Showing posts with label loyalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loyalty. Show all posts

Thursday, May 4, 2023

"Flamefall" by Rosaria Munda (Book 2 of Fireborne Series)


Flamefall
by Rosaria Munda is the follow-up book to Fireborne.  This story is told by Annie, Lee and Griff.  They each have to deal with problems of loyalty and honor to their homeland.  When the battle takes place, can they all survive?  Good stuff.  This is better than Fireborne!  There is more action and the stage is set for the final book of the series.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, March 25, 2023

"Forging Silver Into Stars" by Brigid Kemmerer


Forging Silver into Stars
by Brigid Kemmerer is a fantasy book about two kingdoms, loyalty and magic.  Emberfall is led by Rhen and Harper, Syhl Shallow led by Grey and Lia Mara.  Rhen and Grey are brothers, Grey is a magesmith and the people of Syhl Shallow are afraid of his magic so a faction called the Truthbringers is plotting to kill him.  Most of the story is about Jax and Callyn, friends from childhood, who live near woods in Briarlock which is part of Syhl Shallow but a good distance from the palace.  Callyn and her younger sister run a bakery and Jax, a cripple, is a blacksmith who works for his father in a forge near the bakery.  They both owe lots of taxes and are pretty delighted to find an easy way to earn more silvers.  Are they committing treason though?  Can they trust Alek, the one who pays silvers.  Is Tycho, the king's courier, telling the truth?  Does Tycho really care about Jax and does Alek really care about Callyn?  

This seemed slow to me at the start because I was just finished Defend the Dawn which I loved so much I hated to see it end.  This is a story about trust as was Defend the Dawn.  Decisions must be made about which side to take.  Can Jax and Callyn maintain their friendship if they take different sides?  Most of this book is about inner struggles and choosing sides, determining who to trust.  The characters are all interesting and I loved the action in the last quarter of the book.  It was fast-paced and fun seeing how everything was coming to a head.  I could have done without the gay relationship, but enjoyed the book other than that.  I also loved the ending!  I recommend this one to any Brigid Kemmerer fan.  I'm sure there will be more in this series and look forward to them.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, May 20, 2021

"The Walk On" by John Feinstein

The Walk On by John Feinstein is the first of The Triple Threat series about a high school freshman quarterback, Alex Myers.  There are two QBs ahead of him in the depth chart, the starter being the coach's son!  Alex is a very good passer though and the coach's son is not.

I thought this book was good and enjoyed the dynamics on the football team as well as the insight in play calling during games.  I liked Alex and his girlfriend who was a reporter for the school newspaper.  I thought the story line was good, although predictable.  The only thing I did not like was ending.  I would have liked to have seen how the Championship game played out!  (Karen's review, 4 stars) 

Gerard's review of 5/16/21:
In The Walk On by John Feinstein, Alex Myers is a very good Freshman quarterback.  He is starting at a new school and wants to play for the varsity football team.  The problem is that the quarterback they have is not only good, but also the coach's son!  I thought this book was good for a children's book.  It goes fast but is predictable.  It is light reading which is a break from normal.  (4 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

"No Better Friend" by Robert Weintraub about a WWII Dog

No Better Friend by Robert Weintraub is about one man, one dog, and their extraordinary story of courage and survival in WWII.  WOW!  This book is so good!  My review will not do it justice, but I will try.  Two British sailors were looking for a mascot for their gunboat.  They fell in love with Judy, a fiercely loyal dog, Right away! This took place just as World War II was about to begin.  Judy was right in the midst of the battle.  She had a relationship with all the men but formed a strong bond with a sailor named Frank. 

This book takes you through World War II.  The writing made me feel as though I were right there with them.  The adventures that Judy and Frank go through are really something!  I enjoyed this book very much!  Judy put her life on the line for the men so many times!  What a dog!  What a book!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 5:  "Swim"! Frank yelled to Judy, while giving her one last push that sent her flying out the porthole.  Below, the ocean was roiling and filling with oil and debris from the dying ship.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Monday, November 19, 2018

"Kingdom of Ash" by Sarah J. Maas (Last book of TOG series)

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas is the final book of the Throne of Glass series.  Aelin has vowed to save her people, but is locked in an iron coffin.  She will need help, and plenty of it to stop Maeve from gaining more power and dooming her friends.  First, congrats to me for reading all 980 pages!  I enjoyed Aelin and Rowan again.  The byplay between the two of them was very good!  The others I enjoyed were Fenrys when he was in wolf form, Manon and Lysandra.  Dorian was very good also.

