{ARC Review} Three Keys to Murder by Gary Williams and Vicky Knerly

From Goodreads: On Amelia Island, Florida, 36-year-old journalist Fawn Cortez is adjusting to life in her new surroundings as she prepares for her upcoming marriage. Her father’s tragic death earlier in the year still haunts her. For decades, Juan Velarde Cortez obsessively hunted a legendary treasure, and his passing has left unresolved feelings for Fawn. Now, when a series of grisly killings rock the small island community—each victim’s face has a distinct signature—Fawn suspects a bizarre connection between the murders, her father’s quest, and the death ritual of an infamous Seminole Indian from the 1800s. A cigar box that once belonged to her father appears to hold the key. As Fawn draws closer and closer to solving the 200-year-old puzzle and determining the killer’s identity, she will be forced to unravel historical clues that will lead her on a harrowing journey. Time is quickly running out as a serial killer is watching and waiting in the shadows. Will Fawn discover the truth before she becomes the next victim?

With historical links and storyline twists, this follow-up to Gary Williams’ & Vicky Knerly’s debut novel, “Death in the Beginning,” engages all the necessary elements of and delivers a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller.

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Three Keys to Murder is a riveting roller coaster ride, complete with non-stop action, intriguing characters, and an amazing plot line.  The beginning of the novel immediately pulls the reader in as an underwater explorer, Juan Velarde Cortez, finds what he believes to be a long lost treasure, peaking readers’ interest as he unseals the large metal box and unleashed something unexpected.  This sets the pace for the novel as it then jumps ahead three months, focusing on Cortez’s daughter Fawn, as she attempts to deal with not only her father’s death, but also the mysterious circumstances surrounding the recent deaths of some inhabitants of Amelia Island.  As a journalist, Fawn is drawn to the story surrounding the murders and, as the novel unfolds, Williams and Knerly produce an amazing storyline with multiple twists and turns, keeping the reader enamored with the novel from start to finish; it’s impossible to put down.

Fawn is a very strong, well-written character, vibrant and full of life.  While she has her own personal demons, Fawn sets her focus on the facts surrounding the multiple murders and begins sleuthing around Amelia Island and St. Augustine, connecting historical accounts and unearthing artifacts.  I love a good murder mystery, and Three Keys to Murder does not disappoint!  Fawn is an extremely smart, strong female lead, and piecing together the mystery alongside her and her trusty sidekick Bailey was an intense experience that, I think, will be even more fun the second time around; I already can’t wait to read this novel again using the knowledge I now have.

Williams and Knerly have a way with words and are able to cast suspicions on all the characters as events unfold, leading the reader to believe certain characters are involved in more ways than one.  This was really exciting because the authors were able to make me feel a certain way towards a character, only to cause me to change allegiances as the story progressed.  With its many twists, I never saw the identity of the murderer coming, especially as Williams and Knerly were able to cast doubt and suspicion on many of the characters.  I love books where I find out that the answers have been in front of me the whole time and that I just didn’t make the connections because the authors are superb mystery writers.  It was also amazing to find that while I was thinking the plotline was driven in one direction, something completely different was actually taking place, and I was shocked by the revelation of what was really happening throughout the story.

One of the best parts of the book, aside from everything mentioned above, is that the setting and background for this fictional story is, in fact, derived straight from history.  The amount of time and research that went into creating this novel is more than evident as Williams and Knerly explore the past while creating an enthralling storyline.  Though the story is fictional, the places and people really do/did exist, and I’m always in awe of authors who are able to take facts and produce a stunning fictional story, capturing the reader’s attention from start to finish.  I now want to take a trip to Florida and visit the different settings of the story on both Amelia Island and in St. Augustine.  The fact that Williams and Knerly were able to take facts and flesh out a fictional story surrounding them is extremely intriguing, and finding out that these places really exist, and that the characters mentioned, such as Chief Osceola and Black Caesar, were real and are accurately portrayed, is amazing. 

