Book Reviews

The latest indie book reviews from Self-Publishing Review

Review: Ugliest by Kelly Vincent

Ugliest by Kelly Vincent

Following the powerful YA novels Ugly and Uglier, author Kelly Vincent takes readers on a profound journey through the tumultuous life of seventeen-year-old Nic Summers in Oklahoma City in Ugliest, the final chapter of The Art of Being Ugly series. In this inspiring, empowering, and emotional novel, Vincent intricately weaves themes of identity, resilience, and social justice into the strongest installment of the series.

Continuing to delve into the intricacies of self-acceptance and societal perception, this installment builds on the strong foundations laid by its predecessors. Where Ugly introduced readers to the harsh realities of self-image and Uglier[…]

2024-08-27T07:51:10+02:00July 25th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Pearls: Parenting Practices by Lisa Guy, Illustrated by Cameron Shields

Pearls - Parenting Practices by Lisa Guy

A beautifully constructed guide aimed at navigating parenthood, Pearls: Parenting Practices by Lisa Guy is a thoroughly unique combination of parenting memoir, self-help aphorisms, and actionable steps for raising children.

Layed out in part like a children’s book with exquisitely rendered illustrations by Cameron Shields, each chapter begins with a short stanza about the next stage of a child’s life before Guy expands on her personal experience, talking freely about the process of trial and error that helped her raise her five children. From sleep to breastfeeding, solving parental tensions to devising kids’ games, the book answers practical questions about […]

2024-08-20T12:18:01+02:00July 23rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: The Citadel by Frank Dravis

The Citadel by Frank Dravis

Power-hungry corporations, priestly pirates, extraterrestrial warriors, benevolent guardians, and the ghosts of ancient aliens collide in The Citadel by Frank Dravis, the explosive third installment of his Dianis, A World in Turmoil series. A female-led epic that brilliantly blends classic and contemporary sci-fi themes, this adventure of cosmic protectors and priceless planetary bounty is a meticulously written marvel.

Disguised as a simple Dianis trader, Achelous has been captured and is now being shipped to the heart of the Nak Drakas Empire, where he faces a potentially gruesome fate for his supposed crimes, but one of his clever captors suspects that […]

2024-07-24T13:00:29+02:00July 23rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: Paradox by Michael Woudenberg

Paradox by Michael Woudenberg

The essence of humanity is challenged by the sentience of technology in Paradox by Michael Woudenberg, a timely and ominous first installment of The Singularity Chronicles.

Apparent heirs to a world-changing legacy, Kira and Noah are first linked to the field of AI by the loss of their mother and the potential of their absent father’s genius to extend her consciousness beyond death. Kira gravitates to the academic realm, excelling in her studies and research as she tries to shed the unavoidable shadow of her father. Noah instead pushes back against the technology that “stripped his mother of her […]

2024-08-19T12:39:09+02:00July 23rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Good Pastures by Sylvia Anne Pollard

Good Pastures by Sylvia Anne Pollard

Steeped in contemplation and the solace that only time can bring, Good Pastures: A Place to Feel Ones Deepest Heartaches by Sylvia Anne Pollard is a moving testament to the human spirit and the healing power of the divine. As a devoted mother and a powerful warrior of faith, this resilient poet has alchemized pain into stark and empowering verse.

The loss of a child is an unimaginable tragedy for parents, and the weight of Pollard’s loss is heavy on these pages. The poet’s stated purpose is to transmute the grief over Payton’s death into words of comfort and encouragement […]

Review: Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation by Aaron Ryan

Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation by Aaron Ryan

Humanity falls under a shadow of doom when a mysterious alien force arrives on Earth in Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation by Aaron Ryan, a revealing and suspenseful starting point to this riveting series.

In this dramatic prequel, hundreds of thousands of tentacled aliens descend into the atmosphere, hovering ominously for months, spreading a blanket of fear and dread across the world with their unspoken intent. Within this reality-redefining invasion, Andrew Shipley, a dedicated firefighter and devoted family man, must navigate his personal terror about keeping his beloved wife Melissa and their three children safe from the unfolding apocalypse.

Most readers […]

2024-08-08T18:18:29+02:00July 11th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Dissonance Volume III: Renegade by Aaron Ryan

Dissonance Volume III: Renegade by Aaron Ryan

The final factions of humanity and gorgon vie for survival on a blasted Earth in Dissonance Volume III: Renegade by Aaron Ryan, an explosive and riveting finale to the elaborate Dissonance series.

The vicious and costly battle at Mammoth Cave was only a precursor to President Graham’s ultimate plan to manipulate the gorgons into attacking three key targets around the world and then nuking them into oblivion, taking out her foreign rivals and humanity’s invaders in one fell swoop. The only thing powerful enough to pull Cameron out of crippling grief over the loss of his bride-to-be is his need […]

2024-07-31T13:50:24+02:00July 5th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Danger Lies Within by K.M. Krenik

Danger Lies Within by K.M. Krenik

K.M. Krenik delivers a thrilling and timely warning with Danger Lies Within, a wildly imaginative first piece of the Ranfurly Mysteries series.

A vigilante billionaire in a covert group of rebels is hunting those who prey on young women and children, but moonlighting as a crimefighter would be much easier with reliable childcare. Courtney is a widowed mother of two, who lost her politically outspoken husband to the violent “Peace Alliance” regime, and needs a new job now that her own kids have left the nest. As the live-in tutor for Lord Robert’s children, Courtney is quickly drawn into […]

Go to Top