[Review] Guiding Emily by Barbara Hinske

Title: Guiding Emily
Series: N/A
Author: Barbara Hinske
Genre: general fiction (adult), literary fiction, women's fiction
Format: audiobook from the publisher on NetGalley
Publication Date: December 1 2020 (audiobook)
Published By: Podium Audio (audiobook)
Source: audiobook from the publisher on NetGalley

Synopsis from Publisher

Sometimes the perfect partner has four paws…

Emily Main had it all: a high-powered career with a leading technology giant and a handsome fiancé bounding up the corporate ladder. Their island wedding and honeymoon were idyllic—until a tragic accident causes her retinas to detach.

Her well-ordered life is shattered as all treatments are unsuccessful and she slips into blindness. How will those around her cope with her tragedy? Can she rebuild her life in this most unwelcome, new normal?

Meanwhile, a black lab puppy named Garth fulfills his destiny to become that most esteemed of all creatures: a guide dog.

Guiding Emily is a heartwarming tale of love, loss, and courage as Garth and Emily make their way to each other.

About Barbara Hinske

Barbara Hinske is an attorney who recently left the practice of law to pursue her career as a full-time novelist. She inherited the fiction gene from her father who wrote mysteries when he retired and told her a story every night of her childhood. Barbara is the bestselling author of the beloved ‘Rosemont’ series and has recently launched a collection of murder mystery thrillers in her "Who's There?" collection.

She and her husband share their own Rosemont with two adorable and spoiled dogs. She is besotted with decorating, entertaining, cooking and gardening. Now that her novel The Christmas Club has been made into a Hallmark Channel movie, she is completely star-struck and thrilled to have her work on the screen.

My Thoughts:
Guiding Emily is my favourite book of the year so far. Yes, I know it's only early February, but it was very enjoyable. I found myself impatient to get back to my audiobook, damn that silly thing called work getting in my way.

Guiding Emily is really two separate stories that join together at the end. First off we meet Garth. He is an adorable and smart black lab puppy who is in training to be a guide. Secondly we meet Emily, a head programmer at a firm who is just getting ready to leave for her wedding and honeymoon. We already know from the synopsis the Emily will have an accident that will take away her sight and so we know that Garth will obviously end up as her guide.

Even though we already know what is going to happen, there is a lot of extra foreshadowing at the beginning of the story, and I found it a little annoying as it went on. For example Emily kept mentioning to her husband how she is afraid to do certain things because her retinas might detach. Later we have her mother going on about it as well. We get it, she has to be careful, but we also already know it's going to happen. That was one of only two things that annoyed me about the story, and they were so minor I didn't even deduct a point for them.

The other slightly annoying thing was how Garth just happened to keep running into Emily and her friends before Emily was even partnered with Garth. Dhruv at the dentist. Zoey at the center. Emily and her group at the restaurant. It kind of gives the impression it's a very small town they all live in, but we know that's not the case. So I just found all that a little too coincidental, but again, not a major issue. Even though the meeting at the restaurant highly coincidental, I did like how Garth was immediately drawn to Emily, and the way he described her. 

The story as a whole sucked me in. Even though I knew she was going to be blind, the whole time she was fighting to get better from her surgery, and keeping her head down, and sleeping on the massage board, I just felt all of that. The hope, and the agony of being so uncomfortable but having no other choice. I was frustrated right along with her when things didn't work out, and I understand the anger and the resistance to acceptance and moving forward, and the depression that followed.

The story is very realistic, and I love how they easily work in all the terminology and explanations around living as a blind person and all the assistive technologies and personal trainings they have to help the blind. I was intrigued by the differences between a guide dog and a therapy dog, and all the different things they can actually help out with. One of my favorite sections, but also the most traumatizing, is when Gath has an incident with a fake service dog in a restaurant and how the handler goes on her rant about how dangerous fake service dogs are. It was very eye opening. 

Garth was adorable! I loved his parts of the book the best. Seeing things through his eyes made me wish even more that I was able to communicate with my pup. One of my favorite parts with Garth was when he was trying to help clean up the spilled soda and accidentally ruined the child's homework and everyone was so upset with him but he doesn't understand why because in his mind he was just trying to help. It made me wonder if there were ever times I got mad at my own pup when he was just trying to help out. My only issue is sometimes he would say things that he obviously couldn't know, like when he described the pop spill and compared it to Niagara Falls. How would he know about Niagara Falls? But most of the time his parts fell well within what he would actually know, which made it easy to submerse myself into the story. Garth meeting the puppy raiser's cat for the first time was truly hilarious!

