How to Fly with Broken Wings (Jane Elson)

Synopsis:  
'If Finn Maison shouts jump you jump or you are dead.'
Twelve-year-old Willem has Aspergers Syndrome and two main aims in life: to fly and to make at least two friends of his own age. But all the other boys from the Beckham Estate do is make him jump off things. First his desk - and now the wall. As his toes teeter on the edge, Sasha Barton gives him a tiny little wink. Might she become his friend?
Bullied by Finn and his gang the Beckham Estate Boyz, Willem has no choice but to jump. As he flies through the air he flaps his arms, wishing he could fly and escape into the clouds. Instead he comes crashing down and breaks his ankle.
Sasha, angry with herself for not stopping Finn and his Boyz, is determined to put things right. And soon, while the gangs riot on their estate, Willem and Sasha form an unlikely friendship. Because they share a secret. Sasha longs to fly too.
And when Magic Man Archie arrives with stories of war-flying spitfires, he will change the lives of the kids on the Beckham Estate for ever. And perhaps find a way for Willem and Sasha to fly ...
Touching on themes such as friendship and bullying, this is a charming tale about overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in unlikely places.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
As usual when it comes to Netgalley titles, I took a sort of leap of faith with this book. I had never heard of the book or the author, and now that I read it I realise how sad that actually is and how determined I am to change that.
The first thing I noticed when I first started the book was how engaging it is. From the first sentence we do feel like we are the main characters for a little bit, we understand them and we grow to love them. My favourite part of my reading experience was definitely how attached I got to every character and how tender and warm I felt inside while reading about them.
Jane Elson was able to create real and wonderful characters with such lovely stories that help us appreciate the little thing we take for granted and how easy it is to do that for other people. Willem was definitely my favourite example of this. To me, while reading How to Fly with Broken Wings, he wasn't a character, he was a child that taught me that to live a beautiful life we don't need a lot, just enough friends and maybe an airplane or two. His happiness was the most important thing to me during my reading experience and I had to cheer for him in every single page. It was fantastic how Elson was able to use his point of view as a way of changing every other character around him for the best despite (and maybe because) of his condition.
That is my next point. With simple yet wonderful writing Jane Elson created the perfect book for younger kids who are now realising how many different types of friends one can get and how each one of them has a story to tell and a way to change ours if we let them, for better or for worse. It's also an astonishing way for those kids to understand, maybe for the first time, what it's like to have the brain of a child with Aspergers Syndrome, someone who thinks in peculiar but similarly incredible ways.
There are many more merits we can award this book, but only by reading it can we actually feel its soul, and there is plenty of it.
I absolutely recommend this heart-warming, inspiring book, especially to little kids finding out about a world they don't yet completely understand. A fantastic, sensational, quick read.

Marvelous - The Books of Marvella #1 (Travis Thrasher)

Synopsis:
Brandon Jeffery’s summer started out with a bang—as in, a friend crashed his car and now he has to work two jobs to pay it off. It’s at Fascination Street Records that he’s introduced to a beautiful but quiet girl named Marvel. She’s new to Hidden Cove and looking for a summer job, so Brandon secretly strikes a deal with their boss to work for free so she can be hired.
When a classmate is found murdered, however, their summer takes a turn for the mysterious. Brandon’s friend Devon is sure he knows just who’s to blame: the creepy recluse of the town quarry. But the police have few leads, and Brandon has the sneaking suspicion he’s being watched.
That’s not what’s in the forefront of on his mind, though. More than trying to pay off his car to his unemployed, alcoholic father and protecting Seth Belcher from the school bullies, he’s determined to date Marvel. He doesn’t understand why they seem so close and she refuses to date him, but as the mystery behind her tragic past begins to unravel, Marvel finally confesses her reason: God has revealed she’s destined to die saving others—and it’s going to be soon.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
At the very end of last year I posted a review of Wonder by Travis Thrasher (which you can see by clicking here) and I genuinely enjoyed it, but I felt like something was missing. It made sense, given that I later discovered that it was actually the second book in The Books of Marvella series. After I came upon this information, I immediately requested the first book, Marvelous from Netgalley and I couldn't be happier to review it right now.
I have stated this before, but I'll say it again: I don't usually read Christian fiction, and I'm not a religious person, but I truly appreciate different points of view on the matter and this series is one of the finest examples of what I'm trying to say. The truth is that I didn't know Wonder was Christian fiction, and if I had known, despite what I just said, I probably would have missed a wonderful story (see what I did there). That would have been a shame, as this is quickly becoming one of my favourite series and it makes me sad to see it be underappreciated and sometimes ignored due to its categorization.
First of all, my favourite thing about these books is its different considerations of religion, through the eyes of very different characters, with very distinctive opinions, so it's not necessarily a Christian book to its core. Anyone would be able to appreciate the shapes and perspectives this subject takes throughout this book and also the fact that it's not exactly the core purpose of the book. There are so many layers to Marvel and her story that is actually difficult to describe them to someone who hasn't read it, especially in this first book, where we get to meet her through Brandon's eyes.
Secondly, it's impossible to talk about this story without mentioning the incredible set of characters created by Thrasher and the subplots they create with their mere existence. They are all fantastically rich and the simple ways in which the author demonstrates their character development is a treat to read. His writing style is lovely to read and goes perfectly with the story he is telling, reason why I honestly consider Travis Thrasher to be a fantastic writer that not enough people have had the pleasure to meet.
The humour and the flawed teenage characters make them so very relatable and we find ourselves seeing our own problems and flaws in them, true representations of young doubt, love and growth, a reason to thank Thrasher for writing such a brilliant book.
If you have not yet read this book, especially if you didn't do it because of the Christian label, ignore all skepticism and dive right in. There is no doubt everyone who does is bound to come out changed and touched in the end.

