Michael J Bowler

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Alex was given up to foster care after the the untimely death of his parents. He was then placed with an abusive foster parent, which caused him to continually "spin" his housemates to heal their injuries. This caused Jane, his foster mother to uncover Alex's special healing gift. When a package from his biological parents never gets to him, Alex uncovers more than he's bargained for.

This book was amazingly creative. You can easily sense Alex's inner turmoil at not only being learning and physically disabled, but also having a gift he thinks is a curse. He is fortunate to have wonderful friends that stood by his side throughout. I have to admit that during the first 1/3 of the book, I wondered where the story was heading because it had a relatively slow start. Once you're past that, the story captures your imagination and takes you to a whole new world. If you can be patient, the story will be well worth the wait. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to read something else from this fabulous author!… (plus d'informations)

This one sounds like a winner and it's the beginning of a series that my teen and near teen grandchild just may like. Certainly, I can hardly wait to see what ideas are presented for correcting some of the injustices that currently exist.

PG-13 language, drug addiction, abuse effects, but no graphic descriptions.

An orphan boy. A mysterious stranger. A city in crisis.

When 14-year-old Lance is saved from death, his life is forever changed. For starters, his savior claims to be King Arthur, the once and future ruler of ancient Britain. Lance has met lots of weirdos on the streets of L.A., and they claim to be many things. But this "king" not only reeks of sincerity, he wears armor, rides a gorgeous white horse, and lives in the storm drains underneath the city! Arthur has a throne, old-school clothes, and weapons up the wazoo. Swords, daggers, bows and arrows—the kind Lance has only seen in movies.

Turns out this Arthur guy wants to start some kind of revolution. He plans to collect other cast-off kids like Lance—even teen gang members—and create a New Camelot of Knights to gain more rights for youth and shake up the out-of-touch politicians who run Los Angeles.

Lance is all for helping kids like him. He's spent his entire life in and out of the system, and it sucks. And he wants to believe in Arthur, but doubts even a king can accomplish such lofty goals. Despite these uncertainties, Lance readily accepts the position of First Knight—youth leader of Arthur's new army—thereby setting in motion a crusade of tsunami proportions. When the children rise, will the city fall?

The Lance Chronicles Begin…… (plus d'informations)

The concepts of predestination, of being able to see and affect the future, of having a unique glimpse into the workings of life and death, all pervade the narrative of I Know When You’re Going to Die by Michael J. Bowler. The novel opens on a young man, Leo Cantrell, who is painfully introverted and reserved, serving his local LA homeless population at a mission shelter. He is only sixteen, but he already possesses wisdom, kindness, and compassion beyond his years. He frequents the homeless shelter with such regularity that he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. There’s one man in particular, though, who catches his eye one fateful day. He stares deeply into his soul, and the man endows him with a remarkable gift: the ability to see exactly when and how others will die when he looks into their eyes. The man tells him, “I gave you a great gift, boy. Or maybe a curse.” And for the remainder of the novel, Leo explores whether his newfound ability truly is a gift or a horrible curse. His entire world turns upside down when he’s forced to look into his best friend J.C.’s eyes, and he sees his brutal murder only two weeks in the future. It’s a race against the clock for them to try to figure out how to bend the rules of predestination, prevent the murder from happening, and identify the would-be killer. With the help of the new girl at their high school, Laura, J.C. and Leo attempt the nearly impossible and defy fate. Will their attempts be thwarted? Will they be able to ensnare the potential murderer? Only time will tell.
Because I Know When You’re Going to Die is written in the first-person, Leo’s perspective, the reader enjoys a deep introspective look into his psyche as he processes the implications and repercussions of the ability he didn’t ask for, but nonetheless has. It’s an intimate way to tell such a heart-pounding tale that centers on the ideas of fate, decency, and humanity. Leo grapples with what is right, with what it means to have the power to look into someone’s eyes and see their death. He struggles with whether or not to warn them. Would he want to know, were he in someone else’s shoes? When it comes to his closest friend in the world, though, the choice is clear, and that choice informs and drives the remainder of the narrative into complex and interesting places heretofore unimagined by other novels of the same genre. Death is an inevitability, but this coming-of-age YA novel explores the very real lengths to which we will go to preserve love, life, and all that is precious within those concepts. Beyond the scope of the narrative, the language of I Know When You’re Going to Die captivates and enthralls the reader to the very end. It’s the kind of literary style that gets wonderfully stuck in your head and entreats you to keep reading well past the time you told yourself you would stop.—Red City Review… (plus d'informations)

Spinner, by Michael J Bowler, introduces us to a most unusual young man. Alex, a boy confined to a wheelchair, suffering from a debilitating condition known as spina bifida. He's been in and out of foster homes, and his current foster mother is exploiting his unique gift. See, Alex is a Spinner, with the ability to siphon off people’s pain. Likewise, he can inflict pain in a similar manner. His rare gift has made him a target of several others who'd like to exploit that gift as well. A series of murders, and an ancient prophecy only add to Alex's problems. Alex and his 'dummy’ friends will face many challenges as they attempt to end the murders, stay ahead of the bad guys, and learn the truth of Alex”s past.

Utilising an uncommon protagonist, Bowler puts his time as a special ed teacher to use to weave authentic narrative between Alex and his fellow special needs friends. The writing flows well, bringing these characters to life. I appreciated the humour between Alex and his friends.

I find it mildly ironic that this book deals with abuse, and bullying, right after I finished reading an ethnography called Teenage Suicide Notes by Terry Williams, dealing with the serious possible consequences of such acts. Having just done so, Spinner tugged at me even harder. I just wanted to give Alex a hug, take him and his friends out of this situation, and make it safe for them.

I did get fizzled in the prophecy angle. It's a trope that's gotten old for me. I was also bemused that no one seemed to care about the why of Alex’s ability. Humans are hard-wired to fear the unknown, and to try to explain things. Not everyone, I know. There are exceptions, but they're rare as hen’s teeth.

Recommended if you are a fan of paranormal fiction.

***Many thanks to XPresso Blog Tours and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (plus d'informations)