My Precious

Book Review: The Prince Who Fell from the Sky

2012-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Prince Who Fell From the Sky
BY JOHN CLAUDE BEMIS

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 22, 2012)

Length: 272 pages, Hardcover

Format: E-Arc, Kindle

Source: NetGalley.com

Genre: Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic

Series: No

Completed: May 2012

Challenges: 2012 E-Book Challenge, 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge,

SUMMARY

When a young boy's space craft crashes into the Earth, he is the lone survivor. Too young to find his way on his own, a childless, nurturing mother bear decides to raise him as her own cub. The problem is her forest friends and enemies call humans "Old Devils" or "Skinless Ones" and do not trust them at all. So, she sets off on a quest to bring the boy to live out his life in a safe haven somewhere far away. But her journey is frought with dangers because most every forest creature, especially the wolves who rule the land, want to see this little boy dead.

BACKGROUND

From John's website: John currently lives the small-town life in Hillsborough, North Carolina with his wife and daughter. He spends a lot of time hiking on the trails around his house, going into town for popsicles, and playing music on the back porch. He plays both the classical violin and electric guitar. The Prince who Fell From the Sky is John's fourth book, its a stand alone novel.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Set in post-apocolyptic times where man has been eradicated and wolves rule the forest, The Prince who Fell From the Sky begins. Told in third person from an omniscient narrator's perspective, it mirrors the tempo of the quest between the pages, at a moderate lope. Occasionally the story moves gently slower or slightly faster throughout the novel. Using a good mix of short and long sentences and well placed dialogues Bemis is able to show the reader rather than tell the reader his story. The overall mood does possess a somewhat serious undertone of post-apocolyptic times: abandoned homes, demolished sky scrapers and scrap automobiles scattered across the terrain, but with the help of some humorous characters the mood is easily lightened up and at times quite humorous.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

Casseomae (Cass), a female bear living isolated from the other bears in her tribe quietly mourning the loss of her still born cubs is the protagonist in this fantasy. She's compassionate, nurturing, selfless and brave. In the beginning she's a little depressed, until she encounters the so called "prince", he gives her a boost of vigor.

The Prince, a youngster who's spacecraft catapults into the Earth, somehow manages to be the sole survivor of the crash. Its difficult to tell his exact age. He appears to be around four to eight years old. He's somewhat independent, curious and very vulnerable alone in the forest filled with creatures who mean him no good.

Dumpster is a snarky rat who's been separated from his mischief. He's funny, crafty and very resourceful. His job was to serve as his mischief's "memory keeper". His knowledge about "skinless ones" aids Casseomae caring for the little boy as she journey's to find him safety.

Pang, a one eared cur (dog) is a loner who is encountered on the quest. The small child seems to favor the dog. So, Casseomae allows him to join up with her small expedition to save the small boy. However, he has a few secrets of his own.

Ogeema is an evil black wolf ruler of the forest. She's a strong and determined leader, a resilient force and the last thing she wants is to see a "skinless one" grow up in the forest. She will stop at nothing to see the boy destroyed.

PLOT: When a human spacecraft crashes in the forest and the sole survivor happens to be a young human, Casseomae, a nurturing bear, decides to protect him and take him to safety.

RECOMMENDATION

This book would be perfect for animals lovers who like to read fantasy books about dangerous quests. Those who watched and enjoyed the movie "Ice Age" will feel right at home reading this book. Middle grade boys and girls alike should be captivated by the endearing characters and adventure this story has to tell. Adults, especially mom's, looking for something different, a little change of pace will find this one endearing.

PERSONAL NOTE

The world building depicts a futuristic time period devoid of humans, where the wolves ruled the forest. Artifacts and relics of past human lives still litter the landscapes. It had been a long time ago when the "Skinless Ones" ruled and many forest animals don't remember that far into the past. Even though Bemis's world building showed creativity and promise, I'm still left a little puzzled as to why the boy is considered a prince, the story left that particular mystery unsolved and now I'm left stuck trying to figure it on my own. I guess I would have liked just a wee bit more information on this subject matter to feel the story was complete.

It was a well told story, which was an enjoyable read, its just not what I'd consider GREAT. The author describes this book as a post apocalyptic "Watership Down" but I don't really agree. Instead I think it holds more similarities to the 2002 animated movie called "Ice Age". An entertaining adventure compiling an endearing/humourous cast of characters, all talking animals, with the exception of the "prince" (who didn't talk at all) and a dangerous/controversial quest to save aforementioned boy's life. Its a simple, quick read leaving the reader feeling warm and happy, with the strong desire to go out and give your pet a big hug/scratch.

RATING

I deducted 1.5 stars off of this one because I didn't feel like the world building was explained to my satisfaction. I never did find out why the boy was a considered a prince, who his people were and why they were visiting the Earth. Many times I couldn't picture the artifacts/relics in my head, they got lost in the context for me.

3.5 Rings out of 5 Rings

(IT WAS SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN OK - KEPT ME TURNING PAGES)

Challenges: 2012 Finish the Series Challenge COMPLETE

2012-05-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Finish The Series Challenge

Just wanted to say, I've finished my first challenge for 2012. Its called the Finish the Series Challenge. The Hunger Games series jump started this challenge for me. I finished it off with Goddess Interrupted, thanks to Netgalley.com.

The Details:

Name: 2012 Finish the Series Challenge

Host: Socrates Book Reviews

Levels: Three

Challenge: Complete books in a series from wherever you are up until the last published book. Any format of book counts: audio, ebook etc.

My Plan: Level 3 - Complete 3 or more series

My Progress:

Books Read and Reviewed to date...

~~1. The Hunger Games~~

~~2. The Girl on Fire~~

~~3. Mockingjay~~

~~4. Spellcaster~~

~~5. Goddess Interrupted~~

Outcome:

COMPLETED: May 2012

Book Reviews: Goddess Interrupted

2012-05-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Goddess Interrupted
BY AMIEE CARTER

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: Harlequin Teen (March 27, 2012)

Length: 304 pages, Paperback

Format: e-Arc

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Romance

Series: Yes, The Goddess Test Book #2

Completed: May 2012

Challenges: 2012 Finish the Series Challenge, 2012 E-Book Challenge, 2012 2nd's Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge, 2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge, 2012 YA Mythology Challenge

SUMMARY

After a six month sabbatical from Eden Manor, Kate returns expecting to find a loving husband and king who will welcome, with open arms, a new wife/Queen to stand beside him and rule the Underworld together from now to eternity. What she finds, instead, is a King who is very distant and almost appears as if he wants nothing to do with her at all. Before Kate has a chance to try and work anything out with Henry, Calliope escapes and is now threatening to release Cronus, a very angry Titan holding a grudge against the gods for imprisoning him all these years. One by one, the gods and goddesses attempt and fail to defeat Calliope, until it becomes evident Kate may be forced to fight. Kate has a few surprises of her own, one which may involve enlisting the help of Henry's former lover Persephone. Will Kate be able to put aside her differences and persuade the one person she loathes the most to help her?

BACKGROUND

Aimee Carter started writing fan fiction was she was only eleven years old. She loves dogs. The Goddess Test was her debut novel. Her mother passes away when she was a child, so she has a lot of ties to the main character, Kate. Goddess Interrupted is the second book in this exciting mythology based series. Aimee plans to a have a minimum of three (possibly four) books in this series. The next installment is called The Goddess Inheritance and is due out in April of 2013. She has also written two other short story fill in novels for this series: The Goddess Hunt (1.5) and The Goddess Legacy (2.5).

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Most of this story takes place in the Underworld. Pacing starts off slightly slow, as the author gradually reintroduces us to the characters and brings the reader up to date as to at what point in time he/she is rejoining the characters. After the initial brief lull, the story picks up and is pretty much action packed until the very "end". Carter's writing style is fairly descriptive. She does a great job at creating believable relationship, tension and angst. Again, this second book's storyline, not unlike the first, is loosely based on Greek Mythology. The story is told in a first person perspective from the main character Kate Winter's point of view. (I wonder if the story would take on a different feel if it had been written in alternating first person perspectives from both Henry and Kate's point of view?)

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

In this book, Kate is as determined as ever to find a special place in Henry's heart for good. She's brave, willing to stand up and fight to save her kingdom, even if it means risking her life for the ones she holds dear to her heart. Sometimes she feels like she's been kicked to the curbside, but she's always willing to pick herself up, dust herself off and try again. Her perseverance is respectable. Every once in a while she gets a little whiney and threatens to leave Henry, luckily it only last for a few pages then she snaps out of it.

Henry (Hades), believe it or not, is more brooding then in the first book, even though it seems impossible, he truly is. Internally he's battling to uncork his new feelings for Kate and laying to rest the old passionate flame he's coveted for Persephone for all the eons of time. Externally, he's battling a titan and an evil goddess. Unfortunately, it takes Henry a very long time to experience any growth in this novel. But rest assured in the end, he does manage to make some welcome and much needed changes to his annoying behaviors.

Ava (Aphrodite) still stands by Kate, mentoring her in love and relationships and believe me Kate NEEDS it! She's always trying to prove to Kate how strong Henry's love is, though Kate continually refuses to believe any of it, which sets the reader up for a lot of frustration along the way.

Calliope (Hera) seems to get even nastier in this installment. Yes, I know its hard to believe, but she is far more than a woman scorned. She's undermining and desperate for revenge in the most wicked, gut wrenching form. To get it, this time, she will stop at absolutely nothing!

Persephone, Kate's sister and Henry's ex-lover makes a debut appearance in this book. She's a beautiful, curly haired blonde gal with loads of self confidence. Its nice to see she's not quite the villainous, evil, cold-hearted woman she's been made out to be by the other gods and goddesses. Her story reveals lots of interesting facts which bode well for making her a more likable character.

