Review: Children's book that hits hard with sincerity
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2013
Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest evaluation. The opinions below are entirely my own.Daniel Berenson's "FIREBUG" will, from the start, unnerve some parents. It's a kids book, about and for kids, but the subjects within can be mature, and very difficult to process. Pain and tragedy strike both through misfortune and cruelty, and a young reader may appreciate an adult's guidance through the book - perhaps a discussion every few chapters would not go amiss. because Berenson offers a lot to discuss. Along with this darkness, children and adults alike bring light to the narrative, keeping the mood in balance. There is both good and bad in every situation, crisis and opportunity, and that may be one of the many lessons that FIREBUG has to offer.The plot moves at a good pace, keeping young readers engrossed and others at least interested as well. Berenson's writing style  is generally age-appropriate, with the occasional trickier, educational piece of vocabulary. It is mostly activity and dialogue, with less emphasis on description - not a bad a trait in itself, though some characters suffered a lack of description to the point that I was entirely unable to visualize them. "FIREBUG" suffered minimal editorial mistakes, though the fire image that accompanied each chapter had some serious jpeg artifacts. Perhaps it looks better on a Kindle than on a .pdf on my computer?The bottom line is that "FIREBUG" is aimed at youth, and if they've the maturity to process it, can be a great learning experience and a bit of a morality tale. It's not perfect, but a good read for those with the tools to handle it. Contact me with comments or questions in the comment box below or at SeanOnAmazon@gmail.com