Three Keys to Murder, with its perfect flow and explanations behind each hidden artifact and the puzzle pieces, reminded me very much so of how Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code flowed.  The storylines between these two novels are not similar in any way, but the sheer writing genius is evident in both.  Up until now, I’ve always thought that The Da Vinci Code had the perfect flow for a murder mystery novel, sending the lead character on a quest to connect history with artifacts, but in retrospect, I think Three Keys to Murder might just top The Da Vinci Code.  Thus, if you’re a lover of The Da Vinci Code, then Williams’ and Knerly’s novel is a must read!  Five stars.

I received an ARC of this novel from the authors in exchange for an honest review.  Three Keys to Murder releases tomorrow, April 1, 2012.

{Review} The Immortalists by Kyle Mills

From Goodreads: What would you do to save the life of your child?

It’s a question microbiologist Richard Draman thought he’d answered when he walked away from his career to focus on curing a genetic defect that is causing his daughter to age at a wildly accelerated rate. But now he and his wife Carly are being forced to come to terms with the fact that eight-year-old Susie’s time is running out. Then they receive an unexpected gift: startling new research into the fundamental secrets of life that could be the miracle they’ve been looking for.

When Richard is arrested on a trumped-up charge of having stolen the data, he takes his family and runs, seeking out a retired special-forces operative and old friend to help dig up the truth behind the controversial experiments. Determined to either save Susie’s life or die trying, the Dramans plunge into a bloody conflict between two powerful factions vying for control of a discovery that could change the face of humanity.

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This was a highly entertaining read, especially as it deals with the idea of immortality.  Who wouldn’t want to live forever?  To slow down and reverse ageing, and to have infinite time with loved ones? It’s a really intriguing concept, and while many might say they’d rather not live forever, I think that, if the fountain of youth were unveiled and people had the option, many would probably change their tune.  Of course, then we’d get into issues of who controlled the fountain, who could drink from it, how to deal with population abundance, and so on and so forth, which is food for thought and a topic that Mills’ novel takes on.  I have thought about what it would be like to live forever, but never taken into consideration all the rules and regulations that would have to go into place if it were really an option, but after having read The Immoralists and Mills’ perceptions of what could happen, I do know that it’s a pretty scary idea.    

I really liked how Mills developed his characters, Richard, Carly, and even Susie, making the reader really fall in love with them and root for their plight from the very beginning.  Susie is such a cute little girl, and yet she’s dying from Progeria, a disease that causes her to rapidly age.  Of course, her parents aren’t ready to come to terms with this disease, no parent ever would, and it’s a rollercoaster of a ride following Richard and Carly as they attempt to do everything in their power to find the cure and protect Susie at the same time. 

While I found that I sometimes could foresee the future of the plot, and was annoyed on occasion that the main characters couldn’t figure something out that I thought was blatantly obvious, I was still rapidly engaged in this story.  All the pieces fit together nicely, and I really enjoyed the fast pace and interesting situations the Dramans find themselves in as they race against time to save their daughter.  Four stars.

I purchased this novel from Amazon Kindle.

Announcing the Winners of Blood Singers by Tamara Rose Blodgett

The giveaway of Blood Singers, by Tamara Rose Blodgett, has just ended, and I’m excited to say that the winners have been chosen using Random.org!

And the winners are…

Denise Z

Milind Uppal

Tweets have been sent out to the winners, with emails to follow shortly. If I don’t hear from them within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Random.org. Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winners… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways!

