Review Opportunity: Nacreous

Posted by cat2002116 on October 29, 2015

Posted in: Books, Review Opportunity, Reviews. Tagged: books, Review Opportunity, reviews. 1 Comment

NACREOUS (Harmony Run #4)

by Sarah Elle Emm

Publication Date:

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy

After two members of The Freedom Front are arrested and interrogated by the UZTA’s tyrannical President Nicks, Rain Hawkins and her friends face the alarming reality that their plans to liberate the mixed zones across the United Zones of The Authority might not come to fruition. While the resistance movement is growing outside the walls of the zones, the president’s forces are strengthening and putting citizens everywhere in more peril than ever. When Rain receives warnings that her cousin, Calista, has agreed to support plans to kill the mixed zones, and that her life could be on the line at the upcoming pure zone initiation ceremony, she must decide where her loyalties lie and if all of her allies can be trusted. As The Freedom Front use their abilities to unravel the mystery of the ceremony, The Authority captures some of their friends, forcing TFF to either go into hiding, or plan a rescue mission that could jeopardize everything they’ve been fighting for.

Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Links for Harmony Run Series:

Prismatic (Book 1)

Opalescent (Book 2)

Chatoyant (Book 3)

My Review

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I’d probably give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. Although I did like it better than the previous books, I didn’t really like the fact that the book slipped between two different first person perspectives.

I liked that this book picked up immediately from where the last one ended. It was really good to see a much more serious side to Marcello as he tried to protect Rain… but it was really disappointing to see that Rain hadn’t learned much, to the point where she put not only herself in danger, but also other people.

I continued to find Rain’s dreams intriguing. While it was good to be able to see the potential for good in Nata and I did feel a little bit of sympathy for her, even though I did feel that she was completely beyond help. And it was interesting to see the way the dreams had to be interpreted, rather than just everything they needed to know.

I also found it interesting to see more of Niyol. I liked his character and it was good to see him trying to help all of them, though I did feel there was some element of him swooping in to save the day.

There were some really horrible scenes in this book (and the whole of the series) and I felt the tension became more pronounced the more I read the book. Even though Daktair was able to heal people really well, it was also good to see that the characters did get hurt and did suffer. Plus, it was good to see more of the other kids using their own abilities as well as those from the TFF.

I did find this book easier to read than the others and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the kids who Nata had been brainwashing. I also felt a lot of empathy for Calista and it was good to see more of her as well as Grandma Julia.

In some ways, it was a bit disappointing to have this series end, but I did like the ending. Then again, it seems like there’s more of the story to be told… and I’d like to see more of the characters like Marcello and Calisto; and Cole and Adrienne.

About The Author

Young-adult fantasy and women’s fiction author, Sarah Elle Emm, is a native of Evansville, Indiana and graduate of The University of Evansville. She has lived in Germany, England, Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and traveled extensively beyond. Sarah is the author of the Harmony Run Series, which includes PRISMATIC, OPALESCENT, CHATOYANT, and NACREOUS. She is also the author of MARRYING MISSY, a #1 Amazon Best Seller. Sarah currently resides in Florida with her family. When she’s not walking the plank of her daughters’ imaginary pirate ship, she is writing.

Links:

Blog Tour: Gabriel

Posted by cat2002116 on October 28, 2015

Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Dream Cast, Reviews. Tagged: Blog Tour, books, Dream Cast, reviews. Leave a comment

Gabriel (The Styclar Saga #2)
by Nikki Kelly
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: October 27th 2015
Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He’s also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I liked being able to read the sequel to Lailah. I found myself drawn really easily into this book and it was interesting to see the effects on the characters from the previous book.

While it was interesting to see the fact that Lailah had completely forgotten Jonah, I didn’t really like the info dumping that came in at the beginning of the book. I would have preferred to see the recap done in a better way… perhaps in a conversation between Gabriel and Lailah.

It was good to see the characters from the previous book. I did feel a lot of sympathy for Jonah through this book and although I have a strong dislike for love triangles, I did think that Lailah’s draw to Gabriel and Jonah in different ways came across really well.

I have to say, I didn’t think the prologue was necessary. It felt a bit jarring and didn’t fit with the rest of the story, since everything in it was then made clear in the rest of the book. I did find it interesting to see Lailah interacting with the vampire hunters and how she got to know them… though I did have a lot of reservations about Phelan.

