 Katie here. I want to take a moment to introduce my good friend and writing partner, Amy Grossklaus. Amy wowed us with the excerpt of The Defiant last month. Now she is back with our first ever picture book review. Welcome, Amy!Guest review :Since the earliest days of storytelling, fairy tales have provided readers with wonderful characters and enchanting settings that capture both young and old hearts. But while they are wonderfully creative, fairy tales have also cast a pall over the concept of what it means to be a “stepmother”. That is why Tami Butcher’s My Bonus Mom: Taking the Step out of Stepmom is so refreshing. It attacks this stereotype head on and debunks the myth that all stepmothers must be cruel. Let’s be honest, as kids we all shivered when the evil stepmother locked Cinderella in the basement just as Prince Charming arrived with the glass slipper. We gasped when the twisted stepmother of Snow White convinced her to chomp into the poisoned apple. There was even an episode of The Brady Bunch, for those of you older than forty, which played off the idea of the wicked stepmother. So it is refreshing to finally read a children’s book that puts the idea of being a stepmother into a much more realistic and caring light. In rhythmic verse, My Bonus Mom tells the story of an eleven year-old girl learning of her parents impending divorce. It follows her emotional ups and downs as she begins to navigate this new life, and hits on one of the most troubling aspects of divorce: when a parent finds new love. While frightening at first, she learns this new person isn’t there to compete for her parent’s affection, but can actually become a “bonus” in her life. A wonderfully refreshing approach to a subject that is so topical today. I highly recommend this engaging children’s story as it instantly grabbed me by the heart. Butcher’s heartfelt prose addresses every child’s fear in this daunting situation. The story does not gloss over the hardships children encounter like days away from Mom or Dad, and worries about being replaced in a parent’s heart. Rather, it honestly deals with the realities of the situation and shows how something positive can come out of a negative situation. LINKS My Bonus Mom on Amazon and Barnes and NobleOfficial website for My Bonus MomMy Bonus Mom on FacebookAbout our guest reviewer, Amy Grossklaus: After working and writing in the advertising/public relations field for over fifteen years, Amy now focuses her time completely on fiction writing. Currently editing her second manuscript, she tries to balance her time between family, freelance consulting and community service work. She currently has a blog which chronicles her experiences as she navigates the publishing industry as a new writer. If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 If someone offered me a choice between having my eyeballs gouged out by a feral cat or reading a vampire novel I’d have to think hard about it. When I got into the book review business I promised myself I would stay clear of anything that sucked, especially anything that sucked blood. Therefore, I only grudgingly picked up Andy Gavin’s indie vampire novel The Darkening Dream after someone I trusted talked me into it. After the first ten pages I couldn’t put it down. I still hate vampire books, but I love The Darkening Dream. Perhaps the best way to describe The Darkening Dream is a Dusk Till Dawn meets Yentle with just a dash of Buffy and The Mummy thrown in to spice it up. While you’re trying to wrap your mind around that, I’ll just say this book is the most original novel I’ve read in years and has made me an instant Andy Gavin fan. The Darkening Dream tells the story of two teenagers in pre-World War I Salem, Massachusetts. Sarah is the daughter of a rabbi, who she comes to learn is a powerful wizard. Alex is a young Greek immigrant with a wizened grandfather harboring dark secrets of his own. Over the course of the book Sarah and Alex fall in love and stumble on a plot run by an evil sorcerer in league with an ancient vampire. We also meet a kinky blue demon, a painting with an attitude, and an Egyptian beetle-god. They’re all looking for a mystical artifact that holds the power of the universe and Sarah is the key to finding it. Unlike most horror novels, Darkening is character driven. Gavin’s characters draw you in because of the seamless way he changes point of view from character to character. This simultaneously gives Darkening depth and speed. The villains make this novel especially delicious. Gavin paints Nasir as a classic vampire while giving him a very human, yet twisted, practicality. But the vampire is not the best villain in this book. That honor belongs to the evil sorcerer and his sexually insatiable succubus girlfriend, who’s so bad she’s good. They steal the show and deserve their own sequel. Even though the protagonists are young, this book is clearly not YA (Gavin classifies Darkening as “dark historical fantasy.”) It’s chocked full with violence, gore, and wizard-on-blue-demon sex. It is suitable for ages 18 and up. My only minor critique of Darkening is Gavin didn’t fully develop the town of Salem itself. The period setting of early 1900’s Massachusetts never came alive and felt like a missed opportunity in what I otherwise found was a flawless story. I’m astonished The Darkening Dream could have been passed up by any agent or mainstream publisher. Andy Gavin unearths a tired genre I thought was long past its prime, injects it with a spurt of fresh blood and sends it into the night to with a blood-curdling 95 out of 99 cents. 99 cents of Andy Gavin links:
All things Andy Gavin The Darkening Dream, free sample chapters, Find it on Amazon. Andy's next novel, Untimed. Find Andy Gavin on Facebook and Twitter. If you enjoyed this review follow Underground Book Reviews on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to our newsletter.
