Book Review: Rules for Girls by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno

By Jodene Wylie

I had been eager to read this book long before it was set for release in April of this year. A combined effort from Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno (Fireworks, Top Ten and a host of other great young adult lit) comes this wonderful exploration and awakening of youthful feminism.

If you were to glance at the back of the book you would have a clear grasp on the topics to be covered: 

Remember, Girls: Put a little colour on your face. Shave your legs. Don’t wear too much makeup…..Don’t be a doormat, but God, don’t be bossy. Be chill. Be easygoing. Act like one of the guys. Don’t actually act like one of the guys. Be a feminist. Support the sisterhood. Don’t be easy…..But calm down! Don’t worry so much. You can do anything! You can be whatever you want to be! Just don’t forget to smile!”

Oh, the never-ending, perpetuating, rules applied to the female gender. Bushnell and Cotugno really nailed it on the head with this one. Rules for Girls follows Marin throughout her last year of high school as she prepares to head off to college and start the next stage of her life. Her life looks a certain way, which is to say that she’s following all the implied rules with the right friends, the right boyfriend, the never-miss-a-class and strong academics, and so on. Needless to say, and without spoiling some major plot twists, life doesn’t stay this way for Marin. 

This book is an awakening for Marin who offers a fresh and relatable voice and conscience for teens to read. Her character, through a series of events, is shocked into the injustices that surround women, the difficulty in having your voice heard, and the challenges that must be faced to evoke change. 

A wonderful feature to this book is the in-school feminist book club that is formed. Bushnell and Cotugno waste no time in sharing a plenitude of books, articles, music, and films that have their roots (and message) in feminism. While they praise many of these texts, they don’t shy away from calling some of the pieces boring which adds a realness to this young adult fiction. Not every book is a winner for everyone, after all. It also offers readers the option to explore some of these other works which is a nice addition to this book.  

In truth, while this book opens up conversations on a number of topics, it is at its heart a great young adult novel: There are struggles with friends, various love interests, the fears of future education, and some sweet family dynamics particularly with Marin’s Gram. This book has it all.

I encourage you to dive in and read it. Read this book for yourself, send it to a teen in your life, and treasure it. It’s a good one!

*Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for this book

Book Review: She's No Longer Silent (Various Authors)

by Kaylie Seed

She’s No Longer Silent is being released into the world this Fall and is filled with powerful and empowering real-life vignettes told by women who are no longer staying silent about traumatic events in their lives. Golden Brick Road Publishing House brings women (from all over the world) together in She’s No Longer Silent and allows them to reclaim their truth and speak out against painful things that have happened in their lives that had forced them into silence. These women get real, raw, and emotional as they bravely tell their story in hopes of inspiring someone else to no longer be silent in their own life. Exploring topics such as domestic abuse, mental illness, sexual assault, and many other traumatic events, She’s No Longer Silent creates a safe space for women to speak up about things that were meant to keep them down while also uplifting others to do the same.

She’s No Longer Silent is broken down into three different sections which house stories with similar themes but each story is incredibly unique to each author. The women who have co-authored this book are all absolutely inspiring and remind the reader that while we all go through hardships in our lives there can be light at the end of the tunnel and that it is important that we speak up for our truths as it is the only way that we can truly set ourselves free from the burdens of our past.

The reader needs to be in the right mindset to read these powerful stories as the topics are heavy and can be triggering to those who have experienced similar events and circumstances.

While we all go through different experiences and traumas in our lives, the authors in She’s No Longer Silent suggest that in the end we want to silence our trauma instead of letting our trauma silence us. Sometimes, we need to take adversity head-on and speak up for ourselves.

*Thank you to Golden Brick Road Publishing House for the gifted E-ARC of this book

Book Review: The Birth Yard by Mallory Tater

By Kaylie Seed

Canadian author Mallory Tater had her debut novel The Birth Yard “birthed” into this world in March of this year and it is filled with so many important themes that we need to be discussing around women’s rights. This coming-of-age story follows eighteen-year-old Sable Ursu as she navigates her way through an intense patriarchal cult called The Den all while trying to make her family proud. Throughout the novel, Sable is left to struggle with the oppressive world she finds herself in. The Den believes that men are superior and that women need to be controlled. This includes who they marry, when they conceive, and The Den requires women to take pills to keep their hysteria at bay. This cult is extremely misogynistic and while The Den wants to take care of the women who live there they (the men of The Den) view women only as vessels who are meant to serve them and carry children.

            The Birth Yard is chock full of intense themes including women’s rights, reproductive rights, misogyny, birth control, and womanhood. All of these themes are mixed in with Sable’s narrative as she goes from timid, conforming girl to boisterous, freethinking woman. Sable begins to question the ways of The Den when she is in the Birth Yard preparing to give birth to her daughter and while she wants to make her family proud she also realizes that staying in The Den will put her daughter in harm’s way - something she does not want to do. Tater weaves all of these themes effortlessly through the plot and has created a distinct narrative that can take a bit of time for the reader to get used to. Visually, Tater takes all of the male words in The Birth Yard and capitalizes them so that it is reinforced to the reader that men are superior to the women in this world. The way Tater writes Sable’s narration also changes as Sable goes through her journey in the story. It is brilliant!

            It’s clear to the reader that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale was an influence in Tater’s The Birth Yard but it should be made known that The Birth Yard is its own novel with so many different aspects including, and prominently, that it is not a totalitarian dystopia but rather The Den is a cult that exists in life as we know it. Tater deserves praise for creating this intense world that Sable has to navigate and there are a lot of parallels in The Birth Yard that ring true to the treatment of women in society today (even if it’s not as extreme in real life). Without giving anything away, the ending to The Birth Yard has the reader craving for more and leaves a lot of unanswered questions, so naturally the reader hopes that Sable’s story is not over yet. Tater has created a world that the reader wants to be both immersed in and free from and that shows just how well done this novel is. As a fellow Canadian, I cannot wait to see what Tater ends up writing next.

*Readers who enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale would thoroughly enjoy The Birth Yard.

Book Review: Before the Usual Time: A Collection of Indigenous Stories and Poems (Various Authors)

By Kaylie Seed

Published in April of this year, Before the Usual Time (edited by Darlene Naponse) brings together an exceptional collection of stories and poems written by 17 Indigenous authors from all over the world, including writers from Northern Ontario. Each of the authors who have contributed to Before the Usual Time use their poems and stories to touch on topics such as colonialism, intergenerational trauma, culture, language, residential schools, and traditions. These topics and issues continue to be pervasive in our world and through story and poetry we can begin to learn and understand.

All of the pieces in this collection may share similar themes but they are all remarkably unique and powerful in their own right. At the beginning of each vignette each author is introduced as is the traditional land from which they are from along with a short blurb discussing the author’s other writing accomplishments. 

Ranging from small poems to short stories, each of these pieces of “written-art “in Before the Usual Time has stunning imagery and breathtaking prose that is sure to leave an impact on the reader. The writing in this collection needs to be celebrated and it is recommended that the reader look into each of the contributing authors for further readings.

Indigenous writers have incredible stories to share with the world that are meant to teach while also allows for the preserving of their own language, culture, and traditions. Before the Usual Time is an excellent stepping stone that allows readers to find some amazing Indigenous authors to add into their to-be-read lists.

*Thank you to Latitude 46 Publishing for the gifted copy of this book.

Book Review: Women Let's Rise by The Rising Women (Various Authors)

By Kaylie Seed

Available this Fall from Golden Brick Road Publishing House

Women Let’s Rise is being released into the world this fall and it is a nonfiction self-help book that readers won’t want to miss out on. Golden Brick Road Publishing House brings together women from all over the world so that they can collaborate, empower, and inspire others by each writing a chapter for a book that centres on like-minded themes. Women Let’s Rise was an idea born from author Lola T. Small and her central idea was to have women share their stories on how they have each risen up to challenges in their lives and turned those experiences into something that they can teach others about. Twenty incredible women from all different backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and ages have come together to create Women Let’s Rise, a book that is meant to encourage women to rise up and conquer anything that life throws their way.

            Each of the chapters in Women Let’s Rise introduces the reader to a unique voice and story from a different woman while managing to keep a few strong themes throughout including: how to take initiative in any given situation, how to use positive self-talk, how to listen with compassion (with others and within yourself), and what you can do to live life with purpose, passion, and vision. While each chapter was written by a different author, each chapter ebbs and flows with the others creating a safe space for readers to connect with each woman’s unique experience. Whether you’re fresh out of University at 24; or questioning your career choices at 43, or beginning your family at 32; or rekindling a love towards your passions at 60: Women Let’s Rise is meant to empower women at any stage in their life and to inspire women to listen to their gut and to do the things in their life that make them happy. In the end, it truly is your happiness that is most important. You cannot pour from an empty cup and if you need to make a change in your life but are unsure where to start, pick up this book and become inspired by all of the amazing stories within.

*Thank you to Golden Brick Road Publishing House for sharing this book with us.

Book Review: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

By Kaylie Seed

Indigenous Canadian author Waubgeshig Rice’s fifth novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow was first released in October of 2018. This dystopian tale takes place in a small, remote Anishinaabe community where one day things go dark and don’t come back on. As winter approaches, the community must prepare for the long season by hunting and awaiting supplies to come up from the South. In Canada’s northern reserves, they are often difficult to get to and require a plane to fly in but in the winter time an ice road is made so that deliveries can be made. As the community awaits winter’s harsh grasp, Evan Whitesky finds that the community has been completely shut off from the rest of the world as internet, telephones, and televisions stop working. As winter approaches, it is up to the community to come together and collectively help each other out until they are able to figure out what is going on in the world. As the story progresses, eerie things begin happening in the community as people begin showing up seeking refuge from the chaos in the South.

