Tag: 4 stars

Depression & Other Magic Tricks – Sabrina Benaim

poetry and i usually don’t mix / we repel like opposing ions / my synapses don’t fire / when sparked by verse / however / a flame was lit at the start / kindled by depression and anxiety / yet heartbreak’s oxygen did not fan the flames / satisfied yet / desiring more like / explaining my depression to my mother / a conversation

i don’t know sabrina benaim / never heard her voice / yet depression and i are old buddies / we dance around each other / and make somber music / in the dark recesses of my mind / we love yet hate / one another but / we continue our duet

at times i am sure my getaway car / has obscured my shadow in dust / then i turn the corner / and the sunlight causes me / to glance behind with horror / my shadow has grown large / absorbing the light / and creeps closer / as it follows / sabrina you exhale with eloquence / shine light upon the dark / adjust focus so we can see / the hope depression conceals

anxiety can pick me / out of a line up / loneliness of knowing / in a crowded room / i’m the only one / from my tribe / despair at lack / of understanding / treated like a curiosity / different / not enough

heartbreak / a foreign land / i am an alien there / yet made clear / by hearing sabrina

dark / depression / loneliness / heartbreak / anxiety / despair / swirl into one / flood of emotion / aching / desert of nothingness / numbness / muddy clay that distorts / yet resilience / hope / light

gratitude / netgalley / gratitude / button poetry / gratitude / independent book publishers association / my thoughts for free / lasting impression / set aside other words / drink in this offering / to be returned to again / and again / to sip / to guzzle / to absorb / no regrets

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Depression & Other Magic Tricks is the debut book by Sabrina Benaim, one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time, whose poem “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” has become a cultural phenomenon with over 5,000,000 views. 

Depression & Other Magic Tricks explores themes of mental health, love, and family. It is a documentation of struggle and triumph, a celebration of daily life and of living. Benaim’s wit, empathy, and gift for language produce a work of endless wonder

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Nothing – Annie Barrows

Finally! A book that comes with its own cover story!

“What are you reading?”

“Nothing.”

The banter between Frankie and Charlotte hooked me before they’d even finished their first conversation. I loved their friendship! They were both fluent in sarcasm, were self-deprecating and funny. They got frustrated with one another. They knew each other so well and supported each other, even when supporting meant tough love. They were real! The way Frankie and Charlotte talked and thought reminded me of a rapid fire Gilmore Girls script. I could definitely imagine a teenage me being friends with these girls.

Nothing unfolded through alternating chapters. Charlotte’s first person written account of how nothing interesting ever happens to them was followed by third person prose that focused more on Frankie. This type of format can be hit and miss, but this time it worked for me. There weren’t gaping holes in the narrative where you needed to catch up and the changeover between first and third person didn’t feel disjointed.

I don’t exactly know how the author managed it but this book about nothing and how boring it is that nothing ever happens is actually quite interesting and very entertaining. Between the nothingness and the boredom, there are friendships (obviously), families, first kisses, parties, a road trip, drugs, alcohol, school, mobile phones, swearing, a stick figure, driving lessons, and plenty of ridicule aimed at YA book clichés, although not in that order.

The style had me believing that this could easily have been written by a teenager. Not in a condescending ‘ugh’ way, but in a ‘the author captured the teenage experience, including the way they talk’ way. I’d happily sign up for another instalment of the nothingness and boredom of these girls’ lives.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the opportunity to read this book. I’ll be checking out the author’s back catalogue and will be on the lookout for future releases.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Nothing ever happens to Charlotte and Frankie. Their lives are nothing like the lives of the girls they read about in their YA novels. They don’t have flowing red hair and hot romantic encounters never happen—let alone meeting a true soul mate. They just go to high school and live at home with their parents, who are pretty normal, all things considered. But when Charlotte decides to write down everything that happens during their sophomore year to prove that nothing happens and there is no plot or character development in real life, she’s surprised to find that being fifteen isn’t as boring as she thought. It’s weird, heartbreaking, silly, and complicated. And maybe, just perfect.

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Body Parts – Jessica Kapp

There’s a medication you can take to be stronger. Another one to make you smarter. Another to make you more beautiful. Another to make you faster. In fact, there’s a medication for anything you want to change about yourself. You can take your pick and you have money to burn so you can take as many different types as you want. You continue taking them all because they work so well. Then you find out your liver is failing and you need a transplant or you’ll die. Do you question where your new liver is coming from? Do you brush aside any ethical dilemmas you might stumble across in the process and decide to go ahead with the surgery anyway? After all, your life is on the line.

