This is a short 45 page prequel to The Testing. It also includes the first three chapters of the book. Once again, I'm really not sure if this prequel...moreThis is a short 45 page prequel to The Testing. It also includes the first three chapters of the book. Once again, I'm really not sure if this prequel would make me want to go out and purchase the book. The Testing Guide gives a basic backdrop to a world destroyed by war, earthquakes, and bad weather. Resources are limited. Graduates of school compete to get a place in the capital city for the Testing which upon successful completion ensures a spot in university.
It kind of has The Hunger Games feel to it, but it's kind of early to make that assumption.
As I received a copy of The Testing for review, I think I will continue reading, just to satisfy my curiosity.
Initial thoughts: 3.5-4.0 stars. Despite my reservations, I did enjoy this book and while there are parallels to The Hunger Games (2nd half of the boo...moreInitial thoughts: 3.5-4.0 stars. Despite my reservations, I did enjoy this book and while there are parallels to The Hunger Games (2nd half of the book), it is a solid start to the series. I'll definitely be reading on.
My review: The Testing takes place in a world ravaged by the aftermath of war and a series of natural disasters. Resources are limited: a university education is a highly coveted prize. Each year a group of the most talented students are chosen to compete in The Testing for one of the twenty available spots. The competition is ruthless and many candidates succumb to the pressure. Others are not so lucky: their mistakes carry a higher cost – their lives.
Cia Vale is from the Five Lakes Colony. When she and four others from her small town are chosen to compete in The Testing, she is very excited. Her family does not share her enthusiasm. Her father had been through The Testing years ago and he does not have any memories of the selection process. Cia, along with her friends, is taken by skimmer to the capital city of Tosu where they will be tested.
At first the tests seem innocuous: general knowledge exams in which Cia and her friends from Five Lakes Colony do well. As the testing progresses, a more sinister side becomes apparent. The competition becomes more brutal. Failure to complete a test correctly can results in pain or dismemberment or even death.
Then comes phase two. This is where the candidates are dropped off into the wilderness and told to find a way back to Tosu. This is where the book becomes very “Hunger Games-ish.” Cia and Tomas vow to work together to find their way back.
I think that I really enjoyed the second half of the book. The pacing was action packed and you never really knew what obstacle would be thrown in Cia and Tomas’ way. I adored Cia and Tomas The romance between these two was tender and sweet. I loved how they took care of each other. Cia and Tomas are the MacGyvers of this world. Give Cia a box of nuts and bolts and other assorted junk and that girl will fashion a bicycle. Cia was so smart and resourceful. I also liked that she had strong morals and did not resort to the dirty tricks that the other candidates used.
As I read this book, I couldn’t help but think why a society would have only twenty spots for a university education. Surely a society ravaged by war and all sorts of environmental disasters would want to keep all of its most promising students and leadership candidates rather than killing them off in some ridiculous testing program. This is the part where I just had to suspend belief and just keep reading.
The Testing is a solid start to the series. The next book The Testing: Independent Study is expected to be published January 7, 2014. If you’d like to get a sample of this author’s writing, there is a free prequel available called The Testing Guide. This short story gives an overview of the world and also includes the first 3 chapters of The Testing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a review copy of this book.
Isolde (Izzy) and her mother Aislinn are the last of the Brannicks, a family that is charged with killing the monsters (Prodigium) around us. The book...moreIsolde (Izzy) and her mother Aislinn are the last of the Brannicks, a family that is charged with killing the monsters (Prodigium) around us. The book begins as Izzy battles a vampire dressed in a glitter suit – ha! She fights him Buffy-style, but is rescued by her mother at the last moment. Izzy is barely out of her training and ever since her sister disappeared, her mom doesn’t really trust Izzy’s monster fighting skills.
This book is kind of cool. It was a super-fast read and I can see it appealing to young adult readers, especially preteen girls. Izzy is kick-ass. She and her mother live on a compound where Izzy trains daily. The magic is intriguing – I loved how Izzy and her mother traveled between cities using portals. They own a mirror with an imprisoned evil warlock.
