Review Request: Rarity from the Hollow

Review Special: Review Request

Title: Rarity from the Hollow

Author: Robert Eggleton
Publisher: Dog Horn Publishing Genres: Horror & Sci-Fi
Release Date: March 16th 2012

Pages: 354

Where Acquired: I was given a copy of the book from Robert in exchange for an honest review.

Buy On Amazon Here 
- Kindle Price: £4.54 Book Price: £7.72 (as of when posted) 

About the Author:
Robert Eggleton is best known for his investigative reports about children’s programs. Today, he is a recently retired psychotherapist at the Mental Health Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel and followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn adventures. Author proceeds are donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society of West Virginia.

Cover: 


Description:
Lacy Dawn is a true daughter of Appalachia, and then some. She lives in a hollow with her worn-out mom, her Iraq War disabled dad, and her mutt Brownie, a dog who's very skilled at laying fiber optic cable. Lacy Dawn's android boyfriend, DotCom, has come to the hollow with a mission. His equipment includes infomercial videos of Earth's earliest proto-humans from millennia ago. DotCom has been sent by the Manager of the Mall on planet Shptiludrp: he must recruit Lacy Dawn to save the Universe in exchange for the designation of Earth as a planet which is eligible for continued existence within a universal economic structure that exploits underdeveloped planets for their mineral content. Lacy Dawn’s magic enables her to save the universe, Earth, and, most importantly, her own family.

My Review: 
I didn't manage to finish this book. Mostly because I found it a little too disturbing for my tastes. I am a 19 year old who still enjoys Disney and can't watch a horror film because they are terrifying after all. But for fans of horror movies and Stephen King this book is perfect. It is psychologically disturbing at a different level to what I have seen before and this made it hard for me to read, especially the scene describing her friends death. The writing style is very good, you can actually imagine it is written by a child right from her thoughts as she struggles through her life of abuse. But the book just wasn't right for me, I would urge you to make your own opinions up about the book and if you are not easily scared or disturbed like I am, then I would urge you to give it a go for yourselves; It does have fantastic reviews from people who have read all of the book so I would urge you to goodreads to read the other reviews to help make your judgement on this book. I have heard from the author that the book becomes increasingly funny after the first few hard to read chapters so if you can get through the disturbing parts then make sure you give this book a go! Another thing to keep in mind is that this tale may be so disturbing to some as it is actually based on real problems children have shared with the author in group sessions over his years as a psychiatrist. The author gives all of his proceeds from the book to charity too so it is definatly worth reading if you are not faint of heart like me as I said earlier after the first three chapters it changes from Stephen King to more like Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy.

'Parent's Guide' to the Novel:

Piers Anthony found that my novel was “…not for the prudish.” Kevin Patrick Mahoney, editor of the once noteworthy site, Authortrek, found that it was, “…not for the faint hearted or easily offended….”   An early voice in the 1^st chapter speaks about things that no child should know. It is that of a traumatized child – a voice most of us never listen to, or want to hear, but in real life is screaming. This passage is mild in comparison to some of the stuff that kids have said during actual group therapy sessions that I facilitated over the years. By child developmental stage, it is similar to the infamous early adolescent insult in E.T: “penis breath.” It is tame in comparison to the content of the popular T.V. series, South Park, which was devoured by millions of teens.  

Except for a scene involving domestic violence in the 3^rd chapter, this early dialogue is the only mildly graphic content. There are no graphic sex scenes in the novel. The renewed romance between the protagonist’s parents does include sexual reference. The android coming of age during his pursuit of humanity is reality based. However, Lacy Dawn never lets the android get farther than to kiss her on the cheek. The android expresses no interest in sex – he falls in love, all consuming love by the middle of the story. The “F word” is used once, but there is no other profanity.

Rarity from the Hollow is A Children’s Story for Adults.

Rating: 

 It would be unfair to rate this book as I didn't finish it because it just wasn't my type of book, not because it was a bad book. I'll leave it to you to decide if the book is for you or not follow this link to give it a try:
Rarity From The Hollow Excerpt

Have You Read This Book? 

