[Review] The Wise One by K.T. Anglehart

The Wise One
K.T. Anglehart
(The Scottish Scrolls, #1)
Publication date: October 28th 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Mckenna’s never thought much of her nightmares, but on her seventeenth birthday, a vivid dream of burning at the stake awakens her dormant abilities, thrusting her into a world where faeries are real, spirits hold a grudge, and a High Priestess obsessed with a 16th-century prophecy is tracking her every move.

Now, her overprotective dads, Seán and Andre, are forced to tell her the truth—they know who her birth mother is, and her life is not the surrogate story she’s always been told. Abigail, Mckenna’s mom, is some sort of mystic, and Mckenna a Wise One.

Whatever the hell that means.

With the help of a persistent little wren and company of a newfound friend, Mckenna journeys to Ireland in search of her mother and real answers. Along the way, she learns to harness her innate magic and trust her intuition, as best she can anyway—Cillian, a kind and passionate delegate who crosses her path, is proving much harder to read.

Only her mother could truly help her halt her ill fate and prepare her for what’s to come . . . before she gives in to the darkness she knows is buried deep within.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

Katrina Tortorici Anglehart is a born and bred Italian-Canadian from Montreal. A devoted academic, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism; a graduate certificate in Scriptwriting; and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. After dabbling in TV writing and working as a digital marketing content manager, she left the nine to five to launch her freelance editing and coaching career. Today, she relishes in helping aspiring authors to develop and refine their stories.

Besides English, Katrina speaks French, Italian, and Spanglish. When she’s not writing, diving into magical reads, or Netflixing, she’s travelling with her favourite human–her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband, Andy–and obsessing over her pet bunny, Magic, and newly rescued pup, Nessie. Katrina currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

My Thoughts:

I'm going to be honest...this one had me a little worried at the start, but it won me over by the end.

I had a very hard time getting into the story initially. I felt the writing style was awkward and simple and not completely polished. Fortunately, as the story progressed the writing became smoother and easier to follow. There were still issues with pacing and the story being jumpy in parts, but overall it was good read.

I felt the story was too convenient a lot of the time, especially at the beginning. I found it hard to believe that a 17 year old girl would steal money from her parents and then take off on them, leaving to go to another country, all on a whim basically. That was hard to swallow. Together with other convenient occurrences like meeting the sweet couple. I don't like when things are too easy. I also found it hard to believe she would be away from her parents for as long as she is and not call them at least once to let them know she was safe at least.

The strengths of this book are the story itself, and the characters. Nissa was my favorite, reminding me of myself in my younger days, outside reading propped up against a tree. Sean and Andre are a cute couple. The sweet old couple later on are adorable (although too convenient), and Cillian has great depth and experiences growth throughout the book.

The story is very interesting. The author does a fabulous job of drawing you in by sprinkling little bits of information here and there to keep you intrigued enough to turn the next page. It's genius. And she got me. I had to keep turning those pages.

The author does a great job describing Ireland. I can't wait to visit one day now! The descriptions of the gorgeous views, stunning castles, beautiful nature, cozy bars and bed and breakfasts overwhelm you. The intriguing tidbits of Irish folklore were very interesting, and I enjoyed learning. 

The ending was a bit out there (holy cliffhanger!!!), I had to re-read it a few times, and the epilogue left me like huh? But, the main thing is I can't wait to read book two! I need to know more now!

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[Review] Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Book 1)
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA, fantasy, angels, demons
Format: Hardcover, 417 pages
Publication Date: July 3, 2012
Published By: Little Brown and Company
Source: Received from publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?



My Thoughts

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a beautifully written, yet haunting tale of a girl raised by monsters, in a world where so many secrets are kept about things right in front of you, and behind locked doors.

The girl, Karou, is a very intriguing young woman who is an art student and has a love of oddly colored hair, tattoos, and making interesting wishes. I like that she is not afraid to stand up for herself (and a kick a little ass) but it's also nice to see that's she is not perfect, and has made bad dating choices in her life (because hey, haven't we all?). This makes her a very realistic teenage girl character, and I found it so enjoyable readying about her and her friend Zuzana.

I think one of the ironic, and best parts of this book, is the fact that the monsters themselves (the ones who raised Karou) don't seem all that "monsterly". The are kind, caring and compassionate as you would expect (or hope) a family to be toward their child. They do have to keep secrets from Karou often, but that is to protect her from the dangers of their world.

