All Things Supernatural ~ by Heatheraine Trim

Review: THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

2012-01-23T08:00:00.006-05:00

TITLE: The Scorpio Races
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
FANTASY ELEMENT: Mythological Water Horses
PUBLISHED: Scholastic Press (October 18, 2011)
SOURCE: Kindle via Amazon
RATING: 5: Excellent

SYNOPSIS:

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

REVIEW:

There is just something amazing about The Scorpio Races. The tone set in this book does not allow you to be in any other mood other than the one blowing around the island of Thisby. The descriptions of the story world are magical. There is not much of hint to where this island is located, but I was guessing Ireland because of the Gaelic words and sometimes the characters’ verbiage.

The overall story is slowly paced for such a thrilling ride into the Scorpio races on the backs of carnivorous horses. It is kind of a dichotomy that the race and the training beforehand is so dangerous and yet the pace of the story goes slow and steady. It is a ride of a different g-force. It’s like a Stief-force! This dichotomy shows up in the story with the difference between the capall uice and the mare that Puck rides. It is absolutely delightful.

I wasn’t sure at first what was really going to happen because of the severely vague synopsis. I wasn’t sure if there was a romance until it was right in my face. It was worth giving in to curiosity. My only worry is that because it lacks in the “paranormal romance” cliché situations, that it will be underrated by teens everywhere.

The characters are all very real and I feel like I know them like Puck said at one point, everybody is familiar on this island. I’m sure that is why Stiefvater invested time into small characters, to continue the feel of the place.

RATING:

I have to rate this at a complete 5: Excellent and well worth the time to read. It wasn’t heart smashingly romantic but its subtle tenderness was breathtaking. The story of these two acquaintances brings them together in such an enchanting, depressing, yet a very “Thisby” kind of way. I loved it.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I would let my preteen read this. I’m not sure if she would understand or appreciate it, but it’s clean: no nudity, minimal bad language and the violence is present yet not gory. The story is intense and worth the ride. If you’re a horse lover, this book speaks your language.

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

Books of Faerie:
Lament
Ballad

The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver Series):
Shiver
Linger
Forever

The Scorpio Races

Review: SUPERNATURALLY by Keirsten White

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

TITLE: Supernaturally
AUTHOR: Keirsten White
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: All fantasy creatures (Including some new ones.)
PUBLISHED: HarperTeen (July 26, 2011)
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library
RATING: 2: FAIR

SYNOPSIS:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself. So much for normal.

REVIEW:

One book full of Evie was some dangerous fun. A second book with Evie was some ridiculous ruckus. This book really didn’t keep up the sassy, dangerous Evie that we grew to love in book 1. Granted teenagers make bad choices, but seriously, Evie slips into stupidity with the choices she makes in this one.

She gets her normalcy, which is cool (which should have been the title). She is tearing up inside about needing the excitement of IPCA back, which is understandable. But things got more annoying when she messes things up with Lend, which is ridiculous. Everything is suspect in this book, but at least it kept me guessing. It had that going for it.

***SPOILERS*** (Skip to Rating)

As for the concerns I had had about the plot from the first book. A few holes were filled in, that were gaping. The first hole was filled in by roping her back into IPCA. Interestingly though, things at the Center are changing so there is less “control” over the paranormals connected with IPCA.

The second hole was filled with the explanation of her getting lost by the faeries as a child. It’s kinda, weird, but I won’t fully spoil it by explaining it. Regardless, it was riduculous.

RATING:

I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first so I can’t rate it the same. I have to rate this book as a 2. FAIR: Not quite worth the time to read. The ending was satisfying but Evie just got more and more annoying, especially with her bad decision making and dramatics over nonsense..

RECOMMENDATIONS:

No gore, nothing dirty. This book is clean enough for early teens. Kinda creepy though. But it wasn’t really worth the time to read, so proceed at your own risk.

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Paranormalcy
Book 2: Supernaturally
Book 3: Eternity (to be release in 2012)

Review: PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

2012-01-02T08:00:00.016-05:00

TITLE: Paranormalcy
AUTHOR: Kiersten White
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: All paranormal & fantasy creatures (Including some new ones)
PUBLISHED: HarperTeen (August 31, 2010)
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library
RATING: 3: GOOD

SYNOPSIS:

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. So much for normal.

REVIEW:

I opened this book, anticipating not being very interested but to my surprise the voice of the main character, Evie, was so unique, hip and sassy, I could not put this book down. I blazed through it. Even though she is totally immature, (something to which I can relate) she had a right to be. She didn’t want to grow up. She is a kick-butt character and kind of helpless at the same time. She just wants to be normal (whatever that is.)

Reth is the faerie ex-boyfriend and one of the antagonists, which I still don’t understand what she saw in him, but he had filled a void in her at one time. He was acting so weird; I still don’t know what he was trying to do. I’m hoping there will be more about him in the second book. He was almost three dimensional, but not really. He really could have been developed more. I thought he might be doing good but just acting like a stupid faery.

Then there is Lend. He is a terribly cute and awfully interesting character. I love how he asks one simple question about her that she has no idea about. She hadn’t even thought to ask questions about herself and her status at the Center. He throws her world into chaos. I get why she is attracted to him. I love that he is her connection to normalcy.

***SPOILER ALERT***

(Skip to “Rating” if you don’t want spoilers)

There were a few holes that put a bit of damper on this interesting and action packed story. First of which is kind of important, go with me here… When ACPA found Evie, they banded the nations together and shared her, forming ICPA. So if she was so important in this company. Why is she running around alone? If she is a Level Seven Paranormal, why is she NOT monitored constantly? She should have a microchip if she is that important. And (more importantly) why would they let her just run away in the end? This company was founded on her ability and with her Level Seven ability, they should be enslaving her just like the faeries, vamps and werewolves. Right?

The second big hole is: Did the feries (Reth, really) lose Evie somewhere when she was young? Are they really flighty that they would lose a child that would save their faery court? It just didn’t make sense.

RATING:

Being that this book is part of a series, my hope is that all of my questions about the plot will be answered in the second/third book. Sadly these holes play into the rating of this first book. I’m rating this book as a 3: GOOD. Evie is a super character with how she dresses and how she “bleeping” talks. She made the story. The ending was kind of weird and anti climactic. (That’s why I’m anticipating the next book being the antidote for my woes.) Regardless, a book should hold its own, all on its own.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is a pretty good book for preteens up thru high school age, although the main character is rather immature and acts younger. It is pretty clean. There is action but no gore. There is heart throbbing moments but nothing raunchy. I’d let my kids read it. If you're looking for a "dark" paranormal fantasy, this is not dark. At. All.

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Paranormalcy
Book 2: Supernaturally (Not yet reveiwed)
Book 3: Eternity (To be release in 2012)

Reading Goal 2012

2012-01-01T08:00:00.034-05:00

Goodbye 2011

Well, 2011 is rolling to a close and it's time to tally the books I've read. It's been a great year of some great reads. The Shiver series, Delirium, The Iron Queen and more.