Izzy’s world changes when she and her mother move to the town of Ideal, Mississippi, where a ghost has been haunting the local high school. Izzy finally gets to enroll in the local high school, where masquerading as a student, she is to dispatch the ghost so that she and her mother can continue the hunt for Izzy’s older sister. While ghosts are usually dealt with quickly, this is a particularly stubborn one and Izzy relishes her time as a “normal” student.
At school, she meets Romy and Dex, two members of the Paranormal Management Society (an unfortunate choice of acronym). They invite Izzy to join their club. It was kind of funny watching Izzy trying to deflect Romy’s attempts at communicating with spirits.
I loved Izzy’s banter with Torin, the imprisoned warlock in the mirror. No matter how Torin asked Izzy to release him, she continued to refuse. Torin also offers Izzy some interesting insights about life in general.
I adored Dex. I think that every girl needs a Dex in their life.
Lots of action. Lots of fun. Even a few Scooby Doo moments. I’m glad to hear that this is the start of a new series. Bring it on!
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for a review copy of this book.
Towering by Alex Flinn is a retelling of the childhood classic Rapunzel with a few modern twists. The result is a creepy gothic tale complete with gho...moreTowering by Alex Flinn is a retelling of the childhood classic Rapunzel with a few modern twists. The result is a creepy gothic tale complete with ghosts and mysteries. Towering is set in upstate New York in the Adirondacks. The region’s natural beauty combined with its isolation from civilization creates a spooky atmosphere.
Our heroine Rachel has been living in a tower for almost as long as she can remember. She’s 17 years old and has beautiful “golden princess” hair which grows so fast it must be cut weekly. Rachel occupies herself by reading books – mostly the classics. Her “mama” visits daily, bringing her food and reading to her. Rachel is incredibly innocent and naïve – she has little life experience and no interactions with her peers. When she narrated her point of view, her voice seemed pure and innocent, almost as if she were from another time period.
The second narrator Wyatt is an interesting character. Wyatt left his home to move in with Mrs. Greenwood. Wyatt has left home because of a traumatic experience resulting in the death of his friends. It’s kind of funny watching Wyatt acclimatize to the cold winter and the limited activities of a small town. There’s creepy characters hanging out at the hardware store and cell phone reception doesn’t exist unless you climb a tree or are at the top of a hill.
At Mrs. Greenwood’s home, Wyatt mistakenly enters Danielle’s old bedroom and discovers her diary. The diary left a few clues as to what happened to Danielle. Soon he’s seeing ghosts and hearing someone singing. Wyatt also realizes that there is something strange going on. The town had quite a lot of missing people over the years.
Towering was a quick and entertaining read for me. I enjoyed how the author was able to take a well-known fairy tale and create a fresh, new story.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for a review copy of this book.
Madly is a mermaid princess living on land and attending school. She is living the life of your average teenager when suddenly she feels that somethin...moreMadly is a mermaid princess living on land and attending school. She is living the life of your average teenager when suddenly she feels that something was wrong. The Lore have escaped and her parents and younger sister are being held hostage.
This is a nice start to a series. It's a short book and a pretty quick read. I enjoyed the mermaid lore and the tension between Madly and Jackson was kind of fun. My only criticism is that this book ended rather abruptly, so I guess I'll be looking for the next book in the series. (less)
Emilie and the Hollow World is a delightful book about a young girl's journey to the center of the earth. I loved how the steampunk elements were inco...moreEmilie and the Hollow World is a delightful book about a young girl's journey to the center of the earth. I loved how the steampunk elements were incorporated into the narrative. The story picked up for me once Emilie and her friends reached the Hollow World. Lots of fantastic monsters and stuff.
This is a fun little read and would be appropriate for middle grades and up.
Thank you to Angry Robot books for a review copy of this book.
3.5 stars. Nice debut book. After initial info dumping chapters, this became quite an entertaining, action packed read.
The Review -
Fantastic Debut No...more3.5 stars. Nice debut book. After initial info dumping chapters, this became quite an entertaining, action packed read.
The Review -
Fantastic Debut Novel!
