Tag Archive: review

Review: Frantic

February 2, 2012

Summary: Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it’s too late? For gas station attendant Marny Toogood it’s just another day on the job when an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now on the run with the girl and her brother, Marny begins to realize he must conquer his own past and surrender all to Christ. As they face kidnapping, underground cults, and other evils, can Marny trust the simple faith of a child and stand his ground against a power so twisted?

My Thoughts: Where do I start? I guess at the beginning, and for this book that would be the cover. LOVE it. Each element on that cover I can place in the story. It is creepy and so artful. I love it. It’s probably one of the best covers for a thriller I’ve seen in a long, long time! I would go so far as to say that it is just beautiful! It really is. And the lower portion gives me chills. Huge props to the designer. S/he did a fantastic job!

Mike Dellosso is a talented writer. He has a way with words. Some of his descriptions are just amazing, and I found myself quite impressed by how beautiful the writing is at times. He tells a story very well, and just dives on into the action from the very start. There’s no lead-in, no slow buildup. Make sure you have a block of time and some snacks nearby, because you won’t want to stop reading. Frantic is the perfect title for this book, as the pace is just that. Dellosso hits the ground running, and doesn’t stop until the end.

I love that faith in God is encouraged, but not overly so. Frantic doesn’t ever read like a sermon, getting lost in the God talk and forgetting the plot. The references to faith are frequent, but natural to the story. The Christianity isn’t forced, nor does it feel fake. It’s perfectly sprinkled throughout the novel – from the character struggling with his faith to the characters buoyed by their faith and even the character who believes he’s chosen to protect someone sent by God himself.

In all, Frantic is action-packed and keeps the reader guessing. There were some plot twists I could see coming, but plenty that I didn’t. This story very creepy, and I’m glad I didn’t read this one into the wee hours! The title is perfect, as the book itself, really, is set at a Frantic pace, keeping the reader engrossed from the beginning. If you’re a fan of Frank Peretti or Travis Thrasher, you’ll love Frantic as well.

Source: Sent by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Read It: Frantic is scheduled for release on February 7, 2012. 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!)

Challenges: Counts for the Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012, and Free Reads 2012.

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Tags: 4 stars, ARC, Christian fiction, Free Reads 2012, Mike Dellosso, paranormal, review, Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012, suspense, thriller

Review: A Girl Named Digit

January 31, 2012

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan

Summary: Farrah “Digit” Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group’s number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping– all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in …

My Thoughts: This was such an enjoyable book to read! While the subject matter isn’t exactly fluffy, it’s handled in a way that makes this a light, fun read. I often found myself chuckling, laughing, and/or smiling while reading. Some of it is dialogue between characters, but much of it is just Digit’s take on things. This girl has a way with words. Her voice and persona are very easy to like, and she grows up a lot in this novel.

I didn’t give this five stars because there were moments during which I found Digit a bit annoying. Namely while she’s going gaga over John and seems to forget that their lives are on the line. Or when she lies and says her cell phone is at home. Normally, I wouldn’t have issue with that, but normally people aren’t being told that a terrorist group wants them dead. I would think that a 17-year-old – especially one who’s a genius – would be inclined to leave behind the cell phone (especially when she watches CSI and other such shows regularly). If she was a younger teen, I’d be less likely to find this annoying. Really, it’s a minor thing that doesn’t get in the way of the story – meaning it’s not bothersome enough to keep one from ignoring it. And her stuff with John, well. She is 17. I can see how she’s be busy enough swooning to kinda forget just how grave the danger is. But, still, he’d be trying to talk to her about the case, and she’d be thinking about why he won’t kiss her. Stuff like that. I was quite annoyed during some of those moments, because it was like she thought that was more important than living. But then again, she is a teenager. It’s hard to believe one isn’t going to live forever when so young!

In the end, this book totally left me with a smile on my face. I think one big thing that helped with that is that Digit learns a valuable lesson. After years of pretending she’s not the super math genius, she finds that being herself is so much better. There’s a line in the book at one point about living the lie being so exhausting, or something like that – she didn’t say it. One of her parents did. But, it’s like she has a new take on life, and has decided that perhaps being herself isn’t so bad after all. She also learned that she was so busy hiding herself that she didn’t truly get to know those that she was closest to in her social life. Not to mention that she’d been somewhat judgmental of them, considering them inferior intellectually. It was a humbling lesson for her, but one she took gracefully and learned from it.

