What is everyone planting this season?
Author Archives: rachelauthorbarnard
Book Review: Lex Talonis by S.A. Huchton
Lex Talonis by S.A. Huchton
A Contemporary/Fiction Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (04/27/15)
Summary:
“I’m the girl who likes her cars fast and her boys even faster.” (Page 2).
Alexandria Ross once gave a guy a bj at a party to distract him and keep him from giving a date rape drug to her best friend Miranda. That’s just the kind of girl she is. Loyal to her best friend, always trying to keep Mandy safe. But Lexi can’t always look out for Mandy, especially when they are separated by thousands of miles going to different colleges. When the worst happens and Lexi is left with the clues, she is compelled to unravel the story of how Mandy got involved with an abusive boyfriend and a manipulative married therapist, and ultimately, to exact revenge in Mandy’s stead.
Keywords:
Powerful Female, strength, resiliency, victims, emotional abuse, physical abuse, gangs, academics, plots, plans, biding time, feminine wiles, cheating, murder, friendship, loyalty, revenge, love, pursuit
My Review:
This story speaks to me for so many reasons. As someone who has been in a similar situation – in an abusive relationship – it was extremely gratifying to see the cause taken up by someone in a position of power, someone who knew how to use every available resource to her to not only exact revenge, but also to protect any future victims. Lexi is the bad girl we all want to be at times. She doesn’t put up with bull crap, unless it gets her closer to her ulterior goals. She is solid and strong. She is enviable in all different ways. She grew up with means and comforts and a safety net, yet she is still motivated and extremely intelligent and stubborn. She goes for what she wants and nothing can stand in her way.
It’s amazing how endearing and life-like Mandy was in the story. She was no longer present, yet she is always a part of the action. Her story is very much Lexi’s story. Huchton makes Mandi’s story come alive even more by interspersing memories of Lexi and Mandy within the chapters of the book. Some of these memories are beautiful and poignant, showing each of the girls as they were, carefree and young and full of future promise. Then the memories show more and more the darker side of what was going on, hinting at what was to come and what already took place. Huchton was quite clever in including these various flashbacks.
The level of involvement Lexi had in Mandy’s life and Mandy in Lexi’s life was astounding. It was as if Huchton took a crazy over-the-top romantic relationship, shaved off the romance, and left us with this emotionally heartbreaking and awe-inspiring relationship between two best friends. I’m jealous of the relationship those two girls had with one another. Although Lexi’s overly emotional attachment to Mandy is mildly disturbing, it also shows how far she will go for her best friend.
The characters and the story were so very alive and imaginable in my mind.
This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on April 27th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00
Links for more information:
Book Review: Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham
Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham
A YA Teen Drama Novel published on amazon.com (05/15/2015)
Summary:
‘I’m the “kind of sick” that makes you not want to go to school and fake being happy every day. The “kind of sick” that is caused by having your best friends practically disappear from your life—sort of like the way dad up and disappeared when I was little. The “kind of sick” that results from hearing your mother say that your dad never wanted you in the first place. The “kind of sick” that Orchard Hills types of girls with perfect families, clothes and bodies don’t get.’ (Kindle Locations 1538-1541).
Does anybody remember middle school fondly? Certainly Katie Mills aka “Kit Kat” won’t. Unfortunately her problems at school aren’t forgotten when she gets home. Katie has another whole set of personal issues that have nothing to do with school. If only she can be like the OH girls. If only she can be like her older sister Kelsie. If only she could have new clothes, better dance moves, a thinner body, a dad who is there for her, a mom who won’t criticize, and on and on.
Katie is stuck in the middle of her problems with no way to get herself out of them. And then she discovers a way to fix some of her problems, but what will it ultimately cost her?
