Editorial Reviews for Nominees
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 Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)
The Fox's New Channel is yet another phenomenal, thought-provoking children's book by the incomparable Tuula Pere, our 2023 Author of the Year! It is part of arguably the most decorated and beloved series in the history of our awards, a series that follows the mischievous, Machiavellian Francis the Fox—the only character to be named “Best Character” and “Best Villain” in the same OCA contest! What makes Francis such an interesting character? Well, he's far from a role-model. At the same time, he has aspects of his character that are sympathetic, relatable, and compelling. He's creative, ambitious, driven, and relentless—for better or for worse (usually for worse). He won't take “no” or “can't” for an answer. You just can't stop this fox! The scheming fox is back to it again in The Fox's New Channel, which seems to come right after Francis's tower-building failure in The Fox's Tower, a book which ended rather abruptly and without a clear or satisfying resolution. Well, we get a bit of a resolution here: Francis's resolution to not give up on making it big and becoming famous. During what should be a heartwarming reunion with his loving mother, Francis instead uses this homecoming as an opportunity to enact a new scheme: starting his own media company! He orders expensive equipment and begins streaming live constantly. The music and sounds from his productions can be heard for miles away. Showing how much of a megalomaniac he is, Francis starts off by making his show all about him. Honestly, though, Francis does have a lot of cool, interesting, and exciting stories to share. However, in the context of the book, it really shows how self-centered, egotistical, and arrogant Francis is. Furthermore, these early scenes with his mom really highlight how exploitative Francis can be. He is willing to use his mom as free labor to make himself look better such as when he makes her hold the lights and cameras at the same time. It also shows how concerned and conflicted Francis's loving mother is. We saw it in the first book (The Fox's City). We also briefly heard about Francis's mother in The Fox's Palace as she was under the impression that he was highly successful and living in a huge mansion. It's interesting to note that keeping up appearances for his mother was one of Francis's motivations to go about building his palace in that book. Anyway, Francis just can't leave well enough alone. He can't just be content with the good things he has. He wants more and more and more. To that end, he begins to build his streaming business into a media empire that rules the airwaves of the city. Also, he expands the focus of his media stories from being only about himself to being about others, only in the worst possible way. Like the Nation Inquirer, he weaves stories, gossips, and rumors about people, often negative ones. He does so because it gets him more viewers and makes him more money (as well as making him more famous). In one of the more humorous stories, he spreads a rumor that a certain bulldog's ears are altered via plastic surgery to make them stick up. Francis's unscrupulous activities earn him the negative attention and condemnation of his old mentor (and frequent victim), Mayor William the Wolf. Feeling threatened and wanting to show up the Mayor who has thwarted and discouraged him several times before, Francis ponders how to get back at him and potentially even retake control of the city. Feeding his ego and his lust for power is a new female figure at the Fox's Channel named Flurry. A kind of Jezebel and a temptress without scruples, Flurry exacerbates Francis's personality problems by giving him the idea of running a damning story against William the Wolf by using A.I. (or editing) to make it sound like he's admitting to things he would never do, mainly corruption and defrauding the public. This explores a rather relevant issue: the use of A.I. to make fake videos, audio recordings, and images to defame, humiliate, or discredit people. In a rather interesting character moment, Francis actually doesn't jump on this opportunity and is actually filled with guilt, apprehension, and regrets over it. This may be one of the only times in the entire series when Francis's good conscience actually shows, although it is very sparse. After all, William the Wolf really isn't an enemy or an antagonist to Francis. If anything, Francis knows in his heart of hearts that William was a friend and a mentor who trusted him and forgave him after numerous poor decisions. It's rather fascinating to see Francis actually show a good side. It almost never happens. Is he a redeemable character? Well, unfortunately, Francis pays the price for surrounding himself with terrible, toxic people like Flurry (and the unnamed frowning koala sound editor) when they release the damning audio story without telling Francis first. The smear story is easily debunked and the Fox's Channel loses all of its credibility. Worst yet, it becomes the target of law enforcement since Francis's (and the channel's) activities are deemed to be illegal. The clever Fox, with an insatiable appetite to do big things, still believes he can do something noteworthy in prison like writing a book about his embellished stories and experiences. Tuula Pere once again knocks it out of the park with this series. Check it out on Amazon!
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 Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)
Are you ready to finally publish that book you've been dreaming about? Want to know the secrets that successful self-published authors use to become best-sellers on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other platforms? What if there was a guide that could make sense of this chaotic self-publishing world? Self-Publishing for New Authors by Dale L. Roberts is a practical, engaging, and comprehensive self-publishing guide for aspiring authors! Roberts is someone who walks the talk: an Amazon best-selling author and self-publishing advocate with around 100K subscribers to his Self-Publishing with Dale YouTube channel! This book starts from the very beginning of the publishing process—from drafting your core ideas to getting your own online store up and running. It even dives into the minutia of things like managing your taxes as an indie author or getting your formatting size right for different platforms. Here are a few key topics and takeaways from the book:
He even shares his inspiring story about how he took up extra work and sold his old, used items to afford to make his first few book covers/hire someone to make them. For those who are committed to making their own cover for whatever reason, he also provides great resources for doing so like Gimp (for photo editing), Pixabay (for free stock photos), and 1001 Fonts (for unique downloadable fonts). He shares a somewhat comical yet educational story about the time he was very excited about changing his book cover design to a new one. He loved his book cover design. However, buyers apparently did not because the book stopped selling. Remember, this is a business. It's not about what you want, it's what the customers ultimately want to buy. In the author's words, “the buyers voted.”
