Great Imaginations

Books and My Childhood

2012-05-25T16:08:00.004-04:00

I learned to read when I was four. Thanks to my mother, who spent hours and hours teaching me. I spent most of my childhood, sitting in my room with my golden books, Speak and Spell, and studying for spelling bees. I won almost every single one that I entered. They were always proud moments, and my mom and I worked hard so I would be successful. I still remember the year that I was eliminated because I spelled the word "course" wrong. I spelled it "coarse," which is a word, but not the spelling they were looking for. Because I did not ask them to use it in a sentence, I was eliminated. And I was angry the entire day. To be honest, I'm still kind of angry. Ha.

From a very young age, I have had a very important relationship with books. I worry about the kids growing up today. I don't think a lot of parents are as devoted to their kids learning and growing process as mine were. I take great pleasure in seeing parents raise their kids with a love of reading and respect for books. Many of these parents are friends of mine. I love seeing pictures of their kids with books, even if I don't really like kids. Because someday they won't be kids anymore and will be running the world. And words are so important.

When I was a kid, I had my own personal library. Bookshelves full of books. Ramona and Beezus, The Baby-Sitter's Club, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, James and the Giant Peach, The Secret Garden, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Nancy Drew, etc. Boxes of books which are still stuffed in my parents' attic in Michigan.

Then when I was a teen it was R.L Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Christopher Pike, Lois Lowry, Caroline B. Cooney, Judy Blume, etc. See picture below. There are many more where that came from. That's only the beginning.

I'm not sure I have a point by writing this blog post, but I guess if there was one thing I could say, it would be this: reading is important. It expands your vocabulary, makes you smarter, and I believe, an all-around better person. If you don't read with your kid or supply them with books, please start. I don't know where I would be today if it weren't for my books and my love of reading. I'd definitely be a lot emptier and a lot unhappier. I think I would have less personality, because a lot of the things I learned, I learned from books. I KNOW I would be less intelligent. Take your kid to the library. Sit down with them and read a book. The end.

What's your relationship with books? Do you have any fun bookish stories to tell? I would love to hear them. Leave me a comment if you would like to share.

Thanks, MOM and DAD.

Book Review of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2012-05-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 452 (Too Many)
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal (not really paranormal)
Source: I own a hardcover of this book (sorry I spent the $)

Blurb: Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

Review: Ayayayayay. Where to begin? For real, I don't even know where to start with this review. I have 4 pages of notes and numerous Goodreads status updates. Okay. I didn't hate the book. But I sure didn't like it. Let me start with Mara Dyer herself as a character. There was not a THING to like about Mara Dyer. She was self-involved, whiny, and she was a slut-shamer of her fellow females. But most of all, the thing that annoyed me most about Mara Dyer was the way she swooned and lived her life for a man (boy) that was pretty much a douchenozzle. Protagonists that are completely unlikable usually turn me off a book immediately. And I saw that in Mara Dyer from practically the first page.

The club scene. Apparently when you wear revealing attire to a costume party, Mara Dyer thinks you are slut. Or a whore. Because wearing CLOTHES that you feel good in define how many men you sleep with. This is news to me, but whatever. First of all, that word should never be used, period. Just because a woman loves sex does not mean she should be labeled in a derogatory way. I was DISGUSTED. And then there was this girl that broke down and slept with a bunch of guys after Noah dumped her. And she was labeled by Mara's token gay, Jewish, black, bff forever as a slut but then when Noah did the same thing, he was portrayed as a sex machine that all the girls were chasing after. UGH. I could say more about this but I think you get the picture.

The book begins with a letter from Mara Dyer to us, the readers. And you read on and on hoping to find out who Mara Dyer is, but the book never comes back to that letter. Not once. So the book begins fantastically and hooks the reader in a great way, but never comes full circle. This was a huge letdown. This was not the only story element that made no sense. There were alligators, a court case, a murder, a kidnapping, a stereotypical black and gay bff that fell off the face of the earth, and plenty of hallucinations that just all felt really disjointed. The story elements were tied loosely together and I just didn't think it was really skilled writing. It plodded on and felt like a long hike to somewhere great, but there was no payoff once you reached your destination. There was a lot of telling, very little atmosphere and a lot of filler chapters that could have been left out. Not to mention the book was full of dialogue that was useless and never went anywhere. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ended up being a romance novel and everything else that was great about the story was pushed to the back burner.

I need to work in a quote about Noah and I don't know where to put it, but then after I show you that quote we are going to talk about the cocky, arrogant Noah Shaw. The quote that follows is pretty much how he appears throughout the whole novel.

"So, he said, his eyes meeting mine again. "You're a smuthound with daddy issues?" The corner of his mouth turned up in a slow, condescending smile.

I wanted to smack it off his face. "Well, you're quoting it. And incorrectly, by the way. So what does that make you?"

His half-smile morphed into a whole grin. "Oh, I'm definitely a smuthound with daddy issues."

"I guess you nailed me, then."

"Not yet."

Okay. Is this what goes for attractive these days? Do girls actually fall for this garbage? Listen, confidence is attractive. Playing hard to get can be attractive. But being an arrogant prick that thinks he can bang every girl in a three mile radius is not attractive. And it never will be. I am sick AND tired of reading about these types of male love interests. The Edward Cullen effect. There were times in this book where Noah Shaw literally made me sick to my stomach. I was thirty seconds away from upchucking in a toilet. And the way Mara fawned over him and his prickish antics made me sicker than the antics themselves did. But then again, Mara Dyer wasn't exactly a human being with a ton of integrity. The author just took the bad boy image too far. Every little thing that came out of Noah's mouth was either cocky, arrogant, or very smartassish. I know that's not a word and I don't care. It was tiring. If I was dating Noah (not a chance in HELLLLL), I would have slapped him and knocked him into rush hour traffic after five minutes. He did get a little better as the story went on but I could not get over the fact that he was douchetacular for the first 100 pages. You cannot forget that. You just can't.

The actual plot of this book I enjoyed (sometimes), but because of the author's views on women wearing skimpy clothing (sluts and whores)and her opinion on what kind of man is sexy (and Noah Shaw ain't it), she made me lose interest and get angry. Sending the message to teenage girls that this is the type of romance that is something to aspire to is shameful. The only good thing about The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was that it was compulsively readable. But I'm reading the next one. I need to know what happens, and if I hate it (probably will) at least there will be another entertaining review to come out of it.

Book Review of This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

2012-05-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: June 19th, 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic
Source: NetGalley
FTC: As always, I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blurb: It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually wantto live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Review: The simple way to describe This is Not a Test is to say it's a book about 6 teenagers, trapped in a school that are trying to survive amidst a zombie outbreak. But it is so much more than that. This is a book that is more about the internal conflict within the characters than the action going on around them. Not that that action doesn't play a part in the book, because it does. It just is not the focal point. And that's what really sets this story apart from others in the same genre.

I really liked This is Not a Test . I wasn't blown away like some others were, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. One issue that kept me from enjoying it as much as I could have? I didn't care for the ending. I just felt it ended too insubstantially for me. I wanted more. I'm not saying I wanted a happy ending, but I could have used some more answers. It just kind of stopped. And I hate books that just kind of stop. To me, sometimes it feels like the author doesn't know how to write a proper ending. And I know this is a total personal preference of mine, but those are the types of book endings I usually find myself getting angry over. I wasn't angry here, just more disappointed.

As for the characterizations, I thought Sloane was amazingly written. For someone I have nothing in common with, it was sure easy to relate with her and commiserate. I always felt like I could understand where Sloane was coming from, even when I really should not have been able to. She had a distinct voice that was unforgettable and it carried throughout the book and it truly made her jump right off the page. The things she felt were easy for me to feel. The other characters felt flat to me. Don't get me wrong, Sloane's situation had my emotions in knots, but I didn't care for the rest of the characters as much as I felt I could have. There were scenes where I should have been holding my breath because they were so suspenseful and I just didn't feel that much. It is very possible that because Sloane WAS so well developed, she made the other characters seem significant. Or it just could be that the depth wasn't there. I haven't fully decided yet.

The one thing that DID blow me away about This is Not a Test was the writing style. And I think this is a running thing with Courtney Summer's books. She has a distinct voice and way with words that really sets her apart from other writers. She's not a very wordy writer, so she goes for maximum impact in as few words as possible. And it really works. I really felt the hopelessness and claustrophobic tone in the book as I was reading. There were times when my heart was in my throat. And then on top of everything, you have a girl who was planning on killing herself before the zombies showed up. So throughout the book, she is basically waiting for the right time to take herself out of the world and throw herself to the zombies. She thinks there is nothing worth living for. Her life was shit before the zombie outbreak and it just went from bad to worse. This book was crazy.

