Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Melissa F. Miller GENRE: Psychological Suspense Thriller. PUBLICATION DATE: September 2, 2025 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological suspense thriller with an undertone of a feminist fairytale retelling. A clever story with interesting but complex characters. Avoids most of the pitfalls of the genre such as unreliable narration. Had a couple of things been edited, this would have been an easy 5 star for me. Much recommended. Go in blind. Plot Preview: ( This is just a barebones version. The actual story is much more layered. ) Emily has spent many years keeping a secret from her husband Tristan. Now a writer with an anxiety disorder thanks to the past trauma and a looming deadline thanks to a writer’s block, Emily takes up Tristan’s suggestion of going to an isolated location away from networks and distractions in order to complete her retelling of a fairytale. However, a storm awaits Emily during her stay. A physical storm as well as a psychological one. The story ...

COMPILER: Kim Normanton GENRE: Children's Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: September 11, 2025 RATING: 5 super-great stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 In a Nutshell: Believe the title! This is a collection of “Super Great Kids’ Stories”, taken from folktales and fables around the world. Great stories and morals. Excellent narrative technique, making it apt for readalouds. Thoroughly entertaining. Much, much recommended! Not being a podcast person (all my listening time is devoted to audiobooks and music), I was totally clueless about the award-winning podcast ‘Super Great Kids’ Stories’ . Reading this book assures me that the podcast must be award-winning for a valid reason. What a brilliant collection and presentation! The book begins with a beautiful intro by the podcast hosts who have curated this collection. They offer a background to their podcast as well as explain the structure of the book. The main content comprises thirty “traditional tales” taken from around the world. The stories are grouped in...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Agnes Lee GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 2 stars. A graphic novel taking an idea from Buddhist tradition of a soul (in this case, that of a young Korean American girl) travelling for 49 days after they die before fully crossing over. This explanation is provided only in the blurb and in a note at the END of the book, so if you don’t already know it, you simply won't understand what’s happening. I had to stop the book midway and read the blurb to make sense of the girl’s seemingly limbo state. Somewhat minimalistic illustrations that work for the story. Good use of dual tone in the illustrations, blue-toned to show the soul’s progress and brown-toned to show the grief-stricken family left behind. Barely any text for the first half or so. Quite fast-paced as most of the pages contain only illustrations.  A decent option for those who want to explore stories of grief and post-death beliefs in other cultures. But to me, it would h...

AUTHOR: Julia Seales SERIES: Beatrice Steele, #2 GENRE: Historical Cozy Mystery. PUBLICATION DATE: June 24, 2025 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical mystery set in Regency-era England. The second book in the Beatrice Steele series. I found this more like a typical cozy mystery with a dash of humour rather than an Austen satire, unlike the first book. That’s probably why I didn’t enjoy it as much; cosy mysteries aren’t my thing. Still, a good pastime option if you read it in the right spirit. Better to go in series order. Plot Preview: After the successful resolution of her first murder case, Beatrice has moved to London, with the indefatigable Miss Bolton acting as her chaperone. Inspector Drake and Beatrice have started their own detective agency, but their business is yet to flourish as Sir Huxley still gets all the prominent cases. When a famous opera singer approaches them to clear his name of a murder allegation, Beatrice and Drake know it is the golden opportunity to pro...

AUTHOR: Cecile Pin NARRATORS: Aoife Hinds, Ioanna Kimbook and Ainsleigh Barber GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 21, 2023 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical literary fiction about a Vietnamese family trying to make a new life in the Western world. The characters and the plot are mostly of the tried-and-tested kind. Haven’t read a novel in this setting before, so it was enlightening in some ways. The writing approach though left me with mixed feelings. Too flat and distanced to be emotionally impactful and too hurried to be intellectually impactful. Not bad, but I anticipated far better from an OwnVoices work. This is an outlier review. Plot Preview: In 1978, a Vietnamese father decides to follow his brother and make a new life for his family in the USA. He sends his eldest three children – Anh, Minh and Thanh (16, 13 and 10 respectively) – ahead to Hong Kong, with a promise that the rest of them will arrive in a few weeks. However, an unexpected tr...

AUTHOR: Manu Delpech ILLUSTRATOR: Trần Hà Trang GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: August 14, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A fantastical picture book about a little boy and his magical drum. This turned out to be more metaphysical than I prefer in this genre. The story has great potential, but a little finetuning might have served it better. The artwork is stunning. Not exactly my cup of tea ( whether now or in my childhood ), but I hope kids can appreciate its magic more. This is the kind of book not to be read with the head but to be appreciated from the heart. Plot Preview: Max finds his dream gift awaiting him outside his bedroom door – a big drum. When he receives a pair of sticks as well, Max drums his heart out with joy. His music draws an unexpected visitor from far away: a majestic lion who seeks his help. The stunning cover art first drew me towards this picture book. The illustrations inside are just as much a treat to the eyes. The story, sadly,...

AUTHOR: Pablo Leon GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: September 2, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: An #OwnVoices graphic novel covering a historical genocide that rarely gets attention: the Dos Erres massacre in Guatemala in 1982. Not an easy read, obviously. Despite the text limitations of the format, it covers the context in fair detail. Aimed at teens and young adults, but adults might benefit more from this. Plot Preview: 2013. Maryland, USA. When Charles is asked by his teacher if his mother had been following the genocide trial of former military leader Efrain Rios Montt on TV, Charles has no idea what he's talking about. All he knows that his mother Clara was from Guatemala, had moved to the USA many years ago, and never wants to talk about her past. Every time Charles and his elder brother Jose raise the topic, Clara dismisses them firmly saying that they were born Americans. But as the trial progresses, the wall around Clara’s heart begins to crumble, and she r...

