Showing posts with label 3.5 Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3.5 Stars. Show all posts

April 14, 2014

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama



Publisher’s summary: Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Elizabeth Fama's Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

My take: Now that’s an awesome ending! I think I liked it because that ending wasn’t a surprise to me, and it’s not a happily ever after because it would be way too impossible to have an ending that worked out after everything that happened in this book.

This book took me a little longer to read than I would have liked because there were just a few things I had a hard time relating to, and I debated my star rating for quite a while but I think these following issues had way too much influence than I would have liked. First, what’s up with this book and people acting like stealing a baby is as okay as stealing someone’s phone simply because you have the intent of returning it? It’s a baby! And not just one baby is involved, two completely different babies from two completely different families are stolen, and for two completely different reasons. This should be an extremely serious situation, and people wouldn’t just tiptoe around this kind of thing! And I don’t care who you are, as a parent you’d change your whole life if this happened to your children because it’s a natural need for parents to be so protective. And I know that the whole point to the kidnapping of these babies is to try to show this extreme seriousness, but so many unconcerned people were involved that it was hard for me to accept! I just had a really hard time coming to terms with this idea. The other thing I had a hard time with is the lifestyles of these people. This whole Day people verses Night people lifestyle thing, evolving out of the Spanish flu of 1918, was hard to wrap my mind around as to the “why.” At first, I kept wondering if this was a futuristic book where the people were all told the wrong history of the world. But then I realized it’s a book where this is a “could have been” lifestyle brought about if we separated people between night and day (for whatever reason) because of the Spanish flu. I just had an extremely hard time with this fantasy vision of the world, obviously, because it didn’t happen in the real world. But you give me a book with a bunch of power hungry people, and I’ll get it.

Other than all of that, I really loved the story. The characters were really well done! It was like they were meant to be together. Sol was a little too selfless for my liking, but I still ended up liking her. And now that I’ve fallen in love with the characters and I’ve wrapped my head around the world Elizabeth Fama created, I’m super excited to read the next book!

May 26, 2013

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein



Publisher’s summary: No one survives the Fade.
They have taken everything, destroyed everything.
The only safe place left is within the wall of light called the Arclight.

No one survives the Fade.
If they call you, if you leave, you're lost.

No one survives the Fade.
They're trying to get in.

No one survives the Fade.
But she did.
She doesn't remember how.
She doesn't remember anything.

Marina survived the Fade . . .
but for how long?

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My take: The moment I saw the cover of Arclight I was really intrigued and could hardly wait to read this one! And I actually ended up really liking it! I had the ARC but I ended up listening to the audio on Audible.

I absolutely love the way this book starts out. You get the feel right from the very start that Marina is kind of the odd-girl-out, and that there is a good reason why everyone looks at her like she’s a bad omen. And right when all this opening craziness happens, we get to meet a bunch of characters that are introduced into this high stress environment…including the main character Marina. Then to top it all off (along with the really cool story/character introductions), we get a feel for what the people in this story are protecting themselves from (The Fade.)

Throughout the story every scene moves smoothly and kept me entertained. There were just a few things that I had troubles with. Once we start to get a feel, or start to see a picture of The Fade, I had a hard time visualizing them in my mind. And then, when we finally do learn a lot more about The Fade, the new information just kept messing with the image that I already created in my head. Hopefully, we will get a clearer picture of The Fade in the following books. My only other problem is that I listened to Arclight pretty much right after I listened to Mila 2.0, and there were a few similarities (not much really) between the two books and the Narrator for both books is the same. I’ve listened to another book read by Tara Sands and she’s a really good Narrator, but I just felt like these two books had a similar feel to them. (Of course, the only reason I may have noticed these similarities is because I listened to both books back-to-back.) Other than those two things, I really liked this book.

The paranormal/dystopian aspect to Arclight is very different from everything else out there and I really liked this aspect of the book. I’m really looking forward to the next book so I can learn more about The Fade.

July 22, 2012

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan


Publisher’s summary: A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly.

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it's exhilarating--Vee and Ian's fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they're directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they're playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?

Debut author Jeanne Ryan delivers an un-putdownable suspense thriller.

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My take: It was fun to read a book that is out of the norm for me. Nerve is one of those books that make you believe “it actually could happen.” It realistically portrays how personal information and desires can be easily hustled by someone else through the Internet, and then used to control and manipulate that person. Nerve combines that idea with the obsession people have with wanting to be a part of a reality TV show. Only, this reality TV show actually plays Live, on the internet!