So yeah. It didn't blow me away, but it did totally work for me. I loved this book, and as a stand alone (which is rare right now), I think it will be a memorable book. The author managed to write a zombie novel that went way deeper than most do. There were some serious issues (suicide and physical abuse) that were touched on in this novel. It's definitely riveting and hard to put down. And I really cannot wait to read the author's other books.

To preorder a copy of This is Not a Test from Amazon.com, click here: This Is Not a Test.

Other Reviews:

Reading Lark 5/5 Stars

Good Books and Good Wine 5/5 Stars

Book Review of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

2012-05-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Release Date: June 5th, 2012

Pages: 368

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Source: NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Review: Shadow and Bone was nothing like I expected it to be. And yet, at the same time, it was exactly like I expected it to be. Or at least hoped it would be. It absolutely blew me away. The creativity and originality that went into this young adult novel was just…there are no words. But I will try to express how much I loved this book the best that I can. It’s not easy. It was truly a colorful parrot in a sea of crows.

The world-building was out-of-this-world intense. It’s very much a learn-as-you-go-along book; it takes awhile for you to learn everything, but the depths that the world-building goes to are unreachable. From the magic, to the different classes of Grisha, all the different towns, the scenery, the descriptive passages—even the clothing and food was developed to the utmost detail. But it never felt overdone. I never felt like I was reading too much description. There is a map on the author’s website if you are interested in seeing the world as she envisioned it to be. And it is spectacular. I have not read a book this special in a really long time.

I know that she drew a lot of her inspiration for this book from Russian culture. And to be honest, before I started reading, it turned me off. It’s just not a country that I was ever interested in visiting. But I made a mistake. A huge one. While I still don’t really want to visit Russia, the unique ways in which the author used the subtle nuances of the culture truly made all the difference in this book. It’s something new in young adult literature that I have not seen before. And because of that, this is a new author I am very much interested in following. I trust her imagination and where she is going with it. She’s brilliant!

As for the story, not much I can or want to say there. To me this is one of those books that needs to be experienced blindly. I don’t want to spoil anything. Just go along for the ride and enjoy it. It did start a bit slow for me, but give it a chance and don’t quit. This book was just so different. Because of the way it was written, even when there wasn’t much going on, I was never really bored. One thing I can tell you? There isn’t a cliffhanger. This is a series, so expect some hanging loose ends, but there will be no throwing the book across the room. As a temporary reprieve, I found the ending pretty satisfying. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I ADORED the world-building. This is pretty much my top read of 2012 so far. And I am not thrilled about how long I have to wait for the next one.

Stacking the Shelves #2

2012-05-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. It goes up on Saturday and that's usually when I'll put up my post, but sometimes I might still do it on Sundays. No vlog this week because I didn't feel like filming one, but I do have 3 physical books to show you. I have a photo instead.

For Review:

Thanks to my blogging BFF Giselle at Xpresso Reads, an ARC of Wake by Amanda Hocking.

From TLC Book Tours and Crown Publishing, a finished copy of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. I'm participating in the blog tour for this one and I will have a copy up for giveaway (as well as my review) on June 14th.

And finally, I won a book of my choice from Heather, Angeline, and Jenn over at Accendo Press and I chose A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. It's pretty much the bible of the Titanic sinking and it's the one book every Titanic aficionado must have.

And that's it for this week. I don't know if I will participate next week as I am not expecting any books, but we'll see as the week progresses. And I leave you with the funniest video of the week. It's totally NSFW.

Gilbert Gottfried Reads Fifty Shades of Grey

Book Review of Fated by Alyson Noel

2012-05-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Pages: 306
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Series: The Soul Seekers #1
Source: ARC from the publisher through LibraryThing
FTC: I'm giving my honest opinion in exchange for a free book. I can't be bought with pretty things. Well, maybe..depends what it is. ;)

Blurb: Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

Review: Full disclosure. I was worried about reading Fated. Worried because I have heard horrible, HORRIBLE, things about The Immortals series. Most of my blogger friends hate that series and with good reason. I read the first book and never did make it through the rest of the series. I rated it 3 stars, but back then I wasn't as picky as I am now, and I bet you if I reread it, I would probably hate it. What was 3 stars for me back then is lucky to get a 2 star rating from me now. So yeah. I was worried. But I always try to go into a new book with a blank mind and no prejudgements about anything that came before. And you know what? I actually liked this book quite a bit.

It wasn't perfect. But it was enjoyable. And there was a great story. I'm a sucker for great imagery, and this book is loaded with it. Almost to the point that it becomes too much. And I know that will be the case for some readers. I can easily see this book being put down and abandoned for something with a much quicker pace. But I actually like my books this way. It allows me to really lose myself in the narrative. There is a ton of gorgeous writing and description and you can really picture the places the author is writing about. I was fairly creeped out while reading a couple of scenes. The writing is stunning. The author really knows how to weave a story. For some, the narrative will be too much. Maybe over the top. But I loved it.

There was this one scene that absolutely blew me away. There was this scene where Daire forms a mental bond with a cockroach and is able to see what the cockroach sees and basically become the cockroach. So...sort of astral projection, but into a cockroach instead. And she controls the cockroach to use as a spying device, going into some really messed up places in this nightclub and I just loved that scene. It was written so well and it's so memorable. And I hate cockroaches, so I was creeped out while being mesmerized with all that was going on.

The story was pretty awesome too. I love the Native American mythology and the idea of the upperworld, middleworld, and lowerworld. And the portals to get into these worlds. And spirit animals. And I just really thought the book was awesome once it got going. I am really into the series, and I never thought I would come out of this book wanting to dive into the next book right away. Everything in the book was just so detailed and well written. And I can't wait to read more.

To me, where the book had issues was the romance. It wasn't offensive, there was no instalove, etc. It actually took awhile for the the characters to get together, but even with all that, it was still soooo corny. Perhaps it was the fact that there was a good twin and an evil twin. And their names were the same with letters rearranged. Dace/Cade. One had short hair and one had long hair. One twin's eyes reflected light and the other twin's eyes absorbed light. Just toooo much. I found it really unbelievable and hard to suspend disbelief for. It felt entirely too cliche. And in a book where I really felt everything else was wonderful, there was this stupid romance. Not a love triangle, at least not yet, but it just went over the top and I found it eye rolling. Meh. And that's why I knocked off a star. Otherwise, I really and truly loved this book. SHOCKING.

Quote I Loved:

"Wake me when we get there," I mumble, settling in as though I might sleep, when really, I'm just doing what I can to shut out the glowing ones, who are already popping up along the side of the road. Their piercing eyes following--watching--wanting me to know that, like it or not, they're not going away until I do what they ask.

Also, this book gets extra awesome points for having a great BFF sidekick that I absolutely adored.

Book Review of Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

2012-05-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 12th, 2012
Pages: 303
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Review: Lies Beneath opens with this sentence. "I hadn't killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that." I loved that opener. Based on that sentence alone, I would have thought I would be in for a wild ride with this book. But alas, it was not meant to be. Before I get started on this review, I just want to say that a lot of people loved this book. I totally respect their opinions. Some of them are reviewers I respect very much. But for some reason, this book just fell monumentally flat for me. And that was disappointing because I had been looking forward to this book for some time. But I have been batting a big fat zero with mermaid books, and I am almost ready to throw in the towel. But before I talk about what I disliked, I want to mention what I did like.

Lily. I loved Lily. And she's probably the only reason this book got a 2 star rating from me instead of a 1. She made this book readable. Lily is what made me push on, even when I wanted to put this one down and read something else. This book was so close to being a DNF. But because I had DNFed another book recently, I kept going. Partly out of guilt, partly because of Lily. She was a bad ass. When other YA heroines are reveling in the fact they are being stalked by a paranormal creature, Lily is throwing her hands up and saying, "You are f*cking creepy, dude." Thank god for that. Calder was a creepy, stalker-mermaid and Lily wasn't having it. She did not think it was sexy how obsessed he was with her. Which I loved. I also loved how devoted she was to her family. There are things I wish I could talk about but because of spoilers I cannot. Just know that Lily was an extremely brave protagonist and easy to root for. She is the reason this book kept moving for me.

One of the main problems I had with Lies Beneath was its setting. It's Lake Superior. It's cold, it's creepy, it's mysterious (with all the shipwrecks) and it should have been mesmerizing. But I felt like the author did not use the setting to her advantage at all. This was a case of me feeling like there were not ENOUGH descriptive passages. And the few that were there were inaccurate. There was WAY too much swimming going on in Lake Superior in the spring. I don't know if the author checked a temperature chart or did any research, but it is impossible to swim in Lake Superior during that time of year. Unless you are insane and have a death wish. In a normal year, swimming doesn't start in Lake Superior until July, sometimes as late as August. It's just too cold. And April is also too cold to be wandering around town in a bikini top. Which a random girl did. Then Calder was caught swimming in the lake on several occasions by Lily. He's a mermaid, but Lily didn't know that. And she never even questioned his insane behavior. Not once. HELLO, PLOT HOLE, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN!