The characters were all pretty amazing, with Dhruv, the autistic coworker and Zoey, the young girl neighbor who befriends Emily after her accident, being my top secondary characters. Dhruv was just so sweet always doing research to help out his friend, and doing what needed to be done, unlike her husband who just can't seem to wrap his head around his wife's blindness and how to help her. Both Dhruv and Zoey help Emily in different ways come to grips with her blindness and gently help prod her towards next steps like the blind lessons at the center, and eventually applying for a guide.

With regards to the audiobook presentation itself, it was wonderful. The two narrators, Fred Berman and Julia Whelan were perfect fits for this story. Both of them are well known audiobook narrators with over a dozen pages of choices for each of them over on Audible. I have actually listened to a book with Fred before, the Time Traveler's Wife, and even though I didn't enjoy the story, I did enjoy the narration, and he makes an awesome Garth. 

The whole story was very visual. I could see this as a movie I would enjoy watching. As I already mentioned I didn't like stopping. If I could have just sat in a quiet corner somewhere and indulged in the whole book, I would have. Sadly all my audiobook listening comes during my commutes to work, and I only travel about 20-30 minutes each way, so I don't get a whole lot of listening in on each session.

The overall impression of the book, that life sometimes changes, even if for the worse, but that life can still be a full life if you just make some adjustments, resonated a great deal with me. I have been a chronic pain sufferer for many years, and finally last year I took matters into my own hands and changed my diet and activity and made things so much better. I now how a much better outlook on life, and so does Emily.

The Pros:

• Garth is adorable and I could listen to him describe his life forever
• The story was very immersive and informative.
• The secondary characters were big additions to the story, very realistic, and very loveable.
• The narrators were amazing.

The Cons:

• I wish there would have been more time spent with Emily and Garth together.
• Some of the meetings with Garth and the other characters beforehand were too coincidental.
• It was very predictable, but that still didn't take away from the story at all.

[Product Review] Kobo Aura HD eReader

I don't often do product reviews, mainly because I pretty much stick to my standard devices and rarely have an opportunity to try anything new. But that changed about a week and a half ago when the wonderful people over at Kobo asked me if I would be interested in experiencing their new Kobo Aura, before it even released! Honestly, the first time I read the email I thought it was either spam or a joke...but I Googled the contact's name and found out she was legitimate so I went ahead and responded. I am sure glad I did because a few days later the awesomeness started.

I might be a bit biased because I have always been a fan of the Kobo products. I purchased one of their original Kobo eReaders as soon as they released. It was light and easy to sync with my computer, and I loved it. It was a bit slow between page turns, and it was before they added wi-fi to their devices, so it wasn't perfect, and the clicking of the page turning button drove me batty. But it was a great device to read my Kobo ebooks on. I used it until the Kobo Vox came out, and then I gifted it to my son.

The Kobo Vox was my next eReader of choice. I had skipped the wi-fi and touch upgrades because I didn't feel they were different enough to warrant an upgrade. But the Vox was stunning and I knew I had to have it. Full colour, wi-fi enabled, also with Android apps for email, Twitter, Facebook and more, it was like a cheaper and smaller (and heavier) iPad. It was fabulous and I enjoyed it for quite a while. It was a little heavier than I liked for an eReader, but it was convenient because I could use it for more than reading. I was a little annoyed at how slow it could be at times, and how the videos often wouldn't work, but I was happy with it none-the-less. I even wrote an article about how to use it with NetGalley titles and they went and posted it on their site! I was really fond of the colour, but quickly realized it didn't make much difference in my reading experience, except for viewing the covers.

Which brings us to the Kobo Aura HD. I don't think there is anything negative I can say about this new device.

First off, something so small, yet for me so huge, is this new cable style for charging.

My biggest issue with most cables, especially Apple cables, is that they are so thin and flimsy my cats often take them out in one bite. This is a wonderfully thicker and fabric braided cord. I love it! I also love that you charge the Kobo directly with the computer, and not have to plug it into an outlet like the Vox. That was a bit of a pain.

Other things I love about the new Kobo Aura HD:

• 30% larger HD screen
• very light and easy to travel with
• built-in front-lit lighting for reading in darker places
• super responsive and precise touch screen interaction
• 4GB of built-in storage, expandable up to 32 GB with MicroSD card
• wi-fi enabled for shopping direct from Kobobooks.com
• supports EPUB and Adboe DRM files
• super fast page turning and downloading of ebooks
• easy transfer for other ebooks, especially my NetGalley titles (see more below)
• ability to create shelves and easily add titles with search function

The ease of transfer of NetGalley titles is always important to me as publishers move more to digital e-arc distribution. It was also one of the first things I tried out when I set up this Kobo. And it was a breeze. I downloaded the file from NetGalley, plugged in the Kobo to my computer, opened the file in Adobe Digital Editions, dragged the file from the main library to the Kobo listed under devices. Easy peasey.

And it looks great, even when it's turned off!

