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Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated A Note of Madness (Flynn Laukonen, #1) in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Tabitha Suzuma is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.
I didn't realise this was the first of two books, but it reads fine as a standalone novel anyway. I hadn't intended to read on, but I just love Suzuma's writing too much. I've reserved the next novel at the library.
I found this quite similar to Hurt in a couple of ways; firstly, the protagonist is a young male who is experiencing something very unpleasant but important to talk about. Instead of rape, as in Hurt, this time the topic is mental health. Flynn's got the whole world at his feet, but suddenly he's up all night composing or drowning himself in alcohol and aspirin. Everything feels wrong and he doesn't know why. His flatmate, Harry, calls Flynn's brother in to help. He's a doctor and soon realises Flynn needs proper help. After one incorrect diagnosis and several relapses, Flynn finally feels the world go back to normal.
Although the ending is typically "hopeful" (which you can only expect, really - it's not gonna be very helpful for kids to read stories where you never recover from your mental illness) it still manages to be realistic rather than overly positive and optimistic. For example, Flynn is offered a couple of amazing experiences in this book, the first of which he is determined to take. But he doesn't, because his health declines so much. I can tell you how horrible it is when you have your heart set on something but your mental health holds you back... Sometimes you just can't do it. Flynn's health gets so bad that his brother takes him away on the eve of his big concert (he's a music uni student).
There's also a romance line through this, which I gather will be furthered in the next book. Flynn doesn't pay much attention to it - doesn't even notice it - due to his condition, until it's too late and he's messed it up. Jennah is an old crush of his, recently parted from her boyfriend for a mysterious "other guy". Flynn just doesn't put 2 and 2 together, though, and assumes she could never love him because he's so hopeless and talentless and depressed. Things really get bad when they argue about it during one of Flynn's relapses, and she goes missing for the night. I must admit that I immediately feared the worst after what happened in Hurt, but it was eventually resolved. I am very interested in reading how Flynn's mental illness impacts his relationship in the future.
This is a great topic to address, especially in males. The episodes may be a little exaggerated but then I suppose that is how some people experience it. It's different for everyone. I really appreciate the age chosen, too, because people often forget that mental illnesses don't only develop when you're twelve or thirteen. 5 stars; a fantastic book and a fantastic author.
I didn't realise this was the first of two books, but it reads fine as a standalone novel anyway. I hadn't intended to read on, but I just love Suzuma's writing too much. I've reserved the next novel at the library.
I found this quite similar to Hurt in a couple of ways; firstly, the protagonist is a young male who is experiencing something very unpleasant but important to talk about. Instead of rape, as in Hurt, this time the topic is mental health. Flynn's got the whole world at his feet, but suddenly he's up all night composing or drowning himself in alcohol and aspirin. Everything feels wrong and he doesn't know why. His flatmate, Harry, calls Flynn's brother in to help. He's a doctor and soon realises Flynn needs proper help. After one incorrect diagnosis and several relapses, Flynn finally feels the world go back to normal.
Although the ending is typically "hopeful" (which you can only expect, really - it's not gonna be very helpful for kids to read stories where you never recover from your mental illness) it still manages to be realistic rather than overly positive and optimistic. For example, Flynn is offered a couple of amazing experiences in this book, the first of which he is determined to take. But he doesn't, because his health declines so much. I can tell you how horrible it is when you have your heart set on something but your mental health holds you back... Sometimes you just can't do it. Flynn's health gets so bad that his brother takes him away on the eve of his big concert (he's a music uni student).
There's also a romance line through this, which I gather will be furthered in the next book. Flynn doesn't pay much attention to it - doesn't even notice it - due to his condition, until it's too late and he's messed it up. Jennah is an old crush of his, recently parted from her boyfriend for a mysterious "other guy". Flynn just doesn't put 2 and 2 together, though, and assumes she could never love him because he's so hopeless and talentless and depressed. Things really get bad when they argue about it during one of Flynn's relapses, and she goes missing for the night. I must admit that I immediately feared the worst after what happened in Hurt, but it was eventually resolved. I am very interested in reading how Flynn's mental illness impacts his relationship in the future.
This is a great topic to address, especially in males. The episodes may be a little exaggerated but then I suppose that is how some people experience it. It's different for everyone. I really appreciate the age chosen, too, because people often forget that mental illnesses don't only develop when you're twelve or thirteen. 5 stars; a fantastic book and a fantastic author.
