Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Misa Sugiura SERIES: Momo Arashima, #1 GENRE: Middle-Grade Fantasy. RATING: 2.5 Stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy with elements and entities from Japanese lore. Should have worked, but gives mixed results because of attempting too much. First of a planned series. Story Synopsis: Momo, a twelve year old with a hyperactive imagination and no friends, wishes for an ordinary life. But because of her dreaminess in school and her responsibility of taking care of her ill widowed mother, Momo finds herself struggling to go through her routine life. Until suddenly, routine life itself seems to turn crazy, what with death hags and a talking fox making an appearance. This leads to a reveal of a huge secret about Momo’s mother, whose health is turning worse. To save her, Momo finds herself on a journey across the earth to close a secret passageway, stop evil spirits, and save her mother. Will she be able to do it with only Niko the fox and Danny her ex-best-friend-now-selfish-sn...

AUTHOR: Tracey Rose Peyton GENRE: Historical Fiction RATING: 3.25 Stars. In a Nutshell: Some hits, some misses. A good debut attempt, but didn’t click as well as I had wanted it to. Interesting content though. Story synopsis: 1852, Texas. The Harlow family owns a struggling plantation. To turn their fortunes around, they decide to hire a “stockman” to impregnate their women slaves. The enslaved women get to know of this scheme and group up to figure a way around the problem. Each of them has a different opinion about the issue, but they know that if they have to survive, they need to work as a team, and without being discovered. The story comes to us in a limited third person narration of various characters, but at times, it dips into an unidentified first person plural. Where the book worked for me: ✔ As is to be expected in historical slave narratives, there are plenty of dark and gritty moments. The book offers a glimpse of the thoughts behind the women whose lives were not in their...

AUTHOR: Jessica Whipple ILLUSTRATOR: Nicole Wong GENRE: Children's Picture Book RATING: 4.5 Stars. In a Nutshell: A brilliant picture book that focusses on the importance of ‘Enough’. In a life that is dictated by ‘More’ and ‘Most’, and where every decision is dominated by ‘Want’ rather than ‘Need’, we have forgotten that there is something called ‘Enough’. But is Enough really enough in today’s world where we are spoilt for choice and bombarded with ‘New’ and ‘Better’ products everywhere we look and go? This book subtly tries to remind us of the relevance of ‘Enough’ and getting the difference between an ‘I want’ and an ‘I need’. The content works on two levels. We have the beautiful prose, reiterating the importance of Enough and stressing that Enough doesn’t mean Less. Furthermore, we have the illustrations that narrates a story parallel to but not the same as the text. They depict a little girl who is surrounded by friends who have plenty while she has to be content with enough...

AUTHOR: Freida McFadden SERIES: Housemaid, #2  GENRE: Domestic Thriller RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: The good news is that this is just like ‘ The Housemaid .’ The bad news is that this is just like ‘The Housemaid.’ A fun thriller, as long as you don’t overanalyse it. Better if you read the series in order. Story Synopsis: Millie is back, still working as a maid, and still struggling for finances. She is in a steady relationship with Brock, a lawyer who doesn’t know anything about her past. Not that she loves Brock, but as Enzo isn’t around, he will do. After Millie loses her current job, she gets a call from Douglas Garrick, a wealthy tech specialist. He wants Millie to clean and cook, but on one condition|: she is NOT to interact with his wife Wendy, who is ill. As Millie is desperate for a job, she agrees. However, things are, but obviously, not as declared, and Millie finds herself in a quandary; risk her job by helping Wendy, or go against her values by ignoring what’s ha...

AUTHOR: Rajasree Variyar GENRE: Indian Fiction, Drama. RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A highly relevant topic that loses its impact due to the simplistic writing style and glossing over of key events. Good description of places, but shallow exploration of people. Story Synopsis: 1992, Madurai, India. Janani knows that unless she bears a son, her future isn’t secure in her husband’s family. She was allowed to keep her first daughter, but the ones who came after were taken away soon after birth and murdered. How long can Janani survive in the face of such a situation, being insecure about herself, her daughter, and her unborn child? 2019, Sydney, Australia. Twenty-five-year old Nila has a secret that she hasn’t told her parents yet. Just when she decides to let them know, her grandfather in India falls ill. On a trip to Madurai, a place she hasn’t visited for more than a decade, Nila discovers that she isn’t the only one with secrets. The story comes to us in the first person perspectiv...

AUTHOR: Hannah Treave NARRATOR: Sofia Zervudachi GENRE: Women's Fiction. RATING: 2.5 Stars. In a Nutshell: Minor focus on the notes, major focus on the notekeeper’s personal life. Has some good moments and ought to click with the right reader. Will work better if read with the heart and not the head. This was not my kind of book (unlike what I had assumed), so I’ll be somewhat lenient. Story Synopsis: After losing her young son in an accident two years ago, Zoe fled her hometown of Sydney, Australia without informing anyone (not even her husband David) and arrived in the UK to forget her grief. Currently working as a hospice nurse, Zoe is also an unofficial ‘notekeeper’, helping patients to write final notes to their loved ones. Her new boss, Ben, isn’t happy about her getting personally involved in her patients’ lives. However, the two of them have more in common than they realised. Just as things seem bright again, grief looms around the corner. The story is written in the third...

