Review-The Taking

For several years now I'm been up to any book written by Kimberly Derting, so when I heard about her new series I was seriously excited.  I will admit, possible alien abduction stories do make me go "hmm..." but like everything else she does Kim manages to pull it off.  Despite having written about serial killers in her debut series and a city torn apart by war in her second series this book seems to be somewhat darker than her previous novels, and I think it's because of the swearing.  As far as content goes it's really no darker than her previous books, and depending on how you look at it could actually be considered lighter by some standards.  It's always interesting watching an author jump from one series to another because you never know how the plot will turn out or how you will relate to the characters, but despite never being abducted by aliens or going missing for five years I managed to connect with the character at several points in the story.  The emotions written into Kyra, the main character, transferred over very well to me, and I think that a lot of teenagers (especially ones with younger siblings or divorced parents) will be able to relate to the situation on some level.  Kyra herself was also very likable and reading a character like her, who is strong but scared at the same time, is something that I feel is really important because so often we think of being brave as not being afraid, but that's not actually the case.  I also really liked the love interest in this novel, just because he was 1) super sweet, and 2) super snarky, which for some reason I find to be a great combination.  As far plot goes I while the basic idea behind it isn't exactly a new one the way it's executed was very original and the closest book I could possibly relate it to would be Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris, which, like this novel, will particularly appeal to fans of The X-Files.  The only thing that I thought could be changed was the fact that it took some time for the action to really start, although the way it was written it didn't feel like it was as long as it actually was (if that makes any sense).  All in all I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait for the sequel to see what happens next (because DAMN YOU CLIFF HANGERS!!!).

Out April 29, 2013

4.5/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Review-Don't Look Back

Several years ago I decided to give Armentrout's alien sci-fi books a shot and while I enjoyed them I didn't end up adoring them as so many others did.  But when I heard about this book I decided it sounded promising so I put it on my TBR list and asked for an ARC.  When said ARC showed up I was very happy because, let's face it, JLA is a HUGE author.  If you know me at all you know I'm always down for a mystery book, the bloodier the better, so obviously this one was right up my alley.  Aside from the case of amnesia that the main character has (and I'm not talking about what happened the day before amnesia, I'm talking full on "who am I/how old am I/do I know you?" amnesia), it's a pretty standard mystery novel.  There were parts that I liked about it and parts that I didn't particularly care for, but such is the way with every book.  The parts I did like included the romance (although the guy was way too good for the main character), the notes being left for the main character to find, the flashbacks she had, and her persistence to find out the truth.  I also really liked the brother and the brother's girlfriend.  Things I didn't exactly care for were basically all of the characters not mentioned above (including the victim herself and at some points in the story the main character), the reveal of who was leaving the notes (admittedly it was pretty clever though), and I feel like there were a few things that were left unanswered (or at least seemed to me to be kind of important that just kind of disappeared along the way, but it's possible that's just because I was reading an ARC).  I also want to state that I did suspect the killer for at least 100 pages, and I'm pretty sure I could pinpoint the exact time I was like "ah-ha!"  Those things being said it was a pretty fresh murder mystery novel for the YA age range in a time when there aren't a ton of them around.  It had that private-school-rich-kid vibe going on that I do so adore in mystery settings, and while that's not exactly what it was the tone was there so kudos for that.  Mystery fans of all ages will most likely enjoy this fast-paced quick read from bestselling and fan-loved author.  There did seem to be a lack of the JLA "spunk" (this is just what I call it, it's the sarcastic tone most of her characters have that I find appealing), but the voice is still very much there so long-time fans will be pleased to find that, as well as new fans.  I'll be interested to see if JLA writes any other YA (or NA) mystery novels in the future because I'll be sure to check them out.

Out April 15, 2014

4/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

In Which I Have A (small) Giveaway

So today I start my third quarter of college (blarg), but on the upside I only have classes three days a week!  That's pretty cool if I do say so myself.  If only that meant more time to read, but I decided it would be a great idea to write a book for one of my classes.  Yup, I'm getting college credit for writing a novel (hopefully I'll still get credit if I don't finish it, but fingers crossed it'll get done).  Maybe one day it will even get published...if it's any good that is.  Who knows what will happen.

It's also my birthday soon.  I'll be another year older on Friday and one step closer to being a full fledged adult (geeze, that's a scary idea).  