James is still in somewhat of a competition for Kate's love. He continues to remind Kate she will always have a choice if she's not happy. It sometimes seems like he may have ulterior motives, though, as I've always got the feeling he's a little sketchy.

When Calliope manages to escape from her imprisonment, she desires revenge and threatens to release a titan if she doesn't get what she ultimately wants from the gods and goddesses.

RECOMMENDATION

Anyone who enjoyed The Goddess Test will simply LOVE Goddess Interrupted and will totally not be able to wait until Spring 2013 for the next installment. I would recommend this book to readers who really like a "oh my, did that really just happen?" type of ending. Both guys and girls should enjoy this romantic, action packed thriller. Just make sure when you start this one, you don't have something more important to do, because I bet it won't get done!

PERSONAL NOTE

Again, this book is advertised as a modern day sequel to the myth of Hades and Persephone. It is book number two is a series of at least three or possibly four books. After completing this, I'd say its a very loosely based modern day sequel at best. There are no prerequisites in mythology needed to enjoy this book. Oddly, it almost works in the reverse, those well versed in mythology may end up disappointed because they will be more aware of the differences. The major emphasis of this story, though, revolves around relationships.

Trust and good communications are two cornerstones of great relationships. These two characteristics are painfully absent in Kate and Henry's budding relationship. They are supposed to be in love, right? Throughout the course of the novel, Kate is told on numerous occasions how much Henry loves her. No matter how many times she hears this, she simply refuses to believe in it or trust this is true. Its hard to fault her, since Henry does absolutely nothing to show her or communicate how he feels towards her. He's like a cold cut of meat. Despite all this frustration with the characters lack of a maturing relationship, I somehow was sucked into their desperate situation. I secretly willed Kate to continue to fight. I wished Henry to finally acquiesce to what I knew he was feeling, but was too scared to admit. I desperately wanted something, anything, to happen, some for of catalyst to push these two together, but it just wouldn't readily materialize! Strangely enough, I guess this sort of tension is what kept me plowing through the pages.

Now, don't get me wrong, this book isn't solely based on romance, it is not short on action, either. Amidst all this relationship angst, is an action packed plot involving awakening titans, evil goddesses and a dangerous quest to the Underworld. In fact, Henry's old flame Persephone even resurfaces, at some point in the adventure. Goddess Interrupted is a thrilling story, one which will keep readers anxiously waiting to see what happens next. Its the type of book you start reading and have a difficult time setting down. The only pitfall to the story reared its ugly head at the conclusion, well if you dare call it that, of the book. It commences on one of the nastiest cliffhangers out of all the books I've read this year!

RATING

I liked this one loads better than I expected. Even though a decent chunk of the book is dedicated to Henry and Kate finding a way to each other's hearts, (aka the romance) I still was sucked in. It was an exhilarating ride. The only reason I am deducting one ring is because of the nasty cliffhanger ending. I'm still shocked!

4 out of 5 Rings
(I LIKED IT A LOT - LOOKED FORWARD TO READING IT)

Stacking the Shelves (1) - May 19th 2012

2012-05-19T22:32:00.001-07:00

A new meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews it will be replacing my IMM posts. I like the flexibility of this meme quite a bit better. Its a good fit for this blog since I don't receive a large amount of review books, but I do tend to get a decent amount from other sources.

FOR REVIEW:

THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY by Nikki Loftin (Netgalley.com) - This one is advertised as a Hansel and Gretel fairy tale retelling. It sounds adorable. Plus, I'm always a huge fan of boarding school books.

THE GLIMPSE by Claire Merle (Netgalley.com) - "Raised on Lies, Transformed by Love, Bound to Destiny?" Ok that caught my attention. A future where people are segregated by genetic disposal to mental illness. Sound controversial and at the same time alluring!

ORDINARY MAGIC by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway (from Caitlen) - A reverse take on most middle grade fantasy books. Meet, Abby Hale, a Ord. On her 12th birthday she discover she's non-magical in a world of magicians and wizardry. This one was adorable. My review will post very soon.

FREEBIES:

EDEN by Keary Taylor (Amazon Freebie) - A dystopian thriller, set in a futuristic world where human DNA has been infused with cybernetic matter creating a race without feelings. The machines in some strange way overtake the soul. Sounds enchanting!

ENTANGLED by Nikki Jefford (Amazon Freebie) - A book about twin witches, with a strange twist, one dies and now is sharing the body of her twin 50/50 in 24hr shifts. Ok, how different is that? Since this one is free, I thought, it was worth giving it a try, I mean what do I have to lose?

PURCHASED:

THE FALSE PRINCE by Elizabeth Fama (Bought $6.99) - With a male character as the lead, and a "Special Shelf" designation from fellow blog reviewer Small Review I KNEW I had to purchase this one. It wasn't on sale, so I really hope its worth the $9.99 I laid down to buy it. I think it will be. As its advertised as "THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end." (Goodreads blurb)

ANGELFALL by Susan Ee (Bought $2.99) - After reading THIS posted by the author and then following up with the rave reviews on Goodreads I got really excited about this one. I wanted to purchase it before the price increased. I think it will not be available for such a deep discount for much longer. Is a type of dystopian or post apocalypitc thriller with fallen angels. Sound great to me!

So, what did YOU add to your shelves this week? Did anything I put on mine interest you or have you read any of these books? If so, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Book Reviews: Above World

2012-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Above World
BY JENN REESE

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: Candlewick (February 14th, 2012)

Length: 368 pages

Format: Kindle E-Book

Source: Library2Go

Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Dystopian

Series: Book 1 of ?

Completed: May 2012

Challenges: 2012 E-book Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge, 2012 Local Library Challenge, 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge

SUMMARY

In a futuristic world where high technology and genetic modifications rule, The Coral Kampii, a race somewhat like legendary mermaids, have chosen to isolate themselves from the evil "Above World" in an underwater settlement. Here they raise children, govern themselves and encourage reproduction for continued survival of the race. But when their underwater breathing devices begin to fail, subjecting their community to innocent deaths, two brave children decide to break the rules and venture to the dangerous "Above World" to see if they kind find the technology needed to save their race.

BACKGROUND

From the back of her e-arc: Jenn Reese lives in Los Angeles, California A student of martial arts, she yearned to combine her love of martial arts, mythology and adventure with the idea that anyone with a strong heart can change the world. She writes science fiction and fantasy and has published both short stories and novels for adults. Above World is her middle grade debut novel. Its also part of a new series.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

This story initially takes place in an underwater settlement, sometime in the distant future, then it quickly moves out of the ocean to the "Above World" where the rest of the story unfolds. The author doesn't mess around, jumping right into the action as the story opens with two of the main characters discovering a dead friend in a sea kelp forrest. This story is told in third person from two different perspectives: Aluna, a 12 year old Kampii girl and Hoku, her best friend and somewhat younger Kampii male. With simple language and detailed prose, Jenn Reese weaves a dystopian tale with an adventuresome feel, as two children go on a dangerous quest to save their settlement.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

Aluna is a Kampii, a genetically modified mermaid, minus a tail. In her society, The Coral Kampii do not get tails until going through a special ceremony, where they ingest a magical seed which starts the transformation. Aluna hasn't consumed the seed yet, so she still has two legs, allowing her access to the "Above World", a place where her own Coral Kampii society has isolated itself from. She is determined, strong and might be considered a tomboy in current times. Aluna isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Unfortunately, this characteristic finds her more trouble or butting heads with her stubborn father. Girls are forbidden to wield a weapons, its too risky to lose women, they are more valuable for reproduction and to ensure the survival of the species. Aluna lives with all brothers, she's fierce and they teach her to fight.

Hoku, Aluna's best friend, is younger, reserved and fragile, unlike our tough skinned heroine, Aluna. A futuristic geek, Hoku is tech savvy and would rather spend his day with his nose in a book or taking apart and reassembling some artifact than fighting off evil forces. In the social structure, Hoku comes from a poor family, but you'll never hear him complain. He's grateful for what he does have. His voice is innocent, he's a great observer, a nice change up from Aluna's strong, assertive voice.

Dashiyn, an Equine, or "horse-boy" who never developed his hooves. This has cause hime to be exiled from his community. He teams up with Hoku and Aluna making a nice addition to this dynamic duel. He's brave and determined, quite the match for Aluna.

Callipoe, an Aviar or "bird-girl" is unsure of herself. She happens to be the ruler's daughter. Like Hoku, her interests lie with technology, which is very dissatisfying to her warrior mother. She's kind and compassionate and easy to like.

PLOT: An evil being is attempting to control all the races by withholding energy, but four children from different backgrounds band together becoming a force to be reckoned with when they attempt to foil his master plan.

RECOMMENDATION

This would be a great book for middle grade readers who enjoy a healthy mix of sic-fi and fantasy. Fans of Kat Fall's Dark Life series will enjoy this new series as well. A very entertaining, action packed adventure, filled to the brim with unusual creatures, outlandish technology and genetic modification, written at a level both the young and old can enjoy.

PERSONAL NOTE

My initial feelings about this book revolved around the writing. It was very simple, with shorter, descriptive sentences. I thought, uh-oh, this one may end up being written at a reading level I won't find interesting. It was so nice to be proven wrong. As the plot progressed, I sort of felt like I was caught in its undertow, amazingly it suck me right into the story. Quickly, I found myself vested in the story, the characters and their quest. Even though the characters were admirable, brave and stood up for what they believed in, I still felt it teetered more towards a plot driven than character driven story.

Aluna and Hoku took me on an thrilling, action packed quest, to many different lands each with its own kind of genetically modified race. There were DeepFell (Shark People), Dome Meks (Crab people), Equines (Horse People) and Aviars (Bird People). What they all held in common was a dependence on the government supplying them with energy for their survival. The goal would be for each of them to become self sufficient, but this isn't an easy task.

