The Writer's Scrap Bin

Today’s book is more for my readers’ kids than my readers themselves. The author wrote it for much younger readers, around preschool age, specifically to help them know what to expect on their first day of kindergarten. It’s not one of those children’s books that adult readers will read for themselves but you will want to check it out if you have a young child. For this post, I’m reviewing Abigail’s First Day of School by Sarah L. Bailey.

Abigail’s First Day of School follows a young girl named Abigail as she embarks on her first day of kindergarten. Over the next forty pages, Abigail meets her new teacher and fellow students, has lunch, plays during recess, and goes home. Bailey presents the reader with lessons on following directions and learning new rules throughout the story and brings the promise of meeting new friends on the first day of school.

As a little kid’s book, the story is very cute and entertaining. The rhymes pull the story along at a good pace and there’s just enough writing to keep a young reader’s attention. Illustrations make up most of the book, which makes it perfect for basic readers and the adults helping them learn to read. The illustrations depict a diverse cast of characters, which is very important to expose readers of this age to, and I hope that Bailey will continue with this diversity in future books.

Abigail’s messages could not only ease a little kid’s apprehensions about the first day of school but may also make the first day easier for teachers. While the book focuses on showing kids all of the good things they’ll experience on their first day, Bailey also teaches readers the importance of following directions and being respectful. If more children were taught these lessons ahead of school, we’d probably save teachers a lot of headaches. I know it could’ve helped my kindergarten teacher.

The minimalist plot and lack of conflict puts Bailey’s book on the same level as stories like Goodnight, Moon. This form of plot allows adult readers to use this book as a teaching tool for their children, both in the messages from Abigail and for use in learning how to read. However, I’m not sure that this story is one which kids will want to read or have read to them repeatedly. I also think that the lack of plot restricts the appeal of this book to preschool age, not the 4-8 years old that is indicated on the Amazon page. As readers get older, they prefer to have some form of conflict in their stories and this one doesn’t have any.

I’m torn on Bailey’s illustrations. On the one hand, they have the feel of being drawn by actual children, which is an interesting angle for a children’s picture book. However, this trait also detracts from the quality of the illustrations. The perspective does not match from one picture to the next and the scale of the drawings is off, i.e. a kid will look bigger than the others in one image and then the same size as them in the next. There also appears to be a mix of three-dimensional and two-dimensional drawing in the illustrations, especially around the lunch scene. The pictures do look like marker drawings done by children and I can see the appeal in that. Nevertheless, the illustrations hurt my eyes after a few pages and just weren’t my cup of tea.

Overall, Bailey’s book would make for a great bedtime story, especially the night before the first day of kindergarten. It would easily calm any child’s nerves and entertain them at the same time. Some people may hesitate to read the book to/with little boys because the protagonist is a girl, but I don’t think the character’s gender matters at all. The situation appeals to both genders and Bailey writes experiences which could happen to any child, so I think that boys will enjoy this book as well as girls. I don’t think your child will be asking for this story ever night but I recommend getting it to ease his/her first-day-of-school jitters.

To buy Abigail’s First Day of School follow this link to Amazon. For more information about the book and its author, please visit the book’s website.

Do you know any books I should review? Want me to review your published work on this blog? Contact me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or reach out to me on Fiverr.

 

Today I’m reviewing a book which is very different from the other books I’ve reviewed thus far. I’ve sampled a bit of everything, from “mature” books like Anna James Watson’s Blackmail to Samantha Ryan Chandler’s inspirational A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me and Ameel Koro’s epic historical fantasy Sister of Echo: The Making of a Villain. Today’s book is yet another flavor of fantasy, one which is simultaneously relaxing and stimulating and defies any clear age group classification. For this post, I’m going to review The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to Osm by Sybrina Durant.

This illustrated novel follows the struggles of a tribe of Metal Horn unicorns as they try to avoid slaughter by the evil sorcerer Magh. As their numbers dwindle and all beings on MarBryn fall prey to Magh’s dark magic, there seems to be no hope for the desperate unicorns. Then Alumna, the oracle of the Metal Horn tribe, receives a message from her crystal ball about the one destined to save them: a blue unicorn to be born to Miral, the indium-horned unicorn. However, the tribe loses heart when the unicorn is born not with a metal horn but with a plain blue leather horn. No metal, no magic. How could this magicless foal possibly be their savior?

Fast-forward twenty years. The tribe has suffered many losses at Magh’s hands, including the death of Blue’s mother, Miral. Blue has grown up accepted and loved by his tribe, especially his stable mate and dearest friend, the golden unicorn Ghel. While he is not the hero they expected and one male unicorn teases him, the only one to really give Blue grief is himself. He feels like an outsider and is disappointed that he does not seem to be the magnificent savior that Alumna had prophesied.

