Review: Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader

Author: Elisa Nader

Genre:  Contemporary, Thriller, Dystopian

Pages: 271

Published: August 18th, 2013

Publisher: Merit Press

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

"Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed “Garden of Eden” deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend’s strict but arbitrary rules—even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape. 
But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound’s façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of each other as they race to stop the Reverend’s paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who’s only concerned about his own secrets?"~Goodreads

I've always been fascinated with cults.  It's that morbid curiosity thing and I just can't help it.  So when I heard about this Jonestown-esque story I just had to read it.  This book promises suspense, action and shocking secrets and boy does it deliver.   

LIKES:

• Real Life Dystopia: The setting in this book is masterfully put together.  Nader has created a horrible paradise that feels so real I'm not entirely convinced it isn't.  Of course the thing is, it is real.  No, Edenton isn't a real place, but there have been and probably still are compounds like it out there.  For a good example (and I would imagine probably the inspiration for this book) check out Jonestown.  Probably the most terrifying thing about this story is that it can and does happen in real life.  This isn't some post-apocalyptic dystopian that takes place in the distant future.  It takes place right now and not in some alternate reality.
• Somebody paid attention in Psychology class: One of the most impressive things about this book is the author's understanding of her characters' psychology.  As with victims of systematic abuse, the people of Edenton are controlled by their fear of The Reverend.  This fear develops into guilt and they believe they deserve all that he does to them.  Those of us not in this situation may not understand why they would not rebel under such cruelty, but the author handles this very nicely.  The reader is able to sympathize with The Flock even while hating what their community stands for.  
• Subtle but intense romance:  I was really happy with the way that the romance was handled in this story.  I think it would have been a mistake to make it the most important plot point.  It definitely takes a back seat to the action and suspense.  However, the romance that is there is very intense and much different than in most YA novels.  Gabriel and Mia both have so many varied issues that it would be impossible for them to have a normal romance.  But the chemistry is great and fit in perfectly with the story.

DISLIKES:

• Emotion could have been better at times: There were some moments in the book where I felt like the emotion could have been higher.  In particular, there is a scene near the beginning involving cookies.  I'll leave it at that so I don't ruin it for you, but you'll know when you get there.  I'm reading this scene going "HOLY CRAP WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" and the main character just sort of acknowledges it and moves onto the next day.  It's possible that this was done on purpose to show how numb she has become to cruelty, but good lord.  EMOTE!
• Gabriel's parents - WTF?:  Gabriel's parents (and really many of the parents here) should be ashamed of themselves.  I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything but in one of the last scenes they sit there as terrible things are about to happen to their child.  Now, of course at this point they are probably completely controlled by fear so you could give them that, but from what I can gather they've been pretty awful parents since the beginning.  So when they are seemingly absolved later on I had a little trouble buying it.  I can't imagine being able to forgive people who put me through something like that.  Maybe I'm just not Edenton material.

Overall this book was great.  It caught my attention from page one and kept me riveted throughout.  I really came to care about the characters and by the end of the book I felt like I needed a good cry and possibly a Xanax.  The storyline would have been interesting all on it's own but Nader added her own twists and turns and really amped up the suspense.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

  

Mini-Review: Shallow Pond by Alissa Grosso

Author: Alissa Grosso

Genre:  Contemporary, Mystery

Pages: 336

Published: July 8th, 2013

Publisher: Flux

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Barbara “Babie” Bunting is constantly mistaken for her sisters, but she’s determined not to end up like her family. She doesn’t plan to stick around Shallow Pond after graduation, and she certainly won’t be ruined by a broken heart. That is, until fellow orphan Zach Faraday walks into the picture, and Babie can’t deny their chemistry.
When her oldest sister, Annie, comes down with a mysterious illness—initially dismissed as “love sickness”—Babie and Zach start investigating what exactly killed the girls’ mother and why their late father became so consumed by grief. What they find changes everything"~Goodreads

