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Bone Dressing #1
Bone Dressing
Time is running out & the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her.
Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.
Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves & bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can't stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn't remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything including her very own life?
Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.
Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.
Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves & bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can't stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn't remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything including her very own life?
Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.
364 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2011
6 people are currently reading
711 people want to read
About the author
Michelle I. Brooks
2 books450 followersAuthor, adventurer, world traveler, habanero lover, kissing enthusiast. Bone Dressing is my Dark MatureYA Paranormal Romance series of seven novels in eBook and paperback.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 6, 2011
Wow, oh wow. While getting ready to write this review, I found myself at a complete loss of words. Let me make this very clear to those of you reading this, I am NEVER at a loss of words! That is how surprising, wonderful, funny, and romantic this book is. It took everything I thought it was going to be and flushed it down the drain. What I found instead was a book that left me stunned into silence, something as I so eloquently put, never happens!
When I first read the summary for Bone Dressing, I imagined it being somewhat of a scary, freaky, mysterious story with a hint of romance in it. Don’t get me wrong, it was all of those things but those words only begin to describe this book.
I found myself laughing and connecting with our main character, Syd, from the very beginning. Her sense of humor and sarcasm, not to mention those hilarious one-liners she uses all the time, kept the story light and fun. Don’t let her snarky-girl attitude fool you though. It is all just a tough exterior to hide the hurt and pain she is feeling inside. Not only is she still mourning the loss of her parents but she also feels like a major let-down to those around her. For every step forward, she seems to take five steps back. Always getting in trouble sure makes life difficult for Syd. Syd assumes all the bad crap that is thrown her way is just a result of her being a bad person but finds a whole different truth when she meets Beau, his sister Sarah, and their big ole kitty, T.J., in a graveyard one night. It is there that Syd learns that mistakes made in past lives are affecting the one she is living now and if she doesn’t do something about it soon, very bad things will happen
This book deals with past lives, soul mates, and karma, all things that I am not familiar with. I was a bit confused when at one moment I was laughing at something Syd said and then at the next minute Syd, now named Rachel, is in a past life. Aside from the little bit of confusion I had towards the paranormal-ish parts of the book, I actually found it quite refreshing. It is so nice to step away from fallen angels, demons, and vampires. Instead Michelle chose to write about soul mates and the idea of karma. I loved these fresh, new ideas she wove into this story!
The romance in this story was just absolutely phenomenal. Michelle’s great sense of writing helped make the love and passion between Syd and Beau [and Rachel & Jesse (Syd’s past life romance)] just jump off the pages. I want so badly to find out what other lives’ romances were like as well as how Syd and Beau will connect in the future. This book will definitely cater to those who love a deep, romantic story.
As with any series, there is bound to be a lot of questions. Bone Dressing is no exception. We learn a little bit about Syd and what dangers are sneaking up on her but I have a feeling we are just at the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to learn! A mysterious, beautifully romantic, funny, and mesmerizing book such as Bone Dressing leaves me dying for the next installment!
When I first read the summary for Bone Dressing, I imagined it being somewhat of a scary, freaky, mysterious story with a hint of romance in it. Don’t get me wrong, it was all of those things but those words only begin to describe this book.
I found myself laughing and connecting with our main character, Syd, from the very beginning. Her sense of humor and sarcasm, not to mention those hilarious one-liners she uses all the time, kept the story light and fun. Don’t let her snarky-girl attitude fool you though. It is all just a tough exterior to hide the hurt and pain she is feeling inside. Not only is she still mourning the loss of her parents but she also feels like a major let-down to those around her. For every step forward, she seems to take five steps back. Always getting in trouble sure makes life difficult for Syd. Syd assumes all the bad crap that is thrown her way is just a result of her being a bad person but finds a whole different truth when she meets Beau, his sister Sarah, and their big ole kitty, T.J., in a graveyard one night. It is there that Syd learns that mistakes made in past lives are affecting the one she is living now and if she doesn’t do something about it soon, very bad things will happen
This book deals with past lives, soul mates, and karma, all things that I am not familiar with. I was a bit confused when at one moment I was laughing at something Syd said and then at the next minute Syd, now named Rachel, is in a past life. Aside from the little bit of confusion I had towards the paranormal-ish parts of the book, I actually found it quite refreshing. It is so nice to step away from fallen angels, demons, and vampires. Instead Michelle chose to write about soul mates and the idea of karma. I loved these fresh, new ideas she wove into this story!
The romance in this story was just absolutely phenomenal. Michelle’s great sense of writing helped make the love and passion between Syd and Beau [and Rachel & Jesse (Syd’s past life romance)] just jump off the pages. I want so badly to find out what other lives’ romances were like as well as how Syd and Beau will connect in the future. This book will definitely cater to those who love a deep, romantic story.
As with any series, there is bound to be a lot of questions. Bone Dressing is no exception. We learn a little bit about Syd and what dangers are sneaking up on her but I have a feeling we are just at the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to learn! A mysterious, beautifully romantic, funny, and mesmerizing book such as Bone Dressing leaves me dying for the next installment!
July 7, 2012
This was one of those “amazon recommends” things and unlike some it didn’t work for me. Usually it does.
I actually bought it because the title intrigued me, as did the haunting cover art. I only skimmed the synopsis, my bad. And I admit it.
The basic idea was good, but this just wasn’t for me. I would have liked this story if it were not so hopelessly overwritten – to many metaphors, too many long and frankly boring descriptions, too much sappy lurve. And the main protagonist was just too childish for me to connect with. It’s a teen book. This review is not to denigrate the author, it’s to warn others like me that this book might not be what you were expecting – read the blurb, read the reviews and only then, if you’re still sure it’s for you – buy it.
This book has many positive reviews and I am glad for that, it’s not badly written for the right audience – that’s obvious. But it needs tightening up – a lot of the descriptive stuff would have been pretty ruthlessly cut by a good editor. I would recommend the author hire one as this would be a slam dunk with better editing.
I still think the title is brilliant and just shows what an imagination the author has. “Bone Dressing” love it! I am keeping this book for that and the cover alone.
But I will never read it again unless my library burns down,and my kindle overloads and this is all I have left.
I actually bought it because the title intrigued me, as did the haunting cover art. I only skimmed the synopsis, my bad. And I admit it.
The basic idea was good, but this just wasn’t for me. I would have liked this story if it were not so hopelessly overwritten – to many metaphors, too many long and frankly boring descriptions, too much sappy lurve. And the main protagonist was just too childish for me to connect with. It’s a teen book. This review is not to denigrate the author, it’s to warn others like me that this book might not be what you were expecting – read the blurb, read the reviews and only then, if you’re still sure it’s for you – buy it.
This book has many positive reviews and I am glad for that, it’s not badly written for the right audience – that’s obvious. But it needs tightening up – a lot of the descriptive stuff would have been pretty ruthlessly cut by a good editor. I would recommend the author hire one as this would be a slam dunk with better editing.
I still think the title is brilliant and just shows what an imagination the author has. “Bone Dressing” love it! I am keeping this book for that and the cover alone.
But I will never read it again unless my library burns down,and my kindle overloads and this is all I have left.
August 23, 2011
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.
Michelle I. Brooks pursued me relentlessly in an attempt to get me to read/review her book. I'll give her points for perseverance! She claimed that we have similar reading interests and argued that Bone Dressing was a perfect fit for me. Admittedly, I was reluctant and the back blurb is somewhat discouraging. It doesn't do the contents justice whatsoever. The beginning of this book is a tad slow out of the gates in my opinion. The fact that this novel is nearly 400 pages in length was daunting. Luckily, I'm not one to leave things incomplete so I pushed through until the end and am I ever happy that I did! There's nothing like a good ending to tie a story together and turn a so-so read into something special.
Sydney is a fantastic character. I liked her from the get-go. She has that no nonsense attitude that really appeals to me in a protagonist. Syd is witty, sarcastic, funny and is capable of overcoming any obstacle when she puts her mind to it. I especially enjoyed the multitude of similes that are peppered throughout this novel. They're inventive and fun. This book is classified as Young Adult but its approach is darker than what I've come to expect out of this genre. Which is a good thing! Bone Dressing didn't overplay the teenage drama card nor the dumb kid one. Sydney is mature and easy to relate to. Perhaps, in part, because of her life experiences. She hasn't had it easy and that usually forces a person to grow up rather quickly.
The plot started off at a slower pace than I would have liked. When Beau, Sarah and T.J. meet Sydney in the graveyard for the first time I found that it dragged on quite a bit. I'm still kinda confused about T.J.'s role in the overall scheme of things as well. I mean, he doesn't exactly blend in easily so how is it possible that he's out and about but no one raises a fuss? I had a hard time with Syd's transition from one lifetime to the next. There wasn't much of a segue and when she jumps into someone else's body I felt as though the stories weren't linked in any way. A few flashbacks or internal monologues from Sydney's perspective while she was bone dressing would have greatly helped to tie things together.
Fortunately for Bone Dressing there's a yummy guy that serves as a nice distraction to the, at times, confusing story line. Beau is downright delectable! The revelation of his true identify and the ending manage to sweeten the deal quite a bit. That being said, it's the conclusion that made all the difference for me. It literally knocked my rating of this book up by a star. The last few chapters really bring the story full circle. They do a great job of answering those pesky unexplained questions and also generate just enough interest to make me want to read the next installment.
Although this book was slow to start off, I immensely enjoyed Sydney as the main character and the ending was absolutely perfect. The synopsis does not paint a good picture of the story so when deciding if this book is for you; base your verdict on reviews instead. Bone Dressing is a much needed dark YA book that helps to balance the scales within a typically flaky genre. Syd is not your average teenager and for that I'm grateful. I'm looking forward to The Dreaming because I expect less of the tedious world building and more of the "good stuff".
Michelle I. Brooks pursued me relentlessly in an attempt to get me to read/review her book. I'll give her points for perseverance! She claimed that we have similar reading interests and argued that Bone Dressing was a perfect fit for me. Admittedly, I was reluctant and the back blurb is somewhat discouraging. It doesn't do the contents justice whatsoever. The beginning of this book is a tad slow out of the gates in my opinion. The fact that this novel is nearly 400 pages in length was daunting. Luckily, I'm not one to leave things incomplete so I pushed through until the end and am I ever happy that I did! There's nothing like a good ending to tie a story together and turn a so-so read into something special.
Sydney is a fantastic character. I liked her from the get-go. She has that no nonsense attitude that really appeals to me in a protagonist. Syd is witty, sarcastic, funny and is capable of overcoming any obstacle when she puts her mind to it. I especially enjoyed the multitude of similes that are peppered throughout this novel. They're inventive and fun. This book is classified as Young Adult but its approach is darker than what I've come to expect out of this genre. Which is a good thing! Bone Dressing didn't overplay the teenage drama card nor the dumb kid one. Sydney is mature and easy to relate to. Perhaps, in part, because of her life experiences. She hasn't had it easy and that usually forces a person to grow up rather quickly.
The plot started off at a slower pace than I would have liked. When Beau, Sarah and T.J. meet Sydney in the graveyard for the first time I found that it dragged on quite a bit. I'm still kinda confused about T.J.'s role in the overall scheme of things as well. I mean, he doesn't exactly blend in easily so how is it possible that he's out and about but no one raises a fuss? I had a hard time with Syd's transition from one lifetime to the next. There wasn't much of a segue and when she jumps into someone else's body I felt as though the stories weren't linked in any way. A few flashbacks or internal monologues from Sydney's perspective while she was bone dressing would have greatly helped to tie things together.
Fortunately for Bone Dressing there's a yummy guy that serves as a nice distraction to the, at times, confusing story line. Beau is downright delectable! The revelation of his true identify and the ending manage to sweeten the deal quite a bit. That being said, it's the conclusion that made all the difference for me. It literally knocked my rating of this book up by a star. The last few chapters really bring the story full circle. They do a great job of answering those pesky unexplained questions and also generate just enough interest to make me want to read the next installment.
Although this book was slow to start off, I immensely enjoyed Sydney as the main character and the ending was absolutely perfect. The synopsis does not paint a good picture of the story so when deciding if this book is for you; base your verdict on reviews instead. Bone Dressing is a much needed dark YA book that helps to balance the scales within a typically flaky genre. Syd is not your average teenager and for that I'm grateful. I'm looking forward to The Dreaming because I expect less of the tedious world building and more of the "good stuff".
February 5, 2012
I didn't exactly know what to expect from Bone Dressing. All I knew was that the synopsis for the book sounded totally cool and original, so I was pretty excited to find out more. Although things seemed to start off a little slow, it wasn't long before the plot picked up and intensified--and it stayed that way until the end of the book, which left my head spinning!
The book is told through the perspective of Sydney, who is completely tough and amusing. Syd is a character that I really like. She goes on these hilarious tangents that sent me into fits of giggles and I found her pessimism to be endearing and very honest. She's also a rebel, and I admire her ability to say whatever she wants and mean it.