If your looking for hot steamy romance, then you picked up the wrong book. In this middle grade fantasy, we don't really get exposed to any. Instead, we witness innocent first kisses and "puppy love" with slight twinges of feelings developing for the opposite sex, its absolutely adorable. Hoku and Callie experience a first love, while Aluna and Dash experience a slight spark of feelings for each other, too.

RATING

I'm not quite sure why I'm withholding one ring. It may be because I don't prefer third person narratives as much as I like first person or it may just be it lacked just a smidgeon of the in depth details or flowery writing that I pined for?

4 out of 5 Rings
(LIKED IT A LOT - LOOKED FORWARD TO READING IT)

Author Guest Post: Writing for Children (What I Learned)

2012-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Author Guest Post

Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

(Ordinary Magic)

"Writing for Children"

Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
(on Right)

In the original draft of Ordinary Magic Abby and her friends have to deal with carnivorous goblins. It’s not a fun time, and in the aftermath Abby spots one of her friends hobbling along with their feet heavily bandaged. She asks a teacher what happened, and the teacher explains that, sometimes, while waiting for the meal to be prepared, goblins require a little…snack.

“I think we need to change this,” my editor said in an email that I’m totally paraphrasing. “It’s a little too scary for your audience.”

I was going to protest because, as we all know, author knows best, and of course kids can handle a little scary stuff… Only then I remembered, quite vividly, how freaked out I got seeing The Little Mermaid for the first time, specifically (SPOILERS) the part where Prince Eric impales Ursula the Sea Witch with the broken bow of a ship. To this day it gives me the shudders.

1^st Thing Caitlen Learned About Writing Children’s Fiction: — Your editor actually knows best. At least when it comes to marketing the book to your intended audience.

I learned a lot about writing children’s fiction over the course of seeing Ordinary Magic published. The irony is, I learned most of it afterI’d sold the book to Bloomsbury. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

When I first wrote Ordinary Magic I didn’t think it was a middle grade book. I thought it was going to be a young adult. Okay, my main character was twelve, because that’s the age she showed up at, but some of the stuff that happened in the book was definitely PG-13. For instance, the above mentioned aftermath of carnivorous goblins. There was also some mild language, and a few of the adult characters drank wine at one point. I thought that what happened in the book determined the age of your audience. Turns out it’s completely the other way around. My first talk with my editor, she explained that it’s the age of the protagonist that determines the age of your audience, and the age of your audience that determines what can or cannot happen in the book. Because Abby is 12, my main readers were going to be 8-14, since kids generally like to read up. 8-14 meant the book was middle grade, and that meant I had to cut out all of the violence and bad language.

The toughest part about that? Cleaning up the language. I blame my villains. The two of them kept sneaking in curses without me noticing — and then my editor would notice and have to send me another email about ex-naying on the amn-days. Fortunately editors believe you, and understand, when you say, “I didn’t want them to! They did it without my permission!” Then they’ll just force you to change it anyway. (Also, many thanks to my copyeditor who caught the last, few stragglers and killed them dead.)

See, as the author I was thinking in terms of character, but my editor was thinking in terms of sales. (Which is, ideally, the goal.) Middle grade readers are still mostly having their parents buy them books and it turns out parents don’t want their kids reading books full of bad words and violence. For some reason. My editor was also thinking of book fairs, some of which will refuse to consider anything that has anything that smacks of PG-13 material.

2^nd Thing Caitlen Learned About Children’s Fiction: YA audiences generally buy books for themselves, but for anyone younger you also have to think in terms of the parents, because they’re the ones with the buying power.

Another thing I had to change was the ending. That’s right, I had to re-write the entire ending into something more appropriate. What do I mean by appropriate? I mean that my main character actually needed to do something. I originally got the idea for Abby during a conversation with friends, when we were talking about the tropes we saw a lot of in fantasy stories, and I starting thinking about what I didn’t see but wanted to. Well, I had that same mindset when I originally wrote the ending. See, every now and again when I’m reading a children’s book my Grown-Up Button gets pushed (I do have one, I swear), and I start tearing my hair out over this child going off to fight the gigantic monster instead of telling an adult who will inform the proper monster-containment authorities and let them deal with it because they are adults and that is the job they have been trained to do. (Obviously. Otherwise they never would’ve gotten that monster-training license.) Turns out there’s a reason for this.

3^rdThing Caitlen Learned About Children's Fiction: And I cannot believe this wasn’t obvious to me from the get-go, but it seems that kids like to read about kids doing big adventurous things that they’d never get to do in real life. That is why the new ending is an action-packed extravaganza that will knock your socks off, bearing in mind that you are wearing socks to begin with.

I supposed the biggest lesson I learned from writing Ordinary Magic is that even though writing is solitary, it’s never something you do alone. I’ve always been a fan of the ‘write for yourself’ advice, but there is — fingers crossed — an audience there. The hope that at some point down the line a kid, whom you’ve never met and probably never will meet, is going to go into a bookstore and see your book and decide to read it. I find that both incredibly cool and daunting, but I also know now that I have to keep that kid in mind while I’m writing. Because it’s not going to affect, say, my style or my characters, but it is going to affect what goes on in my story.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go give that brain-sucking leviathan the kids have to battle in the last act of Book 2 another look.

Released Date: May 8th 2012

Book Reviews: Witchlanders

2012-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Witchlanders

Lena Coakley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 30, 2011)

Length: 418 pages

Format: E-pub, PDF

Source: Galley Grab

Genre: Fantasy & Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Completed: August 2011

Summary:

Two boys, two completely different backgrounds, one a Baen and one a Witchlander, are forced together by an unconventional connection. Together they must forge a path against popular beliefs and fight for what they believe in their hearts to be the truth. If they can put aside their differences they may just be able to save the people from a horrible fate. But the Baen's and the Witchlander's have always been mortal enemies. Will these two boys be able to put aside their differences and fight for a common cause?

Ramblings:

Witchlanders is set in a made-up, magical, fantasy world, though its difficult to decipher in what exact time period. I almost want to say, back in time, not set in the future. Lena Coakley's writing is moving and passionate. She uses descriptive language to build a world of fantasy, rituals, witches and odd beliefs. The story moves along at a moderate to fast clip. It's an enamoring novel which will keep the reader captivated from start to finish. It is told in a third person narrative alternating perspectives from each boy's point of view, which works well.

Ryder (the token white boy), the main character and narrator of this book is fair skinned and blonde. He's a strong, confident character who's not afraid to pave his own path or to figure things out for himself. A boy who just doesn't do as he's told or blindly trust in what he's told, Ryder is considered to be somewhat of an outcast. He's also one who tends to put his own desires and needs on the back burner, a very selfless character.

Farian (the token black boy), a Baen, is dark skinned with dark hair. His twin brother died, leaving Farian weak and unsure of himself. He's easily persuaded to do things he doesn't believe in. Farian is very soft-hearted, caring deeply about people in general, leaving him, vulnerable, unable to kill. What he desires most in life is his father's love. Since his brother's death, Farian's only friend has been his bloodhound, dog.

The plot centers around the Baens and the Witchlanders being mortal enemies for all of time. Farian and Ryder are unexpectedly pulled together by a magical force affording them a special connection to each other. They are forced to put aside their differences to fight a powerful evil. Coming together and fighting on a united front is the only chance they have to defeat it.

With a great cast of supporting characters (like loving sisters, ritual following witches, a drug crazed mom), a great mystery and magical elements this book is sure to entertain even the most finicky readers.

Recommendation:

I recommend this book to middle grade fantasy lovers on up to adults readers. Readers who enjoy prophecies, magic, spells and ancient history will be captivated. Boys and girls alike should find something to appreciate about this book, especially since it told from a male point of view. If you like magic, mystery and action packed finale's then don't waste any more time, walk don't run to go get yourself a copy and start reading Witchlanders now!

PERSONAL NOTE

I was able to get my hands on this book early, thanks to Simon and Shuster's Galley Grab program. Witchlanders is a compelling, entertaining read, different from most of the books I've been reading lately. This is a book which proves ebony and ivory can not only exist together but also flourish, given the right opportunity and chance. With a plausible, creative structure, I enjoyed the new worlds and concepts the book introduces. The author did a great job giving me a strong sense of understanding Ryder and Farian's strange world with all of its unusual rituals, customs and beliefs. It also illustrates the importance of getting along, that different doesn't necessarily mean evil or bad. Sometimes one must put aside differences and band together to fight against a common cause.

RATING

4 Rings
(LIKED IT A LOT - LOOKED FORWARD TO READING IT)

Book Reviews: Spellcaster

2012-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Spellcaster
BY CARA LYNN SHULTZ

AMAZON | GOODREADS

Publisher: Harlequin Teen (March 27, 2012)

Length: 384 pages, Paperback

Format: E-Arc

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Series: Yes, Book 2 of 2

Completed: April 2012

Challenges: 2012 E-book Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge, 2012 Finish the Series Challenge, 2012 Witches/Witchcraft Challenge, 2012 2nds Challenge

MY REVIEW OF BOOK #1 SPELLBOUND

SUMMARY

After breaking the century old curse, Emma and Brenden are settling into the rest of their lives living together as "soul mates". But someone, who is extremely jealous of their newly found happiness is determined to put an end to it once and for all. This person begins to wreak havoc on their perfect lives. When this villainous person strikes too close to home, Emma decides she must take things into her own capable hands. This time she must battle the protagonist all alone. Will she be a powerful enough witch to prevail?