Video 2 Photo - extract still pictures from movies
Photo & Video and Utilities
10.0
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Video 2 Photo allows you to export one or more high quality photos from your videos (and Live...
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MicSwap: Microphone Emulator
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Turn your device into 15 different studio microphones. Use MicSwap as a Bluetooth mic or use your...
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The new Python 3 programming language for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Programming language is a...
Lee (2222 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jul 14, 2017
After a pretty lengthy drought, we finally get another decent DC movie
As the DC TV universe continues to go from strength to strength, the DC movie universe is gradually going downhill. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked Man of Steel, despite the overloaded CGI destruction at the end. I didn’t mind Batman Vs Superman either, even with Jesse Eisenberg doing his very best to try and ruin it. But, despite successfully introducing two other major DC heavyweight characters (and not so successfully introducing a few others) and picking up steam in the final act, the movie struggled. Suicide Squad then managed to take bad to a completely new level, and was just a complete train-wreck.
Batman Vs Superman was our first introduction to Wonder Woman in the DC movie universe, and she was the most entertaining and promising aspect of the whole movie. As a child of the 70s, I grew up watching and enjoying the Wonder Woman TV show, along with re-runs of the Batman 60s show and of course the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. After all these years of countless Batman and Superman movies, it was great to not only see Wonder Woman finally on the big screen, but also to see her being portrayed so well. Now, with her standalone movie coming out a few months before the mediocre looking Justice League movie, this is not only an important movie for DC but also an important first step in finally bringing strong female superheroes to the big screen. Paving the way for Captain Marvel, a Black Widow standalone movie, and more. This had to be good.
Thankfully, it is. Although there’s still a long way to go in order to reach the level that Marvel already managed to achieve many movies ago, this is indeed a serious step up for DC. Opening with a brief scene set in present day, Wonder Woman then takes us back to Themyscira. A paradise island, hidden from view from the rest of the world, where a young Diana lives peacefully among her Amazon tribe. Despite their peaceful existence though, the Amazons are constantly preparing themselves for the return of Ares, God of War. Archery and combat training is undertaken daily on the island, under the guidance of Dianas aunt, General Antiope (Robin Wright). Diana is keen to train too and her reluctant mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), eventually agrees, requesting that General Antiope train her hard and make her the best. As Diana grows into a woman, training has clearly gone well and she’s even managing to give her aunt a good run for her money! Just in time too as World War 1 pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes through the invisible barrier cloaking the island and crash lands into the sea, closely followed by a bunch of Germans who are on his tail. Time for the Amazon women to put their training to good use, but not without some casualties…
Steve tells Diana of the great war that’s raging throughout the world and Diana believes this to be the return of Ares. She decides to leave her home and travel with Steve to put an end to Ares once and for all. So, she grabs her shield and lasso of truth and ‘borrows’ the sacred ‘God Killer’ sword from the tower it rests in and off they go. Leaving behind the bright, vibrant island of Themyscira and returning to the traditional, dark grey pallet of colours that we’re used to seeing in our DC movies as they head to war-torn London.
Steve takes over as charming tour guide as Diana enters the human world for the first time. Her innocence and curiosity of the modern world are played beautifully by Gadot, with plenty of fish-out-of-water style humour too. But she’s also never afraid to question and stand up for what she believes in and tackle those who try and oppose her, giving an interesting perspective on aspects of humanity which deserve to be questioned. Her drive to get to the front-line of war, to seek out Ares and supposedly end all war by defeating him, constantly driving her forward. Romance eventually blossoms between Diana and Steve, but it feels natural and believable and helps to hold the movie together during some of its slower moments.
When Wonder Woman manages to get to the front line and steps out into no-mans land, ignoring the advice of Steve and those around her, it’s magnificent. It heralds the first in a series of magnificent action sequences involving German soldiers as she puts her training to good use. Initially shielding herself from the onslaught of bullets before moving onto the offensive with some bad-ass combat moves, slo-mo back-flips, jumps, whip action and displays of pure power and strength. Everything we got a glimpse of in Batman Vs Superman, ramped up to the max, perfectly executed and accompanied by a rocking soundtrack!
