Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Chanticleer 5 Star Book Review

EVER AFTER by Barbara Francesca Murphy – Murder Thrillers, Women’s Friendship Fiction, Mystery

Ever After by Barbara Murphy reveals the treachery, fear, love, and emotion woven throughout a tenuous friendship.

Imogen Armstrong Brown can’t wait to be interviewed by a local newspaper. She holds the well-hidden secret of her sworn enemies, four women who rebuked her from their close group friendship. A tragic event around Horseshoe Bay featuring this scrupulous group had shown Imogen that the group was neither sincere nor innocent, but deeply pretentious, ruthless, and defiant even to the law.

Over the course of this story, readers will learn of all the dark corners that Nora, Tiffany, Lydia, and Reeva try to hide.

Each character’s background and upbringing paint their aspirations and fears in the present. Even the strengths in their personalities, such as being hardworking and loving, are hampered by challenges from mental disorders to trauma from bad parenting, and sometimes a simple lack of contentment. Murphy showcases the coping strategies that each of the four employs in a desperate bid to maintain sanity, closeness, and unity despite a harsh reality.

The pains of the past will demand resilience from the four women if they want any chance to turn fateful challenges into opportunities for change and progress.

Readers will find all the women linked together by Justin, an intriguing character whose admirable nature and willingness to help others is overshadowed by his flirtatious and proud behavior. A breathtaking reveal is just around the corner as these relationships are teased apart.

Murphy’s easy choice of words gives this text a flow that welcomes readers of all ages. Engaging dialogue shows the depth of her characters as they play off of each other.

Ever After sparkles with breathtaking twists and turns that will hold readers in suspense from beginning to end, particularly after a hypnotic prologue that promises an unforgettable and extraordinary adventure. With each secret revealed, the story offers a deeper look inside the world of its perfect-looking people. For thriller lovers and supporters of women’s friendships, this will be an exciting and highly inspirational read.

Overall, Ever After is a composition whose words will pull at the heartstrings of its readers. The brilliant uses of elements such as tragic flow, dramatic irony, anxiety, denouement, and catharsis, combine to produce an unforgettable read. Murphy’s magisterial work shines a probing light into the nature of friendship, the life-altering impact of infidelity, and the ultimate cost of a truly poor decision.

“Some paths lead us into the light, but others take us down an ever-dimming pathway into darkness.” – Wofford Lee Jones

May 15, 2023
READY… SET… FROG! by Katharine Mitropoulos – Children’s Picture Books, Children’s Friendship Books, Children’s Animal Stories

One can’t help but smile upon meeting the bespectacled green splay-toed creature on the opening pages of Katherine Mitopoulos’ delightful children’s book, Ready … Set …Frog!

The story centers around the charming, lively character Frogathan Spots, aka Frog, who loves a challenge. When Frog learns his street is hosting a neighborhood fair, complete with an obstacle course, he starts anxiously preparing for the event. Unfortunately, his friends keep interrupting his practice set-ups, asking for help with their own business. Almost ready to bow out of the contest, Frog musters the courage to join the fun along with a rabbit, kangaroo, and grasshopper. Though the final results may not be all that Frog hoped for, the lessons he learns are truly trophy-worthy.

Within this whimsical tale, Frog realizes the importance of helping others.

Whether picking an apple for a mole baking a homemade pie, assisting a tall giraffe to wear a floppy purple hat on a sunny day, or rescuing a stranded little feline, Frog is there to help his friends in need. When Frog realizes he hasn’t had time to practice for the race, his mother helps him see that he did his training, just in unexpected ways. Perhaps more important is his mom explaining that it’s okay to say no sometimes to helping others, and instead take the time we need for our own endeavors. Like anything else, learning to balance our own needs with those of others takes time and practice.

Mitropoulos’ heartfelt, creative storyline is highlighted by Laura Watson’s endearing illustrations.

These anthropomorphized characters take on charming quirks as we see them seated at the breakfast table with plates of flies, glasses of milk for the kids, and coffee for the adults, happily perusing the morning paper. Mom and daughter accessorize with bows, jewelry, and fluttering eyelashes, while dad sports a striped necktie. These friendly amphibians have expressive facial features that will draw in young readers and adults sharing storytime.

