Crossfire by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

Crossfire is the fifth book of a series called Noughts and Crosses. In this series Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than Noughts (Whites). This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 70 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. However, this book shows the changes that are gradually being made in this fictional society. The book spends time following Troy (Callie Rose’s half brother), Liberty (Misty’s daughter), Callie Rose, and Toby Durbridge. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

Alrighty let’s dive right in. Troy is Callie’s younger half brother and goes to school at Heathcroft just like Callie did. He has a group of friends and that used to include Libby (Liberty). Troy and Libby are talking outside of school during the day and end up becoming kidnapped. Both believe it is their fault. Troy because his sister just took on a high profile case (or because he knows someone who may have killed his dad) and Libby because of who her dad is. These used to be friends now have to work together to try and survive.

 

Tobey has become the first Nought Prime Minister and has some big changes in mind. However, he is about to be framed for the death of his old drug dealing friend in the last book- Dan. Tobey asks Callie to be his attorney as she is one of the best and is an old friend. This puts her firm in a precarious situation which we will definitely be seen in the next book, Endgame.

 

Personal relationships, race, and plenty of questions of what is going to happen next is the name of the game. Tobey was once mayor of Meadowview and because of people trying to sabotage his career has an impact on his election. He, however, has smooth sailing ships in order because of his old pal Dan who has taught him everything he needs to know about being a politician. Callie Rose is a top-notch defender for a really good law firm and is constantly taking on cases that are dangerous, but the people she protects from the courts and law have a great representation in court. There is soooooo much more that I want to say, but better not as it will ruin your reading experience! The jest of it is that personal relationships are put to the test. 

 

I would rate this book a 5/5. I was absolutely glued to this book. I could not put it down and I kept telling myself “Just one more chapter” after so many chapters. Every chapter had an ending where I just wanted more information. I needed to know what was going to happen next! And the worst part was that it didn’t all wrap up nicely in a bow in just one book! I have to read the next one to know what in the world is going to happen! I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the FINAL book to start reading.  

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Double Cross by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

This book is the fourth installment of a series called Noughts and Crosses. In this series Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than Noughts (Whites). This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 70 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. This book spends time following Toby Durbridge, the neighbor boy close to Callie Rose’s age, and Callie Rose herself. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

Writing a review for a series is probably one of the more difficult things that I have done in my lifetime. I want to just let all the information just spill from my mind onto the computer, but I can’t because then I will basically just rewrite the damn book! 

 

Okay, so the focus characters that are in this book are Toby Durbridge and Callie Rose. Toby wants to have more money and a better lifestyle. Not just for him, but his family and girlfriend Callie Rose. In Meadowview, there are two gangs that run Toby and Callie’s neighborhoods and they are constantly in each other’s business trying to break the other. Toby is offered a gig delivering questionable packages for his friend Dan to make some massive amounts of cash. This is the gateway to a wild ride of double crossing and trying to survive. As for Callie, when she is hurt and in the hospital for some time, Toby struggles with who is and who he wants to be. The ending took me completely by surprise because of something mentioned in the very beginning and not being brought back up until the very end. I can say that this book was a quick read and for all the right reasons. I wanted more. I need more and I am so glad that there is a 5^th book in the series!

 

Gang relations, personal relationships, race, and drugs. Families in the community stuck with gangsters because of the power and threats they hold over the community. Personal relationships are put to the test (especially trust). Race relations are still prevalent throughout the whole book. Drugs. Ruin communities, ruin families, ruin relationships. And drugs ran their nasty roots throughout the majority of the book. 

 

I would rate this book a 5/5. I was absolutely glued to this book. I could not put it down and I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” after so many chapters. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the 5^th book to start reading.  

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Crossfire by Malorie Blackman

Check Mate by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

This book is the third in a series of a world where Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than noughts (Whites). This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 50 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. This book is the third in a series called Noughts and Crosses. Instead of focusing on Callum’s brother, Jude, and Sephy, Malorie Blackman focuses on multiple characters at different stages of their life. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

Writing a review for a series is probably one of the more difficult things that I have done in my lifetime. I want to just let all the information just spill from my mind onto the computer, but I can’t because then I will basically just rewrite the damn book! 