I’m not quite sure how she did it but Jessica Kapp reeled me in by the end of the first page and had me on her hook until the end of the book. Body Parts provides a very interesting (and quite scary) commentary on both the organ transplant and pharmaceutical industries.

In the beginning of this book we meet a group of children at the Centre who are being trained to be as healthy as possible in order to increase their chances of being placed with a foster family. Each child has lived in hope that their dream of belonging in a real family will come true. We follow Tabitha as she’s given the news that a family wants to foster her and when she subsequently learns that nothing at the Centre is as it seems. Who can you trust when everything you’ve been taught growing up turns out to be lies?

I loved a lot of the characters, especially Mary, but felt like some of the peripheral characters blended into each other a bit. I enjoyed the uncertainty I felt along with Tabitha regarding who she could trust, and liked that some characters had motives that weren’t always immediately apparent. Some minor irritations, such as the ending feeling rushed and finding the Insta-love annoying at times, didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book. I found myself wanting to rush through to find out if my suspicions about certain characters were valid and who would be saved from getting slaughtered for spare parts.

I kept thinking as I was reading that a scenario like that described in this book isn’t so far fetched that it’s not within the realms of possibility. Is it really that much of a leap, when there’s already distrust surrounding big drug companies and so many stories about black market organ theft, to believe they could easily merge into one hugely profitable venture?

Partway through this book and with questions like this playing in my head, the X-Phile in me accidentally escaped and thought it would be fun to go all conspiracy theory on me. My favourite outlandish conspiracy theory? What if this book isn’t fiction but is actually a memoir and one day far into the future, Jessica Kapp is going to come clean and reveal at long last that this is actually her story, that she is indeed Tabitha… Yeah, I know. I should be banned from watching The X-Files for life and perhaps conspiracy theory me should not be allowed out in polite company, but I love playing with what ifs. They make life much more entertaining.

Yes, I’m still happy to be an organ donor, but not until I’ve finished using them. Young adults and adults alike will enjoy this book and I’ll be looking out for future books by Jessica Kapp. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

People would kill for her body.

Raised in an elite foster center off the California coast, sixteen-year-old Tabitha’s been sculpted into a world-class athlete. Her trainers have told her she’ll need to be in top physical condition to be matched with a loving family, even though personal health has taken a backseat outside the training facility. While Tabitha swims laps and shaves seconds off her mile time, hoping to find a permanent home, the rest of the community takes pills produced by pharmaceutical giant PharmPerfect to erase their wrinkles, grow hair, and develop superhuman strength.

When Tabitha’s finally paired, instead of being taken to meet her new parents, she wakes up immobile on a hospital bed. Moments before she’s sliced open, a group of renegade teenagers rescues her, and she learns the real reason for her perfect health: PharmPerfect is using her foster program as a replacement factory for their pill-addicted clients’ failing organs. And her friends from the center, the only family she’s ever known, are next in line to be harvested.

Determined to save them, Tabitha joins forces with her rescuers, led by moody and mysterious Gavin Stiles. As they race to infiltrate the hospital and uncover the rest of PharmPerfect’s secrets, though, Tabitha finds herself with more questions than answers. Will trusting the enigmatic group of rebels lead her back to the slaughterhouse?

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Where Is My Coat? Farm Animals – Anita Bijsterbosch

This adorable board book is aimed at toddlers from 12 months old. The farm animals in this book have lost their coats and need your child’s help to get them back. One page shows the animal and its young in silhouette and asks the child what animal it is. The animal is revealed in full colour on the next page.

I can imagine a toddler’s joy at saying the right answer and the page turning to magically reveal a coloured picture of the animal and its young. I’m sure I’d be following the correct answer with an, “And what does the duck say?” I’m getting clucky just thinking about it!

The coloured illustrations are lovely and make the animals look happy and friendly. I love young children’s books that are interactive and really like that this book engages the child by asking them to guess what animal the silhouette shape represents. Anita Bijsterbosch has created a really sweet book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. If I knew anyone with a child in the right age group I’d be purchasing this book for them and would probably insist on being the first one to read it to them!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The farm animals in this book need your help. Will you help them find their coats and give them their colors back? Turn the page and discover who they are. Pigs, ducks or cows? Or maybe horses? An animal book with black-and-white and color pictures that stimulate visual development.

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Everybody’s Somewhere – Cornelia Maude Spelman

Illustrations – Alea Marley

I had hoped this would be a book I could recommend to psychologist friends for use with their younger clients experiencing separation anxiety or grief. Based on the blurb I expected Everybody’s Somewhere to be focused on bereavement or to be aimed toward children who may live with one parent and be missing the other, or perhaps who have a parent that has had to go away for a work trip. Given that the book was written by a social worker my assumptions were strengthened.