 

Win a book of your choice:

{Review} Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games: Book vs. Movie

From Goodreads: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

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I first read this series in 2010, and I fell in love instantly.  Of course, many had recommended it to me, but I kept putting it off thinking that it couldn’t be as good as everyone was saying… but it was.  It was better.  Amazing.  Absolutely stunning!  Collins is a master storyteller, weaving together such an intricate tale, pulling the reader into the story and making him/her feel like s/he is physically there throughout it all.  I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with Peeta and Katniss, her inner monologue, the suspense, and the constant fear factor.  I became extremely wrapped up in the story and found it impossible to put the book down, especially because Collins keeps the story moving so quickly, yet fleshes out all the scenes and characters so perfectly that it’s impossible not to fall in love with the book, in my opinion.  Collins amazes me, and so it was no surprise that a movie deal was soon in place. Hence, I recently re-read the first book in the series, The Hunger Games, this past weekend, finishing it the day before I planned to see the movie.  Again, I fell in love with the story, rooting for Katniss and Peeta, laughing, crying, and overall having another wonderful reading experience.  The book is definitely five star material. 

And then, I went to see the much-anticipated movie with a group of friends.  I was ecstatic as I walked in, but not so much when I walked out.  And here’s why I think that is: it’s not a good idea to read the book right before going to see the movie.  Why?  Because this perfect book will be so fresh in the mind that when the director changes things, they stand out immensely, which makes it difficult to watch without any bias.  Of course, books are always better than the movie, or usually so, and I knew that was a big possibility going into this movie, but I was expecting so much more based on all the hype I was hearing concerning it.  Don’t get me wrong, I did like the movie, but in my opinion, they cut out too many of the important scenes, added some things that didn’t fit and, overall, I feel like those who didn’t read the novel are at a bit of a loss.  Quite honestly, so much important information was left out that, if one isn’t familiar with the book, not everything will fit together and questions will arise.  While I do think lots of people will be able to fill in the blanks enough to have a great movie experience, I have talked to many people who watched the movie and didn’t read the book, and overall, many said they had lots of unanswered questions.  I did the best I could to fill them in, like why Katniss yells at her mother, what the flashbacks about Peeta really mean, how Peeta hurt his leg, etc. but it’s not the same, and I’ve told them they really need to read the book, because so much is ultimately left out. 

Two major issues I had with the movie were that Rue wasn’t present enough and the cave scene was shaved down too much. These are two extremely important episodes within the novel, and they really needed to be played up more because many of the events rely on them, and I expected them to be a huge portion.  While I was glad for the portions they did include, I can easily see how someone who didn’t read the book would be a little confused concerning these events.  I won’t go into details here in order to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the book or seen the movie, but I was a little disappointed by how quickly these two events seem to be glossed over.

The shakiness of the camera in the beginning of the movie also made me a bit ill.  I have motion sickness, and watching extremely shaky movements on screen makes me ill very quickly, so I started out the movie already disliking it based on camera movements.  I think the director chose to do this in order to show how scared those in District 12 really were, and to give a quick overview of what life was like in the District, but I would have much rather had a smooth flowing camera, even if less could have been captured on screen, because it really made my nauseous—not a good feeling to have when just sitting down to a highly anticipated movie.  Now, on the other hand, I was glad for the shakiness of the camera when the tributes ran to the cornucopia and the blood bath ensued, as it created a shell for what was happening and didn’t make it as gruesome to watch.  Due to the shakiness of the camera, viewers have a much harder time focusing on one set thing, and so the murders that ensue were played down a lot, which was good, because I was nervous about how all the child murders would be portrayed on screen.  In this instance, I think the director made a good call to use shaky movements, and I’m also thankful that the two scenes I just mentioned were really the only times I noted the camera moving all over the place.  Everything else was very smooth, which was great.

Now, when the characters were first introduced, in District 12, I really wasn’t impressed.  I know they were supposed to look dejected and shocked, but I wasn’t a fan of any of the main characters until they were nearly at the Capitol and their personalities began to shine through.  But overall, I did like the cast, and most of the acting was superb, though I thought Cinna’s lines were a bit clipped and I hope that he gets lines that flow a lot better in the next movie.  

I also really liked that they showed the game makers controlling the game, using this technique to fill in some of Katniss’ assertions from the novel and her inner monologue, and I thought that was an ingenious idea. In the book, Katniss assumes the game makers are producing certain things to make the game more interesting, and it was awesome to see the game makers actually do it in the movie, since it’s not actually in the book.

