I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love mythology based books and up until now that’s mostly been Greek mythology. With Valkyrie Rising I can no...moreI think I’ve mentioned before how much I love mythology based books and up until now that’s mostly been Greek mythology. With Valkyrie Rising I can now say expand that to include all sorts of mythology because I loved reading about the Valkyries, Odin and the stories of how everyone is tied together.
I loved the characters though Ellie does have her moments where I was thinking “I can’t believe you just did something that dumb” but for the most part she was a fun heroine. Tuck was by far my favorite character. He was the popular, outgoing and yet sweet kind of guy that I would be head over heels over and we learn that he just may have a secret or two of his own that he’s hiding...Full review is posted at Debbie's World of Books.(less)
I am not normally a huge fan of contemporary YA books preferring the more paranormal stories but hot damn this book was good! I initially wen...more4.5 stars
I am not normally a huge fan of contemporary YA books preferring the more paranormal stories but hot damn this book was good! I initially went to see Corrine speak at a local event and bought a copy wanting to read it at some point. Added to to my overflowing to be read shelf. Come two days later I went to her launch party and she read three passages from the book and I knew I had to read it asap. Picked it up the very next day and read it in one sitting. At her launch party she gave out goodie bags that had packets of tissue in them and believe me when I say you will need them! Keep an eye out because I was so impressed by the reading she did I picked up a second copy and will be doing a giveaway soon.
Straight to the point: Since I gush for awhile my overall thoughts are-Go pick this book up now! And have a box of tissues on hand while reading!
It’s so hard to know even where to start gushing but first off the characters are amazing. Each one is so multifaceted and so real that it’s almost like reading about someone you know in real life. No one is perfect, not even the hero Carey. They each have their flaws and do things that make them ashamed of themselves and that will make you shake your head at them in disappointment while still relating to them because you wonder if you would be any different in their shoes. My heart absolutely broke reading what Quinn has to go through and made me want to go bitch slap her classmates, dad, mom and really just about everyone except George.
Who is George you ask? After being caught kissing another boy Quinn’s father, a former Marine officer, forces her to volunteer at a VA hospital working with veterans. Quinn bonds with one patient in particular, George. He’s not your typical sweet old man. He’s crotchety at times, he cheats unabashedly at cards but he has a huge heart and he doesn’t believe a word of the hurtful gossip about Quinn...See my full review at Debbie's World of Books.(less)
This was another one of those books that everyone told me I had to read but I just never got to. Fortunately I won it in a giveaway and someone in my...moreThis was another one of those books that everyone told me I had to read but I just never got to. Fortunately I won it in a giveaway and someone in my book club just happened to be raving about it the day it arrived in my mailbox. I did not think it would live up to the hype but it was an unbelievably moving story. Lennie's grief was so crippling that it was painful to read about and yet I was sucked into the maelstrom of feelings swirling around inside her and could not put the book down. After suffering the loss of the sister whom she thought had no secrets from her one surprising revelation after another come to light and leaves Lennie staggering wondering what other secrets her sister had been hiding.
Enter in Joe. It's funny he is described as having one of those smiles and presence that makes everyone around him smile and I found myself smiling and laughing despite the sorrow you feel for Lennie. I could feel the joy coming off the pages whenever he was around. I absolutely adored him and his brothers. I had a harder time processing and understanding Lennie's relationship with Toby. At first I couldn't understand what was driving the two of them together until I really tried to put myself into her shoes and imagine the depth of grief and craving for comfort she must be feeling.
This entire story was just amazing and touched my heart. It is one of the few books I have read and decided to add to my keeper shelf. Thanks to everyone who suggested I read this story and if you haven't definitely go check it out!(less)
This book was a engrossing read that took on a touchy subject of date rape. I loved the characters and each had such a distinctive voice and complemen...moreThis book was a engrossing read that took on a touchy subject of date rape. I loved the characters and each had such a distinctive voice and complemented each other so well. One night Alex drinks too much and wakes up to find herself in bed with little memory of what happened the night before. At first she blames herself until her roommate points out that since she was in no position to give consent to have sex she was date raped. Then she has to make a decision, does she go to the police, stay silent or turn to the Mockingbirds for help. Alex's turmoil was so real that you are horrified by what happened to her as she goes through the stages of blaming herself, feeling ashamed, anger and then becoming a voice for others who were in her position but were too afraid to speak up.