I was intrigued to see how Lailah was struggling to fully accept her dual nature and was struggling to bring herself out of the darkness. In stark contrast, it was interesting to see the way Gabriel seemed to be falling further and further.

There were times I had a lot of sympathy for Lailah, especially considering how cold Jonah was acting towards her. At the same time, I did think that she kept making poor decisions… and did end up putting her friends in danger due to what she chose to do.

I thought it was good to see how the song played quite a big part in the book and I did find it hard to believe that Gabriel loved Lailah like she was now. I did really like Ruadhan, though, and how protective he was of Lailah especially. And it was good to see Brooke and Fergal together.

I would be interested in reading the next (final?) book in this series in the future. It would be good to see how things proceed from the cliffhanger ending.

“What was it like, Lai?”

“What was what like?” I played with the hem of his T- shirt.

“When you were gone. I couldn’t hear you anymore. I couldn’t sense you. Where did you go?”

“I was trapped. I don’t want to go back. Anywhere, in any world, would be better than where I was,” I said.

“Which was where, Lai?”

“It was . . . nowhere. I used to fear death because I would wake up again, lost. I fear it now for the opposite reason—” I gulped. “Because now I won’t wake up, and nowhere can’t be found.”

Gabriel took my face in his palms and kissed me. He tasted a little like strawberries from a summer garden. He leaned into my ear and whispered, “I would tear down everywhere until all that was left was nowhere, and I would save you. I will always save you.”

Follow the Gabriel by Nikki Kelly Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I was born and raised only minutes away from the chocolately scent of Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. So it will probably come as no surprise that when I’m not dreaming in Vampires & Angels, I dream in chocolate! For the past ten years I have lived in West London with my hubby and two dogs, Alfie – the Pug & Goose – the Chihuahua.

LAILAH is my debut novel, and first launched in serial form to wattpad, a readers & writers community. Within just 6months, LAILAH had over a million reads and thousands of comments and votes.

Since then, The Styclar Saga has gone on to pick up a traditional deal with Feiwel & Friends, and LAILAH, the first book in the series is due for release on October 7th 2014.

These days I spend my time balancing my amazing job of writing fantasy fiction, with my other, very important role of Chocolate Connoisseur. I like to multitask and do the two together. It makes me happy.

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Whitechapel Season One

Posted by cat2002116 on October 28, 2015

Posted in: Reviews, Television. Tagged: reviews, Television. Leave a comment

(This review may contain spoilers).

I was intrigued by the idea of a series with the season revolving around one murder (or set of murders) in particular, so I decided to watch it… and since the first series was only comprised of three episodes, it didn’t take long at all.#

For much of the first episode, I did get a bit confused with some of the characters. Chandler was one who was easy to follow and it was also interesting to see the conflicts with a new DI that came in. I did think that the police force was incompetent… not because they were unintelligent, but because of all the conflict that was involved.

It was interesting to see the parallels between the victims in the present time and those killed by Jack the Ripper. I did find both Chandler and Miles to be well-rounded characters and although I didn’t like Miles very much at first, he did grow on me through the course of the three episodes and I liked seeing the interactions he had with Chandler and the other members of his team.

There were times I cringed a bit at the use of the word ‘innit’. While it is a part of culture now (to the point that it’s a recognised word on Spellcheck), I don’t think it belongs in something that’s supposed to be taken seriously.

There was quite a lot of tension in this season, especially towards the end. I would have liked some more detail about how the killer picked the victims, but the idea of the killer following a specific theory was a particularly interesting part.

I didn’t think much of Chandler’s bosses. I was confused about the majority of the relationship between them and I didn’t think they did a particularly good job, especially since they didn’t seem to care about the victims and potential victims.

The first scene did do a good job of setting the tone for the rest of the episodes and it was good to be given the chance to get to know some of the victims, rather than just having them be nameless.

There was a good amount of investigation and twists in this, though there were some things left hanging I would have liked to see dealt with. All in all, though, I found this series easy to watch with a couple of main characters I liked. I plan to watch seasons two and three in the future.