 

Okay, so the focus characters that are in this book are Jude, Callie Rose, Sephy, Meggie, and Jasmine. This book is structured around the life of Callie Rose growing up and what is happening to each character during that time period. Sometimes we were in the past and sometimes we were in the present, but man was it a thrill ride. This book made me feel so many emotions from each character. I know what a torn family feels like, I know what it’s like to search for acceptance and love in the wrong places, I know what it’s like to not know that you love someone and want to be with them in a romantic way. I know what it is like to struggle with alcoholism. I know what it is like to have a family member slam a door in your face and treat you like garbage. I related to a lot of the heavy topics in this book. I understand that in the United States (and many other countries) there is white privilege. So I relate to the Cross class more than that of the Noughts. But the great thing about this book, is it really helps you see the pain that others in society also struggle through.

 

I related a lot to the trauma of this book, but I also related to the healing that took place. Healing between daughters/ in law daughters and their mothers/ in law mothers. Friendships that should never be taken for granted, yet sometimes we do. Forgiveness not only with others, but within yourself. This book has it all. The timeline tripped me up a little bit once in a while, but once I slowed back down to read it, there was major healing for Sephy and Callie Rose. Thank goodness for a good familial support system. Race was still a theme in the book, but it was not the huge in your face theme like the last two books. I would say that the major theme in this book was complicated relationships. I am a person that wants to resolve a problem when I see one and so I struggled reading this book a little bit because I just wanted to force all the characters to sit down, hold the feelings stick, and just talk it out.

 

A little about the book, now. Callie Rose meets her Uncle Jude (who is still trying to destroy Sephy and the Hadley’s lives). Sephy continues to live with Meggie and her daughter Callie Rose. Jasmine struggles in this book, but is also so damn strong that you just can’t help but be amazed at her conniving and scheming ways. Meggie finally finds the truth out about Jude and Jude is the leader (or General) of the Liberation Militia. The book leaves you on a fabulous cliff hanger which makes me need to read the next book starting tomorrow, because as you can tell… it’s very late at night (BUT I JUST HAD TO KEEP SAYING JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER)! 

 

I would rate this book a solid 4/5. A little bit of a lower score due to the jumping around of ages and readjusting of ages and time frames. I did like how the author showcased her strength of tying both the first and second books together very well with the third book. 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Double Cross by Malorie Blackman

Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

In a world where Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than noughts (Whites) This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 50 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. This book is the second in a series called Noughts and Crosses. Instead of focusing on Callum and Sephy like in the first novel, this one focuses on Callum’s brother, Jude, and Sephy. There are some moments where both Jasmine and Meggie appear and we read through their eyes, but that is near the end of the book.

 

THE REVIEW

 

So there is still the racial tension between Noughts and Crosses. In this book, I noticed that Noughts was capitalized. I can’t tell if the author meant to do this or not. This review isn’t going to be the best because I cannot talk about much without giving too much away from the first book (if someone hasn’t read it yet) and I don’t want to give too much away from the new one that will deter people from wanting to read the second one. 

 

I love that this book didn’t focus completely on Jude and the Liberation Militia. It focused a lot on his basic human needs. I mean there is obviously some connection between Jude and the LM, but there is also a bit of a twist that I didn’t see coming and I think readers will enjoy. And then there is Sephy and the little Rainbow Child. Watching Sephy struggle and grow in this book is amazing. And it’s not just Sephy who is growing and changing. She still doesn’t take shit from anyone and there are a few instances in the book that just make you proud of her. She has flaws, but who doesn’t? However, it’s not just Sephy who is growing, so are other characters in the book like Meggie, Minerva, and Jasmine. Meggie has to adjust to a life without some of her family members, Minerva takes on a job as a junior writer for a newspaper and is learning how to communicate better, Jasmine wants to embrace the changes of her life where she is no longer under the thumb of all the watching eyes. Even Jude struggles with his choices that he is making and you kind of want him to be successful even though he has a high probability of falling short. 

Because I can’t go into much detail about the second book for fear of ruining the first or second book, if you want to know something more, just ask!