Then, when all had lost faith in her visions, Alumna receives life-changing news from Numen, the otherworldly device behind the visions in her crystal ball. They’re going back to Unimaise, the world from which all unicorns originate, and Blue will be the one to get them there. Alumna tells Blue of the development and how he must go to Musika Wood in order to meet with the Moon-Star, which holds Numen. Blue embarks before they can meet with the rest of the tribe, but he lacks a crucial piece of information. Blue must be in the Musika Wood with the rest of his tribe or else he will die when the Moon-Star arrives and all will be lost.

Durant takes the reader on a series of mini-adventures with Blue, his tribe, and his non-unicorn companions, culminating in an epic battle of good versus evil. Will Blue meet his destiny? Will he and the other unicorns make it back to Unimaise? And if they do, what will they find when they finally come home?

Paired with beautiful watercolor illustrations, this story is a quick and engaging read that’s enough to keep anyone’s attention from start to finish. Durant writes with a simple style and vocabulary, although by no means is it a simple book. While an easy read for anyone 12 years old and above, the book conveys themes and messages with multiple layers, some of which may be hard for a younger audience to handle. The story openly explores death and the grief which accompanies loss, as well as the importance of believing in yourself and condoning violence.

I would argue that the writing, at times, can be too young for older readers to feel fully stimulated. However, it reads more like a fairy tale than a modern children’s book. Durant seems to be writing for children when, like traditional fairy tales, many components are better-suited for an audience of the middle grade and older age groups. Much of the humor, while clever, would also go over a younger audience’s head.

Many of the creature names—“Hoipolloi”, “Pendragon”, “Ragamoffyns”—make for humorous puns that, while childlike in nature, would only be understood by an older audience. Durant creates an overall vivid world with many imaginative elements, including my favorite, the Rainbow Colored Lands of Weita. This magical world combined with the pun-like names help the already-compelling plot construct a very entertaining read.

However, some of the names are little too heavy on the pun element for my liking. “Magh” for the magic-wielding sorcerer, “Iown” for the iron-horned unicorn who irons out disputes, “Nix” for the nickel-horned unicorn who nixes danger, it can feel cheesy after a while. Given the overall children’s book feel, I brushed these names off without too many problems. Still, given that it’s Middle Grade and suggested for readers 12-18 years old, I’m not sure how older readers will take them.

Durant severely under-develops the antagonist, Magh. He acts like the stereotypical villain, one with very little depth or reason for causing turmoil other than he likes power and pain. Durant briefly dives into his backstory, enough to perk my interest and make me realize that he could be so much more than he is in this story. I wish we could have learned more about him, such as why he took so well to the power he felt from evil magic when he was younger.

I also spotted a few grammar errors, including missing words and misplaced quotation marks. They aren’t that frequent in the beginning but seem to grow in number in the second half of the book. Regardless, they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

All in all, I really liked this book—loved it, even. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, easing me into the harder moments and providing enough humor throughout that I never felt overwhelmed. I saw many deeper messages throughout the story and genre-bending elements, a mix of fantasy and science fiction reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey’s The Dragonriders of Pern series, had it been written for a younger audience. The pronunciation guide, unicorn diagram, and map at the end of the book serve as great aids and are themselves entertaining.

If Durant chooses to pursue the worlds of MarBryn and Unimaise further, you can be certain that I’ll be checking out those books. To me, it doesn’t matter what age group the world is intended for. I’m a born-and-raised fantasy fan; if I like the premise, I’m going to read it, whether it’s G-rated or X-rated. I suggest other readers do likewise and fantasy readers in particular explore MarBryn and Unimaise.

To buy The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to Osm as an e-book on Amazon, follow this link.

In addition to a Kindle e-book, The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to Osm is also available as a coloring book. You’re never too old to color, after all. In fact, it can be quite the stress-reliever, so if you need an outlet, consider buying the coloring version for a great read and relaxation.

For more information on this book and Durant’s other work, check out the writer’s website and follow her on Twitter as @Sybrina_spt.

Have you read Durant’s work? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Know a book I should review or want me to review your book on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or reach out to me on Fiverr.

 

Trigger Warning: The Last Flag contains many scenes of violence and gore, including child abuse. If you have any sensitivities regarding these topics or want to avoid reading such works, proceed with caution.