It is going to be next to impossible for me to talk about this book without any spoilers.  But I'll give it a try.   I went into this read expecting a contemporary mystery with deep dark family secrets because, well, that's what the blurb says.  However, it turned out to be far more complicated and convoluted than I ever imagined.  I really wanted to like this one.  It has a great premise.  Small town girl meets mysterious new boy.  Together, they uncover a life-shattering secret.  Drama and mystery ensue.  Actually it was more like whiny, self-involved girl meets new boy with crazy unbelievable back story and discovers she has an even more unbelievable back story (and not unbelievable in a good way). There were so many twists in this book that it was hard to see how everything would fit together in the end and it really didn't for the most part.  To make matters worse our main character, Babie, kept jumping to every possible conclusion except the correct one in each situation. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't just talk to her older sisters about what was going on.  It was infuriating.  Speaking of sisters don't get me started on Annie and Gracie.  Annie is a lifeless character who just mopes around the house all day and refuses to see a doctor even though she's been sick for months.  Gracie is spoiled, bitchy and lacks the capacity for human compassion. 

Then we get to the big event of the book, which incidentally is not finding out why Annie is sick.  I can't tell you what that event is because some of the most interesting parts of the book involve the build up to said event.  Of course then everything goes completely downhill.  By the time I got to the main twist in the book everything was so far out there that I had completely lost interest. I felt like I had been completely mislead about the plot, it felt gimmicky and ridiculous.  I know I sound like I'm being harsh but I just had such high hopes for this book.  I feel the same way I would feel if someone handed me a horror movie and it ended up being a romantic comedy with no warning.  That being said you may read this book and be totally blown away by the twists and turns.  They just weren't for me.  If I can say anything positive it is that the pacing was good and for awhile I really was eager to find out what was going on. I just wish the plot and characters would have been more to my liking.

Review: Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Author: Sean Cummings

Genre:  paranormal

Pages: 320

Published: October 2nd, 2012

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. 
In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life."~Goodreads

I've been trying for several days to write a review for this book.  I added it to my list of Halloween reads because, well, it has witches and ghosts.  It also came out earlier this month.  The last book that I read from Strange Chemistry, Blackwood was lots of fun and full of quirk, which seems to be a staple for the publisher.  I jumped in expecting a fun, spooky read (if maybe a little cheesy).  Unfortunately Poltergeeks failed to deliver, even on the cheese. Of course I didn't hate everything about it or I wouldn't be giving it the two stars that I have, so let's start this off on a positive note shall we?

LIKES:

• Marcus is not your normal heartthrob: Our main character and resident witch, Julie, starts to develop a crush throughout this book.  While I was disappointed that there was a love story since I was hoping for a YA novel free of romantic entanglements for a change, I was happy that Marcus was not your stereotypical YA man candy.  He is not a brooding vampire/angel/demon, he doesn't spend his weekends working on cars or tossing footballs and he isn't the adorably aloof new guy who may or may not have killed someone.  Marcus spends most of his time working on science homework and getting shoved into lockers.  Sure, I love large, hulking broody types just as much as the next girl, but pocket protectors can be cute too right?  Well, sort of.  While I was relieved that the author chose to go in a different direction with the leading man, I didn't find myself all that compelled by Marcus and I certainly won't be ordering any Team Geek t-shirts in the near future.  Sorry.
• Ghosts: I walked into this story thinking that it was mostly about ghosts.  It turned out to be mostly about a witch.  I wasn't too disappointed though, because when the ghosts were present they were done right.  So good on you Sean Cummings for writing actually creepy ghosts!  Ten points to Gryffindor!

DISLIKES:   

•  Julie:  Things start to go downhill quickly when you don't like the main character.  This is definitely the case for Poltergeeks. Julie is supposed to be a take-charge, kick ass heroine, but to me she comes off as whiny, inconsistent and overly-aggressive.  She spends half the book having an inner-dialogue about whether or not Marcus likes her, whether she should get involved with magic, how much trouble she's going to be in if she gets involved with magic, etc.  It's tedious and it really distracts from the plot.
• Show, don't tell: This one's pretty self explanatory.  Much of the bulk of this book is Julie describing how she's feeling, what's going on or what the consequences will be if she does magic (see above).  Again, this makes the story tedious and frankly made me want to put the book down about half way through.
• Predictability: One of my biggest problems with this book is that I wasn't surprised by anything.  Even the twist at the end I could see coming a mile away.  