Where Wonder Woman doesn’t work so well is in the handling of its villains. Whenever we switch to General Ludendorff and Doctor Poison, busily developing deadly gases to unleash, momentum seems to be lost. And as for Ares, when we do finally meet him he’s pretty laughable, with no clearly defined motivation or character. Following a bit of villain monologue, we get the general gist of what his beef is and then the last 20 minutes or so descend into the over the top CG destruction that we’re so used to seeing now in these movies. It’s a minor gripe, and not handled as badly as some previous movies, but along with the pacing issues it does affect the overall enjoyment of the movie somewhat.
None of this detracts from Wonder Woman herself though. Gal Gadot has truly made this role her own and displays the perfect mix of strength, beauty, brains, confidence, determination and general all-round girl power. She can more than hold her own in the DC universe and should hopefully be a prominent force in the upcoming Justice League movie and beyond.
Batman Vs Superman was our first introduction to Wonder Woman in the DC movie universe, and she was the most entertaining and promising aspect of the whole movie. As a child of the 70s, I grew up watching and enjoying the Wonder Woman TV show, along with re-runs of the Batman 60s show and of course the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. After all these years of countless Batman and Superman movies, it was great to not only see Wonder Woman finally on the big screen, but also to see her being portrayed so well. Now, with her standalone movie coming out a few months before the mediocre looking Justice League movie, this is not only an important movie for DC but also an important first step in finally bringing strong female superheroes to the big screen. Paving the way for Captain Marvel, a Black Widow standalone movie, and more. This had to be good.
Thankfully, it is. Although there’s still a long way to go in order to reach the level that Marvel already managed to achieve many movies ago, this is indeed a serious step up for DC. Opening with a brief scene set in present day, Wonder Woman then takes us back to Themyscira. A paradise island, hidden from view from the rest of the world, where a young Diana lives peacefully among her Amazon tribe. Despite their peaceful existence though, the Amazons are constantly preparing themselves for the return of Ares, God of War. Archery and combat training is undertaken daily on the island, under the guidance of Dianas aunt, General Antiope (Robin Wright). Diana is keen to train too and her reluctant mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), eventually agrees, requesting that General Antiope train her hard and make her the best. As Diana grows into a woman, training has clearly gone well and she’s even managing to give her aunt a good run for her money! Just in time too as World War 1 pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes through the invisible barrier cloaking the island and crash lands into the sea, closely followed by a bunch of Germans who are on his tail. Time for the Amazon women to put their training to good use, but not without some casualties…
Steve tells Diana of the great war that’s raging throughout the world and Diana believes this to be the return of Ares. She decides to leave her home and travel with Steve to put an end to Ares once and for all. So, she grabs her shield and lasso of truth and ‘borrows’ the sacred ‘God Killer’ sword from the tower it rests in and off they go. Leaving behind the bright, vibrant island of Themyscira and returning to the traditional, dark grey pallet of colours that we’re used to seeing in our DC movies as they head to war-torn London.
Steve takes over as charming tour guide as Diana enters the human world for the first time. Her innocence and curiosity of the modern world are played beautifully by Gadot, with plenty of fish-out-of-water style humour too. But she’s also never afraid to question and stand up for what she believes in and tackle those who try and oppose her, giving an interesting perspective on aspects of humanity which deserve to be questioned. Her drive to get to the front-line of war, to seek out Ares and supposedly end all war by defeating him, constantly driving her forward. Romance eventually blossoms between Diana and Steve, but it feels natural and believable and helps to hold the movie together during some of its slower moments.
When Wonder Woman manages to get to the front line and steps out into no-mans land, ignoring the advice of Steve and those around her, it’s magnificent. It heralds the first in a series of magnificent action sequences involving German soldiers as she puts her training to good use. Initially shielding herself from the onslaught of bullets before moving onto the offensive with some bad-ass combat moves, slo-mo back-flips, jumps, whip action and displays of pure power and strength. Everything we got a glimpse of in Batman Vs Superman, ramped up to the max, perfectly executed and accompanied by a rocking soundtrack!
