Kersten Hamilton

Never underestimate a goat, especially a tuggoat who is determined to accomplish its goals and knows how to have fun along the way.

Cordelia loves to gaze at the tugboats in the bay at the foot of the grassy hill. She dreams of being a tuggoat and decides it's time to give it a try. When she runs across a tire with a rope attached, she finally has her chance to show what she can do. Tugging her best friend around the barnyard is so much more fun than she ever expected, but the other goat show more won't just let her be and constantly criticizes her every effort. Still, Cordelia isn't about to give up her dream.

Giggles and smiles are sure to come during this cute tale. Cordelia is such a fun goat, which becomes clear with even the very first scene. She's sitting straight up on a hill right next to her best friend, a small pig, as they watch the boats in the bay below, while the other goats behave like normal goats around her. This tight balance on the border between realistic and fantasy holds throughout the read and gives it an interesting atmosphere. But then, the entire read doesn't head quite where a person might think, and the reactions from other characters even surprise...in a good way.

The story flows well and holds quite a bit of humor. Cordelia is an active goat, and her pig friend is ready to join right in. This fun slams against the more serious goats to work in a dual message surrounding the importance of helping others as well as the golden lining life holds, when we don't take everything overly seriously. If this read felt like it was heading into a serious message direction toward the end, the author quickly shifts gears to make sure the fun holds strong.

It's a lovely read for story times and I think readers might even hope to see this goat again in future reads. I received an ARC and enjoyed this tale even more than I thought I would. show less

TYGER TYGER has renewed my love affair with all things Irish. The mythology, the culture, the boys... Kersten Hamilton's first Goblin Wars novel showcases all three.

I loved the mythology incorporated into this novel. One of the reasons I often find YA fantasy lacking, is that the world building leaves something to be desired. When utilizing mythology, the world is already built, yet their are so many different ways to interpret and things to explore. I appreciate a world built from scratch, show more but, when done right, using a preconceived world and characters can be just as compelling. I think Hamilton did this successfully.

At the novel's start, I wasn't sure I'd connect with Teagan. In fact, I don't really think I connected with some parts of her personality at all - I didn't really enjoy the passages where she is working with animals at her internship - but I did like her character overall. She is relatively level-headed and definitely driven, yet she was willing to believe in this fantastical world of myth and legend. Also encouraging, I actually thought she was a great match for the romantic lead... which is important when I really like the guy!

I can easily identify Finn as my favorite character. He's Irish, he's a hero, he's in love. I can't think of anything that would have made him more appealing.

I can't wait to read Hamilton's next Goblin Wars installment! I wouldn't mind rereading TYGER TYGER and I might even seek out the original stories that inspired Hamilton. show less

I absolutely loved Tyger Tyger. It’s a fast-paced and entertaining thrill-ride full of goblins and creepy creatures and a well-written plot that will keep you turning pages.

I love paranormal and contemporary books, don’t get me wrong, but there is something special about these fantasy novels that just draw me in. Tyger Tyger was not an exception. From start to finish, I was completely enthralled in Teagan’s journey with Aiden, her six-year-old brother and Finn, a mysterious descendant show more from one of her father’s books, as she travels into an unknown world to discover her roots and rescue her father.

I also adored the characters. While Teagan is our protagonist and we get to know her quite a bit, the story doesn’t shy from the other characters. Finn is a mystery for a large chunk of the book, but information is unraveled slowly and it starts to become easy to put the pieces together, which is always fun to do. But Aiden is my favorite. Although only six-years-old, he was brave but still appropriately innocent for his age. And he said a lot of funny things. In what other book will you find a child afraid of Elvis impersonators?

Overall, Tyger Tyger was so, so awesome. Ditch your angels and mermaids and werewolves for a moment and dive into this adventure where cats walk and talk, pixies live in your hair and portals to strange worlds can be found in your local neighborhood park. I definitely recommend it to everyone! show less

*Any political comments will be deleted immediately.*

‘’Magic flows through Epoch, New Mexico. It seeps from the bones of Puerta de la Luna, a village that was hundreds of years old before the United States invaded Mexico and took this territory for its own.’’

