Sunday 23 October 2016

"The Ghost Files (The Ghost FIles #1)" Book Review




My Rating ★★★★☆ 4 Stars

What a pleasant surprise!

I’ve had this book sitting in my kindle library for the past year collecting cyber dust.

I loved(ish) the tone of the narrator.

The plot was even better – a girl seeing dead people and is helping to solve a string of deaths of which her foster sister is a victim.

I really liked the book! I only knocked off 1 star because of the relationship between the main character and a certain secondary character of the law.


I won’t go into details here. No sirree. Find out for yourself J  

Sunday 16 October 2016

"How to Make Out" Book Review


My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars


An awesome premise with a less than awesome delivery.

Initially I was drawn to this book because of its title “How to make out”. I was instantly intrigued and wanted to know what this book could possibly be about. At first I had no intention of reading it; I simply wanted to get an idea of the plot, but after reading the summary, it sounded like a fun and witty, quick-read. I love the idea of neighbours falling for each other – 'Drive me Crazy' featuring Melissa Joan Hart, 'Its a Boy Girl Thing', Love and Basketball etc. and I wanted to love this one.

I didn’t expect a deep plot with riveting characters and profound, complex emotional connections but I did expect an entertaining delivery. What I got was a shallow, petulant character – Renley – who is pretty much useless in all aspects of life except in long division and ogling the few male “friends” she has in her life.

Her relationships are quite superficial, which is a sad thing for a teenage girl growing up. The only consolation I found in this was that this was purely a work of fiction, and this Renley and her situation does not exist in real life.

Her relationship with her father is pretty non-existent, almost as much as her relationship with her mother. Her father is simply a person in her life who provides her with food and shelter – basic necessities of life, and in return she is insolent.

Her mother, living in New York with her new family, does not have the audacity to contact her daughter, to make sure she is okay or to find out if this easily-influenced teenage girl is growing up into a respectable woman. Not once in the book did she reach out to ask her if she needs a mother figure to give advice on the many social issues that teenagers face these days. I was very disappointment in that aspect of the book -a mother who abandons her daughter and ignores said daughter even though she constantly reaches out to her to just hear her voice or to simply receive a message in return.

Her relationship with April, her best friend, felt like a filler. From my perspective, her role in the story was to fill the time when Renley was not thinking/being with Drew or Seth. Not once did their relationship feel real, and this was further proven when later on in the book Renley forgave Drew much quicker and easily for doing something far more hurtful to her than April did.

Her relationship with Drew was the highlight of the book. He was supportive and was a shoulder to cry on but he was a bit too persistent in his attempts at getting Renley and as a result it came off as annoying. Renley, however, loved the attention she got from Drew.

Her relationship with Seth? Purely lust. Nothing more, nothing less.


I think this book is best suited for the younger audiences, not adults who like reading YA now and then.

Friday 7 October 2016

"Cured (Stung #2)" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 Stars

I was hoping this one would be better, and in a way it was. I kinda wish I knew beforehand that I'd be reading from Jacqui's POV. I was really confused when reading the first few pages, trying to figure out who these characters were.

As for the plot itself, it was fairly simply, everything worked out happily ever after.

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Why is Jonah being treated like a Hodor? Like he's the muscles behind the whole operation with no feelings? He got hurt a lot in this book, more than I dare to count, and it's being justified by the fact that he heals quickly.
I hated this.

Do the women in this book not use their brain and try to see who is there before attacking?

Book 1: Fiona shot Bowen before making sure who was approaching.

Book 2: Jack stabs Kevin before using her head and seeing who is there. Yes, I get that he practically jumped on her in the dark so she had no idea that he wasn't a real threat at first, but my God! Stop and think before attacking. Same happened in the prison, she attacks Jonah before seeing who is really there. And I think she almost attacked Kevin a second time

Oh well. I'm happy this doesn't have a third part. It felt like a very shallow book which had potential but didn't deliver.
I still did not get to see what living on the inside of the wall is like, what their rebuilding looks like.
So much potential.

Wednesday 5 October 2016

"Stung (Stung #1)" Book Review


My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars

I can't figure out why exactly I disliked this book. I'm a fan of the post-apocalyptic genre but this one just didn't do it for me. 
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The main character - Fiona - was a bit weak. Not knowing what was going on with the world she woke up to was understandable. 

I guess I wanted to see her on her own for a while, surviving and toughening up, but this book did not deliver that. I didn't even get a glimpse of life inside the wall, to see how they're rebuilding society.

