Not that this was bad, but it's definitely not the best in this series. It's (my opinion) an ok romance with decent characters.
There's not mu3.5 stars
Not that this was bad, but it's definitely not the best in this series. It's (my opinion) an ok romance with decent characters.
There's not much to say about this story that the blurb doesn't already tell you. And Robin and Phoenix don't really have any obstacles in their relationship that aren't fairly easy to overcome with a little bit of communication. They have a tiff at the end over what happens after the truth about Nathan and Robin comes out, but it's not anything that felt insurmountable. They met. They liked each other. They fell in love. They both had baggage. And they both were fairly understanding of the other person's issues. Kinda like real life...
I'm a big fan of McCarthy, but this one was lacking the trademark humor that draws me to her books. Without the usual dose of funny, this is just a Plain-Jane romance novel. Good writing, good story, good cover. It's...good. But it's not my favorite.
In case you were wondering, I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ask yourself this question: Do I really want to read a book about pretentious teenagers who act like pretentious 40 year olds? If your answer is Yes, thAsk yourself this question: Do I really want to read a book about pretentious teenagers who act like pretentious 40 year olds? If your answer is Yes, then this is the book for you!
Shockingly, there's not much in the way of a plot. Unless you count the numerous references to music, art, books, and clothing. It opens with Celia getting into a car with a girl, and then heading to her new high school. There were quite a few things I found confusing, because nothing these kids in this group do is remotely realistic.
1. They ride to school in what appears to be a funeral procession. For some reason, they feel the need to arrive at school at the same time. So, one car picks up Celia, then drives to the next person's house, where they get into their car and follow the original car to the next house...and so on. Evidently it helps them cultivate an air of mystery about the group.
2. They have named their clique The Rosary. Do I need to say anything more about that? Probably not...but I will. These high school kids refer to themselves as The Rosary. What?! And apparently everyone else at the high school is so awed by their mysterious persona, that they somehow avoid the ass-beating that would await anyone else in high school stupid enough to do this.
3. They all go to this weird club on Friday nights. Hey, kids at a club! At least that's normal, right? Bzzzzt! Wrong! Not a normal club. Nope. You have to have discriminating taste to gain entrance to this place. In other words, if you listen to (God Forbid!) music on the radio, you just wouldn't understand how awesome this place is. Everyone and everything inside is amazing, eclectic, strange, and interesting!
4. The Leopard. It's what Celia calls the boy she meets at the club. Yeah, he's got a name, but referring to the boy of your dreams mentally as The Leopard is soooo cool and sophisticated. WTF?!
5. Insta-lurve between Celia and (gag) The Leopard. They stared at each other each Friday night for weeks, so I guess they really know each other, right? Then they met two more times (in real life!) before she realized that she was desperately and hopelessly in love with him. Hey, at least they took it slow...
6. The Rosary doesn't drink, studies come before anything else, and they all must have a job. Where the hell did these kids come from?! Were they part of some kind of a secret Stepford cloning project?
Unfortunately, the paranormal stuff had nothing to do with why Celia's friends were so freaking creepy and weird artsy-fartsy. In fact, it didn't have much to do with anything at all. It was boring. The whole book was filled with nonsense about how you can only be unique if you act a certain way, do certain things, listen to certain music. Mainstream friends, books, music, and clothes just don't cut it. Guess what? Now you're a unique asshole!
In the end, I found Celia to be a wannabe loser who couldn't think for herself, and The Rosary to be a group of dysfunctional dorks who thought they were better than everyone else. The paranormal mystery could have been interesting, but it moved too slowly to salvage this book for me. ...more
Honestly, the first few chapters of this were pretty meh. Or at least they were to me. It definitely slides toward Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines
Honestly, the first few chapters of this were pretty meh. Or at least they were to me. It definitely slides toward adventure on the action-adventure scale. By that I mean the plot doesn't move at a break-neck pace. It's more of a story about the journey Anya takes, and the pacing reflects that. I'm not saying The Queen's Choice was boring by any means, and once I got a feel for what was happening I really enjoyed it.
The story starts with Anya coming home to Chrior after spending an extended period of time traveling in the human territories. Even though Anya is bonded (engaged) to a wonderful guy, she loves to leave the faerie kingdom and explore the human world. Mr. Wonderful has never left the kingdom of Chrior, and can't understand why she feels the need to wander. He seems pretty boring, but at least he doesn't try to stop her from going. Anya is fae royalty, but she's never actually considered that she might have any real responsibility coming her way. After all, her cousin Illumina is the next in line for the throne. So when she receives a summons from the Queen (aka her aunt), she doesn't think much of it. And then the Faerie Queen drops a bomb on her. She's demoting Illumina ('cause there's a good possibility that she's a bit unhinged), and naming Anya as her successor. No more trips to the human territories for Anya! Yep, from here on out, it's Duty, Duty, Duty. Yikes! This news makes Mr. Wonderful happy, but it doesn't do much for Anya's spirits. Wait, there's more! The Queen has been told by the giant Redwood (it's a mythical tree spirit or something...just go with it.) that her life is going to end soon. Ouch. Now years ago, her half-human son Zabriel got tired of...well, let's just say things in the faerie realm weren't all sunshine and unicorns for him. Anyway, he left Chrior and went into hiding in the human world. But now the Queen is dying...and she wants to see her son one last time. The Queen's decision to send 14 year old Illumina out into the Territories on a search for the long-lost prince shocks Anya into action. Illumina has never been to the human world before, and she's afraid the young girl might get hurt. She's not the most likable or even the most stable faerie, but she's still Anya's baby cousin. Besides, Anya's pretty sure that even if Illumina does somehow manage to find Prince Zabriel, she might not be able to convince him to return. Why not, you ask? Well, sometimes Illumina can come across as a bit creepy and unnerving. Oh yeah. She also hates humans with a white-hot passion, thinks Zabriel is an abomination, and has a penchant for verbal diarrhea. Soooo. Maybe not the best choice to bring him home? And even though Anya doesn't want to admit it, deep down she would love for Zabriel to come back and take the burden of the throne off of her shoulders. So she convinces her fiancee to give her a 3 month head start before he tries to contact her (through their magical engagement bond), and then heads out after her young cousin. Consequences be damned! And here's when things get interesting. As soon as Anya crosses the Bloody Road (it's a kind of magical barrier that only allows magical beings to cross), she's attacked by Hunters. I can't give you the specifics, because it might be a bit spoilery, but she ends up really hurt. Fortunately, a human family finds her and nurses her back to health. Anya forms a tentative friendship with the oldest daughter, Shea. It turns out that the family has some secrets, and not the good kind...like where you're hiding the Christmas presents. Shea's father did something a few years back that put them all on the government's shit-list. And in an effort to stay off the radar, the entire family is stuck living out in the middle of nowhere. You have to admit, that would suck pretty hard for a teenage girl. So when Anya is strong enough to leave, Shea packs up her stuff and hits the road with her.
