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Review: The Between

by Glynis Rankin

I give this book a 4.

 

Everyone at some point feels like the black sheep of their family and it seems Michele is no different. I wonder if we, as people, sometimes project how we feel about ourselves onto others and blame them for feelings they may not actually have.  Add in an intense sense of grief and you have The Between.

I won’t give away the full meaning of the Between, but I’ve been there and I know others have too. This story is a typical triumph for this author. She has a talent for not only building emotion, but for expressing it and evoking reactions to it. This story is a long emotional journey through the altered perception of someone who is lost and hurting.

This isn’t the kind of story I typically read and was uncomfortable with the style, but after it was all said and done, the uplifting message won my heart. For those who read books like this all the time, I’m sure this would be quite a treat. This is a short story that packs quite a bit of punch in the category of drama.

I recommend this story to adult readers of fictional dramas and even non-fiction biographies and memoirs.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Review: Linger

Linger and Other Short Stories by Glynis Rankin

I give this book a 3.

 

I am not a fan of short stories in general, though they are growing on me, and I’m not a fan of intense, emotional, realistic dramas (I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi), but I enjoyed this book, if enjoyed is the right term. This book, this collection of stories, is more of an experience that you either appreciate or not. There are moments that I enjoyed, but overall this book is a reaction seeker. It’s not really something you enjoy, but something you experience and react to.

Many aspects of this collection made me very uncomfortable, but if it didn’t I’d wonder about the kind of person I am. I know myself very well and understand that I intentionally stay away from certain topics, but that doesn’t mean I’m afraid to address those issues head on. I’ve recommended this book to many people because it is powerful. I’m sure there are others who’ll receive it even better than I have, but for now, I’m glad to have had the experience and am ready to return to my world of fantasy.  😉

I do not recommend this book to children, and only recommend it to teens under strict parental supervision. This is an intense adult read worth experiencing.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Review: Call of the Herald

Call of the Herald by Brian Rathbone

I give this book a 4.

 

I have no idea how I originally got a copy of this book. I literally found a copy of it on my laptop and then downloaded it onto my Kindle. Later I looked it up on Amazon and downloaded a copy to compare, but there were no differences other than the covers.

The idea of being the chosen one is not a new concept and the reality of it is not without its ups and downs. So this is the story of Catrin and how she goes from being a farm girl to a (whole vessel of sorts) herald of war while possessing some neat and sometimes confusing “super powers”.

I must say that I like this story. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s good enough to pull me in and make me want to read more in the series. The story seemed like it was short, but it took a while to read. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that the pacing didn’t match the length of the book. Most of it all happened so fast, but nothing was left out, as far as I can tell.

It does end with a cliffhanger, which I do not like. I much prefer stories to reach some kind of resolution and then move on or change direction, but this is one of those stories that build up to… nothing and then you have to read the next book to see what happens.

I think if these characters had simply come to some sort of destination and left an opening to the next book, I would have given it a 5, but as is, I’m too annoyed to do so.

Still, it’s a good story and worth reading if you like tales of “the one” and prophecies being fulfilled. It’s almost a space opera, it’s almost a high-fantasy epic, it’s almost a paranormal coming-of-age tale, but ultimately it’s an adventure.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords