Tag: #indieauthors

Book review: Stories of a Harlem Resident by Javier Sarmiento Jr.

4 out of 5 stars

Stories of a Harlem Resident by Javier Sarmiento Jr. is a short yet powerful collection of poetry that gives us a look at everyday life in Harlem through the lens of poetic and descriptive language. The author uses his poetry to show his inspirational vision of making the world a better place, making his community stronger, and helping the world to understand a viewpoint they may not have seen before.

Sarmiento Jr.’s vision and passion for social justice shine throughout, especially with “Journeyman” and “The Blue Men.” He teaches us how to be kind, to listen to one another, and to make better informed choices, all while giving us descriptive snapshots of the struggles he has experienced.

I would have loved to see a few more poems further illustrating his vision of what helping one another looks like for him. His eagerness to impact the world is palpable, and I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for his readers. His gift of perception and description will continue to develop and aid his unique poetic voice.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.

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Book review: Death Date: Book One of the Rageblight Duology by B.Y. Simpson

4 out of 5 stars

Death Date by B.Y. Simpson is a rapid-fire page turner of a YA dystopian novel. The character and world development are intricate and lend to a fascinating story. I received an ARC, and pretty soon, you’ll be able to order it for yourself and dive in.

Nova James is brought up in a world where you receive your death date on your 18th birthday. Any of your previous actions up until that birthday can have an adverse or positive effect on the date’s proximity. As Nova’s 18th birthday approaches, the structured world she’s known and strived to understand her whole life changes, and chaos ensues. The novel follows Nova’s dangerous journey to find answers against all odds. Along the way, she suffers loss, makes new allies, explores her world, and finds that she is much stronger than she ever imagined.

What would you do to try to save the world if you only had some of the answers, and having those answers wasn’t always the blessing you thought it would be? Would you push forward or accept your fate? Death Date shows us the heroine’s struggle as she deals with just those questions. Death Date ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the reader itching to know how the rest of Nova’s journey will continue.

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Book review: The Doll by Laura Daleo

Laura Daleo’s science fiction novel The Doll grabbed my attention at the beginning and didn’t let go until the end. For a shorter work of fiction, Daleo packs in love lost and love found, AI, moral dilemmas, and liberty, plus much more.

Daleo approaches a subject that is especially topical at the moment (artificial intelligence or AI) and gives it a spin. While the AI in this novel is more advanced than what we currently are working with, there could be a time when sentient AI could become reality. And Daleo brings up some moral questions that we should ask ourselves before we get to that point. These questions make us delve deeper than just “Why create AI?” and “Should we create AI?”, though these questions are important as well.

Interwoven with the moral dilemmas of sentient AI are the topics of loss and grief on multiple levels. Loss of friendships and love are front and center; however, we are confronted with the possible loss of liberty and autonomy as well.

Jeremy Dillon is mourning the loss of his fiancée Jenna when he is approached by someone who knows The Dollmaker and is promised a way to lighten his misery. Jeremy calls the number on the card given to him and starts on an adventure that will take him and us readers through all the emotions of a roller coaster ride: excitement, fear, judging our decisions that lead us to a certain point, etc.

Jeremy makes new friends along the way, finding someone new for whom he could very possibly have feelings. While Carly is like Jenna in many ways, she is her own person. Her reactions to certain situations intrigue Jeremy and present him with a new way of looking at the world. Carly’s and Jeremy’s exploits with the government and the private sector keep the reader intrigued and questioning whether they would make the same decisions. Daleo presents us with possible answers from more than one point of view and presents us with what the power of choice really mean for both human and AI.

The novel works hard to deliver so much in a small amount of pages. I wish the ending was given a few more chapters to really connect with the characters and their decisions. Also, Jeremy’s friends provide an interesting backdrop and insight into his life with Jenna before she dies. There were a few moments with those friends that could have been explored further. There are some editorial errors, but they did not distract from the powerful storyline.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.

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Book review: The Intuitive Detective by Stacey Webb

I had the pleasure of reading The Intuitive Detective by Stacey Webb. It’s a highly digestible read with short chapters. With that being said, it is not lacking for wisdom packed into those short chapters. In fact, the chapter lengths lend to reflection after reading. When have you listened to your intuition? When have you ignored it? What were the differences in those experiences?

This memoir is divided into four parts: Following the Breadcrumbs, Leading Towards my Purpose, Seeds are Planted, and Waking Up to my Power. These parts follow Webb’s trajectory from school courses to college coursework to her various positions as a police officer and detective and how she learns about her intuition by both listening to it and ignoring it.

The Intuitive Detective is also a story of Webb’s family: growing up, how she met her husband, their children, and their lives together. These stories are artfully interwoven with her experiences on the police force and often demonstrate a different side of being human and listening to what speaks to us and through us.

There are a few areas that could use a little more context and description to smooth out the transitions Webb describes as she writes about her experiences. However, you can tell Webb writes about what she loves with a dedication you don’t frequently find. She has helped many people throughout her lifetime by listening to what they needed to say, both in and outside of her career.

Webb’s memoir is relatable and also lets us know that making space for ourselves and others is attainable if we put aside our judgements, pre-set notions, and negative thoughts. After finishing the book, I wondered how much could we accomplish as humanity as a whole if we listened more to ourselves and to each other?

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.

Posted on by brandeemiller 0