BACKGROUND

Cara Lynn Schultz jump started her writing career at age seven, when she penned a ghost story, then enlisted her childhood friends to act it out on her front porch. Currently she resides in New York City with her husband, cat and according to her website "8 million other people". Spellbound was her debut novel. Spellcaster is the sequel and follow up book in the series.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Like Spellbound, Spellcaster is set in New York city, with much of the story taking place at or around the school grounds of the prestigious private high school Vincent Academy. At the beginning the author does spend some time reintroducing the characters and filling in background story, which made the book start a little slow at the start up. About the 30% mark, it picked up to a nice moderate clip. Then, the last 10% of the story slowed down again. Spellcaster is written in first person for the majority of the story, from Emma's humorous and sarcastic point of view. At a few random intervals in the book, the author does change to a third person perspective through Angelique's eyes, though I'm not sure why, or even if this adds to the story.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

Emma remains her humorous, sarcastic self, always managing to find something funny to think or say, even in the face of true danger. She's a survivor, having been put through a lot during her short life. Having Emma as the first person narrator for the bulk of the story made this read light, enjoyable and fun, even when she was fighting for her life.

Angelique doesn't falter from her flamboyant nature in the first book, with wild black flowing outfits and strange makeup. She continues to hone in on both her witchcraft and empath skills in this installment. At her insistence, Emma continues to diligently practice her witchcraft spells, becoming a much stronger witch as the story progresses. Angelique is the glue which holds this story together, without her, it wouldn't be much of anything.

Brendan is still hot and handsome as ever, always having no shortage of teenage girls oogling him wherever he goes. He's true to Emma, never straying, despite the ample opportunities, as girls nearly throw themselves at this guy left and right. Deeply in love with his soul mate, Brenden continues to yearn to protect Emma from anyone or anything which may harm her. This doesn't always work out in his favor though.

Ashley, Emma's somewhat annoying, immature freshman cousin is back, all grown up now and far less unnerving. She has physically developed a well endowed chest in this book and there is a lot of discussion surrounding this. Much of the times, its Emma making very humorous commentary and Ashely being oblivious to it all.

The plot line revolves around Brendan's infidelity of his past returning to haunt him, threatening his newfound happiness with Emma, his recently discovered soulmate.

RECOMMENDATION

This book is the perfect follow up to readers who enjoyed Spellbound. With some pretty intense fight scenes, guys should enjoy this book as well as girls. If you are looking to read more about your favorite characters and join them in another suspense filled, sarcastically humorous tale, then this is something you won't want to miss. Witchcraft, romance and mystery are all key elements. Those who found Spellbound entertaining, will not want to miss out on the sequel.

PERSONAL NOTE

Spellbound wrapped up nicely. I was really curious to see where this next book would take me. After the initial reintroductions to the characters, this story jumps right into a mysterious plot line. Someone evil is out to destroy Emma and Brenden's perfect relationship. This villain will stop at nothing to accomplish it either, even if it means hurting others most dear to Emma along the way.

Wildly, in this read, I was ahead of Emma and Brenden, somehow managing to figure out who this mysterious person was, near the beginning of the book. This rarely happens to me. It was almost as if the author wanted the reader to know. She dropped numerous subtle hints right from Emma's first encounter with her nemesis. Honestly, knowing the identity of this person did distract some from my overall enjoyment of the book. Luckily, there were still a few twists which still managed to surprise me.

In Spellcaster, the romance remained believable. I liked the intimacy and tension between Emma and Brendan as the relationship advanced to the next level. Their love, even though they were soul mates seemed real, not forced. It was nice to see both teens practicing abstinence. Brendan respected Emma and her wishes, never letting anything get out of hand, even though they were left unsupervised far too often.

The only disappointment for me was the anticlimactic ending to this story. The author did a great job building the action right up until the much anticipated final fight scene. It could have had far greater impact if the entire scene was played out with Emma as the narrator. Instead, it changes up to third person, Angelique, at a critical point in the altercation. For me this didn't flow and I felt cheated out of the witnessing the end of the battle first hand, thus making the ending a puff of smoke, instead of a big bang I was anticipating.

RATING

3.5 Rings
(IT WAS MORE THAN OK - KEPT ME TURNING PAGES)

I deducted one and a half rings for predictability and anticlimactic ending. Otherwise, this was an entertaining, enjoyable read. It held my interest and kept me turning pages.

Book Reviews: Peaceweaver

2012-05-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

Peaceweaver
BY REBECCA BARNHOUSE

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (March 27, 2012)

Length: 338 pages

Format: E-ARC

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Series: Companion Novel

Completed: April 2012

Challenges: 2012 E-Book Challenge, 2012 YA Mythology Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge,

SUMMARY

Sixteen year old, sister-daughter to the King, Hild, reacts on a whim to a vision, saving the future king from assasination by killing a man with her sword. Instead of receiving praise, she finds herself exiled. Her kingdom believes she is possessed, sending her away as a Peaceweaver to another tribe. (A "Peaceweaver" is a woman who is married off to an enemy tribe to establish a peace treaty or end a blood feud.) Forced to leave her tribe and all her childhood friends, Hild is horribly distraught. But she quickly discovers there are far worse things to worry about then her present predicament.

BACKGROUND

From Rebecca's website "Reading was like breathing to Rebecca when she was growing up. It still is. She loved the Little House books, and fought with her brother over books in the Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series. Later, she discovered science fiction and fantasy, from The Lord of the Rings to Arthur C. Clarke to Ursula K. LeGuin’s Earthsea series, and many, many other books she and her best friend shared. They still do.

Rebecca first encountered The Book of Margery Kempe during graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and medieval literature written in Old and Middle English, Old Norse, and other fascinating languages.

A native of Vero Beach, Florida, she now lives in Ohio, where she teaches and writes about medieval topics and about children’s literature set in the Middle Ages."

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Peaceweaver takes place around the 400 century. Its the companion novel to The Coming of the Dragon, but it can be read as a stand alone, as the author does provide plenty of background story along the way. Barnhouse's writing is descriptive enough to paint a vivid picture of the world Hild resides, but at the same time it never really was bogged down by superfluous details. The book started off moderately paced and then quickly escalated to fast paced for the majority of the story. Tension and suspense build along the journey, leading up to an action packed finish which was all over far too soon, leaving the reader crying for more!

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

The main character in this story, Hild was strong-willed, self confident, determined young lady. Her initial judgmental tendencies are usually overpowered by her strong desire to do what's right. Caring, compassionate with the ability to forgive, Hild has what it takes to be the kind of heroine who can warm a reader's heart. She's bound to make an impression with her sword wielding, monster fighting abilities. She's not your cookie cutter woman of this time. She challenges authority, is a quick thinker and is far more courageous than most men.

This story was more about the main character than anyone else. Even though there were many other characters, their main purpose was to show how Hild reacted to them all. As a reader we see she treated her mother well, loved her family and was a great best friend. Even though her father died when she was young, he still forged a strong bond with Hild, teaching her how to wield a sword. Overall, Hild was an admirable character, who when faced with tough choices, always seemed to base her decisions on what she knew to be right and honorable.

PLOT: A sixteen year old girl is sent to an enemy tribe as a Peaceweaver when she save's the King's son and heir to the throne from being murdered, after having a vision. This story follows the trials and tribulations of her journey as she couriered by horseback, across dangerous terrain, to another land.

RECOMMENDATION

Readers seeking historical fantasy, involving Norse Mythology and legends of Beowulf will love this book. Teachers, book clubs and those wanting to discuss the virtue of making choices for the better good will also find this story useful. With a strong female heroine, sword fights and ferocious monsters, Peaceweaver should appeal to a wide audience, for sure.

PERSONAL NOTE

Peaceweaver is a book I received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Even though I had not read the companion novel, The Coming of the Dragon, prior to reading this book, I didn't feel handicapped going into this book. Peaceweaver could certainly be read as a stand alone novel. The author does a great job of providing back story to fill the reader in enough to enjoy reading the book without reading the other one first.

I loved the story, it reminded me of Cayla Kluver's Legacy Series, minus the overly descriptive writing and annoying narrator. Rebecca Barnhouse knows how to tell a story. She had me entranced for the entire read, transporting me to another time. This tale has all the great elements for a fantastic historical fiction epic tale: an admirable, sword wielding female narrator, a suspenseful journey, a terrifying monster and a trek to an unknown land.

The only drawback to this epic tale was the abrupt ending. It seemed rushed. Just when it was really starting to get really exciting, the story came to a close. I really want to see how everything turns out for Hild in her new kingdom, how she fares with the new king. I need to know if her people make it back to the safety of their own land and of course, the monster, what will become of the monster? I hope this means there is the potential for another book. Please say, "yes!".

RATING

4 out of 5 Rings
(LIKED IT A LOT - LOOKED FORWARD TO READING IT)

Four rings with one being deducted for an abrupt ending. When the last page was turned I still felt like the author left plenty of story untold. Sure hope this means there will be more books?

Book Reviews: Liesl & Po

2012-04-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Liesl & Po

BY

LAUREN OLIVER

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: Harper Collins (October 4, 2011)

Length: Hardcover, 320 pages

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library2Go

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale

Series: No

Completed: March 2012

Challenges: 2012 2nd's Challenge, 2012 Audiobook Challenge, 2012 Local Library Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge

Coincidences; mix-ups; harmless mistakes and switches. And so a story is born.

SUMMARY

After her father's untimely death, eleven year old Liesl finds herself locked in an attic by her evil stepmother, Augusta, while her own daughter, Vera impersonates her. Liesl is quite depressed, and especially lonely. Then one night a ghost, named Po and his pet Bundle, appear. At first, Lisel isn't quite sure what to make of them, nor does she appreciate the invasion of her privacy. Slowly, though, they forge a special friendship. Po, who's able to travel to "The Other Side" also brings news of Liesl's father. He has a final request for his ashes to be spread by the pond near a willow tree at their old house. This sparks an escape and a quest, so here their story begins.

