Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 360

Review: DEATH COMES E-CALLING by Leslie O’Kane

Molly’s teacher and old mentor was voted “Most Likely to be killed by a student.” Now she’s dead. Was it a heart attack or did a student make good on that promise?
This all started out fine and dandy, but my biggest beef was that these old school mates all live in the same neighborhood, where their kids go to the same school they attended. So there were entirely too many forgettable characters that it was damn near impossible to keep track of the suspect list and the mystery.

My rating: 2.5 stars 

Review: BLOG THIS by Cami Checketts

Natasha is a blogger who has been receiving threats to shut down her blog or else. Oooh! Then, in the middle of the woods, she is shot in front of her kids. So far this was a good start!


What was her blog about? A video game that programs kids to be killers? Cool! Her blog was protesting the company that designs that game. A shut down would cost a psycho millions, which was why he had to get rid of Natasha.


So he sends Terminator Alex—an unstoppable, invisible killing machine—after her. He always shows up, scaring the crap out of Natasha and the police don’t have single clue. How does he keep getting so close to her without anyone noticing? Oh, he’s good!


An engaging thriller!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE STRANGE YEAR OF VANESSA M. by Filipa Fonseca Silva

"Is life really that much easier for men?...As long as he's got that just-out-the-shower smell about him, a man with disheveled hair and unshaven chin is sexy. A woman with disheveled hair, with no time to wax her legs, is a slattern who ought to be ashamed to show her face in the street." (LOC 27)


Vanessa is just plain bored of the tedium of everyday life. With work, family, chores, and the spectacle of the people around her, she wonders if jail would've been a lot better. I like her already!


"The car is becoming an expression of all the rage and anguish we accumulate over the course of the day. Our eyes glaze over as we accelerate away from traffic lights we thought would never change. We stamp on the brake with the same fury we'd like to stamp on the people who drive us crazy. We honk as if the noise that fills the street was the shout we have to suppress. We think we're untouchable, invincible in our metal fortresses, where we don't hear the insults, or smell the smells of other people, where the urbane grime can't infect us." (LOC 59)


Vanessa is suffocating by it all! And she begins to wonder what life would be like if she were orphaned, single, with no kids, and being able to do whatever--to be absolutely free!
Vanessa comes up with thought-provoking questions like, why can't we tell a friend we don't want them in our lives anymore? I found myself agreeing with her a lot.
The big question: Was this life then? Really, was this it?


This then causes Vanessa to run off, leaving everyone without a word, and stay with her eccentric, hippie aunt out in the middle of nowhere. Very bold! Then she briefly returns to her lackluster life--husband, daughter, job, mother, therapist--before she says "forget this" and takes off, leaping into her one year of absolute freedom.


Story is about regret and sadness with a cynically comical twist. It's about losing so much control of your life that you feel numb. Vanessa shows readers that what was lost can be regained. It's all about seizing the moment--Carpe Diem!


This novel is totally relatable. At some point, we all feel overwhelmed by it all--a husband you can't stand, a child you never wanted, a job you hate--and we begin to wonder why we go through it. Vanessa is an inspiration and a true model of "living the world inside you."


My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE TROUBLE WITH DYING by Maggie LePage

The last time I tried to read a book by this author, I admit that I couldn’t get past the 2nd chapter. But this one had a woman lingering between life and death, so I thought I’d give it a shot.
Faith is in a coma of some sorts; her spirit (or whatever) is standing there watching her limp, lifeless body with no memory of how she got there or who these other people are. She doesn’t recognize her own husband, her daughter, not even her mother. The only person she does remember is her dead grandma, who kind of aids her in the process.
Faith makes it a point to get back into her body because, quite frankly, death sucks.
What I enjoyed the most is being lost along with Faith about who she was, then slowly unraveling these little clues. Like the fact that Nate (the one she had an instant connection with) wasn’t her husband, but rather it was some arrogant douche that wanted to pull the plug on her. It turns out her fall may not have been accidental, but instead attempted murder. The question was: who would want to kill her? It was interesting to see all the pieces coming together, which prompted me to keep on reading, even though the writing was a little kooky.
You’ll root for Faith all the way as she fights to get back into her body to be there for her daughter, to knock some sense into Geoff, and to see if Nate really is the one for her. A story about second chances.
A true- blue mystery ‘til the end, although the ending was a bit played down, if you ask me. Still, this was a nice paranormal  read.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: FACEBOOK JEANIE by Addison Westlake

Clara likes to spend her free time checking up on the one that got away (Brad) on Facebook—him and his wife, the one who nabbed the one that got away. Brad had model good looks and a 3.7 million dollar net worth—Yeah, she was right to break up with him in college. So the girl lives with regret. Basically, she hates her job, hates her life, and wishes things could be different.


Her wish: to go back to that day in college and do it right the second time. Then, with a rub of an old lamp, out jumps Facebook Jeanie, who installs a RESET app on her iPhone. A chance to RESET your life the way it should’ve been.
Now that was getting a second chance (and third and fourth,) she was starting to see something in that Alek, the serious, foreign nerd who annoyed her.


“You can’t sit around waiting for everything to be perfect in your life.” (LOC 798)


Story of nostalgia (Will Smith, Fast and Furious, Angel spin-off.) Relatable in a “where did my life go” sense.  Clara goes through a Groundhog Day of what-ifs, and she soon learns that the grass ain’t always greener on the other side. Turns out that the one that got away wasn’t all that great to begin with. Sometimes you just gotta take a second look to really see.


“You catch more flies with honey, but you catch more honeys if you’re fly.”
An enjoyable read!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: JENNY POX by J.L. Bryan

Avoid her like the plague.
After reading Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper, I was looking forward to reading another story by J.L. Bryan.