            Rice uses beautifully haunting imagery to describe what is going on in the community as turmoil ensues. The characters in Moon of the Crusted Snow turn to traditional Anishinaabe traditions to help them try to survive this dystopian world by coming together as a community - which doesn’t always work. Rice does an excellent job at portraying what is likely to happen when a society runs low on supplies and people get increasingly desperate: people begin to die, supplies start to run out, and people lose patience as their internal instinct to survive kicks in. 

            Rice uses traditional Ojibwe language throughout Moon of the Crusted Snow as a beautiful way to keep the language alive. When Residential Schools were running in Canada, a lot of Anishinaabe People lost their traditional language and traditions as Christianity was forced upon them. Some Anishinaabe People were able to keep tradition and their language alive in secret and are slowly trying to reclaim who they are through each generation thanks to Elders and this is evident in Moon of the Crusted Snow both in Rice’s writing and through what the characters do and say. Not only will the reader have the opportunity to read an incredible story, but they will also have the opportunity to learn something new if they are unfamiliar with Anishinaabe culture, tradition, and language.

Book Review: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

By Ashliegh Gehl

There’s more than 1,400 miles between New York City and Puerto Plata. Most of the space between is composed of water. Ocean, which connects and divides Yahaira and Camino, central characters in Elizabeth Acevedo’s contemporary young adult novel Clap When You Land. A 417-page read published by HarperTeen.

The novel’s poetic structure is transient. The reader, a passenger in perpetual flight, first touches down in Camino’s Dominican Republic where she is anticipating the arrival of her father who is on flight 1112 out of JFK International Airport. A routine three-hour and thirty-six-minute flight that never reaches its final destination. It leaves no survivors, only wreckage, heartache, uncertainty and fear.

As Camino says: 

I am beginning to learn 

that life-altering news 

is often like a premature birth:

ill-timed, catching someone unaware,

emotionally unprepared

& often where they shouldn’t be:

Although fiction, flight 1112 is loosely based on American Airlines flight 587. It was headed to Santo Domingo but shortly after take-off crashed in Queens, New York and killed 260 passengers, including five others on the ground. An incident which took place on November 12, 2001 – two months after 9/11. Often referred to as the “forgotten” plane crash, flight 587 is one of the worst aviation disasters in American history and has not been forgotten by those impacted by the tragedy. 

Connecting this real-life event to a fictional narrative is part of the book’s strength. Acevedo grips the heart of grief and draws from emotions and experiences brought on by flight 587. She gives grief a platform through verse which connects the story of two estranged sisters, born of two different mothers, who are countries apart and united by a hustler of a father whose secrets ballooned like life vests after his plane crashed.

Clap When You Land is a novel of discovery and an exploration into identity. It feels like non-fiction because the characters and everything they go through are relatable, understandable, sad and in full bloom. It’s jaw-dropping beautiful how Acevedo carefully chooses the perfect words to describe the isolated, yet unified, experiences Camino and Yahaira independently navigate. The death of a father is unchartered waters for both.

There’s a heartwarming rawness to the way Acevedo describes Yahaira’s and Camino’s family situations and their respective communities. Neither is ideal, or without complications. It’s easy to be carried away by the stunning structure, powerful storyline and authentic portrait of sisterhood as their journeys unravel.

The arc of Acevedo’s writing resembles the landscape of the ocean. It takes you into the depths of loss and longing, and deeper into a character’s state of being. So deep, that just when you gasp out of shock or beauty, Acevedo pulls you into the shallow waters and brings you closer to shore. The seamless ebb and flow swiftly move the story along; a quiet current, a sneaky tide that rises while you’re not paying attention. Only when you look up from the page do you realize that you’ve travelled through sixty days of heartbreak with two unforgettable characters who will stay with you long after the novel ends. 

Book Review: Crazy Cat by Marta Pona

By Ashliegh Gehl

Marta Pona tapped into her daughter’s love of furry animals and her son’s weekly karate classes for inspiration for Crazy Cat, her debut picture book published by FriesenPress in 2019. 

“His black-belt test was the most excruciating, endurance-testing 3-hour experience of his life at the time, and heart-wrenching for me to watch! Oh, but a character-building event,” writes Pona, on her Goodreads profile, about her son’s experience. 

In this 24-page read, Pona focuses on a dashing feline’s not-so-cat-like characteristics. Bike riding? Crazy Cat does that. A master at karate? Crazy Cat is a master among cat masters. Dogs that are new to the neighbourhood quickly learn that Crazy Cat can’t be pounced on when she lazily relaxes in the sun. Crazy Cat is a fighter and stands up for herself. She’s not afraid to unleash those sharp claws and take a swipe. 

