3.5/5 stars
Time travel, a watch that transmits your date of death (DOD), sasquatches, and zombies in a dystopian society. This book has a lot going on which creates a lot of tension and makes it a fast-paced read.
What I liked: The DOD watch was cool. Good citizens of Brighton, like Abby, are encouraged to keep their date of death as distant as possible. The dystopian society is pretty typical of a lot of books, but the DOD and the advice meeting with your future self is an original and interesting concept. The story kept my interest from beginning to end.
What I didn't like: Abby seems boy crazy and her obsession shows itself at inopportune times, like when they are in danger and she needs to focus, or even when she's not sure she can trust the guy. After her abduction when most people would be frightened and concerned that they would never see friends or family again, Abby is ogling her smokin' hot kidnapper. For the first half of the book she was always obsessing over one hot guy or another, even when she wasn't sure they could be trusted. What made it worse was that the non-Brighton outpost is like Alaska-mostly guys and very few girls. There is this:
With brothers no less.
Also, the time travel is confusing. At times it appears she knows things she shouldn't be able to know, like how the zombie virus came about, and other times the "rules" of the time travel seemed to contradict each other.
The cliffhanger ending was great. All in all it was still an entertaining read. And if you like lots of twists and turns then you might enjoy this series.
4/5 stars
Can a love based on lies survive?
Ellie is a down-on-her-luck former child actor whose mother squandered her childhood earnings then dies of cancer. She's in Minnesota, trying to go to college and get by. She puts an ad on Craig's List to try to get an acting job. She heads over to a coffee shop for the interview. There she finds a group of wealthy sorority girls with one thing in common: they have all had one night stands with the campus hunk, Julian. They feel jilted and angry because they never heard from him after their booty call and want to get even. They want to hire Ellie to play the girl who Julian falls for and then have her dump him. They have even compiled a detailed list of what he would want in a potential girlfriend. Desperate for money and about to be kicked out of her apartment, Ellie takes the job.
Julian is not who he seems. A family tragedy causes him to go off the deep end. His overprotective sister takes drastic actions in an attempt to save him. She moves him away from his home in New Hampshire to get a fresh start. He becomes a player on campus but is completely oblivious to how his actions affect the girls he hooks up with. That is, until, he really falls for Ellie.
Is there insta-love? Yes, some. But I was able to overlook it for the most part.
Is the premise hard to believe? Yes, I did have to suspend disbelief at certain points, but I don't think it detracted from the story.
Valerie was the character I most disliked. She did some rather over-the-top things in the name of protecting her brother. And I didn't care for the names she called Ellie either.
Overall, it was a fast-paced, enjoyable romance with well-done, steamy sex scenes.
ARC provided by Netgalley
3/5 stars
This is the second book in the Danaan Trilogy. Although I didn't read the first book, the author did a good job of explaining things, and I felt like I had a good grasp of what happened in the first book.
Allison has returned from the land Tir na n'Og with her father, Liam. He has not aged since he has been in the fairy realm and is only three years older than his daughter. Book two begins with Allison trying to figure out a way to help her mentally ill mother. A spell has turned her into a schizophrenic. Aoife, a fae who wants Liam for herself, is trying to perform a bonding ceremony with Liam that will permanently sever his ties from her mother, Elizabeth, and it is uncertain if she will ever regain clarity if that happens. Plans are made to return to the fairy realm and stop Aoife. Along the way Allison meets her half-sister, Samantha. Aoife is her mother, and Liam never knew he had another daughter. Allison's human love interest, Ethan, wants to come along to help, and joins in the plan to stop Aoife.
What worked for me:
I don't know a great deal about fairy/fae, but it seemed the author did a lot of research into Irish folklore. I had heard of Tuatha de Danaan, from the book Rua, by Miranda Kavi, but this is a very different take on it. Ms. Howard did her homework. The names of the fae, the aversion to iron/steel and the land, Tir na n'Og were all well done.