Interested? Check out more information (and to order one) here.

[Review] Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Thirteen (13)
Series: Women of the Otherworld (Book 13)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Adult, fantasy, angels, demons, werewolves, vampires, etc.
Format: Hardcover, 444 pages
Publication Date: July 24, 2012
Published By: Random House Canada
Source: Received from publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads

The exciting, page-turning LAST episode of Kelley Armstrong's acclaimed, bestselling Women of the Otherworld series!

Savannah Levine, a young witch of remarkable power and a dangerous pedigree, staggers away from a bomb blast in New Orleans, glad that she's managed to rescue her half-brother Bryce from the supernatural revolutionaries who'd held him captive. But everyone and everything she holds dear is still at risk. The reveal movement has shaken the Otherworld to its core and the resulting chaos has thinned the boundaries between dimensions, allowing creatures of the deeper realms to break through and wreak havoc on supernaturals but also on innocent humans.

Although she's been temporarily stripped her of her powers, Savannah knows she has a crucial part to play in this war of survival. In fact the fate of her loved ones--of Adam, the friend she hopes will become a lover; of Paige and Lucas, her guardians; of the werewolf Pack and Jaime Vegas; of a pregnant Hope; of her brothers Sean and Bryce--and of the human world rests on her shoulders. If she can find the way and the will to defend them.

Only in the final battle will Savannah find out her true capacities, and what love will drive her to do. In 13, Kelley Armstrong brings her powerful and unique saga to a deeply satisfying end: thrilling, surprising and harrowing.


My Thoughts

This is going to be a tough review for me to write. I have been reading this series since the first book, Bitten, was published in 2001. I was immediately drawn in by Kelley Armstrong's strong writing and unique voice, specifically how it related to shifters and the whole shifting process. I have always been very fond of strong female writers in the horror industry, and specifically it they are Canadian. Kelley Armstrong not only fit this bill, but she also lived in Toronto, which was almost like being my neighbor at that time (I lived in Hamilton). I felt an immediate kindred with her before even reading her books, but her writing hooked me from the first page.

My skin stretches. The sensation deepens and I try to block the pain. Pain. What a trivial word - agony is better. One doesn't call the sensation of being flayed alive "painful".

...and that's just a taste of her descriptive and engaging writing style.

The physical appeal of this new release is amazing! The cover is a stunning black and red artistic offering with a vellum type dust jacket overlay that I couldn't keep myself from stoking continuously once it was finally in my eager hands.

I have to be honest, when I first started reading 13 I was highly disappointed...it was clear very early on (from comments direct from the author) that 13 would not be told from Elena's point of view. I was really hoping the story would return to Elena, obviously so were many others. I thought for sure I was going to hate this final book and that the whole series was going to be ruined for me. I am one of "those fans" who was annoyed early on by the swapping of character viewpoints in books 3 and 4 and so on. It took me a long time to get to know these new characters and enjoy their stories, but eventually I got used to the way it was going and I think in the future a re-read of the series will help me enjoy everything in a more fulfilling way.

But I digress...

Upon seeing Savannah was going to be the star narrator I almost didn't read the book. Of all the characters I have had a hard time getting to know Savannah. To be fair...I haven't read the last 2 books in the series because they were Savannah books. I am going to have to rectify that soon.

13 is a FABULOUS ending to this wonderful series that has been such a big part of my life for just over a decade. Even though Savannah was the main narrator in the book, almost every important character (in my opinion) made some kind of appearance, and it was more than enough to keep me happy. And I actually enjoyed reading from Savannah's perspective. It is abundantly clear that she has grown and matured and takes things much more seriously than she did when she first appeared on the scene. And in usual Kelley Armstrong fashion, this book is a complete treat to read as her writing style is just as descriptive (maybe too descriptive) and witty as ever.

It was a little overwhelming in spots, so much going on, so many characters, I sometimes felt a little lost...but i guess that is to be expected when you are trying to tie all things together.

It's been a while since I read some of Kelley's adult fiction, so I forgot how brutal and gory her scenes came sometimes be. It was shocking at first, but then I started to remember how it often goes, and as is common in final installments, blood has to be spilled, and people need to die. It's just how it goes.

If you haven't read Kelley's Women of the Otherworld books yet your are truly missing out. I suggest you dig in now, and if you do, let me know. I would love a re-reading buddy! 

Check out this informative link on reading order.

My rating?

[Review] Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

Title: Blood Rights
Series:  House of Comarré
Author:  Kristen Painter
Genre:  adult, vampires, fantasy
Format:  Paperback, 418 pages
Publication Date:  October1, 2011
Published By:  Orbit
Source:  Received from publisher for review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely-wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré—a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

My Thoughts

I have been waiting quite some time to find a "good" vampire story again, and Kristen Painter finally wrote that story for me. I wish I had of taken better notes during the reading process, but I honestly went in with lowered expectations due to the amount of unlikeable vampire writing on the market currently (It's almost as bad as the angel writing!), and by the time I realized how amazing this book was, I was too busy devouring it to write any notes down...