“It is a condition of monsters that they do not perceive themselves as such. The dragon, you know, hunkered in the village devouring maidens, heard the townsfolk cry 'Monster!' and looked behind him.” 

The settings in this story are amazing! I mean Prague! Oh yes please! And that little place they are always eating at, that has the coffins and skeletons everywhere? That is totally my type of place. Can I tell you I secretly want to be Karou right now! Eat at cool places, take art classes in Prague, change may hair color and tattoos with a single wish, step through a door that takes me to the opposite side of the world...but I digress...

There wasn't much I didn't like about this book, especially the first act let's call it. It had a somewhat tense, yet romantic, Romeo and Juliet type feel, made even more vibrant by the beautiful flow of the author's lyrical writing. A real love for an ages, a perfect definition of a love that knows no boundaries, not even time.

“Your soul sings to mine. My soul is yours, and it always will be, in any world. No matter what happens. I need you to remember that I love you.”

As much as I understand the need to only feed your reader's a little at a time, I did feel some of the secrets were kept too long. I mean, as interesting as the whole underlying of what the teeth represented, I think we could have been told a little sooner... I was also, not really upset with, but slightly irritated by the break in the book toward the end. I almost feel like maybe it could have been spattered throughout the book as told through Akiva's eyes instead of re-enacted completely, in the past, almost like a separate novel. It really through me out of my special little reading zone.

And of course...the end... Typical cliffhanger of DOOM! Not amused...November...where are you? I guess I will have to wait for Days of Blood and Starlight!

My rating?

[Review] Variant by Robinson Wells

Title: Variant
Series:  Variant Series
Author:  Robinson Wells
Genre:  ya, dystopian
Format:  Ebook, 384 pages
Publication Date:  October 4 2011
Published By:  HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen
Source:  Received ARC from Publisher via NetGalley for Review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

My Thoughts

I highly enjoyed reading this book. It was an interesting and unique story with just enough mystery and action thrown in together to make for a lively read that even the boys out there will enjoy. The pacing was a little uneven at times, but I guess I can't expect a book to rock and roll along through every word and every page. I also found that even though some of the sections were highly predictable, it was evened out by the number of twists and turns that caught me completely unaware.

The characters were fantastic! I completely fell in love with Benson, not in a romantic way, but in the way where he was so realistically stubborn, brave, and willing to stand up for himself and others, no matter the cost...there was no wishy-washyness in this boy!

I got a little blind-sided at the end, in a mostly good way, which was a nice experience. It's not often that happens to me anymore. However, I feel that the last two pages of the book were completely way off in left field, as they say. It's not so much that I don't agree with what was written, I just think because it was so different it should have been saved for the next book in the series, not just slapped in the reader's face with nothing historical to base it on yet, and then just end the book. That earns Variant the "cliffhanger of DOOM" classification that irritates me beyond belief. Bad Variant! (Of course it doesn't help that at the time of reading Variant I had no idea it was even going to be a series!)

I will of course still read the next book in the series. I did enjoy the story and I do want to know where it ends up...I just wish the author had of balanced out the ending a bit more...

My rating?

Review of Eve by Anna Carey

Title: Eve
Series:  The Eve Trilogy
Author:  Anna Carey
Genre:  YA, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Ebook, 336 pages
Publication Date:  September 27, 2011
Published By:  HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen
Source:  ARC from NetGalley

Synopsis from Goodreads

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

My Thoughts

This book had a very intriguing premise, which is what attracted my attention when I was perusing books to review on NetGalley. I'm a huge sucker for the dystopian/post apocalyptic YA genre, and there has been so many good choices to read.

Eve was very well written and had a promising story. A serious disease has killed a large chunk of the population, leaving many children orphaned. Schools have been set up to welcome these children in (boys and girls are kept completely separate in different schools and never even see each other) where they are educated, medicated and housed until their 18th year. The girls are taught to fear the male of the species, being told they are nothing but animals who are intent on lying to them until they can satisfy their urges and then abandon them. (It's not until later that we find out more about the boys and their "education".) Once they reach their 18th year they "graduate" to the next area where they will begin their more focused career training. Or so they have been lead to believe...

We very early discover that things are not what they are expected to be, and the girls are being kept for more sinister reasons. The reasons, although I sat and tried to think very hard about how it might actually could happen in the real world, come off as too far-fetched to me. I don't see why the school would focus so closely on education and keeping them away from some of the things from the past just so they can house them up later and force them to pop out babies while they remain strapped on hospital beds. It just doesn't make much sense to me.