Review Opportunity: Charlie Sullivan and The Monster Hunters: The Varcolac’s Diary

Posted by cat2002116 on October 27, 2015

Posted in: Books, Review Opportunity, Reviews. Tagged: books, Review Opportunity, reviews. 1 Comment

CHARLIE SULLIVAN AND THE MONSTER HUNTERS: THE VARCOLAC’S DIARY

by D.C. McGannon, C. Michael McGannon

Publication Date: April 2012 (Original), April 2015 (Revised)

Age Group: Young Adult, Teens, Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mythology, Bullying

Book Summary:

Monsters are real. They have always been here, even when we choose not to see them.

Now, for the residents of Hunter’s Grove, the choice is no longer theirs. As a power-hungry varcolac—a Greater—tries to break through the magic holding him back and lead his army of monsters to vengeance against human-kind, there are five who unknowingly possess the power to finish what centuries of humans before them have been unable to do. Charlie Sullivan and his band of new friends will be tested as they attempt to strengthen the magic that can lock the monsters and their evil prince away for good—even if the cost is their lives.

This is the story of five unlikely friends who uncover the sinister past buried under their sleepy hometown of Hunter’s Grove. This is a story about looking past differences, overcoming fears, and rediscovering what is truly important in this life. This is the story of Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters of Hunter’s Grove.

All New, And Even More Exciting, Revised Edition for 2015!

My Review

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I found this book to be an entertaining read, even though it was quite short. In some ways, it reminded me of books like the Animorphs, with a group of young people thrust into a huge responsibility.

There was a good element of mystery through this book in the disappearances and I thought it was good to see how those disappearances were the catalyst to draw the five together… though I did find it a bit confusing to suddenly find out quite a way into the book about Darcy’s mother.

While I did think that the main characters were well-defined, I couldn’t really see much of that in Donnie… or understand his sudden and apparent change of heart. I did think it was good to see that bullying was involved in the book, but I wasn’t sure it added that much to the storyline… and not many of the effects on the characters were shown.

I did think that Darcy was the character easiest to empathise with. I thought that she did evolve somewhat over the course of the book. And I also thought it was really good to see the different abilities the children had.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the other characters’ relationships with their families and also more of the training expanded upon. I was a bit disappointed to see that so much of it was glossed over, since even by the end of the book, I couldn’t figure out where their sudden, apparent skillset came from.

The dream at the beginning added a new element of tension to the book, though I’m not sure why Charlie’s abilities meant he had to be the leader. While he did have to deal with some inner conflicts, I didn’t feel they were expanded upon like they could have been.

I really liked Liev and Lisa and I would have liked to see more of them. Some of Liev’s comments made me smile and I enjoyed seeing him and his sister and how their ability linked together.

There was a lot of action in this book and I did think the characters managed to pull together really well. While there were some sad moments, there was also a lot that was hopeful. In the future sometime, I would definitely read the other books in this series.

Reviewers Comments

“D.C. and Michael pack a wealth of wonder and fantasy into this young adult adventure. Incorporating some of the most fascinating legends…I found myself being drawn to the depth of the characters and enjoyed watching their bonds grow as they explored the gifts hidden deep within them as well as the evil that hunts for them.

I recommend this story for anyone who loves folklore and monstrous fun! From vampires to dragons, from witches to eerie ferrymen, this tale has it all.”

– Solomon J. Inkwell, Author of Vickie Van Helsing

“A must read for all young adult fiction fans!” – Amazon Reviewer

“I picked this book up for my oldest daughter. I thought she might enjoy it and asked her to let me know what she thought. She loved it! I ended up reading it with her and I have to say that I enjoyed the story as much, maybe more, than she did.” – Amazon Reviewer

“The characters are real enough that I found myself cheering them on and hoping they succeed in their mission. I look forward to reading the next installment.” – Amazon Reviewer

“Great book with a great cast of characters. Keeps your attention and makes you want to come back for more. I really appreciated the underlying theme of bullying and how it was addressed, but I especially loved the unique challenges and monsters the Monster Hunters faced. Can’t wait for more!” – Goodreads Reviewer

A message from the authors:

We began this journey together, as father and son, with the goal of writing a story that spoke to friendship, overcoming obstacles (and the ultimate evils in our world), and of the power of working together to face the biggest challenges in our lives. Yes, it’s full of monsters, peril, and steeped in exciting mythology and folklore, but it centers around the powerful bonds formed between an unlikely group of friends as they face a unique set of challenges. We wanted to write a story that we would be proud to read aloud to our then newborn son/baby brother (who now, years later, has read them through twice more). It has turned into the adventure of a lifetime as we are meeting people from all over the world who are falling in love with Charlie Sullivan, Darcy Witherington, Nash Stormstepper, and the twins Lisa & Liev Vadinknov – along with a wild, often humorous, and mysterious cast of humans and monsters alike.

Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: Witch Moon in the next adventure in the series, which takes us across the ocean to the Old Country, then on to Book 3: Council of the Hunters, where the group’s character and loyalty face the ultimate tests when they meet a surprising and spooky new cast of characters. The Dragon Gate (Book 4) will be released soon, and there will be a total of 6 books in the series!

We’ll leave you with more kind words from another Amazon reviewer:

“In my opinion, this series deserves to be a huge hit … I can guarantee you’ll be hooked!”

About The Authors

D.C. McGannon is finicky about his coffee. And loves tea. And lemonade. Sometimes together. He has had a lifelong love of things that lurk in the dark, and is quite comfortable under the light of a full moon. A writer, director, painter, and doodler, McGannon is co-author of the Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters (Wyvern’s Peak Publishing) series of novels for young adults, and KAOS Obsidere: The Nightmare Has Begun (Dark Waters Press). He plays a mean air guitar, and lives and dreams with Holly, Michael, Nathaniel, and their sweet puppy, Jewel, somewhere in the Midwest.

Michael McGannon appreciates weird fiction, perhaps a bit more than one should at any given time. It has made him particular, fostering strange phobias, and even stranger dreams. He is fond of dragons, Japanese mythology, and the fine art of delivering timely and inappropriate puns. McGannon is an artist of diverse talents, and is co-author of the Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters (Wyvern’s Peak Publishing) series of novels for young adults, and KAOS Obsidere: The Nightmare Has Begun (Dark Waters Press).Sushi is his delicacy of choice, if he has any say in the matter.

LIEP Promotions is organizing a review opportunity for CHARLIE SULLIVAN AND THE MONSTER HUNTERS: THE VARCOLAC’S DIARY by D.C. McGannon and C. Michael McGannon, a young adult/middle grade fantasy. The review opportunity closes NOVEMBER 3, 2015. Reviewers will have 3 weeks upon receiving the book to have a review posted. The eBook will be provided in PDF, Nook and Kindle formats.

PLEASE NOTE: Not only is this book perfect for a Halloween themed post, but this book also addresses bullying themes, which is an important topic for the authors, and October is National Bullying Prevention Month.

Chatoyant

Posted by cat2002116 on October 27, 2015

Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. 1 Comment

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

So… even though I like Rain and Jabari as characters separate to each other (and not involved in an unrealistic romance), I have to say that Rain did really annoy me in this book. While I could understand her fear and worry about her mother, I thought that her original plan was incredibly selfish. I did have a lot of sympathy for what her mother was going through, though.

I did empathise with the child version of Nicks and it was good to have the opportunity to learn more about Niyol. The fact that this book picked up where the previous one left off was really good… but Nicks made me shudder when she was interrogating Rain. While I had sympathy for her past self, her current one comes across as completely evil.

I liked the opportunity to see a more serious, sensitive side to Marcello. When I had the opportunity to see past his constant flirting, I found him to be a really well-rounded character. However, although there were some elements of danger in this book, I felt that the abilities of the characters meant that their danger never really felt that real. And it was a bit annoying to see how Rain’s abilities kept on growing.

I did like the scenes of tension in this book, especially where Rain’s and Daktari’s mother was concerned. There was a lot that was really painful to read about what she was going through. And the fact that they had to go through power outages and freezing conditions was pretty awful to see.

I did feel some sympathy for Calista, but by the end of the book, I’m not sure if she’s actually on their side or not. It was good to see that the group were continuing their fight… and it was nice to see them drawing others into their cause. I don’t think I trust Eric, but to be honest, by the end of the book, I don’t think anyone can really be trusted.