As I read Reboot, a hybrid image of Robocop and zombies crossed my mind a few times. Reboots aren’t human anymore but they certainly aren’t robots or the brain-eating zombies we are so accustomed to. Reboots are people (usually preteens and teens) that have died and revived after a short period of time – usually less than 2 or 3 hours. These revived Reboots are stronger, faster, more powerful version of that person.
“It was true that all Reboots were attractive in a way. After death, when the virus took hold and the body rebooted, the skin cleared, the body sharpened, the eyes glowed. It was like pretty with a hint of deranged.”
I liked the premise of Reboot. It was both original and fascinating. The Reboots live and train at HARC, the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation, where they live in a hierarchal structure. Each Reboot is assigned a number after their name which corresponds to the number of minutes that they were “dead.” The higher the number, the stronger the Reboot. Those Reboots with designations over 120 were highly sought after for their strength, while the under 50’s were seen as disposable. There are some sinister elements to the story as well and the under 50’s play a role in that.
The main character Wren178 is one of the stronger Reboots. During Newbie training, she chooses Callum22 as her trainee which was completely out of character for her. Callum22 is weak and still maintains a lot of his humanity and emotions. There is doubt he could even survive his training. But Wren178 takes him under her wing (I couldn’t resist that!) and a cute little romance blossoms. I found that Wren178 becomes more human around Callum22.
Wren’s life changes when she finds out about life outside the HARC facility. There are humans and rebels out there. HARC is not all that it seems. The possibility of lie on the outside intrigues Wren.
As a debut novel, Reboot is impressive. My only critique – and this is small – is that the first few chapters suffered from a massive info-dump. After that, the narrative flowed well. The pacing was action packed with some amazing escape and chase scenes. The romance was very sweet and rated G.
Reboot was entertaining and original. While the ending was a little abrupt, it did leave me wanting more. I was very excited to hear that a sequel is being planned. I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for a review copy of this book.
It’s hard to describe this book without spoiling and Strangelets is best experienced with a clear mind. Avoid spoilers at all costs! Strangelets can b...moreIt’s hard to describe this book without spoiling and Strangelets is best experienced with a clear mind. Avoid spoilers at all costs! Strangelets can be best categorized as a science fiction thriller horror story with a touch of romance. And yes, it is a young adult read but I think it will appeal to adults as well.
Strangelets finds a group of teenagers who wake up in a strange hospital-like facility. There doesn’t seem to be a way out, nor is there any food. The kids all share something in common: they were on the verge of death prior to waking up in the facility. Cue the spooky Lost violins.
The author creates an intriguing world, full of action-packed twists and turns. I loved the author’s attention to detail, especially with her “United Nations” characters. Each character was from a different country and their personalities and mannerisms really did reflect the country they were from without being stereotypical.
I especially liked Anat, the young Israeli heading off to her military service. Anat truly reflected her upbringing and her pragmatism was that of a soldier. Anat was a ruthless, fierce and a touch paranoid. I also loved Sophie, who was literally taken from her deathbed. If anyone deserved a second chance at life, she did.
To go on any more would spoil the story. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read any of Michelle Gagnon’s books, run to your local bookstore or click that “buy now” button. You’ll be glad you did. I am looking forward to reading more of her books.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Soho Teen for a review copy of this book. (less)
Young adult angel books are often hit or miss for me. I was pleasantly surprised by A Shimmer of Angels. I lite...more4.5 -5 stars. A unique take on angels.
Young adult angel books are often hit or miss for me. I was pleasantly surprised by A Shimmer of Angels. I literally devoured this book – I could not put it down. A Shimmer of Angels is in the same class as Ultraviolet (not an angel book) and it reminded me a little of Angelfall.
A Shimmer of Angels is about Rayna, a teenaged girl who can see angels. Poor Rayna has been seeing angels for most of her life and as a result, has been committed to a mental health institute for the past 3 years. Throughout the book Rayna fears a relapse and a return to the mental hospital. Rayna often walks a fine line between the crazy and the sane.