Basically Syd is an orphan who finds her whole world literally being turned upside down when she encounters a very attractive and mysterious guy in the cemetery one night. This guy's name is Beau, and he's accompanied by his sister, Sarah, and a black panther named T.J. (yes, T.J. is LITERALLY a panther and she does fit into the story quite well!). With the help of these three, Syd finds out that there is a sinister being after her and the only way to get the upper hand is for her to journey back in time into her past selves and relive crucial moments in her life. It is then that she experiences memories that she never even knew she had, and she is riddled with an onslaught of emotions and facts that put a dent in her tough exterior and alter her forever.
As if finding out that she is in danger and has past lives that she must live again wasn't enough for Syd to process, she also struggles with the thoughts and feelings she so strongly has for Beau. As a very strong and independent young lady, Sydney actually gets peeved at herself for these intense feelings she instantly develops for Beau, especially since she's never experienced anything like this before. It was both amusing and confusing whenever these two were together, because there's so much tension, and there's also something more going on there than what you are let in on. All I'm saying is that Beau is SUPER hot and I can't wait to learn more about his connection with Syd (though I have a theory)!
One of the things I really love about this book is that the author is very descriptive and poetic at times, which I absolutely loved! Michelle Brooks also knows how to write romance well. There were some steamy moments throughout the story that felt incredibly accurate and personal. Basically, she's a fantastic writer and she really knows how to write a unique and engaging story. She also does such a stupendous job of making the reader really feel everything that the characters are going through. I was definitely effected by the heartbreak that Syd faces in this book, as well as the anger she's enveloped by when she comes to certain realizations. I would also like to bring to light the fact that I literally felt my blood pressure rising during every encounter Sydney has with the repugnant Mr. Askew--never has a fictional character made my skin crawl as much as he has!
There is so much more to find out about this story, and the last events of the book solidify this, therefore I can't wait to continue with this series! So, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story with a healthy dose of villains, supernatural, romance and mystery.
My reviews can also be found at: http://escapingwithfiction.blogspot.com/
The book is told through the perspective of Sydney, who is completely tough and amusing. Syd is a character that I really like. She goes on these hilarious tangents that sent me into fits of giggles and I found her pessimism to be endearing and very honest. She's also a rebel, and I admire her ability to say whatever she wants and mean it.
Basically Syd is an orphan who finds her whole world literally being turned upside down when she encounters a very attractive and mysterious guy in the cemetery one night. This guy's name is Beau, and he's accompanied by his sister, Sarah, and a black panther named T.J. (yes, T.J. is LITERALLY a panther and she does fit into the story quite well!). With the help of these three, Syd finds out that there is a sinister being after her and the only way to get the upper hand is for her to journey back in time into her past selves and relive crucial moments in her life. It is then that she experiences memories that she never even knew she had, and she is riddled with an onslaught of emotions and facts that put a dent in her tough exterior and alter her forever.
As if finding out that she is in danger and has past lives that she must live again wasn't enough for Syd to process, she also struggles with the thoughts and feelings she so strongly has for Beau. As a very strong and independent young lady, Sydney actually gets peeved at herself for these intense feelings she instantly develops for Beau, especially since she's never experienced anything like this before. It was both amusing and confusing whenever these two were together, because there's so much tension, and there's also something more going on there than what you are let in on. All I'm saying is that Beau is SUPER hot and I can't wait to learn more about his connection with Syd (though I have a theory)!
One of the things I really love about this book is that the author is very descriptive and poetic at times, which I absolutely loved! Michelle Brooks also knows how to write romance well. There were some steamy moments throughout the story that felt incredibly accurate and personal. Basically, she's a fantastic writer and she really knows how to write a unique and engaging story. She also does such a stupendous job of making the reader really feel everything that the characters are going through. I was definitely effected by the heartbreak that Syd faces in this book, as well as the anger she's enveloped by when she comes to certain realizations. I would also like to bring to light the fact that I literally felt my blood pressure rising during every encounter Sydney has with the repugnant Mr. Askew--never has a fictional character made my skin crawl as much as he has!
There is so much more to find out about this story, and the last events of the book solidify this, therefore I can't wait to continue with this series! So, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story with a healthy dose of villains, supernatural, romance and mystery.
My reviews can also be found at: http://escapingwithfiction.blogspot.com/
September 17, 2012
Bone Dressing was a great and very unique novel. Although it was categorized as dark/mature YA, I still found myself laughing and enjoying the book entirely too much because of the amazing characters that were the light in the gloomy setting of this book. I’ve read books about time-traveling and past-lives before, but this book had a certain charm to it that made it one-of-a-kind. The plot was also very fast-paced and it kept on moving without letting the reader’s attention go. Of course, this is dark fiction, so there were moments of doom and gloom where I just wanted to close my eyes to the evil in Syd’s world, but I just had to keep on reading. It was creep-tastic, but in the best way possible.
Syd was a hilarious and bad-ass character. She constantly had me laughing with her snarky attitude and sly responses. Not to mention the fact that she’s slightly temperamental. She didn’t want this job as a ‘bone dresser’ but it was handed to her anyway. And although, in the beginning, she was very indifferent to Sarah and Beau’s cause, she eventually overcame her stubbornness and decided to accept her fate for what it is. I know very deep right? But deep and Sydney should never be put in the same sentence because this girl can send a sailor on a run for this swearing. She has a mouth on her alright, and she ain’t afraid to use it. I never got tired of Sydney’s narration as she was a very animated and fun character.
Beau was the ying to Syd’s yang. He kept her rooted and safe and put together, he was basically Sydney’s knight in shining armor. He gave Sydney a taste of her own medicine with his equally sometimes snarky attitude and he didn’t put up with any of the back-sassing that Sydney handed him. He’s also a very mysterious character, and that just kept me wanting to read more so I could find out more about him and his past. I know there’s something huge about him, and I can’t wait to find out what it is in the next book. Now he wasn’t only made up of snark, there was also a very sweet side to him that you see a lot around Sydney. Their romance wasn’t too overwhelming in this book, which was great because I dislike it when the whole book is about a single relationship, and I hope to read more about them in the next book.
Bone Dressing get’s an A-OK from me for being such an interesting, and fast-paced novel that had me scared, laughing, and wide-eyed all at the same time.
Syd was a hilarious and bad-ass character. She constantly had me laughing with her snarky attitude and sly responses. Not to mention the fact that she’s slightly temperamental. She didn’t want this job as a ‘bone dresser’ but it was handed to her anyway. And although, in the beginning, she was very indifferent to Sarah and Beau’s cause, she eventually overcame her stubbornness and decided to accept her fate for what it is. I know very deep right? But deep and Sydney should never be put in the same sentence because this girl can send a sailor on a run for this swearing. She has a mouth on her alright, and she ain’t afraid to use it. I never got tired of Sydney’s narration as she was a very animated and fun character.
Beau was the ying to Syd’s yang. He kept her rooted and safe and put together, he was basically Sydney’s knight in shining armor. He gave Sydney a taste of her own medicine with his equally sometimes snarky attitude and he didn’t put up with any of the back-sassing that Sydney handed him. He’s also a very mysterious character, and that just kept me wanting to read more so I could find out more about him and his past. I know there’s something huge about him, and I can’t wait to find out what it is in the next book. Now he wasn’t only made up of snark, there was also a very sweet side to him that you see a lot around Sydney. Their romance wasn’t too overwhelming in this book, which was great because I dislike it when the whole book is about a single relationship, and I hope to read more about them in the next book.
Bone Dressing get’s an A-OK from me for being such an interesting, and fast-paced novel that had me scared, laughing, and wide-eyed all at the same time.
July 10, 2012
I started following Michelle I Brooks on Twitter about the same time as Bone Dressing came out, and every time I read an excerpt, or she quoted a line from the book, I thought that I had to read this one. So I purchased the eBook and finally read it! And I must say that I wasn’t disappointed!
Storyline
Syd is an orphaned troubled teen, living with foster parents, whose home away from home is the local grave yard, where her parents are buried. It is here that she meets Remy/Beau, his sister Sarah and their Panther T.J. and they want to help guide her through her past lives, so she is able to change the way her current life will pan out. But as Syd is a pretty head strong teen, she doesn’t want their help, she just wants to live her life the only way she knows how, and that is her way. She ends up back at the cemetery and meets up with the Trio again and her soul accidently travels to one of her past lives and she relives the most important part of that life. Using that knowledge from her travels, she is able to make some tough decisions when she returns to her current life.
My Thoughts
I was a little worried at first though, because after you read the first chapter, the book jumps back in time a few days to show you how Syd ended up on the rooftop to begin with, but as the storyline unfolds you sort of stop and think, ‘Oh now that’s why’, as pieces of the book start to fit together.
Syd is a very witty teen and there heaps of spots where I was laughing out loud whilst reading the book, but there were other times that I got a bit teary, because no teen or child should ever be put in this position. I thought the book was going to be good just by visiting past lives, but add a bit of shapeshifting into it and you have more fun! (I didn’t see that coming!)
In some areas I believed that there was too much over analysing, but when I stopped and thought a little on some of the words, I could see that that probably would happen because teens often do over think things.
Michelle has done a fantastic job with Bone Dressing, and there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, which have obviously been left that way for the future books. I look forward to see where she will take it next, and hopefully get some of those questions answered!!
Storyline
Syd is an orphaned troubled teen, living with foster parents, whose home away from home is the local grave yard, where her parents are buried. It is here that she meets Remy/Beau, his sister Sarah and their Panther T.J. and they want to help guide her through her past lives, so she is able to change the way her current life will pan out. But as Syd is a pretty head strong teen, she doesn’t want their help, she just wants to live her life the only way she knows how, and that is her way. She ends up back at the cemetery and meets up with the Trio again and her soul accidently travels to one of her past lives and she relives the most important part of that life. Using that knowledge from her travels, she is able to make some tough decisions when she returns to her current life.
My Thoughts
I was a little worried at first though, because after you read the first chapter, the book jumps back in time a few days to show you how Syd ended up on the rooftop to begin with, but as the storyline unfolds you sort of stop and think, ‘Oh now that’s why’, as pieces of the book start to fit together.
Syd is a very witty teen and there heaps of spots where I was laughing out loud whilst reading the book, but there were other times that I got a bit teary, because no teen or child should ever be put in this position. I thought the book was going to be good just by visiting past lives, but add a bit of shapeshifting into it and you have more fun! (I didn’t see that coming!)
In some areas I believed that there was too much over analysing, but when I stopped and thought a little on some of the words, I could see that that probably would happen because teens often do over think things.
Michelle has done a fantastic job with Bone Dressing, and there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, which have obviously been left that way for the future books. I look forward to see where she will take it next, and hopefully get some of those questions answered!!
April 22, 2013
When I started this book, I just finished a great paranormal book and was immediately excited to start another one.
At first I did not know what was happening… was the school burning down? Did Syd set the school on fire? And why is Syd so angry? And then she explains that her parents died and she was put in a foster care. So I was thinking her foster care parents were horrible, but she says her parents are wonderful. My point being, I felt like her thoughts were “jumping around.” However, I found Syd witty. Some of her thoughts were funny.
Overall, I liked the book. It was an enjoyable read. There was a lot of inner dialogue which I can find very boring at times so I noticed myself skimming a little.
I love books where the heroine has a quick wit and mouth on her. I find it entertaining and funny and I feel it can make the character more likeable.
Syd seemed like a girl who was angry and misunderstood, she had a great head on her shoulder, but then she would do something silly like “profess” her love for a stranger while other dangerous things were happening.
The basic idea/premise for the book was good. I just did not get why Syd argued with Remy sometimes. I don’t like when a girl picks a fight with a guy for not reason and then tell him he is gorgeous at the most unusual time.
A lot of questions remain unanswered, but there is a sequel so the reader will (hopefully) not be left hanging. I see the potential and that is why I am going to read the sequel. I think attitudes will be cooled down a bit.
At first I did not know what was happening… was the school burning down? Did Syd set the school on fire? And why is Syd so angry? And then she explains that her parents died and she was put in a foster care. So I was thinking her foster care parents were horrible, but she says her parents are wonderful. My point being, I felt like her thoughts were “jumping around.” However, I found Syd witty. Some of her thoughts were funny.
Overall, I liked the book. It was an enjoyable read. There was a lot of inner dialogue which I can find very boring at times so I noticed myself skimming a little.
I love books where the heroine has a quick wit and mouth on her. I find it entertaining and funny and I feel it can make the character more likeable.
Syd seemed like a girl who was angry and misunderstood, she had a great head on her shoulder, but then she would do something silly like “profess” her love for a stranger while other dangerous things were happening.
The basic idea/premise for the book was good. I just did not get why Syd argued with Remy sometimes. I don’t like when a girl picks a fight with a guy for not reason and then tell him he is gorgeous at the most unusual time.
