Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Juhea Kim GENRE: Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: November 20, 2025 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A story collection set in various eras and locations. The resilience of humans and the destruction of the planet are the common themes. Intriguing storylines, flawed characters, slow-paced character-oriented narratives. Mixed feelings about the endings. A good collection, but not for all. Author Juhea Kim is known for her two historical fiction novels. This is her first short story collection. The ten stories herein span multiple eras (from historical to futuristic) and countries. There is no foreword introducing the theme of the collection, but it soon becomes clear that the stories have two things in common: broken people and a broken world. The ‘broken people’ aspect is quite significant in this character-oriented collection. Each character is either flawed in some way or misused by others. They are a product of their own nurturing (or lack thereof) as well as of th...

AUTHORS: Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin ILLUSTRATOR: Giovanni Rigano GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: April 11, 2023 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A teen graphic novel highlighting the impact of climate change on two opposite corners of the world. Alternating perspectives from one Canadian Inuit girl and one Bangladeshi/Indian boy. The former narrative is exaggerated; the latter is better but not perfect. Decent illustrations, though a bit too dark-tinged. The intent and the message are great, but the overall execution is just okay. Plot Preview: ‘Here’. Bay of Bengal. Twelve-year-old orphan Sami lives with his grandfather. They fish for their living, but because of the flash floods, intense storms, and rising water levels, the catch is dwindling. ‘There’. Northern Canada. Fourteen-year-old Yuki has noticed the struggles of the bears to find food. She is sure that the bears wandering into town aren’t polars but a new species named ‘grolars’ ( more on this below ), and is dete...

AUTHOR: Emily Buchanan GENRE: Contemporary Dystopian. PUBLICATION DATE: July 1, 2025 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: Partly, a romance-drama about an influencer who thinks that her dead boyfriend has been reincarnated as a plant. Partly, a near-future dystopian climate fiction. (Could you guess the second genre from the cover?) Not a light read. Somewhat unlikeable characters, slow-ish pacing, a bit bizarre and meandering in its plot development. Highlights the perils of social media, but also portrays environmentalists in a slightly lopsided manner. Mixed feelings, not just because the plot didn’t go the way I thought it would. Plot Preview: Thirty-two-year-old Fiona, popular online as @FoliageFifi, hasn’t left her house ever since her boyfriend Ed died three months ago. All that she had worked for – her role as a green influencer on social media as well as the environmental activism she did jointly with Ed, is now ignored. When a houseplant is left at her doorstep with an anonymous n...

  AUTHOR:  Raven Howell ILLUSTRATOR: Ann Pilicer GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: July 15, 2024 RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A sweet picture book about appreciating nature and its creatures. Good story, lovely illustrations, important message. Recommended. Plot Preview: Leo and Lilly love chasing fireflies and salamanders in their backyard. They even manage to capture one of each in a glass jar to take it to school for show-and-tell. However, when they show their treasures to Grandma, she wisely guides them towards doing what is right for the creatures, and even shows them a way they can take a ‘firefly’ and a ‘salamander’ to show-and-tell.   When I read the start of the story and saw the kids happily capturing those lovely creatures in glass jars, my heart began to sink. This wasn’t at all an activity I could advocate! Just as I was wondering how I would review this book politely, Grandma came to the rescue. 😍 The picture boo...

AUTHOR: Nina Schuyler GENRE: Officially, Short Story Collection. Practically, Literary Composite Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: July 2, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: Officially, a short story collection with interlinked stories, but I think this works better as a composite novel. Good for those who like character-oriented narratives and literary fiction. The blurb describes this book as “a sweeping, impassioned short story collection, ringing out with joy, despair, and hope for the natural world. Nine connected stories unfold, bringing together an unforgettable cast of dreamers, escapists, activists, and artists, creating a kaleidoscopic view of the climate crisis.” All the above are valid points, and almost all are true of this book. Where the description doesn’t match my experience is in the idea of this being a “short story collection.” Everyone who reads story collections/anthologies knows the structure/pattern of a short story. It is quite distinct from that of a novel, rega...

AUTHOR: Mary Annaïse Heglar GENRE: Climate Change Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 7, 2024 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A dramatic OwnVoices novel dealing with some powerful contemporary and historical themes. Has its heart in the right place, but mere intent isn’t enough. Wish it had been stronger in the core plot, more focussed in its themes, and more structured in its approach. It could have been brilliant, but ended up just decent. Plot Preview: 2013. Twenty-year-old Corinne has been passionate about the environment ever since she heard, in her childhood, about the Great Flood of 1927. But her fervour has increased after her brother died aboard an oil boat a year ago. Now Corinne is determined to do all she can to save the future from those intent on destroying the planet. However, in the course of her activism and a radical act she is planning, she ends up uncovering some skeletons that her grandmother Cora had buried deep inside her heart, from the time of the Civil Rig...

AUTHOR: Katherine Applegate ILLUSTRATOR: Charles Santoso GENRE: Middle-grade Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: May 11, 2023 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A beautiful middle-grade fantasy with a strong environment-oriented theme that shows the interconnection of nature and the lack of awareness in humans. Great protagonist, wonderful animals, strong themes about nature. Much recommended! Plot Preview: Eleven-year-old Willodeen loves all animals, but her favourites are the beasts hated by everyone else. Known as “screechers”, these beasts are considered pests by the village of Perchance, and there is even a bounty for those who kill them. Lately, Perchance has been struck by several natural disasters such as forest fires and droughts. But the biggest loss to them has come from the loss of tourist revenue after the famed hummingbears stopped migrating to the village. Willodeen, along with her friend Connor, are keen to investigate why hummingbears are no longer interested in Perchance, and...