I was also impressed with special effects throughout the movie and, honestly, I think that when I buy it, because I will, and watch it on a smaller screen in my own home, I’m going to love it so much more.  And the reason for that?  I will have been removed from the novel for a bit, so it won’t be fresh in my mind and, so I’ll be able to watch the movie for what it is, and not be so biased about subtle changes.  The shakiness of the camera also won’t be such an issue for me because it doesn’t affect me as much on a small TV.  Therefore, even though I can only give the movie three and a half stars right now, I think that will change as time goes on.

{Review} Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Schultz (Spellbound #2)

From Goodreads: Finding your eternal soulmate – easy.

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil – not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although…it’s not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close….

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan’s deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma’s crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

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Picking up soon after the ending of Spellbound, Shultz again captivates her readers through the intriguing love story of Emma and Brendan as they embark on another perilous journey. The suspenseful unveiling of the evil that awaits Emma, as it attempts to destroy, her kept me furiously turning the pages, and I loved that it took me much of the novel to figure out who the “bad guy” really was. In my opinion, this added to the suspense of the novel as Emma continues to be attacked in different ways, and it was a lot of fun trying to figure out who was behind it all. Even when the culprit was revealed, the suspense didn’t disappear.  Instead, Shultz made it even more harrowing after the name was released and, as we learn more about the “bad guy,” it becomes even more intense.  This made for a very climactic read that I really enjoyed. 

Of course, Brendan is just as dreamy as ever, and I relished watching Emma’s and Brendan’s interactions as their love abounds.  Though they face many hardships throughout the novel, I never felt like they were drifting apart, but rather becoming stronger in their relationship.  While Emma does have a tendency to keep information from Brendan, I believe she does it for the right reasons at heart, and watching everything unfold was extremely fun.  I also love the independence of these characters as well.  Though meant to be together, Emma is a strong young woman and can handle situations on her own, not relying on Brendan, which is always great to see in YA literature. 

The witchcraft elements of the novel were also a lot of fun.  I found myself wishing I had Emma’s cool powers as she attempts to learn new spells in order to protect herself and those closest to her.  Though she does make a few bad decisions when it comes to her abilities, I still sided with her throughout because, truth be told, I would have probably done the same things she did.  Overall, Shultz is an amazing writer, keeping the reader glued to the pages as this riveting sequel unfolds, and I highly recommend it. Five stars.

Harlequin Teen has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this book, via Netgalley, prior to its release today.

 

{ARC Review} Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (Goddess Test #2)

From Goodreads: Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she’ll have to fight for it. Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

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Carter is a phenomenal writer; I fell in love with her writing last year when I read The Goddess Test, so you can imagine my excitement when I received an ARC of the sequel, Goddess Interrupted, from Harlequin Teen!  Pure elation!  And, of course, this novel is amazing, just like the first, as it continues the breathtaking tale of Kate and Henry, entwining ancient mythology with the present.  I was pulled into the story from the very first page, wrapped up in the drama and suspense as the King of the Titans begins to rise, the gods and goddesses become endangered, and Henry starts to pull away from Kate.

Once again, Carter has left me enthralled, and with her killer cliffhanger at the end of the novel, I am already on pins and needles awaiting the third book, Goddess Inheritance, which I believe is slated to release in March, 2013.

Goddess Interrupted begins six months after the conclusion of The Goddess Test, as Kate is coming back to the Underworld for her coronation ceremony that will officially mark her as queen.  But, while Kate has been touring Greece on her six month sabbatical (check out The Goddess Hunt to see what she did over the summer), the King of the Titans has begun to wake, producing a frenzy in the Underworld and leaving Kate feeling bereft in her relations with Henry as his preoccupied mind leaves her feeling dejected.  While Kate has always had somewhat of a low self-esteem, in this novel she ultimately hits rock bottom.  She is very indecisive, and her constant questioning of her relationship with Henry did initially make me upset with her on some levels.  But, I understand her predicament as well, especially with Persephone now back in the picture, and though I wanted Kate to be a bit stronger and self defined, especially since she seems so strong in the in The Goddess Hunt, I was hoping Kate would maintain that strong vibe.  However, in reality, I think that if Kate had suddenly adapted a strong demeanor concerning her relationship with Henry, then the story wouldn’t be as valid.  Therefore, I am under the belief that Kate acted exactly as she should based on her personality in the first novel and the circumstances within the second.  Though some readers may not agree with me, I think Kate’s personality is defined perfectly, though I do hope to see her become for self-assured in the third installment.

