From Goodreads: Sweeping from post–WWII rural Romania to the cosmopolitan Budapest of 1990, Christina Shea’s Smuggled is the story of Eva Farkas, who loses her identity, quite literally, as a young child, when she is smuggled in a flour sack across the Hungarian border to escape the Nazis.

When five-year-old Eva is trafficked from Hungary to Romania at the end of the war, she arrives in the fictional border town of Crisu, a pocket of relative safety, where she is given the name Anca Balaj by her aunt and uncle, and instructed never to speak another word of Hungarian again. “Eva is dead,” she is told. As the years pass, Anca proves an unquenchable spirit, full of passion and imagination, with a lust for life even when a backdrop of communist oppression threatens to derail her at every turn. Time is layered in this quest for self, culminating in the end of the Iron Curtain and Anca’s reclaiming of the name her mother gave her. When she returns to Hungary in 1990, the country is changing as fast as the price of bread, and Eva meets Martin, an American teacher who rents the apartment opposite hers and cultivates a flock of pigeons on his balcony. As Eva and Martin’s cross-cultural relationship deepens through their endeavor to rescue the boy downstairs from his abusive mother, Eva’s lifelong search for family and identity comes full circle.
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Grove/Atlantic, Inc. has been extremely gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release today, and I am very sorry to say that I didn’t like this book.  The writing style and the storyline just is not for me.  The premise for the novel peaked my interest, but overall I found that the pacing of the story wasn’t to my liking.  In my opinion, the novel has a tendency to gloss over events I deem important, while prolonging the events that are more miniscule.  I also am not a fan of explicit sex scenes, and while I wouldn’t classify the scenes in this novel as “explicit,” they do happen more often than not, and I personally found that this took away from the story. 

While the tale is haunting in its portrayal of life during WWII and the aftermath, including communist oppression and the fact that Jews still had to hide their true identities for years after war had ended, I found myself struggling to connect with Eva/Anca as the story unfolded.  I think this is partially due to the pacing of the novel, and partially due to the fact that I didn’t see much development in her character.  While I think this story was an interesting look at the life of refugees, it was not what I expected and I found myself disengaged as I read.  One star.     

From Goodreads: Ruth Harris, Sherriff Ike Schwartz’s fiancée, is involved in a near fatal automobile accident. But Ike is convinced the crash was rigged. Even though he is embroiled in a close election, has no jurisdiction over the investigation, and can find no support in the usual law enforcement community, he places himself on leave goes rogue to instigate and seek the person or persons responsible for putting Ruth in a coma.

His efforts attract help from unexpected and irregular sources. Old friends in the covert community step up, covert help from his loyal staff combine to help. It is a journey which takes him first to State’s Rights organizations, then to zealots and dissident academics before it finally ends at home in Picketsville.

Along the way Charlie Garland connects with Eden Saint Claire, his father manipulates the re-election campaign, and the folks at the Crossroads Diner cheer him on.

7th in a series.

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The first time I ever saw the above synopsis, I was intrigued, and so I requested a copy through Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley.  I then put the novel on the back burner because my TBR pile is huge and Rogue wasn’t releasing for a while, so I read other novels.  I came back to this novel not too long ago, in anticipation of Rogue’s release today, and I made a mistake in not rechecking the synopsis through Netgalley, but by relying on Amazon and Goodreads to remind me of the synopsis.  Now, before I go any further, let me state that I’ve never had the following problem before and I’m still not sure how it even happened, but I have emailed Poisoned Pen Press about this and am still awaiting their reply.

So, I looked at Goodreads as I marked the novel as “Currently Reading,” and this is the synopsis I saw:

Ike Schwartz and Ruth Harris had to delay a vacation in Las Vegas because at the last moment, Ruth was required to go to Scone Island, Maine to settle an estate. But that task is soon complicated by one, and then another suspicious death. First, a long term resident slips off a cliff. Was he pushed? Then the woman, who found the body, is, in turn, discovered on a foot path dead from an apparent heart attack, but also with a not easily explained head wound. Ruth finds herself briefly cast as a person of interest in the last death. When things seem to be slipping out of hand, Ike arrives just in time to witness the discovery of a third body—Simon Weiss. Weiss had come to the island to purchase properties with an eye to turning it into a high-end resort. His tactics and personality so alienated the residents that it is no surprise his body is found under the community pier, with a very professionally placed bullet hole in his forehead. As his plans were allegedly financed by the New York mafia, it seems obvious who ordered the hit. This brings the FBI into play, to the distress of the local police. With an array of suspects, motives, and even the island’s history to confound the investigation, Ike, with the aid of local Deputy Sheriff, Tom Stone, and the able, if quirky, assistance of Ruth, unravel these three deaths, but not without heavy costs to villains, residents, and their children. 