A lot of questions remain unanswered, but there is a sequel so the reader will (hopefully) not be left hanging. I see the potential and that is why I am going to read the sequel. I think attitudes will be cooled down a bit.
April 22, 2013
I struggled to get through this book as I wanted to finish it to give a thorough review. But if I had purchased this book I would have never finished it. The author is too descriptive for her own good. Most of the time I was just lost trying to keep up with the relevant information. Which I honestly feel like wasn't much as I do not know very much at all about any of the characters or the situation that is happening causing Sydney to have to go back to her past lives. To be fair this is a seven part series so the author may intend on sharing this part of the story in a later novel. The trouble with that is I honestly do not care enough about the characters or the plot to even read the next book. Character development is an important part in setting up a series and I think Sydney is a foul mouthed little brat that did not evolve at all during this part. I am not a fan of all the profanity in this book, it was over used (she says GD a lot). The only upside to all of that is that Beau and Sarah get on her about it. I had a great time reading the chapters where Sydney went back as Rachel and seeing the interactions between her and Jesse. But that wasn't enough to make me care. In the end I have too many unanswered questions (including why is this happening, the motivation behind the bad guy and who are Beau and Sarah) and an utter distaste for the heroine. Sorry this one just was not for me!
books-i-gave-up-on-dnf
April 25, 2012**A thank you to Unabridged Bookshelf for their contest that allowed me to receive a copy of this ebook! Thanks!**
Reasons why I'm DNFing:
This book contains the one thing I loath about YA romance, Insta-love, and justifies it as part of that whole 'physical' reaction that Syd can't help but feel. Sorry, but I don't buy it. Never have, never will.
Too many effing details. Seriously. The writing isn't bad, but the overindulgence shows how little cutting was done for this novel. Good writing requires cutting down your character's thought process so it's actually coherent and doesn't slow down the pace. I don't care that Syd feels lame six different ways from Sunday, just get on with it.
Her teacher, Mr. A, is unrealistically a pervert. No school, no students WOULD react to him in that way, and allow him to get away with groping and making sexualized comments during class. NO. I don't care how terrible the school is, the realism is lost with me.
And, at 100 pages in, I realized I don't know what this book is about nor do I care. And that's the bottom line. I don't care. I don't read.
No rating will be given, as I have not finished the book and thus cannot give an adequate review on the entirety of the piece, but anything marked as DNF or a book I gave up on is usually around the 1-2/5 mark.
Reasons why I'm DNFing:
This book contains the one thing I loath about YA romance, Insta-love, and justifies it as part of that whole 'physical' reaction that Syd can't help but feel. Sorry, but I don't buy it. Never have, never will.
Too many effing details. Seriously. The writing isn't bad, but the overindulgence shows how little cutting was done for this novel. Good writing requires cutting down your character's thought process so it's actually coherent and doesn't slow down the pace. I don't care that Syd feels lame six different ways from Sunday, just get on with it.
Her teacher, Mr. A, is unrealistically a pervert. No school, no students WOULD react to him in that way, and allow him to get away with groping and making sexualized comments during class. NO. I don't care how terrible the school is, the realism is lost with me.
And, at 100 pages in, I realized I don't know what this book is about nor do I care. And that's the bottom line. I don't care. I don't read.
No rating will be given, as I have not finished the book and thus cannot give an adequate review on the entirety of the piece, but anything marked as DNF or a book I gave up on is usually around the 1-2/5 mark.
May 29, 2011
Bone Dressing is series to watch out for. With this being the first book in the series, I am HIGHLY intrigued down to my bones (no pun intended) as to what will happen in the next books.
What I liked.
This story moves very fast and is hard to put down. Syd, the main gal, is an emotional and hormonal teen girl with a dark and twisty personality. I loved that Michelle, the author, didn’t hold back and used the real colorful language that most teens do use in real life. It made Syd seem more realistic.
Syd’s fears, emotions, and internal conflicts were well written. The descriptive side of the book painted a clear picture in my mind. I easily felt like I stepped inside the pages with Syd. The secondary characters, the good and evil ones, wove their own unique part into the pages creating a well-rounded story.
I love the originality of the plot and was in awe as I read each chapter. I was pleasantly surprised several times. The ending even had me guessing and wanting to read more. Unfortunately that’s the bad part to. I can’t wait to see what Michelle comes up with for the next 6 books in the series.
I give Bone Dressing 5 out of 5 stars.
What I didn’t like.
I have to wait for the other books.
What I liked.
This story moves very fast and is hard to put down. Syd, the main gal, is an emotional and hormonal teen girl with a dark and twisty personality. I loved that Michelle, the author, didn’t hold back and used the real colorful language that most teens do use in real life. It made Syd seem more realistic.
Syd’s fears, emotions, and internal conflicts were well written. The descriptive side of the book painted a clear picture in my mind. I easily felt like I stepped inside the pages with Syd. The secondary characters, the good and evil ones, wove their own unique part into the pages creating a well-rounded story.
I love the originality of the plot and was in awe as I read each chapter. I was pleasantly surprised several times. The ending even had me guessing and wanting to read more. Unfortunately that’s the bad part to. I can’t wait to see what Michelle comes up with for the next 6 books in the series.
I give Bone Dressing 5 out of 5 stars.
What I didn’t like.
I have to wait for the other books.
May 30, 2012
Not all is what it would seem...
I can actually say I "laughed out loud" reading BONE DRESSING! I found Syd's quirky and somewhat snotty, dry wit... hilarious!
"I'd sooner lick the sweat from the armpits of a sumo wrestler, thank you very much." Excerpt from BONE DRESSING. Her one-liners were great!
Okay, so my sense of humor is weird, but I had a wonderful time reading this book! I was sucked into Syd's life right from the start. I wanted to punch out Mr. A and haul his ass off to the authorities, and wrap my arms around Syd and give her a mother's hug.
More than that... I felt the rain on my face and the cold from the marble stones as she walked in between the graves. There was longing in her voice, and an ache in her heart... but for what?
Her life is totally complicated and only gets worse after she meets the trio in the cemetery. Sorry, no spoilers here!
I soared with her, loved with her and I cried sharing her pain.
BONE DRESSING... an excellent, well written novel.
I want more!
I can actually say I "laughed out loud" reading BONE DRESSING! I found Syd's quirky and somewhat snotty, dry wit... hilarious!
"I'd sooner lick the sweat from the armpits of a sumo wrestler, thank you very much." Excerpt from BONE DRESSING. Her one-liners were great!
Okay, so my sense of humor is weird, but I had a wonderful time reading this book! I was sucked into Syd's life right from the start. I wanted to punch out Mr. A and haul his ass off to the authorities, and wrap my arms around Syd and give her a mother's hug.
More than that... I felt the rain on my face and the cold from the marble stones as she walked in between the graves. There was longing in her voice, and an ache in her heart... but for what?
Her life is totally complicated and only gets worse after she meets the trio in the cemetery. Sorry, no spoilers here!
I soared with her, loved with her and I cried sharing her pain.
BONE DRESSING... an excellent, well written novel.
I want more!
June 4, 2011
This book was different! I don't mean that in a bad way. I find most books of a paranormal description are pretty much rehashings of the same old kinds of stories (not that I don't enjoy them). This book was totally different.
If you are a fan of authors who paint pictures with their words, this is the book for you. The colourfully descriptive way that the story of Syd unrolled was like watching a painting come to life.
It took me a while to connect with Syd. She is so strong and brash that I couldn't quite understand why, but by the end of the story it made much more sense to me.
There were surprising paranormal parts to the story that snuck up on me, just when I thought I had a grip on what was happening.
As always with a series, there are so many unanswered questions that will have me back to read the next book.
If you are a fan of authors who paint pictures with their words, this is the book for you. The colourfully descriptive way that the story of Syd unrolled was like watching a painting come to life.
It took me a while to connect with Syd. She is so strong and brash that I couldn't quite understand why, but by the end of the story it made much more sense to me.
There were surprising paranormal parts to the story that snuck up on me, just when I thought I had a grip on what was happening.
As always with a series, there are so many unanswered questions that will have me back to read the next book.
June 1, 2011
I have to say this was my favorite book of the year thus far. From the beginning you get sucked into Syd's ever twisted life and those who have been in it since before she was Syd. I love that Michelle keeps you on your toes as to what is going to happen as well as makes you feel like you need to know the people in the book. I certainly think me and Syd would get along just fine in this life! I applaud Michelle for allowing Syd to be realistic in ways such as her language, attitude, and her darkness about her. When she meets Beau , Sarah, and T.J. things really get interesting. Every element of this book was well written that it feels as though you are watching everything unfold right before your eyes. This book is full of romance, mystery, and actions, as well as some paranormal elements. I would recommend this book to everyone...Yes seriously go out buy it , read it, and love it...
February 11, 2013
First of all, let me say that Ms. Brooks writes very well, and someone did a terrific job editing because I found very few problems with the spelling, grammar and punctuation. Sydney is a pretty complicated character. Yes, her parents died and that caused some major issues in her life, but she had some pretty terrific foster parents. So why does she act out in such self-destructive ways? Read the book to find out. A sequel is obviously in the works because this book left so many loose ends and didn't answer a lot of important questions. I look forward to having some of those questions answered in the next installment.
March 11, 2018
Solid read. It gets bogged down in internal dialogue sometimes and the plot starts slow, but once it picks up, it does a good job of carrying you along to the end. Its strongest suit are its great characters, especially Syd, the protagonist. They're all well crafted and they seem like real people. You definitely want to root for Syd. For a full review, check out Sarcasm and Lemons, my blog.
November 26, 2011
As happens often recently, I am sat at my laptop without knowing exactly what I intend to say in my review. This seems to happen more and more often because I am reading some awesome books. This time is no exception.
This time I was left feeling empty and full at the same time, happy yet sad.
I can honestly say that the characters were some of the most enigmatic I have discovered of late. BONE DRESSING was captivating from the moment the words began and the only thing that was bad about this book was the fact it had to end.
I was about halfway through this book when I stumbled across someone's 1 star rating of it and I was curious what they thought was so wrong about it.
Upon reading that review I honestly didn't know what they were talking about. It felt like they had read a totally different book to me. The things I liked about it were exactly the things this person had hated.
All I could say was, oh well, it's a shame for them that they couldn't see what I saw.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
BONE DRESSING is a story about 17 year old girl called Syd. Sydney Annalise Bovay Roberdeau. And boy is she one angry young woman.
In the beginning, just about everything makes her mad. She doesn't seem to have any way of channelling that anger, she just lets it rise to the surface and explode.
I must say, this actually had me laughing out loud. I think Syd is AWESOME. She's feisty, she's mouthy, she flouts the authority of her foster parents. She pulls no punches and tells things exactly as they are.
Quince and Jackie are her foster parents and they have had about enough with Syd always rebelling, sneaking out when she's supposed to be in her room. But as I said, Syd isn't much for authority.
It's really Quince who's harder on her. Jackie is soft at the edges and I think she would let Syd get away with more were it not for Quince.
They may be her foster parents, but they love her and only want what's best for her. Even if that means grounding her for a month and banning her from her school prom, after yet another of Syd's escapades.
Needless to say, Syd sneaks out of the house.
She finds that her feet lead her to the cemetery of their own accord.
They lead her right up to Plot 1327-B. The plot of Lily-Bovay Roberdeau and Jeremiah Remy Roberdeau. Syd's parents. This is the plot she calls 'Home'.
Whilst sitting at her parents plot, a deep male voice asks her what brings her to the cemetery on such a stormy night.
It makes Syd just about jump out of her skin. She had assumed she was alone, talking to her parents to ease her troubles.
The voice turns out to be coming from a guy with shoulder length, straight, dark hair, slick and glistening in the moonlight and the rain from the storm. His name is Jean-Remy Beauchamps St Claire.
He is also beautiful, not that Syd would tell him that.
They strike up a conversation and he tells her he prefers to be called Remy. But Syd struggles with this because it was her fathers name.
(I won't tell you what takes place between them, but I can say Syd is her usual feisty self - argumentative, temperamental, maybe a touch self-depricating)
Then, along comes his sister. Sarah. A sweet young girl who looks to be about 8 years old. She steps out when Syd and Remy are talking, causing Syd to swear - which let's face it isn't unusual for Syd, but is not considered polite in front of one so young.
Sarah La Rosa Genevieve St Claire, as she introduces herself, has bright blue eyes that seem to shine with an inner strength. A strength usually found in a woman beyond Sarah's years.
As usual though, Syd can't keep herself from arguing with someone for 5 minutes. And though she doesn't know Remy or anything about him, she still finds grounds to argue on.
She is shouting and swearing at him, having to apologise to Sarah for her manners, when out of the trees comes a huge glossy black furred cat. A full grown black panther to be precise. It has it's eyes set on Syd. Now what is she supposed to do?