In all, A Girl Named Digit is a great story. It’s fun to read, full of adventure, romance, and suspense. And there are some life lessons, too. I would highly recommend this book.

Source: Received through Around The World Tours for review.

Read It: A Girl Named Digit is scheduled for release on June 5, 2012. 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!)

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Tags: 4.5 stars, Annabel Monaghan, ARC, Around the World Tours, review, suspense, YA

Review: Monument 14

January 27, 2012

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Summary: Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

A huge store isn’t the worst place to be stranded. There’s food and water, bedding and books. But what if it’s not safe to leave?

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids are trapped together in a chain superstore. Together they build a refuge for themselves inside, while outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapon spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

My Thoughts: Monument 14 is a book that surprised me. It’s one of those I took a chance on. I thought it sounded like a premise that had promise – and it exceeded my expectations. The description reminded me a bit of Trapped by Michael Northrop, but really the only similarity is the basic premise: a bunch of kids trapped in a large building – without any adults. Where Trapped was in a high school, with only teens present, Monument 14 is in a superstore, with a much wider rage of ages. While Trapped features a monstrous blizzard, Monument 14 features natural disasters and spilling of chemical weapons. Both books left me wanting more – in the case of Monument 14, a whole lot more. As in, my primary thought upon completion was: There had better be a sequel!

As such, I immediately set about some research. No mention of a series on Goodreads. Same with FictFact. Fortunately, I found the author’s website, where I learned that there definitely is another book coming (thank God!). From her site

Book One is called: “We Don’t Die”. Book Two is: “We Split Up”.

So, I gotta wonder. Why is the book I read called Monument 14? And why isn’t there any mention of “We Don’t Die” on it anywhere? Granted, there are still several months until it’s published and I had an ARC. So, I suppose, this very well could change. I think it should – to avoid confusion on the part of readers. (Although, I half expected the second book to be called Monument 5.) Confusion aside, I am quite pleased to know that another book is indeed coming. And, yes, knowing that does have an effect on my review. The ending is, well, nothing short of a cliffhanger, and if it was a stand-alone, I’d be pissed. But it’s not, so I love the book and eagerly look forward to the next one. (Please hurry!)

All of that rambling about whether it’s a series. Let’s talk about this book. It’s good. Very well-written, and the story is compelling. There’s a slight dystopian undertone, with suspense and apocalypse-like action. We get this from the first-person perspective of Dean, one of the boys kind of in the middle of the pack. He’s in high school, not all that popular, but seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I generally liked the view from his head – except for one peeping-Tom episode. Although, in Dean’s defense, it wasn’t intentional. He stumbled upon something.

Anyway …

The characters, from the youngest kids to the high school seniors, are an eclectic group with probably more differences than similarities. But they seem to understand from the get-go that they have to work together to survive. Well, for the most part. There is inevitable discord that comes from such situations – and it grows to all-out fighting in some instances. Understandably. We’re talking high stress!

Laybourne keeps the tension at just the right level, and still gives us hope. When things look their darkest, there is still hope. (That is another way Monument 14 is different from Trapped, which is much darker.) There are some surprising plot twists and turns that I never saw coming, too. As I stated above, the end left much to be desired – but that’s because it’s not over yet! I cannot wait to see what happens with these kids. Oh, and I’m wondering if we’ll still be stuck in Dean’s head at the store, or if we’ll have a way of knowing what’s going on from the group on the bus. Hopefully we get some of both.

Anyway, I would highly recommend Monument 14. And, again, I cannot wait for the next book.

Source: Received through Around The World Tours for review.

Read It: Monument 14 is scheduled for release on June 5, 2012. 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!)

Challenges: Counts for the Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012.

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Tags: 4.5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, Emmy Laybourne, Monument 14, review, Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012, YA

Review: Waterfall

January 24, 2012

Waterfall (River of Time #1) by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Summary: While most American teens would kill for an Italian vacation, the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. And they’re not happy to be back. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds…until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century. Gabi emerges in the middle of a dream–or nightmare?–with hot Italian knights in a fierce battle. And so begins her quest to return home…while wondering if she wants to at all.

