Review: Swing

Swing by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This coming of age tells the story of two best friends Noah and Walt (a.k.a. Swing) as they make their Junior year in High School THEIR YEAR. All their lifelong dreams are going to be made real. From Walt finally getting to play on the high school baseball team (he may not be good, but he's got heart) to getting Noah to finally ask out his lifelong crush.

As their year progresses they find the ups and downs of life are not always easily dealt with and soon learn more about themselves than they would have had they just kept going as normal.

My favorite part of this book is the use of Jazz music as their metaphor for life, from listening to jazz vinyl at the local thrift store to hiring of Walt's uncles jazz band to entertain the party at Noah's house, while his parents are on vacation. Everything is better with Jazz.

I will warn you this book is a tear-jerker, so just have the tissue ready.

Read by the author, this audiobook really stands out. Kwame Alexander's delivery is perfect and will keep you in anticipation for the highs and getting those lumps in the throat for the lows. Great read/listen for all ages.

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Review: Lady Death: Treacherous Infamy

Lady Death: Treacherous Infamy by Brian Pulido
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Death once wanted to destroy all life and leave Earth as a desolate graveyard. Luckily she has changed her evil ways and is a sort of an anti-hero helping mankind by destroying demons. Until now...

Something has reverted her back to her evil self and she is on her way to destroy the Earth. Unless a group of supernatural super-heroes can stop her, including her children. This is Lady Death at her most evil self.

The battles for mankind take place throughout the United States, picking up more powered individuals to defeat her and even some that come to support her cause.

The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning, the writing will leaving you wanting more (which will be coming since this is an on-going arc in Lady Death's story).

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Review: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Max Brooks is at it again, first he told us how to survive a zombie apocalypse, now he's telling the harrowing story of a Bigfoot attack on an isolated "modern" colony. The story is told in a fashion much like the found footage horror films, such as "The Blair Witch Project," "Unlisted Owner," and "Paranormal Activity." Instead of found film/video the journals of Greenlop resident Kate Holland are turned into a pretty cool horror/survival story. From the beginning the reader (or listener in the case of the audiobook) knows no one survives because the journals are said to have been found in the burned out ashes of what remains of Greenlop, but as the story progresses, that is forgotten and the reader finds hope.

Greenlop is an experimental colony where a bunch of rich/progressive folks want to start a community that is 100% off the grid. Their food and supplies are dropped in by drone on a regular basis, their homes are solar powered and very modern. The even have wi-fi. This is all pretty nice until nearby Mt. Ranier decides to become an active volcano and blows. All wildlife flees and the colony is suddenly cut off from civilization. The volcanic explosion destroys all communication access, the drones stop coming and the colony must learn survival skills. Many are rich pretentious folk that couldn't successfully camp out in a four star hotel, without a staff.

Kate, is determined, she soon starts the greenhouse and begins growing some of their food. Her bordering-on-depression husband soon finds a purpose, by helping to clear the solar panels of ash from the volcano. Things seem to be going fairly well until the colony discovers wild animals are attracted to their compost. Could be bears or large cats, either way it is a danger to the people. Soon one of the colonists realizes there have been no wild animals in the area for several days.

The culprit is soon discovered to be a "tribe" of Sasquatch. With all the wildlife gone from the area, due to the volcano, and ash covering everything, the Sasquatch begin a war against the humans for Survival.

Instincts kick in and the colony prepares for war.

The audiobook cast bring this book to life, making it seem even more like a found footage horror story.

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