Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Anna Kang ILLUSTRATOR: Christopher Weyant GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: April 22, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about a little girl and her pet snake. I read it mainly to see how snakes could be appealing as pets because I am firmly against the idea. 🥴 Good story, great illustrations. A nice option for kids looking for a story of friendship and reptilian fun. Did I like the book? Quite. Did I change my mind about pet snakes? Heck, No! Plot Preview: Little So-Hee, an only child, is quite lonely. Because of her allergies, she cannot play freely, and she can’t even have furry pets. So when she spies a pet shop with non-furry options, she discovers Lowy, a ball python. Though her neighbours are wide-eyed at seeing Lowy, they soon get used to the little girl and her slithery pet. But one day, Lowy goes missing - Eeks! 😳 There are two reasons I cannot fathom a snake being kept as a pet. 1. I’m terrified of reptiles! For the li...

AUTHOR: Alina Grabowski GENRE: Contemporary Mystery. PUBLICATION DATE: May 7, 2024. RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary mystery surrounding the death of a young girl in a small town. Presented as a series of vignettes from the perspective of ten local women. Great idea, but too disjointed in execution. Might work better if you read it as a small-town drama and like slower-paced narratives with no resolution. Plot Preview: In a small town in Massachusetts, a young woman named Lucy dies at a house party. The circumstances surrounding her death are unclear, and as happens in such a situation, there's speculation and gossip and conspiracy about what would have happened. The story comes to us from ten points of view, each of a local woman who either knows or has heard of Lucy. Through each perspective, we get a glimpse of their own lives as well as their opinion on the tragedy. In terms of imagination, this debut novel hits the right mark. Major events in a small town someho...

AUTHOR: L. Ryan Storms GENRE: YA Romance/Fantasy. PUBLICATION DATE: April 15, 2025 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A YA Romance with elements of magical realism. Well-written and loveable characters ( I hope you realise what a miracle this compliment is, coming from me for a YA novel ), fast pace, good plot, sweet romance without getting too mushy or cringey. I took it for the magical realism, but I ended up liking all of it. Much recommended. Plot Preview: Sixteen-year-old Penelope Jane, known to everyone as PJ, hates that she has to relive the most anxiety-inducing parts of her life. This is because she tends to slip nine minutes and fifty-three seconds into her past every time her panic level shoots up. As she suffers from anxiety disorder, she tries to keep a curb on her stress, but sometimes, she still ‘slips’… The only person to know about this strange affliction is PJ’s bestie Mariana, who does all she can to support PJ. But when a new classmate Ethan Morrow enters PJ’s life, ...

AUTHOR: Peter Bently ILLUSTRATOR: Claire Powell GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: May 8, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A sweet picture book twisting the fairy tale into a modern and inclusive version. Great intent, pretty decent plot execution though a bit rushed at the end, excellent illustrations. Recommended, though it would help if kids know the original as well. Plot Preview: Prince Fredwin and Prince Zac are best friends. Fredwin is soon turning twenty-one and hence has to follow the family tradition and get wed. Unfortunately, as he is a prince, he cannot marry anyone except a “genuine, proper, and perfect princess.” Zac suggests changing the family rule and following his heart, but Fredwin isn't sure if he can change the way things have been since forever. When Princess Ardwenna seeks shelter at the palace to escape the heavy rains, Fredwin feels like he should capitalise on the chance and propose. But how to check if she is actually a princes...

AUTHOR: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers GENRE: Historical Saga PUBLICATION DATE: August 24, 2021. RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An epic family saga spanning centuries. Filled with too many characters and too many themes. Excellent research. Fabulous in some character arcs but mostly repetitive in its agenda. I can see why this book is so highly rated, but it wasn’t for me, partly because I found the main character too whiny. This is somewhat an outlier review. Plot Preview: Ailey has long spent her summers in the small Southern town of Chicasetta in Georgia, where her mother’s ancestors have stayed since they were brought from Africa as slaves. Ailey has trauma in her past, which makes her resistant to and aggressive towards the challenges of her present. But when the opportunity comes to learn more about her ancestors, especially the long line of women who came before her yet faced the same hardships, Ailey grabs it, and in the process, learns much about her family, her family history, a...

AUTHOR: Jehanne Moharram ILLUSTRATOR: Chaymaa Sobhy GENRE: Folktale Collection. PUBLICATION DATE: June 17, 2025. RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of fables and fairy tales from Arabic-speaking lands. I enjoyed the variety of the stories and loved the illustrations. But the writing could have been smoother. Still, a good option for diverse storytelling for kids. This book contains nine traditional fables and folktales from the Arabic-speaking world. Thus the stories aren’t limited to the Middle-East but also cover some parts of North Africa. The books begins with the author’s note. Instead of just giving a generic writeup, she talks of the prevalence of storytelling in Arab cultures and her approach towards selecting and rewriting this classic tales. I like how she made sure that the stories were diverse in theme as well as geography. Some tales also have attractive magical components such as jinns and talking animals. Many of the stories herein were already familiar to m...

