Sage Nestler's Blog, page 65
June 29, 2016
Fragile Brilliance by Eliot Parker – 5/5
Title: Fragile Brilliance
Author: Eliot Parker
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
When off-duty Charleston police sergeant Ronan McCullough responds to the assault of a college student outside a downtown sports bar, he is brutally attacked and nearly killed by the assailants. As he struggles with the physical and emotional damage and doggedly pursues the perpetrators, his personal and professional relationships are strained to the limit; and what he uncovers in his investigation takes him to heart of a deadly drug ring threatening the very core of the city.
Review:
Eliot Parker is a master of storytelling. Not only did he manage to write a novel that involves a gay couple beautifully, but he managed to write the novel in a way that didn’t just focus on the couple and nothing else in the story line. Instead, he painted out for the reader a fast paced mystery and emotionally tearing novel that made a gay relationship as normal as any other relationship. From page one I was engrossed by his lacy way of writing, and that is not something that I can say happens to me very often anymore due to the large amounts of books that I read and review on a daily basis.
Sometimes with books that focus on crime thrillers and involve the police force and emergency rooms, the audience is a very particular target audience; but after reading Fragile Brilliance I found that it would be perfect for any kind of reader. It is a great introductory novel into the genre, and the mystery and intrigue was heavy. I even found that the surprises, twists, and turns in his novel were reminiscent of the great James Patterson. Parker’s novel punches you in the gut throughout the entire story, and I haven’t felt punches like that since I read James Patterson’s Beach Road. I am honestly very surprised that Parker isn’t published on a wider scale, as he most definitely deserves the spotlight.
I admire the clever way that Parker laced multiple characters together in such a riveting novel without confusion, and I am absolutely looking forward to reading his other novels. His talent stands out in today’s over-crowded literary world, and I strongly urge you to pick up one of his books. They will change you for the better, and I am not the same as I was before reading Fragile Brilliance. Parker’s writing changed me in the best possible way, and my literary standards are now even higher than they were before.
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Indie Pride Day – This Friday!
Hello Everyone,
This Friday I am the historical fiction host for the Brain to Books Indie Pride Day Blog Tour! That day I will be featuring a few different historical fiction authors, and the authors will be holding a takeover on my Facebook page! Be sure to stop by, and interact with the authors on Facebook as they share information about their novels, hold giveaways, and play games!
Much love,
Ashley
June 28, 2016
Dodger’s Doorway by Alessandro Reale – 3/5
Title: Dodger’s Doorway
Author: Alessandro Reale
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
One night, timid teenager Mark “Dodger” Bishop stumbles through a magical doorway that transports him to Storyworld, a strange realm inhabited by characters from fairy tales, myths, and legends. Dodger must team up with the warrior Humpty Dumpty and the alchemist Rumpelstiltskin to complete a series of adventures. Along the way, they encounter a cannibalistic witch, a mad puppeteer, ferocious bounty hunters, and much more.
Review:
Dodger’s Doorway is a beautiful young adult tale that twists the different fairytales that we all know about together in a new way. I loved how Alessandro Reale made the fairytale characters and stories his own, but overall I found that the protagonist in this novel was unlikable.
“Dodger”, aka Mark Bishop, is a teenager who finds his way through a magic door that leads into a fairytale land where all of the fairytale characters live. The characters he comes across, such as Humpty Dumpty and Rumpelstiltskin, help him to fight his fears and self-consciousness, but I didn’t connect to Dodger due to his poor attitude. He seemed to be a stereotypical teenage figure with little regard for his family or society, and I didn’t see him evolve through the novel like I wish he would have. Dodger did not represent today’s teenage population well, and my inability to connect to him dampened my enjoyment of this novel. I do think that Reale did a great job of recreating the fairytale world for us, but his fictional view on today’s teenagers came off as a bit outdated and stereotypical. Instead of having Dodger come off as an outcast like the back cover blurb stated, he came off as a brat and I didn’t root for him throughout the novel.