Everything I've mentioned here happens early on in the book, 'cause I really don't want to give too much away. But here's a short list of some of the cool stuff in the rest of the book: Freaky ghost/boogeymen things that run around eating kids, big-time conspiracies everywhere, a pirate with a massive secret, and a huge I-Didn't-See-It-Coming betrayal at the end. Speaking of the end, it had one of the best cliffhanger endings I've read in a while. Now I get that not everyone loves cliffhangers. But I'm of the opinion that if you're going to do it, you need to do it right. And this book did it right. Remember Moning's Fever series? Seriously has anyone out there not read KMM's Fever series? Barrons... Hang on. Just give me a minute. Ok. I'm back. Remember the endings to those books? I would be reading frantically, thinking I had about 10 more pages left, and then BAM!!! the book was over. What?! Noooooo! If you've read those books, you know what I mean. I see some of you are nodding your heads right now! Well, Kluver managed to do a pretty good job re-creating that feeling for me at the end of The Queen's Choice. And while the rest of the book was good, it was really the ending that bumped it up to 4 stars for me. I honestly haven't been that impressed by a cliffhanger in a long time. If you're in the market for YA fantasy, check this one out!
I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...in case you were wondering....more
I'd seen some really high praise for these books, so I jumped at the chance to read McGarry's newest book in the Pushing the Limits series. And I likeI'd seen some really high praise for these books, so I jumped at the chance to read McGarry's newest book in the Pushing the Limits series. And I liked it, but it didn't blow me out of the water. I'm thinking that either these particular characters just weren't my cuppa, or maybe I need to take a break from the angsty stuff. I should also note that I'm a bit sick of the Good girl/Bad boy thing at the moment.
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So Rachel has a weird life. Sure, her family has money, but they're beyond strange. ALL of them. Let's start with her oddly overprotective brothers, ok? I've never seen a group (I believe there's 4 of them) of older brothers act like they have nothing better to do than escort their little sister around so that no guy ever speaks to her. A lot of brothers tend to get pissed when guys mess with their sisters. Especially if the guy in question is a douchebag. That's normal. What's not normal is screaming death threats at every male that attempts to talk to her. You would think at least one of them would be on her side, right? But, no. Protectively eyeballing her date...SANE. Acting like a psycho over a conversation between her an a random dude at a wedding...INSANE. Yeah. So I had a problem buying into the over-the-top dynamics with her brothers. Then there's her parents. Years ago they lost their oldest daughter to Leukemia. Very tragic, no? Yes, yes it is.
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But. In an effort to make the mother happy again, they kept having children until Rachel was born, so that the mom would have a replacement daughter. Wha...? Unfortunately, kids aren't replaceable, so Rachael lives in the shadow of her perfect older sister. Worse, she's expected to speak at charity functions on her dead sister's behalf. Or she was until she started having panic attacks when she was younger. The panic attacks took the form of severe vomiting, and eventually she was hospitalized because she was throwing up blood.
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Skip to present day, and Rachel is supposedly over her fear of public speaking and panic attacks. Of course, she's not. She's only pretending to feel better about it so that everyone will stop treating her like she's breakable. And now Dad wants her to start speaking at her mother's fundraising events again...so that mommy won't be sad. Again, I felt the parents were overblown caricatures of people, and not realistic enough for me to sympathize with or even hate. To keep Rachel from seeming like she was made out of some boring jello mold, we find out that she loves cars. Reallyreallyreally loves cars.
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And that's how she meets Isaiah...who also reallyreallyreally loves cars. He protects her when she wanders out of her element and into an illegal street race. Naturally, there's an evil guy who run the race. This same evil guy blames Rachel for selling them out to the cops/stealing his money. And also (naturally), they have to find a way to pay him back...or else! That whole plotline felt like something out of a 50's movie, and I kept expecting them to break out into some sort of a dance-off to settle the score. Or some such nonsense. As the fear for their lives increased, the obvious answer just sat there staring them in the face. Call the cops (who are actively looking for a reason to arrest the guy) and report him for threatening to kill you! But wait. They can't do that. Rachel doesn't want her parents to find out she was involved in illegal street race! Well. That's an awesome reason to get killed by a scummy wannabe mobster. Sorry I questioned your logic, Einstein.
Ok. Sorry, I'm making it sound like this book is total crap, but in reality it's not. I didn't have a hard time getting through the story, and there are tons of absolutely glowing reviews out there for this one. New Adult is a genre that thrives on drama and angst, so I'm not going to fault an author for giving readers exactly what they came to the party looking for. So. My personal opinion is that this one was overly...everything. But even I know that my opinion doesn't count for much. It will probably be a great read to someone who isn't burned out on virgin heroines and damaged heroes.
