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Kings & Queens (Kings & Queens #1)

by Courtney Vail (Goodreads Author)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 83 ratings · 65 reviews

How would YOU stop a massacre ... if you were only seventeen?
If the cops didn't believe you?
If your mom never listened?
If your friends thought it was a joke?
If the faceless nutjobs trolled your halls and somehow knew your every move before you made it?

Majesty Alistair, whose biggest aims of late have been to best Grief and keep any nearby 2x4s from colliding with her crush...more

Paperback, 328 pages

Published January 27th 2012 by Little Prince Publishing (first published November 5th 2011)

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Jun 09, 2012 Jillyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

I'm quite disappointed in this book. A pity, but that's what happens when you judge a book by its cover, I suppose.

In my humble opinion, it's written like a mediocre fan fiction. The dialog sounds forced between characters, characters who I immediately didn't relate to. One of the reviewers commented on the use of language, saying that it's "how teenagers talk." I'm only a year out of my teens, & no one's speech habits or word choices have irritated me as greatly as these characters did.

Plot...more

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Courtney Vail Thank you for reading and reviewing Kings & Queens through Shut Up & Read. I appreciate you taking the time. I don't expect everyone will like...more Thank you for reading and reviewing Kings & Queens through Shut Up & Read. I appreciate you taking the time. I don't expect everyone will like my book because I know I write weird, so I'm totally cool with that. Despite the mediocre part, I'm so glad you said it reads like fan fiction because maybe that means my brand of twisty suspense is not as lonely as I think it is. Fan fiction of what??? You've given me hope and I need to know. I am not being snarky or sassy, sorry if it's coming across that way, I read that back and realized it might, I'm just really excited to have someone say that my book is reminiscent of something else. When I was shopping K&Q to agents, I couldn't find any books like it to put into my query. Agents like you to have comparisons so they know how to sell your book to publishers, and my book was so twisty, dark and weird, I came up empty--in YA anyway. Veronica Mars meets the Manchurian Candidate was the best I could do. But VM is not a book and MC is not YA. I need YA similarities. But because the sequel for K&Q ended up adult, I pulled out of the hunt and decided to seek out and go with a small publisher instead.

However, I'm writing this new YA book, Dropping Like Flies, centered around a supernatural hit list, that is even weirder but leans horror, and I want to try and get represented for that because it has a more clearly defined hook. Kings & Queens is more about the surprises and twists that emerge at the back end than a clear concept right up front. So if you could point me in the direction of any YA books even remotely like mine or that Kings & Queens reminded you of in that fan-fic way, that would be great and very helpful. It would be a good place for me to start since I can't seem to lay off the weird.

This other book I'm writing has a starlet on the run from a stalker, and an Irish Traveller (gypsy) is charged with killing her because her nightmares act as gateways between realms and pop into reality when beings come through, often causing deadly destruction. These two fall in love, and somehow a flirty fairy who gets drunk off chocolate ended up in there and other creatures called wanderlings. In reality, Travellers have a bad rep and are loathed in society, and I wanted to make them secret defenders of the world instead, people who are just vastly misunderstood. It started as a simple romance with a stalker mixed in. I will probably have to go small pub again with this one since it's all over the map and too hard to explain.

But Dropping Like Flies has a decent shot to score bigger interest. Can you help???(less)
updated Jun 10, 2012 03:59am

Jun 23, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recieved-to-review, favourite-books

I thought this book was AMAZING, the plot had me hooked and would not let me go until the very end and even when I had finished I just could not stop thinking about it. Majesty Alistair is just an average teenage girl with a normal life until she over hears some of her fellow students planning a church massacre. Unable to go to the police, majesty feels she only has one choice – to discover herself who she overheard and to stop the massacre before it happens. Little by little majesty discovers t...more I thought this book was AMAZING, the plot had me hooked and would not let me go until the very end and even when I had finished I just could not stop thinking about it. Majesty Alistair is just an average teenage girl with a normal life until she over hears some of her fellow students planning a church massacre. Unable to go to the police, majesty feels she only has one choice – to discover herself who she overheard and to stop the massacre before it happens. Little by little majesty discovers that everything is much more complex than just a church shooting, and she finds herself pulled into a deadly game where even her closest friends are suspect.

