Book Review - Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

In 1950 in North Korea, twelve-year-old Sora and her family are living under a regime with harsh rules. They need permits to travel,  no criticizing the government, they must attend all Communist meetings and wear red. The people are afraid to speak their minds and don't trust their neighbors.

The war between North and South Korea is causing chaos. The people are using it as a chance to escape. Sora and her family walk hundreds of miles to get the city of Busan in South Korea from their tiny mountain village. They will just need to avoid frostbite, bombs,  hunger, border guards, enemy soldiers, and many other obstacles. 

When the bombing becomes more than the family can bear, Sora and her younger brother, Young has to get to Busan on their own. Will they be able to survive the journey by themselves?

The novel was a heart-wrenching and emotional read. I felt for Sora as we have similar cultural values to treat girls/women as disposable. I wish this horrible trend would end because every single life regardless of gender should have value and be treated as equals. I enjoyed reading about Sora's journey and how she learned to stick up for herself. The book is a great read for children and adults alike.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

About the Book:

Title: BROTHER'S KEEPER

Author: Julie Lee

Pub. Date: July 21, 2020

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 304

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Can two children escape North Korea on their own?

North Korea. December, 1950.

Twelve-year-old Sora and her family live under an iron set of rules: No travel without a permit. No criticism of the government. No absences from Communist meetings. Wear red. Hang pictures of the Great Leader. Don't trust your neighbors. Don't speak your mind. You are being watched.

But war is coming, war between North and South Korea, between the Soviets and the Americans. War causes chaos--and war is the perfect time to escape. The plan is simple: Sora and her family will walk hundreds of miles to the South Korean city of Busan from their tiny mountain village. They just need to avoid napalm, frostbite, border guards, and enemy soldiers.

But they can't. And when an incendiary bombing changes everything, Sora and her little brother Young will have to get to Busan on their own. Can a twelve-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother survive three hundred miles of warzone in winter?

Haunting, timely, and beautiful, this harrowing novel from a searing new talent offers readers a glimpse into a vanished time and a closed nation.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

About Julie: 

Julie Lee graduated from Cornell University with a degree in history. After working in market research in Manhattan for over ten years, she decided to pursue writing full-time. Currently, Julie lives in Georgia with her husband and three children. When she is not spending time with her family, she is working on her next book while pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Brother's Keeper is her debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook |  Goodreads 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of BROTHER'S KEEPER, US Only.

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21135/?

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

8/31/2020	Debjani's Thoughts	Review
8/31/2020	Miss Elizabeth	Review
9/1/2020	Karma Readz Kidz Bookz	Review
9/1/2020	Her Book Thoughts	Review
9/1/2020	Her Book Thoughts	Instagram Post
9/2/2020	History from a Woman’s Perspective	Review
9/2/2020	Twirling Book Princess	Excerpt
9/3/2020	The Writer’s Alley	Review
9/3/2020	The Writer’s Alley	Instagram Post
9/4/2020	Two Points of interest	Review
9/4/2020	Fyrekatz Blog	Review
9/4/2020	Jaime's World	Excerpt

Book Review - Until the Dawn by Elizabeth Camden

Photo Credit - Amazon

Sophie van Rijn is a volunteer for the Weather Bureau and she needs access to the highest point in her village for the most accurate readings.  Dierenpark an abandoned mansion that is on top of a cliff in the Hudson River Valley. Sophie knows this is the best option even though she doesn't have permission from the owners.

Quentin is the first Vandermark to return to the area in nearly sixty years. He intends to tear down the mansion in hopes to end the dark rumors surrounding his family. However, upon his return to the mansion, he is infuriated that someone has been trespassing on his property during his family's absence. The pair is at odds at each other but, Sophie seems to be able to reach his son. Will two be able to put their differences aside and help each other?

I was quite disappointed in this book and found both characters to be insufferable.  Quentin is in pain and seems to be taking out his cruelty on others and then is baffled when his son doesn't like him. Sophie is this "light"  that can do no wrong and because she is nice everything works out for her in the end. I was annoyed that one character was insulting other religions and I understand that they don't believe in religion but, I think that part was not needed. I thought the history of the Vandermark would have a more prominent role but instead, they spent more time going into detail on Sophie's love-filled cooking. I find that Sophie was all for doing the right thing when it benefits her and her needs. When her father was doing an illegal search in Vandermark's claim on the mansion or using the roof without permission she made no Biblical references to those behaviors. I am still baffled on how the two characters end up liking each other especially when Sophie seems hesitant until the end.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Cassie Everson had so many bad dates that she became an expert at escaping them. She has a plan that allows her to escape her date easily. After years of meeting men who try to woo her with the wrong intentions, Cassie is ready to give up hope on having a husband and children.