I've added to my favorite authors list: Maggie Stiefvater. Yay!

Now for the sad part, I did NOT reach my reading goal of 52 books this year. I didn't even keep up with how much I read last year... I blame the homeschooling!! :) I didn't count any books I started, hated and didn't finish. I didn't tell anyone about those, because for those of us who are obsessed with finishing what we start... they were a failure. Boooo! I didn't include any books on writing or self help books either... Although now that I think about it, I SHOULD then I would reach my goal! Hahahaha! But I'm seriously only counting Fiction this year!

Regardless, it was fun racking up 37 books even though last year I read a wopping 42. My 2011 self was a bit of a slacker. Oh well, better luck next year!

And now to list the challenges in which I participated... and lost most, except ONE!

2011 eBook Challenge

Loser number 1: I didn't read a whole lot of books on the Kindle I got for Christmas last year. I read only 15 books out of the 34 which means I really only read 44% of books on my electronic device. Hmm...

15 out of 20 books

2011 Shifter Challenge

Loser number 2: This was an interesting challenge. I signed up to read 12 books with a main character who shifted forms. For example: werewolves. I only found 6 Shifter books that seemed remotely interesting this year:

BEAST by Donna Jo Napoli ~ Beauty & the Beast retold

THE LOST SAINT by Bree Despain ~ Werewolf

FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan ~ Dragon

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater ~ Werewolves

LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater ~ Werewolves

FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater ~ Werewolves

It was difficult to find really good books in this category, but I just found out there is a second book to FIRELIGHT that I need to add to my reading list. Cool!

6 out of 12 books

2011 YA Reading Challenge

BUT... I did achieve at least one goal: I read 27 Young Adult novels this year! Sweeeet! I want to thank the academy for teaching me how to read!

27 out of 20 books

AT LEAST I REACHED ONE GOAL, said the underachiever! ;)

Hello 2012

So, now that I know that nothing changes an underachiever, not even making goals... I am going to set my reading goal for 2012 at: the same as this year: 52 books!

I think that is an achievable goal. I think certain circumstances blocked me from reading when I wanted to read, but now that homeschooling is going well, I think I can do it! I am also fatally optimistic! I like the idea of reading one book a week, especially when I can usually read a good sized book in about 3 to 4 evenings.

Can't wait for the books coming out in 2012: PANDEMONIUM by Lauren Oliver (Book 2 of Delirium--I must find out what happened to Lena!), BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore (2nd companion book to my favorite Graceling), and more...

Not to mention that HUNGER GAMES will be on the big screen in March! Woohoo! BREAKING DAWN Part 2 will be out in November.

What ever your goals for 2012 may be, good luck and may the force be with you!

Review: PROPHETIC DELIVERANCE by Tim Mather

2011-12-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

TITLE: Prophetic Deliverance
AUTHOR: Tim Mather – Web, Blog
GENRE: Nonfiction, Christianity, Deliverance
PUBLISHED: Xulon Press (Oct 31, 2011)
SOURCE: Advance Reader Copy of Reprint
RATING: 5 - Excellent

SYNOPSIS:

Prophetic Deliverance is such a tool for freedom! The church has civilized out much of what makes us different from every other religious system: the supernatural. Jesus' mission statement in Luke 4:18-19 KJV includes the six supernatural elements of life in Christ: discovery of the good news of Kingdom life, healing for brokenness, freedom from demonic influences, new spiritual sight, liberty from Kingdom of Darkness thinking, and the revelation that we are now Father's favorite. None of them are automatic upon entrance into the Kingdom of Light. Rather, the revelations must be pursued, the healing apprehended, the sight revealed. Therefore, each and every person making their way into the Kingdom must actively undergo deliverance from the demonic.

REVIEW:

Full Disclosure: This book was written by my father: Tim Mather. He asked me to edit for a reprint. So I figured I might as well do what I do: review.

This book presents the missing ministry of Jesus: Deliverance. Most churches don’t whisper a word about demons or deliverance. They pretend like they don’t exist except when bad things happen they refer to the devil, whom they approach as this omniscient, ever-present arch-emesis out to ruin their lives. This book brings truth and understanding about the supernatural and the demonic beings that function in many people’s lives, every day.

Prophetic Deliverance is about how Tim Mather came to work in deliverance ministry and the trials and errors along the way. It is not exactly a “How To” book, but “This is what I’ve learned to do and not to do.” He explains the supernatural and demonization simply, backed with scripture references and personal experience.

Demonization is presented as very real and very fixable through the use of the prophetic. This means that the deliverance teams rely wholly on the Holy Spirit telling the team members the name of just the “chief and ruling demon” to remove it and any other demons that may be present. Not a list, because—as stated in this book—demons function through a hierarchy. The teams depend on the Holy Spirit and not the symptoms of the person.

RATING:

I rate this book as 5: Excellent and worth the time to not only read but to participate in a prophetic deliverance session. Tim and Katie Mather run weekend retreats for deliverance at their ranch once a month. (www.bearcreekportal.com) I highly recommend checking it out.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I would recommend this book to any Christian that believes in the literal translation of the Bible and has had the revelation that there are strongholds or demonic influences holding them back. I would not recommend this to people who refuse to believe that demons exist. It may change your opinion.

Review: DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Delirium
AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver
GENRE: Young Adult, SciFi, Dystopian, Romance
PUBLISHED: HarperTeen (February 1, 2011)
FORMAT: Hard cover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS: (Via Goodreads)

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

REVIEW:

This book surprised me. As the story begins Lena is sharing how she lives in a world absent of love and how thrilled she is to count down the days until her treatment. My heart ached at the thought of this ever happening in real life. Yikes! She describes the side effects of a detachment from children, even though it is rare that a parent would kill their child and rid themselves of the bother. Scary.

Lena is an interesting character. She makes a complete 180 throughout the story. Usually we see the main character coming to terms with something and making a minor change. This character makes a complete about-face! Her eyes are opened to the cruelty of the cure.

The story is filled with danger, passion, anger and, of course, love. Alex, the boy she is “infected” by, is an enigma. He is honest and giving. Although, I was waiting for at least ONE flaw! But I guess when you’re in love flaws are invisible.

RATING:

I rate this book at a 4: A Very Good Read. It bothered me deeply, which I believe is the whole point. Lena is interesting and her past makes her even more layered. The story world is interesting and I’m still curious about it even after I’ve finished. (Thank goodness book 2 is coming: PANDEMONIUM ~ March 6^th, 2012.)

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The only warnings I have are the fact that there are several swear words (maybe 2 F-words.) Also there is PG-13 nudity. Blood is minimal. Overall a great read, and the “warnings” don’t worsen the story.

