Book Review: Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans

Euphoria Kids

by

Alison Evans

Publisher: Echo Publishing
Publication date: 4th February 2020
Genre: Young Adult / LGBT / Fantasy
Pages: 247
RRP: $19.99 AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via B Fredericks PR

Ever since the witch cursed Babs, she turns invisible sometimes. She has her mum and her dog, but teachers and classmates barely notice her. Then, one day, Iris can see her. And Iris likes what they see. Babs is made of fire.

Iris grew from a seed in the ground. They have friends, but not human ones. Not until they meet Babs. The two of them have a lot in common: they speak to dryads and faeries, and they're connected to the magic that's all around them.

There's a new boy at school, a boy who's like them and who hasn't found his real name. Soon the three of them are hanging out and trying spellwork together. Magic can be dangerous, though. Witches and fae can be cruel. Something is happening in the other realm, and despite being warned to stay away, the three friends have to figure out how to deal with it on their own terms.

Although not the intended readership, I absolutely loved this magical and tender story.

Alison Evans has a wonderful way of expressing feelings and emotions.

Iris is a plant child. They grew from the ground. The child of Clover and Moss. They know they are different. A non-binary child that talks to the fairie, Saltkin, in the garden.

“I didn’t want to be a strange baby made of plants, but it hasn’t caused any problems. I don’t know if anyone else can tell.”

Babs is trans-gender, a witch left a spell on her that makes her invisible. Life can be lonely when you are cursed with bouts of invisibility but one day Iris sees her and a friendship begins. Iris can see that Babs is made of fire.

I enjoyed watching the friendship between Iris and Babs develop and also the introduction of the new boy, a trans-gender who hadn’t yet discovered who he was.

“Here’s a boy, not sure of his name or what he is made of. Iris grew from a seed under moss, brimming with new magic. And me, a fiery mess of a girl, crackling when I walk. I forged my own name. I’m invisible sometimes, but I know who I am.

He just needs time. I hope he knows that.” - Babs

Babs’ words are filled with such confidence and compassion.

The characters grew and developed. There was no mention of bullying and the teens were responsible, caring and respectful of their parents. In turn the parents were supportive. It was such a heart-warming thing to see these loving close-knit families.

The magical element of the story is captivating. The teens live on the edge of the National Park and within the park is The Realm, a dark place they are warned to stay away from.

As Babs is drawn to the forest the tension mounts, making this a story that is hard to put down until you know the final conclusion.

Euphoria Kids is a tender, touching story seeped with magic bringing to life the earth, the plants and all things magical.

I finished this book wanting more!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My Rating   5/5

Photo credit: Goodreads

Alison Evans is the author of Ida, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2017.

Their second novel, Highway Bodies, was published earlier this year and they are a contributor to new anthology, Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories.

They are based in Melbourne. 

 




This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge 

#AussieAuthor20  

 

Book Review: Être: Girls, Who Do You Want to Be? by Illana Raia

Être: Girls, Who Do You Want to Be?

by

Illana Raia

Wise Words for World-Changing Girls

Publisher: Être Press 

Publication date: 11th October 2019
Genre: Middle Grade / Young Adult Non Fiction
Pages: 204
RRP: $22.95USD (approx $34AUD)
Format: large format paperback
Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity

Être means "to be." And girls, middle school is not too young to ask yourself this all-important question: Who do YOU want to be? Think of this book as a smart big sister in your backpack, encouraging you to stick with what you love and helping you springboard your authentic interests into more.
SO . . . WHAT IS ÊTRE? A bold, full color magazine-style collection of articles breaking down big ideas like financial confidence, mentorship, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship for today’s motivated girls. Organized by topic (#BeSmart, #BeWi$e, #BeInnovative), and featuring Insta-inspired graphics, Être offers wise words to world-changing girls . . . at exactly the right time.
WHO’S IN IT? Get ready for empowering quotes and interviews from luminary women alongside input from inspiring girls across the country.
WHO’S IT FOR? Middle and high school girls everywhere . . . and the moms, big sisters, and cool aunts reading over their shoulders.

 

It all starts with the Middle Grade girl aged 8 – 12. These girls are smart thinkers they want to know what’s happening beyond the latest Tiktok and Instagram sensation.

These girls won’t be following the latest trends they will be making them.

This book is for you!

Set out in ten different chapters, each with it’s own motivational hashtag. #BeSmart #BeInnovative #BeWi$e #BeConnected #BeStrong #BeInformed #BeCharitable #BeBrave #BeHappy #BeWellRead.

Etre is a resource and mentorship platform for girls which first started as an online resource and Illana Raia has now put all these ideas into a book that can be referred to time and time again as girls come across different challenges or feel that need for motivation in different areas during their growing years.

This book not only teaches girls to be smart outspoken and well informed but to also offer to help others by being a mentor. Be a role model to younger girls.