That’s not what this book is though. It’s basically saying that people are everywhere – up trees, under the stars, in cars, etc. Based on the reality of what the book is instead of what I hoped it would be, it’s a cute book. It would be a nice bedtime story. The rhyming and easy words are appropriate for the young target audience.

Alea Marley has done a beautiful job with the illustrations. The colour scheme is soft and comforting. I liked the diversity of the children featured in the pictures and think children as well as adults will enjoy looking at them.

I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Seagrass Press for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

UPDATE: If the blurb was fixed to reflect what the author intended then the story works perfectly. I still believe this will make a lovely bedtime story that children will enjoy.

Once Upon a Blurb

Everybody’s somewhere, where are you?
I’m right here, I’m somebody, too.
Some are in the country, some are in the town.
Everybody’s somewhere, up or down.

Everybody — mums, dads, grandpas, grandmas, friends, and people you’ve never met — is somewhere in the world, doing something right now, even if you can’t see them.

Everybody’s Somewhere is a fun, colorful introduction to the idea that everyone you’ve met, or haven’t met, is somewhere. Written perfectly for young minds that might not fully comprehend how big the world is, or the number of people on it, this fun children’s book will plant the seeds of the ideas in their minds.

With its playful poetry, bouncy rhymes, Everybody’s Somewhere asks children to expand their perspective, and follows up with fun illustrations. Award-winning author Cornelia Maude Spelman invites children to imagine other people in other places doing different things, to be delighted by new ideas, and to be reassured that everyone is important and sharing the same world.

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Human Tribe – Alison Wright

Beautiful! Just beautiful! I can definitely see this photography book featuring people from all over the world making its way to my coffee table. I want to look through it over and over, and show specific photos to specific people:
“Look at those amazing eyes! They seem to look straight into your soul.”
“Check out the incredible composition of this shot.”
“Oh, that lighting…” satisfied sigh
“How cool is that?!”
“That depth of field of that one is perfect.”

I saw stories in the eyes of these people – humility, laughter, hardship, hope, pain, joy. Some even appear to have a slightly amused look on their face as if surprised that the photographer chose them as subjects.

Now, more than ever, we need to be reminded that as people we are more alike than not. We may look different and have varying world views and experiences, but the human experience ultimately remains the same. We’ve all had struggles, fears, sadness and pain, we’ve all (I hope) experienced happiness, love and the comfort and joy of friendship. We all have dreams, goals and ambitions for our life. Although maybe not everyone has quite as many soapboxes as I do…

The only things I would personally liked to have seen added to this gorgeous book are the first name of each subject and perhaps a sentence or two about who they are.

Human Tribe would make a lovely gift and would be a great talking piece as a coffee table book. Aspiring photographers could use this book to learn about what makes a captivating portrait, experienced photographers can appreciate the technical expertise of Alison Wright and anyone who loves photos will enjoy poring over this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd. for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A page-turner in the most exquisite sense, this book of over 160 portraits expresses the emotive beauty and grace of the human face. Documentary photographer Alison Wright traveled to every continent to capture the diversity of the human tribe, from toddlers to those who’ve lived a lifetime, and from South America to Africa, Asia, and points in between. Some of the people photographed are privileged, some live ordinary lives, and others live close to the land and in communities that may not last another generation. Collectively, these surprising studies of the human face remind us of our common bond and the inherent dignity in being ourselves.

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Fowl Language: The Struggle is Real – Brian Gordon

While I’m not a parent I still really enjoyed this book. The comics were funny and entirely relatable. Plus, the drawings are of ducks. What’s not to love about ducks?!

I’ve observed so many of these moments with friends’ kids, along with the sticky kids who always end up next to you in the checkout line and the ones playing the games with annoying music at the highest possible volume on their parent’s phone at the doctor’s surgery. Whenever I come across a Fowl Language moment I have such admiration for the way parents manage the seemingly impossible and usually think, ‘You poor things’ and feel myself wanting to give the frazzled parents a hug. Yet at the same time I’m probably also thinking, ‘This is reason number 638 why I don’t have kids’.

There’s always something cathartic about finding a “Me, too!” moment when you feel like you’re the only one going through something and parents are definitely going to find plenty of those in this book. This is a book that can used to reminisce – “Look what we survived!”, to encourage – “I think I can, I think I can” or possibly even as an effective form of birth control.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The Internet sensation, Fowl Language Comics, is back with its second book, Fowl Language: The Struggle Is Real, the perfect parenting humor book for anyone who liked Toddlers Are A**holes!