You’ll note that the above synopsis is not the actual synopsis for Rogue.  In fact, in all my research, I couldn’t find any book that matched the above synopsis—though I hope there is one because I really want to read it…  But anyway, the above synopsis is what I expected to be reading about.  I began the novel and yes, both Ruth and Ike were present, but there wasn’t a Scone Island, a botched trip to Las Vegas, or murders abounding.  In fact, Ruth was in the hospital in a coma, and I was confused.  I kept reading, but 20% of the way through the novel I stopped, thinking I had made a mistake somewhere along the line and was reading the wrong novel—something I thought was Rogue, but actually wasn’t.  So, I checked my Kindle and found that I was in fact reading Rogue.  Then I checked Amazon and found the exact same synopsis as the one on Goodreads, so I figured that I just hadn’t read far enough into the novel to get to the Scone Island section.  I read a little further, then thought to double check Barnes and Nobel’s website.  Well, I was shocked to find that the real synopsis, the one all the way at the top of this page, was on Barnes and Nobel, and it matched, exactly, what I was reading about in Rogue.  Barnes and Nobel also lists a different cover for the book than what I was seeing on Netgalley, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

Completely confused, I finally went to back to Netgalley and double checked the synopsis.  Lo and behold, their synopsis matched the one on Barnes and Nobel, and though the cover is different (cover above on left), the actual synopsis is the one at the top of this page about Ruth’s car accident.  Interesting.  Of course, my curious self wanted to know what happened, and while I haven’t yet heard back from Poisoned Pen Press, I went back to Goodreads and did some digging. 

What I found: Out of the five editions on Goodreads, four had the wrong synopsis attached.  All editions had the exact same cover (cover above on right), except one, which had the title of Scone Island across the top with the same picture—I wouldn’t have noticed at all had I not been already been looking for discrepancies.  Interesting.  If you ask me, I think the cover of the lighthouse would be perfect for the Scone Island novel—but it doesn’t really fit Rogue at all.  So, I am wondering if perhaps there is a book, or will be a book coming out soon, called Scone Island that will deal with the synopsis I found on Amazon and Goodreads, and perhaps there was a mix-up concerning release dates and covers?  As I’m a librarian on Goodreads, I did change the synopsis to the correct version and I also removed the faulty cover so at least now Goodreads is correct, but there is nothing I can do for Amazon except hope that the powers that be fix it soon. 

Now, I’d love to say that the above events have no bearing on my thoughts of the novel in question, but I’d be lying if I said that.  I was so frustrated throughout the entire process above, waiting and waiting for the Scone Island portion of the novel to begin, that I ended up not liking it as much as I probably would have if I had know what I was getting into ahead of time.  To be fair, Ramsay is a wonderful writer and the novel was suspenseful and mysterious, but as it wasn’t what I expected, I think that clouded my overall intake of the novel.  Perhaps, in the future, I’ll re-read this novel and like it much more, knowing the correct synopsis.  I do plan to read more of Ramsay’s work since he is quite talented (checking the synopsis against all searches prior to beginning any of the books), and I think that, those having the correct synopsis will, in fact, enjoy this novel very much.  Sadly, I can only give it three stars.

From Goodreads: Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt been extremely gracious to allow me to read this novel prior to its release, but I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t drawn into the story.  It was an okay read, but I was never interested in the characters.  I didn’t really like any of the characters for that matter, and likeable, strong characters are a must for me to enjoy a novel.  Luce, the protagonist, has had a difficult life, yet she doesn’t maintain any qualities that make me really feel for her.  I know that sounds terrible, but she wasn’t really fleshed out to the point that I cared about her one way or the other, and as for the other characters, well…  I found them quite despicable.  I do understand the premise for the novel, and I understand that the mermaids became such due to their horrible treatment by some humans, but I struggled with their conclusion that all humans needed to die because of it.  I realize Porter did this to help create a rift between the mermaids and Luce as she struggles with her task of killing humans, as well as to create a social commentary of the state of humanity, but it was hard for me to stomach. 

While I think Porter is a great writer, and the words flow beautifully off the pages, the story itself is just too dark and dreary for me.  There are some aspects of the novel that literally made me ill, such as the larvae—equivalent to babies and toddlers—that have no one to look after them in their mermaid state.  I really dislike giving away spoilers, no matter how small they are, but I do think that potential readers need to know what I’m about to say, even though this spoiler really has little to no effect on the main portion of the novel.  The mermaids have a rule that they don’t help the larvae, or any very young mermaid that can’t care for herself, since it bogs down the older mermaids.  Just reading about this cruelty weighed down on my heart, but then seeing orcas come onto the scene, and the larvae not being strong or fast enough to escape them, well, that made me quite ill, especially the description of the little hand floating by in the red water.  Yes, it was a very quick scene and it makes Luce very upset as well, but I certainly wasn’t ready for so gruesome a depiction, especially to such a young innocent larvae, and I had to put the novel down for a while after that.  In all honesty, I wouldn’t have picked it up again except that I can never leave a book unfinished, so I eventually did go back and complete the novel.

The fact that this novel doesn’t dwell on anything positive was also a huge downer for me.  I can only take so much negative before a positive must ensue, and I didn’t really find that is this novel.  Neither did I find a conclusion, which makes me sad because I really don’t have any plans to continue on with this series, so I’ll never know if anything good ever happens to Luce.  Porter is a very good writer, but this story is just too dark for me.  One and a half stars.

From Goodreads: When Zachary Black discovers a door set between two giant cliffs, he realizes he has never seen anything so peculiar. Unable to resist the doorway, Zach opens it to find that he is looking into Endra. Have you ever had someone say to you that they have seen your double? Well, that is your ‘reflection’ from Endra who has sneaked through one of the doorways. Not usually a problem if they go back, but what if they decided to stay? What if they decided to change something? What if they were trying to kill the person you love?

