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The author wrote such vivid descriptions, and I found myself wanting to be Alice, to be a part of her world. The storyline is very well-written and it lured me in from the first page. The story will make you guess and guess, but your guesses are hardly ever right. Alice was also very easy to love. She was a bit reluctant and uneasy at first, but then she accepts who she is and becomes strong and determined. Her metamorphosis was also well paced, and it never felt rushed. Alice was very smart, she always thinks before she acts and she shows compassion towards others. She hardly ever complained and she did what had to be done to save the people she cared about.
I never expected much from this book since it is a middle-grade fantasy and I thought it would just be okay. But Nicola Parker proved me wrong! Even though it's a book for middle-age readers, the book is written in a beautiful sophisticated prose that would put adult fiction to shame. Even though the writing is smart, it's still perfectly understandable by all ages. The book reminded me of C.S. Lewis' and J.K. Rowling's works; smart and opinionated without losing a touch of magic. This book was such a breath of fresh air, and it certainly brought out the child in me.
Originally posted on The Reading Slump
Romeo and Juliet. Sound familiar? Star-crossed lovers forced to be apart because of a lifelong feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Jemma and Ryder live a completely asymmetrical life. Born in the same year to families who have been friends since World War II, Jemma and Ryder are forced to always be together. Their mothers practically planned their wedding as soon as they were born. Perfectly Convenient right? Wrong. They wanted nothing to do with each other.
Jemma and Ryder are characters that are difficult to like. Both of them are infuriatingly self-centered and stubborn. It seemed like their life goal was to get rid of and deny any inchling of feelings that they had for each other. It was always a matter of pride. But unlike what the blurb suggests it was clear from the very first chapter that they didn't hate each other, not really, and the undeniable chemistry between the two of them reappears when a massive storm strikes Magnolia Branch and they have no one to turn to but each other.
Magnolia was a cute book filled with adorable romance and pent up emotions. Kristi Cook really knows how to cook up scenes just bursting with sparks and chemistry- the banter between Jemma and Ryder had me hooked! The book, however, also found its faults in its strengths. The two main characters only ever came alive when they were with each other and just fell flat when faced with the other aspects of the story. It was a shame because Magnolia really set its foundation on its themes of family but both Jemma and Ryder lacked the solid characterization that would have made the whole set-up flawless.
Everything was evenly paced, easing the readers into each new scene at just the right moment. Aside from the lack of strength on Jemma and Ryder's characterization, I felt no bumps in the road. The book felt more like a short story, if anything. Fluffy and sweet, Magnolia is the perfect book for readers looking for a light story filled with romance and steamy banter.
Originally posted on The Selkie Reads Stories (http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com)
Nobody But Us takes us into the lives of Zoe and Will, too extremely troubled teenagers who each had heavy baggage of their own. Sick and tired of their lives, the pair decides to run away from it all and start a new life. I had such goddamned high hopes for this title, purely because it is compared to ‘If I Stay', and for a short while this fact made me pencil the book wayyy on top of the ‘to-read' list.
Zoe is a victim of child abuse. Her mother died when she was young and this cruel circumstance left her in the hands of her alcoholic and extremely violent father. Zoe hid behind heavy makeup and kept her head hung low whenever she went to school and no one even noticed. That is- no one except Will, the newest ‘bad boy' from the orphanage. Will pointed out her masked bruises and refused to turn away. The pair eventually found themselves caring for each other, wanting to change each others' lives.
Zoe and Will hightail it out across the States, escaping the weight of the real world. However, the taste of their freedom was bittersweet; Will's past criminal record and latest law violations keep the FBI on their trail, leaving a lot of tension, drama, hesitation, tears, unhealthy suspicions, forgiven apologies, tears, and unsaid thoughts. Whenever something good happened, a thousand misfortunes was always there to follow.
The book is narrated by Will and Zoe in alternating POVs. Because of this, I felt like I truly understood why the characters were doing what they were doing, even if they were so freakin annoying most of the time. I understood their hesitations, their heartbreak, their cautiousness, and their excitement. I understood them, but I didn't really feel them. I felt like they were, well, fictional. The author bombarded them with supposed characteristics and traits and spoonfed them with a million problems, but I never really felt like those problems were there if I wasn't told beforehand. It was as if Zoe and Will were virtual avatars, just the right features and backstories on the outside but nothing on the inside; almost like a hollow shell.
Upon finishing this book, I find that I actually really enjoyed it. This came as quite a surprise to me since I had a hard time getting into it. I previously complained how I couldn't feel the essence of Zoe and Will, but that didn't stop me from wanting them to get a happy ending. I mean, i'm not that heartless. But Kristin Halbrook is apparently a teeny bit heartless; she gave Nobody But Us one of the saddest and most tragic endings in the history of ever. If I was more attached to the characters, I would have been weeping and wailing. I accepted the ending though, because even if Zoe and Will's great escape came to a close, I know that they won't lose the things they got out of, and the things they got in the process.
My rating says it all – it was OK. Not wonderful. Not terrible. Somewhat thrilling. It wasn't exciting, but it didn't have any tedious moments either. The plot was interesting, the writing was gorgeous, it engages you and wraps you up in the story, but the lack of character depth was really evident to me. It's a book that was aiming for the bullseye but didn't exactly make it. I guess I was just looking, and expecting, something a bit more.