I think one of the main reasons I really enjoyed this book was because it reminded me quite a bit of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series (Which I also absolutely adore!). We have the politics, intrigue, magic, a group of humans that are sold to the highest bidder and marked with a type of tattoo. It's fabulous!

The characters are fantastic and have minds and voices of their own. Chrysabelle, a special breed of human bred specifically to feed the vampire nobility, Malkolm the outcast vampire noble who has been cursed and is therefore trapped within his own misery, as well as the "aunt" who was able to escape the comarré life (at a very hefty cost), the ever-haunting ghost, and the cursed were-kitty. These intriguing characters make up a very intriguing cast that is likely to entertain even the most snobbish vampire reader.

I also have to give kudos to Kristen Painter's world building. It is strong, and vivid, beautiful and disturbing, and so realistic it's hard to imagine it's not real.

I recommend everyone give this book a read, even if you feel like you might be burnt out on vampire novels. I don't think you'll ever regret it!

Now on to book two, Flesh and Blood.

My rating?

[Review] Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate
Series:  Newsoul Series
Author:  Jodi Meadows
Genre:  ya, reincarnation, dragons, souls, fantasy
Format:  Ebook, 384 pages
Publication Date:  January 31, 2012
Published By:  Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins Publishers
Source:  NetGalley ARC received from publisher for review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 

My Thoughts

I haven't done a review for a while. Most of you are probably aware of the reviewer/author drama that was ongoing at the beginning of this year, and if you have no idea what I am talking about, be thankful, because I am not going to rehash it all over again. But needless to say, it put me in a cruddy and miserable place and I honestly had no urge to review anything for anyone...I read a lot of books, I just didn't feel like sharing my opinions with anyone while everyone was still sensitive.

But Jodi Meadows and her debut novel Incarnate changed all that for me. It was the first time in quite a while that I had so thoroughly enjoyed a book that I felt I just had to share it with anyone willing to listen. Not since Divergent by Veronica Roth has a story captured my attention with such unique ideas and vivid characterization. And not since The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater has a love story felt so true and realistic, and sometimes heart-breaking. (Does anyone else find it odd that Sam is the name of the two male characters I absolutely adore now?)

Incarnate has this wonderful world where dragons attack cities made of seemingly living walls with acidic breath and sylphs can literally burn the flesh from your body with the briefest of touches. Everything is new and exciting and you feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store as you turn around slowly in circles trying to take everything in. It took me less than 24 hours to devour this book. The only sad part is now it will feel like forever as I wait for part two...

My only minor complaint with the events near the end of the book. I won't spoil anything at all but I just have to share that it felt so rushed and confusing I'm still not actually sure of everything that happened. Perhaps that was done on purpose as more things unravel in future books. Once I pick up my physical copy on release date I will most likely re-read at least the end to see if it makes more sense to me. But it made me very happy to not have to be subjected to a horrible cliffhanger of doom that often accompanies most series books in ya right now.

I suggest every single one of you rush out and buy this as soon as your local book store opens tomorrow. No excuses!

My rating?

[Review] Touch by Jus Accardo

Title: Touch
Series:  Denazen Series
Author:  Jus Accardo
Genre:  ya, supernatural, mutants, conspiracy
Format:  Ebook, 262 pages
Publication Date:  November 8, 2011
Published By:  Entangled Publishing
Source:  ARC from NetGalley

Synopsis from Goodreads

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

My Thoughts

I'm not going to lie...I totally picked this book for the cover. Have any of you out there ever watched the television series Roswell? Well if you have you might have noticed the same thing I did...

That's right...Max! (Played by Jason Behr.) I seriously believe that if a movie deal is made for this book that Jason Behr should play Kale. I would definitely pay to see that! So yeah...there's my confession...laugh at me if you will.

Now on to the review!

This book was absolutely amazing! If it wasn't for Divergent already stealing that place in my heart, I think Touch would be my top read of 2011. But it still has the much honoured place of runner-up (as far as I am concerned).

The story kind of reminded me up a mash-up between X-Men and Heroes (a television series I adore). In fact...if you know the series at all then you might understand my next comment. There is a neat character in Touch that seriously reminds me of Sylar from Heroes. If you have watched the series, and have read the book, tell me if you thought the same thing.