No sooner than she is discharged from the hospital, Rayna makes an attempt to live a normal life. She enrolls in the local school and finds a part time job at the diner she frequents with her best friend Lee. It seems that she cannot escape her angels. At school, when new student Cam joins her class, Rayna is shocked to see that he is an angel, complete with beautiful shimmering wings. At work, a black winged bad boy angel named Kade appears. Then there’s the mysterious dark angel that Rayna sees in her classmate’s artwork and in her dreams. Something is not right in this world and Rayna fears that she is going mad.
I loved Rayna’s character. She is damaged, yet she has a certain lucidity about her. I found her both brave and practical. Rayna comes from a dysfunctional family. Her father still grieves his wife’s death and really doesn’t function as a father. He is emotionally unavailable to Rayna and her sister. Rayna’s little sister just wants to be normal and wishes Rayna were back in the hospital.
Rayna’s best friend Lee was awesome. I adored how he was so attuned to Rayna’s needs. His use of Dr. Who references in his speech was hilarious. “Holy Daleks!” Lee had to be one of the best friends ever.
The angel lore was intriguing. There were several classes of angels: The Protectors and the Warriors. There were also fallen angels. This is an angel book that is not preachy.
Oh, a quick word about Kade – wow. More please.
A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa Basso is an enthralling read. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book - A Slither of Hope scheduled to release in January 2014.
Thank you to NetGalley and Month9Books for a review copy of this book. (less)
3.5 stars - This short novella kind of reminded me a little of those Disney movies where the kids get to be spies and art thieves. Which is probably b...more3.5 stars - This short novella kind of reminded me a little of those Disney movies where the kids get to be spies and art thieves. Which is probably because this is published by Disney-Hyperion. I've always heard good things about Ms. Carter's books and I am now convinced that they are definitely worth reading.
In this novella, two young socialites get caught up in a heist at a ball. Lucky that these two are not your average bored trust fund babies, these two kids have really good skills. Macey is a Gallagher Girl, a student at an exclusive school for spies and young geniuses. Hale has some rather interesting knowledge regarding heists as well as a friend on the outside. Together, the two work to foil the thieves.
1/19/13 - Kobo free download. Also available for free on Amazon and other online bookstores.
I often wonder why publishers do this. This is essentially...more1/19/13 - Kobo free download. Also available for free on Amazon and other online bookstores.
I often wonder why publishers do this. This is essentially a 15 page prequel to MILA 2.0 and contains the first 7 chapters of the book. I know it is to entice readers to purchase the book, however a 15 page sample of the writing only made me more confused about the plot. All I know is that there was a house fire. I did not continue to read the preview chapters as I have the ARC of the book.
So based on the sample I will give the book a chance and hope that the lines at the end of the prequel were just a Kobo formatting glitch. (less)
I usually listen to these in the car and as people drive past me, they see a crazy middle aged woman laughing her...moreThis is a review of the audio book.
I usually listen to these in the car and as people drive past me, they see a crazy middle aged woman laughing her head off as she's driving. Really, if you are suffering from road rage, start listening to this series. You'll find all sorts of excuses to drive around, just to listen to the many exploits of Jacky Faber.
Well, I got sick of paying the ridiculous prices for gas in my neck of the woods so I decided to listen to Jacky's story on my MP3 player instead. I think that I listened non-stop for 2 or 3 days and this morning I couldn't help myself - there I was talking back to the audio book!
OK, crazy middle aged woman - I know you are thinking that. But here's the thing: L.A. Meyer's series is incredible and along the way you actually learn about things.
What strikes me about this series is the incredible cast of characters. The author intersperses historical characters along with his own fictional characters to make a wonderfully entertaining story. While reading this series, I have also travelled (1800's style) from England to the Caribbean, to the coast of France, Spain, and England, to Boston, and in this installment from Boston to New Orleans via the Mississippi.
Jacky Faber is one of the most endearing female characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I love how she can leave a trail of suitors behind her and amass many friends and supporters along her voyages. I also feel for Lt. Jamie Fletcher, Jacky's true love and how the two always seemed to miss each other at every port of call.
