SERIES: Carsington Brothers by Loretta Chase
GENRE: Historical Romance
BOOKS PUBLISHED: 5

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Christal’s Review - 4.5 Skulls – A

Warning: This review may contain spoilers for the first book in this series, Archetype.

Prototype was an amazing sequel and I loved how it wrapped up everything in the Archetype duology.  There were some very surprising aspects in this entry, some I saw coming and some I was completely blindsided by.  I loved the action, the romance, the science, and the characters.  M.D. Waters has written a phenomenal set of books and I highly recommend them to science fiction readers looking for a unique story with a hint of romance.

In Archetype, we met Emma and learned that she was a clone created after her host dies.  She was taken in by Declan, her husband by law, but soon learned she was actually a member of the resistance and truly married to Noah, the love of her life.  Emma 2.0, as she is referred to in Prototype, understandably has a difficult time reconciling herself with the idea that she is just a copy.  She can’t be the “real” Emma and, after learning the truth about Declan and the cloning process, she decides to leave Noah to try to find her parents, find herself.  Prototype picks up a year after Emma left.  I do not recommend reading this installment without first having read Archetype.  M.D. Waters does a fantastic job of providing refresher information without it feeling shoe-horned in, but you will miss all of Emma’s personal struggles and true feelings towards everything that has happened to her if you skip the first book.

In Prototype, Emma has not been successful in finding her parents and unexpected circumstances finally force her to return to the resistance camp and, more specifically, to Noah and Adrienne.  We see more of the internal struggle Emma faces about wanting to be with Noah, but knowing she is not his Emma.  She wants him to love her for her, not because she wears the same face as his dead wife.  Emma also has to adapt to being around her daughter who she loves instantly.  She wants to be a mother to her, but she’s not sure how or even if she has the right.  Externally, Emma is still being hunted by Declan, who she suspects is now also a clone, and she continues to search for her parents.  On top of everything, the original clones have started dying and no one can seem to figure out why.  As Emma’s nightmares become harder and harder for her to wake from, she begins to wonder if they are actually death coming for her too…

I absolutely adore Emma.  I think she is a wonderful, sympathetic character and even when she is making stupid decisions, I still just want to hug her.  She has almost no memories of her life before, but the people around her remember and of course they have expectations.  I really connected with Emma’s struggle to be her own person in the face of those expectations and just wanted her to have the opportunity to live her life.  Everyone around her was trying to guide her or control her, but she could take care of herself – thank you very much.  In Prototype, we get to see her make friends and experience real love — she gets to be a mother.  These relationships are hers, not Emma 1.0′s, but real relationships based on others accepting her as a clean slate.

Prototype also deals with the complicated feelings between Emma and Noah.  While everything ends in a very satisfying way, I just wanted them to get there quicker.  I know, I know, there were plenty of people and issues keeping them apart, but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that they should be together.  Noah might have had a hard time accepting Emma 2.0 as Emma or even as her own person in the first book, but here he has come to realize how wonderful she truly is and to cherish her in a different way than he did his first wife because they are different people.

There are also some fantastic new characters in Prototype.  We still have sweet, loyal Foster and nasty Dr. Sonya, but we also add some new soldiers and even a new doctor to the equation.  My favorite new characters were Leigh and Miles, two soldiers who Emma befriends.  Emma 1.0 apparently couldn’t stand them, but Emma 2.0 forms a deep friendship with each of them.  Leigh was a needed confidant for Emma and Miles helped Emma search for her family, all the while keeping her spirits up with his inappropriate humor.  Dr. Malcolm is a new geneticist brought to the resistance to help them study the cloning process.  He’s a little quirky and childlike in his unwavering trust, but he was dedicated to help Emma and all the other clones in the process.  The last two characters I really enjoyed were only around for a short snippet, but I could see them becoming a part of Emma’s family in the future.  Peter was a former resistance fighter that opened his home to Emma during her year on the run.  He never asked anything of her or tried to pressure her into anything, he was just simply content to be her friend.  The other character, Colonel Updike, had a very close relationship with Emma 1.0 but, unfortunately, Emma 2.0 can’t remember him.  Even though they have to start over, it is obvious that he cares for her just as much as he did her host and may become something of a father figure to Emma.  Most of the other characters we meet are rather mean to Emma, but we do solve the mystery of her parents.  I have to say I was surprised by the reveal, even though I should have seen it coming.  I think it worked well within the context of the story and I think M.D. Waters left things with them on a hopeful note.

While the majority of Prototype is devoted to Emma and her more personal, pressing issues, it does still tackle the cloning process and the way women and girls are treated in general.  Strides are made for clone rights and the entire program itself comes under scrutiny.  The Women Training Centers (WTC) are looked at more closely and decisions about their futures are made.  While there were no complete 180° turns made, the first steps to women’s freedom in the East look possible.  I would love to follow this society as it continues to develop and change.

Prototype and its predecessor Archetype are definitely on my favorite books of 2014 list.  The plots are complex, the characters are lovingly flawed, the politics are dastardly, and the science is interesting.  While I am happy for Emma and the way her story ended, I would very much enjoy returning to this world in the future if M.D. Waters decides to make another trip.  Again, I highly recommend these book to science fiction readers or really anyone looking for a compelling and complex look into one woman’s journey through an unfamiliar and unwelcoming world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton Adult for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  + ½

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

 
Now is a great time to get into comics and graphic novels!  DC and Marvel both relaunched many of their titles with new #1 issues in the past few years, The New 52 and Marvel Now! respectively, and independently published comics are continuously producing profound and unique stories.  With SDCC right around the corner and Marvel’s announcement last week that a woman would be taking up the mantle of Thor, I thought it would be a perfect time to take a look at some graphic novels that feature strong female characters. These are some of my personal favorites, but I would love to hear of any I have missed. Hit me up in the comments!

Wonder Woman (DC)

Of course I have to start with my oldest favorite and probably most well-known comic on this list, Wonder Woman!  She’s been reimagined now as the daughter of Hippolyta and the god Zeus, but she’s still the same ol’ badass.  She’s also in a relationship with Superman (uck, WW + Batman = 4 ever!) which has spawned its own comic series, Superman/Wonder Woman, and I enjoy it too but her personal title is still my favorite.

Batgirl (DC)

Another long-time favorite of mine is Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl.  While I loved her as Oracle in Birds of Prey, I do admit it was nice to see Babs put the cowl back on, especially with the extraordinary Gail Simone at the helm.  While I do have hopes we might see Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain reemerge in the future, I am enjoying my time with Barbara again.  A new writer (and costume) is coming to the series in the fall, so I think the tone will be a little lighter but still kicking plenty of butt.