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I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Reading King Cave has made me a better parent. You heard me, reading this has done more for my maternal skills than all of those Parenting books writt Reading King Cave has made me a better parent. You heard me, reading this has done more for my maternal skills than all of those Parenting books written by so-called 'experts'. Mainly because I've never read any of them. I meant to, I swear! But they just looked so boring... So how did a book about magical creatures make me a better mom? Well, I am now far more tolerant of my girls screeching, squealing, and crying every time one of those poofy-headed boy bands comes out with a new video. *shudder* I used to point out that the one in the middle is quite obviously gay and could care less about the panties being thrown at him. The one on the far right is going to blow all of his money and end up living in a trailer park. But that's still better than the one on the end, who's probably going to end up face-down in a pool of his own vomit in five years. That was the old me. Now? I just smile, pat my sweet babies on the head, and tell them that one of those guys might end up being a Justin. Why the change of heart? Because I had a similarly goofy reaction to getting King Cave. I did this embarrassing tappy dance, I grinned till my cheeks hurt, and I made giggly sounds. There were also rumors of a weird humming noise coming from my general vicinity while I was reading...but I think my kids were just trying to mess with my head. I'm not kidding. They do shit like that to me all of the time. Anyway, I was beyond excited to get my grubby little paws on this, because absolutely loved King Hall. If you haven't read it yet, you honestly don't know what you're missing. Read it! But then I got nervous. What if my expectations were too high? What if the first book was a fluke? I mean, I've got too much stuff to read as it is, so it's not very often that I actively stalk a book's release date. And I stalked this one. Oh God! The creeper hanging out in the bushes at Barnes & Noble?! It was me! Noooo! I thought it was all just a bad dream! But that does explain the sudden appearance of all of those kitschy new bookmarks... So. Now that we've established that I ramble, let's get on with this review.
King Cave picks up at the exact moment the last book left off. King Hall is under attack, Pearl and Jack are unconscious, and everything is going up in flames. Let me tell you something, this book takes off right out of the gate and never stops. It's packed full of twists, turns, and shocking revelations. Packed! It's also got something that was notably absent in the first book. Sex. Oh Ezra... Sweet lord, he is the smexiest thing ever! I'm totally calling dibs on him as my book-boyfriend, so the rest of you bitches can just back it up! See, I was wondering if maybe Ms. Dawn didn't write it into the last book because it wasn't her forte. Apparently that was not the reason. And in fact, it might actually be the cause of the mysterious humming noises. Just a theory... Alright, back to the twisty-turny stuff. Every time something BIG would happen I'd be like, Aha! So that's the THING! The BIG THING that happens in this story to change everything! Bzzzt! Wrong! Because then the next huge shocker would come outta nowhere and knock me on my ass. It never stopped! By the time I got to the end, I was shaking like a freaking leaf! Although, I've never actually seen a leaf shake. Quiver? Yes. But not really shake. However, it wouldn't really be PC of me to say I was shaking like a fat kid in a candy store, so we'll just go with the leaf analogy. Anyhoo, I don't like to give spoilers, but I've just got to give you guys a hint. Ezra and Lilly. EZRA and LILLY! And you know what, that's not even the tip of the iceberg! That's right, ladies and gentlemen!That is a teeny-tiny piece of crap spoiler that doesn't even begin to touch the scope of this amazing plot. Oh shit. The kids were right! I'm making this obnoxious humming noise. What the hell?!
So what have we learned here today? 1. These books are so awesome that they are going to be part of my exclusive Hardback collection. 2. I would leave my husband for Ezra. 3. I may need to see someone about the fact that I unconsciously make annoying noises. 4. If you haven't picked up on this series yet, you need to remedy that situation immediately! 5. Um. There's not really a 5, but the list just kinda looked like it needed an extra number.
But seriously, go get this book.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc of this book in return for an honest review.
I just did a re-read to prep myself for Golden Son. *squeals* For me, it was definitely the right choice. I would have missed a lot of references...maiI just did a re-read to prep myself for Golden Son. *squeals* For me, it was definitely the right choice. I would have missed a lot of references...mainly, because my tiny dinosaur brain can't hold onto/recall information like it used to. So. Was it still as good as I remembered?
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Original 2013 review:
This review can also be seen at Addicted2Heroines. There's a lot of hype surrounding this book, and for once it's totally deserved. How often can you really say that?! When I first started reading it, I was pretty convinced that it was going to be a fairly average book. Maybe. Hopefully. I mean, I've read a lot of dystopians and a lot of sci-fi lately. Was this really going to be that different? And after the first chapter, I was less than impressed. It's set underground. On Mars. Great. And everyone is color-coded. AWESOME. Haven't seen that at least 200 times before... Oh. And the main character is already married? AT SEVENTEEN!? Guh. He's some sort of super-skilled digger? What? Is he part mole-man? Are they DANCING as a form of rebellion? What the fuck kind of stupid shit is this?! Yeah. I was not impressed.
Ah, but I was so veryvery wrong. After that initial chapter introducing you to Darrow and his life, this book starts to get really interesting...really fast. Darrow's wife is not content with their life, even though she is very much in love with him. She wants to fight against the Golds that she feels are enslaving her people. Darrow, on the other hand, is not willing to risk their safety (hers in particular) for a dream he doesn't believe in. He may not think that their life is fair, but he believes that he is doing the right thing for future generations by helping to terraform the planet. She, however, sees the potential Darrow has to save the Reds, even when he doesn't see it himself. And she does something unthinkable to help him realize that potential. What she does sets Darrow on an incredible journey to the surface, and into the heart of the enemy. To help realize her dream, he eventually agrees to join the Red's rebellion. He also agrees to allow them to transform him into one of the elite Golds. It's no easy task, since it requires genetic modification, surgery, and lessons in speech and etiquette. After all of this, he must not only gain entrance to their training academy, but come out of it at the head of the class.
Unfortunately, not much is known about what happens to the young Golds who enter the academy, only that it produces the future leaders of their society. The rebels have enough resources to forge his documents, but once inside, Darrow will be on his own. When he enters the academy, he feels nothing but revulsion for these obnoxious children. They are lazy, greedy, pampered, and shallow. He has already seen first hand the extent of the Gold's evil deceptions, and nothing will stand in the way of him bringing them down. His hatred of these elitist teenagers burns white-hot in his chest, and it doesn't matter what he has to do in order to emerge victorious... Except. Oh shit. Not many things are truly black and white...are they?