Originally posted on The Selkie Reads Stories (http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com)
Falling for Hadie is probably one of the most beautiful and saddest books that I have ever read. I was a bit wary about reading it when I first read the summary because it sounded just like every other contemporary book out there. It seemed like that at first; the first few chapters were peppered with a lot of clichés, like Hadie's man-hating tendencies and Lincoln's ‘I like her, but I should stay away' monologues. I was this close to marking this book as ‘did not finish', but i'm really really glad that I gave it a chance.
There are so many things I want to say about Falling for Hadie but I'm so afraid I might not be able to give it justice. This book made my heart ache and my eyes burn with tears. There was just so much emotion in every page that it was so hard not to feel them. The initial peeves I had about the book disappeared as I devoured page after page and I slowly understood the reasons behind the clichés. This isn't your typical Young Adult/New Adult contemporary at all.
I found myself so emotionally invested in Lincoln and Hadie because they were so real. I adored Hadie's authenticity and cheered deep inside when she shed her prejudice towards Lincoln. This girl has been through a lot and continues to go through a lot as the story progressed, but she dealt with it with so much strength and courage. Lincoln is my favorite character; he was so unbelievably sweet and thoughtful and charming and funny and witty and strong and perfect, but still incredibly genuine. The relationship these two had was so pure and made me giggly all over, but the thing I loved most about their relationship was that they understood each other and gave each other strength against all odds.
I have to applaud Komal for writing so many stories within a story without moving too far away from the main plot. Hadie's and Lincoln's past were well established and I understood who they were before they met. The supporting characters weren't left behind and Komal paved the way for their own books. I liked how we clearly see the contrasts between Hadie's family and Lincoln's parents, and how judgemental and hungry for attention people can get. Komal Kant certainly has a gift for breathing authenticity into all of her characters in all kinds of situations.
The plot was painfully slow at first but thankfully evened-out in the middle. I enjoyed reading the two main characters' points of view and they really gave each character a clear voice that echoed their inner thoughts. I wasn't a fan of how the school was depicted in the book because almost the entire student body was against Hadie and Lincoln and I just found that hard to believe. There were also events that were a tad bit too melodramatic, but not to the point that they made me gag.
While I was reading the book, I was constantly begging Lincoln to tell me his secret reason why he wouldn't let himself fall for Hadie. A lot of things were revolving around this big secret of his, like why he didn't want to form any relationships and why his parents and sister were so cold towards him. When Lincoln finally told, I was completely dumbfounded; I didn't see it coming at all and it definitely wasn't in my list of speculations but everything suddenly made sense and I slowly turned into a waterfall.
I don't want to spoil anything and I won't tell you Lincoln's secret- you'll have to read the book to find out. But I will tell you this: sometimes a book will leave a mark on you; not only because it made you cry a waterfall of tears and made you laugh until you couldn't breathe, but because you felt something while you were reading it and that feeling will never leave you-ever. Falling for Hadie isn't a book about heartache and sadness, it is a book about living and loving and everything in between and it has taught me so much about life and gave me the second most beautiful epilogue that I have ever read.
Komal, you have broken my heart into tiny little pieces. And for that I will love you and your books forever. Falling for Hadie has touched me in ways I never thought it could and this just proves how powerful a book can be. This wonderful and emotionally gripping novel filled with life, love, courage, and unwavering hope is something that everyone should fall in love with.
Ever since she was a kid, Skylar gets feelings or sensations of wrongness from the most normal things. When she freaks out about a bomb that no one saw and disappeared as quickly as it appeared, she feels like she has completely lost her grip on reality. And then she meets Win, a mysterious boy who somehow knows about the bomb that came and somehow understands her ‘panic attacks' completely. After being chased by a group of otherworldly-looking humans carrying weapons Sky had never seen before, Win admits that he is a time-travelling alien rebel hell-bent on stopping scientists from his planet who are experimenting on earth.
Win tells Sky that the sensations of wrongness that she gets are the effects of shifts in the time rift caused by time travellers and takes her back in time to different countries in search of missing pieces left behind by their rebel group's MIA leader- pieces to a device that will stop the aliens from messing with earth's timelines.
Earth & Sky primarily caught my attention because of its Doctor Who vibes. Time traveller picks up a female companion to help him save earth? Sounds like a fun read, right? Unfortunately, the book wasn't as exciting as I expected. Yes, the plot was pretty interesting but I think that the whole concept of a species from another world manipulating Earth just wasn't explained clearly enough. It just didn't sell for me because of that and I found myself stumbling over sentences and getting confused a lot. The world-building was just too weak to hold a massive plot like that.
Sky was a pretty boring protagonist and Win didn't really stand out much for me. I didn't feel a connection with them at all. They went through this cycle of travelling to a timeline, getting chased, finding the piece they need, getting chased again, and returning to Sky's timeline to rest. It got pretty repetitive after a while because there weren't any wow moments that heightened my excitement. I did really enjoy the first part of the book because it started so high, but it just didn't go anywhere after that. Earth & Sky had the makings of a great read, but I think that it just tried to accomplish too much that it fell short in the end.
Fiona McClean hates her family, has had to move to a new school and seems to be completely invisible to the boy she likes. So far so normal, right? But Fiona really is invisible. She doesn't even know what colour her own hair is.
Born into a world where Cold War anti-radiation pills have caused genetic mutations, Fiona is forced to work for her mind-controlling mobster father as the world's most effective thief. When her father announces she must become a murdering assassin, Fiona and her telekinetic mother make a break for freedom. Running to a small Arizonian town, Fiona finds that playing at ‘normal life' with a mother on the edge, a brother she can't trust, and a boy who drives her crazy is as impossible as escaping her father.
