Category: book reviews

#Book #Review – “We Could Be Heroes” by Justin T. McCain

 

I don’t usually review poetry. There is something unique about an individual’s voice and how it comes out on the page. For this reason, I find it unsettling to critique someone’s feelings, someone’s voice, someone’s experiences and thought processes in the form of poetry. Each is so very unique. So again, I do not typically review poetry.

I met Justin through Twitter maybe about a year ago when I started re-tweeting a lot of his posts, which I found inspiring. When I saw the promotion of his new book, “We Could Be Heroes” the title intrigued me. I thought to myself, “Yea we could”. Then I went on about my business. It wasn’t until later that I noticed that it was a mixture of short fiction and poetry, which was different. Different in a good way. Different in that it’s something I have not seen much of. Different in that I’ve never read a combination of poetry and short fiction before.  After mentioning how I’d love to get my hands on this book, I was excited to see a private message from Justin that he’d love it if I can review the book for him. Below is the review I posted to his amazon page:

Title: We Could Be Heroes

Author: Justin T. McCain

Paperback: 167 pages

Publisher: M3 Publishing Company LLC

Edition: First Edition

Published: February 27, 2016

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0692564160

ISBN-13: 978-0692564165

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

We Could Be Heroes is the inspiring work of Justin T. McCain and includes both poetry as well as short fiction. Let me start with the fiction. The story is about a young man named Bard and the legend of a Money Tree considered to be an object of good fortune to those who believe in such superstitions. Bard is preparing for graduation at the University when the sky darkens and he sees the legendary money tree. Shortly afterwards, he is witness to an accident in which he miraculously saves a young woman’s life. The woman’s name is Spirit and she and Bard begin a romantic relationship. However, when Bard finds the opportunity to possess some of the money from the money tree, although it makes him a rich man, things start to fall apart in his personal life. The financial value of the money didn’t make Bard’s life any easier than he’d anticipated. For a short story this book has a really good message.

“If you could heal the world, or have the world, which would you choose?”

Justin’s poetry is most excellent. I love how the poems were relatable to the title of the book and correlates well also with the story line. Speaking of the story, I anticipated short miniature stories to be sprinkled throughout the book and intermingled with poetry. What I got is something much more organized. Instead of having too much going on, Justin stuck to one story and divided this story into three parts and sprinkled the poems in-between. I loved this layout because the book came out to be very organized. The inspiration and the passion of Justin’s poetry is evident. My favorite poem has to be the books namesake “We Could Be Heroes”. The work is beautiful.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

We Could Be Heroes is Available now Online

in Paperback and Amazon Kindle

Click The Book Cover to Purchase

51ZfL3AhcrL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Visit Justin Online at:

http://www.justintmccain.com/

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – The Mistreatment of Zora Langston by Lisa W. Tetting

Title: The Mistreatment of Zora Langston (Paperback)
Author: Lisa W. Tetting
Website: https://rebirthoflisa.wordpress.com/
ISBN 13: 9780996142908
Published: March 15, 2015
Publisher: Lisa W. Tetting
Pages: 158 pages
Genre: Coming of Age, Young Adult, Drama, Fiction

The Mistreatment of Zora Langston is a coming-of-age novel surrounding the abuse experienced by nine-year-old Zora Langston. 

Set in Goldsboro, North Carolina, there is so much to relate to and learn in this powerful testimony of abuse, betrayal, and the ability to still love and be loved through it. Ironically, the cause of her father’s death becomes the epitome of tragedy for Zora in more ways than one. His enemies become hers, and when it seems things are getting better everywhere she turns, they only worsen. 

Zora is not given a chance to mourn her father before her mother’s boyfriend moves in. Instead of her shining example of womanhood, her mother despises her existence. Her sister burns with intense jealousy, and her brother’s nonchalant attitude further illuminates Zora’s invisibility. 

As a result of continual physical and emotional abuse, Zora is sent to live with her Aunt Terri and Uncle Jim and, for the first time, gets to experience what it means to be happy and to have a family. I was excited to see her get excited at those little things that children love.

What makes this a moving piece is that it is told from the eyes of a nine-year-old. I did not expect Zora to endure what she did, and the abuse she encountered was shocking. Children tend to be very open and honest even amid grown-up experiences, and Zora is no different. She approaches the situations of her youth with the same level of naïveté as most children. Yet, while Zora’s perspective is rightly childlike, the tragedies she endured strengthen her. Thus, her reaction to the situations surrounding her is in many ways also mature, surprising the adults around her, who are often taken aback.

What I found especially educational is how the author incorporated the life lessons of Zora’s dad and the parenting of her Aunt and Uncle into the tragedies of her life and how those lessons were used to strengthen Zora in the moments she needed them most. Despite her hardships, Zora could still hold on to a level of innocence deserving of a nine-year-old. “I usually wore a swim cap…but that made me look like an alien” (Tetting, 102) is just one of the many sayings of little Miss Zora that made me laugh out loud. I could have sworn I thought the same thing at her age!