BACKGROUND

I guess Lauren Oliver penned this book in less than two months after a close friend died, unexpectedly. Its amazing she was able to put together a story so outstanding in such a short period of time. I guess it was part of her grieving process, I sure hope it helped her heal. Lucky for us, the product is a fantastic modern day fairytale which will quickly become a favorite and enjoyed by many for years to come.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Lauren's writing style is a breath of fresh air, so clean and sastifying. Her words are like eating meat and potatoes, not only do they stick with you for a long time after the meal, but they are also very comforting, too. With something always going on, the pacing was perfect - no lulls in this tale. The story is told in third person, from different character perspectives. It is done, though, in such a special, moving narrative, the reader can't help but forge some kind of connection or emotional attachments to these quirky, lovable characters or at least a slight bitter taste in his/her mouth for the villainous ones.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

This book is brimming with a set of unique, but sorrowful characters. Liesl, is a lonely, young girl who has recently lost her beloved father. Now she finds herself locked away in an attic by her evil stepmother. She's artistically talented, finding solitude in creating pictures. These drawings attract Will, an orphan, adopted by a cruel alchemist. He dares to stop and watch her draw through the lighted attic window when he should be running errands at night for the alchemist. Will's beat down, as the alchemist detests him, constantly berating him and calling him "useless", even worse, he's beginning to believe those cruel words. Po, the ghost Liesl sees the night her father dies, is initially pulled to Lisel because of her drawing ability, too. Po is neither boy or girl, instead he's just "an essence". Bundle, is Po's pet who isn't a cat or a dog, who makes the most remarkable sound, "Mwark"!

As a whole, the adults in this story are villainous and the children are the virtuous victims, with the exception of one adult character, the simple minded guard Mo (with his pet cat Lefty) - who is far more like any child than a grown up man. He's a kindred soul who puts the needs of others far above his own, especially when it comes to children, for he had a sister once, "but that's a whole different story".

RECOMMENDATION

Even though this book is categorized as a Middle Grade book, I believe its a story for those who are accomplished readers because Lauren's writing is full of challenging vocabulary. I would recommend this book to readers of all walks of life, both the young and the old will find something special about this book. If you enjoy a story crammed full of magic, adventure and fantasy, that reads like a modern day fairytale, this book will be the perfect one to warm your heart. Parents, this is the perfect bedtime read aloud for children!

PERSONAL NOTE

The digital library notified me this week, my WMA audio file for Liesl & Po was available. I greedily downloaded it as soon as I could get to my home computer. I absolutely adore Lauren Oliver's poetic writing style. This book, even though geared for a MG audience, was no exception. I almost devoured the entire audiobook in less than 24 hours. Such an utterly captivating piece! Plus, the audiobook reader was the infamous Jim Dale! He was the perfect voice for such a tale.

My two favorite characters in this book were the ghost Po and his trusty companion, Bundle. It was fun to guess if Po was a girl or a boy and if Bundle was a cat or a dog. In the end we find out, young readers will enjoy hedging their bets one way or another.

The story isn't at all what I expected, this is a magical, middle grade fantasy, which reads almost more like a modern day fairytale. With so many the twists and turns, I never could guess the outcome. It was evident each character played some role in the plot. The story built upon itself as each event and character strangely linked together, their lives becoming intertwined with each others in one way or another. They all converge at the end for an action packed, nail biting, tear jerking, finale. An "ineffable" tale which I'm certain will be enjoyed by many generations to come!

RATING

I can't think of any reason not to award this one 5 Rings! A fantastic and soothing read, action packed and heart warming, come together to make the perfect modern day fairytale.

5 out of 5 Rings
(LOVED IT!!! STAYED UP LATE TO FINISH)

Book Reviews: Katana

2012-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Katana
BY
COLE GIBSEN

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: Flux (March 8, 2012)

Length: Paperback, 384 pages

Format: e-Arc

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: Young Adult

Series: No, but its possible....

Completed: April 2012

Challenges: 2012 YA Debut Author's Challenge, 2012 E-book Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge

SUMMARY

Rileigh Martin is just your ordinary, typical, teenager looking forward to her senior year. That is up until one evening, at the shopping mall, when she and her best friend, Quentin are attacked by muggers. Somehow, Rileigh skillfully defends herself with martial arts skills no one knew she possessed. Recovering in a hospital bed, she has an unexpected male visitor, Kim, a handsome young martial arts instructor who explains her plight. Supposedly, a reincarnated samurai soul is living inside Rileigh, the trauma from the mugging has "awakened" the spirit. Kim also warns her she is now in terrible danger. The only way to survive would be for Rileigh to embrace the change, merging this samurai warrior's soul with her own. Rileigh has enough to worry about, without adding this issue. Her confidence wanes about releasing the spirit, because after all, what will this mean for her? Will she even be the same person?

BACKGROUND

From Cole's Website: "When Cole Gibsen isn't writing books for young adults, she can be found rocking out with her band, sewing crazy costumes for the fun of it, picking off her nail polish, or drinking milk straight from the jug -- provided no one is looking." Katana is her debut novel. There are rumors this book may be part of a series, but I haven't been able to get confirmation.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

A moderate to fast past book with plenty of action, this story takes place in a city setting. The novel is narrated in first person by the snarky, sarcastic female heroine, Rileigh Martin. At times the story does change up to third person, from Senshi's perspective, filling in the backstory, of the Samurai warrior spirit. Though the topic is serious, the writing is witty and humorous presenting a light mood, with a dark backdrop.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

THE MAIN PLAYERS:

Rileigh Martin is a bad-ass, teenaged skater girl who find herself fighting to keep from being taken over by a five hundred year old Samurai warrior, living inside her. She's snarky, sarcastic and very challenging, denying to herself and even her best friend, that she is secretly battling a soul takeover. At times we find her stubborn and moody, which could be construed as annoying when it comes to embracing the change. Its nice, though to see a heroine question her destiny versus just blindly accepting it. This seems more realistic.

Quentin, is a flamboyant, gay male who's summer job is washing hair at a styling salon. He also happens to be Rileigh's humorous, best friend providing the support she needs to get through this confusing time. Q. always finds a way to lighten the mood. So, even when serious stuff is going down, the reader will find something to smile about if this guy is nearby.

Whitley, the hot guy Rileigh has secretly been crushing on, appears to be a nice on the surface. His sudden interest in Rileigh will be considered insta-love, in stark contrast to the more slow burning relationship Rileigh sparks with Kim. He's the handsome young martial arts instructor, who Rileigh is drawn to and she knows the feeling are mutual. Yes, an atypical love triangle develops in this story, but a love triangle none-the less.

THE BACKGROUND CREW:

Kim's band of already reincarnated hot samurai warriors, Riley's quirky absent mother who she calls by her first name and a strange doctor who quickly falls for Riley's mom, all play small but somewhat significant roles in the story.

PLOT:

When teenagers discovers she has a reincarnated Samurai living inside her, begging to surface, instead of embracing the spirit, she battles to keep this japanese soul from taking over, fearful it could change her into someone completely different. Over the course of the book, this teen must come to terms with her situation.

RECOMMENDATION

A moderate to fast past book with plenty of well written samurai fighting scenes, this story could easily appeal to guys as well as gals. Looking for a book with snarky, strong female heroines, this one would be a good fit. A serious read with a light feel, both fresh and fun, anyone looking for something a little different will enjoy this story.

PERSONAL NOTE

A crafty story about a young teen who fights having her body taken over by a 500 year old reincarnated Samurai warrior's soul. I was entranced with all the reincarnation lore. Detailing "awakening", "transcending" and many other particular aspects about the reincarnation process, I was getting a pretty good understanding of how it all worked. I have to admit it was difficult for me to wrap my arms around the twin brothers reincarnated as lovers (boy and girl in the present life.) This was a little weird to me, but they were secondary or even tertiary characters, so it really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Katana also educates the reader about Naperro-bo, legendary Japanese creatures, who could be described as a faceless ghosts. Plus an abundance of new vocabulary words crop up throughout the story like "dojo" and "katana" just to mention of few. All this information is spun into a suspenseful, action packed story, laced with romance, soul mates and the strength love provides to survive beyond a lifetime.

All though I was really intrigued by all the reincarnation aspects of the book, the resistance to the so called "change" Rileigh continued to exercise was tiring. Enough already! Obviously, I didn't think it was nearly the big deal she did. In fact, I thought it was pretty darn cool. Look, she was going to become a stronger, kick ass girl, a true force to be reckoned with! Why wouldn't she welcome this change - trading in her skateboard for a katana seemed like a step up to me? I would have been more satisfied if she just would have been on board a little sooner, preventing this resistance from dragging out the entire book. Plus, she did some really stupid things in the process, like leaving her house in the middle of the night. I felt her decision making skills were lacking, putting herself in the face of danger a little too often.

Also, I found the story somewhat predictable, guessing who the bad guy was at the start. This didn't distract from my ability to enjoy the story, though. Katana still held, its share of surprises with a few unexpected twists and turns in the end. Plus possessing a real "comeback queen" narrator and fun-loving side kick gay friend made the story a fresh and fun read.

RATING

I'm really waffling on this one. Its VERY close to 4 stars because its fresh, creative and different. I hold back though awarding it only 3.5 Rings just because of the even balance I struck between things I liked and those I didn't.

3.5 Rings
(IT WAS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN OK - KEPT ME TURNING PAGES)

Cover Crazy (51) - Embers & Echoes

2012-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme initially hosted by The Book Worms on Mondays, but now its being hosted by Turning Pages, on Wednesdays. Its a meme where the idea is to showcase a beautiful book cover each week. This week I'm crazy about.....

This cover is really hot. I can almost feel the heat radiating from it. I love the color scheme. The bright oranges and yellow work so well with the black background, they almost glow. I think the liquid beneath the black coals is supposed to represent lava. I don't know why a plant like structure is emerging from it though. This puzzles me. I like the title font and again the author did a great job of placing her name unobtrusively.

What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Does it make you want to read the book more or less than before you saw it?

(Interested in covers? Be sure to check out more Cover Crazy posts by Small Review at her blog or the rest of mine Cover Crazy posts.)

Waiting on Wednesday: Touched

2012-04-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is..........

