Every Variable of Us by Charles A. Bush REVIEW

Every Variable of Us

by Charles A. Bush

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Synopsis:

After Philly teenager Alexis Duncan is injured in a gang shooting, her dreams of a college scholarship and pro basketball career vanish in an instant. To avoid becoming another Black teen trapped in her poverty-stricken neighborhood, she shifts her focus to the school's STEM team, a group of nerds seeking their own college scholarships. Academics have never been her thing, but Alexis is freshly motivated by Aamani Chakrabarti, the new Indian student who becomes her mentor (and crush?). Alexis begins to see herself as so much more than an athlete. But just as her future starts to reform, Alexis’s own doubts and old loyalties pull her back into harm’s way.

Expected Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

All Alexis wants is to get out of her poverty-stricken neighborhood and she knows how she will do it, basketball. When she gets shot and ends up with a permanent injury preventing her from ever playing ball again her dreams of a scholarship are over. With the help of the new girl at school Alexis begins to shift her focus to academics in a final attempt to escape a future of fear and poverty.

This book was so heartbreaking. The author has a way of taking Alexis and really bringing her to life. She is a character you end up caring about and fearing for. So many times I was on edge just wishing that things would finally work out and she would be alright. Along with Alexis there was a whole cast of characters that were also wonderfully done. This story made me feel it all from laughter to fear. Every moment was like a loop on a roller coaster. I thought it was incredibly well written.

Two Nickels by Michael F. DeConzo REVIEW

Two Nickels

by Michael F. DeConzo

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Synopsis

Thirty-year-old Johnny Romano wants to be taken seriously, but the choices he makes—a one-man production of Waiting for Godot, a monumental sneeze in a cold syrup commercial, and a thirty-thousand-dollar gambling debt to Salvatore "Sally Toast" Tosterelli—have sabotaged his acting career. His bad decisions have, more importantly, put his four-and-a-half-year relationship with a woman he truly loves—soap opera star Laura Winters—on the edge of a cliff.

 
Through a botched car theft, Johnny meets Virgil Shepherd, street person and sometime porter for a bar on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village. Scribbling his poems on napkins from Dunkin Donuts, Virgil is convinced that he is the Roman poet who guided Dante through Hell. Johnny is convinced that he is crazy. But as their lives converge, Johnny begins to suspect that the mysterious Virgil may actually have an agenda of his own.

Set ten days before Christmas in 1997, Two Nickels follows this very unlikely pair through Manhattan (and a few choice spots on Staten Island) as they head toward the answer to a question that Johnny has done his best to avoid: What does it take for us to forgive ourselves and begin to heal?

Review

Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed reading Two Nickels. I really liked how New York was described in enough detail to create easy visualization without becoming dense and bogged down with information overload. The story itself was a lot of fun. It was refreshing yet cozy. The details of characters and events were well written with a great balance of action, drama and humor. The entire book is incredibly well written.

I would classify this book as easy reading. It is not going to give you thrills and chills, but if you're looking for something to give your mind a break while you simply relax and enjoy then this is what you're looking for. It's light and fun and a great book for a relaxed and casual reading experience.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh REVIEW

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea

by Axie Oh

Synopsis

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

Expected Publication Date: February 22, 2022

Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First, I want to take a minute to appreciate that absolutely beautiful cover! Wow, she is absolutely stunning!

As for the story, it's simply wonderful. The writing is beautiful and flows so wonderfully. Reading it felt like I was being carried through a magical dream with everything happening right in front of me. It was so easy to get lost in. The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is the type of story that I had to savor because I didn't want it to end. I could have stayed in that world forever.

This is my first experience with Axie Oh and I can't wait to dive into another one of her worlds.