The warm illustrations aptly depict Crazy Cat as she is – free spirited, adventurous, fearless (puddles and sharks aside), and confident.   

By focusing on what makes Crazy Cat different, Marta invites the reader to self-reflect and acknowledge their own unique differences. It’s a base for self-discovery and self-appreciation. At the back of the book there are prompts which position the reader to go beyond the page and think about animal behaviour. The normal and the not-so-normal (we all know a Crazy Cat), and how our differences are often our strengths. 

Pona is a certified Ontario educator who has taught students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. She lives with her family in West Lincoln, Ontario, and is currently working on her second book, The Lonely Lion. Take a mouse-hunting cue from Crazy Cat, and be on the lookout for Pona’s next story.

Book Review: Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

by Kaylie Seed

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay parallels what is happening in the world today in regards to reactions of COVID-19 that is devastating the world. A genius writer in the horror genre, Tremblay has created a story about a fast spreading rabies-like virus that causes humans to become incredibly violent and no longer able to function as themselves. Tremblay places the reader in Massachusetts at the home of Natalie (Nats) who is a very pregnant woman. Natalie and her husband Paul are attacked and bitten by a rabid man in their home and when the attack is over, Nats seeks out the help of her long-time friend Ramola (Rams) who is a paediatric doctor. The two set out to find help for Natalie before it’s too late.

            The story weaves through both Nats and Rams perspectives as they try to navigate through a very violent and unprecedented time. Nats is a loud, tell-it-how-it-is kind of person. She swears like a trucker and is incredibly sarcastic. During Nats narration she records voice recordings on her phone that she is leaving for her unborn child in case she doesn’t make it out alive. Rams is the opposite of Nats. She is a sensible English woman who has moved to the States for work. Rams tries to provide a beacon of hope for Nats as they travel from hospital to hospital trying to find help for Nats and her unborn child. Through engaging prose, Tremblay does an excellent job at making each woman’s voice unique and their story believable.

            Tremblay uses Survivor Song as a way to shed light on human nature in times of extreme duress. Not only does Tremblay use a pregnant woman as the forefront of this novel, but he also portrays teenagers who believe this is the zombie apocalypse and men who feel the need to stop the spread themselves. These characters show just how desperate people can become to survive in unlikely times. Survivor Song is a horror novel and what makes this book so compelling is that we are dealing with uncertain times in real life. While horror books about demons and ghosts can be scary, it is the books about scary humans, about viruses, and about things that can actually happen in our daily lives that make the horror genre petrifying.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishing for providing this E-ARC through NetGalley.

Book Review: We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

By Ashliegh Gehl

Prepare to be transported to 1986 in Erin Entrada Kelly’s middle grade novel We Dream of Space. This delightful 391-page read, published by Greenwillow Books (an imprint of Harper Collins Canada), explores the internal and external journey of the Nelson Thomas siblings – Cash, Fitch and Bird – as they navigate middle school, grapple with family life, and look to the stars for answers.

As a whole, the Nelson Thomas family is a solar system. Its members are planets, spinning at their own speed, and passing at different orbital frequencies. 

Fitch and Bird may be twelve-year-old twins, but they’re poles apart. Fitch spends his days in arcades, mastering the fine art of pinball, and struggles to contain his explosive temper (kind of like Venus). Bird is a thinker. She’s curious about the mechanics of everything, creates her own instruction manuals, and dreams of commanding a spaceship. (Sorry, Bird. I mean space shuttle.) And yet, she feels unseen and somewhat isolated, not just from her family but from her friends at school. She’s like Pluto. (Am I a planet? Am I not a planet? What am I?) Cash, the oldest among them, is into basketball and at risk of failing school (again). He’s kind of just floating out there without any sense of purpose, in search of direction, and feeling a little sideways, like Uranus, due to a broken wrist.

The novel’s multi-perspective structure gives Cash, Fitch and Bird their day in the sun by isolating their experiences and putting their worldviews into focus. Despite their differences, they desire the same things. They long for family, friendship, and belonging. They cling to flittering glimpses of hope as they grapple with a sense of self. These easy-to-love characters are relatable, more so during those awkward growing pain moments that are necessary, but uncomfortable to witness.

Entrada Kelly’s crisp, clean writing takes the reader straight into the middle school experience where harsh words are spoken, cliques are formed, and there’s a lesson to be learned around every corner. Sharp dialogue swiftly moves the story along, so much so that 1986 feels as if it’s a character unto itself. 

We Dream of Space is more than just a deep dive into the personal and social lives of Cash, Fitch, Bird, and their self-absorbed parents. It takes the reader through January 1986, the month the space shuttle Challenger was scheduled to launch. It was a time when many school children across the United States were learning about the astronauts, their mission, and the significance of Mission Specialist Christa McAuliffe, who was primed to be the first teacher in space. 