But really, with all that out of the way, it just comes down to the fact that I found this book boring. Snoozeworthy. It was hard to go back to once I put it down. I FORCED myself to finish it because it was a review book. I know that I might be alone in disliking this one, and I am perfectly fine with that. I felt the characters were flat (except Lily), and the story itself was not original and kind of mediocre, to be honest. The writing itself was technically sound, but it still did NOTHING for me. It may be because this was a mermaid book, and I have bad luck with those, clearly. All I know was I didn't really like it. I wish Lily had been a character in a different book. This is one series I will not be continuing.

Oh, and the romance didn't really work all that well either. At least there was no love triangle. There was that.

Other Reviews:

Joyous Reads 3/5 Stars

The Midnight Garden 4/5 Stars

Cuddlebuggery - Stephanie Sinclair 2/5 Stars

Cuddlebuggery - Kat Kennedy 3/5 Stars

Giveaway of Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott!

2012-05-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to do a fun thing this year with giveaways. I can't afford to give a lot of books away. You won't see box of books giveaways on this site either because I hate going to the post office. But...for every book I award a 5 star rating to (I don't give this out easily), I'm going to do a giveaway for my readers!! I have already given away two 5 star books this year so far. They were Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John and Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. The next 5 Star book I am giving away is Shadows of the Moon by Zoe Marriot.

Blurb: A powerful tale of magic, love, and revenge set in fairy-tale Japan.

Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to re-create herself in any form - a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother's new husband, Lord Terayama? Or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama's kitchens? Or is she Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge plot to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even the one true aspect of her life- her love for a fellow shadow-weaver.

I'm going to be honest. I don't love the cover on the US version. I love the UK cover much more. But this is what we are stuck with, and I can promise you that the contents of this book are wonderful. It's an epic tale of bravery, love, and magic. You can see my review of Shadows on the Moon here.

This giveaway is International. If you are in the US or Canada, I will be shipping from Amazon. If you are international, I will be shipping from The Book Depository. This giveaway is for a hardback copy of Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott. You can read the synopsis and other reviews on Goodreads here. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Contest will end on 5/22/12.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Wrecked by Anna Davies

2012-05-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Pages: 321
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I received and ARC from the
publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:
Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this. Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control. But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm. Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

Review:

So, this book and I are not friends. I'm going to try and be as tactful as possible here, but it's hard. I pretty much hated this book with every bone in my body. There were many, many technical issues, but aside from that, I also hated the characters and the story. It's hard to write a review when you have no kind words for the book at all. But I will do the best that I can.

Let's start with the writing. It was all telling. Well, mostly. It felt like a summary of events rather than a story. Not only was the writing really amateurish, but there were consistency issues. And they were really bad ones. And I hope to god they are fixed before this book goes to print. Christian saw Coral's yacht twice. For the first time. I won't quote it because it's an arc and can still be fixed, but you cannot see the same boat for the first time, twice. Christian also showed his brother the same book of matches for the first time, twice. The first time Valentine shrinks back, afraid of the fire. The second time Christian whips them out and tries to explain what he is going to do. It's just lazy writing. And bad editing. I haven't seen plot holes that large in ages.

The characters and character motivations were just ridiculous and made no sense. First of all, Miranda. Grow a backbone and stand up for yourself, girl. Every other character except Christian was out-of-control mean to her. And I get why they are upset. She was driving in a boat accident that killed four people. But the key word here is 'accident'. She didn't mean it and yet these people are blaming her and bullying her for something she had no control over. And some of the things they say and do to her get pretty revolting. No one seems to remember she lost 4 friends and her boyfriend is in a coma, dying. She also got injured. But they hate on her and ostracize her and her grandmother continues to put her through it by forcing her to go to school and visit Fletch in the hospital. Fletch's parents are horrible individuals. I know your son is in a coma, but you don't treat people this way. What is wrong with you? And I guess that's my point. The characters' actions are completely unrealistic. Real people with beating hearts would not act this way.

And then there was the love story. Or rather, the puke story. Seriously. Call me mean if you want, but these two were nauseating. This time I will quote. Because some of this dialogue is utterly ridiculous. And I know it's not coming out before editing.

Miranda: "You could have left. If I was swimming, and I saw a boat on fire, I don't think I'd save anyone," Miranda admitted. Wait. What? She'd leave people dying on a fiery boat and swim away? WTF is this?

And then there is this scene. It's so corny. I mean...REALLY corny.

"Happy birthday," Miranda said. It was so weird, the way their conversations constantly jumped all over the map. It was like then the radio played on the boat. Sometimes, there's be crystal clear reception, only to be interrupted by static. Then, seconds later, clear reception again.

"Thanks," Christian smiled.

"Did you get everything you wanted?" Miranda leaned in toward him, aware that she was acting supremely out of character. But that was okay. She didn't want to act like herself anymore. "Or did you want this?" she asked, heart pounding against her chest as she kissed him. First of all, the writing is terrible. Second of all, GROSS. That is nauseating. For real.

Deep thoughts with Miranda: He's just a friend. It's not a big deal, she reminded herself. She glanced over. Christian's jaw was set, and he was staring straight ahead, as if he were frightened. Who was she kidding? Of course he wasn't just a friend. They'd kissed. Her heart sped up whenever she saw him. She knew his collar bones sloped slightly before ending in his surprisingly sharp shoulder blades, concealed under just the right layer of muscle. And yet... Hold the phone. You know how his collar bone slopes? And that his shoulder blades are sharp? Listen. I've been with Dan for 7 years and I don't even pay attention to his shoulder blades and collar bones. Ridiculous. And the writing? Kill me now.

At one point I laughed out loud because Miranda ordered a medium pizza in a bar and didn't tell the waitress what toppings she wanted on it. That might be some vital information that was missing there. She could bring you a medium pizza with anchovies, after all.

I've got one more for you. This is some brilliant description. *Hint: sarcasm*

Coral led Miranda to the living quarters of the ship. In contrast to the deck, which had seemed so expansive, the actual living quarters were cozy. The furniture was heavy, dark wood and blue velvet coverings, and Miranda felt like she'd taken a step back in time. None of the surroundings matched Coral's whimsical, bohemian personality. The room felt stuffy, and Miranda found herself having a difficult time catching her breath. Did you notice it? Answer this question. How can a room be cozy AND stuffy at the same time? Hint: it can't.

Truthfully, that's only the beginning. But why even bother? You can clearly see all that is wrong by reading those quotes. And I'm not even going to bother to remark on the creepy instalove. Or the slut-shaming that happened in the opening pages. Just...make up your own mind. But I wouldn't recommend reading this one to my worst enemy. Lazy writing gets an automatic one star from me. Sorry. This book was terrible.

Book Review of Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

2012-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Pages: 294
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Source: NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you hurdle down the stairs and make a run for the corner.
Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Review: It's been a few days since I finished Monument 14 and yet I still think about it from time to time. It's not a perfect book. To be honest, it's not even close to perfect. I could even say I barely liked it. But the truth is, I really loved the setting. And because of that I cannot stop thinking about it. When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was Richard Peck's Secrets of the Shopping Mall. I doubt if I read the same book today that it would have the same impact it did on me as a kid, but ever since then I have always wanted to read books with a 'store setting'. If it's written in a mall, a grocery store, or a museum, I have to read it. So obviously even though I had issues with this book, the setting still blew me away. And that's also kind of where I was disappointed too. I didn't feel the author utilized the setting to her full advantage. The characters were trapped in a Greenway Superstore (think Wal-Mart) and could not go outside because of what was going on in the world. The author could have totally wrote it from a more claustrophobic angle. But she didn't. And because of that I don't think it had quite the effect on the reader she was looking for.

One of the things that really annoys me as a reader is being constantly treated like a child, or treated like I cannot retain any of the information I read. I found that in a couple of places in Monument 14 the author repeated information that I really felt was unnecessary to keep repeating. Just because it is a YA book doesn't mean teens aren't intelligent. If there is one tip I can give to a new author, it is to assume your reader is smart and knows how to use their brain. Even if they don't. Do not act like as the author you know more than your reader. YOU. DO. NOT. And it pisses me off to NO END when authors are condescending towards their readers. Here's an example of what I am talking about.

Niko half dragged me through the hail, down the "aisle" that was not an aisle but was actually the space above the seats (because, remember, the bus was on its side). What the hell is that? Everyone in America knows the bus tipped over and they had to use the side of the bus as the aisle way. It was enough to know the bus tipped over. But then even before this quote you mentioned it a few times. Then you had to repeat it again here. And that whole "because remember" has me really wanting to punch someone's lights out. That is so friggin condescending. For serious.

