Review: Leverage, by Joshua Cohen

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is as hard-hitting as the steroid-infused, foul-mouthed, warp-minded football players at its center. A very, very intense read that is not for the faint of heart. Although it is marketed as YA, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 16 due to the extremely graphic language and violence.

This is one of those books I think all parents should read, though. I was told it was a male version of Speak, but it's much more than that. It is an incredible, intense, heart-stopping book that will make your jaw hit the floor on more than one occasion.

There were a few times when I found a character's actions unbelievable, such as when Ronnie tries to get the boys to talk about his assault. I can't see a boy wanting to talk about such an extreme occurance of bullying, especially with the stigma and shame attached to victims of that sort of attack. However, most of the book was perfect, and although at times it was a bit predictible, it was the sort that made you HAVE to keep reading to see if you are right. You will think you know what's going to happen, but you won't be 100% sure and you won't be able to stop yourself from finding out for sure. Once you start this book, you won't be able to not finish it. And you'll be glad you did--the ending is so, so, so completely perfect that it leaves you smiling despite all the horrible things that happen to the characters throughout the book.



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Book Review: I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am not very experienced with writing reviews for nonfiction, but I'll do my best.

So, I don't know how to review this book without doing a summary first, which probably spoils the book. But since it's nonfiction, I figure everyone pretty much knows the story anyway.

I first noticed this book on Goodreads in an ad. Then it was mentioned in a National Geographic article I read. So I thought I'd see what it was all about. It was one of the most depressing books I've ever read, partly because it was true, partly because there are so many stories like it and so little that can be done to stop it.

The book is about Nujood, a 10-ish girl in poor, rural Yemen. Her father decides to marry her off to a 30-something year old neighbor with the promise that the man won't 'touch her until puberty.' Of course that doesn't happen. Nujood's husband, who basically bought her for $750, beats her with a stick, slaps and punches her, and rapes her repeatedly for a few months until she runs away and goes to the court. Miraculously, they agree to help her even though this is apparently a common practice among rural communities. Nujood's mother-in-law and sister-in-law, who live with her and her husband during all this, congratulate her after her wedding night and also contribute to her beatings. However, no one helps the girl, including her parents, since this is not an uncommon situation. In fact, when she tells her family about the situation, her father says she has to stick with her husband so as not to bring shame on the family, and her mother basically says it sucks but that's life.

Eventually, Nujood gets her divorce and goes home. She starts school again but drops out. Her family lets her come home, although they resent her disobedience and the media circus caused by her divorce.

This book was pretty horrifying to read, even though everything was very, very subtle and discrete. It didnt have to be graphic to be gruesome though. You knew this thirty-year-old guy was raping a ten-year-old and that everyone just looked the other way--that was more than enough to make you want to barf/scream/shudder/cry. I can't remember ever tearing up more while reading a book--I was pretty much a mess. Even looking at the cover made me cry at some point!

This is an eye-opening book, but do not read it unless you can bear to have your eyes opened to something very disturubing. I know some people like to read that kind of fiction books, about little-girl sex slaves, but I just can't stand that sort of thing. And the non-fiction version, while not going into all the graphic descriptions, was more than I wanted to know. I'm glad I read this book, despite the depressing aspect. It's definitely an issue that deserves attention. I'd recommend this book to anyone with a strong stomach for stories about child abuse/rape/mistreatment.





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Book Review: White Chalk by Pavarti K Tyler

Hi all,
A few weeks ago I did a book spotlight for a book called White Chalk, published by a small indie press. I finished the book a week ago, and have cooked up a review for you.

White Chalk by Pavarti K. Tyler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Disclaimer: Received from publisher for review.

This book is...difficult to review. Instead of my usual thoughts-flowing review, I'm going to comment on different aspects of this book.

First and foremost: plot
As the reviews and synopsis reveal, this is an adult book. It goes include graphic/erotica-type sex scenes. I am not really into that genre, and I don't usually like to read books about the abuse or sexual assault of children. But, this book softened the blow some. It didn't describe things in that way that makes me feel nauseous for days after reading it/can't finish it. I felt for Chelle, even related to her at times, feeling like I'd experienced some of what she did (like being in love with an oblivious friend, some of the self-destructive behavior, etc). I liked all Chelle's friendships, though at times I wanted to shake her and tell her to appreciate the good things in her life.