 

I would rate this book a solid 4/5. A little bit of a lower score as my interest wasn’t as deep into the read as was the first one. I did like how the author played with my mind and had outcomes occur that I did not see coming! Overall, the writing style had less grammatical errors as well. 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Checkmate by Malorie Blackman

Noughts and Crosses

 Review by: Samantha M. Chandler

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

In a world where Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than noughts (Whites) This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 50 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. I think this quote from the book really sums it up pretty well. “Dreams of living in a world with no more discrimination, no more prejudice, a fair police force, an equal justice system, equality of education, equality of life, a level playing field…” is the world in which the noughts search for these freedoms. It is a story of injustices to the nought population. One where the main characters, Callum (a nought), and Sephy (a Cross) are forbidden to have the relationship of love that they both seek from each other. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

This book can fit into many different genres and sub-genres. First and foremost it is a young adult book, with romance, its fiction (but with real world problems we can see in our world today, just instead of it being the White community like in the book, it is like the Black community today), and I’d even say it’s dystopian. 

 

First of all, I read this book in high school and it changed my life. I grew up in a small White neighborhood and went to a school which was pretty much all White as well. We had a few Black kids and maybe a couple of Hispanic kids as well, but mostly just White. As a person who loves history in high school, we never went over the trauma that Blacks had faced and are still facing in America. So I knew little about the treatment of Blacks because I was naïve just thought nothing of it. That’s what I learned is called White privilege. I didn’t need to worry about it. I grew up thinking everyone was equal. This book opened my eyes and I started hearing things on the news about racial injustices, I grew up with family members that were nervous around different races of people that didn’t look like them. When I went to college I learned that that equality was not the case at all. I became friends with many Black students, some foreign exchange students (one was my German roommate), and we had a talk about race one night over our potluck of a feist! My two German friends said that many Americans think of the Germans as a mean and cruel people after World War II and that sometimes people were hesitant to be their friends because of that stereotype. Some (not all) of my Black friends had said that they have been called various names, followed in stores, had gone to a “poorer school where the population was mainly Black.” I was appalled. I thought yea these things happen, but they don’t happen to the people I know. They are nice people. I started seeing things on the news about police officers beating or mistreating Black individuals. It made and still makes me so mad. It’s unfair. We still have this hatred after 150 some years. There is systematic racism and there was nothing I could do about it. That’s the part that bothered me the most. So I sat and listened. I learned. I grew. And I have to say that it started with this book. To be honest I was just looking for a book to read because I had to for English class. And I don’t remember how I found this book, but I am so glad that I did. This book is meant to make you feel uncomfortable and to sit with your emotions. Don’t let that deter you from reading the book though!

 

Fast forward to yesterday when I finished the book. I didn’t remember many of the details, just the impact that this book had on me. So I wanted to reread it. And I am glad that I did. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me mad, it made me frustrated, it hurt me, and it made me cry. It put into perspective the injustices that Blacks feel in today’s world. Just the other day there was a beating of a Black man on the news who was doing exactly what the 5, yes I said 5. officers were asking him to do. I don’t have to walk around like there is a threat over my shoulder, but like one of my friends said, she does. 

 

This book is a must read for everyone! It makes you stop and think about how our world used to be, and what it is today. This book allows someone to feel the discrimination and the hatred that really is suffered in our world today. It allows you to do that in a safe space. It makes you feel all the uncomfortable emotions that one should feel when we talk about equality. It’s just as the main character Callum says near the end of the book, “Dreams of living in a world with no more discrimination, no more prejudice, a fair police force, an equal justice system, equality of education, equality of life, a level playing field…” This book will help level the playing field in our world hopefully. 

 

The story is told from the viewpoint of Callum and Sephy. It switches between characters for different moments in time. There is a bit of romance in the book between Callum (a nought) and Sephy (a Cross). Both Callum and Sephy grew up together as kids and were inseparable. As young adults their lives get so much more complicated as they navigate the world together as best friends and eventually as lovers- a forbidden friendship that must be kept in secret. Sephy helps teach Callum subjects at her school so Callum can take a test, pass, and integrate into that school. This test is made to be hard so that few noughts can get into the schools. However, 5 (including Callum) pass and arrive at Sephy’s school). 

