Tag: book review

Beautifully written and deliciously disturbing!

I have been a fan of Jethro Weyman’s prose since reading the first page. There are many reasons to fall in love with this book, but for me, it’s all about the graceful way Jethro weaves his words. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dark themes and the horrific situations the characters find themselves in, but I am in awe of Jethro’s descriptions and the unique cadence of his prose.

There are some chapters that feel like the imaginings of a fever dream and others that hit a little too close to home in their raw honesty. Each chapter could stand alone, unique and beautiful, but they all intertwine into an ethereal, mind-bending, heart-stopping ride you’ll want to take over and over.

Definitely recommend!

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Book Review: Hydraulic Level 5

By Sharon Clark

On January 10, 2020

In Book Reviews

It has been a long time since I’ve read a book that delighted me so thoroughly. To be honest, I bought Hydraulic Level 5 nearly a year before I read it and just never gave it the attention it deserved, which is a shame.

Because I loved this book!

Kaye Cabral is an extreme sports junkie, spending her time rafting the most dangerous whitewater rapids, skiing impossible slopes, and scaling jagged cliff faces. Her life in Lyons, Colorado may be filled with adrenaline-pumping activities, but the rest of her time is spent surrounded by the people she loves, including the family of her successful author ex-husband, Samuel. When his sister’s wedding rolls around, Kaye and Samuel are thrown together and have to find a way to survive everything leading up to the wedding without killing each other. The task is easier said than done when they have to contend with Kaye’s unwilling role in Samuel’s best-selling novels, his stunning editor – and new love interest – Caroline, and the scars of their heartbreaking divorce. Having been childhood sweethearts, there’s a lot of history and baggage to unpack so they can both move on with their lives.

If that’s truly what either of them want.

Through clever dialogue and brilliant interactions, we get to know all of the characters and experience this wild ride with them. I love how the past is revealed through the chapter snippets of Samuel’s new novel, but the memories and the lingering affection dredged up as Kaye and Sam are pushed together are my favorites. The character development is exceptional, bringing the reader along to re-examine painful past events through Kaye’s eyes tempered with time, regret, and newly revealed details that change everything.

Hydraulic Level 5 is the first book in a planned trilogy from author Sarah Latchaw, which has me giddy. The relationships here are very real, full of sweetness and sadness, joy and pain. Kaye and Samuel’s romance is tender and sexy, and I laughed out loud at many of Kaye’s non-swear words.

Full of secrets, hard truths, and belly laughs, Hydraulic Level 5 portrays the reality of love’s growing pains with humor and heart. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I gasped. All of the relationships were so true, the characters were drawn deep, the situations relatable and heartbreaking and lovely.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Get your own copy of Hydraulic Level 5 HERE and then check out The Hydraulic Series Book 2 Skygods HERE. Then come back, leave a comment below or send me an email, and let’s talk about it!

Book Review: Witches’ Quarters

By Sharon Clark

On November 9, 2019

In Book Reviews

Stephen King has said it time and time again: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

Finally, I took some time to read for fun! I started with a book I purchased six months ago at the DSM Book Festival in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. One of the books I purchased was Witches’ Quarters, the debut novel from Des Moines-based author Laura Snider.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me and I hope Laura can turn this into a series, somehow. She made it easy to become invested in the lives and troubles of the characters and I would love to see what happens next!

Siblings Charlotte, Ava, Nolan, and June exist under consistently unpredictable circumstances. They have a violent father who takes his anger out on their detached mother; June, the youngest, lives with epilepsy; and the relationships among the four are tenuous at best, resulting in frequent clashes and arguments.

Their mother’s sister, Aunt Stacie, had given the oldest sibling, Charlotte, a bizarre gift for her 16th birthday: a bag of state quarters and a coin bank in the shape of a creepy, bare tree. In an attempt to distract themselves from the sounds of yet another beating that they are powerless to stop, they decide to examine the bank and slip a quarter from the bag into the slot.

That’s when things get wild.

The siblings are transported to another world that looks much like their own, but things are slightly off. For instance, in Nova animals can talk – and they aren’t happy to see the four children. Before long, they find themselves caught up in a war they know nothing about, June’s seizures are starting up again without her medication, and despite fighting and being separated, they have only each other to rely on.

Laura Snider does an excellent job of establishing the unique personalities of the children and demonstrating how much they change and grow throughout their events of the story. With every chapter, new strengths are revealed for each of the siblings, and they are all forced to make choices and take action in a way none of them thought they ever could.

Witches’ Quarters is full of excitement and danger, laughter and tears. While it could be considered a Young Adult novel, I think it has enough thrills to entertain readers of all ages.

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