You can also follow Brian Braden on Facebook and Twitter and buy his book, Carson's Love.
 In a time when self-published can be synonymous with low quality, Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn is a diamond in the rough. This YA Sci Fi manages to shine amongst the myriad of Divergent wannabes and, frankly, knocked my socks off.
Open Minds is about a future America where the general population has the ability to read minds. Teens know each other’s inner thoughts and emotions, high school lectures are delivered mentally and you can mentally link in to technology. Kira, a zero, is left out of everything. Since she can’t read minds, her peers treat her like Carrie at the prom and society sees her as a lower-class citizen. Kira has little hope until she discovers a strange new mental power when she accidentally knocks out her best friend. Suddenly Kira is no longer worried she’s a zero; she’s worried she’s a mutant freak. When she meets Simon, a fellow jacker as he puts it, she learns that there are others who can control minds. Simon introduces her to an underground society-- one she’s not sure she’s ready to join. Things go awry when the FBI shows up and arrests all the jackers. Now Kira must decide: Is she with the jackers or against them? And what price will she pay?
Open Minds is rock solid from beginning to end. The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking, “This is as good as any book on the shelf at your local book store. Hell, its better than some.” Quinn creates sympathetic characters that live and breathe, her world-building skills are adept and she has mastered the art of keeping tension on every page. Even the ending was nothing I saw coming, yet everything I wanted. She tied up all the ends nicely and left some questions yet to be solved. A sequel will be out at the end of this month. I am sure it will not disappoint.
Normally this is the part of the review were I make some suggestions about what areas dragged or what needed to be shored up. Instead I will say that if you buy a traditionally published title for $12.99 when you could get Open Minds, you’re a fool and I have some Rolex watches in my trench coat I want to sell you.
 TITLE: SpoonfulAUTHOR: Chris Mendius PUBLISHER: Anything Goes Publishing GENRE: Urban Fiction PAGES: 322 THE RUNDOWN Laden with sex, drugs and violence, Spoonful is a look into the life of a heroin addict. The main character, Michael, is a low-life with potential, and I started the book with high hopes for redemption. While Chris Mendius’ writing did not captivate me, the dialogue was real and the scenes were almost too believable. At times funny and most of the time shocking, each chapter ended with a cliffhanger that goaded me to keep reading. However, the cliffhangers were quick fixes: once the scene was resolved, another disconnected plot element sprung up. Halfway through the book, I began to get bored. Sure, the stories were entertaining, but it was the same thing over and over again. Although each chapter ended on a page turner, the plot simply did not develop. That’s when it hit me: Spoonful is entirely too real. Being addicted to drugs isn’t a fantasy, it isn’t pretty, and it goes nowhere. It makes smart people act stupid and the only thing that matters is the next fix. The plot meandered similarly: all that mattered was the next chapter, not the overall plotline. The book was one long downward spiral. If that’s what Chris Mendius was going for, he succeeded. Nevertheless, I found myself slightly disappointed when I finished the book. I wished that it had been shortened and condensed to portray a single plotline, and although I rooted for Michael throughout, I never completely connected with him. THE RECOMMENDATION If you’re ready for an intense trip that leaves you unsatisfied and asking for more, pick up Spoonful. Or, you could just shoot up and experience it for yourself. Spoonful might be the safer option, though. It goes without saying that this book isn’t suitable for a younger audience. LINKS Spoonful on AmazonAnything Goes Publishing If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 Your child is missing, whisked away to the other side of the globe by a former spouse. The most precious thing in your life has been reduced to a helpless pawn by someone who can’t see beyond the rage they feel toward you. The government will not help you. The courts cannot help you. You’re alone, running out of money and hope. Now you learn your child is in a country rife with child slavery and prostitution and could forever vanish without a trace. In his fictional novel Chasing the Cyclone Peter Thomas Senese details a frightening odyssey closely inspired by his own personal story. Paul Francesco’s ex-wife goes rogue, violates the law, and abducts their young child. The drama begins with a series of court sessions where all the ugliness of a child custody case is laid bare. Soon, Francesco’s ex is permitted by an indifferent judicial