What didn't work for me:
I spent the majority of the book waiting for something to happen. There was lots of planning but not a lot of action until the last few pages. Also, I never felt a deep connection to either Allison or Ethan. It's difficult to stay interested when you aren't invested in the book couple's happiness.
Would I recommend this book?: Yes, for the right audience. If you like fairies and/or Irish folklore, this book could be for you. From reading other reviews on this book, I know I am in the minority. Most find it a fast-paced, page-turning read. What can I say? I prefer a little less talk and a lot more action.
The cover is beautiful.
5/5 stars
Dear Katy,
I forgive you for how you acted in Onyx. We can be friends again. I'll even read your book reviews.
Sincerely,
Kathleen
Dear Daemon,
I love that you watch Ghost Adventures and can shift into a zombie. That earns you extra book boyfriend points.
Love,
Kathleen
Blake,
You are the biggest tool on the planet. You are a creepy stalker guy, back-stabbing turd. I wish Katy had told Daemon about how you snuck into her room and her bed while she was <em>asleep</em>. I'm sure he would have given you the Travis Maddox treatment.
You suck,
Kathleen
Dear Ms. Armentrout,
You wrote <em>It sucked-sucked worse than people who pirated books, sucked more than waiting a year for the next book in a beloved series, and sucked more than a brutal cliffhanger ending.</em>
Kathleen wrote-Nice Foreshadowing
4.5/5 stars
Amanda Ashley does a wonderful job of retelling this fairy tale with her own twists and in her own way. I love her writing style. It is so fluid; it doesn't get in the way of the story.
The Lord of Hawksbridge Castle, Erik, has been cursed into becoming a beast by his witch mother-in-law. (Yes, she's literally a witch.) She holds him responsible for the death of her daughter, Dominique. The change doesn't happen all at once. Over several years his body morphs into a wolf-like beast. Time is running out. Before his father died, he promised to sire an heir. Erik plans to fulfill his father's dying request and then put himself out of his misery.
Kristine is sentenced to die for murder. She killed a man who tried to rape her. She receives a reprieve when Erik obtains her freedom. (bribing a judge, I presume) She is taken straight from jail to the church to marry Erik. She knows nothing about him other than what she can see. His face is covered with a mask and he wears a glove on his left hand. To Erik, she is nothing more than a brood mare and this reader wonders if she felt like she was being raped again and forced into this loveless marriage. Still, she feels obligated to Erik for saving her life and tries to get to know and love her enigmatic husband.
The story centers around Kristine showing love to the Beast and Erik trying to keep his true form a secret from her. He finds himself falling for her despite his efforts to keep his distance. She loves him so much, she is willing to do anything to reverse the curse and save her husband.
Her sacrifice is hard to swallow, and the solution seems a bit deus ex machina, but it was an enjoyable story that had me hooked from the very first scene. Best of all, I got my HEA.
5/5 stars
Imagine Stephen King's The Stand hooks up with a dark fairytale and begets The Walking Dead.
There are a million zombie stories out there but this one has an interesting dark fairytale twist. The zombie virus is caused by a spell. Five survivors, called the guardians, realize that they have special skills they lacked before. They will come together almost the way Mother Abigail called her followers in The Stand
The Guardians:
Parrish: Emo girl turned ninja ice queen after the zombie apocalypse. She can fight and she can freeze zombies. 
Noah: Protector and strong fighter. He acts as a leader. He also has a special ability to heal.
Karmen: She reminds me very much of Samantha from Night of the Comet. Especially when she heads to the mall. She seems the most shallow of the group but she has an inner strength that she has barely begun to tap. She has the ability to communicate with the rotters and can make them stop attacking.
Daddy would have gotten us Uzis.
Crash: Super smart computer geek. He can hack anything and receives premonitions from dreams. He knows there should be five guardians and he pulls them together like Mother Abigail. He has an added ability to keep the power going in his apartment and keep his computers running. It's like he can will the electricity to power on.