Overall, this book just bored me.  I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't get into it.  Then again, I've talked to others who really loved it so, as always, the choice is up to you, but I can't recommend it.

Review: Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Author: Multiple

Genre: Anthology, paranormal, fantasy

Pages: 340

Published: October 16th, 2012

Publisher: Month9Books

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young." ~Goodreads

 We all know our Mother Goose.  For centuries kids have been learning these nursery rhymes and most of them seem pretty light and harmless.  But when you really look into them, some of these stories have a dark undercurrent.  Two and Twenty Dark Tales is an anthology of work from some of the best YA authors out there that puts a dark twist on our classic nursery rhymes.  This book is a great collection of creepy stories that is sure to keep you up.  The best part about the anthology, though, is that it is the first in a series of charity anthologies that Month9Books will be putting out.  The proceeds from the first 5,000 sales will be donated to YALITCHAT.ORG, an organization that strives to increase the awareness and impact of YA lit and culture.  As with all anthologies, there were some stories that  chilled me to the bone and others that left me cold. Since these are short stories and I don't want to give any spoilers I will just give you my overall impressions rather than going too in depth with each story. So, without further ado, the stories:

As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old: I wasn't familiar with the original rhyme, which may have colored my opinion on this one.  It just sort of dragged for me.  Although, the story did get interesting after awhile and I did care about the main character.  I still would have liked to have a more  well-known rhyme start the book off.

Sing a Song of Six-Pence:  This one started off pretty creepy, but in the end it just didn't do it for me.  

Clockwork:  Probably one of my favorite stories.  This one felt like it could have been developed into a novel all on its own.  The main character was great and even though this was a bite-sized story, you really felt like you understood the world and characters.  Very cool.

Blue:  This was another one I just couldn't get into.  The idea was different but there wasn't much development.

Pieces of Eight:  I really thought this was going to be one of my favorites since it involves a quest and I love stories like that.  However,   the plot got so complicated so quickly that I got completely lost and couldn't enjoy the story itself. 

Wee Willie Winkie:  This has to be the hands-down scariest story in the book.  The creep-factor for this one was off the charts.  I read this right as I was falling asleep and let's just say - bad call.

Boys and Girls Come Out To Play: This is another story that I would love to see developed into a full novel.  It was definitely creepy but there was also a great backstory that I really wanted to know more about.

I Come Bearing Souls:  The incorporation of Egyptian mythology in this tale is really cool.  I could have gone without the ending though.  

The Lion and the Unicorn:  I don't really feel like I can pass judgement here because the second half is only in the finished version.  But so far, so good.

Life in a Shoe: Probably the most depressing story for me.  This one was sort of dystopian/post-apocalyptic and dealt with fun issues like child abuse and absentee fathers.

Candlelight:  Another creepy one.  This story starts off pretty cool and then gets super depressing.

One for Sorrow:  I just didn't like this story at all.  There wasn't a lot of depth and I got bored very fast.

Those Who Whisper:  Pretty cool concept and the execution was great.  This is another story that I wanted to know more about after it was over.  One of the best.

Little Miss Muffet:  Maybe it's because I hate spiders, but I just did not like this one at all.  Yes, it was creative, but it was a little aimless and the ending...oh my god.  Just gross.

Sea of Dew:  I literally was crying as I read the end of this story.  The best part is, that there is an extended version in the final copy!

Tick Tock:  This is a close second for scariest story in the anthology.  My only criticism is that I want to know more about the backstory of the kids.

A Pocket Full of Posy:  This story got off to a great start but the conclusion seemed rushed and I didn't care for it in the end.