This book was told in two parts.  I enjoyed part 2 the most.  It has plenty of action!  The ending was wild to say the least--congrats to Sarah for surprising me!  I do think that this could have been told just as well in fewer pages, but it does have plenty of good parts that got my attention.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas is such a heavy book that I was relieved when I finally finished it. This is mostly about the buildup to protecting Terrasen in a final battle against Morath, Erawan and Maeve and also the quest to get put the wrdkeys in the lock to get rid of the gods. I liked the story line about protecting Terrasen and building a better world, but did not understand the wrdkey storyline and found that very confusing. As I was reading, I kept thinking, “what’s going on here?” “This doesn’t make sense!” There is a lot of fighting in this one and many very sad parts. On the other hand, it has lots of good parts as well with romance blooming. The character development was very good and the relationships in this book were all interesting. I really liked how much the women contributed in the battles and how Aelin was always appreciative for everyone’s contributions and caring about others throughout the book. My favorite parts in this book was Manon and her desire to unite the witches and get them to fight with the 13 to help protect Terrasen, and Dorian learning to shape shift and becoming a mouse at Morath.

I give this 4 stars because there were several things that made no sense to me that I did not understand and much of the first half of the book I was pretty confused because it seemed to jump around between three groups. I’m sure part of my confusion was because it was so long ago that I finished the preceding book and forgot a lot of what was happening. I would suggest though to someone reading this that they may want to take some notes on who are in each group and their mission as they read. I was happy with the ending and with the couples who ended up together.
(4 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  She would not tell them what they wished to know.  
                                 No matter how often her screams drowned out the raging river.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

"Tomorrow" by Damian Dibben

Tomorrow is told by a dog named Tomorrow.  He shares a secret with his master and what that is you will find out if you read the book.  When they become separated, Tomorrow will search for his master and will not stop until he finds him.  But does he?

I really enjoyed Tomorrow and especially the parts in the book with his dog friend, Sporco.  If you love dogs, I think you will enjoy this book as I did.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 16:  I tore across the courtyard, up the steps, then drove through the door into our room--and relief.  A shape still lay beneath the blanket, and that smell that was vital to me--like midnight in a tall forest, stiff parchment paper and a whisper of pine sap.  My master.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, December 1, 2017

"UnWholly" by Neal Shusterman (Unwind Series Book 2)

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman is the second book in the Unwind series. This book follows Connor, Risa and Lev after going their separate ways after their escape from the Happy Jack Harvest Camp. Several more interesting characters are added: Cam (a teen built from all unwind parts), Miracolina (a tithe who gets “rescued” against her will) and Starky (an unwanted stork who was signed over to be unwound but escaped). Some romantic interests start to develop in this book and several organizations play big parts – both those against unwinding and for unwinding as well as the black market parts pirate, Nelson.

Teaser from page 21: Within seconds, the drunk is there, not so drunk after all, with three others whose faces he can't make out.  They lift him up and shove him into the back of a waiting van.

This book started out kind of slow, but that may be because it was so long since I read the first book, it took me a while to “catch up” again. This book seems to be a lot of foundational work for setting up the next in this series. I really like all the characters except for Starky and Nelson. Lev and Miracolina’s relationship was very interesting for me and also Risa’s and Cam’s growing friendship. The second half of this book really picked up with lots of adventure and excitement. I look forward to continuing with this series.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review (4 stars):
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman is the sequel to UnWind.  It was good to team up with Conner, Lev and Risa again.  Conner is trying to help kids like himself who escaped being unwound.  Lev is caught up in an underground movement, and Risa, now in a wheelchair, feels she might be a burden.  There is tons of action in this book to say the least.  I did not know what was going to happen next!  Looking forward to continuing on with Book 3 of this series.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, October 19, 2017

"Exposed" by Lisa Scottoline, A Good Legal Thriller (Updated)

Exposed by Lisa Scottoline is a legal thriller that kept my interest all the way through. Lawyers Bennie Rosato and Mary DiNunzio found themselves working together on a murder case after Mary almost left the firm to work on a case that had a conflict of interest for the firm. Mary chose to help her friend, Simon, try to get his job back that he was fired from unjustly. He has a little girl that is in need of a bone marrow transplant and has high medical bills. This is about a conspiracy resulting in a murder. Bennie and Mary wind up putting their lives on the line when they are attacked and abducted just as they discover what really happened.