AUTHOR: Anna Edington GENRE: Feminist Anthology. RATING: 3.75 Stars. In a Nutshell: An atypical story collection with three strong woman protagonists at the helm. Introspective in style, this anthology will work better for literary fiction lovers. ‘Stories from the Womb’ gives you a big clue right in the title that the tales are going to be woman-oriented, possibly even feminist. How far does that promise match up? To a great extent. The book begins with a brilliant author's note, stating how 'Women are the left-handers of the world' and going on to explain this point, linking it to our need to adapt and fit into the masculine way of life to prove ourselves. The question raised is: do we need to prove ourselves as equal to men when in fact we ought to be the best women we could be? Thus setting a provocative undertone for the stories, the book tells us the stories of three women: 👩 Lilith: Supposedly Adam’s first wife before Eve, and the primordial she-demon. 👩 Freyja: A...

AUTHOR: Mr. Jay ILLUSTRATOR: Erin Wozniak. GENRE: Children's Picture Book. RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: A funny little story about a rock who wants to rhyme, but can’t… or can he??? Ricky the rock is quite excited about being in school as he loves most subjects. But when his next subject teacher mentions that every little rock should know how to rhyme, Ricky begins to worry. He can’t rhyme, you see? His friend Tess the tin tries to help him in class as well as after school, but Ricky just can’t figure out how rhymes work. And then comes a big realisation: he has been rhyming all along! The book is a funny combination of adorable and absurd. I found it hilarious that a book about someone who can’t rhyme has been written in rhythmic prose. But the ending reveals how and why the book is in rhyme. (You can also get a clue for this on the first page, where the author credits are mentioned.) The rhyming sentences are a bit too long, though they do rhyme perfectly and match in meter, ...

AUTHOR: Cintia Alfonso Fior GENRE: Middle-grade Fiction, Inspirational. RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade novel dealing with several intense topics. Goes a bit heavy-handed on the message, but the lush writing and the relevant themes make this indie debut an interesting pick for youngsters. Story Synopsis: Twelve year old Moraline has recently shifted with her family from NYC to San Diego, California. She has a tendency to run from problems, which seem to have increased after the move. But when she has a chance encounter with a Native American spirit, Moraline begins to feel a sense of purpose, further fuelled by the varying winds that are always accompanying her. With her new friends Serenity, Amani, and Edmundo, Moraline learns several life lessons, especially that kids are not too young to make a difference in the world. The book comes to us in the third person limited perspective of Moraline, but the content is divided into four episodic sections, each focussing on ...

AUTHOR: Margaret Atwood GENRE: Short Story Anthology RATING: 3.6 Stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of short stories in varied genres by acclaimed Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. Some work, some don't. I picked up this book not because I am a Margaret Atwood fan but because I am a short story fan. I have heard plenty of wonderful things about the author’s writing (and I do intend to read her full-length works some day). So this felt like a good way of getting a glimpse at her writing style. Did it work? Not exactly. While the author is the same across the stories, the genres and the themes are quite different. You have sci-fi, dystopian, historical, humour, dramatic, and speculative within the same book. Her writing clicks in a few stories but doesn’t for the others, and this hit-or-miss isn’t genre-specific. So if you, just like me, plan to give this a try to know Atwood’s writing style, that agenda will not be accomplished. If, however, you treat it as a regular ‘multi-genre an...

AUTHOR: Angie Spoto GENRE: Historical Fantasy RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A compelling premise but needed somewhat better implementation. The ending was nice, but the proceedings were slow. Might work better for literary fiction lovers because of its pace and style. (Of course, you must enjoy fantasy also.) Story Synopsis: Lynx works for the wealthy Aster family as a grief nurse. Her role is to take away their negative emotions and keep them ‘Bright’. When the eldest Aster son dies, guests come to the Aster’s private island for the wake. It is Lynx’s job to ensure that the guests and the hosts are kept in best spirits during the visit. But soon, there’s another death, and then another. Is anyone out to get the family? How can Lynx perform her job without endangering her own life? The story is written in a limited third person perspective. Where the book worked for me: ✔ Lynx’s role as the grief nurse is well written. It offers a lot of introspective points. The idea of ‘how much is...

