Book Review- The Nightingale

Last week I finished reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah about a week and a half ago.

From Goodreads:

Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her. 

As the war progresses, the sisters' relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

I liked this book.  It wasn't one that I couldn't put down.  Or was one that I was completely engaged in.  But I'm really interested in anything about the Holocaust so that kept me going.

I didn't really connect with either of the sisters.  They were both such opposite ends of the specturm when it came to the war.  But without giving anything away, Vianne does eventually do something--and if I was going to do anything in the war, I'd do what she did.

There is a present-day narrator that has a few chapters and you know it's going to be one of the sisters.  I was wrong in who I thought it would be though.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  I just wish I could have connected with the characters more.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

FTC Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book.

Book Review- Journey of Hope

I finished reading Journey of Hope by Lurlene McDaniel on Saturday.

From Goodreads:

HEATHER BARLOW HAS always been idealistic, and now that she has finished high school, she’s ready to make a difference in the world. After graduation she joins a mission group on a hospital mercy ship sailing to Africa.

Journey of Hope is two novels put together: Angel of Mercy and Angel of Hope.

I used to love reading Lurlene McDaniel's books as a kid.  So I was excited to dive into this one.  I wasn't expecting it to be so religious.  I can't remember if all of her books are so religious and I just never noticed when I was a kid or if it's just this one, but it kind of turned me off. 

That being said, I loved reading about the time in Africa.  I'd love to travel there someday.  And my best friend's little sister just left for a missionary trip of 11 countries in 11 months, so that part did strike close to home. 

Both novels in this book definitely had that classic Lurlene McDaniel twist in it and I found myself holding back tears.  I have a few more of hers on my bookshelf and I look forward to getting to them.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Book Review- Three Dark Crowns

I finished reading Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake last week for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.

I thought I would really enjoy this book since it had to do with queens and triplets.  Unfortunately, it didn't really do it for me.

Each chapter or so varied among the queens.  It took a while for me to really understand which queen was which.  All of the details were confusing.  And once I did figure out and understand the differences in the queens, I never really got into any of them.

And the story was pretty dark.  I'm not into completely dark stories.  I need some kind of light or majorly sweet romance or something. 

I suppose the overall idea of the story was interesting enough.  Triplet queens who are separated as young children and raised thinking they have a gift, or will come into one.  And that they have to kill their two sisters when they are 16 to because the true queen. 

I can't decide if I'll pick up the next book.  I guess I'll have to see how I'm feeling at the time.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

 *FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Caraval

I finished reading Caraval by Stephanie Garber for an Around the World ARC Tour.

 From Goodreads:

Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .Scarlett has never

left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.


Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.


 Ok, first of all, am I the only person who kept reading the word "Caraval" as "Carnival"?  I kept having to correct myself.


 Anyways, the idea of Caraval was interesting, but it was not at all what I expected.  It was all dark.  I thought there might be some lightness and fun to it but there wasn't.  A lot of it was confusing to me.  I mean, I guess that was the point of the game but I felt that there were twists and turns.  And then twists on those twists.  A lot of it left me thinking "huh?" 


 I'm not sure I really liked any of the characters.  Scarlett just didn't seem very exciting to me.  I didn't care about her. And Tella seemed too airhead and flouncy.  If I had to pick a favorite, it was Julian.
 
 The writing kind of bugged me too.  There were too many descriptions of things using colors.  All her feelings were colors and there were sensory words everywhere.  Sensory overload.


 I don't know.  I've read such great reviews about the book.  Maybe it just wasn't the right time for me to read it.


 I gave this book a rating of 3/5.


 Caraval will be released on January 31, 2017.


 *FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- One Plus One

I finished reading One Plus One by Jojo Moyes last night.

From Goodreads:

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being
bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever.

I really liked the book Me Before You by this author so I decided to give this one a try.  Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.

I loved the idea of the poor single mom working hard make ends meet for her two unique kids--a math genius and a teenage son that's a little different.  But I never connected with any of them.  If I had to pick one I liked the best, it would be the male lead, Ed.  I felt like the portrayal of Jess was maybe too extreme or something.  I wanted her to be more likeable.

Also, I think what made Me Before You so great was the heavy topics and it drew you in.  This book didn't really have anything like that to keep me hooked.  I didn't find myself looking forward to reading more--I just did it because it was there.

I do have the sequel to Me Before You to read too, so we'll see how that goes.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Book Review- The Sun is Also a Star

I finished reading The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon today for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

This book had promise.  The idea how small, insignificant decision or action can change your whole future intrigued me.  And two strangers meeting and falling in love did too.  Unfortunately, I just didn't get invested in the story.