From the moment she woke up there were other humans around. She was "rescued" by an infected, then shortly after taken into a camp where she was protected by a guard who happens to have been her neighbor before the world went to shit. For the remainder of the book is she always being rescued and not fending for herself (which is what I really enjoy in a post apocalyptic book. I like reading about their survival skills, how they strategize on supply runs, how they out maneuver the enemy etc.). I'll read the second book only because I want to see where the love interest takes us and what life inside the wall is like.

UPDATE: 
On second thought I'm not that interested in Book 2. Won't be reading it.

Ugh fine. I'll read it just so I won't feel guilty.

Tuesday 27 September 2016

"The Devil's Prayer" Book Review


My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 stars

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I like my torture books with enough torture and gore to make me cringe. This book, to a certain extent and in certain areas throughout made me very happy; however, it is not solely torture, as you can see from the premise given. The Devil’s Prayer presented us with a rollercoaster of themes – history, romance, horror/gore, violence and abuse among others.

Following the death of her mother Denise Russo, who abandoned her two children a few years ago with no warning, Siobhan Russo travels across the world to the convent where her mother lived. In search of answers, she is given a book with her mother’s confessions. There, Siobhan learns of the horrors her mother went through and her subsequent deal with the devil in order to take revenge on those who wronged her.  

For the historical aspect, this book was very well-researched. I like when authors take the time to research before writing a book. It gives me the sense that they are truly committed to the success of their book and will work hard to produce it rather than give a lackadaisical attempt.

However, toward the end, the history became a bit overwhelming and took away from the plot. I found myself simply reading the words just so I could move forward to read the actual plot. Lots of history in there that I didn’t much care for, but I do understand why it was filled with this much information. The author wanted to present us with all this history to make the story more believable and to leave us wondering where history ends and fiction begins. The history was a fundamental part of the story, but I disliked history class, always have and always will.

The other parts were really well done and I was hooked. I won’t give details, it’s better to find out on your own. 

Monday 26 September 2016

"Tattoo Thief (Tattoo Thief Book 1)" Book Review



My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 Stars

Let’s get one thing straight, this book has absolutely nothing to do with the stealing of tattoos, because c’mon, that would be torture to the highest degree; however, the thought of someone carving out tattoos from a person’s body does make for a compelling premise of  a future novel. Hint Hint.

So, Tattoo Thief – music, romance, second chances, real estate, drugs, insta-love/infatuation and a judgmental pseudo-psychologist is what we get.

Beryl, our protagonist, is a small town girl of Eugene, Oregon, living a small town life working at a coffee shop and three days a week at a brewpub. She gets the opportunity to become a house sitter for the ultra-rich in the big apple.

Her new-found job places her in the home of rock star Gavin Slater – lead vocalist of Tattoo Thief (yup, it’s a band). His place is trashed, his dog abandoned and Beryl makes it her duty to get to the bottom of this – why he left his place in such a mess, why he disappeared in such a hurry and what part did he play in the death of his muse?

I gave it 4 stars because it was well-written and there was an actual plot, the romance did not overpower the plot at all.

The plot started out great – a small town girl getting a job opportunity in the big city, getting to house-sit for a super-rich, hot, rock star. I loved that about the book, I even loved that she had the opportunity to fall in love with the guy. I found that to be a dream come true fantasy. Ugh, what I would give to be in her shoes.

However, the romance between Beryl and Gavin blossomed prematurely and because of that it felt like they didn’t have much in common except for their loneliness. It would have been more plausible if the author chose to keep them as friends, which is what they were more suited to be based on their conversations.

Beryl was also pretty judgemental toward Gavin. There’s a difference between telling the truth like it is and plain out being judgemental, especially when it’s someone you’ve just met. Like hold up chick, this is my life, not yours; you don’t know what went on so shush. But no, Gavin didn’t tell her that, just wishful thinking on my part.

She also did this creepy thing where she wore his ex-girlfriend’s clothes; the same clothes he told her to throw out. Believe me, I understand that the wardrobe must have been expensive, but don’t go wearing it when you’re going on a date with him. I mean c’mon! Be more considerate toward the poor guy, he’s going to be distraught in memory lane when he sees his dead girlfriend’s outfits on the new girl that he’s dating. That was just wrong and inconsiderate of her. Tsk tsk tsk, any human would know that Beryl.


So there it is – a well-written book with a plot, even though some parts were pretty ridiculous. It doesn’t fall in the erotic genre by the way. 