These are really long books and I highly recommend the audio version as the narrator does all sorts of voices and really brings Jacky's character to life.
This series is suitable for young adult readers and older.
Heartbreaking, poignant tale of survival. Tissues required.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is a poignant, heartbreaking story of survival under horri...moreHeartbreaking, poignant tale of survival. Tissues required.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is a poignant, heartbreaking story of survival under horrid circumstances. It’s not your usual young adult novel. It’s the story of an extraordinary girl who raises her little sister alone in a trailer in the Tennessee woods, mere miles away from her father.
The story is narrated by Carey, the 14 year old heroine of the story. Every so often there are flashbacks to Carey’s past and how she and her sister Jenessa subsisted on a limited diet in the woods. Carey is a remarkable girl, and despite the odds, she is self-taught and even taught her little sister how to read and write.
I adored Carey’s voice. She had an innocence to her, a bit of naiveté, yet she also had fantastic survival skills. Her fierce loyalty to her little sister was unsurpassed.
The girls are rescued by her father and a social worker. Carey and Jenessa’s lives change for the better, however there are some adjustments to be made. Jenessa was mute, refusing to speak. Carey must adjust to a new home, readily available food, school, a father she was taught to despise, and a new stepmother and stepsister.
If You Find Me is an amazing debut novel by author Emily Murdoch. Do not miss this book. And don’t forget the box of tissues.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a review copy of this book.
Deep Betrayal is the sequel to Lies Beneath and takes place about a month after the events of that book. Lily ha...moreDefinitely not your ordinary mermaids…
Deep Betrayal is the sequel to Lies Beneath and takes place about a month after the events of that book. Lily has been sent away from her family’s home on the shores of Lake Superior in order to keep her safe. All she can think of is Calder, her merman boyfriend. Lily also feels strangely attracted to the water.
Like the first book, this is a darker, more sinister take on mermaids. The author blends intriguing mermaid lore with native Indian legends to create a captivating read. Even Coyote makes an appearance. The narrative is enhanced by the addition of mermaid themed poetry. The underwater sequences are beautifully detailed as well.
I enjoyed Deep Betrayal more than Lies Beneath. I think it’s because the characters had another level of development. Whereas in the first book Calder was a little creepy, in this book he became the family’s protector and mentor. Calder even took his relationship with Lily a step further, attempting to take her on dates like a regular boyfriend. Calder seemed a little more human in this book.
In Deep Betrayal, Lily’s father Jason realizes his calling and begins to spend more time in the lake, abandoning his family. Calder takes him under his wing (fins?) and is showing Jason how to live as a merman. Meanwhile, something sinister is going on in the town and the surrounding areas. Someone or something is killing off the local townspeople. Calder and Lily work together to find out who or what is responsible.
This is a fun book to read if you ignore a few of the little inconsistencies and just enjoy the ride. (I’m not too sure that a human could deep dive 20 fathoms without a sub or specialized equipment). Also, Lily holds her breath for quite a while. I’m sure it’s possible, but a tad unrealistic.
Despite these niggling little things, Deep Betrayal still was an enjoyable read. For a darker take on mermaids, Deep Betrayal fits the bill (fins?). I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a review copy of this book.
I am a teary-eyed mess and I think that this is one of the best books I've read this year. Don't let the description put you off...moreAbsolutely brilliant!
I am a teary-eyed mess and I think that this is one of the best books I've read this year. Don't let the description put you off - this book is much more. A must read book!
Absolutely fantastic and highly recommended. The audiobook version of this series is very well done read by the most capable Katherine Kellegren who b...moreAbsolutely fantastic and highly recommended. The audiobook version of this series is very well done read by the most capable Katherine Kellegren who brings all the characters to life with her amazing voices.
This installment of the series finds Jacky taking a stand on slavery. It's the early 1800's and Jacky is surprised when her arch-nemesis Clarissa brings her slave girl Angelique to the Peabody Lawson School for girls. The irony is that in a few short days, almost all of the girls from the school will be kidnapped and taken aboard a slaver ship on their way to become slaves for rich Sultans.
