Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman

25 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , ,

Published: 7th May 2019Goodreads badge
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Illustrator: Heather Fox
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

What happens when you mix one hungry llama, a big pile of cake and a whole lot of dancing? Get ready to party, because the end of the world is nigh…

This a laugh out loud book which I can attest too as I handed it around at work and watched staff members cover their mouths in an attempt to stifle their unexpected outburst of laughter and not disrupt the entire library. The story is divine, the language is divine, the illustrations are divine. It’s simple, it’s weird, and it’s perfection.

I initially thought this was going to be like The Very Hungry Caterpillar but I was so very wrong. Stutzman has found the sweet spot where humour and story combine and has the right combination of proper narrative, and whatever makes things a hundred times funnier when said with a touch of absurd, surreal nonsense.

The joy of reading this comes from the formatting as well as the story. The tone Stutzman has used as well as the pages containing only one sentence or only a few sentences means you are forced to stop and pause which adds some magnitude. It’s the pace that you read this which makes it quite matter of fact and quite serious, there is a countdown of days as we know what is going to happen (the world ending), we just aren’t sure of how just yet.

The illustrations are fabulous. The expression on Llama’s face, the simple yet telling pictures of cake and world destruction are delightful. There is no need for overly complicated detail or depictions. Fox captures the mood and the disaster, and she does so while embodying Stutzman’s tone. She also beautifully captures the simple, majestic delight that is Llama. I also need to take a moment to thank Fox for immortalising the image of Llama and his groovy butt as he dances in his dancing pants. For that I thank you.

I have already read this book three times and I never tire of it. It’s unexpected, it’s a fairly fast read which works wonderfully for the style Stutzman has gone for in his writing, and the humour is constant. I love Llama and everything he represents.

You can purchase Llama Destroys the World via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied

23 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Australian Women Writers, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Published: 5th March 2019 (print)/5th March 2019 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Penguin/Penguin
Pages: 288/5 hrs and 21 mins
Narrator: Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★ – 3 Stars

Layla’s mind goes a million miles a minute, so does her mouth – unfortunately her better judgement can take a while to catch up! Although she believes she was justified for doing what she did, a suspension certainly isn’t the way she would have wished to begin her time at her fancy new high school. Despite the setback, Layla’s determined to show everyone that she does deserve her scholarship and sets her sights on winning a big invention competition. But where to begin?

Looking outside and in, Layla will need to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be if she has any chance of succeeding.

I have mixed thoughts about this book. I enjoyed parts of it, and how it didn’t become an Issue book, but at the same time I think it didn’t do enough to flesh out the issues it does raise. In essence it is a good story, there is a balance between Layla being the Minority Spokesperson but there is also a universal story about finding your place in the new school and being the awkward age of being a teenager.

Layla has dreams and she makes sacrifices to achieve those dreams. I like that there is a protagonist who isn’t shy and meek, or a full on fighter, she is loud and cheerful, which she is completely ok with, and she has goals.  She screams self-confidence and her Sudanese and Muslim traditions are part of her day and not huge plot points in the narrative, it’s a background part.

There are themes of ethnicity, belonging, family, and bullying which are all dealt with reasonably well. One thing doesn’t stand out as the main point of the book, they are all woven together like they are in life, coming and going and being ever present in the background. I did love that Layla doesn’t have to stop being a teenager to become a fighter against the bullying or an advocate for her heritage, she could just enjoy her life.

It pays to remember this is the narration of a thirteen year old girl and those around her are year eight students which is a great eye opener to the next generation because while some parts were reminding me of my own year eight experience, the language and the technology is a new experience. There are also great male/female friendships. I was worried at the start based on how Abdel-Magied introduced them, but it was great to see that girls and boys could be friends without it being an issue.

Unfortunately Abdel-Magied’s writing is not entirely seamless, there is some repetition and the language can be clunky. I didn’t mind the teen slang, it may date but that was fine. It was more that I think it needed another edit, needed to be refined a bit more. This is evident listening to the audiobook. Even though Abdel-Magied reads it herself, and she does a decent job, it makes you even more aware of the writing as it can be jarring at times and highlights the flaws.