Touched

Cyn Balog

GOODREADS | AMAZON

SUMMARY

FROM GOODREADS....

Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.

But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there?

In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . .

HOOKS

Danger

Magical Books

Mystery/Predictions

Difficult Choices

Release Date: August 12th 2012

Ready to Pre-Order Your Copy:

Cover Crazy (50) - Touched

2012-04-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

For me, this cover holds a lot of mystery. I notice some type of fairgrounds in the background, because I think I'm seeing a ferris wheel, and maybe one one those circular swings through the fog/mist. Maybe its meant to be more of an amusement park? I'm not sure. The dark background sets an eerie mood, almost haunting. Could this be a ghost story?

The image walking towards the structures has dirty boots, but looking closely he/she is walking on a wood planked flooring, so curious to know where the mud came from. Then, the last question I have is what is all the flowing stuff coming off the figure? At first I thought it looked like smoke, but I don't think it is. Finally, I really like the title font, it reminds me of a child's writing. I'm very interested to find out more about this strange book. How about you?

What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Does it make you want to read the book more or less than before you saw it?

(Interested in covers? Be sure to check out more Cover Crazy posts by Small Review at her blog or the rest of mine Cover Crazy posts.)

Want More Details on this Book? -- Visit my WOW post for this week

(It gives the synopis and links to Goodreads and Amazon)

Book Reviews: Glow

2012-04-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

Glow
BY AMY KATHLEEN RYAN

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Publisher: St Martin's Griffen (September 13, 2011)

Length: Hardcover, 320 pages

Format: Audiobook

Source: The Publisher

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Series: Yes, Book #1 of 3

Completed: March 2011

Challenges: 2012 Audiobook Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge, 2012 Read Dystopian Challenge

SUMMARY

Waverly Marshall and Kieran Alden, are supposed to be in love. Its possible they may soon find themselves married even though neither of them has yet to reach his/her sixteenth birthdays. This is a new era, the Earth is no longer habitable. Both young teens are passengers aboard a spaceship called the Empyrean on a mission to populate a "New Earth". Reproduction is the key to guarantee human survival. Its part of their duty to mankind. Waverly isn't quite so sure she's ready for such a big step, yet.

Then the unthinkable happens. The crew of the New Horizon, a sister spacecraft with the same mission, forcibly boards The Empyrean, killing most of the adults, abducting Waverly along with all the other young girls. Now Waverly finds herself a prisoner, scared and separated from all the ones she loves. After this sentinel event, Waverly and Kieran both find themselves thrust into leadership roles: Kiernan aboard The Empyrean, taking care of the young boys and Waverly on The New Horizon, being the eldest of all the kidnapped young girls. But how will they ever find their way back to each other and if they do, will they be the same kids they were before tragedy struck? Sometimes disasters can change a person.

BACKGROUND

Amy Kathleen Ryan was born in Jackson, Wyoming. She studied Anthropology and Spanish at college in Omaha, Nebraska. She has Indie published a handful of other book, but I believe Glow is the first one which has been picked up by a publisher. Glow is book one of a The Sky Chaser's Trilogy. The second book in the series is titled Spark. Its tentative release date is July 17th, 2012.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

This book takes place in outer space, on two different space crafts: The New Horizon and The Empyrean. The first few chapters are a little slow, (and a bit sappy) which initially worried me, but then the story takes off, remaining action packed until the end. Writing style is direct, straightforward and to the point. The author isn't one to provide superfluous details, she's even pretty skeletal, on background information, too. The narration is in third person perspective, switching back and forth between two narrators: Waverly Marshall and Kieran Alden. The narration doesn't alternate between chapters instead each person has quite a few chapters to themselves before switching.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

Kieran, the aspiring future captain and fifteen year old male narrator, initially appears weak and unsure of himself. His crisis management skills are lacking, which is especially evident during the beginning of the book. Over the course of the story, he changes into a stronger, more confident individual. Being a benevolent and a good person, he tends to makes more allies than enemies. However, he draws part of his strength from his newly found religious beliefs, not from within, which is considered problematic by some, namely, Waverly.

Waverly, also fifteen, is the co-narrator. She's in love with Kieran (or at least thought she was). I was impressed with Waverly's inner strength, right from the get go. She's a logical girl and quests for information. I admired her ability to not blindly trust everything she is told. Instead, she chose to make up her own mind based on the facts. Being calculating, questioning and thinking everything through helped Waverly prevail in some difficult and controversial situations, of which she faced many during this story.

There are plenty of other characters in the book, too many to spotlight them all. The only two other standout characters are: Seth and Samantha. Seth is the captain's son. He's strong, a critical thinker and excels in dangerous times, but he's never been able to gain the respect of his father. His main drawbacks are his pent up anger, his quick temper and use of his fists to make people do things he wants. He admires Waverly from afar, but also realizes her heart belongs to Kieran. (Yes, readers, there is a love triangle present in this book.). This fact festers a personal vendetta against him. Samantha is a young girl who has a uncommonly, strong spirit. She's intelligent, brave and an especially a compelling actress. She appears completely innocent, usually flying under the radar, but don't be fooled. She's certainly someone who shouldn't be overlooked - ever!

The plot is set in a futuristic time after the Earth has been destroyed. It has sent two spaceships, with a common goal, to become the first inhabitants on another planet called New Earth, to ensure the survival of the human race. Instead of proceeding in harmony, as expected, the spaceships turn against each other as two completely different styles of leaderships emerge.

RECOMMENDATION

Glow was a real page turner, an exciting read which I would recommend to both guys and gals who enjoy reading books with lots of intensity and mostly, non-stop action, with a splash of romance. Please avoid this book if reading about conflicting religious beliefs bothers you. Otherwise, if you enjoy a dystopian-like book which is thought provoking, controversial and really makes you consider your own core beliefs, this is your book. It will keep you guessing and on your toes. It also would make a great Book Club Book, which I'm sure would spar mounds of great discussions.

PERSONAL NOTE

I listened to this one as an audiobook. Two readers, one for Kieran and one for Waverly told the story. I was more drawn towards Waverly's reader as she seemed more realistic to me, a good fit for her character. Kieran's reader, was good, just not great. Sometimes he seemed a little melodramatic for a guy. Both voices had very soothing tones. Overall, the audio was engaging and held my interest. (Please play clip below to listen for yourself).

Romance is part of this story, near the beginning it seemed like it was going to be center staged. Quickly, though it moves to the background. For the remainder of the book its definitely not the main focus of the story. A love triangle is emerging between Kieran, Waverly and Seth. It is just budding though in this book and looks like it will continue to grow in the next novel.

This story kept me wondering throughout the entire read who were the bad guys and who I should trust. It really made me question what was right and what was wrong. Near the end, it starting to touch on some pretty controversial religious issues. On the Empyrean, Kieran uses religion as a means to restore order, faith and give hope to the orphaned boys. At first, I thought the book was meant to illustrate religion as a means to get through hard times, showing the reader how motivating it can be for those experiencing difficult times. Then, towards the last few pages, it took a unexpected turn, almost making religion out to be evil or in Waverly's words "a sickness". It dabbles on "profits" or "messiah's" and "cult like" behaviors. What I see potential for developing is a religion = power theme. Its setting some very thought provoking reading in the next book. I can't wait to get my hands on it soon! In the meantime, its left me with plenty to think about.

RATING

This was an enjoyable read, I'm deducting only one ring for lack of background details. I personally would have liked to know more information about what brought the characters to the point we find them in the story. I think it would have made the story richer. Maybe they will come in the next book?

4 out of 5 Ring
(LIKED IT A LOT - LOOKED FORWARD TO READING IT)

Book Reviews: Allegiance

2012-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Allegiance
BY CAYLA KLUVER

Publisher: Harlequin Teen; Original edition (February 28, 2012)

Length: 512 pages

Format: Kindle

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Series: Yes, Book 2 of 3

Completed: March 2012

Challenges: 2012 Mammoth Book Challenge, 2012 Finish the Series Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge, 2012 E-Book Challenge, 2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge, 2012 2nd Challenge, 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge

SUMMARY

This book picks right up where Legacy left off. Alera and Steldor get married and they are carrying on as King and Queen of Hytanica. All the while, Alera, though married to Steldor, still finds her heart belongs to Narian. As Steldor becomes more and more frustrated with Alera's avoidance of consummating the marriage, at least he has a Kingdom to look after to help occupy his time away from home and serve as a distraction to his marital shortcomings. You see, the evil War Lord of Cokqui is moving forces and it appears Hytanica will be imminently at war. But the man leading the war, is Narian. Will Queen Alera be able to sever her romantic ties and face him as her enemy?

BACKGROUND

Cayla Kluver wrote Legacy when she was only 14 years old! Both her parents are lawyers. In overwhelming support to jump start Cayla's writing career, her mother started a publishing company and first published Legacy. As they had both hoped, the story was picked up by a bigger publisher, AmazonEncore. Eventually, it attracted the attention of Harlequin Teen. Sporting a newly designed cover image, Legacy was republished June 28th, 2011. Its book one of The Legacy Trilogy. The second book Allegiance is set to be released at the end of February 2012. Sacrifice, the final installment of the trilogy also has a 2012 release date slated.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Brisk in the beginning, picking up to downright fast near the middle and the end, Legacy is an exhilarating read. The writing style is far less descriptive than in the first book. Instead, the author becomes more of a storyteller, than a description addict. The novel is set in the fictional city of Hytanica, sometime in the distant past. Alera remains the narrator and her story is told in a first person narrative.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

It was easy for me to become a Steldor fan, in this novel and move towards being an Alera hater, instead of just tolerating her as I did in the first book. I detested the way she treated Steldor, when it was obvious how much he'd changed after they were married. He transformed into a caring and thoughtful man, plus he was so very handsome how could she continue to resist him? I was very touched when he even went as far as to give her a kitten to lift her spirits. It also aggravated me how most of everything bad happening in the story was a result of Alera's stupidity or carelessness. In the end though, Alera did manage to change for the better, nearly redeeming herself in my eyes.

