Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Douglas Westerbeke GENRE: Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: April 2, 2024 RATING: 1.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy that feels like an endless walk through a wayward world. Poor character sketching, random timelines, ad-hoc plot development, needless exoticism, unsatisfactory ending. This will be among my biggest disappointments of the year. However, to those who believe that reading is more about the journey than about the destination, this ride could be *trippy*. Plot Preview: When nine-year-old Aubry Tourvel, a pampered and stubborn girl, finds a wooden puzzle ball, she is surprised that no matter how much she tried to throw it away, it keeps coming back to her. A few days later, she begins to bleed uncontrollably from every orifice of her body. When medical treatment doesn’t help, she runs away, only to find the mysterious ailment disappear. Soon she realises that this act of being on the move keeps the affliction away. Whenever she stops at a place for mor...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Cassie Veselovsky GENRE:Children's Picture Book, Animals. PUBLICATION DATE: February 5, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about animals and the sounds they make. A cute singalong option for babies and toddlers. This book details multiple animals found on a farm and the sounds they make. There is a lovely variety of sounds, all of which offer great options for making fun animal noises while reading. The content reminded me of ‘Old MacDonald had a Farm’, which also works on a similar idea. But as this book is aimed at teeny-weenies, it is simpler in concept and easier to sing. Yup, ‘sing’! Instead of presenting this book in typical prose or rhymes, the author has set the text to the tune of the popular children’s song, ‘The Wheels on the Bus.’ This book thus offers a nice singalong opportunity for parents and kiddos. Singing is such an underrated literary device! Baby songs with their repetition and rhythm can help tremendously in develop...

AUTHOR: Cecile Biccari ILLUSTRATOR: Naïade Lacolomb TRANSLATOR; Jeffrey K. Butt GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An children’s guide about all things monetary, translated from the original French version. Means well, but too unstructured to be more effective, especially for the target age group. This book is a translation of the French book “C’est ton argent! Que vas-tu en faire?” published in March 2024. The French title, translating to “It’s your money; what will you do with it?” sounds quite ordinary. However, the title of the English version appealed much more to me. “Your Money and the World: How to Spend, Save, Donate and Invest Sustainably” made this sound like a good guidebook for kids on how to use their money responsibly and sustainably. The intent is met to some extent, but the content needs much better organisation. As you can see, the differentiating factor is the word “sustainably.” Spend, save, donate...

  AUTHOR:  Mona Susan Power GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: November 5, 2024 RATING:  4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A powerful multi-timeline narrative detailing the horrors faced by the indigenous citizens of the USA. Character-driven, introspective, brutal, slow-paced. Great use of the titular “dolls”. A book to be savoured than to be zoomed through. Recommended! Plot Preview: Sissy ~ a second-grader in 1960s Chicago. Has a volatile mother and a doting father. Loves her Christmas present: a Black Thumbelina doll named Ethel, who always supports Sissy and offers advice during tough times. Lillian ~ a child of the 1930s. Born at a time of turmoil and conflict. Her sister Blanche and her Shirley-Temple-lookalike doll named Mae are her biggest sources of support. When the sisters are forced to go to an “Indian school” run by nuns, Mae turns out to be Lillian’s guiding light during the dark days.  Cora ~  born in the 1900s during the “Indian Wars”. Fa...

AUTHOR: Agnes McIntyre GENRE: Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: March 18, 2024 RATING: 3.55 stars. In a Nutshell: A short story collection, containing a ‘mixed bag’ of relatable characters and realistic emotions. Distinct plots that held my interest but somehow didn’t hit the higher level of satisfaction. A good option for those who prefer true-to-life character-oriented narratives. This collection contains sixteen stories from sixteen distinct characters in sixteen distinct situations. The book takes the title of “mixed bag” seriously because none of the story situations or the characters are similar to any of the others. I found this quite interesting because each story felt unique and there was no déjà vu as I progressed through the collection. The book doesn’t have an author's note, but the blurb details the collection as revealing “the potential for good in us all.” Every main character in these stories is facing a complex period, either due to internal or external fac...

