Illusions Begin REVIEW!!!!

So, this week has been... miserable? I mean, starting the week off with a 103degree fever and a diagnoses of strep throat will do that, right? And it comes at the BEST time in the world for it... by best I really mean worst possible.

This book has seriously been the highlight of my week. Well, that and antibiotics. But mostly the book.

I TORE through Becky's story yesterday. I mean, there were tons of other things I needed to do... like laundry, dishes (did I mention our dishwasher is broken?), or you know... bathing.... Okay I did that one, but only because I shoved my Kindle into a freezer bag and took it into the bath with me (yes, I'm a genius).

Illusions Begins, by N.L.Greene starts with a common childhood memory. We've all been to the circus, most of us have been dozens of times. But for 6 year old Katherine Rebbecca this is a pivotal moment in her structured life. She falls in love, at that young age, with the world of magic and it fundamentally affects her. As she grows, Becky comes to realize that magic isn't more than illusion, slight of hand, and well-thought tricks, but that realization doesn't decrease her fascination with the subject. In fact, she becomes obsessed with it, spending all her free time studying the masters of the craft, teaching herself the ins and outs of the industry by careful observation and unyielding determination.

But she does this all in secret, terrified of disappointing her loving parents. To them she is their brilliant daughter, poised to take over the family law firm after completing her degree in half the time. She is stifled by the double life she is leading, weighed down by guilt for not loving the dream career that she has. Because it's not her dream. It's not magic.

She is weighed down by the responsibility she has, tormented by her scumbag ex-fiance... and there's this mysterious guy that's been following her around. Appearing suddenly, and with impeccable timing, in a city as large as New York it's unlikely to be the same guy... impossible even. Why, only magic could make his too-frequent appearances possible, and everyone knows that magic isn't real.



So, go grab this book. Read it, love it, review it.

Find out more here.

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19155463-illusions-begin?from_search=true

GO buy it here. Now. Amazon- www.Amazon.com (yes, this will take you to the book page).


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Striking, a Report Card... Book Review.

Report Card Book Review Title Striking (Amazon Link) Book list price N/A Author Rachel Higginson and Lila Felix eBook Price $3.99 Publisher Self-Published Stand alone or Series Series Genre NA Romance # in Series 1 of 4 Story- Overall Grade A Cami has lived a life of privilege. She’s materialistic, self-involved, and immature, and when her self-destructive actions spiral down to an all-new low, her socialite parents do the only thing they can think of by sending her off to her aunts sheep farm in Tennessee where she has to earn her keep by working. As in physical labor... as in absolute torture in Cami’s mind. She meets Stockton, the desperately gorgeous, and annoying, town blacksmith. Can they be brave enough to follow their dreams and will doing that pull them further apart? Plot A Romantic Subplot A I love these two together. Stockton and Cami have the ‘opposite’s attract’ thing down. I’m in love with their dynamic! Originality B Nothing too new, but I love the blacksmithing angle… a lot. Obstacle/Crisis B+ There’s not really anything external to overcome in this story, all the conflict is the angsty-internal kind. ‘Adult Content’ A Appropriate for older YA readers, and any steamy scenes (no actual sex) were very well written, and not cliché at all. Ending A Dum-dumdumduuuummmmm. Well done, and not contrived. Yay. Characters A Great cast of original characters. They were complete and well rounded, with strengths and weaknesses that were true to their characters. No cookie cutouts in this book! Protagonist A Cami is great. By that, I mean she seems real; she’s certainly not lovable at the beginning of the book. But we watch her undergo real growth, and I like that. Other Protagonist A Sexy, muscular, artistic, responsible? Seriously, what’s not to love? Supporting characters. A- They were great, but you only get a chance to fall in love with a couple of them; this story is very focused on Cami and Stockton Overall Development A The main character could have been based off of real people, that’s how well developed they were. Realistic problems. Character relationships A- Finally a love story with the characters taking the time to know each other before pulling out the ‘L’ word. Minor points off for the ‘drawn to each other at first sight’, but I take points off of all romance books for that… personal preference! Good role model A Cami is a great role model. Not because she always does the right thing, but because she learns from her mistakes. By the end of the book, she is willing to sacrifice a love (twoo wove) because she deserves respect and trust. Writing A- This would be an A but for some grammatical errors. The story flowed really well, and was easy to follow without being elementary. We got a perfect feeling for the characters, and a pretty decent one of their surroundings. Prose A Author’s Voice A These two women alternated chapters, each taking a main characters POV for the entire story. It was a very smart move, and we got a separate feeling from each protagonist, and therefore author. Editing A- In the edition I read, there were several small errors in grammar and punctuation. That being said, I read an ARC (in exchange for an honest review), so they may have been corrected by release date. Either way, it didn’t detract from the story for me. Punctuation, spelling and grammar B Additional Notes- A great romance read. This is in the New Adult genre, which is one that I’m not overly familiar with, but it seems to fit the bill. The story is good, the character development in Cami is great, and I really love how the main characters aren’t perfect and how they get in their own way more than anything else; it’s very realistic. ·       Some steamy make-out scenes, I’d still give this book an A-OK for teens to read even though it’s directed at 18-20somethings. ·       There will be more books in this series, each dedicated to one of Stocktons siblings. That means 3 more books.