I liked this book very much and was surprised by the ending! Poor Simon’s problems just keep getting worse and worse while his lawyer and friend, Mary, tries to help him. This has action, family issues and suspense!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 8/20/17:
In Exposed by Lisa Scottoline, Mary and Bernie are partners in their law firm, but a case comes up that Mary feels she must take even if that means leaving Bernie due to a conflict of interest.  Somebody does not want this case to go to court and will do anything to stop it, putting Mary and Bernie both in danger.

This book is pretty good.  The main characters are well developed.  The pacing is okay--it kept my interest.  There is good action at the end but would have loved more throughout the book.  That being said, I still give it four stars--well worth reading!
  
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

"Endure" by Sara B. Larson is Heart Wrenching! (Updated)

Endure by Sara B. Larson is the third and final book in the Defy Series which we both highly recommend.   Alexa again has her hands full trying to hold off the enemy and make sure King Damian is safe!  This book is probably the best of the series.  It has tons of action from the outset and the pacing of the book is very good!  I just had to see what was going to happen next!  This is one of the top series that I have ever read!  I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 3/19/16:
Endure by Sara B. Larson is not only the third book of the Defy trilogy, but also the best! Good characters are motivated by love and loyalty while evil characters are motivated by greed and power in a struggle to survive. Alexa and Damian’s love story continues on throughout this book and is heartbreaking. Alexa’s fight against Armando and his black sorcerers is amazing! There is lots of action in this book as well as the tender moments of friendship and love.

I loved this last book of the series which is captivating and even made me cry near the end. When Alexa left King Damian after his proposal to rescue her friend, Rylan, I thought she was nuts and was proved to be right! I actually felt she made a very bad decision there and didn’t have as much sympathy for her during her captivity as I otherwise would have. I felt it was her own fault for being so stupid to go back to Dansii with Eljin to save Rylan.

At any rate, this is a very entertaining and adventurous fantasy/clean romance series I highly recommend, especially for anyone new to fantasy. I was never bored and it moved along well. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
This series reminded me a lot of THE THRONE OF GLASS series by Sarah J. Mass.  I discuss some differences and similarities in this video:
  



See my reviews of Defy-Book 1 and Ignite-Book #2

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

"Bear Town" by Fredrik Backman - Loved This One! (Updated)


Bear Town by Fredrik Backman is about how a small town got so wrapped up with their boys’ hockey team having a shot at the championship that it became the town’s priority. This book deals with rape and how people always assume the girl brought it on herself, or deserved it, or wanted it, especially when the accused rapist is a popular, well-liked boy who is captain of their beloved hockey team.

I liked this book because of all the different characters and their interactions with each other. I liked how parenting played a big part in this book as well as the hockey team. It is well written and was never confusing. I got into this right from the start and my views about some of the characters changed for me along the way. My favorite characters were Amat, Peter (the GM), Benji and his sisters, the teacher (“Sweet Cheeks”), and Ramona. I liked the surprise ending too! (Karen's review 5/24/17, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5/19/17:
Welcome to Bear Town by Fredrick Backman, author of A Man Called Ove.  Bear Town is a small town that is excited because its junior boys hockey team has a chance to win a championship, but this book is so much more than just hockey!  The writing is fantastic!  The characters in this book are so real that I got sucked in early.  You need to read every page because the author includes so much that you might miss a game changer if you skip parts.  The ending is perfect!  This book will be high on my top book list for 2017--that I know!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, May 20, 2017

"Avenged" by Amy Tintera


Gerard's review, 5/17/17:
Avenged by Amy Tintera is the sequel to Ruined, which we both liked a lot.  EM is back, and that is a good thing.  Now she is the Queen of Ruina along with her sister, Olivia.  But they do not see things the same way!  Trouble is coming and Em must save her people and their land.  Will her sister get in her way?  Will Cas and Em get together?  This book went fast since it has good action and the ending sets up a great book 3.
(5 stars)

Karen's review, 5/20/17:
Avenged by Amy Tintera is a continuation of Ruined.  It took me a while to remember the characters because it's been so long since I read the first book of this series, but once my memory kicked in, I really enjoyed this book.  The sisters are both queens of Ruined together, but because they have different views about plain humans, things become quite rocky.  Olivia wants to fight off everyone and destroy them all while Em prefers to try to keep peace through negotiating.  At least they both agreed it would be a bad idea for either of them to marry the Oslo prince Austin, a complete jerk.  There is a lot of action in this and the relationships kept my interest.  It ended too soon, left me wanting more, ugh!  (4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, May 13, 2017

"A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas - We Both Loved It!