My Thoughts: While the general story in Waterfall was quite interesting, I found Gabi a bit unbelievable. Yes, she’s a strong female character, but she’s also not the smartest time-traveler I’ve ever read about. Her dad taught her fencing, and somehow she thinks that means she can fight in a battle against trained knights. Um, honey, a broadsword is not the same thing! Plus, these battles are to the death. And the men around her just accepting her for how she is. I just really don’t find it plausible. She was just too independent for the Medieval period – and she didn’t seem to understand for most of the book that it was basically a different world from our current time. She does, however, realize that kinda late in the book, but even then I think she’s not meek enough to fit into the time. Although, I suppose any teenage girl from the 21st century might have difficulty grasping the Medieval era.

Despite my issues with Gabi, I did enjoy the tale. I was eager to see how things would play out and who some of the key characters were. (Often there are characters who are much more important than they first seem.) I think I liked Luca a bit more than I liked Marcello. I felt he was more charming. More fun.

I am very much looking forward to reading Cascade and Torrent, books 2 and 3 (respectively) in the series. Look for those reviews to come soon!

Source: Received through The {Teen} Book Scene for review. (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!)

Challenges: Counts for the E-Book Reading Challenge, the Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012, and Free Reads 2012.

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GIVEAWAY

Lisa is having a scavenger hunt on her blog with an awesome giveaway. There are more than 20 prizes available – including a chance at one of three KINDLES!! To find out how to play along, and to enter, follow the link below. Good luck!

ENTER HERE!

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Tags: 2012 E-Book Reading Challenge, 3 stars, blog tour, fantasy, Free Reads 2012, giveaway, kindle, Lisa Tawn Bergren, review, River of Time, sci-fi, Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012, The {Teen} Book Scene, YA

Review: Lifting the Wheel of Karma by Paul H. Magid

January 23, 2012

Summary: Joseph Connell is a gifted high school athlete from Montana, loved deeply by his family, yet tormented by nightmarish visions he can neither explain nor escape.

He believes the answer to what threatens to crush him can be found in the knowledge possessed by a mystical old wise man, who lives deep within the remote Himalayas of India.

If Joseph is ever to find the peace he so desperately seeks, he must get this wise old man to reveal what he truly knows, but that will not be easy…for this sage knows far more than he admits.

My Thoughts: This is a quick read, but nothing like I’d expected. In all honesty, if it wasn’t such a quick read, I don’t think I would have finished it. I felt like things were over explained and the narrative was written with flowery language. It almost felt like the author was trying to hard to be eloquent or lyrical – or something. That doesn’t mean the descriptions aren’t complete – they are. I just felt like much of the language used was a bit over the top.

The plot didn’t live up to my expectations at all. The synopsis made me expect more intrigue, more excitement, and less mysticism. This wasn’t bad, not good – just OK for me.

Source: Received as part of a blog tour promotion on Tribute Books. Tribute Books can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. (Click the button below to find more tour stops.)

About the Author: Paul H. Magid started writing his debut novel, Lifting the Wheel of Karma, twenty-five years ago while still in high school. It took him so long to complete because he tried repeatedly to abandon it, but the work refused to be forsaken. Eventually he realized that sharing this story with the world was, in fact, his Dharma.

Along the way he has worked as a Wall Street financial analyst, a waiter (not a very good one), a Hollywood Agent Trainee, a real estate developer, a summer day camp director, an award winning screenwriter, and independent filmmaker—including his autobiographical film, A Life Unfinished, which screened in The Hamptons International Film Festival.

Web Site | Facebook

More information: To learn more about Lifting the Wheel of Karma, check out the book’s Facebook page or visit the tour page.

Challenges: Counts for Free Reads 2012 and Off the Shelf 2012.
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Tags: 2 stars, Free Reads 2012, Off the Shelf 2012, Paul H. Magid, review, Tribute Books

Review: Wings of the Wicked

January 20, 2012

Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton

Summary: Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

My Thoughts: Is your memory of a book ever better than your original reaction was? Do you ever remember a book as being awesome – or at least really good – only to go back, read your review, and end up surprised? That happened to me this week. I remembered Angelfire much better than I apparently thought if it upon completion. When I read books that are second (or later) in a series, I often go back and read my review of the previous book(s) to help jog my memory. (There are so many books between readings that it’s necessary more often than not.) This time, unfortunately, I think that ended up biting me in the ass. I can’t help but wonder whether I would have enjoyed Wings of the Wicked better if I went into it believing that I loved Angelfire. But, it had been so long since I’d read Angelfire I felt I needed the refresher. Oh, well. Too late now!