system to take the child to New Zealand. Once there, her and the child vanish in the company of an international human trafficker. The story repeatedly lifts the reader with hope Francisco will recover his boy, only to deliver crushing disappointment with another false lead, another missed opportunity, another legal roadblock. Senese takes us to the brink of hopelessness as Francesco plunges into the sordid underbelly of Macau desperately searching for his boy. Chasing the Cyclone is well-written, but starts slowly in a series of snap-shot moments strung together into a stiff narrative. Initially, it feels like the author rushed to get critical elements on paper. Some of the characters surrounding Francesco are a little hard to follow as the author only paints them with cursory strokes before moving on. What kept me reading was the sense I was only a page turn away from the storm. Senese did not disappoint. About a quarter of the way into the book the prose and narrative warm up and Cyclone becomes an emotional rollercoaster. Even though it was inspired by true events Senese makes it clear this novel is a work of fiction. However, it reads so much like a personal account I had a very difficult time keeping this in mind. I was somewhat uncomfortable by the vivid detail of the court scenes and was concerned the novel might devolve into a loosely veiled personal vendetta. Thankfully, it didn’t. Senese doesn’t name the fictional female antagonist and never makes her the center of this story. She is described frankly, but never maliciously and I couldn’t help but pity her at the end. In the epilogue, the author discusses the importance of reconciliation and the role of both parents in a child’s life following the trauma of parental abduction. For me, this enhanced the novel’s credibility. It’s clear Peter Thomas Senese is a crusader, a man on a mission to never let this happen to another child. Chasing is more than a fictional drama, it’s part textbook and part compilation of personal lessons learned. Every so often a character monologues important facts regarding parental child abduction. The final section is a compilation of resources for what Senese calls ‘Chasing Parents.’ Cyclone reaches out to Chasing Parents with critical information to guide them through the coming maelstrom. More than anything else, Chasing the Cyclone is about one father’s relentless love for his child. While slow to build speed, it is a powerful story and earns 85 out of 99 cents. 99 Cents Worth of Peter Thomas Senese Links: www.peterthomassenese.com
www.chasingthecyclone.com
www.thedenoftheassassin.info
www.peterthomassenese.blog.com
www.chasingthecyclonebook.blogspot.comIf you enjoyed this review follow Underground Book Reviews on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to our newsletter.
You can also follow Brian Braden on Facebook and Twitter and buy his book, Carson's Love.
 Rex Rising is the story of Elei, a young man tormented by the parasites inside him. Elei, a sympathetic character if one has ever been written, arrives on the scene after fleeing the murder of his employer and mentor. He has one thought as he loses time and blood: get to Aerica, the last thing his mentor was able to tell him. Once on Aerica he finds Kalaes and Maera, a young couple who take him in and patch him up. Little does the group know the Gultur, the violent female rulers, are after him. They will stop at nothing to get the secret Elei carries inside. The fantastic world that Thoma creates in the Elei Chronicles will not leave fantasy readers disappointed. The seven islands are home to a race of infected humans. The parasites that inhabit the humans change and enhance their bodies, but can also kill them. I found myself fascinated by the seemingly in-depth research that went into creating these complex parasites and their effects. Don’t get me wrong, this book is not a boring analysis on parasitic life. The story is jam-packed with action from beginning to end. Teens will be turning pages to the end. Rex is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters are well-built and realistic; the world is creative and unique without being too foreign to leave us lost. Thoma’s pacing and structure kept tension on every page. The cover itself is stunning and I was pleased to note that Thoma designed it herself. My one critique would be I longed for a broader look at the life and culture of this new planet. Since Elei spent most of his time on the run or in hiding, we missed out on the broad landscape that might have really enriched this world for me. One can only hope that we see more of that in the sequel, Rex Cresting, now available on Amazon. My recommendation is this book will please anyone who likes a good adventure into a new world. It is well worth the $2.99 price tag and while you’re at it you can pick up the sequel as well. You can find Chrystalla Thoma on her blog, twitter, facebook or her Amazon page. You can find Rex Rising here.
