Tag: 3 stars

Choosing to Live: Stories of Those Who Stepped Away from Suicide – Clifford Williams

Content Warning: Please be aware that if you find a topic triggering, you will most likely find it in this book. Topics include alcoholism, drug addiction, self-harm, all kinds of abuse, domestic violence, bullying, eating disorders, and of course, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation.

I applaud the intention of Choosing to Live: stories of those who stepped away from suicide. This book is aimed at reducing the stigma associated with talking about suicide and is marketed toward anyone who has ever had or now has suicidal feelings, families and friends of those people, therapists and psychology students and professors.

I would like to give acknowledgement to the courage of the individuals who told their stories for this book, and compassion to the families and friends of Hannah and Alistair who are grieving their loss.

The stories in this book are from people ranging from 18 to 61, with various precipitating factors that led to their suicide attempt/s. The following questions were asked to each participant:

  • What led up to your suicide attempt?
  • What keeps you alive now?

Told in sections, the individual stories are grouped by themes of rejection, overwhelming stress, bullying, not feeling good enough, painful memories, teenage stresses, ups and downs, a strange impulse, parental abuse, depression and anxiety, break up of a significant relationship, ambivalence, lack of support, shame and addiction, dysfunctional relationships, suicide of a parent, medical conditions, and being in hospice care. Of course, there are overlaps with some stories fitting just as well in multiple categories.

The From Despair to Hope chapter towards the end of the book has answers from survivors to the following questions:

  • What did you feel like when you were struggling with despair and hopelessness?
  • What did you feel when you realised you were still alive?
  • What do you like most about living now?

There is also a chapter that asks survivors what they would have wanted someone to do or say to them when they were suicidal. Finally, there is a chapter giving tips on how to deal with someone who is suicidal and American phone and internet resources.

Overall the stories, while painful and heartbreaking, are definitely useful teaching tools for anyone who wants to understand what would cause someone to make an attempt on their life, what may prevent it from happening, and what may help after an attempt has been made.

However, there were a few pretty big concerns I had about this book.

  1. Specific mention is made in the introduction that none of the participants were interviewed while they were suicidal and they were reflecting on previous experiences. I was surprised when I read later in the book that some participants had only attempted suicide a matter of weeks prior to being interviewed and questioned the judgement used in choosing participants this soon after such an experience.
  2. I personally feel it is reckless to recommend a book to people who have been suicidal or currently are that contains so much detail about how the individual attempts were made. I understand that part of each person’s story includes the method they used but there are ways to do this without it reading like a ‘How To’ manual. Surely it would have been more prudent to say someone attempted suicide by overdosing rather than specifying how many tablets they took and which class of medication it was. Of course if someone is determined to die they will find a way to do it but in a book that is hoping to prevent deaths it just doesn’t seem wise to include such detail.

This last point is more a small marketing concern. If I saw this book surrounded by others on the subject I doubt I would pick it up. This sounds really petty but I really do judge books by their cover and the cover design of this book is clichéd and doesn’t scream, “Hey, you! Pick me! Pick me!” A more professional looking cover would help draw people to it.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Smith Publicity for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Choosing to Live contains stories about people who tried to commit suicide, told in their own words, based on the author’s interviews with them. Each story serves as a source of encouragement and speaks with a clear voice to all those who struggle with suicide to assure them that they are not alone. 

Choosing to Live is a must-read for individuals with suicidal feelings and for their relatives and friends who have suffered with them. Caregivers will gain new insights into the mental anguish that taunts individuals who battle the inner turmoil of facing each new day. 

The author believes that people crave to tell the story of their lives, even if it involves wanting to die. The names of the people involved have been changed, including identifying details, to preserve anonymity. 

Specific topics include: rejection, overwhelming stress, bullying, painful memories, teenage stresses, ups and downs, parental abuse, depression and anxiety, breakup of a significant relationship, lack of support, shame and addiction, dysfunctional relationships, and suicide of a parent. 

Choosing to Live provides a voice to those who have attempted suicide. It will serve as a valuable resource for psychiatrists, social workers, crisis counselors, clergy, medical practitioners, social welfare personnel, human service workers, and primary care providers.