Now, Henry made me mad on many an occasion.  While I think Kate has an excuse for the way she acts, Henry’s is a little more hard-pressed.  Perhaps it’s a male trait, but the fact that he is evasive and won’t just state his feelings outright is partially the problem with his and Kate’s relationship.  His lack of assurance, even when she outright asks, drove me insane, and some of his actions made me want to slap him—strong feelings for a reader, I know, but Carter has written this story so well that it’s impossible not to react. 

Persephone is, of course, a completely different issue all together, and I’d be happy if she never set foot in the books again, though I know that won’t happen.  It’s very easy to fault her for the mishaps within the story concerning Kate and Henry, but in reality, she’s not fully to blame, and the fact that Carter continually brings that to the forefront makes it a really intriguing read as all the events unfold.  Overall, I really enjoyed this novel!  Four stars.

I received an ARC of this novel from Harlequin Teen, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 27, 2012, in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter (Goddess Test #1.5)

From Goodreads: A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld…until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades’ wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn…

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As both The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted deal solely with Kate’s life during her six months of winter with Henry in the Underworld, I was extremely happy to find that Carter wrote this novella divulging some of the experiences Kate had during her summer months as well.  This was especially helpful as Goddess Interrupted does allude to Kate’s trip to Greece, but not to the point where one must read this novella to understand what is happening in the central novels of this fabulous series.  Honestly, readers could skip this novella entirely as it isn’t pertinent to the main story, but why would they want to? 

Carter has, once again, taken readers into the world of Greek mythology, expounding upon ancient myth and legend in order to bring the story alive.  What I really enjoyed about this story is that, even though Henry isn’t in it as much as I’d like it to be, the reader really gets a sense for the loving relationship that Kate and Henry have.  It shows just how far Henry will go to please Kate, which is helpful to know, especially going into Goddess Interrupted, because things are a little strained in the second novel.  Truth be told, I read Goddess Interrupted before The Goddess Hunt, but I wish I had done it the other way around because I think it would have saved me a little bit of heartache as I read.  I don’t know if it’ll help all readers out there to read the novella first, but from personal experience, I suggest you do.  Four stars.

I bought this novella from Amazon Kindle.  Stay tuned for my review of Goddess Interrupted, which I’ll be releasing tomorrow.

{ARC Review} Life is But a Dream by Brian James

From Goodreads: Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it’s the world that’s crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she’ll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? her decision may have fatal consequences.

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This was a very interesting look at the life of a teenage girl struggling with schizophrenia, trying to deal with the real world and its problems while finding her center at the same time.  James does a great job fleshing out the characters, especially that of Sabrina, as she deals with her past and present life.  The multiple flashbacks were a great way to help solidify Sabrina’s previous life for the reader, showing us the intricate workings of her mind as we watch Sabrina begin to deteriorate in the present.  It was very intriguing to see her grapple with herself—with what she knows to be true, what she believes to be true, and what she is unsure of—while also trying to make everyone around her understand the world from her perspective.  I really liked Sabrina, although I spent a lot of time cringing at the decisions she makes once she meets Alec.  Although I didn’t see Alec as being a malignant force on purpose, his presence does set Sabrina back a bit on her road to recovery, as it were, and I found myself hurting alongside Sabrina as I read the novel. 