Lucky for the girls, Jacky is part of the kidnapped cargo and her resourcefulness, bravery, and general knowledge of sailing help her hatch a plan for escape. To help pass the time, Jacky tells stories about her time in Cheapside. An especially poignant story is told about baby Jesse that blew me away. Jacky Faber is one amazing girl.
What amazed me was the girls' determination to get out of a hopeless situation. Even Clarissa comes through for Jacky in a way that I could not even imagine after reading the previous books.
Those last few chapters were exhilarating. I could have driven around aimlessly, just to keep listening to the story.
This series is suitable for middle school and up. As Jacky is around 11 or 12 for the first book, that book would be suitable for Grades 5 and 6. In this book, Jacky is about 15 or 16 years old. The audio book is a lot of fun for long road trips, or even for that boring daily commute. (less)
What if everything in your reality was, in fact, a fabrication? Your life, your parents, your memorie...moreWhat an amazing book by debut author Debra Driza!
What if everything in your reality was, in fact, a fabrication? Your life, your parents, your memories – what if they were all a lie? MILA 2.0 is the story of an incredible young woman. The book started off slowly for me, with MILA grieving the loss of her father in a house fire. (You can read this part as well as a preview of this book in Origins: The Fire, a very short prequel). MILA experiences the usual high school angst, punctuated by a crush on the “denim-eyed” Hunter and a bit of the catty girl stuff that happens. MILA looks and acts like a real girl. Or is she? Underlying all this normalcy, MILA is plagued by disturbing memories of a young girl being tortured in a lab.
Aside from the slow start, this book was incredibly difficult to put down. After the first part, the story moves at a frenetic pace and is jam-packed with edge of your seat action. MILA 2.0 is so much fun to read. It kind of reminded me of a cross between Alias (remember that show?) and Nikita. There are some fantastic chase scenes and some pretty fantastic gadgets and weapons. I did have to suspend belief at times, but that’s what reading is for, isn’t it? MILA 2.0 was a nice escape read.
I did have two small issues with this book. There was a lot of build up about Hunter and then he disappeared from most of the book. I’m hoping to see more of him in the next book. I also felt that the book ended a little abruptly. It did leave me wanting more…more…MORE!
For a fun, action-packed read, take a look at MILA 2.0
Highly recommended.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for a review copy of this book.
Free audio book download from audiobooksync.com August 2011.
OK, this audio book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It is geared to middle school kids an...moreFree audio book download from audiobooksync.com August 2011.
OK, this audio book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It is geared to middle school kids and I think that boys would enjoy this story. The audio version was OK with the narrator doing the voices of each character. He wasn't too believable for the girls, but, oh well.
Storm Runners is the story of Chase and his father the owner of Masters of Disasters, a company that chases storms and helps people rebuild. Chase and his father are in Florida just as Hurricane Emily, a category 5 hurricane is set to make landfall. Chase and his friends are sent home on a school bus as the hurricane approaches and the wind sweeps the bus off the road into water. The bus driver dies and Chase and his friends must brave the weather and hungry alligators in order to get to safety.
Having listened to this a few weeks after Hurricane Sandy hit the NY/NJ region, I feel that this story was really unbelievable. *What adults would send children by school bus home as a hurricane is fast approaching? Surely a safer place to ride out a storm would be a school gymnasium rather than a school bus. *The children were able to walk (albeit with difficulty) in Category 5 Hurricane winds. I don't think so. *The children were able to swim out of danger in Category 5 hurricane winds. Don't think that would be possible. *The adults in charge of the children were idiots. *The kids were way too smart for their age.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, so you need to listen to the next book to find out what happens.
The audio book version included an interview with the author where he talks about his research into storms and animals.
Recommended for middle grades, boys especially. (less)
’Til the World Ends is an anthology of three novellas about a post-apocalyptic world. I was excited to read this anthology most...moreReally good anthology.