Maybe it was because the narration changed hands so many times.  And most of the chapters were extremely short--a page or two, or sometimes only a paragraph or two.  And so I never really connected with Natasha or Daniel.

And talk about a quick love--too immediate for my tasting.  It was more of a falling in lust.  They didn't truly know each other in the short twelve hours so I don't believe it could be love.  I did like the ending, before the epilogue.  It gave this idealistic story a nice dash of reality.  

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

The Sun is Also a Star will be released on November 1, 2016.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours. 

Book Review- Dreamology

I finished Dreamology by Lucy Keating on Sunday night for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.

But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.

When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?

Whimsical, romantic and utterly original, Lucy Keating’s debut novel will win readers’ hearts.

The idea of this story really intrigued me.  I wasn't sure how the Dream versions of themselves related to the real world.  And I liked the idea of someone's "dream guy" actually being a reality.

It was interesting to find out why Max and Alice dreamed about each other.  It makes me wonder to what extent that could really happen (not really the idea of them having the same dreams and being in them together, but that if a scientist could really create why it happened.  I know it's vague, but I don't want to give too much away).

I liked Alice.  But her dreams were really weird.  Even the ones that didn't have Max in them.  Maybe it's just me, but I rarely have dreams that weird and fantasy-like.  Max--ehh, he was okay.  I didn't think he was all that great.  And I think Alice would have matched up better with another character.

Overall, a light fluffy read, if you're looking for that.

I gave it a review of 3/5.

Dreamology will be released on April 12, 2016

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Outside In

I just finished reading Outside In (Inside Out #2) by Maria V. Snyder.

From Goodreads:

Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.

Well, we get to find out a little bit more about the Outside as well as the Outsiders in this sequel.  And it was definitely interesting.

The characters got a little confusing for me.  There were so many secondary ones that sometimes they got mixed up.  But once again I loved the main ones, especially Trella and Riley.  And of course Sheepy :)

There was lots of action in this book between the rebuilding of their society and dealing with the Outsiders.  I never really knew who to trust.  Even at the end, I didn't really trust anyone.

The book left off quite nicely.  It wrapped up enough to end the series but I think it could have gone on longer too if the author had wanted.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- Inside Out

I finished reading Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder last night.

From Goodreads:

Keep Your Head Down.
Don't Get Noticed.
Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

The idea of this world Inside a building...with uppers and lowers was interesting.  I liked reading about the differences between the worlds and trying to figure out just how it happened. 

I liked Trella.  She was strong but still had just this little hint of vulnerability to her.  And I liked how Riley brought that out in her.  I did tend to get lost in the details and descriptions of the inside world with the Gaps and different levels and pipes and stuff.  And the ending seemed a little too quick and easy for me to really accept.  But all the of twists and turns kept me hanging on.

Once of the twists I saw coming.  But the other, about the Outside---not what I thought it was going to be at all.  I really want to know about how that became the outside.  I'm hoping we get more insight about how this came to be in the next book.  And I'm hoping we get more of Riley and Trella together.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for a review. 

Book Review- Light

Last night I finished reading Light (Gone #6) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been over a year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

In the time since every person over the age of fourteen disappeared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. Light, Michael Grant's sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series creates a masterful, arresting conclusion to life in the FAYZ.

And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?

I have to say, I'm glad the series is over.  It was getting a little stale to me.  Although the grossness factor was definitely back in this one.

Definitely a lot of senseless violence thanks to Gaia.  But to me it seemed like she killed a lot more kids than she did (we're given numbers that make it out towards the end).  The final "battle" was interesting.  And satisfying in a way.  Redemption and all that.  

I liked reading about the aftermath although one thing bugged me--it said that Sam's mom emancipate him.  I didn't really get why.  I mean, we get more details about him and Caine from her, but I don't see why she would leave him.

I didn't like the whole view of what the outside world thought of the kids of the inside of FAYZ.  I'm pretty sure people would rally around those kids and try to understand what they went through.  

Overall, it was an interesting series but it went on too long for me.  I think I could have been done after 3 books.

I gave this book a rating o 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book from a friend.

Book Review- Relativity

I finished reading Relativity by Cristin Bishara last night for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

There are so many moments Ruby Wright wishes she could change. The moment her dad uprooted her from California to live in backwoods Ohio with their new stepfamily. The moment she moved away without telling her best friend George she loved him. The moment a car accident ended her mother's life.

But no one can rewrite time. At least, that's what physics-obsessed Ruby believes.

Then she stumbles upon a lightning-powered tree—a doorway to a series of parallel universes. How many possible worlds will Ruby have to explore to find the one with the perfect combination of people, relationships, and experiences? And is she willing to risk everything she has to get back what she has lost?

With a deft blend of science and heart, Cristin Bishara's thought-provoking debut novel explored the laws of time and space...and the even more mysterious nature of love and loss.

