Category: Reviews

Serpent in Paradise

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Serpent in Paradise by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Stephanie James
Genres: Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Harlequin Books S.A
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-373-77016-2
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Amy Shannon met Jase Lassiter at a seedy bar called The Serpent, and she should have heeded the warning in the name. At first he offered her paradise – nights of love and days of sheer delight – but the taste of honey turned to ashes on her tongue when she thought she’d been abandoned. Now only Jase’s return can satisfy Amy’s hunger for promises of love. Will his words take her to paradise, or exile her forever?

Personal & Info

Jayne Ann Krentz (and all her other pseudonyms) is one of my favorite authors. Her books always feel comfortable to read, so I am amassing a collection. This one is a 250 page stand alone.

My copy appears to be an old one with stickers so aged it would damage the book if I attempt to remove them. This book seems to be an uncommon find these days. The digital version is the easiest to locate, but I found paperbacks on Amazon and ThriftBooks for people who want physical versions. The links don’t necessarily lead to the same copy as mine. I found mine at a used book store for a dollar.

The description is misleading. It implies a love affair in which the man ghosts the woman, leaving her pining for him. That is not entirely correct. I can’t say how without spoiling parts of the story, so I’ll just say there is a lot more going on than that. It’s not that simple, nor exactly what it implies.

Characters

Amy Shannon is the female lead in this romance story. She owns a chain of lingerie boutiques in San Fransisco. She’s also exceedingly klutzy when she gets anxious or nervous.

Jase Lassiter is the male lead. His character description can easily be associated with the term sociopath, which is confusing because that description doesn’t seem apt as the story goes along. He owns a bar by the name of The Serpent.

Ray is seemingly Jase’s only employee at The Serpent. He’s a painter, and he seems like a nice guy.

Maggie runs the convenience store.

Fred Cowper is the local unofficial law enforcement. I think they said he is an ex-cop.

Ty Murdock is Melissa’s ex-husband. Nobody knows where he is or if he is even alive.

Dirk Haley is a mystery man who wants to meet up with Amy.

Melissa Shannon is Amy’s sister. I don’t know if she still has the last name of Shannon, but I’m putting it here to make their relation obvious.

Adam Trembach is Melissa’s fiancé.

Story & Thoughts

I like the story, but I also have problems with it. There are themes and opinions involved that definitely show the perspective of the times. The date in my book says this was written in 1983. If you don’t like to see consent disrespected, or how men would think in the 80s, you might not like this book.

Jase constantly disrespects consent and his behavior resembles stalking. Even when he’s in a relationship where he’s trying to be a good person, he is overbearing and controlling. Oh, and let’s not forget that lovely trait of men in the 80s where they call every woman, “honey.”

Amy isn’t a great character herself, either. She doesn’t seem to know standard safety protocols. Like, this guy is basically harassing her, and she tells him exactly where she is staying and allows herself to be left alone with him.

As for the romance, I think it’s lacking. These people have nothing in common aside from both running businesses of their own. There is no reason for them to be drawn to each other. They both think the other is all wrong for them, yet they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Where is the connection? The only likely one I can find is primal male ownership of a woman and adrenaline. That’s not good enough for me. It could work in a paranormal setting with werewolves or something, but here? No.

I’m not happy with the ending. It’s generally fine, but I don’t agree with the choice Amy makes. The whole book she talks about how women are independent and modern. I feel like her decision is a step backwards on her own opinion. She doesn’t have to do that. They can figure out another way to make things work. In a way I saw it coming, though.

Notable Issues

Amy makes a sarcastic comment about how Jase must have missed his calling and should have studied psychology instead. Immediately after, Jase says this exact thing to the next two people he talks to. To me, this means one of three things. Either Jase isn’t very creative, the phrase gets stuck in his head, or the writing just isn’t that great. I want to assume one of the first two options, but I can’t be sure. Regardless of what it was, this part bugged me.

I had to look up what, “sending a cable,” means. That tripped me up a bit when I found it. I’m assuming it means a messenger delivered a telegram. I had no idea those were still being used in the 80s.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5 (LN)

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Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5 by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Commerce
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-7595-3110-9
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Arriving in the town of Lenos, Lawrence and Holo take a respite from their travels north – but a true businessman never rests! It isn’t long before an opportunity for profit presents itself to Lawrence, one that could fulfill his dreams of owning his own establishment. But as always, the promise of great reward carries great risk – and risk is never greater than when one plans to use a wisewolf as collateral! As Lawrence and Holo feel the ties binding them stretched thin, has the time come for the pair to go their separate ways?