A Court of Wings and Ruin is the third book of A Court of Thorns and Roses series and did not disappoint! It starts off with Feyre back with Tamlin in the Spring Court where she creates some havoc with her mischief, but soon moves back to Valeris. Feyre and Lucian’s friendship is strengthened and he proves. In this book, other courts come into play and more new characters are introduced. Feyre’s sisters have a major part in this book and some romance starts to blossom. Rys and Fayre are reunited and work together so well throughout the book. There is a lot of banter and adventure.

This is a page turner that was hard for me to put down once Rys and Feyre were reunited. I was happy to see Tamlin come through for Feyre and her flying lessons with Azriel were pretty funny but paid off in the end. I loved how this book brought out a wide range of emotions for me and of course had some surprises along the way. I look forward to the next book in this series. (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
This is the third book in this series written from Feyre's perspective.  WOW!  This book is really good!  It has plenty of action and I loved the dialogue between all the main characters.  That really added to the enjoyment of the book for me.  The ending is full of surprises and I had a hard time putting it down for the last 150 pages.  With this book, Sarah J. Mass shows once again why she is one of the best!  I give this 5++ stars!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

"A Simple Favor" by Darcey Bell

In A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell, Emily and Stephanie are friends.  They have young boys that are close friends too.  One day Emily asks Steph to look after her son because she is going away for a few days. But when a few days turns into weeks, Steph begins to questions what she really knew about Emily, and what about Emily's husband and son?  How do they react?

This was written by a pre-school teacher.  Are you kidding me?  This is a very adult novel to be sure.  The first 100 pages set the scene and when you get to page 100, this book really takes off!  There are many twists and turns.  If you think you know what you know, trust me You Do Not!  LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, January 27, 2017

Loved "The One" (Book 3 of The Selection Series) by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass is the third book in The Selection series and my favorite so far!  In this the action really picks up, Maxon and Aspen form a bond, America's father dies, Maxon finally chooses his princess and it has some surprises and several die.  This is like a roller coaster with happy moments and very sad moments.  My emotions were all over the place.  The relationship developments, the danger at the palace, the plot with the rebels and Maxon's father continuing to knock America out of the competition made this book hard for me to put down.

I am loving this series and so glad I gave it a chance despite the boring covers.  I like both Maxon and America and loved the ending of this one even though it was not what I expected!  I am flying through these books because I am enjoying the characters so much.   What a great book, loving this series!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, January 20, 2017

"The Elite" by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass is the second book in The Selection series and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first one. This book has some heartbreaking moments surrounding Marlee and the competition gets a bit more interesting with only six girls left. America questions if she actually could be a good princess if she let her feelings for Maxon blossom into love or if she should just pull out and look to a future with Aspen. She really shocks the royal family with her philanthropic presentation on TV and the king really hates her now! Maxon stands up to his father for the first time to protect America and he and America finally have a heart-to-heart talk while hiding together during an attack. Will she trust Maxon? Will she learn when to keep her mouth shut and control her emotions?  As she learns more what is involved in being a princess, she has more doubts but is greatly encouraged when she receives a very sweet letter from her father.

I look forward to reading book 3 and am excited to read all the rest of the books in this series (3 more to go). I really admire America’s courage but hope she can learn to control her emotions better. I love how her maids all adore her and are so eager to make her look good and help her any way they can. This book has lots of good moments but also very sad things with some surprises along the way. I really liked how sweet Maxon when he surprised America at how he handled the Marlee situation.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Sunday, June 19, 2016

"The Boy at the Top of the Mountain" by John Boyne

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne is about a young boy named Pierrot who becomes an orphan around the time of World War II.  When he is 7 years old, rides three trains by himself to go live with his aunt whom he never even met.  While living with her, he is influenced by the people he meets and soon he sees things far different than he used to.

I thought the second part of this book was better than the first part and the ending was very well done.  However, I do not think this was as good as this author's first book (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) but still is a very good read.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

(Karen's review 6/17/16, 5 stars) 
I was eager to read The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author who also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an amazing story!  The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is also set during World War II.  It shows how a nice, innocent 7-yr.-old boy, Pierrot, with German and French background is faced with a whole new life when his aunt takes him in to live with her after his parents both die. 