Well, she tells Remy how gorgeous she thinks he is for a start. Confronted with her certain death at the hands, or rather paws, of a panther, she feels she might as well tell him. She won't live beyond this moment to regret what spills out anyway.
Except that she does live. The panther doesn't attack any of them.
Whilst thankful that it hasn't killed her, Syd sure wishes she hadn't spilled her guts to the gorgeous Remy.
As it turns out, the panther is a travelling companion of the brother-sister duo. Her name is TJ and she doesn't like the way Syd was arguing with Remy. TJ is very protective of him and thought that Syd was attacking him.
Turns out that Syd needs to keep a civil tongue in her head. Easier said than done. But if she doesn't, she'll have to incur the wrath of TJ. Still, that doesn't stop our Syd from mouthing off. Boy this girl knows how to push boundaries. Almost like it's an art form.
I can't say too much more without giving the whole game away, I always worry that my reviews might be classed as too 'spoilery'.
All I can say now is how I felt about this book.
Like I said before, BONE DRESSING was captivating from the start. Whether I was laughing at Syd's anger rearing it's head, or at her nearly wetting her pants when confronted by Bagheera - as she calls TJ - there were certainly some laugh out loud moments.
The writing style of Michelle Brooks is unlike others I have come across in the genre. She has a unique voice and I have to say, I love it.
The only bad thing about this book was the fact it had to end. The end left me instantly craving more. In a way, I'm glad I read this book when I did, but in a way, I wish I'd been able to wait until the next book was released. That way I would have been able to get my next fix sooner.
As it is, I along with everyone else, must wait (im)patiently until the next book comes along.
There are some awesome characters to be found within the pages of this book. I not only fell in love with the ticking time bomb that we call Syd, but Remy and Sarah too. We didn't get to find out much about their past, and I hope to find out more in book 2. Their lives are entwined in such a way, and I hope that this leads to more fascinating discoveries.
It has already been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, and I don't see that ceasing to be the case any time soon.
I really can't say too much about the story, but there are more beautiful characters to be discovered than just these 3.
Syd finds she must go back to her previous lives to discover more about herself. If she doesn't, there will be things she is not yet ready and able to face. Things that may be the end of her.
In BONE DRESSING, she goes back and discovers her life when she was Rachel - intrinsically linked and deeply in love with Jesse.
We discover much about the love they had for each other and the life they lived together. Without spoiling it too much, all I can really tell you is that these were 2 beautiful characters. You could tell that they were made for each other.
The way Michelle writes these scenes, it seems as though she herself may have experienced a love as deep rooted and all consuming as the love of Rachel and Jesse, or she has dreamed of love like it often.
The way in which her words paint the picture of a love so pure and beautiful, touched my heart in a way that is tough to forget.
Not all was smiles and laughter along the way for all involved though. There was a point at which I was shocked to the core and sat there for a good 5 minutes re-reading the same paragraph because my heart didn't want to let the words sink in. I am not ashamed to admit, I cried for about the next 15 minutes before regaining my composure.
It truly takes something rich and wonderful to touch me they way BONE DRESSING has. I must own this book in paperback, because much as I love my kindle and my e-books, I do like to own my favourites in hardcopy.
This is a book that I will definitely recommend to all my friends, and indeed to all readers that want something a little bit different and special on their shelf.
I am ever thankful that Michelle asked me to review this book.
Some people appreciate art for it's beauty. Well I appreciate a good book and a good author in exactly the same way.
So, thank you Michelle. I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next installment in this incredible journey.
This time I was left feeling empty and full at the same time, happy yet sad.
I can honestly say that the characters were some of the most enigmatic I have discovered of late. BONE DRESSING was captivating from the moment the words began and the only thing that was bad about this book was the fact it had to end.
I was about halfway through this book when I stumbled across someone's 1 star rating of it and I was curious what they thought was so wrong about it.
Upon reading that review I honestly didn't know what they were talking about. It felt like they had read a totally different book to me. The things I liked about it were exactly the things this person had hated.
All I could say was, oh well, it's a shame for them that they couldn't see what I saw.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
BONE DRESSING is a story about 17 year old girl called Syd. Sydney Annalise Bovay Roberdeau. And boy is she one angry young woman.
In the beginning, just about everything makes her mad. She doesn't seem to have any way of channelling that anger, she just lets it rise to the surface and explode.
I must say, this actually had me laughing out loud. I think Syd is AWESOME. She's feisty, she's mouthy, she flouts the authority of her foster parents. She pulls no punches and tells things exactly as they are.
Quince and Jackie are her foster parents and they have had about enough with Syd always rebelling, sneaking out when she's supposed to be in her room. But as I said, Syd isn't much for authority.
It's really Quince who's harder on her. Jackie is soft at the edges and I think she would let Syd get away with more were it not for Quince.
They may be her foster parents, but they love her and only want what's best for her. Even if that means grounding her for a month and banning her from her school prom, after yet another of Syd's escapades.
Needless to say, Syd sneaks out of the house.
She finds that her feet lead her to the cemetery of their own accord.
They lead her right up to Plot 1327-B. The plot of Lily-Bovay Roberdeau and Jeremiah Remy Roberdeau. Syd's parents. This is the plot she calls 'Home'.
Whilst sitting at her parents plot, a deep male voice asks her what brings her to the cemetery on such a stormy night.
It makes Syd just about jump out of her skin. She had assumed she was alone, talking to her parents to ease her troubles.
The voice turns out to be coming from a guy with shoulder length, straight, dark hair, slick and glistening in the moonlight and the rain from the storm. His name is Jean-Remy Beauchamps St Claire.
He is also beautiful, not that Syd would tell him that.
They strike up a conversation and he tells her he prefers to be called Remy. But Syd struggles with this because it was her fathers name.
(I won't tell you what takes place between them, but I can say Syd is her usual feisty self - argumentative, temperamental, maybe a touch self-depricating)
Then, along comes his sister. Sarah. A sweet young girl who looks to be about 8 years old. She steps out when Syd and Remy are talking, causing Syd to swear - which let's face it isn't unusual for Syd, but is not considered polite in front of one so young.
Sarah La Rosa Genevieve St Claire, as she introduces herself, has bright blue eyes that seem to shine with an inner strength. A strength usually found in a woman beyond Sarah's years.
As usual though, Syd can't keep herself from arguing with someone for 5 minutes. And though she doesn't know Remy or anything about him, she still finds grounds to argue on.
She is shouting and swearing at him, having to apologise to Sarah for her manners, when out of the trees comes a huge glossy black furred cat. A full grown black panther to be precise. It has it's eyes set on Syd. Now what is she supposed to do?
Well, she tells Remy how gorgeous she thinks he is for a start. Confronted with her certain death at the hands, or rather paws, of a panther, she feels she might as well tell him. She won't live beyond this moment to regret what spills out anyway.
Except that she does live. The panther doesn't attack any of them.
Whilst thankful that it hasn't killed her, Syd sure wishes she hadn't spilled her guts to the gorgeous Remy.
As it turns out, the panther is a travelling companion of the brother-sister duo. Her name is TJ and she doesn't like the way Syd was arguing with Remy. TJ is very protective of him and thought that Syd was attacking him.
Turns out that Syd needs to keep a civil tongue in her head. Easier said than done. But if she doesn't, she'll have to incur the wrath of TJ. Still, that doesn't stop our Syd from mouthing off. Boy this girl knows how to push boundaries. Almost like it's an art form.
I can't say too much more without giving the whole game away, I always worry that my reviews might be classed as too 'spoilery'.
All I can say now is how I felt about this book.
Like I said before, BONE DRESSING was captivating from the start. Whether I was laughing at Syd's anger rearing it's head, or at her nearly wetting her pants when confronted by Bagheera - as she calls TJ - there were certainly some laugh out loud moments.
The writing style of Michelle Brooks is unlike others I have come across in the genre. She has a unique voice and I have to say, I love it.
The only bad thing about this book was the fact it had to end. The end left me instantly craving more. In a way, I'm glad I read this book when I did, but in a way, I wish I'd been able to wait until the next book was released. That way I would have been able to get my next fix sooner.
As it is, I along with everyone else, must wait (im)patiently until the next book comes along.
There are some awesome characters to be found within the pages of this book. I not only fell in love with the ticking time bomb that we call Syd, but Remy and Sarah too. We didn't get to find out much about their past, and I hope to find out more in book 2. Their lives are entwined in such a way, and I hope that this leads to more fascinating discoveries.
It has already been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, and I don't see that ceasing to be the case any time soon.
I really can't say too much about the story, but there are more beautiful characters to be discovered than just these 3.
Syd finds she must go back to her previous lives to discover more about herself. If she doesn't, there will be things she is not yet ready and able to face. Things that may be the end of her.
In BONE DRESSING, she goes back and discovers her life when she was Rachel - intrinsically linked and deeply in love with Jesse.
We discover much about the love they had for each other and the life they lived together. Without spoiling it too much, all I can really tell you is that these were 2 beautiful characters. You could tell that they were made for each other.
The way Michelle writes these scenes, it seems as though she herself may have experienced a love as deep rooted and all consuming as the love of Rachel and Jesse, or she has dreamed of love like it often.
The way in which her words paint the picture of a love so pure and beautiful, touched my heart in a way that is tough to forget.
Not all was smiles and laughter along the way for all involved though. There was a point at which I was shocked to the core and sat there for a good 5 minutes re-reading the same paragraph because my heart didn't want to let the words sink in. I am not ashamed to admit, I cried for about the next 15 minutes before regaining my composure.
It truly takes something rich and wonderful to touch me they way BONE DRESSING has. I must own this book in paperback, because much as I love my kindle and my e-books, I do like to own my favourites in hardcopy.
This is a book that I will definitely recommend to all my friends, and indeed to all readers that want something a little bit different and special on their shelf.
I am ever thankful that Michelle asked me to review this book.
Some people appreciate art for it's beauty. Well I appreciate a good book and a good author in exactly the same way.
So, thank you Michelle. I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next installment in this incredible journey.
July 14, 2024
I don't know why I got this book, but I'm not into YA at all really. It's an interesting viewpoint to write, but overall a genre that I don't really like. Anyway the book is pretty good, but I think some mention of who's POV (Syd's and Rachel's) would have helped me understand what was going on with the story, which is pretty much a YA romance story. Overall, the pacing is pretty good and the story is presented with some clarity, but again I wish the POV switches would be more described so I could understand the flip between them.
January 20, 2012
E-book received from author for review
When the author sent me a request to review her book, I did what I usually do. Read the book description a few times – it sounded eerie and intriguing. For someone who hasn’t read YA (Young Adult) in many a year, I’ve read 3 in the last few months! To enjoy reading a book such as Bone Dressing, you really should be open minded. It’s not just a YA, it’s a Dark YA Paranormal Fantasy. Big difference. I read it in one one day (in between a series we are busy with which I don’t normally like to do) and quite honestly, I really, really enjoyed it. I sound a bit surprised and that’s because I was. Although it sounded like something just up my alley, you never know especially when it’s a book by a new author. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read this one.
We meet Sydney Roberdeau, who can’t wait to turn 18, like most teenagers, and finally be free. She’s lost her parents and is living with her foster family. Syd is a complex girl in more ways than one. She’s constantly in trouble, spends her life being grounded and is hell bent on causing uphill – on a daily basis. She just can’t help it although she has moments where she tries really hard not to stir the pot – those are few and far between though. Some may not like her, but I took to her like a duck to water – she just clicked with me and not because I was ever rebellious, far from it although stubbornness may have something to do with it! Syd is rebellious but not purposefully nasty. There’s a difference, at least to me. Her snarkiness is to die for and had me laughing out loud numerous times throughout the book. Yes, I know it’s a dark paranormal fantasy but that doesn’t mean the characters can’t be funny! Syd spends more than half her free time at the cemetery, hanging around dead people and visiting her parents – Plot 1327-B, Home. This is where she feels alive and weirdly at peace – it fills her with a certain calm. On one of these evenings, she meets, Beau, Sarah and T.J. and is quite unimpressed with the intrusion. She tries really hard, in her sarcastic/funny way to get rid of them but Syd has met her match though, as Beau is not one to ride shotgun and gives as good as he gets. They have appeared for a purpose and proceed to enlighten Syd as to why they are there. You see, they will be her guides and protectors and her mission is to make right what she did wrong in past lives. Oh, AND all that is required is her soul. It’s needed to reanimate corpses hence the name Bone Dressing. T.J. who by the way is a big black panther – will inhale the soul out of her present body and place it in her previous life’s body - for a time. Once her task is complete, she will come back to who she is now. WHAT? Can her world be any more screwed up? She can barely keep her nose clean or her head above water in this one, let alone try and “fix” what went wrong in previous ones. But, she’s running out of time as there are some who don’t want her to accomplish any of this and they will do what’s necessary to stop her.