My main issue with this book is the main character, Eve. She is one of the most annoying main characters I have met in a very long time. She is weak, annoying and selfish. Her choices are wishy washy and completely unrealistic, going against characteristics that are laid out for her in the story. First she is strong, then she wimps out, then she wants to do whatever she can for a person, then leaves them behind, she's completely unpredictable. She is so immature I often just wished the author left her behind to die in a corner somewhere. That might sound harsh, but it's how I feel. I had a better connection with Eve's friend, Arden. She is strong and true and willing to give up anything to help those closest to her. I hope we see more of her in book two. I also hope Eve takes a cue from Meghan (The Iron Fey series) and does some growing up over the next book or two. I'm not sure how much more I can stand to read from her...

On top of all that, the ending was another one of this horrible cliffhangers I hate so much...

Really?

/groans

The writing style, the "promise" of a good story, and the hope that Eve is using this book to learn and mature are the only things that saved me from ranking this book lower...

My rating?

Review of A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Title: A Beautiful Dark
Series:  A Beautiful Dark Trilogy
Author:  Jocelyn Davies
Genre:  YA, paranormal, angels
Format:  Ebook, 320 pages
Publication Date:  September 27, 2011
Published By:  HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen
Source:  ARC from NetGalley

Synopsis from Goodreads

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

My Thoughts

I had high hopes for this book. The whole angel thing wasn't something I had read a lot of and I was kind of looking forward to taking a break from faeries, vampires, werewolves and dystopians (although I do adore those dystopians).

Everything started out wonderfully. I was immediately drawn in by the quick pacing and dropped hints of silver eyes and mysterious guys. (Hey that rhymes!) The introduction of Asher had me swooning in my seat (or was that just the swaying of the subway train?) and Devin heightened the intrigue to a whole new level. By the time Asher and Devin end up in a fist fight in the middle of Skye's 17th birthday party, and the cafe's boiler blows causing everyone to have to evacuate, I was already on the edge of my seat.

But that was pretty much where the excitement ended. At least for me. I'm not a big fan of the whole romance thing as it is, especially when the story is mostly based around that. I am really tired of the whole love triangle issue (more of a love square in this book). It's usually pretty clear who they are going to end up with and you are usually left hoping they change their minds...but they rarely do. The one thing I did like about this story is that it does keep you guessing a little more than most. Even after finishing the whole book I'm still left unsure as to which one is the better pick.

I quickly got tired of the back and forth between Asher and Devin, I'm better, no I'm better, she's mine, no she's mine, my side should win, no my side should win, garbage. It was literally exhausting. OK...we get it...

I find another common theme in YA books lately is for these kids to conveniently have no parents (or any adult authority) around them often, if at all. Skye's parents are dead, and she lives with her aunt, who conveniently is a tour guide and takes groups up into the mountains all the time and is almost never at home. It's not just this book, it's almost all of them lately, and it's just starting to bother me. I find it too convenient that authors keep doing things to these parents and guardians that makes them "disappear". Maybe if they were around more these kids wouldn't do such crazy things. /sigh I know I know...that's the point right? It's all just too convenient for me, and lazy writing...find a better way to work things in.

There were also some weird flow issues here and there, things that I hope will get cleaned up between the ARC and final polished publication stage. The one thing that stuck out is after an accident where Asher is telling Skye to stay awake because she hit her head and might have a concussion, however after she starts asking some questions that make him feel uncomfortable he tells her to get some sleep. Huh?

I liked that the chapters were short. I find it's easier to stay engaged in a story when the chapters are shorter. Also, being a transit reader, it's easier to break in between sections when moving from one vehicle to another, and then to work or home.

I absolutely hated the ending. I had no idea whatsoever that this was to be part of a series, (or a trilogy as I have now come to discover). I was really really hoping for that nice and neat standalone novel. Well I was disappointed again. Goodreads usually prepares me for these types of things, but it let me down this time! It STILL doesn't show it as part of a trilogy. I had to Google it after turning the last digital page, once I had finished screaming of course...But even if I had of known that there were going to be more books, the ending still would have sucked. I'm sorry...these cliffhangers are getting tiresome...I understand you have to keep us hanging a little on some things...but to just end us all at the cliff is ridiculous...and again...lazy.

I might still read the second one...just to find out what happens with Asher and Devin...but I'm really in no hurry and it wouldn't kill me to never find out...

