Month: October 2017

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy.

I really enjoyed the storyline from beginning to end. I laughed. I cried. I felt pretty much the whole gamut of emotions. Rose really grew on me from kind of irritating me at the start to being a formidable heroine at the end.

I didn’t really get to know Stan too much throughout the book so I’m not sure how I felt about him as a love interest even given his big revelation. However I’m kind of glad we are left we the opportunity to see how things progress between Rose and Tor.

This was one of those books I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what would happen next. My only complaint was with the author’s writing style. It seemed a bit juvenile in places but I imagine it will progressively improve with each book in the series.

After I post my review, I’m going to purchase the rest of the series to satisfy my need to know what happens with Rose and Tor. Great start to a series!

5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy.

Chicago Blue was fast paced fun from start to finish. Riley reminded me a lot of Stephanie Plum with the antics she got up to while going after the bad guys.

The dialogue and narration were very humorous and kept the story from going to a darker level that exploding CEOs could take it to. What I really liked was the ending. It was a good ending to allow for the continuation of the series but it was not a sugarcoated happy ending with everything ending perfectly.

Kay Riley and her hodgepodge group of friends make for a great group of entertaining characters. I look forward to reading their next adventure.

5 stars

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC.

This novel was a lot like Spider-Man, you know, minus the spider and all. Teenage boy living with older relatives because his parents have passed and he gains super powers. Of course there’s a girl and a rival for said girl. But that’s where the story lines diverge.

I like that the author covers topics appropriate for the target age group – overcoming bullying, acceptance of gay relationships, etc. The main character is also given a choice to choose right from wrong. He’s had a hard life and out of nowhere he gets these powers that could allow him to get whatever he wants but he chooses to be the good guy instead.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy.

“It’s only this that can untangle the dark snarl of emotions inside me. Only this pain can sharpen my focus, drown out the roar inside my own head.” (7%)

This book is a powerful journey through the pain of a abused teenager’s story – her only coping mechanisms, cutting herself and lashing out at those around her. When I got to the end and read the author’s note, it all became clear. I couldn’t see how someone could write a story with such raw emotion and truth in the pain without having known it herself. While the story itself is fiction, it’s based on real events from Stone’s and her mother’s lives.

Sidney starts out on her own but through her senior year becomes friends with Lucas and Arianna. The three of them struggle through personal struggles, hazing and bullying in school, and having their families fall apart.

Unfortunately it is fiction and all the good things that happened don’t always happen in the real world. Girls don’t always survive their eating disorders. Cutters don’t always feel the need to stop for themselves and can unfortunately escalate into a full suicide attempt. While Sidney got her freedom from her father many don’t.

The worst character I’ve ever encountered in a book may just be Sidney’s mother Susan. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming when she turned on her daughter when she asked for help. What actually surprised is the reason she confessed to Frank’s murder. I had actually hoped she had a change of heart and wanted to be the mother she failed to be four years earlier. Boy was I disappointed.

This book really got to me. I cried several times because the author did a great job of sharing the characters pain. It’s probably the most real fiction I’ve read in a long time.

5 stars.