teenagers – The Reading Bud

Book Details:

Author: David Morabito
Release Date: May 13, 2024
~~Series~~:
Genre: Suspense, Romance, YA, Science Fiction-Fantasy
Format: E-book
Pages: 366 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
An emotionally confused teenage boy, known as Fish, living in a lackluster 1950’s suburban setting is accustomed to the anguish of growing up in a dysfunctional family. Nicknamed the Fisherman, he seemingly is always having to fish around for a reason for his miserable existence. He is then forced to face his worst fears confronting an abusive authority figure in the neighborhood known as Poppa. To compound his anguish, he endures the mistreatment while pursuing the love of Kara, a beautiful but garrulous neighbor girl, who is drawn into the conflict.

In the course of the conflict, they are transported to an alien realm which appears to be a beautiful peaceful setting but soon becomes “anything but” when Poppa and his henchmen stumble upon the portal. Fish and Kara’s affection for each other grows as they are being ruthlessly pursued. Finally the night of decision arrives for Fish, as Poppa and he confront each other in a suspenseful fiery setting of a surreal alien landscape. The Fisherman is forced to quickly fish for a fateful decision on the proper course of action he should take as he weighs concepts of vengeance, justice and redemption.

Review

Night of the Fisherman by David Morabito is a nostalgic suspenseful journey that seamlessly blends the 1950s suburban milieu with a surreal and alien twist.

The characters stand out in this book. Fish is an achingly relatable protagonist whose inner turmoil feels extremely realistic. His bond with Kara, the spirited neighbour girl, adds warmth and hope to the otherwise intense narrative. Poppa, on the other hand, is a terrifyingly oppressive figure whose presence kept me on edge throughout the story.

The suburban setting is painted with amazing detail and was successful in evoking a strong sense of time and place. The alien realm introduces an imaginative layer of intrigue, with its deceptive beauty quickly unraveling into danger and suspense. The dramatic final confrontation between Fish and Poppa is both super exciting and touching, forcing Fish to wrestle with timeless themes of vengeance, justice, and redemption.

While the book’s rich descriptions and philosophical undertones are commendable, they occasionally slow down the pacing. Some readers might wish for a tighter narrative flow. Nevertheless, Night of the Fisherman is an emotionally gripping tale with strong character development and a unique blend of genres and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy tales that mix introspection with high-stakes action.

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Review

Tech-ology: A Digitally New Way To Way To Raise Happy Kids by Angie Rumaldo is a very impressive parenting book that even a non-parent like me found useful. In this book, Dr Angie goes into the intricacies of dealing with kids that were born and raised in the “digital age.” I have a teen brother and therefore as someone who is constantly dragged into the war between my mum and brother, I know very well how much friction technology can cause amongst families, especially in which the parents were born in the 19th century.

The book is written well and doesn’t actually feel like a parenting book. The author uses a very friendly tone which feels very light to read. But even though the tone of the book is light, the subject matter is handled with great care by the author and her expertise in the field of handling the behaviour of young children shines through the pages.

I would definitely recommend you read this book even if you are not a parent yet. There are some great tips and advice that will definitely aid you, if not in the present then in the future which I honestly believe will only get worse with the advancements in the field of digital technology.

Remember, you were born in the twentieth century and that alone indicates that you are an immigrant to the new digital culture (new way of being) while our children are natives (born to the digital culture). We have to work toward learning the new ideals, expectations, and potential dangers. With this newfound knowledge and values we can effectively parent with less tension and more harmony within the home.
Angie Rumaldo, Tech-ology: A Digitally New Way To Way To Raise Happy Kids