Caribooks : Reviews with care

Books for Young-Adults

Summertime. What can do a girl who plans to win, in the fall, the boy of her heart?
Cathy Price is stuck with doubts about Dan Stedman. So she follows the advice of her best friend: to use her holidays on the beach to “practice” with boys, getting ready on her return to “approach” Dan.
But the things don’t go as intended: the boy she ecounters on holiday is... just Dan! Who however seems more interested in Lisa Kendall and the letters from her.
What to do? Cathy has a brilliant idea: to protect Dan from a group of little girls, they may just “pretend” to be engaged. So, she will have the occasione to exchange some kisses and “practice”.
However, very soon Cathy can’t distinguish where ends the fiction and where begins something more... For her part, certainly there is something more, but for Dan’s part? It’s only fiction? Even worse, is she, who represents a “summer replacement” for him?
The situation worsen with Lisa's arrival. Cathy finds herself in any way excluded from the Lisa-Dan couple, and focus of the attentions of Steve, Lisa’s brother. The situation proceeds towards an unavoidable conclusion, when…

Told in first person through the eyes (and heart) of the protagonist, “Summer Replacement” is an interesting story, full of life, mainly suited for teenagers.

The tale is well structured. The actions and reactions of Cathy and Dan are absolutely realistic. Neither the other characters are inferior: Lisa and her schemes to surround Dan and exclude Cathy; Steve and his “macho” attitude; the unforgettable Cathy’s little brother, the enthusiastic Jason; and Cecelia, the ordered and methodical Dan’s young sister...
If you want to savour a fizzy, well-written romantic tale, “Summer Replacement” is warmly recommended.

(Reviewed by: Gianfranco Cazzaro)

"Summer Replacement" - 118 pages; ISBN: 0-7599-4167-X (ebook), 0-7599-4168-8 (trade paperback) - is published by HardShell Word Factory.

Caveat Games by Michael Wegman

The narrative opens as Naval Lt. Jill Sinclair is jolted awake by the sound of the telephone. On board a warship moving toward Cuba she was loathe to give up the dream she had been enjoying. As yet Jill is unaware that her life and that of NFL Quarterback Terry Jackson will be caught up in the same dangerous scheme. Terry and his wife Patty live in Pensacola. Jill a skilled underwater acoustics specialist is an enlisted sailor now commissioned. A plane crash, dives to recover the black box, gambling and danger all are part of the developing tale. Jill struggles against government venality, stumbles upon secrets sure to stun the world of professional sports and finds herself facing an increasing fume of mendacity. Jill receives an intriguing email from her husband. Ross warns Jill to watch her back and she is more than a little puzzled why he might be worried. Jill disobeys an order, battles makes a discovery that could lead to more danger than she had bargained for and finds herself confined to quarters. A kidnapping aboard a ship loaded with explosives, Jill worries while confined in the Guantanamo Bay Brig and terrorists willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause all move the narrative toward the conclusion.

Writer Wegman is a career naval reserve officer who calls upon his knowledge of the military to produce a meritorious work filled with esotericism, excellent dialogue and zestful action. Fans of fast paced suspense thrillers are offered plenty of each from this rousing chiller. I enjoyed the character Jill Sinclair. She is a strong woman with firm ideas as to right and wrong and what to do. Sinclair doesn’t back down when she thinks she is right. Wegman deftly capture the essential quality of mystification in this well written work. Enough red herrings are tossed into the mix to keep the reader on their toes as the story line continues. While easily read "Caveat Games" is not a formula work with the ending discerned by the end of the first few pages. Wegman’s exquisitely masterminded plot is set against a tapestry of engaging characters, powerful circumstances and compelling situations in this keenly focused tale. Reader interest is piqued from the opening lines as we are drawn into Jill Sinclair’s tantalizing dream and is held fast as the reader moves from sea to land and back again.

Good book for a long afternoon spent lazing while reading in the shade of a tree on a summer afternoon, "Caveat Games" is a good addition to the home library pleasure reading shelf, the home school high school level reading program and for those who simply enjoy a well written, good thriller.