Review: BALLAD by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-12-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

TITLE: Ballad
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
FANTASY ELEMENT: Faeries
PUBLISHED: Flux (October 1, 2009)
FORMAT: Hard cover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS: (Via Goodreads)

Music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

REVIEW:

In the first book (Lament) we were in the head of Dee and Luke (the hot faery assassin.) In this story, James, Dee’s childhood best friend, narrates the story. I cannot believe how much I like James. He may portray himself as a mouthy jerk, but having been introduced to him in the first book, I see him as witty, real and utterly fascinating. Then when Nuala is narrating parts of the story, and we see how she views him, it makes me love him even more.

In a book about faeries, anything can happen. There are no boundaries, no limitations. I found myself lost in the story and at the mercy of the writer’s whims. I loved this story about forbidden love, and the tension of the awkwardness between James and Dee. James is trying to get over her through the whole book and Nuala may have helped distract him. But then, he has to make a choice between them in the end.

RATING:

I liked this book so much I keep going back and forth between rating it at 4 or 5. I loved the characters, the story was cool, and the writing was delightful. I have rate it at 5: An Excellent book!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is a great read for early to late teens. There is the threat of violence throughout but only PG violence and PG romance. Good clean story. Love it. (Maybe one or two bad words.)

SERIES REVIEWS:

Books of Faerie 1: Lament
Books of Faerie 2: Ballad

Review: LAMENT by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-12-05T08:00:00.004-05:00

TITLE: Lament
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
FANTASY ELEMENT: Faeries
PUBLISHED: Flux (October 1, 2008)
FORMAT: Soft cover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS: (Via Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin—and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke's feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.

REVIEW:

I picked up this book because I loved the “Shiver” series so much. (I know, late bloomer!) I find Maggie’s writing to be rather easy-breezy. Some books make my brain hurt with how they DO NOT flow from word to word. But somehow Maggie has a way of writing that flows so well, like the whole book is a song. Yet her stories convey such emotional and physical struggle that I find myself holding my breath. Such a paradox!

Sometimes I don’t mind stories about a bad-boy finding a heart and falling in love. I thought at first it would get corny. But I like Luke. He is mysterious and the fact that he “can’t” say anything about what he is or why he is supposed to kill her. He didn’t flaunt his badness. I like that. He then seems more sincere and torn because he can’t put her at ease—even though he really wants to.

Deirdre is an interesting character with whom I can relate. (I am also an introvert.) Usually stories are written around strong, confident, butt-kickin’ teen girls who do what they want and get away with stupidity throughout their story. But this one is introverted, nervous, paranoid and kind of a chicken. I love her! She did what I would do… minus the massive amounts of vomit.

RATING:

I like this story about a girl who is being hunted by faeries. I had expected a certain level of predictability, but it was not (for me, anyway.) I rate this book at a 4 - A very good read. I love investing my time into stories and characters that are worth the time. This one is. I’m eager to move on to the next book: BALLAD. Maggie Stievfater remains on my fav author list!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is a great read for early to late teens. There is the threat of violence throughout but only PG violence and PG romance. Good clean story. Love it. (Maybe one or two bad words.)

SERIES REVIEWS:

Books of Faerie 1: Lament
Books of Faerie 2: Ballad

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver Series):
Shiver
Linger
Forever

The Scorpio Races

Review: BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Before I Fall
AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver
GENRE: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
FANTASY ELEMENT: Life after death
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins (March 2, 2010)
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library
RATING: 1 - Poor

SYNOPSIS:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

REVIEW:

After reading Lauren Oliver’s DELIRIUM and loving it, I looked up what else she’s written and found this one. It is a strange tale of a popular/mean-girl in high school that can say or do anything to anyone. She dies in a car accident and then keeps reliving that same day over and over.

Complaint #1: Sadly, the story itself is rather predictable. The repeating of days and turn of events got rather boring, even though the love story got steamier and steamier. That was about the only good thing about the story, was how the romance played out.

Complaint #2: Too much sex, alcohol and drugs. What the heck? It had mild language and all she thought about was sex, drank freely and even smoked some pot. Classy story. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

Complaint #3: The main character is less than desirable. I hope no one can relate with this person. Sam is mean and conniving. Then she selfishly tries to be good to change her own death. I’m glad she at least changed and grew into a halfway likeable person by the end and sacrificed her own desires. But that leads me to my next complaint.

***SEMI-SPOILER ALERT***

Complaint #4: There is no ENDING! At least there was a decent escalating conflict, but how does it end? I read stories so I can see it to its finality. There was no resolution, nothing. Arrrgg… Yes I’m growling! So maybe the author is leaving it up to our imaginations? Well my imagination is saying, give me a satisfying ending! At least a clue, is she dead, alive, in a coma, sleeping, did it all reeeeeally happen and then she keeps living after the last page? At least the movie “Ground Hog Day” had an ending for us to have endured that stupid movie.

RATING:

I have to rate this as a 1: Poor. A waste of time. It has an interesting romance but that can’t even redeem this story for me. Kent makes Sam better and is the only likable thing about this story. Other than that it was repetitive and ended rather disappointingly.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is not recommended for early teens or any teen at all. (I won’t be letting my kids read it.) Mild language. Too much sex, drug and alcohol use and references. Also there are inappropriate interactions between a student and teacher. I kind of wish that was not even included in this book. Read at your own risk, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.

Twilight and Christianity

2011-11-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Being a Christian, raised as a pastor’s kid, and now operating in deliverance ministry for the past 10+ years I’ve been asked plenty of times why I think it is okay to follow the Twilight Saga. This is in response to those queries.

WHERE I STAND ON THE SAGA

Like a good Christian girl, I had poo-pooed the books back when they were coming out. “Boo, Vampires are bad.” The first movie had been released by that time. And a friend of mine told me I should check out this love story. She handed me Twilight. (I am rather open-minded. I had read the first Harry Potter book and found out that it was no big deal, but it also wasn’t my cup of tea, so I didn’t read any more.)

So I borrowed that black book with an apple on the cover and ended up falling in love with a vampire story. I think the major issue Christians have with Twilight is the vampire thing. They equate it to a demonic character. To the majority of Christians, demons are this mysterious and scary thing that no one understands. Oddly enough, I have been educated in the supernatural. No I’m not arrogant enough to say that I know everything about demons. I just know enough from my years in deliverance ministry of how they operate. So in my mind vampire does NOT equal demon. Vampires = fiction. Demons = real. No association, for me.

Christians fear even the idea of demons, so when they equate vampires to demons, it is kinda ridiculous to me because I’ve never seen any demons suck blood. I think Christians fear what they don’t understand and when one Christian after the other says “Twilight-bad” it’s just ignorantly passed down the sheep-line. Yeah, we’re sheep, but God gave us a will and freedom of an opinion.

My opinion is that the story is fascinating. I love falling in love over and over again through fiction. (I can’t handle more than a PG13 romance book, so Twilight fit my standards.) I read book after book and was hooked.

The enemy wants to place any sort of wedge between people. A silly book came out about vampires and werewolves, now Christians have something to complain about. Yay. The enemy wins because he got us to judge others for unimportant things. Then the Christians that actually like Twilight feel shame about it and some of them hide it. Now they have what they think is a “secret sin” in their hearts. That is SAD. Might as well high-five the devil at this point. He is winning. (Not to mention, Twilight is just a story… not even worth the time I put into this article to explain.)

