John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Someone to Kiss My Scars by Brooke Skipstone

A dark tale of troubled teens seeking a new way forward through their trauma, Someone to Kiss My Scars by Brooke Skipstone is a brutal and essential read. Highlighting many of the critical and widely overlooked issues facing young people today – self-harm, abuse, sexual identity, bullying and much more – this is a fearless novel with a message far deeper than the plot.

The intensity of the story, as Hunter and Jazz try to heal one another’s oldest wounds, is coupled with powerful prose and the reminder that everyone has secrets and scars, urging readers towards empathy, self-examination, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-12T11:38:34+02:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: New Adult Book Reviews|

U-10 by Sam B. Miller II

When an alien and his craft crash-land in Afghanistan on a mission to capture a human and return home, a madcap hunt for the mysterious titular technology U-10 begins. Author Sam B. Miller II delivers an off-kilter, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi drama that has occasional echoes of Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and even a dash of Asimov.

Ty Lavender, Lincoln Frost, and Koritt Diviak make for a captivating core of characters, despite being on opposing sides with decidedly different intentions. One wants to keep his soldiers safe and get out of the Afghan desert alive, another wants to take possession of the priceless […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-11T09:44:34+02:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Devil’s Dragon by Jason F. Boggs

Devil's Dragon by Jason F. Boggs

Dystopian near-future novels are all the rage in recent years, and The Devil’s Dragon by Jason Boggs is the exciting first installment of a new series set less than a century in the future. Despite the plethora of books in this freshly popular vein of writing, this novel stands out for a number of reasons, primarily the depth of character development and the comprehensive world-building on display.

The world as we know it has changed at the turn of the 22nd century, and for new recruit Nelson Jones, joining the military means proving that he’s the best, and finding some […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-10-10T11:39:39+02:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Space Opera Book Reviews|

All About Me by D. Avraham

For those seeking a hectic dive into an indescribably cluttered mind, All About Me: Trigger Warning: This Book is Fiction by D. Avraham will be your kind of chaos. The hostage crisis premise in this novel is outlandish, but it provides a hilarious vehicle for Avraham’s unique sense of humor and collegiate perspective on the world. The main character’s ADD diagnosis is perpetually at the forefront of the story, with the narration leaping from one thought to another in a perpetual and exhausting carousel, but there are also thoughtful, clever, and well-penned sections that endear a reader to this strange […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-09T08:29:02+02:00September 8th, 2019|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Shirley F’N Lyle: VIVA the REVOLUTION by Clayton Lindemuth

Fierce, fabulous, and fed up may be the three best ways to describe Shirley F’N Lyle, the titular character of Clayton Lindemuth’s latest series. This plus-sized protagonist deserves those extra letters in her name, as she comes into her significant power to right some serious wrongs and stand up for her squad. Sassy, hard-nosed storytelling swirling between hard-hitting truths about society make this book more than a pulp-fiction pleasure. Shirley F’N Lyle: VIVA the REVOLUTION is a cutting, empowering, and unforgettable tale of heroism in the most unexpected of places.

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John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-06T09:49:47+02:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Free Trade Rocks! by Ray Keating

International trade policy has come to the forefront of global politics, making Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know by Ray Keating a timely and fascinating read for a suddenly curious demographic. Keating manages to bring this seemingly dull subject to accessible life with real-world examples often torn straight from recent headlines, along with a comprehensive and (mostly) impartial view on the topic. As the exclamatory title suggests, Keating is a fan of free trade, but his deep expertise spanning a wide range of subjects and career paths makes this book an engaging, informative, and essential […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-09T05:24:39+02:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Mars One Incident by Kelly Curtis

Imagining the world in 600 years seems like an impossible feat, yet author Kelly Curtis takes an impressive shot in her debut novel, The Mars One Incident. Alma Hattie Johnson is the fascinating hero and space captain at the center of this fast-paced thriller. From clever exposition of the relatively tech-free dystopia on terra firma to the far-flung vision of a galaxy teeming with other civilizations, Curtis has constructed an ambitious and thrilling world that is unexpectedly relatable. Easily accessible for sci-fi lovers and newcomers alike, The Mars One Incident marks the exciting launch of a new sci-fi universe.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-06T08:42:28+02:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Baturi by Matthew Stephen

Baturi by Matthew Stephen

In Baturi, author Matthew Stephen has created a remarkable work of fiction that draws directly on his own experiences in certain dark corners of the world in the 1980s. The level of authenticity and brutal honesty achieved by this author makes this book stand out, despite its potentially niche appeal.

Matthew Ferguson is stationed in northern Nigeria with the Volunteer Services as a teacher, having chosen to leave his life behind and disconnect from everything he has known. However, becoming entranced and then embroiled with another foreigner, and a strikingly beautiful one at that, sends him spiraling into an […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-02-08T10:43:11+02:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|