Where Wonder Woman doesn’t work so well is in the handling of its villains. Whenever we switch to General Ludendorff and Doctor Poison, busily developing deadly gases to unleash, momentum seems to be lost. And as for Ares, when we do finally meet him he’s pretty laughable, with no clearly defined motivation or character. Following a bit of villain monologue, we get the general gist of what his beef is and then the last 20 minutes or so descend into the over the top CG destruction that we’re so used to seeing now in these movies. It’s a minor gripe, and not handled as badly as some previous movies, but along with the pacing issues it does affect the overall enjoyment of the movie somewhat.
None of this detracts from Wonder Woman herself though. Gal Gadot has truly made this role her own and displays the perfect mix of strength, beauty, brains, confidence, determination and general all-round girl power. She can more than hold her own in the DC universe and should hopefully be a prominent force in the upcoming Justice League movie and beyond.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Jul 14, 2017
Slightly Disappointed
So, here we are. At last. After a couple of great movies, a really poor third movie and a disastrous reboot/sequel, it was beginning to look as though one of our all time favourite superheroes was never going to get another movie to do him justice. And then, in what was already a hero packed, action roller-coaster of a movie, Spider-Man finally returned home to Marvel in spectacular fashion during Captain America: Civil War. A fantastic portrayal of Peter Parker and an even better Spider-Man, it was enough to leave us wanting more and enough to get us pretty excited when standalone movie Homecoming was announced soon after.
Ok, so I’ve been trying to think about how I feel after watching it, and it’s a tough one. This is a Spider-Man movie by Marvel that feels closer to how a Spider-Man movie should be than any of the previous movies before it. And Tom Holland is just a perfect Peter Parker. But, I kind of felt disappointed by it. It didn’t thrill me as much as other Marvel movies, and certainly not as much as Civil War did. When Spider-Man shows up in Civil War, he’s an enthusiastic teen with a lot to learn, but he still manages to pull off some pretty jaw dropping action. In Homecoming it just feels like the momentum has been lost – too much awkward teen, not enough action hero. The awe and thrill of swooping through the New York skyline that we got in the first Spider-Man movie, there’s nothing like that here. I wonder if, for me anyway, it’s some kind of superhero fatigue. But then I didn’t feel that way about Wonder Woman recently, so I’m just not sure. I just can’t quite put my finger on it. I feel ashamed of myself for not liking it as much as I was expecting!
Most of the big action pieces, such as the Staten Island ferry scene, have already been shown pretty much on their entirety during the trailer. And the climax, involving Spidey and Vulture on a plane, is fairly difficult to follow, as it’s set in the dark with the plane veering out of control. Probably the most impressive sequence is on the Washington monument, a traditional lift-about-to-fall scenario. Spidey is struggling to get used to his upgraded suit, he’s nervous about being so high up (and so are we, this scene is very well done) and he’s unsure of what to do best to save the day. It’s a tense scene, perfectly handled and we really feel for Peter Parker.
There’s plenty of humour and heart throughout and a good supporting cast. Michael Keaton is impressive and suitably menacing as The Vulture and Robert Downey Jr is… well, his usual self. I just hope that as part of the next Avengers movie and beyond, I feel a bit more impressed next time than I did after this.
Ok, so I’ve been trying to think about how I feel after watching it, and it’s a tough one. This is a Spider-Man movie by Marvel that feels closer to how a Spider-Man movie should be than any of the previous movies before it. And Tom Holland is just a perfect Peter Parker. But, I kind of felt disappointed by it. It didn’t thrill me as much as other Marvel movies, and certainly not as much as Civil War did. When Spider-Man shows up in Civil War, he’s an enthusiastic teen with a lot to learn, but he still manages to pull off some pretty jaw dropping action. In Homecoming it just feels like the momentum has been lost – too much awkward teen, not enough action hero. The awe and thrill of swooping through the New York skyline that we got in the first Spider-Man movie, there’s nothing like that here. I wonder if, for me anyway, it’s some kind of superhero fatigue. But then I didn’t feel that way about Wonder Woman recently, so I’m just not sure. I just can’t quite put my finger on it. I feel ashamed of myself for not liking it as much as I was expecting!
Most of the big action pieces, such as the Staten Island ferry scene, have already been shown pretty much on their entirety during the trailer. And the climax, involving Spidey and Vulture on a plane, is fairly difficult to follow, as it’s set in the dark with the plane veering out of control. Probably the most impressive sequence is on the Washington monument, a traditional lift-about-to-fall scenario. Spidey is struggling to get used to his upgraded suit, he’s nervous about being so high up (and so are we, this scene is very well done) and he’s unsure of what to do best to save the day. It’s a tense scene, perfectly handled and we really feel for Peter Parker.
