The Elite: There was so much potential

Title: The Elite

Author: Kiera Cass

Genre: YA, Dystopia, Romance
Series: The Selection #2
Rating: Starfish

THE PREMISE
The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
 MY THOUGHTS

My first thought after reading this book:

No human being can be this indecisive.... Can they? 

According to America, people are this way on an almost hourly basis. 

The author clearly knows how to write, that much is clear, but the characters..... There were definitely a few problems I had with them. Shockingly I did enjoy the first book. I din't love it, but I didn't hate it. Yet throughout this book I was a little bit blown away by my complete 180 in my feelings about the series.

What stuck out to me the most was that America is constantly falling into the arms of either Aspen or Maxon and declaring them to be her rock.... The one person who she can always lean on... Seconds later the exact same thing happens... Just with the other guy. 

I kid you not. 

America also has some... How should I put it nicely.... dependency issues. 

To give you an idea of what I mean, imagine this scenario: 

A parent drops their child off at day care. The child cries and cries thinking that the world is going to end and they will be alone forever. That all the other (pretend all children in this day care are perfectly nice) kids were out to get her....

To me that was America. If she was left alone for even a second, she nearly had a nervous break down. Maxon and Aspen were like the parent she was constantly crying for them... 

Do you see some of my problem with this book, yet? 

There was this one point in the book I was so sure that maybe something exciting would happen. Maybe she would be captured by the  rebels or maybe she would fall down a dark hole and realize that in order to make her country better she would have to start a revolution.... Instead the guards managed to find her (hugging a tree of course) and they carried her to safety..... Literally. 

I was so not happy. 

Now about that "handsome, loving, 100% AMAZING"  Maxon..... I don't like him. 

I mean I didn't hate him, but jeez for the life of me I can't see whatever America sees in him. 

There was this point where he did something very mean to America.... Instead of having a semi rational explanation he rambles on about who knows what (seriously who knows? I think I skimmed that part...) and then the author pulls out the dreaded sympathy ploy....yeah you know the one perfectly designed to get readers everywhere sobbing for the character. Telling him to be strong and that it's not his fault.... I've read books where the sympathy ploy is pulled off to perfection! (Crash by Lisa McMann!!! I love that book! *sigh*) in this book I just wanted to rip my hair out in my extreme state of annoyance. 

Grrrrr.....

And Aspen was no better.... He was getting a little blood thirsty sounding... Perhaps a bit power hungry? I felt like he was also absent for a lot of the book.... Not that it really mattered because be was always there when America needed to fall into his arms and declare her love and use him as a stabilizer only to minutes later feel wrong about it and love Maxon. 

So here's what I'm saying:

This book is based on the romance. There was no where's near enough world building or plot or anything to keep the story afloat. Take out the love interests and what do you get? A very needy, very self centered girl. And a couple of other self centered brats.... 

So with that I would like to declare my team. (You know those teams picking which love interest they like?) 

I declare my allegiance to team America. I say that the author kills off Maxon and then Aspen joins the rebels (whoever these rebels may be...) and then America learns to fight and kicks some serious rebel butts. Or maybe she joins with them to overthrow the (evil) monarchy and set up a democracy.... What are the chances of this?

My calculations say slim to none. 

I figured. 

But still I shall wave my flag for team America!! *picture me waving a flag* 

Wait did I mention the near to the end part? (No spoilers! Don't worry!) 

So this is another moment where I was feeling so proud of America. And then she failed me again!  *sheds tear in a very unladylike manner*  (this book also claimed at one section that shedding a tear was unladylike...darn... guess I'm not a good lady then... Crying can help me to relieve stress!) she put loads of effort into this big project. She felt so proud. And then the king asks her how she will carry it out.... Guess how she responds! Seriously guess. 

"Oh... I don't know." 

Congratulations America for being so stupid. She clearly deserves a reward. 

Okay. Enough complaints. Good things now. 

I did enjoy the bit of world building that was done! (Shocking I know.) the diaries were a very nice touch and learning about America's country's formation was very interesting. 

I liked America's dad and thought he was a great addition into the story. He was also one of the only characters I liked. 

I also liked Marlee. She was very strong in this book. 

.

.

.

.

Yeah.... That's about it. 

My main problem was the main characters and their stupidity. Also the romance. (I'm still all for the kill off the love interests approach.) 

This book had some great potential but it was killed by love triangle and the needy lead.

So my recommendation is that this book isn't worth your time. 

WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: HIGHLY UNLIKELY

WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: NOPE

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: NOOOOO

WILL I READ THE NEXT ONE: I'LL PROBABLY END UP ENSNARED IN ITS GOOD BLURB AND PRETTY COVER.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: MAYBE, I LIKE HER STYLE. 

STARFISH=TWO STARS

Mutilate My Heart: Review

Title: Mutilate My Heart
Author: Emily Godwin
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Series: Mutilated #1
Rating: Owl

THE PREMISE
Punk rock band Mutilated Arteries has been seventeen-year-old Becca's world (aka obsession) for the last year. When the band schedules a concert in her hometown, she and her best friend Carli are the first ones in line to buy tickets. The night is everything she expects it to be and more, especially after making friends with the new super-cute bassist, Sketch.

Becca's mom warns her not to fall for a rock star because rock stars are always on the road - or they die in a plane crash, like her mom's favorite band did twenty-something years ago. But after the band's tour bus breaks down and they're stuck hanging out in Roizen Hills for a week, it's hard for Becca not to fall for Sketch and his caricature drawings and toxic green eyes.

Becca knows Sketch is leaving as soon as the bus is fixed, and she can't be his fan-turned-girlfriend anyway because of the lead singer's "No Girlfriends" rule. Plus, there's something strange about the guys that Becca can't quite decipher... like how they won't reveal their real names, their always-changing odd appearances, and the guitarist's obsession with blood and zombies. Still, Becca wants nothing more than for Sketch to mutilate her heart...but it just might not be in a way she expects.


MY THOUGHTS

I think one of the things that really pulled me into reading this book, was the relationship this author has with her sister. Her sister wrote two books that I absolutely adore, A Girl on Saturn and Chasing Forever Down, and during the course of reading A Girl on Saturn, the author had included several shout outs to the band featured in this book, which really got me curious. So when I had the chance, I decided to go with it and immediately dove into the book.

I'm happy to say I have no regrets.

This book had the perfect mix of a sweet romance, distinctive and memorable characters, and a mystery that really kept you guessing. And I LOVED it!

Emily Godwin has crafted an amazing romance with some of the best aspects of the more, how should I put it, paranormal world... I don't want to give any spoilers!

Another thing that I loved is that the author had a very distinct voice. It really fit so well with the novel and made me love the book even more. What she chose to do and the twists she chose to take kept me guessing and truthfully I can't wait for the next book. I feel like there is so much promise with this series, and if it keeps going at the way it is I have high hopes that it could turn out to be one of my favorite series!

I also really liked Becca and Carli's relationship. They had a great bond of friendship which is great to see in young adult! Plus on top of this awesomeness, I just want to bring up how the cover actually connected to the book! To me being able to discover why the cover looks the way it does is a big achievement and it was no different in this book! There was a section that made me write down, "OH! Now I understand the cover!" And since I don't want to spoil it for you, you should definitely read the book to find out why it fits!

One last comment: The character names were fantastic! The band members all had these great names, that really kept me laughing especially towards the end!

I have nothing bad to say about this book, at all! The story is super sweet and so much fun to read! I flew through it! I would not hesitate to recommend this book to readers looking for a light, sweet romance, with an epic twist! At any rate there is no doubt in my mind that February is WAY to far away! I don't want to wait that long!

On a completely different note, on a matter that in no way effected my review, I just wanted to say how awesome it is that their were mentions of Spaceships around Saturn scattered throughout the book! It is so cool to see the support between two amazing authors and the fact that they care so much about each others work! Coming across those references made me laugh! And I really feel like it added even more background to the book!

Purchase links: Amazon | B&N

OWL=FIVE STARS

Emily Godwin is a Young Adult author. She enjoys writing, painting, and sewing her own line of non-evil voodoo dolls. She's a Slytherin, trying to disguise herself as a Hufflepuff, and wishes she could read herself into books.

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Run for the Roses: Review

Title: Run for the Roses

Author: Rachel Schieffelbein
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Series: None
Rating: Bison= 4 Stars


THE PREMISE

       Abigail Conrad has spent her whole life training for one goal: to win the roses at the Arabian Youth Nationals. She’s given up friends, a social life, and doesn’t have time to even think about guys -- much less date!

    Now that she’s headed off to college in the fall, it’s her last chance to be a Youth National Champion, and she won’t let anything distract her from that dream.
        Except maybe Chase, the older brother of Abigail's biggest rival. He’s charming, funny, and possibly Abigail's biggest problem. How can she focus on riding when her mind keeps wandering to Chase’s green eyes and confident smile?
     With her dream on the line, Abigail had better learn to fight her growing attraction to Chase, or she might end up losing the roses and the guy.