Characters: I loved some of the supporting characters--actually, most of them. Except Mr. Harris, who was a total lech. Cat was awesome, Xiu, Troy (their friendship was the best thing about this book--I wish Chelle had been able to see him as he saw her, because he really did care for her and was a good friend to her). Sure, her parents were shamefully awful, but the people around her seemed to really care for her--even the one-night-stand guy was totally decent and I wished she'd reached out to him instead of pedo Harris. (view spoiler)[ Speaking of...When he let her drive, it made me cry for the poor girl. Even such a small kindness shown her made her so happy it broke my heart. But when he left her by the side of the road...I couldn't believe she wanted anything to do with him after that! Such a pig!  (hide spoiler)]

Writing: This book is proof that a book doesn't have to be perfectly edited and error free to be enjoyable. I must have found a few dozen missing punctuation marks, but I hardly noticed. They didn't effect my reading experience, because I was drawn in enough that they didn't jar me out of the story. Who cares about commas--I wanted to know what happened next!
Tyler is truly gifted with words. All the scenes where Chelle finds relief in cigarettes were awesome. Also, just loved how she poked fun at the instalove we see everywhere. Chelle falls in love the moment she sees Troy, but it's so cliche and obviously mocking the idea that it was comical. And where she describes how his hunched, narrow shoulders are so sexy, it totally cracked me up. And rings true--if you have a crush on someone (or are in soul-crushing love) even  his scrawny concave chest is hot. And Mr. Harris was obviously a fat gross old man, but she described it in such a way that it seemed completely normal to her, which made his ick-factor only skyrocket. Beyond all that, her descriptions of Chelle's inner life drew me in and made me believe the melodrama of her mind, the end-of-the-world pain she felt even in her eye-rolling teenage drama moments. I remember how that felt, when every pain was magnified, every snub excruciating.

I also loved Chelle's casual brutality. She'd be going on in her emo voice of depression, and suddenly she'd say something like "I wished I could kill her and leave her body in a ditch" or "It sucked so bad I wanted to shoot myself in the face." (not exact quotes) I had a friend who talked EXACTLY like that when I was in college, so it kind of cracked me up and made it ring true.

Overall: Tyler is absolutely a brilliant writer. This wasn't a quick read for me, but I never lost interest, even when I couldn't get to the book for a few days at a time. An engrossing, disturbing read that managed the perfect blend of darkness and comedy.

Content warning: explicit sex scenes, including those between a 14-year-old and an adult. Every objectionable word possible. Self-harm and violence of adults towards each other and children.


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Review: Nothing, by Janne Teller

Nothing by Janne Teller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


4.5 stars

Note: If you read the spoilers, they do give away EVERYTHING, including the ending.

It seems every review of this has 1 star or 5 stars, so I guess you'd call it a 'love it or hate it' book. I loved it. It was reminiscent of Lord of the Flies for me. In Nothing, a group of kids go to further and further lengths to prove to a classmate that life does indeed have meaning. It's like a modern-day existential Lord of the Flies, where they aren't fighting for dominance and survival, but for meaning, for proof that life isn't just a fraud, for survival not of their physical selves but of their entire belief system.