Filled with motivational quotes, questions and answers from women who have made a difference and interviews with girls just like the targeted reader. The Être board is made up of young women, teens and pre-teens (aged 10 – 18) who know how the pre-teen mind works.

It teaches girls not to be all out competitive but form a group, work together, study together, help each other out.

‘Build each other up, instead of tearing each other down’

This is an inspiring book for girls wondering if they are too young to make a difference.

I’m not generally into motivational books but this book has changed my opinion and I would recommend this for all girls aged 8 – 18. This is not a book to be read in one sitting but opened at the appropriate chapter for the time. An election coming up or major news event; read #BeInformed. It’s the start of the sports season; read #BeStrong.

The book concludes with a list of instagramers you really should be following, appropriate E-resources and a list of websites to dig deeper into each chapter.

I was blown away by this book. Highly recommended!

  

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

 My rating  5/5

Illana is a former Skadden, Arps lawyer, an occasional guest lecturer at Columbia University, and the founder of Être - a mentorship platform for motivated girls.

Illana has contributed to the Huffington Post, Medium, Ellevate and Thrive Global since Être's launch in 2016, breaking down timely topics for the younger set, and was named a Mogul Influencer in 2017. She was featured in The Balance Project Interviews in 2018 and the #WomenWhoRock photo campaign in 2019 and has been a recent guest on podcasts and radio; Illana's journey from attorney to founder was also profiled in Forbes.

Illana graduated with honors from Smith College and received her JD from the University of Chicago, where she was managing editor of the Legal Forum. She lives happily in NYC and at the Jersey Shore with her husband and two children, and is unapologetically nerdy.

This review is part of the Non Fiction Reader Challenge #2020ReadNonFic

 

Book Review: Rogue by A.J. Betts

Rogue

by

A.J. Betts

The thrilling sequel to HIVE

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Aus

Publication date: 25th June 2019

Series: The Vault #2

Genre: Science Fiction/Young Adult

Pages: 368

RRP: $16.99 AUD

Format read: B-Format uncorrected proof Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Hayley has gone rogue.

She's left everything she's ever known - her friends, her bees, her whole world - all because her curiosity was too big to fit within the walls of the underwater home she was forced to flee.

But what is this new world she's come to? Has Hayley finally found somewhere she can belong?

Or will she have to keep running?

 

“I’d chosen out and this was it: hot-cold, dry-wet, bright-dark and lonely.”

Book 1 Hive ends with Hayley escaping her underwater world built with hexagonal rooms connecting like a bee hive.

In Rogue Hayley emerges into a new dystopian world. It is 2119, the ocean has risen cutting off small land masses turning them into islands. She comes ashore on a small island situated east of Tasmania, now called Terrafirma. Hayley is taken in by the caretakers of the island but a tragic accident forces them to leave the island placing them all in grave danger.

I loved this book even more than book1, Hive. Hayley’s wonder at the world around her is lusciously described and I could feel her awe at seeing a world that was bigger than the walls that had surrounded her all her life.

In a world with blood codes that can be traced Hayley’s unmarked blood becomes a precious commodity that is hunted down. Hayley wanders the land, sometimes finding the help of strangers, as she searches for a place where she can belong. Although she never forgets Will, the boy she left behind.

I rated Hive 15+ because of one graphic scene of a body being dismembered. However the writing in Rogue is simple and the storyline, although action packed, is not complex. Suited to age 10+ or younger mature readers.

“This world above the ocean isn’t perfect. What world is? It can be moody, savage and fearsome. It can be unsafe.

But it can be magnificent too. Surprising and wondrous.”

I’m looking forward to seeing what Betts comes up with next!

Read my review of Hive HERE

                        🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

My rating   5/5

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

book #33 in the Australian Women Writers challenge

A. J. Betts is an Australian author, speaker, teacher and cyclist, and has a PhD on the topic of wonder, in life and in reading. She has written four novels for young adults. Her third novel, Zac & Mia, won the 2012 Text Prize, the 2014 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and the 2014 Ethel Turner prize for young adults at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, was shortlisted for the 2014 Queensland Literary Award, and is available in 14 countries. It was adapted for American television by AwesomenessTV, and will soon be available globally. 

Her fourth novel, Hive, was shortlisted for the 2019 Indie Book Awards and 2019 ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children, and is a notable book in the Children's Book Council of Australia awards. A. J. is originally from Queensland but has lived in Fremantle since 2004.

Book Review: The Eyes of Tamburah by Maria V Snyder

The Eyes of Tamburah

by

Maria V Snyder

Publisher: Harper Collins

Imprint: HQ Young Adult

Publication date: 17th June 2019

Series: Archives of the Invisible Sword #1

Pages: 512

RRP: $19.99AUD

Format read: ARC - uncorrected proof

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

'He thinks you are the thief...'