However, I enjoyed Reale’s clever way of connecting fantasy with reality, and his writing on the fairytale world was effortless and beautiful. If Dodger had been taken out of this story, I would have enjoyed it more. I would like to read more about Humpty Dumpty and Rumpelstiltskin, and I admired how Reale portrayed them as real people instead of just fictional characters.
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June 27, 2016
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy – 4/5
Title: Dumplin
Author: Julie Murphy
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.
Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.
Review:
Dumplin’ is such a cringe worthy novel, but in the best possible way. Julie Murphy captures the struggle of the teenage experience beautifully, and her writing shines.
One thing that readers must know about this novel, is it is not about a “brave” fat girl who enters a beauty pageant; instead, it is about a girl who doesn’t see herself as worthless because of how she looks and how she tries to prove others wrong. The book beautifully highlights how Willowdean does feel like the sidekick friend in her life, and how she wants to break away and be her own person. It is also about how she has never felt self conscious about herself until she becomes involved with a boy. It is during this time that she begins to see herself how others see her, and she doesn’t like what she sees.
Growing up, I was a “fat girl”, so reading this book was extremely difficult for me. It captured the mind of a girl who begins to see herself how others see her, and it is heartbreaking. However, I enjoyed how Willowdean, and the side characters, evolved throughout the novel. Murphy sent a message through her writing that showed the reader how everyone is self conscious about something in their life, and how we should just try to love ourselves and understand that others are going through exactly what we are feeling. This book is essential for middle school – high school students to read, and I know that it would have helped me had it been released when I was still in school. Murphy made all of her characters likable and unlikable throughout the novel, and through those flaws and reality her book won my heart. She didn’t force you to like Willowdean simply because she was the underdog, and forced you to get to know her before making any assumptions on her character.
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Weekly Update – 06/27/16 -07/03/16
Hello Everyone,
This week I will be reviewing:
The Deadbringer by E.M. Markoff
Fragile Brilliance by Eliot Parker
Dodger’s Doorway by Alessandro Reale
I also have an update for the Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box. Due to the amount of freebies we have been giving out, and the lack of subscribers we have, we are in a financial crisis. At this point, more money is being put into the business than coming out. I set out to help indie authors market themselves with this box, but it is causing a huge financial strain on myself, and my family, and we are in danger of closing. That being said, I have been urged to set up a GoFundMe account to try and raise money to help us keep this box going so that we can keep working with indie authors and help them spread their work. I am so passionate about this box and how much time and effort I put into it, but I have been very discouraged by the financial strain it has caused. That being said, NO MORE FREEBIES WILL BE GIVEN OUT. I have been taken advantage of through freebies, and I will no longer tolerate that to happen.
Here is the link to our GoFundMe campaign. Please consider donating even just your spare change, anything will help. I don’t want to lose this business as I am very passionate about it and helping all of the indie authors who have reached out to me, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to reach out for help as well. I am not one to ask for charity so this is very hard for me, but if our financial situation does not look up by August we will be forced to shut down.
Thank you for your consideration,
Ashley
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
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June 25, 2016
The Making of Gabriel Davenport by Beverley Lee – 5/5
Title: The Making of Gabriel Davenport
Author: Beverley Lee
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
In a house built on truth something lays hidden. Beth and Stu Davenport moved to the English hillside town of Meadowford Bridge to give their young son, Gabriel, an idyllic, rural childhood. But in a single evening, the Davenports’ dream is shattered by a hidden, ancient darkness– and their lives are forever changed. Years later, Gabriel Davenport, now a capable, curious young man, makes the ill-fated decision to go looking for answers about his mysterious past. As soon as he begins his quest, his life becomes a place of shadows. The people he loves and trusts are acting abnormally. The strange woman who lives upstairs is even more haunted than usual. Even his most trusted friend seems to be hiding something. As one fateful night deepens, and the line blurs between darkness and light, Gabriel must confront the terrible events that destroyed his family all those years ago. He is faced with a choice: continue living the life that was never his to begin with, or give himself over to a terrifying new reality more sinister than anything he’s ever known. The darkness is watching.