Watson mixes natural shades for her illustrations with bright pops of color and vibrant shades of green that highlight the characters in center stage.

Mitropoulos’ well-crafted story, in combination with Watson’s artful designs, will both teach and entertain.

May 12, 2023
SORA SEARCHES For A SONG by Once Upon a Dance – Children’s Dancing Books, Picture Books, Children’s Adventure Books

Sora Searches for a Song from Once Upon a Dance will delight children and adults with its synthesis of story and movement.

Once Upon a Dance features several creative works that combine reading with physical activity, and this book delivers that pairing with gusto. Beginning with a beautiful overview of a marsh, we are introduced to Sora, a little cricket who everyone says has no imagination. In place of imagination, however, this cricket has the remarkable gift of transformation. Sora discovers the ability to turn into living beings like birds and fish, which allows for a greater understanding of the different songs sung by all creatures.

The charming storytelling is paired with two sides of dancing instruction.

Ballerina Konora demonstrates a movement in image, and a written description not only explains the motion but also how it relates to the current moment in the story. Konora’s careful instructions are perfect for both visual and auditory learners, as the reader can easily walk their children through the steps.

Sora’s transformations lead to a wonderful gain in confidence that is sure to be mirrored by those who dance along with the story.

With a strong message of celebrating oneself, being open to learning new skills, and finding a place of belonging, Sora Searches for a Song is a book you will read again and again. A worthwhile installment of the wide collection of books from Once Upon a Dance.

May 1, 2023
A FRACTION STRONGER: Finding Belief and Possibility in Life’s Impossible Moments by Mark Berridge – Memoirs, Motivational, Personal Transformation Self-Help

Author and businessman Mark Berridge, through the lived experience of himself and others after traumatic injuries, gained a wide understanding of overcoming disaster, and how to rehabilitate not only one’s body but mind and spirit as well. In sharing his wisdom, A Fraction Stronger is a must-read for anyone facing physical, emotional, or mental barriers.

Berridge, due to embark on a work-related flight from his Australian home to the US later that day, went on a bike ride with friends. He lost control of the bike over a piece of slippery road patch work, he wrecked falling into an open culvert, striking his head; conscious, but unable to move his feet and legs. The left side of his helmet was crushed, his spinal cord injured, and numerous bone broke. Hospitals would become his world as he dealt with spinal injuries and the long road to rehabilitation – relearning how to sit, stand, and walk.

He learned more than just how to move again.

From the very moment he regained consciousness, he grappled with the need to be brave, able later to opine that, “When it counts, you can be braver than you ever imagined.” The experience led him to appreciate the presence of helpers and empathizers he calls “angels.” Along with angels, though, there can be demons – voices and influences that dwell on doom and disheartenment. Yet, amongst their darkness shine “lanterns” – small but significant reasons that life is worth living.

Berridge, whose pre-accident, 25-year career was spent in the world of finance, marketing, and business transformation, writes as if born to the realm of wordsmithing.

He combined his harrowing experience with memorable metaphors and encouraging, credible counseling. This book cites a number of courageous people: celebrated sports figures like paralympic swimmer Karni Liddell; a well-known blind musician, Dr G Yunupingu; and personal connections like Chi, a Vietnamese immigrant struggling with a rare disease and sharing physiotherapy with the author. From even the merest glimmers of hope, Berridge creates a panorama of possibilities, knowing intimately the discouragement that can sweep over a survivor so easily.

Each chapter concludes with a set of questions for self-study. His guidance for those who face physical barriers could also help those grappling with grief, psychological deficits, financial cataclysm, or any seemingly insurmountable trial that many, perhaps all of his readers will encounter at some point – or finding themselves better placed to support others by knowing this story. A Fraction Stronger motivates both individuals and groups seeking inspiration and innovative direction.