MY THOUGHTS

I have to admit I was super excited to read this novella! I have always loved horses and have always read books that involved horses. And recently I've realized I've been straying away from that. And it's not a bad thing.... I've found so many other fantastic books, but sometimes it's great to go back and read topics that got you interested in reading in the first place! As was the case with this delightful novella. 

Basically it's about a girl who is trying to do the best she can in her horse completion. She's insanely driven and never makes time for anything else. She's also extremely competitive and views everyone else as if they are acting the same way she does. 

The main focus was the romance but it was also about a girl growing up and realizing that free time is just as important as being driven and succeeding in everything you do. (Something I can totally sympathize with. I get so caught up and stressed about school and sometimes I just need to take a step back.)

I could picture the events in this book happening in real life and I love the author's portrayal of what it's like to do what Abigail is doing. 

The romance was seriously cute and overall this was an extremely enjoyable read. And on top of that it was a quick read! 

WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: Yes!

WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: Yes!

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: to those looking for a cute romance and you don't even have to like horses to enjoy it!

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: I fully intend to! I can't wait to see what else she comes up with!

 

 

Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

 

***Author Links***
http://rachelmarybean-writingonthewall.blogspot.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044030.Rachel_Schieffelbein
http://www.twitter.com/RMSchieffelbein
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Schieffelbein-author/495759520488755

 

***GIVEAWAY***
1 - $10 iTunes Gift Card & ebook of Run For the Roses (INT)
3 – ebook of Run For the Roses (INT)

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Doon: Review

Title: Doon
Author: Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Series: Doon #1
Genre: YA, Romance, Fantasy, Retellings
Rating: Starfish

THE PREMISE
DOON…

Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months.

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans.

Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

DOON is loosely based on the premise of the musical Brigadoon, with permission from the ALan Jay Lerner Estate and the Frederick Loewe Foundation. Follow the journey at http://www.DoonSeries.com

~Destiny awaits!
(Summary form Goodreads) 

MY THOUGHTS
What really captured my attention with this book was the fantastic idea. I mean who doesn't want to read about a fantasy world set within our own IN SCOTLAND? Okay more importantly who doesn't want to read a book set IN SCOTLAND?

And to say I was excited about this book was an understatement....but sadly this book just didn't live up to my expectations.

MY PROBLEMS
1.) The book alternates between two points of view, MacKenna and Veronica, the two main female characters. And personally I COULD NOT tell the difference between the two points of view. Truthfully if there had not been the names at the top of each POV change I would have been beyond confused.
What makes it worse is the fact that I think the characters were each written by a different author and I couldn't even distinguish the styles of each...
Wait I lied I could totally tell the two apart as long as one of the prince guys were around because then they were fawning over one  or the over....

2.) Have I ever expressed my dislike for characters who sleep a lot or who in general like talking about sleep? Well I felt like many of the characters enjoyed sleeping and when that happens me=bored. MacKenna really liked to call Vee Sleeping Beauty too....

3.) Perhaps that biggest problem I had with this book was the idea of beauty.
Here's what you need to know:
Vee thinks that she is ugly, but Mackenna is GORGEOUS
Mackenna thinks she is ugly, Vee is BEAUTIFUL.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
Also they really enjoy complimenting each other and drawing attention to the others features.

"More than fine-she was flawless, even asleep.Dark sleek hair framed her heart-shaped face. Black, fluttery lashes-the kind you only see in mascara ads-daintily rested against the  the curve of her cheeks. Vee was petite, too, with porcelain skin. Stuff all that into a size-too-small cheer skirt and she was a teen dream. She practically screamed popularity, while I was an ex-goth, theater geek Amazon voted most likely to have ketchup on my boobs, But I guess that's what made the friendship unbreakable-counterbalance, not ketchup."~Mackenna
"Vee's eyelids fluttered open to reveal her confused, yet brilliantly dazzling, turquoise eyes.
She bolted to her feet, brushing silken strands of dark hair away from her face. How did she get it to look so shiny? Even in the midst of night terrors, she still looked like she'd stepped off the cover of Teen Vogue. I on the other hand, was in jeopardy of being mistaken for an iconic hamburger clown."~MacKenna
(Note this was found ALL in ONE chapter within just a few pages... BUT there are MANY more examples.)
"Her {speaking about MacKenna} figure was perfectly suited for the moss-green, fitted bodice and the plaid skirt were identical to mine. She looked curvy in all the right places. Me, on the other hand-not so much."~Veronica

So my biggest problem was how they were CONSTANTLY putting themselves down. Also how is it possible to look good at all times of the day? Even when you're having AWFUL nightmares... Maybe this is just me, but I totally can't relate to characters like this. I mean, I'm not ugly, but looking good all the time.... yeah that would be pretty unusual for me...