Other notable DC comics include: Batwoman, Birds of Prey, Teen Titans, Harley Quinn, Voodoo, Justice League Dark, Sword of Sorcery and World’s Finest.

Captain Marvel (Marvel)

Carol Danvers is a fighter pilot turned part-alien superhero.  She’s part of the Avengers most of the time (most recently billed as Earth’s Mightiest Avenger!) but her solo adventures are really where it’s at.  Captain Marvel is a renaming of the character most might have known as Ms. Marvel.  The reboot kept her Air Force rank, Captain, and so she became Captain Marvel.  Carol is a great character, very strong and driven, but she’s also dealing with some serious personal issues.  I’m enjoying her quest to learn more about her alien side.

Ms. Marvel (Marvel)

So, what happened to the character of Ms. Marvel if Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel?  Well, she became an average Muslim teenager living in Jersey City!  Kamala Khan suddenly gains unexpected powers and decides to use them to help others.  Her idol has always been Carol Danvers so she takes over the mantle of Ms. Marvel.  This is such a clever series and I love that Kamala is different from the typical superheroes.

Other notable Marvel comics include: All-New X-Men, The Fearless Defenders, Guardians of the Galaxy, Secret Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Black Widow, Avengers Assemble, Avengers, Elektra, The Fearless Defenders, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hawkeye, Journey Into Mystery, She-Hulk, Uncanny X-Men, X-Men and Young Avengers.

Saga (Image)

Marko and Alana are the Romeo and Juliet of space, two soldiers from opposite sides of a galactic war that fall in love.  Don’t let that simple tagline fool you though, this is a beautiful story about two parents that risk everything for love and family.  Fiona Staples has created some gorgeous art in these pages and Brian K. Vaughan will break your heart, rebuild it, and then break it again.

Rat Queens (Image)

Rat Queens is completely unlike any graphic novel I’ve read before!  The Rat Queens are a group of four alcoholic, deadly battle maidens-for-hire and they sell their services to the highest bidder.  This is a hilarious dark comedy send up of the sword-and-sorcery genre and I love all the main characters.It’s been described as “Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack” and I would say that is a pretty apt description!

Other notable indie comics include: Sex Criminals, Pretty Deadly, Lazarus, Red Sonja, Alex + Ada, Lumberjanes, Fatale, Rachel Rising, and Fairest.

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

D.G.’s Rating – 4.5 skulls: A-

Why have I never heard of this book before? It amazes me that as involved as I am with the book world, I still miss gems like The Rosie Project, a quirky, funny, feel good story with a great message: how to understand others by seeing things from their point of view.

Don Tillman likes women but they don’t seem to like him back. Even though he’s tall, fit, financially stable and  resembles Gregory Peck (see picture to the right), women have never given him a second chance.   Probably because personality wise, he’s more Sheldon Cooper than Atticus Finch. He’s very smart, rigid, scientifically minded with every minute of his life  governed by a schedule. He also has problems reading facial expressions and social cues to the point where he’s very awkward and stilted in social situations. He’s given up on dating until a friend’s comment makes him realize that he needs a new approach to finding a wife. Thus Don embarks in the Wife Project where he will use:

A scientifically valid instrument to filter out the time wasters, the disorganized, the ice cream discriminators, the visual harassment complainers, the crystal gazers, the horoscope readers, the fashion obsessives, the religious fanatics, the vegans, the sports watchers, the creationists, the smokers, the scientific illiterate, the homeopaths.”

Given his small list of requirements, it’s no surprise that it takes Don some time to find Wife Project candidates. In the meantime, he meets Rosie, a smoking, always late barmaid, who’s looking for the identity of her biological father. Immediately he realizes she’s not Wife Project material but something makes him want to help her.

As Don starts meeting prospective women for the Wife Project and helping Rosie with her quest, hilarious situations ensue. In his school days, Don was the unwitting class clown and as he grew up, he intentionally cultivated a tendency for appearing ridiculous. He’s used to standing out but not in a good way. He knows people are laughing AT him but this is one of the few ways in which he feels he can relate to others. That’s why I loved when a stranger in New York puts him at ease after noticing a change in his behavior that would have made others laugh at him. Instead, this stranger lets him know he’s in the right place:

You know what I like about New York?” he said. “There are so many weird people that nobody takes any notice. We all just, fit right in.”

(I particularly loved this scene because it shows the real nature of New Yorkers. We are always in a rush and we don’t have the time for pleasentries but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t nice. You just have to get to know us.)

From the beginning, Don finds himself acting out of character with Rosie, doing things that otherwise he would have never done (like hacking into a restaurant reservations system.) Being with Rosie, Don experiences the best times of his life, learns the fun of being spontaneous and trying new things.

Hurtling back to town in a red Porsche, driven by a beautiful woman with a song playing, I had the sense of standing on the brink of the world.”

At some point, Don dresses as Atticus Finch, who according to Rosie “is the sexiest man who’s ever lived.” On the surface this is about impressing Rosie, but it’s a clever reminder of what Atticus Finch stood for and his advice to his daughter in To Kill a Mockingbird: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”  Even though you may think this book is about others learning to understand Don, it’s really the opposite. Towards the end, Don puts himself in the shoes of people who have given him grief including the Dean and a couple of students and he makes some compromises that he would have never considered before. It’s really moving.

The narration was outstanding. I don’t like Aussie accents particularly – forgot to mention that the book is set in Australia – but I enjoyed the narration nevertheless. Dan O’Grady portrayed the very excentric but brilliant Don so well, with his unconventional ways, formal speech, love of drinking and scientific approach to life.

I was very happy to hear there will be a sequel, coming out at the end of the year. I recommend this book highly – if you like your humor with a dose of romance, then this is definitely for you.

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Magic Bites – Book 1 | Kindle $1.99 + $1.99 for Audiobook
When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles. The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Magic Burns – Book 2 | Kindle $1.99 + $1.99 for Audiobook 
As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…

Magic Strikes – Book 3 | Kindle $1.99 + $1.99 for Audiobook
Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.

But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games—an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament—she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community…

Magic Bleeds - Book  4 | Kindle $1.99 + $1.99 for Audiobook
Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose.

Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle – especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community. When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers that there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years – and who rode to war at the side of Kate’s father. This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time Kate will be taking on family.

Magic Slays – Book  5 | Kindle $1.99 + $1.99 for Audiobook
Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

Magic Rises – Book 6 | Kindle $1.99 + $3.49 for Audiobook
Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

The Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge was Adult for July so we decided on a historical mystery that was definitely meant for adult readers! Christal has loved the Maggie Hope Mystery series from the very beginning but now AH is a convert too. Read on to see why we think you should give this series a try.