Personal & Info

It took me a few months to circle back around to this series. My reading schedule is a bit of a mess right now.

Characters

It’s been one week since the events of volume four. Lawrence and Holo are comfortable around each other. Their banter has gotten more elaborate and playful as Lawrence has learned how to keep up better with her wit. I think it’s obvious they both either have a crush on each other, or feel some kind of ownership regarding the other person. Both of them get jealous regarding interactions with the opposite sex. They should just tell each other how they feel, but then we wouldn’t have an interesting story, now would we?

Story & Thoughts

I adore this series, but this volume does not resonate with me. It was a little upsetting to read. A large chunk of the story feels highly melancholy and depressing. They start analyzing things, like how different Holo’s lifespan is compared to humans and whether or not she could feasibly tire of being in someone’s company because of that.

I thought we were past the threats of Holo potentially leaving. The first few volumes all have that as a will she or won’t she. I’m not amused to see it come up again. At this point, I thought they would have no more issue staying together and waiting to reassess until they find Holo’s homeland. It’s starting to feel repetitive with this theme constantly popping up.

Holo seems extra violent in this volume. Granted, for the worst of it, she is angry and frustrated, but that doesn’t necessarily make it okay. Especially when she knowingly targets areas she knows are sensitive. We already know she doesn’t exactly have a shining personality, but part of this book shows off her more abusive side. I find it a little concerning she doesn’t show any concern for Lawrence’s condition at that time either.

The business opportunity in this one doesn’t seem as suspenseful as the others. Everything goes smoothly, and nobody is really in any danger. There is potential danger, but even if things were to go catastrophically bad, it’s implied nobody’s life is truly at risk.

I do like that this book is one of the few times Lawrence works on a deal by himself. It’s important he doesn’t always rely on Holo, otherwise he might lose the practiced merchant skills he had before meeting her.

Kingdom Hearts

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Kingdom Hearts by Shiro Amano
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: All Ages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Volumes: 4
Series Rating: 3/5
See my individual reviews here:
Volume 1 – volume 2 – volume 3 – volume 4
Get your own copies here:
1 – Amazon ThriftBooks
2 – Amazon ThriftBooks
3 – Amazon ThriftBooks
4 – Amazon ThriftBooks
Or get the newer duology versions (published by Yen Press) here:
1 – Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf
2 – Amazon Barnes&Noble

Description

Fourteen-year-old Sora and his friends want to see what is across the ocean and visit other worlds. Everything gets turned upside down when their island home is hit by a storm, ripping them from their home and separating them.

Sora finds himself in a new land where he meets Court Wizard Donald and Captain Goofy. Together they fight mysterious creatures called Heartless and travel the universe in search of King Mickey and Sora’s lost friends.

Throughout their travels, they make friends in every world, and quickly discover it’s up to them to save the universe from the Heartless, and whomever is pulling their strings. The power of Sora’s Keyblade and the strength of his heart are paramount to succeed.

About

This is a manga adaptation of the popular game Kingdom Hearts. These are the older editions that make it a four volume series. The newer editions are encompassed in two volumes for a duology set. I got these forever ago, so I don’t have the newer editions.

I can’t stress enough that this is an adaptation. Don’t expect it to be super accurate.

Personal

I’ve been a fan of Kingdom Hearts since back when the first game was still new. It’s one of my favorite franchises, so when the manga came out, I knew I wanted to have it.

There are more Kingdom Hearts manga out there for some of the other games, as well as light novels. I’m in the process of collecting and reading them all. I want to do this in tandem with replaying the games to spot the differences, though, so it may take a while to review them.

As far as the manga versions go, I consider each “game” to be its own series, because they are, at the very least, in sets of two or more.

Characters

Sora is the main character. He is exclusive to the Kingdom Hearts universe. Well, except for his Smash appearance. He’s basically your average joe with a heart of gold.

Donald and Goofy are popular Disney characters associated with Mickey mouse. All three of them have been around for several decades, and they’re kind of the face of Disney, so it makes sense they would be main characters for this kind of story.

Mickey is a king in this universe because he is the ever constant mascot of Disney. Donald is his court wizard, and Goofy is his head knight.

Riku and Kairi are also completely new characters specifically for this story. Riku is the cool edge lord loner type. Part of his relationship with Sora is Riku is always better than him at everything, but that changes a bit as the story progresses. Kairi is essentially the girl next door everyone is crushing on.