Probably our favorite piece of advice from this whole book is to understand that publishing is a business and that you're working with big businesses like Amazon. If you help them, they'll help you. If you draw traffic to them, they will reward you. Dale L. Roberts has helped hundreds—if not thousands—of indie authors, and he can help you too! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 91+/100 (9.1+ out of 10)
Everything from Nothing is an exploratory, though-provoking book by S.E. Elwell that delves into speculative philosophy and cosmology. Perhaps the key concept in this book is that of Natural Causic Evolution. This theory suggests that, similar to biological evolution, universes undergo a process of growth, death, and reproduction. Universes that are able to produce black holes give rise to new universes (white holes being the reverse of black holes). Over time, universes that are more stable and have finely tuned physical constants are more likely to create black holes and thus continue the cycle of cosmic evolution. This is brilliantly encapsulated in the passage: “Physics evolves into chemistry, which evolves into biology. The whole of nature is built around this evolution of interactivity. Without it, the universe would be dead.” This meshes right in with multiverse theories like String Theory (or those often found in comics and sci-fi). Most importantly, this theory helps to support the author's main arguments: that nature dictates that one thing begets another thing and that you can't have something come from nothing. It confronts several of the biggest philosophical, existential, and cosmological debates: What came first: the chicken or the egg? If everything came from the Big Bang, then what was before the Big Bang? What actually caused the Big Bang? And where did all the stuff come from? From a theological standpoint: If there is a god, then who made god? Did there have to be a big-big-big god who made the big-big god who made the big god who made the universe? That's actually a dilemma that Dr. Ken Ham, one of the leading advocates of Intelligent Design and Creationism, has confronted in lectures. With that said, this book does have a much heavier philosophical bend or lean than a scientific one. Unlike similar cosmological books like Revelations Through Science by Governor James Martin and even Eye of God by Aeternus Costin, this book really doesn't provide much evidence that most would consider “scientific” or “scientifically sound.” In other words, a lot of it is speculative, philosophical, unproven, or—as the author admits at different times in the book—unprovable. This book seems to have a lean toward Intelligent Design and Creationism, so your world view, especially if you're religious or not, will likely dictate a lot of how you feel about this book. It should also be noted that this book doesn't seem to have a Judeo-Christian leaning like many Intelligent Design and Creationist books do. In fact, the book actually refers more to Eastern traditions and belief systems like Daoism and Hinduism. One of the book's core themes seems to be that everything exists in binary pairs akin to what you'd find in Daoist beliefs. In other words, you can't have light without darkness, you can't have up without down, and you can't having nothing without something. This is restated numerous times and in numerous ways throughout the book, to the point where it really became redundant and a bit cloying. However, there were a few passages about this concept that we enjoyed. For example: “It was Stephen Hawking who famously pointed out that asking what caused the Big Bang is like asking what is south of the south pole. Just as there is nothing south of the southernmost point of the Earth, there was nothing around before the Big Bang. This analogy is an accepted argument and may be valid, but surely to have a south pole, doesn't there need to be an opposite north pole? If there was nothing for the universe to ascend from, then in my opinion, it must have descended from the polar opposite side.” At the same time, this is a heavily philosophical and idealistic argument that actually falls apart when you consider simple counter-examples. For instance (and to be a bit snarky): You can have a football team that sucks without also having a football team that doesn't suck. One just might suck a little less. There could be a degree/level/variability of suckage. Just because you have a right hand doesn't mean you also have a left hand. Your left hand may have been blown off by a frag grenade in combat. You don't necessarily need a binary opposite 100% of the time. There are exceptions. And because there are exceptions the argument becomes extra shaky. As mentioned before, this book really becomes repetitive and redundant. It also features a bunch of word salads which we think are meant to be profound and impressive, but really aren't. For example: - “It is not matter evolving to create awareness, it is awareness evolving as or through matter. From this perspective, awareness IS the universe or contains it, rather than the universe containing awareness — which is why the cosmos is more like a living organism than a machine.” - “Only through this natural attraction to be quantifiable and determinable can the abstract potential of the infinite potential become an actual workable potential. This is why all nature self-arranges into the functioning system and synergies that is the creation of matter.” - "The infinite side can only evolve by expressing its potential, and this expression is what we call existence. The interplay of the infinite with the void is the driving force behind everything we experience as reality." With that aside, however, this is a worthwhile and rather brisk read. Check out the book's official website for updates on its release HERE.  Score: 95(+)/100 (9.5(+) out of 10)
We've read a lot of short-story collections in this ongoing contest. However, perhaps the most colorful and varied of all these short-story collections is Tales Lost Among the Stars by Emiliano Forino Procacci! What would happen in a world where oxygen is made scarce and needs to be purchased? A world in which everyone is required to wear a respirator and eat synthetic foods to stay alive? What would happen in a world artificially created by an evil alien overlord to pacify, control, and exploit humanity? A world in which the lines between dreams, reality, and artificial reality are blurred as in The Matrix? What would happen in a world in which people are overly dependent on artificial intelligence to make every single decision for them? And what would happen if that artificial intelligence deprioritized things like family, emotions, intimacy, and sentimentality for the sake of financial and career gains? What would happen if Death weren't a big, huge, abstract, impersonal skeletal figure in a black cloak? What if Death were a ghost from your past? Someone you knew intimately? What would happen when a father teaches his daughter to sweet-talk and “negotiate” with people in a manipulative way only to have it snowball into something exponentially more consequential? What would happen in a world in which almost everyone stopped mentally aging and developing by the age of six, so everyone mentally remained six-years-old? What would happen if those six-year-old adults ruled every facet of human society from the governments, sports, schools, and cultures? The answer (according to this book) might shock, surprise, and amuse you (as it did us)! We can say A LOT of great things about this short-story collection, but let's get this out of the way: “Eleutheria” was our favorite story in the entire collection by