With the help of a beautiful Vampire named Neanna and a werewolf called William, Zachary’s journey takes him across the vast plains of Endra, through the streets of London and across the Atlantic Ocean as they pass back and forth through the doorways in a race against time. But the doorways have the power to change you – altering your appearance and abilities as you pass between the two worlds.
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This is a great novel for all ages, but especially MG and YA.  I really enjoyed reading it and the idea of the alternate universe was original and refreshing.  O’Rourke has created a unique, well-developed world, and the story pulled me in immediately as it drops right into the action.  I thoroughly enjoyed O’Rourke’s explanations of the creatures on Endra and the many changes they undergo as they pass back and forth through the doorway between the worlds in hopes of saving the world as we know it.  The characterization was superb, and I especially loved Zachary Black, Neanna, and William—their coming-of-age story and realizations along the way were witty and real, causing me to fall in love with them as they went along their journey.

This novel has a little something for everyone, and I feel like this adventure story and the writing style are similar to that of Tolkien and Lemony Snicket.  O’Rourke has a very vivid imagination and it shows through his storytelling, inviting the reader to join this epic journey between two worlds.  I highly recommend it!  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: The Haanta Series is the longest, ongoing, online romantic fantasy series. Thousands of readers visit the world of the Two Continents to enjoy the daily short stories featuring all their favorite characters from the Haanta Series novels. In between the business of the books, the commander, Rautu, Otenohi, Unghaahi, Leraa, Kai Linaa and Alasdair enjoy some time together in Diras Castle, but as the stories portray, mischief lies in every corner of the keep where spiders, chocolate pies, petulant giants, and grouchy cooks abound.

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These were some very interesting short stories compiled into a novel shedding light on the Haanta Series.  As I have only yet read the first book in the series (currently 21 total), I did find that, though the stories are interesting and very well written, I didn’t know all the characters within the short stories, which somewhat confused me on occasion.  I know the Commander and the Den Asaan very well, but do not know the other characters because they have not yet been introduced into the series, so while I knew of a few of them, they remained somewhat flat characters because there was little development of them, as there should be in short stories.  While I liked the stories a lot, I think the characters and surroundings will make more sense once I’ve read the second and third books in the series, as the Den Asaan’s brothers and other characters will be revealed in these novels.  If you’ve read the first two/three books in the series, then I highly suggest reading this book of short stories—it’s very well done.  Otherwise, you should read the first few books in the series first.  To read my review of book one, The Commander and the Den Asaan Rautu, click here.  Three stars!

From Goodreads: The Kingdom of Frewyn is being invaded by the Galleisian infantry and at the forefront of the battle is Boudicca MacDaede, a First Captain in the Frewyn armed forces. Her regiment is charged with defending the borders between the two nations, but when Frewyn’s last line of defense falls, Captain MacDaede enlists the assistance of a Haanta, one of giants from the islands to the far north. Promising to free him from his imprisonment in exchange for his help, she gains his trust long enough for them to win the battle and save the Frewyn border from being breached. The giant’s freedom is granted, but Rautu cannot return home unless he redeems himself in the eyes of his people for his past transgressions. He is offered a place by the captain’s side, and together, they defeat the Galleisian forces and become the saviors of Frewyn.

One year later, King Alasdair Brennin takes the Frewyn throne, Boudicca is made commander, Gallei and Frewyn reach an accord, and Rautu is granted an invitation home. He is eager to return and see his brothers but finds it difficult to leave Frewyn without Boudicca at his side. He has become accustomed to her company and the idea of being made to live without her begins to distress him. Rautu invites the commander to the islands in hopes of finding a way for them to remain together, but when they arrive at the white shores of Sanhedhran, not everything goes as planned: one of the dangerous Haanta magi is freed, Rautu’s three brothers are strangely missing, and the neighboring nation of Thellis leads an attack on the islands.

Together, the commander and the Den Asaan Rautu must find a way to unite their two nations and defend against the Thellisian fleets, but can they do so successfully when outside forces are attempting to keep them apart?

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Franklin has done a phenomenal job creating this alternate world in which giants and humans unite.  I was drawn in by the story and Franklin’s prose, which flows beautifully off the page and into the imagination.  I love fantasy books, and this series (currently 21 books long) has something for everyone!  This novel alone has war, bloodshed, magic, romance… a feast for the book connoisseur (ages 18+). 

I really enjoyed the two main characters, the Commander and Den Asaan, as they embark on their many adventures throughout the novel.  I was pulled into the story from the very beginning as the Commander meets the giant, Den Asaan, and enlists his help in the ongoing war.  Watching the two characters banter back and forth, attempting to hide their feelings for each other, was intriguing and I enjoyed the realness of the characters and their plights.  While Den Asaan is a bit of a male chauvinist, underneath his burley manner he is really quite caring at heart.  His character is a wonderful juxtaposition of the Commander, a strong willed, sarcastic, funny female lead.  Together they help create a well rounded couple that will remain in your mind long after the completion of book one.  Three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Madeline MacFadden (“Mad Mac” to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered. And she’s always believed there was something living in these wooded hills.

But Maddie doesn’t remember the dark parts — and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area’s terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the Harvest. . . the time to feast.

Once again Maddie’s dreams — and her soul — are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during Harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own.