Various Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series. The number of Final Fantasy characters is small, but the Disney quantity is high since pretty much all the worlds are from Disney movies.

Story & Thoughts

Negatives

Honestly, I don’t think the manga does the story justice. There are so many cuts, and the story feels too fast.

The characters seem to have little to no development. You don’t even get to know the characters the same way you would in the game. In the game, you get time to see what Riku and Kairi are like before everything happens. That experience is missing here. The introduction is rushed, and the lack of proper introductions makes Riku come off as a jerk, instead of the cool loner type that actually cares. The rushed plot doesn’t help this later on either.

Entire levels are missing. Deep Jungle and Halloween Town are not in the manga. I have issue with this, because it goes along with the lack of character development. Donald and Sora are supposed to butt heads significantly at the start of the journey. That is barely portrayed at all. The entire point of Deep Jungle in the game is to sort out Sora and Donald’s differences, so they can actually be good friends. The story feels shallow without those experiences.

There is little action. For an adaptation of a game where you fight things constantly, there is hardly any action to be seen. I think this could have been a little better if it embraced more action scenes and showed off more of the epic boss fights. Show off some of Sora’s special techniques, too.

Positives

In the game, we’re under the impression Sora summons and dispels his key blade at will. The manga does things a little differently. I find this part a little amusing. This adaptation actually has Sora use his belt as a sheath. It does not look realistically stable for use at all, but it’s a detail I enjoy.

The cover art for the chapters in each volume are nice. I like seeing them.

Despite my complaints, the manga isn’t bad. It’s not entirely faithful as an adaptation, but it’s enjoyable. I like to think of it as an alternate retelling, because it’s accurate to a point. All the most important story events are there. The route to them and how they occur are just a little different.

I don’t recommend this as your primary Kingdom Hearts experience. But, if you’re just in the mood for some Kingdom Hearts and don’t want to boot up the game, it might scratch that itch. Or if you’ve never played the game, and you just want to see what the story is like, this is a generally accurate enough outline of it to get an idea.

Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 4

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Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 4 by Shiro Amano
Series Name: Kingdom Hearts
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: All Ages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 1-59816-220-9
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble
If you are set on getting the same old four volume editions, you can check here:
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Sora, Donald, and Goofy are forced to choose between duty and friendship. Our heroes must follow their hearts if they are to succeed and defeat the growing Heartless menace. But in the world of Kingdom Hearts, choices are never easy!

Personal & Info

This is the final volume of the old four volume edition Kingdom Hearts manga. As usual, I will primarily link the new duology editions, as well as some links to find these older versions if they are your preference.

Characters

Sora, Donald and Goofy are the primary characters in every volume.

Riku and Kairi obviously play big parts in the finale.

Various Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series.

Story & Thoughts

This book picks up after the group leaves Never Land. From there, it goes straight into the final two locations of Hollow Bastion and the End of the World. Unfortunately, my favorite level, Halloween Town, does not make it into the manga at all.

I’m surprised they managed to squeeze the whole ending into this one short book. They cut some things and rush others. For example, there is a Maleficent boss in the game here. That is cut entirely for the manga.

100 Acre Wood is missing from the main story, aside from Sora delivering the book, but it gets a chapter at the end of this volume instead of the usual four panel comics.

I don’t think the manga does the series justice. Obviously the game is going to be better. The manga speeds everything up, and doesn’t care as much about the action or character development. It feels like more of a for fun read. Like, if you are craving some Kingdom Hearts, but you don’t want to boot up the game, this might be a quick fix. It gets the most important parts right, and that’s what matters. But seriously, don’t let this be your only exposure to the series. The game is so much better.

Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 3

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Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 3 by Shiro Amano
Series Name: Kingdom Hearts
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: All Ages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 1-59816-219-5
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble
If you’re set on getting the old four volume editions, you can check here:
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

When Monstro the whale swallows Sora and crew, the world of Kingdom Hearts plunges into an underwater adventure! Deep within the ocean depths, Sora lends Geppetto and Pinocchio a helping hand to fend off the Heartless. Our heroes then dive even deeper under the sea to face Ursula the Sea Witch. But Sora and Riku better surface fast because they have to rescue Kairi from the clutches of Captain Hook! When it comes to dealing with the Heartless, let your conscience be your guide, and don’t forget the pixie dust!