Review:
The Making of Gabriel Davenport is a brilliant dark novel. I couldn’t find anything at all to critique with this novel, and that is extremely rare for me. It is the perfect mix of horror and fantasy, while also incorporating the human experience and the pains that bind us all together. I read this book overnight, and I would gladly do it over and over again.
First of all, Beverley Lee’s writing is very clean. The editing was flawless, and I adored how fast the pace of the novel was. This is a perfect novel for those who enjoy horror/darker novels, as well as those who aren’t experienced in the genre at all. It is one of those rare novels that is dark, but not crass or grotesque – and these types of novels are the best kind.
Lee is also a master at evolving her characters through the novel, as well as making the reader feel isolated with no one else to turn to but the characters themselves. Her writing allows the reader to become completely isolated inside of the story, and I now feel as though her characters are my own personal friends. I fought for them throughout the novel, and still think about them when they cross my mind. The Making of Gabriel Davenport is the best novel I have read in a really long time, and I am so honored to have read it at all. I cannot talk about this novel enough, and recommend it to anyone in the upper young adult – adult age range. It doesn’t matter what genres you like to read, this book is perfect for anyone. And I guarantee that it will turn you to darker novels more than any other introductory novel. Lee is clearly passionate about her novel and her characters, and those passions shine beautifully through her words.
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
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June 24, 2016
Treacherous Shadows by Jennifer Parr – 5/5
Title: Treacherous Shadows
Author: Jennifer Parr
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Aeria Morgan knows her life will be short. Since the Darkness fell two hundred years ago, brevity has staked its claim, especially on the childless. Aeria will die if she does not find love, and soon. But she and her Dviinu brother, Aeron, are outcasts, set apart from the rest of Avalon Valley because of their sordid family history and mysterious conception, and so Aeria has resigned herself to a loveless fate. It isn’t until Aeria meets village newcomer Lyam Trey that she learns that love is worth hoping for after all. As trouble mounts, can Aeria hold tight to what she’s found, or will she lose everything she thought she’d never have?
Review:
Jennifer Parr’s writing is very unique. Many times with first person based novels I don’t feel completely in the shoes of the character that is narrating, but that wasn’t the case with Treacherous Shadows. After contemplating why I felt that Parr’s writing was more personal than other first person narrated novels, I began to realize that it is completely because of her beautiful descriptions. Instead of going back and forth between experience and description, she intertwines the two like an artist mixing colors. I began to feel myself falling into the character of Aeria, and it amazed me how well I could feel for myself what she was going through.
For example, early on in the novel Parr begins to form the setting and experience of Aeria, and her settle descriptions began to take over the reader as well. The following excerpt is one of the best examples of how she accomplishes this experience, and I am amazed by how effortless her writing is:
“The air is chilling here, and my wet dress and hair make it more so, pulling bumps along the length of my arms.”
She also adds a great sense of darkness into her novel that is disturbing but unique in its own way. I found myself flipping through the pages one after another without a thought of stopping, when usually I mark an end point for myself so I am sure to read to a certain point; but with this novel I read well past my desired end point. Parr’s writing is just that intriguing.
But one of the best things that I found about this novel was that it is suitable for a wide range of ages and genders. Parr didn’t direct her writing towards any one audience, and that allowed me to enjoy her writing even more. I don’t like when authors talk towards a specific audience due to the fact that this is exclusive, and Parr’s openness allowed her writing to be enjoyed by just about anyone. It was clear that she wrote this book for herself and the fun of it instead of to be published, and I am certain that I will be re-reading this book again. I hope the rest of the Avalon Valley series comes out soon, because I am looking forward to it!
