A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Books for Young Adults

A Leaf and Pebble

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for A Leaf and Pebble through Voracious Readers. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

A Leaf and Pebble is by Andrew Monroe, a fantasy author who is new to me. This is book one of Learner Trilogy series. What an interesting world he has introduced me to.  Not only are people naturally born able to use magic, but you can also have others who can learn how to use magic.  Nil and Volant are on the run!  Will they get help to survive? 

a leaf and pebble

The Basic Details for A Leaf and Pebble

Title: A Leaf and Pebble
Author: Andrew Monroe
Series: The Learner Trilogy (book one)
Publisher: Independ Publishing
Pages: 389
Intended Audience: young adult, adult
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure, 
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback
Received: PDF
Reviewed for: Voracious Readers

Author: 

Andrew Monroe is a lover of food (particularly desserts), coffee, books, and tabletop gaming.   Worker of various jobs in order to pay the bills… and his spare time is taken up by writing. 

The Book:

In a land of elemental magic (naturals) and Learner Skill (learners), a gripping tale of two friends who narrowly avoid death while attending the school under the mountain takes place. As both are forced to flee before finishing their studies, they must unravel and attempt to thwart a plot to plunge their homeland into war after ages of peace.  Can Nil and Volant uncover the mysterious group plotting to turn their five peaceful kingdoms in war-mongering enemies? 

So what do I think?

So, I like the story.  I want to know how the story ends, so Andrew needs to finish the next book in the series post-haste!

I received a PDF, and I really dislike reading books on kindle, particularly those not really formatted for kindle, but it did make for a good lunch-time read.   Just not as smooth a read as turning the pages of a book or as comfortable.  🙂 

Occasionally though, it felt like a page was missing. I’d be reading and then the story would jump, or I’d lose half a sentence, so that spoiled the progression of the story.  I’m sure that the final version (since this was published in 2019) has avoided those jumps. 

The characters:

Nil and Volant (the Leaf and the Pebble respectably) are likable individuals, though the propensity of Nil to find the nearest good-looking girl was an unnecessary distraction to the storyline. Very different in their personalities, yet mindful of each other as good friends are apt to be. 

The Storyline: 

A good protagonist needs an equally good antagonist.  The bad-guys are well connected, very much not nice guys, looking to benefit from a land in battle. Nil and Volant have their work cut out for them if they want to firstly, save their own lives, and secondly, prevent the reordering of their society.    

Action floods the pages with the young men narrowly avoiding death repeatedly, and running into and out of trouble every couple of days.   Folks to help them regularly pop into the picture, some to teach additional skills, some to provide respite, and others to put them into untenable positions with really only one way out.  They need to navigate all these situations while considering what is the right thing to do. 

Whose it written for?

Young adults I think will like this story.  It is written for a high energy crowd following the lives of two young men.  Not teens, but more young men, fellows not quite done with school, and just starting into their adult lives.  Young men who are bound to make mistakes, but old enough to realize when they need help, and young enough to be bold enough to move on when the adults are being too protective. 

All in all… Andrew Monroe is a new author to me and I’ll happily read the next in the series. It’s a fun, busy read.  It’s like a cozy mystery wrapped up in a world of fantasy, complex magic, and boys out to save their world!   🙂  Get your own copy of A Leaf and Pebble now!  🙂 

 

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

What happens when a tall strong hockey player meets a drama boy who loves a variety of people and has a heart for others?  Is it true that opposites attract? Faith Erin Hunter takes on bullying issues with Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy in a tender story of healing and action.  

hockey girls loves drama boy

Basic Details for Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy

Title: Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy
Author: Faith Erin Hicks
Publisher: First Second
Pages: 304
Intended Audience: 14-18 years
Genre: manga, graphic novel, teenage romance, LGBTQ, young adult romance
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author and this Story

Faith Erin Hicks writes story that feature teens and writes with a LGBQT perspective in mind.   I’ve reviewed One Year at Ellesmere and Ride On. I always enjoy her stories.  She is a Canadian and lives with her hubby and cat in Vancouver.   She’s been writing comics since she was a teenager and has written a fair number of books. A couple of her books have earned her the Eisner Award. 

Hockey girl loves drama boy - faith erin hicks

People handle bullying in many different ways, some better than others.   Alix, after what should have been a night of triumph for her hockey team, deals poorly with her mean teammate Lindsay.  The ultimatum is clear…. learn to deal with her bully is a better manner or her the invitation to the Canada National Women’s U18 Team’s summer camp is on the line.

Giving her dilemma some thought she realizes that Ezra deals really well with bullies, maybe he can help.   Ezra is a drama kid… no sports, no understanding of the fundamentals by which Alix lives.   Can he help?  Can they build a friendship by which Alix can learn what she needs to? So she asks for his help. But as they hang out and start get closer, Alix learns that there is more to Ezra than the cool front he puts on. And that maybe this friendship could become something more. . 

Digging Deeper

Ms. Hicks uses words and images to convey her story.  Some images are filled with action and no words.  Other pages are filled with clearly delineated words. 

Ezra is a boy who has complicated love life.  Alix accepts it.  It’s part of the storyline.  You’ll discover teenage drama, a decent storyline, and personal growth on a number of fronts. 

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this story.  A girl goes to a guy who she sees handling bullying well.   So she asks for help with how to handle it, and they become good friends, and then dating happens.  In the process she has to deal with his interest which goes to both genders.  But she learns how to handle bullying (in a couple of different forms) and he develops a new friendship and learns how to care for some of his other friends better.  Growth happens in both.   I love those types of stories, where romance isn’t central but where both people grow and develop into better people.  

I absolutely love that.  

But I struggle you know?  I was talking with my boy and saying, how do I recommend a book to be read by impressionable people, where something is being promoted that is NOT in their best interest?  Opposite gender households (long term) are for the betterment of society and more stable than any other types of relationship.  How do I recommend people read a book that encourages our youth to self-destructive behaviour?  So while I love the overall story, the other bit of it detracts from it.  

If you aren’t bothered by the LGBTQ aspect, read Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy, or if you want to engage your teens in discussion, read it with them.  Honestly, because it’s a graphic novel, I had it finished in under an hour. My thinking about it took much longer. 🙂 

High Five

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Today we have another book that I recently finished an enjoyed so… here I am sharing it with you.  🙂 High Five is a murder mystery by Jane Evanovich.  Reviewing just because I want to and yes, I’ll link to amazon so you can find it easily should you be so inclined.

This book showcases bounty hunter Stephanie Pluim and just takes in her life with her somewhat… unique family…and her love life (which doesn’t get overly personal), and the people that she interacts with in her daily life.   Her family is odd…but what family isn’t a bit odd?  They love each other dearly (at least her immediate family does) and at times have an interesting way of showing it.  She’s a character who makes me laugh and sometimes… that’s just exactly what I need.   🙂 

High Five by Janet Evanovich

Talking about the Book

I can’t remember how long ago it was that I was introduced to the Stephanie Pluim series by Janet Evanovich.  First you get a gal with all kinds of attitude and lots of get up and go but not a real financial whiz at all.  Add in a quirky family and an interesting job as a bounty hunter… that often turns into a murder investigation… and you have a story that will intrigue and make you laugh.  

High Five starts with Uncle Fred and a cancelled cheque.  Shouldn’t be that hard to figure right?  Well, before you know it, bodies are dropping in all sorts of unexpected places.  The family gets involved and poor Stephanie has to deal with the fall-out. 

Bad guys abound… and one bad guy really is a scary, mentally ill, sorta really bad.  Didn’t much like him. 

But the rest… just all murder mystery feel to it. 

Recommendation

This is not the best Stephanie Pluim novel that I have read, but it made me laugh.  Since I brought it to work with me… that laughter evoked conversations with co-workers, which made it all the better.  

Is High Five worth reading?  For sure.  You’ll laugh, shake your head, and be glad that by the end, all the bad guys will have been stopped.  And that my friend, is always a very good thing.  🙂 

The Diamond Eye

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So I’m reviewing this book Diamond Eye because I just liked listening to it.  I listened through CloudLibrary which means I kinda borrowed it through my library?  I’m not quite sure of the logistics of how the system works.   Apparently if you borrow it through audible there’s a PDF you can get with it, I never looked into that though.  Free is better than paid you know?  Reviewing just because I want to and yes, I’ll link to amazon so you can find it easily should you be so inclined.

So why tell you about The Diamond Eye.  I learned a facet of WW2 history that I wasn’t aware of before.  Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a Ukrainian woman with a young son she was raising on her own. The Germans attacked, wiping out entire families.  Mila got angry, and her national pride kicked in, and before you know it, she was a sniper on the front lines of WW2. 