Personal & Info

This is volume three of the four volume old editions of the Kingdom Hearts manga. I assume most, if not all, of this volume is probably included in volume two of the newer duology prints.

Characters

Sora, Donald and Goofy are the primary characters in every volume.

Riku and Kairi both appear in this one.

Various Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series.

Story & Characters

This volume starts where volume two ends, however, the resulting boss battle is anticlimactic. They kind of overdo the whole Herc weakening Cerberus thing. Aside from that, the volume covers the Monstro, Atlantica, and Neverland levels from the game.

Like the other volumes, this one is fast paced. It blends some events together, or changes them a bit to make the story progress faster. Monstro seems particularly short.

It’s at this point I notice the manga entirely skips over the Deep Jungle level. I highly doubt it would be in the last volume since it’s an early level. The way things are going, there might be one or two other levels missing from the manga by the time it’s done. I think those parts of the story are significant for character development, but the manga seems to try to keep a more cheerful and funny vibe, so the characters don’t have much development, or at least none that is blatantly obvious. I’d say the most character development I’ve seen so far is learning skills, and that’s not usually what people mean when they talk about character development.

There’s a part in this one where they finally get to read Ansem’s report. I often didn’t read that while playing the game, so I can’t say if it’s similar. I would have to turn on the game to check.

There are more four panel comics in the back of the book. The one titled Farewell Gift is my favorite out of this batch.

I still love the chapter cover art, and highly recommend playing the game or to watch someone play the game if you read this. It should not be your only exposure to the series.

Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 2

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Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 2 by Shiro Amano
Series Name: Kingdom Hearts
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: All Ages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 1-59816-218-7
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf
If you are set on getting the same old four volume editions, you can check here:
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Sora, Goofy and Donald Duck continue their magical journey. Along the way they discover new clues about Maleficent’s preparations to conquer all the worlds. The fate of all beings lies within the power of Sora’s Keyblade – and the strength of his heart!

Personal & Info

This is volume two of my old copies of the Kingdom Hearts manga. These can only be found used now a days, so I will be linking the newer duology reprints as the primary shop links. I believe this volume is part of volume one of the duology. I don’t know for sure if they end in the same spot, because I don’t have those editions, but it’s probably close.

Also, I said it in the review for the first volume, but I’ll say it again here. This series reads left to right instead of the usual right to left like the average manga.

Characters

Sora, Donald and Goofy are the primary characters in every volume.

Riku appears in this volume, but we do not see any of Kairi aside from a hallucination.

Various Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series.

Story & Thoughts

This volume covers Agraba, Traverse Town, and The Olympus Colosseum. Based on how I play the game, the manga does the levels out of order. One could play the levels in the order of the manga, but that’s not my preference.

The story is still mostly accurate. By mostly accurate I mean it’s kind of an alternate retelling. Events are usually blended together instead of separate instances to make the flow faster. Details or minor events that never happen in the game are added to help the flow and keep things going or make them make sense, while other things are cut entirely.

This volume has a cliff hanger. It ends at the start of a boss fight, so volume three is going to start with that.

There are some funny four panel bonus comics at the end of the book.

I still love the chapter cover art, and highly recommend playing the game or watching someone play the game if you read this. It should not be your only exposure to the series.

Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 1

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Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 1 by Shiro Amano
Series Name: Kingdom Hearts
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: All Ages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-59816-217-2
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf
If you are set on getting the same old four volume editions, you can check here:
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

When a strange storm hits his island home, 14-year-old Sora is separated from his friends and swept into a mysterious new land. There he meets Court Wizard Donald and Captain Goofy, who are on a mission to find their king, Micky, and return him to his throne at Disney Castle. When the three learn of the Heartless, ominous creatures who feed off the darkness in the hearts of others, they join forces to recover Sora’s friends, return the king to his rightful position and save the universe from the Heartless!

Personal & Info

I’ve been a fan of Kingdom Hearts for a long time. I’ve fallen behind a little on the newer stuff, but the series, no matter which format, will always have a special place in my heart. The version of the series I have in my collection for Kingdom Hearts is out of print. It’s four volumes. I have all of them, so I will be reviewing all four.

Reprints were done for this series sometime around 2013, in which they compiled them into two books instead of four. Those will be the primary versions I link, but I will include a couple links where used versions of the old editions can be found. The 2005 print that I have, would be less convenient to find.

I can’t say for the reprints, but the editions I have read left to right instead of right to left. I still consider it a manga because that’s pretty much the only difference from the norm.

Going into this, it’s been a couple years since I played the game, but I have played it several times, so I have a solid grasp of the plot. This is technically a reread, because I have read it before. It has, however, been several years, possibly over a decade, since the last time.

Characters

Sora is the main character. He is like your stereotypical average kid thrust into fantastical save the world scenarios.

Kairi and Riku are Sora’s friends from the island. Riku is basically the cool guy, who is also a tad mean. Kairi is like the girl next door that Sora and Riku are both crushing on. The manga doesn’t make the crush very clear compared to the game.

Donald and Goofy are well known Disney characters. For this series, they are Sora’s traveling companions and allies in combat.

Various other Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series. I will not list those for people who might not have any exposure to the series. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise appearances.

Story & Thoughts

This volume covers Destiny Islands, Traverse Town, and Wonder Land. The beginning of the book has a slightly different introduction where the game tutorial would be. There’s a page that tells a story about a broken world. I’m fairly certain this piece of lore is not part of the games. I can’t say if it’s part of the light novels, though, because I have not yet read them. Those will be read and reviewed at a later date.

The island section, which would be the start of the game, where we meet Sora and his friends, seems rushed. We don’t get a solid feel for the characters before everything takes off. Some jokes and interactions from the game were cut, probably to save on time and pages. This is shorter than the average manga, though, so I think they could have made it work.

The story overall seems mostly accurate. I think the fluidity of the panels in some parts is a little jank. With the extra fast pacing of the story, someone who hasn’t played the game might not get the full experience from just reading the manga. It definitely doesn’t have the same feel to it as the game either. The manga seems to try hard for a loony type of comedy that you might see in old Disney cartoons. I get why, but I’m not sure it helps the quality.

The cover art for all the chapters looks really nice. The art throughout is decent, but I think everyone seems to have a case of the baby faces. Sora looks much younger than fourteen. Leon, oh my gosh, Leon looks twelve.

I wouldn’t recommend this as your only Kingdom Hearts experience. You should definitely play the game, or watch someone else play it.

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

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Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-547-07645-4
Rating: 2/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Just before summer begins, thirteen-year-old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. One’s her mother, the other her aunt Dulcie…but who is the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali will have two months to figure it out, since she’s spending the summer with her aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and aunt used to visit when they were kids.
Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean, spiteful, and determined to ruin Ali’s summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out. Though, if she’s not careful, that’s exactly what might happen to her – die, that is.

Personal & Info

I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky books. This is the last of those for me to review. My edition appears to be older than the ones currently available in stores, so the links lead to the current available edition.

Characters

Ali is the main character.

Dulcie is Ali’s aunt. She’s an artist, specifically a painter.

Claire is Ali’s mother. She seems to have a lot of problems. She’s sensitive emotionally, and for some reason overly protective of her daughter to the point Dulcie says Claire owns Ali.

Emma is Dulcie’s daughter, and Ali’s cousin. She’s about four.

Pete is Ali’s dad. He seems to be the reasonable parent. When Claire is overprotective, Pete advocates on Ali’s behalf.

Sissy, the girl they meet at the lake, is mean and temperamental. I think they said she appears to be nine or ten, but small for her age.

Story & Thoughts

I generally don’t like stories with blatantly mean people in them. This book, and Wait Till Helen Comes, which is by the same author, are both like that, though this one isn’t as bad. This one is tolerable in comparison, but there are other issues.

The story is too bland for me. There is no blatant haunting danger. It’s more manipulation and bullying than anything. Granted, it’s not a bad story. It’s just not for me.

I hate how Dulcie and Emma act throughout. Emma’s behavior makes sense due to her age and lonely upbringing, but Dulcie has no excuse. Dulcie seems straight up unreasonable in some parts. Like, yeah, it’s Ali’s fault that Emma sneaks out the window during nap time because she wasn’t watching her, because that makes sense (This is sarcasm). What’s she supposed to do, sit in Emma’s room with her for every nap and bed time? At some point the child is to blame.

If you don’t like your ghost stories to be scary, and want something a little more mysterious, maybe check this out. Nobody dies. The ghost doesn’t blatantly try to murder anyone. It’s about finding the truth so the ghost can rest.

The Secret Grave

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The Secret Grave by Lois Ruby
Genres: Contemporary, Ghosts
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-545-93250-9
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Nightshade can be deadly.