The premise of this story was definitely interesting.  Or at least the part about being able to go into a tree, turning a wheel, and coming out in a parallel universe.  I loved reading about the differences in each universe (well, most of them--the native american one was weird).  I liked reading how  just one little difference could change so much.

But the whole scientific part of the story just lost me.  String theory and all that just doesn't really interest me that much.  As for Ruby, I liked her and didn't like her.  I liked that she was different, mostly.  But once again, some of the science parts bored me.

I felt like the book kind of wrapped up too quickly.  It was pretty short so I think that more could have been added towards the end.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Fear

I finished Fear (Gone # 5) by Michael Grant last week.

From Goodreads:

It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

Fear, Michael Grant's fifth book in the bestselling dystopian Gone series, will thrill readers . . . even as it terrifies them.

So thankfully we get more of an idea of what's going on with the FAYZ.  We discover that the rest of the world still is there.  I was glad to finally understand a little more.

This installment wasn't as gross or disturbing.  I mean, it was still crazy to think about, especially with the dome turning black.  But I didn't find myself grossed out like I had been.

 Diana and the baby was interesting.  As was the turn Petey's character took.  Really kinda weird.  I'm still trying to figure out that one.

I'm glad the next book is the last one in the series.  I'm ready for it to wrap up.  And I'm interested to see just how Michael Grant goes about that.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- Plague

I just finished reading Plague (Gone #4) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages.

Ok so this one was really gross.  The wording of the illness that spreads.  And then the giant bugs growing inside people.  I found my stomach often churning and would have to stop reading for a minute or so.  So I didn't enjoy this one as much.  It was too intense--too scary (I've never been a fan of horror unless you count R.L. Stine as a kid).

The ending of this one shows that what I was thinking might happen was wrong.  And its foreshadowing that I might have been very wrong.  I have two more books left to read in this series, but really, I'm about done with it.  I'm kinda ready for it to be over.  

And with all that said, I still can't put the books down.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review-- Lies

I just finished reading Lies (Gone #3) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Still so, so weird.  And creepy.  But I was hoping I'd understand it a little more by now.  Instead I find myself more confused.  The world that Michael Grant has created just gets more and more disturbing. What really happens when you poof out?  I thought I knew until the end when we get a glimpse of what might be.

The characters kind of annoyed me this time around.  I have to keep reminding myself that they're just kids and acting like kids.  And the religion part of this one I could have done without.  

But I'm still hanging out and dying to know what's going to come of all of it!

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for a review. 

Book Review-- Gone

I finished Gone by Michael Grant tonight.

From Goodreads:

The first in New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant's breathtaking dystopian, sci-fi saga, Gone is a page-turning thriller that invokes the classic The Lord of the Flies along with the horror of Stephen King.

In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.

There are teens, but not one single adult. 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...

Michael Grant's Gone as been praised for its compelling storytelling, multidimensional characters, and multiple points of view.

This book was weird for me.  At times I didn't really care for it, but I found that I didn't want to put it down.  The writing seemed immature.  Maybe because its a male author or has a male main character, both which I seem to have a hard time getting absorbed in.  Or it could be simply that only the young survived so it's meant to be that way.

  But the whole world was strange too.  The whole thing with the kids having powers.  And then the coyotes that can now talk.  And the Darkness.  It was all weird.  

I did like Sam and Astrid.  But there was too much action for me to really love it.  There needed to be more character story.  That being said, the main plot of everyone over the age of 15 disappearing intrigued me.  We find out why but even then I want to know what happened to those people.  

So while I sit here and say that I only liked the book okay, I'm also saying that I'm really intrigued in reading the next book in the series.  Weird.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- Starry Night

I finished reading Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney on Thursday.

From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Julien is a romantic—he loves spending his free time at the museum poring over the great works of the Impressionists. But one night, a peach falls out of a Cezanne, Degas ballerinas dance across the floor, and Julien is not hallucinating.

The art is reacting to a curse that trapped a beautiful girl, Clio, in a painting forever. Julien has a chance to free Clio and he can't help but fall in love with her. But love is a curse in its own right. And soon paintings begin to bleed and disappear. Together Julien and Clio must save the world's greatest art . . . at the expense of the greatest love they've ever known.

Like a master painter herself, Daisy Whitney brings inordinate talent and ingenuity to this romantic, suspenseful, and sophisticated new novel. A beautifully decorated package makes it a must-own in print.

If you're into Art then this mystery is probably right up your alley.  Unfortunately, I don't like art so this one had a hard time keeping my attention.  I will say that reading this book right now after all the events in Paris felt a little weird.