Sunday 18 September 2016

"Just Juliet" Book Review




My Rating ★★★☆☆ 3 stars
I was contacted by the publisher and given an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Ladies and gentlemen, queers and token heterosexuals…"

Lena is a high school senior with a sweet life: she has a loving boyfriend, friends that are there for each other and grades that are enviable. She is content and has it all figured out, that is, until Juliet James comes waltzing into her school with an attitude that’s hard to ignore and a fashion sense to match. Her world is thrown upside down when she begins feelings things she’s never felt before and soon she is left trying to figure out just who she is and what category she falls into. Along the way she meets a close knit group of people who are bound by love and shared experiences rather than blood, and she begins to uncover the real Lena and where she fits in. She also discovers the friends who will stick with her through her phase of self-discovery and who are just not up to sticking around.

First off, this book has received many amazing reviews. I like skimming through the good reviews on any book before I read it, and when a book usually gets only 5 star reviews I tend to become skeptical. Sometimes I do believe the hype and other times I simply don’t – it’s 50/50 usually. This time I decided to go in with low expectations and I’m glad I did.
Although this wasn’t an awful book, it also wasn’t as great as the other reviews made it out to be. I like the fact that this was about a teen that had a boyfriend at the beginning of the book. It showed us how we can be blindsided by life, things out of our control. I also liked that through her self-discovery she decided that she shouldn’t fall into anyone’s ideal of categories. The ending was also pretty satisfying and kudos to a place where everyone can be with whom they choose to be.

What I didn’t like was:

      1. Lena, compared to others, had it so easy after she decided to come out to friends and family. Now, don’t get me wrong, I applaud the author for giving us a story that wasn’t too graphic and violent toward homosexuality. In this day and age homosexuality shouldn’t be seen as a crime and people should not be discriminated based on their sexual orientation. That’s actually a plus what the author did, showing us the bright side/best case scenario of coming out and being your true self, but, if this book is going to be one of the books that YA/teens look to while deciding if and how they want to come out, then they’ve got another thing coming, it isn’t that easy. They’ll be sorely disappointed in how others around treat them.
Best case scenario for anyone out there in the real world: when you come out, one of your friends storm off, doesn’t talk to you or even cross paths with you for weeks, doesn’t defame you but then realizes they made a mistake and that they should always stick by your side no matter what. Also, your ex-boyfriend is the only one who gave you a hard time once by throwing your books and bag off your desk.
This was actually what happened to Lena in the book, her worst troubles after coming out. She had it pretty easy, a bit too easy for me. This would have been great if I had gotten to hear of Lakyn’s story, it sounded horrible what he went through and it would have felt more real to dig into his story. To me, Scott’s story made the book feel more grounded, like it had some depth to it – one of the real sides of coming out to your parents. Not everyone is accepting as the book portrayed, and that was a major letdown.

     2.Maybe its difference in culture, being that I’m from the Caribbean and this book is set in the US, because sexually active teenagers getting to spend a whole week at a resort with their partners is pretty irresponsible of parents/guardians. Also, the relationship between Scott and Lakyn, even though they went through hell and back and are proud partners, they are still teenagers, not adults.


      3. Lena’s friends were very one-dimensional, not even two. Each girl basically represented a minority group, which was a good attempt at pulling diversity into the story. But there was no depth to them. The book told me about them but I didn’t get to see those qualities that they were known for. It’s like saying the main character of Step Up has really great dance moves. Everyone agrees she has really great dance moves, but we never get to see her amazing dance moves. Lena’s friends were supposed to be witty, sarcastic, fun to be around etc. but I never actually read a witty or sarcastic line; however, I did read many rude comebacks including the word “bitch” much more than I’d like to count. It reminded me of Jessie in Breaking Bad – his go-to word was Bitch.



   4.  I didn’t get to know the real Juliet James. 

Saturday 10 September 2016

"A Week of Mondays" Book Review




My Rating ★★★★☆ 4.5 Stars


For anyone who has ever had a horrible week and wishes that they could have a do-over.

This was such a cute, laugh-out-loud, and hilarious, YA book.
Ellison Sparks is having a horrible Monday and it doesn’t get much better as the day progresses. At the end of this awful day she makes a wish she never thought would come true. So, when she wakes up the next morning to find that it’s still Monday, and no, there are no cameras following her so it couldn’t possibly be a prank, she sets out to change the course of that dreadful Monday and to make things right.

What I loved about this book was Ellison’s character development. She matured in such a short period of time. Well yes, she had an entire week of going through the same day over and over and over again so she was bound to get it right; but she matured in such a realistic way. From trying her best to please others, to almost giving up, then finally just being herself and making decisions in her best interest.


I might be a bit biased with my review; I just might be, seeing as how I was going through a rough week and wishing I could just start all over. So when I chose this book I felt connected to the main character instantly. The writing style also helped of course! It was clear, concise and no unnecessary similes about a person’s eyes. 