I entered Fiona McClean's world the way I would enter a classroom on the first day of school, expectant but slightly hesitant. I really wasn't sure how to react to the blurb because it had so much going on. Family problems? Mutants? Mafia? Heck, it was even advertised as The Godfather meets X-Men. It already packed a heavy punch, and if you roll it all up with the fact that this is a young adult book with high school and boys, you really just don't know what to expect.
Transparent started out slow, introducing us to the mafia syndicate world that Fiona was born into. The author writes in a precise way that slowly made me felt at ease about all the information about syndicates and pills that strengthen mutation that bombarded me at every flip of the page. It was all so easy to read and I soon found myself settling into the plot and the world that Fiona lived in.
Fiona wasn't an easy protagonist to like because she had all these faults about her. I mean, you can't expect her to be a sweet little Mary Sue considering the way that her father brought her up. She spent most of her life performing missions and stealing for a mafia syndicate, so she had all these walls and reservations, always feeling unease whenever someone shows the slightest kindness towards her. Her older brother Graham often abused her by flying her way up into the sky and dropping her to the ground, so the only person she truly trusted was her other brother Miles who had a useless mutation and was considered nothing in the eyes of their father.
When her mother took her to a small town in Arizona and enrolled her in high school, it was like her whole world and everything she was taught changed. Everyone stared at her and poised her as a threat to their peaceful town, but Brady and Bea, mutants like herself, came to her aide and became the first two real friends she ever had. Her world slowly opened up to kindness in the form of a family of mutants, the Navarro family, and Brady's brother Seth. I slowly learned to love Fiona as she went through all these changes and became so much stronger because of the people that she let into her life.
Seth. Can someone please find a pen and add him to my list of book boyfriends? Pretty please? This boy right here is the guy for me. I love Natalie Whipple for creating a character like Seth; someone who everyone relies on to fix things, but is so dreadfully broken himself. Seth and Brody have a really complicated family, and Seth took the reins by becoming the man of the house early on and grew up fast so that Brody didn't have to. Seth tutors math for the extra cash and lives for the subject because as long as you know the process, you'll always have a solution to the problem.
He's really rude to Fiona and is pretty blunt about things, but he has his reasons. Seth is broody, awkward, shy, blunt, geeky, courageous, hesitant, and a complete whirlwind of emotions. I'm guessing that some people will vote for Brody, but I'm Team Seth all the way. He's probably the best thing to happen to Fiona, and her to him. I'm going at a length here by saying that Fiona is basically Scott Summers and Seth is Jean Grey. Yep. Go away, Wolverine! (Yes, I know what happens to Jean and Scott's relationship. Yes, I still stand by my point.)
The plot seemed like a mess to be honest, but it started to clear out along the way and everything fell into it's perfect place. Natalie's writing was so easy to understand and flowed so perfectly, I didn't have to retrace my steps. Her skill for writing characters so incredibly real astounds me to the core and for that reason, I will continue to look forward to her future work. I loved every character in this book, major or not. Transparent in set in a world much like the X-Men universe, where mutants were common but feared upon for no reason. The difference being that Natalie Whipple took all of that and added just the right amount of reality and humanity into it. Each and every one of her characters had a story to them, and these stories are our stories.
And how do you wrap off a story like this, you ask? I'm not giving anything away. Let's just say that it tugged on the seams of my heart and warmed my soul. By the time I read the last sentence, I was smiling from ear to ear.
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This is a sweet and fun read that had me laughing, giggling, and crying all at the same time. Read full review.
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This book in a nutshell: Not your average paranormal story
I'd like to start off with a big thank you to M.L. Woolley for letting me read this book. It has been a pleasure reading it.
I would have given this book 5 stars, but I chose to give it 4 stars instead because I was a bit confused at the beginning. I was too much of a goldfish to realize that the POV constantly changes between the characters. It was strange at first, but when i settled into it, I was immediately drawn into the story.
Dark Passage is well written and unique, with haunting characters with so much depth, you feel like you've known them all your life. It tells of the struggles of trying to find out who you really are and where you belong in this world. I began to like how the author uses different POVs. It was easier to get into each character's head, and it made me fall in love with them even more.
A tale of tragedy, loss, and dark creatures, Dark Passage is an edge of your seat kind of tale filled with romance and mystery. Filled with a lot of twists and turns, this is definitely not your average “good vs. evil” story. You'll want to read this book over and over again.
With all honesty, this book was better than most of the published books out there. M.L. Woolley is an indie author that will go places!
THE NUB AND GIST:
A spectacular read! I'm definitely looking forward to the other books in the series.
★★★★
Read this if:
you're looking for a page-turning, stay-up-til-midnight-to-finish-this, one-more-chapter-please book.
you're looking for stories with strong messages about believing in yourself
Read full review here
I was never a Team Simmi girl. She was more of a prop character in Farsighted, and I felt she was fake-ish and shallow. I said fake-ish because I wasn't entirely sure, but Open Heart came along and confirmed everything.
——–IGNORE THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ MY RANT————
The deal is, Simmi has thins whole self-loathing problem where she has all these negative thoughts about herself like “omg i'm too fat” and “omg i'm too ugly”. It's not a problem though, since that's perfectly normal. Heck, even I feel like i'm an ugly sea cow most of the time. My problem with Simmi is how she deals with her problem. She has all these eating disorders, she lies to the people who care about her, she manipulates them for all the wrong reasons, she takes comfort in the insecurities of other people, and she wants other people stop judging her but she keeps on judging other people herself and sizes them up and makes mental venn diagrams in order to figure out who's better or who's more handsome LIKE IT'S ALL JUST A HUGE MISS UNIVERSE CONTEST. And honestly, her “he's dangerous and I shouldn't but something's luring me in” monologues sound exactly like a typical Bella pining for her smexy but dangerous Edward.