Through satellite, NASA broadcasted the launch into classrooms so America’s youth could have a front row seat to McAuliffe’s space debut. On January 28, seventy-three seconds after lift-off, Challenger disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean. A moment, for students like Bird, which revealed that pursuing your dreams can be dangerous. This emotional journey is a ride in which readers of all ages will most certainly enjoy.  As Bird writes, “The universe is waiting.” So, what are you waiting for?

Book Review: Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

By Rebekah Dolmat

First published in October 2018, Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan (Henry) is a work of historical fiction inspired by the life of New York writer Joy Davidman and her improbable love story with the Oxford don, and famous Christian author, C.S. Lewis.  What begins as an exchange of letters overseas—questioning life and discussing both faith and spiritual beliefs—evolves into a deeply profound spiritual and intellectual friendship, and eventual romance.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a story told entirely from Joy’s perspective and it begins with a focus on her as a wife to her husband, Bill, and mother to her two sons, Davy and Douglas.  From the start, you can sense that something is amiss in her marriage; Bill is a man who drinks far too much and lashes out from extreme mood swings.  Even though there is a love shared between them, there is also a distance and a growing disconnect.  Bill merely wants a wife who is a stay-at-home mother and who is ready to answer to his every beck and call, but Joy is so much more than that.  Yes, she is a wife and mother, but Joy is also an intellectual, a deep thinker, and a writer.  

One evening, after a terrifying experience involving her husband, Joy begins to question, explore, and test her faith, resulting in her first letter to Mr. C.S. Lewis (Jack), written on behalf of her and her husband.  This letter marks the beginning of their back-and-forth correspondence and the beginning of their friendship.  After two years of constant writing, Joy travels to England from America, in a leap of faith, to meet the man who will change the course of the rest of her life.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a beautifully written story.  Callahan’s elegant writing and her attention to detail in her descriptions pulls the reader directly into the events of Joy’s life—from the hardships of her first marriage, to the joyous moments spent with her children, and finally, to her travels and intimate conversations with Jack.  As their relationship develops, readers are able to see how their friendship is just as important to Jack, as it is to Joy.  Jack is Joy’s mentor, best friend, and in the end her lover and husband, but to Jack, she becomes his muse and inspiration, his sounding board and editor, as well as his best friend and beloved wife.  Their relationship is a beautiful thing to see unfold throughout the entirety of this book.  It is also important to note that this story does not shy away from the bigger topics of religion, faith, and morality, as they are interwoven throughout the book—in Joy and Jack’s letters to each other, in their deep conversations with each other, and in both of their personal and professional writings. 

Readers who enjoy strong, independent and courageous female characters, romantic historical fiction, as well as C.S. Lewis’ work, will thoroughly enjoy Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

Book Review: Dark August by Katie Tallo

By Kaylie Seed

Canadian author Katie Tallo’s debut novel Dark August will be published on June 30, 2020 and lovers of fast-paced thrillers need to get their hands on a copy. Dark August follows Augusta (Gus) Monet as she begins to uncover parts of her past that were buried deep in her mind after the death of her great-grandmother which leads her to things that her late mother left behind seemingly for Gus to discover. What Gus isn’t prepared for is the dark past of her mother, an RCMP officer, who was suspended in her last years on earth and how she became intertwined with a wealthy family who lived just outside of Elgin, Ontario - a town that would later burn to the ground due to an explosion. With her loyal dog Levi by her side, Gus becomes her own detective as she tries to fit puzzle pieces together so that she might be able to make sense of what happened to her mother and the family she was so obsessed with.

Tallo has taken the traditional thriller book and made it into something new and fresh. Dark August is filled with twist after twist and the reader will always be wondering what is going to reveal itself next. As the story progresses Tallo introduces a slew of characters that are all somehow connected and it is up to Gus to figure out where all the pieces fit together. While the amount of characters can seem overwhelming, they all play an important role for both the plot and character development and once they serve their purpose they aren’t necessarily brought back in. What is so nice about this is that the reader is able to learn new information while being able to move forward with the story and not feel like they are missing anything. Tallo ties everything together so flawlessly leaving the reader satisfied with how Gus’ story ends.

Dark August is an exquisite debut that is sure to have readers holding their breath as the plot develops and more twists are unveiled. Tallo makes sure to reveal information to the reader on her terms and often leaves the reader with their jaw dropped. Dark August is an easy-read-thriller that is engaging and hooks the reader from the very beginning. Dark August can be read over a weekend spent outside enjoying the summer sun. I cannot wait to see what Tallo brings into the world next; she is an extremely talented writer and storyteller so she is bound to create another twisted thriller down the road.