In the prologue of Nerve, we read from the POV of a girl (named Abigail) who is still dealing with the psychological and emotional aftermath of having taken part in a risky reality “dare” game called Nerve. And leaves you wondering if the game ever ends. Everything that happens in that prologue sets the tone and suspense for the remainder of the book. The main character for the remainder of the book is a girl named Vee. And, after feeling humiliated by her girlfriend and a boy she has a crush on, in the heat of the moment Vee decides to test out a dare on Nerve. At this point, you are left curious if it is at all possible if you would/could have a happily-ever-after when taking part in this game? Or will the game destroy you and/or become your worst nightmare?

This was a really quick, easy read! There is always something going on and the action kept me on my toes until the very last page. I will admit that since the story was moving so fast, I didn’t think that all of my questions would be tied up in the end, but the twists that happen close to the end of the book tied up all my questions perfectly.

I think that what I loved most about this book is that there is a definite ending to the story, but the ending also left some things hanging that open the door to the possibility that something more could later happen.

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July 13, 2012

Arise by Tara Hudson



Publisher’s summary: New Orleans
Saint Louis
Number One Cemetery
A night there can change a life . . . or a death.

Increasingly worried that dark spirits will carry out their threats and hurt the people she cares for most, Amelia is ready to try anything to protect them. And for his own very different reasons, Joshua has come to this cemetery at midnight to join her in a powerful ritual.

Both know that once Amelia steps inside the Voodoo circle and the beautiful girl from the Conjure Café begins the cere¬mony, everything will change.

Tara Hudson's enthralling sequel to Hereafter escalates the danger and excitement, bringing a new dimension to her already mesmerizing story of a haunted love.

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My take: Once again Tara Hudson introduces me to a refreshing book and story! If I have to compare the first and the second book, I liked Arise a lot better than Hereafter.

However, when I began reading Arise, I started to get worried that I might not like the story as much. Even though I still thought the romance between Joshua and Amelia was sweet, I began to think that the relationship is a lost cause. How can a relationship with a human and a ghost really work? But I was a little relieved that Amelia saw this as a problem as well, and . . . well, you’ll have to read Arise to see how she handles it! Another thing that had me concerned and that made me think I might not like this book was that Amelia’s lies were really starting to get on my nerves. Luckily, these two concerns weren’t the main substance to this book.

I really started to get into the story when the first new characters were introduced in the book. And when two more characters were introduced about midway through the book, I was really sucked in. These additional characters gave the story so much more! There’s a lot that happens starting about midway through Arise, and it’s probably the last quarter of the book that was the best part. And how the story ends was absolutely perfect. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this story will continue in Elegy, which will be released in 2013.

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July 6, 2012

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda



Publisher's summary: Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

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My take: Now this book was bizarre! There are quite a few books out there right now where humans are just about extinct, but out of all of them this one is TRULY unique!

I knew this book was really different from the moment I started listening (I have the audio book) as I immediately started getting the chills and wondered if I even had the stomach to listen to the rest of the book without getting too creeped out. Right from the start, the main character is describing the rules he absolutely must follow to survive in a world where vampires are the dominant species and where “hepers” (humans) are pretty much extinct. He describes an absolutely horrifying scene where a heper breaks one of those rules and is attacked and devoured by a classroom full of vampires!!! So, basically, Gene (main character and human) has to pretend he’s a vamp! Luckily, though, it wasn’t too creepy after that particular scene!

Andrew Fukuda has created a type of vampire in The Hunt pretty much unlike anything else out there. For one, a human could never have a relationship with one of these vampires!!! These vampires sleep, but not in coffins or in the ground…they sleep in “sleep-holds” on the ceiling. But the weirdest difference for me is how these vampires kiss each other! When a male vampire “kisses” a female vampire, he does it by sticking his elbows into the female vampire’s armpits. Bizarre! Right?

From the start of this book until the finish, the whole story was very compelling. I was hooked from the moment Gene was chosen for the hunt, and I could hardly wait to see how the heck he was going to keep the other vampires from discovering who he really was during the “training sessions” for the hunt! And, no, the training sessions didn’t go well for Gene!

One thing that really pissed me off about the book is how Andrew Fukuda emphasized how super “smart” this Gene is. And the reason it pissed me off is because there were so many times throughout the book where I thought Gene was just a big idiot. In fact, I got unbelievably frustrated with him on multiple occasions just because of the stupid things he did…his decision making was so stupid, it was even worse than what I think would be common sense even from someone like me who wasn’t raised to hide that I’m a human from a bunch of vampires!