Shyla is a researcher who resides in the underground desert city of Zirdai, which is ruled by the wealthy Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess. Even though Shyla is sun-kissed - an outcast, considered cursed by the Sun Goddess - she is still renowned for uncovering innumerable archaic facts, lost artefacts, ancient maps, and obscure historical documents. Her quiet life is about to change when Banqui, an archaeologist, enlists her services to find The Eyes of Tamburah: legendary gemstones that bestows great magic to its wielder. These ancient objects can tip the balance of power and give whoever possesses them complete control of the city.

But chaos erupts when The Eyes are stolen soon after they're found - and Shyla is blamed for the theft. Forced to flee, with the Prince's soldiers and the Priestess' deacons on her trail, Shyla must recover the jewels and clear her name. A quest that will unearth secrets even more valuable than The Eyes of Tamburah themselves..

The Eyes of Tamburah is a fast paced fantasy and the first in a new series by Maria V Snyder.

Shyla is a sun-kissed, the name given to babies born with pale-yellow hair. These babies, believed cursed, are left in the desert to die. Shyla is saved and raised by monks until she turns 18 and chooses to reside in the city. She is shunned by the other citizens of Zirdai and spends most of her time in her room. She manages to find work reading maps and transcribing ancient tablets in order to locate lost artifacts.

Snyder starts with explanations of the world the story is set in. Zirdai is an extensive underground city built on many levels which is necessary to escape the searing heat of the desert.

When the eyes of Tamburah, believed to bestow magic and their owner, are uncovered and subsequently stolen Shyla’s only friend Banqui is imprisoned and unless Shyla finds the eyes he will be put to death.

The story includes plenty of action and danger. Shyla is a strong-willed woman who can hold her own in a confrontation. She soon finds that she can trust no one as she is double crossed many times and her eyes are open to many things happening in the city she was unaware of. With this awareness comes an awakening of a new purpose to her life.

The majority of the story is high on action and very low on fantasy elements which may not appeal to hard core fantasy readers. The story gets a little dark towards the end with talk of torture and sacrifice although there is a small romance introduced and the occasional light-hearted banter keeps the story from becoming too intense. We get a few glimpses of the magic I’m hoping to see more of in the next book.

The Eyes of Tamburah was an easy read and I was totally caught up in the whole world of Zirdai. There are plenty of evil people to despise and Shyla’s character development was well executed.

Recommended for ages 12+ 

Content: mentions of torture

                 mild viloence

                          🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

 

My rating   5/5

Photo credit: Goodreads

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. Over a dozen novels later, Maria's been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her Master's degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University where she's now a faculty member. As a frequent workshop presenter and speaker for various conferences, Maria enjoys helping other writers. She also has a blast creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out.

  

 

Book Review: The Border by Steve Schafer

The Border

by

Steve Schafer

Publisher: Scourcebooks Fire
Publication date: 5th September 2017
Pages: 364
Format read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

A band plays, glasses clink, and four teens sneak into the Mexican desert, the hum of celebration receding behind them.
Crack. Crack. Crack.

Not fireworks--gunshots. The music stops. And Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys are powerless as the lives they once knew are taken from them.

Then they are seen by the gunmen. They run. Except they have nowhere to go. The narcos responsible for their families' murders have put out a reward for the teens' capture. Staying in Mexico is certain death, but attempting to cross the border through an unforgiving desert may be as deadly as the secrets they are trying to escape...

The Border is the debut novel of author Steve Schafer.

Four Mexican teenagers witness the cold blooded murder of their families, by a band of Narcos, whilst attending a 16^th Birthday celebration. They flee into the darkened night with the sounds of death threats ringing in their ears.

Schafer has lived, worked, volunteered and travelled throughout most of latin America, including northern Mexico and it is clear he has extensively researched his topic.

The story is narrated in the first person by 16 year old Pato. But we also get a good sense of the other three main characters, Arbo, Marco and Gladys.

When they realise their only means of escape is across the Sonoran Desert into the USA the teens are naive and unprepared. Desperate situations call for desperate measures.

It’s easy to feel empathy for these four teens. Good kids who have been placed in a life or death situation. Throughout the story they bicker, they get along, they dream and occasionally the leadership role shifts but most of all they are scared; just like normal teens.

This is a timely and relevant story with the immigration debate currently storming in America.

The Border is a highly emotional and thought provoking read with palpable suspense and page turning action.

Highly recommended!

A few words from the author:

Political discourse often loses sight of the individuals at the heart of the issue. To generalize they are people in need. They leave desperate situations to  find an opportunity for a better life.

                                        

My rating    5/5 

Content: violence

                 mild sexual reference

                                🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟  

Photo credit: Goodreads

 

Steve Schafer is an avid cultural explorer, animal lover, bucket-list filler, and fan of the great outdoors.

He has a master’s degree in international studies from Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two children. The border is his first novel.