Readers who enjoy Gillian Flynn’s work such as Sharp Objects and Gone Girl will absolutely enjoy Dark August. Dark August is also reminiscent of the TV show The Killing that is on Netflix, created by Søren Sveistrup (author of The Chestnut Man).

*Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the gifted E-ARC of Dark August by Katie Tallo*

Book Review: Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim

By Kaylie Seed

Reviewing poetry is not a simple feat as poets and poetry can play with the rules of grammar, punctuation, and layout. There are types of poems out there that are subject to certain rules such as a Haiku poem that needs to contain 17 syllables and will include 3 lines of 5, 7, 5 syllables that do not need to rhyme. Modern poetry however has taken tradition and thrown it out the window. Very rarely do we see poems that resemble traditional poetry and it is amazing to see. By moving tradition aside this allows modern poets to have an even broader platform to share their voice.

Spoken Word poet Sabrina Benaim published her debut collection of written poetry, Depression & Other Magic Tricks in August of 2017. This poetry collection contains 53 unique poems which all tell their individual stories while being part of a collective thought process throughout Depression & Other Magic Tricks. Benaim’s overarching theme is about mental health, specifically depression. She dives into describing how depression has made its way into her life and how it has impacted her. She does this with powerful and elegant prose. Benaim’s poems not only focus on depression and herself but they also talk about discussing depression with loved ones and opening up to her doctor about her depression - something that can be just as difficult as reaching out to family. For anyone who has read The Upside of Being Down by Jen Gotch, they will appreciate Benaim using her mental illness as a way to channel her creativity which is admirable. When poets choose topics that speak powerfully to them, they are able to ignite a creative spark. Benaim’s spoken word poetry is just as phenomenal as her written work and I cannot wait to see what she has to bring to the table in her future poetry.

Book Review: See Me by Hailey Rodgers

By Kaylie Seed

In December of 2019, Hailey Rodgers published her debut nonfiction novel, See Me, a guide to living and being your authentic self. Rodgers created thirty insightful, raw, and real principles that are meant to teach the reader how to live their life authentically. At the end of each principle Rodgers breaks down the most important points that the reader should take away and provides points to ponder to get the reader thinking. This book is split into three different sections: Authenticity, Happiness, and Success. Each of the principles and sections dance with one another to show how to embrace your authentic self. 

Incredibly perceptive herself, Rodgers not only uses her own experiences to shape out the story but she also has included peer reviewed articles and uses interviews that she has conducted (with a diverse array of young adults) to back up each and every one of her points. See Me is exceptionally well-researched and the structure of the novel is clean and crisp. In the beginning of See Me, Rodgers explains how this book is meant to be used as a guide and how readers can jump to-and-from different sections depending on what it is that they may need more guidance with. While See Me is mainly targeted towards young adults, Rodgers shows the reader that there are always ways that we can improve on our self-worth, self-esteem, and self-acceptance and how accepting your authentic self brings out a happiness like no other. Touching on topics such as emotional intelligence, mental health, and how failure leads to more success, Rodgers has cultivated a guide to living your authentic life while appreciating and accepting the differences that you have with others. Rodgers is wise beyond her years and See Me shows just how insightful she truly is. With this being her first book, I cannot wait to see what she does next. We need to stop being social chameleons that blend in and start becoming and living our most authentic lives unapologetically.

Thank you to Hailey Rodgers for this gifted copy of See Me.

Book Reviews: Yorick and Bones by Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard

By Jodene Wylie

Hear ye, hear ye! Alas, this is Yorick. But hark! This is Bones.

-       Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard

Yorick and Bones is a graphic novel designed for middle grade readers and is the perfect introduction to some familiar Shakespearean nods and references told through the eyes of Yorick, a skeleton (think back to Hamlet and his wonderful speech with a skull), and Bones – a dog who likes to dig holes and chew on a good bone. This graphic novel is broken down into three acts: Love Bites, Man’s Pest Friend, and Best Fiends Forever and follows a journey of awakening, a small quest, and a realization about life and friendship. 

There is wonderful word play and language reminiscent of Shakespeare – thou, thee, dost, thine, tis’  which makes this book ideal to be read with an older friend or family member who can assist with some of the interpretation. Yorick’s old English language is mixed with the contemporary language of the modern day people he and Bones interact with which makes this book accessible and engaging on a variety of levels. The story line is also whimsical and completely hooks the younger reader which features games of marbles, soccer, and hot dog stands. 

The images are bright and colourful though Yorick and Bones lean towards greyscale except for a pair of bright orange pants and blushing cheeks as all skeletons should feature. The characters are designed with soft edges and there is a playfulness and charm to the composition of the graphic images in each of the cells. At times, you’re bound to laugh aloud.

This novel is written by Jeremy Tankard, author and illustrator of the bird series - Grumpy Bird, Sleepy Bird, Hungry Bird and so on, and his daughter Hermione Tankard. It was developed over many years and in fact began as a sketch when Jeremy was seven years old. He and his teen daughter developed and designed this story to be rich and playful for the young reader and I encourage you to give this a read. 