This story kept my interest all the way through and didn't have any boring part.  I finished it in just two days and liked how the author made Pierrot's struggles so clear.  This too is a sad book but thought provoking.  As Pierrot gets a new identity, he fights to keep his memories of "the good old days" and is torn apart when he realizes what he did was really wrong.  I thought the ending was great and recommend this one!  I hesitate saying any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for you.  Just read it and be shocked like I was!  I don't think I'll easily forget this book, just like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is lodged in my memory.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, February 19, 2016

"The Changing Season" by Steven Manchester

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester is about a teen boy named Billy who just graduated from High School and plans a fun, relaxing summer spending a lot of time with his dog, Jimmy, before he heads off to college.   He is not sure what he plans to study, but will think about it.  Little did he know his summer will include some life-changing episodes.

I thought this book was very good.  All the characters were believable and well drawn out.  I especially enjoyed his unbreakable bond with Jimmy.  I received this book for an honest review and liked it a whole lot!  I recommend it!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars).

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J. K. Rowling

Continuing in the Harry Potter series with book 6, I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling.  This has several mysteries going on at the same time:  (1) What is the mission Snape and Malfoy Draco are working on; (2) Who is the "Half-Blood Prince"? and (3) Can Dumbledore and Harry find and destroy the horcruxes made by You-Know-Who?  Besides the mystery, this book also had some high points with Harry being the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Harry moving on from Cho, Hermione and Ron's relationship and lots more background about You-Know-Who.  Professor Snape finally reveals his true colors and the death eaters return. 

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking to myself, "this is so good!"  I didn't really figure out for sure who the Half-Blood Prince was until near the end when it came out.  Malfoy's mission was a complete surprise to me and the horcrux hunt was very scary!  I hated the ending of this book though, it was so sad so only 4 stars for this one!  I still don't get why Dumbledore trusted Snape, that part must didn't make any sense to me.  I enjoyed the potions class most in this book when Harry topped Hermione for once and how she hated that.  I look forward to reading the last book in this series to see how it will end. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, June 5, 2015

"Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card is actually a parallel book to Ender's Game with the main character in this one being Bean.   Bean is a street kid that a nun befriended and recommended to the space Battle School.  Bean is very small and only 4 years old but has advanced intelligence when he gets into the school.

It is interesting how Bean views things and how his leadership skills develop.  I really liked his strong sense of teamwork and how he would get people to work together.  I loved Ender's Game and so it was fun reading about Ender some more, this time from someone else's viewpoint.  I highly recommend this book if you liked Ender's Game.  I gave this 4 stars only because I liked Ender's Game a bit better but that may be just because I read that one first so I had a clue what was going to happen next as I read Ender's Shadow.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

"The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart (children's book)--Both LOVED IT! (updated)

Glad you both liked this one--yea for the dog!
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about a young boy, Mark who runs away with his dog Beau.  Why does he run away?  His best friend knows the secret but she will not tell.  This children's book had me from page 1!  I LOVED IT!  What's not to like about a boy and his dog on the adventure of his life?  This is a page turner that goes quick and is the author's first book--well done!
(Gerard's review 2/23/15, 5++ stars)


The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about Mark, a boy with Cancer who is tired of being the sick kid and decides to go on an adventure with his dog to keep a promise to his grandfather before he dies.  His best friend, Jess, figures out where he went but knows Mark does not want her to tell. 

This unique book deals with friendship, survival and facing death through an interesting story.   The ½ chapters sets this book apart from any I have read drew me in right away.  It is a quick read that I didn’t want to put down and I loved the surprise ending!  The honest truth is that this book will tug at your heart!  I highly recommend it; think both kids and adults would enjoy it.  I am so glad I gave up on the big fat adult book, Dust by Patricia Cornwell to read this one instead.  I enjoyed this so much more!

I even learned how to write Haiku poems from The Honest Truth.  Here is my Haiku poem I wrote about this book for Mark (and the author):

                           I read the story,
Understanding Mark’s viewpoint,
Hoping he makes it!

The boy’s dog, Beau, rocks!
Two true, loyal friends, indeed
Saving each other!

(Karen's review 2/24/15, 5 stars)
Click this link for The Personal Story Behind the Story shared by the author.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!
Related Posts with Thumbnails