—————————–END OF MY RANT—————————-
It was extremely hard for me to rate this book. Putting my ‘hatred' for Simmi at bay in order to write a proper review is just too mentally frustrating. I mean, Simmi is definitely not a character you'd easily love. But because Emlyn is such a sweetheart, here is a bullet list (Emlyn likes bullet lists!) of what I liked about this book:
•Alex Kosmitoras. Need I say more? Err I guess i really should explain this further but I can't without spoiling the story, so you need to read the book. wink wink, nudge nudge ;D
•Basically every character in the book except for Simmi. I loved them all. Even the “antagonists” like the popular kids and Dax had redeeming features, and they even had their own little backstory that Emlyn managed to fit in without ruining the whole plot.
•The writing! I mean, it's not exactly grand poetry or anything like that. It's more of an easy, flowy type and it's really easy to read but it worked. I actually felt like I was reading Simmi's journal and everything was so vivid. And I have to say, Emlyn's writing definitely improves since Farsighted.
•It's perfectly paced. It was a really smooth process without any boring bumps in the road, and the build towards the climax was also steady-sailing.
•I got a taste of Indian culture yet again! The story was filled with ideas about chakras and Sikhism, and I'm personally really interested in other religions and all that jazz, so it really made my reading experience exciting! And, learning something new is always a good thing.
•It's not white-washed. Open Heart had all these characters from different races, cultures, and backgrounds. It's really hard to find that in YA novels these days.
•Okay, this definitely deserves the last-but-not-the-least pimp spot. I really really liked how Emlyn tackled Simmi's eating disorders and self-loathing. She didn't sugarcoat it at all. I know that it is a common problem, and that it is a problem that is commonly denied. Most girls don't even realize they have eating disorders, or they don't even consider it as a disorder or a problem. That's what made Simmi real, I think. She may not be a likeable character per se, but she is very very real. There's a little bit of Simmi in all of us, I think.
THE NUB AND GIST:
Mentally and emotionally exhausting, but definitely not in a bad way.
Overall, Anumal Empire was one of the best fantasy novels that I have ever read. Haunting, terrifying, and dangerous; never a boring moment. That, and gorgeous writing, a brilliant unique plot, nicely paced, and the most diverse set of characters. Read full review here
This book was way better than I expected. I thought it would be a really dark and eerie demon slaying kind of book, but it was actually a tale of acceptance, facing your fears, and coming into terms with who you really are, even the ugly bits that you hate about yourself.
Whenever I read a book with characters with different personalities I always end up loathing at least one of them, but that didn't happen with this book. I loved all the characters, both demons and humans. They all had their own charms. The plot is also well written and unique, although the pacing and switching of POVs ticked me off at times.
It had it's fair share of teen angst, but not enough to make it too annoying, so that's good. Oh, and I have to say, the guys in this book are sizzling hot. I mean, I guess most paranormal young adult books need hot guys to add an extra oomph of, err, paranormal-ness, but the guys in A Demon Made Me Do It had a hotness meter of a burning fury of a thousand suns. And i'm not even exaggerating here. Oh, and I loved Lucky so much, it scared me. She reminded me of Cara Mason from Legend of The Seeker, with her leather outfits, extreme bad-assery, and all that.
It's very easy to relate to the story since all of us have a side of ourselves that we don't really like and all that. It also had a lot of adrenaline filled butt-kicking scenes, which I loved. It wasn't too serious though, with the characters' deadpan humor making me chuckle here and there. All in all it was a pretty good book, and I honestly enjoyed it.
The thing about Angel Dust is that it isn't your average paranormal romance. We usually have a pseudo-human girl with a supernatural love interest. In Angel Dust, the roles are reversed and Sarah Mussi weaves an incredible witty and thrilling tale that redefines the paranormal romance genre.
The story is told in Seraphina's point of view. Being an angel of death who knows close to nil about the world her beloved Marcus lives in, she is anything but street smart. She doesn't know a thing about human emotions, and yet I found myself marveling at how she described human actions and emotions. Every little thing was fascinating and beautifully strange. The way she readily trusts people often creates problems for her. Her innocence is her Achilles' heel, I think. She has a curious and extremely naive personality, but the author succeeds in not making it come across as whiny or stupid.
Marcus is the gangsta that stole the angel of death's heart. He wasn't in the book as much as I would like him to be and I really didn't get to know him too well, but he is my favorite character. He has this aura that practically screams danger, but there's a reason why he built a bad-boy image around himself. He has incredibly plausible reasons for his actions and I could see why Serpahina didn't want him to be condemned to hell, despite all of the sins he has committed. He is such a tormented character with a beautiful soul- definitely not what you would expect!
Seraphina was entirely convinced that Marcus is her fate and her destiny. She would give up everything for him- her immortality included. She did so many stupid things just to save him and all I could do was shake my head. I didn't really like Seraphina's silly little infatuation at first. I thought it was just a little crush on someone forbidden; a temptation. I mean, who would fall in love with a person who she barely spoke to? But halfway into the book Seraphina didn't even care if Marcus didn't care for her, she just wanted to save his soul no matter what. That was what convinced me that Seraphina's love was real. Her love for him was so strong it stirred heaven and hell.