The plot? True. What would a book be without some sense of plot? You'll have to look fairly hard for the plot in this book though. Until the last 50 or so pages, there really wasn't much of one at all. And that's kind of a problem. You'll read about the characters sleeping, eating, cooking, and even pooping, but if you are looking for excitement, you might want to skip ahead to page 235ish. Unless you are interested in the process of shampooing lice out of hair. Or how to knock the wall out of a dressing room. By the way, I hope that wasn't a stud wall they knocked down or they are in for some trouble.

One of the issues I had were the fact there were too many characters. Some of them I liked, but for the most part, they all talked the same, all acted the same (especially the little kids) and I had a hard time telling them apart. I think there were like 10 characters. And they were all present from scene to scene and talking. So if you weren't paying close attention, it could get confusing. It wouldn't have been so much of an issue if you could tell them apart through character development, but I really wasn't able to, so something was obviously missing.

Monument 14 did get better towards the end. Once the two adults came into the picture and a plan was made to leave the store, and the mundane every day tasks came to an end, then I started enjoying the book more. The plot picked up and I was finally interested. I still had issues with the flat characterizations, but the story got going, and that was enough for me to bump my rating up from a 2 star to a 3. The last 50 pages really made a difference and now I am wanting to read the next book in the hopes that the story continues to develop in an exciting way.

Before I go, I saw another review that I had to comment on. I rarely ever do this. I don't think I ever have. But because the review (I felt) was so misleading and could put someone off from reading this book that might enjoy it, I have to. You can go ahead and skip this part if you disagree with what I am doing. Another reviewer claimed there was a rape in this book. For the record, there is no rape in this book. There is a situation that almost ends in rape, but it is stopped before it gets that far. I'm not sure if this book was re-edited and a new version was released or something, but somehow this reviewer saw something that I did not see. It was also mentioned that the character Sahalia (who almost got raped) was supposedly portrayed as a slut. I'm going to have to say I don't agree with that statement either. Not one of the characters blamed her skimpy clothing or her attention seeking behavior as the reason she was almost raped. Or turned the perpetrator into the victim. None of that happened. The characters helped her, defended her, and took care of her until she was well enough to function on her own. Maybe it was changed in a re-edit, I don't know, but I can only review what I read. And I happened to read that review before I read the scene(s) in question, and so I was waiting for it to happen. And it never did. That's it.

I don't know if I can recommend this book or not. Based on the last 50 pages, I would say definitely, but I found a good portion of this book pretty boring. I guess it's your call to make. I will be reading the next one though. I kind of have to know where the story goes at this point.

Stacking the Shelves #1

2012-05-11T14:36:00.000-04:00

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. This blog is no longer participating in IMM, and I'm sure everyone can figure out why. I thought I would do a vlog this week because I have sooo many books to show, so I apologize in advance for the scariness of my face. And I am so not fishing for compliments here. HA. Almost all of these books are purchases (don't tell my husband), but I will specify when they aren't. Actually, I just checked and there are more books for review than I thought there were. Turns out I haven't done a haul video since the end of March. Links to every book in the video are down underneath the video.

For Review:

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (currently reading)

The Loners (Quarantine #1) by Lex Thomas (NetGalley)

Ashen Winter (Ashfall #2) by Mike Mullin (NetGalley)

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (NetGalley)

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta (NetGalley)

Silver by Talia Vance (NetGalley)

Glitch (Glitch #1) by Heather Anastasiu (NetGalley)

Beyond: A Ghost Story by Graham McNamee (NetGalley)

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan (NetGalley)

Bought:

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen

Earthseed (Seed #1) by Pamela Sargent

I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga

Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins

Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved #1) by Cate Tiernan

Belles (Belles #1) by Jen Calonita

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Trafficked by Kim Purcell

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East by Tiziano Terzani

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

Carpathia by Matt Forbeck

Storm (Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Storybound by Marissa Burt

Royal Street (Sentinels of New Orleans #1) by Suzanne Johnson

The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond

Silence (The Queen of the Dead #1) by Michelle Sagara West

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1) by Wendy Higgins

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen

Elemental (Elemental Trilogy #1) by Emily White

Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock

WOW. I know that is a lot of books. It's a month's worth of books, but even so, that's still a lot. But I promised myself that I would reduce the amount of review books I took on. I'm tired of the stress, pressure, and yet I am still constantly hearing that bloggers don't sell books. And this is frustrating to me. So if that's how publishers and authors feel, I've just decided for the most part, from here on out, to read what I want. That way I don't owe anyone any marketing or book sales. I don't think they realize how much we spend on books a month. Look above for a CLUE. Also, I pay for out-of-pocket giveaways almost every month on this blog. I have one running right now. So please. SHOW BLOGGERS SOME FREAKING RESPECT. There are bad apples in every bunch, just like there are shitty authors and shitty publishers. Don't paint us all with the same brush. If I seem a little angry, it's because I hear it constantly from different sources. And I am so utterly tired of hearing this bullsh*t. I'm tired of being underappreciated for the work I do. My solution is to read my own books. No mess, no stress.

Book Review of Shade by Jeri-Smith Ready

2012-05-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 4th, 2010
Pages: 309
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: I own a copy of this book.

Blurb: Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. "Almost."

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Review: "I read a book with a love triangle and I liked it." Sang to the tune of Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl.

I'd been wanting to read Shade for a very long time. I'm glad I was finally able to get around to it, because this book was awesome and a ton of fun. It was totally not what I expected though. It was much darker and more depressing than I thought it was going to be. I knew the plot revolved around death and ghosts, but YA paranormals don't usually have such a heavy tone to them. In some ways, I liked the book for this. It just caught me by surprise, and I thought the book would be more humorous.

The other thing is this. When reading a YA paranormal, do you ever feel like you are reading a recycled plotline? I know I do all the time. And I noticed RIGHT AWAY that I wasn't going to feel that way with Shade. It felt truly original, and I thought the world-building was really unique. Yes, there was that little business with the love triangle, but aside from that small defect, everything else felt really fresh and new. The details were outstanding. The way you can keep ghosts away with black-boxing and obsidian. How a ghost can go shade. The mystery surrounding why the shift happened and what it means since Aura was the first one born post-shift.

I'm still wondering how the megaliths, standing stones, and star mapping are going to work into the story line, but I am extremely excited to find out. I didn't know a whole lot about these subjects, so I enjoyed learning new things. I always love learning from the books I am reading. I'm going to be honest and say that a lot of the details in this book have escaped me already and I just finished reading it a few days ago. My brain dumped a lot of the information on its own. And that's not usually a good thing. I still liked the book a lot though. I just didn't find it as memorable as I wanted it to be.

The characters were interesting. In good ways and bad ways. I absolutely adored Zach. I thought he was a fantastic love interest. Scottish, caring, flirty, intelligent. He was pretty much the perfect man. Logan, on the other hand, I did not understand at all. I can honestly say I thought he was a selfish prick. Even in death, he was still a douchebag. Just because someone is a good-looking musician, that does not make them a great love interest. I know it's hard to let go of your family and your girlfriend, but making her stay committed to you in death is a pretty sick and selfish thing to do. I hear that he redeems himself in later books, but I don't know if I can grow to like him. It may already be too late. I was on the fence about Aura. There were times I liked her, and times I thought she was kind of bratty. She was rude to a lot of the ghosts, and seeing them must get annoying, but some of the things she said made me really disgusted. She was hard to like at times. I still want her to find happiness, but she's a little hard to root for since she is so immature.

Other things I should note:

There was a lot of sex talk in this book. Like, A LOT. I read a lot of YA, and in some ways I am still learning about how the genre works. There was also a masturbation scene and I just don't feel right not noting it. Sexual situations don't bother me, but it might bother some. And I just want to point that out. Also some drug usage.

The ending was CRAZY! It was sort of cliffhanger and sort of not. All I know is that is has me wanting to read the next book pretty soon. I've heard the next book let down a lot of people though, so I am concerned about that. Some of these reviewers are readers I trust completely.

To buy Shift from Amazon.com, click here: Shade. Paperbacks are only 9.99 at the time of this review.

Other Reviews:

The Bookish Babe 5/5 Stars

I'm a Book Shark 4/5 Stars

The Allure of Books 4/5 Stars

Book Review of Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

2012-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: May 4th, 2011
Pages: 293
Genre: Adult Contemporary, Cultural Fiction
Source: I own a copy of this book

Blurb:
When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition. Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles.

Through Kimberly's story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about. Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant-a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.

