Sea Change by Iain Rowan

Middle Grade, Young Adult, Horror

Source:  I won a copy from LibraryThing

John knows what it’s like to be bullied. Yet he does nothing when another kid is bullied. Plagued with guilt his mother sends him to spend some time with his sister in a fishing village. Have things really changed? When he arrives and gets off the bus the first thing he sees is a boy with a snarl.  Then he meets Simon and Sal. The three become best friends. But something is seeking John out. Something needs his help. It seems to be the worst bully of all.  Will John help or will he finally stop running?

This book starts out with a bullying incident that leads to John being shipped to his sisters for a while. Then things turn creepy.  You have a small fishing town. Dark legends and tales.  What I loved about this story was the message of learning to stand on your own two feet and face your fears. The idea of standing up to bullies. The idea is that if you take revenge on the bullies then you yourself become the bully.  I also loved that John is introduced to an old man through his sister’s friend Alan who runs the local bookstore. This is where John learns about the town's legends and the evil that is there. 

Egmont Key A History by Ronald H. Thompson and Carol Thompson

Genre:  Non-fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Egmont key is a place I have wanted to visit since I was in college. My history class was going to take a field trip to Egmont one Sunday. Unfortunately due to church and my job I was unable to go. I had to write a paper about it. This was difficult because there isn’t a whole lot written about this island.  Egmont can only be reached by boat. Originally it was the home of Fort Dade and a lighthouse.

The book is full of history.  However, like other resources I have found on Egmont Key. I felt it was somewhat lacking. I guess if I truly want to learn about it then at some point I am going to have to take time to visit the island.

4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss

Genre:  Adult, Magical Realism

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my reviews. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Johan Twiss has created two characters that anyone could relate to. You want to cheer them on.

Aaron is a young teen who is living in a nursing home. His body doesn’t work right but his brain does. He has created a place in his mind he calls his “Mind Palace” to keep himself from going crazy. Unfortunately, his parents are unaware of this since he can’t communicate with them.  I felt so sorry for him.  When he described his condition as being turned to stone by Medusa, you truly understand how it is. His character reminded me of the character Shawn in Terry Trueman’s book, Stuck in Neutral. For me having a working mind but not body would be horrible. I guess I feel this way because I had a cousin who was in a terrible accident. Her eyes were open and she could hear the nurses talking about how she was nothing but a vegetable. They had no idea until a month or two later how much her brain processed.

Solomon is the other main character in this book. He is elderly and has been placed there due to dementia.  Solomon can hear Aaron’s thoughts. Because they can communicate through their minds, Aaron gets to learn about Solomon’s earlier life. There is a historical aspect to this book as we learn about Solomon. The connection between Aaron and Solomon was simple. Aaron played trombone in his school’s jazz band and Solomon was a Jazz musician. Solomon takes Aaron on trips back into his past.

I have read several books  by this author and this one is right at the top of my list. I highly recommend it.