To mention a select group of twilight fans… the OVER-obsessed. It is common sense that elevating something as silly as a fictional story to being the most important thing in their life is down right idiotic… this group of people were messed up waaaaay before Twilight came around. (I don’t condone what the obsessed fans do!) Moderation people!

SO WHAT’S THE DRAW?

After interviewing a bunch of people sitting outside of the movie theater in line to see the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn (The 4th Twilight book) and asking them what their draw is to the Twilight Saga I’ve have a better understanding of what the big deal is about Twilight. The majority of the people mention the romance. The old fashioned romance between Edward and Bella is dreamy. Girls want to be unconditionally loved like that.

Yeah, some people go overboard and are in love with Edward or Jacob and some act as though it is “girl-porn” but I think they fall in to the “over-obsessed” category and should be slapped!

A friend of mine recently said, “The thing is, Twilight isn't like True Blood or Sookie Stackhouse where it's all about sex and sucking blood. This story is purely about relationships...the characters just happen to be fictional/fantastical beings.”

The biggest factor for me is the redemption of someone who is perceived as “evil.” Edward is a vampire. A damned soul. There is no such thing as vampires, so in my mind, we’re just dealing with the idea of a person who is damned or evil. Not a demon. Edward feels unredeemable, which is why he is so broody. But LOVE has redeemed him. I can think of several love stories where the “monster” is redeemed through love: Beauty and the Beast, and Shrek.

He is a fictional monster/bad boy that Stephenie Meyers uses to redeem and show that even the worst of us are worthy of redemption and love.

So is Twilight okay for Christians? It’s all in the way you look at it, I suppose. Decide for yourself. If reading Twilight causes you to sin... cut it off!

Vampire/Werewolf Books VS Angel/Demon Books

2011-11-21T08:00:00.019-05:00

What’s the deal with the paranormal craze?! Well, it’s totally awesome of course. There are just some of us who are super-curious about the supernatural and weird occurrences than others. We want the impossible to happen. We want to read stories about that evil vampire having a good side and falling in love with a meek human. We want that werewolf to come out of hiding, we’re curious about him. It’s all good fun because it’s paranormal and it’s total fiction.

The market has been flooded with vampire and werewolf books to satisfy our curiosity. We don’t care, we want good, interesting stories that defy imagination.

As a Christian, I am not bothered by the hype around vampire and werewolf books. I won’t read smutty novels to begin with, so if there is a skanky vampire story, I skip it anyway. Are vampires bad? Only in some stories. Are werewolves, bad… I don’t know, they are imaginary.

So now there have been a bunch of books coming out about angels and demons. Demon hunters, angel heroes, and half human/half angel stories. There is just something that bothers me about these. I have wondered why vampires and werewolves don’t bother me one a bit, but stories about demons and angels do.

ISSUE #1: Vampires and werewolves are NOT REAL. Totally made up, fiction. Like unicorns and fairies.

ISSUE #2: Angels and demons are REAL. God is real, angels are real, the devil is real, and demons are real. There has always been a battle between good and evil since the fall of Lucifer. Whether anyone believes it or not, truth is truth. DEMONS exist.

ISSUE #3: Writers make up their own rules:

1. Concerning vampires, they make up their own rules about if they can be in the sun, or if they sleep in coffins, or whether they bite humans or animals. That’s okay, because they are totally make-believe creatures anyway! There are not definite rules about what they are and what they can be.

2. Concerning angels and demons, the writer seems to think that it’s okay to make up their own rules about how they work. For me, this is the most annoying part. It’s like breaking the rule of gravity on earth. That’s idiotic because if they don’t want to follow the rules of gravity, then don’t write a book that takes place on earth… create a NEW planet for the setting.
If you don’t know anything about angels, don’t write a movie, or a book about them.

For me there was nothing more annoying than that movie “Michael” starring John Travolta. It breaks every rule about angels. Don’t people know that if he’s a fallen angel, he’s a demon. Duh!

“Fallen” by Lauren Kate. Ridiculous. You can’t fall in love with an angel. Angels know their place. They won’t be talking to you unless they have a message from the Almighty. Yeah, maybe angels appear in human form to help us out. I believe it’s only because it is God-approved. If they do, they are DEMONS. Are demons good? NO.

I just believe that if you don’t know the rules about something that is real like gravity, angels or demons, you best not be breaking those rules. They are not imaginary. It’s just plain annoying.

Which brings me to my last point. There are quite a few books about angels and demons that are nothing like the real thing that cause people to believe the wrong thing about them. For example, if we are presented with stories about lawyers and they do bad things in every story ever written, we would all assume that all lawyers are bad. But I’m sure not every lawyer on the face of the earth is BAD. Which in turn, makes fiction turn into nonfiction. It’s just ridiculous.

Why can’t someone actually write a story about angels and/or demons that is biblically correct? Wow us, people. It can be done.

Review: ENTWINED by Heather Dixon

2011-11-14T23:00:00.004-05:00

TITLE: Entwined
AUTHOR: Heather Dixon
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
FANTASY ELEMENT: Magic
PUBLISHED: Greenwillow Books (March 29, 2011)
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation. Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

REVIEW:

This is retelling of the fairytale of the “Twelve Dancing Princesses.” The story begins when the girls lose their mother and must endure a full year of mourning. The beginning of this book really seemed kind of flat, but as I read on it became more interesting. I wasn’t sure if I could endure reading a year of mourning. But as the mystery unfolded, I couldn’t put it down. (And the pretty cover, kept me picking it back up.)

The overall story is good. I like when there is something to figure out, then when it comes to light and I’m right, I feel rewarded. I like how positive and delightful the narrator’s voice is throughout. It has a notable affect on the entirety of the story. Azalea is dainty and powerful, an enigma. She is commanding yet agreeable. I love her positively trusting nature yet her distrust in her father and their growth in the end.

The old timey language was charming and made it feel like we were back in the middle ages (even though I’ve never been there.) But I was nervous about all the talk of dancing (not being a dancer myself.) I have to say that it was enchanting to hear of their passion for dance. The dances added to the tone of each scene and represented where they were in the current situation.

RATING:

I’d rate this book at a 3: Good. It was a good read. After clearing the flat beginning, this book proved worth the time to read. I loved the classic nature of the love story, oh the brown eyes. {Sigh}

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I’d definitely recommend this book to teens and as early as preteens. It is appropriate for all audiences. Thankfully rated PG, if it were a movie. I am grateful for clean books! Yay! (This one goes on my 10 year old’s “To Read” list.)

Review: FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-11-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

TITLE: Forever
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater – Web, Blog
GENRE: Young Adult, paranormal
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: Werewolves
PUBLISHED: Scholastic (July 12, 2011)
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library (Will be owning this soon!)