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HarperCollins has been extremely gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release yesterday, and I must say, I’m in LOVE!  This was a beautifully written novel and I was captivated the entire way through.  One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the multiple points of view, which is turn creates very short chapters.  There are many characters within the novel, both good and evil, and having their perspective of events is such a great aide to the story, allowing the reader to see deep inside their souls as events unfold around them.  I also liked that, though Destefano uses multiple points of view, she doesn’t rehash the exact same stories repeatedly.  One chapter may be Maddie’s point of view in terms of coming across a dead body, and the next chapter could be Ash reminiscing about a past harvest.  While there does seem to be some sort of connection between the events of each chapter, the fact that they don’t simply rehash the same event from a new perspective is refreshing.  I really enjoyed the way this novel was written and I was enamored the entire way through. 

I also loved the idea that our dreams are feasted upon by unknown entities—huge winged creatures that harvest our dreams and possess the power to kill us in our sleep if they aren’t careful.  This was really intriguing, especially since most of us cannot remember our dreams upon awaking… I highly suggest everyone read this novel—it will keep you enthralled and in suspense from the very first page.  Four and a half stars!   

From Goodreads: The first boy disappeared on the day of his birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon of the nighttime sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, on the same night the Kingdom of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.

Across the land of Hytanica, under the shadow of the crimson moon, infant boys continued to vanish. Not until the blood had faded from the sky did the disappearances stop and the bodies of the murdered infants were found outside the gates of the city, a final word from the greatest enemy Hytanica had ever known. For the next sixteen years, peace reigned, but one mystery remained unsolved. The Cokyrians had abducted forty-nine newborns, but returned only forty-eight bodies.

Now, as seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytanica is besieged from all sides by suitors vying for the Throne, a teenage Cokyrian boy, Narian, is encountered within the walls of her Kingdom, a boy who will show Alera a world where women serve a purpose and not just a husband. As Narian helps Alera find her voice, she struggles against an arranged marriage that will shatter the life she has scarcely begun to live. And when Narian’s shocking past is uncovered, and war with Cokyri looms once more, he must fight to defy a fate ordained at his birth.

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Harlequin has been extremely gracious to allow me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley, and I must say I was intrigued.  I was pulled into the novel by both the synopsis and the first few pages of the novel, as it begins by talking about the disappearance and murder of 48 infant males.  With a beginning like that, I just had to know what it was all about, and I dove headfirst into the novel.  I did enjoy the novel, but I must state that the ending completely ruined the book for me.  Kluver does a great job maintaining reader interest, and while there are a lot of feminist undertones within the novel, speaking out about the treatment of women, I did thoroughly enjoy it—until a key character disappears from the plot altogether and… things do not end well.  I think that I’m one of those readers who wants to see good befall good characters, and this novel doesn’t deliver that.  Instead, I see more evil befalling the good characters, while the evil ones get their hearts desire, and that, in and of itself, makes me dislike the novel.  Don’t get me wrong, the writing is magnificent and Kluver has a great idea for this series, but the way the story pans out really turns me off.  I’ll probably read the beginning of the next book in the series, just to see if things get better for the good characters, but, unfortunately, it’s not high on my list of things to do.  I wouldn’t be able to stand it if more bad things happened… Three stars. 

From Goodreads: Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are brought together at a classified site where they forge new friendships, find love, develop “super-abilities,” and even unearth a conspiracy.

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This was a fantastic read—I loved every minute of it!  I started reading this novel right before bedtime in order to get a feel for what the novel was about, and I ended up forgoing sleep in order to stay up and finish it.  It was well worth the read, and well worth a sluggish day at the office due to lack of sleep—I couldn’t have put this novel down even if I had wanted to; it was just that good! 

Normally, I don’t give background information about a novel, but as I feel like the synopsis doesn’t do it justice, I think just this once will be okay:  Eighteen years ago a military doctor, greedy for world fame, created chromosomal drugs that he then prescribed to 100 pregnant military wives through prenatal vitamins, unbeknownst to them.  His goal was to alter the G9 chromosome in the unborn children and create a superior race of superhumans, capable of immense strength, invisibility, and even the power to create force fields.  Then, he died, and all knowledge of his experiments died with him… until recently.  Clio, along with 100 other young adults have just been invited to a top-secret camplike facility in NY to study their mutations… and this is where our story begins.

I love superhuman novels, and Solid did not disappoint.  This was a quick, enticing read, and while I was reminded a little of Heroes and X-men, Solid takes on a life of its own and sets itself apart from any other novel I’ve ever read (or movie, or TV show, I’ve ever seen).  I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and Clio is my absolute favorite—she’s a lot like me, so the connection was instantaneous, save the superhuman powers, I sadly don’t have any of those. 

While I feel like there wasn’t much action in the novel, and the characters didn’t really utilize their powers very often (they’re still figuring them out), Workinger’s beautiful storytelling captivates the reader and everything else becomes obsolete.  Just reading the prose itself will mesmerize the reader, no small feat for an author!  I am extremely excited about the sequel, Settling, which comes out July 4!  I highly recommend reading this novel, and then picking up the sequel!  Five stars!   

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Freddy Sevchek is a congenial but rather slow twenty five year old copy room clerk with a penchant for petty larceny who has a crush on a beautiful fifty-something receptionist. When Freddy finally plucks up the courage to ask her out, she reluctantly agrees to see him, but only for one hour. Freddy decides to spend the precious time serenading her on a Stradivarius violin that he has unwittingly stolen but is loathe to return to what he regards as an unhappy fate as a museum exhibit. To keep himself out of jail Freddy negotiates with an unethical violin repairman who offers to disguise the Strad as an inferior instrument, but a series of jealous rivals, one of whom Freddy decides to kill, and a fastidious violin instructor who nonetheless has Freddy’s best interests at heart keep getting in the way of his plans. After he botches the murder Freddy is despondent until a mysterious and sometimes daffy co-worker points him toward his true bliss and helps cook up a scheme to rescue his beloved violin as well.