This isn’t one of those sweet romance novels that leaves the reader feeling extremely happy and cheerful; it’s not a fairy tale ending by any means, but it is a nice little love story with a feasible ending that gives the reader hope.  Overall, I enjoyed the story, though I wouldn’t recommend it for a light read.  It deals with some heavy topics, in my opinion, but James did a great job with his characterization and prose, drawing the reader into the story, and I definitely think it’s worth the read.  Three stars.

MacMillian Children’s Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 27th.

{Review} The Dream Metropolis by Miles Cressman

From Amazon: The Dream Metropolis is a science fiction novel that posits the idea of dreams becoming reality, and reality fading away into obscurity. It explores the relationship people have between their real lives and the escape that only dreams can provide.

The Dream Metropolis delves deeper into the mechanics of dreaming, all inside of an abstract, ever-changing city of dreams. The people inside this artificial dream world see everything before them as real, even though they do not know they are dreaming of each other, of other real people.

They are part of a project that works to exploit their limitless, dreaming imagination in an attempt to separate the mind from the body forever, to create a real world inside of the mind.

Although, not everyone wants to dream forever.

Warning: A good deal of explicit content, not intended for younger readers.

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Cressman’s novel is very well written and reads a lot like a dream, converging ideas within one another and connecting characters as an unseen corporation begins creating a world within the dreams of many.  Honestly, I’m a little slow when it comes to complex ideas like these, and so I struggled to wrap my mind around much of what was happening within the novel, especially in the beginning, but Cressman does a great job keeping the reader on top of the story, and by the end I understood the whole premise of the novel.  I have to admit, it reminded me of the intricacies of Inception, and though both The Dream Metropolis and Inception deal with dreams, they are completely different.  While there is tampering of dreams in both, I actually liked this book’s premise more than that of Inception (I didn’t understand that movie at all).  And yet, I think those who really enjoyed Inception will love this novel, especially as Cressman’s writing is superb, though complex.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Practice Cake by Dayla Moon

From Goodreads: There’s one thing Maddie finds more tempting than red velvet cake: her coworker, Drew. All it takes is one of his sly winks or a playful hip-check by the cooler, and she’s incinerating the cookies. Her boyfriend would not approve.

When a reality TV crew descends upon the bakery, her simple summer job gets even more complicated. Maddie could become the Bakery Network’s next breakout star, if she can handle the heat of being cast as a show villain. Drew has an alternate idea: run away from everything, with him and his sexy tousled hair. She decides to take the leap, but when she finds out Drew’s been hiding a shocking secret, Maddie looks down at her packed suitcase and takes a moment to think. Should she fly off to Australia with a guy she hardly knows, or should she pick up her suitcase and hit him with it?

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Moon has created a hilarious novel; she’s a wonderful storyteller, capturing the reader’s attention from the very beginning with her true to life characters and their amusing circumstances.  Practice Cake is about Maddie’s struggles—a coming of age story, if you will—in which she has to deal with a controlling boyfriend, a crazy job, her sister and her sister’s unfaithful boyfriend, and an unhelpful egotistical friend, all while taking part in a reality TV show that begins to consume her life.  I spent much of the novel scoffing as I read, especially as Maddie tells it like it is, without sugar coating anything.  She’s a fresh and intriguing main character and I really enjoyed her.

Drew is also a very interesting character.  He’s aloof and sexy, yet his secret is a bit overpowering and may change the readers perceptions of him upon completion of the novel.  At least, it did for me.  Moon does a wonderful job fleshing him out and making the reader interested, but also cautious of his presence, adding a bit of suspense as the plot unfolds.  And yet, while Drew is a constant presence throughout the novel, the giant leap the synopsis touches upon above, concerning Drew and Maddie’s escape to Australia, really isn’t expanded upon until the very end of the novel.  This causes the reader to continue to turn the pages in rapid succession as he/she desires to know the truth about Drew, and even though most of the focus of the novel is actually on Maddie as she attempts to survive her day-to-day life, Moon has set up her novel to quickly intrigue and captivate her readers.  Overall, I really enjoyed this novel.  Four stars. 