The book really drew me in and I could not put it down. I constantly wanted to know what happened next, even if the whole story was slightly predictable. The plot line was unique and definitely not what you would expect. It's perfectly paced and it never had a boring moment. The forbidden love between Seraphina and Marcus didn't overtake the book, and I loved that. It was more serious than I expected and started to deal with heavy topics halfway into the book, but I think it needed that heavy does of reality. The characters that surround the protagonists are just as beautiful and perfectly crafted with imperfections. Their growth and struggle with the idea of free will vs fate and all the other painful and yet true to life realities of this universe gave me a reading experience that i would not soon forget.
Angel Dust is a compelling paranormal romance filled with dark romance and urban grit. Sure to be enjoyed by fans of Lauren Kate and Becca Fitzpatrick, this heart-wrenching and fast paced read is surely one of the best books of 2012.
Read full review here
The author gave me this book in exchange for an honest review two weeks ago and I finished it three days ago. I don't usually read books in such a slow pace so that's saying something, I guess.
The whole concept of the book and how the killer uses dream worlds to make his victims suffer even more was really interesting, though. Picking through the killer's head, figuring out how he thinks and what he'll do next was also quite a treat. The story was told in different POVs, but it still flowed naturally and you still have a clear idea of the plot. All the other characters had their own specific purpose and contributed to how the story went; there weren't any annoying prop characters or anything like that, but some characters had more personality than others.
The book was very morbid and haunting, with scenes described with full detail, it's as if you were there. Which, in this case, is slightly bad for the reader but good for the book. This psychological thriller is action packed, but so slow paced and I almost dozed off a few times. Some scenes did give me goosebumps, but it didn't made my skin crawl or anything. I did like that the author added lines from nursery rhymes here and there. It added an extra creep factor to the whole thing. The ending was very unexpected but it was one of the best parts of the book; it really gave me the jeevies.
The story is nicely written, it flows well, and the plot is realistic, but I wasn't really content with the book as a whole. It felt somewhat lacking. I guess I expected that the book would give me sleepless nights and buddy system-ed trips to the bathroom, but that didn't happen. I don't know, I honestly thought that it wasn't that scary. But that's just me.
This was a very unassuming yet beautifully written book. I have to admit that I almost gave up on it and that I almost marked it as ‘did not finish' because it started so painfully slow. I gave it a chance and continued reading though, and I am so glad that I did. The slowness of the pace was easily forgiven, because as I continued reading, the pace built up slowly yet surely and continued on to turn into something so brilliant, I can't even explain it with words.
Darwin's world was so vivid and was written with care. The streets of DC and New York came to life in front of my eyes, from the fancy high tech buildings to the underground societies. The author also did a superior job of weaving a story line with so many intriguing characters. She does an excellent job humanizing them and lacing them with depth. The heroine, Darwin, is now one of my favorite fictional characters. She's an intelligent and civilized rebel who doesn't whine and complain. She doesn't let her emotions get the best of her. She's completely harmless though, and not remarkable in any way. But she knows what she needs to do, and she will stop at nothing to do them. I guess that is what makes her special.
The storyline and plot blew my mind. It's not your average dystopian novel where everything seems close to impossible. There's no trace of something paranormal like a zombie infestation or a vampire take-over. Darwin's dystopian world is very very real, and it could really happen to us. The fact that a future like Darwin's is slowly forming around us terrified me to the core. It's not just Darwin's story- it could be our story, yours and mine. (Ever heard of how people rally at Lady Gaga and Screamo concerts because they think it's ‘vulgar'? yeap.)
I love that the author did not try to sugarcoat our society's problems. She wrote about politics, corruption, and greed. She took all the facts and threw them at my face, screaming for me to listen. Darwin and I went through a journey. We found out that everything in this world is in the hands of people pulling the strings. Except, the people pulling the strings are puppets too. There's no bad guy, no man in a bowler hat smoking cigar. Everyone's the big bad wolf. But guess what? Everyone can be the woodsman, too. Everyone can save little Red.
Nadria Tucker's novel is hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful, with a sense of reality, and writing that's just perfection. It has the right nuts and bolts to compete with every other young adult book in the market, it just needs a little greasing. So what if it's not from the big leagues? It can easily compete in the olympics of books. Take note of Darwin's rule #56: the message is more important than the messenger.
Exiled is J.R. Wagner's debut YA fantasy set in the 19th century and introduces us to a dark new world of magic. Think Harry Potter + Alesana.
Let's start with the bits that bothered me a bit, shall we?
First, the book started too slow and I wanted to skip a few parts just because they dragged on too much. Second, the book constantly switches between time periods, and I wasn't really a fan of that. The time-switching left me hanging a few times and had me confused, since they weren't really in any particular order and was all over the place. It was really a downer on my reading experience as a whole because I would forget details that were mentioned a few chapters back and I would get so frustrated.
And lastly, I felt that the characters were disappointing. Not in the sense that they were terrible, they were just too one-dimensional. They all had their specific roles and purpose, but they took it too seriously; almost in a robotic manner. And I didn't really connect with any of them at all.
I did enjoy this book, though. The story was very strong, and J.R. Wagner created a world full of horror and beauty that surprised me at every corner. It kept me on my toes and I could never guess what was going to happen! The writing style was amazing, and the attention to detail was impeccable. The places mentioned in the book felt so real and I saw them so clearly in my mind's eye. I also liked that even though the book is set in a fictional world, it deals with present real-world problems like political corruption. And I loved that the author had diversity in his characters.