I loved how every single character was complex and multi layered as this is something I find lacking in most books I read. Majesty is probably one of the best female characters I have had the pleasure of reading about. She is gutsy, smart and brave, and is far less idiotic than most female heroines – though she still has her moments. The plot was confusing but thrilling and kept me guessing throughout. As soon as you think you understand what is going on a new piece of information is revealed which rips apart all you thought you knew . Like the rest of the book the romance isn’t simple either, forget love triangles, this is more like a love pentagon.

The ending was absolutely amazing though I will admit that I yelled out NOOO at one particular moment. I thought it was amazing how the author makes you feel for each and every character, even the ‘bad’ ones. This book has everything; suspense, action, romance, and some moments might even make you cry.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book that isn’t just a simple, easy (and boring) read. However don’t read this book after having a manicure as the suspense will have you biting your nails off. I am eagerly looking forwards to reading more books by Courtney Vail, especially Sapphire Reign, the sequel to Kings and Queens that is set 10 years later.

*This book was provided to me by the publisher for review. In no way has this affected my review*(less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Sana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Kings & Queens takes place in a time period of 6 weeks, 5 months after Majesty's father dies. Majesty is still raw from the whole ordeal and is trying very hard to go on in life without being irritated by her mother's new friend, Paul and the fact that she's in love with one of her best friends, Derek. In fact, Alec, the other best friend, is the only person keeping her on her toes, patient and just being there for her.

The way Kings & Queens begins will surely take the reader on a confus...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Ashleigh Paige marked it as gave-up-on

Shelves: what-kind-of-mess-is-this, the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, so-bad-that-i-refuse-to-finish-it

I managed to read the prologue and the first chapter of this book and found I just could not continue reading for the life of me. The writing style (which I really should have tried to preview beforehand, so this is all my fault) is rather babbling and forced and I can't see myself finishing a novel written the way this one is no matter how interested I am in the storyline. Maybe I can do it one chapter at a time over a long period of time once I get a few of the other books I own read.

But also....more

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Aug 08, 2012 Dora McAlpin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Somebody in this book is making plans to do some very bad things. It falls to Majesty to try to figure out who and what.

Majesty's two best friends, Derek and Alec, prove capable and willing to help... maybe a little too capable and willing. As the plot twists and turns and clues turn up in the most unexpected places, Majesty wonders if even they can be trusted. She's on her own. And somebody evidently wants her dead.

Kings & Queens is recounted in third-person narrative with an intimacy and c...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Tatum C. Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, want-to-revisit

This book is much unlike anything I've read, certainly a more fast paced and gritty YA novel than most. I am still gathering my thoughts on Kings & Queens, a lot happens in the month and a half timeframe that this book is set. If you are looking for a suck-you-in, gotta-pay-attention, don't-wanna-miss a moment story; look no further, Kings & Queens is for you. The first two chapters didn't have me convinced but as I read on I let go of my doubts and ended up enjoying it. This will defini...more

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May 18, 2012 Diayll rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour

Originally Reviewed at:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 2 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: AimeeKay

I’m not happy with this book. I expected more, especially seeing its banners everywhere lately and people gushing over the cover, I expected a lot more. I will say I was kind of hesitant about the whole love triangle part of the story, but as it turned out that was the least of my worries.

First I really had issues with the main character. She just did such dumb, and I mean dumb, thin...more

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May 17, 2012 Michelle novelsontherun rated it 5 of 5 stars

RATING: 5 ADDICTIVE DEREK STARS!!

Curveballs are woven masterfully through this energetic read. I went through a lot of emotions reading this book.

At first I felt confused with the Prologue.