So because of these two things (and because I love you all very much, each and every one of you) I've come up with a little giveaway.  I can't promise how much I'm going to be around until June 20th (or slightly before, depending on what finals I do and don't have) but every now and then you'll see a review or giveaway posted.  I have no intention of stopping my blogging (and reading) because I really enjoy doing it and talking to all of you guys.  Hopefully this summer I'll get back to reading full time (and maybe editing my possibly finished novel)!

Now here's what you can win.  One winner will receive the full set of novels in Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone series (or any combination of the three you wish) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another person will win a Divergent prize pack, which consists of a copy of one of the books in the series (winner's pick), movie posters of Tris and Four (two separate posters), a packet of Divergent trading cards, a Path to Allegiant booklet, an Allegiant button, faction stickers, and a collectors edition Us magazine all about the movie.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One last person will win three (enough for a pair of earrings and a pendant for a necklace) handmade book pendants (or magnets) with the winner's choice of picture on them [see examples below].

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All giveaways are open until Friday April 18th, at which point they will close and winners will be chosen soon after.  International entries welcome but please be advised if you win I would appreciate some form of payment to cover shipping, although it's not mandatory (but please remember I'm a broke college student and prizes come from my own funds).

Thanks so much for sticking with me through these crazy times and may the odds be ever in your favor! (Also, wish me luck with school!)

Review-Half Bad

When a book has such a huge hype around it I generally find that I either love the book as much as everyone else does or I really don't find it all that great.  With this book I'm surprised that I actually fall somewhere in the middle.  It's not that I didn't like it, but while it was fresh and interesting I'm not sure it was amazing.  The first section of the book was told in second person, and while that's not something you usually find (at least not in YA, I'm not sure about other age groups) I found that it really worked.  Honestly the first part of the book was my favorite and I would have loved to see the rest of it, or at least more parts of it, with that same style. That being said the rest of the book wasn't bad, and in all honesty the premise was something that I hadn't read before, which kept me interested in the story.  I did find it a bit odd that the book covered so much of the main character's life.  Most of the time if a book talks about a character's early life it's done in flashbacks but this one took about 100 pages covering the earlier life of the main character, which did confuse me; it somehow seemed very important and not important at all in terms of furthering the plot (and I'm not entirely sure how that's actually possible).  I was slightly surprised with some of the violence that occurred in the book just because of the age of the main character at some points, but it reminded me of the prejudice and treatment held about African Americans after the civil war so the young age of the character did make some sense.  There are several pretty gruesome scenes in the novel as well as a smattering of swear words, so take note of that before reading the novel yourself (or before giving it to a younger reader).  There was also a slight bit of romance (which I didn't feel a ton of heat behind) but it wasn't the main focus of the story and took up no more than 30 pages total, so if that's something you're looking for it's not a large part of the book.  Overall it was an interesting concept and I liked the fact that the main character was a teenage boy (which is even more interesting when you realize the author is a female), but for me it wasn't anything overly fabulous.  I'll probably check out the second book, just to see what happens and I would recommend it to fans of fantasy novels and teenage males in general.  While I may not have adored it I'm sure it will find fans all over the world and I wish the author the best.  She has great ideas and an interesting new voice that I'm glad has been added to my bookshelf.

4/5 dust spirits

Review-The Summer of Letting Go

Three years ago I read a lovely debut novel geared more towards middle grade readers and, since then, I've been waiting for the author's next book to come out.  Now we finally have a YA novel from the amazing mind of Gae Polisner.  There are those novels you read that are contemporary, but have the slightest hint of magic, and you're not sure if the magic is REAL or if it's just believed to be real by the characters (which, sometimes means it is, right?), and that's something that's so hard to do.  Honestly I've only ever found two authors who do it right, and Gae is one of those two.  This book has so much feeling in it, and I can't seem to get over the fact that it's somehow both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.  I mean really, how does that even work?  There's a little bit of mystery, some kissing, death, redemption, and forgiveness all wrapped into one little book that has a really big heart.  The main character, Frankie (the girl) was flawed, but it made her whole and real in a way that I totally understood.  The other Frankie (the little boy) was so much fun, and I smiled every time I read parts with him in them.  I would have liked to see a little more of the best friend and her boyfriend, but seeing as that's not really what the book was about I understand why there was only so much of them in there.  Although I really don't have a lot in common with the girl Frankie in terms of what's going on in her life I felt like I connected with her perfectly emotionally.  Overall the book has a slightly magical undertone with real characters and whimsical bits and pieces scattered throughout the novel that made it that much better.  I do have some questions for Gae regarding how the book ends, but that's okay, because it does wrap it up nicely in a way that completes the story while still keeping a few things left to the mind of the reader.  Everyone should at least look into this book because it's something that could appeal to almost anyone and has an underlying message that's just so important it should be shared.  I can't wait to see what Gae comes up with next as I'm sure I'll be reading that too.

