Time for some mini-reviews! What are mini-reviews, you ask? As the title suggests, these are short reviews, consisting of one paragraph tops, about a book. It’s a way to catch up on the books I’ve read a while ago, but never got around to reviewing.
Frost
Title: Frost (Stork #2)
Author: Wendy Delsol
Genre: Young Adult Fantay, Paranormal
Rating: 3,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
In this sequel to STORK, Katla Leblanc has to employ her grit, spirit, and special gifts to rescue the boy she loves.
After the drama of finding out that she’s a Stork, a member of an ancient and mystical order of women, and that her boyfriend, Jack, is a descendent of the Winter People able to control the weather, Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. That is, until the snowstorm Jack summons as a gift to Katla turns into the storm of the century, attracting Brigid, a gorgeous scientist who, in turn, attracts Jack. Between the school play, a bedridden, pregnant mother’s to-do lists, and keeping an eye on her aging grandfather, Katla doesn’t have time to question Brigid’s motives or deal with Jack’s increasingly cold behavior. But Katla’s suspicions mount when Jack joins Brigid on a research expedition to Greenland, and when the two of them go missing, it becomes clear that Katla is the only one who can save her beloved Jack from the Snow Queen who holds him prisoner. Adventure, romance, and myth combine in this winter escapade for teens who like a bit of fire with their ice.
Review: The story is inspired by the Snow Queen, one of my all-time favorite fairytales. I liked the first book, “Spork” a lot, because it had tons of original elements and although paranormal, it gave a refreshing twist to the concept. The sequel was a bit more predictable, but the Nordic folk stories were very intriguing, like the frost giants. Katla’s new skills are a little over the top though, and with the whole new range of skills, it just seems like too much.
The Girl with Three Legs
Title: The Girl with Three Legs: A Memoir
Author: Soraya Mire
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
When Soraya Miré was thirteen years old, the girls on the playground would taunt her, saying she could not play with them—not as long as she walked with three legs. Confused and hurt, she went to her mother, who mysteriously responded that the time had come for Soraya to receive her gift. Miré too soon discovers the horror of the “gift,” female genital mutilation (FGM), whereby a young girl’s healthy organs are chopped off not only to make her acceptable to a future husband but also to rein in her “wildness.”
In The Girl with Three Legs, Soraya Miré reveals what it means to grow up in a traditional Somali family, where girls’ and women’s basic human rights are violated on a daily basis. A victim of FGM and an arranged marriage to an abusive cousin, Miré was also witness to the instability of Somalia’s political landscape: her father was a general for the military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, and her family moved in the inner circles of Somalia’s elite. In her journey to recover from the violence done to her, Miré realizes FGM is the ultimate child abuse, a ritual of mutilation handed down from mother to daughter and protected by the word “culture.”
Miré’s tale is a dramatic chronicle of the personal challenges she overcame, a testament to the empowerment of women, and a firsthand account of the violent global oppression of women and girls. Despite the horror she experienced, her words resonate with hope, humanity, and dignity. Her life story is one of inspiration and redemption.
Review: This book was an eye-opener. Soraya was thirteen years old when girls started teasing her about walking around on three legs. When she asked her mother, she took her to the man in white, who mutilated Soraya’s female organs. The book talks about the pain she suffered afterward, and about how girls’ rights were violated every day in a traditional Somali family. The ritual of mutilation was horrifying, and reading about Soraya’s pain afterward was heart-wrenching. Despite the heavy topic matter, the book is very personal, and I instantly felt for Soraya. Solid writing too, and the book definitely doesn’t let you go after reading.
Seers
Title: Seers (Seers #1)
Author: Heather Frost
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
For Kate Bennet, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O’Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.
Review: Interesting spin on the whole angels and demons concept. Kate is an easy character to connect with. She’s strong, independent, and doesn’t give up. When a new guy shows up she doesn’t fall in love with him right away, which is a great change from the insta-love you see displayed so often in paranormal romance novels. A solid read.
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