The boy: We don't know his name yet, but he is the fifth. We also are not sure of his powers but we do know he is smart and resourceful to have survived this long. I imagine a younger version of Will Smith from I am Legend when I think of him.
Then, there's the bad guys.
The Dark One: The evil incarnate who has created the zombie spell.
And the Witch, her humble servant:
My Life for You
The next book should be a blast. It looks like more of the dark fairy tale and prophecy fulfillment are headed this way.
4/5 stars
This is a sweet, short, love story about a boy and a girl who meet as young kids and become reacquainted in high school. Sounds typical, right? Not exactly. Colton has difficulty expressing himself the way others do. He is awkward in social situations. He has Aspberger's and Lilly makes it her mission to include him and help him fit in.
Along the way Lilly learns a lot about herself. She learns she is willing to sacrifice for Colton. She is willing to do without the typical courting rituals. He probably won't mark important days such as anniversaries, unless his mother makes the effort for him. She will never take him to loud parties or other typical teen functions. Even attending a high school dance is a difficult endeavor for him and places him outside his comfort zone.
Colton learns a lot from Lilly too. He learns about unconditional love and is able to finally express that love to Lilly. That is something she wasn't sure he would ever be able to do. They both realize that no matter what the difficulties are, being together is worth it.
My only complaint with this story was that it was too short. I would have loved to know more of the backstory, the reasons why Lilly was so drawn to Colton in the first place. Recommended for those who enjoyed <em>Flat-Out Love, Flat-Out Celeste</em> and, in a different way, <em>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</em>.
I did a buddy read of this book with my friend, Brandy. This book has been on my TBR for a very long time. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.
My opinion of the Book boyfriend: My thoughts on Daemon changed from moment to moment. On one hand, he could be utterly cruel. The things he said to Katy were beyond mean and would have left me crying in a corner. I understand he wanted to protect his secret and didn't want a repeat of what happened to his brother, but he was downright rude. Once the cat was out of the bag, he should have dropped the mean guy, "I don't give a rip about you" attitude, but he didn't. Of course, it only added to the interest of the story and the sexual tension.
My opinion of the main character: Katy is feisty and stubborn. I love that she can give as good as she gets from Daemon, but she takes it too far at times. She puts everyone in danger on more than one occasion, just to be contrary to Daemon. I do like that she's not dumb. And she wins the prize for her smart-ass come backs.
My opinion of the plot: Small town, strange people lurking around, a lot of paranoia, government coverup--works for me. I definitely want to continue the series.
Favorite quote: My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face.
All in all, it was a great, page-turning read and I will be reading more of Ms. Armentrout's work.
This is a darker side of fairies YA book. I like to read books that I learn something from. This is one of those books. From other books I knew a little about fae, but I had never heard of Sidhe or Tuatha before. It was so interesting to me I had to stop reading and look it up.
Strange things begin to happen to Celeste around the time of her seventeenth birthday. She is starting a new school and experiences visions, headaches, and voices in a strange language. A swarm of black birds follow her around. And then there's Rylan, a strange, "be still my heart" good-looking guy, who also happens to be new to the school.
Her best friend, Tink, is a well-developed character. In other books I have read the male best friend characters are merely plot devices to get the MC together with the hot book boyfriend. That is not the case here. Not only is Tink a really great guy, he also happens to be Wiccan, and with his protection spells, helps Celeste even before she really understands what's going on.
The ending wasn't too much of a shocker, but the entire book kept my interest. I was able to finish it in two sittings. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a darker paranormal YA romance.
Celeste and Justin are Flat-Out adorable. They remind me of another quirky couple.
They both have easy to recognize personality traits, but I won't diagnose them because they prefer not to be labeled. That makes me love them all the more. Apart they are awkward and do not work well and play with others, but together, they are magic.