Keywords:
Teen drama, middle grade, 8th grade, girl problems, bullying, bulimia, eating disorders, hiding problems, evading issues, getting help, friendships, family, body image, recovery
My Review:
I like to read books that I can take something away when I’m done. Don’t Call me Kit Kat is more than a story about a girl working through her problems. It is more than plot and structure. This book delves deep into what it means to have an eating disorder. What does it feel like to want to binge and purge? What does it feel like to be so unhappy with yourself that you’ll go to extreme and unhealthy measures to change? What is day to day life like for a bulimic? How can one get better with an eating disorder? K.J. Farnham answers all these questions and more in her book. I got a lot out of reading this novel.
Though it has been some years since I’ve been a teenager, I believe Farnham captures the moodiness and insecurity of being a teenager in a world full of unrealistic expectations. Katie felt very real and the character seemed more than plausible. Her reality was very realistic.
I never thought about food the way Kit Kat does and it opened up my eyes a bit more to a different person’s experience growing up. “The funny thing about food, though, is that I love it as much as I hate it. I love that I can choose what to eat and how much to eat, or even not to eat anything at all. It’s the guilt I feel after a binge that I can’t stand. Because of the guilt, I sometimes find myself wondering if I control the food or if the food controls me.” (Kindle Locations 1516-1518).
The gradual downhill slide Katie fell into was told so well and captured the essence of how any of it could happen in a way someone without any experience with an eating disorder could understand. This book will really make you empathize and understand a world you may not and never be privy to.
Warning to those who read this book: As the narrator of her own story Katie’s experiences may be so close to reality that they cause their own type of trauma. Katie is very body negative, especially in the first half of the book where she gets no help or support. She is very down on herself and quite pessimistic and her feelings are very hard hitting.
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 05/15/2015 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50
Links for more information:
Book Review: Moon Shades: Crack the ice (The Greatest Sin Book 3) by Lee French & Erik Kort
Moon Shades: Crack the ice (The Greatest Sin Book 3) by Lee French & Erik Kort
A Fantasy Novel published by Tangled Sky Press (05/16/15)
Summary:
Chavali is back. The greater evil is still out there, but Moon Shades focusses on Chavali’s conflict with a fellow Fallen who is intent on learning her clan secrets. Chavali is so upset with him, Sean, that she starts a fight in the cafeteria. Within hours she is sent on a mission with him and Eliot so they can learn to get along. Nobody is happy with this arrangement, especially Eliot. The Courier Circuit is their mission, just making the rounds, but it is not surprising that what they find is a thickening plot surrounded in death and mystery that they must solve. The small village of Eagle Falls needs their help and it would be a routine investigation if not for the unwanted character that shows up, bringing the greater plot to their front doors yet again.
Keywords:
Fantasy, Clan, Family, Loyalty, Prophesy, Seer, Close-Knit, Sacrifice, Strength, Evil, Friendship, Mystery, Thriller, werewolves, small town, hiding in plain sight, healing, leadership
My Review:
The opening scenes with the muffin is hilarious. Chavali is in no way a humorous character, but her situation is entirely laughable, even while you sympathize with what is going on. Who hasn’t been so angry that every little bad thing makes you fume even more, yet everybody she bumps into is willing to give her a hand (or a muffin). Despite being only close knit with her clan, Chavali has been accepted into the Fallen and their community and slowly has been accepting them back. She even wants to induct new members into her Blaukenev clan. This was surprising. I didn’t know Chavali would be willing to open up her clan to outsiders. I thought she meant for the clan to die with her and the three children she rescued in the previous books.
Chavali is shown, again and again, to be wondrously wise and extremely logical in the way she works through problems and solves mysteries. She has that Sherlock Holmes utterly unreal sense of logic and people-reading skills of using what’s in front of her from slight changes to human behavior (subtle posture shifts/facial tics) to figure out the truth.
Chavali’s take on life is fascinating. She’s logical and wise, but she still loves and grieves. She is a mystery to me and I want to figure her out. I want to understand her.
I liked how more was revealed about Eliot’s character. His story is becoming more and more complex, just like Chavali’s.
I’m a bit reticent to read books involving mages, magic, teleportation-like transportation, werewolves, etc., because I like books grounded in reality. However, Lee French’s fantasy elements are a part of her books and not the reason for them. I like this type of fantasy, where the book’s plot is not all about the fantastical elements, but more about the story and the characters.
