Rosie’s Review Team #RBRT The Old Man At The End Of The World by @AKSilversmith #Zombies

Today’s team review is from Judith W, she blogs at https://readandreview2016.wordpress.com/

Judith has been reading The Old Man At the End Of The World: Bite 1 by A K Silversmith

THE OLD MAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by AK SILVERSMITH @AkSilversmith#BookReview #Zombie

• Title: The Old Man at the End of the World: Bite No. 1
• Author: AK Silversmith
• Published: 2017
• Started: Wednesday 22^nd February 2017
• Finished: Friday 24^th February 2017

The Old Man At The End Of The World is a short story, and the first instalment of a zombie comedy series by AK Silversmith. The plot is simple: 87-year-old Gerald Stockwell-Poulter was simply tending to his allotment when his neighbours, who have been turned into zombies, attack. The ‘zompocalypse’ – that’s zombie + apocalypse – has begun.

I thought this little story was brilliant – there wasn’t too much description to weigh down the plot and the dialogue exchanges between the characters was fast-paced. This allowed for quirky comments and sarcastic quips, which added to the humour of the overall novella.

Comedy was conveyed well, and the mix of jokes, zombies, and a stereotypical British setting reminded me very much of Edgar Wright’s ‘zom-com’ film, Shaun of the Dead, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The Old Man At The End Of The World even has jokes about a Bentley too!

This is a considerably shorter book review, for a considerably shorter book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short read, and it had me chuckling and smiling throughout. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, I think you’ll really enjoy this!

I look forward to reading Bite No. 2, the second instalment of this series.

Star Rating: 4/5 Stars

Book Description

Gerald Stockwell-Poulter couldn’t help but feel it was extraordinary just how quickly his life had changed. One moment he was earthing up leeks in the West Sussex sunshine and the next he was rooted to the spot as Rodney Timmins from the end allotment ambled towards him, arms outstretched, blood pouring from a hole in his neck and a look in his eye which suggested that he was less after help and more after a helping of Gerald. 

Now, as Gerald’s life takes a quick turn for the worse, he must do things he has never done before. After 87 largely well-behaved years as a model citizen, less than four hours into the ‘zompocalypse’ and he has already killed a neighbour, rescued a moody millenial drug dealer and forged an unlikely allegiance with a giant ginger Scotsman. And it isn’t even tea time. 

Join Gerald as he and his newfound allies navigate the post-apocalyptic English countryside in their hilarious bid to stay off the menu. 

The first installment of the Old Man at the End of the World Series. A novella of 20,000 words.

About the author

AK Silversmith is the author of The Old Man at the End of the World; a series of zombie apocalypse Bites centering on the world of 87-year-old Gerald Stockwell-Poulter.

Bite 2 is coming soon…

She was born in Tasmania in 1983 and now lives in western Ireland where the weather is similar but the zombies are still absent.

Goodreads | AmazonUK | AmazonUS | Twitter

 

BLURRED REALITY by Silvia Villalobos #CoffeeBreak #Shortstory @SilviaWrites01 #wwwblogs

Blurred Reality by Silvia Villalobos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurred Reality is a short coffee break story about forgiveness. When Duncan receives a phone call from his brother saying their father is in hospital, it brings back memories from the past. In a series of snapshots we learn more about the relationship Duncan had with his father and how bitter he felt. The ending shows there is perhaps hope for all.

View all my reviews onGoodreads

Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com also free from Kindle Unlimited

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT PASSING NOTES by @DGDriverAuthor #SundayBlogShare

Today’s second team review is from Cathy, she blogs at http://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com

Cathy has been reading Passing Notes by D.G Driver

This novella highlights today’s changing world and how the ways of communication differ from not that many years ago. The art of letter writing is becoming obsolete along with the need for cursive writing, as computers figure largely in education and people use texting and emails to keep in touch. When Mark Dowd finds himself having to use a very old, odd-looking piece of furniture as a desk in his English class he notices a half hidden carving in the wood. A heart with the name Eileen stylishly carved inside. Mark tries to copy the carving, eventually with a marker pen on the back of his hand as he runs out of space on the paper.

“I pressed my pencil tip into the carving and traced the heart and cursive letters. Some dust came up when I pulled my pencil out. Whoever had done this had carved it pretty deep, probably with a knife not a pencil. I wondered how long ago that could have been because kids got expelled these days for having plastic butter knives in their lunch boxes. We’re supposed to spread mayonnaise with our fingers, I guess. Anyway, I decided the kid with the pocketknife had to have carved this valentine at least a decade ago, if not two.”