 TITLE: Praise of Motherhood
AUTHOR: Phil Jourdan PUBLISHER: Zer0 Books (imprint of John Hunt Publishing) GENRE: Memoir PAGES: 125 THE RUNDOWN Praise of Motherhood is a memoir about the life and death of Phil Jourdan’s mother, who stood by him throughout his tumultuous childhood. As much as the book is about his mother, it is about him: the hallucinations and violent urges that hospitalized him and defined his youth. To me, the book is a psychological study. On the one hand, we have a well-read, analytical narrator who seems to have his wits about him. On the other hand, we have a psychotic young man who simultaneously hates and loves his mother. The reader must ask, how can these two people be the same? There is a self-indulgent quality to the prose in Praise of Motherhood that is so honest in its presentation that I, the reader, assumed the same tendencies. I read the book at a frenzied pace and had to fight to put it down. The book is unusual and intoxicating, with an intentional lack of attention to time or reality. The narrator, Phil Jourdan, is so unreliable in his storytelling that I wanted to label it a novel, not a memoir. And yet, it read unlike any novel or memoir I have ever read. Praise of Motherhood lacks the ABC plotline that defines mainstream books. Other than some tangents that were slightly longer than necessary, the lack of direction in Praise of Motherhood didn’t slow me down. I would describe the contents of the book as philosophy, not story. Phil Jourdan is well-read, citing Freud, Oedipus, Kafka and other great minds, challenging their thoughts and applying his own. His writing is introspective and honest and there are more than a few gems sprinkled throughout the text. With his spellbinding stream-of-thought narrative, which revolves around the life and death of his mother, Phil manages to gain my respect despite the fact that I acknowledge his experiences as unreliable at best. THE RECOMMENDATION Readers who enjoyed The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath will eat up Phil Jourdan’s book. It is not a light read, but it is a quick one. Something that you will devour in a short period of time and digest for years to come. If you are looking for a new perspective, a dark twist on reality, pick up Phil Jourdan’s book. Additionally, anyone with a close friend or family member who is suffering from mental trauma or psychosis may gain some understanding of their loved one’s predicament by reading Praise of Motherhood. There are some mature moments which may not be suitable for a younger audience. Find Phil on FacebookVisit Phil's blog, SlothropIf you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 Title: The Expats Author: Chris Pavone Publisher: Crown Publishers Pages: 326 Genre: Thriller Summary: When Dexter Moore tells his wife of an opportunity to redesign a bank’s electronic security system in Luxemburg, Kate has mixed emotions on moving to a foreign country. After all, she's been a CIA agent in Washington DC for the past 15 years and her life has been exciting and totally unpredictable. Besides that, her computer geek husband doesn't have a clue what Kate does for a living. Dexter's new position will be lucrative enough that Kate can now be the stay-at-home mom she has often dreamed about. The Moore's pack up their belongings, their 4 and 5 year old sons, and begin their new lives as expats. It isn’t long before Kate becomes bored with the role of housewife and mother. She tries to play the part, even joins the Luxemburg Women’s Club, but living life on the edge and is much different than the hum-drum luncheons and spending time with other expat wives. It's just not enough for Kate Moore. The real plot begins when Kate becomes obsessed with her husband. Why is he gone so much? Why is he so elusive about what it is he does? And who is this expat couple Bill and Julia Maclean that seem to ‘show up’ wherever Kate and Dexter are? Something is wrong. Dexter is lying about what he does and Kate is bound and determined to use her CIA experience to find out the truth; no matter the risk or how the Maclean’s try to deter her. Opinion: There is little doubt that Mr. Pavone is a writer. A master of description, Pavone’s plot becomes lost in translation with vivid, long-winded descriptions of people, places and things that camouflage what I would describe as an ‘okay’ plot. The Expats cannot be regarded as espionage fiction as there are no related international consequences to Kate’s discoveries. It’s all about Kate and Dexter Moore with the Maclean’s playing the mysterious side-kicks. I found the characters to have no real connection to each other which makes it difficult for readers to connect to them. Who is Kate? I kept hoping I’d find out. Does she like flowers – does she like sex – does she enjoy murdering people? All I know is that Kate is afraid the past will catch up to her. I want thrills when I read a thriller. Somebody has to die, maybe a bloody massacre, someone looking over a shoulder waiting to catch another character off guard . The Expats is a predictable cat-and-mouse game that never quite spreads its wings. Recommendation: I would not recommend The Expats for your next read, however I would definitely stay tuned for Pavone’s second book. Rating: 3 stars The Expats on Amazon
 TITLE: The Dewey Decimal System
AUTHOR: Nathan Larson
PUBLISHER: Akashic Books
EDITOR: Ibrahim Amhad
GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
PAGES: 251
THE RUNDOWN
Perhaps the fatal flaw of The Dewey Decimal System is the title itself. Never have I had to so adamantly defend a book from curious bystanders who said, “Wow, that sounds boring.” But despite the title, The Dewey Decimal System was one of the most engaging, fast-paced and entertaining novels I have read in a long time.