Review:

So I'm not really in a gushing mood and I'm going to keep this fairly short, but y'all should know how fantastic this book is. I rarely give out 5 star ratings, so that should be an indicator of how special I thought this book was. I see that many people I know have already read it, so you know what I'm talking about. For those that don't, you're going to want to get on that.

The one thing that blew me away the most about Girl in Translation was the voice. Holy @*&(*&#($@@. It was freaking fantastic. The voice of the character Kimberley will seriously make you feel like you are in her head. Right in there like a little neuron. Shut up and stop making fun of me. I am completely wowed by the fact that this is Jean Kwok's debut novel. I don't know if this was a one-time thing or if she intends to write another book, but oh my god, I hope it's not the first one. It's just that I know this story was similar to her own experiences so maybe she sort of meant for it to be a pseudo-memoir and she's not going to write again, but oh god I hope not. I nearly die every day Arthur Golden doesn't write another book, I don't think I can take it with this author too.

Oh yeah. I was writing a book review. So the way this book made me feel. Dude. I cried like five times. Mostly when good things happened to Kimberley. Because her life was such shit and she and her mother had it so hard that when something good DID happen, the reader (me) really felt it. I fell in love with Kimberley as a little girl and I watched her grow throughout the course of the novel and I just felt like I was living life through her eyes. This was an extremely emotional read for me.

Another thing you should know is the tremendous crossover appeal this book has. It isn't a YA book. But I definitely think it is a book YA readers would enjoy. Even if you only read YA, if you are ever thinking of reading outside the genre, this should be the book you pick up. Kimberley spends most of the book as a child and a teen, and only towards the end is she an adult. Make no mistake though, this is not an easy read. It's pretty depressing in parts. But like I said, when good things happen to her (and they do), it is sooo worth it.

This book follows Kimberley's life as she grows up as a new Chinese immigrant living in New York City. You follow her though her hardships and successes, like growing up in a cockroach and rat infested apartment with no heat. Hearing about cockroaches is frickin' gross. I have a cockroach phobia, and let me tell you, that was not fun for me to read. But I did. And I loved it. She basically works in a sweatshop in Chinatown as a child so her and her mother can afford rent to live in an apartment that is illegal to live in. There's a bit of romance too. And it's not an easy road for them. Good things happen in the story. Eventually. I won't spoil those for you. But funnily enough, this book has a very simple plot. It's subtle but it's amazing. I think it's a fantastic book about the immigrant experience. It makes me want to read more.

It's hard with 5 star reviews. I hate writing them. I feel like I didn't say enough. But there was literally nothing wrong with this book. I could gush and gush, but really, if the subject interests you, you need to read it. And if you already have? I would love your comments down there so you can articulate why YOU loved it so much. Because I am having a difficult time putting it in words. Note: Please excuse the mess of thoughts in this review.

Favorite Quote:

"Crazy melon," I taught her in Chinese.

"She's a guw gwah," she said, giggling, her tones for crazy and melon so off that I barely knew what she was saying. No other Chinese would be able to understand her, which was a good thing. Annette was referring to a girl in our class she didn't like because she said the girl was a know-it-all, which she also wrote down for me. It confused me, because wasn't it a good thing to know so much?"

Wrecked by Anna Davies Giveaway!

2012-05-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today I have 2 copies of Wrecked by Anna Davies up for giveaway. I have to be honest and say I didn't much care for this book, but I'd still like to give others a chance to form their own opinion. Some books you just don't get along with. This was one of those for me. My review will be posting on the blog in a few days. For now, here's the blurb:

Blurb: In the wake of a tragic boating accident that killed her friends, 16-year-old Miranda is consumed by guilt. She has no memory of how she managed to survive the crash, only the murky dreams of a strange boy in the dark water. Her only refuge is in the late-night swims she takes alone— until one night on the beach when she meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but keeps many secrets.
The more she fights it the faster love pulls her under. Soon she finds herself in over her head when the dangerous true nature of Christian’s secrets rise to the surface.

Wrecked is a seductive contemporary reimagination of The Little Mermaid, with a paranormal twist, from debut author Anna Davies.

You can read an excerpt of the book here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/88001309/Wrecked-by-Anna-Davies-Extended-Excerpt

Giveaway is US only. You must be at least 13 to enter and have a valid mailing address. Winners will be notified by email and have 72 hours to respond. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Paradise by Jill S. Alexander

2012-05-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: July 5th, 2011
Pages: 256
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: I own a copy of this book for my Kindle.

Blurb: Paisley Tillery is the drummer for a country rock band. If they can make it to the stage at the Texapalooza music fest, then Paisley will be closer to her dream of a career in music and a ticket out of her small Texas town.

Drumming and music are what Paisley has always wanted. Until the band gets a new lead singer, the boy from Paradise, Texas. With Paradise in her life, what Paisley wants, and what she needs, complicate her dreams coming true.

Review: I had heard great things about Paradise before I started reading. This was one of those books I purchased a long time ago, but never really got around to reading until a few days ago. I am glad I read it--it was a great book--but it also pissed me off quite a bit. I'll get to that part in a few moments, but first I'm going to talk about what I really liked.

The writing was absolutely gorgeous. I'm not a big fan of the state of Texas (I have my reasons) but seeing the state through the author's eyes made me really want to visit. The sensory language was pretty fantastic. There were times when I felt I was right next to Paisley. The imagery really worked for me. Especially some of the musical performance scenes. I enjoyed the description of the setting: the woods, the Tucker barn, the airplane hangar, etc.

I also really appreciated the tone of the book. I tend to really like the follow-your-dreams-and-screw-everybody-else type of book. I did find the characters to be a little flat. It was the story that shone here, and while I thought Paisley was written fairly well, I found the rest of the characters kind of one-dimensional. Yes, even Paradise. I had to giggle that the two daughters were named Paisley and Lacey, and it had me wondering if their parents were a husband-wife Wal-Mart design team. I know some southern names can be a bit ridiculous, but c'mon, really?

Before I get to the big thing I took issue with, there were a few minor things that bothered me. I found it kind of weird how they went from one rehearsal with a new lead singer to a live performance right away. That was not very realistic at all. Did the author actually expect me to believe Paradise learned all of the songs and and lyrics that fast? Either she really did or the editor screwed up. Bad, editing, bad. Also, I really didn't get the reason for sticking in some of Cal's song lyrics between chapters. From reading them I gathered that he had feelings for Paisley. But that never came into play in the story. So I found it to be kind of useless. I know it was there as a plot device to raise readers' spirits because of what happened in the ending, but to me it didn't work. At all. And to be honest, some of the lyrics were pretty terrible.

Now. The ending. Talking about this will be tricky without spoiling anything, so I'm going to say STOP READING HERE if you haven't read this book or think you may want to. I'm not going to give away any plot details, but you will be able to figure things out if you think too hard about it and I don't want to end up spoiling it for anyone, so STOP HERE.

As much as the ending had an emotional effect on me, I found it entirely unnecessary. It was gimmicky and done to make the book different from other books, but sometimes simpler is better, and because of the way this book ended, I am extremely wary of reading anything else written by this author. The ending was shocking and emotional, but it didn't need to be that way. The writing was stunning up until that point and then I got really angry. I put off writing this review for a few days because I needed to stew over this and sever my emotional connection. But although my anger dissipated, I never really forgot about how much the book ticked me off. So keep that in mind. The ending, in my honest opinion, sucked. Everything up until that point was absolutely wonderful. It may have even gotten a 5 star rating from me.

Favorite Quotes:

Under a center spotlight, she pulled the horse to a sudden stop. The horse reared up on its hind legs, first to one side of the audience then to the other. Dad and I and the rest of the crowd jumped to our feet clapping and whooping. I watched the face of Miss Rodeo Texas. I wanted that smile, the ear-to-ear grin of a girl living her dream.

He took the drum and knelt down beside me. "Hold it between your knees." He placed his hand on my knee and gently pushed my legs open, placing the drum between my thighs. My throat tightened. The air thinned. I wished the hangar had fans. "I've got it." I pushed his hand away. "I've got it." I squeezed the drum, holding it tight between my legs.HOT.

To order a copy of Paradise from Amazon.com, click here: Paradise. Yes, I am an affiliate, so I would love it if you would click and order from my links.

Other Reviews:

The Reading Housewives 4/5 Stars

5 Star Giveaway: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

2012-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to do a fun thing this year, and so far it's working perfectly. For every book I award a 5 star rating to (I don't give this out easily), I'm going to do a giveaway for my readers. I already gave away one 5 star book. That was Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. The next one I am doing it for is Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.

Some things you should know before entering this giveaway. It's a non-fiction book written in a very narrative style. It's not an easy read. It's actually quite depressing. Some readers don't find these types of books entertaining. And I just want to warn you before you enter the giveaway. It's not the type of book I normally review on Great Imaginations. But I'm always trying to expand my horizons by trying new things. This book was a complete win for me. You can see my review here if you are interested in finding out more about the book.

