Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Amal Singh GENRE: Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy set in Mumbai. More focused on the characters than on the location, much to my disappointment. Nice little glimpses of two versions of Mumbai. Decent character sketching. Underdeveloped fantasy elements. Abrupt ending. Doesn't realise its potential to the fullest. A mixed bag for me. Plot Preview: Rishi Tripathi is an aspiring actor with no success so far. But when he falls through a mirror and lands in a different version of Mumbai, he finds himself a renowned and wealthy superstar. As he reconciles himself to his new status, he realises that this successful version of himself comes with some burdens and costs. He wants to return to the Mumbai he left behind. The only way back seems to be through the mirror, but it no longer allows him to pass through. Can Rishi find the unknown mirror-maker and find his way home before things turn too drastic in his new wor...

AUTHOR: Amanda Lovelace ILLUSTRATOR: Raquel Travé GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: August 25, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: The debut graphic novel offering by the prolific poet. A sugary-sweet Sapphic romance with Pride rep and some important themes. Stays true to the title by containing books, coffee, and a more than healthy side of adorable dragons. Episodic in structure, which makes it lack depth. Includes darker themes but they are just brushed upon. Might work better for younger readers. Was a bit too superficial for my taste, though. Plot Preview: In the scenic Sea Witch Cove, Luci runs Little Lighthouse Books, an indie bookstore, with her assistant August and her pet dragon for company. Next door to the bookstore is a coffee shop run by Aster, who also has a pet dragon. Luci has a secret crush on Aster, and this summer, those one-sided feelings are about to turn into a sweet relationship, cheered on by August and the dragons. The combination of author, that cozy ...

AUTHOR: Mikki Brammer GENRE: Contemporary Uplit PUBLICATION DATE: May 5, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about an old woman discovering the joys of being bad. A sophomore novel that has some things in common with the author’s debut ‘The Collected Regrets of Clover’. Mixed feelings about most things in the book, whether the plot or the characters or the writing choices. Not convinced by what it was trying to suggest. Goes a bit overboard on social commentary at times. A decent option for the right reader but not a must-read. You might like it better if you can accept the lead character’s life choices. Plot Preview: Eighty-nine-year-old Joy has always been a good woman, following rules to the letter and never deviating from etiquette, always a devoted wife and mother even when circumstances become challenging. When she learns that her best friend Hazel, who was always an adventurous rebel, has only a few months to live, she is heartbroken. But she is also s...

AUTHOR: Kallie George ILLUSTRATOR: Geneviève Godbout GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: May 12, 2020 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about the Anne most readers know. Might work better for adults than kids. This is a story about a little girl with a big imagination, who wonders what she would do if she weren’t Anne, i.e. Anne with an E. As a picture book, it shows little readers a young girl who soars as high as she can in her imaginary world, but comes to the eventual conclusion that some things are better in reality. But to adult readers, it shows Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. Those familiar with L.M.M. Montgomery’s classic will catch many Easter eggs in this version, such as the reference to Cordelia or the comparison between green hair and red hair or even the oft-repeated phrase ‘Anne with an E’. I appreciate how this story stays true to the original characterisation of Anne. At the same time, I am confused about its intent behind usin...

AUTHOR: Jennie Wood GENRE: YA Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: April 28, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A YA graphic novel dealing with an important topic – the online exploitation of children by influencer parents. The intent is fabulous but the execution needs finetuning. Uni-dimensional characters. Too cluttered with subplots, too aggressive about certain themes, too deliberate about inclusive representation. Decent illustrations. This has all the negatives of typical YA writing, but I guess I can’t hold this against the book as it is meant to be YA. I still appreciate the purpose behind the storyline but I wish it had stuck to the central theme instead of spreading itself thin. Might work better for YA readers. Plot Preview: Daisy is tired of her mom sharing every single detail of her life on her mom blog, even when Daisy refuses. So when she gets invited to an online group called “Not Your Baby Anymore”, she hesitates only a little before joining. This group comprises some ...

AUTHOR: Ai Jiang SERIES: Natural Engines #2 GENRE: High Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars.  In a Nutshell: A high fantasy with elements of science fiction and family trauma. Highly imaginative, highly complicated. Though a direct sequel, the content feels very different, making this book feel like a different genre. I didn't expect the change, and this, combined with the complex character set, affected my experience. Might better suit readers who enjoy intricate high fantasy. The second novella of the Natural Engines duology and needs to be read in series order. Plot Preview: ( This preview contains spoilers from Book One. The rest of my feedback is spoiler-free. ) After their daring escape, Lufeng and her two younger siblings are on their way to Gear to meet Sangshu. When they are just moments away from the island, they are kidnapped by rebels, from whom they learn about the dangerous experiments Zinc has been conducting on their people. Sangshu herself h...