AUTHOR: Branwen OShea GENRE: Fantasy. RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A beautiful environmental fantasy that highlights the importance of natural and cultural heritage. Though a short story, it leaves a long impact. Plot Preview: The planet of Lenglood is inhabited by creatures called Firth ( who, sadly, don’t look like Colin Firth! 😉) The Firth respect the song trees, and sings paeans to them every day. However, when an ecological disaster strikes the planet, almost all the Firth are wiped out. The only one left behind is little Cerulean, who is too young to sing to the trees by himself. As he struggles to adjust to a solitary life, he does his best to follow what his parents had taught him about remembering the ancient ways. However, unknown to him, there’s yet another disaster arriving. And this time, it is in the form of human colonists, who don’t understand the value of nature. What is Cerulean to do? Can he save Lenglood? The story comes to us in the third person perspective o...

AUTHOR: Thibault Busschots GENRE: Short Story RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A short story about a young couple who encounter an unexpected guest in their new cottage. Mixes humour and awareness in an interesting way. Plot Preview: A young couple has just moved into a cottage, eager to begin the next phase in their relationship: that of living together. As they are going about what they usually do, they have an unexpected visitor. Yup, as you might have guessed from the title: a bear. What happens next? Let me first blow my own trumpet. This story exists because of me. 😎 No, no, I didn't write it. But I happened to read a short story titled 'There's a Bear in the House!' , on the review of which I had complained that I was expecting something funnier and directly related to the bear. Author Thibault Busschots, who  happens to be a friend of mine on Goodreads, commented with what he would have expected from the title. I liked his idea so much that I told him he ne...

AUTHOR: Celine Keating GENRE: Contemporary Fiction RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction based in the Hamptons. Has great potential and themes, but gets bogged down by too many details and excessive length. Still, could work well as a mood read. Story Synopsis: When a friend invites Clancy, a thirty-six-year-old claims adjuster, to a party in Montauk, he doesn't realise that he will soon have the power to change the fate of the community by deciding what happens to the last piece of undeveloped land in Montauk. Several characters are involved in the ongoing drama – a bartender whose house is affected by coastal erosion, a motel owner who is also an artist and an environmentalist, an old man who is trying to reconcile with his family, a young couple who is struggling to hold on to their property. The story comes to us through all their perspectives in third person. Bookish Yays: 😍 The representation of Montauk and its natural beauty. The au...

AUTHOR: M.G. Leonard ILLUSTRATOR: Penny Neville-Lee GENRE: Middle-grade Fantasy. RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A nice novel for middle graders, with a gripping storyline and a powerful message. Balances between scary and sweet. Good for the age group, though it has some disturbing content. Story Synopsis: Five-year-old Finn is found in the park at dawn on 1st December. He is alive, but completely frozen, standing on a pedestal of ice with a serene smile on his face. His sister, eleven-year-old Bianca, suspects a mysterious silver book that Finn had borrowed from the library the day before, to be somehow connected to his current state. But the book is nowhere to be found, and the mysterious tall stranger in a dark hat, who was watching the events in the park from a distance, has also vanished. The next day brings some horrid news – two more frozen children have been discovered. No adult believes Bianca’s claims about the silver book, which means that she has to save Finn and the oth...

AUTHOR: Emma Donoghue SERIES: Out of Line GENRE: Short Story, Dystopian. RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A short story that is futuristic in its time but relevant even today in its content. Might have worked better if slightly lengthier, but it was still a good, thought-provoking read. Story Synopsis: 2060. Miriam lives in a world where only the uber-elite such as royals are allowed to have children. Ordinary citizens are restricted by a technological birth control method in order to mitigate the devastation caused by climate change and reduce the population load on the planet. Most citizens don’t mind, as they get more time for themselves, and they don’t even need to compromise on their lifestyle. However, after hearing about the latest royal pregnancy, Miriam is curious to know more about what it takes to become a parent. When she discovers one of her colleagues also shares the same desire, the two need to take some tough decisions. The story comes to us in Miriam’s first person...

AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Middle-Grade Fiction. RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A sweet little middle-grade novel about two animal-loving friends who, through their personal struggles, learn to empathise and support, and along the way, rescue some animals as well. Loved its wholesomeness! Story Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Norah does her best to ensure that she isn’t taken away from her father and sent to foster care. The two of them live in temporary accommodation and take assistance from food banks. However, this doesn’t stop Norah from lending a helping hand to any animal in need. Eleven-year-old Adam has lived a sheltered life ever since he was diagnosed with leukaemia. Though he is now in remission, he isn’t allowed out of the house, nor can he do anything deemed “risky”. The two kids bump into each other over a nest of orphaned baby robins. Initially apprehensive of each other, they soon realise that they have plenty in common, despite their drastically opposite circ...

AUTHOR: Jasbinder Bilan ILLUSTRATOR: Skylar White GENRE: Middle-Grade Adventure. RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: A brilliant middle-grade story that combines friendship and love for nature into a powerful, adventurous narrative. Story Synopsis: Tulsi and Satchen, best friends, are making the best of their school vacation to go on a moonlight excursion up Craig Hill. While there, they see a strange ripple in the ocean and decide to go there the next day in their boat to investigate. To their surprise, they discover.... (You can guess the rest from the title and cover, and from these clues: whale, net, storm, rescue) The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Tulsi. This book contains an impressive story that impacts on the personal as well as social level. It has elements of adventure, environment and thrill. The story is set in the imaginary location of Craig Hill, which is modelled after the North Berwick hill in Scotland. It makes great use of the setting, with the sc...