He’s back, and he’s totally got parenting figured out this time. KIDDING.

It’s another collection of Fowl Language comics, ripped from the headlines of this author’s actual friggin’ life.

You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll swear. It’s almost exactly like a day of parenting, except without the annoying little people.

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There’s a Dog on the Dining Room Table – Elizabeth Maginnis

Illustrations – Annie Dwyer Internicola

There’s a Dog on the Dining Room Table is an adorable children’s book. I love dogs so requesting to read this book was a no brainer for me but I enjoyed it even more than I expected to. The rhymes flow really well and the illustrations complement the words. I loved seeing the dog transformed as each scenario for why the dog is on the dining room table is explored. I can imagine children giggling as they see the dog dressed up and engaged in different activities. The illustrations are lovely and imaginative.

If I was reading this book to a child I couldn’t simply read the book and be done. I’d have to make it into a game where the child and I come up with our own explanations for why the dog is on the dining room table. I loved the introduction of a new character at the end of the book and I’d definitely be asking the child I was reading with for other reasons why that character could be where it was.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated that it encourages children to use their imaginations. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Xist Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

In this cute rhyming story about an unexpected visitor a little girl wonders why there is a dog on her dining room table. She imagines a world of funny scenarios for the new visitor, but not everyone is happy about his arrival.

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The Dream Dragon – Kathryn England

Illustrations – Valeria Issa

Spoilers Ahead!

This story shows how what we experience throughout our days can show up in our dreams at night, in particular what we’re thinking about as we fall asleep. At the beginning of this story, the boy has a book about dragons on his bedside table and while he sleeps he is protected by a dream dragon.

The dream dragon wanted to be the boy’s main dream so it would be remembered in the morning. The dream dragon chased good dreams away and breathed fire on the bad dreams, until the boy learns about dinosaurs at school. The boy then has dream protectors in the forms of a T-rex, followed by a super hero, then a pirate. The dream dragon is sad that the boy no longer dreams of it, but at the end of the book a girl has a book about dragons on her bedside table…

Bedtime stories are powerful and this one would be a great tool to help children who experience nightmares. I love the idea of teaching children that the characters in their bedtime stories can be their own dream protectors, doing battle on the child’s behalf while they’re sleeping to help keep away bad dreams.

I liked the illustrations, none of which looked scary. The dream dragon itself is quite quirky and kind of adorable in an ugly cute kind of way.

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

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A dragon protects a child’s dreams from nightmares in this picture book perfect for bedtime. Bedtime stories inspires a series of dream protectors for a little boy. The dream dragon keeps the nightmares away and is joined by dinosaurs, pirates, super heroes and more in the quest to keep nighttime safe.

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What Does Consent Really Mean? – Pete Wallis & Thalia Wallis

Illustrations – Joseph Wilkins

This graphic novel is a great introduction to a vitally important topic. I wish something similar had been available when I was growing up. I’d love to see it provided to students during sex ed classes in schools. The graphic novel format is much more inviting than the photocopied notes that were painfully plentiful last century when I was at school.

The discussion questions and resources at the end would be useful as a jumping off point to aid teachers in facilitating classroom discussions. I could see this book being used by parents to help them bring up this topic with their children and also to inform parents about the issues that affect kids today that they may not have had to deal with when they were growing up due to changes in technology. Even school leavers may find this book useful as issues surrounding consent don’t magically disappear once you reach adulthood.

This book dispels many myths surrounding what is and isn’t consent in a clear, conversational way. There are some parts that read more like adults talking than teenagers but I’m not sure this can be completely avoided. By touching on various scenarios relevant to consent, including perspectives of males and females, and making the point that the need for consent is the same regardless of a person’s sexuality, this book gives the reader enough of an overview to be able to apply what they’ve read to scenarios they may face in their own lives (or bring clarity to what they may have already experienced).

One of the resources listed at the end of the book is a YouTube video that explains consent so well that I think it complements this book perfectly.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

“Consent is not the absence of ‘NO’, it is an enthusiastic YES!!”

While seemingly straightforward, Tia and Bryony hadn’t considered this subject too seriously until it comes up in conversation with their friends and they realise just how important it is.

Following the sexual assault of a classmate, a group of teenage girls find themselves discussing the term consent, what it actually means for them in their current relationships, and how they act and make decisions with peer influence. Joined by their male friends who offer another perspective, this rich graphic novel uncovers the need for more informed conversations with young people around consent and healthy relationships.

Accompanying the graphics are sexual health resources for students and teachers, which make this a perfect tool for broaching the subject with teens.

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