Book Review: The Silent Deal

Title: The Silent Deal
Author: Levi Stack
Pages: 346
Publication: 02 May, 2013
Rating: O for Outstanding
Copy: Paperback received by Levi Stack

Review: Imagine having the power of taking an ordinary object, something that we barely pay attention to, and making it the most interesting and mysterious piece you have ever seen. I’m not even talking about the story itself, I’m talking about the author. The power and talent this author holds to transform something as simple as playing cards and turn them into this peculiar power is beyond what anyone can expect from a debut author. The story is about two peasant boys, Viktor and Romulus, who live in the Russian Empire and come across secrets that they wouldn’t dare imagine. Featuring mysterious cards, Romani Gypsies and a dark forest, the novel sets itself up for a world that can only grow into something spectacular.

Starting with the world, I loved the universe that Levi Stack created. It played like a movie in my head as I read it. We all know how movies have color tones to match the mood of the scene. Some movies will be played in blue tones, others in brown, etc. etc. The thing with Stack’s world, is that it changed depending on the scenes. At times it was blue to match the mood of Viktor and where he lived. To show the fact that the people weren’t happy and neither was he, and that it was a cold world. Yet when he went to the Romani Gypsy camps, it was full of browns and greens and reds, like the Earth itself, to show how alive the people were. And towards the end of the novel, everything got dark and it was amazing!

The characters in the book are everything one could ask for, plus more. From the main characters who make real choices and show real emotions, to the supporting characters that feel like our very own enemies and friends, to everyone else who is only mentioned in passing. I do have to say that out of them all my favorites have to be the Romani Gypsies who remind me so much of my family. Colorful yet dark and mysterious, and they have this thing that brings light to the novel and yet doesn’t ruin the dark tones. Reading about them was like sitting in front of a fireplace with a nice mug of hot chocolate while the snow fell outside. It made me feel completely comfortable and at home and that’s what we want books to do.

In the beginning I was a curious to find out how a playing card could ever make a story so interesting and make me keep reading. But, as I read, I began to grow more and more intrigued with the idea that this normal object held so many secrets and so much power, that I wanted to get to the end just to discover what was going on. And once I finally learned the bits that are revealed, I wanted more. Sadly though, the book was done and I was forced to wait for the sequel.

Levi Stack is a storyteller at heart, forming his words into sentences that pull you along and don’t release you until he says so. One can call this an evil villains plan, but I call this an amazing author. He’s an author that we have to keep an eye out for the amazing things that are to come. He got me hooked with his first book, and I’m “patiently” waiting for everything else he’s going to release.

Book Review: The Namesake

Title: The Namesake
Author: Steven Parlato
Pages: 359
Publication: 18 January, 2013
Rating: O for Outstanding
Copy: ARC received by Bumbles and Fairy-Tales

Review: Easter morning. Evan Galloway and his mother spend time in church for the holy day. Thoughts of happiness and the feeling of being blessed surrounds the room in a shroud of light. Not far from the church, at Evans grandparent’s house, his father hangs off a rope from the attic beams. Evan is in his third year at St. Sebastian’s Catholic High School, and not only does he need to worry about graduating at sixteen and choosing a college to attend, he’s troubled by the thoughts and questions of why his father left him behind. Questions that he would later find out that he’d rather leave them unanswered.

The novel spends the majority of its time with Evan finding bits and pieces of his fathers past life, along with finding the hidden secrets his parents kept from him his whole entire life. Side-by-side with some normal high school subplots, the novel shapes up to be one of the best contemporary reads I have ever read.

Written in first-person, The Namesake was my first novel by Steven Parlato, which made me a bit excited to discover what this author was all about. The further I got into the book, the more I became convinced that this man was a genius with his writing. The man knows how to write! He gave me a character that I was instantly able to connect with on account of some similarities and he gave me a story that touched my heart and words that made me feel as if it were all real. To say that he made me believe and feel for the character is an understatement because he made me live as Evan and not many people have enough talent to do that.

The characters were all perfectly laid out. I was able to connect with each and every one of them but Evan was a part of me that I completely forgot about. There were times when I felt like we were the same person as he thought and went through things that I myself have gone through. The supporting characters were amazingly written as well. None of them were fully sculpted from the first page and you learned more and more about them as the novel advanced.

Now the story itself, I can’t exactly speak much of without spoiling, so I might be a bit of a tease here. Evan’s father, also Evan Galloway, committed suicide and with a reason that we find out towards the end. Through-out the entire novel we still have him around in the form of art, letters and recorded tapes. He tells his story of things that went on when he was younger and Evan found it and plays them little by little. While people might get frustrated that he didn't just go through the whole thing, I found it ultimately realistic at the fact that he could not face the pain of listening to his father.