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 The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

~After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…~

I am a long-time fan of Ms. Kelley Armstrong. I first discovered her while doing some research on Canadian female writers. I quickly rushed out to purchase her first book, Bitten, and devoured it in a night. It had one of the most realistic descriptions of wolf shifting I had ever read. It made me squirm, but in a good way. It didn't take me long to catch up and read the whole series.

I have to admit, I was a tiny bit worried when I heard Kelley had written a YA series. I avoided it for a long time, not wanting it to ruin my thoughts about her writing. The only reason I finally picked up The Summoning was because it was one of the choices for my 2011 YA Summer Challenge.

Of course I should never have worried...

The typical Kelley Armstrong writing style I have come to know and love was just as strong in her YA novel as it has been in her adult novels. I was a little worried she might tone it down for the youngins, but she didn't. She didn't hold anything back at all.

The storyline was very intriguing, and kept me reading even through the slower sections. I could easily see and understand the need for the build-up, and therefore it didn't bother me as much as it does in other books where the build-up leads to a whole lot of nothing.

I felt parts of the story were very predictable, but that was equally balanced by events that surprised the heck out of me, even though they shouldn't have. I mean as I have already mentioned, I read a lot of Kelley Armstrong, and I know how she writes her characters, and when certain "symptoms" are there, I should know what's going to happen. I don't know how I missed it, but I'm glad I did. It was a wonderful little surprise.

I loved all the characters, even the evil ones. They had so much depth to them. I immediately fell in love with Derek, even though I feel like Kelley tried so hard (too hard) to make the reader not like him...I just knew that meant he was a character that would win our respect and adoration in the end. Chloe reminded me of a young Jamie Vegas (necromancer and celebrity medium from Kelley's Women of the Otherworld series).

Everything was going so well...the end was coming...things seemed to be pretty tied up...I knew there were two more books in the series, but it felt like book one was at a nice, and mostly neat end...

...and then...whammo....

...evil cliffhanger of DOOM!

I hate that...but of course I will read the other two...eventually...after my rage has subsided...

My rating?

4 super scribble spiders out of 5!

Review of The Giver by Lois Lowry

~Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.~

I love dystopian stories. There is just something intriguing, and often scary, about seeing how society "could be" if some event happened or if they took it into their own hands to change the way life "should be".

The Giver by Lois Lowry is one of the better dystopian stories I have read in terms of fleshing out the society and their rules, regulations and behaviors.

This story really makes you think. Would the world be a better place if things such as violence and lust were completely removed from life by a society who changes and controls things for the betterment of their people? Where people must apply for spouses that are not chosen by them, and only then are able to apply for children that are not created by them. Where members are placed together to form a loving family unit with the maximum of one mother, one father, one male child and one female child. Where children only live at home until they have progressed through their growth years and are chosen foe their life's work by the society's council.

I have to admit...the idea has some merits to it. I often stopped to weigh the pros versus the cons while reading this book. Would I miss the things they took away from their society to trade in for all the good they have achieved. It was a very difficult assessment for me to make at times.

I was constantly shocked and sometimes even appalled at how far they insisted on going. Many of the rules were not stated outright, but if you read between the lines enough you can understand what they are implying. I don't want to give any of it away because some of the revelations came closer to the end, but it was all so wonderfully done. The author didn't slap you in the face with a list of rules, they just let them sneak up on you and tackle you from behind. The writing style was perfect. The story flowed by so fast I was disappointed when it was over.

Of course part of that was due to the way it ended. If you have been following my blog long enough you know of my hatred for cliffhanger endings. It makes me want to tear my hair out and beat small children (not really...but you get the picture). Almost everything had been running so smoothly up until the last few pages. Considering there really isn't a sequel it would have been nice if the author could have tied up the loose ends a little tighter...but they didn't. That's always disappointing...at least to me.

Some other minor points of contention were over some of the things we learn later that the society has changed. Up to about the middle of the book most changes and rules make some sense, and they seem completely realistic and I could see a scared society (or a controlling one) putting these new rules into motion. But some of the things we find out they have changed, or controlled, later in the story are so hard to believe it took me completely out of the story. It was such a shame.

Every summer I make my son read at least 2 novels of my choosing and then he has to write a report on them for my review. This year I have chosen this as the second of the 2 books. Mockingbird was his first one. He is reading that one currently.