The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal
Book #4 in A Maggie Hope Mystery
Genres: Adult Historical Mystery
Publication Date: July 1st 2014
ARC Provided by Edelweiss and Bantam

AH and Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – B+

The Maggie Hope Mystery series takes us back to WWII and weaves some history learning into fascinating mystery plots.  Maggie Hope is a British-born, American-raised young woman trying to do her part to help England in the war effort.  Everything hasn’t been sunshine and roses for Maggie and this book, The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent, finds her in Scotland as an instructor and being haunted by her black dog — depression.  AH and I really enjoyed this book; read on to see why!

___________________________________________

AH - OK Christal, why didn’t you tell me to read this series before? I really liked this book. I could not put this book down.

Christal - I’ve mentioned this series before — y’all just didn’t listen to me! It’s fabulous though, right? I love Maggie.

AH - I think that I have a soft spot for strong female characters, especially when it comes to stories about women in WWII. Add in some sleuthing and I’m a happy camper.

Christal - Maggie is a very strong character, even after everything she’s been through in the previous books. Actually, the whole cast of these novels in very strong and I love that no one goes forgotten. Everyone pops back up now and then.

AH - The reference to Commander Ian Fleming at the beginning of the book surprised me. That to me, added some authenticity to this book. And get this – he asks for a martini – shaken, not stirred! Loved it! It really set the tone for the novel and the time frame.

Christal - Oh yes, there are several “real people” cameos in these books and they are always great. Some are a little more “wink wink nudge nudge” than others, like the Fleming. Perfect!

AH - I loved how the story was told with the backdrop of the historical events leading up to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The details of this period fascinate me. It’s really hard to imagine for us modern-day folk used to instant messaging just how much time and effort went into getting messages around. Microdots? The Enigma machine? Shuttle diplomacy across the ocean? Incredible.

Christal - Most definitely! I have had the chance to interview Susan Elia MacNeal and she does a ton of research for these books. People, places, and events that I have never even heard of show up and it becomes a jumping off point for me to go and do my own research.

AH - I didn’t read the earlier books so I didn’t have all of Maggie’s background. The author did a good job of recapping, so don’t feel that you absolutely need to read the series in order. If you do, I’m sure that you will pick up on some things that I missed like Maggie’s obsession with keeping The Black Dog away.

Christal - The recaps in this series are pretty good, but I do think you miss something without all the background information. Maggie is already very different from the girl in the first book so I think the books are richer when you have that history with her.

AH - Maggie was a fascinating character. She would make an awesome CSI agent. I loved her tenacity and her attention to details. I liked how her mind never stopped analyzing details, like when she found the dead sheep and how she was able to solve a murder mystery as well.

Christal - Definitely, she has matured and changed throughout these books and is finally starting to realize the severe outcomes some of her choices may have. She’s becoming more accountable to herself and others and is thinking things through more. Of course she’s not against a good “winging it,” but I think she is starting to have more personal accountability for her mission and her love for both England and America.

AH - What did you think of K? Sounds like a very good secret agent name, but K was Maggie’s cat. Or maybe Maggie was K’s pet, who knows? A toilet-trained cat? Who knew something like that existed?

Christal - I loved K and I think he was the perfect companion for Maggie at that point in her life.

AH - What did you think of Clara? Were those multiple personalities a ploy to get out of her predicament?

Christal - I do not trust Maggie’s mother farther than I could throw her. I think the personalities were probably faked, but I am much more interested in learning about her relationship with Peter Frain. I am interested in the book Ms. MacNeal used for research into alleged mind control though, The Control of Candy Jones by Donald Bain.

AH - Overall, this is a solid book in the series and I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of the books.

Christal - I’m glad you enjoyed this book and I do hope you get to read the others. I’m looking forward to Maggie being back on American soil in the next book and hopefully being introduced to her aunt finally!

Be sure to join us next month for our paranormal read!

AH and Christal’s Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. Mr. Churchill’s Secretary
2. Princess Elizabeth’s Spy
3. His Majesty’s Hope
4. The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent

Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge Schedule:

January – Young Adult
February – Contemporary
March – Urban Fantasy
April – Middle Grade
May – Dystopian
June – High Fantasy
July – Adult
August – Paranormal
September – Romance
October – Sci-Fi
November – Historical Fiction
December – New Adult

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Release Day Review: Into the Shadows by Carolyn Crane
Release date: July 16, 2014
Book 3 in The Associates series
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book provided by the author

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

Wow. This was a thrill ride. If you have not yet started Ms. Crane’s The Associates series, you don’t know what you are missing. This is the third book in that series, however you can read each book as a standalone without really missing any important details.

In this installment, Thorne has infiltrated the Hangman gang and is presently number 2 in control. His deep cover is jeopardized by a series of thefts at some of the gang’s warehouses. Thorne needs to find Victor Volkov’s CD detailing all of his gang businesses. Problem is, Victor’s daughter Nadia found the CD and is using it to find her mother, who is being held in a gang run sweat shop.

Thorne works alone which is probably an asset in his world. He idolizes Bruce Lee and uses many of his idol’s moves in order to prepare and accomplish his dealings. I liked those Bruce Lee moments – they were very Zen-like. Thorne has a damaged past – he watched his sister die and then was left to die in the desert, surrounded by scorpions.

Nadia Volkov aka The Party Princess has her own agenda. She has assembled a team and they are raiding sweat shops and freeing the women. Each raid puts Nadia closer to finding her mother, yet they also put her in increased danger. Nadia’s raids also put Thorne in danger as he is the prime suspect for the raids.

Thorne and Nadia have a torrid past and when they meet again, their attraction is still there. The sexual tension sizzles as the two of them try to deny their feelings. Plus there’s secrets!

This was a smoking hot read. Thorne is clearly in love with Nadia, but he is unable to express that love. He calls his feelings for Nadia “lovehate” and he plays all sorts of games where he calls himself a loser. In the past, Nadia played along, but she’s looking for more.

If you enjoy romantic suspense novels and have not yet started this series, what are you waiting for?

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Against the Dark
2. Off the Edge
3. Into the Shadows

Thank you to Carolyn Crane for a review copy of this book.

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Christal’s Review - 2.5 Skulls – C-

The Half Life of Molly Pierce almost lost me at the very beginning.  Everything seemed so slow-moving and boring that I didn’t know if this would be a book for me.  I decided to stick it out and it ended up being better than I thought, but it was missing that special something, that literary spark, for me.

Molly has been having blackouts for about a year and it’s like pieces of her life are just missing.  She starts out in one place, loses consciousness, and wakes up somewhere else.  When she witnesses a motorcycle accident, she can’t help but feel like she recognizes the dying rider and he seems to recognize her too.  The only problem is he calls her Mabel.  Have they met before?  And who is Mabel?  Molly is determined to find out.

