor’s edge, and always engaging; Ji Strangeway paints word-pictures of the volatile world between worlds in which June struggles to find relevance and worth at Paradise High. But June’s Paradise is on life-support, barely breathing.
Will death be the only answer?
—
*Please note: this book is hybrid graphic novel containing experimental storytelling format (comic illustrations, prose, script dialogue, novel, and cyber elements).
My Review:
Let me say that I really loved the art style in this book, although there weren’t many pages with it. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, honestly, when I started this book. It seemed like an interesting concept, a novel and a graphic novel hybrid, but what you really get out of this is a script with a few comic pages. Not saying that’s a bad thing. This story is a lot different than anything else I’ve read lately. A school shooting, young love, a punk and a cheerleader. The characters and the world they’re in were really well thought out, and I really related to the characters. Although there’s a lot of self harm in this book, it didn’t make me as uncomfortable as it could have, like the sex scenes between children did. It was a little hard to get into, but I found that once I was half way through, I didn’t notice it anymore and I really was just wondering what would happen next. It’s exciting and heart breaking, and I’m glad I got the chance to check it out.
Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, and another link to the book on Amazon.
https://twitter.com/JiStrangeway
https://www.amazon.ca/Red-as-Blue-Ji-…
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
The Hookah Girl and Other True Stories by Marguerite Dabaie Review
The Hookah Girl: And Other True Stories by Marguerite Dabaie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
In this current political climate, being a Palestinian is a hazard. However, there are common grounds where East meets West. The Hookah Girl is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel of a childhood as a Christian Palestinian in America. Told in short stories and with narrative ranging from growing up in a refugee family to how to roll waraq (stuffed grape leaves), this book is an account of living in two seemingly different cultures that actually aren’t very different at all.
My Review:
I know I say this a lot, but this book wasn’t what I expected at all. Not a lot of books tackle this issue, so you don’t see it a lot. This is about stereotypes people have to face today. The story begins with the author explaining how much she had to work to get her book published. Because of the content, a lot of people thought it was too provocative. It addresses a lot of problems that people face now, day to day, in a fun cartoon format that you wouldn’t expect from such a serious topic. I learned a lot from this book, and I didn’t expect to. For instance, did you know that a certain superhero movie was banned in many middle eastern countries because the main character, an Israeli woman, was at the time apart of a group that supported in the war in the Gaza Strip. This was really informative, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like I really learned a lot, even though it was a really short read. The art is really cute, and I loved the glossary at the back, I didn’t expect it. I would definitely purchase this even though I’ve already read it, and I definitely recommend you check it out for yourself.
Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, and another link to the book on Amazon.
https://twitter.com/mdabaie?lang=en
https://www.amazon.ca/Hookah-Girl-Oth…
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
The Space Adventurer’s Guide: Your Passport to the Coolest Things to See and Do in the Universe by Peter McMahon, & Josh Holinaty Review
The Space Adventurer’s Guide: Your Passport to the Coolest Things to See and Do in the Universe by Peter McMahon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
It’s not just astronauts who get to travel into space anymore. Forward-thinking entrepreneurs have now made space flight a reality for adventure-seekers of all kinds. And just in time, here’s a travel guide for kids to plan their own out-of-this-world journeys. Eight potential space vacations are described, one per chapter, complete with information about pre-trip preparations (like training to withstand extreme g-forces), accommodations and dining (hot dogs in zero gravity, anyone?), awesome activities (how about a real moon walk?) and so much more. The trips range from orbiting Earth (available now), to voyaging through Saturn’s rings, which may be possible within the next few decades. Featuring the coolest things to see and do in the universe, these space vacations are not to be missed! Award-winning science journalist Peter McMahon has come up with an intriguing concept sure to pique a young reader’s interest in all things outer space. Based on the latest science and featuring first-person accounts from experts in the field, this book is chock-full of opportunities for science and technology lessons. With kid-sized bursts of text (including loads of amazing, and sometimes icky, facts), fascinating photographs of everyday life on actual space flights, as well as fun-filled illustrations from Josh Holinaty, this hugely appealing book is also one that children will gladly pick up on their own — and devour. A glossary and index are included.