SYNOPSIS: (via Goodreads)

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater. In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

REVIEW:

I have to say that this was a satisfying end to this series. I loved each book for different reasons. This one was just as fun. Even though there were no new characters, the way this book expanded on them and put more depth into this series was fantastic.

I love Sam. I am like Sam. I am very internal. I love how he grows up a bit in this one and takes life by the horns. He makes decisions! He has a confrontation… not telling with whom! He is by far my most favorite character of the series. Love, love, love.

Grace is still good-old-reliable-thinker-Grace. Thank God for her or this book would flounder. I wanted to slap some people but she shifts back to human and actually has ideas and makes a plan of what to do about the impending doom. (No Spoilers!)

Cole is like that guy who doesn’t deserve to be liked, but you just can’t help it. He’s so cold, and harsh. But he brings value to the story and is totally unlike Sam and Grace. I love how Isabel and Cole both envy Sam and Graces’ relationship and think they are too broken to ever be like them.

RATING:

The book is a great story, beginning to end. The writing is YET AGAIN fantastic! She is officially on my “favorite authors” list. I must read more by Maggie Stiefvater!! I rate the book at a 5: Excellent… Well worth the time to read, I wish it were longer, I just wanted more!

As for the series…. It is easily added to my favorites. I hope they come out with the movie. No stupid love triangle! I rate the series as a 5: Get it, Read it, Love it!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I had qualms about the first book with the “sneaking” around behind Graces parents backs. But I get it. It is actually a story element that has resolution in this book. Go Grace! If you liked Twilight, read this series. If you liked Hunger Games, read this series. If you like young adult novels, just read this series!

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Shiver

Book 2: Linger

Book 3: Forever

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

Books of Faerie:
Lament
Ballad

The Scorpio Races

Review: CALEB’S WARS by David L. Dudley

2011-10-31T08:00:00.008-04:00

TITLE: Caleb’s Wars
AUTHOR: David L. Dudley – Web
GENRE: Young Adult, Historical
PUBLISHED: Clairon (Oct 25, 2011)
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: ARC from Author (Thanks Dave!)

REVIEW:

Georgia Southern literature and philosophy professor, David L. Dudley, released his second book this week called, “Caleb’s Wars.” This historical fiction novel is about 15-year-old Caleb, who is a colored boy growing up in the Jim Crowe south. I couldn’t put this book down once I started. I love the teenage affliction of too many feelings that they don’t know what to do with them. Caleb had my heart from the beginning. He’s a good kid but his deep sense of justice compels him to vandalize and sneak out at night. Caleb is a very compelling character who makes this book an instant triumph.

Caleb’s brother is in the army and is eventually shipped off to fight overseas as they ship German POWs into their small town. Caleb doesn’t know how to feel about having to work side by side with a German POW, the enemy who seems to hate the Nazi’s as much as he does. Based before the civil rights movement began, this novel shows the deep cruelties to blacks in the south during war time and the blatant inequality. They are even categorized beneath German prisoners, all because of complexion.

“Caleb is also fighting his own personal wars, against whites, against his domineering, angry father, and even—in a way—against God.”

What’s even more interesting about “Caleb’s Wars” is the supernatural element. During his baptism one day, Caleb hears a voice he believes to be God’s. He thought maybe his friend was playing a trick on him but soon learns he was able pray healing over two very different people. This extra layer of intrigue made the book, for me because it showed that in God’s eyes, we’re all important.

RATING:

I’d rate this book as totally worth the time to read, 4: Very Good. The story was well told and the characters were complex. I could feel every emotion and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Caleb’s dad really got to me with his over-controlling nature. I wanted to run away. I wanted to fight, I wanted to vandalize. The frustration of the story built and built until Caleb couldn’t stand it any longer. I love when people actually stand up for themselves. Go Caleb!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

I talked with David L. Dudley recently and he shared where he came up with the story idea. “I read of incidents in which black soldiers in uniform were denied service in restaurants in the South. In one case, these soldiers were escorting German prisoners of war on a train, probably taking them to a prison camp. The prisoners were allowed to eat in the dining car, but the soldiers were refused service. Such discriminatory treatment—our enemies get the privilege of eating because they’re white, while our own soldiers can’t eat because they’re black—made my angry, and I decided to make it the subject of a new novel.”

Review: THE IRON KNIGHT by Julie Kagawa

2011-10-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

TITLE: The Iron Knight
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
FANTASY ELEMENT: Faeries
PUBLISHED: Harlequin Teen (October 25, 2011 )
FORMAT: Kindle
SOURCE: ARC via NetGalley.com

SYNOPSIS:

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing. Unless he can earn a soul.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

REVIEW:

To start this review off right, I’d have to say that I will read anything that Julie Kagawa writes, regardless. Why? Because I love the Iron Fae Series with fervency. Each book holds an adventure, each with new and interesting characters and plot twists. BUT… The Iron Knight left me wanting. It was strange in the fact that it’s told from the point of view of Ash, Megan’s brooding love-interest. The important word in that sentence is “brooding.” I love him less because he’s kinda grumpy and smug all the time. Megan is cool, Puck is amusing, Ash is kinda not as loveable now.

It’s strange to me that Julie would choose to tell a story from his point of view. And I have to say, it’s kind of odd when a female tells a male’s story. I don’t really trust a woman’s view of a man’s point of view anyway. Some of what Ash narrated was questionable. (I can’t pinpoint what, though. Sorry.)

With all of that said, it wasn’t that bad of a story. It was rather narrow in its cast of characters, which was a bummer. One of the best things about the Iron Fae series is that the books are full of interesting characters, until this one.

As the series stands, I want to know everything that is going on. So for the fact of getting more of the saga, yay! But the delivery was kind of disappointing. There is a section in the book where it goes all “narration” on us. Boring.

RATING:

Overall The Iron Knight gets a rating of 3: Good. I had rated nearly every book from this series at a 4 or 5. I think the shifting of points of view was what damaged it for me. If this was pared down to make a novella, it would have been okay. (Like “Summer’s Crossing” from the POV of Puck.) But this is a full length book. Ouch.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

If you’re an avid follower of The Iron Fae series, it’s questionable if you’ll like this book. I think it’s worth reading to have more of the story but hopefully it won’t disappoint you too much to make you want to quit the series altogether. Let’s forgive Julie for this one. Bring on more Iron Fae!!

Review: NOBODY’S PRINCESS by Esther Friesner

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

TITLE: Nobody’s Princess
AUTHOR: Esther Friesner
GENRE: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy
FANTASY ELEMENT: Mythology
PUBLISHED: Random House (April 24th 2007)
FORMAT: Soft cover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS: (from Goodreads)

“She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.”

REVIEW:

I picked up this book at the library because of the pretty cover. I didn’t read the synopsis, I just checked it out. When I got home and read the synopsis, it was interesting enough… but… I found it to be so ridiculous. I didn’t like this story all that much. It was rather disappointing.