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The Blind – A.F. Brady

The Blind is the first novel of a Mental Health Counsellor/Psychotherapist so you know going in that there’s going to be plenty of introspection by the main character, and there was.

Sam has worked hard to maintain her reputation for being the most reliable and competent psychologist at Typhlos Psychiatric Centre. She’s praised by her manager, Rachel, and is given all of the tough cases that no one else can handle.

Richard comes to Typhlos with practically no background information and won’t talk. After becoming involved in his case, Sam finds herself in a situation she’s unfamiliar with. Richard is not giving anything away and all of Sam’s usual techniques don’t work on him. As they spend more time together, the mind games begin.

Usually I’m so engrossed with characters and what’s happening that the big reveal comes and I’m just as surprised as the character. When I figure it out early it indicates to me that I’m not emotionally involved in the book and/or the big reveal is super obvious. I found myself in both categories during this book. I didn’t emotionally connect to any of the characters and worked out the big reveal plus the psychological diagnosis of a character by 20%.

Had I not already committed to reviewing this book I would have stopped reading at 20%. I was so irritated by one of the characters and their behaviour that I was over it. I knew as I was reading that the author was setting the scene for later in the book but by 20% I no longer cared. I’m a firm believer in there being so many books on offer out there that you shouldn’t have to fight to get into one.

If you’re feeling like I was, hold on. It does get better from just before the end of Part 1 but it never really took off for me. It does give the reader insight into what it’s like to live with mental illness and to work in the field. I feel like this is a 2.5 star book but am rounding up in recognition of this being a debut novel.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

With the intensity and rawness of Girl, Interrupted and Luckiest Girl Alive comes this razor-sharp debut, which reveals how one woman can go so far off the deep end, she might never make it back up.

Sam James has spent years carefully crafting her reputation as the best psychologist at Typhlos, Manhattan’s most challenging psychiatric institution. She boasts the highest success rates with the most disturbed patients, believing if she can’t save herself, she’ll save someone else. It’s this saviour complex that serves her well in helping patients battle their inner demons, though it leads Sam down some dark paths and opens her eyes to her own mental turmoil.

When Richard, a mysterious patient no other therapist wants to treat, is admitted to Typhlos, Sam is determined to unlock his secrets and his psyche. What she can’t figure out is why does Richard appear to be so completely normal in a hospital filled with madness? And what, really, is he doing at the institution? As Sam gets pulled into Richard’s twisted past, she can’t help but analyse her own life, and what she discovers terrifies her. And so the mind games begin. But who is the saviour and who is the saved?

In this unexpected and addictive psychological debut, A.F. Brady takes readers into the psyche of a deeply disturbed woman desperately trying to keep her head above water, showing that sometimes what’s most terrifying is what exists in your mind.

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Who Feels Mad, Dear Dragon? – Margaret Hillert

Illustrations – Jack Pullan

After my love of dragons was encouraged by Margaret Hillert’s Es Halloween, querido dragón / It’s Halloween, Dear Dragon I scoured NetGalley for more books by this author and illustrator, Jack Pullan.

In Who Feels Mad, Dear Dragon?, Dear Dragon and unnamed boy have both got their cranky pants on. No matter what they’re asked to do, they simply don’t want to. Mother and father each tell them not to get mad and after doing the activity they were spitting the dummy over, unnamed boy and Dear Dragon decide they either enjoyed the activity or that it was good for them after all. A lot of the activities centred around going to bed. Dear Dragon and unnamed boy get up the next day with a new attitude, decide that they won’t get mad and will have a good day.

Now, these parents must be saints, remaining calm regardless of their child and dragon’s bad behaviour. Personally I was disappointed that not once was an apology given by the boy or dragon and there didn’t appear to be any consequences at all for their bad behaviour. The boy attends school so surely he’s too old to be chucking tantrums where he’s laying in bed after being tucked in with the covers off, kicking and punching the air, isn’t he? I wouldn’t have gotten away with behaviour like that without consequences at any age.

Frustrations aside, this book is part of the Beginning-to-Read series and as I expect an adult will be reading this book to the child, at least initially, there is the opportunity for engagement with the child about Dear Dragon and unnamed boy’s behaviour. If I was reading this to a child I’d be getting them to think about the way the characters behaved, when they should have apologised, and how they could have better managed being mad about what they’d been asked to do.