I also hate the fact that MacKenna thought they had a strong friendship because they were complete opposites in the beauty department. Because that's the grounds for a good friendship? Right now I am completely mindblown.... I don't know about you guys, but personally I value having friends who are equal to me... I mean sure they're going to be better at things and I'll be better at things then them, but I would prefer to not feel like I had to put myself down because they are oh so much better than me....

Moving on now...

4.) After reading this book I would prefer to not read anymore Dinnas or verras..... This book had some annoying writing when the authors were trying to write in a Scottish accent.... It felt so weird...
Also the fact that Veronica was always being called Verranica, annoyed me.... If people get my name completely wrong, yeah, I'm probably going to correct them. (And if I don't correct them someone else will... My classmates love telling the substitutes that they pronounce my name completely wrong,..)   Also she was only called Verranica by ONE person.... so I feel like it wasn't really an accent thing... It was just something that annoyed me...

5.) First Mackenna was Mackenna then she was Kenna and then she was Ken. When they first called her Ken I was so confused! I couldn't figure out WHO that was... Then I realized that it was actually Kenna. Pick a name and stick with it!

6.) The love interests... So there were to princes and two girls. Kenna liked Prince Duncan and Vee like Prince Jamie. Prince Jamie was annoying and extremely confusing and also a pretty big idiot who I really didn't like. Prince Duncan was a sexist idiot, who guess what! I ALSO DIDN'T LIKE! Fun isn't it? This whole book was full of oh I like you, but you hate me. Oh, now we can't be together even though we've finally fallen in deep, deep love. Oh wait, NOW I HATE YOU. Now you're teasing me. We LIKE each other again! Strike that, In TWO weeks we are deeply in love!That is my summary of the book....

7.) Vee clearly has jaw problem and should consider seeing a dentist or doctor.
"Pain shot up my jaw and I unclenched my teeth."
I don't know, but for me this doesn't happen and I LOVE clenching my teeth. She seems to do this a lot unconsciously (This really didn't happen only once... it was reoccurring...) Maybe she has jaw problems. (Note: Clenching teeth is is sign of stress.. what does this indicate?)

8.) Wasn't Kenna's dad worried when he hadn't heard from her? It's not like she could call him and they seemed kind of close...

9.) Okay so I admit the main focus of the book was Vee, EVEN though Kenna had a partial POV. But really I would have preferred this to have a nice solid ending. Instead there will be another book involving Kenna and her problems... and if there is another book after that, then I'm just done...
But I guess Kenna's story sounds interesting, so maybe I'll check it out.


The things I liked:
1.) The whole fantasy aspect was pretty interesting. I liked how there was another world set within our own. I liked how the portal only opens every 100 years in our world. I LOVED how cultural diffusion was brought in as an important aspect in the progress of Doon.

2.) The before the ending part, was fantastic! I have to admit I did NOT see the bad guy coming AT ALL! And the whole show down was pretty epic! I didn't really expect any of it to play out the way that it did! I was without a doubt pretty impressed!

3.) The characters liked food, which in my book makes me like them a BIT more.

So Basically:
I didn't really enjoy Doon. I thought that the love interests were kind of creepy and were really hot and cold throughout the entire book. Vee and Kenna had no self-confidence and always thought that the other was better, yet they never really tried voicing their thoughts about what they thought about each other. The ending was action packed and fast paced, yet managed to lose momentum AND my interest when the authors left it at a bit of a cliffhanger. I would probably not recommend this book to many. Yes the idea was fascinating, but the execution of it all was really lacking. With any luck the authors might be able to redeem themselves in the next book as they having a good set up, yet I'm not sure I'm going to stick around for it.

WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: NO
WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: PROBABLY NOT
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT: NO
WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOK: Maybe, I'm really on the fence about this.
WILL I READ MORE BY THE AUTHORS: Yes. I didn't have many problems with their writing styles and maybe writing separately would make them better.

STARFISH=TWO STARS

Rush

Title: Rush
Author: Eve Silver
Series: The Game #1
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Rating: Horse

THE PREMISE

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

MY THOUGHTS
I went into Rush knowing absolutely NOTHING about it... Literally, I didn't even know the main characters name.

Yeah.... I am very good at totally avoiding things...

So when I realized there were aliens I was really surprised. Truthfully I was beyond surprised. I was shocked. But at the same time I was SUPER happy! I mean come on, I LOVE ALIENS!

