Editorial Reviews for Nominees
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 Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)
Elven Blood is a spirited fantasy/adventure novel by Mark Stanley! It is full of magic and magical creatures. It also features some of the most ambitious world-building of the contest. We have to admit that when we first read Elven Blood, we were a bit bored, confused, and disappointed. This book can be incredibly plodding and slow. That's what happens when your book is complex, dense, and features numerous main/major protagonists. We experienced a similar feeling with Codex Sohrakia by KM Taylor. We kept finding ourselves wondering, So is the main conflict going to happen now? Are these two groups finally going to get it on and fight? When are these five major characters going to meet? In other words, we became a bit impatient. The book really got bogged down by the fantasy novel trap of being overly involved and having to explain an enormous, sprawling conflict and universe to an audience. The other fantasy novel trap that this book seems to fall into is that it just keeps developing from beginning to end, making it almost feel like it's stuck in one gear and can't move past that. Exacerbating that problem is when the narrative decides that it needs to describe the entire complex magic system to us, seemingly multiple times. Action-adventure books have conditioned us to want big, epic battles and ferocious duels immediately. They've conditioned us to crave fighting, violence, and war. Be honest. Well, guess what? That's sorta the beauty of this book. It's ANTI-fighting, ANTI-violence, and ANTI-war. It's a book about diplomacy, setting aside differences, forming alliances, finding common ground, and finding peace. When we eventually figured that out, we really started to appreciate this book. Thematically and story-wise, it's actually a lot like The 5 Moons of Tiiana by P.T. Harry: different races coming together in the interest of peace. In P.T. Harry's book, it was a diverse collection of aliens. In Mark Stanley's book, it's a diverse collection of humans and magical creatures like Elves, Dwarves, and lizard people. In Elven Blood a conflict is brewing in the world of Vellhor, particularly between the Dwarves, Elves, and the Drogo Mulik, the aforementioned race of lizard-like people. However, this book makes it clear that conflict is never so clear. You'd think that the cute Dwarves and Elves would be the protagonists and that the scary-looking Drogo Mulik, a warrior race, would be the antagonists. That's true, to an extent, but the Dwarves and Elves aren't exactly the most benevolent parties either. All of them have contributed to bringing the world to the precipice of war. The Elves, in particular, are portrayed as being extremely proud, practically to the point of arrogance and hubris. In other words, they seem to think they're better than everyone else because of their powerful magic, their rich history, their beauty, and reputation. They're kinda like the Saiyans from Dragon Ball. Because of that, they also come across as somewhat bigoted or even racist, even segregating and excluding their own members. For example, Anwyn, is an outcast among them because of the way she was born. You get the sense that they don't just want to fight the Drogo Mulik out of a sense of honor, duty, safety, and security. It really seems like they want to fight the Drogo Mulik because they see themselves as better, smarter, more beautiful, and more civilized than them. As alluded to before, Elven Blood follows an ensemble cast of characters of different races and backgrounds. Anwyn, who we mentioned as an elf outcast, lives with her parents in the forest. She is a skilled warrior and mage, trained by her parents, and is determined to prove her worth to the Elven society that shuns her. Then, there's Gunnar, a dwarf and heir to Clan Draegoor. Gunnar is a seasoned warrior known for his leadership and combat prowess. He is the leader of the elite unit known as the Snow Wolves and is tasked with protecting his clan from various threats. There's Kemp, a human mage with rare elemental affinity. Kemp is a student at Lakeview Academy. His journey involves honing his magical abilities and navigating the expectations placed upon him by society. There's Ruiha, a former assassin from the Sand Dragons gang. Ruiha seeks redemption after defying her manipulative mentor, Faisal. She is skilled in combat and survival, constantly on the run from those who seek revenge for her previous victims. She kinda reminded us of Beatrix from Kill Bill. Ruiha and Anwyn are kinda the overpowered lady bosses of this book, taking down multiple full-grown men because... of course. And then, interestingly enough, there's Dakarai, a Drogo Mulik miner. Dakarai and his wife, Melagai, are concerned about their son who is obsessed with becoming a Drogo Mulik warrior and joining the coming war. We really loved this because it shows that the Drogo Mulik are not just mindless, kill-crazy, warmongering monsters. They have feelings, emotions, hopes, dreams, relationship, and concerns just like humans, Elves, and Dwarves do. There are loving, hard-working civilians in their society who want peace. We thought that was really special. Check it out on Amazon!
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 Score: 91/100 (9.1 out of 10)
IMPOSSIBLE TALES is an intelligent, mindbending collection of (mostly) short-stories by Sury V.S.! Now, to be perfectly honest, this is a mixed bag in terms of entertainment (from the a reader's perspective) and writing quality. What we can tell you is that every one of these stories, whether we enjoyed them or not, still demonstrated a degree of complexity, imagination, and outside-the-box thinking that we tend to admire. Right off the bat, we were hit with the book's first story, “Wire Draw, Basic Needs.” Why the author chose to use this long, heavy-handed, uncomfortable story to kick off this book is beyond us. First and foremost, this story is SO much longer than any other story in the book (over 50 pages!). It's also slow, plodding, and somewhat formulaic. In other words, we didn't enjoy it as much as the author probably intended. Why is that? Well, first of all, pretty much everyone in this first story is an unlikable @$#hole. The protagonist, Carl Matz, is a pompous, self-assured rich kid. Carl's friends are selfish, absent-minded, nonchalant, and seem to lack all compassion or sympathy. They might as well not be in the story at all. Then there are the supernatural/quantum characters: Beam Shane (the guide) and the angels, Anne, App, and Purina. All four of these characters are supposed to be benevolent, good, and well-meaning— protecting and taking care of Carl while teaching him basic morals. However, they come across as forceful, tyrannical, oppressive, and creepy. In the process of trying to teach Carl to value food, clothes, shelter, humility, modesty, and moderation, they handcuff him to a chair (naked, at times) and force-feed him until he submits to their “lessons,” more so out of desperation than of having a genuine change of heart. Yes, this is as uncomfortable to read about as it sounds. What's really strange is that no one in this book acts like an actual human being. That's probably our biggest gripe about it. Why on earth would someone say that all they need in life is food? What, we don't need oxygen and water too? Does this 22-year-old “kid” have an IQ of 50? The other thing that's weird is that he doesn't react to this situation the way that the grand majority of us would. He doesn't cry. He doesn't beg. He doesn't bargain. He doesn't plea. He just seems to sit there and take it. Why wouldn't you have conversations with your captors? Why wouldn't you try to convince them to let you go? It's bizarre. The majority of the experience, he just sits there like some theater goer while a film is playing, barely emoting, barely reacting. Even when he's being mauled by mosquitoes or has a feeding tube forced down his throat, he just doesn't seem to react with the agony and discomfort you'd expect a human being to. In fact, he almost seems to invite the experience. He somehow—like a self-destructive idiot—finds himself in these predicaments again and again. How are we supposed to cheer for this guy? He's a dodo, and not in a cute way! Just read this passage: “He sprang from the bed and began pacing again. Then he keenly became aware of the