FEBRUARY BOOK REVIEWS! @TerryTyler4 @Worddreams @piketoni1

It seems the old saying, “Better late than never,” applies to my life a lot these days. Nevertheless, I read some great books in Februrary and want to share!

MY REVIEW:

This book is exactly the scenario we all fear unfolding as the world gets crazier around us. The post-apocalyptic events that occur in this book may serve as a warning to us all. The author’s account of ‘what if’ is so close to reality, it’s hard to remember it’s fiction.

There is a watchdog group what knows something big is coming. But they are not taken seriously until it does. Then it’s too late. The story unfolds in a chilling and frightening sequence of events that sends a mother and her daughter scrambling (literally) for freedom.

Vicky is a relatable character in every way. She has been with Dex for six years and during this time, he’s been involved directly in a watchdog group. He tries to warn Vicky about what is coming, but when she’s living an idyllic life in her dream home, next to the beautiful ocean, how can she believe him?
But when everything crumbles, I admired Vicky’s tenacity.
Her priority is to keep her daughter safe. Dex is away from home when the world disintegrates and Vicky is left alone to navigate through deadly territory. But Dex left backpacks and instructions for them, so at least they have some sense of what to do. I won’t tell you all that happens in the story, but there is a LOT! This is book one of this series, so the journey has just begun. Not only are Vicky and her daughter faced with destruction and devastation, but also an immense struggle to survive. I loved meeting all the characters, and there are a lot. As surprises are revealed, Vicky must grow stronger within herself in order to maintain some sanity. If you are a fan of realistic dystopian fiction, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book. Just be prepared for the stark reality of it all. I do have to say, I was disappointed in the ending of this first book, as I wanted some resolution, but do understand it’s leading into the next segment of the series.

MY REVIEW:

Having read the first two books in this series, I was anxious to revisit Yu’ung, Fierce and the mixed clan again. This segment chronicles the preparation for a sea journey and the journey to the destination, where they find they are not immediately welcomed. Not only did I get reacquainted with familiar, but met new characters as well. The way these stories are written is a bird’s-eye view look back in time 75,000 years ago to what our Neanderthal ancestors may have been like and the struggles they faced to survive in harsh elements.
I loved seeing Shanadar and the Canis again. They are all such an integral part of the story and his growth from the first time he appeared until this book is a true spiritual journey.
We also got to see through this book that, just as in today’s times, there were those with evil intentions. And the way the tribe leader dealt with them was worthy of a psychology book.
Yu’ung remains my favorite character, along with her mother. And of course, Fierce exhibits such widsom in his leadership, I have to admire him. But the new character, Kazeb, won me over with his courage and compassion. His and Yu’ung’s relationship developed in a natural way, not forced and I loved that. I also loved that babies were born in this book. That was so essential for the species to continue. If you have a curiosity about our ancient ancestors, these books are a great way to explore them, how they thought, felt, how they survived. I highly recommend the entire series!

MY REVIEW:

I immediately related to this character. Linda Lockwood is a school teacher. Her self-esteem is below zero, not only because of her aging body, but also because of a husband who is constantly belittling her and telling her she is fat, lazy and worthless.
The book opens with a scene that made me cringe. It’s Linda’s birthday. Her husband has planned an extravagant celebration and invited all their friends. But instead of celebrating Linda, he makes a speech that causes Linda to shrink into herself and caused me to want to slap him. She is beyond humiliated. Then she is bullied by some students who are hoodlums and she reaches her breaking point.
This is when I began to cheer her on. She could do this! She could climb back up from the bottom. The story is about that transformation journey and I found it empowering and uplifting. I recommend this book for anyone who is riddled with self-doubt or who suffers any kind of spousal mental abuse. The author did a great job of placing me in the story. I became Linda’s friend and longed to see her succeed. I won’t say what happens. but I will say it was quite a journey for Linda Lockwood! I highly recommend this book.

MY REVIEW:

It has been said revenge is best served cold and the two novellas in this book are exactly that.
The first story is one of horribly sad circumstances that led to bullying and life altering occurrences. So, when Alana arrived in the tiny village, no one recognized her and because she opened an attractive business, she made friends, fitting in perfectly with the tiny community. Only, she had an agenda. She’d been watching and waiting for years. Waiting for the right time to act. And act she did. While Jodie had only been a kid when she caused such intense heartache for Alana, time knows no limits on how to exact revenge. Of the two novellas, I enjoyed this one the most and could relate to Alana, even though what she did was cold and calculated. It seemed she deserved a break.Z

The second novella was chilling and impossible to figure out. It was a game. The players in the game were not there by choice, nor were they allowed to leave if they wanted. It took a while for the reason behind the kidnappings and murders to come to light, but it did. And while I couldn’t relate to the extreme measures this man took, at least the motivation was made known to the reader. Again, revenge is best served cold and is also sweet. If you are a fan of delving into the human psyche, you will no doubt enjoy these two novellas.

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That’s it for February. Thank you for dropping by and hope you saw something that caught your attention!