Then the story kicks in like I should really know the characters and where I am at. Now I am not criticising as this is a most exciting read, but it just takes the reader a bit to get their bearings. But that is Courtney's style of writing, getting us to learn along with the characters. It felt like I was sl...more

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May 06, 2012 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Title: Kings and Queens
Author: Courtney Vail
Publisher: Little Prince Publishing
Number of Pages: 328
Date of Release: January 27th, 2012
Summary From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him...more Title: Kings and Queens
Author: Courtney Vail
Publisher: Little Prince Publishing
Number of Pages: 328
Date of Release: January 27th, 2012
Summary From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.
All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubts cops will follow up on her tip since they’re sick of her coming around with notions of possible crimes-in-the-works. And it’s not like she cries wolf. Not really. They’d be freaked too, but they’re not the ones suffering from bloody dreams that hint at disaster like some crazy, street guy forecasting the Apocalypse.
So, she does what any habitual winner with zero cred would do…try to I.D. the nutjobs before they act. But, when their agenda turns out to be far bigger than she ever assumed, and even friends start looking suspect, the truth and her actions threaten to haunt her forever, especially since she’s left with blood on her hands, the blood of someone she loves.

Review: I don’t even know where to begin with this one guys! And I mean that in a totally this book was crazy in a good way! I liked the way that the characters all, even the minor ones, had huge personalities. The sheer quality of the writing is also a fact that needs to be mentioned. Courtney Vail, has a fresh new voice that YA readers will fall in love with.

I don’t want to get super detailed and ruin the book so I am just going to do a overview of all the characters lumped together. Like I stated above the characters are incredibly well done. I really liked getting to know each one of them, and that ultimately added to the stories huge plot line. While I loved the intricacy, at times, I just wanted something to happen, but it didn’t take long for things to move along again.

I’m so freaking excited that on goodreads it says this is book one! I really need more of this quirky story. I love unique books, because I can relate to them better and I think that is the same for a lot of other teens out there like me. I was kept guessing through the whole story and just as I thought I had things figured out BAM the novel would shift focus and move on with another piece of information that would shatter that previous thought! To sum up my thoughts Kings and Queens is definitely a novel you have to check out!

p.s. after you read the book the cover makes complete sense! Love it when that happens!! (less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Tabby - IMReviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-for-imr-2012, kindle-books-i-own

See Original Post - Here

First off, let me start by saying - this cover just kind of speaks to me. It's gorgeous!

Now.. onto the good stuff! This book for me was.. fun. Yes, fun. How, you might ask?! Well - let me just tell you!

Majesty, or "Maj" is one amazing girl in her own right. I mean, how can you NOT like a girl who is manager of a baseball team, trying to convince her heart to decide already (Derek or Alec!) and while while trying to put a stop to a "church massacre" she overheard was going...more See Original Post - Here

First off, let me start by saying - this cover just kind of speaks to me. It's gorgeous!

Now.. onto the good stuff! This book for me was.. fun. Yes, fun. How, you might ask?! Well - let me just tell you!

Majesty, or "Maj" is one amazing girl in her own right. I mean, how can you NOT like a girl who is manager of a baseball team, trying to convince her heart to decide already (Derek or Alec!) and while while trying to put a stop to a "church massacre" she overheard was going to happen!? Talk about having your plate full! Add to it the extremely vivid dreams she has been having about the deaths, along with the fact that no one wearing a uniform will believe her stories - she decides that its up to her to stop this before it happens. Girl on a mission much?! Yes, please! Go Maj!

She soon finds herself knee deep as a witness to some not so awesome looking crimes and it is looking like she might just be the next victim. EEK! The kicker? More and more it is looking like her friends are the suspects. Just who do you trust in a town where everyone has some kind of dark back story and those you thought were your friends are looking like they are out to get you! - Thriller! - (you just broke out in the Michael Jackson dance, didn't you?!)

For some, the pace of this novel would be considered fast. I however, freaking loved it! Just when I thought I had things figured out, BAM! In.My.Face! The plot changed, or the person I thought it was became innocent and there were a few things in there I didn't see coming at all! She really threw me for a loop with this book! Oh! Be sure to NOT overlook any back story that you come across! They are important in this book!

From the tone of this book, to the plot line, all the way to the flow of the story itself, this was one well written read. Twists and turns at every corner, characters you can't help but fall in love with and root for. I just loved it!

*As far as Maj's heart goes - you will just have to read the book to get those details!*(less)

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Mar 23, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Majesty, spunky and defiant, stumbles upon a disastrous church massacre plot and will do anything to intervene before innocent people are killed. The scenes are so believable that I can already picture some of them coming to life. The story has a complex plot, but once you start reading it’ll be hard to put down!