This giveaway is International. If you are in the US or Canada, I will be shipping from Amazon. If you are international, I will be shipping from The Book Depository. This giveaway is for a hardback, deckle-edged copy of Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. You can read the synopsis and other reviews on Goodreads here. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Contest will end on 5/13/12. a Rafflecopter giveaway

April Wrap~Up Post

2012-05-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks for joining me for another wrap-up post. This month was a bit of a strange one. I was doing really well on the Debut Author Challenge and was looking forward to posting my updates at the end of the month, and then the plagiarism scandal with The Story Siren broke. Because of that, I am no longer participating in that challenge or anything else Story Siren related. To the debut authors that are suffering because of this? I am so sorry. But I still intend to read your books so you aren't losing a reader on this end. But the lack of promo from a lot of readers is going to hurt.

I'm not going to say anything else about what happened because so many other blogs already have, and if you don't know about what went down, then you are truly living under a rock (or not a member of the YA blogging community) and I can't help you. Just Google "plagiarism" and "story siren" and you should find your answers. I already made my stance clear on twitter and in the comments on many different blog posts. So there will be no Debut Author Challenge updates on this blog in the future. I kept the post up as a reference for myself so I can remember which books I wanted to read and continue to read them. And that's it. I'm still participating in the other two challenges and the updates for those follow.

There also will be no more In My Mailbox meme posts here. If I decide to do any haul posts in the future, I will find another similar meme to participate in. If you are still doing IMM, there are many different alternatives out there and I would love to suggest those to you. By continuing to link up to the blog in question, it seems to me that you are supporting what she did. Even if you don't.

For the TBR Pile Challenge, I completed 2 books for the month of April. Both of the books were decent reads for me. I also started The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, but I didn't finish in time for April. That book will probably be a part of May's wrap-up post. The books that I finished are:

~Edge of Darkness by Lissa Bilyk

~The First Days (As the World Dies: A Zombie Trilogy, #1) by Rhiannon Frater

Clicking on the links takes you to my review of that book. I am currently at 9/18 books finished on this challenge. That means I am halfway done. NOT BAD!

For the 50 States Challenge, I added two more states this month--South Carolina and Texas. I wish I had done better, but a lot of the states I am reading are repeats. Make no mistake, I do not actually think I will be able to read all 50 states this year. I'm really doing this one just for fun. It's a hard challenge, and to actually complete it, you would most certainly have to plan your entire reading year out, and I am not the planning type of girl. I think so far I have completed 12/50 states.

~Wrecked by Anna Davies

~The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

My link for The First Days is up above. You can click on Wrecked and it will take you to my review on Goodreads.

As for my totals, I read 12 books during the month of April. Better than March, but still not enough to satisfy me. I'm going to set myself a goal of 20 books for May and then I will note if I completed that goal or not in my May wrap-up post.

As always, if you have a wrap-up post you want to tell me about or have me come comment on, leave me the link in the comments. And if you just feel like saying "hi," that would be great too. Have a great May!!

Just Breathe Cover Reveal!!

2012-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Okay. This is exciting. I'm one of the lucky blogs that got chosen to reveal the cover of Just Breathe, book # 3 in the Just Breathe Trilogy by Kendall Grey. Before I show you the new cover, if you haven't seen it already, here are the covers for Inhale and Exhale.

Inhale

Exhale

So, without further ado, here is the cover to the last and final book in the trilogy, Just Breathe.

It's awesome. The cover was done by Claudia from Phat Puppy Art. What do you guys think?

To see my 5 Star review of Inhale, click here.

To buy a copy of Inhale from Amazon.com, click here: Inhale: A Just Breathe Novel.

Visit the author's website to learn more: http://www.kendallgrey.com/

Review of The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

2012-05-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: CreateSpace (My copy was an older one, so that is what I will be reviewing).
Release Date: August 14th, 2008
Pages: 288
Genre: Adult, Horror, Post-Apocalytic
Source: I own a copy of this book.

Blurb: The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

Fast-paced and exciting, filled with characters who grab your heart, The First Days: As the World Dies is the beginning of a frightening trilogy.

Review:

The First Days started kind of iffy for me. It ended kind of iffy for me too. There were things I liked about this book, but unfortunately there will be a lot more complaining in this review than praising. There were a lot of technical issues, and as I read an older copy of this book, there's a good chance this book may have been further edited, but I have to write my review based on what I read.

I hated the dialogue in this book. Especially at the beginning. Either it got better the more that I read, or I just got used to it. But it was super choppy in the beginning and the dialogue tags were excessively excessive. It was an issue of editing. Too many dialogue tags will jolt a reader out of the story and make the writing seem amateurish. For me, it really interrupted the flow of the narrative and kept me from getting as involved in the story as I could have. So right off the bat, I was annoyed with this book.

Then there were the exorbitant amount of adverbs: Katie said softly, Katie said firmly, Jenny nodded thoughtfully...etc. It was really obvious too. Every page was loaded with adverbs. I have a feeling this was Rhiannon Frater's first book, and to be honest, it was kind of obvious. I am sure she learned how to fix these issues the more that she wrote, but there were a lot of beginner's mistakes made here.

Then there was this (quote taken from the book): I noticed at least five gallons of extra gas loaded up in those red canisters in the back of your pickup." I rolled my eyes after reading that. I might be the only one saying this, but I think it's a bit too convenient to have extra gas just laying around in the back of trucks during a zombie invasion.

The plot was fine. A bit more telling v. showing than I would have preferred, but I enjoyed it. I didn't find it anything special, but it was a solid zombie book with a decent amount of suspense. I was left feeling disappointed because almost everyone I know loved this book and I felt like I was missing something. The plot did not blow me away like it did so many others. And I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I found most of the characters pretty flat. And the one character that wasn't flat was one of the most annoying characters I have ever had the agony of encountering.

Jenni. Oh Jenni. I wish you would take a long walk off a short pier. You seem to be one of those characters that readers either love or hate. But I could not stand you. The things you did and the things you said...made no sense. I understand that your life was difficult. I don't even blame you for being glad you got away from your abuser of a husband. But your kids just got killed and turned into zombies yesterday. They are out somewhere roaming around, eating people. And here you are, worried about Katie flirting with Travis. Worrying about whether or not Travis likes you. Regretting saving the town librarian from zombies just because she is pretty and intelligent. You said some pretty catty things about her, and I don't much care for catty women. You're a lousy mother and a shitty friend. I don't like you. I kind of think some of the things you did were over-the-top and not something a real human would do, and that would be the author's fault. But for the most part, I just wasn't a fan of your personality. I had a hard time getting into any scene you were in. I wanted the zombies to eat you. But somehow, on top of all your annoying characterizations, you were a zombie killing badass. That's the one thing about you that I liked. I really hope in future books you become more likable.

Look, I really like zombie books. So will I read the next one? Yes. Did I have a lot of problems with this book? YES. But do I think the series has the potential to get better? Absolutely. I'm not in a hurry to read the next book, but when I get around to it, I will gladly read it. It was suspenseful, fun, and gory.

To order a copy of The First Days from Amazon.com, click here: The First Days: As the World Dies.

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton: Review and Giveaway

2012-05-01T08:37:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Crown
Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Pages: 400
Genre: Adult Contemporary, Mystery
Source: TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: There is a fire and they are in there. They are in there...

Black smoke stains a summer blue sky. A school is on fire. And one mother, Grace, sees the smoke and rush. She knows her teenage daughter Jenny is inside. She runs into the burning building to rescue her.

Afterwards Grace must find the identity of the arsonist and protect her children from the person who's still intent on destroying them. Afterwards, she must fight the limits of her physical strength and discover the limitlessness of love.

Review: I'm sitting here in my recliner, trying to think where I want to start with this review. Should I start with what I disliked first? Or should I talk about how it emotionally made me feel? Or should I just talk about how close this book came to being extra-special, but ended up missing the mark in a pretty big way?

The first thing a reader should know before even opening this book is how awkward the writing style truly is. To me, this is where the book ruined itself before it even began. I actually abhorred the writing style. There were several occasions where I slammed the book down and said out loud that I couldn't do it. I know what the author was trying to do. I even respect what the author was trying to do. But it seemed unnecessarily gimmicky and over the top. Rather than try to explain how messed up the second person POV and writing style were, I'm just going to quote it and let you see for yourself. Sometimes that's better.

"Who did he get to blame my son?" Your anger hurling the words at her.

"I've no idea what you're on about," she says.

"Tell him I want to speak to him," you say. You turn to go.

"Wait. I haven't finished! I told you, you need to hear the truth."