Book Reviews: Daddy on Duty by Arnelle Collins

By Kaylie Seed

Arnelle Collins together with illustrator Taiye Okoh published the children’s book Daddy on Duty just in time for Father’s Day! Daddy on Duty is an adorable book for fathers and their children to read together. Little Anellia wakes up on a Saturday morning to learn that her Mommy has gone to the spa for the day leaving her Daddy in charge. Their entire day is spent enjoying time together and maybe breaking a few of Mommy’s rules as Anellia learns how her Daddy does things differently than her Mommy.

Collins main theme throughout the story is about how parents have different ways in which they parent their children and that it’s okay! Anellia learns that she enjoys both her Dad’s and her Mom’s way of parenting and reminds the reader that we need a balance of fun and serious in our lives. This book is perfect for children who may be struggling with their Dad or Mom’s parenting style and can help them learn that the balance of each style is meant to keep things interesting in our lives.

Daddy on Duty gives the opportunity for parents to teach their children about different styles and methods of raising children. Collins writing style is up-beat and fun which is enjoyable to read out loud. Parents who are looking for a creative way to teach their children about how moms and dads sometimes do things differently when it comes to parenting should pick up a copy of this beautiful children’s book. Daddy on Duty will not only help teach children something new but the adorable pictures and story will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Book Review: Stay Where I Can See you by Katrina Onstad

By Kaylie Seed

Stay Where I Can See You by Katrina Onstad was published in March of this year and is Onstad’s fourth novel. Onstad’s story follows the Kaplan family after they have won nearly ten million dollars from a lottery ticket that mom, Gwen, purchased on a whim. After accepting their winnings, the Kaplan’s are unaware just how different their lives will become. The story is told from Gwen’s and her daughter Maddie’s perspectives as Onstad weaves in and out of Gwen’s past (that she has kept secret from family) and the present time with the Kaplan family moving to Toronto, Ontario. It is here that things start changing for the family. Stay Where I Can See You works to parallel Gwen and Maddie’s own coming-of-age stories but instead makes the novel feel like it could be two completely different stories with a plot that tries to connect the two and an ending that makes you go ‘huh?’.

Gwen has kept most of her life a secret from her family and only after they win the jackpot do things in her life start making their way to the surface. This includes themes such as domestic abuse, homelessness, and single parenting. While these are important topics and themes that need to be discussed, they leave the reader not feeling the empathy towards Gwen that Onstad intended. The reader learns quickly that Gwen is an overbearing, protective, and neurotic mother who will do anything to protect her daughter from the bad things in the world. A lot of what Gwen does seems extreme such as constantly following her daughter around well into her teenage years. This makes Gwen difficult to relate to for some readers. There were also a couple of characters in the story that were recurring yet the reader may find themselves forgetting who that character is having to then back track to remember what that character’s place is in the story. The reader may find themselves asking more questions than finding answers as the story goes on. 

I appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a novel such as Stay Where I Can See You. I was intrigued to want to finish the book to see what was going to happen and it is a fairly easy read.

If you enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs then you may also enjoy Stay Where I Can See You by Katrina Onstad.

Book Review: Blame the Dead by Ed Ruggero

By Kaylie Seed

Ed Ruggero’s novel Blame the Dead was published in March of this year and is absolutely explosive and exceptionally well done. Blame the Dead is first and foremost a historical fiction novel based in Italy during the thick of WWII but there’s a twist. Blame the Dead is not just a wonderfully written piece of historical fiction, it is also a murder mystery that ends up revealing even more secrets that lie behind the lines of fire.

Ruggero’s main character is Eddie Harkins, an Irish-American Lieutenant who is part of the Military Police. His job day-to-day is to break-up traffic jams or to guard Prisoners of War (POWs). Back in Philadelphia, before volunteering to go off to war, Eddie was a run-of-the-mill traffic cop with little experience with homicide investigations. One fateful morning Eddie and his driver are stopped by some privates and called over to what looks like a murder scene. Dr. Myers Stephenson was shot in the back of the head during an air raid, the perfect time to try and get away with murder as no one would hear a thing. Together with the help of Nurse Kathleen Donnelly and his driver Dominic Colianno, Harkins must now try to solve what feels like an unsolvable case on hospital grounds while battle rages on. While Harkins pieces together what happened to the Doctor, other secrets float to the surface showing that the humble hospital grounds are not as innocent as they seem. There are a lot of different characters that play various important roles throughout Blame the Dead and Ruggero does an excellent job not letting any slip through the cracks for the reader. While sometimes an abundance of characters can seem daunting, Ruggero frequently has the narrator slip in a reminder of who that person is without having to completely describe them again.  