So, in case you can’t tell, I wasn’t too impressed. First time around, I found Ellie annoying, spoiled, and anything but likable. Unfortunately, she’s not much better this time, either. *sigh* I so wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, my dislike for, and soon impatience with, Ellie just couldn’t be overcome. I wish I could say that the book was so well-written that I could overlook this and just enjoy the writing. Unfortunately, I can’t. I felt like things were overly dramatic, although perhaps that’s because it’s from Ellie’s perspective – and she is on helluva drama queen! Plus, some of the writing made it impossible for me to picture things as they happened.

I let out a choking sob and collapsed at her feet as our arms wound around each other. ~ page 439 (ARC)

First of all, this is the perfect example of Ellie’s selfishness and melodramatic tendencies. She is not the one who should be collapsing. Secondly, I found envisioning this to be somewhat difficult. Embracing each other while one collapses? Seems a bit difficult. I dunno.

The snowflakes landing in my hair were tangling it. ~ pages 320-321 (ARC)

I just can’t help but wonder how that works. Snowflakes tangling hair? I’ve never had that happen, and I have always lived where it snows during winter. I’ve only had it melt in my hair, making it wet. Never tangling it. But then, I suppose if she uses a LOT of styling product, then maybe it’d tangle it. But, not really, that’d be more if the product getting sticky as the snow melts, making her hair a gross, sticky, icky mess. Yuck. Either way, it gave me pause.

Back to Ellie. I can’t say it enough. She’s whiny, spoiled, etc. Complain, complain, complain. Woe is me. Rather than bucking up, accepting her destiny, and finding a way to make the most of it, she whines and complains. “I, I, I … me, me me.” I got so tired of her I almost threw in the towel. But, I finished the book hoping it’d pay off.

I’m not so sure it did.

Can you say predictable? None of what someone might call plot twists took me by surprise. Not a single one. And some, I saw coming a mile away. And the end is a cliffhanger. An annoying one at that.

A slightly redeeming moment comes before the very end, when you see just a tiny bit of character growth. Ellie has some revelations that cause some introspection and some decisions about how she’s going to carry on. That was good to see, but would be even better if she’d get an attitude adjustment.

There’s so much more I want to say, but I think I’ve said enough. The things I could say would only make this an even more negative review, and I’m done with the negativity. That said, I noticed that I seem to be in the minority. Most reviews/ratings/comments I’ve seen about Wings of the Wicked have been quite positive. Others LOVE this book, so please don’t let me keep you from reading it. Look at the book’s page on Goodreads and scroll down to find lots and lots of favorable reviews.

Source: Received through Around The World Tours for review.

Read It: Wings of the Wicked is scheduled for release on February 14, 2012. 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!)

Challenges: Counts for the 2012 Sensational Seconds Challenge.

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Tags: 2.5 stars, Angelfire, angels, ARC, Around the World Tours, Courtney Allison Moulton, review, YA

Review: Hallowed

January 17, 2012

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Summary: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

My Thoughts: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand is very, very good. And very, very emotional. It’s an amazing followup to Unearthly, and extremely well-written. Hand does a fabulous job of harnessing the emotions Clara’s feeling – and even, at times, others are feeling – and presenting those emotions to the reader. It is impossible to read this and not feel it. Or at least, it is for me – can’t speak for you! The emotional aspects are handled very well, and do not become melodramatic. It’s realistic and believable. No eye-rolling here. Although, I must admit that I got annoyed with Clara on occasion. More on that later.

Remember Samjeeza? Hand made me almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Mostly toward the very end of the book, when his sorrow is so pitiful. So raw. So deep. Empathy for the main antagonist – man, Cynthia Hand is GOOD!

Tucker vs. Christian isn’t over. It’s really not. Despite the way things worked out in Unearthly. But, then, that’s not a big surprise, is it? And, I must add, I cannot believe I forgot about these two guys when doing my top 10 of 2011 book boyfriends! Tucker is amazing, but I gotta say I’m Team Christian. Love, love, love him.

Clara annoyed me in her stubbornness, her refusal to listen to her mother (more than once her mom tried to talk to her, but she’d be too busy throwing a tantrum), her attitude. But, the story won me over, and the emotion. I cannot get over how well that’s written.

So, this review is a bit more vague than I’d like, but I don’t want to ruin things for anyone. Suffice it to say that Hallowed is a fantastic sequel to Unearthly, and I cannot wait for the third (final?) book! Yes, I will read it again. Yes, I plan to own this series. Cynthia Hand is an amazing author!

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!)

Challenges: Counts for the 2012 Sensational Seconds Challenge.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>
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