I do have the fourth and final book ready on my Kindle to read. While I think the romance between Rain and Jabari will continue to annoy me, I am looking forward to seeing how it all ends.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

Posted by cat2002116 on October 27, 2015

Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: movies, reviews. Leave a comment

(This review may contain spoilers).

By now, I’ve seen, I think, almost all of the Paranormal Activity movies. Although they are cliched and it’s easy to tell what’s going to happen by the end, I did think this was an acceptable addition to the franchise.

It was interesting to see the tie-ins to the previous movies and Christie and Katie were really creepy on the tapes… though I felt that the movies shown with them in kind of contradicted their movies; or that there wasn’t enough detail about how things changed so abruptly.

There was a bit more explanation about the cult in this movie, rather than just having the women appear randomly. Although it does tie in with Katie and Christie’s storyline, I’m still confused about how The Marked Ones fits into the franchise.

Although there were some jumpy moments in this movie, I actually found myself desensitized to them. And a lot of the really jumpy moments were shown in the trailer.

It was interesting to see Toby as an actual entity, rather than invisible to all but the children. I thought Leila was cute at first… but she suffered from Creepy Child Syndrome very quickly. (If you don’t know what I mean by that… the Ring and The Grudge are good examples).

While there were some tense scenes in this movie, there were times I felt like I was just waiting for the inevitable conclusion. This film wasn’t actually that different from the others… though there was a bit more gore involved. The camera angles and night vision allowed for the violence to not be as obvious, though, which left a lot to the imagination.

I did get confused between Leila’s father and his brother for a while, due to not actually seeing much of either of them at first. There were some good comedy elements through the movie and although there were parts I felt dragged a little, it was entertaining to watch. I wouldn’t watch it again any time soon… but it was entertaining enough to see once.

Blog Tour: Dead Girl Running

Posted by cat2002116 on October 26, 2015

Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Reviews. Tagged: Blog Tour, books, reviews. Leave a comment

DEAD GIRL RUNNING, by Ann Noser

Genre: dystopian, science-fiction, action-adventure

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Release: October 26, 2015

Cover Artist: Eugene Teplitsky

Find Online: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Description:

Eight years ago, SILVIA WOOD’s father died in an industrial accident. After suffering through years of Psychotherapy Services and Mandated Medications for depression and multiple suicide attempts, she longs to work in Botanical Sciences. When the Occupation Exam determines she must work in Mortuary Sciences instead, she wonders if the New Order assigned her to the morgue to push her over the edge.

To appease her disappointed mother, Silvia enters the Race for Citizen Glory, in an attempt to stand out in the crowd of Equals. After she begins training with “golden boy” LIAM HARMAN, she discovers he also lost his father in the same accident that ruined her childhood. Then Silvia meets and falls for Liam’s older cousin, whose paranoid intensity makes her question what really happened to her father. As the race nears, Silvia realizes that she’s not only running for glory, she’s running for her life.

My Review

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I thought the concept of this book was a really interesting one. Although the world did seem to come across as perfect to begin with, as the book progressed, it became quite clear that the world wasn’t anything like as good as it was implied to be.

I liked Silvia’s character. It was interesting to see her relationship with her mother and I felt a lot of sympathy for her during the course of the book, especially with the glimpses I got of her past and how her father’s death had affected her.

It was interesting to see Silvia interacting with Liam. I did think there were some interesting aspects to the society they lived in, such as the fact that there were different types of jobs. I would have liked to see more of the different types of work people could do, but I did find it intriguing to see how Silvia fit in with her job. I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Gus and even though I felt the romance could have easily been taken out of the book, it was good to see her acknowledge her feelings for Franco as being a crush.

It was good to be able to learn about the past and how people were still affected by the nuclear war. I did figure out some of the twists fairly early on, but it was interesting to see how Silvia reacted when she began putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

It was nice to see how Liam and Silvia were supporting each other. I did spend a lot of the book confused about why Liam switched constantly between different mood swings… but as the book went on, that did make a bit more sense.

Parts of this book did put me in mind of a film called The Island, but there were only a few similarities. I found it really easy to be drawn into this book and I felt there were some good elements of tension. I also cared about Silvia’s safety and although she wasn’t in a lot of danger in the present, it was good to learn more about her through learning about her past.