far! “Eleutheria” concerns a world in which people stop mentally aging by the age of six (though they continue to grow physically). Now, we know what you're thinking: this is an allegory or satire about how our real-world leaders (and other adults) behave like petty, immature children sometimes. Well, you'd be a quarter right. This story is about much more than that. Where do we even begin? Well, let's start with the main protagonist. The story focuses on Eleutheria, the titular character, who goes from being an advocate and an activist to eventually become the most politically-powerful and influential individual in the world despite having the mentality of a six-year-old. One word personifies Eleutheria: IDEALISM. Eleutheria is idealistic as heck. It's amusing, interesting, and a bit troubling. After all, a lot of idealistic people in the real-world can be charismatic and inspirational on one hand and manipulative and cult-leader-like on the other hand. Anyway, Eleutheria's idealism isn't fueled by a selfish desire for power and money. No, she just wants to have fun and sweets, and she wants other people to be able to enjoy fun and sweets too. Eleutheria doesn't see the need for violence in sports or combat. She thinks that everything can be treated like a fun game, no different than tag or duck-duck-goose. This story hugely subverted our expectations. We were totally expecting society to collapse due to the naivity and ignorance of the six-year-old-minded leaders. However, the opposite happened. Crime rates decreased. Wars ended. The economy stabilized because everyone was content with sweets, toys, and play time. Hey, maybe it's true what they say! Ignorance really is bliss. Anyway, this book does have a pretty interesting wrinkle. There actually are people in the world who haven't stopped mentally aging and are actually elderly and antiquated in both mind and body. The key figure among them (and main villain of the story) is Ebenise Farfuold, an old-fashioned politician who wants to take down Eleutheria and her blissful society of six-year-old adults. In a weird sort of way, we were oddly cheering for him in the beginning. Eleutheria did come across as annoying, overly idealistic, and sorta like a cult-leader in the beginning of the story. At first, we didn't blame Ebenise Farfuold for opposing her. However, it became clear that he was on the wrong side of history when he knowingly and willingly began to reverse the positive gains that Eleutheria and her child-adults had made, especially their peace and prosperity. This story also has one of the best quotes in the book: “The earth is filled with people who lost the spontaneity they had as children” Another standout story in this book is “The Deceptions of the World.” In this story, Cassandra and her daughter, Adele, live in a world in which oxygen is a precious, rare commodity. Its supply is tightly controlled by the rich and powerful. True clean air, which should be a human right, is seen as a luxury reserved for the ultra-wealthy. It supposedly exists in a utopian world called Aether. Well, it turns out that this book has an added layer of deception. Not only do Cassandra and Adele live in a tough world scarce on resources, but it's not even a REAL WORLD, and neither is Aether! It turns out that it's an artificial world created by an alien being known as the Dream Crafter, whose real name is Vertumnus. Vertumnus is the closest thing to a pure villain in this book, although he shares some similarities with non-villainous or morally-ambiguous characters like the Architect from The Matrix. In fact, this story reminded us a lot of The Matrix and The Giver. However, Vertumnus proves himself to be far from a benevolent or morally-ambiguous being when he reveals that his illusion world, Aether, exists to trick humans into providing free resources (mainly labor) to his alien race. It actually functions a lot like the Matrix, only instead of providing energy to machines, the humans provide resources for Vertumnus's aliens. There's another story called “Artificial Intelligence” which really spoke to us. How often do you refer to the internet, a search engine (like Google), or artificial intelligence for advice on what to do or say next? How often do you ask it what to think? What is “right” or “wrong?” Or even what to buy? Well, “Artificial Intelligence” is a story that follows two people who are trapped in an abusive relationship with technology. Konrad is wholly dependent on his A.I., Eva, to plan his whole day and make choices for him. Because Eva dismisses things like family, human emotions, and sentimentality in order to prioritize professional/career gains, it convinces Konrad to ignore his family's calls in order to get more work done and to break a promise by missing his brother's wedding in order to go on a cruise with his bosses (in hopes of a promotion). This damages Konrad's relationships with his family members, particularly his brother. Meanwhile, Annette Swift is a radio show host who should be able to lean on her natural charisma and her connection with her audience. However, she has become overly reliant on her A.I., Adam, who she constantly waits on for advice in almost every situation. It's like she has a sort of paralysis by analysis. However, it's not her that's doing the thinking and the analyzing, it's Adam. She can't even think or decide for herself anymore! Even when she's crushing on a guy, she can't just genuinely feel the emotion of attraction, she has to wait for Adam to tell her that her heart-rate is elevated and to explain how she feels to her. What a scary thought! There's a brief little story in here called “Death's Question” in which a man named George encounters the apparent manifestation of Death in the form of a woman. However, unlike millions of others before, George doesn't ask about the universe or his mortality, he asks a question about Death and her well-being. Death reveals itself to be Helene, a woman he once deeply loved, who explains that Death appears to people in the form of someone who was dear to them (but had passed). She explains that “death is not a single entity” but a “collective.” This is a rather beautiful story about thinking outside and beyond oneself—being considerate and empathetic to the other person rather than only being concerned about yourself and your needs. “Rising Cities” is another little, interesting story that satirizes the destruction of nature and the environment due to mass urban expansion. The people in the story build buildings and houses everywhere they can, even erasing forests, colonizing the sea, colonizing the mountains, and colonizing the sky. This is a cautionary tale about how we can't build indefinitely. At some point, we need to respect and protect nature from ourselves. Probably the best quote from this story is “we're not going there to conquer”--which are the famous last words of rampant colonialism. “The Negotiation” is another mind-bending, thought-provoking story! The story follows a father and his daughter, Eleanor. The father constantly teaches Eleanor how to swindle, sweet-talk, negotiate, and manipulate people such as to get free tickets, products, or favors. This eventually gets her involved in illegal activities that land her in prison. However, her manipulative behavior doesn't end there! One of the key themes from this story is freedom. Specifically, this is a story about freedom of speech. We often celebrate freedom of speech and advocate for it to be unrestricted. To an extent, that's a great thing. However, could it become a bad thing when it's pushed too far? What if speech is used to manipulate and swindle people? This is a terrific collection of short-stories! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)