Molly was a bit wishy-washy for me.  I felt bad for her memory losses, but most of the time I was just frustrated with her.  We are supposed to suspect that she has a form of clinical depression, but Katrina Leno never does more than hint at the diagnosis and doesn’t really explain how it affects Molly.  The other characters in the book were pretty bland as well — parents, siblings, friends — except I did like Molly’s therapist Alex.  I actually found the two boys that reveal themselves to be part of Molly’s “half-life” kind of creepy.  I’m not sure how they could have been comfortable keeping a secret like that.  As a matter of fact, everyone suspecting Molly’s secret but keeping it from her weirded me out.

Overall, The Half Life of Molly Pierce was missing a lot of depth for me to really recommend.  There was no real precipitating event and there didn’t seem to be any real meaning at the end.  I never felt like there was a real point to Molly’s story or a reason that I should sympathize with her.  Also, this book read very “young” to me.  I enjoy a lot of YA fiction, but this book didn’t have a lot of crossover appeal.  Other readers might like this book much more than I did, but all I can say is read a sample or check it out of the library just to be safe.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  + ½

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

New Release Review: Child of a Hidden Sea by A.M. Dellamonica
Release date: June 24, 2014
Genre: Fantasy
Book 1 of a 3 book trilogy
Book provided by NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

Sometimes searching for your biological family is not the best idea after all. Take Sophie Hansa, for example. Upon finding her biological family nearby in San Francisco, Sophie gets caught up in their world which is literally an alternate universe. Sophie and her newly found Aunt Gale get transported to Stromwrack, a world made up of many islands circling a sea. Stormwrack is a magical place, full of different flora and fauna from that of our world. The world is free of technology and pollution free.

Sophie’s accidental arrival in this world sets off a chain of events where Sophie learns about her biological family and her place in this world.

I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed this book. Based on the cover, I was expecting a young adult novel. Thankfully, Child of a Hidden Sea was not a young adult novel. No teenage angst, no love triangles – Yay!

The writing is quite clever. Upon returning to Stormwrack, Sophie is accompanied by her geeky brother Bram. Bram’s presence grounds Sophie and he makes some observations with references to popular science fiction movies and TV series:

“It’s a little like we’re playing with someone else’s international politics.” He chuckled. ” Breaking the Prime Directive.”

Sophie, upon finding out that her biological father wants to meet her:

“Found my father, eek, what if he’s Darth Vader or something?”

I loved Sophie and her brother Bram. I mean, imagine dropping off a scientist in a new world. Sophie was in heaven filming all sorts of new plants and animals. I loved how she recruited the native children to help her find new plant and animal life as well. So resourceful.

The world of Stormwrack is so very imaginative. Picture a world without technology, huge sailing ships, and magical sea monsters – large tentacled guard sea monsters. The society is structured as a showy, litigious group. There’s a lot invested in honor and proper decorum. The magic is intriguing, relying on inscriptions based upon a person’s full name.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite lines. Picture Sophie forced to wear an old fashioned princess dress:

“I wish I had a princess shoe so I could stomp my foot in style.”

Child of a Hidden Sea was a pleasure to read. It was full of action, magic, and swashbuckling adventure. I can’t wait until the next book!

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for a review copy of this book

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – A-

The Vanishing Season is one novel that I think will actually be hurt by its back copy.  It doesn’t accurately portray the haunting story of Maggie and her friends, Pauline and Liam.  This book really isn’t a mystery as the murders just add tension to the story without being a focal point.  There is a ghost, but it isn’t really a ghost story either.  What it becomes is a character study about a small town and its people, isolated by cold and fear, coping as best they can with life and the challenges it brings.  It’s a story that focuses on Maggie, in particular – a young girl who is searching for her place, beaten down a little bit by life but still hopeful for the future.

I fell in love with Jodi Lynn Anderson’s Tiger Lily last year and I think that same loneliness or “outsider” element that made that book so successful for me is also evident in The Vanishing Season.  This is a slice-of-life story where very little actually happens, but Ms. Anderson’s prose and the depths of her characters’ emotions are so beautiful that I just didn’t care.  This is a very quiet story about growing up and not getting what you want or what you expected.  This is a story about love, loss, friendship, jealousy, and most of all, growing up.

When Maggie’s parents move to the small town of Gill Creek, she feels like she will be an outsider until she leaves for college but is trying to put a good spin on everything for her parents’ sakes.  They have hit hard times financially and are hoping their time in Gill Creek will turn things around.  Maggie develops a complicated relationship with the beautiful, wealthy girl next door, Pauline, and her childhood friend, Liam.  Pauline and Liam have a complicated history between them, plus problems of their own stemming mostly from parental issues.  This causes a complex dynamic between the three friends that I found to be fascinating and distressing.  The characters act in ways that infuriated and disgusted me but, in the end, I couldn’t help caring about all of them.

A small thing I loved about The Vanishing Season was Maggie’s parents and their relationship.  It broke my heart to see them so dedicated to her and to each other, but to not be able to provide for her the way they would like.  They have so much love between them and genuinely care and respect one another, but it still hurts them when they can’t express it monetarily.  This exchange in particular just about killed me:

Maggie stopped suddenly [...] struck by a dress in the window. [...] Maggie was mesmerized by it.  It was the colors she loved; it was rare for them to be just right, but in this case, they were perfect.

“I want that so much, it hurts,” she said to her dad.

Her dad leaned close, and she realized he was trying to read the price tag.  She leaned in beside him. “Whoa,” she said.

“The blue one’s cheaper,” he offered hopefully.  Suddenly she felt guilty for mentioning it.  Just to be polite, she looked closer at the blue one too.  It was cheaper, but still too expensive for them, even despite its ugliness.  “Actually, they’re not that great,” she said, covering. “I didn’t realize it was airplanes; I thought it was birds.  Never mind.”

She started to walk away and her dad followed, but, glancing back, she could see the pain on his face.  She wanted to kick herself.

[...] She had to do better, she knew.  She had to take care of her parents just like they’d always taken care of her.

The Vanishing Season is a subdued, slow-moving novel that I found entrancing.  It won’t work for all readers and the back cover is seriously misleading, but I think there is a beautiful yet harsh story here.  Things don’t end the way we want them to and my heart was breaking by the last page, but it was realistic.  Jodi Lynn Anderson gives us a gentle, nuanced character study that forces us to face the harsher truths of reality but wraps it in some of the most moving prose I’ve read this year.  This is a dreamy, atmospheric story to get lost in and is the perfect read for in front of the fire, warm and safe from the snow falling outside.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Dirty Wings by Sarah McCarry
Book #2 in All Our Pretty Songs

Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – B+

Dirty Wings answered questions from All Our Pretty Songs that I didn’t even know I had!  I mean that in a good way; it addressed situations and issues that I didn’t realize were so meaningful in the first book, giving it much deeper layers.  Though it seemed less fantastical than the debut, Dirty Wings was definitely an important chapter in the overall story and helped ground two characters that were more secondary in the previous book.  Though this book could be read as a standalone, the experience will be much richer if you read both.  This prequel novel was so good that it made me dig out the previous book so I could give it another once over.