biting cold. Ha, ha, whether it was the cold or the insects, both were biting him. Damn, though the phrasing was appropriate, the timing was inappropriate. Darn, am I going off the rocker?” But we digress. This story actually reminded us a bit of A Christmas Carol and mostly has the same formula. A man who is rough around the edges is taken on a supernatural journey with some spirits in an attempt to make him a better person. There is a twist, however, that we found amusing. However, did this story really have to be this long? And did it have to start the whole book? Anyway, at least this story has some subtext and lessons about being grateful for what you have. It also provides a rather interesting critique satirizing the rules, laws, and moral codes of organized religions, governments, and societies. After all, it's not like the guide and angels (the people who are pushing these morality laws on Carl) are such great people. You could even make the argument that they're more despicable than the very wrongdoers they're trying to correct by virtue of being tyrannical and oppressive. Thankfully, this book took a huge leap in our opinion with the next story, “Out of the Pages!” This is far and away the best story in the entire book. In fact, this story alone probably saved this book from falling into the 8.8-8.9 score territory. “Out of the Pages” is a story that blends and blurs the lines between reality and fiction, which is almost always cool! This story emphasizes the power of creativity, imagination, and literature to encourage and inspire people including in bad, dangerous, and/or horrific ways. Imagine following the dangerous, dogmatic writings of a genocidal tyrant (i.e. Mein Kamf) or being inspired by violent stories to commit acts of violence. Well, the latter is what pretty much happens in this book, however with a meta twist. In this story, an author (“Imaginator”) of a story involving a serial-killer finds that his main character—the serial-killer herself—has come to life! Her name is Sarah Real, and she's easily the most compelling character in the entire book. Her name was inspired, rather simply, by the author trying to choose a name that sounded like “serial-killer.” Well, Sarah Real is both a surreal character and an actual serial-killer. Furthermore, like some kind of murder robot, she's programmed to follow the script set forth in the author's story. So, is she really evil or is it the author's fault for programming or writing her in such a way? It's also interesting how she targets people who were involved, albeit indirectly, in her creation—going after the people from the fan site/forum who suggested the author write about a serial-killer. It's rather thought-provoking as the reader is forced to consider such things as: is this a form of brutal justice or just plain, cold-blooded savagery? Many people are fans of horror and slasher films, works of fiction in which people are horribly maimed and mutilated. Well, it's all fun and games until all of that violence comes to your doorstep! What happens when a lover of gore & violence is directly confronted with ACTUAL gore & violence along with their own mortality? Unfortunately, the book again dips in quality and enjoyability. The “Nature's Experiments” stories, “One Atom” and “The Horizontal Planet,” are incredibly ambitious, mindbending, and—at times—fascinating. They're written almost poetically, likening Mother Nature to being like a mad scientist in a laboratory of the cosmos, creating such things as the titular Horizontal Planet with 2-foot-tall humans, 3-foot-tall giraffes, and birds that attack the humans when they get out of line and start building vertically (i.e towers). That may be analogous to how many deify or venerate a creator god who—perhaps from the author's perspective—isn't necessarily very benevolent, forgiving, or kind. Mother Nature (and the narrator) keep referring to the humans as “dear children” or “dear kids” right before she acts out of wrath or out of playful pettiness. This is apparent in the quote: “She wanted to teach her dear kids a dear lesson.” The problem with these two stories is that, while they initially captivated us with their world-building and flowery, detailed descriptions, they just seemed to drone on and on and on. They overstayed their welcome, becoming overly complex, overly involved, and failing to get to the dang point. Similar to how we felt about the relentless world-building in Codex Sohrakia by KM Taylor, it almost seemed to us like the author of IMPOSSIBLE TALES couldn't just move on at that point. It became plodding, circular, and, admittedly, a bit boring. It was like sitting in on three consecutive chemistry lectures. At a certain point, the flowery, detailed language that we once adored about these stories started to become cloying and annoying. The author has a rather peculiar and often irritating way of writing. They often mix up the phrasing of words or use the wrong word altogether. Here are some examples: “...author extraordinary” should be “author extraordinaire.” “...was he becoming a Dracula?” should be “...was he becoming a vampire?” Reasoning: Dracula is a specific person, a proper noun. You can't be “a” Dracula. “...the ring could be probably radioactive!” should be “...the ring could be radioactive!” “What do you mean by, what do you mean?” should probably simply be “What do you mean by that?” “...a few mountains there were” should be “...there were a few mountains” (unless you're Yoda... are you Yoda?) “His acute brain suspected that some kind of virus was at work here. Most probably not the kind of viruses that throng the thoroughfares of the Internet” HUUUUUH? We can't help you rewrite that. “...portended no good news” should just be something like “did not bode well” “Adding insult to injury, rubbing salt over the wound” are two separate idioms with similar meanings, but are redundant when paired together “You boast you are a writer, and yet you are so dumb” sounds... dumb and awkward. Maybe it should be: “You claim to be a writer, yet you sound like an idiot.” “I will delete the whole bloody whatever already written from my laptop” is a really messy passage. Maybe it could use some commas? “...had employed a housemaid for cleaning his house” is redundant because the cleaning of a house is inherently implied by the title “housemaid” (i.e. a person who cleans a house). “They danced exactly for one hour” should be “They danced for exactly one hour” or “They danced for an hour.” “Enough of talk” should be “Enough talk.” With that said, this is a book with a lot to offer. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 93+/100 (9.3+ out of 10)
Why I Love Mama by Raymond Johnson is a heartwarming and beautiful book about the love between a daughter and her Mama! This is a love that reaches beyond just these two people. This is a love that has touched all of our lives. Our mothers set the foundation for who we are. They taught us to read. They taught us how to write. They taught us how to treat other people. Where would we all be without our mothers? This book features an adorable African-American child and her gorgeous, kind, and loving Mama. The child reflects on all the ways that she loves her Mama and what her Mama means to her. She also talks about the many, precious experiences and treasured memories she has shared with her Mama. These include visiting the aquarium and the zoo together, going to the beach, reading, playing, getting dressed, cooking/baking, and celebrating special occasions like birthdays and Christmases. If that doesn't warm your heart, we don't know what will! Conceptually, this book is a gem. It is also beautiful in more ways than one. These are probably some of the best (if not the best) AI-generated images we've ever seen. Now, that may be a concern for some people. Admittedly, it was a little bit of a concern to us as well. AI images get a bad rap. First of all, there are ethical concerns. Second of all, they tend to look like nightmare fuel or have inconsistent styles. Remarkably, the illustration style of this book is consistent throughout. For the most part, even the two lead characters look mostly consistent. However, there are some consistency issues, however minor. For example, the daughter looks significantly younger in the later illustrations than in the earlier ones. She goes from looking maybe 10-years-old to looking like a toddler. You could argue this is due to the passage of time, but we'd