AUTHOR: Laura Steven NARRATOR: Sofia Oxenham GENRE: Fantasy-Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: February 27, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A YA Fantasy-Romance about a couple stuck in an endless loop of love and murder over thousands of years. Interesting story, but gets a bit tedious after a while. The time periods are nicely varied, but not explored much due to the restrictions of the plotline. The character development is almost non-existent. The reveal is disappointing. Might work better for YA readers as it does offer all the *feels* of young romance. Plot Preview: Evelyn remembers most of her lives, but not the earliest ones as they are hazy. However, one thing she knows for certain: in every life, Arden murders her just before her eighteenth birthday and that he too dies on the same day. Oh, and she also knows that she has strong romantic feelings for him despite his being her killer. ( Please picture middle-aged me rolling my eyes as I wrote this line. ) All these years, she ha...

AUTHOR: Robert Mgrdich Apelian GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: January 20, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A YA-Fantasy graphic novel inspired partly by Armenian and Persian mythology. A complex storyline that takes some time to come together. Some unexplained plot points. Intricate artwork but monochrome colouring. This might work better if read through a physical copy. Plot Preview: Seventeen-year-old Katah has always felt like an outsider in his family because he’s the only one with no talent for cooking. Unlike his much older siblings, he is also too young to have known his late father who was a legendary Hye chef in the Pars empire. At present, Katah is the sole caregiver for his sick mother, so when his vision-like dreams lead him to find a powerful div, he hopes to use its magic to save his mother’s life. But magical deals are complex and never one-sided. As Katah attempts to meet the div’s condition with the help of his siblings, he realises that he might have wa...

AUTHOR: Ashley Poston NARRATOR: Brittany Pressley GENRE: Romance, Timeslip. PUBLICATION DATE: June 27, 2023 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary romance with a magical timeslip. Decent characters, plot, and writing. Interesting use of the timeslip but no explanations and many loopholes. Insta-love and rushed relationship. Too many attraction-related inner monologues for my liking. Too convenient in plotting. Not a light story, but has light moments. I liked it but wasn’t blown away by it like so many others were. ¯ \_(ツ)_/¯ Plot Preview: After her beloved late aunt Analea passes away, Clementine moves into her NY apartment that Analea willed to her. Though still grieving, she is focussed on her work as a book publicist, and has no time for relationships. However, one day, she bumps into a strange man in the apartment. He claims to have been given permission by Analea to use the house for a while. After a lot of confusion, Clementine realises that this is what her aunt had w...

AUTHOR: Nick Spalding NARRATOR: Laurence Dobiesz GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about a young man who claims he's totally fine, but clearly isn't. This could have been either a medical drama or a funny take on men being men. It ended up as neither, with a slightly boring plot, annoying lead character, and forced humour. The ending is decent enough, but I expected far better considering the author's earlier novel. Plot Preview: Charlie King has everything he wanted: a successful event-management business, two best friends who are always there for him, and a fabulous girlfriend who might be ‘the one’. He also has panic attacks and insomnia and an earworm that never stops playing in his head, but that's all normal, right? He's totally fine! His loved ones suggest that he visit a doctor, but Charlie knows that a good night's sleep is all that's needed. Is Charlie genuinely f...

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Oliver Darkshire SERIES: Household Gramarye #1 GENRE: Cozy Dark Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: May 13, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A darkish cozy fantasy. Quirky, but often feels forced in its humour. Minimal cozy vibes. Whimsical human and nonhuman characters. Mild Discworld vibes. I had to read it twice because the audio version just didn’t click with me. First of a planned series. Not a book that will work for all, but it might find a niche audience. Plot Preview: Isabella Nagg lives in the sad little village of East Grumsby. With an unappreciative husband, snide neighbours, and recalcitrant farm animals, Isabella has only a pot of basil to talk to (even if it doesn’t speak back) while she handles all her chores. One day, when the useless Farmer Nagg returns with a spell book he stole from the local wizard, Isabella wonders if she could use magic to ease at least a part of her life. As Isabella ventures on this new magical path with only a grouchy cat-l...

AUTHOR: Frances Hodgson Burnett GENRE: Middle-grade Fiction, Classic. PUBLICATION DATE: 1905. RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A children’s classic about a young girl and her fortitude in times of adversity. Overly perfect main character, decent story (though a bit too straightforward.) Many inclusions that haven’t aged well at all. This was a reread after many decades, and it confirmed that my original feelings for the book haven’t changed; this can never be my favourite. Plot Preview: At the age of seven, Sara is sent by her wealthy and loving father, who is serving in India, to her new school in London. Dubbed ‘the little princess’ by her classmates for her fancy clothes and toys, Sara shows that her richness hasn’t spoilt her compassion and kindness towards those of lesser means. But when her father suddenly dies bankrupt, Sara’s circumstances change drastically. The story comes to us in various characters’ third-person perspectives. I had purchased this book from a book fair at s...