Mark thinks he’s making progress with Bethany, the girl he’s had a crush on for years, but his texts and emails don’t seem to be having the desired effect. Ever since Mark drew the heart on his hand he’s been receiving hand written notes from an unknown source, with advice on how to win Bethany back by writing traditional love letters.

This is a lovely, well written narrative with strong messages; love lives on and if a heart is set on someone special, the relationship is more than worth the thought and effort that goes into it. The underlying story of Mark’s grandmother is an emotional one, the last chapter is very moving and powerful, bringing everything to a wonderful conclusion. I enjoyed the slightly different slant on the supernatural aspect very much. And who wouldn’t love a hand written love letter as opposed to a quick text or email. The story has thought provoking content and it would be an awful shame if this creative skill and expressive method of communication is lost completely.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT PASSING NOTES by @DGDriver #ShortStory #YA #Fantasy #wwwblogs

Today’s second team review comes from Chris, she blogs at http://cphilippou123.wordpress.com

Chris has been reading Passing Notes by D.G Driver

A charming novella about the power of words in love.

Mark is not a good student, and his inability with words leads to his new girlfriend cooling off his advances. Drastic action comes in the form of notes that seem to directly apply to him… and guide him towards reigniting Bethany’s love.

Although short, this story packed quite a punch in the form of charm, drama, and life messages. Part magical tale, part coming-of-age, this is beautifully written short fiction.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

CARIBBEAN HEAT (Baby Girl #5) by @ElleKlass #ShortStory #wwwblogs #Bookreview

Caribbean Heat by Elle Klass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Caribbean Heat is the 5th book in the Baby Girl series of short stories. I do recommend reading them all in order or this book will not mean as much to the reading experience. The book does begin with a short recap about how the story began back when Cleo was just twelve years old.

This book is based in the Caribbean, Cleo now lives on the island of St. Thomas. Her father figure ex employer PI La Tige arrives for a short vacation. He offers Cleo a job helping him solve a case. Titled “The Black Widow” La Tige wants Cleo to follow Ashla and discover more about her. She uses her own investigative skills to plant a GPS signal and cameras in Ashla’s room. Ashla is here to meet Alberto Salazar for a romantic break, is he her next victim or is there a darker secret to discover?

When Cleo can’t get hold of La Tige after he returns home, her concerns rise. One evening Alberto reveals some frightening details about Ashla, add to this the missing La Tige and Cleo jumps on a plane to go to his rescue. What she finds there is a cold and calculating kidnapper.

This book ends on a huge cliff hanger which, so far didn’t work for me, I felt it was all very rushed and I have doubts about the practical details hinted at by characters at this point, I believe all will be revealed in the next book.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Out Of Control by T.A Belshaw @tbelshaw @BrookCottageBks #Shortstory

Out of Control by T.A. Belshaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Out Of Control is a short story at just 70 pages long. Clues as to the era the book is set in are gently given and I surmised it was pre-mobile phone era in a winter’s night in the UK. I didn’t discover the actually time setting of this book until I read it in the book description.

It’s the winter of 1962, Mary and Ed are on an errand to deliver a last bottle of precious wine to Ed’s dying father. Mary is heavily pregnant and they plan to leave shortly after visiting Ed’s father and travel to France where a private clinic has been arranged for the birth of their child.

They have a car accident which they fail to report and as they stay in the remote “Crow’s Watch” house, sinister events build and Mary turns to madness.

This is a quick easy read.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

It began with a trivial moment of carelessness, but the shockwaves that reverberate from this seemingly insignificant incident, spread far and wide. Ed and his heavily pregnant wife Mary are on an errand for Ed’s ailing father before the pair depart for warmer climes. But the winter of 1962 comes early and one innocuous event and a hastily taken decision will have devastating consequences for the family of young Rose Gorton. Mary’s already fragile mental state is put under further stress while Ed tries to make sense of events that are spiralling massively, Out of Control.

 

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON.COM

Trevor Belshaw, aka, Trevor Forest, is a writer of both adult and children’s fiction. He lives in Nottingham, UK with his mad Springer Spaniel, Maisie. Trevor is the creator of Tracy’s Hot Mail (Crooked Cat Publishing,) and has recently released a noir novella, Out of Control.