Exiled finds it's strength in it's strong intriguing plot and realistic imagery. It definitely has potential, and has surpassed my expectations. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment!
Originally posted on The Selkie Reads Stories (http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com)
Nicole Williams took two characters and had them meet by fate, chronicling their lives and spreading it out for all the world to read and fall in love with. The broken boy on the beach seemed like a lifetime ago. These two characters and their lives full of struggles and challenges, from their senior year of high school to their last year of college, have grown so much since I first read Crash and it's terribly painful for me to say goodbye.
The growth in Nicole Williams' characters were so evident in Crush. Lucy's a big girl now and knows how to deal with her life and Jude. The strong parts of Lucy came through this time around; she's no longer the jealous girlfriend and has learned how to control her mouth. She's determined to be this independent woman who doesn't have to rely on her man or his money. Jude is still the cocky, sexy, sensitive, and hotheaded Jude Ryder we've come to love but he has now learned how to control his temper to a certain extent. Both of them finally became the better version of themselves.
Crush circled around the most important factor in Jude and Lucy's relationship: their trust in each other. Jude scored a spot in the NFL and becomes an instant millionaire and Lucy struggles throughout the book to help Jude realize that money won't buy them happiness. There were certain times when I really thought that the money would change Jude for good but i'm glad that it didn't turn out that way. In the second book, Clash, Lucy was a raging jealous girlfriend but it's Jude who's the jealous one this time around. Anton, Lucy's ex-roommate India's twin brother, hires Lucy to be his assistant for the summer and he is absolutely not shy about his growing attraction towards Lucy. The long distance between Jude and Lucy didn't help the situation at all but I have to applaud Jude for handling it all so much better than Lucy.
I accepted Anton's presence in the book with open arms. Jude and Lucy's relationship made me happy and I cheered for them time and time again but I just couldn't ignore the underlying thoughts I had lingering around my head. Jude and Lucy had all these conflicts and all they had to do was apologize and have hot make-up sex and then everything would magically be okay. It sounded like a completely unhealthy relationship to me. Anton voiced those concerns of mine throughout the book and constantly challenged Lucy to prove him wrong. The thing is, I don't really feel like Lucy proved him wrong, like they opened up a gaping hole in the plot and forgot to close it.
Nicole Williams' writing was effortless and was a breeze to read. Crush finds strength in how well the emotions came through. Nicole Williams gave life to Lucy and voiced out all of her happiness, desire, indecision, fears, and the rush of strength going through her veins after the whole roof caved in. The juxtaposition of certain sentences and phrases just flowed out so beautifully. The writing really played a major role in how well the story was told, and I truly believe that Nicole Williams not only succeeded as a writer, but as a story-teller as well.
Crush was the perfect ending to Jude and Lucy's tale. It was well thought out and closed most loose ends with a tight knot. It wasn't perfect in a sense that it was a completely unrealistic fairy tale ending, but it was as real as life could get. The things that happened to Jude and Lucy in Crush were surprising but expected considering their lifestyle and their beliefs. The people that they consider their second family got their own endings, too. Jude and Lucy showed the world that they are more than what they are pegged to be; they rose from the ashes of their downfalls and became a power couple unlike any other. It's hard to accept the fact that I won't be hearing about their lives again, but i'm happy that they made it through.
Fatal took a different approach toward zombies. The main character of Fatal, Grayson, doesn't eat human brains and lists raw beef as his favorite snack instead. Gallons of water keep his dead body from falling apart and he won't infect anyone until he reaches the age of restoration, which is still years away for him, but he still hates himself. He hates the fact that he is a zombie and can't wait til the day he meets his Save- the one person who can cure him of his ‘disease'. When that day finally came, he was underwhelmed and enraged. The girl who was meant to save him from the hell he was living, Cori Abbott, turned out to be a short, weak, and spineless shrimp of a girl. How the hell could she save him?
Grayson soon found out the answer to that question. Yes, Cori was weak in a physical sense, but she was brave and definitely not spineless. She was good and pure and made him feel somehow alive. I was unsurprised when the two ended up reluctantly falling for each other. Fatal had a diverse set of characters. Grayson is the loner type and keeps to himself mostly because of his hatred towards what he is, and Cori is used to faking smiles but she sees the kindness in everyone. Sometimes her reactions toward things felt too childish and her niceness was a bit overplayed at times to the point where it seemed unrealistic and it got on my nerves. Cori finds friendship in Peg, a regular girl who won't take crap from anyone, and a cute geek named Rex who reads people easily and is a realist. I would say that I would act like Rex when faced with the same situations.
Fatal had pretty solid world building and T.A. Brock brought a lot of fixtures in Grayson's world that I easily ate up. Grayson lives with a zombie tribe that consists of Leiv, the brother figure in Grayson's life, and Raina- a zombie who enjoys average girly activites like shopping and not-so average girly activities like sparring with her ‘brothers'. Aside from zombies, the book also introduces us to wise oracles who guide the zombies towards their Save and brave Reapers like Aiken. Reapers are noble zombies who keep zombies from hurting humans. T.A. Brock gave me a lot of reasons to believe and enjoy this world filled with zombies who were different from what I was used to.
This was your classic young adult paranormal story that balances romance and high school life with the paranormal aspects, but I felt like it tipped in favor of the romance more. The story focused mainly on Grayson and Cori's love story, and the paranormal aspects were kept on the sidelines. I enjoyed the world that T.A. Brock created, but I felt like the dialogue was inconsistent- it was interesting at times but suddenly became dry and forced the next. The pacing was choppy and I had a rough time transitioning between chapters and events. T.A. Brock's writing was easy and didn't dwell too much on fancy words, and I was perfectly okay with that.