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Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog? 

I Would Love To Hear Your Views! 

-The Reading Rose

Review: Salted

Review Special: Review Request

Title: Salted
Author: Aaron Galvin

Website/Blog: www.aarongalvin.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarongalvin5

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saltseries

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075676.Aaron_Galvin

Author Image:
 
Author Biography: 

Salted is Aaron Galvin's debut novel. He first cut his chops writing original stand-up comedy routines at age thirteen. His early works paid off years later when he co-wrote and executive produced the 2013 award-winning indie feature film, Wedding Bells & Shotgun Shells.

He is also an accomplished actor. Aaron has worked in Hollywood blockbusters, (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers), and starred in dozens of indie films.

Aaron is a proud member of SCBWI. He lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter.

Praise for the Book:

It's always hard to find a unique novel on mermaids. I've seen a spin or two from time to time, but nothing really original, and certainly nothing I'd really describe as 'cool'. That was until I got the chance to read Salted. 

- Steampunk Sparrow Book Blog

I totally bought into the Salted world Galvin created. Not an easy read but a unique one, I would recommend Salted by Aaron Galvin for people who are looking for something beyond the typical mermaid and selkie tales.    

- Cherie Reich, author of The Foxwick Chronicles

Salted was an intriguing read that kept me hooked. It is a different spin on the underwater world and creatures, which I found brought quite a bit of originality to the genre.    

- Lost To Books

Salted is sure to grab your interest at the onset. 

- Let There Be Movies 

Publisher: Createspace

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Thriller.
Release Date: April 19th 2014

Pages: 358
Where Acquired: Ebook from the author via bookblogging.net

Buy at Amazon Here 
- Best Book Price: $3.01 Kindle Price: $4.09 (as of when posted) 

UK Cover: 


Goodreads Description: 
Life isn't better under the sea. Lenny Dolan is all too familiar with this reality. A Selkie slave in the realm beneath the waves, he has no choice when charged with leading a crew ashore to capture an elusive runaway. If unsuccessful, the loved ones kept behind will pay for his failure with their lives. But when their target leads Lenny and his crew to deeper, darker secrets, the Selkies are faced with a moral dilemma. Secure their own freedom at the expense of others, or return empty-handed to face the grisly consequences? How Lenny and his crew answer the question will teach them the harshest truth of all. Only through the loss of innocence does one become Salted.

My Review: 
At first I admit I did find this book a little confusing. I loved the parts with Gareth Weaver in but Lenny's chapters had me a little lost. It took me a little while in order to understand the world order of the Salt and how the society is built up, but having Gareth's chapters helped me to piece it all together. Once I had pushed through my confusion I began to enjoy the book for what it was; a fast paced, Mer-book with little in the way of romance to distract you from the complex and interesting plot. This book was so different from anything I have ever read before, very unique in the way it covered many hard issues without having some chapters that were lighter to distract you from the pain the characters went through. This in my opinion was what won me over, It gave the book a unique depth and danger. I felt every hard decision with the characters and found it very easy to understand their motives, Chidi and Gareth being my clear favorite characters, Chidi for her struggle and amazing instincts and Gareth for the innocence baught to the book. I enjoyed this book, especially the scenes held in the zoo such as the dolphin show and the shark tank incident. By the end I began to respect the complexity of the salted society more with the slave/master predicaments and the unique way of communicating through earrings. This book is defiantly worth reading if you want to read a Mer-book that isn't just centered on soppy love stories and more about one of the biggest moral struggles I have ever read. I would say to any future reader to make sure you stick with it through the confusing beginning and wait until the society becomes clear and the book becomes spectacular! It's a refreshing change to the norm of the YA genre!

Quotes: 

"Alone for once, Lenny closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the rain drizzle on his face to wash away his guilt. He stayed that way for a long while, refusing to open them until he heard footsteps running back across the street."

"The old woman sat on the edge not twenty feet from him, her dolphin tail lazily swinging in the water."

Rating: 

Have You Read This Book? 

How Did You Find It? 

Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog? 

I Would Love To Hear Your Views! 

-The Reading Rose