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
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*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
June 23, 2016
Sweet Vengeance by Aliya DalRae – 4/5
Title: Sweet VengeanceSweet VengeanceSweet Vengeance
Author: Aliya DalRae
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Jessica Sweet is an orphan – Again…
At 26, the term may not truly apply, but having been abandoned by her birth parents at an early age, the death of her adoptive parents is like déjà vu all over again. Now she finds herself alone, facing a future that should be unsure; however, the visions she’s been plagued with since childhood are about to descend upon her, pulling her into a supernatural world where her deepest fantasies and most harrowing nightmares will soon come true.
A monster, even by Vampire Standards…
Raven has spent the better part of his five-hundred-seventy-plus years fighting the evil within. His capture by an ancient breed of Sorcerers, just surfacing in the Legion’s base town of Fallen Cross, Ohio, leaves him beaten and starving. Escape leads him to an old farmhouse, the single heartbeat within promising life. What he couldn’t know is that the blood he now seeks will sustain him in ways he could never imagine…
Review:
Sweet Vengeance is a beautiful take on an overused concept. The vampire-based genre has begun to fade out, but as I read this novel I felt that it had been rejuvenated and I felt myself connecting to the younger me who only read vampire novels. But perhaps the best element of this novel was that it didn’t just include vampires; instead, it included other supernatural beings to the mix while also enhancing the story line with romance.
Aliya DalRae is a master of understanding characters and what makes them tick. Her characters were brilliantly developed, and I felt absorbed by the plot and setting as I fell deeper and deeper into the novel. She avidly included the reader in her story, instead of having them as the audience, and that is something that I rarely see in today’s market. Many times authors can talk at their audience instead of including them, but DalRae made it clear that her readers were a part of her story, and through that I felt as though DalRae had taken my hand and allowed me to explore the world she had created with her.
I loved getting to know the vivid characters in Sweet Vengeance, and as time went on I began to forget that they were fictional. The only critique I have is that the writing was a bit choppy at times, but it didn’t hinder the story. DalRae did a beautiful job of putting down her ideas onto paper, and I am very excited to read the rest of this trilogy once the books are released.
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
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*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
Update – Charging for Reviews
Hello Everyone,
I am sorry to say that it has come to this, but because I have had so many requests for book reviews this is what I need to do in order to keep this blog going. I have been posting 3+ book reviews a week, and this is like a full time job. From now on, I will be charging for book reviews in order to make sure I am not being taken advantage of. Since I do market the books I review heavily on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon, I am not only giving out in depth reviews, but beneficial marketing exposure as well. I have also found that the Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box is taking up most of my time, and unfortunately, working for free is not an option for me anymore. I am an author and need time to work on my own novels, as well as my life off of the internet, instead of being bogged down with reviews. Below are the updated rates, and they may charge over time:
ebook reviews: $20
Paperback Reviews: $10
Go Indie Now! Book Reviews to be Considered for the Box: $20
Author Interview/Feature: $5
*Any extra promotion will cost more. These rates are for a review to be posted on my blog, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.*
I have grappled with this thought for quite a long time, and have researched heavily whether this is something that is fit for me, and it definitely is a change that I need to make. The amount of time I put into this blog, the reviews, and marketing all books sent over to me is almost 24/7 and unfortunately, a hobby doesn’t make a living. Thank you so much for your understanding, and I just wanted you all to know that I love you, and adding this to my blogging career will benefit you in the long run. Not only will you be getting more of my valuable time, but you will be getting heavy exposure on all of my social media and in the Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box as well.
Much love,
Ashley
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
July Indie Pride Day – Brain to Books Tour Host – Historical Fiction
Hello everyone!
I wanted to let you know that I am the Historical Fiction blog host for the Brain to Books Blog Tour on July 1 – Indie Pride Day. During that day, I will be posting interviews and information for the authors who I am hosting. That being said, the authors who I am hosting will be holding a Facebook takeover that day, and I wanted to give you all the event page so that you can attend and meet these wonderful new authors! The event page is open to anybody, so please go here to RSVP and attend. I also have some spots left for the Facebook takeover, so please email me if you are interested!
It is going to be quite a fun party with giveaways, contests, and book talk so don’t miss it!
Much love,
Ashley
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
