Synopsis
Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.
Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain.
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra—the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.
I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal romance. I read oodles and oodles of speculative fiction and this one really stood out with me. The storyline is completely unique, fast-paced, well-written, the characters are engaging and the romantic element, while underplayed, was sigh-worthy. Some readers may be put off by the religious element--particularly the villian being a bible-spouting pastor--but I was completely caught up in this light and dark war that challenged my thoughts about death. I can't wait to read the companion novel!
Synopsis
Perfect for zombiephiles, video game addicts, grindhouse nostalgists, and horror movie fanatics, Zombie Haiku is the touching story of a zombie's gradual decay told through the intimate poetry of haiku. From infection to demise, readers will accompany the narrator on a zen journey through deserted streets and barracaded doors for every eye-popping, gut-wrenching, flesh-eating moment right up until the inevitable bullet to the brain. Plus the book is illustrated with over 50 photos from the zombie's eye and designed with extra blood, guts and pus!
A co-worker turned me on to this little gem. She suggested I read it and use it as an excercise for my creative writing club. (Thanks, Monica!) Zombie Haiku is a quick, hilarious read that had me giggling and groaning. It can easily be ingested in an hour's time, but it's a fun read that's perfect for Halloween, reluctant reader's and zombie fans like me. And the most amusing part? It was written by a youth pastor. Bet his kids love him!
I've been doing a lot of workshops and programs lately at area library events. It's something I really enjoy doing, although I still get nervous and consider myself a beginner on the circuit. If you've been to any of my events you've probably heard me rave about a book I recently finished. I brought the book up not only because I LOVED it, but because it's a great example of realistic fiction and because I always tell writers to never hold back. Amy Efaw's AFTER is about a teen who gets pregnant, but she's one of those rare girls you occasionally hear about in the news. She's so far in denial that she doesn't really show and her fam and friends have no idea. When she delivers the baby she goes into complete shock and breaks down. She takes the infant, puts it in a garbage bag and throws it away. The baby is found and the teen mom is arrested and put in a juvie center. The story is about her coming to grips with what she's done and it masterfully shows her psychological unraveling as her denial slowly slips away. I was in awe of this book. Amy made me FEEL Devon's shock from the very first scene and took me on a journey of fear, self-discovery, regret and hope. I call myself a popcorn fiction writer. My stories are entertaining, but I don't know how impactful they are. For me, Amy's story resonated and affected me enough I wanted to pass on my recommendation and I wanted to elevate my own storytelling. I thought she was fearless and did amazing research, which is why I find it HUGELY irritating to learn that she's getting bashed by commenters following an NPR article and interview. In no way do I have the reach that NPR does, but I'll do my part to recommend this to everyone I know. And maybe those commenters on NPR might consider reading the entire book before tearing it and the author apart. And, no, I don't know Amy, but I've written to tell her how much I love her book. :)
Publisher's Weekly
Starred Review
"It's an emotionally wrenching story that will keep readers' attention through its surprising conclusion."
VOYA
"Chilling, realistic and horrifying, this book examines clinical denial in a young girl. Graphic and heart-wrenching, this book belongs in every high school and public library." Reviewer: Nancy K. Wallace
SLJ
This is a skillfully written, emotionally raw story detailing one girl's difficult journey from denial of her circumstances to acceptance and redemption.—Sharon Morrison, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, OK
Buster was just a little puppy when he had a family and a nice warm home,but when Buster became a puppy to a little dog he began to make lots of trouble then his family didn't like him anymore so they dropped him of at the other side of town where they've never been before and just left him there. Will Buster find a new home??
What I don't like about the book is that I don't even like to think of people abandoning a dog like that.Theres a reason why they did it,but a very stupid reason because they could of trained the dog instead of leaving it. The rest of the story is not good because of his owners abandoned him, but the end is a happy ending.