Vail’s writing is as different as a prince to a lowly peasant. She has a way of making the characters seem so genuine by their actions, decisions and even the slang they speak. Everyone...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Skywise rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was weird. Not bad, just weird. I totally loved this book!!! After a few chapters, I got sucked in and literally could NOT put it down. It wasn't what I expected, I'll just say that. It's very different from other YA books I've read, though, I admit, I've been lingering in the UF bin for quite awhile. But, I honestly wouldn't even know how to categorize this because it has a little bit of everything. YA books are usually more linear, but this story took many turns I didn't expect and w...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Doskoi_panda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

Like a Teenage Melrose Place Sped Up...

Majesty is a girl of action with a number of problems to solve. She manages her high school's baseball team (on a winning streak), is convinced that her father's death wasn't an accident, overhears a plot to gun down a church service and is unsure how to alert the police, and is bouncing back and forth as to which of her two best friends she is in love. And, of course, her mom has a new, peculiar boyfriend ( a situation about which she feels a bit Hamlet-y....more Like a Teenage Melrose Place Sped Up...

Majesty is a girl of action with a number of problems to solve. She manages her high school's baseball team (on a winning streak), is convinced that her father's death wasn't an accident, overhears a plot to gun down a church service and is unsure how to alert the police, and is bouncing back and forth as to which of her two best friends she is in love. And, of course, her mom has a new, peculiar boyfriend ( a situation about which she feels a bit Hamlet-y.)

The pace of this novel is furious, and never really lets you catch your breath. You may get a moment to sigh your relief, but don't be fooled; more danger and complication is on the way, pretty much at every turn. The characters are, for the most part, interesting and engaging; Majesty is just about believable (most of the time), and the portrayal of cliques in high school also feels accurate. Majesty is a strong heroine, she is not infallible, but she is tough as nails (I renamed her Ripley in my head at times.) The young men in the book are also more than stepping stones; they have developed characters and aren't just moping eye candy or idiotic children, which is refreshing.

Needs a bit of polishing, but nothing too critical. A good proofreader/editor could correct the typographical errors that are scattered throughout, and help with smoothing out some of the mental leaps in the text to make the story a little easier to follow - the pace is furious and I felt that some things were left out or glossed over, or left for the reader to fill in the gap, which made following the story difficult at times. Another few quibbles: a couple plotlines are also resolved then dropped like rocks, the coincidence of her meeting one extremely helpful character and the romantic conclusion all felt a bit too easy, and detracted from the story (from my point of view at least. Easy resolutions just feel a bit too much like Hollywood endings - empty and cheapening.)

Bottom line: this is a good fun read, if you can handle a bit of metal hopscotch. It's meatier than some ebooks I've read (193 pages in the pdf version), and covers a pretty sprawling plot very well. 4 stars

Copy of this ebook supplied by the author as part of LibraryThing's Member giveaway. Review refers to the pdf copy.
(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Missy (Missy's Reads & Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book... was something else. I'll start with the outside and work my way in so I can form the right words for what I want to say about Kings & Queens. The cover is gorgeous. I love the colors, I love the slight grunge feel to it with the text and brushes. The lips and everything about the cover sums up what you'll get to look forward to in the book. Confused? You should be.

I think the best way for me to describe the book is quirky. "Beautifully unique" would be another term I'd use. I ju...more

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Jun 21, 2011 CorLostForWords rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, arc, e-book, for-review, teen-book-scene-blog-tour

Source: Received from author courtesy of the Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Courtney Vail and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 3/5

Majesty overhears part of a conversation that involves plans for a church massacre. She has a lot going on in her life at the moment, having just recently lost her father in an accident. She doesn't think it was an accident, but is having a hard time pr...more Source: Received from author courtesy of the Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Courtney Vail and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 3/5