It skirts along big issues but doesn’t focus on them any further. Initially a good idea, and while I am glad Layla and the book doesn’t become focused on those issues, by the end I think it needed a bit more depth and maybe more length. In a strange way it felt like the start of a series, that all the issues half introduced in this story would be addressed in the next book. There were a lot of issues half raised and I kept expecting certain things to have more of an impact.

One thing that irked me is I honestly can’t see how this can be classed as an LGBT book like I’ve seen when it happens in the last few pages of the book and has no effect on the plot whatsoever. It could be edited out and it would mean nothing. For all the parts that work, there are just as much that doesn’t. It’s a book that borders on two sets of audiences, kids and teenagers. Layla is 13 and I think anybody over that age won’t get as much out of it as those who are younger. There’s some great messages in there that suit the younger age bracket that can escape being brushed over with minimal depth.

You can purchase You Must Be Layla via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

 

Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin

21 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Non Fiction, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Published: 1st May 2017Goodreads badge
Publisher: Black Dog Books
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult/Non-Fiction
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

Meet Nevo: girl, boy, he, she, him, her, they, them, daughter, son, teacher, student, friend, gay, bi, lesbian, trans, homo, Jew, dyke, masculine, feminine, androgynous, queer. Nevo was not born in the wrong body. Nevo just wants everyone to catch up with all that Nevo is. Personal, political and passionate, Finding Nevo is an autobiography about gender and everything that comes with it.

This has been on my TBR list for ever and I am glad I got to pick it up because I read it in one sitting. I was taken on a fascinating and insightful journey and I am glad Nevo told their story because I think the reflection, the uncertainty, the changes and the messages in the book are something that everyone should read. Some experiences are universal but some are beautifully unique and allow us a brief, edited, yet honest glance at the lives of others.

I did not expect to be crying like a baby at the end of it but that is where I found myself. Even though I have not gone on the exact same journey as Nevo I still felt and related to a lot of what they had experienced and those final pages (no spoilers), but they hit hard and they hit deep which I was well unprepared for.

Nevo’s story isn’t here to be a guide or instruction manual; it is an emotional and thoughtful reflection on their life and at the time being only twenty years old it is a life where a lot has happened. No doubt their experiences have helped make this book one that provides great insight about what finding yourself means, and that you are constantly evolving and changing as you grow and have new experiences.

I don’t think you can read Nevo’s story and see their journey as a definitive one size fits all example of the non-binary queer, Nevo themselves acknowledges they have taken an unexpected path and had many labels attributed to them and identified with. I love that their approach boils down to ‘I am just me’. I think everyone needs to read this and realise that everyone has a different journey and that is ok, and still being uncertain about yourself and what you want is ok too.

I can certainly understand how some of the people in Nevo’s life may feel but not only is it none of their business, but I think you also see their love for Nevo and how their journey is also one everyone around them has gone on too which leave marks. People are only human but I’m glad Nevo has good people around them and as they continue to grow and change however they see fit, that there is a support network.

There is a lot of power in Nevo’s voice as it covers a range of controversial and important topics like religion, gender labels and discrimination, transitioning, the safe-schools program, family, misogyny, not to mention anxiety and mental health. Over their twenty years Nevo has lived a life and now in this autobiography we get to understand the pain, struggles, and passion that makes Nevo’s voice such a powerful one today.

You can purchase Finding Nevo via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

 

Macca’s Makeover by Matt Cosgrove

18 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , , ,

Published: 1st September 2019Goodreads badge
Publisher: Scholastic
Illustrator: Matt Cosgrove
Pages: 24
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Macca the Alpaca desperately wants to be cool, just like his friends. Will a new hair-do cut it? Maybe a trip to the gym will work out? Or perhaps he needs the latest accessories?

Maccas makeover shows him what it is that makes him truly special.

Our favourite alpaca is back and this time he is in for a new look. Worried he might not be cool, Macca enlists the help of his friends to try and improve himself. The story is told in fabulous rhymes which flow wonderfully and are super fun to read to yourself or aloud.