John Sinclair - Episode 1: Curse of the Undead (Gabriel Conroy)

Synopsis: 
There are so many ways a person can die. Sooner or later, everyone's number is up, and no one comes back ... or do they?
On a cold November night, a grieving father picks up his hunting rifle and shoots his only daughter in the head. The police are mystified. Why was the girl even at the house? Why wasn't she at the mortuary ... awaiting her burial? After all, Mary Winston had been declared dead two days before. The incident is only the first in a series of mysterious attacks in the small Scottish town of Middlesbury. Dead bodies go missing. A cemetery caretaker is devoured alive. An ancient curse is about to be unleashed ... Detective Chief Inspector John Sinclair works for Scotland Yard's Special Division, an elite unit that deals with extraordinary cases. DCI Sinclair is a battle-hardened veteran of Afghanistan, a man haunted by the past. But nothing could have prepared him for the horrors he's about to face. He goes to Scotland to investigate the gruesome murders but what he finds is a town in the grip of fear. The people of Middlesbury are harboring a secret. A secret that is about to explode...
"John Sinclair" is a reboot of Europe's longest running horror series. Originally conceived in 1973 and still running strong, the "John Sinclair" novellas are firmly rooted in the finest pulp traditions, true page turners with spine-tingling suspense, exquisite gore and a dash of adventure. "John Sinclair" combines the dark visions of Stephen King, Clive Barker and the "X-Files" with the fast-paced action and globe-trotting excitement of James Bond. 
 
Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I always start these review with an honest moment, so here it comes: I had no idea what I was getting into with this book, I just read that it was a reboot of a 'classic' paranormal novella series and I was too curious to pass it up.
I must admit that, although I wasn't blown away by the whole book, the story was incredibly fast paced and within the first few pages I was hooked. There was something about the characters and the setting that unsettled me and and made me keep reading, and because of that it was a very quick read.
Throughout the book we get closer and closer to a climax that could be the best kind of predictable there is. We knew the direction the story was going, but we couldn't even beggin to prepare for when it actually hit us.
By far the best aspect of this story is its setting, the environment the author creates in that town, where strange things are happening. The event itself, zombie-related, was a bit of a disappointment, although it wasn't cheesy or overdone, like I was expecting. The truth is that it's hard to come up with an original zombie plotline these days, and it's even harder for us readers to be excited by one, when it's such an overused theme in entertainment right now, but if we are able to put this aside, this novella can become an exceptionally entertaining read. Even though I would have loved to love it, I can't say it was a particularly special or remarkable book and I can't describe as something more than what I already said: entertaining. I would be lying if I said I didn't think this was a thrilling, gripping story when we are right in the middle of it, but I didn't find it to be outstanding or unique.
Despite that, I would definitely like to continue reading the following instalments, as this was only the beginning and there is a lot of room for improvement, especially when this is based on a well loved series. I would recommend it to those who loved the series when they were younger, or those who are curious to know what paranormal dangers John Sinclair will face next.

