Tatum Comes Home by Tatum Talks; Mica Stone

Tatum Comes Home is a fictional story about a real dog called Tatum. It is an uplifting story of the adventures of a dog who gets separated from his family and the people who do everything in their power to help him return home. 

I had never heard of Tatum, a social media star, so I came to this book without preconceived expectations. 

I felt so silly when reading the end of a book through tears of joy but that’s what Tatum’s story did to me.

The story begins when Tatum Jumps out of his Dad’s truck. When a violent electrical storm hits he hides in the to the back of another truck and ends up miles from home. 

The truck owner, Jed, tries to find Tatum’s family but although he is microchipped the internet is out due to the storm and no one can discover his home address.

While travelling to another vet with Jed to have the chip read, Tatum thinks he sees  his Mum in the bush and chases after her.

I enjoyed reading Tatum’s adventure immensely and it was heart warming reading the commitment of his new friends in their attempt to get him home. 

Other messages are there also – making new friends and helping not just a dog but also fellow humans.

All the characters felt real and shone through.

Each chapter begins with. We get insight into Tatum’s thoughts through his notes in his ‘diary’.

Here’s an example 

Dear road trip diary, Val is just like all the vets where I live cuz she seems nice and gives me tweats but also none of the other animals is happy to be there. Jed looks at Val like Dad loks at Mum, which is the same as me when I look at the lady in the drive-fru window at the nuggets place. Val and Jed and me is gunna get more food, so I fink I’m on vacation like Mum and Dad.

When I finished the book, I checked out his social media post to see if the characters (Tatum and his Mum and Dad) came across the same. They do.… and yes, I am now following Tatum on social media.

You certainly don’t need to be a Tatum fan to enjoy this captivating story. It is not just for Tatum fans and followers but any dog lover who likes a sweet positive dog story.

My rating 4*

Thank you to Netgalley & Kensington Books for the opportunity to get to know Tatum through this delightful story.

#netgalley #kensingtonbooks

Sunny Bunnies: My Book of Feelings by Carine Laforest, illustrations by Animation Café is a delightful, cute, colourful book that helps children understand their feelings and emotions. 

Each page features a different emotion linked with a colour and an adorable Sunny Bunny. The page describes emotional and physical examples of how you are feeling with each emotion 

They are good examples of the emotions that a young child can relate to. It also provides ways a child can deal with negative emotions such as sadness, fear, and anger. 

I always appreciate children’s books that provide an opportunity for children and their parent/carer to discuss important topics. 

At the end of each page, there is a question to ask the child. For example, the page for joy is “When do you feel happy? This gives the child an opportunity to express their feelings and the caregiver to help with the development of expressing feelings. The book describes not only the emotional side of feeling but also the physical. (eg sadness may make you feel like crying). This also helps the child to recognise how others are feeling.

Another opportunity for carers to discuss the topic of feelings is the four exercises at the back of the book.

The target audience is pre-schoolers and kindergarten children but would be beneficial reading for older children with disorders such as autism.  I also believe in reading to children before they can fully understand any messages in a story, so they grow up knowing the lesson. It’s how my son learned he was adopted and never had any related issues. The lessons in this book could also be helpful for older children learning to read.

Thank you, NetGalley, Chouette Publishing, and CrackBoom! Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating 4*

#netgally #chouettepublishing

Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang

I was drawn into this story from the first chapter and it never failed in its promise of a great story. It is an absorbing well-crafted story and I felt I was there with the characters in their surroundings. 

It is a brilliantly written historical murder mystery with diverse characters.

I am looking forward to future books from Christopher Huang.

Siblings, Alan, Roger, and Caroline are called back to their childhood home, Linwood Hall in Yorkshire, following the murder of their father, Sir Linwood.

When his will is read, they learn that the one successful in solving his murder will inherit his entire estate.

Sir Linwood had been a domineering, controlling, and often cruel father. His life lessons for the children included strength of character to the extent of insensitivity and indifference. He expects these traits to dominate and for the siblings to each follow their course of investigation without sharing their knowledge.

But he underestimates his children. 

All three siblings were ado
pted as babies and two are of mixed race. After their initial individual enquiries, they soon share information, combine their knowledge and work together.

Their research and interviews reveal dark secrets in their past and their father’s mysterious life.

The siblings are the three main characters. Alan is an archaeologist, Roger an engineer, and Caroline a journalist (that is as far as her father knew who also believed she was certain to become a politician)

Other key characters include Iris Morgan (Roger’s fiancé), Giles Brewster (innkeeper), Detective Inspector Mowbray, and Lady Linwood (wife of the deceased).

In addition to the people, and due to Huang’s skilful writing and descriptions, Linwood Hall is an imposing and ominous character itself that dominates the landscape.

All characters (including the minor ones) were interesting, well developed, and (most of them) likeable.

The story of the siblings is so fascinating the ‘murder mystery’ takes a back seat to the gradual revelations of the past. Huang achieved this through varying POVs. Each character has a distinct ‘voice’ and reveals their past through flashbacks, but the storyline doesn’t get bogged down.

The author skilfully uses language to set the mood and the time. I felt I was right there in the mansion, shivering from the cold and morbidity. I wish I could write with the beauty and turn of phrase used in this book.

The story deals with sensitive issues including psychological and physical abuse but I felt it was not too graphic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkshares & Christopher Huang for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating 5*

Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight

Precis

What happens when a group of teenagers is stranded indefinitely in a shopping centre, alone? With all the stuff they could possibly want … and a baby? Is it paradise – or hell?

With no phones and no internet, Shannon and her fellow prisoners are completely disconnected from the outside world… and their online lives. It’s hard to say whether they’ll be driven to delinquency, or – even worse – forced to make friends. Will the limitless bubble tea, Maccas, high-end trainers and tech equipment be enough to keep the six teens safe and happy until they can find a way out, or is this all the start of something more sinister?

My review

I was drawn to Royals out of curiosity based on the precis above. It intrigued me and I was interested to know what appeals to YA readers today. I think I should have chosen another story. 

The story begins with Shannon waiting to meet her brother in the shopping centre. She falls asleep and when she wakes she notices her phone is stuck at 5.17pm. The centre is empty and as she walks around the centre she meets 5 other teenagers, all with their phones stuck at 5.17pm.

They discover they not only have an endless supply of food from the food court they can take anything they need from all the shops.

I enjoyed the beginning, but it gradually got more and more boring and repetitious. How many times do you have to mention bubble tea, Maccas and Forty Winks? The concept was good but there was virtually no plot and little depth to the story.

The characters were a diverse group but the attempt to be an ‘inclusive’ story got a bit over the top. They all become likeable as the story unfolds.

The shopping centre itself has its own personality and character with food and items taken from the shops being replenished overnight.

Maybe I’m a stuffy old grandmother but the use of four letter words concerned me especially for the younger teens in the YA group.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Tegan Bennett Daylight for providing me with an ARC of this novel.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

@netgalley and @simonandschuster 

My rating 2*