The Well:  Oh god!  Jack and Jill ruined forever, in the best possible way.  This story is supremely screwed up.

The Wish:  This story was a bit predictable but the story was decent and the message was well layed-out.

A Ribbon of Blue:  I think this story was supposed to be sweet and beautiful, but it came off as sort of dull to me.    

Overall, I would say that this anthology is definitely worth the time.  It was really interesting to see how these different authors twisted around my favorite stories.  Pick this one up for a good, freaky time.

Review: Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Author: Erin Jade Lange

Genre: contemporary

Pages: 316

Published: September 18th, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans?"~Goodreads

 I have to be honest and say that the whole concept for this book was so dark that I really put off reading it for the longest time.  The idea of a kid eating himself to death in front of all of his classmates is incredibly disturbing.  That's why I was surprised by how quickly I was drawn into the story and how much this book really affected me.  Butter made me every type of imaginable emotion.  It is funny, infuriating, and deeply sad.  Butter is 100% worth your time.

LIKES:

Butter's Character Development: Lange's writing is so easy to get sucked into.  It is really hard to believe that this book wasn't written by a morbidly obese teenage boy.  Butter's voice is so well-crafted that the reader really cares about him.  He isn't just the fat kid who gets teased and is sad about it.  He is an incredibly complex character who is desperately trying to find a way to matter to his peers.  His internal struggles with self-esteem, depression, love and suicide are expertly written so that the reader understands exactly what he must be going through.  There is real love put into this character.

The issue at hand:  This book deals with suicide, among other things, and this can be a difficult subject to tackle.  Lange does a wonderful job.  It would have been easy enough to write a book about a loner teen, who decides to kill himself, but Lange adds much more depth to the story.  Butter gains acceptance from his peers after announcing his plans and still struggles with his demons.  This book is about more than a suicidal teenager.  It is about all of the turmoil that someone who has made this decision goes through, it is about the finality of that decision and it is about finding a reason to live.

Not an easy, feel-good read:  Butter is not a book to pick up when you want to smile.  In fact, there were parts of this story that I didn't think I could get through.  However, I think that the emotional challenges this book presents are what make it an important story.  

DISLIKES:

The kids at Butter's school: I hated these kids.  Don't get me wrong, they were well-written and the development was great, but they were awful.  I couldn't imagine that an entire school would want to show up for a viewing party to watch a classmate kill himself.  The extent of the nastiness of these kids made them somewhat unbelievable.  I would have liked it if there were some that were a bit more level-headed or just showed some common human decency.

When all is said and done, I am really glad I decided to read Butter.  I think it is one of those books that changes the way you think about and look at other people and those are the most important kinds of stories.  I would recommend this if you are looking for a thought-provoking (and sometimes anger-provoking) read.

Review: Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Author: Gwenda Bond

Genre: Paranormal, Thriller

Pages: 416

Published: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Source:  I received a copy for review from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.
Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other." ~Goodreads

I have always been fascinated by the mystery surrounding the lost colony of Roanoke.  The idea that over 100 people could vanish without a trace is terrifying and a great jumping off place for a novel.  Thus, I was super excited to read Blackwood.  To make things even better this is a ghost story, which we all know is my very favorite thing.   I think I played it up so much in my head that it would have been hard for Bond's novel to live up to my expectations and, unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my self-inflicted hype.  Don't get me wrong, it was a very enjoyable read, but I wish it would have gone in a different direction.  I'll stop being evasive now and just get on with.

LIKES:

Great setting and plot line:  This book takes place almost entirely on Roanoke Island and there couldn't be a better setting for a ghost story.  Gwenda Bond does an impeccable job of creating an atmosphere of terror and really makes great use of her setting.  Roanoke is both a famous tourist destination and a slow-moving small town.  Therefore everyone is sort of tied together.  When 114 modern day citizens disappear into thin air the town is whipped up into a panic and a mass exodus begins, leaving just the permanent citizens of Roanoke to deal with the mystery.  The reader can feel the isolation and this only adds to the creep-factor.  I also just love that it takes place on Roanoke and tries to tie the events of the original disappearance to the modern day.