Sparks (Glenn Matchett and Kell Smith - Illustrator)

Synopsis:
Sparks is a one shot crime comic with a twist published by Nemesis Studios. It follows London Private Investigator Melanie (Mel) Sparks as she investigates the horrible murder of a famous actress. It seems that Mel may be the only girl for the job but sometimes nothing is at it seems and surprises can come from anywhere. Created by writer Glenn Matchett and artist Kell Smith

Review:
I got this ebook from the author in return of an honest review. 
When opportunity arose to review this comic I was absolutely thrilled. The concept just grabbed me and there was something about Mel's face on the cover that made me think I was in for a surprise. I couldn't have been more right.
I have to be honest, when I started it and realised it was only 26 pages long I was rather worried that it might end up being underdeveloped or rushed, but that was part of the plot twist. The story developed like a movie in my head, with every plot device being used in the best way possible to engage the reader for the few minutes it takes to read it. Even though I wish it had been more than that, I didn't feel like there was anything missing from the reading experience, in fact, I felt like the story had been told exactly as it should, as it was meant to. That's a feat, in my opinion.
As for the more specific aspects, I thought the combination of the writing and the art was executed perfectly, each page more delightful and dramatic than the previous one, never failing to deliver the sense of thrill and adventure mysteries need. Matchett's use of humour and character development was used to accentuate each one of Smith's lines, complementing each other into a fantastic story.
Although I had hoped the illustrations would be in colour, as I got further and further into the story I realised that wouldn't have mattered, because the final product was still executed remarkably well, and it just goes to show that colour doesn't mean anything when a comic has this much soul and thought in it.
Unfortunately, I can't talk about the ending without spoiling potential readers, obviously, and not knowing what's coming is part of the excitement, but I can say this: as I saw that read page count going up and the remaining pages getting lower, I feared the conclusion had been too convenient and rushed. If you think this too, keep reading, until the very last page. If you don't mind a kind of spoiler, but kind of not: Marchett found a way to create a plot twist comparable to the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Kind of. And Kell Smith added images to that.
As mainly unknown authors I really want to support, I can't recommend Glenn Matchett and Kell Smith's Sparks enough and I hope this review convinced you to give it a try, because there's nothing better than meeting new authors and finding new awesome comics along the way. I hope to see more of Mel in the future and more people excited to see more of Mel in the future.

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Franz Xaver von Schönwerth)

Synopsis:
A rare discovery in the world of fairy tales - now for the first time in English.
With this volume, the holy trinity of fairy tales - the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen - becomes a quartet. In the 1850s, Franz Xaver von Schönwerth traversed the forests, lowlands, and mountains of northern Bavaria to record fairy tales, gaining the admiration of even the Brothers Grimm. Most of Schönwerth's work was lost - until a few years ago, when thirty boxes of manu­scripts were uncovered in a German municipal archive.
Now, for the first time, Schönwerth's lost fairy tales are available in English. Violent, dark, and full of action, and upending the relationship between damsels in distress and their dragon-slaying heroes, these more than seventy stories bring us closer than ever to the unadorned oral tradition in which fairy tales are rooted, revolutionizing our understanding of a hallowed genre.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Most of us grew up to the magic of fairy tales, songs our parents sang to us as we fell asleep. However, the majority of those kids who were shaped by Cinderella and Snow White grew into oblivious adults, people who wander through life without knowing the origins of the Disney movies they remember or the impact it had on its time. The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen have become part of our culture, but there's so much more to european culture to be told by fairy tale collectors. This collection is one of the finest examples of that, the previously lost and untold history of unknown stories.
Reading the stories featured in this book felt like traveling through an entire century of oral culture, with Schönwerth serving as a translator and narrator. The evolution of oral tradition and storytelling is present in each page, and the sounds of a time past resonate in the whiteness of the pages upon which these newly discovered fairy tales where imprinted for our delight.
Despite its merit in salvaging a previously lost fantasy through the curious mind of Schönwerth, there are stories in here that need to be looked at with an equally curious mind, knowing in the depths of our hearts that they are simply a reflection of the time they were meant to portray. It took me a while to arrive at this conclusion and it can be a difficult aspect to overlook, the fact that many of the characters and plots are underdeveloped, weak, unlikable or unbelievable. We are now so used to long intricate stories we forget the joys of a small quick trip through fairy tale territories. These stories aren't meant to be looked at as novels, they are stories passed down through generations orally and luckily put into paper. The enjoyment of these little fairy tales comes from how different from the real world they are, how unbelievable they feel to us common people. They are made of magical words that, put together, form a testimony of nameless people that, once upon a time, shared them with Franz Xaver von Schönwerth.
In conclusion, it was a privilege to be taken on this journey, with vivid images to travel through life by my side and many, many magical outcomes to a life well lived. That's what I take from this fascinating piece of literature and that I recommend to everyone.