Majesty overhears part of a conversation that involves plans for a church massacre. She has a lot going on in her life at the moment, having just recently lost her father in an accident. She doesn't think it was an accident, but is having a hard time proving that to the authorities. Now with having overheard this conversation, she's unsure what the police will do as they don't seem to listen to her at all. She calls in an anonymous tip, but unfortunately the massacre is just the tipping point to an entirely large scale operation and she is ensnared deep within it. Even her friends will be scrutinized as the revelations keep hitting closer to home.
Kings & Queens starts out with this erratic overload of information coming from every which way. Almost like someone is talking way too fast, or like rodents on steroids. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though it does take some getting used to. The voice of the novel is quite reminiscent of Sin City actually, almost with that same voice-over quality. Immediately the reader is hooked wanting to know what Majesty is contending with. Her two best friends, Alec, and Derek also are quite enticing in their own ways, and their stories are just as compelling and confusing as Majesty's. Once certain elements were revealed to the reader, the book became even more intricate. Nothing is left to the wayside, and the killers seem to be one step ahead of Majesty at all times.
The story is intricate in detail, and Majesty has to go through a whole school's worth of suspects. With her father's accident tangled up with Majesty's sleuthing, there are a lot of threads on the go. Alec and Derek both have their own problems that they are working through, and we get to view things from their perspective as well. Though the main point of view is from Majesty, it does jump to Alec and Derek at times.
All in all, an interesting, and intriguing read. With thoughts being hurled at the reader from Majesty's ever-active and ever-investigative imagination, it does resemble a slalom course of information. Intricate in detail, this one is sure to hook and keep the reader guessing until the very last page. (less)

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Jun 20, 2012 Morgan Schell rated it 4 of 5 stars

If it wasn't for the heavy confusion throughout I'd gladly give this book 5 stars. I kept thinking I was missing something obvious and that so much of the first half made no sense- random thoughts like psychotic issues. What I did fully comprehend I really liked though! And then after something really awful happened I freakin bawled like nothing I ever have because of a book before. Not crying, but sobbing... The kind where snot mixes with your tears and runs down your face! Getting a visual? Ye...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Rachael Woohoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book, ebook, 2012, 2012-favorites, review-copy, romance, reviewed, june-2012, ebooks-i-own

Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating.

Kings & Queens was, in a word, a different book. When I think of YA mystery, I think of urban-fantasy-evil-witch mysteries, I-think-I-am-secretly-a-billionaire-heir-because-I’m-adopted mysteries, or popular-girl-whodunnit mysteries. Instead, Kings & Queens is a lot more focused on real life crime and murders.

Vail is able to manipulate both characters and readers’ mind...more Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating.

Kings & Queens was, in a word, a different book. When I think of YA mystery, I think of urban-fantasy-evil-witch mysteries, I-think-I-am-secretly-a-billionaire-heir-because-I’m-adopted mysteries, or popular-girl-whodunnit mysteries. Instead, Kings & Queens is a lot more focused on real life crime and murders.

Vail is able to manipulate both characters and readers’ minds. I not only suspected innocent characters but also thought some completely evil characters were innocent. Moreover, there are some side plots that I never thought could be related to the main plot! She keeps the suspense and suspicion rising throughout the novel, while implying small amounts of crude humor.

All the characters seemed distinguished and had their own strengths and weaknesses. One of the unique things is that Vail uses many POVs (Majesty, Derek, Warren, Preston, Majesty’s mother, Alec, etc.), but is still able to also develop these characters fully. My one complaint is concerning Majesty. She has this sort-of love triangle thing going on, which was kind of confusing and strange, in a way. At one point, she seems to love Derek, and is jealous of him and Cynthia, then switches to being infatuated with Alec and being jealous of him and A, while Derek falls in love with Majesty. Moreover, when Majesty discovers the truth about Derek, at one point she claims to hate him, but then desperately tries to save his life.

Somehow, Vail also seemed to incorporate high school and some serious crime, again, making it a unique book. It’s because of this that I think Kings & Queens has some adult crossover appeal (which also leads up to Sapphire Reign, its adult-targeted sequel).