This book had some fabulous characters, both main and supporting. I cared about almost each and every one of them. I didn't want anything bad to happen to any of them (except those one or two really nasty ones of course). I fell in love with Kale instantaneously. His naivety and tenderness shine through despite everything he has been trained to believe and do. This provides the appropriate direct opposite to the female lead, Dez, who is a fiery young woman hell-bent on making her father's life a living Hell as much as possible. At first Dez annoyed me a bit with her out-of-control attitude and constant use of foul language. Over time I discovered the reasons behind her actions and was able to grow and mature along with here throughout each and every page, and it was a journey well worth taking. (And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.)

I also appreciate that the authour didn't feel it necessary to hold us hostage with a nasty cliffhanger to get us to read the next book in the series. To tell you the truth, I give way more credit to the authors who can make me want to read the next book(s) in their series without leaving me in a gut-wrenching "Oh my God what next!" kind of spot. So kudos to Jus Accardo. She is one of the few who have gotten this right!

My rating?

[Review] The Death Cure by James Dashner

Title: The Death Cure
Series:  The Maze Runner Trilogy
Author:  James Dashner
Genre:  ya, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Hardcover, 384 pages
Publication Date:  October 11 2011
Published By:  Random House, Inc., Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Source:  Received from Publisher for Review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?
Can Thomas survive in such a violent world?

My Thoughts

This final book in The Maze Runner trilogy picks up right where The Scorch Trials left off. Thomas is in a white padded room, contemplating something interesting...

"It was the smell that began to drive Thomas slightly mad. Not being alone for over three weeks. Not the white walls, ceiling and floor."

James Dashner definitely brought his A game back when writing The Death Cure. All the minor things that annoyed the heck out of me in The Scorch Trials was smoothed over by the fabulous writing and story-telling in this conclusion. It was an amazingly awesome wrap-up to this exciting and enjoyable series.

I don't want to give too much away, because I know nothing ruins my day more than stumbling across a nasty spoiler that drives me crazy for days on end...but I just have to say that I absolutely adore a writer who is not afraid to kill off main characters if and when it needs to be done. And to do it right! I mean, not just kill them to get a reaction, and not just for a matter of convenience sake, but because this character MUST die for things to be right with the world, and the story (if that even makes sense to you...it does to me...at least in my head...).

That comradeship that was built in The Maze Runner comes back into play in The Death Cure and you see, and feel, how important these relationships these characters have built with each other are, and how fragile they can become when push comes to shove. You care about these characters and what can, and does, happen to them. They are almost like family now!

The chapters, as always, were kept short, yet involved, which keeps the readers interested and coming back for more. Overall it was an amazing story that I am glad I got the opportunity to read and review. The ending cleared up almost all outstanding issues and I was really impressed with the series as a whole.

I recommend this book, and this series, to everyone!

My rating?

 

Series Rating (My detailed reviews are linked):

The Maze Runner - 5/5

The Scorch Trials - 4/5

The Death Cure - 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.67!!!

And did I mention the best part? James Dashner just announced a prequel to the series, The Kill Order, to be released in August 2012. A prequel! Oh yeah I'll be reading that!

[Review] The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Series:  The Maze Runner Trilogy
Author:  James Dashner
Genre:  ya, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Trade Paperback, 375 pages
Publication Date:  August 24, 2010
Published By:  Random House, Inc., Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Source:  Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

My Thoughts

I'm going to say this right off the top, James Dashner is an amazing writer. The Maze Runner has an intense and intriguing opening that immediately pulls the reader right into the story, throwing them right in beside a lonely and confused Thomas in a creepy elevator shaft.

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air."

Dashner's pacing is perfection. The story flows along so nicely you almost don't realize as you sneak up on the ending. I was so involved in Thomas's character, trying to figure out why he seems so familiar with everything, yet why most of his memories are missing. Trying to put all the clues together to find out what is happening so everyone can escape the horrors of the maze. The author doesn't give too much away too early, he lets the reader discover the important aspects of the plot as the characters do. I love this in a storyteller. It keeps you reading, turning every page one right after the other until you reach the mind-numbing conclusion.

One of my favourite aspects of The Maze Runner is the new language the characters create during their time living with one another. Completely devoid of memories of their past they quickly develop their own entertaining slang. I love how this allows the boys in the book to "swear" as boys often do, but without having the book filled with profanity.

“Klunk’s another word for poo. Poo makes a klunk sound when it falls in our pee pots.”

That quote seriously made me snicker out loud on the subway... embarrassing...

The chapters were short, yet involved, which keeps the readers interested and coming back for more. The characters were alive and vivid, allowing the reader to become emotionally invested in them (which is not always a good thing!)

I highly recommend this book to everyone, male or female, old or young, I think there is something in it for everyone.

My rating?

Review of Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

Title: Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf
Series:  Wereworld Series
Author:  Curtis Jobling
Genre:  YA, paranormal, werewolves, shifters
Format:  Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Publication Date:  September 20, 2011
Published By:  Penguin, Viking Children's Books
Source:  Received ARC from publisher.