My Review:
Okay, I know I hate saying this but even though I don’t usually like to read children’s books, I couldn’t not request this one, right? Anything to teach me more about space is good. So I started this book. It reminds me of one of those ones you used to read in elementary school, kind of a textbook but one that was actually fun to read. You can learn a lot of things from this book, like how the rockets work to get you up to the ISS, things astronauts have to do to be able to live in the harsh climate of space, what future plans are for space travel, even how much a trip off the planet could cost. It’s a quick read, only about fifty pages, but I really enjoyed reading it and definitely recommend you check it out.
Here’s a link to the illustrator’s Twitter, and another link to the book on Amazon.
https://twitter.com/joshholinaty?lang=en
https://www.amazon.ca/Space-Adventure…
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
I Really Didn’t Think This Through: Tales from My So-Called Adult Life by Beth Evans Review
I Really Didn’t Think This Through: Tales from My So-Called Adult Life by Beth Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Did you ever wish your best friend—the person you would trust with your innermost secrets, the person whose wisdom and comfort you seek in times of stress or self-doubt—could draw?
Like Mindy Kaling meets Hyperbole and a Half, I Really Didn’t Think This Through gets at the heart of what makes life both so challenging and so joyful—figuring out how to be a person in the world. Armed with her beloved illustrations, popular Instagram artist Beth Evans tackles a range of issues—from whimsical musings to deeply personal struggles—in this imaginative anti-guide to being your own person.
This book is a compendium of Beth’s collected wisdom and stories, interwoven with her tremendously popular and loveable illustrations. The book is a wonderful mix of fun (playful meditations on the band Rush and international pen-pals) and thoughtful (Beth delves into her personal history with obsessive compulsive disorder and depression while commiserating on topics like dating and credit card shame) all with a simple candor that anyone from a teen to their grandparent can relate to. Through all of her experiences, Beth manages to extract valuable lessons, and the book is replete with friendly advice about caring for yourself, getting help no matter what your problems are, and embracing what makes you happy. Beth is a compelling storyteller, her drawings picking up where her words leave off, creating an approachable and immersive experience for the reader. Beth’s work feels like a hug from your best friend. And like a best friend, she’s here to say “You got this!”
My Review:
I can’t express how much I love this book, but I’ll try my best. This book isn’t anything like what I expected. It begins with the author saying that you’re going to transform your life with this book and then, just kidding, their life is a mess too. It’s basically a series of kind of sad but super relatable and occasionally inspiring pictures, and a few paragraphs with backstory. This book really made me feel less alone, that maybe I am doing okay and maybe I am making progress, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Overall, I’m really glad I read this book, and it’s just one of those things where you wish you had a copy so that you could read it again and again any time you feel sad. It made me feel good. The only thing I have to say that i didn’t like about it, was that the formatting in the ebook arc I had tended to cut off about a third of the page every page, but if I purchase a copy I wouldn’t have that frustrating problem. I definitely recommend checking this book out.
Here’s a link to the Author’s Twitter, and another link to the book on Amazon.
https://twitter.com/bethevansart
https://www.amazon.ca/Really-Didnt-Th…
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Dail May?
Yes you guessed it, it’s mail day again and I’d like to give a big shout out to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book to review. I can’t wait to check it out!
Ghost Black (Daughter of Mars #3) by Matthew S. Cox Review
Ghost Black by Matthew S. Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Her angel is dead, the cause she’s killed for is as false as her metal eyes, and the one man she thought she could trust has deceived her for sixteen years. Smothered by deepening layers of conspiracy, she decides to embark upon the most frightening mission of her life―leaving the Martian Liberation Front.
After eight years of trying to liberate the people of Mars with high explosives, and a reputation as a less-than-sane killer who hears the voices of angels in her head, Risa didn’t expect to walk away clean. Her former bosses won’t let go easy, agents on both sides of the war want her dead, and truth is in short supply.
Determined to protect their profits, a politically connected enemy threatens to purge the Front of those unwilling to play by their rules. To keep her freedom, Risa must become that which she has so long resisted―an assassin.
With bombs poised to bury her former life, and everyone associated with it, deep beneath the surface of Mars, Risa has thirty minutes to make an impossible choice: save the life of her daughter by killing her best friend, or disarm the bombs and let a child die.
My Review:
Risa is back again for another action packed mars adventure. I love this series, and honestly I really love everything I’ve read from this author, so naturally I was stoked to find out about this book. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next, and the characters are exactly as they were. I wasn’t confused reading this book, and I really like that, because sometimes when you’re reading a series and you have to wait for the next book to come out, you tend to forget what was going on in the last book. This seamlessly pulled me from one to the next, and I was sucked in immediately. All our favourite characters are back, and I’m happy to see the story continue.