Overall, Kings & Queens is a suspense filled book that is definitely engaging and unique! It also has some crossover appeal towards adults, and is great for YA readers, mature readers, and adults alike.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Sofia Lazaridou rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 15, 2012 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-review-books

Majesty Alistair goes to Cedar Creek High where she helps manage the Colts baseball team and is in drama club. She is secretly in love with her best friend Derek McCarthy. She is also best friends with Alec. Majesty has not been the same since her father's death a couple of months ago. Majesty has befriended Warren Niles who is an outcast and freak to the rest of the school. Warren is not who he appears to be even to his best friend Jase. Both Warren and Derek of things that are not possible or...more

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Jun 20, 2012 ~Thena~ ♥Machar ♥ Spade ♥ Ethan ♥ Harry♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy

It took me a lot longer to read this book than it usually takes me. I had a really hard time getting into it--it just felt too jumpy to me and that made it really hard for me to focus. Overall, though, I found that I did enjoy it by the time I got to the end. While it takes some time to get used to the writing style and pacing, the story moves very quickly. There were periods when I felt too much detail was being given in a short amount of time, and that made it feel a bit cramped and sloppy, bu...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Kings & Queens offers a little bit of everything, romance, action, intrigue, all wrapped around one town's set of high school melodrama. At times it was heart & gut wrenching. Others it made you want to laugh out loud and cry. Yet for some reason I got confused almost from the start of this novel. In spite of its complexities it was difficult to follow the plot with too much going on at once. Although it requires you to think, something most YA books fail at, Kings & Queens weaves so...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kylie Woolen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was hard for me to get into at first but I forced myself into it for a couple chapters and then I was hooked. I read it in just a couple days. I really really liked that after the one main twist it wasn't over yet there were still quite a few twists to go so the book didn't get boring. I read the book in 3 sittings and was a little bit sad when it was over. I definitely recommend this book and hope that you will sincerely give it a shot. I don't want to give anything away but it was qu...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail is a cute young adult mystery novel- and check out that cover! I love the lips and colors. The beginning of the book is a little bit confusing, the voice of the author's writing confused me for awhile. Though after getting past the initial confusion, the plot is actually very interesting- it kept me reading. I love a good mystery and ended up smitten with Vail's writing style.

The story and the characters are supremely complex. Majesty herself is eccentric, ind...more

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Jun 21, 2012 SANDRA rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to SANDRA by: Shut up & Read

2.5 **

I'm not sure how to start this review. I guess now that I am done with it It made sense in a weird, demented way. The book seemed to me like it was too packed down with too much information , but at the same time too little. One moment Majesty is this scared little girl the next she's trying to seduce her friends. OR she seems to be a little airheaded or wait a lot airheaded but than switches to being smart. It just keeps going from there on and on. Even though it was relatively short I fe...more

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May 12, 2012 Novels On The Run rated it 5 of 5 stars

MICHELLE'S REVIEW:

RATING: 5 ADDICTIVE DEREK STARS!!

Curveballs are woven masterfully through this energetic read. I went through a lot of emotions reading this book.

At first I felt confused with the Prologue.

Then the story kicks in like I should really know the characters and where I am at. Now I am not criticising as this is a most exciting read, but it just takes the reader a bit to get their bearings. But that is Courtney's style of writing, getting us to learn along with the characters. It...more

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May 01, 2012 Amy Fournier rated it 4 of 5 stars

*3.5 out of 5 stars

I think my first thought would be interesting, and maybe slightly confusing. I will admit that the first few chapters I was like, "What is going on?" but after getting into the book it was great!! I liked the mystery element to it, the twists to the story, and the characters. I am usually pretty good at solving mysteries, but I will say that this book really did keep me guessing until almost the end. Evey one seems suspect, but then you think that certain people couldn't possi...more *3.5 out of 5 stars

I think my first thought would be interesting, and maybe slightly confusing. I will admit that the first few chapters I was like, "What is going on?" but after getting into the book it was great!! I liked the mystery element to it, the twists to the story, and the characters. I am usually pretty good at solving mysteries, but I will say that this book really did keep me guessing until almost the end. Evey one seems suspect, but then you think that certain people couldn't possibly be. What's worse is the thought that it could be the people you really don't want it to be.

