favorites

Review: The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2

April 12, 2013

The Grimm Chronicles Vol. 2 Title: The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2
Authors: Isabella Fontaine, Ken Brosky
Series: The Grimm Chronicles (Episodes 4-6: The Orphanage of Doom, Blood and Thunder, The Order of the Golden Dragon)

Summary: 200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm changed everything.

With the help of a little magic, fairy tales were made real, manifesting all over the world. Charming princes. Gold-hunting dwarfs. Terrible step-mothers. Heroic animals.

Then, slowly, they began to change. Everyone—from Prince Charming to the old miller—grew more evil. Corrupted. A hero was chosen to stop them, hunting them down one by one and destroying them with the help of a magic pen and a special rabbit assistant.

For 200 years, the hero’s magic pen has been passed on from generation to generation. The newest hero is Alice Goodenough, an 18-year-old junior from Washington High School. While her friends spent their summer working and having fun, Alice found herself doing battle with creatures most human beings don’t even realize exist. A giant snake. A blood-sucking prince. A terrifying half-man, half-hedgehog. Dastardly dwarfs intent on mind-controlling everyone who uses a cell phone.

Now, senior year has begun. With it comes a new challenge at school, where bullies have grown bolder and classes more challenging. As if that’s not enough, Alice must face off against a collection of Corrupted who all share a terrible secret, one that might awaken a creature capable of doing untold damage. To uncover the secret, Alice will have to face off against a man-eating lizard, a bloodthirsty sea captain, and a mysterious wizard who can see into the future …

Bonus material for this edition includes The Lost Journal of Eugene Washington, assorted fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, and A Legacy of Red (a mini-story featuring Alice Goodenough).

My Thoughts: In case you missed it last month, I absolutely loved The Grimm Chronicles Vol. 1 by Ken Brosky and Isabella Fontaine. It exceeded my expectations – by far. Very far. My only complaints were minor errors that needed fixing (mostly typos) and some things I found annoying about Alice. I am happy to say that both were much improved. I liked Alice even more than I did last time. She’s a hero, but she’s not perfect. She’s still human. Real. I like that. A lot. And she said gawd a LOT less than she did in the first volume. She said it little enough that I didn’t find it annoying this time around. As for the errors and such, this second volume is much cleaner (meaning it has fewer errors/typos). There were still a few things here and there, but not nearly as many as before.

These new stories are just as unique and exciting as the ones in the first volume. Extra bonus, we have some Melville thrown in there for good measure. As a lit. major, I loved that added in there! My only question is how his characters were able to appear in Alice’s adventures. Had Melville once had possession of the magic pen and paper? If not, how was it possible for his characters (and, really, largely his story) to have become real? That is one thing that maybe should be explained. Still, I loved seeing a classic American author’s work show up!

As with the first volume, I loved all of the extras. A Legacy of Red was probably my favorite of the extras. It’s a great little story (although a little gruesome). The Grimms’ tales at the end were quite helpful to me in better understanding the Corrupted encountered by Alice. Most of these tales are ones with which I’m not familiar, so it was nice to be able to read them after seeing the characters in the book. They’re actually done in such a way that you could easily read the related tale before encountering the corresponding Corrupted, but I’m not a fan of trying to jump around on my Kindle so I just waited until the end. I think this is one set of books I’d prefer to have a physical copy of in order to make flipping around easier.

Overall, if you are a fan of fairy tales, I highly encourage you to give these books a try. Unless you’re a rigid purist, I’m confident saying you’ll be glad you did. I am very much looking forward to Volume 3!

Source: Received an ebook as part of a blog tour hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer. (Click the button below for more tour stops.)

Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

About the Authors: Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.

Web site | Facebook

~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

2 Comments Filed Under: blog tour, Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, blog tour, fairy tales, favorites, Grimm Brothers, I Am A Reader Not A Writer, Isabella Fontaine, Ken Brosky, kindle, review, The Grimm Chronicles, YA

Review: You Look Different in Real Life

March 20, 2013

Title: You Look Different in Real Life
Author: Jennifer Castle
Series: n/a

Summary: For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they’re real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There’d be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn’t feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what’s on film. They’ve all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else’s eyes.

My Thoughts: You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle was so much better than I was expecting. While it’s not sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat riveting or anything, it grabbed me, pulled me in, and spit me back out with a smile on my face. There’s a lot of emotion, interesting situations, and fun all inside.

Justine is the narrator. The whole story is told from her perspective, and it works really well. Her take on things was quite insightful at times, while still showing her youth – attempts at rebellion (for the sake thereof), innocent mistakes, etc. She’s a very likable person, and I absolutely loved watching her grow. And she grows quite a lot through the course of herself. While she considers herself a fat, boring version of the girl from the previous movies, she really isn’t. She’s just insecure. And she’s not yet really discovered herself. But she does so through the course of this book. I found it really neat to watch.