The Mistreatment of Zora Langston is a book of shocking revelations and raw emotion. As adults, we have much to learn from children like Zora. It is not just a book about her; we also get to see how adults view situations. 

Debut Author Lisa Tetting proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that “it’s not the love that hurts; its the denial of love.”

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5
Characterization: 5/5
Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
Thought Provoking: 4/5
Recommendation: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5

The Mistreatment of Zora Langston is available now on Amazon!

This-story-will-have-you-cheering-for-1024x512

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews: SICK (Part 1) by Christa Wojciechowski

Title: SICK
Author: Christa Wojciechowski
Publication: October 1, 2015
ASIN: B014RQXI88
Genre: Psychological Suspense, Thriller, Suspense

SICK is a psychological suspense novella about a woman with a very sick husband living in a constant vacuum of life-threatening illnesses. The offspring of wealthy parents, John and Susan Branch married and settled into an affluent life that eventually dwindled after John took over his family business upon his father’s death. Soon, the family business plummeted, and so did John’s health. Diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a complicated blood disorder, Susan is forced to take care of her ailing husband while trying to maintain a livelihood of basic necessity as a full-time medical clerk of a podiatrist. Immediately it is apparent that John’s illness is taking its toll on Susan, who, from the onset, appears to neglect part of herself to be his full-time nurse.

“A marriage made in medicine, John’s and mine. He was the victim, and I, the slave to his diseases”. – SICK, Christa W.

As the story moves along, I start to notice something very unusual about John. His wife reads him books as he drifts off to sleep, feeds him baby food, sings him lullabies, and says he’s a “good boy”. If that’s not weird enough, John pouts, throws temper tantrums, and whines like a three-year-old. I became annoyed at Susan’s inability to see the signs and felt sympathy for her sense of low self-worth. Eventually, I began associating John’s behavior and speech with that mental retardation; surely, this man couldn’t be serious. And as Suzie slaved to be his mother, wife, and nurse, I could not be prepared for the story’s ending. John, the progeny of old money, an Ivy League education, and a keen intelligence behind his eyes, was far from a learning disorder. John Branch, the world’s most sick man, would be far sicker than I anticipated.

“The wealth, the disease: they were part of him.” – SICK

As I read this book I knew I wanted to give the author a four-star rating, but then I got to the end and it blew my mind so I had to upgrade her! I love the psychology of the story. How the persona and personal background of Susan and John helped me as a reader and as a person understand the outcome of this sad situation. There are people in this world who grow up with silver spoons in their mouths and yet they have no love. Whether that is self-love or love that wasn’t given to them as children, a lack of love can transform a mentally stable individual into a monster.

After the read, the author provides some very informative and educational information about one of the world’s least talked about conditions which I won’t mention here as I think it will give away the story.

SICK is a must-read.

Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5
Characterization: 5/5
Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Be sure to grab your copy of SICK from Amazon today.

Yes, right now.

41gavFn0S6L._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_

Blog:  http://christawojo.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@christawojo

Facebook: Facebook.com /WebbellaChrista 

Yecheilyah Book Reviews: A Tale of Three Cities by Alexander McCabe

Title: A Tale of Three Cities
Author: Alexander McCabe
ISBN: 978-0-9940447-1-6
Release Date: November 2, 2015
Advanced Review Copy Edition

 A Tale of Three Cities is a fantastic story involving two women who do not intimately know each other but whose lives become connected in a horrific span of events that will forever change both women. 

While occupying the waiting room of a dental office, bank cashier Melissa Chisholm is reading a magazine when her attention is snagged by a missing persons headline accompanied by a photograph of a woman she is sure she knows. Enticed by the million-dollar reward for any information regarding Kristy Bradley, Melissa sets out to redeem the much-needed cash, being reassured that she does know the woman who changed her name to Lady Penelope Munro. 

According to the article, the two love birds married out of High School. They settled into a financially stable and happy life before Kristy was allegedly kidnapped by Anthony Di Silva, a mob boss masquerading as CEO of a Waste Management Company and currently serving 25 to life after 34 million dollars, and Michael’s wife went missing. Now Melissa is flying from Glasgow, Scotland, to Harrison, New York, to assist Kristy’s poor husband find his long-lost wife.

Sitting in her car outside Michael’s front door, Melissa is unaware of the man behind the smile in the magazine. As she waits nervously for him to read the documents she slipped into his home and to listen to her message on his answering machine, she has no idea of the maniac she has just involved herself with. As she waits, watching Michael faint at the contents of the documents with tears colliding down his face, Melissa doesn’t know about the secret hatred more than love pulsating through his veins. When his true character is revealed, it made me think about the stigmas surrounding a woman’s submission, what it means, and how abusive men take advantage of women who do. Nonetheless, as Melissa waits, it will be a hard lesson for her.