And so, without revealing any spoilers, the story continues with Syd realising that although she’s only just met Beau, it feels like she’s known him her whole life. He seems to calm her and for some reason, they are good for one another. Although this book may seem confusing to some, funnily enough, I found that it flowed beautifully and was easy to follow. But then, if a book is not being enjoyed, it might make it that much more difficult to connect with it and it’s characters. As I was interested right from the beginning – I read it in no time. This being the first book of seven, I can just imagine what Ms. Brooks has in store for Syd and her “gang” if Bone Dressing is anything to go by! One thing I do have to mention though is that, although I enjoyed this book immensely, there is a substantial amount of narrative and I only point this out as I personally prefer more interaction between the characters. Hopefully in the next installment, there is somewhat a bit more one on one rather than too much internal thought. Don’t get me wrong, although the narrative is substantial, it is still very well written. Michelle Brooks has a wonderful way with words.
My rating for this book is a delightful 4 ½ stars! Very well done. I look forward to #2.
When the author sent me a request to review her book, I did what I usually do. Read the book description a few times – it sounded eerie and intriguing. For someone who hasn’t read YA (Young Adult) in many a year, I’ve read 3 in the last few months! To enjoy reading a book such as Bone Dressing, you really should be open minded. It’s not just a YA, it’s a Dark YA Paranormal Fantasy. Big difference. I read it in one one day (in between a series we are busy with which I don’t normally like to do) and quite honestly, I really, really enjoyed it. I sound a bit surprised and that’s because I was. Although it sounded like something just up my alley, you never know especially when it’s a book by a new author. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read this one.
We meet Sydney Roberdeau, who can’t wait to turn 18, like most teenagers, and finally be free. She’s lost her parents and is living with her foster family. Syd is a complex girl in more ways than one. She’s constantly in trouble, spends her life being grounded and is hell bent on causing uphill – on a daily basis. She just can’t help it although she has moments where she tries really hard not to stir the pot – those are few and far between though. Some may not like her, but I took to her like a duck to water – she just clicked with me and not because I was ever rebellious, far from it although stubbornness may have something to do with it! Syd is rebellious but not purposefully nasty. There’s a difference, at least to me. Her snarkiness is to die for and had me laughing out loud numerous times throughout the book. Yes, I know it’s a dark paranormal fantasy but that doesn’t mean the characters can’t be funny! Syd spends more than half her free time at the cemetery, hanging around dead people and visiting her parents – Plot 1327-B, Home. This is where she feels alive and weirdly at peace – it fills her with a certain calm. On one of these evenings, she meets, Beau, Sarah and T.J. and is quite unimpressed with the intrusion. She tries really hard, in her sarcastic/funny way to get rid of them but Syd has met her match though, as Beau is not one to ride shotgun and gives as good as he gets. They have appeared for a purpose and proceed to enlighten Syd as to why they are there. You see, they will be her guides and protectors and her mission is to make right what she did wrong in past lives. Oh, AND all that is required is her soul. It’s needed to reanimate corpses hence the name Bone Dressing. T.J. who by the way is a big black panther – will inhale the soul out of her present body and place it in her previous life’s body - for a time. Once her task is complete, she will come back to who she is now. WHAT? Can her world be any more screwed up? She can barely keep her nose clean or her head above water in this one, let alone try and “fix” what went wrong in previous ones. But, she’s running out of time as there are some who don’t want her to accomplish any of this and they will do what’s necessary to stop her.
And so, without revealing any spoilers, the story continues with Syd realising that although she’s only just met Beau, it feels like she’s known him her whole life. He seems to calm her and for some reason, they are good for one another. Although this book may seem confusing to some, funnily enough, I found that it flowed beautifully and was easy to follow. But then, if a book is not being enjoyed, it might make it that much more difficult to connect with it and it’s characters. As I was interested right from the beginning – I read it in no time. This being the first book of seven, I can just imagine what Ms. Brooks has in store for Syd and her “gang” if Bone Dressing is anything to go by! One thing I do have to mention though is that, although I enjoyed this book immensely, there is a substantial amount of narrative and I only point this out as I personally prefer more interaction between the characters. Hopefully in the next installment, there is somewhat a bit more one on one rather than too much internal thought. Don’t get me wrong, although the narrative is substantial, it is still very well written. Michelle Brooks has a wonderful way with words.
My rating for this book is a delightful 4 ½ stars! Very well done. I look forward to #2.
February 27, 2012
Goodreads Description:
Time is running out & the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her.
Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.
Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves & bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can't stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn't remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything including her very own life?
Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.
Why did I pick this?
When I first started really getting into twitter, I followed Michelle and I retweeted a lot of her tweets. Every time i would retweet, she would always say thank you to me. It was so nice of her! She DM'ed me a couple of times and we chatted. ;-) I bought her book because I liked her a lot and her book seemed totally interesting. :-)
What did I think?
I really, really enjoyed the whole idea of this book. When I read the blurb about it on goodreads, I was really excited because it sounded so different than what I've read before. I've never read a story quite like this.
Let me start of with the two main characters. Sydney is the main character of this story. She's has an explosive personality. She has a temper and there were times I myself wanted to tell her to shhhh. ;-) I liked how strong she was with everything going on. Although sometimes it was hard to follow her thought process.
Remy aka Beau is very sexy to me. He is actually the opposite of Syd in many ways. He keeps his cool most of the time. He is a mystery at times as well. I'm never really sure what his intentions are or what part he actually plays. I loved his first meeting with Syd.
Now for the story....
Like I mentioned earlier, this was unlike any book I've read. Seriously. When I thought I had a good idea of where it was going or what was happening, I get thrown a huge curve ball that throws me so off track. I didn't even see those twists coming. They weren't subtle twists either. They were the kind that could take this book anywhere. The possibilities were endless which was awesome.
I found myself confused a lot of the time. Mainly because Syd's thoughts were so erratic and there was a lot of attention to details which I'm not used too. Syd's crazy brain made it a little bit realisitic to me because my brain is exactly like that
Beau and Syd's relationship was confusing to me too. There were times when Beau was hot and then completely cold so I wasn't sure where he was coming from. I'm sure more will be revealed in the upcoming books for this series. So I'm anxious to see his part play out.
I will say this....I absolutely, completely dislike Mr. Askew. Oh. Em. Gee he creeps me out. I hated the fact that he got away with what he got away with. I just wanted to reach into the book and ring his neck....or junk punch him. Or both.
Since this has a quite a few more books in the series, I seriously hope Karma catches up to him. BIG time.
I really look forward to reading the next books in this series because I want to find out how Syd fixes her past and her future. It's going to be quite a ride.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. I'm excited to read the next installments in this series.
Favorite Quote:
"You will never strip me...of anything. You'll never break me. Not even in your wildest dreams. You aren't man enough for that. Not today, not yesterday, not ever."
Time is running out & the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her.
Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.
Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves & bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can't stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn't remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything including her very own life?
Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.
Why did I pick this?
When I first started really getting into twitter, I followed Michelle and I retweeted a lot of her tweets. Every time i would retweet, she would always say thank you to me. It was so nice of her! She DM'ed me a couple of times and we chatted. ;-) I bought her book because I liked her a lot and her book seemed totally interesting. :-)
What did I think?
I really, really enjoyed the whole idea of this book. When I read the blurb about it on goodreads, I was really excited because it sounded so different than what I've read before. I've never read a story quite like this.
Let me start of with the two main characters. Sydney is the main character of this story. She's has an explosive personality. She has a temper and there were times I myself wanted to tell her to shhhh. ;-) I liked how strong she was with everything going on. Although sometimes it was hard to follow her thought process.
Remy aka Beau is very sexy to me. He is actually the opposite of Syd in many ways. He keeps his cool most of the time. He is a mystery at times as well. I'm never really sure what his intentions are or what part he actually plays. I loved his first meeting with Syd.
Now for the story....
Like I mentioned earlier, this was unlike any book I've read. Seriously. When I thought I had a good idea of where it was going or what was happening, I get thrown a huge curve ball that throws me so off track. I didn't even see those twists coming. They weren't subtle twists either. They were the kind that could take this book anywhere. The possibilities were endless which was awesome.
I found myself confused a lot of the time. Mainly because Syd's thoughts were so erratic and there was a lot of attention to details which I'm not used too. Syd's crazy brain made it a little bit realisitic to me because my brain is exactly like that
Beau and Syd's relationship was confusing to me too. There were times when Beau was hot and then completely cold so I wasn't sure where he was coming from. I'm sure more will be revealed in the upcoming books for this series. So I'm anxious to see his part play out.
I will say this....I absolutely, completely dislike Mr. Askew. Oh. Em. Gee he creeps me out. I hated the fact that he got away with what he got away with. I just wanted to reach into the book and ring his neck....or junk punch him. Or both.
Since this has a quite a few more books in the series, I seriously hope Karma catches up to him. BIG time.
I really look forward to reading the next books in this series because I want to find out how Syd fixes her past and her future. It's going to be quite a ride.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. I'm excited to read the next installments in this series.
Favorite Quote:
"You will never strip me...of anything. You'll never break me. Not even in your wildest dreams. You aren't man enough for that. Not today, not yesterday, not ever."
May 21, 2012
Brooks takes the subject of travelling through past lives and puts a very unique spin to it. Soon it becomes evident that there’s a lot more than just past lives at play here, there’s old magic and old enemies that are after Syd, who needs to figure out how to harness it all before it’s too late, good thing she has some friends that are willing to help out.
The cover of Bone Dressing very appropriately features a girl among an eerily misty graveyard with a bone chilling wind passing through that blows her hair about. I love how simple and calm the cover is in contrast to Syd’s more eccentric nature.
The beginning of the story definitely caught my attention immediately by throwing the reader right into the action as we meet Syd in a backdrop of flames while she recounts the events that lead up to her unleashing her inner pyromaniac. We also get the run down of Syd’s less than ideal life. She’s the poster child of what you think of when you hear “foster child”, she’s the school prankster, sneaks out and has a “I couldn’t give a two shakes what you think” kind of rebellious attitude with a sharp tongue built for snappy comebacks.
What I really loved about Syd was her defiant disposition that she draws her strength from. Using this she stuck up for herself and for her friends no matter the cost and it makes her a powerful ally to have on your side. But it’s also this headstrong attitude that makes her so difficult to get through to, along with her tendency for angry outbursts. I found it a bit irritating that no matter what life she was in, it took so many tries for everyone to get their point in when they were trying to tell her something REALLY important. The novel is also filled with soliloquy type dialogue in Syd’s point of view while she tries to make sense of her adolescent life. While these musings gave us depth into her character I felt at times that Syd might have attention issues as she continually jumped from one philosophical musing to another. But once she finally realizes what’s happening to her she becomes more focused and this more concrete direction in her lives makes her character easier to follow.
The character of Beau (aka Remy) pretty much had me at chère. I’m a total sucker for cajun accents, and combined with his dark looks and equally mysterious companions, I was definitely fascinated. But in the end he’s there to help Syd realize who she is and although we don’t get to know much about his background (although I’d really like to!), he was always there when needed and provided some scintillating scenes with Syd.
But where Brooks really shines is in writing her villains. Mr. Askew, Syd’s teacher and arch nemesis is absolutely THE CREEPIEST character you will ever meet. I still feel worms crawling under my skin every time I think about any scenes with him because he’s so incredibly manipulative, and he had me teetering on a fence wondering if he was actually that creepy or if it was all in Syd’s head. The lecherous stares, the insinuating dialogue just creates an image in your mind of an awkward older man with a greasy comb over and his tongue wagging at teenage girls in short skirts and it pretty much confirmed how bad he was.
Brook’s writing is amazing with staccato bursts of action and tension interspersed with more languid and detailed scenes that kept up a very interesting pace. While there is so much paranormal magic and shifting, it was a bit hazy on how it was all done, so I’m really hoping that it’s better explained in any possible sequels. But I did thoroughly enjoy the trip back in time, and there were some supernatural reveals that I could not see coming at all! The other characters like T.J., and Sarah all showed up rather mysteriously with Beau, and I’d definitely like to see more thoroughly explanation about them as well. All in all I found this a very interesting read with a great introduction to some very engrossing characters and the ending completely left me with my jaw on the floor wondering where does the story go now after something like THAT is revealed…
The cover of Bone Dressing very appropriately features a girl among an eerily misty graveyard with a bone chilling wind passing through that blows her hair about. I love how simple and calm the cover is in contrast to Syd’s more eccentric nature.
The beginning of the story definitely caught my attention immediately by throwing the reader right into the action as we meet Syd in a backdrop of flames while she recounts the events that lead up to her unleashing her inner pyromaniac. We also get the run down of Syd’s less than ideal life. She’s the poster child of what you think of when you hear “foster child”, she’s the school prankster, sneaks out and has a “I couldn’t give a two shakes what you think” kind of rebellious attitude with a sharp tongue built for snappy comebacks.