That's the thing though, I love everything about aliens.... when I know lots about them.
I'm going to put it out there, I think the unknown is super interesting, but at the same time it can without a doubt be scary! (Come on, you can admit it. Thinking that you are smaller than a speck of dust in the Universe is pretty freaky... and then let's not get started on multiverses and the edge of the universe and all that.)
And the book explained A LOT about the aliens to me.
So book, I appreciate that, but that's kind of the high point of you.

After reading the WHOLE book, WHAT IS THE FREAKING POINT OF THE GAME?
I GET IT TO KILL ALIENS, GREAT!
How do you work?
How do you function?

I DON'T FREAKING UNDERSTAND!!

How are they transported to fight these aliens?
Why are they using points???
WHY NOT JUST LET EVERYONE LIVE????

I don't know, OKAY?
Maybe it was the authors intention to leave me with more questions than answers. Because if it was then she can check that off her list. I know there's going to be another book (maybe even a book after that) but I just feel so, so....

I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE WORD FOR WHAT I FEEL!!!!!

It just felt SO POINTLESS!

There were so many opportunities to slip in some information, BUT INSTEAD I WAS CONFUSED FOR HALF THE BOOK AND THEN EVEN MORE SO IN THE SECOND HALF!

GAH!

Okay, I am taking a deep breath now.

Moving on.

ANOTHER PROBLEM
Darn this problem is a spoiler, but the need to vent wins out. Below if you don't care about spoilers or have already read the book highlight the black.

So both Miki and Jackson are descended from aliens.... Why do they both have SUCH strong genes? THe chances of that actually happening are one in a million! I just feel like the author did that because they felt forced to. As if there was no other option that forced the main characters together!

Yeah.... you see the problem?

Next problem.
After reading this WHOLE book, beginning to end, I still don't understand hoe the people are picked for the game or how on Earth they bump out of their "reality" and into something else... I seriously don't understand the whole time-lapsy thing either. Is this just me? I mean I've always been really good in science, but I just couldn't wrap my brain around that whole aspect! (So if someone could explain it to me, I'd really appreciate it!)

AND ANOTHER PROBLEM!
Insta-love.
I'm not going to say who Miki ends up with or rather who she declares her undying love for. (Even though I thought it was pretty obvious!) At the end they literally declared their love for each other and I just wasn't feeling it! I got that hey MAYBE they were in the beginning stages of like, BUT LOVE? Ummmm.... Nopeity nope, nope, nope!

Okay enough of that aggravation! Let me talk about some of the stuff I liked!

Rush was set in Rochester, New York! Which is fantastic! I feel like so many places in New York are completely ignored, purely because of the all powerful New York City found in the southern part of the great state.
For me personally, I will always prefer hearing about upstate NY far more than I will about NYC.... Although that may just be because I live further upstate. (Seriously though, if I tell people (especially book bloggers) that I'm from NY in general, they always assume NYC.... There are OTHER places in NY TOO, ya know!)

I also really liked Miki! She was a strong character, that really was believable! There weren't many parts where I thought that what she was doing or thinking was something beyond what a teenager would do or think! I also LOVED that Miki was a runner and she was shown as a believable runner! She talks about the feeling of running and kind of what it means to her and truthfully I could totally get what she was saying! That whole part felt REAL and something I could agree with. Some days she just didn't want to run, but then she had those days where she just needed to.

"I know what he's feeling: endorphins racing through him. Runner's high. Crack of dawn five days a week I'm there, in my zone, alone with my music and the rush I get as my feet slap the ground."
To me that quote describes running so well! so mega props to the author for that!

I didn't really like her friends at all, but I think that a lot of people do have friends like them, so I definitely got why the author portrayed her friends as such! (I mean, I know I definitely have friends like the ones she has!) They were a little bit BOY CRAZY though.... which really got annoying! (Thankfully they didn't seem to be around too much!)

Can I just say that this book had the most FANTASTIC ALIENS! I kid you not!
Reasons:
1.) THEY DIDN'T LOOK HUMAN! Just thank you so much for this! When we finally meet alien lifeforms and if they look like us I WILL BE BLOWN AWAY! There is no way that we could evolve the same way as other species.... It's practically impossible. While I respect authors that do portray aliens as humans, it's nice to see an author take a different approach.
2.) THEY WEREN'T SUPERIOR! So many times aliens are shown to be far superior in all ways than us. Which seems impractical. So while the aliens had better technology the other aspects about them were different! (Like they didn't learn from their mistakes!)
3.) The aliens had a way to blend in! I loved how the author talked about the differences in appearance but gave a way for them to blend into society! I could totally imagine this happening!

