The Odd 1s Out: How To Be Cool and Other Things I Definitely Learned from Growing Up
by James Rallison Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 9780143131809 The Odd 1s Out, otherwise known as James, is a very popular youtube channel. He does Animation with adorable cartoon characters who tells stories. They're always funny, wholesome, and definitely family friendly. I will say I expected this story to be more of a graphic novel instead of a 'picture book' but it was still very enjoyable. AND this is his first book so I'm still hopeful for a graphic novel! First of all, I'm a 26 year old woman and I laughed WAY too hard at some of these stories. There's a story in here about his dog vs a chihuahua and I literally laughed so hard I woke my husband up. If I could laugh so hard at this than I'm sure the whole family can find amusement in these stories. He shares various memories of his family life, siblings, parents, school, etc. and how he survived. It made me smile because I could relate to living with a bunch of siblings and also hopeful that my own kids will have these kind of relationships. Secondly, I was a little disappointed that these were mostly stories he's already told online. If not all of them (possible I've missed or forgotten one or two). Now, if you're a big fan of his work (or your kids are) this may not matter to you. But if you're looking for a book with all new stories or comic strips, this isn't the case. Still fantastic and colorful! But stories that have already been shared. I still laughed all the same though! In conclusion, if your kids are a big fan, or you are, and you've been debating about getting this book. I say go for it! It's a cute read to have on your shelf, it's feel good stories when you need them, and a great way to support an artist who really deserves it. Read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's Library. And as always links to the author's pages can be found down below.
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I Hate Myselfie: A Collection of Essays
By Shane Dawson Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 978-1-4767-9154-8 Oh, this one... This was the book I was most terrified to review. Shane Dawson is one of THE most subscribed youtubers on the platform. He is funny and caring and in recent years REALLY grown into who he is as a person. He no longer relies on horrid comedy and shock value humor that was so popular back in the day. And as someone who has watched his videos since day one, I can really attest to that, and how much of the real Shane we've been allowed to see. (I would have been about 15 when he started on youtube, so yeah it's been a long time) This book was written before he came out about his sexuality, opened up about mental problems/body dysmorphia, and before he changed the style of humor he presented to audiences. I can't stress that enough. I was scared to review this book because, while I didn't hate it, I also didn't love it. And I'm hesitant to even recommend it to my audience. BUT I don't want insane fans sending me hate. I do love Shane, but this book could have been better. AND I'm hopeful that his second book is better. Now, for starters these are a lot of older stories, some of which he has directly shared in vlogs and videos over the years. On one hand it brought a sense of familiarity for me, being a long time viewer. On the other hand it reminded me how far he's come as an influencer. I would find myself laughing at some of his jokes and knowing that this was the humor for the time. But I kept thinking this is NOT a book for children and I'm sure he has a lot of young viewers watching him and reading this book. Some of the stories were wholesome and necessary to understanding Shane... while others were just 'hilarious' stories he threw in there with exaggerated language. Continuing that thought I really want to stress the language used in this book. There is a lot of foul language and CRUDE humor. This is an example of the exaggerated language/sense of humor being used in this book, "One day she came up to me with an idea I knew was bad from the second it left her d*ck-suckin' lips." So parent's please be aware of the kind of stories you kids may be reading if you okay this book. AGAIN I am not trying to bash on Shane Dawson, I will always enjoy his content and love who he has become, but I look back at 15 year old me and wonder how I laughed so hard at some of his content.... but then again we all thought Dane Cook was funny back then too. *Shrugs* I guess we grow more than we think over the years. AND to be fair Shane is very honest that his sense of humor is juvenile and shocking (despite saying he's not a shocktuber). In the end, read this with an open mind if you so decide to continue. There is a lot of good surrounded by this 2008 shock humor. There are also adorable drawings before each story that were done by fans and put into the book, which I think is really sweet. And if you've never heard of Shane Dawson before, maybe don't use this as an example of who he is. He's come a long way. I think we all have whether or not we want to admit it. Read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's library. And as always links to the author's pages can be found below. A Sucky Love Story: Overcoming Unhappily Ever After
by Brittani Louise Taylor Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 978-1-64293-000-9 This is the first book review in my summer 2019 series. I have wanted to do reviews on Youtuber books before but have always been apprehensive about who I support and how my readers would receive these kinds of books. But when I heard Brittani's story I knew I had to get the book and read about it for myself. If you watch Shane Dawson (another Youtuber) then you may have already been aware of this story. Because of his interview with her it took almost an extra month for my copy to get to me- that's how sold out it became! Personally, I'm glad it was sold out. This is a story that could save someone else. Now, this story's title really does sum it up. This is the story about a horrible horrible relationship. Brittani has said, "This isn't a love story. It's my story of survival". This really happened in her life. She really did meet a man on Tinder and start to fall for him. A relationship bloomed and burned in a furious and terrifying series of events. And she really did have a child with this man causing her to be a fierce mama bear who would stop at nothing to protect her baby. It's also a cautious tale about internet perception, especially if you spend a lot of your life online. Consequently this story, though it takes place from 2015-2017, is fairly short. I don't want to tell you what happens and ruin it for you guys. But I do want to discuss some of the key elements I see young women (men too) let hold them back from living their lives or getting help. Verbal manipulation is still abuse. If your partner uses your emotions against you- get out. If a little voice in your head is warning you something's not right- YOU'RE NOT SILLY. Either run or look into it. Never allow yourself to get involved with someone you believe could be dangerous or whose family you believe is dangerous. Don't EVER let someone separate you from your family/friends- this is the biggest red flag that all abusers use. Even one moment of psychical violence is too many. If you've experienced any of these or know a loved one that is, seek help. This whole story is terrifying. With each level of insanity I caught myself gasping and thanking the good Lord she got out. He is clearly a true sociopath and she would never be safe with him. In Conclusion, read this story with the knowledge that it might not be suited for certain audiences. But sometimes, those very topics, are the most important to discuss. For instance, due to the Madeline McCann docu-series on Netflix I've found myself having hard discussions with the 3rd grader. How do you protect their innocence whilst teaching them they need to be aware of the sick people in our world? We have to teach our kids and loved ones that the world is, unfortunately, dangerous. I believe if we hide the dark possibilities we are not protecting anyone. Her story of survival could be someone else's 'ah moment' or even prevent someone from ever getting into a situation like that to begin with. Please do read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's library. And as always links to the author's pages can be found down below. |
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October 2020
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