argue: why not do that in chronological order? Her hair and general appearance also look slightly off from time to time. The chief example of this is the Christmas scene on page 34 in which she looks like a completely different person. She is also much darker in some images and has noticeably different facial features in some illustrations versus others. Page 19 really jumped out at us seemingly showcasing a completely different character. The same can be said for the mother. Her hair and facial structure change dramatically, even just flipping between pages 3, 4, 5, and 6. On page 5, she has a longer, leaner, sharper face. On page 6, she has a rounder, more stout face. Her hair has also increased to 3x the length including becoming a lot more curly. There are other issues like, for example, the right eyes of the characters on the cover showing the common ill effects of AI images. Mama has a tattoo on her right arm on page 38 yet doesn't have one on pages 15 or 32. Her eyes are green on page 17 yet either black or brown on other pages. These inconsistencies are minor yet noticeable. When it comes down to it: do kids really care? This book is a great children's book to just sit down and read with the kids. Even though the illustrations are inconsistent at times, the overall content is catchy, easily digestible, and flows nicely and rhythmically. It helps to know that these images were based on actual photographs that the author had, which is something that we can definitely buy given the amount of detail in them. They are also very appealing and cute. If you showed us just one of these illustrations, we'd say: that looks nice! One of our favorite pages in this book is the scene in which the daughter talks about how Mama is there to take care of her when she's sick. It's a very touching and beautiful scene showing the daughter in bed while Mama tends to her. The scene in which the daughter and Mama are visiting the zoo is also lovely. It helps to think about this book as not being about the same mother and daughter. In fact, it's better to think of this book as being about mothers and daughters in general. Because of that, we can see this book as featuring multiple different African-American mothers and daughters, demonstrating the force of their love and the power of their relationships. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)
100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions: Volume 4 is an eye-opening and captivating collection of technological predictions by Ross Brand and his collaborators! This very well might be the best installment in the series! From beginning to end, Brand and the esteemed contributors amazed, fascinated, and tantalized us with their discussions about the future of digital media and other technological advancements. This is going to sound a bit cliché, but we found ourselves engaged throughout this whole book. We were constantly asking ourselves questions like: “How can we use [insert technology here] to make our lives easier?” or “How can [insert technology here] improve the quality, consistency, and efficiency of the things that we do?” or “Wouldn't it be cool if [insert technology here] could [insert cool thing here]?” Admittedly, we're a bit old fashioned and behind on the times. There are still some VHS and cassette tapes in the bins upstairs. If you go digging long enough, you might even find some vinyl! We still input every entry to our contest manually and send out bills manually like it's 1979 or the Pony Express is still in operation. Like, have you seen our website? It's just a step up from looking like it was made using an early-2000s Angelfire or Geocities account. Admittedly, that was kinda the point. It was supposed to be a bit plain and rudimentary, following examples set by the likes of IAN (Independent Author Network) and NABE (National Association of Book Entrepreneurs). We're still better though... Anyway, the point is, we haven't really embraced or learned much about the new technologies that are coming up and propagating like rabbits at spring time. Embracing these things is one issue, learning about them is another. Failing to learn or being willfully/knowingly ignorant of a subject that's rapidly growing in influence would be a huge mistake on our part. Thankfully, this book is a huge kick in the butt and a reminder for us to get with the times and to familiarize ourselves with what's going on in the tech world. And remember, technology isn't just computers, software programs, and cyber stuff. Technology is anything that is created to benefit humanity or make human life easier, more efficient, and/or more convenient. That's something we learned from Impossible Dream by Gail Buckley, a book about addressing disorders and disabilities through the use of technology. In other words, the pen in your hand, the desk you're sitting at, and the chair you're sitting on are just as much examples of technology as any supercomputer in Washington D.C or Silicon Valley. Technology will exist as long as human beings exist, and until there's an apocalyptic catastrophe of biblical proportions, it's likely going to keep advancing whether we're caught up with it or not. So why not enlighten ourselves and catch up now? With all that out of the way, what is it that makes Volume 4 the best and most compelling book in the series? Well, it's because—more than any other edition—it places a heavy emphasis and focus on artificial intelligence (A.I.). Almost every contributor in this book mentions it in some way. A.I. is the cool new kid on the block. It's the exotic hot girl in town. It's a dream to some and a nightmare to others—the culmination of fears built on media like Terminator and M3GAN. These movies warned us of how A.I. could come back to bite humanity someday, especially if it is ungoverned, unregulated, and allowed to grow and act out of control. Heck, you could even look at some of the books in this contest and see examples of how A.I. could negatively impact or positively benefit humanity. In Sentience Hazard by Alexandru Czimbor, the “CARLA” A.I. serves as an example of an A.I. that can compute and solve problems faster and more efficiently than normal humans can. However, China's “MegaAI” in that same book is an example of an A.I. that can become tyrannical, self-centered, and threaten to unleash a nuclear genocide. In Fake Out by Felicia Farber, the protagonists are put in peril as controversies arise from videos and pictures being released of them without their consent, seemingly showing them in immoral and unethical acts. Their freedoms and futures are threatened as they are faced with the prospects of prison and/or being thrown out and rejected from schools. All over some deepfakes that some kid with a TikTok account could make! Imagine that! John Giovanni Pretto tells us in Ross's book that such deepfakes could potentially play a major and disturbing role in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Opposing sides (or their supporters) may be able to make deepfake videos vilifying the opposition and showing them in a negative, repugnant light. AI-engineered media may be able to make it sound like they said something they didn't or did something they didn't. The contributor warns that this technology can lead to fake videos, audio clips, and news article, particularly on the internet. This could very well be enough to turn the tide of public opinion for or against a candidate. That's not even mentioning what influence A.I. could have on which candidates get seen or move up in the algorithm versus which get suppressed or even hidden outright. But it's not all doom and gloom. Heck, that's part of what makes this book fun: it's mostly positive and forward-thinking. Rather than being fixated on the ways that A.I. might be able to destroy the world with nukes or antimatter someday, the book is actually more focused on individual, specific little things that A.I. can do to help us. The book constantly reminds us that A.I. should be enhancing what you do, not replacing what you do. It has the potential to help with things like outlining or editing, similar to the way that Grammarly currently works. However, the most tantalizing and exciting thing that A.I. seems to hold the promise of doing is eventually being able to produce media like films, TV shows, and animation cheaply or freely! These are things that would cost an individual or studio in the ballpark of $200-250 million today! That means that everyone who ever dreamed of making a film, anime, or cartoon someday could eventually be able to do so from the comfort of their own home and with a shoestring budget! 