Out March 25, 2014

4.5/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Algonquin for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review

Review-Side Effects May Vary

I first heard about this book several months ago, and my first reaction to it was "that sounds super cool!"  Then the cover came out and my response was "dude, that's SO COOL!"  Now that I've finished it my immediate thoughts on it are "hmm".  I went into this novel knowing that it was about a girl that was diagnosed with cancer who had miraculously recovered, so there were some things I expected, and a few things that caught me off guard.  The story is told in dual POV, told through both Alice's eyes (the main character who was diagnosed with cancer a year earlier) and her "best friend" Harvey, a boy her age.  That in and of itself isn't super different, but in both POVs she switches between past (starting right before Alice is diagnosed) and present time, revealing bits and pieces of the story slowly.  Both of these things worked really well, and with the plot I feel like it enhanced the overall feel of the book and that it was a natural progression.  The plot itself was fresh and, as a whole the book had an interesting "lesson".  To me it asked the questions "if you were going to die how would you spend the rest of your life?" and "if you then got to stay what would you change?"  Kind of deep topics there if you ask me, and so maybe because of other books with sick antagonists that I've read I was expecting one thing, but what I got wasn't it.  This is me being 100% honest, the characters in the book drove me crazy, and not in a good way.  A character with cancer should elicit some kind of sympathy, but the only thing that kept running through my head is what a b*tch she was.  Before she got sick (in those few chapters we saw her pre-illness) she wasn't so bad, but after (once she started treatment and after she went into remission) she was terrible.  Harvey on the other hand I did like, he was charming and lovable, and the kind of guy friend I wish I had.  But he was also a huge pushover.  Honestly even the supporting characters fell flat for me.  I don't know what it was, if it was just me or if there was just no spark there, but despite the fact that they changed throughout the story (and Alice did redeem herself in some ways), like good characters should, I just couldn't invest in any of them.  Overall it was an interesting book and it had some quotes in it that were really beautiful (mostly near the end) it's not one I can say blew me away by any means.  Regardless of my opinion I applaud Murphy for doing something different, and I wish her the best with her writing career, but I probably won't be picking up another one of her novels anytime in the near future.

Out March 18, 2014

3.5/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Review-Fire & Flood

When I first heard about this book I was interested in reading it because it sounded like it could be something drastically different from what's out there on the market today.  I was correct in this fact, but it also wasn't what I was expecting it to be.  The synopsis talks about "a breathtaking race" and so the first thing that popped into my mind was a high-octane race with futuristic cars and the like.  Now that I look back on that idea it seems a little silly because a book like that probably wouldn't be very long, and most likely wouldn't require a sequel.  What it turned into was something more akin to The Amazing Race with a sci-fi Hidalgo twist.  Despite not being what I expected I found that I was quite pleased with the book as a whole, although there were a few parts that made me slightly weary.  In terms of the characters I was fairly happy with how they all turned out.  The main character does seem slightly out of place in this crazy Survivor-esque atmosphere, although I admit I like her spunk and her personality as a whole.  What I think I loved most about the book though is the Pandoras, the animal companions that all of the racers have, at least at the start of the competition.  That idea was so much fun and each one is just so unique.  I wouldn't mind having one of those for myself.  I was also a little confused as to what particular time period it takes place in, but that's not necessarily the most important thing.  The only other thing that tugged at me was the fact that some parts could have been cut and the duology could probably have been fit into one larger book, although I do understand why it was split up.  Other than those few small things I found the book to be engaging and entertaining, as well as being pretty original in concept and, in some aspects, in a main character, who (although it wasn't particularly appealing to me) was more girly than most female protagonists thrust into positions such as this.  Fans of The Hunger Games and the like will probably enjoy this new series from an author that shows great promise and I'll definitely be checking out book two to see how it all ends.

Out February 25, 2014

4/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Scholastic for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in return for an honest review.