The art coming alive was unique and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I actually liked the paintings that were mentioned.  And the romance was weird.  Too sudden and all consuming.  I mean, for half of the time, she was stuck in a painting.  It just didn't work for me.

Overall, it was just okay.  It wasn't horrible but it wasn't one I'll remember.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Shallow Graves

I finished reading Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace last week for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace.


This one was a little weird for me.  I never really got into it.  None of the characters really did it for me.  I mean, there was nothing that I disliked about any of them.  There was just none that I really connected with.

The book was really creepy.  It reminded me of when I was little and used to love reading Goosebumps or R.L. Stein.  But weirder.  The whole part with the Mother was odd and the cult-like sensibility of it was just kinda out there.

It was a perfect read for the Halloween season.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Shallow Graves will be released on January 26, 2016.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Never Said

I also finished Never Said by Carol Lynch Williams on the cruise for a 2015 Booksparks YA Summer Reading Challenge.

From Goodreads:

Annie and Sarah are fifteen-year-old fraternal twins who only spend time together because they're under the same roof. Annie's life has long been focused around her appearance and the beauty pageants that celebrate it, whereas Sarah's interests are sports and her runner boyfriend, Jeremy.

Then Annie begins to gain more and more weight, and all she seems to hear from her mother is, You used to be so pretty, followed by the latest diet to try.

Things begin to unravel for Sarah as well. Jeremy her boyfriend of more than a year decides to see if he and Sarah are "right" for each other, dumping her in order to get his head on straight.

Sarah is devastated. Her family is crumbling. The love of her life is dating other people. Her sister is getting heavier and more depressed. When Sarah learns, through gentle questioning, that a neighbor and very good family friend has been sexually abusing her sister, she knows she must act and help the sister who seemingly always had it all.

Told in alternating points of view, Never Said is the story of a family that has been caught up in what doesn t matter and about two sisters who realize that their relationship no matter how different the two of them are is most important.

Okay, first off this summary is wrong and Sarah's boyfriend's name is Garrett.  Now that we've taken care of that--this is another book with a serious topic and tragedy.

We know from the beginning that something has happened to Annie.  I had a guess that I thought was right and I was close but not exact.  I really liked her.  I love how her story was told in prose/poem format.

Sarah wasn't my favorite.  She was the shy one and I wanted to feel bad for her but I really just wanted to tell her to get over her shyness.  It was too much.

We all know I love twins so this was an interesting take on their relationship and how they told the story.  Without giving too much away, this topic is serious and while it might not be against the law in the way we might normally think, it is and it's something that teenagers need to be talked with about.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Never Said will be released on August 25, 2015.

FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free to review as part of the 2015 Booksparks YA Summer Reading Challenge.

Book Review- Bear Witness

On the cruise, I finished reading Bear Witness by Melissa Clark for a 2015 Booksparks YA Summer Reading Challenge!

From Goodreads:

Three years after witnessing the kidnapping of her best friend, Robin, Paige Bellen is expected to continue on with life as usual. Now, with her closest friend out of the country, a messy relationship with Robin’s boyfriend, and a family that handles her with kid gloves, Paige isn’t sure if she’ll ever be able to move forward in life. Bear Witness explores the aftermath of a crime in a small town, and what it means when tragedy colors the experience of being a young adult

My feelings about this book are mixed.  On one hand, this is such a chilling tragedy.  I wanted to feel for Paige because of the horror that she went through.  But I didn't really ever find myself liking her or feeling sorry for her in particular (more for just the situation that she went through).  I didn't find her particularly likeable.  I also didn't really feel that she came very far, healing-wise.

I did, however, like the way the story was told.  The first chapter is current-day.  Then each chapter goes back one year until we get to the year of the tragedy and even the year before that (to show the innocence.)  I thought that was a unique way to go about the telling of the story.

The book is short and there are only a few chapters so it's definitely a quick read and one you can fly through.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free to review as part of the 2015 Booksparks YA Summer Reading Challenge.

Book Review- Mini Shopaholic

I finished reading Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic #6) by Sophie Kinsella last night.

From Goodreads:

Becky Brandon thinks that having a daughter is a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping. The toddler creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is “Mine!” and she’s even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there’s a huge nationwide financial crisis.

With people having to cut back, Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source—and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.

Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky’s secret wishes ever come true?

I read all of the previous books in this series several years ago and remembered loving them so I was ready to jump back in and read another one.  

But I have to be honest.  Becky annoyed me.  I'm not sure if I've just grown up and matured since reading the other books or what, but all of the spending and shopping and lying and denial about her child's behavior just really got on my nerves.  And come on!  How did she not realize that this surprise party would get out of hand the way she was planning it?!?!?  Ugh!

That being said, it's definitely a beach read and you know I'll pick up the next book in the series--Hollywood!

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.