Fatal had likable characters, impressive world building, and a twist that I didn't see coming. It also easily set the stage for the upcoming second book. If you're looking for a young adult paranormal story with a heavy does of romance, Fatal is the book for you.
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Jillian and Grant were two people who were perfectly happy with being inside their comfort zone. Loving her high school boyfriend through good and bad times was everything Jillian has ever known, even if things have been mostly bad as of late. Grant, on the other hand, has witnessed his father's downfall after his mother's death and decided that he would turn out better. Grant promised himself to focus solely on his career and to say no to any kind of romance until he finds a stable and financially fulfilling job at Google. Their safety bubbles begin to crack when the two meet at work. Linguistics major Jillian starts to teach Grant a language other than binary code and html, making him wonder if he finally found the one thing his father told him about- the one thing worth fighting for.
The summary and plot for Inhale, Exhale sounds like your average new adult contemporary, and it kind of is. It has everything you've come to expect from the genre: instant attraction, undeniable chemistry, tragic events that keep the two protagonists from giving in to each other, and steamy scenes. There's really nothing new here, but I have to say that some of the darker tones of the succeeding events surprised me and temporarily edged Inhale, Exhale away from the ‘been there, done that' book that I pegged it as.
Inhale, Exhale is told in Grant's and Jillian's alternating POVs. I struggled a lot with Jillian's voice. There really wasn't that much depth in her character and she relied on others too much. I think that Jillian is used to having a rock, someone to fall back on, and she came alive whenever that ‘rock' came full view, but sounded so robotic without one. Sarah M. Ross created a much more realistic character in Grant. He's gorgeous, of course, but not in the ‘bad boy' way that I've grown so accustomed to. He's more of your average geeky and focused clean-cut guy, but he still had his charms. Grant was much more believable than Jillian and his chapters were the ones I liked the best because he really came through.
Is Inhale, Exhale one of the best books in it's genre? No, it isn't. But it isn't that bad either. Yeah, i had problems connecting with Jillian and some aspects of the relationships presented in the book were unjustified, but I still kept on turning the pages. The story is sweet, cute, and filled with steamy scenes and tension, but peppered with some darker undertones. Inhale, Exhale is a book is about daring to step out of your comfort zone, but if you're looking for a NA read that has all the common factors, this book is for you.
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Sovereign opens up right in the middle of the action and keeps the pace balanced throughout, but it still somehow managed to constantly take me by surprise.
The world-building was cruel and dark, but so horrifyingly real. Antius is not a place I would like to live in. Adults are drugged into submission and women are penetrated by high-ranked officials and are forced to bear children out of duty. The colony was strict before Nathan succeeded his father, but it's even more ruthless ever since. Cori is sick of Antius' corrupt hierarchy, and her friend Dylan convinces her that the only way out is to gain trust on the inside. Cori agrees to train under Nathan and become a soldier, quickly becoming the best of her group and instantly impresses Titus, a well-respected instructor. Being a soldier brings the perks of mush labeled ‘chicken' and hot showers, but Cori soon understands that life is even harder on the inside, and the things she sees will change her forever. Sovereign is filled with chapters with graphic violence and the excitement kept me on my toes.
Cori reminded me of a tougher Katniss Everdeen, if that's even possible. She's been trained to fight by the most ruthless person in Antius, and her own enemy, Nathan through sickening exercises that endangered her life every day. A lot of people have died for her sake and her own childhood was a dark one, making her shudder away from the slightest amount of human touch. Cori isn't just tough, she's also fairly smart and knows how to assess her surroundings and situations properly, and I admire her for that. And if that's not enough, there's also something about her that stops Nathan from killing her at first sight. E.R. Arroyo really created a strong and fierce heroine that everyone could easily look up to.
The world that Cori lives in sounds so cold, but as she goes through hell and back, she manages to find warmth in her best friend and in the people she meets throughout the course of the book. Cori's companions were interesting to read about- there was always something lingering behind the words and they each had a definite purpose. That's the problem I had with Sovereign- the lack of character development. Everyone, even Cori, had their own definite and predetermined purpose and it was like they were pidgeonholed into it. I couldn't sense much of a growth in Cori, either. Another thing was the romance. It was sweet and tender, but I felt like some of the romantic scenes were unnecessary and too convenient considering their situation.
Sovereign is kind of like Hunger Games crossed with Divergent, but it still has it's won unique mark. The characters could use a bit more authenticity, but the world-building is absolute perfection. E.R. Arroyo's writing was beautiful, although I spotted a few typographical errors that could use some editing. The story was thrown to the readers punch-by-punch and I was just as surprised as Cori when some unexpected events took place. Fast-paced and filled with terrifying chaos narrated by Cori's strong yet fragile voice, Sovereign is a young adult dystopian novel worth reading.
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Kaliope has been chosen to become the leader of the Nactue, a group of female soldiers entasked to protect the Empress of the City of Cavan. A neighboring kingdom falls under the force of the Otherworlders and Kaliope becomes the reluctant protector of Caben, a rebellious prince who is heir to the throne and the last of his line. The Otherworlders attacks the City of Cavan and kidnaps Kaliope and Caben, taking them to their underground realm and forcing them to fight other contenders in a battle to the death in hopes of reclaiminng their freedom. There is more to this barbaric game than what the contenders realize and Kaliope's secret is the only thing that can save them all.