Synopsis from Goodreads

'You're the last of the werewolves son. Don't fight it...Conquer it'. When the air is clear, sixteen year-old Drew Ferran can pick up the scent of a predator. When the moon breaks through the clouds, a terrifying fever grips him. And when a vicious beast invades his home, his gums begin to tear, his fingers become claws, and Drew transforms ...Forced to flee the family he loves, Drew seeks refuge in the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia. But when he is captured by Lord Bergan's men, Drew must prove he is not the enemy. Can Drew battle the werecreatures determined to destroy him - and master the animal within?

My Thoughts

This review has been sitting in my saved list for awhile. It's not because I don't know what to say, or that I disliked it, it's that I liked it so much I am afraid of not doing it the justice it deserves. I find often I am able to explain very easily what i didn't like about a book, but when it comes to sharing what I do like about a book, it sometimes comes out sounding so fake and juvenile. But it has to be done, so here is my gush review.

First of all, let's talk covers. When I first opened the package from the publisher, this is what stared out at me:

To be honest, I didn't know quite what to think about it. I think it was meant to be kind of scary and creepy in a good way, but it didn't have that effect on me. It felt kind of cartoony and forced. Luckily, that was just the dust jacket (which I am unsure why was included with a trade paperback anyhow). Once I peeled off the above disturbing cover, this is what I saw underneath:

A much better cover, in  my opinion anyhow. Although the one listed at the very top of this review beside the book details is actually my favourite one, but not one I was able to see physically.

Other than the covers, the author description also threw me through a loop a bit. Curtis Jobling apparently is the designer of the children's television show, Bob the Builder. Now don't get me wrong, I love Bob the Builder...that show granted me hours of peace and quiet while my son sat transfixed in front of it during his much younger years (of course I still have "Can we fix it? Yes we can!" stuck playing in my head every time I even think about it!)...but for some reason, once I read that in his bio, I was worried about just how good this book could really be...

But other than the covers...and the whole Bob the Builder thing...I honestly don't have a bad word to say about this book. It was amazing. Honestly, this will most likely be more of a gush that a review...but hey...it's my blog right?

I don't think I realized this about myself before, but after reading Wereworld I discovered that I love me a character who can get his ass thoroughly kicked, and either run away or luckily win a fight because someone who cared about them helped them out...not just because they are the main character, and they are uber, and have super powers and are God-like. I seriously hate when a main character wins just because they are the main character and so you know they must. It takes the suspense right out of it for me. But with Drew, the main character of Wereworld, you never lose that suspense. That poor boy sure does take his beatings, and takes the time to heal from them afterwards. He doesn't just jump up, all better, and save the world. I respect that.

I also respect the fact that Drew is a true chivalrous character. He does what is right, because it truly bothers him when people are doing wrong. He doesn't want fame and fortune, he would much prefer to hide back at his family's farm herding sheep, but fate won't let him. Half the time he doesn't even mean to be all chivalrous and heroic. When his temper gets him all riled up he steps in to block the punch on the little guy just as quickly as most other men lose their tempers and swing out at whatever is near them. It just comes naturally to Drew to protect and stand up for the people who cannot stand up for themselves. Have I mentioned how much I adore Drew?

A large portion of the characters in this book are what I refer to as shifters, in some form or another. It was quite entertaining to see all the types of shifters, known as Werelords, in the book. The shifting process seemed quite involved and I found myself squirming as characters shifted completely, and sometimes just parts of their bodies. I loved how Werelords broke out their shifted paws, jaws and claws whenever it came time to do battle. 

I have to admit that as much as I love werewolves, in this book the wereshark won me over completely. Count Vega of the Cluster Isles was like a Captain Jack Sparrow meets Captain James Hook meets Jaws. He was awesome.

The world building was phenomenal. Everything was so realistic and lively. It reacted to the characters and the characters reacted back in turn. It wasn't just a colorful scene painted in the background merely just to be there. The swamps, the woods, the seas, everything was just so alive! It was easy to immerse oneself deeply into the world around them as they journeyed right there beside Drew every step of the way.

And the story, let's not forget about the story itself! Although not overly unique, the Jobling did such a wonderful job with the story-telling it's almost as fresh as a newly written, never heard before story.

I can't wait for the second one to come out! Rage of the Lions...yup...you know what is coming...and it has to be good!

My rating?

