Fear of Falling by Hannah R. Goodman

I read a sample chapter of this book on the author's website and thought it was very well written and intriguing, so I asked the author if I could have my wife and daughter read it for the review.

The book stands alone well, but is part of a series about the main character.  A junior in high-school, she is a writer for the student paper and faces a dilemma when an anonymous gay student asks her to write an article about the homophobia in the school.  She writes it, but then is blocked by her principal and teacher from publishing.  Should she go against their wishes?

My wife and daughter (age 10) found the story to be well written and the character enjoyable.  However, it was not an outstanding book.  My precocious 10 year old described the book as feeling a lot like one episode of a TV show.
My wife had a few issues with the references to 80s pop culture.  She understood them obviously, because she grew up in the 80s.  But the teens in this book's target audience likely wouldn't have much familiarity with Terms of Endearment or the Princess Bride (my daughter got that one because it's one of Mom's favorite movies :o).  She also questioned whether these issues would really be the kind kids deal with in 11th grade, or if it might be more like 9th grade.  But we don't really know what high-school's like now as our kids are young and we're a decade and half removed from that time in our lives.  She found herself intrigued by elements of the main character's background - her family and tragic past, and may read some of the earlier novels about the character.

warning this book has some mild foul language and deals with sexuality - reader discretion is advised

3 out of 5 stars

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Review of Waiting For Spring by RJ Keller

I'll be honest that when I read what this book was about I didn't think I would like it - dramatic, overcoming adversity, emotional journey. This type of fiction is not something I would normally pick to read.  But I've committed myself to doing these reviews and being open to new things. So I opened it up and thought I'll just read a few pages now to see if it's any good before finding a volunteer to do the review for me.  I was more than pleasantly surprised.  Right from the first page of the prologue I was hooked.

 The style is an accessible first person prose with vivid images and a bit of a poetic slant.  Right from the start the characters are fleshed out and alive.
The story centers on Tess Dyer who has just divorced her husband and moved from one small Maine town to another nearby (truthfully it could have been set just about anywhere).  The story follows Tess's emotional journey as she moved past one relationship into another.  Her new love interest's sister is a troubled young woman who Tess seeks to help.  Several significant events occur which require Tess to make some tough choices and go places emotionally that she has not gone before.  I won't say any more than that to avoid spoilers.

However, the book isn't about plots, it's about people.  Tess in particular, but also those other characters in the book with whom Tess has strong relationships.  We see them and experience their emotions through the eyes of Tess, but if if anything, it makes those characters more real.      Each grows, changes and learns throughout the book.  Each is a real living, breathing character.

Time for another moment of honesty.  I actually cried at points in the last third of the book - real tears, real lump in my throat.  It's very unusual for a story to bring me there.  I think the last time was Bridge to Terebithia when I was young.

While I never would have chosen this book on my own - it really didn't sound exciting when I read its blurb. I'll admit - it's a book that I will probably remember for the rest of my life and think on frequently.  I am now a fan, and if Ms. Keller writes another book - and I sincerely hope she will write many more - I will willingly and enthusiastically read it.
Highly recommended.  5 out of 5 stars.

A caution:  If books were rated the way movies are, this would get a solid NC-17 (that's more R than R for those unfamiliar with it).  Sex and profanity are significant in the book, though not gratuitously so.  This book is very true to life in all things, sex and profanity included. 




If you wish to purchase Waiting for Spring, please use the Amazon link below as your purchase will support this blog and the work we do to promote Independent books. Unfortunately this book can only be found on the US amazon and not the international ones. Note there is also a Kindle ebook edition which you can find by doing a search once you're in the Amazon link below (for some reason I can't link directly to it). The proceeds from the kindle edition go towards a domestic violence charity.

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Review of "The Lie" by Hannah S. Chacko

The Lie is the first in the Elementalist series.  A Fantasy series geared towards young adults but which is, in my opinion, equally appealing to adults.


Set in the broader context of an ancient conflict which involves many "realms" and a prophecy in the early stages of coming to fruition, the story centres on two young girls: Scortia and Caya.  The two are best friends.  They are also unknowingly two of the "children of destiny" who will play a crucial role in the fulfillment of the prophecy.  Fleeing from an unhappy home life, Scortia finds herself ascending the strange and magical Mount Zircon, pulled by an unseen force.  Caya soon follows in pursuit of her friend.  They encounter many perils and other characters en-route.  Eventually they start their training and begin to learn of the roles they will play in events to come. Meanwhile, another child of Destiny, Mattias, who is a young officer, comes to learn of his own part.
Though the book is well over 300 pages, it feels like you have just read the first chapter of a much broader and grander story.  Is that a good thing? Yes, in the sense that it leaves you wanting more. 

The storytelling is compelling and fluid, moving at a comfortable pace.  The author captures the reader's attention with an air of mystery that encourages the reader to keep on, seeking answers, but without creating undue confusion or leaving the reader lost.

Interestingly, Ms. Chacko does something most first time authors are strongly cautioned against.  As writers we are told there are "rules", and only well known authors can "get away" with breaking them (because it's assumed that if you're not a well known author then your breaking of the rules just means that you're inexperienced, rather than clever).  In my opinion, Ms. Chacko breaks a few rules, but she seems to know what she's doing and it works.  For example, she uses an unusual format of placing what would normally be relegated to a footnote right in the body of the text, which she calls "notes to readers".  It gives one the sense of a storytelling pausing in the tale to convey some background information crucial to the story that would have otherwise been awkward to weave into the narrative itself.  I found it refreshing that these notes are presented in this way instead of forcing me to mark my place in order to flip to a footnote or glossary.  It also works with the way the story is presented from the start as being the observations of the "documenter of events" and gives the feel that the storyteller is conversing with the reader.

My 10 year old daughter, who is a voracious reader, read through this book with zeal in near record time.  She loved it, would give it 5 out of 5 stars and said it was just as good as her favorite book "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" by Gail Carson Levine and as good as the books by one of her favorite authors, Tamora Pierce.  High praise indeed!
When I informed her that a sequel had already been written and was in the editing stages she responded with an enthusiastic "Cool!!!"



I found the story to be original and well written.  Hannah Chacko is certainly an emerging young talent.  I highly recommend giving this book a read and I look forward to its sequels.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

If you wish to purchase The Lie, please use one of the Amazon links below as your purchase will support this blog and the work we do to promote Independent books.

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