Puerta de la Luna...an imaginary place born from the culture of the towns and the natural environment of New Mexico. Glorieta has a sad duty as the mystical Días de los Muertos approach. She has decided to bury her mother’s show more ashes and give her peace after her tragic death three years ago. The young girl, born of an American father and a Mexican mother, represents the best parts of both cultures, her ancestry is a beacon that leads her to connect with the nature and the people around her. Hamilton creates a beautiful character and a book that is ideal for the approaching celebrations of October, in a world that seems to have lost all sense of equality and tolerance.

‘’What if my skeleton comes out while I’m asleep? What if it walks around in the dark?’’

Hamilton succeeds in creating a novel that is equally tender and dark, in a colourful background of mystical tradition and an extremely harsh reality, set within the period of the Días de los Muertos, one of the most famous and fascinating world celebrations, when the dead souls visit their relatives. The butterflies that grace the beautiful front cover of the book depict this belief. The traditions of the Espinosa family, the guardian angels, the talisman that will lead you to Heaven, the sins and confessions, the warmth and bonding of a family that is hard and persistent, almost cruel at times. All aspects of the centuries-old, rich Mexican tradition.

Magdalena’s death has cast a heavy shadow over the entire community. Hamilton makes a special reference to depression and the misconceptions associated with it. The oldest woman of the family cannot comprehend it and goes on talking about ‘’unforgivable sins’’ and ‘’the fires of Hell’’. The knowledge of psychological conditions is hard to be attained when unemployment and uncertainty rule. When danger coming from lack of reason lives among the citizens. The sensitive issues of immigration and blind persecution are discreetly but effectively touched. Racism is also a central theme. The minority of the ‘’faithful Christians’’ of certain parts in the Southern states hate every tradition that isn’t ‘’theirs’’, the epitome of new racism, the ones who act like the best representatives of fascism and the evil notion of white supremacy. However, don’t come into this book thinking that it is an endless gloom and doom. Far from it. There are so many beautiful moments, full of warmth and togetherness. I loved the description of the custom of the blessing of animals in the day commemorating Saint Francis of Assisi, a Catholic tradition still held in many parts of Italy and Spain. I adored the references to the one and only Frank Sinatra.

The characters are excellently drawn. You’ll love or hate them but you’ll be equally interested in all of them. Glorieta is such a gem! Determined, braved, kind, intelligent. Angus is such a cute, gentle soul. Francis is a beautiful character. A brave man of principles and with a firm sense of justice and equality. A man who wants to fight a regime that punishes acts of mercy towards children and helpless women. To stand up to a state that says ‘’our children are better than your children.’’ Now, Glorieta’s father is the exact opposite. A rather weak person that didn’t lose time to remarry after his wife’s tragic death. He is one of those who refuse to face the problem using the same old excuse of ‘’but I am only one person!’’ Yeah, mate, if more people thought like that, we would still hanging people. Lilith is the typical spoiled teenager. It is easy to hate her very soul but in truth, she is a troubled, wounded child full of bitterness because of the way she has been brought up.

This is a beautiful novel, direct and honest, at times painful and terrifying. Will it be too difficult for teenagers? Perhaps, it doesn’t matter. Difficult suits them. Children should be taught acceptance, tolerance, togetherness. Literature is there to help them because their parents are often elsewhere occupied...My profession has taught me this over the years and it is a sad realization but one that applies to a significant minority. How can the world survive the cruelty of children being taken away because of racist, fundamentalist laws? No excuse of so-called security can justify this. Yeah, sure, I mean, let us create the concentration camps of the 21st century...Fortunately, History will remember the so-called ‘’leader’’ of today as she remembers Hitler and Stalin. The question is what happens until then? What happens now? I am sure the quote below encloses the very essence of the problem...

‘’Their lives don’t matter to people who haven’t listened to their stories.’’

Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less