Jody Kihara

Looking for something creepy to read, look no further. Jody Kihara has written a very spooky, spine tingling, hair standing up on the back of your neck witch/ghost story for teens and adults alike. Eerie ponds, dark winding streets in October, strange black dogs and even stranger creepy happenings all combine in a suspenseful quest to solve the mystery of a witch who drowned in a pond on Halloween thirteen years earlier.

Shaya and Dev Solen have just moved to a new city. The new neighbourhood show more is made up of a nest of winding streets in which the uninitiated are soon lost. As a rule, Shaya must walk home from school with her older brother. While taking a short cut through the park, they pass a pond, rumored to be the site of a drowning of a witch thirteen years earlier. Next to the pond Shaya finds a raven feather bracelet. The bracelet gives Shaya a very bad felling and she throws it away. Unfortunately, the bracelet is picked up and taken home by her brother. Shaya begins to see shadowy images of the witch both near the pond and at home. When her brother becomes ill and begins to behave strangely, Shaya knows she must investigate the death of the woman in the pond and return the raven bracelet. But where should she bring the bracelet? Now running around alone, by herself in the dark October evenings, Shaya sets out to investigate just what happened thirteen years earlier and to find the true meaning of the raven bracelet.

White Witch Pond is youth fiction, but since the arrival of Harry Potter and other children literature, adults have felt more comfortable reading books ear marked for kids. There is something to be said for a book that you can pick up and read in one sitting. Youth fiction, Harry Potter’s 700 plus pages aside, tends to be formatted for younger readers, therefore; shorter in length and designed to get the attention of younger readers quick and sustain this attention to the conclusion. In my opinion, those authors who write good youth fiction must have better writing technique then those writing for adults. They must employ fewer words, write more concisely and yet, at the same time deliver a high caliber plot driven story designed to keep children’s attention. Jody Kihara is a master at clean concise writing that grabs your attention from creepy beginning to the not- a- Disney- ending, dramatic cemetery conclusion.

The suspenseful pace and creepy settings are straight out of a Stephen king horror book, minus the hand shooting out of the ground. Lost in twilight running down dark allies, being chased by a big scary black dog and shadowy glimpses of the witch near the pond and even in front of Shayas’ own home, adds a spooky atmosphere to this fast paced book. This book is scary. I read this book from beginning to end in one night tucked up in my bed. I was caught up in the building suspense and at a point when someone seemed to be sneaking up on our main character, Shaya, when my husband decided to walk into the bedroom, as he is wont to do for the last twenty years. Bad timing. I screamed. He nearly jumped out of his skin, and looked behind himself because surely there must be an axe wielding mad man or maundering bear immediately behind him to cause such a reaction. What’s wrong with you, he yelled. (Years and a team of professionals might be able to come up with an answer to that!) Scary book, was my only answer. I had only intended to read the first couple of chapters but once I started reading I was hooked. (I needed the story resolved before I could sleep.)

The characters are well drawn and true to life, Mom acts like a typical busy mom. Older brother, Dev, is annoying in the way that all brothers are, pestering and superior. The relationship between siblings is very real with equal parts competive, antagonistic and loving. The main character Shaya is a bright twelve years old, full of the insecurities of a young girl in a new school and new neighborhood. Shaya employs great determination to resolve this mystery and does not give up despite being very frightened, and, uses good detective skills in order to save her brother.

I believe girls will like this book more than boys. The true depiction of the older brother’s taunts and lack of contribution to household chores may be a little too real for a boys taste. Shaya is a fine model for young girl as she demonstrates good problem solving and independent thinking. Although new in school, Shaya is able to maintain her own identity and does not allow herself to get caught up in the questionable activity of her new friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book and will certainly encourage my children read White Witch Pond. Jody Kihara has written 7 other books which we will read soon.

For more detail se my blog http://jackleenslibrary.blogspot.com/ show less

Switching By Jody Kihara

Copyright 2012
Star Magnolia Publishing
ISBN 978-0-9869497-6-0

This is the third book by Jody Kihara that I have read, and each has proven to be better than her previous work. Switching is, in my opinion, her most complex and intriguing work. This YA sci-fi thriller is well written in the first person, and will immerse readers in the problems of a lost teen forced to live on the streets and fend for herself..

Switching is a, starkly realistic, contemporary urban fantasy. show more Terry has no control over when she switches. At any moment, she faces being yanked through time to wake up in another year, which often finds her in a range of inconvenient places: jail cells, other people's houses, libraries, or on a park bench.

Terry has the added problem that she can't remember anything about her past life before the switching began about eight months prior to our joining in her time travels. She's trying to find home, and yet doesn't even know if she has a home or parents.

Alone, and sure that she is hallucinating or going crazy, Terry meets other time travelers. Can they help her get home? Are they friends, or do they have agendas of their own?

Bring a box of tissues with you for the surprising ending.

I highly recommend “Switching” for all Young Adult and Adult readers. You won’t be able to put this book down.

You can snag a copy of Jody’s books on Amazon.

Review by Jackie Anton show less

Shaya is a twelve year old who was walking home with her brother when she finds a bracelet. She immediately gets a creepy sensation and thought she heard a voice, but could see nothing.

Later when she keeps hearing voices she tries getting rid of the bracelet but her dog ends up giving it to her brother. Shaya knows the bracelet is bad news but her brother will not give it up and now they are both plagued with nightmares, but her brother is worse because he has the bracelet.

Now Shaya must show more find out more about the bracelet and the witch that owned it to save her brother. I thought it was a very interesting story with a little bit of a creep factor.

The author has a nice writing style and fast enough paces that you can devour it in one day.

I liked Shaya, she was a very brave young lady to looking into who the witch was and how to help her brother. Though her brother gives her a hard time a lot, she couldn't stand seeing her brother looking the way he was and knew he wouldn't get better without her help. Even though at times she got scared she always kept on finding out about the witch.

Over all I think this is a great book for young reader who like a bit of spooky element in their books. show less

Alia is a 15 year-old princess whose palace lies on the Frankincense Road in the year 200 BC. Frankincense, a precious resin, was worth its weight in gold at that time. Caravans traveled a dangerous route through rocky mountains and barren desert to transport the resin.
Alia's town is crumbling and in economic straights; the people are leaving for the prospects of a better life elsewhere. Conflict with her brothers and the knowledge her father will probably marry her off for political show more alliance set her off on a hazardous journey. She is determined to help her kingdom and see some of the outside world. So she disguises herself as a boy to make the journey with a passing caravan to the mysterious incense lands of the south.
This is a tale filled with adventure, danger, and mystery. The traders she chooses for her quest turn out to be mercenaries, and Alia discovers the meaning of endurance and the cost of deceiving dangerous men. The scenes between Alia and the caravan leader are intense and leave the reader wondering where they will lead Both Alia and Kardal are strong willed and their turbulent relationship helps move the story forward.
A sheltered and naive princess our heroin learns through hardship, perseverance, and nearly losing her life, how to use her inner strength. Will she take what she has learned and be able to better the lives of her people? Pick up a copy of “The Frankincense Trail” and find out.
This is a well written YA novel that will transport readers to a different land and culture. I heartily recommend this novel. It is a clean read. Parents and grandparents can feel confident in giving this tale of adventure to young teens or older readers on their gift list.

Reviewed by Jackie Anton
From the paperback edition. show less