Tag Archives: Dysfunctional families

Adventure, Fantasy, Young Adult

Leckman, J.R.: Inheritance (The Legend of Kimberly) (2011)

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Inheritance
Cover art by Isabell Weise

I am really glad I read Inheritance and doubly glad I am not Kimberly. Her father and brothers are crazy violent. Because of the abusive parts of the novel some of the reviewers out there have disagreed about the age-appropriateness of the story. Kimberly is 14 herself, but I think that kids younger than that would be perfectly fine with Inheritance. As usual my advice is that if you are an adult wanting to get this for a child that you read it yourself first (or read it with whomever the intended audience is).

I wonder what it would be like to know that I was going to die at a specific time? Hal Stone does. He tells his “fox” friend Ip that he will die that same evening. Rather than fight it, he makes certain the last of his preparations are finished.

Hal Stone is the author of a YA fantasy series about the land of Auviarra. His success in the book-world is not reflected in his family. His son, Nathan, is utterly and completely mad/insanse/sociopathic … Just add any adjective in this category and you could describe him. Two of Hal’s grandchildren seem to follow in the shadow of their father while the last one seems to be less under his influence and more under the influence of Hal. This, of course, is Kimberly.

Kimberly is a typical child of an abuser. She will do anything to avoid enraging her father all the time knowing that nothing she does stops his rages when he wants to get at her. Novels like Inheritance make me wonder about the future of such children. Even when she gets to Auviarra, and apparently away from her abusive family, Kimberly still cannot get away from their influence.

Ip transfers his loyalty from Hal to Kimberly. Ip is much more than the fox that Kimberly thinks him. He is a creature originally from Auverria and is some sort of shape-shifter. When Kimberly ends up in Auviarra he comes along for the ride.

I try to remember my mentality at 14. How would I have managed to deal with the life Kimberly has been dealt? Hmmmm. Difficult to say – partly because it has been an eternity since I was 14.

I like Kimberly. I also like the troupe she ends up with. They are a combination of different qualities, making their whole so much more than one of them.

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Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult

Bryan, J.L.: Jenny Pox (The Paranormals) (2010)

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Cover artist Phatpuppy Art

It is difficult enough being a teen-ager as it is. Add in a curse and life gets even rougher. What if that curse happens to be that anything that touches your bare skin or that you touch dies? Well, I would say a person could get mighty depressed.

Children sense when something is different about you. If there is anything to pounce upon, they will. Life is a jungle when you are little. Even if there is nothing strange about you, you will be picked on if the top dog is bored.

Jenny’s difference has made her the favorite kicking ball of her school. “Jenny Pox” has evolved into “Jenny Mittens” (due to the gloves she has to wear). All Jenny wants for herself is to get through her senior year and be finished with her fellow students. But her main bullyer is determined to make Jenny’s last year miserable. Ashley is Miss Popularity at their high school and she HATES Jenny with a passion.

I enjoyed Bryan’s characterisation of Jenny. He caught the desperation brought on by years of bullying. Very good job there. The Paranormals concept was interesting as well. As it would be a spoiler to tell, well, you will just have read Jenny Pox yourself.

Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery

Pratt, T.A.: Spell Games (2009)

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This is the 4th book in the Marla Mason series. I haven’t read the previous installments: “Blood Engines”, “Poison Sleep” and “Dead Reign”, but still felt as though I was able to follow the story-line.

In “Spell Games” Marla’s long-lost brother turns up in her life again. They parted on bad terms and Marla isn’t sure how she feels about seeing him again. But her brother, Jason, is a con-artist and quite a talker and manages to convince Marla to give him a chance. She ends up helping him with a con, and surprisingly has quite a good time – until complications arise.

There are some really strange characters in this novel. One of them is a mushroom-worshipping sorcerer. I guess  that’s what I liked about “Spell Games” – its strange twists and turns and dry wit.

As entertainment, this is a pretty good choice of reading.