 

Callum is much more aware of how the real world views him, while it takes Sephy some time to learn that she has to play with the social norms or face dire consequences and sometimes, accidentally, put Callum at risk of being harmed/ scrutinized. Callum has a dad (Ryan) and mom (Meggie), a brother (Jude), and a sister (Lynette). Sephy has a dad (Kamal), mom (Jasmine), and a sister (Minerva). Both of their families have issues. Sephy’s dad is a politician that believes noughts are beneath him. Meggie used to work for Jasmine (Sephy’s mom). Callum’s dad and brother believe in a group of people called the LM, or the Liberty Militia) who are trying to use violence to get the Crosses attention that something has got to change within the system. 

 

The only problem I had with the book is that there are some grammatical errors. And I’m not sure if that’s because of how the author wanted the book to be read or if that’s because someone did not do their job well while proofreading. Not that I am spectacular at proofreading either… it’s why I force my husband to read what I write so that it will actually make sense. If this were 2007 or 2008 (oh my gosh am I old), I remember only finding a few grammatical errors, but there were quite a few more that I found on the second read over 10 YEARS later. I would have also told myself that it is a series and it doesn’t just stop at the first freaking book! There were 3 books after this in the series at the time of me reading the first book! So those will obviously be my next reads for the upcoming reviews. Those reviews will probably be shorter as I’ve written quite a lot for this one!

 

I also wish that Callum and Sephy would have talked to each other more about their problems. As a reader we know what the problems of each family are and how they make that specific person feel, but I wanted them to confide in each other more. 

 

Honestly, I would give this book a 5/5 because it kept my attention, it reminded me that our country and the world can do better to accept one another, and it is a very thought provoking book. 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman

The First Counsel

Review by: Samantha M. Chandler

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

Michael Garret is a lawyer that works for the executive branch in Washington D.C. He has a best friend named Trey that works in the newsroom and his girlfriend happens to be the First Daughter of the United States. While on a date with his girlfriend, he sees his boss in a situation that he shouldn’t have. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

The genre is legal thriller and boy was it definitely that! There were twists and turns and sometimes information overload (on purpose) that tried to distract the reader into thinking that the enemy was someone completely else. If Scooby Doo has taught me anything it’s that the person that is most obviously the suspect, is not the actual perpetrator. That being said, I was able to guess who the suspect was, but I never knew the why until near the end of the book. For the most part, the book was fast paced and most chapters had me staying up until 1:30 in the morning just to finish it. You know, the famous line of “one more chapter.” 

 

Once again, Brad Meltzer is great at world building and character development/relationships. The book spends a lot of time at the OEOB (Old Executive Office Building) which today is known as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. This seemed to be the meeting place for many of the lawyers that handle the everyday business of the president. The main relationships that Michael has in the book are Nora (First Daughter), his best friend Trey, Simon (his boss), and Pam (a coworker). There is also a very strong relationship between Michael and his father as well. The relationships are all complicated (especially with Nora) but also with Michael as he seemed to have trust issues with everyone in the book except his dad. 

 

If you read my review of The Tenth Justice, I am going to say something similar here. Enjoy the thrill of the read.

This book is a must read for anyone that likes thrillers, mysteries (who dun its), and character development. This is for all of you problem solvers out there, or the for the people that love books that push you to really think outside of the box. Also, this book is for anyone that tends to say just one more chapter but ends up reading 12 more. Most of the chapters end on a cliffhanger and make you want to read more, and more, and more. This book has a lot of twists, turns, and dead ends that leave you wondering what the hell is actually going on. Also, the whole time along the journey you are trying to figure out who the Sam hell is the murderer. Is it one of his friends? Pam? Is it his boss, Simon? Could it be a sketchy drug dealer named Vaughn? Every chapter you are given more clues to try and figure it out, and trust me, your answer changes so often because of all the new information that is continually thrown at your face. As much as it is frustrating, it’s also nice to use the clues and guess who the culprit may be.