I was in all extremely satisfied with how the aliens were shown!

Last but not least, the end went out with a bang! I was expecting it, yet I was still impressed with how the author chose to leave it at such an interesting cliffhanger!

IN A NUTSHELL
Many aspects of this novel were extremely weak and lacked the full explanations I needed to better understand what is happening. While I did enjoy the book and plan to read the next one, I really wish that the game was a bit more fleshed out. I really enjoyed the aliens in the book! Not only were they unique, they had interesting motivations and helped to separate Rush from the other alien books I've come across! There was a lot about this book that needed work, but I found it to be enjoyable, entertaining, and distracting! I would give this book three stars and I definitely can't wait to see what the author does with the next one!

HORSE=THREE STARS

Moirai Excerpt and Giveaway

Title: Moirai 
Author: Ruth Silver
Publisher: Patchwork Press (print) & Lazy Day Publishing (eBook)
Published On: September 26, 2013
Series: Aberrant #2
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Adventure


TH PREMISE

Olivia has been on the run from the government of Cabal since the marriage ceremony. Finally settling in and finding herself a place to call home in Shadow, Olivia and Joshua prepare for the uprising that they and the rebel alliance have been planning for months.

With new abilities and special talents from Mindonsiphan, Olivia learns she can do more than most ordinary eighteen year olds. Learning both to hide and perfect her skills will be one of the biggest challenges she'll be forced to face.

A constant rollercoaster of emotion and adventure await Olivia and Joshua as they embark on a journey to the rebel city of Torv, and what was once home, Genesis.

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I am so excited to be part of this tour! Watch out for later this month when I will post my review for both Aberrant AND Moirai and there should also be an interview with the fabulous author! 

“He wants her thrown in the dumpster.” I grimaced as I approached the mattress. “Help me.” I gestured towards the body. “I can't carry her on my own.” Even if I could, I wasn't doing this alone.

“I'm not throwing her away like garbage!” Lisa crossed her arms. “Think of something else, Jacqueline.”

“We could grab some wood, wrap her body, and burn her.” I glanced around the small bedroom. It was mostly empty, except for the dresser against the wall. There were no trinkets, no signs of another life outside of Genesis. I couldn't help but wonder if anyone missed her from back home.

“How are we going to do that without getting caught?” Lisa asked.

“I don't know. Craynor will know we did it.” We were the ones that were told to throw the body away.

“We could find a place in the far end of the lot and bury her.”

Lisa frowned. “No, I like the idea of burning her body. We'd be making a statement. Anita would have approved.”

“If we get caught, we'll be killed,” I reminded her. So much for staying out of trouble.

“He's killing his servants. You don't think that demands attention?” Lisa huffed. “I would have liked to know what I was getting involved in before I worked here.”

“It wasn't like you had a choice.” I reminded her bitterly. That was what we were fighting for: our freedom to make choices. Whether they were right or wrong, they were our choices to make.

“Even so,” Lisa scoffed, “she deserves more than being thrown away like a piece of trash.”

Footsteps clomped through the hallway, just outside the door. “Well whatever we decide, we need to do it fast.”

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy, released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

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Ethereal Fury: Gemini Rising #1: Review

Title: Ethereal Fury
Author: Jessica O'Gorek
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi
Series: Gemini Rising #1
Rating: Whale

THE PREMISE

Angry at the human race and its methodical destruction of her resources, Mother Earth recruits souls who have just left their bodies to serve Her, and turns them against humanity. A powerful, rising force proceeds to carry out Mother Nature’s plan to systematically destroy towns, cities, states… and eventually, the world. Amidst the chaos, a forbidden relationship between a human girl, Violette, and Onyx, a lead Gemini, begins. They will both find themselves in the middle of a revolutionary war that will either save, or destroy our world.

MY THOUGHTS

Without a doubt Gemini Rising was a unique read. I can seriously say that I don't think I've read anything else quite like it. 

The good thing was that yes, it may have been incredibly unique, but it was also pretty enjoyable. 

I a first had a very hard time attempting to settle in with the writing style. Some of it just find seem to flow together. And truthfully I think that for me, it was one of my biggest problems with the book. The style seemed somewhat as if it was talking down to me. As if it was trying to explain everything that was taking place like I was a little kid. After a while I did get over it, and I was able to ignore it for the most part, but I definitely struggled with that aspect of the book. 

