Five Kisses One Problem by Angela Carling - ADVISABLE

Five Kisses, One Problem by Angela Carling, 227 pages. Amazon, 2022 $3 (Kindle only)

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Liberty, Maya and Nikola are back! This time the story is mostly about Liberty. She just graduated from high school and has been accepted to an internship at Campaign Headquarters. She want to go into politics so this is perfect and she is so excited. On her first day her skirt rips as she is getting out of her car, and things quickly goes from bad to worse. She is going to have to work with the senator's very handsome son, Grant. They grew up together but Liberty could not stand him. They never got along and he was just a problem all around. Maya and Nikola think that Grant would make Liberty happy and come up with a plan to help Liberty and Grant realize that they could be friends, even more than friends. Of course, nothing goes as planned. No matter what Grant does, Liberty takes offense. What will it take for her to see that Grant is great? Maya and Nikola come up with a plan. It will take at least five kisses to complete. 

I love the story of these girls and already look forward to soon read about Maya. The characters are fun, the story refreshingly clean in today’s society. I read this in one sitting, enjoying every minute the twists and turns on the road to a fun conclusion. A great read for anyone, especially young girls asking for romance books. I definitely recommend this book.

Ellen-Anita, Librarian 

Ink and Arrows by Shruthi Viswanathan - OPTIONAL

Ink and Arrows by Shruthi Viswanathan, 100+ pages. EBOOK. Shruthi Viswanathan, 2020. $1.

Language: PG13 (12 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Rea, at age 21, is ready to accept imprisonment for the rest of her life after her failed attempt to take vengeance for her father’s death. She’s surprised both by the enemy, Sebestyén, who comes to save her and her impulsive action to live. Trading secrets of magic for wishes, Rea and Sebestyén find more than what they bargained for.

The premise is amazing, though the execution made the story feel more teasing and tantalizing than satisfying. Viswanathan jumps through time very quickly, letting the characters sum up what occurred in the months we didn’t get to read. I think this book would benefit from being expanded upon, allowing readers to have more time with the characters and their growth. If that was my only problem with the book, I would give it a higher rating; however, Rea’s story is riddled with distracting inconsistencies that identify Viswanathan as a new author, and I was disappointed to find a detailed sex scene near the end. I want to love this book, but it isn’t quite at that level.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

ONLY AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK

Aster of Pan Volume 1 by Merwan - OPTIONAL

Aster of Pan Volume 1 by Merwan, 101 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Europe Comics, 2019. $9.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In 2068, the farm town of Pan is struggling to survive after the devastation of war and social collapse. While 17yo Aster was raised in Pan, she is rejected because she was not born there. When an unknown man comes looking to colonize Pan, Aster is needed to help defend the only home she’s known if it has any hope of surviving.

Merwan illustrates the story with dynamic graphics to assist the script in telling Aster’s story, and I enjoyed the pictures more than the story itself. I think the premise is intriguing, but this first volume of the series is more about setting up the story than telling it. The sequels could be interesting; I hope they pick up the pace now that the foundation has been laid.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

FYI: This item is only available via Amazon Kindle as an ebook.

The Uprooted by Fred Duval - ADVISABLE

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ONLY AS AN EBOOK

The Uprooted (Renaissance #1) by Fred Duval, 58 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Europe Comics, 2019. $6.

Language: PG (11 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

By 2084, humanity has done such a poor job taking care of the earth and all lifeforms on the planet that others are stepping in to help. Swänn and Sätie are part of the force from another planet sent to stop the extinction of humans. As these intergalactic neighbors struggle to help, humans will have to decide what is more important: pride or life.

The concept of aliens saving humans from themselves is compelling, and the artwork is as engaging as the script. I loved reading about the people on the planet Näkän and seeing the similarities between our peoples. This volume is a lot of background to set up the story, which can often be a bit dull, but this story has been crafted in such a way that I found this introduction interesting enough that I can’t wait to see what happens to the characters in subsequent volumes. The violence rating is for weapon use (terrestrial and extraterrestrial) and battle gore.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

KINDLE ONLY

Venezia by Lewis Trondheim - OPTIONAL

AVAILABLE AS EBOOK ONLY

Venezia by Lewis Trondheim, 98 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Europe Comics, 2019. $9.

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Giuseppe and Sophia hate each other by day, but their alter egos The Eagle and Black Scorpion are falling for each other. As these two spies compete to accomplish the same tasks for their employers, their feelings start to get in the way. Will Venice be able to survive those with harmful intents?

I liked the idea of this story, but I found the execution to be too corny and repetitive. I felt like the two heroes were doing and saying the same things every other panel, and my interest decreased with every page. Also, the content seems to be written for more of a high school audience except for the humor that feels more immature. The mature content rating is for innuendo, mention of pornography, and nudity.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Days of Sugar and Spice by Loic Clement - ADULTS

Days of Sugar and Spice by Loic Clement, 145 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Europe Comics, 2019. $12. ASIN: B07Z9M9PB2

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In her late 20s, Rose’s father dies, forcing her to return to her childhood village for her inheritance: his bakery. Rose plans on spending as little time there as possible, but she misses her bus back to Paris. By spending a little time with her aunt and an old childhood friend, Rose uncovers secrets that will change her life forever.

The illustrations by Anne Montel are the best part of this book; I was awed by her use of watercolor, and the untraditional lack of distinct panels was easier to get used to than I expected. Rose’s story has good messages about forgiveness and chasing your dreams, but I feel that other stories have told it better. And I did not appreciate the lewd comic relief of the cats -- scenes that were completely unnecessary.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

FYI: This item is only available via Amazon Kindle as an ebook.