Anyways, my favorite characters actually come into the story way later, so I can’t talk too much about them. There is one character in particular that I thought showed true promise, but then that character just ended up pissing me off.

The end of The Hunt has a crazy awesome twist, and I’m dying to see where the story will lead and where that twist will take the story!

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May 25, 2012

A Want so Wicked by Suzanne Young


Publisher's Summary: Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She's experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people's lives—people she's never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who's new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?
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My Take: I’m thrilled to say that A Want so Wicked is A LOT better than A Need So Beautiful and I pretty much knew from the moment I picked up AWSW that I would like it better! To me, it was immediately obvious who this new protagonist (Elise) truly is, but I really liked the direction this new story was taking, and I was more than eager to see where it would lead. I loved following along with Elise even though I already knew (for the most part) what I thought she needed to discover about herself, and I wondered if it would end the same way for her that it did for Charlotte.

One thing that I liked most about AWSW is that I connected with the characters a lot better! For me, Elise was a more likable character than Charlotte was, but I was still always kind of hoping that Charlotte would make an appearance somewhere in the storyline. And I really liked seeing Harlin from Elise’ eyes because I felt like I learned more about his character seeing him from the POV of someone other than Charlotte.

The ending to A Want So Wicked was perfect! There was one thing leading up to the ending that I think was supposed to be a surprise twist, but I predicted it pretty early on. And even though I predicted it, I still loved the way it all came together and I loved how everything went down in the end. The way AWSW ended has me content with leaving this series here, and ending also leads to the possibility to beginning a whole new adventure!
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April 5, 2012

Tempest by Julie Cross


Publisher’s Summary: The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

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My Take: I didn’t have high expectations when I first started listening to the audio of Tempest. I’ve read mixed reviews about this one, so I just wasn’t sure if time travel would be my cup of tea. But, fortunately, as soon as I started listening, I was immediately drawn into the story.

I think that Adam (Jackson’s best friend) is my favorite character. He’s smart and a little quirky, and he’s the first person Jackson trusts to tell that he can jump back through time. Adam also helps document and test Jackson’s abilities to find out just exactly what he’s capable of doing. They know that his body doesn’t truly leave the present, it’s like just his mind goes back.

The part where the story really starts to pick up is when a bunch of strange men show up and attack Jackson and Holly (Jackson’s girlfriend) at Holly’s dorm. During the attack, something horrifying happens and, without really thinking about it, Jackson jumps back in time. But Jackson knows pretty much immediately that this jump is somehow different, and he quickly notices that he can’t return to his present time.

Stuck in the past, Jackson has to adjust to living in that past and trying to figure out how to get back to his present time.

While listening to Tempest, I was drawn into the mix of discovering who Jackson can trust, a cute romance, a bunch of action, and a crazy secret and huge mystery that must be solved…which leads to a huge twist of just what Jackson is actually stuck in the middle of. Tempest ends with an ultimate, crazy and unexpected decision Jackson makes that I TOTALLY did not see coming.
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March 22, 2012

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington


Publisher's Summary: It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are...”

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It’s a battle Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.

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My Take: When I first started reading Embrace, I seesawed back and forth over how I felt about this book. The problem was I’d reach a point where I would put the book down and daydream about the book, thinking that what had happened was awesome. But then I’d suddenly realize that I really wasn’t all that satisfied. I started to get nervous because I felt the story was leading in a direction that would be way too similar to another book I read. I think at one point I even considered not picking the book back up. But I am so glad I finished! Because it didn’t take very long after that for me to realize that I was absolutely wrong! Luckily, at that very point, I really started to get sucked into the story that Jessica Shirvington created. And, the twist at the end of Embrace was awesome!

The more I think about it, the more I think my problem was mostly with the main character, Violet! For example, really early on in the story, Violet finds out something she didn’t know about herself, and then when she finds out that her best friend Lincoln (who I particularly think is pretty hot) knew about and had kept this secret from her, she becomes extremely unforgiving to everyone. It really bothered me how bitter she was throughout the whole book because of this personal betrayal. I wanted to scream at her, “He obviously feels bad! Get over it already!” And then when Violet meets Phoenix (equally hot), I was also bothered by his character because I just had this bizarre feeling about him. It was as if I just didn’t really like the guy!

There is a lot of craziness and action throughout Embrace! And there are some equally awesome creative scenes that take place while Violet struggles to discover who and what she truly is.