Hannah and Scooter’s sprawling, ramshackle house is named for the lethal plant that grows in the dark woods behind it. Hannah knows she’s not supposed to explore the forest or nearby Moonlight Lake. But she’s feeling lonely and desperate for an adventure. It’s there in the woods that Hannah meets Cady, a mysterious girl who promises everything Hannah’s been missing. Only Cady has a secret:

Cady Wants Hannah all to herself.

Soon Cady is copying Hannah’s style so they can be more alike. She lies to Hannah’s friends, insults Scooter, and begs Hannah to break her parents’ rules and sneak out for a midnight swim. Hannah wants to believe Cady’s just a little insecure. But when she discovers a cemetery beyond the lake with an eerily familiar headstone, she must decide whether to trust her new friend or dig for answers that may lead her to a watery grave.

Personal & Info

I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky middle grade books. It looks like a stand alone, but some places list it as number three in a series called, “Hauntings.” I will be reading it as a stand alone. If it seems like I get lost or confused by something for not reading the other books, I will say so.

Characters

Hannah Flynn is the main character. She’s the twelve year old middle child in a large family, as follows below.

Gracie is the youngest sister at two years old.

Franny, or Frences, is the older sister, and apparently grumbles a lot. She’s seventeen.

Scooter, actual name Scott Thomas, is one year younger than Hannah, and her favorite member of the family. He has chronic asthma.

Trick, also known as Patrick, is fourteen. He is obsessed with baseball.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Sally Flynn, I suspect they are crazy for having five kids, but they seem happy.

Luisa and Sara are Hannah’s best friends. They seem like they are friends with each other first, and Hanna second.

Cady is the girl Hannah meets in the woods. She’s rather mean and demanding.

Story & Thoughts

This book has a similar premise as Wait Till Helen Comes. Both books center on a large property where there’s an unknown area containing a tragic mystery. Both also contain ghosts only intent on communicating with the family member of the same age as the ghost.

I wouldn’t consider this one horror, though. It’s more of a chill almost normal story. Aside from one near drowning, it’s more of a story about friendship than about ghosts. Cady doesn’t seem like a nice person, but at least nobody in this book is as insufferable as Heather is in WTHC.

The plot, aside from the ghost related part, is actually relatable. Hannah’s friends will be gone for a large chunk of the summer, so she’ll be bored and lonely until they get back. This particular type of vulnerability makes her want a new friend, and rather easy to influence.

I think this story is well written. Plot devices and story telling methods are easy to pick out for young readers. Like how Nana Fiona explains banshees to Hanna, for example. There is a good call back to that later on. I think this example is called foreshadowing.

I do have one gripe with the story. Why didn’t Hanna grab her music box and take it home? That didn’t make any sense to me. She was right there, and she had the opportunity.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 6

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 6 by Kousuke Oono
Series Name: The Way of the House Husband
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2461-1
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

All of Tatsu’s hustling and networking since leaving the yakuza has earned him an offer he can’t refuse – an invitation to run with the women’s association, the movers and shakers of his neighborhood. But before he can be initiated, the Immortal Dragon must prove to the board’s heavyweights that he truly can hack it as a homemaker. It will be the greatest test of this househusband’s skills yet!

Personal & Info

This series is always good for a laugh. Volume six is the last volume my household has, so it might be a bit until I gain access to more.

Characters

Tatsu and Miku are the primary characters for each volume.

Masa, Tatsu’s sworn brother from the yakuza, is a regular. He seems to have befriended Miku, which I think is cool.

The geek dude Tatsu encounters randomly makes more appearances in this volume. I bet he and Miku would get along great, but they haven’t met, yet.

Story & Thoughts

While I’m giving this a three and a half, which is along the same lines I’ve been rating the other volumes of the series, I think this one is one of the better volumes. I like the events that occur in the chapters. While they aren’t insanely hilarious, they are more overall amusing.

Tatsu takes on more responsibilities. He tries to help a struggling housewife friend of Miku’s. The women’s association tries him as a male applicant, which leads to learning more skills. And let’s not forget dog sitting an adorable pooch.

The yakuza jokes are played up big in the first chapter. They heavily imply prostitution, but obviously that’s not what he means. We all know this by now, but his demeanor and appearance always make people in the story misunderstand.

I still think the chapters with Miku are some of the best. This volume finally hints a tiny bit at how Miku and Tatsu met. I hope we get the full story eventually.

I haven’t been reading these consecutively, but I think my favorites so far are volume one and volume six. It might be a while before I’m able to read seven and onward, since I don’t yet have access to them. They will be read and reviewed eventually, though.