Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Laura Shovan GENRE: Middle-Grade Novel-in-verse. PUBLICATION DATE: April 12, 2016 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade novel-in-verse, focussing on poems written by kids for their class time capsule. Brilliant in conception and execution, so much so that I thought it was a true-life story. Excellent characterisation visible even through poems. Much recommended. Try the audio version if possible. Plot Preview: Emerson Elementary is in its last school year. At the end of this year, it will be demolished to make way for a shopping mall. As such, one English teacher has asked her class to write poems that will go into the time capsule of their class – the last fifth grade batch at the school. The entire novel-in-verse is a compilation of these poems from the whole school year. I am not one for poetry, but when I read the blurb of this book, I couldn’t resist the concept. Novels-in-verse work better for me in audio form, so that’s what I opted for. And it worked brillian...

AUTHOR: Silvia Moreno-Garcia GENRE: Horror-Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: July 15, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A multi-generational horror-suspense focussing on three women and their dark experiences with witchcraft. Good historical atmosphere and a couple of compelling characters. Needlessly intricate, guessable antagonists, dragged pacing. One incestual relationship (not sure if it’s culturally/historically accurate). The horror comes only in bits and spurts. I liked some parts of this novel but wasn’t too impressed. Not sure if this was because of the audio version. Plot Preview: 1998. Minerva is a graduate student who wants to write her dissertation on the life of Beatrice Tremblay, a talented but relatively obscure horror author with one famous novel and who had been a student at the same college in the 1930s. As Minerva tries to find more information on Beatrice, she finds herself grappling with the same dark forces that Beatrice once did and referred to in her novel, which...

AUTHOR: Erin Morgenstern GENRE: Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: September 13, 2011 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy that is far more intricate than the title suggests. Excellent character-driven storytelling, strong characters, fabulous descriptions. A solid jigsaw of a plot that comes together neatly at the end. Slightly low on action-based fantasy if that’s your jam. Else, this offers one beautiful and soulful magical ride. Much recommended. Not for those who prefer plot-driven or fast-paced books. Don’t expect a typical circus story. Plot Preview: 1890s Europe and USA. One captivating circus with several uniquely talented performers. Two young magicians, Celia and Marco, have spent their whole lives training for a mysterious competition against each other, though they know neither their opponent’s identity nor the purpose or time of their challenge. Their benefactors have prepared them well in their talent, but there is one event they didn’t foresee, and ...

AUTHOR: Tiffany Crum NARRATORS: Sean Patrick Hopkins & Julia Whelan GENRE: Domestic Thriller PUBLICATION DATE: March 10, 2026 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A domestic mystery-thriller involving a missing couple, one of whom is a famous podcaster. A mostly typical book for its genre, with plenty of twists, miscommunications, secrets, and about-turns in stance. Too many subtopics. One character has narcolepsy – an interesting addition that could have been utilised better. The first half is stronger than the second. Suspension of disbelief mandatory. Fans of the thriller genre might enjoy this more but I again stand as an outlier. The audio version is outstanding. Plot Preview: Benny and Joy, best friends since ages, are the hosts of a successful comedy podcast titled ‘This Story Might Save Your Life’, which focusses on one wild survival story each week. Thanks to the financial expertise of Joy’s husband Xander, their podcast business has been quite lucrative. But in the recent p...

AUTHOR: Rocío Bonilla SERIES: Babymoni GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2026 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A lovely picture book containing a story-within-a-story and raising some pertinent questions. Adorable characters and illustrations in two styles. Might be a bit tricky plot for younger kids to comprehend independently, but it can be an excellent resource for discussions. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: Minimoni’s class is putting up a year-end school play on the story of “St. George and the Dragon”. However, as Minimoni and her friends read the story, they realise that it contains several problematic elements. Is there any point in enacting these old stories that don’t fit into modern values? This story was originally published in Catalan/Spanish under the title “Quina animalada d’història, Minimoni?” in 2025. This English translation was published in 2026. This is the second book I’ve read featuring Minimoni, and it ended up much better t...

AUTHOR: Sally Nicholls GENRE: Middle-grade Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: September 24, 2026 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary teen fiction about a girl who's tired of being the subject of her influencer mom's videos. A serious topic, made slightly darker by some of the included topics. A good discussion from both sides of the argument, though obviously tilted towards the daughter. Plenty of themes. An interesting book that lends itself to thought and discussion. Recommended. Plot Preview: Thirteen-year-old Anna, along with her elder sister Josie, has been featured in her mother's vlogs ever since she was a toddler. Though Josie seems to enjoy her online exposure, Anna is not happy with the extra attention and the teasing, nor with her private moments being available for public viewing. But when a serious issue comes up, both girls decide that enough is enough. How do they convince their mom to stop, especially as vlogging brings in her only income? The story come...