In the future, I would be interested in reading a sequel to this book and seeing what will happen to Silvia next.

About The Author

My to-do list dictates that I try to cram 48 hours of living into a day instead of the usual 24. I’ve chosen a life filled with animals. I train for marathons with my dog, then go to work as a small animal veterinarian, and finish the day by tripping over my pets as I attempt to convince my two unruly children that YES, it really IS time for bed. But I can’t wait until the house is quiet to write; I have to steal moments throughout the day. Ten minutes here, a half hour there, I live within my imagination.

Like all busy American mothers, I multi-task. I work out plot holes during runs. Instead of meditating, I type madly during yoga stretches. I find inspiration in everyday things: a beautiful smile, a heartbreaking song, or a newspaper article on a political theory. For example, a long drive in the dark listening to an NPR program on the SMILEY FACE MURDERS theory made me ask so many questions that I wrote HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS to answer them to my satisfaction.

I’d love to have more time to write (and run, read, and sleep), but until I find Hermione Granger’s time turner, I will juggle real life with the half-written stories in my head. Main characters and plot lines intertwine in my cranium, and I need to let my writing weave the tales on paper so I can find out what happens next.

Find Ann Noser Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

About Curiosity Quills Press

Curiosity Quills Press (CQ) is a small hybrid publishing company specializing in genre fiction of the highest quality. With 150+ titles in our catalog already and approximately 6 new books coming out each month, there’s never a dull moment at CQ. We work with major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Audible to ensure that you, the reader, can find whatever you are looking for at your convenience.

Founded in 2011 by Eugene Teplitsky and Lisa Gus, CQ was initially a resource portal for writing and publishing, created in an effort to help writers, like themselves, survive the publishing industry. After rapid success, CQ morphed into publishing press that over time has solidified its share in the market. Now we spend our days searching for the next great escape!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour: Underneath Everything

Posted by cat2002116 on October 25, 2015

Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Dream Cast, Reviews. Tagged: Blog Tour, books, Dream Cast, reviews. Leave a comment

Underneath Everything
by Marcy Beller Paul
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: October 27th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, GLBT, Realistic Fiction
Rate: 3.5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Mattie shouldn’t be at the bonfire. She should be finding new maps for her collection, hanging out with Kris, and steering clear of almost everyone else, especially Jolene. After all, Mattie and Kris dropped off the social scene the summer after sophomore year for a reason.

But now Mattie is a senior, and she’s sick of missing things. So here she is.

And there’s Jolene: Beautiful. Captivating. Just like the stories she wove. Mattie would know; she used to star in them. She and Jolene were best friends. Mattie has the scar on her palm to prove it, and Jolene has everything else, including Hudson.

But when Mattie runs into Hudson and gets a glimpse of what could have been, she decides to take it all back: the boyfriend, the friends, the life she was supposed to live. Problem is, Mattie can’t figure out where Jolene ends and she begins.

Because there’s something Mattie hasn’t told anyone—she walked away from Jolene over a year ago, but she never really left.

Poignant and provocative, Marcy Beller Paul’s debut novel tells the story of an intoxicating—and toxic—relationship that blurs the boundary between reality and fantasy, love and loyalty, friendship and obsession.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I’m not really sure I liked this book even by the end. Mattie was a character who was interesting, but I did feel like she was weak and easily led. While I could sense the almost hypnotising draw Jolene had to her, I didn’t really like or trust her even when it seemed like she and Mattie might be on their way to repairing their relationship.

I liked the friendship between Mattie and Kris and I thought that, despite certain things revealed later on, Kris really did care about Mattie. I would have liked to see more of her during the book, but the interactions she did have with Mattie were interesting and it was nice to see that she did have an end goal.

I really wasn’t sure what Jolene’s end game was. There was part of me that wondered if she even was a person… since when she appeared, the writing seemed to take on an almost dreamlike quality. The parallels between her relationship with Mattie and her relationship with Hudson were interesting to see, such as the fact that both of them seemed to be obsessed with Jolene the moment they allowed her into their lives.

I did like seeing Mattie’s relationship with her parents and brother, though it did get a bit confusing with the constant switching between the present day and what had happened in the past. I also thought it was good to see how all of them did have problems with their families and personal lives… even Jolene.