"I have to get back to my daughter."

You start to leave, but she comes after you. "The accident in the playground was Robert Fleming's fault, nothing to do with Silas."

You hurry on, not listening. But for a moment I think of eight-year old Robert Fleming, who bullied Adam so horribly.

I think that's a pretty decent example of what the writing style was like. Now, imagine that over and over again, constantly, throughout the entire book. And there is the problem. I actually had to train myself to deal with the writing style. But I did. I got used to it. I never ended up learning to like it, but more or less endured it.

And then there were the random but abundant italics. They were all over the place, and for no good reason. I mean why? Imagine if I just stuck random words in italics throughout this review. Can you picture how annoying that would be? No more to say about that. I just don't understand the point in doing that. It made no sense.

But the truth is, even though there is a lot about this book to complain about, I still loved it. The story itself was brilliant, and even though I didn't care for the writing style, it did create this wonderful feeling of foreboding. I felt like I was spending the entire book in the eye of a storm and you just knew something terrible was going to happen eventually. I loved the author's way with words. I loved Grace's observations of everything that was going on around her. Unraveling the mystery slowly and from her point of view was agonizing, but at the same time, riveting. It was mental torture. But in a good way.

And the thing is? I know I am completely contradicting myself all over the place in this review. But I don't know how else to do it. Because I still really disliked the writing style. But at the same time, I don't believe this story could have been told in a different POV. It just wouldn't have had the same effect. So I'm conflicted.

Let's put it this way. I would definitely recommend this book to mystery and whodunit fans. But don't expect it to be like a standard mystery. Because it isn't. And even though it's close to 400 pages, it does read really fast. It's also a fun ride trying to solve the mystery and figure out who started the fire. I solved it with 100 pages to go, but I didn't arrive at my solution the same way the author did. So there were still surprises to be had for me even though I knew how it was was going to end. Just try it if you think it sounds like something you might like. You may love it.

To order a copy of Afterwards from Amazon.com, click here: Afterwards: A Novel.

Visit the author on her website at http://www.rosamundlupton.com.

Follow her tweets by clicking here: Follow Rosamund on Twitter.

Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosamundLuptonAuthor

And now, for the giveaway. Up for giveaway is one copy of Afterwards. This giveaway is US/CA only. Sorry International readers. I have more great Int. giveaways coming soon. Giveaway starts May 1st, and ends May 8th. Winner will be notified by email and has 72 hours to confirm mailing address or another winner will be chosen.

Enter using the Rafflecopter entry form below.

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Other Tour Stops:

Rosamund Lupton’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Wednesday, May 2nd: The Picky Girl

Thursday, May 3rd: Indie Reader Houston

Friday, May 4th: Amused by Books

Monday, May 7th: Books Distilled

Tuesday, May 8th: Me, My Book, and the Couch

Wednesday, May 9th: Girls Just Reading

Thursday, May 10th: Boarding in my Forties

Friday, May 11th: Coffee and a Book Chick

Monday, May 14th: Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, May 15th: Into the Hall of Books

Wednesday, May 16th: Melody & Words

Thursday, May 17th: Lit Endeavors

Kendall Grey, Whale Addict

2012-05-01T07:52:00.000-04:00

INHALE, an urban fantasy romance by Kendall Grey, is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. Watch the video to find out why.

Kendall encourages interested readers to consider purchasing an e-book instead of a paperback. E-books save trees, cost considerably less, and bring in much more money for the whales.

Thank you for supporting INHALE, and most importantly, the whales that need our help.

INHALE blurb:

Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face.

~Kendall Grey~

Blog: http://www.kendallgrey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KendallGreyAuthor
Despicable Tweets: http://www.twitter.com/kendallgrey1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108885.Kendall_Grey

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmcmg

This is just a friendly post from your lovely blog author. Ha. If you haven't read Inhale yet, you need to. It is one of my favorite books of 2012, and possibly one of my favorite books, ever. I'm throwing my support behind this project because I love this book AND the author. She's a fantastic writer and person. I already reviewed the book earlier this year, and you can see that post here. Thank you for taking the time to read this. And thank you for being a follower of this blog. Each and everyone one of you is truly appreciated.

Audiobook Giveaway of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

2012-04-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

If you checked my blog yesterday, I reviewed The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda. Today I have a copy of the audiobook for giveaway. You can read my review of the book HERE. Below is the blurb for those that don't know what the book is about yet.

Blurb:

Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway is for the US/CA only. You must be 13 years or older to enter. Winner will be notified via email and will have 72 hours to respond with their mailing address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

2012-04-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Pages: 293
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Review: If I had only one thing to say about The Hunt, it would be that it was extremely original. I'm not sure that it is a book for everyone-parts of it were pretty disgusting, and the vampires in this novel were grosser than most. I happened to love that though. The plot was suspenseful and the story was unlike anything I have read before. One thing I prize most in a book is originality, and this book is full of it. I know. A vampire book that's original? Who would have thought that could happen anymore?

It's not a perfect book, but what it's lacking in background details and world-building, it makes up for in its suspense, tight plotting, and just absolutely fantastic writing. Some sentences are choppy, some long, and it really helped to set the ominous tone for what was to come. I enjoyed the poetic style the book was written in. I like writing and a writer's voice that stands out, and it definitely did here.

The story was also filled with delightful doses of humor and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. But then there were times when I had to put the book down because the suspense and story was terrifying me. I was seriously frightened in a couple of places. I usually don't scare easily either. I found that I fell in love with this book from the very first sentence. I knew it would be a book that I would enjoy.

One thing I have to talk about without spoiling is the ending. It ended in a pretty devastating cliffhanger. But I kind of loved it because it was one of those revelations where your mouth dropped open in shock. Something happened that I should have seen coming all along but I was just oblivious to it and overlooked it completely. I love being shocked as a reader and it doesn't happen very often anymore.

Complaints? The character development was a bit lacking. Which is why I said I wasn't too disappointed by the lack of perfection. The plot more than makes up for it. Even though the protagonist was fairly well-developed, most of the side characters weren't. A lot of scary things happened and I feel like I should have cared for those characters more, and I would have if the author had just spent a little more time on them. I could have also done without the snobbishness of the protagonist and Ashley June. It didn't make me like either of them as much as I could have. I understand why the author made them this way, but it's just going to take awhile for either of them to grow on me now.

I also would have loved for some more background and details about how and why the dystopian world ended up the way it did. Since this is a new series, I am hoping more of that information is to come in the next book. Which I will definitely be reading. This book was amazing.

Final note: This book was like a runaway train. It kept picking up speed as it moved along and it never did slow down. It kept going until the very end when it crashed into the station and you were left with the aftermath of your thoughts. Loved it!

To pre-order a copy of The Hunt from Amazon.com (yes, I am an affiliate), click here: The Hunt.

Author Interview with Kendall Grey and a Giveaway of Inhale!

2012-04-27T12:33:00.000-04:00

Today I have Kendall Grey on the blog to talk about her new book, Inhale, and her love of whales and writing. I read the book, and I loved it. So far it is one of my favorite reads of 2012. It goes on sale for purchase on May 1st. That's only a few days away! So if the blurb that follows interests you, why don't you purchase the book and show an indie author some love? I assure you, this book is fantastic. And all the proceeds from this novel go to whale education programs. Every single penny.

Blurb: Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to whale education.

Here's Kendall!!

Kara: This is one of the most unique and original novels I have ever read. I've never read anything quite like it. What I am wondering is how did you come up with the idea for Inhale?

Kendall: The original book (13 rewrites ago) featured Zoe, Gavin, and some shared dreams. That's where the similarities to the final version of INHALE end. Though I was proud of that first baby, dreams just weren't enough to keep the story moving. I'd been fascinated by Wicca and loved the idea of elemental balance. If you think about it, Earth's forces are in constant flux, sometimes influencing each other, sometimes playing nice, sometimes totally destructive. I started to write a completely different story centered on that theme, but I couldn't let Gavin and Zoe go. Then I thought maybe I could add the Elemental stuff to the Dreaming and make it work. I outlined and developed the world as I rewrote the story. My box of notecards with world-building notes, characters, and ideas continues to grow. :-)

Kara: Are the characters in the novel based on anyone you know? Is there a Zoe and Gavin out there somewhere?

Kendall: The heroine, Zoe, is the person I wish I could be. She's an amalgamation of a bunch of whale lovers I know -- dedicated, smart, fiercely protective, a little fragile at times. Gavin...he's just...Gavin. He's Australian (because that accent alone is enough to melt a girl's heart), a rock star (I've always had a thing for a guy wearing a guitar), and has super dream powers. I actually dreamed of a guy like him once. He even had the tattoos and lip ring. Picturing his tall, gorgeous, dreamy self turns me into a trembling mass of chunky rice pudding every time. *SLURP*

Kara: Music plays a very important part in Inhale. What kind of music inspired you while you were writing Inhale? Do you listen to music while writing? Is there a playlist for Inhale? Which songs?