There’s good use of word repetition and a Reading Reinforcement section at the back of the book that assists the adult to help the reader get more out of the book. The Reading Reinforcement has activities relating to phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and text comprehension. There’s also a list of the 73 words found in the book.

I love Jack Pullan’s illustrations again in this book. I liked the pictures in the Halloween Dear Dragon book more but that is solely due to the fun that could be had with that book’s subject matter. The illustrations in this book are still brightly coloured and well suited to the story. The expressions on Dear Dragon and unnamed boy’s faces clearly show when they are mad and when they are happy.

For a book that helps children learn to read, it seems to tick all of the right boxes. However, if I wanted a book to help teach a child how to deal with anger, I would be looking for one that has consequences for bad behaviour and that provides age appropriate ways of managing emotions without chucking a tantrum.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Norwood House Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A boy and his pet dragon feel mad when asked to do daily tasks. Together they learn to manage their anger and find that completing their tasks is a good thing. Emphasises the importance of controlling the emotion of anger. Teacher resources include note to caregivers, word list, reading activities to strengthen phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. 

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Random Illustrated Facts: A Collection of Curious, Weird, and Totally Not Boring Things to Know – Mike Lowery

Random Illustrated Facts: A Collection of Curious, Weird, and Totally Not Boring Things to Know is a collection of illustrations by Mike Lowery and handwritten tidbits about the obscure, unusual and simply random. The book is divided into sections covering history, animals, food and drinks, science and everyday things.

After developing an obsession interest with children’s non-fiction books last year and borrowing all the new ones throughout the year regardless of topic some from the library, I already knew a lot of these random facts and had absorbed others through osmosis over the years. Apparently my brain clings to useless random snippets of information and in doing so pushes out the stuff I actually need to remember in the process.

This was a quick read. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the illustrations and think this would be a suitable gift book. I can also see these illustrations being used as a basis for an office desk calendar.

I found the writing which tends to slope upwards to the right fairly often distracting until I got used to it, the clutter of words on some pages hard to follow and the smudges on others a bit off-putting, but maybe I’m being overly picky.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A collection of illustrated trivia unlike any other. From glow-in-the-dark cats to Jupiter’s diamond showers to the link between dancing goats and the discovery of coffee, here are up to 100 obscure and fascinating facts brought to life in Mike Lowery’s quirky, hilarious style. Each illustrated fact is paired with a handwritten web of related tidbits, recreating an entertaining dive down a trivia rabbit hole.

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DayBlack – Keef Cross

Written and illustrated by Keef Cross, DayBlack is a graphic novel that introduces Merce, a vampire with narcolepsy who sleeps in a very cool coffin. Currently spending his time in a small town called DayBlack in Georgia, where the pollution is so all consuming it blocks out the sun, it’s the perfect place to be a vampire.

Having tried out other occupations including mercenary and astronaut, he’s currently a tattoo artist that specialises in black and grey tattoos with occasional red, because vampires are colour blind with the exception of red (fortunately).

Because of the risk of HIV, Merce doesn’t obtain his blood the clichéd way. Instead he’s rigged his tattoo machine to simultaneously ink people as well as extract their blood into a coffee machine. Unfortunately this new method has some side effects – narcolepsy and bizarre dreams.

Merce sponsors and later becomes a foster parent to Rodamez. Ironically his sponsorship money was spent training Rodamez to become a vampire hunter, which makes for some awkward moments between the two.

Keef Cross is an incredible illustrator and has played around with vampire mythology, incorporating the well known with the innovative. While I appreciated the artwork and the premise I don’t feel like I was a member of the target audience. I wanted a more cohesive storyline and considering this graphic novel was Volume 1, I expected for it to sink its teeth into me (sorry, I had to!) and make me eager to read on to find out what happens in Volume 2. Sadly this didn’t happen for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rosarium Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Beneath the polluted clouds of DayBlack, Georgia, exists a murderer. After hundreds of years of killing to survive, he no longer wants to simply exist . . . he wants to live. DayBlack is the story of Merce, a former slave who was bitten by a vampire in the cotton fields. Four hundred years later, he works as a tattoo artist in the small town of DayBlack. The town has a sky so dense with pollution that the sun is nowhere to be seen, allowing Merce to move about freely, night or day. Even darker than the clouds are the dreams he’s been having that are causing him to fall asleep at the most awkward times (even while he’s tattooing someone). As he struggles to decipher his dreams, someone from his past returns with plans for him—plans that will threaten his new way of life and turn him back into the cold-hearted killer he once was.