April 21, 2023
ABOMINATION CHILD by Erika Shepard – LGBT Fiction, 1960s, Social & Family Issues

Abomination Child is a coming-of-age novel, a piece of historical fiction, and a lesson to us all. Erika Shepard tells the story of Brianna, a young girl growing up in Missouri during the 1960s, struggling to be accepted.

Within her community, Brianna is seen on the outside as a boy, and everyone knows her as Brian. She confides in her older sister Liz, who supports her and helps her face a world that doesn’t understand. Spanning many years, Abomination Child follows Brianna’s journey of survival, hoping that one day she’ll be able to live freely as herself.

Brianna’s – known then as Brian – troubles start after his father learns that he dressed in girl’s clothes at a school Halloween dance. Deeply conservative and religious, Brian’s father hits him for what he believes is an abominable perversion caused by the Devil. For Brian, it’s as simple as knowing he is really a girl, a girl named Brianna.

But just being Brianna is not that simple. Besides Liz, no one else understands, so Brian has little choice but to remain Brian to survive a bigoted world. As he enters adolescence, Brian slowly gains a few other allies who help him through his darkest moments until the day Brianna can become a reality.

Shepard doesn’t shy away from the realistic experience of Brianna’s life.

Brian lives through a difficult and authentic adolescence. As he finds varying degrees of understanding from those around him, he must work through his own confusion about his emerging identity. Readers’ hearts will go out to Brian as he struggles, nearly alone.

Brian’s mother has an affecting journey of her own. At first, she feels she’s failed as a mother, saddened at the truth of her daughter. But she works through her fears and does the research to understand Brian and accept Brianna. Shepard expertly captures the truth and complexity of one family member learning to accept another.

Despite being set in decades past, Abomination Child shows why affirmative care and support systems are essential in our world today.

The multiple perspectives in this story offer a thoughtful view to the difficulties faced by each character.

Only seeing Brian’s thoughts throughout the novel would not be the entire story. Abomination Child shows the growth – or lack thereof – in each family member. There are some questions left unanswered by the end of the story, and that too is true to life. Brian’s story might end here, but Brianna’s is just beginning.

Many people have stories like Brianna’s. Some end happily, while many others don’t. Abomination Child considers that even when happiness seems impossible, things may one day change for the better, and you should stick around for that chance to be your true self.

March 31, 2023
THE MERCHANT From SEPHARAD by James Hutson-Wiley – Historical Fiction, Medieval, Jewish History

Joshua Ibn Elazar, the eager son of a Jewish merchant, travels to al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule) to prove himself in his father’s business. But he finds an unwelcoming, degrading society waiting for him, and begins a journey of misfortune and anger in James Hutson-Wiley’s historical fiction novel, The Merchant from Sepharad.

Shortly after arriving in the city of Lishbunah, al-Andalus, Joshua is tricked out of the gold for his living expenses. Worse yet, he learns that Jews in Lishbunah suffer under oppressive laws, holding far less status than Muslim citizens. He can only find help in Lishbuna’s Jewish community, meeting Rabbi Hiyya al-Daudi and his son Yaish, who house and feed him.

They tell him that his father’s colleague, Essua, who was to help Joshua manage a shipment of flax and sugar, has been arrested. Though Essua is eventually released, Joshua fails to secure storage for his goods, as the makhzan (warehouse) he rented is given to a Muslim merchant instead. In his fury at the city’s prejudice, he sets fire to the makhzan, and is forced to flee.

Thankfully, Rabbi al-Daudi has secret connections to Alfonso Henriques, the Christian King of Portugal.

Joshua travels with Blazh, a Slav who was enslaved as a boy when his village was raided. They deliver a message of Lishbunah’s weaknesses to Alfonso, who plans to march on Lishbunah with the help of the Crucesignati (crusaders). Al-Daudi hopes that Alfonso’s conquering of the city would be better for the Jews in Lishbunah than the encroaching threat of the Almohad, a Muslim power that demands either conversion or death.