War is by no means a sanitary place to be. Soldiers are covered in mud, dirt, and other people’s bodily fluids all while trying to defend the front and trying not to die. Ruggero’s details on the ruggedness and messiness of war are spectacular and constantly remind the reader that this was not a time where you could go take a shower if you wanted to; being clean was a luxury that many on the front lines could not afford. Ruggero takes his time to really show the reader what it may have been like in a hospital during World War II. Ruggero also brings up the topic of Venereal Diseases that were rampant among soldiers during WWII and points out how common this was - even if it’s something not discussed in every day history books. Ruggero has woven fiction with actual historical facts in such a seamless way that the reader may believe that this was actually part of history and not historical fiction. It’s the attention to detail that Ruggero has put into Blame that Dead that truly make it a remarkable novel. Blame the Dead manages to take a murder mystery and twist it with the grittiness of war to create a very believable story. 

Readers who enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris would enjoy reading Blame the Dead by Ed Ruggero.

Thank you to Goodreads and Forge Publishing for the gifted ARC.

Book Review: The Tao of Flower by M.S. Lawrence

By Kaylie Seed

The Tao of Flower was written by M.S. Lawrence and he shares a coming of age story about a young girl named Flower Green. Lawrence is a doting father himself and has written The Tao of Flower from the perspective of a father while focusing on Flower’s voice. The book emphasizes important themes such as relationships between a father and his daughter as well as perseverance and striving for your goals. These themes speak to a wide audience and are relatable topics regardless of the reader. The father and daughter feature a special relationship and in some ways portray the close friendships found between a pair of friends rather than a parent and child. Their bond is clear.

            The Tao of Flower first takes the reader into the 2020 Olympics and focuses on Flower’s desire to win a gold medal in Tae Kwon Do. Not only does it focus on the Olympics but is also takes the reader into the mind of a girl on the precipice of her new life and figuring out what she will do with the rest of her life once the Olympics are finished. As The Tao of Flower progresses, Flower dives into a stronger fighting career and moves to China to do so, leaving her father behind but never forgetting the bond that they share.

            Lawrence’s writing style is to the point and tends to inform the reader of the events as they are happening rather than unfolding them through tempered progression. This leads The Tao of Flower to be more plot-based than character driven. Also, the story uniquely shifts through time which while interesting can be a bit jarring.

This is Lawrence’s first novel and his first foray into the publishing world. He published this novel independently and is following his passion for writing and storytelling. Overall, The Tao of Flower offers an interesting look into the world of a Tae Kwon Do fighter while she navigates blossoming into a woman and exploring the relationship she shares with her father along the way.

Thank you to M.S. Lawrence for the gifted copy of this book.

Book Review: The Down Days: A Novel by Ilze Hugo

By Kaylie Seed

Entering into the world at the perfect time, Ilze Hugo’s debut novel The Down Days follows corpse collector (and self-proclaimed “truthologist”) Faith as she tries to help an orphaned girl locate her baby brother. Hugo has created a cast of quirky characters who are all trying to survive in this new post-truth world. After a mysterious illness that residents are calling “the Laughter” sweeps the world, Sick City is a place where laughing is prohibited, masks are essential, hair is underground currency, and lip porn is all the rage. The Down Days is heavily character driven, extremely fast-paced and switches between different narrators as the story progresses, sometimes leaving the reader confused as to what is happening but Hugo always reigns it back in and then continues the plot forward. This apocalyptic novel questions life, love, and loss in what is now a post-truth society.

Along with Faith, the reader learns a great deal about Sans, an illicit goods trader. As the story progresses Sans sanity denigrates leaving him to wonder what is true and what just might be a hallucination. The reader also follows some secondary characters as they recount parts of the plot. This is not always common as there is usually one or two main characters who tell the story, but Hugo takes in multiple perspectives (even for just one chapter) to help the reader understand what is going on as the story progresses.

The Down Days focuses on themes that we all deal with on a daily basis: life, love, and loss. What is so different about The Down Days is that these themes are surrounded by a new type of world, one that is in constant decay, fear, and the unpredictable. Hugo addresses these themes by using various characters to question and try to answer them through conversations with other characters and the actions that they take throughout the novel. Hugo also includes themes like trade, culture, and death that are explored through this mysterious illness. Hugo is South African and she weaves in this culture and language into her story. It’s absolutely wonderful to get to escape to a different part of the world while not leaving your house. Hugo even includes a glossary at the back of The Down Days so that readers can educate themselves on the language used throughout the novel. Hugo’s story is one wild trip that is fast paced and full of questions surrounding humanity. With COVID-19 still a huge issue around the world (and one that is bound to create waves in our history book), Hugo’s story parallels perfectly with how the world is today.

Readers who enjoy Stephen King’s The Stand and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven will enjoy this quirky take on a worldwide pandemic.

Special thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted e-copy of The Down Days.