To top it all off, everything that was bothering me at the beginning of and throughout the book, actually played a huge part in the end, and I don’t think the story could have been done any better…because all of that stuff actually made the whole book so much better! And Violet actually turns out to be one truly kick-butt chick! I'm really looking forward to reading the next, because I really want to see where this series will lead.

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April 3, 2011

The Coven by Cate Tiernan

The Coven (Wicca, #2)

Goodreads Summary:  Morgan's powers are stronger than she ever imagined. She has visions, she lights fires with her mind, and her spells work miracles. When her boyfriend Cal, a member of the same coven, insists that witchcraft is in her blood, Morgan is confused. Her parents definitely aren't witches. They do seem to be keeping something secret, though-something about Morgan's past.

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My take:  Once again, a quick, easy and entertaining read! I love books like this. Cate Tiernan gets strait to the story, no extra details to skim through and only 185 pages.

The part that really intrigued me; is reading from a perspective of someone that has been betrayed and lied to by the people she loves when a shocking secret is revealed. Worst of all, she doesn’t have her best friend to confide in.

Morgan’s best friend Bree is a spoiled, selfish, little brat! The one and only time Bree doesn’t get what she wants; she turns on her best friend and becomes a “Mean Girl”.

WELL, Morgan has someone new to confide in. She can now confide in Cal, her new boyfriend. The very boy that every girl has been drooling over. The boy that introduced Morgan to witchcraft. The boy that caused the rift in Morgan and Bree’s friendship. And, Morgan’s first kiss! I am not sure about Cal, I am wondering if he is someone Morgan should trust. His mom seems pretty cool.

Anyways, about the witchcraft; when they perform a circle, it reminds me a lot like meditation. I could see that even if someone believed in wicca, it would be natural to be at peace when performing this ritual.

Overall, I loved the storyline. I could not pry my eyes from this book the moment I started reading (other than going to the restroom…sorry for that mental picture and yes I always wash my hands. LOL). So I read the whole book last night while my neighbor’s dog wouldn’t stop barking.

Buy on Amazon Here:  The Coven by Cate Tiernan (Paperback)
Buy on Amazon - Volume 1 (Includes Book 1, 2 & 3) Here:  Sweep: Book of Shadows, The Coven, and Blood Witch: Volume 1

Buy on BN.com Here:  The Coven by Cate Tiernan (Paperback)
Buy on BN.com - Volume 1 (Includes Sweep 1, 2 &3) Here:  Sweep #1, 2 & 3 by Cate Tiernan

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March 24, 2011

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Book of Shadows (Wicca, #1)


Book Summary:  Morgan thinks witchcraft is laughable when her best friend Bree drags her to a meeting of the Cirrus Coven. But during a cermony led by Cal, Morgan's long-time crush, Morgan feels a shock. Suddenly everything looks brighter, clearer. Morgan doesn't want to get involved with witchcraft-but she feels like witchcraft is choosing her.

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My Take:  Wow! What can I say without completely ruining this book?

In previous reviews; I have complained about books with way too much page filler but not this book! It is a small, quick, easy and entertaining read!

Unlike a lot of the other Urban Fantasy books I have been reading lately, this book seemed really lifelike! I could see how this would make someone curious about Wicca. I don't believe in "Wicca" or White Magic but I could see how this book could make someone really want to study into it.

Morgan is just an average shy girl with a very popular best friend Bree! Morgan and Bree have been best friends since they were young kids. Even with Morgan and Bree hanging out in two completely different crowds, it never dampens their close relationship.

There is a new boy in their school. Cal Blaire. The moment he walks up to the school, everyone's head turns in his direction. All the girls immediately salivate over his olive skin and gold colored eyes. To make it even worse, Morgan isn’t immune to his stunning looks! Morgan has never been fully in to a guy before now; she has never had a boyfriend or even her first kiss. She is automatically drawn to Cal but she knows that he is way out of her league.

Once everyone starts getting to know Cal; just about everyone either wants to be his friend or just “wants him period”. The exception is all the guys that are jealous that their girlfriend gawk at Cal right in front of them. Cal doesn’t fall into a click to “hang” with, he just accepts each person the same as the next. Morgan admires this about Cal; he even goes out of his way to start multiple conversations with her! Her one concern is that she thinks he is a player. He goes on dates with girls but just goes from one to the next.

One day, Cal goes around the school to all the Junior and Senior students to invite them to a party. The directions he gives them leads the partygoers to a large field and this is when Cal introduces Wicca. This meeting wakes up something in Morgan.

I am going to immediately start the second book to the series and I this is a book that I would highly recommend!


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