3x Emmy Award winner Jeffrey Fitgerald (called "JeffInHighDef") talked the most about this in the book. And it's actually quite plausible. Think about it... we've gone from making “home movies” on giant cameras that you had to carry on your shoulder to editing video files from Sony handheld cams on Windows Movie Maker. From there, we've gotten to the point where you can pay $30-100 for a video editing software that allows you to produce surprisingly impressive special effects that would've been movie-quality 30-40 years ago and TV-quality only 20 years ago. That's impressive! So it's not unprecedented that we could reach a point in which all you have to do is upload a script with some character descriptions, actor names, and you'd get a full-length movie with the click of a button or a tap of your screen! This actually had us thinking back to Culver City, a novel by Brant Vickers in which the characters get to talk to and interact with actors and actresses from the past including Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Frank Morgan, and Judy Garland! Imagine being able to produce a film starring Sir Laurence Olivier, Judy Garland, Robin Williams, John Wayne, Toshiro Mifune, and Betty White! Yeah, there'd be some ethical issues about whether or not their estates would be owed compensation for their appearance. And, yeah, there'd be the issue of them consenting to appear in a film without being alive to do so. However, just the thought that it could plausibly happen is mind-boggling! Chetachi A. Egwu, Ph.D said that, because of advancements in this technology, Hollywood is losing its grip—its stranglehold—on digital media and the entertainment industry. What does that mean for the rest of us? Well, it means more opportunities! With power and control less centralized, the rest of us have more leverage and leeway to produce great stuff of our own! There's less of a barrier to entry now that technology has leveled the playing field. Adams talked about how you could use this same technology to summarize a whole movie or film series! For example, you could ask it to show you the Lord of the Rings in 30 minutes! Imagine that! Imagine if you could do that with an hour-long biology lecture! Take that, American education system! Take that, busy work! Another cool thing that this technology might be able to do is to make movies, films, TV shows, and even video games fully-immersive and real-seeming. For example, you can be IN the world or universe with the other characters in a work of fiction or digital media rather than pressing buttons on a controller or watching passively from a TV screen, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Podcaster Ian Anderson Gray says in this book that even podcasts could be like this! It could be like you're in the studio or room with the streamer or podcaster! Gray even says you might be able to smell them. And this totally got our minds thinking dirty because you just know that the Twitch & OnlyFans e-girls and their simps are going to abuse the heck out of this technology. In other words, adult content is going to become... well, erm... edgier and more immersive than its ever been (to say the least). Those poor street corner girls are gonna go the way of Tower Records, K-Mart, and the dodo. Uh, oh! Maybe machines are starting to take all the jobs! Well, anyway, there were some other great predictions that didn't have to do with A.I. Perhaps our favorite of these predictions was made by Marisa Cali. She predicted that we would see a rise in “micro-events.” These are smaller, more personal, virtual events. They would be shorter than all-day conventions and smaller (in attendance) than a full seminar or lecture. Here's a true story about how this prediction resonated with us. A lot of us are video game nerds. During the pandemic, all of the conventions were canceled. There would be no meeting voice actors, animators, music composers, and other creators... or so we thought... Virtual cons started popping up which allowed you—the user—to create an avatar and actually tour a digital convention, visiting the different booths and attending scheduled parts of the event as if you were physically there! How cool is that! Now, quite frankly, the attendance wasn't nearly as great as a physical convention. Furthermore, the experience was a lot less cool than being there in-person and interacting with everyone face-to-face. However, it was a great backup option. It also revealed that the technology existed to make virtual cons possible. It can only get better. Maybe we'll see more like that! Roger Wakefield made some very interesting predictions about how digital technology and A.I. could make it possible to automatically translate human speech in real-time, almost like the universal translator in Star Trek! Imagine stacking a universal translator on top of virtual conventions! You could have conversations and interactions with people from around the world, no problem! Anyway, last but not least, we wanted to shout out and talk about some of the book's contributor who were the most familiar to us. Dale Roberts, a previous Outstanding Creator Awards winner and self-publishing advocate, appears in yet another Ross Brand predictions book! He provides one of the best lines in the book, saying (in regard to A.I.): “Simply crossing your arms and stomping your feet won’t put the toothpaste back into the tube. Artificial intelligence is the cat that’s been let out of the bag. Either run with it or be left in its wake.” This actually reminded us of something that was said on the Long Island Breakfast Club Show by a guest named Karen Quinones, the founder of Bridging the Gap in Esports and the author of Confessions of an Esports Mom: “The horse is already out of the barn. It isn't going back in.” Avoiding A.I. is like clinging to your CD player in an age of music streaming. Dale Roberts provided ways in which A.I. can help in improving workflow, freeing individuals up to do other things they could be doing. We also got to hear from Christine Gritmon, the “Let's Talk About Brand” lady who runs her weekly brand chats on Twitter/X. Ironically, she predicted the rapid decline and fall of Twitter and an increase of misinformation on social media. What a great collection of ideas! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 9.5+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)
Fake Out by Felicia Farber is one of the tensest and most suspenseful novels of the entire year! We found ourselves on the edge of our seats the whole time! The book hinges on an excellent, menacing, and compelling villain in Krystal Cooper, the so-called “Ice Queen” of Westberry High. Where do we even start with this b*&$#? Well, for starters, she's a power-hungry tyrant who makes full use of her cult of personality to institute a hierarchical structure among the student body with her and her “Class A” followers at the top and others at the bottom. She's a bully who uses her groupies, a gang of mean and dedicated followers known to the protagonists as “Things,” to intimidate and bully people she doesn't like. Their favorite target seems to be the main protagonist, Blair Evans. However, Krystal's defining character trait is how manipulative she is. This 17-year-old, self-centered, selfish, stuck up, snobbish b*$@% is one of the most cunningly manipulative characters we've ever encountered in fiction! We may have found Palpatine's real granddaughter. Seriously! She is constantly spinning, weaving, and telling lies, finding ways to get under the skin of different characters. She is constantly turning them against each other with a variety of strategies and tactics straight out of Machiavelli. And when nothing else works, she can always fall back on her acting and turn on the water works. At some points, you're going to find yourself thinking: Why the hell does anyone still believe or listen to this witch?! At other points, you're going to find yourself thinking: She CAN'T be right... or can she? What if she's telling the truth? Maybe a portion of the truth? Maybe a half truth? Heck, she even had us tricked, fooled, and giving her the benefit of the doubt at times! We're not kidding! She even turned us against characters we thought were good and lovable like David and Hunter Hartman. Because of Krystal's