What the Heal is a deeply personal, emotionally-charged, reflective memoir by Dr. Tia Warrick! It's the personal story of a woman overcoming adversity, trauma, and family struggles with tenacity and faith. Speaking of faith, Christianity does play a part in this book. However, that doesn't disqualify non-Christians and non-religious people from being able to enjoy and take something away from it. This is the true story of a woman who achieved enormous success despite all the obstacles standing in her way, and if that resonates with you, then this may be the book for you! It's also a book about healing from trauma, hence the clever pun in the title. We have to say: the most spectacular thing about this book is how dissimilar it is from Warrick's previous book, Burst the Bubble. It is tonally and stylistically night and day from Burst the Bubble, which read as a very matter-of-fact and somewhat robotic book with very little emotional depth. In contrast, the writing and content of What the Heal (this book) seems raw, deep, and emotional, detailing Warrick's inner turmoil and the complexity of her family dynamics, particularly with her mother. It offers insights into how personal struggles can fuel growth, and how healing is often not linear but multifaceted. The book also emphasizes the importance of self-worth, independence, and faith in navigating life's challenges. Warrick shares her experiences growing up in a large Caribbean immigrant family, dealing with the loss of her father, and discovering hidden truths about her biological father. One of the central relationships in this book is the contentious one between Warrick and her mother, an alcoholic and wannnabe-socialite who often exploits Warrick for her intellect, labor, and willingness to help. The mother holds extravagant parties to impress guests while largely ignoring, using, and abusing the rest of the family, particularly Warrick herself. A trigger warning flag could also be raised for this book since it discusses physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse, particularly as perpetrated by Warrick's brother, who serves as the main antagonist of the book and one of the main sources of trauma. We are told that her brother pushed her down the stairs, cut her hair, and forced her into sexual acts. There is a brief moment in which some of the motivations for her brother's horrific actions are explored, such as his feelings of inferiority and being compared to the much smarter and more successful siblings. And this is what we mean by the narrative providing emotional depth. No one in this book is comically bad or evil. Every person in this book is shown to us to be an actual living person, a living person who may have done horrific deeds. With that said, the brother's actions are reprehensible and undeniably inexcusable. With that in mind, the book also explores some of the strange dynamics in the family given all the information we're provided about the brother and mother in particular. For example, the mother, despite knowing the terrible things the brother has done, still insists on him being invited to Warrick's wedding. So, in perhaps the most memorable part of the book, Warrick laments the abuser's presence in the wedding album which should be filled with happy memories. This is exacerbated by the abuser being described as catching the bridal garter, a chilling symbolic moment of him having stolen her innocence and having violated her. Speaking of memories, another standout portion of the book discusses the author's so-called “Safe Memory”-- a childhood memory associated with Christmas. She describes the warm and joyful feeling of waking up to the smell of cinnamon apple cider and the peaceful sight of snow covering the streets. Her family would gather around a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, listening to holiday songs like "Baby, It’s Cold Outside," and her sister Kathrine would decorate the tree and create a mini Christmas village on the mantle. This memory brings her comfort and happiness, offering her a mental escape from the traumatic and unpleasant memories of her childhood. Another standout portion of this book is Warrick's incredible poem titled “I Needed a Mother” which is part of a beautiful, painful, emotionally-poignant letter she writes to her mother. It's some of the best writing in this contest. Here are some of our favorite quotes and passages: - "...I am untethering myself to your spiritual sickness and am letting you go” (Note the alliteration in “spiritual sickness”) - “I looked within myself, but when I felt lost in the large, pitch-black ocean of gloom, I cried for help.” - "When you think you've won a battle, another war rages on.” - "As long as there is life, a fight is left in me.” Some final thoughts/notes: we loved and admired Tia's descriptions of her scholarly and professional journey as well. Apparently, she graduated from high school early and attended college when she was 16 because of her intellectual brilliance! Lastly, we also admired and respected Curtis (the husband) and how he supported Tia through such difficult times and challenges. The book touches on themes like generational trauma, self-discovery, and resilience, all while exploring the role of faith and energy in Warrick’s healing process. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
To Outwit the Fate is a morbidly fascinating absurdist fiction novel by K.E. Adamus, the award-winning author of the short-story collection, LOSERS! In a similar vein to Adamus's short-story collection, To Outwit the Fate follows a lifelong disappointment and loser, Matt, as he finds a way to climb out of the shadow of his meager past only to make a bad situation even worse! Matt's dismal yet sympathetic character is impressively established throughout the earlier pages of the book. His dreams of becoming an engineer and building robots seems like a big flop. His parents tell him that he can't make a living turning screws. His academic journey is filled with aspirations but marred by his circumstances. He initially holds ambitious goals, such as completing his studies, attending a good college, and possibly opening his own business to secure a prosperous future. Despite his determination to rise above mediocrity, Matt struggles to find clarity regarding what he wants to study or the specific path he should pursue . However, Matt's bad luck and decisions frequently derail his goals. For example, he intends to study psychology but misses the entrance exam due to oversleeping as a roommate removed the batteries from his alarm clock. How frustrating! This setback forces him to shift his focus to cultural studies. After choosing cultural studies, Matt initially does well, but a series of unfortunate events, including a fine for not having a tram ticket and a vomit incident at the supermarket, causes him to lose motivation and focus. A family funeral further disrupted his ability to attend makeup exams, leading to his removal from the student list. Matt then struggles to find a job after being removed from the student list, facing multiple rejections. Even when he finally secures an interview, a pigeon poops on him just before the meeting, leading to a poor first impression and another rejection. It was at this point when we really felt for Matt and got behind him (at least temporarily). One particular thing about this interview process hit a nerve and seemed familiar: how inconsiderate the employer/interviewer was. The interviewer apparently knew their spots were filled, but they made Matt come in anyway (or forgot/neglected to call off his interview). We've