The only other negative thing for me was the complete confusion I suffered in the beginning. While it did feel like the author was trying to explain it to the reader there was just so much going on. Within the first couple of chapters someone died got brought back to life in a way, another person was stabbed, an old man was feeling annoyed and then fatherly towards a girl (who was a main character, Violette) and then there was Mother Earth and they were above Earth and below Earth. They were just everywhere all the time. 

Can you understand my confusion? Like the writing style though I was able to get by it and I did begin to really enjoy AND understand the story. 

One of m favorite things about the book was Mother Earth! I love how she was an actual sentient being. Instead of being something that people just referred to as Mother Earth she was REAL! This was an IDE. That really proves the uniqueness of this book! 

Another great part of the book were the Gemini. These Gemini are celestial beings who can take over the bodies of humans. Sighing the first two chapters already it's easy to tell exactly how Mother Earth and the Gemini feel about humans! I LOVED this aspect! 

On to the characters. 

So these characters are without a doubt interesting.... But I did have some major problems with them. Truthfully I though the Onyx and Violette's relationship was kind of weird.... But then again it might just be me. I just had the hardest time getting over the fact that originally Onyx was a middle age guy who died and was brought back to life and Violette who is waaayyyy younger. (The guy was middle age when he died and then it's now years after that.... So in spirit he's pretty old....) I really was just a little bit weirded out. 

Beyond that the characters were fantastic!  They were unique and really helped to make the book! 

So with that I would give this book three and a half stars! I thought it was a really interesting book and I can't wait to see what else the author has in store and also if there will be much improvement between this book and the next! 

WHALE=THREE AND A HALF STARS

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Rising-Ethereal-Jessica-OGorek/dp/0925776254

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gemini-rising-jessica-ogorek/1116142763?ean=9780925776259 

 I was born in Chesapeake, Virginia on April 19th, 1979. I was raised within the American Indian religion and was taught great respect for the earth and all its living beings. Powwows, sweat lodges, vision quests, you name it, I’ve done it. I was the weird kid who would confront kids on the playground in elementary school when they squished a bug. I would very sincerely tell them what they were doing was morally wrong and then I would pray for the bug to come back as a butterfly in its next life.

​I grew up admiring my father, Barry Weinstock, as an author. He took me around the country to different places so he could research and write his Wilderness Survival books. One of his greatest works, “The Path of Power,” was written with a great medicine man, Sunbear. When I was twelve I started
hand writing novels. My first one was two thousand pages. My dad always encouraged me and would rave about my writing. He gave me the confidence I needed to keep writing and follow my dream. My daughter, who is twelve, is currently working on her first novel. I hope to continue the legacy.

Website: http://1geminirising.wix.com/geminirising                                

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-OGorek/306913389429972      

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeminiRising1                                                                       

Blog: http://geminirising1.blogspot.com                                                           

Any Others: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17738490-ethereal-fury      

More than Jamie Baker: It only gets better

Title: More than Jamie Baker

Author: Kelly Oram

Series: Being Jamie Baker #2

Genre: YA, Romance, Fantasy

Rating: OWL

THE PREMISE

Jamie Baker, the only girl in the world with superpowers, has now accepted who she is and learned to control her power. Not to mention she has the best boyfriend on the planet. Life is finally looking good. But the day she witnesses an accident and decides not to save the guy out of fear of being exposed, she realizes that simply being Jamie Baker isn't enough.

After seeing Jamie so wrecked with guilt, the ever-helpful Ryan Miller decides it's time to make all of his fantasies about turning his girlfriend into an honest-to-goodness superhero become a reality.Of course, coming up with a decent Super Name and fending off all of Ryan's attempts to get her into spandex aren't the only problems Jamie faces. The more her alter ego starts to make headlines, the harder it becomes for Jamie to hide her extracurricular activities from her best friend, the government, radical scientists, and the mysterious new guy who is determined to steal her from her boyfriend


                                 MY THOUGHTS
So unless you live under a rock (in which case I am sure you would be completely flattened unless it was just a teeny tiny rock) or if you have never been on my blog before, or maybe if you're oblivious to the world, then maybe, JUST maybe, you haven't heard of my complete undying love for Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here, but already I'm kind of apprehensive about you.
I mean, I'm the kind of fan where if I could create a fan club for this book I would. I would do it in an instant! In fact, I believe I shall start a Jamie Baker fandom. Better yet, I'm going to make a Goodreads group about this book.

Trust me on this, guys, Jamie is a superhero and I am her super fan.

This is a book that I can say without a doubt, I LOVE and ADORE IT!