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Happy Birthday! – Mamoru Suzuki

Happy Birthday! by Mamoru Suzuki is a love letter of sorts from a mother to their child where the mother recounts from the anticipation of her child’s birth through to the child’s ability to walk, then run. It then looks forward to when the child branches out on their own and assures the child that wherever they are their mother will always love them.

This book is intended as a birthday gift and children will love to hear about how loved they are. I expect children this book is read to who take everything literally will be eagerly waiting for the time when they gain the ability to fly as the looking forward part shows two children flying in the sky Peter Pan style. The illustrations are cute and use soft warm colours except for the end of the book when the Darling children follow Peter Pan to Neverland.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Museyon Inc. for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The occasion of a birthday provide the opportunity to look back at the long days spent waiting patiently for the baby to be born, the special day it arrives, and the miraculous perfection of every stage of its growth. Soft, warm colors and cozy images are accompanied by a spare text that perfectly captures the all-encompassing love parents for their children. This birthday book will resonate with anyone who has loved a child. It is a gift that every child deserves.

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Kuma-Kuma Chan’s Travels – Kazue Takahashi

Kuma-Kuma Chan’s Travels is the third in the Kuma-Kuma Chan picture book series. Kuma-Kuma Chan loosely translates from Japanese as ‘cute little bear’. In this book we read about where this bear travels, such as a tropical beach and to the top of a mountain, although we learn that Kuma-Kuma Chan doesn’t actually go anywhere. He travels in his imagination, in his writing and in his dreams. He sends the unnamed narrator writings about his travels but because his writing is too messy, the narrator cannot read them.

I expect the intention of this book is to encourage readers to also use their imaginations. From reading reviews of previous books in the series I understand that this bear is quite popular in Japan. It’s not the kind of children’s book I gravitate to though as nothing really happens.

There isn’t the rhyming or excitement that usually engages young children or bright, detailed illustrations to capture their imaginations. The illustrations are simple and have muted colours. I got sort of a zen feel from reading the book, like I was floating in clouds while I was reading it.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Museyon Inc. for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

In the third book in the Kuma-Kuma Chan series, the title character flies off to a south sea isle where he lies in the sun and drifts into a lazy snooze. He climbs to the summit of a mountain and views the sunrise while drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Instead of physically setting out for one place or another, Kuma-Kuma travels freely all over the world – inside his head. Once again, Kuma-Kuma Chan charms as he exemplifies the joy of a simple, peaceful, life. With its spare text and delightful illustrations, this small-format picture book invites readers to explore their own imaginations and create their own travels.

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Poetry for Kids: Robert Frost – Jay Parini (editor)

Illustrations – Michael Paraskevas

Poetry for Kids: Robert Frost is the latest in a Poetry for Kids series, with previous books featuring poetry by Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman. This book contains 30 of Frost’s poems, prefaced by an introduction of Frost’s life and inspiration for his poetry, and followed by short explanations of each poem’s meaning in a section titled ‘What Robert Was Thinking’. There are definitions included with each poem for words children (and adults) may not be familiar with.

This book is part of an established series so obviously there must be a children’s market for this type of book but personally I would have preferred to see this book marketed as a gift book. Without the ‘for Kids’ branding I think the market would have opened right up for this book.

The audience for this book is listed as 8+ but I know I wouldn’t have appreciated this book as a child. At 8 I was reading Roald Dahl, not poetry books, and I don’t think that’s so unusual.

My fear for this book is that it may be used in schools to teach poetry at kids instead of to kids, and that could ruin Robert Frost for them. I say this because the only poetry I’ve ever hated with a passion have been poems taught to me. I always baulked at a teacher telling me emphatically what the poet meant by each word, line by line. I wanted to have the opportunity to think about the poem myself and decide what it meant to me, and always wondered if the poet actually intended the poem to be interpreted the way my teacher said was the only way, the right way.

