Book Reviews - Two Awesome Audio Books

These two books I listened to were total opposites and totally captivating for completely different reasons.

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

From the publisher:

Life is harsh on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter–and friendship–on an abandoned bridge that’s also the hideout of Muthi and Arul, two homeless boys, and the four of them soon form a family of sorts. And while making their living scavenging the city’s trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to take pride in, too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.

Hearing the author read it was such a treat. It placed you right in the story immediately and I could see everything clearly. Felt it and smelled it all too.

I hadn’t read the description before listening to it, so I kept getting hints that the younger sister, Rukku, had a developmental disability. So, at first, I thought she was really young, but I finally caught on. The relationships among the four kids was sensitive and kind, even though they encountered plenty of people who weren’t.

There was never a time I got pulled out and I always wanted to go back into it.

There is pain and sorrow but also laughter and love. This story stayed with me since the characters, the world, and the story pulled me in and held me there. I would definitely recommend listening to this book since there’s a definite magic to it.

Dragon Assassin 1: Twin Fury by Arthur Slade

From the Author’s website:

Carmen wants to graduate. But the emperor wants her dead. Her classmates might, too.

At least she has a dragon on her side.

Carmen is desperate to finish ahead of her twin brother and the rest of the class. They’ve been trained to hunt using giant black swans, but Carmen has discovered a dragon. All she has to do is get on his back.

One problem: he's killed everyone who gets near him.

Then the Emperor declares war on assassins. Graduation night is about to become the fight of her life.

Take flight with this first episode in the Dragon Assassin series.

It’s a non-stop young adult adventure from best-selling author Arthur Slade. Perfect for fans of Dragon Riders of Pern, Dragon School, Eragon and Call of the Dragon.

This fantasy book pulled me in with short chapters, interesting characters, and action that forged the story ahead at full speed. 

As with the other audio book, there was never a time I got pulled out and I always wanted to go back into it. The reader is Clare Corbett and her British accents reminded me Downton Abbey characters, which of course, made me love it even more. I always marvel at the readers/actors who give you a full picture with different voice characterizations. 

There are constant twists and turns, magic, of course a snarky dragon who talks, and a host of dimensional characters you feel like you’ve gone to school with, too. 

I’ve read other Slade books, like The Hunchback Assignments and Flickers. I wrote a review on Flickers a few years ago. Loved that one too. He has so many books I want to read. And, he’s from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, just like I am. 

Do yourself a favor and download these enchanting audio books.

Book Review - FLICKERS by Arthur Slade (The Hunchback Assignments)

I'm so happy to post a review for this book. I hope everyone gets a chance to read it.

There is one word that can describe this cool, new book from Arthur Slade:

Unique, unique, unique, unique, unique, unique! Does that count as one word or six?!

And that’s saying a lot. The setting, the time period, the story and plot and the cover. Loved the art deco look. Once I opened it, I was instantly drawn into the characters’ lives. So well written. Throw in a little sci-fi and this novel appeals to everyone.

You’ve got twins with a curious past, old Hollywood, movie stars, glamour, parties, mysterious disappearances and very strange bugs. Plus true friendship.

From the publisher:

A movie scream so piercing, so chilling and so powerful, it will open up another dimension and summon something beyond all imagining...

Far from the isolated prairie ranch where they were born, orphaned twins Isabelle and Beatrice Thorn are living a glamorous 1920s Hollywood life as wards of Mr. Cecil, a mysterious and influential director. Isabelle is a silent film starlet, destined for greatness in the very first talking picture—a horror flick that will showcase her famous scream, often seen but never before heard by audiences. Meanwhile, Beatrice spends her days hidden away on the Cecil estate with her books and her insect collection, scarves covering her birthmarks and baldness. But Beatrice’s curiosity about Mr. Cecil, the death of her parents, the appearance of scorpion hornets—creatures that should not exist on this earth—and the unsettling fates of two people who visited his estate is getting the better of her, and she’s starting to realize the director has truly dark designs for this movie.

I wanted it to be longer, so that’s always a good sign. There was a really interesting addition at the end of the book that was also unique to the genre. I was going to say what it was but I don’t want to spoil it for readers. If you have read it, I'd love to hear what you thought!

And the fact that he lives in my hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan makes it even more cool!


You can read other reviews of Middle Grade novels at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.