Saturday 20 August 2016

"On Deadly Ground" Book Review



My Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 Stars

Many thanks to Endeavour Press and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Previously published as King Blood, On Deadly Ground is a post-apocalyptic-horror-survival story with a hint of eroticism and other themes such as revenge and love. 

I love the post-apocalyptic book genre most of all, so I did enjoy this one to a certain extent. I love a thick book, and this was a whopping 675 pages. Those were the only things I really liked about this book. It isn't an awful read, but it could have been better.

Many times it felt like the horror/gore scenes were a bit too overly done and therefore it failed in its attempts to be terrifying. 

The lengthy dialogues between characters were extremely formal and thus unreal. 

Some characters were very naive but I noticed major developments by the end of the book.

One in particular was extremely, sexually creepy, so I was elated whenever her scene ended. 

Now the plot: pretty anticlimactic. There was such a huge build-up that I thought I would be blown away when the big reveal came, instead I was disappointed to the point of not wanting to continue reading. 

Overall, it was an OK read. I wouldn't recommend it to the two main people I recommend books to, but others could have a go at it. If you're into post-apocalyptic/survival stories and don't typically pay attention to writing style then try it out. 




Friday 5 August 2016

"The Couple Next Door" Book Review


My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

Many thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This goes into my "I won't forget you" book pile. 

The Couple Next Door is such a simple (in the best way possible), well-written, unpretentious book which gets into the story and does not stray off topic, not even once. 
I was not bombarded with useless similes, or overly descriptive passages, nor annoying inner dialogues which tends to take away from the plot. This was well-written and straight to the point. 

When I say well-written I don't mean lyrical prose to the likes of Alice Hoffman or more recently the epicly written The Summer That Melted Everything (another title in my "I wont Forget you" book pile). In this instance, well-written simply means no preamble, straight to the point, every sentence pushed the plot forward and no wasted words/unnecessary sentences. I loved the writing style so much. 

The premise does not do justice to this immaculate plot. 

It is filled with uncomfortable revelations, brilliant twists, family secrets, manipulation, blackmail, a web of lies - everything which makes for a highly entertaining and gripping read. 

As the plot unwinds you'll be holding on to the edge of your seat, just waiting to get the whole truth.

I look forward to reading more from this author.




Sunday 31 July 2016

"The Stepmother" Book Review



My Rating ★★☆☆☆ 2.5 Stars 


Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Stepmother is the first book I've read by the author - Claire Seeber. The premise was highly intriguing, reviews posted have been in the 4-5 star range and so I went against my better judgement and read this book with high expectations.

Jeanie, newly married to her prince charming Matthew King, feels like she has been given the opportunity to live a fairy-tale life. From his previous marriage, Matthew has two 15-year old teenagers who are fraternal twins while Jeanie has a son. Although it can be hard when families are joined through marriage, Jeanie is determined to make it work even when Matthew's daughter openly resents her and is often times hostile toward her. Matthew's ex-wife - Kaye King - is still very much in the picture which isn't making things easier and to make it worse, someone is trying to shatter Jeanie's new fairy-tale life by letting out a secret that may very well destroy her reputation and marriage.

In a house where the walls whisper, dead animals appear, blood pools on the floor and a grey lady in the mirror terrifies her, Jeanie corresponds with her sister Marlena and tries her hardest to save her marriage while maintaining her sanity.

The set up was so perfect, all it needed was the substance to carry it through yet that's what the story lacked. I couldn't take it seriously because of how "thin" this story was, there was no depth to it. From Matthew and Jeanie's quick marriage to their mounting, unresolved, trivial marital/family problems, it was utterly unbelievable and purely superficial.

The beginning of the book seemed tolerable until I got to the many mysteries which were dealt with so annoyingly. I understand that this is a thriller, it is bound to have its fair share of mysteries embedded in there which will later be explained, but it was written in such a way that all I kept thinking was "spit it out!". Give me something to hold on to, to whet my appetite so I can be gripped. Unfortunately all the twists, and there were many, turned out to be pretty anticlimactic in the end.

Many things were left unexplained, such as Matthew's behaviour/demeanor, Scarlett's reason for treating Jeanie the way she did, Jeanie's ex-boyfriend etc.

I think this would be so much better if each person's story went more in-depth, I'd have felt the full impact of the twists and revelations.





Wednesday 20 July 2016

NetGalley Approvals/Declines



I recently started getting more approvals at NetGalley and thought I'd keep up the streak when I requested a book I'd been dying to read for the past few months - And The Trees Crept In. Imagine my disappointment when I was denied because of my location. I was truly bummed yesterday when I got that email, BUT it has also curbed my requesting tendencies. For Now. 