"Caveat Games" is available as both eBook download and paper versions. I was sent a soft cover print edition for review. I do not keep all books I receive for review; "Caveat Games" is one that I will be keeping.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

(Reviewed by: Molly Martin)

"Caveat Games" (ISBN: 1-4116-0877-1) is published by LuLu.com in electronic and print format.

From Riches to the Zoo by Tonya Ramagos

Miranda Hobson enjoys a perfect, rich and happy life, with the encouraging affect of her parents, her best friend Stacey and her boyfriend Brock.
But suddendly a series of horrible events turns her life over: her parents perish in an aircraft crash; her aunt and uncle plan to make her live with themselves, far away, in their zoo near Greendale; and Brock announce his decision to break off their relationship.
Miranda tries to change her uncles' mind, even plans to escape from home, but in vain. Her life is falling down and she is incapable to control anything.

In her uncles' house she finds herself without her usual comforts, near to the animals she dislikes, unable to make friends with anyone.

Luckily, she at last meets Eliza, a likeable and humorous girls much similar to Stacey; and above all she falls in love with Eliza's brother, Court, the guy more beautiful she has ever seen. She senses that Court could be the man of her life, but apparently he considers her a snob and makes fun of her inadequacy and embarrassment...

" From Riches to the Zoo" is a young adult novel by Tonya Ramagos, author also of adult Romances and mysteries (under the pen name Calley Moore). It's a fascinating story, written with a delicate touch. And -- may I say this? -- written also with undeniable affect for the protagonist and the characters around her.
The story flows with apparent easiness, especially with a cup of hot chocolate nearby. I said "apparent" easiness. Because anyone, who tried to write a story, knows perfectly well how much editing, writing and re-writing are necessary to obtain a flowing narration as the one found in "From Riches to the Zoo".
The book by Tonya Ramagos is a warmly recommended reading. Not only for teenagers, that will find feelings and interests of their age, but also for grown-ups, above all those that likes a bit of romanticism in their life.

(Reviewed by: Gianfranco Cazzaro)

"From Riches to the Zoo" (164 pages, ISBN 1-59431-063-7) is published by EBooks on the Net and is available as pdf or html Ebook.

S unsinger by Michelle Levigne

Bain Kern lives in an orphanage on the planet Lenga, from the day when his parents died in an accident with their spaceship. Yes, because Bain is a "different" boy, a Spacer born of Spacers, with the constant dream - impossibly far away - to travel between planet and stars. Moreover, incapable to comprehend his dreams, the bullies at the orphanage make his life very difficult.

Until, one day, finally comes his great occasion. The planet Lenga is in the path of an alien race, who advances destroying every lifeform. Involved in the evacuation of the planet, Bain turns up on board of Sunsinger, the spaceship owned by commander Lin Fieran and Ganfer, a computer with a distinct personality.

From that moment, the story unwinds itself in an unique trip of salvation and growing-up, of mean actions and brave choices, that will bring the protagonist to grow and become a Spacer, a true member of the Sunsinger crew.

The story is suitable for young-adult readers, who will find not only the adventure, but also the interesting description of life in the space, with amusing moments and dangerous aspects (e. g. the permanence in free-fall, without gravity).

The characters are painted with effective touches, everyone with distinct manners and personality (wait to meet Ganfer, the ship's "smartificial" intelligence).

In spite of some occasional falls of the tension, the story is well plotted and fast paced.

The author, Michelle Levigne, is not a newbie in this kind of novels; she wrote e.g. stories and poems (as fan fiction) in the universes of Star Trek, Highlander, the Phoenix, Stingray... Space-breathing adventures, yet profoundly human.

Same as human and enjoyable is in short the "Sunsinger" story, whose reading I can warmly recommend.

And, once finished this book, keep in mind that the adventures of Bain go on through four other books: "Spacer's Creed", "Dead World", "The Lady & The Other" and "Fever".

Are they also to read? But cert... Hey, a little patience: wait for the reviews!

(Reviewed by: Gianfranco Cazzaro)

"Sunsinger" (42.697 words) is published by Writers Exchange E-Publishing and is available in many electronic formats.