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.
This novel was published by Tangled Sky Press on May 16th, 20145 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50
Links for more information:
Miscellaneous Mondays: My Favorite Indie Authors 6 – David Estes
I’ve had David Estes’ The Moon Dwellers on my TBR list for a while. I think I found his book on a promo day and was intrigued by the back page summary. I love dystopian and YA, so the Dwellers Saga was a good looking fit for me.
Check him out on my Indie Stars Page here.
From the first few pages I was hooked. David Estes is one of my new favorite authors and I had a hard time putting down his books. I have read the first three books in his Dwellers Saga and have been waiting to read the Country Saga and finally the Earth Dwellers after giving some attention to some other authors, but I know that I will love each and every new book I read of Estes. He is phenomenal. He is my author hero. He has done something that is difficult to find in YA books. He has balanced the narrative between two main characters, one is a female and the other is a male. Both characters are equally important. Both characters have something to say. Both characters are strong yet vulnerable. Both characters are uniquely different. For this reason and more David Estes is a great writer. His story is compelling and fits nicely into the YA Dystopian genre. There is action and fighting and romance in his books. There is struggle and perseverance. There is death. There is survival. I look forward to all the other books David Estes has written.
Book Review: The Star Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 2) by David Estes
The Star Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 2) by David Estes
A YA Sci-fi/Dystopian Novel published by David Estes (09/24/2012)
Summary:
The Star Dwellers continues Adele’s and Tristan’s stories within the impending uprising against the Sun Dwellers. Adele rescued both her sister and father in the first book (The Moon Dwellers) and now must find and rescue her mother in the Star Realm below. With the help of the friend she made while in the Moon Dweller prison, Tawni, Adele ventures down into the deepest depths of the Tri-Realms. Meanwhile, Tristan and his trusty best friend Roc must convince the Moon Dwellers to unite with the Star Dwellers against the Sun Dwellers. The Star Dwellers continues revealing secrets about the rebellion and war as well as the unique romantic relationship developing between Tristan and Adele.
Keywords:
Post-apocalyptic, underground, uninhabitable earth, romance, segregated society, class system, unequal power, dictatorship, in the dark, secrets, power-hungry leaders, corrupt government, fight the power, resistance, escape, kick-butt female, friendship, survival
My Review:
This second book in the series, like most seconds, was not quite as exciting as the first book, but I loved it just the same! It had all of the great elements I saw in the first book and continued the story I fell in love with in Moon Dwellers.
David Estes has a way with dialogue and describing action and setting the scene. His second book, much like his first in the series, is full of lovely quotable passages and great lines in the dialogue. The book is full of uplifting quotes, such as “Speak from your heart, and everything else will work itself out.” (Page 209) and “The only way to make things better is to fix the bigger problem.” (Page 219).
We are given a little more information on the overall plot regarding the inequality between the Tri-Realms as well as more intrigue into the now blossoming romance between Tristan and Adele. Roc and Tawni also continue with the story and we are given a few new characters. At this point in the series, Elsey, Adele’s younger sister, shows how wise she is.
Estes continues alternating Adele’s and Tristan’s point of views each chapter, which is done amazing well and adds so much to the complexity of the story as we get both the main characters’ inner thoughts.
I think it is still amazing how equivalent Adele’s and Tristan’s roles are in the importance of the fight for freedom and justice from the oppression of the Sun Realm and President Nailin. I love series like Hunger Games and Divergent for giving me a kick butt female character, but Estes goes a step further and gives us both a male and female kick butt characters at the same time! This series is great for both males and females alike, not just creating a role model for one gender or the other. The characters are also physically diverse and personality-wise diverse. I love them! After finishing up the Dweller Series, I will look into other books by David Estes as I think he is a fantastically gifted writer with amazing books.
This novel was published by David Estes 09/24/2012 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 5.0
Links for more information:
Book Review: The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 1) by David Estes
The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 1) by David Estes
A YA Sci-fi/Dystopian Novel published on amazon.com (06/27/2012)
Summary:
“Like I said before, you have no control over what situation you’re born into.” (Location 2151).
