TSS – Middle-aged Vampire adopts Malevolent Child

I’ve been much happier with myself this week. I feel like I’ve actually accomplished something. I finished The Richest Season, registered my 15-year-old for school, read Twilight(my high-schooler was shocked about that. She said, “Everybody in my school’s reading those!” I guess I’m hip?), read and reread and re-reread Cherise the Niece, accomplished my goal today of finishing Book One in Caesar’s The Conquest of Gaul… which may be the death of me, and am almost a fourth of the way through When We Were Romans… which I’m not sure if I like it or not, but at least it’s simple and short.

I also started a meme (even if it’s a meme of two… thanks Suey) this week called Viral Video Wednesday. A lot of people left their videos in the comment section, as well. This weeks was VVW – Numa Numa. A post dedicated to the history and evolution of Numa Numa. bermudaonion gave me the idea for next weeks, so check back in to see. I’m still trying to figure out how to slip Mr. Safety in next week’s post.

As promised, Today is the day I announce the winner of the signed copy of Mishka: An Adoption Tale. Again, I used Research Randomizer because it’s free… Random.org charges money… and the random number is 17, which is The Eighth Art! With only one entry I might add… Buy a lottery ticket, today seems to be your lucky day! So email me your address so I can send you your beautifully illustrated, heartwarming book 🙂 Check in on Monday, when I will announce my next giveaway!

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Cherise the Niece by J. K. Benton

 

 

Title: Cherise the Niece
Author: J. K. Benton
Illustrator: J. K. Benton
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: PLUME
Publish Date: June, 2008
ISBN: 97804522289482

No Aunts or cats were harmed in the writing of this book. Under no circumstances should people harm other people or cats even if they are Aunts. And besides, Cherise is a fictitious character. Although, if I was an Aunt, I’d probably check under my bed tonight just in case we’re wrong about that part.

With that as an opening paragraph, I knew this book was going to be absolute fun. Cherise is a self-made orphan, who methodically eliminates her aunts, one by one (and two at a time in the case of the twin aunts), until she finally runs out of aunts. The illustrations are morbid, drawn only black and white, and reveal a sinister eight-year-old girl with fangs who is very creative with her methods of murder, varying her M.O. from bug spray in the aunt’s tea to stabbing one aunt with the Christmas star tree-topper.

Cherise the Niece is written and illustrated by J. K. Benton, creator of It’s Happy Bunny. It is a dark comedy about a sociopathic little girl with a taste for murder. It is an adult children’s book, meant for 14 and up, but also appealing to the child still residing in every grown-up.

Benton’s rhymes are hilarious and creative, each page containing one four line stanza on one side and an illustration on the other. Cherise herself is somewhat cute, but has a menacing look complete with evil looking eyes, fangs, and demonic pointed ears.

I, personally, love this book. I had written to Benton asking for a copy to review, and he sent me one with a postcard on which he wrote a quick note, and autographed the book “To Aunt Alisha” and drew a picture of Cherise. I shall never part with it 😀

They told her the orphanage
Was where she must go.
But Cherise softly uttered:
I have Uncles, you know.

*Shivers*… 5 out of 5 stars, I recommend it to all grown-up children with a morbid sense of humor and an appreciation for the finer points of murder 😀