First and foremost, I don’t like stories about overly independent women who think that they are indestructible and need no one. I do realize that there is a reading audience for this kind of character, but I’m not one of them. If you are, you may like it.

But aside from Helen’s annoying audacity, the story was rather lacking. I kept waiting for something cool to happen. The climax came at a weird part in the middle, which I only realize now after I’ve finished. I assumed something cooler would happen, but the story kind of just died off. I think the author tried to lead into the next book too strongly. Sadly it didn’t help my disinterest in this series.

The details about the gods they worshipped were interesting enough, the descriptions of the places they visited were okay. It was just a disappointing read for me and I won’t be reading book 2.

RATING:

I am rating this book at a 2: Fair, Not quite worth the time to read. It wasn’t totally horrifying. It was partly “not my cup of tea,” partly a weird storyline, and partly an annoying lead character.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

If you like books about strong, independent, and self-sufficient heroine’s you may find this story/series interesting. Proceed at your own risk.

Review: GONE by Michael Grant

2011-09-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

TITLE: Gone
AUTHOR: Michael Grant – Web, Blog
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia
FANTASY ELEMENT: Powers, Mutations
PUBLISHED: HarperTeen (July 1st, 2008)
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS: (from Goodreads)

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

REVIEW:

Talk about a shocking scenario! I had to read this book and it did not disappoint. It is full of questions. Mostly unanswered questions. But it is a great story. Beginning to end. This book takes you on a rollercoaster ride though the wildly unusual.

The main character, Sam, acts the way a normal young teen would: avoiding responsibility, insecure about his roll, etc. I hate when the “hero” of a story is not realistic. Sam is fully realistic to me. Each character added depth to the story, bullies, townies, coates kids and prees. I love that they have their own terminology too.

My favorite thing about this book is that even though there is death and murder, the kids have feelings. They feel remorseful, even the bullies. I hate when books portray adults or kids as detached from the reality of murder and its emotional consequences. This book does superb in that area.

Above all it’s traumatizing. It left me thinking about it for days. That’s when I know that a book was epic. Even though dystopia is not my total favorite, but I can’t help reading it!

RATING:

The ending is satisfying. And it’s definitely worth the read. I’d rate it at a 5: Excellent and worth the time invested. I would recommend it and I look forward to starting book 2: Hunger. There is a reason this series has good ratings on Amazon and GoodReads. It’s freakishly good!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Older teens could probably take this book but I don’t know if this book won’t give 14 year olds nightmares! Umm, good luck with that choice. But if you like dystopian books, you’ll love this one and the fantasy element makes it like a dystopian book on steroids!

THE SERIES:

Book 1: Gone
Book 2: Hunger
Book 3: Lies
Book 4: Plague
Book 5: Fear
Book 6: Light

Review: LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-08-29T08:00:00.007-04:00

TITLE: Linger
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: Werewolves
PUBLISHED: Scholastic (July 13, 2010)
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library! J

SYNOPSIS: (via Goodreads)

Grace and Sam must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

REVIEW:

I was anticipating book 2 to disappoint me. It did not. Yet again Maggie’s writing is delicious, topped with poetic treats throughout. Even her descriptions tend to have a very “Maggie Stiefvater” flavor to them.

This story wasn’t just told from the point of view of Grace and Sam, now Isabel and Cole too narrate their points of view throughout the book. A few times it was jarring to switch points of view so much, but it added to the tension of the story and really made it really kick butt. She chose the person to narrate who would tell each part of the story best. I bet it took a lot of thought to figure all of that out. Which, for me, was one of the best things about this book. We have mild and decent Sam and Grace, then we have crude and sassy Isabel, then harsh and arrogant Cole. Awesome technique!

I loved the story too, aside from the cutting edge narration and pretty prose. I liked that we get to see a new wolf in action, that there is more scientific investigation, that someone yelled at Sam to grow up, and that Grace’s storyline takes and interesting turn. (No spoilers here.) I loved seeing Isabel grow as a character and how Cole changed from beginning to end. I can’t hardly wait to see what happens in the 3rd book!!!

RATING:

I rate this book at a 4: Very Good and worth the time to read. I was silly to wait so long to partake in this series! But I’m almost glad I did wait, so I don’t have to pine for the next one to come out. (I’ve already reserved book 3 at my lovely library!) I have to say the design of this book is too cool, the cover is green and the whole book of text is green. Coolness!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This second book is cleaner (sexually) but there is an awkward “almost” sex scene (I’m not telling with whom). And it has drug references in it, but otherwise, it is decent for high school age and up.

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Shiver

Book 2: Linger

Book 3: Forever

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

Books of Faerie:
Lament
Ballad

The Scorpio Races

Review: SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-08-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

TITLE: Shiver
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater – Web, Blog
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: Werewolves
PUBLISHED: Scholastic (August 1, 2009)
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library

SYNOPSIS:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

REVIEW:

I had put off and put off reading this book but seriously I shouldn’t have, it is a cool story. But seriously how can anyone have doubts about a book when the author’s website has a mile long list of acknowledgements about it!?

The story, intriguing. The characters, endearing. The narration volley’s back and forth between Grace and Sam. It was interesting and made it more personal. Maggie’s writing is absolutely magical. It made me want to write poetry and songs as I read the novel. I love when books “sound” beautiful. It adds an extra layer of thrill and significance to it all.

Grace is an independent teen with absent parents. She is believably obsessed with the wolves. The story twists and turns around her and every moment is filled with the classic over-feeling teen emotions with an underlying current of wolf sensations. I loved it. But what was weird is the absolute lack of parental presence. The story acknowledged that fact so it wasn’t like it was unrealistic.

Sam is damaged goods, but a true gentleman and physically fragile. Every moment is spent keeping him from changing back into wolf form, adding an extra layer of immediacy. I loved his passion and conflicting fears of going too far with Grace.

RATING:

I’m seriously rating this at a 4: Very Good, and worth the time to read. If this is in your reading pile, shuffle it to the top. Seriously. It’s that good—partially because of storyline, partially because it’s beautifully written. I’m itching to get the second book to see what in the world happens next.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

So there is some questionable content, and I’m categorizing this as SPOILERS. But it’s worth mentioning that they spend a lot of time sneaking around behind Grace’s parents’ backs and in Grace’s bed and eventually go all the way. (It is assumed and not directly narrated.)

SERIES REIVEWS:

Book 1: Shiver
Book 2: Linger
Book 3: Forever

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

Books of Faerie:
Lament
Ballad

The Scorpio Races

Review: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett

2011-08-15T08:00:00.020-04:00

TITLE: The Help
AUTHOR: Kathryn Stockett
GENRE: Adult Fiction, Historical
PUBLISHED: Penguin ( 2009)
FORMAT: Softcover
SOURCE: Borrowed from Ilona for Book Club (Thanks Ilona!)

