David: Savakerrva

What happens when a fourteen year old orphan from Detroit finds out he's the son of an alien king?! Adventure of the highest order; a space odyssey for all ages! "David: Savakerrva" takes readers on a journey through space; exploring rich new frontiers and fantastic species and cultures.

Disbelief, anger, annoyance, and righteous indignation flow through David when he learns the life changing truth about his past and his future. How can he help save a planet when he's used to being bullied, he can barely stand up for himself let alone a bunch of aliens! Against his wishes he's taken from Earth and given only the barest of explanations on what he's expected to do. David knows that the prophecy has foretold his coming and that without his help, his father's home planet will be destroyed. No small feat, considering he was just chilling out in his room reading comic books days before, it's not like he's been training his whole life for this. David must look inward to see if he's even an inkling of the man that these strange aliens think he is. The classic battle of good versus evil will play out on the pages and readers will enjoy every minute of the ride.  Brimming with exhilarating sights and sounds, witty banter, impossible tests, malicious bad guys, and an occasionally whiny teenager; this science fiction novel is an excellent start to what I hope is a nice long series.

The Comedown

This is a great sweeping literary novel in which every chapter is from a new character's perspective, which is innovative and fun, but also a lot to remember. All the characters are bound together by two yellow suit cases filled with money (supposedly), but could just as easily be filled with bricks and packing peanuts. When Leland Sr. walks off the top of a building he leaves behind two families and lots of questions. They've all heard the lore about the suitcases, but where are they? Set in the underbelly of Detroit this saga covers decades, fleshing out the plot story by story. Ultimately, it was a little too literary for me. There was times I just couldn't get into it even though the writing was superb. Interesting, just not always compelling for me.

Middlesex

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It's a sprawling family saga that chronicles, incest, hermaphrodites, love, confusion, immigration, identity, and the human condition. I was hooked from the beginning. The audiobook also does an amazing job bringing the Greek-American accents to life and is wildly entertaining. The story follows Calliope Stephanides and the three generations leading up to her. From a small village on Mount Olympus to industrial Detroit, this family saga is a masterpiece. Every character is wildly unique, wonderfully developed, and worth cheering for. All the stories weave together to help explain the curious case of Calliope's hermaphroditic existence. Engrossing, wonderful and all around amazing. Definitely worthy of the Pulitzer Prize it was awarded!

Writing My Wrongs

A wonderful and inspiring read about what it takes to pick yourself back up and make a difference. Convicted of murder at the age of nineteen, Shaka realized that he would be facing nearly two decades behind bars. He wouldn't get to raise either of his kids, and he knew that he was straining his relationship with his family. How had it gone downhill so fast? Shaka examines his life up until the moment he fired his gun and analyzes what he was going through, what he could have done, and how it set him up for life in prison. His prison experiences are harrowing to say the least. The rape, shankings, emotional abuse, and degradation sound almost unbearable, but after many years and a lot of soul searching, Shaka was able to think positively about his life and future and tried to help others locked up with him to do the same by being a mentor and leader. After his release, Shaka remained true to his word and set out to make a difference to those living in the slums of Detroit. He's an empowering speaker, dedicated father, and proof that we all have the power to turn our lives around. An emotional and necessary read!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.