Cass and Maia were the mothers of the main characters in All Our Pretty Songs and we learned a little about them and their strained friendship, but not much about their history.  Dirty Wings is their story and the events here lay the groundwork for the previous book.  Maia was a sheltered piano prodigy — adopted and provided for but never certain if she was actually loved.  Cass was a runaway, scraping by on the streets.  You wouldn’t think they had anything in common, but a decision to steal away one summer created a lifetime friendship.  As Maia ran from her parents, their expectations, and her music, Cass was just content to be with her.  They have a pretty idyllic summer, going from concert-to-concert, beach-to-beach, and popping pill after pill.  They are happy and carefree and secure in their friendship until Jason appears and draws Maia away.  Now Cass is on the outside looking in and she can’t help feeling jealous.  One bad choice could cause her to lose everything that she loves…

I loved following the developing friendship and love between Maia and Cass.  Though they were from completely different worlds, they were both searching for somewhere to fit, someone to love them.  Dirty Wings tells the story of their burgeoning friendship, but it also skips ahead to the end of the story and shows us why Maia and Cass’ relationship ends up combusting.

Maia has never had the opportunity to live her own life.  She’s always spent her time fulfilling someone else’s ideals.  Cass allows her to be herself and to explore the edges of her comfort without judgement.  Cass grounds her and saves Maia from her personal darkness.  Cass has toughened herself to avoid pain and thinks her shell makes her bulletproof, but Maia’s friendship shows her she is still vulnerable.  Maia’s love gives her self-worth and Cass’ devotion to Maia gives her something good in her life.

When Jason enters the picture in Dirty Wings, he upsets the beautiful balance Maia and Cass have created.  He claims Maia’s love for his own and Maia is swept away in the moment.  Once the shine begins to dim, you can see that Maia never truly abandoned Cass but their relationship has become strained.  Cass is still the most important person in her life, even Jason sees that and is threatened by it, but Cass feels like she has to let Maia go.  Maia has grown and blossomed into her own person and, even though she would never admit it, Cass has been changed by Maia’s love.  They are moving forward together but experiencing it in different ways and that scares Cass into making some not so great decisions.

Dirty Wings has the same gorgeous, lush prose as All Our Pretty Songs, but the mystical elements are a little more tame here.  We are introduced to the entity we will come to know as Minos, but here he regulates himself mostly to Maia and Cass’ dreams.  Though he does materialize more fully toward the end of the book, we know that it is only possible because of the choices Cass made throughout the story.  Cass was the pivot point for everything that happened and will happen in this fascinating and engrossing world.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Christal’s Review - 3.5 Skulls – C+

I’m a big fan of Kelly Meade (aka Kelly Meding); her urban fantasy series, Dreg City, is one of my favorites and I thought her superhero science fiction series, Meta Wars, was wonderfully inventive and unique. I liked Black Rook just fine, but itdidn’t quite live up to her other series for me.  It wasn’t bad by any means – it just didn’t have that “wow” factor for me that I’ve come to expect from Ms. Meade.  It was a quick and enjoyable read and I will definitely continue with the other books in the series though.

Black Rook sets up the Cornerstone Run Trilogy and gives us the main characters and conflict that we will be following throughout the series.  First, we have the Magi or magic users.  Brynn is a low-level magus who has visions of the future from time to time.  When she sees her father dead and a man standing over his body, she decides to figure out who he is.  This leads us to the loup garou, werewolves, and more specifically, the McQueen family.  The McQueens, father and three sons, lead the Cornerstone Run or pack and are all loup garous.  Brynn finds out the man in her visions is youngest son Rook McQueen, but he doesn’t even know her father let alone have a reason to kill him.  Brynn and Rook has an undeniable spark and begin to learn from each other about their respective lives.  When another loup garou run is attacked not far from Cornerstone, scent impressions from other loups, vampires, and a magus are found.  Why would these three different groups be working together when they can barely tolerate one another and what reason do they have for attacking the run?  Brynn and the McQueens must work together to unravel the mystery and it goes deeper than any of them could imagine…

I really enjoyed the world building in Black Rook.  Though many things followed familiar elements, Kelly Meade did add some very interesting and unique aspects to her world.  I especially enjoyed the different werewolf fur colors corresponding to different roles in their societies.  Gray is the most common color and they make up the majority of the run.  Black is much more rare, usually the first-born child, and designates the leaders of the run.  Black wolves are usually stronger, faster, and more aggressive — great traits for a run Alpha.  White wolves are very rare and are born with a specific gift.  They are able to take on the emotions of those around them and help them to become more stable and even-tempered.  The only drawback is that it can be both physically and psychologically difficult for the white wolves.  The Magi weren’t as fleshed out for me as the loup garou so I am hoping we might learn a little more about them in the forthcoming books.

Brynn and Rook were fine, but I did find them to be a little bland on their own.  Rook was the more interesting of the two for me because of his struggles as the youngest child and a black wolf.  His oldest brother was raised to be Alpha but when Rook came along, that all became questionable.  There is an interesting dynamic between Rook and Bishop because of it and I really enjoyed seeing that play out.  I still have some questions about the Magi and I think that took away from Brynn’s character for me.  I would have liked to see her gain more control over her visions as Black Rook went on, but maybe that will come in time.  The romance between the two came on fast, but it was also pushed by a lot of danger and conflict.  I do think they fit together and have found something they were both missing previously.  My favorite character in the story was the middle McQueen son and white wolf, Knight.  I can’t wait for his story and to learn more about the white wolf abilities.

All in all, Black Rook was a promising start to this new series if not terribly unique.  The premise has room to grow over the next two books and each brother was introduced well-enough to carry their own story.  I will be reading the rest of the Cornerstone Run Trilogy, but I will also continue to hope that Kelly Meade has something surprising up her sleeve.

Thank you to InterMix and Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  + ½

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Shattered by Kevin Hearne

D.G’s Rating – 2.5 skulls: C

Shattered is definitiely the worst book in this series. Instead of a cohesive story, we have almost 3 novellas told from different POVs: Granuaile, Atticus and Owen, with ocassional intervention by one another to tie the whole thing together. It just didn’t work. Granuiele has become a less interesting version of Atticus and the Arch Druid is a new character, so I didn’t care being so much in his head.