What I really loved about Syd was her defiant disposition that she draws her strength from. Using this she stuck up for herself and for her friends no matter the cost and it makes her a powerful ally to have on your side. But it’s also this headstrong attitude that makes her so difficult to get through to, along with her tendency for angry outbursts. I found it a bit irritating that no matter what life she was in, it took so many tries for everyone to get their point in when they were trying to tell her something REALLY important. The novel is also filled with soliloquy type dialogue in Syd’s point of view while she tries to make sense of her adolescent life. While these musings gave us depth into her character I felt at times that Syd might have attention issues as she continually jumped from one philosophical musing to another. But once she finally realizes what’s happening to her she becomes more focused and this more concrete direction in her lives makes her character easier to follow.
The character of Beau (aka Remy) pretty much had me at chère. I’m a total sucker for cajun accents, and combined with his dark looks and equally mysterious companions, I was definitely fascinated. But in the end he’s there to help Syd realize who she is and although we don’t get to know much about his background (although I’d really like to!), he was always there when needed and provided some scintillating scenes with Syd.
But where Brooks really shines is in writing her villains. Mr. Askew, Syd’s teacher and arch nemesis is absolutely THE CREEPIEST character you will ever meet. I still feel worms crawling under my skin every time I think about any scenes with him because he’s so incredibly manipulative, and he had me teetering on a fence wondering if he was actually that creepy or if it was all in Syd’s head. The lecherous stares, the insinuating dialogue just creates an image in your mind of an awkward older man with a greasy comb over and his tongue wagging at teenage girls in short skirts and it pretty much confirmed how bad he was.
Brook’s writing is amazing with staccato bursts of action and tension interspersed with more languid and detailed scenes that kept up a very interesting pace. While there is so much paranormal magic and shifting, it was a bit hazy on how it was all done, so I’m really hoping that it’s better explained in any possible sequels. But I did thoroughly enjoy the trip back in time, and there were some supernatural reveals that I could not see coming at all! The other characters like T.J., and Sarah all showed up rather mysteriously with Beau, and I’d definitely like to see more thoroughly explanation about them as well. All in all I found this a very interesting read with a great introduction to some very engrossing characters and the ending completely left me with my jaw on the floor wondering where does the story go now after something like THAT is revealed…
April 11, 2013
I got this as a read to review, and it goes without saying (especially once you've read my review!) that what I am about to write is completely honest. I don't think I can explain my feelings about this book without letting spoilers slip, so please beware!
Unfortunately, unlike the first book I received to review, I really didn't like this story, and I won't be reading the next books in the series. Part of the premise wasn't bad - a 17-year-old girl, Syd, goes back to a previous life and discovers she has an ability to shapeshift into 5 different animals - but there are many flaws that made it a challenge to read.
To start with, the premise I mentioned above was bogged down with so many other storylines trying to demand attention. There's a sexually harassing, paedophile teacher; issues with her dead parents (which never actually goes anywhere); boy issues (which I'll discuss later); and probably several other things I genuinely don't care about.
Then, there's Sydney. I don't think I've ever finished a book with a main character as unlikeable as her. Now, I understand she misses her parents (who died 7 years previously), but from what the story says, she has been with her foster parents ever since, and they treat her as good parents should, so I don't understand the amount of anger that spews from her for about 80% of the time she's appearing as Syd (as opposed to Rachel).
If you've read any of the reviews on my blog before, you may have realised that I hate books that completely devolve from reality, especially when it comes to love. Syd mentions at the beginning of the book that she's had dates with 'hot' guys, but that she's put off as soon as they open their mouths. Then, one day, she's met by Beau (at the friggin' cemetery, by her parents' graves), and despite his stalkerish (and is it just me to think vampiric?) tendencies, she falls head over heels in love with him. Well, duh. She then has her life threatened by a panther, and decides to take that moment to declare how she feels about him. I'm not sure about anyone else, but that's not what I'd do.
When Syd goes back to her previous life, as Rachel, she again is madly in love with a man named Jesse. This section of the book is slightly better written in that Rachel has more vulnerability than Syd, and the events are more exciting and less jumbled. I was intrigued as to how Syd could help Rachel change the events (which was hinted at by Beau), and can't help feeling that if there had been more of this and a LOT less lead-up, I would have enjoyed the book more. The end of the book finished on a cliffhanger, with nothing of importance having been 'tied up', and expecting the reader to buy the next book in order to carry on.
Then there's Mr Askew. I won't waste my breath on this: he is a paedophile that sexually harasses Syd in front of the whole class. Worst student in the world or not, Sydney could get him done - no bargaining. Plus, why have her start at burning down the school only to not refer back to what was already mentioned when it happens at the end?!
In general, an annoyance throughout the book was the amount of metaphors and adjectives used for everything. If there's one word used to describe something, there can be three, appears to be this book's motto! Metaphors can be amazing, but they were taken too far here. (This blogger here agrees!) Picture this type of language every other page or so:
Yeah. So, it's safe to say I won't be recommending this one.
Unfortunately, unlike the first book I received to review, I really didn't like this story, and I won't be reading the next books in the series. Part of the premise wasn't bad - a 17-year-old girl, Syd, goes back to a previous life and discovers she has an ability to shapeshift into 5 different animals - but there are many flaws that made it a challenge to read.
To start with, the premise I mentioned above was bogged down with so many other storylines trying to demand attention. There's a sexually harassing, paedophile teacher; issues with her dead parents (which never actually goes anywhere); boy issues (which I'll discuss later); and probably several other things I genuinely don't care about.
Then, there's Sydney. I don't think I've ever finished a book with a main character as unlikeable as her. Now, I understand she misses her parents (who died 7 years previously), but from what the story says, she has been with her foster parents ever since, and they treat her as good parents should, so I don't understand the amount of anger that spews from her for about 80% of the time she's appearing as Syd (as opposed to Rachel).
If you've read any of the reviews on my blog before, you may have realised that I hate books that completely devolve from reality, especially when it comes to love. Syd mentions at the beginning of the book that she's had dates with 'hot' guys, but that she's put off as soon as they open their mouths. Then, one day, she's met by Beau (at the friggin' cemetery, by her parents' graves), and despite his stalkerish (and is it just me to think vampiric?) tendencies, she falls head over heels in love with him. Well, duh. She then has her life threatened by a panther, and decides to take that moment to declare how she feels about him. I'm not sure about anyone else, but that's not what I'd do.
When Syd goes back to her previous life, as Rachel, she again is madly in love with a man named Jesse. This section of the book is slightly better written in that Rachel has more vulnerability than Syd, and the events are more exciting and less jumbled. I was intrigued as to how Syd could help Rachel change the events (which was hinted at by Beau), and can't help feeling that if there had been more of this and a LOT less lead-up, I would have enjoyed the book more. The end of the book finished on a cliffhanger, with nothing of importance having been 'tied up', and expecting the reader to buy the next book in order to carry on.
Then there's Mr Askew. I won't waste my breath on this: he is a paedophile that sexually harasses Syd in front of the whole class. Worst student in the world or not, Sydney could get him done - no bargaining. Plus, why have her start at burning down the school only to not refer back to what was already mentioned when it happens at the end?!
In general, an annoyance throughout the book was the amount of metaphors and adjectives used for everything. If there's one word used to describe something, there can be three, appears to be this book's motto! Metaphors can be amazing, but they were taken too far here. (This blogger here agrees!) Picture this type of language every other page or so:
"I could feel the waves of an overwhelming heartbreak ravaging my body, taking hold as if preparing to replace every part of me with an ache that could never be soothed. Somewhere in the distance I heard agonizing sobbing, sobbing too painful for a mere girl to endure."
Yeah. So, it's safe to say I won't be recommending this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2012
Michelle Brooks has created an interesting, fantastical and mysterious world in Bone Dressing, centered on a young lady named Syd Roberdeau. Syd, just shy of 18, has already received some pretty hard knocks out of life for someone so young. It’s turned her into a troubled teen, trying to discover who and what she is to become in this world. The book starts off inside Syd’s head and we begin to understand her character—she’s quite a firecracker! Syd is amazingly smart, witty, loud spoken and free with the mouth. Syd tells it like it is, she has strong character and isn’t afraid to show it.
Syd, lives at home with her step-parents—or at least until her 18th birthday. She has plans to be on her own. Although, those plans come a bit sooner than later, as the troubled teen flees from her house after getting grounded, and not liking that one damn bit! Setting her school on fire also has a bit to do with it too! Syd finds herself in the place where she feels most at home, where she actually spends most of her time—the cemetery.
In the cemetery she meets a mysterious trio, Sarah, a “young-old” little girl, who speaks like a “curly sue”, but has the wisdom of ages! Syd also encounters TJ, a black panther with special powers to help Syd’s soul occupy the past lives of the dead who inhabit the cemetery. Then there is Remy, a.k.a. Beau—a handsome young man who is also a stabilizing force for Syd.
After the troubles at school, Syd begins to understand a little more about the trio she met in the cemetery. Syd slowly discovers her new friends can help her correct the wrongs of her past lives. TJ’s purpose is to temporarily transfer Syd’s soul to those corpses in the cemetery, where Syd can re-animate these bodies, “dressing in their bones” and right the wrongs of these past lives. As if Syd did not have enough to worry about! Beau plays a role similar to a guardian angel for Syd and he is able to calm her, protect her, and bring her to her senses when she’s over the edge. And little Sarah is on a diplomatic mission to keep the peace between all of them.
Syd’s first “bone dressing” experience transforms this book from a story about strange paranormal forces into a wonderful love story about two soul mates. The story inside the first corpse Syd re-animates is incredible, highly visual and inspiring. It’s a tale about childhood love growing into a soul mate connection with opposing forces trying to thwart this young couple’s happiness. Mix that in with passion, love, lust, devotion and…shape-shifting and what you have is one captivating, young adult, paranormal, and romantic story!
Once Syd met the trio of Beau, Sarah and TJ, I was unable to put this book down until I finished. Ms. Brooks is hard at work on the second installment in the series, The Dreaming, and I for one am counting the days down until her release date! If you are a fan of young adult, romance and paranormal genre’s I highly recommend this series. I honestly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I rate this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Syd, lives at home with her step-parents—or at least until her 18th birthday. She has plans to be on her own. Although, those plans come a bit sooner than later, as the troubled teen flees from her house after getting grounded, and not liking that one damn bit! Setting her school on fire also has a bit to do with it too! Syd finds herself in the place where she feels most at home, where she actually spends most of her time—the cemetery.
In the cemetery she meets a mysterious trio, Sarah, a “young-old” little girl, who speaks like a “curly sue”, but has the wisdom of ages! Syd also encounters TJ, a black panther with special powers to help Syd’s soul occupy the past lives of the dead who inhabit the cemetery. Then there is Remy, a.k.a. Beau—a handsome young man who is also a stabilizing force for Syd.
After the troubles at school, Syd begins to understand a little more about the trio she met in the cemetery. Syd slowly discovers her new friends can help her correct the wrongs of her past lives. TJ’s purpose is to temporarily transfer Syd’s soul to those corpses in the cemetery, where Syd can re-animate these bodies, “dressing in their bones” and right the wrongs of these past lives. As if Syd did not have enough to worry about! Beau plays a role similar to a guardian angel for Syd and he is able to calm her, protect her, and bring her to her senses when she’s over the edge. And little Sarah is on a diplomatic mission to keep the peace between all of them.
Syd’s first “bone dressing” experience transforms this book from a story about strange paranormal forces into a wonderful love story about two soul mates. The story inside the first corpse Syd re-animates is incredible, highly visual and inspiring. It’s a tale about childhood love growing into a soul mate connection with opposing forces trying to thwart this young couple’s happiness. Mix that in with passion, love, lust, devotion and…shape-shifting and what you have is one captivating, young adult, paranormal, and romantic story!
Once Syd met the trio of Beau, Sarah and TJ, I was unable to put this book down until I finished. Ms. Brooks is hard at work on the second installment in the series, The Dreaming, and I for one am counting the days down until her release date! If you are a fan of young adult, romance and paranormal genre’s I highly recommend this series. I honestly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I rate this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
October 6, 2012
This review is also on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl.
Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks was quite a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a ghost story, but this wasn't one. However, I did enjoy this book. I also felt like I was getting two stories in one.
Syd doesn't answer to anyone. She's her own person. So when Beau, Sarah, and T.J. show up at her parents' grave where she likes spending time alone, why does she seem to eventually go along with what they want her to do? Syd will eventually learn who she was in one of her past lives. She'll also learn that there are some people out there who don't want her to remember at any cost.
I thought the setting and world building were great. I especially liked how it took place in Texas, mostly because that's where I was born and raised! Brooks makes the setting come alive, and it's so easy to imagine yourself in that world by her descriptions.
The cover definitely suits the book. It shows a girl (who I presume to be Syd) in a cemetery which is where most of the story takes place. The cover is definitely spot on.