Love & Decay, Episode 3

We catch up with Reagan and company still traveling south, only this time they're on foot. And smelly. Well, Reagan is at least. And considering she shot a zombie in the head from zero feet away, it's understandable; being covered in rotting brain matter certainly doesn't make you smell like roses.

Luckily she has one completely drool-worthy man to wash her hair for her, though she doesn't feel lucky so much as trapped by Hendrix, and her own, feelings that have no place for the whole world-ending situation they were in. And having corpse washed out of your hair should not feel like an intimate moment, but I suppose the zombie apocalypse make's all sorts of weird situations seem normal...

Our group is going south on-foot, they're low on ammo, the only shelter for miles is a dilapidated shed, and some zombie too far to kill is screeching into night.

Or could he be calling for backup?

Reagan and Haley had been hearing rumors of organized zombies to the south. Zombies capable of working together; zombies capable of forming an army. And as our gang of bad-ass zombie killers are surrounded by a mass of rotting undead, Reagan can't help but think that this fight feels different.



Man, oh man. The tension between Reagan and Hendrix is just delicious. Higginson manages to create a lot of sexual tension in a very PG manner, and I'm not entirely sure how. Because nothing inappropriate is done or mentioned... but oh do you want it to be. Another great installment, and of course I can't wait for the next one. Which should be next Friday.

• Love & Decay, episode 3 is $.99 on Amazon
• a new episode in this novella series comes out every two weeks
• There is graphic violence, and a few swear-jar words, but appropriate for younger readers (13+)

Nomad, a review

50 years in the future America is ravaged by a dictator, towns have been reduced to war zones, and the few people brave enough to overthrow the new order are out-manned, out-gunned, and fighting a battle they can never win. If only there were a way to kill the dictator before he comes into power.

Raven. Her name is the only thing she knows about herself. She finds herself walking alone, on a highway, covered in blood that isn't her own, carrying a backpack full of cash and a plasma gun. Her memories of how and why have escaped her mind with everything else.

After piecing clues from the items in her backpack together with the few memories she has regained, Raven knows what she needs to do; she needs to travel to New Haven to assassinate college student Logan Carraway, future Dictator of the United States of America and the man that will one day be responsible for thousands of deaths and the ruin of a nation.

Written by J.L. Bryan, Nomad is a spectacular addition to my book-shelves. I was instantly sucked into this story, the story of this young girl that has been shaped by a war-ravaged country and how she struggles to do the right thing, gambling with her very future in a quest to prevent the near apocalyptic environment that she grew up in.

I don't typically read science-fiction. Not that I dislike the it, but it's not the genre that I naturally gravitate to.

That being said, Nomad is one of those books that I'm glad I didn't pass over. Really glad. J.L.Bryan wrote an approachable time-travel book, one that doesn't make the reader feel stupid for not knowing the theories behind time travel... one for people that might not know what flux capacitors or red phone booths have to do with traveling through time. It adds in a little romance, but nothing that will give you a toothache. 

Fun Facts

• Nomad is due to release this Friday, July 26th
• There are no plans for a sequel, but that doesn't mean there won't be at a future time
• Not appropriate for a very young reader (12-13 and under) because of some sexual content and violence
• J.L. Bryan is a self-published author. Visit is website at http://www.jlbryanbooks.com/
• Buy his books at Amazon

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Book Review of The Rush, by Rachel Higginson

The first in a new Rachel Higginson series, The Rush certainly lives up to her other works!