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Announcing the Winner of Across the Galaxy by Heather Hildenbrand

The giveaway of Across the Galaxy, by Heather Hildenbrand, has just ended, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen using Random.org!

 

And the winner is…

Booketta

 

A tweet has been sent out to the winner, with an email to follow shortly. If I don’t hear from her within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Random.org. Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winners… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

 

 

Enter to win my other great giveaways!

 

Win Blood Singers!

 

 

Win a book of your choice:

{Review} Poke by Dalya Moon

From Goodreads: Zan is a teenage boy with a talent for discovering any girl’s secrets. If he asks a girl to poke her finger into his navel, he gets a psychic trip to Secret Town. Zan never likes what he finds.

When he meets mysterious, beautiful Austin, with her waist-length hair and mature laugh, he wants to get acquainted with her the slow way. Austin, however, can’t resist her curiosity, and when she pokes her finger into Zan’s belly button, he sees … nothing.

Austin dashes out of Zan’s house and out of his life, leaving Zan heartbroken and confused. To find peace, he must unravel the secret of his power. Is it a gift, or a curse? How can Zan love someone with no future? How can he not?

Poke is a fast-paced story about Zan’s adventurous summer, as he battles witches, experiments with astral projection, and discovers the secret of his strange power, all to be with the girl he loves.

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This is a very cute novella.  Moon has written a piece that many young adults are sure to enjoy, as will many adults.  When I first picked up this novella, I wasn’t sure exactly what I thought about a fortune telling bellybutton—bellybuttons gross me out, truth be told—but Moon has written a very intriguing story surrounding this strange fortune telling ability, and Zan was an easily lovable character. He’s kind of a cooky narrator, but he tells it like it is, allowing the reader to rummage around in his mind as he attempts to woo Austin, maintain his best friend status with Julie and James, stay away from two crazy witches intent on stealing his powers, and deal with everyday teenage angst.  I really enjoyed the male perspective; male leads seem to be a dying breed among novels these days, and Moon did a superb job capturing Zan and presenting him extremely well.  Overall, Moon did a really good job with this novella, and I’m definitely interested to see where the series goes.  Three stars.

I received a copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.

{ARC Review} After the Snow by S.D Crockett

From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Willo was out hunting when the trucks came and took his family away. Left alone in the snow, Willo becomes determined to find and rescue his family, and he knows just who to talk with to learn where they are. He plans to head across the mountains and make Farmer Geraint tell him where his family has gone.

But on the way across the mountain, he finds Mary, a refugee from the city, whose father is lost and who is starving to death. The smart thing to do would be to leave her alone — he doesn’t have enough supplies for two or the time to take care of a girl — but Willo just can’t do it. However, with the world trapped in an ice age, the odds of them surviving on their own are not good. And even if he does manage to keep Mary safe, what about finding his family?

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In all honesty, I spent the majority of this novel thinking that I really didn’t like it and that it was a bit boring and not my style, and there are many different reasons why I felt this way.  In the beginning, I had a very difficult time deciphering what was happening.  Willo speaks in a dialect that was not necessarily hard to understand, but more so annoying to deal with.  I haven’t read many books where the entire story is written in a dialect, but I’ve heard they’re out there, and this is definitely one of them.  Willo narrates the story, so he tells it all through his broken English, and although this sets the novel apart from most other YA novels on this basis alone, it’s not a style that everyone will enjoy.  While I can understand dialects in novels fairly easily, Willo’s grammar grated on my nerves throughout nearly the entire story, and the part that really got me was his constant referral to the dog skin he wore and the dog that talked to him.  That part really threw me throughout the entire novel because I wasn’t sure if Willo was delusional or just had an imaginary pet to help pass the loneliness.  But… he hears the dog speak to him on many an occasion and I, personally, just found that weird in terms of the story.