There’s plenty of humour and heart throughout and a good supporting cast. Michael Keaton is impressive and suitably menacing as The Vulture and Robert Downey Jr is… well, his usual self. I just hope that as part of the next Avengers movie and beyond, I feel a bit more impressed next time than I did after this.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Answers Are In The Forest (The Answers Series Book One) in Books
May 6, 2019
An Interesting Mystery Horror
I'm a big fan of ghost stories and haunted houses, so when I heard about The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski, I knew it was a book I had to read. Luckily, it was a good read.
I went into The Answers Are In The Forest thinking this would be more of a haunted house/ghost story, and while there are ghosts, it's not a spooky ghost story. This is more of a horror mystery than a ghost story. Local children ranging in age from 8 through 15 have been murdered. They use dead rabbits as vessels for their spirits to talk to Gabby, the main character. Gabby feels compelled to solve the mystery of who the killer is. However, this puts Gabby in grave danger. I will say that the plot has been done before in other books, but The Answers Are In The Forest still makes for an interesting read. I didn't predict who the actual killer was at all. Even those I thought were guilty turned out to be innocent. Sometimes the plot felt a bit confusing, but I was able to figure it out easily enough after reading a bit more. There is a bit of a cliff hangar at the end of the book, but this is to be expected as it's part of a new series. For those that aren't big into series, I think this book could do alright as a standalone.
All the characters felt like real life people. There were times when Gabby felt a bit spoiled, but she is a teen, and we've all had moments like that. I did admire her tenacity to find out what happened to the murdered children no matter the danger to herself. I found Gabby's mom to be annoying. This wasn't because she was written poorly, but I just didn't like how uninterested she was in what was going on with Gabby especially when Gabby ended up in the hospital. Gabby's mom started out being somewhat caring, but she seemed to just become uninterested as the book progressed. My favorite character was Rusck. I just loved how caring and loyal Rusck seemed to be. I also admired his determination.
The pacing for The Answers Are In The Forest was done well for the most part. There were a few times that it did go too quickly, and I found myself wondering what had just happened. However, it would slow down to a good pace quickly enough, and I was able to enjoy reading it again.
Trigger warnings include profanity, violence (sometimes fairly graphic), and murder (both children, adult, and animal).
Overall, The Answers Are In The Forest is an interesting read although the plot has been done before. The characters are interesting enough and the plot flows well for the most part. I would recommend The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski to those aged 15+. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
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(A special thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski in exchance for an honest and unbiased review.)
I went into The Answers Are In The Forest thinking this would be more of a haunted house/ghost story, and while there are ghosts, it's not a spooky ghost story. This is more of a horror mystery than a ghost story. Local children ranging in age from 8 through 15 have been murdered. They use dead rabbits as vessels for their spirits to talk to Gabby, the main character. Gabby feels compelled to solve the mystery of who the killer is. However, this puts Gabby in grave danger. I will say that the plot has been done before in other books, but The Answers Are In The Forest still makes for an interesting read. I didn't predict who the actual killer was at all. Even those I thought were guilty turned out to be innocent. Sometimes the plot felt a bit confusing, but I was able to figure it out easily enough after reading a bit more. There is a bit of a cliff hangar at the end of the book, but this is to be expected as it's part of a new series. For those that aren't big into series, I think this book could do alright as a standalone.
All the characters felt like real life people. There were times when Gabby felt a bit spoiled, but she is a teen, and we've all had moments like that. I did admire her tenacity to find out what happened to the murdered children no matter the danger to herself. I found Gabby's mom to be annoying. This wasn't because she was written poorly, but I just didn't like how uninterested she was in what was going on with Gabby especially when Gabby ended up in the hospital. Gabby's mom started out being somewhat caring, but she seemed to just become uninterested as the book progressed. My favorite character was Rusck. I just loved how caring and loyal Rusck seemed to be. I also admired his determination.
The pacing for The Answers Are In The Forest was done well for the most part. There were a few times that it did go too quickly, and I found myself wondering what had just happened. However, it would slow down to a good pace quickly enough, and I was able to enjoy reading it again.