M'kay. Lots of comparisons to The Hunger Games floating around out there. In my opinion, Red Rising takes The Hunger Games and spanks its overrated ass. Don't get me wrong, I liked Suzanne Collin's trilogy, and (obviously) so did a lot of other people. But I never quite loved it. Mainly, because Katniss always seemed to be an unwilling participant in the story. She was pushed, pulled, and prodded into everything that she did. And in the end, I felt disappointed that her character never seemed to grow past that. She did what she had to do...and she survived. The End. I wanted to see some sort of spark of life in her, but it seemed (to me) like she was just a depressed puddle of skin, who would occasionally snap out of it and do something extraordinary. Darrow, on the other hand, grew and changed throughout the entire book. He started out as a Katniss-like character, but ended up a different person entirely. His motivations changed, his beliefs changed, and even his view of the world changed. He stopped being a bystander in his life, and the result was spectacular.
I gotta say, the writing in this is nothing short of amazing. It's just...I can't adequately describe how much Brown made me feel for these characters. Really, I was blown away. Especially surprising since this was a debut novel.
If you only read one book this year, it needs to be this one. Seriously.
I received this digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
There's a lot to love about Defy. Tough girl who has to pretend to be a boy, hot prince who has to pretend to be obAlso reviewed for Addicted2Heroines
There's a lot to love about Defy. Tough girl who has to pretend to be a boy, hot prince who has to pretend to be obnoxious, evil sorcerers, misunderstood magic, and a kingdom in peril. It's not what I would consider action-packed, but the story clips along at a good pace. I was initially a little worried by the hint of a love triangle in the blurb, but it turned out to be fairly obvious who she was actually interested in. Yeah, and then there's the other guy. It's not you, it's me. I love you, but I'm not In Love with you. I think of you like a brother...minus all the genetic similarities.
I loved the backstory that led Alexa to have to disguise herself as a boy. It was made more plausible by the fact that she had already been trained to fight by her father. The reason her father trained her was also something that made sense. Since she already knew her way around a sword, it eliminated the moments in the story when I would normally roll my eyes at the heroine's ability to step into the role of a bad-ass...without any prior experience. The magical elements didn't come into play until later, and this helped establish why she was able to not only blend in but become part of an elite force protecting the prince.
The author did a great job with Damian's character, as well. I really didn't like him at all. And then suddenly I did. Hello, Mr. Darcy! And at the end of the book, I really couldn't have loved him more. I'm trying really hard not to give spoilers, so let's just say that he is one of those guys who understands that beauty is only skin deep.
And speaking of the end? Dear God! I can't believe that the author actually went the route that she did! I'm not talking about a cliffhanger here people, I'm talking about... Nope. Sorry, that would be a spoiler. I will say it was something I haven't seen happen very often in YA.
In the interest of total disclosure, I will say that there were a few times I thought Alexa acted a bit out of character for someone who was supposedly so tough. I don't know why, but it rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I'm willing to chalk it up to other people finally knowing her secret, and maybe coming to terms with being able to act like a girl for the first time in years. Even with that minor annoyance, I'd recommend this one for someone looking for a young adult fantasy novel....more
I thought this was total garbage, and I'm not really getting where all the 4 and 5 star reviews are coming from. At all. I will say that some1.5 stars
I thought this was total garbage, and I'm not really getting where all the 4 and 5 star reviews are coming from. At all. I will say that some of the lines were sort of funny, so maybe if the story had been a bit more coherent I would have like it a little more. I'm assuming Luce's character was supposed to be plucky and irreverent, but I just thought she was obnoxious and annoying. And the thing about harvesting organs to rid people of demonic possession? What? The only character I liked was Hitch. (view spoiler)[ And apparently he was evil. (hide spoiler)] Hmmm. Nope. Can't think of anyone I'd recommend this to.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Spoiler Alert! But I personally think people will want this one...
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There are aliens in this story. Now, it may seem like I've just given 3.5 stars
Spoiler Alert! But I personally think people will want this one...
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There are aliens in this story. Now, it may seem like I've just given away a huge plot point and potentially ruined the story. Hmmm. Maybe I have, but I don't think so. And here's why: Do you think readers who like stories about aliens are going to look twice at this book after reading the blurb? No. No, they will not. It's obviously a psychological thriller. And do you think fans of thrillers are going to be pleased when halfway through an interesting book about psychopaths, they get hit upside the head with some weird alien conspiracy? Um, no. I'm thinking...pissed will be a better word to describe the reaction from that camp. So, yeah. There are aliens in this story.
Now that we've got that out of the way, there were a lot of things that I liked about The Cure. First was just the amount of information that the author gathered on psychopaths. It was really interesting, and it had me giving everyone I know the fisheye for weeks. Apparently, I'm totally surrounded! Evidently, I'm not the only one who thinks this kind of thing is interesting, because when I started talking about the book to other people they all has the same reaction. It seems that the universal response is that we would all like to be able to instantly recognize the dangerous schemers and scammers in the world. And that is precisely what the main character sets out to do. Turns out, psychopathic personalities aren't just different from the rest of us in the moral sense. They're actually hardwired differently from birth. Erin thinks that she can isolate those differences in their brainwaves, and create an early warning device that people can use to protect themselves. I'm thinking that would make a neat app for your cell phone!
Ok, here's another warning for the reader. That 'devastating encounter' from Erin's childhood that's mentioned in the blurb? *shudder* Before starting this one, I looked up a few reviews on it, and several of them mentioned that the book starts off with a graphic scene that is not for the squeamish. M'kay. Normally I don't read books with serial killers, graphic torture, etc., and I don't watch movies with stuff like that either. So, no. I've never seen any of the Saw flicks. It's not my bag, baby... But I figured that since I knew about it going in, I'd be ok. And I was. Sort of. It was still hard to read because I'm so not cool with kids in a potential rape and torture scene. And maybe I threw up in my mouth a little bit before it was over. *Urrrp* I just...well, that's not a spoiler I mind letting people in on, because some of us need to mentally prep for stuff like that. I'm not bashing the scene, because it definitely could have been a lot worse. I'm just a wuss. And it wasn't just some gratuitous thing thrown in there for the shock value. Without it, you wouldn't really get why Erin is the way she is and does the things she does.