 

This book was one to just sit back, drink my water, and binge read with the dog near me. This story was so engrossing that I just could not put the book down. I needed one of these “sit back and keep flipping the pages because you are too invested” types of books because The Count of Monte Cristo is needing my devoted attention when I read it. 

 

I would give this book a 4/5. Part of the book is Michael not trusting anyone around him, which is so frustrating, but understandable because he doesn’t know who he can actually trust. The other frustrating thing about this book is that Nora seems to be battling herself a lot and does crazy irrational things that frustrate Michael and sometimes me. When you finish the book though, you kind of understand why she was the way she was. (I don’t want to give too much away, but it is hard to let other people in when they just want to marvel at you; especially when you have high expectations on your shoulders at all times, you’ve been through trauma, and you really don’t have people you can trust because the people who you are supposed to trust, have let you down). The other thing is that I felt like this book was pretty similar to his writing style in “The Tenth Justice” which isn’t a good or bad thing, it just felt a little repetitive sometimes, like I have read it before. 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Noughts and Crosses

A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Concentration Camps

Review by: Samantha M. Chandler

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

Wow. I... Just wow. This book was amazing. I absolutely loved this true story of a Polish Doctor that endured 3 concentration camps. I am just stunned at how well this book incorporated historical context to back up the author's mother's survival, struggle, outlook on life, as well as what happened before she ended up in the camps to where the story concludes with the eventual death of her mother. But Jadzia's story will now live on forever. Also, this book has images to really help you understand the situation that Jadzia was going through at different stages of her life. 

THE RUN DOWN: 

Okay so first off this was a very delicate read for me. I slowed down, processed, analyzed, and breathed this book for the last week and a half. I wanted to know all of the wisdom and knowledge that Barbara Rylko-Bauer could give to me. As I mentioned earlier, this book follows Jadzia's life- childhood, medical training, life as a concentration camp physician, and her life after World War II. All of this is done surrounded by what was happening in the moment of her life. Jadzia tells her story to her anthropologist daughter, Barbara, who recorded hours and hours of Jadzia's life. I am really trying hard to not give any spoilers away!

I was amazed at Jadzia's skill, knowledge, luck, and ability to try and thrive no matter what came her way. As Barbara Rylko-Bauer travels back in time with her mother, we learn of the hardships that female concentration camp prisoners faced. The struggle doesn't just end there. It continues into her post war years when Jadzia tried to rebuild her life. She was a refugee doctor and then an immigrant to the U.S. I had no idea of the struggles immigrants had during this time period so I learned quite a bit. Like many immigrants during this time, Jadzia had hopes of making new connections and continuing her career as a physician. However, for various reasons (personal, economic, and social obstacles to receiving a United States medical license) she was unable to obtain that goal. She ended her career as a nurse’s aide at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.

I think Rylko-Bauer did an amazing job of capturing her mother's story. Jadzia's story is created with historical research and conversations with her daughter. I could hear both voices in the writing. It was interesting to see what Jadzia would say, how she would react, how Rylko-Bauer would react, and the research to corroborate what Jadzia had said. The result was a book about struggle, survival, and displacement helping the reader to understand a brutal time in history and the aftermath struggles of Polish immigrants in the United States. 

I will never be able to do this book the justice it deserves by writing this review. It will be a book I will hand out to anyone and eventually discuss with my own family. I have had the amazing chance to meet Barbara Rylko-Bauer. She was very kind and it was so amazing to hear her speak to at the Great Lakes Conference held at Grand Valley State University.

It was interesting that her family settled in the same state I live in! The only complaint I had was that sometimes the abbreviations took away some of the story for me because I was busy trying to look up what they meant (felt like I had short term memory loss)! With that said, I still would give this book a 5/5 star review!

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

Up next: The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Review by: Samantha M. Chandler

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY

 

Stephen King typically writes horror books, but this one is a fantasy novel. This book follows Charlie Reade as a 17 year old boy that helps his stubborn and crochity old man of a neighbor out because he fell off his ladder and broke a leg. The old man has a dog named Radar that Charlie also helps take care of (if you like animal companions in a story, this one is definitely for you). Charlie inherits keys to a hidden portal world and finds himself battling evil and trying to help the forces of good shine through in a broken new to him world.