The story starts after Atticus wakes up his Arch Druid to the fact that he’s been frozen for 2,000 years. Some hilarious moments ensue but after Owen finds his feet, they soon go their separate ways. Granuaile, for her part, finds out that her father has been posessed and goes to India to try to rescue him.

The plot is so disjointed that it’s not even worth to go into it. Things came together at the end reasonably well but you can tell this is just a filler book to set up future ones. Definitely not worth the hardcover price.

Atticus and Granuaile are the blandest couple in UF, bar none. They barely thought about one another during the whole book and they shared more feelings with their own dogs. I was shocked that Atticus would let her confront the issues with her father on her own…what kind of man is this? And don’t tell me that he’s supposed to trust she can take care of herself, blah, blah, blah. She’s a new Druid and she’s facing demons. And even if she was a hand at this, he’s supposed to be her man and she’s trying to save her freaking father! Don’t you think she could use some help? Or even somebody to share her worries? Can you imagine Kate telling Curran: “Honey, I need to save a person I love from demons. I know I came out of supernatural school just a few months ago, but hey! A woman you don’t trust will be helping me! You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll text you!!” Can you imagine Curran agreeing to such a thing? Couples are supposed to support each other, to share the good and the bad. As it is, Granuile pretty much has to trust her dog with her problems because Atticus isn’t around.

The sections with Owen were more interesting, as he has a funny way of looking at things. Unbelievably, we know more of the feelings of this primitive man (remember, he has been frozen for 2,000 years) than Atticus and Granuaile’s. At some point, Owen meets a woman he likes and he wonders if they could have a relationship, and there’s a touching scene where he realizes he could have been a better teacher to Atticus. It’s a great contrast with Atticus and Granuaile, which are an emotional black hole. They don’t feel like a couple at all but more like colleagues who work together and have to consult with each other now and then.

I really hope we don’t see multiple POVs in the series again. Granuaile has become so boring that her sections were painful. She’s now a watered down version of Atticus but with lots less experience: she’s s Druid, she talks to the Earth, she shapeshifts, she has a dog (who unlike Oberon is completely uninteresting). I now understand why in some UF series couples are from different races because that creates some tension. I’ve been wondering if the author is just planning to kill her off, because right now, I don’t see that she’s serving much of a purpose.

I’ve been preordering the books in this series for a couple of years now but I think this will be my last preoder. I’ll probably continue the series, but I think I’ll wait and read reviews before continuing.

Series Reading Order:
1. Hounded
2. Hexed
3. Hammered
3.5 A Test of Mettle
4. Tricked
4.5 Two Ravens and One Crow
5. Trapped
6. Hunted

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Threatened by Eliot Schrefer
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Animal Story
Publication Date: February 25th 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Wendy’s Review – 4 Skulls – B

“Human’s will break your heart,” Prof said.  “The same selfishness that makes so many of us hurt the ones we love makes our species hurt creatures it admires.  To hunt and destroy chimpanzees, like they would never do to us.  Our treatment of animals is a great failure of our empathy.”

I am such a sucker for animal stories.  Especially stories about human and animal connections.  This is the same drive that pushed me to reading Julie of the Wolves as a very young girl, and the same drive that makes me still call the Matthew Broderick 80′s film Project X one of my favorites.

When you add to that the humanitarian aspect of Threatened, bringing the plight of apes to light, it just makes me want to read it even more.  Basically I’m happy to report that it was good!

I really appreciated the setting because, while obviously the book is going to take place in the jungle, Schrefer added in other issues people face in Africa like starving and orphaned children, AIDS, and abuse.  He placed the central characters as a young boy from Gabon and an older Arabic man, both of whom were alone and lost.  Then he created a host of amazingly real and human-like apes for us to love.  Of course my favorites were Drummer and Mango but the story wouldn’t have been the same without the heartbreaking story of Bad Mother and Good Mother and the interaction of the ape family, both the brutality and the compassion and immediate forgiveness.

The only reason I didn’t rate this book higher was that I was expecting more in the end.  I have to warn people who pick this up, the end just ends.  It’s not the artistically abrupt ending like Eleanor & Park, but more like the feeling that if you turn the page there will be more.  Perhaps it was the lack of a big climactic ending, but I just feel like there should be more chapters.  It feels unfinished.  No concrete resolution… but then again, there isn’t a resolution when it comes to conservation and preservation so I guess perhaps it’s fitting.

Last thoughts, if you read this, please make sure to read the informational sections at the end of the book.  So much information about his motivation, Jane Goodall, and the chimps in Africa.  (also about the endangered beautiful Bonobo’s.)  It added so much extra depth to these animals.

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Re-Release Review: The Trouble With Harry by Katie MacAlister
Book 3 in Noble series
Re-Release date: July 1, 2014
Original Release Date: May 2004
Genre: Historical Romance
Book provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – B+

Katie MacAlister writes the funniest historical romance.

The Trouble With Harry is the third book in her Noble series. You really don’t have to read the previous books to enjoy The Trouble With Harry. Each book can be read as a stand alone book.

The Trouble With Harry focuses on Harry, the Marquis Rosse. Harry has been a widower for five years and decides that it’s time he remarried. His five children run amock and they need a mother. Harry longs for companionship. Being the practical sort, Harry places an ad for a wife. Enter Plum, a woman with a scandalous past. Her previous marriage was a sham and she was ostracized by the ton. Plum has nothing to lose, so she applies to be Harry’s wife. The two hit it off immediately and Harry arranges a quick marriage. Harry has not told Plum about the children and she withholds the secrets of her past.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Harry and Plum were perfect together. There’s some serious chemistry between these two, unfortunately five mischievous children have a way of interrupting those tender moments. Plum has a pretty interesting secret about her past. She’s written a best selling scandalous book Guide to Connubial Calesthenics. I had to chuckle at some of the names of the “exercises:” Heron Alighting Upon a Still Pond, and Leda and the Swan are some of the creative names. Just trying to visualize some of them made me giggle. The funny thing is, Harry has read the book and is waiting for an opportune moment to introduce Plum to some of the *ahem* exercises.

Plum takes everything in stride and jumps into her role as mother to the five hellions head first. The children are a force to be reckoned with. I loved all of their pranks. It’s kind of hard to imagine livestock traipsing through a stately mansion, but the kids pulled it off. Harry takes a different approach to parenting. When the kids are in trouble, Harry hides in his office. The kids warm up to Plum quite quickly and Harry is amazed.

For added comic relief, the books in this series always seem to have a strange eccentric character (or two, or three.) This book has Juan who outdoes himself with his overly dramatic protection of Plum. For some reason, I kept picturing him in a toreador outfit. Oh, Noble’s pirate butler Crouch makes an appearance as well.