Firefighter Jett Bentley is content being alone but, when Cassie's online dating profile catches his eye, he remembers her from their high school days. Cassie Everson was the popular girl that Jett had a crush on for years. Hoping to reconnect, Jett sends Cassie a message and invites her on a first date.

After a series of events, Cassie and Jett go on their first date. Surprisingly, they both have a great time and can't wait to see each other. However, fate drops three children on each of them to take care of. They both decide to do the mature thing and hide the kids from each other while they sort out their feelings for each other. Will Jett and Cassie be able to work out their feelings for each other?

The novel was a fun and cute read. I like that even though Cassie was jaded, she still tried to open up her heart to love. I felt like there could have been a bit more character development between the two characters. The novel billed itself as a romantic comedy but, it felt more like a novel about two separate people adopting children and learning to care about others than themselves. Overall, I like the idea of family being people who you choose and not only the ones you are born into.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Dating Charade
By Melissa Ferguson
Contemporary Romance, Christian
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 336 Pages
December 3rd 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Just when you think you’ve met your match . . . the charade begins.

Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether.

But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.

No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages—and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | TNZFiction

About the Author

Melissa Ferguson is an adjunct professor for Bible and religion at King University. She lives in the charming town of Bristol, Tennessee, with her husband, twin toddlers, and baby girl. She used to have hobbies like running and backpacking the Appalachian Trail outside her door. Now her hobbies include admiring the Appalachian Trail out her minivan window while singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" en route to the library.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Tour Schedule

Book Review - Hope and Other Punchlines by Julie Buxbaum + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Abbi  Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager. Except, her alter ego, Baby Hope, is an inspiration to people and she is widely recognized. People occasionally burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has spent her whole life in the shadows of the terrorist attack of September 11. Abbi as a child was captured holding a red balloon wearing a birthday crown while behind her the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Abbi yearns for anonymity and wants to spend her the summer before her seventeenth birthday as a counselor at a Day Camp two towns away. She is excited to spend her days with kids who have never heard of Baby Hope.

Noah Sten's also has plans for this summer as well. His dad went missing on September 11 and Noah hopes that he is still alive. When he meets Baby Hope at camp, he believes it is fate.  Together, they try to find the history and the story behind the iconic photograph.

When I first picked up this novel, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how the novel was both light and emotional read. Both Abbi and Noah were unique individuals who are trying to make the most of their lives after that fateful day. They try to reinvent their futures but, realize along the way, sometimes, you just have to play the cards life deals you. A wonderful read about finding friends and having resilience.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Title: HOPE & OTHER PUNCHLINES

Author: Julie Buxbaum

Pub. Date: May 7, 2019

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

The New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things and What to Say Next delivers a poignant and hopeful novel about resilience and reinvention, first love and lifelong friendship, the legacies of loss, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.

Sometimes looking to the past helps you find your future.

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka "Baby Hope") wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She's psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope.

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it's a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers? 

About Julie:

Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, What to Say Next and the forthcoming Hope and other Punchlines (out May 7, 2019.) She’s also the author of two critically acclaimed novels for adults: The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and more books than is reasonable. Visit Julie online at www.juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of HOPE & OTHER PUNCHLINES, US Only.

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2927/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/1/2019- Dani Reviews Things- Review

5/2/2019- Lone Tree Reviews- Review

5/3/2019- Lifestyle Of Me- Review

Week Two:

5/6/2019- Jena Brown Writes- Review

5/7/2019- Feed Your Fiction Addiction- Review

5/8/2019- Ex Libris- Review

5/9/2019- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

5/10/2019- Struck by Stories- Review

Week Three:

5/13/2019- Belle's Archive- Review

5/14/2019- BookHounds YA- Review

5/15/2019- Life of a Literary Nerd- Review

5/16/2019- Savings in Seconds- Review

5/17/2019- Resch Reads & Reviews- Review

Week Four:

5/20/2019- A Bookish Escape- Review

5/21/2019- Book-Keeping- Review

5/22/2019- Pacific Northwest Bookworm- Review

5/23/2019- The Book Dutchesses- Review

5/24/2019- Popthebutterfly Reads- Review

Week Five:

5/27/2019- Down the Rabbit Hole- Review

5/28/2019- Do You Dog-ear?- Review

5/29/2019- Two points of interest- Review

5/30/2019- We Live and Breathe Books- Review

5/31/2019- The Clever Reader- Review