Joshua travels on to the city of Qurtuba and becomes a student of Rabbi Maimon ben Joseph. However, Joshua’s troubles have only begun. He becomes involved with Karaites, Jews who reject Rabbinical authority, and shares in their far-off dream of retaking Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). Together they leave Qurtuba, only to suffer at the hands of a band of Christian soldiers. Joshua’s fury at the world of Muslims and Christians grows with each misstep in his journey, as he watches friends be killed, loses his father’s respect, and is told over and over again to accept these pains as God’s plan.

He travels through al-Andalus, across the Mediterranean to Sicilia (Sicily) and Al-Misr (Egypt), and down the Red Sea as he tries to redeem himself in his father’s eyes. He can’t forget the cruelties he suffers, and they weigh on his shoulders. But so too does each kind act keep his spirit alive. As he sees more and more of the world, he measures his desire for retribution against the ideals of his faith.

The Merchant from Sepharad offers an in-depth, fascinating look into twelfth-century Iberia, the Mediterranean, and the Red Sea.

From Lishbuna to Qurtuba to al-Yaman, Joshua encounters the subtleties of social life amongst peoples with vastly different histories. Rather than taking a broad view of the dynamics between different cultures in al-Andalus and al-Misr, author James Hutson-Wiley fills this book with specific struggles and clashes. A helpful glossary at the end of the book explains the terms and language of this time and place.

This dedication to detail makes each new city feel unique, as they were in real life. The people speak and treat each other differently, the pains and joys are weighed out in different amounts, and the ever-turning wheels of history threaten to crush one people while enriching another. As a Jew, Joshua remains an outsider along much of his journey, giving him a fascinating view of the conflicts in his world. Readers will learn much about the power struggles of the twelfth century as they follow him from region to region.

Joshua becomes an engrossing protagonist through his struggle to succeed as a merchant – and often just to survive.

His anger drives him to make rash, but understandable, choices. Despite all of the social forces arrayed against him, he hopes to make some kind of change in the world. But when his very life is threatened, more than once, how can he hold on to his ideals and his rage at the same time?

Friends and teachers on Joshua’s journey show a more hopeful side of humanity. The kind Blazh, patient Maimon, passionate Simon, stalwart Wallo, and others help to shape Joshua’s emotional path. He comes to understand that oppression is shared amongst many people, and one of the few strengths they have is solidarity with one another. Without the generosity of others, Joshua would never have survived. But, of course, the cruelty of the world stings worst when it takes good people from him.

At the heart of the story lay Joshua’s faith, and sometimes lack thereof.

He learns from Rabbis, explores the Karaite philosophy, and tries to take solace in his beliefs. Much of his life is shaped by being a Jew, how could it not be in a place like al-Andalus? But while teachers like Maimon urge him to be patient and understanding of God’s plan, others like Simon insist that God demands them to act against their oppressors. He struggled to believe that God could want him to accept all of the pain and death he’s seen. Should he not take up his sling against the forces of Amalek?

As he learns of new people and their struggles, he considers what unity there is in faith. While his hope of taking Yerushalayim remains far out of reach, perhaps there are still some ways that he can help those who share his hardships?

The Merchant from Sepharad not only provides lessons on history, but an exploration of Jewish philosophy and scripture. Fans of historical fiction and religious history will adore this story, the third installment in the Sugar Merchant series.

March 29, 2023
EO-N by Dave Mason – Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction, Historical Mystery

A young boy in Norway makes a discovery while playing with his dog, opening the mystery of EO-N by Dave Mason, a detective story spanning multiple decades and both sides of the Atlantic, a deep dive into the horrors of Nazi Germany, and a heartfelt love story.

A small metal fragment leads to the discovery of a downed WWII twin-engine Mosquito fighter-bomber hidden in snow and glacial ice for nearly 75 years. The crash site yields an initial set of clues, one of which finds its way across the world to Alison Wiley, a biotech CEO in Seattle. Having recently lost her mother, and, a few years earlier, her brother in Afghanistan, she finds her days full of despair, but the discovery makes a distant connection to her long-lost grandfather, and she flies to Norway. There, she meets Scott Wilcox, a Canadian researcher assigned to investigate the discovery after his government learned that the crashed aircraft belonged to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Their attraction is both intellectual and emotional, but the quest to uncover the plane’s mysteries and the fate of Alison’s grandfather place any romance to the side.