influence, we thought that Hunter Hartman, the guy who seemed overly nice to Blair, might be the one doctoring and manipulating all of those photos and videos! We even thought that Frankie might be involved in wrongdoing against David and Blair! There are so many red-herrings and potential culprits in this book! There's Hunter Hartman, Pam Epstein A.K.A. Thing #3, and Frankie Portillo (who was largely responsible for getting the protagonists arrested in the previous). There's also the enigmatic Mr. Cooper (Krystal's dad, who rarely talks or interacts in the story and is married to convicted felon), Keira Cooper (Krystal's seemingly sweet and well-meaning sister), and Alyssa Levine A.K.A. Splenda (a phony person, sycophant, and chronic gossiper). So, even with a clearly-evil culprit who seems responsible for it all (Krystal), the reader is still left wondering: What if she isn't responsible for these bad things after all? Or what if she isn't working alone? It's intense! And that's even considering that there aren't many life-or-death, do-or-die situations in this book. It doesn't matter! The protagonists, Blair and David, are constantly at risk of losing their futures, their freedom, their reputations, their love, and each other. Those are high enough stakes! Geez, and we haven't even talked about the plot itself yet. Well, where do we begin? Well, don't let the fact that this is the second book in a series discourage you from reading it. We actually didn't read the first book, but we were up to speed pretty quick. In other words: this can be a standalone read. The way the author accomplished that is brilliant. Rather than hitting us with a wall of exposition at the very beginning, the author actually snuck it into a phone conversation between the main protagonist, Blair, and one of her friends, Nikki, who is away at college. So, we basically receive an explanation for what happened in the first book from this phone conversation. The Cliff Notes version is: David and Blair were wrongfully arrested and accused of sexting at the beginning of their school year, a scenario partly manufactured by Krystal and accidentally aided by David's clumsy best friend, Frankie, who got drunk and sent out a partially-nude photo of Blair from David's phone. In concert with all of this, Krystal's mother (who we learn throughout the book has serious health problems), was arrested for ch**d p**n after accessing Blair's webcam and attempting to expose her. This was another situation that was at least partly manufactured by Krystal, who complained to her mother about Blair incessantly due to Blair dating Krystal's ex-boyfriend, David. It's weird how easily we digested and understood all of that... Anyway, Krystal continues on a warpath against Blair and David in retaliation. The villainous Ice Queen interrupts David and Blair from sleeping together for the first time, calling relentlessly, even calling multiple phone lines. Anyone who has had a crazy ex will be familiar with this kind of harassing, psychotic behavior. Anyway, Krystal drops a bombshell when she reveals to David that she is pregnant, likely with his child (as they had slept together before David dating Blair). She also used her gang to corner Blair, giving her a savage ultimatum: that Blair will drop the charges against her mother in exchange for Krystal aborting the baby. That's right, this evil, psychotic 17-year-old is so unhinged and ruthless that she's willing to barter with the life of her unborn baby just to control her ex-boyfriend and her perceived enemy! So, that begs a series of questions that eventually get answered in the book. But the question that we had this whole time was: How does Krystal keep getting away with all of this? And why do the authority figures at Westberry, including the teachers, principal, dean, and guidance counselor, all seem complicit in her schemes? They always seem to side with Krystal and blame Blair and David (especially David) for everything. It's bizarroland! Then again, this is kinda how the justice system is. Victims seem to have significantly less rights than perpetrators. Perpetrators have guaranteed legal rights. Victims, sickeningly, have to abide by these rights. It's kinda disgusting when you think about it. For example, if you're trying to get a restraining order, you have to face the person you're physically trying to avoid in court. Another issue that comes up is how Blair and David are still blamed for their arrests even though they were innocent and cleared of all charges. In other words, their charges are mistaken for convictions. For example, the administration still dangles David's arrest as being one of “three strikes” that threaten to destroy his academic and athletic careers, outright ignoring that he was never convicted and that the charges were wrong. It's agitating! And that just adds to the tension. Principal Scott, Ms. Bautista (the guidance counselor), and Dean Fowler are pretty terrible people. They might even count as villains or antagonists alongside Krystal. Meanwhile, Blair is denied letters of recommendation from classes she is performing well in because the teachers judge her based on the partially-nude photo that was leaked without her consent, the arrest, the sexting accusations, and/or them being a friend of Krystal's dad. That leads us back to asking: What the heck is up with Krystal and her family? Like, how is it that Krystal and her dad keep getting off scotch-free? Is he like the head coach of the local university football team? Is he the governor of the state? Is he the police chief? What gives? Both he and Krystal seem to have so much respect and pull in their community, yet they had a convicted felon of a very serious and disturbing crime in their home! This broke our suspension of disbelief a bit, along with the fact that they played a video of minors engaging in sexually activity for other adults as part of a case—something which realistically wouldn't happen because of laws preventing the distribution and showing of this kind of content. Usually, a trusted analyst hired by the court or the prosecution would simply describe what is happening in the video rather than it being shown to a jury. Anyway, we're still wondering why anyone likes or follows Krystal. Not only is she overtly mean and negative, but she is also described as being repugnant in terms of smell, sound, and appearance. Her voice is described as being “dreadful” and “husky.” Her smell is described as being cloying because she abuses fragrances, especially lavender. Her appearance isn't even that impressive. She's not as athletic or fit as Blair. Her eyebrows are described as “tattooed.” She really doesn't sound like an attractive person to us, even ignoring her terrible personality. The only thing about her that's emphasized as a bit of a positive is that she's busty, although we're not sure if she's actually busty or if she just wears clothes that try to accentuate that part of her body. Speaking of body parts and sexuality, you should come prepared that this book does contain descriptions of a sexual nature that include characters who are technically minors, including an emphasis on different body parts, usually for the sake of the story. This might offend or put off some people. We'd actually caution that this isn't really a YA or teen book despite it including characters who are around the age of 17. This is more of an adult book. The fact that there's quite a bit of vulgarity and cursing confirms that. We were willing to overlook that because the book is so compelling, but it's still worth mentioning. One thing we're really loving about this book is that the supporting characters are fleshed out enough without distracting from the central plot or seeming superfluous. There's a supporting character named Kayla whose parents are clearly bigoted while also being overprotective of her. Another supporting character, Rachel, isn't just defined by her eating disorder; she's also passionate about climate change and art. She provides good advice to the main character. Lastly, this is actually a GREAT book that explores artificial-intelligence and the worrisome trend of deepfakes, giving the book its title. Deepfakes involve using technology to manipulate an image, video, and/or audio to include a person or part of a person that wasn't in the original media. It can take someone's persona without their consent and show them saying or doing something they didn't say or do including doing drugs, drinking alcohol, or engaging in sexual activity, including of a pornographic nature. This is very troubling, worrisome, and disturbing because it ignores things like consent, dignity, and a person's right to privacy. The Screen Actors Guild just held a strike over this very issue since AI and deepfake technology threaten to replace their roles in movies. It has huge repercussions for our future! Various contributors actually talked about it in 100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions, Volume 4, which is also in this contest. This book provided us with a great, compelling, and enjoyable reading experience. It never once lost our interest or attention. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