’Til the World Ends is an anthology of three novellas about a post-apocalyptic world. I was excited to read this anthology mostly because of Julie Kagawa’s story Dawn of Eden, the prequel to her highly successful Blood of Eden series. I’ve enjoyed Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series and Karen Duval was a new to me author.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa Easily my favorite story in the anthology, or perhaps it was because I was familiar with this world. Dawn of Eden is the story of the aftermath of the Red Lung virus and the beginnings of the scary vampire-human zombie like creatures that rule the night. This story focuses on Kylie, a Red Lung virus survivor and Ben Archer. Ben is headed home to his estranged family. The story is exciting and the pacing is frenetic. Some interesting revelations are made about the hybrids. There is also the appearance of a mysterious character, identified only as K. Well done and darker than The Immortal Rules. Recommended that The Immortal Rules be read BEFORE this novella.
Rating: 4 stars
Thistle and Thorne by Ann Aguirre I’m not really sure if this story fits into any of Ms. Aguirre’s series. This is an interesting take about a corrupt world set in the future after some world changing chemical spills. The world is lacking in resources and the main character resorts to theft in order to feed her younger siblings. She pairs up with an enforcer and the two of them work to unseat an incredibly bloodthirsty and corrupt official. I loved how this unlikely couple worked together. Nicely done.
Rating: 4 stars
Sun Spots by Karen Duval I’ve never read anything by Ms. Duval, but I think I may need to look up some of her books. Sun Spots takes place after a devastating event called The Bell Ringer. The sun sends down deadly sparks that can kill most humans. Our heroine Sarah is able to predict these storms and makes it her purpose to warn people to take shelter when these storms arrive. She meets Ian who is able to control the weather. They soon realize that their powers are complementary and seek out government officials because Sarah has a premonition of a catastrophic end of the world. Sun Spots was an interesting story that held my attention throughout.
Rating: 4 stars
Overall, this was an enjoyable anthology and I am looking forward to reading more books by these authors.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin books for a review copy of this book.
Despite the difficulty I had with Beth's character, I really enjoyed this one.
Dare You To was one of those books that just kept compelling me to read...moreDespite the difficulty I had with Beth's character, I really enjoyed this one.
Dare You To was one of those books that just kept compelling me to read. I could not put it down. I loved how the author captured the voice of her main characters Beth and Ryan. I really didn’t remember Beth from Pushing the Limits. All I remember was that she was kind of nasty to Echo. Ok, she was a bitch. So when I heard that Dare to You was focused on Beth, I was a little curious about her story. I mean, how could you base a story on someone so strung out as Beth? Does she even have a story? As I started the book, I was struck by how difficult it was to like Beth, or to feel any affinity for her. Once the events of her past and her dysfunctional relationship with her mother are revealed, it was easier to feel for her.
Oh, and let’s talk about Ryan for a moment. I think every girl needs a guy like Ryan. Ryan is the perfect son, good looking, a jock, good in school, and a gentleman. Ryan is surrounded by a nice group of friends and seems to be the polar opposite of Beth. Ryan’s entire life has been plotted out by his father who lives vicariously through Ryan’s baseball accomplishments. His parents even recommend a girlfriend for Ryan for appearances sake – the evil and conniving Gwen.
This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was shocked by what Beth had to endure with her alcoholic and drug dependent mother. As I read the book, I often wondered who the parent was. I mean, what kind of parent would allow their child to be arrested for their own crime? I was perplexed by Beth’s need to “rescue” her mother from her abusive boyfriend. The role reversal was astounding as Beth took on a caretaker/parent role for her mother as early as 8 years of age, cooking, cleaning, and paying bills - a huge burden for a young child. I couldn’t understand why she thought she could save her mother, but kudos to her for trying.
I loved how Beth and Ryan’s relationship progressed. It always seemed like one step forward and two steps back. Ryan was intrigued by Beth – she always said what was on her mind, and usually what she said was completely unexpected. Beth has difficulty trusting anyone but herself and she could not accept help from others. And in yet another role reversal – Ryan is the one waiting for his special girl.
This is another great book by author Katie McGarry. It may not appeal to everyone, but it is a compelling read. Beth may not be easy to like, but she grows on you. If you enjoy young adult contemporary romance, this book may be for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a review copy of this book.
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