Now I don’t want to say too much about what the actual story is about, because anything about this book is major spoilers for the last two, but I will say that it was an amazing read, it lived up to all my expectations, and the characters were flawless as usual. This book takes us on a wild ride with the usual crew, and as always, a lot of the twists and turns made in this book surprised me. The characters continue to develop, especially Risa, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Risa, of course, is my favourite character, and I’m glad to see her life continue on even when she doesn’t think it will. The setting there in never ceases to amaze me, and I wish I could see it for myself and climb through those claustrophobic vents. Risa goes through a lot in this story, although nothing she can’t handle, and although everything seems to fall apart around her, and what she thinks she knows usually turns out to be lies, I’m glad to see things finally going her way for once. I definitely recommend checking out this book, and the entire series, really.
Here’s a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the author’s Twitter.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07D732M5X/r…
https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Angelic, Vol. 1: Heirs & Graces (Angelic #1-6) by Simon Spurrier, & Caspar Wijngaard Review
Angelic, Vol. 1: Heirs & Graces by Simon Spurrier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Centuries after humanity has disappeared, the Earth belongs to our leftovers: the animals, genetically modified for a war they don’t remember, guarding a world they don’t understand. But for one young winged monkey the repressive tribal routines are unbearable. Her name is QORA. She yearns to explore, to discover… to fly free.
Eisner nominee SIMON SPURRIER (The Spire, CRY HAVOC, X-Men Legacy) and star artist CASPAR WIJNGAARD (LIMBO, Dark Souls, Assassin’s Creed) unite for an all-ages-friendly fable about teenage rebellion and animal antics amidst the ruins of civilization.
Collects ANGELIC issues 1-6.
My Review:
First of all, let me say how much I just love the style of this book. It’s so colourful, and a lot different than any of the other comics I’ve read lately. It begins with a bunch of Monks getting worked up over Dolts invading on their territory. They want to keep them away because they’re not their own species, and that makes them not natural, although they do speak very formal English. They’re trying to protect the center of their home, the roost, because it’s kind of like a religious thing for them. Without it and the ritual, they say they would have babies born without wings, thumbs, or the ability to talk. It’s quirky and I have to say I wasn’t sure what was going on for the first probably quarter of the book, but it didn’t make me love it any less.
The main character is a girlmonk named Qora, who will soon lose her wings due to the ritual and become a mother for the tribe. She runs away and is attacked by a kind of cat, but is saved by the Mans and the Dolts. The Mans says that they’re not trying to attack them when they send Dolts, they’re just looking for a piece of their god, a little robot called Ay. They say if they can get their piece back he can clear the world of tox clouds and make enough space and food for everyone. This book then takes a completely different turn, showing a secret hideaway full of bio and humans in dream stasis, which is completely different from anything they know. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait for volume two. The story was just so interesting, and it was an easy read. Although the characters aren’t really relatable, they make up for it with the way they continue on the story. I definitely recommend you check it out.
Here’s a link to the author and artist’s Twitter, and another link to the book on Amazon.
https://twitter.com/sispurrier
https://twitter.com/Casparnova
https://www.amazon.ca/Angelic-Heirs-G…
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Crimson Ash by Haley Sulich Review
Crimson Ash by Haley Sulich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
You may live as a soldier or face death. Choose wisely.
Solanine Lucille wants her little sister back. Eight years ago, the government kidnapped her sister Ember, stole her memories, and transformed her into a soldier. But Solanine refuses to give up. Now that she and her fiancé have located the leader of a rebel group, she believes she can finally bring Ember home. But then the soldiers raid the rebels, killing her fiancé and leaving Solanine alone with her demons and all the weapons needed for revenge.
After raiding a rebel camp, sixteen-year-old Ember doesn’t understand why killing some boy bothers her. She’s a soldier—she has killed hundreds of people without remorse. But after she fails a mission, the rebels hold her hostage and restore her memories. Ember recognizes her sister among the rebels and realizes the boy she killed was Solanine’s fiancé.
Ember knows she can’t hide the truth forever, but Solanine has secrets too.
As their worlds clash, the two sisters must decide if their relationship is worth fighting for. And one wrong move could destroy everything—and everyone—in their path.