AUTHOR: Vivian Zhou SERIES: Atana Duology, #2 GENRE: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel, Fantasy. PUBLICATION DATE: May 13, 2025 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade/teen graphic novel about a mermaid and a firebird trying to fix a magical problem from the past. Excellent plot, magic, worldbuilding, and characters. A wonderful conclusion to the Atana duology. Not to be read as a standalone. Plot Preview: I won't give any plot details as this is a direct sequel to the first book and I don’t want to go into spoilers. So all you can know for now is that Atana and Ren, along with their companions, try to sort out all issues raised in the first book. Their journey isn't easy, but their friendship and their determination are as strong as ever. This second book of the Atana duology continues immediately from the ending of the first Atana book: “Atana and the Firebird” . As such, it is not to be read as a standalone. Book One had impressed me with its magical beings and the plot, ...

AUTHOR: C.W. Towarnicki GENRE: Literary Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 8, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary historical fiction based on a true story of a farmer who fought in the US Civil War, and his subsequent fate. Written as a series of vignettes from shifting character perspectives. Unusual writing structure, great historical representation, fabulous imagery, unfiltered depiction of war brutalities, limited character development (though this is because of the structure.) My lack of personal connect with this war probably stopped me from loving this book more. Regardless, a great debut novel. Recommended. Don’t read the GR blurb! Plot Preview: 1863. Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania. William Howe, a young farmer of German origin, feels emotionally compelled to join the Civil War efforts, even if it means leaving behind his pregnant wife Hannah and their toddler son. Though Hannah isn't happy about his decision, he follows his heart and promises to write ...

  AUTHOR: Huda Fahmy  SERIES: Huda, #3 GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE:  April 1, 2025 RATING:  4.75 stars.  In a Nutshell: Wow! The third graphic novel in the Huda series and the best one so far, which is saying a lot in such a high-performing series. Tackling two serious topics but handled with a balanced amount of lightheartedness. Absolutely loved this OwnVoices work for its sensitive portrayal of such a tricky personal issue. Much, much recommended!  This is the third graphic novel of the Huda series, or as I like to call it, the Huda F series. While each book works perfectly as a standalone, it helps to go through the series in the right order. Considering the high quality of the storytelling ( I’ve rated all three books 4.5+ stars ), you are in for a sensory delight.  The book begins with Huda being in her junior year and now prepping for college. She has a detailed plan charted out for the next two years: do everything possible ...

AUTHOR: Peter Horn TRANSLATOR: Johanna McCalmont ILLUSTRATOR: Jessica Meserve GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: April 8, 2025. RATING: 4.75 stars. In a Nutshell: Awww, this is so cute!! Loved this picture book about little animal babies and their wonderful animal daddies. Excellent writing, adorable illustrations, fabulous sentiments. Much recommended! This book was first published in 2002 in Switzerland under the title, “Wozu is ein Papa da?” An English translation titled “The Best Father of All” was published in the USA in 2003. This new English edition, translated by Johanna McCalmont, is due to be published in April 2025. Dads hardly ever get a good representation in children’s fiction. Many picture books are filled with stories of mothers or of both parents. So such picture books, which speaks only about dads, come as a wonderful way of valuing what dads do for their kids. To be specific, what animal dads do for their little ones. The books begins with a litt...

AUTHOR: Nnedi Okorafor GENRE: Literary Science Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: January 14, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices literary fiction with sci-fi elements, NOT science-fiction with literary elements. Story within a story. Interesting disability representation (but mild vibes of ableism), great character detailing (but mostly unlikeable characters), unusual combination of futuristic elements with traditional family drama (but the two don’t blend well), good use of Nigerian + American setting and immigrant experience (no buts here; this was great). Plot Preview: Zelu’s life has not been easy. Disabled since her teen years, unexpectedly fired from her university job, and facing rejection yet again for her latest manuscript, she’s the least successful in a family of high-achievers. In frustration, she decides to write a book that is unlike her earlier works and isn’t even in a genre she likes. She pens a science fiction novel titled “Rusted Robots” about an apocalyp...

AUTHOR: Srivalli Rekha GENRE: Poem Collection. PUBLICATION DATE: March 6, 2025. RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A proper poetry collection covering varied types of poetic styles. And when I say “proper”, I mean that I wouldn’t have read it had it not been for the author. Some really good poems herein and loads of poetic knowhow. The book would be appreciated better by true poetry lovers. Srivalli and I have been good friends on Facebook (and now Goodreads) for more than five years. So it goes without saying that when she asks me to read her book either for beta reading or reviewing and to give my honest feedback, I read it and give her my honest feedback. Even if it means that I have to shed copious tears of self-pity when she writes a poetry collection. She’s quite an eclectic writer and can pen anything from horror stories to middle-grade fantasy to mythological odes to poetry. And of all these genres, the scariest to me is … No, no, not horror… poetry. 🥴 You can still trust this ...