I'd been requesting like crazy lately and jeopardizing my approval feedback ratio, but this denied request came in handy. I won't be sending any requests out for a while, and by a while I mean until my shelf is cleared. So here it is, currently on my NG shelf I've got only 5 titles remaining.

Approvals


Publication Date: 15 July 2016

BLURB: The perfect wife. A fairytale family. Don’t believe your eyes…

Jeanie and Matthew are a happily married couple who both have teenage children from previous relationships.No one said it would be easy to raise a blended family under one roof but Jeanie and Matthew are strong. They will make it work.

And whilst Jeanie’s step-daughter Scarlett rejects her, Jeanie will just have to try harder to win her over.But Jeanie has a past. A terrible secret she thought she’d buried a long time ago. And now, it’s coming to the surface, threatening to destroy her new marriage.


Someone is playing a terrifying game on Jeanie and she must put a stop to it once and for all.After all, a fairytale needs a happy ending … doesn’t it?A compelling, dark and twisty psychological thriller that will grip fans of Behind Closed DoorsBetween You and Me and The Teacher. 




Publication Date: 13 August 2016

 BLURB: Eleanor Flood is going to clean up her act, only change into yoga clothes for yoga, which today she will actually attend, and be a better version of herself. But then, as it always does, life happens.


Eleanor's husband is missing, and their son, Timby, is wearing eye shadow to school and getting into fashion battles on the playground. (It's true that it's Eleanor's fault: She did put makeup in his Christmas stocking.) Just when it seems like things can't get weirder or more in the way of Eleanor's personal transformation, a graphic memoir called The Flood Sisters surfaces, and the dramatic story it tells reveals long-buried secrets and a sister to whom Eleanor never speaks.
With all the artistic madness, genius plotting, and bold social observation that made Where’d You Go, Bernadette a hit, Today Will Be Different is a hilarious and heart filled day-in-the-life romp filtered through Maria Semple's brilliant eye.


 Publication Date: 25 August 2016
BLURB: Joanna has spent ten years married to a monster.
Everyone thinks she has the perfect life, but behind closed doors she lives in constant fear of her husband.
Escape seems impossible - and then a stranger offers her a chance to flee.
On the run with her young daughter, Joanna finds herself in the mysterious town of Morro. With no memory of how she got there. And no idea of what the town truly is.
Joanna faces a rare and terrible choice - stay safe, or return to face the fight of her life, to save herself and her little girl.



 Publication Date: 8 August 2016

BLURB: A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago. 

In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul. 

As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors. 

And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it. 

Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from its own destruction? 




 Publication Date: 25 August 2016

BLURB: Another year and I still don't like old people. Me? I am 83 years old.' Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn't planning to be buried any time soon. Granted, his daily strolls are getting shorter because his legs are no longer willing and he had to visit his doctor more than he'd like. Technically speaking he is ... elderly. But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums? Hendrik sets out to write an exposé: a year in the life of his care home in Amsterdam, revealing all its ups and downs - not least his new endeavour the anarchic Old-But-Not Dead Club. And when Eefje moves in - the woman Hendrik has always longed for - he polishes his shoes (and his teeth), grooms what's left of his hair and attempts to make something of the life he has left, with hilarious, tender and devastating consequences.


Reading by publication date makes the most sense so i'll start with The Stepmother; I hear its an awesome read with a bit of a mind fuck. 


Denied Requests


 Publication Date: 06 September 2016

BLURB: When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt's home, it's immediately clear that the "blood manor" is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too--the questions that Silla can't ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that's appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?



 Publication Date: 26 July 2016

BLURB: First the birds disappeared.
Then the insects took over. 
Then the madness began . . .

They call it Wanderer's Folly--a disease of delusions, of daydreams and nightmares. A plague threatening to wipe out the human race. 

After two years of creeping decay, David Arlen woke up one morning thinking that the worst was over. By midnight, he's bleeding and terrified, his wife is dead, and he's on the run in a stolen car with his eight-year-old daughter, who may be the key to a cure. 

Ellie is a special girl. Deep. Insightful. And she knows David is lying to her. Lying about her mother. Lying about what they're running from. And lying about what he sees when he takes his eyes off the road . . 


I'm still so pissed/disappointed I didn't get approved for these titles. I'll get The Night Parade when it comes out though, not sure about And The Trees Crept In... I wanted it so bad that now I just don't know anymore. We shall see. 


Happy Reading Everyone! 
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