Mini Reviews #5

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland - Loved it.  Intrinsical is such a beautiful and haunting tale. Woodland's prose is gorgeous - "The pain in my chest returned and I gasped from it's intensity, folding myself in half.  A clammy chill kissed my skin as the light dimmed, a black fog slipping past the corner of my vision."  The plot is full of mystery and is a little creepy.  Then you have fantastic characters including a very swoon worthy crush.  Overall, an amazing start to this series.  Can't wait for Indelible (book #2).  Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Unfortunately, I didn't finish this. Read two thirds and just found myself get frustrated.  I can see why people are loving this but I am having a hard time liking the characters apart from Mara and also all the drama and twists.  I don't get the attraction to Noah and would just like the girl for once to fall for the normal average boy next door.  I just don't think I am in the mood for it rather than anything wrong with the book.   Probably will pick this up again one day when I can read the series from start to finish and get a resolved ending but right now this isn't the type of book I am looking for.  Rating:  2.5/5 stars

Forgotten by Cat Patrick - Really enjoyed this.  I absolutely loved the romance in this book.   It was so sweet and tender and just made me melt and is pretty much the reason I am giving this book such a high rating.  Really, I don't remember much else about the story as I was swooned off my feet.  Forgotten is a relaxing and easy read where the romantic relationship steals the show.   Rating: 4/5 stars 

Mini Reviews #4

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers I thought this would not be my type of read.  It is historical christian fiction (not a huge fan of either) about the life of a woman who was sold as a child into prostitution and then later about the man who feel in love with  her.  This was just a beautiful and breathtaking read.  Oh boy did it my make my heart hurt.  I cried pretty much the whole way through this story.  Sarah (also know as Angel) is a character you become very quickly emotionally invested in and Michael is pretty much the perfect man.  I don't think you will find a character more forgiving and loving then him.   Overall,  this book deals with some intense issues but is worth the emotional journey it takes you on.  Rating: 4/5.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr - Such a gorgeous story.  It was real, honest and a little heartbreaking.  Again some tears.  Zarr's writing is seamless. So simple yet powerful.  The characters Jenna and Cameron are well rounded and fully alive.  You really can empathise with them.  And the plot is realistic.  Overall a brilliant story.  Rating: 4.5/5

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols - What a fun read. It has everything you need in a good romantic comedy escape.   Likeable characters, plenty of laugh out loud moments and some steamy kisses.  The kind of book you read in one sitting and grin the whole way through.   Highly recommend this book if you looking for an light and entertaining escape.  Rating: 3/5.

Book Review: Solid by Shelley Workinger

Solid (Solid #1) by Shelley Workinger
Publication date:  July, 2010
Source:  Thanks to Shelley Workinger

Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are brought together at a classified site where they forge new friendships, find love, develop "super-abilities," and even unearth a conspiracy.

Mini Review:

Solid was a fun and engaging read that I devoured in one sitting.

Workinger writing had a really great flow making it an effortless read from start to finish.   The plot had a familiar feeling yet it managed to still surprise me a couple of times.  The first half of the book had great pacing but the second half felt a little rushed and I would have liked it to be a little more detailed.  That being said it is only 220 pages so I think Workinger fitted in as much as she could in that small amount of pages.

The characters are instantly likeable and definitely will bring a smile to your face.  Clio, does feel like the average girl making her easy to relate too.  While the secondary characters were an entertaining bunch.   There is also some romance. But that is were I had a little trouble.  While I thought it was sweet I couldn't understand why Clio and Jack had a instant connection.   I would have like a little more build up.

Overall Solid was a good start to the series.  It definitely left me wanting to read more.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Cover: 2.5/5 - I like the purple on the black background.  It certainly makes you look twice.

***DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS AMAZING OFFER  If you buy a copy of Settling (Solid #2) in July you can get a free copy of Solid (kindle or PDF).  Visit Shelley Workinger website for more details.

For more reviews:  Musing of YA Reader

Book Review: Gateway by Christina Garner

Gateway by Christina Garner
Publication date: 17th May, 2011
Source: Thanks to Christina Garner

Ember has always known she doesn't belong in this world. But when she tries to correct the mistake, she wakes to find herself in a mental institution.

She's soon drawn to Taren, the mysterious boy with hazel eyes. He's not what he seems, but what is he?