As the story progresses we slowly get glimpses of what happened that night as Alex starts to remember bits and pieces. The process the Mockingbirds has in place to "try" cases like this were amazing and although there was a system of checks and balances in place I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with students judging other students. I understand that the Themis faculty and administration was clueless and the purpose of the Mockingbirds is positive but you have to wonder one day if their actions will one day may go too far.
Still I loved the message delivered in this book and thought overall it was a wonderful read.(less)
I have to admit at first I was turned off by this book due to its cover. It just did not grab me and I know they say you should not judge a book by it...moreI have to admit at first I was turned off by this book due to its cover. It just did not grab me and I know they say you should not judge a book by its cover. Fortunately Lisa Desrochers is coming out here for a book signing and I had the opportunity to get a copy to review. Thank goodness things worked out the way it did because I really enjoyed this book!
The Characters
The book alternates from Frannie’s point of view to Luc’s point of view. It was strange not to have Gabriel’s point of view as he is the third main character.
Frannie was an interesting character as she is obviously the black sheep in her ultra-religious family. The one thing that did irk me about her was how she would claim to love Luc but also feel in love with Gabriel and wanting to make out with both guys even while she appears to be committed to one or the other. But to give her the benefit of the doubt it cannot be easy being around both an angel and a sexy as heck demon.
Luc, sigh, what can I say about a sexy, sweet, smokin’, hot, ummm…did I mention good looking demon? I loved watching him fall for Frannie and struggling with his assignment to tag Frannie for Hell. He had a great sense of humor and you just have to smile reading some of his lines.
Gabriel on the other hand just never grew on me and I actually found myself disliking his character. I have to admit feeling a little guilty about disliking an angel but I think his character suffered because we never really get to see inside his head. Other than him being an angel I don’t see why Frannie really seemed to fall in love with him and what made it so hard to choose between him and Luc. In fact, at some points he just comes off as a jerk. When at one point he admits he would be willing to give up his wings for Frannie that just seems to come totally out of the blue. I did not feel like there was any indication that she was anything more than an assignment to him.
The Romance
The chemistry between Frannie and Luc was steamy and you could feel the romantic tension between the two. I loved seeing them together and the conflict each feels about their feelings towards one another. Like I mention above I just did not get the romance between Gabriel and Frannie. I really wish there were more there.
The Story Line
The story line was amazing as we find out that Frannie has a power that is likened to that of what people like Moses and Hitler possessed and both Heaven and Hell want control of that power. I cannot go into too much detail here without revealing too much but I definitely did not want to put this book down once I started reading.(less)
Sienna is a 15 year old girl still trying to recover from her mother’s disappearance over the Indian Ocean 3 years ago while on a relief mission. Her...moreSienna is a 15 year old girl still trying to recover from her mother’s disappearance over the Indian Ocean 3 years ago while on a relief mission. Her father convinces her to join him on a volunteer team to work with orphans from the tsunami ravaged Indonesia. There she meets Deni who is also having to deal with the possibility that his father was killed in the tsunami. When they first meet they both instantly feel a connection with each other and are bound on the journey to face their own fears regarding their parent’s fate.
This story was beautifully written and I loved reading about the Indonesian culture and seeing the hope that many of these orphans retain even after this horrible natural disaster. The main reason I couldn't rate this higher was that I found some of Sienna’s actions irritatingly selfish and had to keep reminding myself that she was only 15. I actually did not care much for her character but loved the rest of the characters. Despite that the story will definitely draw you into the lives of those who survived this disaster.(less)
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