The Trouble With Harry was a lot of fun to read. If you enjoy some slapstick comedy with your historical romance, then this book would be right for you. The series is being re-released by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Noble Intentions
2. Noble Destiny
3. The Trouble With Harry
4. The Truth About Leo

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a review copy of this book.

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Avg. Goodreads Rating: 4.35
Rated by: 920,000+ Goodreads Members
D.G.’s Rating: 2 stars

Why I Didn’t Like It:  I don’t get it. I really can’t understand why so many people loved Divergent, a Hunger Games wannabe but with less violence and a really silly premise that doesn’t make any sense. So in this world, people an aptitude for only ONE out of FIVE paths. And because all 16-year olds know without a doubt what they want to do for the rest of their lives, each person must choose their faction at that age without the possibility of going back.

The main character is so unnappealing. She’s said to be brave, smart and selfless but her actions show her as judgmental, proud, calculating, petulant, whiny, petty and obtuse. She calls somebody who cries weak, she’s always afraid of what others would think of her, she can’t forgive and when she does she has a reason behind it.

One of the most disturbing things I find about this story is the main character’s disdain for the Erudite, which is the faction tied to books and learning. All over the book there are subtle digs about how learning is suspect. At the same time, the plot cast suspicions on the Abnegation, implying they are not as nice as they seem. So basically the book is telling us to mistrust both those that value knowledge and those that help others. Great message!

But I got the last laugh – even people that loved this book hated the end of the trilogy.

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Christal’s Review – 4 Skulls – B

(Don’t You) Forget About Me was a strange, compelling, mind-boggling, mysterious good time.  If you enjoyed Ms. Quinn’s previous book, Another Little Piece, I think you will like this one as well.  The story is a bit disjointed and the narrator turns out to be very unreliable, but this crazy world was certainly entertaining.  Not for the faint of heart, (Don’t You) Forget About Me was chalked full of creepy and, even now, is a little hard to explain.

No one dies in the town of Gardnerville; as a matter of fact, they never even get sick.  People with life-threatening illnesses come here for a longer leash on life, but they don’t realize they will have to deal with the fourth years.  What’s a fourth year you might wonder?  Well, every fourth year a teenager finally cracks and brings pain and death to the town.  This is the price of the magic that keeps Gardnerville healthy.  When her sister, Piper, leads her classmates to their deaths during a fourth year, Skylar begins taking drugs to numb her mind and forget about the gaping hole in her life Piper left behind.  The only problem is Gardnerville has a secret… a secret that Skylar needs to discover in order to get Piper back and to stop the power of the fourth years once and for all.

I don’t really know how to talk about (Don’t You) Forget About Me without spoiling something.  Everything is wrapped within everything else to create one big ribbon of mystery.  None of the characters can be trusted and the addition of the mind altering drugs makes everything just that much more surreal.  I can totally understand how some readers will hate this book, but it blew me away.  You really have to go into this one with an open mind and no expectations.  Roll with the punches, go with the flow, and find a truly spectacular story.

Kate Karyus Quinn weaves a story in the present as well as providing a multitude of flashbacks to flesh out the relationship between Skylar and Piper.  Also, because of Skylar’s drug use, events of the present are sometimes not fully revealed until she is able to resurrect her memories.  This makes the timeline very patchy and fluid, but I think Ms. Quinn was still able to keep everything cohesive in (Don’t You) Forget About Me.  I had my suspicions about Skylar’s family and, while close, I wasn’t 100% correct.  I was kept guessing until the very end!

(Don’t You) Forget About Me is not an easy story and the back and forth will probably drive some readers crazy.  But if you are looking for a completely out of the box read, this is your story.  Kate Karyus Quinn has an unbelievably rich imagination and this book definitely has a place on my “favorites” shelf, right next to Another Little Piece.  She has solidified herself as an auto buy author for me and I hope anyone that gives this book a try enjoys it as much as I did!

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

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The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publication Date: June 3rd 2014
ARC Provided by Roaring Brook Press and Netgalley

AH and Christal’s Review

The Truth About Alice is a powerful book about bullying, slut shaming, rumors, and gossip gone wild. Every school from middle school and up should have a copy (or more) in their school libraries. AH has personally recommended this book to many high school teachers and librarians.

****************************************************************

AH: What did you think about the way that the story was presented? Usually four points of view can be cumbersome and confusing but it really worked so well for this book.

Christal: I enjoyed the multiple POVs in this book.  It felt like getting such different perspectives helped to really flesh out the story and gave us the motivations for why characters acted the way they did.  I think it worked better than a single first- or third-person voice would have.  Each character’s voice was very distinct and they were able to fill in different pieces of the story.

“So we picked on Alice Franklin. A nobody, a slut, a killer.”

AH: I also found it telling that Alice did not have a voice until the very end of the book. That was my favorite chapter by the way.

Christal: I thought that was a very smart decision.  Since Alice doesn’t actually drive the story (she’s really just taken along for the ride), it made more sense for the other characters to tell us her story and how she was treated.  It was more powerful to end with Alice’s voice and her coming to terms with her life.

AH: Before we go into the characters, let’s talk about the methods of bullying. In many ways, this book could be a handbook for how to ruin someone’s reputation. High school is such a difficult time for many kids and the way in which Alice was picked on happens everywhere.

Christal: Oh man, these kids were mean!  I know most of them were acting out of fear and selfishness, but I just couldn’t believe how far some of them went.  I guess I was lucky to have never seen bullying like this growing up, but I was shocked by how thoughtless they could be — specifically Kelsie and John.

“How much did it hurt? It was like a million paper cuts on my heart. Because it was slow and not all at once. It wasn’t a complete flip-flop of everything overnight. It was more gradual than that.”

AH: What about the characters? I found them fairly representative. You have a Queen Bee, A Wannabe, A Jock, and a Nerd. What did you think of the characters? Did you have a favorite? My favorite was Kurt. I loved how he adored Alice and tried to help her out. I absolutely hated Kelsie who put popularity above friendship.

Christal: I found all of the characters interesting and would put Alice, Kurt, and Elaine in the like column and Kelsie, John, and Branden in the dislike column.  I cut John slightly more slack than Kelsie, but they both threw Alice under the bus for their own selfish reasons.  Oh course I loved sweet Kurt and I respected him for never resorting to the name calling and gossip of the other kids, but I also unexpectantly came to love popular girl Elaine.  She never seemed to act with as much malice as Kelsie and, to a certain extent, John, but she went along with the gossip because it was what was expected of her as the queen bee.  The development of her character as the story went along really impressed me though and it was interesting to see she was the first person to just be over everything in the end.