There's a romance between Erin and Kyle, but it felt sort of forced and fake. Plus, the entire time I kept thinking he was probably a serial killer or something. Which probably had a lot to do with the subject matter of the book, and not how he was portrayed. Then again, I don't read a lot of books like this, so maybe that's how romances are normally written in this genre.
If you're in the market for an alien thriller with an interesting look at psychopaths thrown in, I think you'll like this one.
Big thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review....more
Bluebeard has always been hands-down the creepiest fairy tale to me. I mean, the guy had an entire room chock full of dead wives! And they di4.5 stars
Bluebeard has always been hands-down the creepiest fairy tale to me. I mean, the guy had an entire room chock full of dead wives! And they didn't pass away from old age or disease. Then there was the new wife... She's given a key to the room and told not to use it. Well, duh, of course she's gonna look! And since she broke her promise to him...She must die!!!! Alright, that's the really condensed version of the original, but you get the gist.
So, Strands of Bronze and Gold is a retelling of that story. And to add to the creepy atmosphere, this one has a Gothic flavor to it. It's set in pre-Civil War Mississippi, and Bernard is a plantation owner, so slavery and the Underground Railroad play a part in the story as well. However, don't go into this expecting an accurate historical portrayal of either. It's just a side note in the plot to keep things interesting. As a retelling of Bluebeard, though, I thought it was a total win, and one of my new favorite retellings!
The complaints I've seen in other reviews seem to drift toward the fact that it's not a fast-paced book, there are too many descriptions of scenery and clothes, and that the heroine is a Mary Sue. I'll give you my opinion of those three issues, and then you can decide if this is a book you'd like to read.
First off, the pacing was perfect for a book like this. There is a slow-building horror to the situation that Petheram finds herself in, and (I thought) it was done very well. She starts off hearing mild alarm bells, but ignores them until she finally hears the klaxon blaring. Of course, by then it's too late. To me, that's not a slow story. As far as the myriad of descriptions go? Eh. Petheram loves all the nice clothes and expensive gifts that Bernard gives her, and she's undeniably impressed with all of he wealth in her surroundings. It's part of the reason she ignores some of those initial early warning signs. However, by the end of the book, she realizes how foolish and easily taken in she was. I'm not one of those readers who likes a lot of scenery written into the story. Give me enough to get the gist of the surroundings...and then move on. So will you be annoyed by descriptions of dresses? No idea, but I didn't feel that the story was bogged down by overly descriptive writing.
Finally, is Petheram a Mary Sue? Not within the confines of this kind of story. For the time period, for her age, and for what she was aware of, Pentheram was actually quite brave. There were several times she stood up for herself and others, but part of this story is about exposing the psychology behind abusive relationships. Bertram was in equal parts very charming and very violent. At first, he seems to be a very likable and handsome man, and his eccentricities seem benign. But as the story unfolds, she realizes that everything he does is a form of control designed to keep her submissive. And what can she actually do about it? In reality, how easy would it be for a young woman of that time period to just up and leave her legal guardian's home? Not very. Naturally, as the reader, you know from the moment she pulls up in her carriage that she's about to enter the house of a serial killer. And it's also pretty easy to to scream and rant that YOU would have done something differently. However, as evidenced by women in today's society, there is something universal about the minds of abusers and victims. It happens every day, and not just to weak-willed women. I've watched formerly strong independent women get sucked into this kind of psychotic nightmare to varying degrees. The how and why are a lot simpler than people think. It starts with something like a comment about how maybe 'your jeans don't fit the way they used to', that turns into comments about how 'no one else would ever want you because of the way you've let yourself go'. Or maybe it just starts with an innocent sounding question like, 'who were you just talking to on the phone?', that ends up over time turning into wild accusations like, 'I know you're cheating on me with whoever you were talking to!'. Verbal abuse is bad enough, but these kind of attitudes can quickly escalate into violence. One of the biggest problems with violent abusers is that they didn't just punch their girlfriend or wife in the face on the first date. See, if they had done that, there probably wouldn't have been a second date. Unfortunately, the violence comes after the woman is fully entrenched in the lie that she somehow needs him. And of course, the old standby that he loves her and it will never happen again. It's easy for those of us in a healthy relationship to think that it couldn't happen to us, but the truth is, given the right circumstances, it could happen to anyone. Now, whether or not you decide to fight back and get the hell outta there if it does? Well, that's entirely up to you. And that's what Pentheram's story is really about.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Hmmm. I loved Covert Assignment, which was the 1st book in the seI received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Hmmm. I loved Covert Assignment, which was the 1st book in the series, but this one just felt like a filler. I'm not saying it was a bad book, it was just missing that sumpin' sumpin', you know?
I think the majority of the problem lies with the introduction of a new love interest. Lyle. The Southern gentleman. I didn't like him. At all. My hope is that he turns out to be a terrorist, and Preston shoots him...while he's drinking his sweet iced tea. Anyway. Elle takes a bunch of personality tests, gets put into dangerous (but not too dangerous) situations, and has to decide whether or not she really wants to be part of the Agency. Like I said...filler.
I still want to read the next book, because a lot of series seem to struggle with the dreaded Second Book Syndrome, and a lot of times the 3d book comes back strong. I'm hoping Elle will bounce back, get tough, and find a guy who doesn't make me want to vomit in my mouth.
P.S. I have no idea why I hated Lyle so much. He was a nice guy who introduced Elle to his mamma, held open the door, and pulled out her chair for her. What's wrong with me?! ...more
Wow. This was awful. Underneath all of it, I think there was a glimmer of a really good sci-fi story. It was just buried under plot holes, ann1.5 stars
Wow. This was awful. Underneath all of it, I think there was a glimmer of a really good sci-fi story. It was just buried under plot holes, annoying characters, and unrealistic actions. I kept thinking, "If I can just finish this, it might make sense.". Nope. The ending was just as awkward as the rest of the book.