The story is something that does happen a lot and we do hear about it on the news once in a while. Something that is both scandalous and heart-breaking and I think that it was handled extremely well in the novel because not only do you see the taboo side, you get to experience the pain and suffering of the family. I think Parlato is a talented author and I can’t wait to see more of his work.

UPDATE! Author Steven Parlato tried commenting on the post but for some reason it wouldn't go through but he has left me a message.

"Michael, Thanks for the amazing NAMESAKE review. I'm touched by the praise, but also the sincerity & insight with which you read my work. Your deep connection with Evan and your feeling like part of his story mean the world. Input like this inspires me as I work on the next. All best, Steven Parlato."

When I get messages like this one by authors, it touches me and reminds me to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm glad that you loved the review and here's to many more future novels and success! 

Book Review: Untimed

Title: Untimed
Author: Andy Gavin
Pages: 326
Publication: 19 December, 2012
Rating: O for Outstanding
Copy: ARC received by Andy Gavin

Review: I have always enjoyed the subject of History in school. I loved reading about the wars and the people and how different the times were. I could not wait until I was about to write a paper or an essay on an interesting topic. It was one of the easiest subjects in High School and a breeze in College. Reading a History book, though? Now that’s something I have never done. I was able to read passages but I could not exactly go to bed with a novel about History. It was than exciting news when I found out that Andy Gavin was writing a book about time-traveling because not only could I read and go back in History, I could do it with out of this world elements like clockwork humanoids.

Yes, you read that right. Clockwork. Humanoids. Untimed by Andy Gavin revolves around a boy named Charlie who is able to travel through time. The problem is, because he is a male, he can only travel back in time. It is pure luck that, when he finally travels to 1725 London, he meets Yvaine, a fellow time-traveler, a girl who can only travel forward. Now to make sure you understand this, males can only travel to the past while females can only travel to the future. Together though, they can move back and forth however they want. By the end of the novel, Untimed shows us the perils of changing history and how it could affect our future, making it one hell of a novel.

I  enjoyed Andy Gavin’s first novel so I was really excited for this one. I have never read about time-traveling and thought that it would be an amazing experience to be introduced to it by this author. Andy Gavin did things that made me jump with joy and squeal like a fan boy. One of those things was how he brought our very own historical people into his world and made them have a this secret life that ties in with his story. An example of this is Benjamin Franklin and his son William Franklin. We’re introduced to these characters and see how William is part of the novels world and how he‘s connected to our main characters. I don’t want to ruin it but it’s pretty amazing and genius.

Another amazing thing is not only the way they travel and what they need to travel but the connection that they have between the past and the present. In one instance, when Charlie and Yvaine are in trouble in 1725 in London, fellow time-travelers who are even more in the past, do stuff that affects their future and help our main characters. It sounds a bit confusing but once you read the book you’ll just be jumping with amazement.

It was interesting meeting characters we know in our world and seeing them interact in this novel. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and how they had such life to them. Each character matched perfectly to their time period and some even had this theatrical air about them. It’s all thanks to Andy Gavin’s writing style of course. While it differed from his other novel, it had that quality and that signature touch that let us know it was his. I loved the world it was set in, loved seeing the different time periods and how Charlie and Yvaine were dressed to fit with the times and how even the dialogue was corresponding with the year. I especially loved how the writing reflected off of these time periods and if you left the book off in one part, you’d know where they were right away when picking it up. The writing style in general was different and I found it interesting. It did not linger with many details but it gave us enough to give us satisfaction. Andy Gavin’s writing flows with the consistency of action the novel presents us with.

Now the novel is geared towards the younger crowd and considered a Young Adult novel. In my opinion I think it’s a bit over the YA genre but not yet close to Adult, and if this is what YA is becoming I’m all for it. Gavin didn't belittle us or try to minimize the general writing style. He presented the writing and emotions of these characters as if we were able to handle it and made sure to incorporate explicit scenes in an appropriate manner. He didn't take it over to the adult side but then again, he wrote it knowing that many teenagers and young adult know damn well what’s going on. The feelings between the two main characters were real and not lovey-dovey. Not only was love being involved but there were hints of teenage lust which is something that is fresh and hardly tackled and admitted in YA.

In general, I think that the novel was brilliantly played out and allowed us to see the effects of how a simple change in the past can make such a big difference in the future. It was interesting seeing the what-ifs of the modern time and made me think a lot of what-ifs as well. It’s a bit scary knowing how everything that’s happened and everything that is happening is shaping up to go down a certain path and that there are many, many paths that differ from what is now. Untimed made me think a lot and with that ending, I can not wait for the sequel.