Review of Ashes by Ilsa Bick

Title: Ashes
Series:  Ashes Trilogy
Author:  Ilsa J. Bick
Genre:  YA, end of the world, dystopian
Format:  Ebook, 480 pages
Publication Date:  September 6, 2011
Published By:  Egmont USA
Source:  ARC from Netgalley

Synopsis from Goodreads

It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

My Thoughts

As you have most likely come to realize if you have been reading my reviews for any length of time, I can be quite harsh on books. Some people have even asked me why I continue to read and review books if I find it so hard to like them. The answer is simple really. I do it for the "gems", the ones that come along and surprise you with their awesomeness.

Ashes is one such book.

Let me be honest...I expected to really NOT like this book. One of the few reasons I actually picked it was because I was new to book blogging at the time and I was trying to get a handle on NetGalley. Egmont USA was one of the few publishers that didn't require you to request a title for review, you could just click Read Now...and so I did. I grabbed a bunch of their titles, not really being familiar with their company, and hoped I could work myself into getting accepted for better books that way. I had little to no expectations for these books.

Boy was I wrong!

Ashes was brilliant! Let me just say that right now. If you haven't read it I suggest you rush out now (well tomorrow when it is officially released) and pick up this book and devour it!

The first thing that impressed me about Ashes was how the reader is immediately immersed in the story. There is no long drawn out description of the setting, the weather, the house, whatever...you are thrown into the middle of a heated telephone conversation that tells you everything you need to know....the main character is terminally ill and obviously fed up with her never-ending treatments, her parents are dead and she has taken off from her aunt's place where she is now staying so she can have a much needed mental health break. This is all explained to the reader through realistic dialogue the engages the reader instead of boring them to death with lines and lines of poorly written back story. And the last line of the first chapter leaves you haunted and dying to know what happens next.

"They never spoke to one another again."

I love the author's amazingly descriptive vocabulary. She is never afraid to hold back and describes everything like it is.

"Hadn't done the woman any good either, judging from the way her guts boiled out in a dusky, desiccated tangle, like limp spaghetti."

I love her for that! A few times I stopped and asked myself if this amount of gore was appropriate for the YA genre, but Hell, I was reading Stephen King during my "YA" years because books like this weren't really available for us. And I don't have any serious mental problems...I think...

I loved the short chapters that were just long enough to not be ridiculous, but weren't too long to bore you. Sometimes people like to read in bursts and often people feel they have to finish at the end of a chapter. Ashes gives you lots of opportunities to do so. That is just something I always appreciate in a book.

As an animal lover I always enjoy when animals are added to a story, and not just for shock value so you can kill them off. I hate nothing more than an author who throws in a family dog just to kill them off because that way they can get some shock value without hurting an actual person. Well newsflash! Sometimes people bond  closer with animals, especially dogs, than they do with the characters themselves, and just sometimes killing off those animals pointlessly really irritates the readers. Can you tell I really hate when authors do that? Luckily Ms. Bick isn't THAT kind of writer. The animals in Ashes play a specific role and they burden a nice portion of the story on their furry little shoulders. I love that! Some of the animals in this book are as important as the main characters and you develop a bond with them so strong you hurt when they hurt, just as much as you do (if not more) when something happens to the main characters.

The story houses some great mysterious qualities that you feel compelled to search out. Nothing is right out in the open and people are very guarded with their motives and emotions. It keeps the readers guessing and invested in the story. I can't wait to read the other two books in the trilogy so I can finally learn just what the Hell is going on!

Some minor things that did bother me about Ashes were the endings of a few chapters that were meant to be foreshadowing, but after a while just got irritating. Always something along the lines "later she would wonder if things might have turned out differently if she hadn't just..." It was a little repetitive and just seemed forced at times.

Also, the ending really pissed me off. It made me so mad I swore out loud. My boyfriend looked at me like I was about to murder him. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a horrible ending...the problem was that I was unaware it was meant to be the first book in a trilogy, and if I had of known in advance I would have expected some type of cliffhanger. This one smacked me in the face so hard I was left in shock, mostly because it was unexpected, and also because the story was moving so fast at this point and I was just waiting to get to the end, to find out things, and then boom, no more. I think I almost cried. I even called out the poor author on Twitter...to which she responded very kindly. I love authors like that who interact back with their readers...it eased the blow...a little...that and I made her promise to send me the next book (Shadows) as soon as it was available...

...and so I wait...

My rating?

Review of Adrian's Lost Chapter by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines: Adrian's Lost Chapter
Series:  Bloodlines, Book 0.5
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  YA, paranormal, vampires
Format:  Ebook, 8 pages
Publication Date:  August 2011
Published By:  Richelle Mead
Source:  Read on Author's Blog

Synopsis from Goodreads

A glimpse at the original scrapped first chapter, which is told from Adrian's POV. 

Originally, Bloodlines was going to be told from a few different characters' points of view. It was going to be in third person and alternate characters each chapter. A few chapters in, problems were emerging from this (you've got to trust me on that!). 