AUTHOR: Shelby Van Pelt GENRE: Feel-good Contemporary fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 3, 2022 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-driven contemporary feel-good fiction coming from multiple perspectives. Detested one character, loved everyone else. Amazing voice of the octopus narrator, great use of the location, interesting plot, and a good close to all key arcs. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: Seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan, all alone after her son mysteriously disappeared many decades ago and her husband passed away a few months back, works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium as a cleaner to pass her time. While mopping floors and keeping everything spotless, Tova chats with the residents of the aquarium. But she becomes intimate with Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus who knows far more than the humans realise. For instance, Marcellus has his guesses about what happened to Tova’s son. But how can he communicate his information with his new friend? The story comes to us in ...

AUTHOR: Eric Huang ILLUSTRATOR: Sam Caldwell GENRE: Children's Nonfiction, Feminism. PUBLICATION DATE: January 28, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: An informative book about several remarkable women from historical and contemporary time. I liked the different approach towards mythbusting and the range of fields the women achievers belong to, but some of the creative decisions could have been better. As the cover indicates, this book contains “fascinating facts you never knew about amazing women.” The approach is towards busting myths connected to women in general or some of these women in particular. The book covers more than fifty women from diverse fields such as business, politics, science, music, sport, and activism. As the popular saying goes, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. I think this line is especially true for women. The iconic women included in this book did their best to shatter the glass ceiling ( or at least put a few cracks in it .) Thei...

AUTHOR: Leisa Fail ILLUSTRATOR: Amy Rennie SERIES: The Adventures of Stormy Normy, #2 GENRE: Children's Fiction, Animals. PUBLICATION DATE: November 5, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A children’s chapter book about an Australian brumby horse gearing for a big race. Nice animal characters and a good plot. A bit too much telling than showing, but kids won’t notice this. The second book of the Stormy Normy series. Can be read as a standalone. A nice option for little animal lovers. Plot Preview: This story continues from Book One: Stormy Normy Finds His Forever Home . Goldsborough Valley, Australia. Stormy Normy has now found his forever home with Charlie, his new owner. Charlie intends for Stormy to begin training for the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, an endurance race of 160 kms. Stormy isn’t sure if he can manage that long a distance, and neither can his best friend, Charlie’s pet dog named Willow. But with the help of some patient and loving coaching from Charlie, motivational pe...

AUTHOR: Katherine Arden GENRE: Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: February 13, 2024 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-driven historical fantasy set during WWI. A lot more historical with just a smattering of fantasy. Interesting characters, slow pace, (surprisingly) religious undertones, fabulous atmosphere, underdeveloped plot. Might work for those who like character-oriented fiction and don’t need likeable protagonists. Plot Preview: 1918. Nova Scotia, Canada. Laura is back home after serving as a combat nurse and discharged from the medical corps because of an injury. Having lost her parents in the Halifax explosion of 1917, Laura’s only surviving family member is her younger brother Freddie, who is still fighting in Flanders. But when a telegram arrives containing his personal effects, there's something strange in the parcel that makes Laura go to Belgium to look into what happened to him. Is Freddie dead, or missing in action, or has there been some other con...

AUTHOR: Erin Stewart GENRE: Middle-Grade Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: January 14, 2025 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy about a young girl coping with anxiety disorder. I loved the intent, but perhaps the execution could have worked a little better. The themes are relevant but also somewhat lopsided. A decent read, but not a great one for me. This is an outlier review. Plot Preview: Zoey had loved spending time with her dad, discussing their favourite fantasy series by author Raven M. Wells. But after his death nine months ago in a freak accident, Zoey finds herself alone, struggling to interact with anyone else except her mom, her best friend Lena, and Jada – the owner of her favourite bookstore. When Zoey learns that Raven M. Wells is arriving at another bookstore for a signing, she decides to go beyond her comfort zone in order to secure an autograph. However, due to some unforeseen events, Zoey ends with a novelty pencil embossed with the word: “Make Your Ow...

AUTHOR: Clare Whitfield GENRE: Historical Crime Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: February 18, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical gangland fiction with an atypical feminist story. Inspired by the women of the Forty Elephants gang in 1920s London who were known for their shoplifting skills. Complex grey characters, fast-moving plot, great historical atmosphere. Much recommend to fans of historical crime. Plot Preview: 1922. Brighton, England. Twenty-year-old Eleanor hates that the only two options she has to escape her cramped and financially-struggling family home is to marry someone good and kind, or to serve the upper classes. After getting a taste of independence working in a munitions factory during the war, she is struggling to return to the same old life of subjugation. So when she crosses paths with a member of the notorious Forty Elephants and sees what they can do – and more importantly, what they can earn – she suddenly sees a third option in her future: steal. The...