I'm not going to go into the plot too much, but the main themes are alien conspiracy and time-travel. Rachel is a celebrity in the future because she managed to get pregnant and have a baby. Her daughter dies in a tragic accident years later. She and her husband miraculously win the Lotto and are given the chance to get a child from the future. *Insert stuff happening here* Her husband is murdered trying to protect her and their new child from aliens, and she travels back in time to find her new son. Stay with me here... She uncovers a conspiracy. Aliens are using time-travel to take over the world. The actual plot had potential, and it was the reason I stuck in there till the end. Although, I will admit to reading as fast as I could just to plow through it after I finally hit my breaking point. And here was my breaking point: There's this suave, sexy, and powerful man helping her fight the aliens. Great, right? Bitch, your husband isn't even cold in the grave yet! Anyway. They are dressing up to go to a party so that they could confront the enemy. P.S. Their plan made NO SENSE! M'kay, here's where I mentally checked out of the story...
His eyebrows had been plucked to perfection. His face was so smooth that it looked like he had applied powder.
What the hell?! Plucked to perfection? Are you kidding me with this shit? I can't even... Gah.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
There's lots of comparisons to the X-men in the reviews that others have written on this, and it's easy to see why. You have (basically) a school for children with mutations, only it's run by a shadow agency in the government instead of Professor X. These kids are trained to go out on missions to uncover crimes committed by other 'evil' mutants...er, Variants. So. Yeah, I can see the X-man angle.
Tessa's mutation allows her to absorb anyone's genetic code and turn herself into an exact replica of them. Hello, my name's Mystique, and I'll be your server this evening. Would you like to order an appetizer first? Tessa's variation makes her the perfect agent to take on the latest assignment. Someone is killing girls in a small town, and it looks like another Variant might be the culprit. His last victim is in a coma, and the doctors have said there's no way she's going to pull through. The plan is simple. Tessa absorbs her DNA while she is still alive, and when she dies, the agency will replace her with Tessa. Family and friends will believe that their prayers have been answered, and Tessa will be in place as the perfect undercover agent.
Tessa is a believable teen who struggles with the morality of pretending to be a dead girl. She feels horrible that this wonderful family is eventually going to be crushed when they find out that their daughter never really made a miraculous recovery. Yet, she understands that in order to catch the girl's killer, she has to continue with the charade. It's deep stuff, man...
I'm gonna be honest, I didn't care much for the romance in this. For some reason, it just never interested me. The short version is that she's in love with another Variant in the agency. Looking back on it, I think I fell for a few mutants when I was younger, too. He's not much older than her, but he's a full agent, and they really aren't supposed to be fraternizing. Oh. And he also has a girlfriend. A really really mean girlfriend. There's a lot of longing glances from her, and a lot of mixed messages from him. So, not my favorite part of the story.
This is one of those books that (even though it was good) didn't leave a lasting impression on me. I have a feeling that it will do well with the audience it is intended for, but it's not going to be one of those crossovers that grabs the attention of adult readers as well. Maybe I'm wrong? I'll definitely recommend it to the kids in the neighborhood, though.
Thanks to NetGally for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Witch Finder was another one of those that took me a while to get into it, but once the story got going it turned out to be pretty good.
It op3.5 stars
Witch Finder was another one of those that took me a while to get into it, but once the story got going it turned out to be pretty good.
It opens with Luke being initiated into a group of witch hunters and drawing Rosa's name as his first kill. But there's a catch... If he doesn't complete his mission, then he will be the one that the brotherhood hunts down and kills. It sounds like these guys are hard-core assholes, but as the book goes on, you can see that they are probably just misguided. Especially Luke's uncle, who really loves and cares for Luke. As for Luke, he was a child when he witnessed a witch kill his parents, and he and his uncle have been fighting them ever since. Luke has the rare ability to see their magical aura and has been working with the brotherhood for years to identify witches for assassination. Now that he's old enough, he's ready to become a full-fledged member of the Malleus Maleficorum.
Rosa is a 16 year old witch who comes from one of the most powerful families in London. Now that her loving father is dead, she's been left to the mercy of her cruel brother and social-climbing mother. Even though she's a powerful witch, she can't do much to stop the abuse they both heap on her. They have plans to marry her off to a powerful sociopathic warlock. He's wanted Rosa for years, but growing up with him has given Rosa a glimpse into his evil nature. The thought of being married to him terrifies her, but she's not sure what she can do to stop it.
Meanwhile, the brotherhood sets up a position in Rosa's house for Luke, and he prepares himself for the task of ridding the world of an evil creature. What he finds when he meets Rosa, however, confuses his notions of right and wrong. Over and over again, Luke witnesses Rosa's kindness to himself and others. At first, he's able to convince himself that it's some sort of trickery, but after a while, he's not so sure. She even goes so far as to claim that (what she assumes was) a mistake he made with her saddle was her fault. And since he can see her magic, he can also see her use of it to cover up the bruises that her family gives her to keep her compliant. The last thing he wants is to feel pity for her, but he can't seem to stop himself.
I thought it was interesting that the author didn't pull out the insta-love and have him immediately stop trying to kill her. Because even though he wrestles with his conscience, his attempts on her life continue. I really almost couldn't believe that such a likable character could be so dense, and I found myself mentally screaming at him to Cut That Shit Out! more than once. In that sense, the author rocked this story. Because on one hand you just fall in love with Rosa, and on the other, you really feel for Luke. I mean, she has no idea that someone is out to get her! And on top of that, her family life is so fucked up, that you can't imagine she needs anything else to make it worse. But Luke has all of that childhood trauma to deal with, and let's not forget that pesky death sentence waiting for him if he fails. Well done!
Like I mentioned, this one took me a while to truly get into, but the last half of the book was really good. It's a series that I'm definitely looking forward to continuing in the future. Besides, look at that cover! Beautiful!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think Wild Card is a good start to (I'm assuming) a new Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think Wild Card is a good start to (I'm assuming) a new urban fantasy series. I don't see any other books in the works, but that's never stopped an author before!