A Darker Demise might be the best all-around installment in M.C. Ryder's “The Dark” series! While Infinity Tales gave us the perspective of Leo (the vampire cat) and All I See Are Dark Clouds gave us the perspective of Camille, this book gives us the much-anticipated perspectives of some of the more mysterious, intriguing, and compelling characters in the series including Immilla, a character we mostly knew only from the mythos and lore of the series. It also lets us spend more time with some of the characters who were prematurely (in our opinion) sidelined earlier in the series including Marc and Nadine, the original super couple and protagonists of the first book. Also, if you missed some of the protagonists from the previous books like Vince, Melia, Camille, and Leo, you get to read more about them too. This book is especially a treat for all the Vince fans out there who may have felt he got shafted and neutered earlier in the series after arguably being its coolest character. Anyway, this book starts off with dynamite, fireworks, and nuclear explosions as we finally get to read more about Immilla, the legendary witch who pledged herself to dark magic before becoming the first witch to break the rules between light & dark some time around the 17th century (around the time of the Thirty Years War). Let's just put it this way, Immilla is a REALLY BIG DEAL as far the lore goes. She is pretty much what Big Boss is to the Metal Gear/Metal Gear Solid series. In simple terms, Immilla is the daughter of Max/Maximilian, the villainous mage/sorcerer who was siphoning the magic of witches during times of vicious and barbaric persecution. She became the lover of the first vampire, Vladimir, one of the main villains of the first book. She is the sister of Serena, one of the historically significant white witches in the series. She is also the mother of both Nadia/Nadine and Vince, who are basically the Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia of the series. So, ultimately, she's related to two of the main antagonists of the series and two of its main protagonists. She also participated in the backstory that turned Vladimir into an immortal monster and sparked the centuries-long blood feud between the werewolves and vampires. In a dozen or so “Entries” (chapters that read like journal entries or letters), we get to learn more about Immilla and her experiences with her colorful, magical, and powerful family, particularly her somewhat-romantic relationship with Vladimir. We say “somewhat-romantic” because—while it starts off kinda romantic and cute—Vladimir starts to show his true colors, becoming rather savage and abusive to Immilla. As if having Stockholm syndrome, possibly due to her experiences with her dad, she keeps coming back to Vladimir and trying to help him despite his abuse. Interestingly, this section also allows us to learn more about Immilla's lesser-known sister, Serena, who chose the opposite end of the magical spectrum (light). It also needs to be noted that this isn't just the most interesting part of the book, but it's also the best written. This series has had HUGE ups and downs in terms of writing, particularly when it comes to spelling, grammar, and wrong word usage. These first 13 chapters are some of the best written sections in the series. Unfortunately, the writing quality does start to ebb and flow in later sections, almost as if the author only beta-read or proofread the first quarter. For example, we noticed a lot more wrong-word usage later in the book. For example, we get: “She has such beautiful and memorizing hazel eyes” instead of “She has such beautiful and mesmerizing hazel eyes” “You vigorously pump your legs as fast as humanely possible” instead of “You vigorously pump your legs as fast as humanly possible” These passages really gave us a good laugh. The other complaint we have about this book is that, while it reveals a bit more about events and characters, it once again rehashes and retraces steps that were previously taken. It almost reminded us of seasons 4, 5, and 6 of Lost in which the series seemed stuck in a rut with no way of moving forward. It wouldn't be half bad if we didn't already have a rehash of events in Infinity Tales. Even if you made the argument that Infinity Tales is a later installment, our argument would still stand: these are essentially the exact same stories told by different people with different perspectives. It would be great once or maybe even twice, but we're like 4 or 5 books into the series and we're still rehashing and retracing stuff that we should already know or be familiar with. Anyway, this book does have redeeming aspects. Again, we finally get to read about Immilla, a character we were tantalized with in the past. We also get to rejoin characters we really loved in previous books like Nadine, Marc, and Vincent. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
Little Joe and the Big Rain is a charming children's story that follows the adventures of Little Joe, a black and brown puppy with floppy ears, and his friend, Hopper the frog. The tale begins with Little Joe waking up on a warm sunny morning and soon encountering his friend, Hopper, who invites him to his home for some fly soup. Their journey takes a twist as they get caught in a heavy rainstorm and are forced to seek shelter in the forest. During their adventure, Little Joe and Hopper meet several animals, including a white-tailed deer and a bear named Roxy. The bear initially seems threatening, but after Hopper helps remove a thorn from Roxy's back, she becomes their friend and offers them shelter from the storm. After the rain clears, Roxy guides them back to the field, and Little Joe returns home, eager to share his day's adventures with Anna, although she cannot understand his barking. This delightful story is filled with vibrant characters and teaches valuable lessons about friendship, kindness, and helping others. The narrative is engaging and suitable for young readers, with illustrations that enhance the storytelling experience. Little Joe and the Big Rain is an endearing tale that children will enjoy reading, offering both excitement and heartwarming moments. Something we really enjoyed about this book were the illustrations. They're somewhat simplistic and cartoonish, but they really reminded us of what you'd expect to see on Cartoon Network. Think Courage the Cowardly Dog or Dexter's Laboratory. Similar to The Great Animal Escape by Linda Harkey, this is a very unserious book that's purely intended for entertainment and fun. It has a very light, carefree tone. Remember when the animals in The Great Animal Escape would just start jumping around or get distracted when serious things would happen? Well, that happens a bunch of times in Little Joe and the Big Rain as well. Little Joe, in particular, is easily distracted throughout the book. He has a wandering mind and a short attention span like most kids, so he may be relatable in that sense. He almost completely ignores Hopper when the frog is telling him his story. He also gets distracted by a red lizard while he's in danger of getting eaten by a bear! Silly Little Joe! Kids will love him. Little Joe has an innocence and nativity about him that's infectious. In contrast, Hopper is more grounded, realistic, and mature. That actually helps to show a contrast between the two characters. At the same time, Hopper is less mobile than Little Joe, probably because of his older age. So, Hopper is sometimes forced to rely on Little Joe to get him from place to place. It kinda reminded us of Traveling Companions by Tuula Pere in which the little boy and the old man rode on the back of the blind blacksmith, guiding him. It's always nice to see complementary relationships and to see characters acting as a team! This is nitpicking a little bit, but we do wish this book were a little more focused. The characters, especially Little Joe, seem scatterbrained. Their minds seem to wander, and so does the plot of this book. It's also a bit on the wordier side for children's book, so this may be more appropriate for kids 9-12, perhaps. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 91/100 (9.1 out of 10)