Kendall: Music is hugely important to me, but I can't write with any kind of noise. When not writing, I listen to the kind of music Gavin's band, Just Breathe, plays - anything with swearing, screaming, loud guitars, and unusual melodies. There's a playlist up on my JUST BREATHE web site. You can check out the characters' "mood music" at http://www.justbreathenovel.com/Just_Breathe/Characters.html. Not all of the songs will make sense right now, but I know where these dudes and dudettes are heading in the other two books, so some of the tunes fit with stuff that's yet to come. :-)

Kara: I can clearly see your passion for whales in your writing and story. Where did this passion come from? If you go back and think, when is the first time you really felt that passion and what happened?

Kendall: After I quit teaching, a friend asked me to be a subject in her doctoral research on situated cognition - immersion within active learning contexts to maximize understanding of a topic. For the class, we went up to Gloucester, Massachusetts to learn about whales and then apply our new knowledge by teaching passengers on a whale watch boat. The first time I laid eyes on a humpback, I freaked the hell out. There's actually a documentary someone made about the Whale Class, and you can hear me screaming through the entire thing. Ha! I was so taken, so completely overwhelmed by the immensity and beauty of the whales, I just lost my sh!t. We're talking about a spiritual experience here. Rocked my foundations.

I came home and started a corporation to teach kids about whales -- I still go into schools and do whale presentations today. I've been all over the world watching whales. I did a research internship in Hervey Bay, Australia in which we photo identified humpbacks by taking pics of their flukes. A lot of the stuff about Hervey Bay in the JUST BREATHE trilogy is based on my experiences there with real whales. In the books, I tried to stay true to the setting and the science surrounding the whales as much as possible.

Kara: The question I ask everyone I interview. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Has it always been your dream, or is this a recent development?

Kendall: I was an English teacher for many years. I've always enjoyed writing, but I could never write a story from start to finish. I was good at little scenes but not at putting them together to create a meaningful, complete picture. Whilst on a whale watching trip in Gloucester again in 2008, I picked up Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" and fell in love. Say what you want about those books, but they walked into my life at just the right moment and hit me just the right way. I'd been feeling down, unmotivated, and didn't have much direction after quitting my job. Something about the combination of reading the books and being with my beloved whales prompted me to think, "I could write a book!" So I did. :-)

Kara: So, why Australia? Of all the settings you could have used, why did you pick Australia and Hervey Bay?

Kendall: Hervey Bay, Queensland is known as "The Whale Watching Capital of the World." Since I've been there and seen those sweet Aussie whales myself, it was a no-brainer. Plus, it's Australia, dude! HA! While I was there on the internship, we had a research permit that allowed us get very close to the animals. I could tell you AMAZING close encounter stories...Some of Zoe's experiences with whales in the books were actually mine. I'm working on a short story about Zoe as a young girl visiting Australia. It features a real-life whale serenade from my time in Hervey Bay. (See picture of the whale bloke in question below :-)

Kara: After this trilogy is over, will you continue to write? Will it be about whales as well? Or will it be something else?

Kendall: Right now, I'm finishing up the first draft of JUST BREATHE, the final book of the trilogy. It will leave one of the supporting characters in a very...precarious position. I'm planning to write that character's LURVE story when Gavin and Zoe's tale is done. This character is one whose motivations are quite sketchy throughout the trilogy, which makes for GREAT conflict, distrust, and tension. I also introduce several other characters in the second and third books, all of whom have weaseled into my heart in different ways. There are plenty more stories I could write about my wild and crazy Elementals if readers are interested. I'll probably leave the whales alone for a while, but I can always come back to them later. Or try my hand at some non-fiction. :-)

Kara: The world-building in Inhale is really unique. Where did you come up with the ideas for the Dreaming and Elementals?

Kendall: I read a lot of Aboriginal Australian myths and fell in love with their idea of the Dreaming (also called Dreamtime). Aboriginals pass down stories about human and animal "spirits" that carved out the shapes of the Earth and explain natural occurrences and land features. I twisted the stories my own way, but my "Dreaming" has deep roots in theirs. I also integrated bits from Jung's theory of the collective unconscious -- brilliant stuff.

As for the Elementals, I researched pagan traditions and the characteristics of the four elements. I created rules that govern the Elementals and Sentinels. Like the Dreaming, the Elemental world in my head is constantly evolving. I watch people, study their behavior, and try to classify them by which Elements are "controlling" them at the moment. My odd social observations often drive my writing and set off the light bulbs that trigger world-building breakthroughs.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Kara. I'm truly honored and humbled to be here. These questions were SUPER fun!

This is a calf I "met" in Hervey Bay. He was so playful and cute. I got a bunch of great shots of him breaching like this.

Here's the nose of the Hervey Bay humpback whale who serenaded me with the most beautiful song I've ever heard. It was amazing! I'm totally talking to him in this pic. :-) For more whale-related info, you can visit the fictional Cetacean Research Network website from the JUST BREATHE trilogy at http://www.cetaceanresearchnetwork.com.

Book Trailer:

Kendall Grey:

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Now for the giveaway. Up for grabs is an e-copy of Inhale. Anyone anywhere in the world can enter this contest as long as you can read an ebook. Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. For this one I am going to require you be 18 to enter. There are some HOT sexual situations in this book. Giveaway ends 5/03/12.

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Review of The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

2012-04-23T01:46:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Release Date: May 15th, 2012
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult, Horror-Post Apocalyptic
Source: NetGalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: 3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

Review: The Weepers was a pretty intense, fast ride. It wasn't perfect, but it was really fun to read. It wasn't all that original either, but it was a decent, solid attempt at a YA zombie novel. When I started reading it, that was exactly what I was looking for. After reading quite a few books that put me into a reading funk, this was just the reading experience I needed to get out of it.

The creatures in this book are not actually zombies but humans that have evolved to a degenerative state because of a biologically mutated rabies virus. Or at least that's the impression I got. Some of the creatures still look human, but the rabies has devolved them into human flesh-eating machines. And some of the creatures have taken on animal characteristics-fur and they walk on all fours. Either way, they are scary as hell because they are fast and work in teams to take down humans. If that weren't disgusting enough, they stockpile their humans--injured and alive--by taking them back to their nests for safekeeping and eating later.

So rather than summarize the plot for you, I'll just say I thought this book was pretty scary. There were some memorable scenes and moments that had me holding my breath. The despair that the protagonist feels for her situation bleeds from the pages and you really feel it. As far as zombie fare goes, it doesn't take much to scare me, but I did think this one was well-written with some pretty good imagery. It was also pretty bloody and gory, which is why I gave it a horror label as well.

So why did it only get 3 stars? Well, it ended too soon. It was also too short! I really wanted more from this book. Just when it was starting to really pull me in and get interesting, it ended!! I was a little pissed! And then there was the number thing. Every time Sherry was reminded of something from her life before the rabies, she would say something like,"1,139 days since I had felt raindrops on my face." Okay, so if she had only said this a couple of times, I maybe would have felt the significance. Problem was, I think she said this at least 30 times, maybe more. And it became annoying. And eye-rolling. I just wanted it to stop.

The characterizations could have used some work. They were a little flat. I liked them, but I could have liked them a lot more if I had felt more for them. I also don't think the romance between Joshua and Sherry added anything to the story. I think they would have been better off as friends. Why does every SINGLE young adult book have to have a romance? Can't we just have a good zombie plot without the kissing? It almost felt tacked on. Like someone told the author, "This will sell better if there is a romance. Add a romance." No. NO. That's ridiculous. And I hope that isn't what happened. I hope that NEVER happens. Anyway, I liked this one. Didn't love it, but I will most likely be continuing with the series. It pulled me in enough and scared me enough to make me want to read more. And I kind of had a thing for the tattooed guy who wouldn't speak. Sounds like my kind of man. LOL.

Memorable quote:

"The six-story building in front of us looked even shabbier than the rest. Most of the white paint had peeled off, leaving a dirty gray. Even before the rabies, this building must have been vacant. It looked like it had been an office building for a shipping company. A trail of blood led inside. Fresh."

Oh, and in case you didn't know, I kind of have an unnatural fear of rabies. I wouldn't say it's a phobia, but it does freak me out. I'm always on the lookout for wild animals acting strangely. This book only helped to amplify my fear.

To pre-order a copy of The Weepers from Amazon.com, click here:

The Weepers: The Other Life.

Other Reviews:

Wendy Darling 3/5 stars
Joyous Reads 4/5 stars
The Book Geek 2/5 stars