It was interesting to see the way Mattie almost slipped down to rock bottom and how she was affected as a result. The first person POV allowed me to understand her and I found it really easy to understand how she was feeling most of the time. There was a lot of tension in this book and I was drawn in and able to keep on reading, despite the negative feelings I had while reading.

I don’t think I’d read a sequel to this book, even though it would be good to see Mattie grow into her own person. I would be willing to check out other books by this author in the future, though.

Read chapter One!

Follow the Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Marcy Beller Paul is a young adult author, former editor, and full-time mom who still has all the notes she passed in seventh grade (and knows how to fold them).

She graduated from Harvard University and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. Underneath Everything will be published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins, in Fall 2015. It is her first novel.

Win a signed first edition of Underneath Everything by Marcy Paul (US ONLY)

Opalescent

Posted by cat2002116 on October 25, 2015

Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. 1 Comment

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I’m not completely sure I liked this book. Although it was good to see the characters from the first book and get to know new ones, I found it really difficult to believe in the feelings Rain has for Jabari. Just to give an idea of one of the reasons why, this is an exchange early on between them:

Jabari: I love you because you’re a warrior.
Rain: I love you because you’re hot.

If it weren’t for the romance that feels completely unrealistic, I’d probably give this book 4 out of 5 stars. There are a lot of intriguing aspects to it and I do get the feeling that Rain does care about the people around her, even if it feels sometimes that that fades when Jabari’s around. I also thought that Aleela added an interesting element… and I did find myself getting a bit annoyed with Jabari on Rain’s behalf at times.

It was interesting to have the opportunity to learn more about Nicks’ past and I found myself disliking her even more by the end of this book. I did notice the parallels drawn between the Holocaust and what Nicks is doing. One of the worst scenes is when the books and art are burned. I felt the pain of the woman whose painting was taken from her.

I had a lot of sympathy for Maha and I was glad about what happened with Darryl, even though I did think that Rain’s guilt made a lot of sense and really worked for her character. Marcello and Cole are good forms of comic relief… but it was also really good to see the more serious side to them both. I’d like to see more of them in the next two books.

There was more of a feel of real danger in this book, even though I did feel that their abilities meant that they weren’t in proper danger. I did, however, feel that the author did a good job of showing how Rain’s and Daktari’s mother’s depression affected them. And Nicks made me cringe with just how evil she seemed to be in how she spoke to and treated everyone. I found myself really worrying about Callista.

I have the next two books on my Kindle, ready to read. Even though I don’t like the romance, the rest of the book does pull me in really well.

Pan

Posted by cat2002116 on October 25, 2015

Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: movies, reviews. Leave a comment

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having been a big fan of Disney films, even now, and always having a fascination with the story of Peter Pan, I was quite eager to see this movie when I saw it advertised. I went with my sister to see it and ended up enjoying the movie more than I thought I would.

Despite the movie being set in the wrong time period, I did find myself drawn really easily into the storyline. Although Peter was a typical mischievous boy to begin with, I felt that his character was well-rounded and although there were some cliches, the struggle he faced to discover who he really was came across really well.

This movie does deviate from the source material a whole lot. Hook, for instance, is re-imagined completely differently to his character in the original tale. While it was an interesting take to have Peter and Hook be allies, don’t go into this movie expecting a true-to-the-original storyline.

There were some very nice visual effects in this movie and even though I didn’t think Hook’s interest in Tiger Lily was entirely believable, I did think that he was interesting and it might be interesting to see if a sequel shows the enmity between Peter and Hook.

There were some good emotional moments in this movie as well as some really good elements of tension. There were some hints shown as to what Blackbeard’s end game was, but I did feel he was a bit of an over-the-top villain… though I do really like Hugh Jackman’s work.

What was confusing was how the nuns were related to everything. I would have liked a bit more explanation about that.

I did find this movie really entertaining, though one of the characters did have a pretty obvious Australian accent that was a bit cringe-worthy. It was nice to see the inclusion of the fairies… and being able to see the different memories was pretty interesting, even though they did seem to be a bit conveniently placed. I also thought the mermaids were an interesting aspect.

I did enjoy this movie and probably would watch it again in the future. I do think it’s the sort of movie children would find engaging… and I expect my niece would get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

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