Majesty is quite the character. I didn't know whether I liked her or not to start. Yes, I felt bad for her a little, but I didn't know if I was going to like her or not. Of course I did end up liking her. I liked getting to know the other sides to her. She is a pretty resourceful chick. She also is not afraid to get help, even not knowing who she can really trust. I was quite surprised by how manipulative she could be though, but I suppose the situation calls for it.

I really liked both Derek and Alec. They are both great in their own ways. Derek is a broken person. Very broken...and it's sad. I couldn't help but really feel bad for him, even with some of the horrible things that happen. Then there is Alec who at first seems a little too nice, but very sweet and caring. I really adored him, but found myself second guessing myself with him at times. This is just how great the characterization is in this book.

There are a lot of other characters that really come into play in the book too. There is a lot of stuff going on in this book, but not so much that your head is spinning. Now that I have finished it, I wish I had paid more attention to a lot of the smaller details, though I don't think it would have helped. The story is spun so well that as soon as you are almost sure you know who the crazies are, you are thrown for a loop again. I was constantly back and forth with it, but really at the end, I wasn't shocked at all. It seemed pretty obvious even though there was a lot of evidence that leads us off.

So I know that this review has pretty much told you nothing, but I am afraid to say anything in fear of giving anything away. The weird dream stuff really confused and threw me off at first, but then as the details unraveled it was crazy why it was happening. I really enjoyed the fast pacing of the book. It kept me engaged and interested throughout. If it weren't for needing sleep eventually, I would have probably read it strait through. I just felt like I needed to get that next piece of information to either prove myself wrong or right about my suspicions. It's not often that a book can keep me confused for so long. Maybe I just wasn't in my normal mind set, or it was just that good of a mystery, but either way it was great!! (less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Christina Madison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychic-abilities, ebooks, 2011-2012

Full review + author guest post here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...

Courtney Vail's Kings & Queens has a complex and vivid story. At times, I found myself confused about some of the events that took place and how they came about. The characters and their individual POV's are just as complex, but each is really unique. I didn't really understand what was going on with the dreams of disaster--were they real premonitions or just their minds playing off the events happening in real lif...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review, read-in-september-2011

Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail

Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.

All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubt...more Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail

Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.

All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubts cops will follow up on her tip since they’re sick of her coming around with notions of possible crimes-in-the-works. And it’s not like she cries wolf. Not really. They’d be freaked too, but they’re not the ones suffering from bloody dreams that hint at disaster like some crazy, street guy forecasting the Apocalypse.

This book is about Majesty or ‘Maj’ (btw what kind of name is that anyways?) Who over hears a plot to massacre a Church. Throughout the book we are introduced to a barrage of characters, all of whom seem to have some kind of tragic back story. I often felt lost and confused due to this.

Before I get further into my review I want to start with the authors writing style. I’m not a fan and found it quite annoying. The author had a tendency to leave out words at the beginning of sentences, such as I, A, but, it and several others. For example: “Where is my scrunchy, brat? Was on my nightstand this morning.” “That junk’s not even craptastic. Nearly vomited.” These sentences should be “It was on my nightstand” and “I nearly vomited”. I found this highly annoying as it was like this throughout the entire book. I almost stopped reading because of it.
As the story line goes, I’m afraid I found myself lost and confused. As I mentioned above, every character that was introduced had some sad and tragic back story. I lost track of who in this book had a dead parent. There was just so much going on; it was hard to follow at times. I felt like the story was rushed at times, it feels to be written a bit chaotically and a little thrown together.
I liked the idea behind the book, the whole evil corporation that’s trying to control people or see who’s going to be evil. I found that to be intriguing, but with all the other stuff being thrown at you it often got confusing. As far as the main characters go, I did like Majesty and Alec to a certain extent. Derek was just okay, but towards the end I didn’t really like him anymore. The whole ‘I found Jesus’ thing was just random and added to the confusion.
I also don’t understand the authors need to toss in a tragic back story for Majesty’s mom. Her being molested by her uncle as a child and deciding to now go to the police about it had nothing to do with the book. I was also annoyed by the author adding that Majesty’s mom finds out she is 5 months pregnant with her dead dad’s baby. There was no need for that. And the fact that her mom had a “companion” just 5 months after the death of her husband is insane. If my husband died just 5 months ago, the last thing on my mind would be having another man in my life.
By the end of the book I was hoping for a super awesome conclusion, but was left wondering what the heck? Over all I feel that this could have been a whole lot better, if the writing style were to be changed, and if the author would leave out some of the details she put in and made it less confusing.
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May 04, 2012 Natalie Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I received the book Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail from Member Giveaway's on Library thing. Kings & Queens is about a teenage girl named Majesty who overhears a plot for a church massacre. To add to this trouble Maj (as she is called in the book.) had lost her father in a tragic car accident five months earlier. Only Maj does not believe it was an accident. She keeps hounding the police and the police are sick of her. Now she has to find a way to tell the police about the overheard plan...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Neyra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Kings & Queens seemed more like a written version of the games "Who Dun'It" and "Clue. I liked it, there was mystery, betrayal, intrigue, romance, and murder. And Majesty Alistair gets smacked right in the middle of it all. Who does she trust when all the fingers seem to point at everyone closest to her? And can she stop the killers in time before someone she loves is dead?