AUTHOR: Rosie Hewlett GENRE: Mythological Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2026 RATING: 1.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A Greek-mythology retelling loosely inspired by the story of Penelope (the wife of Odysseus) and narrated via a minor character. Not faithful to the original myth – this could go either way with readers. Lyrical writing, flawed characters, too much of romance and attraction, too much of feminine rage. Plenty of triggering content. I usually love this author’s works, but this one didn’t end up impressing me. My review is more bitter than sweet, but it is an outlier opinion. Plot Preview: The worlds of Melantho and Penelope have always intersected, even though the girls live in different social circles. Melantho is an enslaved girl in the palace of Sparta while Penelope is a princess. When a friendship blooms between them, the royals don’t approve and Penelope is sent away after being made to witness Melantho’s punishment for dreaming beyond her station. When their paths...

AUTHOR: Aubrey Hartman GENRE: Middle-grade Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: February 25, 2025 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy with an undead fox guiding souls towards the next phase of their “lives”. Good anthropomorphic animal characters, interesting concept, atmospheric writing. Dark in themes and tone. Somewhat ableist in a few scenes. Has some life lessons, though these might be more relevant to adults. I am not sure about its appeal to kids. Plot Preview: Clare the fox is the only resident of Deadwood Forest. That is to say, the only *undead* resident. The forest, which is in a perpetual state of autumn, is where souls come to be guided to their final resting place in one of the four realms of the afterlife. Clare is their guide, making sure they reach the realm most suited to them. He has been doing this ever since his own death, and has almost always sent the souls to the right realm. But when a new badger soul named Gingersnipes comes to his door, Clare’s day...

AUTHOR: Isabel Ibañez SERIESS: Secrets of the Nile, #1 GENRE: (YA) Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: October 31, 2023 RATING: 1 charitable star. In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy with an annoying lead, half-baked worldbuilding, minimal magical detailing, and anachronous behaviour. It’s a book with an identity crisis – it just doesn’t know what it wants to be. Officially YA but many scenes aren’t suitable for younger YAs. Cliffhanger ending, but I am not interested in knowing what happens next. Not recommended at least to sensible adults. Older YAs might try their luck. Plot Preview: 1884. Bolivian-Argentinian Inez has always lived a comfortable life at her aunt’s place, but the one thing she wants the most is to be with her parents who work with antiques in Egypt. When the eighteen-year-old receives news of their sudden deaths, leaving her a wealthy orphan, she decides to sail to Cairo to her maternal uncle, an archaeologist, to know what happened to them. She carries her sketch p...

AUTHOR: Virginia Roberts Giuffre COLLABORATOR: Amy Wallace GENRE: Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: October 21, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A brave memoir by one of the most outspoken speakers against serial sex abusers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Published posthumously, it is elaborate and factual, except for some topics. I had to disassociate myself from feeling anything in order to complete this book, and still ended up deeply disturbed. Recommended, but take heed: this is NOT an easy read. After an extended deep dive through the internet rabbit hole further looking up this courageous woman’s tragic life story, I just don’t have it in me to review this memoir analytically the way I usually do. As a woman and as a mother with daughters, it is nigh on impossible to keep emotions aside on reading such a life story. Gratitude to the collaborator, journalist Amy Wallace, for the introductory note talking about her interactions with Virginia and of Virginia’s intentions from th...

  AUTHOR:  Louise Beech GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 2026 RATING:   4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A dual-timeline fiction featuring three women from three different eras. Two of the women are popular names: Mother Mary and Marilyn Monroe. Creative alternate history. Great historical research. Excellent character development. A bit slow but introspective. Realistic themes, some of which might be triggering. (Nothing devious happens on page though.) Not religious or preachy. A *wonderful* option for those looking for unusual storylines. Plot Preview:  4th August 1962. Hollywood. On the night she should have died, Marilyn Monroe receives an unexpected visitor in her home. The Virgin Mary comes to her with a cryptic message that will end up changing (and saving) her life. 2016. Hull, England. Flora has not had an easy life but does the best she can to survive. The last thing she expects to find in her filthy tenement home is the Virgin Mary bat...