all been there and done that. We've all experienced people being inconsiderate to us and wasting our time. This is par for the course in the life of Matt. To make matters even worse, Matt brings up in an ex-girlfriend, Monica, around his best-friend/girlfriend/only friend (and—from what we gathered—also his roommate), Alicia, which causes her to pull a knife on him and chase him out! DANG! With nowhere else to go (except maybe back to his parents with his tail between his legs and the meager prospect of being forced to work in his dad's food processing factory), Matt believes he has found an out: Pelagia Metlicka. Pelagia is an elderly intellectual/pseudo-intellectual woman who lives alone and seems to just want company—particularly someone to share her philosophical musing about fate with. Pelagia champions the thesis that “everyone is the blacksmith of their fate.” Ironically, this flies in the face of Matt's beliefs that fate is out of his hands and that all of his misfortunes are due to bad luck. Anyway, seeing this as an opportunity for free or cheap room & board, Matt jumps on it and moves on in. Pelagia effectively becomes Matt's sponsor. It is strongly implied (if not explicitly stated) that Pelagia is sexually interested and possibly even exploitative and abusive of Matt. She constantly demands his attention, even calling him over and over again while he's asleep, showing possessive, controlling behavior. As fate would have it, Pelagia suddenly DIES. Well, to be more specific, she's found dead by Matt. Panicking, frazzled, and not knowing what else to do, he conceals Pelagia's body in the large meat freezer in the house. Matt has flurry of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. He fears possibly being accused of murder and/or losing the home/benefits. Speaking of benefits, he also realizes that Pelagia will continue to receive payments via her pension, something which peaks his unscrupulous interest. And this is when Matt's heel-turn begins. This once-sympathetic character becomes increasingly immoral and unhinged as he seeks to take advantage of the tragic situation. He starts to consider ways to rid himself of the evidence by disposing of the corpse. He considers dismembering and mutilating the body, pulling teeth and small the skull to disfigure it, burning it to ashes, throwing it into the reservoir (which could contaminate the water supply, and even dropping it off at a sausage factory! Pelagia goes from being a person—a human being—to paramount to an inanimate object and a inconvenience. And Matt's humanity slowly seems to whither away, and a selfish/self-serving person emerges. As uncomfortable as this may sound, it's also morbidly fascinating. Matt is in too deep and reaches a point of no return. He tries to pass off a facade of being a hard-working individual who earns his keep by becoming a waiter, making a hollow attempt to appeal to the “social norm” that “money is gained by working.” He even drags his best-friend/kinda-girlfriend/former roommate, Ala (Alicia) into this, discovering that she has some skeletons in her closet and deep, dark secrets too. Ala, it turns out, is a mythomaniac—a perpetual liar and yarn-weaver. It seems like no matter what Matt does, he can't escape the dark shadow of cruel fate or—as is often reiterated and emphasized throughout the book—his bad luck. This is a book full of hijinks and shenanigans (the good kind, mostly)! It's also a book full of compelling, ironic, and thought-provoking quotes and passages like: “...as a humanist, you will lose any battle with engineers’ kind of minds” “...lousy luck had left me.” (Note: alliteration and personification) “...bad luck doesn't give up” (Note: personification) “Sometimes the less one knows, the better one sleeps” “Most often, those with naturally straight hair curl it,and those with curly hair straighten it.” That last one is probably our favorite in the book. Despite seeming innocuous and lighthearted, it says a lot about superficiality and artificiality—changing who you are to fit into a peg. That's pretty much what Matt and Ala do throughout the book. The book also has an aura of mystery, especially as we try to get to the bottom of who Pelagia was. Also, who is this mysterious Jan Metlicki person who keeps trying to get in touch with her? Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)
Why The Fisherman Fished is a colorful, vibrant, and heartwarming children's book by D.T. Rossi! The book centers on a curious and imaginative little boy who is fascinated and tantalized by the thought of what the local fisherman must catch after being at sea all day. He imagines all the big, colorful, vibrant fish that the fisherman must have caught. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, the little boy finds the courage to meet the fisherman one day, finally asking him what he caught. However, the fisherman repeatedly comes to shore empty-handed (lacking any fish). Despite this, the fisherman maintains a positive and cheerful attitude as well as stories about the things that have happened out at sea. For example, a family of colorful birds land on his boat and he gets to feed them. He later recounts encountering a large sea creature (like a Loch Ness Monster) and even a mermaid! In contrast to this, the little boy, is disappointed because his mind is fixated on the fisherman catching actual fish. In other words, he's fixated on the goal and the intent rather than on the experience, the journey, and on all of the other magnificent things that could happen out at sea. The boy is stunned when, after finally catching a big, beautiful, vibrant fish, the fisherman says that the fish isn't the only thing he caught. During a joyful town gathering full of music and dancing, the fisherman sits by himself, smiling contentedly. It's then that the boy finally realizes that the fisherman had bigger reasons for going fishing that were previously beyond his shortsightedness. This book is a powerful reminder of how—like Justin Kojok so eloquently puts it—it's not the destination, it's the journey—or, in this case, it's not what you catch but the experiences you have along the way that matter. Furthermore, it's just a very happy, cheerful, cute, and positive book. It's also bright and colorful, which kids are sure to love. Oh, and the size, font, style, and length of the text is just about perfect for circle time, reading time, or bed time! There are a few things about this book that raised an eyebrow, though they are extremely minor in the grand scheme of things. For one, the little boy is always unattended (where are his parents?) and seems to have little to no concept of stranger danger. He just goes up to the fisherman every day and talks to him without any other adult present. We also found it hilarious that the fish that the fisherman catches are always happy and smiling despite the fact that—realistically—they have a hook in their lips, they probably can't breathe well out of the water, and they're about to be chopped up and eaten (though that's not shown). Hey, it's a book for kids, so we're not going to be too down on that. We just found it humorous. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)