When chaos erupts, they are forced to flee the institution together, and the secret that Taren has been keeping brings Ember closer to understanding her own. And leads her to... the Gateway.

My Review:

Favourite Quote:  "I felt changed, soiled by the brutality of all I'd witnessed.  Something had finally replaced teenage girls on my list of most heinous, and I didn't even know what to call it."

Gateway is good.  Really good.  I enjoyed everything about this novel - the strong writing, the believable characters, the captivating plot and the subtle but sweet romance.

Garner has written an impressive debut.  Her writing is quick and engaging and the plot has quite a few surprising twists.  Like I completely didn't see that coming twists and I mean none of them.  And that is a hard thing to find these days.  I really got caught up in this enthralling and convincing world and finished it within 24 hours.

Gateway is not all paranormal.  At the start of the book Ember wakes up in a hospital after an attempted suicide.  So it does deal with some serious issues briefly adding some more emotional depth to the story but it isn't a depressing read.  It is still more of action-packed, mysterious type of story.

The characters are well rounded and well written.   Ember, the main character, struggles with being different.  She has a genuine narrative making it easy to relate and connect with her.   While Taren is an intriguing character.  He is the type of guy that is the first one there if anybody needs anything.  Just a great guy.

There is a touch of romance between Ember and Taren.  They have plenty of tension that builds up nicely as the story goes.  It definitely has you eagerly reading to see if these two will act on their attraction.

Overall, Gateway is a exceptional dark and appealing paranormal novel.  I can't wait to read more of this world.

Overall Rating: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Cover: 4/5 - I love the simple black and grey art style cover.

For more info:  Visit Christina Garner's website.

Note: Gateway is available on Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or Amazon for only $2.99!!!

Mini Review Special #3

Desires of The Dead by Kimberly Derting - The second book in the Body Finder series.  Again another great read from Derting, although I didn't quite love it as much as the first book.  It took me a bit longer to get into it but once I did I was hooked.  The plot is intriguing and I love the way that Derting is setting up this series adding in some new elements.  It certainly has got me excited for the next book.  Jay and Violet were gorgeous as usual.  I LOVE their romance.  Sweet yet full of passion and heart.  Definitely worth a read.    Rating: 4/5 

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready - The sequel to Shade.  It was just an okay read for me.  The concept is unique and I love the paranormal element of the storyline.  The writing was fast paced and full of suspense.   However this time I felt that there was too much relationship drama and it annoyed me to the point I thought about giving it up.  Just when you thought things would settle down with Aura and her love life and new problem would appear.  Rating: 2.5/5   

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach - I really wanted to like this.   I had heard so many great reviews but I was bored.  I felt like I was studying a history book.  It may have just been due to the fact that historical genre is not my thing (but then again I have just read two historical books this week and loved them).  I think the concept was good but it just needed to have writing that flowed effortless.  Rating: 2/5

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy - A good coming of age story about three sisters.  Has well written characters that were easy to relate too.  The plot was a little slow at time and it seemed to drag but I liked the way all three sisters stories came together.  Also I was expected a cute read and it was surprisingly more realistic than I thought.  Rating: 3/5

Mini Review Special #2

Honey, Sweetheart, Baby by Deb Caletti - This is a realistic and tender coming of age story.  I love Caletti writing style.  So thoughtful and beautiful. I highlighted so many quotes from this book.  Enjoyed the plot at the beginning but about two thirds of the way in I got bored.  All the characters were interesting and well rounded.  Overall another good book from Caletti but not as strong Stay (which I read recently also by Caletti).   Rating - 3.5 stars

XVI by Julia Karr - Hmmm....what to say about this book.  XVI was an okay read.  The premise is interesting and thought provoking but also a little disturbing.   The writing lack the emotional connection to care about the story unfortunately.  The pacing was okay with only a few moments that dragged at the beginning.   I like the friendship and also the family relationship in this book.  They were the highlight of the story.  Overall, this book had a lot of promise but didn't completely meet.  However I still consider reading the next book in the series just because I really liked the characters.  Rating - 2.5 stars.

The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot - This was such a fun read.  Several times it had me laughing out loud.  Adult chick-lit that is entirely written in emails.  I had to admit it took me a little bit to get into due to the writing style.  I also found it lacked a little depth but I think that is again due to the style of book.  Overall, a light and entertaining read that will bring a smile to your face.   Rating - 3 stars.