Writing under the name, Trevor Forest, he has published fourteen children’s books including the Magic Molly series, The Stanley Stickle series, and Peggy Larkin’s War.

Trevor’s short stories and articles have appeared in various magazines including The Best of British, Ireland’s Own and First Edition. His poem My Mistake was awarded a highly commended status and included in the Farringdon Poetry competition best entries anthology. His children’s poem Clicking Gran, was longlisted in the Plough Poetry competition 2009.

Trevor’s short stories have been published in many anthologies including the charity anthologies. 100 Stories for Haiti, 50 Stories for Pakistan, 100 Stories for Queensland, The Best of Café Lit, (2011 2012 and 2013) The Best of Friday Flash Volume 2, Another Haircut, Shambelurkling and other stories and 24 Stories for Advent.

Twitter @tbelshaw

Facebook Trevor Belshaw and Trevor Forest

Email trevor(AT)trevorbelshaw.com

GIVEAWAY

5 Ecopies and 2 signed Paperback copies of the book.

Open Internationally
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Angels by @BevSpice #Shortstory #Bookreview

Today’s team book review comes from Alison, she blogs at alisonwilliamswriting.wordpress.com

Alison chose to read and review Angels by Bev Spicer

Angels by B A Spicer

This gripped me right from the beginning and I read the whole story in one sitting – very unusual for me however much I love a book because my life is horrendously busy! But I was so drawn in that I had to read on.

This story sensitively and yet honestly portrays the lengths mothers will go to for their children and the emotional depth there is behind a mother/daughter relationship. I won’t say too much for fear of spoiling the story, but as a mother it spoke to me, and I identified so closely with the main characters that it was actually quite unsettling.

And that goes to show what a talented writer B A Spicer is. The writing is beautifully crafted, the characters really well drawn for such a short piece. I do think this story has real potential to be developed into something much longer.

4 out of 5 stars.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Grandmother’s Message by Marcia Carrington #Shortstory #Bookreview

The Grandmother’s Message by Marcia Carrington

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My Grandmother’s message is a short read of just 14 pages long. It is about a student called Ariel who loves looking at family photos, particularly those of her Grandmothers and their Mothers and Grandmother’s. When Ariel is involved in a car accident she has an out of body experience where she meets her relatives who kindly send her back with messages of love and support.

This is a cute storyline full of positive experiences, I would like to have seen a range of emotions, especially from Ariel’s Mother who is calm and happy when her daughter returns from a coma. A wider storyline would also add reader interest to this. There’s not a great deal to sink your teeth into with the length of this book.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

A Float Down The Canal by Penny Estelle @Pennystales #Shortstory

A Float Down the Canal by Penny Estelle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from a competition win and knew nothing about it before I opened page 1, I try not to be influenced by other reviews and like to dive right into a book.

From the title I guessed it might be a murder mystery, but I was completely wrong. The setting is Phoenix Arizona 1967. Pam Simpson is an angry 12 year old. It’s the summer vacation and she’s been asked to stay at home and mind her younger brother, when she’d rather be down the Mall with her friends. To make matters worse it’s been arranged that her annoying cousin, Candy is being dropped off “to play” too.

They plan to go to the local pool, it’s a long walk which can be shortened by a quick float down the canal on tyre inner-tubes. I thought this was a great initiative of the kids and delighted in Candy’s disgust at the debris and colour of the canal.

I’ll not divulge any more just to say I was settling down to a good read when all of a sudden the book ended. What? I wanted to yell, where’s the rest? My only hope is that this could be one day turned into a novelette. Just 14 pages wasn’t long enough for me.

This review is based on a free copy of the book which I won.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Angels by @BevSpice

Today’s team book review comes from Vanessa, she blogs at www.vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.com

Vanessa chose to read and review Angels by Bev Spicer.

“I found out about this free eBook via Rosie’s Book Review Team, and decided to give it a go.

To be honest, even though it was well written, it was too short for me. I also found the subject matter really sad, but like the way it linked to another story.

However, the message was a good one. Death can seem like a solution, but it rarely is. Life is hard and unfair at times, but it is worth fighting for. Saying this, I can’t imagine how I would feel if I lost my child. Bullies are the worst!

Overall, a very quick read that gives you a taster for this authors style of writing.”

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com