AUTHOR: Layne Fargo GENRE: Drama, Retelling. PUBLICATION DATE: January 14, 2025 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A gripping romance-drama set in the competitive sport of ice dancing. Think ‘Wuthering Heights’ meets ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’. Excellent grey characters, gripping plot, fabulous insights into the sport, steady pace, great themes. This is partially inspired by the Brontë novel. I’m not a fan of the classic but I loved this modernised version. Much recommended, though not to those who want likeable characters. Go for the audio version, if possible. Plot Preview: Katarina Shaw has known since her childhood that she wants to go to the Olympics. Though she doesn’t have the family or financial background required for competitive sports, her spirit remains determined. When she meets Heath Rocha, a kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection ensures that they become a formidable pair on ice. Their chemistry and their rebellious dancing take the figure skatin...

AUTHOR: Luciana Cimino ILLUSTRATOR: Sergio Algozzino GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: March 2, 2021 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphic novel focussing on Nellie Bly. Had tremendous potential considering the impactful life of the investigative journalist who was so far ahead of her times, but the execution didn’t work well for me. Offered just a cursory glance at her achievements. The illustrations were somewhat good. But the overall result was a disappointment. This graphic novel was originally published in Italian in 2019 under the title ‘Nellie Bly’. This English translation was published in 2021. Many of you might already be aware of the legendary Nellie Bly. Ever since I heard of her, I have been in awe of her spirit, determination and courage. One of the pioneering female investigative journalists, she is most known for two things: her solo journey around the world following Jules Verne’s novel “Around the World in Eighty Days”, and her pretence of being mad so as t...

AUTHOR: Madeline Martin GENRE: Historical Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: August 26, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction that goes much beyond a secret book society. Partly a book about books. Mostly a book about male machoism and female frustration. Interesting female characters, stock male characters. Goes wide rather than deep in themes and topics. The final quarter is quite dark and yet the strongest part of the book. A good novel, as long as you aren’t expecting a light-hearted story about a book club. Plot Preview: 1895. England. Three women receive an unexpected, strangely-worded invitation for afternoon tea from Lady Duxbury. Each of the women is trapped in their social role in some way or the other. Lady Duxbury intends for them to meet regularly under the façade of a casual get-together, and find what they need, be it friendship, solace, books, or freedom. Eleanor Clarke, who is of noble birth, is married to an abusive nouveau riche blinded by his new wealt...

AUTHOR: Heather Fellin Tierney GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: August 26, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical literary fiction focussed on three ordinary people and the way their paths cross with each other. Excellently sketched characters, a complex and thought-provoking plot, a realistic ending. Great use of the 1970s small-town Wisconsin setting. An amazing debut! Much recommended to lit fic lovers. Plot Preview: 1970. Every morning, one train leaves from Minneapolis to Chicago via Milwaukee. One small stop it makes is at the tiny station of Oconomowoc in Wisconsin. Lincoln is a forty-year-old ticket agent at the Oconomowoc train station. Though it has been many years since his wife left him, he still struggles to move beyond. Vera is a teenager determined to look for someone from her past. She is gearing up for her first ever train journey, boarding at Oconomowoc and going to Chicago. Violet, a single woman in her fifties, has only one major re...

AUTHOR: Ellen Javernick ILLUSTRATOR: Bhagya Madanasinghe GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: September 2, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about changing your perspective towards a more positive outlook. Realistic characters, great story, cute illustrations, essential message that cannot be repeated enough. Much recommended. Plot Preview: Whenever anyone asks Andrew how his day went, he grumbles about something awful that messed up his day. After a few days, his sister Amelia points out that he only talks of the bad things that happened. She suggests that he start thinking of one awesome thing that happens to him every day, even if it is something small. Andrew knows this is a tall ask, but he still agrees to try. What do you think happens next? “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”, from Monty Python's Life of Brian, might have been a comic parody, but its titular message is true if you want to live a happier life. It always helps to think ...

AUTHOR: Sarah Leavitt GENRE: Graphic Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: September 24, 2024 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphic novel memoir dealing with the author’s feelings after the death of her long-time partner. Depicts the helplessness and frustration of death effectively. Emotional throughout. Philosophical at times. Not my cup of tea but it might work better for the right reader. In April 2020, the author’s partner of 22 years, Donima, chose to have a medically-assisted death after suffering for many years from various severe ailments, including worsening chronic pain. She was only fifty-four, but most of her life had gone in dealing with her various conditions and injuries. This collection of comics was sketched by the author during her first two years without her partner. As she says, they show her “exploration of the new uncharted territory of personal grief.” As you might guess from the above, the book is full of pain. Some might assume that the book charts the course through...

AUTHOR: J.H. Foster ILLUSTRATOR: James Warwood SERIES: Rebels and Resistance GENRE: WWII Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: November 7, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An upper middle-grade WWII novel with scattered illustrations. An appealing young protagonist and a good plot. Works well in complement with its partner book. One half of a parallel duology, with this novel being aimed at older tweens and teens, and its partner aimed at adult readers. Plot Preview: 1938. After witnessing a scary incident involving a Nazi officer, Freddie decides that it is better for him to stop talking. When his mother Hannah decides to leave Austria and move to Paris in search of her old best friend, Freddie isn't happy about having to leave his old life behind. Life in Paris is better in some ways because his Mama has found a job and they have a shelter over their heads and food in their stomachs. But when the Nazis come, even this security is threatened. Will Freddie’s Jewish heritage endanger him ...