John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A 2020 collection of savagely good writers, The VD Anthology, Vol. 2 brings together more than a dozen excerpts, stories and poems from Club Verbal Discharge. From letters to Coronavirus and nostalgic greasy spoon tales in London to modern-day bigotry and the trauma of losing one’s sight, these are hard-hitting and unpredictable pieces. Laced with British vernacular and colloquial speech, this eclectic gathering is well-edited and curated, without any notable weak points, and displays a masterful use of language. These stories come across as gritty, authentic and raw, yet they are also polished and precise, evidence of the obviously talented […]

Take a thrilling dive through the darkness of Seamax prison in Croft by Jason Palmer, the climactic final installment of The Max trilogy. These pages are packed with meticulous heists, brilliant scheming, all-out brawls, and a simmering, palpable tension that makes it difficult to put this prison thriller down. Percy Croft’s methodical mind makes for riveting narration, while the juxtaposition of brutal jail yard violence with delicate planning and clever manipulation is a storytelling feat. Providing a last glimpse into this dramatic world of dirty alliances, perpetual threats to the gangland throne, and heavy questions of morality and responsibility, this […]

Brimming with imagination and magical jumbled-up creatures, Journey to Jumbalot by Ryan Wakefield details the delightful adventure of a curious cat in a strange new world. In search of his human, Alby ventures to a land that is similar to our own, but doesn’t follow the same rules of physics, evolution, or basic reality. This wildly creative children’s title is ideal for young readers who enjoy the whimsy and fantasy of children’s books, but also want to move up in their reading level. The writing is straightforward and easy to read, the vocabulary is diverse, and there is a good […]

A raw and visceral journey through the alleys and penthouses of America, Big City Secrets is a striking tale of pushing through pain to discover one’s potential. From an abusive childhood and early abandonment issues to complexes around sex, intimacy, money, and success, this book and its sympathetic protagonist shy away from nothing, turning a spotlight on human nature through the smudged and fickle lens of Los Angeles. With gritty, unpolished dialogue that seems like it’s pulled right from the street, and a matter-of-fact style of storytelling reminiscent of Bukowski or Bret Easton Ellis, this is a sleazy, but urgent […]