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This was a fun read.  I enjoyed getting to know Freddy and his accidental lover, Jill (the Stradivarius).  Freddy is a quirky character with some issues, and I thought he was hilarious, especially when it comes to his love for his stolen violin.  While on the outside, this is a quirky novel about Freddy’s love affair with a violin, the novel actually takes a deeper look into the human psyche and how far one will go to hold on to that which we love—inanimate object or not. 

All of the characters in The Accidental Lover were very well written and the many twists and turns within the novel kept my attention as I read.  It is fast paced, and Freddy goes from one crazy incident to the next: stealing a violin, attempted murder, being “mugged,” being hounded by the police… there was never a dull moment and I liked the novel a lot.  Music lovers will especially enjoy this novel!  Check it out and let me know what you think!  Three stars!

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks–and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.
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Disney-Hyperion has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel prior to its release on June 28^th, 2011.  I found the synopsis of this novel very interesting and was excited to pick it up, especially since I’m deathly afraid of sharks and being shipwrecked is one of my biggest nightmares—a reason I haven’t ever been on a cruise and rarely visit the ocean.

Tracy does a phenomenal job keeping the story afloat (no pun intended) through the dialogue between the eight teens lost at sea.  I will admit that I was filled with trepidation since “lost at sea” novels can be quite boring, balancing the entire story on description, and I am thankful that Tracy didn’t do that in this story.  There was a lot of dialogue and I think that it was quite accurate.  If I was lost at sea on a raft with seven other people, I can see it panning out very similarly.  I’d want to know how many people have been rescued in the past, what we should do to stay alive, how often sharks attack humans, project when we’d be found and, of course, argue.  With eight people in a tightly enclosed space, that arguing is probably going to start sooner rather than later (and I’d probably be a huge proponent of it), and I think Tracy did a great job keeping reader interest.

Now, that being said, I also have to admit that I didn’t necessarily care for any of the characters within the story.  While I did have a sense of foreboding and wished them all well, I never had a deep connection with them in which I really felt there pain, and I think part of the problem is that Enid, the main protagonist, drove me crazy.  Her extreme insecurity was quite obnoxious and, if I were Wick, I would have dumped her too.  I realize that she has a lot going on in her life and her parents’ relationship has a lot to do with her insecurities, but I had a hard time getting past her rash responses to the different situations she finds herself enduring.  It’s almost as if she lacks common sense, and that portion of the novel wasn’t my favorite, which is why, overall, I give this novel three and a half stars.

From Goodreads: Paivi Anderson has it all: friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn’t see coming.

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Wow!  And I do mean, WOW!  This was a fabulous novel that sucked me in and made it impossible for me to set down until I’d read every word.  Kirkpatrick is a phenomenal writer and she blew me away with her debut novel Into the Shadows!  I was on pins and needles throughout most of the book, worried about Paivi and her family—the similarities between this novel and the Red Scare were chilling.  Part of the reason I love this novel so much is because it has aspects of our history intermingled within it.  As it’s a YA novel, it helps remind young people about the atrocities our own country, and many others, have committed when scared—such as stripping people of their human rights, arresting them without providence, ruining careers/lives due to paranoia, and forcing people to wear badges identifying themselves as enemies of the state.  This is a very real offence that has happened in many countries, and Kirkpatrick does a phenomenal job showing the reader the errors of our past through this fictitious novel, while also making it very clear that human panic and the mob mentality can easily overtake a nation; it could easily happen again if we aren’t careful. 

What happens to Paivi and her family is atrocious, but so captivating that you will not be able to put the novel down.  Instead of looking at communism or ethnicity, this novel looks at the war on terror, rounding up those believed to be aiding terrorists and blacklisting them as the country runs scared—stripping them of all their human rights, though no evidence if available to convict.  But, in actuality, it seems those blacklisted by fictional Senator Stevens have been declared enemies of the state solely because they have special abilities, such as being able to see the future, like Paivi and her parents, or being able to read minds, like Christian. 

This novel drudged up many feelings for me, in terms of the atrocities of the Holocaust, which started off with Jews being forced to wear badges (like Paivi, her family, and everyone else blacklisted as enemies of the state).  This made me nervous, and angry, as I read, especially since we all know that the Holocaust rapidly became much worse than only having to wear badges.  As the story progresses, Into the Shadows begins to show how much worse it can get, and though it does end abruptly, leaving the reader antsy for more, I can only imagine that the sequel, hopefully releasing late this summer, will go further into its scary similarities of the Holocaust and the Red Scare.  It can only get much, much worse for Paivi and her family before it begins to get better.  I LOVE this story, and cannot wait for the sequel.  I highly suggest picking up this novel!  Five stars!

From Goodreads: In the sleepy small town of Barracuda Bay, Maddy Swift leads the life of a fairly typical teenager, but while attending a party one night, Maddy is struck by lightning and awakens to realize she has been reanimated and turned into a zombie. While becoming acquainted with her new “lifestyle,” Maddy stumbles upon two unexpected undead chaperones, fellow students Dane and Chloe, who begin to teach her the ways of zombie life, including defending the populace from Zerkers—the bad zombies. Together, on prom night, the three teens must ultimately defend Barracuda Bay High from an all-out zombie Armageddon.