If life has taught us anything, it's that problems don't come alone, they often come in battalions! A slight lack of patience and a small moment of indecision causes an otherwise minuscule problem to snowball in Axel Washes the Rug by Tuula Pere! Shenanigans and hysteria ensue when little Axel, during a routine visit to his grandma's house, accidentally knocks over a bowl of blueberries when he becomes too impatient to eat them. Attempting to hide the mess from his grandmother, he attempts to pick up the blueberries only to find that they've left streaks on the carpet! UH OH! OH, NO! What is little Axel going to do? Afraid that he'll get in trouble, Axel attempts all sorts of remedies and solutions to his problem including flipping the carpet over, then waiting until his grandmother falls asleep to try different cleaning solutions including harsh, abrasive ones like bleach! UH OH! OH, NO! Little does little Axel realize that if he were to just be upfront and tell his grandmother what happened, she would be understanding, forgive him, and even find an easier solution to the problem! This is a familiar situation to anyone who has been a kid and has made a little boo boo (mistake). Sometimes, you do everything except the one thing you should do (be honest and transparent) because you're afraid of upsetting someone, particularly someone you love and care about. Because of that, you allow your little problems to become avalanches, snowballing on themselves, growing bigger and bigger until they are out of control. Actually, adults are guilty of that too. Have you misplaced, lost, or broken something at work, then left without telling anyone for fear of facing embarrassment or repercussions? Have you told a white lie to a loved one only to have it snowball into a bigger, bigger, and less believable lie that comes back to bite you? Often times, it's just to be truthful, honest, and transparent. And, hey, maybe this could be a problem that the two of you could work on together (the way that Axel and his grandma do)! We may have not been the biggest fans of the illustrations or the art style, but they do their jobs. The main thing is that they facilitate a very familiar and heartwarming story that's sure to resonate with many! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
The Best Summer Guest is another heartwarming, love-filled book by Tuula Pere! The book centers on the unique and special relationship between a child and his grandmother. Many of us who were fortunate enough to know and spend time with our grandmothers remember that there was something... different about it. It was different than time with your parents. Simultaneously, it was different from time with your friends, siblings, and classmates. Time with grandma was something else. People talk about maternal and paternal instinct, but few talk about a grandparent's instincts and inclinations. Yes, there's the stereotype that grandparents feel less responsibility and so are more inclined to spoil the child and return them to their parents high on sugar and bouncing off the walls. Ok, that might be more of a reality than a stereotype. Anyway, there's more to that dynamic than just that. Grandparents have a unique and different way of loving you. They have a unique and different way of treating you. They have a unique and different way of viewing you. They offer a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom that sadly don't get explored much in children's books anymore. In fact, Grandma, I don't Want to Go to Sleep by Richard Ceasor and Axel Washes the Rug (also by Tuula Pere) are the only other books we can think of in terms of this dynamic. The Best Summer Guest follows a little boy named Jonty who is faced with the prospect of spending his summer vacation without his parents, instead spending it with his grandmother, Grandma Gladys. Being separated from one's parents for an extended length of time can be very intimidating. Furthermore, being in a new, unfamiliar place can also be a cause for concern and anxiety. We can definitely relate to Jonty! However, no matter where you are or what you're doing in life, there's always something (or someone) familiar to cling onto. And that's where Grandma Gladys comes in! Grandma Gladys is able to provide structure, guidance, safety, and security in the absence of Jonty's parents. These things give Jonty the courage to explore and try new things (like baking, fishing, and setting up games with yarn and scarves, and tossing pine cones) with less fear and anxiety. They also give him a sense of familiarity and comfort that allow him to do the things he's always loved to do like playing with his toys/stuffed animals and reading with a loved one. Jonty soon discovers that Grandma Gladys has a knack for turning everyday moments into delightful adventures. Together, they visit the farmer’s market, play imaginative games, and bake cinnamon buns for Grandma’s friends, the “Bun Angels.” Jonty also explores Grandma’s cottage, finding hidden treasures and learning to tie knots. One of the highlights of the summer is Grandma's birthday, where a joyous celebration with friends and unique gifts makes Jonty feel cherished and happy. By the end of the summer, Jonty realizes that he has made lasting memories with Grandma Gladys and has had the best summer ever. Grandma Gladys is a delightful character, full of warmth and creativity. Her ability to turn everyday activities into magical adventures is a highlight of the book. Whether it's baking cinnamon buns, playing imaginative games, or exploring the cottage's hidden treasures, Grandma Gladys ensures that Jonty’s summer is filled with memorable experiences. These moments are well illustrated by Milena Radeva, whose artwork brings the characters and their adventures to life. Now, in all honesty, we would've loved to have seen a bit more color in these illustrations. They are a lot more like the illustrations in Lullaby of the Valley by the same author. Some things are colorless while others are brightly colored. Perhaps this was done to emphasize certain things/objects like the suitcase in the driveway or the peas on the counter top. Jonty and Grandma Gladys are pretty well illustrated. One thing that we admired was the emphasis on Gladys's hair (which is clearly dyed a reddish-brown). She also looks totally different from every other grandmother in any other book we've read. Everything about her design tells a story. First of all, there's her aforementioned dyed hair. She also seems to share the same eye-color as Jonty (though that may just be the glint of the light off her glasses). She wears rectangular-framed glasses, implying structure and rigidity—literally like the foundation of a home. That's poetic considering she's the matriarch of the family. She's heavier-set and stocky, perhaps even a bit short. However, she's definitely cute as a character. It can also be noted that Grandma Gladys isn't above wearing bright, floral-print, colorful outfits—things which you'd expect a much younger person to wear. This suggests to us that, though she may be on the older side, she doesn't let that hold her back. Furthermore, she takes good care of her skin, especially her wrinkled feet (with lotion). She also goes out and swims in the lake! She has more guts than a lot of us in that regard. She's rather adventurous and physical. If there's one noticeable flaw about this book, it's the text size. The text size is too small, which makes reading challenging, especially if you're turning your head back and forth to read it to children. It's not untenable, but it is still a challenge. We wonder if, when this was translated from Finnish, maybe the text was converted to a smaller size. Other books by Pere, like A Birch Tree's Year, occasionally have issues with wordiness or text size, but it's not as noticeable as in this book. One of the most endearing aspects of the book is its focus on the special bond between Jonty and his grandmother. Their interactions are genuine and heartwarming, showcasing the importance of intergenerational relationships. The book also subtly imparts values such as kindness, creativity, and resilience, making it both an enjoyable and educational read for children. This book is also an example of community and that it takes a village to raise a child. Grandma Gladys isn't the only one in here to contributes to Jonty's growth, though she does facilitate his other interactions. For example, a neighbor and builder named Teddy comes to help with some of the maintenance around the house, something which Grandma Gladys probably lacks the skill and physical capacity (now) to do. The Bun Angels also come to socialize with Grandma and Jonty, particularly about baked goods. Come to think of it, the theme of baking as a unifying factor carries into this book from Mother's Bread Dough, another book by the author. Grandma also has a lot of guests who come to her birthday, many of whom bring gifts. What this tells us, the reader, is that Grandma is a charismatic figure whose kindness, friendliness, and charm have made her a lot of friends and, thus, brought a lot of people together. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 92+/100 (9.2+ out of 10)