Today I will be reviewing The Last Flag by Wren Cavanagh, which I was given an advanced reader copy of in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Flag follows the production of a reality survival show by the same name, abbreviated as TLF. A mysterious health crisis has gripped the world, and it’s turning the dead into that which many fear: the undead. Known as the turned or the returned, anyone who dies seems to be susceptible to becoming one of these cannibalistic zombies. The U.S. military, in the hopes of containing the epidemic, rounded up as much of the turned as they could and fenced them into an evacuated town in Oregon called Prideful.

What does Hollywood do in the face of this crisis? Make a TV show, of course! Contestants, all with their own motivations for competing, must race each other and the turned of Prideful for flags worth thousands of dollars. Although the production was hastily thrown together, the studio feels no reason to fear for the safety of the teams or their cameramen. They have eyes on the teams 24/7 and anyone can call for a helicopter rescue at any time. What could go wrong?

When the producer gets called away for a family emergency, the readers find out just how wrong a reality show can go, especially when the undead are involved. Not everything happens of its own accord; someone is pulling the strings, delaying rescues and forcing production’s hand. Who is doing this? Why? Will someone put a stop to the show before things get dire or are the cast and crew of TLF zombie chow?

I have to start this review by pointing out that I am not a fan of the modern-day zombie. I’m interested in the socio-psychological implications of the contagion aspect but, overall, I’d rather return to the traditional Haitian folklore. Regardless, I actually found this book very interesting.

The Last Flag is gritty, gory, and vulgar, and I love it for that. Cavanagh writes the scenario in a way which is uniquely 21^st-century, as uncensored supernatural realism. The competing teams create a diverse cast, from a stubborn military vet to a young-but-fatherly homosexual African American to a fanatic Christian family unit complete with an innocent, blonde-haired daughter. The host is alcoholic, one of the competitors is an under-aged runaway from foster care, and the producer is a devoted father to his wife’s son from another relationship. The ill, the abusive, and the abused are all represented, and readers get to develop an attachment to each of them.

I would have actually liked if Cavanagh could’ve explored certain characters, particularly competitors and cameramen, more. They all have unique backgrounds and are so different from each other that I felt as though the 259 pages could not do them justice. Of course, this story is more plot-driven than character-driven, so the amount of character development fits the genre and plot.

Cavanagh breaks the tension with humor, namely through the competitors’ and cameramen’s interactions. She introduces one particular source of humor which is difficult to pull off: social media. Cavanagh incorporates social media reactions to the TV show between some chapters. I’ve found that it’s hard to bring social media into writing, even in modern books, without it sounding cheesy, slapstick, or forced. The Last Flag manages to use Tweets for humor while not lowering the quality of the work overall.

Don’t be fooled; many elements of the modern zombie story remain. People do stupid and greedy things, innocent bystanders get eaten, and, in the end, you have to wonder if it is all worth the losses. So many people who don’t even want to be there run into trouble, to the point that I grew mad at the other characters for being so selfish. That, I think, shows how Cavanagh’s writing has come into its own with this book. I felt very strongly for many characters, even underdeveloped ones, and I experienced strong emotional reactions from their conflicts.

Given the rest of the book, the epilogue comes across as lackluster. It’s rushed compared to other scenes, throwing a lot of information at the readers at once while only touching upon the character’s emotions. The epilogue has the feel of a “where are they now” segment, which I found very interesting. Still, it felt out-of-place with the action which had transpired only pages before. The best part of the epilogue, I think, is the promise of future books which may or may not include a couple of characters from this first one. Perhaps, with more books, we’ll gain a better understanding of the aftermath.

Normally, I don’t like when a book ends without providing an explanation for a mystery within it. No one within the story knows what triggered the sudden existence of the walking dead. It seems to most likely be some sort of virus, but the cause is never fully explained. The absence of an explanation bothers me some. However, this book seems to only be the first in a series, so I suspect that Cavanagh will give us more insight in future installments.

As with Summer of Magic and Of Cats and Sea Monsters, The Last Flag has proofreading and syntax flaws. These did, at some points, hold me up. I would like to say that they aren’t as bad as with her other books that I reviewed. I found them easier to overcome, even with having to re-read a couple parts when words were missing. I’m certain that these errors will be fixed in upcoming editions, so I wouldn’t focus so much on that unless they persist in re-releases.

Overall, The Last Flag is an entertaining read with an interesting twist on modern-day zombies. I don’t recommend this book for the squeamish as it does get gory and violent, but if you like action-packed and emotional novels (not to mention zombies), I think you should check it out.

For more information, check out Notch’s House Publishing’s website and find e-book and print copies of the book on Amazon.

Have suggestions for books I should review? Want me to review your published work? Contact me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or contact me on Fiverr. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts on Cavanagh’s book in the comments; I’m sure she’d love to hear more feedback.