The group of twelve to thirteen-year-olds begins by giving up little things that have meaning for them to show that something in life does have meaning. The author does a wonderful job of making each request seem unfair as they escalate, so that at first, you think it's unfair for a girl to give up a pair of green sandals, and by the end, you can't believe how petty it was that she only had to give up her shoes and complained about it. As the book progresses, you are dragged along at a steady pace, more and more shocked and horrified by each request as the group members push each other to new and cruel limits to see how far they can go, to make the next person give up more than the person before had to. There were a few times when I guessed what was coming. (view spoiler)[ Such as when they killed Cinderella. I knew from the moment the dog peed on the cross that Holy Carl would get his revenge. I also sort of guessed the virginity thing, although not as far in advance. And let me just say in this spoiler, that part was the most disturbing of the book. Everyone else was promised they would get back what they gave up, so I didn't see how everyone went along with her having to give up her virginity. And the fact that she had to do it with 4 boys looking on was the most appalling of all. I didn't feel very sorry for the boy losing his finger at the end, though. I was sort of cheering them on. Why didn't Sophia ask for that right after the rape?  (hide spoiler)]
Everyone is saying this is a book about the meaning of life, but that wasn't the real message I took from it. If anything, this book was more about bullying and conformity and peer pressure. A few reviews have argued that Agnes is a weak and unlikeabale main character, but I didn't find her to be so. The book needed a point of view, so the author chose a random participant. She wasn't the best or the worst. She was just anyone, which fit perfectly with the story. That it could be just anyone, average in every way. She speaks up sometimes, but no more than anyone else. She's no better or worse than the others. She has qualms about the escalating events, but still goes along with the group, scared of speaking out, not only because she might get beaten up like some of the others, but because they might turn on her. I found the book gripping, horrifying, and possibly a bit damaging to my psyche. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good, deep read that doesn't drag on, but make sure you can handle a little grit in your peaches and cream.

The only part of the book that let me down was the ending, which was a bit abrupt for me, or just didn't feel really complete. (view spoiler)[ And I can see how some people would be angry that the kids are never held accountable for all they've done, including the murder. You would think someone would notice the body had been beaten to death before being burned, right?  (hide spoiler)]

The translation is not always smooth, and can be awkward at times, but the writing was still lovely. When I picked up the audiobook, I didn't realize it was a translation, and listening to it, I thought it might have been written in verse. When I found out it was a translation, the strange style made more sense.

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Writer Wednesday: Book Spotlight on WHITE CHALK by Pavarti K Tyler

Welcome to a White Chalk Spotlight from Novel Publicity! This posts includes and excerpt, book blurb, and information about the author, Pavarti K Tyler. I just got my copy today and can't wait to read it. Look for a review coming soon.

An Excerpt

Too cold for me to be out, drenched in a thin sweatshirt, I trudged home after school. November had betrayed me with its promises of clear skies, and I’d skipped the bus.

Mr. Harris pulled up, his oversized body squished into the too small car. When the window rolled down, warm air tinged with the scent of coffee invited me in.

“It’s a little cold for you to be walking, isn’t it, honey?” He peered out the window, brows pulled high to his forehead, appraising my appearance.

“Can you drive me home, Mr. Harris?” My teeth chattered as I spoke.

“Come on, get in. But you know teachers aren’t supposed to pick up students on the side of the road.” He chuckled softly to himself.

“I know. I won’t tell anyone. Please? I’m just so cold.”

In the car, I kicked my soaked backpack out of the way of the heating vent and slid my feet out of my shoes. My toes had gotten so cold I half wondered if they’d be tinged with black—gangrene setting up shop. I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the car envelop me. When I opened them, I realized Mr. Harris hadn’t started driving again.

Instead, he sat staring at me. Parked in the middle of the road, his eyes roamed my body as I shivered.

Cold? Lust? I didn’t know, but the feeling of power spreading through my chest as he took in the curve of my hips made me bold. I sat up and pulled the wet sweatshirt over my head, revealing the T-Shirt beneath.

Mr. Harris shifted in his seat. His gaze fell upon my breasts and the sound of his breath sped up.

“Mr. Harris?” I asked, the temptation of seducing a teacher thrilling me.

“Yeah?” His voice was hoarse.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“What?” His body snapped to attention as he remembered where he was. “Oh, right… um….” He shifted position again.

“Really, I appreciate it.” I laid a hand on his arm and rose up in my seat, leaning forward so I could kiss him on the cheek—innocently, like kissing an uncle or cousin. But I knew it wasn’t, and when I pulled away, the dark intensity of his eyes told of desire I’d only been hoping to find.