Aside from the dialect, I also found the story to be a bit bland.  Willo spends the majority of the story arguing in his head, in the dialect, with the dog, and I really didn’t feel like there was much of a story to be had since all Willo did was talk to himself.  Now, while there was obviously more to the story than that, this is the aspect of the story that really stood out to me, and it wasn’t until Willo made it into the city that I felt like the story began to pick up at all, and even then, it was at a very slow pace.

However, when I got to the last quarter of the book, I found that it picked up and I ended up liking it, especially with the twists and turns that began to take place.  Up until this point, I felt that the novel was just a continuous portrayal of everyday hardships, with Willo wandering here and there thinking about his father, but in the end, I found that there was a rhyme and a reason for everything that Crockett put into his story (except the dog), and I ended up liking it, overall.  I would have loved it if the entire story flowed the way the last quarter did, with suspense and intrigue, but I’m at least thankful that there was a good ending to this novel.  It somewhat reminded me of Waterworld in a way—at least the ending did, so if you liked that movie, you might like this book.  Three stars.

Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 27, 2012

Cover Reveal of Whisper by Heather Hildenbrand–Coming Soon!

Heather Hildenbrand has been hard at work writing her newest novel, Whisper, and the cover has just recently been released!  Isn’t it beautiful?  I can’t wait to read this novel, which comes out April 19th, and here’s why:

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Synopsis:

The Cherokee believe when a person dies, their soul is reborn. Life is repeated. An endless cycle of lessons to be learned, love to be found, destiny to be fulfilled. For the past six months, in every flower, every bird, I’ve imagined my parents, relieved of their human forms.

Now, after five months at the Skye View Wellness Center, it is summer, a time for parties and friends, but that’s the last thing I want to do.  So when my best friend Erin convinces me to attend a bonfire at Eagle Point, I can’t handle the crowd full of sympathetic stares or drunk class clowns who would use my tragedy as a way into my heart – or my pants. The solitude of the woods offers an escape, until I stumble upon a boy, unconscious and bleeding, his pockets stuffed not with identification but with poetry illustrating the beauty of dying. I’ve seen enough death. I will not leave this boy’s side.

Even after he wakes, when the only thing he can remember are visions of events that haven’t happened yet …

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I’m hooked! This novel sounds great, so be sure to mark it as a pre-order!

{Review} The Black Pear by Alan Porter

From Goodreads: This was the New Beginning. Away from the memories, away from the past.

But sometimes the past comes back…

What is the secret of the old Black Pear tree that taps on Emily’s window when no one else is around?

And why did Alice, a long-forgotten resident of the house, leave a simple silver necklace twined among its branches?

Emily and her family moved to Orchard Grange to escape the memories of the past.

Unfortunately, Orchard Grange has some terrifying memories of its own…

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I was initially drawn to this novel due to the cover.  Though simplistic in nature, it is extremely creepy, in my opinion, and the synopsis presents an interesting enough storyline that my curiosity was piqued.  I started reading this novel late at night, but due to the intensely creepy scenarios Porter develops, I had to put it down and finish it in the daylight.  Though less creepy when I was able to see everything around me, Porter has written an attention-grabbing ghost story involving multiple generations and apparitions. When Emily first arrives at Orchard Grove, she is haunted by the events of her past, events that plunged her family into turmoil.  The fact that Porter is slow to release the details of Emily’s past adds to the overall suspense of the novel as the reader attempts to put it all together, both past and present, in order to make sense of all Emily is going through.  Though some of the events in the novel don’t necessarily seem to fit, Porter does a good job tying everything together and disclosing just enough information to keep the reader sufficiently interested. 

The ending is, of course, like many tales that have come before it, making The Black Pear a bit anticlimactic.  I was hoping for something a little more dramatic and a little less cliché, yet it’s still a well-written piece overall.  And, while I would have liked some more depth to the characters, especially Emily, Porter’s characters still have the allure that makes this an intriguing read. Three and a half stars.

 

This novel was free on Amazon at the time it was purchased.