Digressing, that reminds me of a story about Alfred Hitchcock helping his granddaughter write an essay for film school about his movie Shadow of a Doubt. Her grade? C. So the story goes, he shrugged and said, “That’s the best I can do”.

Anyway … I grew up adoring The Road Not Taken but that was mostly because my Nan used to quote it all of the time and I’d often read the photocopied poem stuck to a wall in her house with Blu-Tack. I don’t know I would have liked it as a kid without my Nan’s influence.

Michael Paraskevas’ illustrations are absolutely wonderful! They complement the poetry beautifully. I think adults will like them better than kids though. It’s only as an adult that I appreciate artwork like this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – MoonDance Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A collection to be read, experienced, and treasured. 

Whether capturing a cold New England winter’s evening, or the beauty of an old, abandoned house, four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost left an indelible mark on our consciousness. This stunning celebration of his best-loved work includes 35 poems specially chosen for children ages 8 to 14 by author and historian Jay Parini.

Illustrator Michael Paraskevas brings the poems to life with his pitch-perfect scenes, infused with majestic color and quiet simplicity. Poems include “Mending Wall,” “Birches,” “The Road Not Taken,” “Fire and Ice,” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,”

This gentle introduction also includes commentary, definitions of key words, and an introduction to the poet’s life.

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Nelly Jelly and the Magnificent Tree – Lisa Limbrick

Illustrations – Jemima Trappel

When Nelly gets annoyed with her four year old sister Alice for calling her ‘Nelly Jelly’ and embarrassed that her friend Hannah is there to hear it, Nelly impulsively grabs her sister’s favourite doll and throws it in the air. It gets stuck way up high in a tree and Nelly is forced to confront her deepest, darkest fear, a fear she’s kept secret until now. She is afraid of heights. Will she decide to be brave and overcome the soggy, sticky and squishy things in her way or will she let her fear win?

Hannah is a good friend, using empathy by telling stories to Nelly about situations where her Nana felt the same way to distract Nelly from her fear. The book was full of terrible jokes and puns but young children may find them funny. I would have loved to have read the part where Nelly apologises to Alice for throwing her ‘best friend’ into a tree but it didn’t happen.

This book shows children that by using perseverance and determination you can overcome obstacles and conquer your fears. Hannah and Alice both encourage Nelly as she climbs and celebrate her accomplishment with her. It’s a nice story but I don’t think it will stay with me, unlike some other children’s books I’ve read recently.

The illustrations by Jemima Trappel are really cute and I liked that there was a small picture at the beginning of each chapter showing what the doll experiences in that chapter.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wombat Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

There’s only one thing that Nelly dislikes more than jelly, and that’s heights. In fact, she’s terrified of high places!

But when she has to climb the magnificent tree to rescue her younger sister’s doll, Nelly has to not only face her greatest fear but a series of unexpected … soggy … squishy … and sticky things.

Join Nelly Jelly and her friends for what will be a hilarious, fun and GROSS adventure up into the magnificent tree. 

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A Stegosaurus Would Not Make a Good Pirate – Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Illustrations – Steph Calvert

Ahoy, me mateys! This book were bein’ a fun ride. Chock full of colourful pictures and plenty o’ pirate characters, I enjoyed readin’ this story. Gary the Stegosaurus does his best t’ please Cap’n One-Tooth. Avast! He gets fired!

Gary was not bein’ the right size for pirate clothes, he be too big, his tail be too spiky, he not be eatin’ pirate food, and he not be good at countin’. Maybe there be ‘nother job perfect for a Stegosaurus, eh?

Cap’n Thomas Kingsley Troupe, ye did a good job. Cap’n Steph Calvert, ye drawin’ ability be full o’ whimsy. Lads and lasses, they be enjoyin’ this here book.

Thanks to me mateys at NetGalley and Capstone for givin’ me the opportunity to be tellin’ ’em what I be thinkin’ of it. Arrr!

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Gary the Stegosaurus wants to be a pirate. But then he gets the chance, things do NOT work out. Getting seasick is the least of Gary’s worries once he’s on that ship! This delightful picture book from the Dinosaur Dreams series includes discussion questions, an interactive look-and-find fact section, and dinosaur facts.

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