Please don't let Alera ruin the potential of a enchanting read. There are so many other fantastic characters in this novel, and as readers, we are blessed to learn a more detailed history of quite a few from the last book. The elusive London's story is finally unveiled. It just made my adoration for his character blossom. Also, Steldor's father, Cannon found a path to my heart, quickly becoming another one of my favorites, with his fair and kind rulership of the Hytanican people.

This book had an engaging plot which revolves around Alera coming to terms with her arranged marriage to Steldor, while concurrently learning to deal with the affects and aftermath of a country at war.

RECOMMENDATION

Any reader who liked Legacy will LOVE Allegiance. If you like great story telling, an involved plot and strong world building, then don't miss out on this phenomenal story.

PERSONAL NOTE

There is something so very captivating about this series. Its just plain old fantastic story telling. Even though this book is over the 400+ page length, it never felt like it was dragging - ever. I found it absolutely effortless to race to the end. Nothing about this story bored me, mostly I found myself totally immersed in this nail-bitting plot, wondering what would happen next.

World building was both intricate and phenomenal. Every time I read this book it felt like I was transported into a different time. The author is very young, but extremely talented and gifted. She has the ability to make me feel like I was right there in the midst of it all. The way she writes allows the reader to really get to know all the characters. There are so many, as I read I began to get the feeling like they were all a part of my family. I loathed some, loved others and was totally invested in all most every individual I read about. They made me laugh, cry and root for them all the way to the bitter end.

The ending was fair, not predictable and felt like it reached closer. The series could have ended with this book, but after reading the Prologue it looks like there is still a bit of strategy and war left to be played out. It is a rare book that has this type of effect on me, especially one in this particular genre - historical fiction/fantasy. It really shocked me how much I enjoyed reading this story. I'm almost sad its over. I can't wait for book three to see where the author will take this epic tale.

RATING

I can't even fathom taking a single star away from this amazing book, then when you add to it the age of the author who wrote it, its becomes almost unfathomable. Wow! An all around great read....

5 out of 5 Rings
LOVED IT!!! - (STAYED UP LATE TO FINISH IT)

Cover Crazy (49) - Dig

2012-04-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

This one captured my attention because its quite different. I like the back lighted background. It really gives the cover an angelic feel. If I was a betting girl, I'd put my money on this one probably is about angels. What do you think? The background has a church feel to me. The symbols on the woman's ankles appear to be angel wings, since she levitating, it almost makes me think she may be flying. I like the simplistic cover font and the white color. Its also pleasing how the author's name is faded. This cover has made me want to find out more about the book, especially since the title is totally non-related to the comer image.

What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Does it make you want to read the book more or less than before you saw it?

(Interested in covers? Be sure to check out more Cover Crazy posts by Small Review at her blog or the rest of mine Cover Crazy posts.)

In My Mailbox (25): Week of March 26th, 2012

2012-03-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Its a great way to showcase and create excitement for the new books received, from any source, during the week.

FOR REVIEW:

LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver ( Library2Go Audio) - The digital library notified me this week, my WMA audio file for Liesl & Po was available. I greedily downloaded it as soon as I could get to my home computer. I absolutely adore Lauren Oliver's poetic writing style. This book, even though geared for a MG audience, is no exception. The story isn't at all what I expected, I've almost devoured the entire audiobook in less than 24 hours. This is such an entertaining MG fantasy, which reads almost more like a fairytale. I love all the twists and turns. Each event and character are strangely linked together on way or another. I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

GOODREADS | AMAZON.COM

THE MAGIC OF FINKELTON by K.C. Hilton (Purchased at Amazon.com) - This is a MG fantasy book It is the proud recipient of quite a few awards: The Children's Literacy Seal of Approval, Literary Classics Finalist and Literary Classics Gold Award for best of Pre-teen fiction. For a limited time, it is available on Amazon.com for .99 (Kindle Version), so I thought I'd give it a try. Its a magical adventure about a family who's children discover a way to control the weather. Its intended for a MG audience of 9-12 and the writing so far serves this age bracket well - its pretty simplistic.

GOODREADS | AMAZON.COM

THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO by Patrick Ness (Purchased at Amazon.com) - A blogger friend of mine, Aylee, author of the Recovering Potter Addict Blog recommended this book as one of her all time favorites. I popped over to Amazon to check it out and found it for sale for .99 (Kindle Version). It was such an incredible deal I couldn't resist. Its sounds almost like a mix of science fiction and fantasy. Set in a futuristic world where everyone can hear each other's thoughts, this one sounds fantastic. Even better, the MC has a dog for his companion, human's can ever hear dog thoughts and this dog is supposed to be a really fun character. Can't wait to start reading this one.

GOODREADS | AMAZON.COM

So, what's in your Mailbox this week? Have you read any of the books I've received? I'd love the hear what you think of them if you have! Are they great, horrible, etc. Please leave a comment below.

Waiting on Wednesday: The False Prince

2012-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is..........

The False Prince

Jennifer A. Nielsen

GOODREADS | AMAZON

SUMMARY

FROM GOODREADS....

The False Prince is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

HOOKS

Male Narrator

Extraordinary Adventure

Fantasy

Danger, Action, Lies & Deadly Truths

A middle grade fantasy with a male narrator. What's not to like about that? Even, better, this one will be released in the coming week, so we don't have to wait very long to get our hands on this little gem.

Release Date: April 1st 2012

Ready to Pre-Order Your Copy:

Book Reviews: Beastly

2012-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Beastly
BY ALEX FLINN

Publisher: HarperTeen (October 2, 2007)

Length: 320 pages, Hardcover

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library2go.com

Genre: Fairy tale Retelling, YA

Series: No

Completed: February 2012

Challenges: 2012 Audiobook Challenge, 2012 Fairy Tales Retold challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge, 2012 Support your Local Library Challenge, 2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge

SUMMARY

When an evil witch casts a nasty spell on Kyle Kingsly, he's transformed from the most popular, flawlessly hot guy in his private high school into a repulsive, beast. Now, Kyle is forced to find a girl who will love him in his present state, for what's on the inside or face a lifetime of being a beast. He's in deep trouble! The problem is Kyle's beauty was truly only skin deep. Inside he's a very ugly person. Will he somehow manage to change enough over the next two years to find someone to love him, or will it be his destiny to forever remain a hideous beast?

BACKGROUND

Alex Flinn's mother told her at a very young age she should be an author. She continued to write all through growing up, but never managed to ever finished a novel. Instead, she went to college to study opera and then went on to law school. Alex's very first novel Breathing Underwater was inspired by her time working with battered woman. She continues to write Young Adult novels because in her mind she is still thirteen years old.

Beastly, has become a #1 New York Times Best selling story and has also been made into a movie which previewed in March of 2011. Alex has written a companion novel called Lindy's Diary which was released as an e-book in January of 2012.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

Initially taking place in New York, then moving to a more rural setting, the story of Kyle Kingsly and Beastly unfolds. The book opens in a chat room with many recognizable fairy tale characters presenting stories of misfortune and grief. Then, it proceeds to the main story, with Kyle narrating in first person for the remainder of the of the time. However, randomly, the book will return to the chat room format for short bursts, updating the reader on how some of the fairy tale characters dilemmas are playing out. Slow to moderate pacing with a race to the finish in the last couple of chapters, is the make up of this well known fairy tale. Written in a realistic prose, its easy to get whisked away by the story.

MAIN CHARACTERS AND PLOT

This is a fairy tale retelling of the story Beauty and the Beast. Kyle Kingsly assumes the role of the beast. In the beginning he's a completely nasty teenager, who takes great pleasure in hurting others. He's strikingly handsome, tall with blond straight hair, without a single exterior flaw. The author did a fantastic job of making it so easy to HATE Kyle Kingsly. I detested his acts of human cruelty. He was so full of himself it was downright sickening, a spoiled rotten rich brat who didn't care about anyone but himself. I was very satisfied to see him suffer, feeling he deserved everything he was dealt because he needed to be taught a lesson in humility. All this being said, I did enjoy seeing the changes take place in his personal character as the novel progressed.

Lindy, the girl who represents Belle, was a little annoying at the beginning of the book. Though I could sympathize with her feelings, I had a hard time understanding how she couldn't quite see the benefits of her situation. She was so much better off living as Kyle's prisoner, than as her father's. In the end, I did warm up to her. Eventually she won me over, I enjoyed watching her emotional attachment to Kyle develop slowly over the course of the story.

RECOMMENDATION

I recommend this to readers who enjoy contemporary fairy tale retelling or sweet stories with "happy ever after endings". If reading books containing characters who are easy to hate, with small doses of suspense and action tossed in, sounds like something you'd enjoy, then go out and get yourself a copy of Beastly and start reading now.

PERSONAL NOTE

Honestly, I haven't read many fairy tale retellings, let alone ones where I actually was familiar with the story going into the book. I found myself treading on foreign grounds. Unfortunately, I did find the predictability distracted a little from my enjoyment of the story, but not enough to make a huge difference. Even though I knew the outcome ahead of time, it was still fun to read a modern and unique spin on an old story.

I liked the author's take on the story, having Kyle, (the Beast) being a wealthy, spoiled brat. This made it so easy to hate his character, instead of pity on him, despite his absent father. It also worked well that Lindy (Belle) was an underprivileged girl attending a prestigious school on scholarship with a drug abuser as a father. Having the characters come from opposing social-economical backgrounds, both with problematic fathers, was a great set up. The novel was written in a contemporary genre, bringing the story up to date with the 20th century, exploring current teenage issues, which is a fresh take on the old story of Beauty and the Beast.