Multiple stories:  The book revolves around multiple plotlines and multiple characters.  Sometimes the book focuses on Miranda, other times on Phillips (the police chief's wayward son) and there are even portions that focus on the people who vanished.  This makes for a much more interesting story and moves the plot along.

No insta-love! : Like most YA books, there is romance in this story.  However, it doesn't take center stage and it is a friendship that develops into romance during a traumatic event and then has to be slowed down and re-evaluated at the end of the book.  It's less "happily ever after" and more "maybe we should give this a shot".

Pop culture nerd references: Any book that repeatedly references Joss Whedon and Vampire Diaries is fine with me!

DISLIKES:

I got sooooo confused:  okay so it is entirely possible that this one is on me, but about half way through the book I was getting so lost.  The plot just got over-complex and went in a totally different direction.  It was a bit frustrating and I would have liked it if this was just a simple ghost story.  Sure add in some twists and turns but don't leave me down the street.

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The resolution came way too quickly:  One minute we're fighting off mindless drones and crazy energy ribbons and then its just sort of over.  Plus the way that Miranda had to end it was super duper effed up.  I just didn't care for the ending, but again maybe that's because I wasn't 100% on how everything was working.

Overall, this was a quick read and it was really pretty fun.  I think it bodes well for Gwenda Bond's future endeavors.  I would recommend this if you are into imaginative thrillers, not so much if you are looking for an old-fashioned ghost story.

Review: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Author: Katie McGarry

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 384

Published: July 31st, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Source:  I received a copy for review from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again." ~ Goodreads

I have to admit, I had reservations about this book.  The cover and the title made it seem a bit cheesy and the synopsis didn't really grab my attention.  I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance anyway so initially I decided to pass this one up.  Then I saw some super early reactions from bloggers whose opinions I generally tend to agree with and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot.  For being a book I wasn't even interested in trying at first I was really blown away.  The story was not cheesy in the least, the characters were dynamic and interesting and the drama sucked me right in.  I fell in love with Echo and Noah and found myself devouring this story.  Best of all, the book had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional.  I loved this book!

LIKES:

Story is told from both Noah's and Echo's perspectives:  I really love it when stories are told from multiple perspectives.  It really adds to the reader's understanding of a story and makes it feel more dynamic.  Echo and Noah each had their own unique voice and their own story to tell and it was really great to be able to understand Noah's view on the evolution of their relationship and not just Echo's.  I think this writing style makes you more attached to the secondary characters as well and therefore more invested in the story as a whole.
McGarry shows the humanity of all characters, even the "villains":  I was a little worried when I first started this book that the author would focus on the short-comings of Echo's parents and ignore the fact that their life experiences and concern for their children influenced their parenting decisions (this is a common pitfall in a good portion of YA literature).  McGarry left me pleasantly surprised when she really delved into why Echo's dad (along with other secondary characters) acted the way he did and why he made the, sometimes wrong, decisions that he made.
Realistic romance, not star-crossed lovers: Echo and Noah are from different worlds and they certainly don't seem like they are meant for each other at the beginning of the book.  Their relationship is tumultuous and they have completely different personalities.  I was very happy that instead of a perfect, simplistic "bad boy falls in love with good girl" romance they had a real connection and realistic arguments about their relationship.  I didn't feel like their love story was over-idealized.  Their issues and fights were all the more heart-wrenching because of this realism and it allowed for an even bigger pay-off.

DISLIKES:

An abundance of f-bombs:  If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times:  don't overuse the f-bomb. Whenever you use a word over and over it takes away its meaning and impact.  This is especially true with "shocking language".  After awhile it just gets old reading "eff this, eff that" constantly.  For me, it isn't a matter of offensiveness, it's a matter of creativity.

Not enough closure:  I felt like there wasn't quite enough resolution with Echo's mother.  I would have liked to see that explored and settled more.  Then again, I suppose that was on purpose.

