Jessica Wren's Review of Ndura: Son of the Forest by Javier Salazar Calle

Title: Ndura: Son of the Forest

My review:

A native of Spain, Javier Calle is fluent in English and speaks some Swahili. His novel Ndura: hijo de la selva was originally written in Spanish, published in Spain, and has won an award for young adult literature in Spain. I read the English version, Ndura: Son of the Forest, a survival thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

The protagonist, also named Javier, is traveling home from an adventure trip in Africa with his friends, Alex, and Juan, when the plane is shot down by guerillas. Javier is (presumably) the lone survivor of the crash, but finds himself stranded in the middle of the jungle with inadequate resources. He must use his brains, his instincts, and his few resources to survive.

Told in first person journal-style, Ndura gives a detailed account of Javier's day-to day actions, which includes finding food, water and shelter, protecting himself from wild animals and insects, and trying to find his way back to civilization. It also includes-and this is one of my favorite parts-the range of emotions that Javier goes through: grief for the loss of his friends, homesickness, anger, survival guilt, pride at developing new survival skills, and gratitude and friendship towards the friendly tribe of Pymies who briefly host him. The plot is exciting and thrilling enough to keep you turning the pages, and Javier is a character you really start to care about.

Another one of my favorite parts was the fact that the author clearly put a lot of time and effort into doing research for this book. The reader will get to learn about various flora and fauna native to the African jungle, the culture and society of the Pygmies, and to a lesser extend, the state of political affairs in various African counties. Senor Calle even includes a list of tips for surviving in the wild. I thought that was cool. The ending is complet

One caveat: The English translation is imperfect ely unexpected and will leave you with a haunting mental image.and awkward in places but is understandable. Please don't let that keep you from enjoying this treat of a novel. Thank you, Senor Calle, for your contribution to the literary world.

Genre:

Young Adult
Psychological Thriller

Links:

Here is the Spanish version: http://www.amazon.com/Ndura-Spanish-Javier-Salazar-Calle-ebook/dp/B00LPINOUY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Jessica Wren's Author Spotlight and Review of Atomic Aardvark by Ryan Guy

Review

Title: Atomic Aardvark

My Review:

Ryan Guy, author of Atomic Aardvark, is a familiar name among the community of young-adult indie authors. Via his website, atomicaardvark.com, he features YA authors and even gives out copies of the books he features. Additionally, he is also a co-moderator in the Author Promo Co-op group, where he chooses the YA Book of the Month.

I read Atomic Aardvark after hearing from several friends that it was hilariously funny. I wasn’t disappointed. Marissa Mallory (‘Sirena’) has taken a job as a waitress at Aardvark Pasta to gain independence from her father, a junk food tycoon. The restaurant’s mascot is an aardvark named Aardy, to whom Marissa has become attached. She is also chatting with Conley (‘Ennui’) via social gaming and the two have plans to meet in person. A series of comical events prevent this meeting, the main one being a meteor that has landed in the Precipice, a giant drop-off that Marissa’s father uses as a dump site. Long story short, the combination of something within the meteor and the toxic waste give Aardy and an ordinary skunk later named Surly supernatural abilities, including the ability to communicate with humans. When Surly comes up with an absurd plan to kidnap Marissa, it is up to Conley and Aardy to rescue her.

The entire book is a bizarre and humorous comedy of errors. The randomness of it is the best part. Although it is intended as a comedy, Guy does address some more serious issues (albeit in a comical manner) such as environmentalism, corporate responsibility, identity theft, and over-dependence on technology. This is a highly recommended and enjoyable read for all ages.

Genre: 

Comedy

Young Adult

Science Fiction

Links: 

http://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Aardvark-Ryan-Guy-ebook/dp/B00FVYWFR6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437195370&sr=1-1&keywords=atomic+aardvark

Ice by Jessica Wren

Title: Ice

Blurb:

In Minterville, Georgia, the residents live in relative seclusion, partly to keep crime out of their small, tranquil community, and partly to prevent the world from finding out about The Minter, a form of telepathy that interconnects them and gives them a sense of unity.
Then The Minter, which cannot function in the presence of evil, stops working. Mayor Tom Watson suspects that two families who had recently moved to town have ties to Manuela Escribano (known as the Ice Queen), a prolific drug lord who, unbeknownst to the rest of Minterville, has a deadly score to settle with Tom. No one, including Tom, has any idea how deep the Manuela's desire for revenge runs, until one Friday morning, twenty women disappear. When Manuela sends in a video detailing her diabolical plot to get revenge against Tom and the community that has harbored him for thirty years, Minterville must come together as one to rescue the women before time runs out. They must act quickly, or innocent people will die and their beloved community (and along with it, The Minter) will be destroyed forever.

Genre: 

Psychological

Thriller

Paranormal

Links: 

http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Jessica-Wren-ebook/dp/B00O1CCAU6/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437191432&sr=1-3&keywords=ice