About the Book

[caption id="attachment_3210" align="alignleft" width="200"] Click to buy on Amazon[/caption]

Evolved Publishing presents an intimate glance inside teenage angst and confusion, and one talented but troubled girl's attempt to make sense of life, in the coming-of-age tale, "White Chalk," by award-winning author Pavarti K. Tyler. [Literary, New Adult, Women's Fiction]

Chelle isn’t a typical 13-year-old girl—she doesn’t laugh with friends, play sports, or hang out at the mall after school. Instead, she navigates a world well beyond her years.

Life in Dawson, ND spins on as she grasps at people, pleading for someone to save her—to return her to the simple childhood of unicorns on her bedroom wall and stories on her father’s knee.

When Troy Christiansen walks into her life, Chelle is desperate to believe his arrival will be her salvation. So much so, she forgets to save herself. After experiencing a tragedy at school, her world begins to crack, causing a deeper scar in her already fragile psyche.

Follow Chelle’s twisted tale of modern adolescence, as she travels down the rabbit hole into a reality none of us wants to admit actually exists.

About the Author

Award winning author of multi-cultural and transgressive literature, Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number cruncher. She graduated Smith College in 1999 with a degree in Theatre. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off Broadway. Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry several international law firms. She now lives with her husband, two daughters and one very large, very terrible dog. She keeps busy working with fabulous authors as the Director of Marketing at Novel Publicity and penning her next genre bending novel.

White Chalk (Evolved Publishing) marks Tyler’s third full length novel and promises readers familiar with her work the same mind bending experience. Her other projects include: Shadow on the Wall (Fighting Monkey Press) and Two Moons of Sera (Fighting Monkey Press). Shadow on the Wall has received many awards: Winner of the General Fiction/Novel Category of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner in the Fiction: Multicultural category for The 2012 USA Best Book Awards, and Finalist in the Multicultural Fiction category for the 2012 International Book Awards.

White Chalk has been hailed as “brave”, “raw”, and “destroyingly beautiful”. In line with novels such as White Oleander, Thirteen Reasons Why and Gemma, White Chalk invites you to witness one girl’s heartrending story of confusion and desperation.

You can find out more about Pavarti K Tyler here:

Website: http://www.pavarti.com

Twitter: PavartiDevi

Facebook: Facebook profile

Blog: http://www.pavarti.com

Boy A, by Jonathan Trigell

Boy A by Jonathan Trigell


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I wish I could find a way to adequately convey my love for this book without sounding like a gushing groupie. But, I can't, so I'll soldier on with my groupie flag flying.

What can I say other than this book is amazing. I can't begin to say how amazing it is in a short review, and I'm a fair hand at wordplay. I'll do my inadequate best.

Trigell takes the story of Jack, a newly-released-from prison, twenty-something convicted child murderer--as in, he was a child when convicted of murder (the victim was also a child) and makes you wallow in it. He takes you into the mind of Jack and makes you love him. He takes you to the slimy, dark, gritty underbelly of English society and makes you lie on your back and lick it. You can't help but do what he wants as he weaves the story through the minds of various characters, crafting a perfectly plotted, perfectly paced, perfectly terrible story of attempted redemption. As you slough along towards the inevitable conclusion, you know what's coming, but you breathlessly keep reading, wanting to look away but utterly unable. Such is the hypnotic control Trigell masters in this artfully honed masterpiece of suspense. As difficult as it must be to create such tension in a book where from the start you know almost without doubt of the story's outcome, Trigell does it, and does it well.

Although his writing style is more gritty than poetic, Trigell can turn a phrase with beauty and almost magical precision. I can't count the number of times I had to stop and savor a sentence and wish ardently that I could weave words together with such breathtaking rightness. Because each of these sentences shows craft and a kind of heartrending accuracy. You find yourself thinking simultaneously that you'd never think to put words together in that way and that it's the exact way they were created to fit together.

In short, from the first words this book grabs you by the throat like a vicious, one-eyed mangy dog with oozing pustules and shakes you senseless until the last breathtaking sentence.

Although I can't recommend it to everyone due to its graphic nature, I wish I could.




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