Cat is an extremely skilled computer tech who lost her soul to Eris in a game of poker. The hows aren't explained till toward the end of the book, but it's not exactly what you think... Since then, she's been the goddess of Discord's unpaid lackey. Thanks to being on call 24/7, she has no social life, no love life, and no money. So when Eris announces that there may be a way for her to get her freedom, Cat jumps at the chance. Supposedly all she has to do is attend a party, but Cat's under no illusions that it will be that easy. When Eris insists that her obnoxious personal assistant Marius escort Cat to the gala, any leftover hope she had about a mundane evening flies right out the window. Cat's contempt for Marius is only rivaled by his disdain for her. Since they both work for Eris, they've had years to dig and poke at each others nerves. So at this point, they're both pretty raw. Such a cute couple!
At the party, Cat finds out from Coyote that Eris has put her soul up as a bargaining chip in the mother of all poker games. It seems that all of the trickster gods across mythology like to get together once in a while and test each other out. The party is being held so the other gods can decide whether Cat is worth it. Cat's job is to retrieve all of the chips from the other gods in order for Eris to free her. Now here's where the story fell a bit short for me. And possibly this is because of my limited knowledge of poker, or gambling in general... I didn't get why she had to run around trying to get all of the chips. Eris gave them the chips. They were supposed to give them to Cat if they found her an acceptable bargain. Just sit still and let them come to you, right? I also didn't understand why Cat thought Eris was going to free her. The instructions about getting all of the chips back didn't even make a whole lot of sense to start with, and the goddess lies for fun, so she had to know she was probably going to pull something at the last minute.
Other than the wonky plot holes, I really enjoyed the story. Marius and Cat were funny together, and after a while he grew on me. The author even managed to make him sexy, which is no small feat considering he's a satyr. Still not too sure about the goat legs, though. *shudder* It was interesting to read about some trickster gods that I hadn't heard of before, and I also liked the way the more familiar gods were painted in a different light. Loki is my new favorite!
If you're looking for a new urban fantasy that mixes things up with mythology, then this might be something you'll want to check out.
Ehhhh. I didn't love this volume of Batman Incorporated as much as some of my friends. Sorry, but I guess it just seemeAlso posted at Addicted2Heroines
Ehhhh. I didn't love this volume of Batman Incorporated as much as some of my friends. Sorry, but I guess it just seemed kinda of chaotic and weird to me. Then again, with Grant Morrison you never know what you're going to get. I doubt that anyone will argue with me when I say that he's almost as iconic as the characters that he writes about. And when he's on his game he's undoubtedly the best. When he's not? Well, let's just say I have a love/hate relationship with his stuff.
So in this one, there's lots of Talia Al-Ghul and her special brand of lunacy. She's Bat-shit crazy! Get it? Get it?! *snort, snort* Whatever. I'm hilarious, and you know it... She's determined to bring Batman to his knees and get revenge on Damian for turning his back on her. It just goes to show you that if Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Since she has the power of Leviathan behind her, she's in a great position to do it, too. This is just my opinion, but Talia seemed wackier than normal. I prefer the version of Talia that is semi-sane, not the one with spittle flying out of her mouth. Ok. I'm exaggerating...but you get my point. Then Damien's clone shows up and takes the insanity to a whole new level. Hilarity ensues as the Bat-family bands together to save the day! There are a couple of 'shocking' deaths that I thought were well done, but the Big Bomb didn't have the same effect on me. And here's why: You can't kill off a fan-favorite. I mean, you can, but I don't think anybody is going to buy it. The joke is that nobody stays dead in comic books. In Green Lantern's Blackest Night arc, you can see the scope of it perfectly. For those of you who don't know the storyline, the Black Ring not only resurrected dead superheroes, but also turned everyone in the DC universe who had ever died into a Black Lantern. Needless to say, not many superheroes were left over to fight them. On a side note, I believe they used this story arc to bring a few characters back from the dead. Ta-da!
Does this mean I'm done with Batman Inc.? No way! It's a great title, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Does it mean I'm done with Morrison? Are you crazy?! There's too much genius rattling around inside of his head for me to ever give up on his stuff.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review....more
I'm going to warn you right off the bat that this review is probably biased and emotionally skewed. And it's all because of my youngest daughter. Why wI'm going to warn you right off the bat that this review is probably biased and emotionally skewed. And it's all because of my youngest daughter. Why would a book about teenagers running around during the Zombie Apocalypse have anything to do with my 5 year old? I'll get to it...
So this kid Brian is sort of a slacker, but not in a bad way. Just, you know, in the regular loveable slacker kind of way. He's recently broken up with his longtime girlfriend, mainly because she's got some issues that he's, quite frankly, tired of dealing with. Her phobias (large crowds being one) bring on panic attacks, and the medication to stop them leaves her (no pun intended) a sort of sexual zombie. Ok. That sounds like a sucky reason for a guy to break up with the girl he loves, but I can totally see a teenage boy doing that. He's not a dick, though, and the two remain friends. Even if it is a bit awkward for him. After all, he still loves her, but he's...you know...an idiot.
The story begins with him feeling kind of proud of her for facing her fear of crowds, and going to a school pep rally with his sister. He also feels a bit guilty, because instead of going and supporting her, he and his buddies are sneaking off campus to go hang out at one of their houses. 'Cause they wanna do...slacker stuff. Enter the zombies! After a confusing encounter with a friend (and a weird news report), they realize something is potentially very wrong with some of the people in their area. It appears there is some kind of contagion spreading through the community. Spreading, um, fairly quickly. Naturally, they head back to school where it's safe. The original goal is to try to check up on Brian's little sister and their other friends. And then everything goes to shit. They end up trapped in the theater building with a bunch of kids that they normally wouldn't have much of anything to do with. Which (ta-da!) is where you get the 'Breakfast Club' reference from the blurb. At this point, you've got all your stereotypes lined up and ready to learn an all-important lesson. Underneath everything, we're all exactly alike! Don't expect to be blown away by this new and different idea, and you'll probably enjoy the book a lot more.