I ended up starting completely over and simply doing the entire book from just Sydney's point of view in first person (the "I" voice). The all-Sydney version is what you're going to get when the book hits the shelves August 23. 

Hope that clears things up!

My Thoughts

I'm really fond of the new trend where authors write and release short stories to their readers that fall in between other books in their series. I think it helps keep momentum and interest in the series while waiting for new books in the series to be published. It also helps flesh out some character development as well as some of the story that might have been rushed through, or skipped all together in a previous book.

With this specific short story offering, the author is giving us an inside look at how she attempted to start her new novel before scrapping it for a different approach. Richelle Mead originally planned to write Bloodlines with characters alternating between who was actively telling the story. The first chapter was initially meant to be told by Adrian, and this is that chapter.

This short piece (a much too short 8 pages) is incredibly true to Adrian's character that was developed during the Vampire Academy series. The drinking, the smoking, the flirting, all ways to help him deal with the bad things that happen to him. I always felt a little bad about how things ended with him, and this chapter doesn't make me feel any better. Experiencing his reactions and feelings from his true inside self is even more heartbreaking than reading them as they were described in the last book of the Vampire Academy series, shadowed by a third-party perspective. It literally tore my heart to pieces to see just how much he is still suffering from the whole Rose conflict. The "Rose" colored glasses are gone now, and the truth is too painful to bare. It's so real...I know because I have been there...I am sure we all have been...

Let's hope things get much better for poor Adrian in Bloodlines. I'll let you know soon...it's next up in my TBR pile.

My rating?

Review of The Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead

Title: The Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel
Series:  Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel Series
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  YA, paranormal, vampires
Format:  Graphic Novel, 144 pages
Publication Date:  August 23, 2011
Published By:  Penguin, Razorbill
Source:  Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads

After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It's filled with intrigue, danger - and even romance. Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

My Thoughts

This is most likely going to be more of a gush than a review, but that's OK right? I read, or should I say I devoured, The Vampire Academy (The first book in The Vampire Academy series) by Richelle Mead last summer. I absolutely adored it. The writing style, the characters, the story, everything was pretty much perfect. It was a great introduction into a great series that I continued to devour until the very final novel.

This graphic novel is a great companion piece to the series. You can read it without reading the series, but I would truly recommend you read the series anyhow because it will just add so much depth and story that can't possibly be displayed in these too few graphic novel pages. But as a companion piece, it is amazing, and stunning, and fabulous, and gush gush gush...

I think I am most happy with the character visualization for Rose Christian and /drool Dimitri. I'm not sure how I feel about Lissa yet...but I'm sure she will grow on me.

I'm happy to see that the graphic novel version of book 2, Frostbite, is set to be released in April of 2012. The cover is already giving me chills! I look forward to reading and experiencing every story once again, but in graphic novel format, especially the final one.

I'm also looking forward to reading Bloodlines by Richelle Mead which is a spin-off of The Vampire Academy series with some of the same characters. I picked it up at the time as this graphic novel. Look for the review soon!

My rating?

Review of Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

~Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon has died, and Caitlin's dad is so distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn't know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure and she realizes this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be black and white after all.~

Most "normal" people have issues when it comes to finding closure.

Now imagine you are a young girl with Asperger's who is trying to find some closure when it comes to the senseless shooting of her older brother. Imagine how hard "closure" must be to find for her.

Mockingbird is a short but informative and enlightening story about Caitlin's search for closure after her older brother is killed in a school shooting. Most people treat her like she is a freak, and most assume she has no idea what has actually happened. But she does. She just doesn't know how to show it well to others. She knows her brother is never coming home again. And it's slowly breaking her apart inside. Then one night on the news she hears the word "closure", and just knows she has to find some...but not just for her...for her father as well.

Erskine has wonderful flow to her writing and she seems to have a deep insight into the ways an Asperger's child sees the world. It doesn't seem fake or forced at any time. I would even go so far as to say this is a flawless read.

This book really opened my eyes up to the way children with Asperger's perceive the world around them. Caitlin is a very literal child, she sees the world in black and white, and she doesn't see the shades or colours in between. If you told her to jump off a cliff she would tilt her head to the side so she could get a better look at you and reply with why would you want me to do that. And she would be completely serious. She has trouble understanding emotion and meets with a helper to try to match images of emotions to what they mean. She has to be taught how to make friends.

My son has similar issues which is why I chose this book, and as I mentioned about this book really opened my eyes to how he might see and react to the world around him. I have asked him to read this book as one of his summer read projects so we can talk about it together. I hope we both get something really positive from this experience.

This book was one of the ten books I chose for my YA Summer Reading Challenge. I am thankful the list gave me the opportunity to read this as I don't believe I would have picked this up on my own volition. 

My rating?

5 stupendous scribble spiders out of 5!