I am so happy I gave this one a shot.  There is enough suspense and drama to keep everyone interested but the romance is realistic and sweet.  Even if you don't love contemporary romance I would definitely pick this book up.  You won't regret it.

Review: Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman

Author: Jessica Warman

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Pages: 422

Published: August 21st, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Source:  I received a copy for review from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins—so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they’ve lived with since their parents passed away, can’t tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong—especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself?" - Goodreads

How do I start talking about Beautiful Lies?  I had so many different feelings about this book, some very positive and some negative.  There were parts of the story that were incredibly intense and thrilling and just as many that were somewhat non-eventful, where I forgot that this was a book about abduction and it felt like a contemporary minus the romance.  Even after reading this book, I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about it.  The other thing that has made it so hard to write about Beautiful Lies is that it had lots of twists and so I'm going to have to be super careful not to give anything away.  At least all of the twists made for an interesting read, even if the blogger in me is frustrated that she can't blurt everything out.  

LIKES:

The writing style:  I loved Warman's writing style.  I hadn't read anything by the author before and I was very impressed by her story-telling abilities.  She is very good at creating a mood and foreshadowing without giving anything away.  I loved it.

The relationship between the girls:  Twins have always fascinated me.  Rachel and Alice's relationship was really interesting.  I loved that they weren't very similar apart from their looks and that they both struggled with completely different issues.  Their love for one another is boundless but they still must follow their own paths and this is harder for one of them to deal with than the other.  There was real emotion in their characters and their stories explored real problems and conflicts.  These side conflicts enhanced the thriller aspect and made you really care for the characters.

The creep factor: This book, and especially the villain, was super creepy.  Books about vampires, ghosts and werewolves all do their best to make us lose sleep, but sometimes it is much more intimidating to remember that there are real monsters out there.  This book does a great job of reminding you.

DISLIKES:

The pacing:  The pacing was a bit off for me with this story.  The beginning tended to drag a bit and it slowed down again about 3/4 of the way through. Luckily the middle and end more than made up for the slow start and the lag later on.

Lets take a moment to talk about smoking:  I can't even tell you how many times cigarettes/smoking were a topic of conversation in this book.  Many times this theme didn't have much to do with the story.  It just seemed like the author was launching a personal crusade against smoking (well cigarettes at least, weed seems to be more acceptable) that was a bit distracting at times.  There were certainly points in the story where smoking/cigarettes played a part in the mood of the scene which was fine, but there were plenty of times where I was thrown off by why the characters were talking about smoking again.  I get it, smoking is dangerous and will kill you, cigarette smoke stinks, but can we get back to the story?

NOT SURE:

The darkness: I can appreciate a good amount of darkness in a book, but I'm not really sure how I felt about the level of darkness in this one.  It covered everything from dead parents to mental illness to extreme violence.  Parts of this story are very hard to get through.  I think, though, that it was an appropriate amount to get the point of the book across.  It is just uncomfortable to see characters you have come to care about going through such unthinkable things.

Overall, I am happy that I got to read this book.  Even with all of the hard subject matter, I think it is an important story that was waiting to be told.  I would recommend this book to those of you who like thrills and aren't afraid of some very realistic terror.

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: fantasy, adventure 

Pages: 416

Published: August 7th, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source:  I received a copy for review from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined. - Goodreads.com"

As you may have noticed, I don't read a ton of fantasy.  I prefer vampires and witches to trolls and fairies any day.  However, I try to keep up with big upcoming releases and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was getting so much buzz that I figured I should probably read it - best decision I've made in awhile.  This book really blew me away.  I was totally enveloped in Celaena's world and loved every minute of it.  This book has everything that I love:  fantastic world-building, epic battles, mystery, breathtaking romance and a kick-ass heroine!  It was such a fun read while still being heartfelt.  My emotions were all over the place from page one.  Maas is a master storyteller!  This is the first time in a long time that I've actually been craving a sequel to a fantasy novel.