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Wow!  I. Love. This. Book.  You need to drop everything and read it right now!  Fischer is a very talented writer and I loved his zombie explanations!  He’s taken this genre and really made it come alive (no pun intended).  Most zombie books are about killing off zombies, but Fischer has created a novel in which the reader obtains an up front view of what it is like to be a zombie, and this was a very refreshing look at such a popular genre! 

I feel like in movies, and books, we never really get the token “bad guy’s” side of the story; he’s/she’s just an evil character, and traditionally, that’s what zombies have always been: evil.  However, Fischer has created a novel in which not all zombies are bad—there are two types: Zombies (good) and Zerkers (bad).  I loved it!   The fact that zombies have conscious thought is really original, and I enjoyed Maddy’s point of view and her sense of humor throughout the novel.  Although she has to deal with many changes, such as becoming a zombie, finding makeup and a new look to go with her sunken in eyes and sickly looking skin, covering a hole in her head, and avoiding the Zerkers that want to eat her brains, she remains as positive as possible and even jokes about her situation.  I loved Maddy’s outlook on her “new” life, which caused much snorting on my part as I read.  Fischer has a wonderful sense of humor that aides his enticing plotline, and this book was, overall, just a fabulous read!   

I liked all the characters, but especially Maddy and Stamp.  Fischer has created lifelike characters and dialogue, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I also liked the many twists and turns in the novel; I was really surprised by many of the events happening within the novel, and it’s obvious that Fischer spent a lot of time developing his plotline and characters.  Fischer is a wonderful writer and I’m hoping that there is a sequel to Zombies Don’t Cry in the works!  I highly suggest reading both his novel and short stories; you won’t be disappointed! Four stars!

From Goodreads: Life hasn’t been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she’s irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can’t stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma’s been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

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I thought this novel started out a little slow.  I was nervous because I wasn’t interested in what was going on and I began to struggle through it.  Emma is starting over in a new town, phased by a near-death accident.  As she’s been shunned by all her former friends and her self-esteem is lower than most teens her age, I was worried that this novel would turn into a “woe is me” story.  It didn’t.  In fact, it picked up rather quickly and I really got into the story.  Yes, it’s the traditional boy meets girl novel, and yes, I did notice elements within the novel that reminded me of both Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga and Lauren Kate’s Fallen series, but overall I think Shultz did a great job with her novel, creating an interesting background legend that held me captive.

Shultz is an amazing writer, and I think her in-depth characterization is great.  As I stated before, in the beginning I wasn’t sure about the novel, or the characters, but Emma and Brendan quickly won me over through their well-rounded dispositions.  I love Emma’s fiery, no holds barrier attitude.  The fact that she can hold her own and becomes exceptionally independent endears her to my heart.  Not only does she take on anyone out to hurt her or her loved ones, but she also comes back for more—in a realistic sense.  She’s not a crazy taekwondo master or even a fighter, but a regular girl willing to go toe to toe with others, even when she knows she’ll lose.  I have a lot of respect for her and her plights throughout the novel.

Brendan is a little dreamy.  I think I sort of have a crush on him.  He’s cute, sweet, strong, sensible… and he, like Emma, doesn’t back down from a fight for his loved ones.  Together they make a wonderful couple and Shultz has created an extremely interesting story that I think all will enjoy.  Four stars.

Harlequin has been extremly gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release today.

From Goodreads: After a layoff and months of struggling, Alice Humphrey finally lands her dream job managing a new art gallery in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District.  According to Drew Campbell, the well-suited corporate representative who hires her, the gallery is a passion project for its anonymous, wealthy, and eccentric owner. Drew assures Alice that the owner will be hands off, allowing her to run the gallery on her own. Her friends think it sounds too good to be true, but Alice sees a perfect opportunity to make a name for herself beyond the shadow of her famous father, an award-winning and controversial film maker.
Everything is perfect until the morning Alice arrives at work to find the gallery gone, the space stripped bare as if it had never existed and Drew Campbell’s dead body on the floor. Overnight, Alice’s dream job has vanished, and she finds herself at the center of police attention with nothing to prove her innocence. The phone number Drew gave her links back to a disposable phone. The artist whose work she displayed doesn’t seem to exist. And the dead man she claims is Drew has been identified as someone else.  When police discover ties between the gallery and a missing girl, Alice knows she’s been set up. Now she has to prove it in a dangerous search for answers that will entangle her in a dark, high-tech criminal conspiracy and force her to unearth long-hidden secrets involving her own family . . . secrets that could cost Alice her life.

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HarperCollins has been extremely gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release today.  I must say that, overall, I enjoyed the novel, but I did struggle with it a little as well.  I think that, for me, there were just too many characters and the jump between them all made the novel a little difficult for me to follow.  By the end, of course, I was following it pretty well, but the beginning was difficult for me.  If you’re anything like me, I suggest sticking with the novel because, though the beginning may be confusing, Burke does a wonderful job putting together the murder mystery and I was flabbergasted in the end.  I think Burke does a phenomenal job with the suspense in her novel and I never saw the ending coming.  Multiple times I thought I’d pinpointed the murdered who’d set Alice up, but I was wrong time and time again.  I really enjoy the guessing game that suspense novels evoke, and I recommend this novel to those who love a great mystery.  Three stars.