At first, the crash doesn’t appear exceptional, until certain contradictory and confusing clues emerge that make it clear that the circumstances that led to the plane’s fate were anything but simple.

EO-N’s story is complex, leading the reader from clue to revelation with a sure hand. And it takes a dark secret from the past and develops it into something that might make the world a better place.

The details are key to the novel’s success. Readers will wonder whether the facts outlined in the book are based on actual history, and while the specifics of the heinous Nazi activities at the center of the story may differ somewhat from reality, the spirit of the revelations rings true.

This novel is impeccably researched, and the characters are believable, warm, and heartbreaking. Readers won’t be able to put it down until its perfect conclusion.

EO-N by Dave Mason won the Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Hemingway Awards for 20th Century Wartime Fiction.

March 24, 2023
PEBBLES And The BIGGEST NUMBER by Joey Benun, illustrated by Laura Watson – Picture Books, Children’s Science Books, Science & Nature

Pebbles the butterfly loves to count as much as he can in his garden. But soon enough he gets curious, and in Pebbles and the Biggest Number by Joey Benun, he embarks on a science-filled quest to find the world’s truly gigantic numbers.

While the numbers start small, they quickly grow bigger and bigger, as do the wild events that Pebbles must face. Our butterfly guide wanders from forests to deserts, and encounters earthquakes, tsunamis, and even an avalanche. Each landscape and natural disaster pushes Pebbles onward to meet new friends and find even bigger numbers.

How big can the numbers get?

You’ll find no made-up numbers in Pebbles and the Biggest Number. Everything from a quintillion to a googolplex actually exists, though it isn’t long before the numbers become nearly impossible to imagine. However, there is a handy sand chart in the back to put some numbers into immense perspective. This is the kind of book that kids will sit with for long hours and astound you with the facts they’ve learned.

The friendly creatures and beautifully rendered landscapes of Pebbles’s journey will engage young and curious minds. Complete with extra notes and definitions in the back, this book will continue to teach even after the story ends.

Pebbles and the Biggest Number is hopefully the start of a great new series explaining the world to young readers. With its wonderful descriptions and knowledge, this book comes highly recommended!

March 20, 2023
A PLACE Of REFUGE: Book Four of First Light by Linda Cardillo – Romance, Historical Fiction, Women’s Literature

Izzy Monroe has lost herself. Three months after an accident that damaged a portion of her brain, she isolates herself in her parent’s home on Chappaquiddick Island, on the eastern end of Martha’s Vineyard.

She has spent her life in the world of academia, working on a doctorate in literature at Harvard, but now with her short-term memory gone, she has to give up her dreams. Her emptiness and doubt have left her rudderless and deeply depressed.

When her former college roommate, Maria, suggests she intern at Portarello, Maria’s grandfather’s self-sustaining farm in the Italian countryside, Izzy isn’t immediately convinced she can make the journey alone much less work at the successful inn and thriving farm. However, Izzy remembers the peace she felt there on the one visit she and Maria made years ago, and she knows this is her only chance to regain any sense of normalcy.

Daniel Richetelli, a Jesuit priest and Maria’s cousin, is facing a crisis himself. After ten years of self-sacrifice, he has lost his faith and is desperate to find a new path.

He knows his grandfather can help him find his way, so he leaves the Church and goes to Portarello. A chance encounter with Izzy leaves him reeling. In her, he feels he has found that for which he is searching, but the guilt of his physical attraction to her and the criticism of his sister, Linda, make him once again question who he really is. Meanwhile, Izzy hasn’t felt so much like her old self since the accident. The farm and Daniel are bringing her back to life, but she fears his past will forever stand in the way of their happiness.

The search for self is the central theme of the novel.

Izzy remembers the strength she had prior to the accident. She was adventurous and outgoing, a lifelong learner. Not even a disability left over from her bout with childhood polio could keep Izzy down. Half-Wampanoag, half-Irish, Izzy was a warrior from the beginning. She was fearless. Now, she knows she is hiding from this new Izzy, a woman who doubts herself and cannot see past her brain damage to the new life she must build. She is scared to risk the possibility of failure and pain, but Maria convinces her she cannot rediscover herself without taking the risk.