Dewey Decimal, our hero, is an OCD librarian-wannabe and part-time hit-man in post-apocalyptic New York City. The novel is told in a refreshing and entertaining voice as Dewey gets himself into trouble time and time again. Dewey is addicted to “little blue pills” and Purell hand sanitizer, and believes that his memories were implanted in his brain to replace who he used to be.
We don’t learn much about Dewey’s skills as a librarian, but we do learn that he’s not a very good hit-man. He quickly finds himself tangled in a death triangle that resembles a love triangle: Before the novel is out he has been assigned to kill the man he used to work for by the man he was originally assigned to kill, and has fallen in love with the woman that both men want dead. Throughout most of the book, he is dragging himself, wounded, from one danger to the next. I couldn’t put the book down, afraid that in my absence Dewey would be shot and killed.
While I enjoyed the book in the beginning, it’s a good thing I took some time between finishing The Dewey Decimal System and writing a review. If I had written the review the day afterwards, it would have been a long string of expletives. Looking back, a book that can incite so much passionate anger and frustration must be a good one.
I can’t fully explain my rage without giving away the ending, but I will suffice it to say that I read the book on the edge of my seat, waiting for answers about questions from the past. Some of the answers never came, and some of them were blatantly destroyed by Dewey himself. This left me tortured and wondering and very, very angry. That being said, I’ll be waiting with baited breath for the sequel, to see if Dewey will unearth some information and redeem himself from such a frustratingly stupid move.
THE RECOMMENDATION
Want non-stop action and a unique voice that keeps you turning pages long into the night? Want a post-apocalyptic scene that is unique and mysterious and chaotic? Pick up The Dewey Decimal System. Want an explanation for the current state of post-apocalyptic destruction, or at least some semblance of closure at the end of the book? Well, you might hold off until the sequel comes out, and hope that Nathan Larson has something good hidden up his sleeve.
 Every once and a while a young adult book comes along that surprises me. The Domino Effect falls into this category, both thoughtful-- yet humorous, moralistic-- yet light-hearted. Cotto's coming-of-age story left me invigorated, and thinking to myself, “Now, that's how you tell a story.” Though The Domino Effect has not seen the rampant readership like current fantasy and sci-fi novels, it should. The story chronicles the high school career, particularly the senior year, of Danny “Domino” Rorro. After a violent attack at his old school, Danny's parents enroll him in Hamden Academy, a prestigious boarding school far different than life at home. Danny manages to maintain his comical out-look on life in this new setting, though he carries scars from the past. Things begin to change for Danny when he is assigned a roommate, Terance King, the only African American at Hamden Academy. This event propels both boys into a conflict of race that tests them to the core and changes them forever. Though the novel takes a while to warm up, the depth of Danny's character will draw you in and keep you captive. Danny's wise-cracking, street-wise Italian voice will keep you chuckling. Cotto is a master at the adolescent banter and the descriptions of Hamden, told through Danny, were pitch perfect. The tender romance between Danny and Brenda Devine is touching and heartfelt. My one complaint would be that Cotto opens with pages of exposition on the previous three years, much of which could have been dealt out later or cut completely. I fear that readers may get bogged down in the first few pages and miss the gold lurking beyond. Overall, The Domino Effect, does not disappoint. You'll find yourself cheering for Danny through the end. But more importantly, you'll find yourself reflecting on deep issues, something that is often lacking in teen literature of today. You can find The Domino Effect here. You can find Andrew Cotto's website here, his Facebook here and his twitter here.
|