Freeing Teresa is an excellent, thought-provoking, drama-filled, thrilling, emotional, and heartfelt memoir by Franke James! It powerfully covers the moral and ethical dilemmas of caring for the disabled and elderly in our country. In particular, it tackles the core question: Should a person's dignity and personal freedom to choose be prioritized over their perceived health and safety? This is a book that made us cry, made us laugh, and made us angry. It filled us with hope and inspiration. It filled us with frustration and rage. Let's put it simply: this is one of the best books we've read this year! This book is told from the perspective of Franke (Francis/Franny), the sister of the titular character, Teresa. Teresa was born with Down syndrome in the 1960s. Despite this, she lived a happy and fulfilling life with the support of Franke, their father (a WWII Air Force veteran and lawyer referred to as “Dad” throughout the book), and their siblings: Conrad, Deidre, Phoebe, and Siobhan. However, all that changes and is shaken up decades later when questions are raised about Dad's mental competency (at the age of 90 to 91 throughout most of this book) and his ability to continue to look after himself, much less Teresa (who lived with him). He transfers a lot of his authority, including power attorney, to a few of his children, mainly Deidre (his right-hand-girl in his law office) and Conrad, the son who had unscrupulously promised to adopt and look after Teresa in his absence. This rapidly and dramatically devolves into a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear or Akira Kurasawa's RAN as the two children betray their father's trust and attempt to disenfranchise him of his condo and Teresa by having him thrown into a veteran's home, K-Wing, and having Teresa committed to a nursing home called Aiker Place, a place inhabited by people decades older and many of whom are in end-of-life care. Essentially, they plot to separate and discard their father and disabled sister like trash—out of sight, out of mind. The unscrupulous siblings call this their “exit plan” and a “happy ending” to which Franke rightfully questions, “A happy ending? Happy for whom?” It's a slap in the face and a stab to the back of everything their father wanted and intended for Teresa. Franke, the author and narrator, seems to be the only one courageous enough to vouch for Teresa's freedom and what Teresa and Dad would really want. This is a book about human dignity, decency, and freedom. It's a book about civil and human rights and how being on the older side or having a disability does not disqualify you from having them. While Franke, Dad, and Teresa are compelling protagonists in this real-life drama, Deidre, Conrad, Siobhan, and Phoebe (to a lesser extent) prove to be tremendously compelling villains—the kind you genuinely love to hate. Going back to the King Lear analogy, you could make the following comparisons: Dad- King Lear (the elderly father who is declining and entrusts his children to his estate) Franke- Cordelia (the good, loyal, honest daughter) Teresa- The Fool (contrary to the negative connotations of the title, the Fool is clever, uplifting even in grim circumstances, and fiercely loyal to Lear; it is popularly theorized that Cordelia and the Fool may be the same person in disguise) Bill- King of France (who marries Cordelia and opposes the evil siblings) Deidre- Goneril (one of the treacherous daughters, the older one) Siobhan- Regan (the other treacherous daughter) Conrad- Edmund (the treacherous son of the Earl of Gloucester, the play's primary villain) It is kinda chilling to note the similarities between these real-life figures and their Shakespearean counterparts. It should be noted that the siblings, their spouses, and several of the locations are referred to by pseudonyms throughout the book, for the sake of privacy and likely due to the negative or villainous portrayal of many of them. Deidre, Siobhan, and Conrad are definite nominees for “Best Villain.” They are gaslighting, cunning, and manipulative. One of the key moments that highlights the depths of their evil is when they threaten to call the police on Franke and Dad over removing Teresa from a nursing home, then lie to the police that Dad was suicidal, obligating them to bring him to the hospital. They attempt to scare, terrify, and intimidate Franke and Dad into getting what they want: to discard their family members and force them into decorated prisons. This is one of the tensest moments we've ever read in a book! Dad & Teresa are often called a “team” and are likely nominees for “Best Duo.” They are inseparable and do everything together. A major aspect of this book is photography and video recording. Both Franke and Teresa love taking photos and recording. They do so throughout the book. It turns out that photography was a passion of Dad and their late mother. This becomes critical as Franke realizes that she can use these methods of recording to catch her siblings attempting to hide their deceit and attempts at deception and manipulation. This manages to be the only thing that manages to counter Deidre and Siobhan. This book also points out holes in the legal and criminal justice systems as the protagonists are often ignored, depriotized, or silenced by police who seem more interested in following arbitrary protocols rather than seeing and considering the whole situation. Many of us who've sought help from the police have experienced this, and its infuriating to read about. The book also references a theatrical performance called “Rare,” featuring all actors who have Down syndrome, which Franke took Teresa to see in their younger days. This play is referenced in numerous ways, being woven into the plot, almost as a kind of motif. For example, Franke often references how some of the characters in “Rare” were independent and lived on their own, something she hoped would inspire Teresa to do the same. This is an outstanding book that had us at the edge of our seats. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
What would you do if you lived in a society where sight was forbidden? What if the government could control our thoughts and memories? Is it right to remove a part of someone's humanity in the interest of safety and security? What if Cinderella wasn't just looking for love, but revenge? Cook's Collection of Short Stories is a thought-provoking and immensely compelling collection of short stories by Alicia-Lorraine Cook! Notably, Cook is the daughter of former Outstanding Creator Awards champion Michael Cook (who also edited the book). Creativity and the gift of writing must run in the family! Cook definitely proves herself to be a blessed storyteller! Most of all, she proves herself to be gifted at creating and exploring what if scenarios and provoking thought and discussion around her work. “Clouded Sight” kicks things off with the profound question of whether or not it would be right to remove a part of a person's humanity (like sight) in the interest of safety. Is it proper to censor or hide things because they could be triggering, dangerous, or incite violence? Who determines what is triggering or dangerous? In the age of mass-censorship, information spreading and traveling at the speed of light via the internet, and immense bias by the mainstream media, this is a bigger question than ever before. It also provokes discussions about whether or not human beings should accept things like microchips (and other such technologies, like nanomachines) into their bodies. In what scenario would that ever be right or advantageous to the individual? How could that be used to twist and manipulate a person and a society? The story follows Lucia, a girl we presume is college-aged or in her 20s, who is blind as a result of the government's Blindside Decree, allowing the government to control or suppress a person's vision receptors. The powers-that-be also hold the power to erase and totally rewrite memories like in Men in Black while controlling what a person thinks and believes. It is chilling how plausible and realistic this seems in the age of technologies that could presumably pull this off (like