When she does finally gather the courage to leave her hovering, protective family, she thinks she must keep her inability to remember a secret from the other interns and Maria’s family. She hopes to reinvent herself among strangers and the physical labor of farm life. That journey to self-discovery feels like stepping off the edge of the world, and finding to courage to take that step is a part of reclaiming her life.

Though she cannot truly interact with the other interns or inn guests because of her memory, she plays the part in yet another step toward normalcy.

Izzy is amazed by the power she finds in physical labor. Working in the vegetable gardens and tending to the pigs form a sense of connection as her brain begins to heal and form new pathways. This also leads to a deeper appreciation for her Native American heritage, a deeper contemplation of the natural world – a world so foreign to her after years spent in study and academics.

Her immediate attraction to Daniel and the physical relationship they share also give her purpose.

United in their vulnerability, the two draw on and strengthen each other. Daniel’s path to the farm began with a forced leave of absence from the Church. He struggles with Jesuit ideology to find God in everything. In fact, he can find his maker in nothing recently. He is not looking forward to the mental grilling his grandfather will give him, but he knows it is the only way to truly rediscover himself. He lacks Izzy’s courage, though, and doesn’t immediately face his indecision.

Daniel recognizes a mystical power within Izzy, likely from her brush with death, and he is inexplicably drawn to that power. The guilt he feels over his fascination with her and his lack of courage nearly push him to self-destruction, and it is only her love that pulls him back from the brink. She gives him the freedom to be himself, and he gives her the freedom to face her new limitations.

Just like the archaeological dig occurring on the farm, the two must uncover the treasures buried beneath layers of doubt and uncertainty, and just as those artifacts show a connection to the past, Daniel and Izzy must use their pasts to create a new future.

March 15, 2023
EUDORA SPACE KID: Do the Robot! (Book 3) by David Horn – Science Fiction, Children’s Action & Adventure, Illustrated Books

In Eudora Space Kid: Do the Robot (Book 3), David Horn’s latest middle-grade sci-fi novel, Eudora Jenkins embarks on a rollicking, action-packed story that shows the reader just how much mischief one girl can get into out in deep space.

Eudora lives on the Planetary Republic’s flagship Astro liner Athena. A smart and sassy third-grader, Eudora can’t stop finding trouble on the ship’s journey to protect the Republic from aliens and perform science experiments and exploration in deep space.

The story begins with a school play, where Eudora plays a tree. How embarrassing. Her best friend, Arnold, joins her as a shrub. To make matters worse, Eudora’s eighth-grade sister, Molly, snatches Eudora’s role as the leading lady in Snow White. Molly eagerly anticipates a first kiss from her crush, Buck Fraser, playing the leading man.

Eudora plans a little payback for her sister stealing the lead role. She reprograms Walter, whom Eudora calls ‘lootenant,’ the only robot officer on the ship.

As everyone in the Planetary Republic knows, these robots are expensive. Walter is cast as “Grumpy the Dwarf,” and Eudora’s plot goes off perfectly. During the big scene, Walter pushes Buck aside and kisses Molly, to the delight of the audience. But after the performance, Walter breaks, and Eudora must think fast. She and her best friend work furiously to fix him, but soon the whole bridge realizes that something is wrong with him.

How can Eudora avoid destroying her shot of attending the Space Academy, and save her dream of becoming a Chief Engineer?

Horn’s masterful storytelling brings the sci-fi world of outer space alive, a realm filled with aliens both good and evil. Readers will Join Eudora in this romp through The Athena, as it struggles to operate without its robot extraordinaire.

Eudora is wonderfully imaginative, and she captures our sympathies. Readers will in love with her as she tries to solve the problem of reprogramming the complicated circuitry of a one-of-a-kind robot.

Each scene of Do the Robot! is filled with suspense, excitement, science, and space exploration. The surprising ending will satisfy readers young and old alike.

March 1, 2023