Monthly Archives: April 2014

Obsessive (2 Issues Series) by Isobel Irons

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First of all I would like to thank Isobel for asking me personally if I wanted to review this book for her, so THANKS SO MUCH Isobel.

BOOK SYNOPSIS

The second book in Isobel’s Issues book series which sees 18 year old Grant Blue’s life post high school graduation become like a film in which astronauts get cut loose and drift into space. Most teenage guys would be glad to have a few weeks of vacation so they can spend more time with their gorgeous if unpredictable girlfriend as well as to participate in a much coveted internship that will shoot him to the top of his class when he starts college in the fall.

This however is not the case for Grant because he can’t seem to stop counting the reasons why he can’t do the things that considered normal for guys of his age, why he shouldn’t want the things he wants. why he doesn’t deserve to be called  ‘perfect’.  Grant is tired of not on;y trying to live up to his parents’ expectations but also carrying his lifelong secret the one that he’s betting that future employees, work colleagues and fellow students wont understand, let alone the girl he’s falling for, who thinks he’s ‘too good’ for her. She couldn’t be more wrong.

Because the perfect student, the perfect son, the guy ‘most likely to succeed’…is about to crash and burn. 

OBSESSIVE is Book Two in the “Issues Series” by Isobel Irons. 

REVIEW

STAR RATING: 5 Stars

First of all I want to thank Isobel so much for asking me to review this book for her and I am so glad you did because I absolutely loved it.  It was the perfect follow on to Promiscuous and really do feel that this series as a whole will be a fabulous one if the first two books are anything to go by.

I gave this book a 5 star rating because I loved reading it thanks to the way it had been written as it kept me wanting more all the way through.

This book concentrated predominantly on Grant which was really nice because it allowed you to really get to know his as  a person as well as to glean more information about his OCD and how it effects him. I thought it was grate that a character in book had OCD because it allows people who don’t know anything about the condition to get some but also for anyone who has some knowledge of the condition through knowing someone with it, like I do, to see how the condition effects different people.

It was grate to see Grant trying to take responsibility for the problems that the condition cause him as well as for the medication he takes. When he decided that he was coming off his meds and everything spiralled out of control culminating in him having a car accident which land him in hospital.

I thought it was a good twist to the story when we found out why Tash had disappeared when she told Grant the news that she as Pregnant. So it’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for both of them with the pregnancy then the baby once they have it.

Tanker 10 by Jonathan Curelop

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Book Synopsis

Tanker 10 is a timely and compelling story about a bullied, bashful and overweight boy named     Jimmy.  It is set in Brockton MA in 1976 where we meet Jimmy who is only interested in         reading his books and toss the ball with his best friend Ben.  Jimmy’s older brother Cliff   and his buddies see him as their entertaining victim, but when Jimmy tries to stand up to his brother     the verbal abuse turns physical, ending in Jimmy being taken to hospital with an injury that changes   the direction of his life.

The book tells the story of Jimmy through his pre-teen and teenage years as he struggles with the   physical and psychological injuries he carries following the accident at the hands of his brother. His     salvation comes thanks to him finding his love for Baseball through which he dedicates himself to a   strict regeime, which takes him from intramurals baseball to little league. Then by the time he   reaches High school he’s no longer the fat kid throwing a ball against a wall but an up-and-coming   right fielder on the freshman baseball team. Even though his recovery is successful Jimmy is still ill at   ease with himself and longs for emotional and physical intimacy. He is also grappling with finding his   place in his family, among his friends, and with his Brother Cliff.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Curelop, a lifelong baseball fan who was bullied as a child for being overweight, has written a poignant fictional account of a character in search of himself. His debut novel, Tanker 10, is a funny and heart-wrenching coming-of-age journey toward self-acceptance in the wake of trauma. Centered around baseball, the story deals with the serious ramifications of identity and acceptance.

REVIEW

STAR RATING: * * * * * *

“Tanker 10, is a funny and heart-wrenching coming-of-age journey toward self-acceptance in the wake of trauma. Centered around baseball, the story deals with the serious ramifications of identity and acceptance.”

Although I found it difficult to get into this book to begin with I have given it a 5 out of 5 star rating, because this was nothing to do with how it was written it was more to do with the fact that I had a lot going off in my family life, and I will recommend the book to others personally and via my blog.

I loved the main character Jimmy, the antagonist, as I really identified with him because I was bullied at school as a child and have always loved books and reading. His love for Baseball and his best friend Ben was enduring throughout the book. The love he had for his best friend Ben was particularly when he was killed in the accident and funeral because it was clear that he couldn’t bear to be without him.

Cliff, the protagonist, Jimmy’s older Brother was an interesting character because although he was a bully and in many ways the worst kind of bully, sibling bully you could also see some kind, gentle and loving side to him as well. You could see the better side to him more and more after the incident where he caused his brother injury which inevitably led to Jimmy being even more uncertain of him self than he already was.

Ben, Jimmy’s best friend was a kind, gentle person who wasn’t particularly academically minded person but loved Swimming and swam for a local swim team. You could see from things that happened on the story that he was a grate friend that supported him in every way he can.

It was interesting seeing how Jimmy developed through out the book especially from the accident involving his brother. It was particularly interesting how he went from a non sporty book worm to an avid sportsperson, baseball player, to the point of getting a base ball scholarship to go to college.

I absolutely loved this book and cant wait to read anymore books written by Jonathan.