A.I.). This is a story that really reminded us of the best parts of The Giver by Lois Lowry, and we wouldn't be surprised if it was partly inspired by Lowry's best-seller. The second story (“Forever”) requires a bit more patience and attention than the other stories in the book, especially since it deals with a major twist (SPOILER WARNING). In "Forever," the narrator recalls meeting their love, Marigold, during a stormy night and welcoming her into their old, neglected house. Marigold brings life and joy to the house as she moves in, but their happiness is soon shattered by the arrival of a man named Oliver Potter, whom the narrator grows to despise. Consumed by jealousy and rage, the narrator confronts Marigold, but things escalate when they later find Marigold and Oliver kissing. In a fit of supernatural fury, the narrator kills Oliver using supernatural powers akin to telekinesis. The narrator also brutally stabs Marigold, revealing themselves to be a ghost. Marigold herself becomes a ghost. The next story (“A Friend of Vengeance”) is also rather complex, following an immortal exorcist named Agamor. His immortality was granted to him by a goddess (Vengeance). As you might expect (if you're a fan of immortal or pseudo-immortal characters like Doctor Who), that immortality becomes both a blessing and an enormous burden akin to a curse. But Agamor doesn't take life lying down, he's a go-getter who is actively involved in combating the supernatural infestation plaguing his world (as supernatural creatures called “Supes” run rampant) and his personal quest for vengeance against Vengeance (and Wrath). Agamor wields a mystical, enchanted sword inscribed with the words: “Fight with heart, and you will strike true.” The sword has the unique ability of harming supernatural creatures by absorbing their essence. Agamor becomes known as “the infamous Exorcist who solved all their problems.” This becomes both a flattering reputation and a pain in the ^%$ since everyone begins to depend on him. He's pretty much the custodian of a building that everyone trashes. This is pretty funny and amusing, even given the dark tone of the story. Having an active (rather than a passive) protagonist for once is a breath of fresh air when it comes to this book. We did kinda come away from the story thinking that there was more subtext to it. We have a theory that Agamor isn't a real-life person and that the whole world he lives in is actually part of a virtual simulation or a video game. What makes us think that? Well, because “Agamor” phonetically reads as “A Gamer.” In other words, Agamor may actually be a gamer's avatar in a video game! Furthermore, everything about this story seems so over-the-top and full of video game/fantasy tropes, it's hard not to feel like this isn't a video game. How cool and meta is that?! It's kinda like the Jaralii Chronicles by Joanne Reid. Supporting this theory is the fact that the story is a lot like the God of War series, almost beat for beat. “Cinderella's Revenge” is probably the centerpiece of this book and arguably the most memorable. While it's not entirely original (the original Grimm fairy-tale and novels like Mice by Jackie Sonnenberg already explored dark versions of this tale, after all), it's still a welcomed twist. In this version of the story, the family dynamics of Cinderella (called “Ella” in this version) are quite different. Her step-mom and step-sisters are actually quite kind, lovely, and compassionate people. It's her step-dad, Mr. Wickham, who is the wicked and despicable one, often mistreating Ella and the rest of the family. They also live under the corrupt leadership of an evil king and aristocrats who subdue and exploit the population. In this version of the story, Cinderella is pretty much Alice from Resident Evil—a female killing machine. She is bent on assassinating and taking revenge on those who've hurt her and the ones she loves. She teams up with Henry (Prince Charming) who also resists the oppression of his father and the nobles. They become a kind of Bonnie & Clyde tag-team/crime duo. They even find a clever way to take revenge on Mr. Wickham! This is a solid collection of short stories that really get the mind thinking. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
Do you ever feel like you're surrounded by idiots? Do you ever wonder if low-IQ, moronic, and stupid people are the root of the world's problems? It's hard being the smartest person in every room and knowing that you have few intellectual equals. It's lonely at the top. Who can you love? Who do you compete against? Where do you work? What do you do? This is the vibe of ROTH by Jonas Romano Weiss! ROTH is a delicately-woven, pseudo-biographical, existentialist novel that follows the titular Felix Amadeo Roth, a prodigy blessed with a higher-than-average IQ (which peaks at over 160) and the unique ability to fix almost anything. However, that comes at the expense of some of his normalcy and humanity Felix Roth is really the reason we love this book so much. Throw away the plot. Throw away the other characters. Throw everything else away. You could even throw away the philosophical, existential musings and the weird supernatural/science-fiction/mind-tripping stuff that happens about 3/4ths of the way through. This book is so great because of ONE DUDE and ONE DUDE ONLY: Felix. This is the Felix Roth show, and we are just privileged to be witnessing it! So, what makes Felix such a compelling character? Well, how about this comparison to help wrap your mind around it: he's basically an amalgamation of the cast of The Big Bang Theory (especially Sheldon Cooper) and Sylar from Heroes (minus the murderous, homicidal bits). Like Sheldon and Sylar, he is alienated from the grand majority of society due to his great intellectual gifts and the way he views the world and those around him as inferior and lesser than himself. Some of the ways he describes people are hilarious and amusing (and sometimes concerning). Here are a few of our favorite examples: * “...he had to teach the executive team of baboons” * Felix describes his peers at university as having "limited intelligence" and states he “didn’t see any value in them” * Felix points out the flaws in his teacher's argument. Rather than admitting fault and saying she was wrong, the teacher deflects and tries to accuse Felix of being a “contrarian” and being disobedient and disrespectful. Felix's parents conclude that she's just wrong “and too stupid to realize it.” (Yes, this isn't a Felix-specific example, but it was too amusing not to note) However, Felix's most intense, vile, and passionate descriptions of condescension are saved for one of the book's main villains/antagonists, Chadwick (full-name Tomi Gómez Chadwick), Felix's colleague who embodies everything Felix hates about society: mediocrity, incompetence, stupidity, and ineptitude being rewarded due to the mediocrity and low standards of the environment. Here are some of the amazing insults that Felix comes up with for Chadwick: * The “Mozart of Mediocrity” * "...a monumental idiot, an incompetent, a living embodiment of ineptitude." * Like “putting a parachute on a submarine” * An “intellectual void” * "Comparing Chadwick to a lobotomized ape was, in Felix’s opinion, insulting to the apes. At least they had the excuse of being another species." * "To Felix, Chadwick was not just an idiot; he was the master of ceremonies in the grand parade of incompetence, a virtuoso of vacuity, a pioneer in the art of the useless." * "In the vast Amazon of incapacity, Chadwick was an anaconda of ineptitude, suffocating and swallowing any hint of common sense that ventured too close to his