“[T]here is one thing I’ve learned about people: they don’t get that mean and nasty overnight. It’s not human nature. If you give people enough time, eventually they’ll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world.”

AH: My one qualm with the book would be that parents were not involved, nor was the school administration. In light of many bullying situations in my area I know that parents and school officials and even the authorities would have been alerted to Alice‘s predicament. I was surprised that Alice had nowhere to report her situation.

Christal: I think Alice was the type of kid that tends to go unnoticed in schools.  She wasn’t super popular, rich, or a phenomenal student, but she also wasn’t a troublemaker.  She was just kind of in the middle.  The part that I thought did stretch disbelief was the writing on the bathroom stall.  I feel like a counselor probably would have gotten involved at this point.  I felt like the book did explain the absence of Alice’s mom pretty well though.  It wasn’t hard to believe that someone who had had a child when she was just a child herself might not make the most attentive mother.  Overall though, I felt like all of these characters just worked and that this is a very important issue to expose children to as they don’t tend to think of their actions in relation to how they might affect the lives of others.

Thank you to Roaring Book Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this book!

AH’s Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Christal’s Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

On The Fence by Kasie West

Christal’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

I’ve come to love Kasie West because of her Pivot Point series, but this contemporary YA romance was a winner for me as well.  On The Fence had great characters and a believable plot that didn’t delve too far into the typical clichés.  I understood the main character and her motivations and the romance gave me a little swoon.

Charlie’s mother died when she was very young so she has grown up in a house full of men – her dad, three brothers, and her neighbor Braden, an honorary brother.  She’s a tomboy who loves sports and tends to hang out with her brothers and Braden more than anyone else.  When she gets a speeding ticket, her father forces her to get a job to pay for it and she finds herself working at a women’s clothing boutique.  The owner, Linda, quickly helps her put some more feminine outfits together and enlists her as a bare-faced model for a makeup show.  Charlie struggles to balance this newfound femininity with her sportier persona, complicating her friendships — both new and old – in the process because of the secrets she keeps.  When she starts to change herself for a guy, Braden gives her an earful.  The problem is that Braden is who she really wants, but he’s made it clear he isn’t interested.  Can Charlie figure out who she really is on the inside and how Braden fits into the picture?

I was never a tomboy or into sports myself, but it was very easy to connect with Charlie’s character and to understand why she acts the ways she does.  On The Fence gave us a very strong lead, but also showed that deep down – everyone has their own issues.  Charlie was happy with her life, but realized that maybe she was missing something by completely closing herself off from other less athletic women.  She didn’t end up changing herself in the end; she just integrated these new things that she actually ended up liking.  She expanded her social circle and tried new activities and began to appreciate these different experiences.  I know some people will get stuck on the “changing herself to fit in” aspect, but honestly, what teenager doesn’t?  I think Charlie’s strength lay in the fact that it didn’t take her long to figure out pretending sucked and the people who are actually worthwhile will stick around no matter what.

I loved the depiction of family in On The Fence.  Charlie’s brothers were so protective of her, but they really loved her.  Each was distinct and had their own personalities and fears, but they all came together as a family.  Charlie’s dad was also very sweet.  He was doing the best he could trying to raise a teenaged daughter on his own, even when it required him to step out of his comfort zone.  He loved Charlie and the boys so much and it was evident in everything he did.  The mystery behind Charlie’s mom’s death felt a little shoe-horned in to the overall story, but it did explain some of Charlie’s fears.

I loved Charlie and Braden’s “fence talking” times in On The Fence.  They were so open and honest with each other while still being playful and a little flirty.  It was through these chats that both the reader and Charlie come to realize the depths of her feelings towards Braden.  As a new, rather inexperienced 16-year old, I believed that Charlie would have trouble reading Braden’s mixed signals.  She’s never had a real boyfriend before and being told face-to-face that he considered you a sister would give anyone pause.  The way they finally realized their mutual feelings was sweet though and I even enjoyed the scene where they broke the news to her brothers and father.

On The Fence was a light, quick read with a very sweet story.  It just makes you feel good.  Though it is very different from Pivot Point, I think most Kasie West fans should enjoy it.  Definitely recommended for YA romance readers though, and anyone looking for a touching romantic contemporary.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.

Welcome to our monthly feature where we take a look at the books releasing in July and offer up our top picks. We have chosen 30 of our most anticipated new releases. The release dates are on a best known basis and are not guaranteed. Books may get delayed or sometimes even released earlier so please check with your favorite store to ensure availability. Now, on to the books!

On The Fence by Kasie West – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by HarperTeen
Fireborn by Keri Arthur (#1 in Souls of Fire) – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Signet Select
Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by NAL Trade
Rebel Nation by Shaunta Grimes (#2 in Rebel Nation) – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Berkley Trade
Bloodshifted by Cassie Alexander (#5 in Edie Spence) – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks
How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland (#4 in White Trash Zombie) – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by DAW

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The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal (#4 in Maggie Hope Mystery) – Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Bantam
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson (#1 in The Remnant Chronicles) – Expected publication: July 8th 2014 by Henry Holt and Co.
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (#1 in The Queen of the Tearling) – Expected publication: July 8th 2014 by Harper
Black Rook by Kelly Meade (#1 in Cornerstone Run Trilogy) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by InterMix
Peanut Goes to School by Thea Harrison (#6.7 in Elder Races) – Expected publication: July 14th 2014
Landline by Rainbow Rowell – Expected publication: July 8th 2014 by St. Martin’s Press

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The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier - Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Gallery Books
Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone (#3 in Craft Sequence) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Tor Books
The Last Town by Blake Crouch (#3 in Wayward Pines) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Thomas & Mercer
Half A King by Joe Abercrombie (#1 in Shattered Sea) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Del Rey {Our Review}
Starbreak by Phoebe North (#2 in Starglass) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan (#4 in Brothers Sinister) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014
World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (Book #3 in The Last Policeman) – Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Quirk Books
Dissonance by Erica O’Rourke (#1 in Dissonance) – Expected publication: July 22nd 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep (#11 in Elemental Assassin) – Expected publication: July 22nd 2014 by Pocket Books
Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz - Expected publication: July 22nd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Prototype by M.D. Waters (#2 in Archetype) – Expected publication: July 24th 2014 by Dutton Adult

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The Game and the Governess by Kate Noble – Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Pocket Books
Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead (#5 in Bloodlines) – Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Razorbill
The Buried Life by Carrie Patel (#1 in Buried Life) – Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Angry Robot
Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews (#7 in Kate Daniels) – Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Ace Hardcover
Dust to Dust by Karina Halle (#9 in Experiment in Terror) – Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Metal Blonde Books
The Young World by Chris Weitz (#1 in The Young World) – Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

© 2014, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved. Please do not copy reviews or content from this site.