LIKES:

Celaena: YA heroines often come in one of two varieties: quirky, but tough, tom boy, or beautiful, misunderstood damsel.  Celaena is neither of theses.  She is girly, beautiful and feminine...and she can kick your ass.  I love love LOVE that Celaena doesn't have to give up her femininity to be formidable.  She loves shiny weapons just as much as frilly dresses.  I'm not saying that every girl has to love perfume and makeup and dolls but every girl that likes those things isn't a helpless airhead either.  So 10,000 bonus points to Sarah for making Celaena a character that is believable wearing a  beautiful dress with a makeshift knife hidden in the corset.  Do not scuff this girls heals!  I also love Celaena because she is a survivor.  She does whatever is necessary to secure her freedom and won't stay down.  She has had a miserable life, first being found as young child and raised by the Assasin King, she was subjected to horrifying training.  Then she is caught and taken to a death camp where she works in the salt mines and is abused by her overseers until finally she is given her chance at freedom, but only after facing the toughest and deadliest men in the kingdom.  She never gives up, never slows down and never, ever shows fear in the face of unbelievable adversity.  

The love triangle: First of all let me say that, as a rule, I don't like love triangles.  I think they are played out and over complicate the story.  I always know exactly who the main character will end up with or at the very least who I want them to end up with.  That is not the case with Throne of Glass .  Celaena has two (very attractive) men in her life.  And I love them both, completely equally.  First, we have the spoiled Prince Dorian with saphire eyes and a charming wit.  The relationship between the prince and Celaena changes so much through the book and is so much fun.  I can't help loving him.  Then there is the rugged and brave Captain of the Guard, Chaol.  He is so quiet and internal.  I just kept wanting to know more about him and their relationship is so intense that I couldn't get enough.  There's the problem.  I don't have a favorite.  I love them both so much and no matter who she ends up with I'm going to be happy (and disappointed).  Oh the agony!

World-building: The world that Maas creates for Throne of Glass is very well-formed.  While it is similar to our world, there are marked differences (different religions, holidays and history) however it is close enough that I could still relate to it while getting wrapped up.  Maas also alludes to different types of creatures (Fae, faeries etc) that have been either killed or have gone into hiding after Magic is banished from the kingdom.  While these creatures do not play a huge part in this first book, the set up is great and left me yearning to find out more about the history of this world.  The governmental structure was also very easy to grasp and lends sort of a dystopian vibe to the whole plot. Love it.

Depth of the story:  Finally, I like that this is more than a love story.  In fact, the love story is very much secondary to the main plot line.  Throne of Glass  mostly centers around human suffering and oppression, the lengths that some people will go to impose these on their subordinates and what others are willing to sacrifice to stop the oppressors.  Maas' work takes a tried and true theme and makes it entirely believable and hard-hitting.  One of the most powerful parts of the book is when Chaol is reflecting upon the fact that Celaena has spent the last year in a death camp, starving and being whipped to within an inch of her life and yet she can still smile and laugh.  He marvels at her strength of character and the power of the human spirit and so does the reader.

DISLIKES:

The names are crazy:  This may sound petty but the names and places in this book are sometimes next to impossible to pronounce.  Sometimes I like to read out loud...to myself...in foreign accents.  Don't judge me. Anyway that didn't happen with this book because I couldn't pronounce half of the names and locations.

Perspective changes: The only other thing that is a "dislike" for me with this one is that the perspective jumps from character to character very suddenly and then stays with that character only briefly before switching back to Celaena.  This wasn't a huge problem though because I was happy that we got to see some different perspectives throughout the book.

Overall, I really liked this one and I can't wait to read more from Sarah.  I would recommend Throne of Glass  not only to fantasy lovers but also to those who don't necessarily gravitate toward that genre.  It is a nice surprise and certainly worth all of the praise it has been getting.

Review: What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Author: Keary Taylor

Genre: contemporary, romance, drama

Pages: 326

Published: April 30th, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source: NetGalley - I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat. 