The Diamond Eye

Talking about The Diamond Eye

The Diamond Eye was written by Kate Quinn.  Just recently published, this past March.  

I found it to be a well-written story and the after story where the author talked about Mila and some of the changes she made, I found myself looking for more information on this formidable woman.   Her life was a bit sad after she stopped being in the army… She suffered from PSTD which led to alcoholism and her eventual early death. 

BUT she stopped 309 Germans from decimating her people.   She served her people well by speaking to the need for American and Canadian troops to attack the Germans from the rear.  And upon her return after her propaganda tour she again served her people well by teaching the next generation of snipers. 

YES, Kate Quinn changed the story a bit to make it all fit the narrative, but the things that were pivotal in Mila’s life she kept the same. 

Recommendation

If you like books about WW2, or just like learning a new piece of history, Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye will suit you.   I had not known about Ukrainian snipers in WW2 before this, I also didn’t know about the wiping out of complete villages in Russia either.   All I really knew prior to this story was Germany fighting a battle on two fronts was not the wisest decision on their part, but they really managed to hurt the Russians.  (another fact I sorta knew but didn’t really know, if you know what I mean).  🙂 

Good history, written as if it were Mila herself talking her way through her life.  Seeing her friendship with Mrs. Roosevelt develop, and her growing confidence not only as a sniper, but then later as a public speaker.  She did many hard things as a woman in the 1940’s and her history is worth knowing. 

Cold Pursuit

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Cold Pursuit through Nuts About Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

The love of a well written mystery fills my bones, I hope it fills yours too.  Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl walks into an interesting cold-case which turns out to be not so cold afterall.    Can River and Tony solve this cold case and bring some answers to a grieving mother?   I won’t tell you the result, but I will urge you to give it a go!

Basic Details for Cold Pursuit

Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl

The Basic Details for Cold Pursuit

Title: Cold Pursuit
Author: Nancy Mehl
Series: Ryland & St. Clair, book 1
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 336
Intended Audience: Adult fiction
Genre: thriller, murder mystery, cold case, FBI, serial killer, Christian mystery, Christian Suspense, Christian mystery romance
Reviewed for: Nuts About Books
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, softcover, Audio
Received: softcover

Cold Pursuit

About the Author and book

The Author

Nancy Mehl is the author of more than fifty books, a Parable bestseller, and the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year Award, a Carol Award, and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She has also been a finalist for two Carol Awards and the Christy Award. Nancy lives in Missouri, with her husband and their puggle.

Other books by this author that I have reviewed: Night Fall, Mind Games, and Fatal Frost. 

The Book

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. She’s start a PI business with her former colleague Tony. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. 

But as they follow the boy’s trail, they find themselves in the path of a murderer. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, a more dangerous threat emerges involving River’s past as well as her future.

Digging Deeper

Adult fiction with mystery and twists.  Light suspense without being too intense. I enjoy a good murder mystery that makes me wonder what is really going on.

Cold Pursuit is a faith based murder mystery.  Faith is an integral part of the lives of at least two of the characters, one a main character, the other a minor one.  River is challenged in her thoughts about matters of faith.  BUT faith issues are not central to the story…the story is predominately about the cold case and the need to solve it to bring closure to the mom.  

The writing style is easy, probably written at a high school/first year college level.  The trains of thought made sense with no odd leaps of logic.   A nice and somewhat suspenseful read at the beach mystery.  🙂  

My Recommendation

I have to admit, I wasn’t too surprised at what the end result of Cold Pursuit was… though the story in the shadows has me intrigued. 

A secondary part of the story is the behind the scenes threat…. which draws me in to reading the next book in the series to see if River and Tony can solve it before something horrible happens.   I want to know!  I DO I DO!   Nancy Mehl did an excellent job of drawing me in. 

You may find the story draws you in a well.  If you want an uncomplicated mystery with a suspenseful understory that makes you want the solution (ergo needing to get more in the series) read Cold Pursuit.  You might find yourself intrigued by the matter of faith as well.  Finding yourself asking deeper questions about forgiveness.  That’s not a bad thing either eh?  🙂 

You Grow, Girl

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for You Grow, Girl! through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

You Grow, girl! is a delightful picture book filled with plant-based affirmations for the younger ladies in your life.  With colourful images, rhyming text, and cute expressions it’s sure to please.  Want to learn more, let’s jump right in then! 