A Birch Tree's Year by Tuula Pere is a delightful children's book that follows the life of a birch tree through the changing seasons. Each month is vividly portrayed with gentle prose and charming illustrations by Outi Rautkallio, capturing the tree's experiences and its interactions with a nearby family. First of all, we wanted to give credit where credit is due to illustrator Outi Rautkallio. No, the illustrations didn't blow us away, but they definitely accomplished what they were intended to. Furthermore, it's actually nice to see another great artist work with Tuula Pere. Outi Rautkallio's illustrations actually complement the earthy mood and tone of the book. They have an almost medieval look and feel to them. Anyway, this book follows the titular Birch Tree as he lives out an eventful yet—somewhat ironically—monotonous year in the yard of a house. On one hand, the Birch Tree and the family experience a lot of things together. On the other hand, many of these experiences are rather tame, calm, and absent of conflict or tension. And perhaps that's the beauty of this book and other books by Pere, like The Best Summer Guest. It's not always about big, huge conflicts and big, huge, climactic moments full of shock and awe (or bells and whistles). Well, you do get some of that in the Felix the Fox series (such as the collapse of the tower). However, most of Pere's books are surprisingly calm and spur-of-the-moment. They flourish in their mundaneness, focusing instead on individual experiences and emotions. The Only Blue Crow and Mother's Bread Dough are great examples of Pere doing this. In fact, in Mother's Bread Dough, there's clearly a big conflict (war) going on in the background, but the book was more focused on the human element and the individual characters. Similarly, A Birch Tree's Year is much more focused on the beautiful and heartwarming experiences that the Birch Tree and family have (especially the kids). The Birch Tree is personified as someone who has feeling, emotions, thoughts, and memories just like a human being, and he's constantly building on those memories as he experiences one thing after another. In January, the birch tree stands bare and cold, shivering under a heavy hood of snow. The warmth of a lantern placed by the children provides a small comfort in the dark winter nights. February sees the children building a snow castle under the birch tree, whose frosty branches watch over their playful creations. This compassionate act by the children lays the foundation for a friendship that lasts throughout the book, a relationship that becomes mutual and reciprocal. With March comes the thaw of spring, and the birch tree begins to stretch and feel alive again. The returning migratory birds add their songs to the yard, much to the tree's delight. In April, the birch's budding leaves signal new life, and it tries to cheer up the youngest child, who is confined indoors due to allergies. What we took away from this section is that it points out how how our relationships with people can ebb and flow, and it's not always due to our own faults. Sometimes, it's just the harsh reality of the situation you and the other person are in. In this case, allergies keep the youngest child away. This is comparable in real-life to when a parent is separated from their children (and vice-versa) due to work or school. The month of May brings a burst of activity as the birch's leaves grow stronger and birds clean out their bird boxes in preparation for new nests. The tree even offers advice to the birds on finding soft materials for their nests. In June, the birch tree enjoys the summer warmth and the lively atmosphere of a child’s birthday party, its branches adorned with decorations. July finds the birch tree helping the family dry their laundry, ensuring the clotheslines stay in place and shooing away birds. As summer draws to a close in August, the children swing on a wooden swing attached to the tree's branch, sharing their excitement about the upcoming school year. This is when we really started thinking about the all-time great children's book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Similarly, the tree offers itself in a self-sacrificing way to the people, being used to dry laundry and also for a swing. The arrival of autumn in September brings rain and chilly evenings, but the birch tree finds joy in watching the children dance in the rain after their sauna sessions. October sees the birch's leaves turning yellow and falling, creating a colorful carpet that the children love to play in while the family prepares the yard for winter. This was probably the strangest panel in the entire book because of the light nudity of the boys (don't worry, nothing is explicitly shown as the genitalia is simply flattened). This imagery may actually hearken back to renaissance paintings such as those featuring nude cherubs. There's a sort of birthing imagery here, almost of a maternal or paternal variety as the tree tries to shelter the children using its shade. November is a lonely time for the birch tree, now bare and enduring the freezing weather, feeling forgotten by the busy children. However, December brings a festive spirit as the tree is adorned with Christmas lights and a sheaf of grains to attract birds, making it feel important and happy again. Again, this highlights the waves of relationships. Sometimes, the people we love can't always be with us, and we need to find the courage and strength in ourselves to muscle through and carry on. This may be analogous to a sort of empty nest syndrome. Throughout the year, the birch tree stands as a steadfast presence, witnessing the ebb and flow of the seasons and the lives of the family members. A Birch Tree's Year beautifully captures the interconnectedness of nature and human life, offering a warm and charming portrayal of the simple yet profound changes that each season brings. In all honesty, it's one of those mixed bags in Pere's rich children's book collection. On one hand, it brilliantly showcases relationships, the passage of time, and individual experiences personified by the tree. On the other hand, there's a slight cognitive dissonance between what we're supposed to feel for the children (in particular) and how we actually feel. We didn't particularly like the children in this book. Yes, they were kind to the tree in the beginning, but they were also swift to turn their backs on and forget about him, actually similar to what happened in The Giving Tree. It also doesn't help that they don't have names or identities beside just “youngest child” and so forth. It makes it a bit harder to relate to them. At least Birch Tree is a likable and lovable character. He is someone you definitely get behind and want to see thrive and be happy. In fact, when he's happy, we're happy. When he's down on his luck freezing in the cold, losing his leaves, and feeling alone, we feel for him. That sympathy is very powerful and important in crafting an effective character. This book also got us thinking about our co-dependent, reciprocal relationship with nature. If we want an Earth to continue to live on, we need to treat it right and take care of the environment. Check it out on Amazon! |
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