The relationships between these five kids are quite complex. As is common at that point in life, their relationships have all shifted, and everyone thinks they know about everyone else. But no one really knows anything about anyone else. Misunderstandings and unwarranted hard feelings abound – along with plenty of deserved hard feelings. Watching these teens learn to work through these things through the course of the events of this book was quite interesting. Every one of these kids grows quite a lot during this book.

I had a blast with this book. It was fun, exciting, emotional, and one of those books I just wanted to keep reading. And keep reading. I was amazed by how quickly I was able to read it. Not because I was racing to finish it, but because I was so engrossed that before I knew it I’d read 60 pages – or more. This is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: You Look Different in Real Life is scheduled for release around June 4, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

2 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, favorites, Jennifer Castle, review, YA

Review: Goddess by Josephine Angelini

March 17, 2013

Goddess Title: Goddess
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed #3

Summary: After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’ life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

My Thoughts: I remember when I read Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. I fell in love with that book within the first 100 pages. If you’re a long-time reader here at PBN, you might remember that I even stopped to write a snippet because I was so in love with the book I had to share it immediately! It was that good. And, yes, I was as happy with it by the end. I still have very fond memories of that book! I was a bit disappointed with Dreamless, but I think that’s only natural after the way Starcrossed just blew me away. It’s only natural that my expectations wouldn’t be met. But, I still was very much looking forward to this one, Goddess. I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. If some of my guesses as to what was coming were accurate.

No worries. This one was fantastic. Amazing! Right on up there with the first. It was exciting, fast-paced, and emotional. There were times I wanted to cry, times I wanted to cheer, and maybe a few times I wanted to laugh. (Maybe. I honestly can’t remember on the laughing. ) I closed the book very, very happy with everything. There were some surprises, and that’s great. There also were some guesses I was right on target about. Both were fun to see! I’m not going to say much more about the plot or anything, because I really don’t want to spoil this for any one of you. For me, there’s nothing like a first read. I love rereading favorites, but that first time is memorable (at least for the best books) – kinda like one’s first kiss. I won’t be ruining that for anyone. I will, however, add that I’m wondering if Angelini has hopes of one day writing some follow-up and/or spinoff stories/books. There are some things that definitely leave the possibility open.

Suffice it to say that I remain a huge fan of the Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini. I have enjoyed this series from start to finish, and look forward to having time to sit down and read all three, one after the other. If you enjoyed the other books in this series, consider preordering this so you can read it ASAP. It’s worth it!

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Goddess is scheduled for release around May 28, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

4 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, fantasy, favorites, Greek Mythology, Josephine Angelini, mythology, paranormal, review, Starcrossed, YA

Review: The Rules for Disappearing

February 22, 2013

Title: The Rules for Disappearing
Author: Ashley Elston
Series: The Rules for Disappearing #1

Summary: She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

My Thoughts: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston is a fantastic read. There’s excitement, paranoia, mystery, surprise, fear, and so much more tucked into its pages. I was hooked from the very beginning, and found it hard to stop reading – it almost kept me up all night. The only thing I don’t like is the cover – bare feet make me squirm. Don’t know why; that’s just the way it is. But, since there’s no need to stare at the cover while reading, I figure there’s no need to let that affect the rating I give the book.

The book is told from Meg’s perspective, and it works quite well. The mystery behind everything really makes this the best way to tell the story. I feel bad for her – she must be so lonely and tired. Plus, her family is falling apart. I love Meg’s determination and her heart. And when she discovers the truth about everything, well, it sends her reeling for a while. She’s mature enough to realize, though, that she needs to get herself together and figure out what comes next.

Speaking of what comes next, there is a sequel already in the works. (I discovered that while looking around Goodreads.) I’m excited about this, because the book is one I didn’t want to end so soon. I’d definitely call the story finished – mostly. There’s one loose end, but the main problem in this story is resolved. Clearly it’s not over yet for Meg, but whatever’s coming (I’m guessing here) likely will have a whole new set of problems.

In all, this was a compelling, addictive, exciting, and touching read. I would highly recommend it.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: The Rules for Disappearing is scheduled for release around May 14, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

3 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, Ashley Elston, favorites, mystery, review, The Rules for Disappearing, YA

Review: Pretty Girl-13

January 7, 2013

Title: Pretty Girl-13
Author: Liz Coley
Series: n/a

Summary: Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she’s returned home…only to find that it’s three years later and she’s sixteen-or at least that’s what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn’t know.

But there are people who do-people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her “alters.” As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

My Thoughts: Pretty Girl-13 is, um, wow! Shocking! Unsettling … scary … WOW! It is so hard for me to wrap my head around this story – and even harder for me to review it. I really don’t want to risk spoiling anything for those interested, because I would’ve hated if it had been spoiled for me!