 

THE REVIEW

 

Told by Charlie as a 26 year old, this coming of age tale starts out with Charlie being a 7 year old boy. It goes through the trauma of how he lost his mother and how his dad had become an alcoholic afterwards. Charlie had to grow up and learn to take care of the house and his father at a very young age. At the age of 17, Charlie meets his neighbor, Mr. Bowditch, because Mr. Bowditch becomes injured. Charlie takes on the task of taking care of Bowditch and his dog Radar. He ends up finding the other world portal which is where the fantasy part of the novel really kicks into high gear. 

 

Another wonderful aspect to the American version of the book are the amazing illustrations throughout. They are stunning, help put the story into perspective, and are just beautiful. I love it when adult books have illustrations because we are just big kids and love to see what the author envisions. 

 

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

 

If you are someone that likes the day-to-day comradery of solid relationships being built, you are going to love the first half of this book. The characters have realistic character interactions and relationships. King spends a lot of time developing Charlie and his relationships with his dad, Adrian Bowditch, and of course the animal sidekick, Radar. Charlie and Mr. Bowditch’s relationship building was a lot of fun. Bowditch is a grumpy old man stuck in his ways and very anti-social while Charlie is the new age of technology and could win his way into anyone’s heart. One of my favorite memories from reading the book is when Bowditch comes home from the hospital and Charlie is trying to show Mr. Bowditch how certain technologies work. For example, Mr. Bowditch had a tube tv which didn’t get the greatest reception even with the antennae, so Charlie showed him the TV show he liked on his computer and Mr. Bowditch was amazed at the clarity of such technology. It just reminded me of my grandma who is not technologically advanced and me showing her pictures of things on my phone. She is amazed at how fast something can be spread on the internet. I love the shared interest of reading between the two of them as well. The unique thing about this book is it isn’t just from Charlie’s perspective, but also from Radar’s. King does a great job with giving an invisible voice to Radar by demonstrating her reactions, barks, and body language. That was something I was not expecting. 

 

EASTER EGGS

 

Stephen King refers to a few of the books he has written throughout the novel. No spoilers from me though, gotta read the book yourself! However, there are many other references to the Grimm’s fairy tales, Lovecraftian works, and even Ray Bradbury. There are other references to other pop culture from the last 50 to 60 years throughout the book as well (some of them shows my grandma watches and enjoys). Throughout the entire book are hints at childhood fairy tales you may have grown up with. There are of course references to other authors that have had an influence on King as he wrote this book. For example, H.P. Lovecraft’s work is referenced a lot and some of the book reminds me of creatures that you would see in Lovecraft’s works. You don’t need to read any other book to enjoy this book though (although I would recommend H.P. Lovecraft because I love his work). 

 

FANTASY WORK

I love how the fantasy novel starts out very much in what we would call the real world (dysfunctional family, alcoholism, death, relationships- all things that were relatable to me and to many others) and then slowly creeped into the fantastical world. It just allows me to sink into the book and feel like this could really happen to anyone. Harry Potter was the same way for me. I like the real element that just makes you feel like this is an ordinary day for any human being. 

 

The ending was a fitting fairy tale ending that wrapped up most of the story well. However, I have so many more questions about some of the characters and how the other world was doing. I wanted Charlie to go back and give me more answers!

 

LOWER THE SCORE

 

The one thing I absolutely love is a good book with character development. The relationships in the beginning of the book were so strong, yet in later chapters the book didn’t really pride itself on that as much. I know that introducing so many people would have been a hassle, but with some of the characters that Charlie did spend time with, I wanted to know more. I needed to know more. King spent so much time developing the relationship with Charlie and Bowditch and I wanted that special connection with him and the other people/creatures he met along the way. 

 

SCORE

 

If I had to give this book a score out of 5, I would say it is a 4.5. Overall it was a fun read, but I just needed more character development and I honestly wanted more of the book (but I understand Charlie’s decision). 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Camps by Barbara Rylko-Bauer