From Goodreads: Abandoned, neglected, and sitting atop Hathorne Hill, Danvers Asylum for the Insane towers above modern-day Danvers, Massachusetts. When November Atwood and her twin cousins, Jeff and wheelchair-bound Hawk, discover a strangely-marked wooden box long-buried in the asylum’s shadows, they unwittingly set in motion events leading to the culmination of a diabolical pact signed more than three hundred years ago-when Danvers was Salem Village and witchcraft was a hanging offense.

The cryptic clues on an old vellum document, along with a curious gold coin found inside the box, prompt the trio to venture into the tunnels beneath the asylum, where Jeff is struck by elf-shot, abducted, and replaced by a changeling.

With the aid of a gnome called Dynnis, the pair embark on a journey through the treacherous tunnels and into the Hill of Hathorne. They encounter Hob, the keeper of the Room of Rings, an enormous portal that carries them back in time to Salem Village, current date 1701. Can November summon the courage to bargain her soul to spare the souls of those hanged for witchcraft in 1692? For she is the only one who holds the key in November in Salem: The Bargain of Witches.

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I am always amazed when authors come up with such intricate, original stories, leaving no stone unturned and answering every possible question a reader could have.  That takes talent, and talent is exactly what Russell showcases in her novel, November in Salem!  I really enjoyed this novel as November and her friends battle against evil throughout this novel, piecing together the past in order to set free the hundreds of souls trapped by the bargain.

While this novel is fictitious, the use of real places and events in history show Russell’s research and the care she put into her novel as she wrote, an aspect that will please any interested in the history of Salem.  Russell’s characterization is also superb as the young tweens begin coming-of-age, and though this novel fits into the YA genre, it easily lends itself to MG and adult—completely appropriate and captivating for all ages.  Russell’s writing is immaculate and her prose draws the reader in from the very beginning. 

The flow of the novel is magnificent, and Russell’s dialogue easily switches between archaic and modern language where appropriate, creating a very real feel to the novel and adding to the intrigue.  Many writers struggle when archaic dialogue is utilized, but Russell gracefully writes her dialogue, maintaining sound transitions between the 1700s and the present, which made reading the novel extremely fun for me. 

Though there is a well-rounded conclusion to the novel, Russell hints at a sequel through many of the events, and I do hope that a sequel is in fact in the works!  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Toonopolis is a cartoon city that is home to the thoughts and ideas of all sentient beings in the universe. As the center of the Tooniverse, it acts as an other-worldly rest stop for these creations.

Gemini is a teenage human boy who is thrust into Toonopolis through his father’s scientific research program. He loses part of himself in the process and immediately begins a quest to regain his lost memories with the help of his Tooniverse guide named Jimbob the Talking Eggplant.

After an altercation with a mysterious Shadowy Figure, Gemini’s mission is changed, and he begins a new quest to defeat Shadowy Figure and protect Toonopolis from his nefarious destruction. Along the way, he meets new friends, discovers just how diverse and strange Toonopolis is, and learns lessons about compassion, forgiveness, redemption, and being true to oneself.

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I really enjoyed this novel.  Rodden has taken the toon world a created a wonderful story about their universe—it’s completely original and something we don’t think about much: what is life like for a toon?  I found this novel to be extremely humorous and well written, and Rodden’s explanations of toon life and abilities is fascinating.  For instance, I’ve never thought about why toons can run off cliffs and not fall until they look down, but Rodden explains why this is so, and it’s an ingenious explanation!  I found this a lot as I read—Rodden is very thorough and it’s obvious that he’s spent a lot of time thinking about, and refining, explanations for the strange capabilities toons possess. 

I loved the writing style Rodden uses.  It’s told from two different perspectives, one from Special Agent Mimic, from the human world, and one from Gemini, the human boy sent to Toonopolis for research purposes.  It was enlightening to read about Mimic’s plans and thoughts as he read up on the research being conducted, and I liked that it switched viewpoints so the reader can see inside both Gemini’s and Special Agent Mimic’s mind.  I think this is a very interesting way to present a story, and I highly enjoyed it, especially the revelation about the Shadowy figure at the end of the novel—I never saw it coming!

The characters within the novel are hilarious, and I especially liked Jimbob the talking eggplant.  As I was reading the novel I kept snorting with laughter, and my students, who were taking a test, were highly alarmed at the guffaws and snorts I kept making.  I just couldn’t control myself, it was highly funny, and for some reason I kept thinking about Animaniacs; that same sense of humor permeates this novel and makes it an awesome read. 

I love that this novel is age appropriate, for MG and YA, but it can also make adults laugh, and so it transpires the age gaps and is, in my opinion, appropriate for all ages.  Check it out; you won’t be disappointed!  Four stars!

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: He knew she was gone the second her cool touch withdrew from his arm. He never saw her but had felt her disappear into some cold, dark place. He perceived the black emptiness where she had been summoned, her deep anxiety filling his heart. But he couldn’t reach her. He didn’t even know her name.

Elias moved to Hazel Grove, California to get away from the rain, his parents, and everything that was taken from him in Hayward, Washington. But he thinks he may be going crazy when he starts seeing purple glitter in the air, the scent of rosemary is everywhere, and he is hearing a beautiful voice.

Jane is content in her life of solitude in the quiet town of Jasmyn Lake, but when her special magic sends her on a journey to meet the man she has been dreaming about for months, she cannot resist.