You grow girl rose rossner

The basic details for You Grow, Girl!

Title: You Grow, Girl!
Type: picture book
Author: Rose Rossner
Illustrator: Natalie Briscoe
Publisher: sourcebooks/wonderland
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: Age 3-7, Grade K-3
Formats available: Hardcover

About Rose Rossner

Rose Rossner has a son as well as a husky named Dino.  She has written several children’s books over the years.  You may recall that I reviewed another of her books a while back entitled All I want for Christmas is Ewe.  She works with a variety of illustrators to bring her stories to life. 

You Grow, Girl!  is book for young ladies to encourage them to be all they can be. Using plant metaphors young ladies are encouraged to bloom where they’re planted.  Encouraging words flood each page with rhyming lyrics to encourage the ease of reading. 

You Grow Girl! Rose Rossner

Looking More Closely

Colourful plant based images fill the pages. 

As the plants pop up on the page, words of encouragement grow right along with them.  

Will young children catch all the references?  For sure they won’t.  They will catch the encouragement and love that fill the pages.  And hopefully know that you, the gifter of such a book mean them as well. 

You will discover rhyming lyrics.   Sometimes the rhymes are obvious, running over a two page spread, and other times they just continue the story by turning the next page.  

Natalie Briscoe does a fantastic job combining the seeds of encouragement with the budding plants. Her bright use of colour brings everything to life in a fun way. 

Is this book just for kids?   For certainly not…. it would be a fun book to give to a young adult starting out on their first job.  A loved one who loves to work with plants and gardens.  Or even to show a budding wordsmith and see if they can ferret out all the word puns.  

It’s well worth checking out You grow, Girl!  to encourage the young women in your life (or those budding wordsmiths who need a corny book to search though).   Because honestly, in some ways it is corny.  🙂   But it’s a fun sort of corny to help loved ones smile.   

All The Lost Places

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product All The Lost Places through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Amanda Dykes presents to us a story of history interwoven in the present, and yet even the present has the depth of pastness woven in.   Be drawn into the story of Daniel, Sebastian, and Massimo.  Can there be a connection separating 100 years of history? 

all the lost places amanda dykes

Learning the Details of All the Lost Places

Author: Amanda Dykes
Title: All the Lost Places
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 400
Intended Audience: young adult, adult
Formats Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback
Reviewed For: Nuts About Books
Received: paperback copy
Genre: Christian Fiction, 20th Century Historical Romance, Historical Christian Romance, Christian Historical fiction.

About the Author

Amanda Dykes has written several books over the past few years. She writes from a faith-based perspective, and loves to drink tea.  Her goal is inspire hope in her readers. 

About the book

1807
A baby discovered in floating basket is raised by a guild of artisans in Venice.  Raised in each of their trades, the boy Sebastien wonders about his origins, wanting to answer the question Who Am I?  A stranded woman starts him on the path of answering that question.  Getting the answer might affect not only his future, but also that of his beloved floating city of Venice. 

1904
Daniel Goodman is a man haunted by his path, and looking for redemption.  He’s given a fresh start in life as the century turns. His assignment takes him from California to Venice.  His job: procure and translate a copy of a rare book, the book of Waters.  With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel soon finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries within the stones and canals of the ancient city and deep in the mystery of Sebastien. 

all the lost places, amanda dykes

Digging Deeper

I love the chapter heading images.  That bridge?  It fit so well into the entire story, symbolizing the bridge between history, love, and the hope hidden in the shadows. 

Each chapter clearly lets us know if we are talking about the life of Daniel, Sebastien or the Book of Waters. 

Two different fonts are used throughout the story to distinguish between the book of the past, and the working through of history and present company.   I appreciated the distinction as it added an important element to the story. 

My Thoughts?

It took me a long time to work my way through this story, far longer than I thought it would.  The biggest reason was the story just didn’t really grab my attention.  It’s poetic and introspective in nature and jumps back and forth in history.  Not quite my style of read. 

Is there a message of hope?  Yes.  Does good triumph?  Yes.

Does the modern day story have a good ending?   Certainly. 

I want to say… go get it, but I was just left feeling meh, and I have a hard time recommending it.  Now, if you are familiar with Amanda Dykes and her writing style and love it… well go get All The Lost Places!  Enjoy it.  

Learn some history, and be inspired to hope in something bigger than yourself.  It’s a good thing that!