I loved Celeste so much in Flat-Out Love, and I find her even more endearing now. Matt is back too, and I won't give away any spoilers, but I do feel Ms. Park did not cheat us in the HEA department. Ms. Park, please keep writing these incredible books. There are so many wonderful quotes that I could go on for pages, but I think I will leave you with one that is my favorite.
<blockquote>"You don't get to tell me what I want and don't want. God, we're all probably diagnosable. Look at the world around you. Look! We all have something."</blockquote>
Celeste and Justin are Flat-Out adorable. They remind me of another quirky couple.
<a href="http://www.kmmontemayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Benny-and-Joon-e1404479170348.jpg"><img src="http://www.kmmontemayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Benny-and-Joon-e1404479170348.jpg" alt="Benny-and-Joon" width="360" height="240" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1727" /></a>
They both have easy to recognize personality traits, but I won't diagnose them because they prefer not to be labeled. That makes me love them all the more. Apart they are awkward and do not work well and play with others, but together, they are magic.
I loved Celeste so much in Flat-Out Love, and I find her even more endearing now. Matt is back too, and I won't give away any spoilers, but I do feel Ms. Park did not cheat us in the HEA department. Ms. Park, please keep writing these incredible books. There are so many wonderful quotes that I could go on for pages, but I think I will leave you with one that is my favorite.
<blockquote>"You don't get to tell me what I want and don't want. God, we're all probably diagnosable. Look at the world around you. Look! We all have something."</blockquote>
Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire
5/5 stars
Trenton's story is very different than Travis's. They are alike but different too. Fighting is Travis's go-to position. He puts his fists up first and asks questions later. Trenton can and will fight for those he loves, especially Cami, but he doesn't look for trouble the way Travis does. And when Cami asks him not to start a fight with her dad, he honors her wishes even though I wish he had put her dad in the hospital.
Travis has been having a hard time. He kind of dropped out of college after he was involved in a car accident that left a girl dead. The girl was driving and he blames himself. To this day, he has a hard time letting Cami, or any other girl drive when he's in the car. It gives him anxiety if he doesn't do the driving.
Cami's life is more screwed up than Abby's. Abby's father, the mob guy/gambler, who blamed his daughter for his losing streak, and extorted money out of his daughter every time he got in deep to the mob, wins the father-of-the-year award compared to Cami's physically and verbally abusive dad. Her mother won't leave him and her brothers have like this weird enabling relationship with him. For some incomprehensible reason, the brothers think Cami should come every week to the family dinner so that her father can berate her and blame her for what's wrong in the family. She skips a few dinners and they get mad at her. When her dad comes to her apartment drunk and ready to physically strike her, Trenton knocks him out. Instead of outrage at the dad's behavior, Cami is concerned her brothers will come after Trent and start a war. Apparently, in this household, beating up your wife and daughter is A-OK, but if someone strikes the abusive father in order to PROTECT said daughter, then all the brothers are going to make him pay.
I'll give you a few highlights:
If Trent hadn't been there, Mom...he was set on beating the hell out of me. Trent had to hold him back, and he still came at me."
"He was angry you didn't come for lunch. And then Chase (one of the brothers) started in. Oh, God. This family is falling apart."
"Coby, (one of the brothers) please don't day anything," I begged. "We don't need a Maddox-versus-Camlin situation on top of this."
Coby glared at Trenton, and then nodded at me. "I owe you one."
So, you're glaring at the guy who just protected your sister from a raging lunatic, and promising not to tell your other hot-headed brothers that Trent beat up your dad, not because your dad was CLEARLY IN THE WRONG HERE, but because you owe your sister for bailing you out for your steroid abuse? This same sister who took a second job to cover your debts so your dad wouldn't find out? Un-freaking-believable.
Why everyone is so concerned about making the father happy I'll never understand. And the mom still doesn't leave him even after he nearly beat up their daughter. They have Thanksgiving at the house. At least Cami doesn't attend.