My Review:
I chose this book because the cover looked mysterious, and the description sounded like something I would love. In reality, although I liked this book, I didn’t love it. The viewpoints switch between two sisters, Solanine and Ember, and it begins with Solanine running through a forest, jumping right into the action. They’re looking for someone named Nightshade, because if anyone will know where her kidnapped sister is, its her Nightshade has a massive army of captured and restored soldiers that used to be brainwashed by the government. They’re able to restore their memory wipes because of neutralizing pills, giving back their memories but keeping their soldier bodies. The last time they heard anything about her, was about two years ago in the city of soldiers.
I really wanted to love this book, so full of action and such an interesting story, but I really felt like I was missing something. I checked a few times while I was reading this book to see if I had accidentally started in the middle of a series or something, but nope, just confusing. The government takes children at the ripe age of nine, and takes their memories and brainwashes them with horrible physical pain turning them into soldiers. Although the story is exciting, I felt like they were just doing the same thing over and over again. The ending was just as confusing as the beginning.
Although it’s an easy read, it’s not my new favourite. I’m glad I read it, although there’s a lot of self harm and suicide attempts in this story. How did things end the way they did? This book left me confused more than anything. I liked the characters, they were almost realistic, reacting to things the way they did, but it wasn’t enough to make me love this book. Check it out and see what you think.
Here’s a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the author’s Twitter!
https://www.amazon.ca/Crimson-Ash-Hal…
https://twitter.com/HaleySulich?lang=en
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew S. Cox Review
Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew S. Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Kerys Loring hopes an expedition to a distant alien ruin will make her career―assuming she lives long enough to still have one.
Her last team made a significant find, but her bosses took all the recognition and grant money. When Avasar Biotechnology appeals to her unique combination of experience and desperation, she jumps at the chance, even if it means leaving her little brother behind for a three-year trip.
At least she’ll be thousands of light-years away from her abusive ex.
Within minutes of arrival, her excitement shatters at the sight of her ex already there. Clinging to the hope his position with botanical sciences will keep him away from her team, she forces herself to continue.
On her first day in the ruins, she makes a profound discovery… but something goes terribly wrong.
Her domineering ex soon becomes the least of her problems as an unstoppable alien threat plunges Wayfarer Outpost into chaos. Trapped in an isolated facility with death stalking every corridor, Kerys finds herself up against an even more insidious threat than ancient aliens: the truth.
My Review:
When I saw the cover for this book, I knew I had to read it. Its really nice to look at, kind of mysterious and exciting all at the same time. The description really topped it off for me, I knew I had to read it. I’ve loved every book I’ve read from the author so far, and I couldn’t wait to start this one. I’m really glad I got the chance to read it.
The story begins with pain, darkness, and a strange beeping. Kerys is in stasis. She has been for a few years, while her and her team travel to a planet far from their own, to work at the outpost Wayfarer: AV494. A medical worker wakes her up and helps her out. They’re in the middle of nowhere, and the planet they’re going down to, AV494, is a planet that doesn’t have a safe atmosphere for humans, and they suspect a non-human civilization is down on the ground in the form of ruins. She’s basically an archeologist, just one that discovers aliens. When her and her team finally reach the base, the last person she ever expected to see is there, her abusive ex boyfriend Will, doing what he does best.
When Kerys finally gets around to exploring the ruins, she realizes that they are strikingly similar to the ones that she’s previously explored in her last mission. She opens a secret door using a keyboard she finds. Will isn’t happy that she’s here with him, still calling her his girlfriend, even though they broke up years ago, and he takes every chance he can to tell her that she shouldn’t be here, in that weird abusive boyfriend way of his. He breaks into her room at night. Everyone seems to be on her side though, and they’re happy to help get him away from her. She wakes up one day to notice that every single person in the base, except for her, is completely hostile. They snap at each other, start fights, and things start to get dangerous, while eventually the base is put in a lockdown.
This book was a slow burn, but in no way was it a slow story. It was exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The characters seemed lifelike, they really reacted to things the way that anyone would, and I loved the setting they were in. I couldn’t put it down once I started it, and I’m glad I got the chance to read it. I absolutely loved it, and I definitely recommend you check it out.
Here’s a link to the authors Twitter, and another link to the book on Amazon.
https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction
https://www.amazon.ca/Wayfarer-AV494-…
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
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