Ivy lives a fairy tale life. She's beautiful, has all the best clothes, and can get any guy she wants... Too bad she's doesn't really want any. She is born into a society of sirens, sirens that have adapted to the modern world quite well. No more ship-wrecked sailors for these women, and Ivy is groomed from a young age to be able to attract men. She knows how to talk, walk, and look seductive. She knows how to manipulate men to get what she wants, overkill considering they fall in love with her immediately... it doesn't matter that she's only 16, and it certainly doesn't matter the she is wracked with guilt because of her very existence, hating her effect on the people around her but unable to break away from her family and the role she was born to play.

This book is significantly darker than most others... the heroine isn't some happy-go-lucky girl at the beginning of the book. She's damaged, and exhausted from acting the part. The situations she gets into in this book aren't the 'big battle, good vs. evil'... is the kind of evil that happens in real life. Lusty eyes from an older man that has complete control over her, near-rape, being pimped out by her own mother... It's kind of shattering because this type of thing does happen, though without the Siren part of it. It might be in smaller degrees, but tons of mothers groom their daughters to catch a man (yes, it still happens), encourage flirtations and promiscuity, look the other way at blatant emotional abuse... at blatant emotional damage.

I would NOT recommend this for the very young YA reader. Nothing too 'adult' happens, there is no sex, no drugs, though there is some alcohol... but it is still too mature for the youngest YA readers.

• This book is the first in a series
• Andrew James wrote a song specifically for this book; the lyrics are used in the story. Check it out here.
• It is currently $3.99 on Amazon.... buy it here
• Find out about more upcoming projects at Rachel Higginson's website. http://www.rachelhigginson.com/ and go like her on Facebook! 

Love & Decay, a book review

I don't usually read novellas... because I always want a lot more story when I read that last page, and I'm not ready to be done with it yet...

Good thing about the Love and Decay series... in two weeks the story will continue. And again two weeks after that.

Reagan just went through a pretty bad breakup. Sure, most girls do at some point or another.. but really this one was bad. She found out that perfect Quarterback Chris was cheating on her in the worst way possible; he tried to eat her brains. A common side affect to the new Herpies Cure which has successfully brought on the, you guessed it, Zombie Apocalypse. So, after that rather messy breakup (she had to sever his head with her car before he got the message...), Reagan is sure that she's done with men. Especially since most of the still human-men in the post-apocalyptic world are intent on making her and her best-friend sister-wives for an entire community of militia-men. So when the two girls are unexpectedly saved from a room full of face-eaters by the drool-worthy Hendrix and his handful of brothers, she surprised by their adamant refusal to rape and/or pillage... even more surprised by the what she sees in his eyes when he looks at her and the feelings it brings out in her. Feelings that have no place in the world they live in.

This is a great start to a very promising eSeries, and oh my jeebus I can't wait to read more!

Love and Decay is by Rachel Higginson (visit her site here). It's only $.99 right now, so you should go buy it... here.

Starbright

Starbright is the first (and so far, only) in a great series by... you guessed it, Rachel Higginson. Ms. Higginson has, once again, created a great read for YA readers of all ages; it is so very appropriate for even the younger readers of the genre. 

Stella is a star, the female version of an angel warrior which are on the lowest ring of Angels that heaven has to offer. That doesn't mean that she isn't important; quite the opposite in fact. Stella is destined to be the future protector of Earth, our dear planet being the last one holding life. One day she will be joined with her counterpart, the male star that she will be connected to in heart, body, and soul. Together they will work to protect Earth from the evil darkness that has been destroying life throughout the galaxy. 

In the meantime Stella is looking forward to life staying the same as it has for the past 16 years, like that of any other small town girl and counting down until her 18th birthday which will mark the complete arrival of her powers. She thought the next few years would consist of going to school, hanging out with her best-friend Tristan, and trying not to glow in the middle of class.

Divergent Book Review

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info at Amazon.com

Selflessness, Bravery, Honesty, Knowledge, Peace. After the fall of modern civilization society has  split itself into five factions, each with their own ideology on maintaining peace and preventing war. Upon maturity each person must be tested to find out where they truly belong. But there are some who belong nowhere, or everywhere; they are Divergent and Beatrice has found herself among their secret ranks. When she leaves behind her Selfless faction to become Dauntless, she must hide what she truly is on the threat of death. Tris soon finds herself fighting for a place in her new faction while trying to ignore her confusing feelings for a boy named Four, but when rumors of a faction war reach her ears she must choose who and what she really is, selfless or brave; Beatrice or Tris... and is there really such a difference between the two?