Cosgrove shows off two great points in this adventure; that it is ok to try new things, but also that you shouldn’t feel like you need to change to be liked or a person you think others expect you to be. Macca shows you that it is ok to be nice and kind and being a certain type of “cool” doesn’t have to be what you strive to be.

The illustrations are bright and colourful and Cosgrove makes great use of the space whether it is with full page illustrations or something simpler. They also wonderfully work well with the text as the formatting and layout impacts how the story is read and even something as font can help with the fun.

Cosgrove’s stunning pencil illustrations are things I could stare at all day. I love his designs and see Macca’s big beautiful eyes and adorable face undergo new hairstyles, and seeing him try various things to be “cool” is funny and Cosgrove makes his illustrations look plausible and I can imagine an alpaca doing these things can be. Plus the expressions on Macca’s face are wild and so much fun you can’t help but love him.

This is another perfect Macca book; it is fun, has a positive message, and brings together all your favourite Macca pals in style.

You can purchase Macca’s Makeover via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Valley Of Secrets (#1) by Morgan Knight

17 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, New Adult, Paranormal Tags: , , , , ,

Published: 9th October 2019Goodreads badge
Publisher: Green Rhino Media LLC
Pages: 497
Format: ebook
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Dark Romance
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

A secret past. An alluring stranger seeking to destroy her. A power she must harness and a truth she must uncover to stay alive.

Emilia never quite understood why her parents refused to talk about their past. She was just a child when they died suddenly, leaving her to wonder about who they really were and where she came from. When an attorney contacts her regarding a family estate matter in Europe, she seizes the opportunity to learn more, and ventures to an isolated village in the Tatra Mountains seeking answers.

Massimino is a sorcerer looking to use Emilia to advance his own powers and seek vengeance on those who banished him centuries ago. He knows she is the last of a powerful bloodline, so invading her dreams, he calls to her, seduces her, and makes her body respond in new, thrilling ways.

Can Emilia uncover her origins and the influence her ancestors once held over a hidden world of mystical forces? They kept the past from Emilia for a reason, but Massimino has found her anyway. Once he has made her fall in love, will she die for him?

Note: I received a copy of this book for review

I was wary when I saw this was a 500 page story, especially for what I thought was a fantasy but Knight has actually concocted an engaging story that keeps you turning the page. What it actually is is a contemporary new adult story that has elements of mystery and paranormal elements. There’s manipulation and magic, the dark romance is there too but Knight has done a good job making sure it isn’t too explicit or crude and every moment is there as part of the story and not only there for shock. The sex scenes are described tastefully as they can given the context, but even then there are strange relationship of acceptance, reluctance, and persuasion.

The mystery of this story follows Emilia’s past and her family she knows almost nothing about. When Emilia is given a chance to find out where she comes from she jumps at the chance which takes her on an unexpected journey. The details of the mystery are gradually uncovered and enough information is given to keep you engaged without being left in the dark with countless obscurities and vague answers.

The introduction to this world is good, something I’d expect from a story being this length, but there’s plenty to expand into more books without straining for additional narrative. The move from the contemporary to the paranormal felt natural and the gradual introduction meant there was a natural cross over and no sudden shifts. There is real world magic but I liked that there was a connection to the old world with castles and curses. The mix of the modern and the old was a great contrast and it was interesting to see how to two worlds lived side by side.

I believed the sister relationship between Amanda and Emilia, from best friends to adopted sisters it is a great demonstration of their friendship, especially one that has been long established. I also loved that the girls were in their early 20s and therefore not in the teenage category, which also makes the events in this story acceptable and believable.

Emilia’s strength and her intellect are a great combatant for what she comes up against in this narrative and Knight brings it out at the right moments when you think these girls are lost in an environment they may otherwise be out of their depth. Emilia is an adult and smart and you cans ee both girls’ personalities coming through in their interactions with one another and those around them.

Without spoilers I will say that the way Knight has made a contemporary story feel like one that has fantasy and magical elements was wonderful. Even a touch of the historical as well. At times I had to remind myself that this was still a contemporary story with internet and planes and modern evil but it was believable that there were magical ties as well. Knight has left plenty to move into the next story and I look forward to seeing where this series is heading.

You can purchase Valley of Secrets via the following

Amazon | Amazon Aust

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