I was pleasantly surprised. I was not too excited when I discovered this book was 500 pages long. However, McCabe has written an adventurous tale that will engage all of your senses. His attention to detail is remarkable, and I found Z’s sense of humor hilarious at times. I also enjoyed how the author displays Michael’s deranged demeanor against Melissa’s sympathy for his loss. Having lost her parents in a car wreck years ago, her loss drives the naivety and compassion she feels for a man who has seemingly, like her, lost everything. I also enjoyed the parallels between Melissa’s life and Kristy’s, and like a single thread that weaves fabric together, the dynamics involving the two women bring it all in.

ATOTC-banner

A Tale of Three Cities releases November 2, 2015. Please visit Alexander at his social networking sites and be sure to pick up this book! It is a must read. Though I read it already, I would love to still purchase the paperback for my collection when it releases.

Website: http://aasmccabe.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aasmccabe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandermccabeauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/aasmccabe/

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Eternal Traces by Shonda Brock

Title: Eternal Traces

Author: Shonda Brock

Website: http://www.shondabrock.com/

ISBN 13: 978-0-9904242-0-8(ebk)

ASIN: B00KH8VGT4

Published: May 20, 2014

Publisher: Shonda Brock

Pages: 248

Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Multicultural, Multicultural Paranormal Romance, Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Eternal Traces is a Multicultural Paranormal Romance novel surrounding the life of Veteran and Cardiologist Meryt Brownstone. Brownstone is an African American woman who struggles to lay claim to her personal and mental life despite her professional success. While Meryt dreams of a change of scenery, she prefers to avoid getting too close to people and prefers to fly under the radar. She has not been involved in any serious romantic relationship in some time and frequents daydreams of an ancient world. Hardworking and driven, Brownstone is also an undercover agent for the government and divides her time between work, chatting with her friend Cindy, secret missions, and experimenting with synthetic blood.

Speaking of blood, Meryt’s life changes dramatically when she meets Dr. Fitzgerald and Dr. Rene Daniels, two brothers who start working at the hospital and are very interested in her study on synthetic hemoglobin. Meryt’s sexual trance is immediately sparked with even the slightest glimpse of Rene. She is drawn to him on many levels, and she is unable to keep her eyes off of him. Meryt is guarded with her heart and refuses to let love develop naturally, despite Cindy’s insinuations that she has feelings for the new doctor.

But Dr. Rene’s attraction goes above and beyond her expectations, and the tingling sensation of need makes her crazy. In addition to being hypnotic, Rene avoids her like the plague after first meeting her despite having stunning blue eyes. Meryt’s curiosity about him is further piqued by this as she starts to wonder why. Meryt is a former soldier with military training who occasionally carries out covert operations, but Rene has a secret of his own to be concerned about that, despite his ravenous need, keeps him apart from Meryt.

As the story begins to unfold, I enjoyed the Egyptian and African connection and the parallels between the past and present as expressed by the author. As the story picks up, we see that ancient Egypt is a key figure in Meryt’s visions and an important mission to the Sudan becomes a major turning point in the novel as the lines between dream and reality become blurred. Historically, Egypt is blood brothers to the Nubian and they both descend from Ham whose name means hot, burnt, and black. This means the Egyptians would have looked just like the African American today. In addition, the Kushites (Ethiopians or Nubians), whose name means burnt face, lived south of Egypt in what is called the Sudan today.

Meryt’s mission to the Sudan, therefore, was a nice complement. I also enjoyed the symbolism of which there were many. One example is Meryt’s temper when she’s upset and her career as a cardiologist, paralleled against the details of Rene’s life. It created an interesting bridge of commonality between the two. How so? You’d have to read the book to find out!

As my first ever Multicultural Paranormal Romance novel, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take a plunge on this one. However, I must say it’s one of those books where, even if you disagree with the concepts, it is hard to put down. You will want to get to the end and see how it all plays out. It also has a unique storyline, so I am glad I took the chance.

While some parts left me anxiously anticipating action, when similarities arose between Meryt’s life and that of Queen Nitocris, I was happy to see that my thirst for answers were quenched as the plot thickened. Between Dr. Daniel’s charm, Meryt’s stubborn ways, and their colliding worlds, Meryt’s carefully composed life will never be the same again. Shonda makes sure to have readers holding onto their seats and holding their breaths for one adventurous ride of Eternal Traces.

Ratings:

Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5

Entertainment Factor: 4/5

Characterization: 4/5

Authenticity / Believable: 4/5

Thought Provoking: 4/5

Recommendation: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

Also check out Part 2 “Eternal Burns”. To learn more about Meryt and Shonda, visit them online: Website: http://www.shondabrock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shondabrock

coversb