When a meteor is about to wipe out humanity as we know it on Earth, a select number are gifted the chance to live underground and continue the human race as natural disasters destroy everything aboveground. Decades after this decision, and the lottery to get a chance to survive below, there is a distinct segregation of class between the Tri-Realms: Sun Dwellers have all the power and most of the electricity and resources, Moon Dwellers live further down while the Star Dwellers live the furthest from the surface and suffer the most at the hands of those above.
The Moon Dwellers centers on two main characters, Adele from the Moon Dwellers and Tristan, the son of the ‘President’ from the Sun Dwellers. Adele is thrown into juvie after her parents are accused of treason against the government. Tristan is next in line to inherit the power to control the Tri-Realms, but he is disgusted by the inequality and finds his chance to rebel against his father when he first sees Adele. There is something that draws them to each other and for Tristan, finding out who she is brings him out of his comfort zone and into the plot of something much more sinister. For Adele, she is focused on escaping her prison and then reuniting with her sister and parents.
Keywords:
Post-apocalyptic, underground, uninhabitable earth, romance, segregated society, class system, unequal power, dictatorship, in the dark, secrets, power-hungry leaders, corrupt government, fight the power, resistance, escape, kick-butt female, friendship, survival
My Review:
I loved this book. It had a kickbutt girl character, a romance that wasn’t in the forefront of the plot, some dystopia and post-apocalyptic living, a corrupt government, the underdogs fighting for justice, POV change done well, subplots and characters with their own stories intertwined in the main plot, a good ending with a lot left open for the next book in the series, emotional highs, a good blend of action and story, excellent descriptions, etc.
I find it fascinating the reason for the apocalypse was a natural disaster (meteor). Humanity was saved by going underground, but not all of them could fit, therefore the world started over at Year Zero. The concept for the Lottery was well developed. The beginning of the book featured a brief history that was highly useful in getting an understanding of what was going on in the post-apocalyptic world. I really appreciated Estes putting this info in the very beginning of the first novel of the series.
Throughout the book Estes blended his action with his story to have a very well-spaced plot that moved along at a good pace. The descriptions the author used were excellent and stayed in character in the post-apocalyptic world Estes has created. The POV switching from Tristan to Adele from chapter to chapter was an excellent addition to the story and worked well. I thought it was excellent to make the two main characters have equal parts and equal abilities. It was a very balanced romance and I can’t say enough how much I wish more authors would make their main female and main male characters as equal as Estes has done.
This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 06/27/2012 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 5.0
Links for more information:
Guest Review Post – At One’s Beast by Rachel Barnard reviewed by Sheri J. Kennedy
Sheri J. Kennedy is the author of Secret Order of the Overworld under pen name Kennedy J. Quinn.You may have seen some of her images or read some of her blog posts on her blog SheriJKennedyRiverside. She participates in both local events (such as the Bard & Starlet Radio Hour at Boxley’s in North Bend) and nationwide events (Such as with SnoBoot SkethhCats in the Sketchbook Project and the A to Z Challenge). For more about Sheri, visit her blog at sherijkennedyriverside.wordpress.com
The following is Sheri J. Kennedy’s review of At One’s Beast, available here from Amazon. Thanks Sheri for you thoughtful review of At One’s Beast.
AT ONE’S BEAST is billed as a fairy tale twist and a low fantasy. I think it elevates both sub-genres by taking the basics of a moral tale and adding rich psychological complexity and atmosphere.
First, let me say, I was ‘in’ immediately and was driven to keep reading to the end – always key to a great read!
It starts with fairly traditional basics of Zos absorbing all the hate and evil of the town, and Alcina moving from fear and wanting to take him down, to seeing that he is something more. But the way the journey unfolds is uniquely modern from my perspective. For one, there’s a tricky twining of three characters that create a love triangle with Aethon. He is supposedly a friend, but has a fierce or even controlling streak that is a definite character flaw. Zos, while supposedly dangerous, shows gentleness and encourages Alcina’s strength. He is fearsome but magnetic in his caring and vulnerability.