I was tempted to give this book a 4.5 rating. But I don't do partial ratings. You know why? Have you ever seen half a spider? Ok...I'm sure you have...but I bet it wasn't pretty...and I don't want no ugly half spiders lurking on my blog ok?

My rating?

4 super scribble spiders out of 5!

Review of Bumped by Megan McCafferty

~When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.~

Does anyone remember Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield from the Sweet Valley High series? I certainly do (of course I am probably aging myself by saying that). I think Megan McCafferty remembers them as well because her set of twins in Bumped, Melody and Harmony, sure seem an awful lot like those two.

First off we have the annoying and snobby Jessica Melody.

Then we have the more down to Earth Elizabeth Harmony.

To make matters worse, a good chunk of the story reminds me of the Sweet Valley High novel where Elizabeth meets and kind of falls for some young celebrity guy.

I hate to say it, but it was horribad. The only reason I finished it was because it was one of the choices for my YA Summer Challenge. Most people on my friends list couldn't believe I forced myself all the way to the end. I could hardly believe it myself.

And of course this author is going to try to milk it. She gives it one of those horrible endings I hate and leaves so much more open that she hopes people will still come back to read the next 1-2 books, bad writing be damned.

It's hard enough to wrap my head around a story where girls (between the ages of 11-18 tops) are glamorized for having babies for adult couples who apparently no long can have their own due to some disease that hits you when you become an adult. But when the writing is THIS BAD and the characters are THIS DULL, well then it's just torture.

The one redeeming part of the whole book is the character Zen, who is Melody's best friend. He obviously wants to be more than friends with Melody, but she is saving herself so she can sell her "birthing years" off to the highest bidder. 

It's really sickening...

I'm glad I only bought it as an Ebook. I'd beat myself for paying that much for a hardcover of this trash.

I thought about ranking it a 1, but I didn't completely hate it, it did have a few good parts here and there, just not many of them. It really just rubbed me the wrong way a lot of times. But I'll most likely read the next one just to find out what happens after that dreaded cliffhanger...

My rating?

2 sulky scribble spiders out of 5.

Review of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

~In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past?and figuring out a way to survive in the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves?and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love-the light and the dark, the warm and the cold-in a way you will never forget.~



I have been waiting to read this book since I devoured the first novel in this series, Shiver. I was so impressed with the author's mature writing style and unique take on werewolves (shifters really) that I couldn't put that first book down until it was finished. I was nervous wondering if Linger could live up to the standards that Shiver had built up.

The answer was yes. Hell yes.

I was slightly disappointed to learn that the book would not be immediately available for Kobo.I am finding that usually one has to wait at least a week or more for newer books to be available for purchase. For some books this is fine, but for Linger it was not.

I was actually quite surprised to see the hardcover edition available for purchase at Chapters earlier than the noted release date of July 20th. This made me ecstatic and I scooped it up eagerly on my weekly Saturday visit, lured in by its gently glowing green cover. I even had to buy myself a new wolf bookmark, slightly tinted green just for this particular book. Can you say OCD much?

Upon opening the book as soon as I arrived home I was tickled pink (well green actually) to discover the text of the whole novel matched the lovely green colour of the cover. Something so small, yet so amazing I couldn't tear my eyes from the pages. (Luckily I didn't buy this on the Kobo as I would have missed that nifty little tidbit.)

Once again, Stiefvater's writing creates images so vivid its more like watching a movie play inside my head than reading a book. I am a huge fan of her rotating first-person narration. The story just wouldn't be the same with any other narration technique. It can sometimes be a little disorienting shifting to another person's viewpoint in the middle of a chapter, but the characters are so clear you quickly pick up who is telling the story (together with the person's name being noted at the beginning of each new section).

The only negative comment I have is the sense of the dreaded cliffhanger the reader is left with at the end of the novel. I notice more and more authors, especially YA authors, are using this to pull in their readers and leave them hanging with their tongues out for the next installment. I don't find this necessary at all. Shiver did not end this way and I was still so eager to get my claws into this book. In fact being left this way makes me more angry and less likely to want to read anything more by this author because I don't like the feeling of being held hostage. Vampire Academy's Richelle Mead has also recently jumped on this bandwagon (luckily only for her second to last book) and it drives me insane!

But beyond all that I have to give credit where it is due. Maggie Stiefvater is a very talented writer who brings stories to life for her readers. I certainly do suggest reading this series to anyone who loves wolves, good young romance tales, and amazingly good writing.

My rating?

4 super scribble spiders out of 5!