One drawback to the book occurred mostly in the last few action scenes near the end of the book. The pace had really picked up and Kyle was on a major beastly, rampage. Suddenly, the author began to increase the frequency in which she used of the word "lunged", enough that I started to notice. I didn't read this one on my kindle, so I'm unable to give statistics.

I did listen to this one as an audiobook. The readers for both Lindy and Kyle did a fantastic job capturing the emotions of each character without being overly melodramatic. I enjoyed listening to it and especially chuckled at the character voices in the chatroom format.

RATING

This was a quick, enjoyable read for me. I'm deducting one star for predictability and overuse of the word "lunged" near the ending. Its a bit unfair, because this is a fairy tale re-telling, but, for me, it did lessen my enjoyment (just a smidgen), knowing in the end what what going to happen.

4 out of 5 Rings
(LIKED IT A LOT, LOOKED FORWARD TO READING IT)

Cover Crazy (48) - A World Away

2012-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

For a while now I've been on sort of a illustrative fantasy/paranormal kick. This week I'm switching gears. I found this one while perusing Goodreads and it caught my eye. I'm lulled by the neutral background. The mason jar with the lid off symbolizes freedom to me. I like the spot of color the butterflies add to the cover. The title font is really eye catching especially the way the word "Away" is emphasized with a different typeset. Another aspect which is always aesthetically pleasing to me is how the author's name is unobtrusive and out of the way. Using all capital letters and a smaller font worked well.

What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Does it make you want to read the book more or less than before you saw it? Be sure to check out the LINKY at the Turning Pages blog for more beautiful Cover Crazy Posts this week.

(Interested in covers? Be sure to check out more Cover Crazy posts by Small Review at her blog or the rest of my Cover Crazy posts.)

In My Mailbox(24): Week of March 13th 2012

2012-03-18T00:30:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Its a great way to showcase and create excitement for the new books received, from any source, during the week.

FOR REVIEW:

LIES BENEATH by Anne Greenwood Brown ( Netgalley.com) - So many great mermaid books releasing soon. I'm excited to read them all. This one has a unique twist, its about "murderous mermaids". Plus, it looks like the narrator may be a merman. Sounds cool, I'll start reading this one closer to summer time as it doesn't release until June 2012.

ALLEGIANCE by Cayla Kluver (Netgalley.com) - This is book two in the Legacy Series. An unusual read for me as I'm pretty sure this would be classified as a historical fiction and fantasy mix. Many readers didn't enjoy the overly descriptive writing style in Legacy, but I didn't find it nearly as bothersome as others did. I'm excited to get back into this story and find out what's going to happen with the characters. I've heard great things about this book, which heightens my urgency to read it quickly despite its 400 page plus length.

KATANA by Cole Gibsen (Netgalley.com) - A story with a kick butt heroine with incredible sword wielding fighting skills. Its on the 2012 Debut Young Adult Authors list. This one sounds intriguing to me. Its probably classified as an action/thriller, but I'm not sure. I don't think I've read anything quite like it. It will be a good change of pace for me. Just hope I enjoy it. I will be starting this one in the next couple weeks. So, I guess I'll find out soon.

So, what's in your Mailbox this week? Have you read any of the books I've received? I'd love the hear what you think of them if you have!

Book Reviews: Someone Else's Life

2012-03-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

Someone Else's Life
BY KATIE DALE

Publisher: Delecorte Books for Young Readers (February 14, 2012)

Length: 464 pages

Format: e-Arc

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Series: No

Completed: March 2012

Challenges: 2012 YA Debut Author's, 2012 E-Book Challenge, 2012 Completely Contemp Challenge, 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

SUMMARY

When eighteen year old Rosie Kenning's mother dies of Huntington's disease, she is left parentless, (her father passed away on the day she was born). Scared, alone and unsure of what direction her life will take her in, she decides her first step should be to take the genetic test which will reveal if she, too will suffer a similar fate as her mother. This way she'll at least know if she has a life to live!

However, in the process of preparing to go through with the genetic testing, a family friend and midwife, reveals to Rosie that Trudie wasn't her biological mom. In fact, Rosie had been switched at birth with another sickly child. A child who was born to a teenaged mother and was going to be put up for adoption, if she survived. With this news, Rosie feels instant relief to not have the deadly Huntington's disease, but at the same time she is now compelled to go in search of her real family. In her quest Rosie ends up uncovering a whole lot more than she ever could have expected.

BACKGROUND

Katie Dale is both an author and an actress. She's a terrible cook and was her school's chess champion. Someone Else's Life is Katie's cross over YA debut novel. It is a stand alone novel and was released on Valentine's Day 2012.

SETTING PACE AND STYLE

This story takes place across two continents: Europe and the United States as it follows the main character Rosie, along with her college aged boyfriend, Andy, in a quest to find her biological parents. Pacing is moderate, with lots and I emphasize LOTS of unexpected twists and turns. The narration is done in first person, alternating perspectives between the main character, Rosie, and a mystery narrator. The story proceeds in this fashion until midway through the book, when that person's identity is finally unveiled. I found this style to be a little confusing while listening to the audio, but while reading the story it made a perfect sense. It was a creative technique which I've not seen in any other novels I've read previously.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT

As for the characters, they all seemed to have no reservations about lying to others. Rosie irritated me from the start since it was crystal clear many of her problems stemmed from not being upfront and honest. This was most evident in her relationship with Andy. Then, later, when we meet Holly, I quickly grew annoyed with how she wasn't truthful either. At one moment she says, "The truth may hurt but lies - they're vicious, but yet, at the same time, she continues to keep so many things hidden from her family and especially her boyfriend, which is so hypocritical. Plus, Holly's vindictiveness towards Rosie seemed unwarranted. Her behavior mirrored more of what I would have expected from a three year old, than an eighteen year old woman.

The one character I held the utmost respect for was Jack. He was an incredible man, a fantastic father and the perfect husband. His willingness to be nonjudgmental and his ability to love unconditionally melted my heart. I'm so in awe, despite his young age, he still stepped up to the plate and cared for an infant daughter, all by himself! How many men do you know who would be actually willing to do something like that?

Overall, the men in this book seemed far more authentic, honest and likable than the woman. They all possessed compassion and big hearts. Each guy stood by their woman, through thick and thin, despite each woman being quite wishy-washy and dishonest, well with the exception of Jack's wife Megan. I found no faults what-so-ever in her character.

Plot would be considered both issue and character driven. With serious tones, it revolves around a young woman discovering after her mother's passing she was not her biological daughter. After this life altering revelation, she decides to go in search of her true heritage. What she finds is a whole lot more than she could have ever expected.

RECOMMENDATION

I would recommend this book to readers who find reading about contemporary issues surrounding a deadly disease enjoyable. Those who thrive on reading about social conflicts, twists and hidden secrets will certainly be entertained. This is one of those books which girls will appreciate far more than guys.

PERSONAL NOTE

With a lot of mystery packed into the pages, right from the get go, I quickly began to feel the effects of all the twists and turns. If this had been a roller coaster ride, it would have caused me to toss my cookies. After about the fourth twist, all of which happen in the first third of the book, I began to question the feasibility of it all. It wasn't working for me. It felt like all the coincidences were teetering on becoming just too far-fetched for me to buy into. But, wait, the twists didn't stop there either, they just kept being thrown at me throughout the entire book. Believe it or not there was even a small twist at the conclusion.

Once I gave myself permission to just get over all the crazy, somewhat implausible twists, I eventually ended up becoming engrossed by the overall writing and storyline. But then, near the end of the book, I got side tracked again when the author began overusing the adjective "incredulously". Maybe it had something to do with all the lying going on, but whatever it the reason, it slowly began to get under my skin. My kindle statistics say the word "incredulously" was used twenty times in the entire story, increasing in frequency towards the conclusion. To give you a better idea, on my kindle, it roughly showed up every 120 locations, after location 2747 until the end of the book. The most continuous locations passed by without seeing this adjective was only 479, during this period. (No wonder why I noticed!)

In the end, I did end up being provided a decent amount of enjoyment out of reading the book. It did have a certain familiarity and read a bit like a Jodi Picoult novel.The author was able to provide closer for me at the end, but I sort of yearned for slightly different ending. If it had concluded the way I'd have chosen, it would have explained away some of the irritations I had about a certain character. The story is a standalone with a decent take home message about living life one day at a time and savor each moment.

RATING

I'm going to have to deduct two rings for implausible plot and redundant word choice. These two items bothered me enough, it distracted me from some, but definitely not all, of my enjoyment of the story.

3.5 Rings
(IT WAS OK OR - KEPT ME TURNING PAGES)

Waiting on Wednesday - Monstrous Beauty

2012-03-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is..........

Monstrous Beauty

Niri Loftin

SUMMARY

FROM GOODREADS....

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

HOOKS

Mermaids

Century Old Curses

Ghosts

Forbidden Love

After reading the blurb and a couple reviews on Goodreads, I thought this one was pure awesomeness. When I saw a limited number of copies were available on Netgalley, I sent in my request and I was approved. Can't wait to get a chance to read this thriller. What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Release Date: September 4th, 2012

Ready to Pre-Order Your Copy:

Cover Crazy (47) - Darkness Falls

2012-03-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Book Worms on Mondays. Its a brand new meme where the idea is to showcase a beautiful book cover each week. This week I'm crazy about.....

I am drawn to the lighting and color palate in this one. The blood red title font really adds just the needed pop of color to make this one stand out. The girl looks to be some type of soldier. She appears to be Asian. I wonder why the moon and black birds or maybe bats are in the background. It appears to be night time. I'm also detecting some fog. I'm curious about the brick structure or tunnel which lies ahead of her. What importance does it hold? Also, what type of weapon is she grasping in her hands? I think this has significance to the story line. I'm very interested.

What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Does it make you want to read the book?

(Interested in covers? Be sure to check out more Cover Crazy posts by Small Review at her blog or the rest of mine Cover Crazy posts.)