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it."-Goodreads

 You know those books that come along and at first they seem okay and maybe sort of hoakie and then the ending is just perfect?  This is one of those books.  After the first couple of chapters I had decided that it was just okay, but by the second half of the book I couldn't get enough.  Jake is happy, popular and in love with Sam Shay.  The only problem is, he doesn't have the guts to tell her that.  After a night of drunken shenanigans he is involved in a horrific accident that causes him to lose his vocal cords and, almost, his life.  Smart, kind, Samantha volunteers to help Jake learn sign language and before too long they don't need words.  As Jake learns more about Sam's life, he realizes that maybe other people have it worse than him.  Throw in a cast of goofy classmates and a huge, loving family and you have What I Didn't Say.   

LIKES:

• Samantha:  Samantha is the quintessential good girl, but even she has secrets.  She is smart, kind and a super overachiever.  She seems pretty perfect and Jake certainly thinks so.  We find out pretty early in the book, however, that Sam's life is anything but perfect. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that I don't think I could deal with what Sam has to go through.  And through it all she proves to be strong and capable while maintaining her caring and compassionate nature.  Sam is the type of person that we all aspire to be and it's so hard to read this book without wanting to just give her a big hug.  She definitely needs one.  Despite having huge problems of her own, she wants to help Jake and she works hard to do so.  Their relationship and connection is really amazing and watching that relationship grow and change was just spectacular.  
• Jake's Family:  Jake has a HUGE family.  There are seven kids and his parents, I would live in the yard if there were that many people living in my house.  But even though it's crowded, there's also plenty of love to go around.  These people, even the younger kids, are so supportive it's crazy.  My brother and sister and I fight daily over who has to let the dogs out, but Jake's family is like a big puppy pile of domestic bliss (not that they don't have any fun together of course).  And his mom, oh my god.  She is super mom, she's constantly feeding everyone and having get togethers for the island kids and she's still slightly intimidating, which I think every mom should be.  The family relationships were really nice to see and it added a lot of fun and quirkiness to the story.
• The Ending! (no spoilers, I promise):  I LOVED the ending.  You know how when you're reading a book, you have an idea of the perfect ending, exactly how you would want it to happen in real life?  Well, without giving anything away, this one hit all the right marks.  I actually yelled "YES!" at one point during the last chapter, that is how happy it made me.  This is the type of ending I wish all contemporaries had.  I just had a big goofy smile on my face all day.

DISLIKES:

• Angelic teenagers (sort of):  The kids in the book could be somewhat unbelievable sometimes.  They were just too well behaved. Well, kind of.  There were other things about these kids that made the idea that they were so well behaved really unbelievable.  First there's Jake, who won't swear because his mom ingrained it in him that swearing was bad, but will get trashed at a party and then let his drunk friend drive him around.  Really?  So you won't drop the f-bomb but you'll let Drunky McLush-pants drive you home?  Seriously?  Sorry but I find that a little difficult to wrap my head around.  A good expletive never killed anyone.  And it isn't just Jake.  He explains how there are lots of island parties with red plastic cups and "glass pipes" (wonder what those are for) but these same kids sign a pledge after his accident that they won't drink anymore.  I just don't buy that.
• Ask for help, already! : Something that has always annoyed me in young adult books and movies is when someone is in real trouble, trouble that a parent could help get them out of and they refuse to ask for help.  This usually ends up causing all sorts of problems and then the parent steps in anyway and helps out and all is well.  Can't we just cut out the middle and save ourselves the stress?  Samantha has some pretty sizable issues that she needs to figure out and I couldn't help but think that if Jake just went to his parents they could have helped her.  I suppose we wouldn't really have a book then though.
• Predictability:  There were some aspects of the story-line (especially in the first half of the book) that were just very predictable.  Luckily the second half  more than made up for that.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves realistic romance, drama and happy endings.    This story will stick with me for a long time and I'll have a hard time not comparing other contemporaries to this one.