As for the title, I'm a bit torn on whether it suits the book or not. Bone Dressing makes me think of something zombie like...taking over someone's actual body. However, this is more about living a past life. I can understand to a degree why it's called Bone Dressing as living a past life, you seem to be taking over someones bones.
The pacing for the first half of the book was a bit all over the place. It started out just right, but then I felt the pacing was lacking for a lot of the first half. However, for the second half, the pacing is spot on. I finished the second half of the book in hours. I couldn't put it down!!! The pacing is absolutely brilliant for the second half.
The dialogue is very easy to understand. There's no big words which had me running for the dictionary which I was happy about. There is some swearing in this book, so I'd wouldn't suggest it to a younger teen. This is more of an older teen/adult story.
I loved the story of Rachel and Jesse. It was so so sweet!! I won't go into detail as I don't want to give anything away. The Rachel and Jesse story dominate the second half of Bone Dressing. My heart went out to them both. The author really wrote their story very well.
My only gripe with this book is the first half of the story. It's a bit all over the place, and I felt it was a bit hard to follow with all that Syd was saying/doing. Syd tries to be sarcastic all the time during the first half, and most of the time, it just falls flat.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. It's really good. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks was quite a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a ghost story, but this wasn't one. However, I did enjoy this book. I also felt like I was getting two stories in one.
Syd doesn't answer to anyone. She's her own person. So when Beau, Sarah, and T.J. show up at her parents' grave where she likes spending time alone, why does she seem to eventually go along with what they want her to do? Syd will eventually learn who she was in one of her past lives. She'll also learn that there are some people out there who don't want her to remember at any cost.
I thought the setting and world building were great. I especially liked how it took place in Texas, mostly because that's where I was born and raised! Brooks makes the setting come alive, and it's so easy to imagine yourself in that world by her descriptions.
The cover definitely suits the book. It shows a girl (who I presume to be Syd) in a cemetery which is where most of the story takes place. The cover is definitely spot on.
As for the title, I'm a bit torn on whether it suits the book or not. Bone Dressing makes me think of something zombie like...taking over someone's actual body. However, this is more about living a past life. I can understand to a degree why it's called Bone Dressing as living a past life, you seem to be taking over someones bones.
The pacing for the first half of the book was a bit all over the place. It started out just right, but then I felt the pacing was lacking for a lot of the first half. However, for the second half, the pacing is spot on. I finished the second half of the book in hours. I couldn't put it down!!! The pacing is absolutely brilliant for the second half.
The dialogue is very easy to understand. There's no big words which had me running for the dictionary which I was happy about. There is some swearing in this book, so I'd wouldn't suggest it to a younger teen. This is more of an older teen/adult story.
I loved the story of Rachel and Jesse. It was so so sweet!! I won't go into detail as I don't want to give anything away. The Rachel and Jesse story dominate the second half of Bone Dressing. My heart went out to them both. The author really wrote their story very well.
My only gripe with this book is the first half of the story. It's a bit all over the place, and I felt it was a bit hard to follow with all that Syd was saying/doing. Syd tries to be sarcastic all the time during the first half, and most of the time, it just falls flat.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. It's really good. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
November 6, 2012
Okay, when a bloggy friend of mine recommends a book, I WILL read it! So when Shreya (Chocolate Coated Reviews) recommended this, I absolutely HAD to read it! The premise sounds interesting and dark and the cover had that creepy vibe to it...
but sadly, Bone Dressing just wasn't for me.
I'm not sure why, but I've actually been in a reading slump, so that may have something to do with this, but the things that I had a problem with was mainly the writing part. There were so many metaphors and while I'm not saying that's necessarily BAD, the metaphors were played on for an entire paragraph and after a while, it kind of got irritating. There were also a lot of description that was just too much sometimes and too little in other cases. It was kind of choppy in a few places, but that can be forgiven! Near the end, I also got a bit confused as to where the plot was going, but then again, that COULD be my fault lol.
Another thing was actually the romance. It was pretty insta-lovey in the beginning (even SYD realizes it!) and that kind of bothered me since they met in a graveyard, and not 4 chapters in she was confessing love.And that...that just really didn't seem right at the time. Later though? Sort of. i'm still trying to figure out that Jesse/Beau part!
What I DID love though, was Syd's sarcasm and how much voice there was! Syd was just a laugh out loud kind of character who just infected you with her emotions, positive or negative. And she was so, so, SO snarky and sarcastic! I absolutely loved it! She had these perfect responses and was so tough! she rarely backed down from anything and while her stubborness was a bit annoying at first, it quickly became endearing and something we'd fall in love with.
The world-building...wasn't very thorough either. I had no idea where these powers came from, the history behind it, what Sarah an Beau really did, and how they knew about their destiny. It was just a lot of things thrown in in my opinion, so I think that the world-building could use a little work and have more xplanation as to why Syd could do this, why Beau knew that, why Sarah was SO DANG SMART.
Plot wise...I actually enjoyed it, but there was really no sign of the antagonist until the last 100 pages or so, and it felt like the book should've been a bit longer. But considering there are 7 books in this series, I can't really blame her! I just would've liked it to have a bit more current action and a lot less remembering-the-past.
So while there were many great reviews for this, Bone Dressing just wasn't my type of book and I think I'll give it another chance one day, but we'll see. While the book had a lot of things going for it, I think it just needed an editor and would've been a great book that would've blown me away! But currently, I just didn't like it very much, I'm afraid.
but sadly, Bone Dressing just wasn't for me.
I'm not sure why, but I've actually been in a reading slump, so that may have something to do with this, but the things that I had a problem with was mainly the writing part. There were so many metaphors and while I'm not saying that's necessarily BAD, the metaphors were played on for an entire paragraph and after a while, it kind of got irritating. There were also a lot of description that was just too much sometimes and too little in other cases. It was kind of choppy in a few places, but that can be forgiven! Near the end, I also got a bit confused as to where the plot was going, but then again, that COULD be my fault lol.
Another thing was actually the romance. It was pretty insta-lovey in the beginning (even SYD realizes it!) and that kind of bothered me since they met in a graveyard, and not 4 chapters in she was confessing love.And that...that just really didn't seem right at the time. Later though? Sort of. i'm still trying to figure out that Jesse/Beau part!
What I DID love though, was Syd's sarcasm and how much voice there was! Syd was just a laugh out loud kind of character who just infected you with her emotions, positive or negative. And she was so, so, SO snarky and sarcastic! I absolutely loved it! She had these perfect responses and was so tough! she rarely backed down from anything and while her stubborness was a bit annoying at first, it quickly became endearing and something we'd fall in love with.
The world-building...wasn't very thorough either. I had no idea where these powers came from, the history behind it, what Sarah an Beau really did, and how they knew about their destiny. It was just a lot of things thrown in in my opinion, so I think that the world-building could use a little work and have more xplanation as to why Syd could do this, why Beau knew that, why Sarah was SO DANG SMART.
Plot wise...I actually enjoyed it, but there was really no sign of the antagonist until the last 100 pages or so, and it felt like the book should've been a bit longer. But considering there are 7 books in this series, I can't really blame her! I just would've liked it to have a bit more current action and a lot less remembering-the-past.
So while there were many great reviews for this, Bone Dressing just wasn't my type of book and I think I'll give it another chance one day, but we'll see. While the book had a lot of things going for it, I think it just needed an editor and would've been a great book that would've blown me away! But currently, I just didn't like it very much, I'm afraid.
June 12, 2011
The very first word that comes to mind is INTENSE. Bone Dressing had me shifting around in my various favorite reading spots and a bit nervous.There were points I would have to set it down for a bit, but then would be chomping at the bit to get back to it. Sounds confusing? It can be. The second thought I had was that Michelle I. Brooks either is ADD like me, or is very close to someone that is, because walking through Syd’s brain was pretty much a twin of mine, or at least my hormonal, teenage self. But back to Syd - She has definitely had a hard knock or twenty. Her loving, free spirited parents were killed when she was very young, and since then she has gone through her life, kicking ass that needs to be kicked, and freezing out almost everyone. Except her polar opposite and best friend, Patricia. When the disgusting and sinister teacher, the
bane of Syd’s existence, Mr. Askew, sets Syd up to cover for her friend, her topsy turvy world gets an extra shot of crazy.
Now, a word about these characters. I could totally see a friend of mine in the role of Patricia, and Mr. A made my skin crawl, literally. Like as in, give me a scalding hot shower and pass the lye. *shudder* Ok, lets move on before I make myself sick. On the completely other hand - Beau. MMMMM. God, that boy sounds mouth-watering. And there is some pain and secrets lurking in his fathomless eyes.
Oh, you ladies (and gents! I know we have some out there) must get on this immediately. Whether the reader is taking a stroll through Syd’s thoughts and experiences, or from one of the other POVs, the writing is in your face - vivid and heartbreaking. You understand what Syd is going through because you can feel it; you can feel how overwhelmed she is. Then she meets gorgeous Beau in the cemetery late one night, along with his adorable and perplexing little sister and pet panther, TJ. The trio end up shaking up Syd’s world even more, if it were possible and take a few special trips down memory lane….sort of. That’s all I can say without giving away massive spoilers, just listen to me when I say – It’s that good.
Quote that Caught Me:
"The power we all carry within us, but rarely use. The power we're all afraid of because to actually own it we would have to accept the responsibility of living a chosen life, not an accidental one."
The Question of Questions: Would I spend my precious book allowance (yes, I have one - That I mostly stick to.) on it and its possible sequel(s)?
Abso-freaking-lutely! I can’t wait to see how the story of Syd (and….others) pans out, and to learn more about yummy Beau and the charmingly mysterious Sarah.
bane of Syd’s existence, Mr. Askew, sets Syd up to cover for her friend, her topsy turvy world gets an extra shot of crazy.
Now, a word about these characters. I could totally see a friend of mine in the role of Patricia, and Mr. A made my skin crawl, literally. Like as in, give me a scalding hot shower and pass the lye. *shudder* Ok, lets move on before I make myself sick. On the completely other hand - Beau. MMMMM. God, that boy sounds mouth-watering. And there is some pain and secrets lurking in his fathomless eyes.
Oh, you ladies (and gents! I know we have some out there) must get on this immediately. Whether the reader is taking a stroll through Syd’s thoughts and experiences, or from one of the other POVs, the writing is in your face - vivid and heartbreaking. You understand what Syd is going through because you can feel it; you can feel how overwhelmed she is. Then she meets gorgeous Beau in the cemetery late one night, along with his adorable and perplexing little sister and pet panther, TJ. The trio end up shaking up Syd’s world even more, if it were possible and take a few special trips down memory lane….sort of. That’s all I can say without giving away massive spoilers, just listen to me when I say – It’s that good.
Quote that Caught Me:
"The power we all carry within us, but rarely use. The power we're all afraid of because to actually own it we would have to accept the responsibility of living a chosen life, not an accidental one."
The Question of Questions: Would I spend my precious book allowance (yes, I have one - That I mostly stick to.) on it and its possible sequel(s)?
Abso-freaking-lutely! I can’t wait to see how the story of Syd (and….others) pans out, and to learn more about yummy Beau and the charmingly mysterious Sarah.
July 25, 2012
I really wanted to love this book, it started out strong, the story grabbed my attention, and I was excited to keep picking up the book. Unfortunately, I didn't end up loving the book as much as I started out loving it. I did like it and the story is compelling enough that I am still interested in reading the next installment. I really only had one big issue with the book; I couldn't escape the wordy meandering of the the main characters inner voice.
My first impression of Sidney was that this was going to be an edgy chick dripping with sarcasm, someone to whom I could really relate. And then Sidney went from dripping in sarcasm to drowning first herself and then me in the endless and I do mean endless pages of sarcastic inner monologue. Her thoughts, which were at first funny and on point, turned gimicky and really detracted from important story elements. Sidney's thoughts frequently went on tangents in the middle of action sequences, which effectively turned potentially intense scenes into total snoozes. This really frustrated me and made me kinda sad. I liked this book, I liked the premise, I wanted to let myself be immersed in this book, but I was so irritated I couldn't enjoy the story. Other than that issue there was really only one other issue that I noticed in the book. There was an inconsistency with a male character that confused me, he was described as a Mexican half breed (in the book it's not as derogatory as it sounds), and then several pages later she describes him as Native American. The descriptions flip flop from there out between Mexican and Native American, which would still make the character a half breed, but the implications of the story were that whatever he is, he is also half white. It wasn't that big of a deal to me, but it's something that I think should have been better illustrated.
Here's the thing about this book and why for me it is still a 3 star book, and not a 2 or a 1 star book, the author imagined and developed a fascinating world. There is a lot that is good about this story. It's a fun and unique concept that has a lot of potential. There are so many places this story could go, and despite my frustration with Sidney's loquacious inner voice, I want to know what is going to happen. The story would have moved a long very smoothly and quickly were it not for the previously mentioned issue. I don't totally understand the concept of "Bone Dressing" yet, but I understand enough to want to know more by reading the next installment. I hope that Sydney's inner voice chills out in the next book. Were it not for the oversaturation, her wit and humor would have been a strength to her character and the story.