horizon." Oh, yeah, and Chadwick also puts the corporation in a bad situation with the help of an embezzlement scandal, then attempts to steal credit for six months of positive work that Felix makes toward repairing the situation (and save the company). Anyway, all of this “plot” really isn't the focus at all. This is arguably a plotless novel, at least in the traditional sense. This isn't a book about what's happening in the character's world, this is more about what's happening in the character's brain, heart, and soul. This is about a man slowly and gradually developing from someone who seems more robotic and nihilistic (often obsessing over a 20-years-to-live plan) to someone who is human and empathetic. This is truly and unequivocally a character-focused novel. Going back to our character comparisons, Felix is also like Sylar and Sheldon Cooper in that his social awkwardness alienates him from others, especially early in his life. He fails to think and act like most people. He speaks and writes in an overly-eloquent way that doesn't fit conversations well. He's fixated on things being perfectly right, stable, and orderly (in his eyes), and any deviation to that might set him off and trigger him (sorta like an OCD person or some on the autism spectrum). Also, like Sylar, he has an obsession with watches. His brain even operates like a watch. He knows what time it is at all times. Let's talk briefly about just how brilliant Felix is. At a young age, Felix is able to figure out how a half-dozen eye surgeries are done just after one conversation with an eye doctor. He fixes Amalia's toaster and numerous other appliances in minutes without any instructions. He performs a “Sherlock Holmes trick” by reading and forming a profile of his new employer just by observing different things and making deductions. How cool is that?! Felix is relatable in that he's in a tough spot from an academic perspective. He is, effectively, too smart and too brilliant for school. The academic standards and curriculum haven't caught up with him. Yes, he's extremely smart and likely a genius, but his gift isn't something easily recognized and rewarded in most schools. He's an average mathematician who even struggles with arithmetic at times. His writing and speech don't fit the norm. Astrophysics (like what's taught by his rival and eventual friend, Zain Lestari) seems to go over his head, with Felix often admitting that he has no idea what Zain is talking about. These things are strangely relatable to some of us including our founder, Steven Seril. Steven, like Felix Roth, was a teenage prodigy with an exceptionally high IQ (181 at the age of 13). He happened to attend the same school and competed against the two smartest teenagers in the world, Philip Mocz (now a professor of Astrophysics at Harvard) & Lucia Mocz (now a professor of Mathematics at Princeton), only to always come in third-place to the two. Steven suffered from learning disabilities including dyscalculia, making mathematics and standard learning difficult, very similar to the way that Felix struggles. So, despite his eccentricities and often condescending view of other people, Felix is actually a very relatable and real-seeming person. Throughout the book, Felix is undergoing several personal journeys. Three of the most prominent are: - Building empathy and sensitivity to others, seeing value and good things in them - Forming intimate, loving, and romantic relationships - Coming to terms with the concept of permanency and what it really means for something to never be created or destroyed (like energy)--an idealistic allegory for human memories and experiences. After all, can anyone ever truly erase your memories and experiences? They will always exist in one form or another because they existed before and happened. His relationships with other people, particularly the love-interests in his life, really advance his character arc. Each relationship is special in its own way. He forms a brotherly bond with his former rival, Zain Lestari. Due to Zain being “extremely gay,” there's often an aura of possible romantic tension which never really gets explored. They become such great friends that Zain is even willing to leave his class in the middle of a lecture to talk to Felix. He blasts through a fling with Sofia Duprat who "gave Felix an accelerated doctorate in absolutely everything." Their intense and fleeting relationship involved kissing, sex, parties, and manipulation, until Sofía left Felix for an exchange student. This all is described in an amusing, humorous way. Keyla Whitney is another major love interest of Felix's, described as being an irresistibly beautiful girl from Buenos Aires, Argentina (like Felix). Keyla is like the attractive, beautiful female friend who is always in and out of your life for some reason. However, perhaps the love interest that has the biggest impact to Felix in the book is Bambi (Amber Erin Stern). Bambi, like Felix, has a special gift. She is able to identify genuine works of art from fakes via an exotic emotional reaction that involves crying. She is also an very intelligent person, partly satisfying Felix's quest for a worthy partner. What really stood out to us about the relationship between Felix and Bambi is how natural it seemed. The two flirt and interact in a way that seems genuine and real. They create nicknames for each other. They have an off-topic conversation about otters, then Felix returns with a textbook with an otter with sunglasses on the cover, almost as if to troll her. They have a lot of ups and downs including on a spiritual or pseudo-spiritual level. See, Felix expresses to Bambi his budding philosophy about life, romance, and the universe—the “permanency” that we talked about earlier. Things like memories and experiences can never be taken from you. They will always exist if even just in the past. Felix develops an almost religious idea about how when you love someone and form a spiritual bond with them, they will always be with you no matter what. Even death can't end that bond. Felix uses the example of Bambi's deceased dogs and how they still live on in her heart and memories. It's actually rather beautiful. And maybe a bit cringe and creepy. But give Felix a break. He has been a freak his whole life. He's a dude who, like Bobby Fisher, could live in a hotel abusing room service privileges for months. Anyway, this book gets really weird about 3/4ths of the way in, venturing into science-fiction or even supernatural territory. Where do we even begin? Ok, well a pair of major deaths occur. Felix has a nightmare that then compels him to leave Buenos Aires permanently and live a life of austerity (or something like that). We then exclaimed something along the lines of: GREAT NOW THIS BOOK CAN FINALLY HAVE A PLOT! Then, that immediately gets squashed. That whole arc and hope for a future journey then abruptly falls to pieces. And that's not even the weird part. See, Felix begins to deduce that he has experiences some kind of quantum-shift phenomenon in which there are interdimensional crossings between two different versions of Bambi, causing two engagements rings to magically appear in his pocket (and causes a coffee maker to suddenly break). He then starts referring to himself as a “widower” as if Bambi is legitimately dead and not willingly absent from his life (as we interpreted it). This is really weird and bizarre! It's even more weird and bizarre when he starts telling people that he's a widower with dead-pan seriousness. But anyway, like we said, Felix is a weird dude. Let him be weird. That's part of his charm. Check this out on Amazon! |
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