Alcina, while having fears and showing her impetuous youthfulness, comes from a general stance of strength and independence that makes the reader believe she will conquer the beast. But as she spends time with Zos and on her own away from her family and community, she shows a vulnerability to love of nature, adventure, and love in general. Instead of making her seem weaker, her genuine emotion and new experiences develop her into her own woman – not Zos’. That’s not trite or typically fairy tale black and white. When she then comes to appreciate Zos, it makes her even stronger in my eyes and she lives and breathes instead of being a one dimensional fairy tale ‘princess-type’ heroine.
The only weakness to the tale I thought was the townsfolk, especially families, seem a little too hostile toward Alcina. This is chalked up to the evil influence, like a spell on them, so I can let it go. It’s just that all the other emotion in the story is so realistically supported that this actual fairy tale simplification of that point seems out of place in comparison. (Kind of a back-handed compliment!)
There is a lovely mix of grey tones throughout this story. There is a well-crafted atmospheric quality to the world – kind of an abstraction that allows complex contemplation while the clear action proceeds without dropping the reader for a single moment.
After reading Barnard’s debut novel, ATAXIA AND THE RAVINE OF LOST DREAMS, I was interested to see where this promising young author would go next. AT ONE’S BEAST exceeded my expectations and is very well developed. It’s a solid work that I would highly recommend.
Foodie Fridays: Another from my Faves – Snoqualmie Ice Cream
The best flavor of Snoqualmie Ice Cream I’ve had!
What flavors have you tried?
http://www.snoqualmieicecream.com/
Book Review: The Non-Zombie Apocalypse by Sechin Tower
The Non-Zombie Apocalypse by Sechin Tower
A YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Siege Tower Entertainment (07/16/14)
Summary:
“So zombies just remind me that you only have to be afraid of what you don’t understand.” (Page 49).
The Non-Zombie Apocalypse picks up just weeks after the Mad Scientist’s Institute leaves off with Sophie continuing her education at the Mechanical Science Institute and learning how to be a college student at just 16 years old. Though this book could stand alone, it features many of the same characters as the first book.
The Professor is at it again, but with a different sort of doomsday device, a zombie-like ‘non-zombie’ infection that will control the minds of everyone it comes into contact with. It is up to Sophie and her gang of misfit scientists at the Institute, along with her firefighter turned dean uncle ‘Dean Squared,’ to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it and save everyone (again).
Keywords:
Robot, zombies, non-zombies, DNA, Tesla, scientist, scientist heroine, Teslapunk, save the world, University, Mad Scientists, explosions, bad guys, misunderstood, danger
My Review:
I adore Sophie. She’s like the young adult version of Don in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simson. She is quirky and logical to a fault and in many social situations she misinterprets or misunderstands or can’t see social cues at all! Her interpretation of social interactions is adorable and hilarious at times. She is a character that everyone has met at one point or another in their lives and her perspective is fascinating.
Again, just like in Mad Scientist’s Institute, Soap displays her naïve/trusting behavior when she signs away her patent rights without a second thought to the consequences or ulterior motives from the same University president who tried to get her expelled just a month prior. Soap follows Creeper McCreeper into a dark and abandoned garage without too much suspicion. Even though now she’s seen some consequences of being trusting and naïve, she’s still unheeding of potential negative consequences.
It was quite clever of Tower to reintroduce all the characters and the setting in the first few chapters of this novel so that the reader didn’t have to read The Mad Scientist’s Institute before the Non-Zombie Apocalypse (I still recommend reading book one before book two). Tower used the same technique employed in the Animorphs series of describing the current characters and the current environment as a continuation of the story. This was done in a clever manner and I really liked how Tower handled making the second book in a series a complete standalone. Each book in this series is and will be conclusive and each subsequent book takes the same characters you’ve built a relationship with and continues with them on a different adventure.
This novel was published by Siege Tower Entertainment on July 16th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50
Links for more information:
Rachel Author Barnard 