Let me just go straight to the point and tell you that Of Silver and Beasts is one of the best books I've read this year. I haven't had much luck with liking the fantasy books I've been reading these days but this book got me out of my slump. The book introduced me to different worlds that had me instantly intrigued and there was enough action, drama, and romance to keep me turning the pages.
Kaliope was an all-around kick-ass heroine. She placed her duty and the safety of the people she loved over her own well being. Kaliope's not one of those stoic and emotionless heroines, no. She defines the true meaning of fearless- to accept that you are afraid, but to have the courage to overcome it. Kaliope's been through a lot- her father stole mercury and injected it into her system to hide it from authorities. Her mother took her to the temple of a healer goddess and had a priestess pray over her while a doctor placed a clamp to stop the mercury from coming into contact with her heart. Her father's wrongdoings has led her to have a slight distrust towards men, but she still respects them to a certain point. Kaliope was a concrete character but Trisha Wolfe makes her transparent to the reader. Kaliope's emotions of compassion, bravery, loyalty, sense of duty, anger, frustration, and desire practically radiated from the pages.
I couldn't stand Caben when he first appeared in the book. He was reckless, stubborn, and placed too much value on his princely pride. I started to like him when I found out his back story and the reasons for his demeanor were explained. Caben and Kaliope are alike in so many ways, but Caben is the more sensible one. He keeps Kaliope in place and stops her when Kaliope acts before thinking about the consequences of her actions. A few days after I finished the book, I still couldn't stop thinking about Caben.
Of Silver and Beasts mainly focuses on the dark fantasy aspect and introduces us to a world of kingdoms and underground communities with their own set of goddesses, both good and bad. The world building was astounding and I understood every bit of the realm that was shown to me. Trisha Wolfe's writing makes it as if the events in the book unfold before your very eyes. It has some similarities to Battle Royale- like a darker and less forgiving Hunger Games. Of Silver and Beasts doesn't sugarcoat the evil and terror in the book. It doesn't mince on the vivid descriptions of the brutally high-adrenaline fight scenes and bloodshed. There is also romance in the book, but it isn't rushed and annoying. The developments and relationships develop in their own pace and aren't overdone.
Trisha Wolfe did not just create a book, she created a whole new world. Of Silver and Beasts finds strength in it's superb world building, comparable to the realm of A Song of Ice and Fire. The book and it's uniquely intriguing plot wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't as highly detailed. The ending completely took me by surprise and I love and hate Trisha Wolfe for it. Kaliope and Caben's story inspires and gives strength, telling us that there is a reason behind every bad experience- sometimes a curse is a blessing in disguise.
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Its been a while since I enjoyed a middle grade book as much as I enjoyed King of the Mutants. It was fun, witty, and all sorts of crazy. The book is told in Maverick Murphy's point of view. All his life, Mav had been treated as a freak because of his gator-like appearance and because he's just a minor act in the circus, he doesn't have much of a home in Grumbling's Travelling Circus and Sideshow. Desperate to know more about his past, Mav took his chance when he stumbles upon a runaway orphan named Freddie. Together, the two boys motorbike to New Orleans and New York, fighting for answers and a place to call home.
I really loved reading through Mav's thoughts. Gator Boy is one witty kid who never misses a punch line. He had me sold- reading the book was like listening to a thirteen year-old boy telling a story over a campfire. I could practically hear Mav's determination whispering through the chapters. I also really really loved Freddie. He was the voice of reason in the book, the normalness that I clung to whenever things started to get super wierd, but he wasn't annoying at all. He makes a few mistakes here and there but I can't help but love the guy.
Mav and Freddie took me on quite an adventure- clown chases, narrow escapes, hoodoo, evil scientists, and gasp wearing high heels! It isn't just all fun and games though, the book also tackles with issues of finding yourself and what it means to be a family. Mav shows us that thee's more to someone than what's on the outside. King of the Mutants is a fun, adventure-filled read with a hero that anyone can relate to and look up to.
Truth be told, I had a really hard time getting into this book. The beginning dragged on a bit too much and never really set the pace ‘til near the end. It was supposed to be thrilling from the beginning, what with the whole plotline of being involved in gangs and all, but I never really felt my heart beat faster than the normal rate. And the fact that Maddie was kind of a dull character didn't help either. She was made out to be this headstrong student journalist who was smart and sexy at the same time but it just didn't seep through. Her character sort of fell flat for me. She was kind of like a transient being robotically interacting with the other characters and moving from scene to scene. The pacing was choppy too- the transitions between scenes wasn't smooth and it made me confused.
There was one thing that made Maddie come to life though: romance. She became animated and flirty (in a cute, awkward, nice girl way) when it comes to boys. Three of them come into the picture: Manny, her funny, reformed ex-convict co-worker; Ortiz, the quiet, kind, and mysterious boxer who oozes sex appeal; and the gang leader Lobo, the unknown gang leader who saved her life. I only ever liked Maddie when she was talking to either one of the three. The author definitely knows how to develop subtle chemistry and sexy banter. The backstory behind the rivalry between the two gangs was incredibly well plotted though. It was the main reason why I kept reading- it was interesting, dark, and made my arms tingle with excitement. Too bad that it was only made evident in the later part of the story. I would have liked to know more about the two gangs and their members, especially Lobo's partner X.
All in all, On The Edge had the promise of a great plot and well thought-out storyline. However, a story like this needs a main character with strength and conviction, and Maddie unfortunately fell short.