Trigger warnings include profanity, violence (sometimes fairly graphic), and murder (both children, adult, and animal).
Overall, The Answers Are In The Forest is an interesting read although the plot has been done before. The characters are interesting enough and the plot flows well for the most part. I would recommend The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski to those aged 15+. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
--
(A special thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski in exchance for an honest and unbiased review.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration in Books
May 25, 2019 (Updated May 25, 2019)
I love children's books. I love reading them to my 4 year old son to help instill the love of reading I had as a child and still have now. When I heard about Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration by Julie Barker, it was a book that I wanted to read with my son. We both ended up loving this book!
The plot is pretty straightforward although there are subplots like a bull destroying a fence and everyone coming together to fix the fence and Hitch's smaller brother trying to ride a bull for 8 seconds. The lessons are all the same and teach the lesson of coming together to solve a problem as well as no matter how big, small, or different you are, if you persevere, the end result will be worthwhile. Both are fantastic lessons for children and adults alike! Even though this book is part of a series, there are no cliffhangers, and it could be read as a standalone. There's also a happily ever after. My 4 year old was enthralled the entire time with this story and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next!
The dialogue and writing in Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration is easy enough for children to understand for the most part. I love how each problem is solved and the next problem is presented, yet everything still flows smoothly. I did notice a couple of grammar mistakes, but they were only minor and easily overlooked. I wouldn't say they took away from the story though.
I thought the characters were lovable for children. For those that have never read a Hitchin' Post story, Hitch is a jackrabbit who talks and acts just like a human. He's very adorable and such a fun loving character! We get to meet all of Hitch's brothers in this book. Mitch was mine and my son's favorite character perhaps because he is the smallest.
My son and I loved the illustrations. They were beautifully drawn as well as being drawn in a fun way to hold a child's attention (which we all know is no easy feat). The illustrations are so lively and very colorful. I loved all the country and western pictures especially. My favorite being the barn after it's patched up. My son loved the jackrabbits and the 4-wheeler the best.
Overall, Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration is such an adorable book that's sure to bring a smile to anyone, young or old alike! With fantastic illustrations and an unforgettable main character, children will be begging their parents to buy them the rest of the books in the series. (I already know what my son will be getting for his birthday - more Hitchin' Post books!) I would definitely recommend Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration by Julie Barker to everyone aged 3+.
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(A special thank you to Julie Barker for providing me with a paperback copy of Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot is pretty straightforward although there are subplots like a bull destroying a fence and everyone coming together to fix the fence and Hitch's smaller brother trying to ride a bull for 8 seconds. The lessons are all the same and teach the lesson of coming together to solve a problem as well as no matter how big, small, or different you are, if you persevere, the end result will be worthwhile. Both are fantastic lessons for children and adults alike! Even though this book is part of a series, there are no cliffhangers, and it could be read as a standalone. There's also a happily ever after. My 4 year old was enthralled the entire time with this story and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next!
The dialogue and writing in Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration is easy enough for children to understand for the most part. I love how each problem is solved and the next problem is presented, yet everything still flows smoothly. I did notice a couple of grammar mistakes, but they were only minor and easily overlooked. I wouldn't say they took away from the story though.
I thought the characters were lovable for children. For those that have never read a Hitchin' Post story, Hitch is a jackrabbit who talks and acts just like a human. He's very adorable and such a fun loving character! We get to meet all of Hitch's brothers in this book. Mitch was mine and my son's favorite character perhaps because he is the smallest.
My son and I loved the illustrations. They were beautifully drawn as well as being drawn in a fun way to hold a child's attention (which we all know is no easy feat). The illustrations are so lively and very colorful. I loved all the country and western pictures especially. My favorite being the barn after it's patched up. My son loved the jackrabbits and the 4-wheeler the best.
Overall, Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration is such an adorable book that's sure to bring a smile to anyone, young or old alike! With fantastic illustrations and an unforgettable main character, children will be begging their parents to buy them the rest of the books in the series. (I already know what my son will be getting for his birthday - more Hitchin' Post books!) I would definitely recommend Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration by Julie Barker to everyone aged 3+.
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(A special thank you to Julie Barker for providing me with a paperback copy of Hitchin' Post and the Tornado Twistin' 4th of July Celebration in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)