Jenny, nicknamed “Jenny Pox,” has a rare anomaly: her touch causes sores and blisters similar to the chicken pox, and they can be deadly. Ever since then, she wears long sleeves and avoids getting close to anyone. Of course that doesn’t make school any easier, especially when you’re on the outs with the meanest, most popular girl in school. Right away you feel for poor Jenny and you hope that the mean, bossy Ashleigh gets hers in the end. I had a feeling the finale would mirror a scene right out of Carrie, with Jenny’s powers wrecking havoc on the school. That would’ve been awesome.


Unfortunately, it doesn’t really turn out that way. About half way through the book, the story gets complicated and weirder. It completely deviates from Jenny Pox and expands to other paranormals in the small hick town. Apparently Seth and Ashleigh have a similar yet different touching power (Seth heals and Ashleigh can transfer pleasure.) What kind of freaks are these kids?
It was nice seeing Jenny and Seth (total opposites in their powers) getting closer, but, again, certain parts in the story lagged with too many useless details on background scenes (I skimmed over these for the most part.)


I just feel that the story revolved more on religion and spiritual healing/destruction. It wasn’t what I expected. I think the Ghost Trapper series was better.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: ELLIE JORDAN, GHOST TRAPPER by J.L. Bryan

Ellie Jordan is a ghost trapper, plain and simple. She’s an investigator with a degree in psychology and an understanding of the paranormal—a true professional of her work. She’s also smart and intuitive, which are two other important assets going for her. On top of that, she also knows kickboxing, although I don’t know how that comes in handy when dealing with ghosts.
The ghost case she works on seems exciting and scary all at once. Her cases involve a lot of scientific knowledge and complicated tools. You may not understand all the schematics behind the investigation, which are very detailed, but the case is compelling and frightening enough to continue the story.
I also thought the author might have been too detailed in describing landscapes. I mean I get that certain scenes were meant to spook the readers (and they do!), but we didn’t need every minute detail of a plain, old house, especially when there was nothing going on (no ghost activity whatsoever.) Reader, nonetheless, will appreciate the historical background of the mystery as well as the dark, finely-tuned writing style.
This was a thrilling and creepy ride. It’s a must-finish if you ever start it.  
An interesting ghost story!
My rating: 4 stars

Review: SAY WHEN by Tara West

When sex with your fiancé is making you vomit, then you know that spells out “doom.”


Christina had just about had enough. Her job was to marry into wealth and “disregard his foul breath, little penis, and short temper.” (12) But she was sick and tired of her boorish, bossy fiancé, and she wanted nothing more than her freedom. She wanted something more.


On top of that, her BFF is “a terrible parent, a lousy daughter, and can’t hold a job to save her life.” (17) “Not only was my friend a slut, but she was a stupid slut.” (23) She was a bad influence on Christina and liked to boss her around to. Yes, Christina definitely needed to eliminate these people.


Then, on the worst night of her life, Christina literally bumps into André, the sexy, Latin stud. Oooh La La!
But André was supposed to be a hot one-night stand, not husband material (he was a poor mechanic, after all.) Can Christina defy the expectations imposed by her overbearing mother and follow her heart for once?


The two have an amazing chemistry and a sweet connection that lasts throughout the book. However, the two also suffer from old wounds and personal demons.
Candid and humorous, this spicy love story is full of lovable and relatable characters that you root for from page 1.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: SOPHIE’S SECRET by Tara West

Bound by their gifts, A.J., Krysta, and Sophie are best friends attending high school. A.J. has visions, Krysta sees the dead, and Sophie is telepathic.


Together, the three go to school and contend with the traditional teenage angst and drama while dealing with their gifts, which seem to be growing stronger.


Sweet, shy, formerly fat Sophie never felt comfortable in her own skin. For once, she would like the boy she’s crushing on to notice her. How would she do that and hide the fact that she can hear thoughts?


Story brought me back to the memories of high school. I always hated when people put their feet on my desk, too. It was relatable as far as knowing what it’s like to crush on someone, to have “enemies,” to fight and stand up for yourself, to hate teachers that embarrass you, etc.


I thought that Sophie was too naïve to think that Jacob (boy she likes) was too cute and too perfect. He wasn’t. He was just using her to get out of detention and cheat on his tests. But, yet, she still liked him. Sophie was nice, but she was too nice. And her ability to hear other people’s thoughts only enabled her to want to help them.


I honestly thought this would be more of a mystery/thriller, but it was mostly drama. But the story was good though—relatable, quick, and easy.


My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE JUNGLE WITHIN by Charles M.

Evan and Katie had the picture-perfect marriage, it would seem.
While Evan lays unconscious after a terrible car wreck, Katie has an affair. Oh, wow.
“The symbol of their eternal love was broken.” (35)
Simple yet well-written, this soulful book immediately captures the reader, instigating deep empathy and profound thought.  I felt bad for Evan and thought the guilt eating at Katie was well-deserved. The first chapter kicked off nice and strong, but then confusion settles in the second chapter when Evan wakes up in the jungle…literally! What!? I thought he was lying comatose in the hospital. How did we get to the jungle?
The bulk of the book centers on Evan struggling in the jungle (I still don’t know how he got there.) I guess the jungle was really more of a metaphor because in Katie’s POV, Evan is still comatose. So Evan is battling the jungle in his mind? Yeah, I guess. So that’s “the jungle within?” Mmm, okay then. Suddenly he’s Tom Hanks in Cast Away.
Basically we have two characters in the jungle with Evan fighting to wake up and Katie struggling with her sin. Obviously the book is heavy on symbolism and religion. The writing had a poetic feel and the jungle descriptions were quite vivid, however, the story line weakened my interest after the first few chapters.

My rating: 2.5 stars