AUTHOR: Rebecca Gardyn Levington ILLUSTRATOR: Mariona Cabassa GENRE: Children's Picture Book. RATING: 5 Stars. In a Nutshell: A beautiful book about handling ‘whatever comes tomorrow’ without worry. The content is written in a conversational style, mixing questions of uncertainty and apprehension and feeding in answers of reassurance and hope. The simple rhythmic prose adds to the impact of the content, with the questions covering varied scenarios and how children could possibly handle them. I remember reading this below thought a long time ago: “There are two things you can do when you are faced with worry. 1. If you can do something about it, do it. Don’t waste time worrying. 2. If you cannot do something about it, it’s not in your control anyway. Why waste time worrying?” This book is the perfect manifestation of this principle. I loved the easy-going way in which the author delivers a powerful message. In today’s chaotic world, worry and anxiety aren’t restricted only t...

AUTHOR: Rebel Girls GENRE: Children's Nonfiction, Biographies. RATING: 4 stars. The latest addition to the Rebel Girls series, this collection deals with women who have made a name for themselves in and through music. Let me begin with a confession. I have read so many Rebel Girls titles by now that I didn’t think I had any new words to describe these books and had planned to stop reading this series. But my kids saw the widget email the publishers sent me, and it contained an image of ‘Blackpink’, the K-pop band. My two girls are huge K-pop fans (whereas I know nothing of K-pop except for they have told me.) They yelled in excitement at the thought of Blackpink in this book. The outcome? I was coerced into grabbing this. So you see, the target market still loves the series, albeit for different reasons. 😄 This mini-collection follows the same format as always. We have the single-page bio on the left side of the book, written in a story format. The right side has a sketched portra...

AUTHOR: Margaret Atwood GENRE: Short Story. RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: It was okay, and didn’t wow me as much as it did many of my friends. Back to Outlier Island! Story Synopsis: Set in the 1950s, this story tells us of a young girl who believes that her mother is evil, possibly a witch. The mother loves her daughter and does all things for her child’s happiness, but the way in which she does these things is suspect. Moreover, there are myriad secretive consultations with the neighbours and spurious potions in the fridge, all adding to the question mark about the mother’s true identity. As life goes on, the daughter becomes more rebellious, and the mother becomes more mysterious. How will their journey come to a satisfying end? The story is written in flashback from the girl’s point of view, so at the end, we see how life comes a full circle. On one hand, the positives: ✔ A few thought-provoking lines. ✔ Quick to read. Can be completed in under an hour. ✔ Interesting lead chara...

AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR: Meg Adams GENRE: Graphic Novel RATING: 3.75 Stars. In a Nutshell: Pretty funny, though not outstanding. Matches the vibe set by the title. Includes quite a few serious/thought-provoking panels as well. Meg and Carson, a married couple, are a case of ‘Opposites attract’. This collection of comics explores their lives as a couple, with extroverted Meg being weird and vivacious, and introverted Carson trying his best to understand his wife. Adding further spice to their lives are their two dogs Boedy and Luna, who have their own personalities. As a “couple comic”, I thought that these would be similar to the work of Catana Chetwynd, who also chronicles and sketches her life with her “opposite” John. However, while Catana’s books have a more millennial new-couple kind of feel, Meg’s work comes more like that of a couple who already know each other well and have already learnt to accept each other’s eccentricities. Furthermore, the focus is not just on Meg and Carson as ...

AUTHOR: Faith Gardner SERIES: The Jolvix Episodes #4 GENRE: Psychological Thriller RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A good novella set in the Jolvix universe. The pace went up and down, but the start was good enough, and the ending were unexpected. (This author always surprises me with her unexpected endings.) Story Synopsis: Eve works for a digital magazine, writing a column that hunts online trolls and holding them publicly accountable for their toxic behaviour, but this has come at a cost: she now gets death threats and her office colleagues consider their work environment unsafe. With the huge success of her work having led to a book deal, Eve treats herself to a Sunray – a solar-powered self-driving car with all the latest features and each car being personalised to its owner. Little does Eve know that the engineer who was in charge of customising her car is not among her supporters. The story comes to us in Eve’s first person pov. As this book is a standalone novella set in the ...

AUTHOR: Faith Gardner SERIES: The Jolvix Episodes #2 GENRE: Psychological Thriller. RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: Once again an outlier, but this time, I am on the positive side! Enjoyed this book far more than ‘Amen, Maxine’. Better if read as a slowburn psych thriller than as a sci-fi thriller. Story Synopsis: Violet, an up-and-coming rockstar, wakes up in a strange cabin with no memory of what happened the previous night. There’s a mysterious note and a burner phone that has been pre-programmed to dial only one number. When Bud, a construction worker, answers his phone, he has no idea whether to believe the stranger who tells him that she’s been kidnapped and doesn’t know where she is. As per the instructions on the note, Violet and Bud have exactly one week to figure out the connection between them, else their lives might be in danger. With absolutely no clue of how to begin, will Bud be able to locate Violet and rescue her? The story comes to us in the alternating first perso...