Angie is amazing. Absolutely amazing. And so well-written. The layers of her personality – her various alters and everything they all collectively endure – wow. Amazingly thought out and very clearly presented. And Angie grows up to much from beginning to end, and not just because of what she faces. She starts out as a scared, lost, confused 13-year-old girl and ends up older than her true age of 16 years. The more I saw of her, the more I just loved her. And the more I learned through her alters, the more my heart ached for her. The description of the porch and how things change has healing comes just amazes me. So clear, so inspiring, so triumphant.

Sensitive readers beware: It’s a hard story to get through. It’s brilliantly written, and not overly detailed in the darker parts. But it’s still a very difficult thing to read – especially if you have daughters. (My oldest is 9, and this is a scary, scary thing.) I wouldn’t say to stay away – this is not a book to miss. I would just caution you to be prepared to be touched at the deepest levels.

While the subject is one of the darkest I’ve seen in a while – and it’s realistic fiction – I have to say I loved this book. Clearly not the subject, but it was written so well and – despite its darkness – was enjoyable to read. I would highly, highly recommend this book.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Pretty Girl-13 is scheduled for release around March 19, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

1 Comment Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, favorites, Liz Coley, mystery, psychological thrillers, review, YA

Review: Alice in Zombieland

December 3, 2012

Title: Alice in Zombieland
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: The White Rabbit Chronicles

Summary: She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies

My Thoughts: Let me start by saying that I’m not generally a fan of zombies, or vampires, or werewolves, or other such creatures. But, I have occasionally been compelled to read a book with these characters as part of the central focus. More times than I’d ever have expected, I’ve ended up quite happy. Meaning, I really enjoyed the book. Still, and perhaps this is my age speaking here, I find myself reluctant to delve into such novels. There has to be something that just really, really grabs my attention before I even consider giving the book a try. There are some – especially with zombies – that I have had zero interest in. Especially things like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies …

So, why on earth did I decided to read Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter? In all honesty, I think it was that gorgeous, gorgeous cover. It’s stunning, and I can’t stop looking at it! I think that caused me to be more open to the idea when I read the description, which kinda had me interested. And this is an Alice in Wonderland twist. And while that is as much a classic as Jane Austen is, the very nature of the story – in my humble opinion – lends it to reworkings like this one.

So, what did I think? Well, in short, I LOVED it. There were moments of annoyance with some of the characters and issues, but overall I loved it. I didn’t want to stop reading, and I had fun the whole way through. Alice is pretty cool. She reminds me of the lead in Paranormalcy in her kick-bleep quality. She, too, doesn’t swear. But, I think I like Alice a bit more. And not just because of the horrific tragedy that starts off the book. I could feel her regret, her guilt, and her remorse. And toward the end, I was near tears at the more touching and/or sad parts.

Predictability? Not so much. I had one tiny inkling about something, which turned out right, but the rest of the book was completely new to me. SCORE! There are interesting plot twists, character interactions, and other things that were most definitely not been-there-done-that. And, yes, I love Cole. Pretty awesome. Their relationship is different from the usual in books of this type, but not without its issues. Heck, it has more bumps than a brick road, but still I could stomach it. It’s clear that both he and Alice are meant for each other, but it’s also clear that they both have issues that they need to work through.

I could wax poetically about this book all night, but I’d rather get some sleep. LOL So, my quick summary: AWESOME. If you’ve even been a tiny bit curious, READ IT! You’ll be glad you did! I cannot, cannot, cannot wait patiently for the next book, which is due sometime next year!

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

5 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, fantasy, favorites, Gena Showalter, review, The White Rabbit Chronicles, YA, zombies

Review: If You Find Me

November 29, 2012

Title: If You Find Me
Author: Emily Murdoch
Series: n/a

Summary: A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and the girls are found by their father, a stranger, and taken to re-enter the “normal” life of school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must come to terms with the truth of why their mother spirited them away ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go … a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

My Thoughts: What to say … what to say …

This is one of those books I find hard to write about. For one thing, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. But also, I find it hard to put into words just how good it is. But I will try.

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is horrifyingly awesome. I know, I know, that sounds like an oxymoron. It’s not. The subject is just heartbreaking, hence the “horrifyingly.” The book itself is awesome. It’s written very well, and I found Carey a fabulous narrator. She’s got heart. She’s got spunk. And she’s got wit.

The more Carey addresses life in the woods, the more heartbreaking the story is. Not just the truth of why they were out there, but also the truth of what life was life for them. Those poor, sweet girls. And Jenessa. I can only imagine living that life from the very beginning – and Carey living that life while caring for an infant.

Be aware that this book is not for those who don’t do well with serious subjects. These girls suffer abuse and neglect, plus more. There aren’t gory details or anything, but Carey’s pain is evident. Sensitive readers might find themselves in tears throughout much of this book. I would not say that this is a reason to avoid the book. It’s very good. It’s worth reading.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: If You Find Me is scheduled for release on March 26, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
~*~

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.