*To Be Published in Connect Statesboro, August 16, 2011*

SYNOPSIS:

“The Help” opened in theaters last week and drew a fine line between love and hate. The story is about black maids in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen was raising her seventeenth white child while hers was killed by a white man’s negligence. She had always taken orders quietly but a bitterness had grown inside her that she can no longer suppress. Her sassy friend, Minny, had certainly never held her tongue. Skeeter had just returned from college with high hopes to become a journalist.

Together, these seemingly different women join together to work on a project that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town. They compile a tell-all book about what it’s really like to work as a black maid in the white homes of the South.

BOOK REVIEW:

The story itself was interesting seeing the southern world from the point of view of a black maid. It was heart breaking to see how horribly they were treated. The book was long and hard to endure because of cruelty. Every so often there was humor to lighten the mood, but not enough for my tastes for such a heavy story. It was hard to continue reading such misery and the vernacular of the maids was hard to grasp at times.

The writing was interesting because it was told from the point of view of Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Their views were recognizably deep, personal and heartfelt. The characters were very complicated and well written.

MOVIE REVIEW:

“The Help” is deeply compelling and thought provoking. Do not expect it to be a light chick flick, because it isn’t. But seeing the movie was totally worthwhile. The story is extremely emotional with deeply moving scenes and moments that will have you belly laughing. Watch out for Minny’s chocolate pie!

If you’ve read the book, the movie will tickle you pink because they stick to the book extremely well. The tiny details they inserted really add to the movie and the bits of storylines they omitted didn’t feel like it was lacking in any way.

RATING:

The book was a difficult read, so I much prefer the movie. The story itself is very touching and had me thinking about it long after it was finished. I’d rate the book at 3 and the movie at a 4. They were both good but the movie was easier to emotional handle and there’s nothing like going to the movies.

Review: THX THX THX by Leah Dieterich

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

TITLE: THX THX THX: Thank goodness for everything
AUTHOR: Leah Dieterich
GENRE: Non-Fiction, Inspirational
PUBLISHER: Andrews McMeel Publishing (May 31, 2011)
SOURCE: ARC Provided by Publisher (Via Connect Statesboro)
*Review Published in Connect Statesboro, July 26, 2011*

SYNOPSIS:

Leah Dieterich’s mother always told her to write thank-you notes. So she does. To everything. “thx thx thx” began as her daily exercise in gratitude. She started out by just writing thank you notes for her own personal pleasure and kept them in a box. She showed them to a friend one day and her friend suggested she share these simple, sincere notes with the world. After her blog was formed she then published it into a lovely gift-book with pictures of her notes.

REVIEW:

I wanted to be cynical in regards to this book, but it truly hit the spot. I sat and read it from cover to cover today when I was a little grumpy (okay, a lot grumpy.) Reading the odd and the simple expressions of gratefulness melted my scowl away page by page. I even laughed out loud several times.

Each page contains a thought provoking blurb about kindness, patience, air, headaches, printed reading material, and even to several members of her family.

“Dear Kindness, Thank you for killing people. You’re definitely my favorite weapon. If only they made a holster for you, perhaps I could wield you more quickly. Thanks again, Leah.”

In addition to being motivational, this book gives us a peek into the life of Leah Dieterich. She is funny, quirky and reminds me of one of my close friends. She is a great combination of honesty and sarcasm, because just when she got a little sappy, she made me laugh with:

“Dear Bourbon, Thank you for not turning me into the devil like vodka. Cheers, Leah.”

RATING:

I’d rated this book at a 3 out of 5: Good and worth the time to soak in the gratitude. This is one of those books that belongs on my nightstand to read again on days just like this, when I need to see that there is something for which I can always be thankful.

Review: TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

2011-07-11T08:00:00.014-04:00

TITLE: Twilight
AUTHOR: Stephenie Meyer
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: Vampires
PUBLISHED: Little, Brown and Company (October 5, 2005)
FORMAT: Soft Cover
SOURCE: Personal Library

SYNOPSIS:

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires.

REVIEW:

Why do a review of a book that EVERYONE has read and reviewed? Well, because I feel like it. And it’s on my favorite list. And I haven’t reviewed yet! Woohoo! (This is my 2nd time reading it, by the way.)

This story sucked me right in, the first time I read it. There was intrigue, danger, undying love, a sense of morality, and an average girl falling for a guy out of her league. The way the story was told was intriguing because she knew there was danger and that she should be running in the opposite direction but she couldn’t help how she felt. (I had originally believed it was the “prey attraction” for most of the story.

But Edward is worthy of love. He is smart, sexy and has a sense of morality. That is what kept this story going for me. I wouldn’t have liked it if Edward occasionally ate people. There would have been no guarantee that Bella wouldn’t be dead by chapter twelve.

Issues I had the first read through were, “What really attracts Edward to Bella?” (After all, she is beneath him. Let’s just be honest.) I could find none except she smells really, really good. But after I’ve seen the (horrific) movie and read the book a second time, I see more of what he likes in her. She is a mystery. He can’t read her thoughts and everything he expects her to do, she does the opposite. He loves that quirk about her. And the guy is waaaay into the whole damsel in distress thing. Hot stuff!

The writing is kinda subpar though. Her tone is subdued, which is why the movie is so serious too. But after having read a hundred or so books between my first read of this book and the second, her prose is kind of chatty, which confuses me about Kristin Stuart’s interpretation of Bella. We hear a book full of Bella’s chatty thoughts, and then in the movie she’s mute and twitchy. It’s weird and kind of annoying.

RATING:

For my first read through of Twilight, I would have rated it at a 5: Excellent. The movie was rather annoyingly creepy and idiotic and I would rate that at a 2: Fair. The second read through it’s still on my favorites list and sitting at a 4: Very Good. The book is faaaar better than the movie, obviously.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

If you haven't read this book yet, seriously, come out of your cave! Read it. Love it. Don’t watch the movie, it’s ridiculous. I kind of wish they would redo it!

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Twilight
Book 2: New Moon
Book 3: Eclipse
Book 4: Breaking Dawn

Review: THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE by Talia Jager

2011-06-27T08:00:00.009-04:00

TITLE: The Ultimate Sacrifice
AUTHOR: Talia Jager – Web
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: Demons, Supernatural Powers
PUBLISHED: Self-Published: May 19th 2011
FORMAT: Kindle
SOURCE: Smashwords ARC from Author

SYNOPSIS:

Kassia has the ability to inflict pain on any individual within her sight called mind blowing. Kassia’s best friend is attacked and she kills them with her gift, which sends an alert to demons to hunt her down. The demon leader wants to capture her and use her power against an unsuspecting world.

Struggling to control her power, a new blossoming relationship and the safety of her friends, Kassia is on the run from evil, until she realizes she has face it head on.

REVIEW:

This book is totally something I would read. I read lots of paranormal romance. The storyline was exciting and highly enjoyable. I love the giftings of the characters and the direction the author went with this novel. It started out a little slow, but the anticipation of what was to come kept me reading. Overall it was thrilling and gripping, even to the last page.

But there was something missing (for me) that at first I couldn’t put my finger on. I nailed down two things. First… the author’s writing is very basic and straightforward. I’m not really sure yet if that is a bad thing but it really could have been more descriptive and “felt” through the eyes of the characters. Book characters are supposed to caricatures.