I got to revisit some of my favorite characters.
There were resolutions that I needed.
New mysteries opened up.
I got to see more of my favorite couple.
I got to see Jamie grow as a character.
And by the end my heart was shattered into a thousand little tiny pieces.

Here's the thing, I CAN'T TELL YOU MUCH!
I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't read the first, or more likely those who have yet to have read the second!

I can say that this book was amazing.
Ryan Miller STILL ROCKS!
Jamie was a fantastic character!
The love triangle isn't really a love triangle... but it is super duper important to the whole book.
And after you finish this one... If you don't end up in a catatonic state in desperate need of the next book, then YOU ARE A HEARTLESS THING and I'm not quite sure we can be friends! (Kidding...sort of...)

If you've read Being Jamie Baker and you loved it, then I'm pretty sure you'll like this one just as much!

And if you've yet to pick up the first one, GET ON THAT!!!!! NOW!!!!


Below are some of my reactions for the book that I just happened to write down!

*Notr: The big sections of silence mean I was to into the book to even  consider updating!*

OWL=FIVE STARS









 And if you haven't seen the trailer for Being Jamie Baker... WATCH IT!! SOOOO GOOD!

Scars of Bifrost Review

Title: Scars of Bifrost
Author: A.J.M. Mousseau
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Paranormal, Romance
Series: Scars Saga #1
Rating: 

THE PREMISE

Freya Catten has lived on the fringes of society her entire life, growing up in hiding with her mother in the deepest, wildest places left in North America—the national parks and forests. Freya's mother taught her how to live off the land, away from civilization—mysteriously warning her of the dangers of getting involved with society and leaving traces of her DNA behind. But five years ago Freya's mother abandoned her, leaving Freya to survive on her own. 


Freya knows how to stay alive, whether she's hiding in the forest or running on the city streets. She changes her appearance often and owns nothing but her backpack filled with survival gear and a necklace that had been her mother’s. 


But, keeping one step ahead of Social Services isn't her biggest fear. Freya's true terror lies with The Takers—strange men who rappel from silver cords out of the deep blue sky from nowhere. They snatch up their victims then evaporate without a trace. Freya holds a dark suspicion—that the Takers are really after her, and they are closing in.


Freya realizes that if she is to ever have a normal life she must first find her mother and answer the questions that have kept her in hiding. Along the way, she meets Theron Hawk—a rugged teenage soldier from a war-torn country—and finds herself truly trusting someone for the first time in her life.


As secrets are uncovered, and Freya comes closer to solving the mysteries surrounding her life, her blood and the priceless necklace that lays at her throat, the scars of the Bifrost will threaten to rip apart Freya's very existence.



SCARS OF THE BIFROST is the first story in The Scars Saga and is a Young Adult science-fiction/fantasy/paranormal romance novel infused with wilderness survival, urban fantasy, dystopian elements and mythological realism.

MY THOUGHTS

Scars of the Bifrost has on of the most intriguing titles ever. 

I mean doesn't reading the title make you curious... Or maybe that's just me. 

And well after reading the summary I was even more intrigued! 

Not only did it sound fast paced there was also a wilderness survival aspect to it! 

For those of you who don't know I love the outdoors and I love reading about wilderness survival! That entire topic just fascinates me! 

So I was definitely interested to see how well the author could incorporate that aspect into her book! 

And I have to say that I was pretty impressed. 

I mean some of it was completely unrealistic and something you could never do in the wilderness but a lot was also interesting and engaging! 

I loved the idea of The Takers and really thought it added a nice element to the story! 

I so rally enjoyed reading about Freya! She was a strong independent main character that was determined to depend only on herself! Watching her relationships progress was definitely interesting! 

I have to say though that there were points where the writing just didn't seem to flow. It felt like the writing style became too forced which was definitely something that hindered my enjoyment of the story. 

In all I think I would have to give this book a solid four stars! 

Although it was an engaging read there were definitely some things that could have used a bit more work!

VIEW THE TRAILER

I am an author and university student. I live in a recreational vehicle -- by choice -- with my awesome husband, four amazing kids, and huge, fluffy, 85 pound golden retriever named Titan. I write and do school on line as we travel throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is incredible to live in a new place every few months (sometimes weeks) and to see everything! We have lived this clan and tribal lifestyle for two years now and have been to over twenty national parks and forests. They gave me a lot of inspiration for Freya's story. 

Unlocking Brísingamen, the next book in the Scars Saga, will be released very soon!

***Author Links***

Prizes (open internationally):

--One $25 Amazon Gift Card

--One ebook copy of Scars of the Bifrost and an ebook copy of Unlocking Brisingamen (as soon as it is released)

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