Let me just say that I loved this book. Veronica Roth did an amazing job in creating a new, yet recognizable world. This is a YA dystopian and thanks to The Hunger Games (which I love btw), it's a genre that is producing a LOT of new stuff, but Divergent still manages to stand apart. Yes, the main character does seem to fit into the well used 'small, yet badass girl underdog' archetype, but Roth doesn't make her a super woman that can somehow beat up people twice her size with similar training. Tris manages to be relatable, even though she lives in an imaginary world that's been decimated by war. 

The ending definitely leaves us reaching for the next book, but not in an obnoxious cliffhanger that makes you want to throw the book across the room.... not that I would ever do that... 

Fun Facts

• Divergent is book 1 in a trilogy. Book 2, Insurgent, is already out, and the last book should be released sometime this year.
• A movie is in the works, set to release in 2014, starring Shailene Woodley as Beatrice/Tris
• There is a romantic subplot, but it isn't overwhelming and only adds to the story
• this book IS age appropriate for all YA readers, featuring some graphic violence but not anything age 13+ can't handle
• Divergent is Veronica Roths first novel, and hit the New York Times bestseller list (so did Insurgent)

Book Review, a Report Card for Jenny Pox

Report Card Book Review Title Jenny Pox Book list price $9.99 Author JL Bryan eBook Price $0.00-2.99 Publisher Self-Published Stand alone/Series Series Genre YA Fantasy/horror # in Series 1 of 3 Story- Overall Grade B Everyone knows Jenny Mittens; the social outcast whose daddy is a drunk and who wears gloves year round. She refuses to be affected by her role in the small town s lives in, knowing hat her ‘untouchable’ attitude is actually saving lives. Jenny’s bare touch spreads a plague, Jenny Pox, and she’s spent her life without the comfort of skin-to-skin contact. Her life changes when she discovers two of her classmates share a similar quality, showing her that love can be a pox all it’s own. Plot B Romantic Subplot B Seth could have been better developed, and I would have like more chemistry between the two of them, but still satisfying. Originality B The concept behind the magic is brilliant, but the storyline and characters are reminiscent of many other YA. Magical system A Magic with no purpose but to destroy or kill and activated simply by touch was a welcome change from the norm. ‘Adult Content’ D Too explicit for most YA readers. Some of the scenes seemed to be added for shock value. Drugs were also added, but within context. Ending C I like the direction the ending was going, but feel the author changed it last minute to be able to write sequels. Characters B Most of the characters were completely forgettable. Jenny was great though; she was well developed and atypical.  Protagonist A I love her. She’s not perfect, but she seems real. I’m a sucker for outcasts though. Antagonist B Ashleigh fits too well in a popular yet evil archetype, but her magic was fun and she had well-laid [evil]plans for the future Supporting characters. D They were just stock characters, seemingly interchangeable with each other and fit their stereotypes exactly. Overall Development B POV floated between Jenny and Ashleigh, making them well developed. Other characters came up short by comparison. Character relationships B Author did a decent job, though the relationships were more described than shown; made interactions seem a bit awkward Good role model A- Not a codependent whiner, Jenny knows when to take action and how to think for herself, but marks off for her killing spree Writing B This would be an A if the editing had just been better. I felt there were several scenes that didn't match the otherwise great flow and should have been worked on or cut .* This part has been updated, and I intend no offense to the author** Prose B Author’s Voice A Love his voice. Book really read like a YA, and he really imparted his own sense of style in it. Editing C This book would definitely benefit from better editing. There were pages that seemed superfluous and I found myself skimming a bit. The grammar had room for improvement, though the format, spelling, and punctuation seemed good. Punctuation, spelling and grammar B Additional Notes- Overall a good read. Neat concept, and one I haven’t seen before. The characters fit into the archetypes that are so common in YA fiction, but for the protagonist and antagonist their actions go way beyond the normal and make up for it. I will be reading the other two in this series, and keeping an eye on this author for future releases. There are some graphic scenes that include sex and drugs so this may not be appropriate for younger teens/tweens, though I still consider it a YA book. One of the leading storylines is about the ‘bad-guy’ using Christianity/youth programs as a way to influence others as part of her evil plot. There was no true Christian character, the ones that claim that title in the book are bad, manipulative, or just stupid and I can see how people could find that offensive. I have no idea if this was a reflection of the authors’ own views on organized religion. Some of the scenes have rather grotesque images, ie rotting disease-ridden flesh.