Look into the world of The Enchanters, where water has a sense of humor, trees scare people, and love – is destiny.

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This novel had a very interesting concept, and the idea of the enchanters manipulating the elements made me really want to read it, but as I read I found that, for me, there seemed to be a lot of disconnect and more questions arose than answers.  I think the novel was a little too fast paced for me.  It jumps from scene to scene and was confusing.  Elias and Jane fall in love much too quickly for my taste, overnight it seems; I like a little more background information and development in my stories, and I’m sorry to say that I personally didn’t find it in this novel. 

I felt like a few random ideas were strung together within the novel, creating a choppy flow, such as the mob involvement, the enchanter war, Elias’ parents, and some risqué sex scenes.  I’m still not sure why the mob was referenced, or even why the enchanters were at war; to me it just seemed that the story skipped around between different aspects of the characters lives, but they weren’t connected or explained to the point that I easily understood.  I did reread half of the novel to make sure I wasn’t just missing vital information, but unfortunately I did not come across anything that I previously missed, so I have to say that, personally, this novel just isn’t for me. 

Yet, even though the novel’s story didn’t draw me in, I must say that Burke is a beautiful writer.  Her descriptions and writing style are superb, and I believe that she is a very talented writer and that many readers will enjoy her novels as she refines her stories, though I personally struggled with the novel.  Two stars.    

From Goodreads: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

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This is a wonderful novel.  I heard a lot about how creepy/scary it was, and the cover of the levitating girl alone creates a feeling of foreboding.  So, between the cover and tidbits of information I gathered from tweets I read concerning the book, I knew I needed to pre-order it and read it stat.  And, I have to say, I am not disappointed in the least!  This was a phenomenal read!  I was reminded, in part, of the writing style of Lemony Snicket, but Riggs’ story is more for adults.  I don’t mean that in terms of appropriateness, because Riggs’ novel is very clean, but I think Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children has much more pull for adults than Snicket, who I feel writes for more of a MG/YA crowd. 

The beginning of the novel drew me in very quickly and I was fascinated by the stories Jacobs grandfather, Abe, told about his life on the island.  Events speed up very quickly and a tragedy leaves Jacob questioning everything he ever knew, and his struggle with fact versus fiction was very real and kept me on the edge of my seat.  I struggled along with Jacob as Riggs creates many reasons to believe the tales, but also juxtaposes each with reasons not to believe, and for a while I teetered on the fence trying to decide, until Riggs made the decision for me—a point of no return, a point I wasn’t expecting and threw me for a loop.  Novels that do that are my favorite type, and I applaud Riggs for creating such a great fantastical story that captivated me from the start.

I love the use of pictures and the fact that they are not doctored at all by Riggs, but were used exactly as they were found, coming from different collectors around the world.  I loved how Riggs was able to tailor the photos for his story, describing them and making them a true part of the novel and not just random photos.  The fact that he was able to search out these photos and create a beautiful story surrounding them is a testament to his sheer writing genius.  I never would have thought to do something like this, and I’ve never read another novel that comes anywhere near what Riggs has created.  It’s completely original and I had such a great time matching up the pictures with Riggs’ descriptions.  His writing is so fluid and easy to read, and having the photos further aided my imaginative process.  I just loved everything about this novel.

Riggs’ novel is great for both YA and adults alike, and I was truly captivated by it.  Although it was a little less creepy than I originally expected, the creep factor was definitely there, and I believe parts of this novel could give younger readers nightmares (MG and below), so I’d say it’s definitely for the YA+ crowd.  Four and a half stars.

From Goodreads: When beautiful but aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning, prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core. Everyone connected to school, and to Claire, finds their lives upended, from the local police detective who has a personal history with the academy, to the various faculty and staff whose lives are immersed in the daily rituals associated with it.

Everyone wants to know how Claire died, at whose hands, and more importantly, where the baby that she recently gave birth to is, a baby that almost no one, except her small innermost circle, knew she was carrying.

At the center of the investigation is Madeline Christopher, an intern in the English department who is forced to examine the nature of the relationship between the school’s students and the adults meant to guide them. As the case unravels, the dark intricacies of adolescent privilege at a powerful institution are exposed, and both teachers and students emerge as suspects as the novel rushes to its thrilling conclusion.

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Hyperion has been extremely gracious to allow me to read this novel, via Netgalley, as it recently released on July 14, 2011.  I have to say that I thought the novel was okay, but I wasn’t as enamored by it as I’d hope to be.  It was interesting, but at the same time I never felt any true connections with the many characters introduced within the story.  I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this novel, but for me personally, there was just too much going on—too many characters were brought to the forefront in an attempt to create confusion and suspense, but I’d much rather have had less characters/confusion and more focus on the main characters and their secrets as that alone can create riveting suspense.

While I do think that Bacon did a great job keeping the truth hidden from the reader until the big reveal at the end, I do have to admit that at times I just wasn’t interested in the story and, truth be told, I thought about casting the novel aside as a whole.  I just didn’t feel like this novel was very original, and though I didn’t know who the murderer was, and I was surprised in the end, I do think this novel is very similar to other books/movies I’ve read in that a young woman is murdered at a school, suspicion is cast upon her teachers/boyfriend, and there happens to be an underground organization on campus that delves in risqué behavior and may be behind the murder.  Don’t get me wrong, I thought the novel was okay, I just wasn’t riveted or too surprised while I read.  Two stars.