The Second…. The fact that this story was self-published I think made it subpar. There’s just something about the process of going through a publishing house and they pick your manuscript apart and force you to make it the absolute best it can be. Sure, some books suck that come out of publishing houses, but some just blow your mind. This one probably could have been one of those mind blowers for me (pun intended!) But it was self-published and it was under edited. Editors don’t just check for writing errors, they push you to develop the characters so that they are so distinct and don’t flat line.

My main issue is with the character development in this story. The main character was just kind of blah. She was moody, flawed and just kind of bland in her reasons for being that way. For that reason I think it should not have been in first person point of view from her.

The love interest was so generic. Why does he love her? Why would he pursue her besides the fact that she’s hot? There has to be a reason. But in this story, nothing comes to mind. He was just there because the author put him there. There was no relationship building to give us a sense of closeness. His gift was totally cool and played into the storyline well which made it better for their relationship, but the foundation of it is just not there for me.

The best friend is a lovely character. I’d say the best in the bunch. She has such real feelings and the stuff that happens to her is heart breaking and her “loss” made me nearly cry. No qualms with her. But sharing the first person point of view with her was difficult for me. Another option would have been third person point of view. (This is something I think an editor would have changed.) I don’t like having to change gears myself. (Maybe I’m just a lazy reader! lol)

Secondary characters: Auralee and Noe. I still don’t know the difference between these two. They blended together too much. Again, an editor would have forced a deep rift between these two so that there is no mixing them up because their gifts really seem essential to the group. Every time one came to the forefront, I’d wonder which one it was, the mind reader or the one that sees the future. One should have been a comic relief character, or have an attitude, or sassy, or something to make her extremely different than the other.

RATING:

I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this story. It’s the kind of story I like: supernatural powers, creepy bad guy, action, and romance. There’s just something about this book that felt… held back. Like it really could have been better. I’d rate it at a 3. Good. It really should have been called "Mind Blower", that would have been way cooler.

RECOMMENDATIONS: **SPOILER**

I’d recommend this to late teens and adults because of rape scene about a third of the way into the book. I still find scenes like this disturbing (and I’m a grown up.)

Review: SUMMER’S CROSSING by Julie Kagawa

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

TITLE: Summer’s Crossing (Iron Fae Novella)
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa – Web, Blog
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
FANTASY ELEMENT: Faery
PUBLISHED: Harlequin Teen (June 1, 2011)
FORMAT: Kindle/PDF
SOURCE: Julie’s Website-free download!

SYNOPSIS: (back of the book)

A Midsummer’s Nightmare?

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

REVIEW:

When you get a hold of a free novella by anyone else, you pretty much take your time to get to reading it. But when it’s an extension of a story you just can’t get enough of, there’s no chance you’ll wait a day to devour it. It only took me a little while to read this from beginning to end. I could have held my breath for the short amount of time it took to read and how thrilling it was to delve into a new adventure in the world of faery. GIVE ME MORE, DANG IT!

This is a grrrrreat extension to the Iron Fae series. I enjoy reading every book in this series. What is most unique about this one is that it is told from the point of view of Puck, the silly prankster who seems to be loyal to no one but himself. Even though his voice could have been stronger, the story line makes up for anything he lacked in being the narrator. It was a great short adventure.

RATING:

Obviously I loved this novella, the only terrible thing was that it ENDED! Give me more, oh Julie Kagawa! I rate this novella at a 5: Excellent, definitely worth the time. It and all of the Iron Fae is easily on my favorite series list.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I would totally recommend you read ALL the other books first so you know what the heck is going on and go here to download this free novella for when you’ve gotten through them! Read it, read it, read it. Hey Pam, read it!

Read my Reviews of the Iron Fae series:BOOK 1: The Iron King
NOVELLA 1: Winter’s Passage
BOOK 2: The Iron Daughter
BOOK 3: The Iron Queen
NOVELLA 2: Summer’s Crossing (Your Currently Reading)
BOOK 4: The Iron Knight (Yet to be realeased at the time of this review.)

Secrets of the Supernatural: Cutting the Curse Line

2011-06-15T08:00:00.005-04:00

In a deliverance session we look for 3 main things:

1. The chief and ruling demon (which I’ve already blabbered about.)

2. *The presence of a Generational Curse Line*

3. And the presence of a religious spirit (More on that later.)

What the heck is a Generational Curse Line? It is the tie between you and your family. We’re always avoiding turning out like our mom or dad and this is the reason we are destined to end up just like them. There are physical, health, behavioral, and destructive traits being passed down through the Generational Curse Line. Ew!

Physical: The first is obviously physical and seemingly unavoidable. We have our parents’ genes. You have your mother’s nose, your dad’s eyes and a little pudgy around the midsection like your grandpa. We can’t change that. It’s our physical makeup. Get over it.

Health: What’s the first thing you do when you go to a new doctor? Fill out a family history. Grandma has glaucoma, granddad has heart problems, dad has high blood pressure, mom is cute. We are susceptible to the health issues of our relatives because their crazy blood runs through our body. Not a whole lot we can do about that besides eat right, exercise and what not.

Behavioral: Another really annoying connection to them is the fact that we act just like them. We try so hard to avoid it, but we’re overly sensitive just like our mother or stubborn like our father, or always have to be right like Grandma Jones. It’s inevitable. Maybe you’ve noticed a cycle in your family or someone you know. Maybe a friend’s mother had a child out of wedlock and now your friend is pregnant and alone. It’s not bad luck, or coincidence. It's the curses being passed down.

Destructive Traits: Even alcoholism, mental illness and other such things are passed down through the generations. Sadly, anger-driven or abusive people produce angry children. It all trickles down and just keeps going until someone breaks the line.

This is the curse line.

We are all born into that mess we call “Original Sin” from when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Curses are passed from generation to generation. Centuries later, here we are with no hope for freedom because not only do we have the curses of our own sins, but the sins of our father/mother, and their parents and their parents and their parents… until we’re buried in a mess of other people’s sins, not to mention our own. Gak!

But there is a way out. There’s a way to break away from ending up in a mental institution, or from becoming an alcoholic, or full of anger, or fear. I, personally, come from a long line of fearful people.

Cutting the curse line in a deliverance session is crucial to freedom. In the supernatural realm the curse line can look like a rope or a cord coming out the back of the person. It’s hard to see where the other end of the line is connected but it really isn’t necessary to know where the curse line came from, or what kind of curses came down through them. If you’re born of a human, in all likelihood you have a curse line. Unless of course you're a robot??

The great thing is that afterward, don’t have to be tied to the things with which the generations before you struggled. We can live free from the fear of becoming an alcoholic like our father, or a control freak like our mother.

Breaking the curseline breaks the access that demons have to be able to work in the generational sins. But since these tendencies are already in us, we need to pursue healing and transformation to reverse the affects of the curse.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2