My first impression of Sidney was that this was going to be an edgy chick dripping with sarcasm, someone to whom I could really relate. And then Sidney went from dripping in sarcasm to drowning first herself and then me in the endless and I do mean endless pages of sarcastic inner monologue. Her thoughts, which were at first funny and on point, turned gimicky and really detracted from important story elements. Sidney's thoughts frequently went on tangents in the middle of action sequences, which effectively turned potentially intense scenes into total snoozes. This really frustrated me and made me kinda sad. I liked this book, I liked the premise, I wanted to let myself be immersed in this book, but I was so irritated I couldn't enjoy the story. Other than that issue there was really only one other issue that I noticed in the book. There was an inconsistency with a male character that confused me, he was described as a Mexican half breed (in the book it's not as derogatory as it sounds), and then several pages later she describes him as Native American. The descriptions flip flop from there out between Mexican and Native American, which would still make the character a half breed, but the implications of the story were that whatever he is, he is also half white. It wasn't that big of a deal to me, but it's something that I think should have been better illustrated.
Here's the thing about this book and why for me it is still a 3 star book, and not a 2 or a 1 star book, the author imagined and developed a fascinating world. There is a lot that is good about this story. It's a fun and unique concept that has a lot of potential. There are so many places this story could go, and despite my frustration with Sidney's loquacious inner voice, I want to know what is going to happen. The story would have moved a long very smoothly and quickly were it not for the previously mentioned issue. I don't totally understand the concept of "Bone Dressing" yet, but I understand enough to want to know more by reading the next installment. I hope that Sydney's inner voice chills out in the next book. Were it not for the oversaturation, her wit and humor would have been a strength to her character and the story.
April 12, 2012
See it on my blog -> http://readingbythebeach.blogspot.com...
Michelle Brooks writing style is rich with sarcasm and attitude as we get to know the inner psyche of Syd. Told in first person, in such a way that every word is coming from the beautiful mind of Syd. It fits with the book and the feel of the story, some readers prefer third-person perspectives, I tend to lean more toward the first person-perspectives, so Bone Dressing was a perfect fit. By Michelle Brooks allowing this uncensored look into Syd, I found myself instantly in love with her character. Syd is extremely bad-ass, she's sarcastic, witty, smart and constantly in trouble. She's also pretty damn insightful for a jaded seventeen-year-old. The characters that Syd is surrounded by are also on their own level. Michelle Brooks has the full capability to capture the substance of each character and bring them to life in their own ways. Another book that transcends the two-dimensional characters bringing them to life with simple yet important details.
Bone Dressing is a book that untangles in an unexpected way. You'll get the general direction from reading the blurb, but there is so much more! The plot is strewn with juicy little details, things that do and don't jump out at you right away. There is the general, broader story about Syd and Beau, but then there is the mini-story (of Jesse and Rachel) that encompasses the broader story, one that will literally sweep you off your feet. There is no better way to say it. Don't get my wrong, fluffy, light-hearted books are great (I often read them), but Bone Dressing is deep, dark and addictive, a book that pulls the emotions out of you, not even, really, giving you a choice. A book that I will revisit many, many , many more times in my lifetime.
Is this book for everyone? No. In reality, not every single book is for every single individual. But I urge you to to pick this book up and read, Bone Dressing has quickly become one of my favorites. To be fair, I will warn you of the swearing and the certain sensuality at play, but it's done in a realistic way that fits seamlessly with life. . . and this book. In my opinion, Bone Dressing should be on every mature YA readers TBR pile, a book that you won't want to miss.
Michelle Brooks writing style is rich with sarcasm and attitude as we get to know the inner psyche of Syd. Told in first person, in such a way that every word is coming from the beautiful mind of Syd. It fits with the book and the feel of the story, some readers prefer third-person perspectives, I tend to lean more toward the first person-perspectives, so Bone Dressing was a perfect fit. By Michelle Brooks allowing this uncensored look into Syd, I found myself instantly in love with her character. Syd is extremely bad-ass, she's sarcastic, witty, smart and constantly in trouble. She's also pretty damn insightful for a jaded seventeen-year-old. The characters that Syd is surrounded by are also on their own level. Michelle Brooks has the full capability to capture the substance of each character and bring them to life in their own ways. Another book that transcends the two-dimensional characters bringing them to life with simple yet important details.
Bone Dressing is a book that untangles in an unexpected way. You'll get the general direction from reading the blurb, but there is so much more! The plot is strewn with juicy little details, things that do and don't jump out at you right away. There is the general, broader story about Syd and Beau, but then there is the mini-story (of Jesse and Rachel) that encompasses the broader story, one that will literally sweep you off your feet. There is no better way to say it. Don't get my wrong, fluffy, light-hearted books are great (I often read them), but Bone Dressing is deep, dark and addictive, a book that pulls the emotions out of you, not even, really, giving you a choice. A book that I will revisit many, many , many more times in my lifetime.
Is this book for everyone? No. In reality, not every single book is for every single individual. But I urge you to to pick this book up and read, Bone Dressing has quickly become one of my favorites. To be fair, I will warn you of the swearing and the certain sensuality at play, but it's done in a realistic way that fits seamlessly with life. . . and this book. In my opinion, Bone Dressing should be on every mature YA readers TBR pile, a book that you won't want to miss.
December 20, 2011
I got this book as a gift a few months back. I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Don't have a lot of time to read during the year. The most reading I do is during summer break & a few breaks during the year. I had been putting this book off but when I picked it up I lived it. I live Sydney, she's a strong leading female character. Once you get over her swearing for those who don't like that the book sucks you in. Sydney swears more than a sailor. She's tough, independent, has a smart mouth & she stands up for herself & her one friend Patricia.
Syd often visits her parents grave. It's where she meets Beau, Sarah & their very unusual friend TJ. That's also when the story starts to change. I've read one other book dealing with past lives and didn't like it at all. This story completly changed that. If an author bothers to develop characters & show what they were like in their past life then it changes the whole thing. It makes it better because you really get to know the character. I loved knowing what went on inside Syd's head. She's a character that comes off as real. She's not sweet & perfect, she has flaws like everyone.
This story made me laugh so much. There were parts that were emotional and moving, but Sydney is hilarious. There's an attraction growing between Beau & Syd. He doesn't take Syd's crap & knows why she is the way she is. There are many questions left unanswered but they should be answered in the next books to come. I highly recommend this book to a more mature teen. There's nothing inappropriate in this book, it's just the swearing that makes it for older teens.
This book deals with subject matter if people in higher authority taking advantage of a young girl. I hope in the other books something is done with Mr. A like everyone calls him. This book doesn't have teens who party & drink all the time like more young adults book. Syd has just one friend who looks up to her because Syd has such a strong personality & doesn't let others take advantage of her.
If you're looking for something different don't judge this book by its cover. Give it a chance, you'll have a good laugh & will forget about the world outside for a while. I can't wait for the next book. I hope Syd's character doesn't change. She's a true one of a kind, just like her story.
Syd often visits her parents grave. It's where she meets Beau, Sarah & their very unusual friend TJ. That's also when the story starts to change. I've read one other book dealing with past lives and didn't like it at all. This story completly changed that. If an author bothers to develop characters & show what they were like in their past life then it changes the whole thing. It makes it better because you really get to know the character. I loved knowing what went on inside Syd's head. She's a character that comes off as real. She's not sweet & perfect, she has flaws like everyone.
This story made me laugh so much. There were parts that were emotional and moving, but Sydney is hilarious. There's an attraction growing between Beau & Syd. He doesn't take Syd's crap & knows why she is the way she is. There are many questions left unanswered but they should be answered in the next books to come. I highly recommend this book to a more mature teen. There's nothing inappropriate in this book, it's just the swearing that makes it for older teens.
This book deals with subject matter if people in higher authority taking advantage of a young girl. I hope in the other books something is done with Mr. A like everyone calls him. This book doesn't have teens who party & drink all the time like more young adults book. Syd has just one friend who looks up to her because Syd has such a strong personality & doesn't let others take advantage of her.
If you're looking for something different don't judge this book by its cover. Give it a chance, you'll have a good laugh & will forget about the world outside for a while. I can't wait for the next book. I hope Syd's character doesn't change. She's a true one of a kind, just like her story.
April 4, 2013
So I really wanted to like this book and the end was just enough of a redemption for me to be able to give it 2 stars instead of one. Let me start off with what I didn't like. Sydney, I just really didn't like Sydney for most of the book. I didn't feel a connection with her at all, I thought she was a spoiled selfish brat with anger management issues. I understand that Syd has had a hard life but her behavior was so over the top I didn't identify with her at all. Also, I can tell the author worked really hard to be descriptive and for the most part that was fine. It got to a point though that there was too much description and internal processing and not enough of what was going on around her. It really confused me because one moment she's in one place thinking and moaning and griping about everything and then the next she's somewhere differently. I didn't feel like I was journeying with Syd. Also, everything happened too fast. She meets Beau and 5 seconds later is professing her undying love. I don't mind the instant connection but I do mind the pouring out of heart and soul 2 seconds after meeting someone. For a character who was apparently all about self-preservation she did a really bad job of it. Plus, I HATE INTERRUPTERS and Syd is one big long interruption. She interrupts everyone, I wanted to smack her like 12 times and be like could you let other people talk please? I'm in your head, I get what you're thinking let the other person just talk! Plus the whole Rachel and Jesse, Jesse is dead, but then not dead. I was literally so confused. The end is what redeemed this book for me though. The end cleared up, I don't know if something started to click but the end started to suck me in. Sydney got nicer, and more protective and wasn't constantly yelling at people. She did take care of Henry and that was really nice because I spent the first part of the book wondering why I should like this girl. I don't know that I'd recommend this book but I would be willing to read the second to see if the improvements at the end continue on. I really wanted to like this book and so I'm sad I didn't enjoy it more.
April 23, 2013
First I want to thank the author for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review. I really tried to like this story because it was so original like nothing else I had ever read but I had a hard time finishing it. It was ridiculously long in some places and most of the book was choppy and I was confused about what was going on.
The plot was original and interesting. This book is about a girl named Sydney who is angry at the world. One night while walking in a cemetery she runs into Beau, Sarah, and T.J. their pet panther. Then everything for her changes as she goes on a journey to find the essence of her very soul through walking in the shoes of her past lives. I did love the concept and idea of this story. It just wasn't executed very well. It has potential and I think with a lot of editing it could do well but it was just so choppy that I couldn't get lost in the story. Not only that but there were some pretty big inconsistencies that I just could not let go which also made it hard to get into the plot. I did love the part of this book where she travels in her past life but that was about the only part I liked.
The main character had so many parts where she had long drawn out monologues about the same damn thing over and over again I just got so beyond annoyed I would have to put the book down because her whining got to me. She also was just plain rude to everyone. She interrupted everyone, never let them say anything. She was confrontational about everything. She was bad mannered and bad tempered and just all around very unlovable character. I couldn't stand her. Beau's character was nice and charming but he jumped from hot to cold so quickly for seemingly no reason that his character completely confused me.
Also the villain in this was forgettable. I completely forgot about Sydney and him battling it out when he wasn't actually on the page. His motives for being evil were not revealed even a tiny bit and so he just seemed to like to cause harm because he could and was shallow and unimportant.
Overall this book is a good idea but it needs major editing and fixing.
The plot was original and interesting. This book is about a girl named Sydney who is angry at the world. One night while walking in a cemetery she runs into Beau, Sarah, and T.J. their pet panther. Then everything for her changes as she goes on a journey to find the essence of her very soul through walking in the shoes of her past lives. I did love the concept and idea of this story. It just wasn't executed very well. It has potential and I think with a lot of editing it could do well but it was just so choppy that I couldn't get lost in the story. Not only that but there were some pretty big inconsistencies that I just could not let go which also made it hard to get into the plot. I did love the part of this book where she travels in her past life but that was about the only part I liked.
The main character had so many parts where she had long drawn out monologues about the same damn thing over and over again I just got so beyond annoyed I would have to put the book down because her whining got to me. She also was just plain rude to everyone. She interrupted everyone, never let them say anything. She was confrontational about everything. She was bad mannered and bad tempered and just all around very unlovable character. I couldn't stand her. Beau's character was nice and charming but he jumped from hot to cold so quickly for seemingly no reason that his character completely confused me.
Also the villain in this was forgettable. I completely forgot about Sydney and him battling it out when he wasn't actually on the page. His motives for being evil were not revealed even a tiny bit and so he just seemed to like to cause harm because he could and was shallow and unimportant.
Overall this book is a good idea but it needs major editing and fixing.
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