Ok. Now what Brian should do is hunker down in this fairly protected area, and wait for the cavalry. But. His little sister is out there somewhere (hopefully) with his ex-girlfriend (that he still loves), and he's not going to let them get chomped on by these new sparkly zombies. Sparkly? Yes. They sparkle because the UZA (United Zombie Association) was getting a little pissed that the vampires were the only ones being portrayed as 'glittering in the sun'. They also sparkle because this virus has gout-like qualities that cause the skin to crystallize. This makes me really nervous because my husband has gout in his big toe. And now I'm worried that he's going to turn into an undead diamond and rip my throat out in my sleep. Seriously. Last night he started snoring, and instead of whacking him with a pillow (like I normally do), I just curled up into the fetal position and prayed that he wasn't growling... So, Brian starts making plans to rescue the girls. Now, I know what you're thinking. Is a teenage boy really going to take on a zombie horde for his annoying little sister? Evidently, yes. And here's where I got the emotional sucker-punch from this book. See, Brian's sister was a childhood cancer survivor, and because of what she and their family had been through, they were especially close. Not only that, but his sister had the same form of leukemia that my daughter has...sorry, had. See, my little girl just finished her last chemotherapy treatment yesterday. Ah. Now you see where the zombies and the 5 year old are starting to make sense, huh? Ok. So my first thought after reading that? I will totally 1 star this book if his sister survived cancer and then gets eaten by zombies! I know, I know. That wouldn't really be fair of me. Guess, what? Life's not fair. Mwahahahaha! Anyway, the rest of the book was a nail-biter for me. Nobody was off limits when it came to getting eaten, and there were quite a few characters that I just knew were going to make it out that didn't. There was one in particular that I was really sad to see go...
To me, this was a good ya zombie novel. No, it's not high literature, but I think it would be a good book for teenagers. Or maybe even an adult looking for Zombie-Lite?
At any rate, to all the kids (like mine!) who managed to outrun the zombies? You guys are tougher, cooler, and more beautiful than anyone else in the world. You rock! And to all the kids who are still running? There's a lot of people smarter than me looking really hard for a cure for zombieism. But in the meantime, you just gotta hang in there. Fuck zombies. They suck.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.
I'm always shocked when I start looking for a book's publisher, only to findThanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.
I'm always shocked when I start looking for a book's publisher, only to find that it's a self-published title. Well, not always. But in this case, I had no idea. Seriously, keep an eye out for this author in the future.
Covert Assignment was an easy breezy read for me. Elle was adorable, her friends were awesome, her ex was deliciously icky, and Preston was a hottie. The CIA vs. terrorist stuff wasn't really nail-biting, but it added a bit of fun to an otherwise normal story about the decisions that leave their mark on our journey to become an adult.
Elle's got a Plan. Finish grad school, go to her father's alma mater for her JD/MBA, marry her college sweetheart, and live happily ever after. Her parents split when she was very young, then both remarried and started families over again. Elle was a reminder of their failure, and was treated accordingly. Her lifeline to acceptance and a family that loves her is her boyfriend, Adam. Even though there's not much chemistry between them, he's her best friend and she loves him. Besides, sex is overrated. Right? Evidently not, because when she comes home from a particularity awkward Christmas with her mother, she finds out that he's been screwing a bimbo from one of his classes. And the skank posted pictures on the internet. Visual imagery is always a nice addition to betrayal... Adam swears he was seduced by her evil charms because he was drunk, and it will never happen again. All he wants is a chance to prove himself! Blah, blah, blah... Fortunately for Elle she has two awesome girlfriends to help her navigate this rather massive speed bump in her life. 'Cause if there's ever an appropriate time to get shit-faced with your girls, it's after you see the guy you thought would be the father of your children humping a troll with ginormous titties.
Meanwhile, an opportunity to work with the CIA on a short-term basis comes along. Turns out, the information data she's been collecting on a bunch of gamers for her thesis, is somehow related to a group of terrorists. And they could use her expertise to help them continue gathering data on a sub group within the chat rooms. Again, the spy stuff was ok, but don't go into the book expecting a hard-core thriller. Of course, they're not just going to give a grad student a CIA laptop, and turn her loose to ferret out the bad guys. And it wouldn't be a romance novel if she got partnered up with a paunchy old fart, right? No. No, it would not. So say hello to our young hot spy dude, Preston, aka the operative who will be dealing with all of the classified stuff. Growr! Once Preston makes it known that he's interested in more than just Elle's computer skills, she's got to decide whether to give Adam a second chance, or to totally deviate from the Plan. Deviate! Deviate, you idiot!
Anyway. This book is a good choice for someone looking for a light romance to break up the monotony of a Sunday afternoon. Apparently Elle's story is also going to continue in Marciassa's next book, Covert Interview. Good news for me, because the ending (while complete) left me wanting to find out more about these characters.
I loved the artwork, but unless you're really wanting to read a Batman vs. Spy comic skip it. It had potential, but by the time I got to the e3.5 stars
I loved the artwork, but unless you're really wanting to read a Batman vs. Spy comic skip it. It had potential, but by the time I got to the end I was totally uninterested in anything that happened to any of the characters. Plus the ending was a bit confusing, and yet...I didn't care enough to go back an re-read anything to find out what I maybe missed. I have a feeling I didn't actually miss anything though. I think it was one of those endings that was supposed to make you go No Way! But it just sort of made me do a Huh. Really? And then shut the book.
Nice art, iffy plot. Read it if you want to....more
I actually liked this better than volume 1. Not that that is a very high recommendation, because I didn't like volume 1 very much at all.
In B2.5 Stars
I actually liked this better than volume 1. Not that that is a very high recommendation, because I didn't like volume 1 very much at all.
In Basilisk Rising we get to learn more about Amanda Waller. Yay! Oh. Sorry, she's sorta boring. But, wait! There's more! Harley's back, Deadshot might be dead, and Yo Yo crawled out of Shark King's stomach in the middle of a battle with Resurrection Man. Other stuff happens, but I doubt anybody cares...
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