When Majesty Alistair gets kidnapped and is forced to watch a church massacre, her world falls into a tailspin. She's be...more Kings & Queens seemed more like a written version of the games "Who Dun'It" and "Clue. I liked it, there was mystery, betrayal, intrigue, romance, and murder. And Majesty Alistair gets smacked right in the middle of it all. Who does she trust when all the fingers seem to point at everyone closest to her? And can she stop the killers in time before someone she loves is dead?

When Majesty Alistair gets kidnapped and is forced to watch a church massacre, her world falls into a tailspin. She's being stalked by the killers, and every sign points to her friends. As she thinks she's already figured out the killer's identity, two students end up dead, and someone out there still wants her afraid. Has she made a mistake? Oh yeah! She did. I couldn't believe what happened during the first part of this book. I thought I'd already figured out the killers myself, but what I thought was sure suspect, turned out to be a misunderstanding, one that cost two students their lives. Ouch!

I liked Maj's character, for a little while, but then she began to annoy me. And after a while, I just didn't care for her at all. She's so self-absorbed she doesn't see the people around her. And she jumps to conclusions without having solid evidence. What threw me off was that she was using her friends but would get upset if others used her. I know what she went through was traumatizing, but the choices she makes after her abduction, and the massacre witnessing were down right stupid. And what's with the feeling change all of a sudden, she likes Derek, she likes Alec.. I mean really? Typical teenager, yes I know, but that's not what upsets me. It was the fact she said she loved Derek, but yet she ran to Alec and teased him, told him she loves Derek, and then gets upset when Alec is with someone else. Any blind man can see that Alec loved her through and through. Smh.

The rest of the characters in the story were likable, some I hated off the bat. There was Derek, who was so cold and fucked up, yet I still liked him. Jase the suicidal loner with only one friend. Warren, Jase's friend, and the school's weirdo. Preston, annoying as hell King of the school, but what's his game? Blake, too obvious.

What threw me off, and kept me from giving this book a higher rating, was that it seemed there was way too much going on. And some was really unnecessary. There was the kidnappers, Maj's stalkers, Derek's mindfuck (which is actually pretty interesting once it all comes full circle), Warren's "plan", and to top it off, Maj's deceased father's death, possibly a murder. And the fact that the story seemed to drag by the 40th percent mark, almost had me giving up. It took longer than necessary to conclude, but overall it was an interesting read. I might just continue the series.

*This book was given to me for review by the author via Tt's Read It & Reap Program

Review also found at: Darkest Addictions' Book Reviews (less)

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About Courtney Vail

COURTNEY VAIL writes totally twisted YA and adult suspense. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry's, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.

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Quotes from Kings & Queens

“Crap. I was hopin’ all things ugly had been raptured, but you’re still muckin’ up the planet.”

“We must share the same faith, honey. ’Cause beauty checked out when you showed up.” — 5 people liked it

“Well, you should have a chat with your boyfriend, clarify your desires. Hate to break the news, but, uh, he’s cheatin’ on you. Tell him I said my dog kisses better than him and he hits like a girl.” — 4 people liked it

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