Scott R. Welvaert

Some of the supporting-cast details are excellent. Dixie, the diner owner who once danced at the Admiral Theater as Ditzy, is exactly the kind of detail that makes this version of Chicago feel lived-in. It gives the organized-crime setting a bit of local texture instead of making it feel like another familiar mob story.

Jimmy’s voice is less convincing to me. He explains too much: his threats, his emotions, the meaning of what is happening. That leaves very little room for the reader to show more feel things without being told what to feel.

Still, there is plenty here that keeps the story moving. The diners, the routines, and the smaller players around the main character all create a world that feels familiar in the right way. Even when the narration gets rough, the atmosphere and side characters are strong enough to make you want to keep reading. show less

Even though a lot of folks hate the whole ‘this book is x meets y,’ it’s basically as if the psychiatrist character from Until Dawn was mixed with the vibes of Outlast. The video game is revealed to be a scared straight towards bullying with it being programmed to have real life effects on the player —the main character playing the role of a bystander. This reveal being an intriguing twist as the author’s writing style is very addictive just like the in story game is to the show more characters, simply by being straight to the point.

Great if you’re looking for one of those books to binge in one sitting. show less

The story follows Ian in his day-to-day routine with a classmate and school lessons. Suddenly the one person in Ian's life who means everything to him is gone and Ian functions on autopilot, struggling to comprehend the loss. Then the hallucinations start and Ian sees multiple Penelopes. Receiving the support from Steve, Ian learns about handling his friend's death and the importance of being there for his parents. This is a character-driven story as the narrative delves into Ian's mental show more state and motivation. This is also a very young story despite featuring heavy romantic activities early on in the book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. show less

Thomas Edison and the Lightbulb, by Scott R. Welvaert, in an excellent biography for 3rd-5th graders wanting to explore the amazing inventor. With the popularity of graphic novels, the biography is sure to be a hit for this age group. Welvaert is able to take the technical and scientific aspects that went into Edison’s discovery and make them interesting and easier to follow than by just presenting them as a bunch of uninteresting facts. Edison and the other characters’ dialogue help show more break up the aforementioned and keeps readers engaged. The author communicates Edison’s struggles and triumphs, complete with the suspense of a competing inventor and the merger of the two. Welvaert also includes a table of contents breaking up the story of the invention into four sections. A the end of the story there are more facts about Thomas Edison, a glossary of terms, a list of Internet sites and books that can provide additional information, a bibliography, and an index. show less