Enough with loser dad and the brothers. Cami has a secret she's keeping from Trenton. He has loved her since middle school, and he is committed to her in every way. When she nearly loses Trenton, she finally gets her priorities straight. She is holding back to protect someone else. She firmly believes he will leave her if he finds out the truth. I won't give away anything, but the end will be a shocker.
This was a great read. I read it in one day. It's more intense than BD and WD, but in a very good way.
5/5 stars
This book reminds me of Stephen King's Word Processor of the gods, but not in a supernatural way. Once again, Jamie McGuire's addictive writing has sucked me in. I read this in one sitting.
Eighteen-year-old Erin Easter has had a rough life. She is dirt poor, living with a drunk, high, neglectful mother. DHS has been out to her house on multiple occasions but did not find sufficient cause to take her away. Those who were once her friends now live every day to make her life hell. They tease her mercilessly. She works at Dairy Queen to get by. Her one friend/mentor/fill-in mom, Frankie, is in her twenties and also works at Dairy Queen. She was a teenage mom, and with the closing of the town's factory, it is the best job she can get. Then one day, the boyfriend of one of the mean girls, sticks up for her.
They start hanging out together. He likes that he can be himself around her and not try to impress anyone. They both have had secret crushes on each other for years. He breaks up with Mean girl Alder, and she comes to the Dairy Queen, threatening Erin and promising to re-double her efforts to destroy her once she returns from Spring Break. In an instant everything changes and all her problems are solved.
No more mean girls hating her. No more neglectful mom. Money problem--gone. Loving family with devoted parents--check. Kind, wonderful boyfriend--check.
The ending reminds me of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Remember what happened to the man who got everything he ever wanted?
He lived happily ever after.
As this is the first book in the series, I don't have high hopes that this will happen for Erin.
This book really messes with your mind. Either Patch is an evil, stalker guy who manipulates Nora by crawling into her head. OR, he really loves her and wants to protect her from the even creepier guys--Jules and Elliot.
This is what I know for sure: Patch can crawl into other people's heads and manipulate them. He manipulates the biology teacher/coach so he can sit next to Nora. Patch watches/spies/stalks Nora. He can speak to her through her mind. He can alter her reality. Miss Greene/Dabria acts inappropriately as a psychologist for Nora. Jules can also crawl into people's heads and alter their reality. Vee is Nora's best friend. We never see Jules and Patch together at the same time.
This is what I'm not sure about: Should Nora be afraid of Patch? What did he do to her on the Archangel roller coaster? He seems dangerous but also protective. My first impression of Elliot was good. I thought his friend Jules was a moody bastard, but I liked Elliot. That quickly changed. He gave me the creeps in a major way.
[spoiler]
Elliot threatens Nora and tells her she must go on Spring Break with them. She doesn't want to go. Then her best friend Vee tells her she should go on Spring Break with them even after NORA TELLS HER HE THREATENED HER. Vee's reaction was totally out of character. Vee's reactions to being beaten up are odd. She's not upset at all that she was attacked and not afraid to go out alone. [/spoiler]
What I think happened, but I could be wrong: Patch is a bad guy but not as bad as Jules. He is also capable of change. Vee's mind was manipulated/invaded by Elliot and Jules and that's why she said and did all the crazy stuff at the end of the book.
It was a different book that kept me guessing. I'm still not entirely sure what happened. Either Becca Fitzpatrick is as adroit at manipulating the readers as Jules and Patch are at manipulating Nora, or she deliberately wrote a terrible book with stupid, unlikable characters. I tend to believe the former. You decide.
4/5 stars.
OK. Before I start the review, can I just say.
Lowering her head, Echo withdrew into her hair.
She did it three times, and every time I couldn't help but think of Erin from the Office going to her hair room.
Echo Emerson has been horribly scarred. Her brother died in Afghanistan. Her mother almost killed her and she doesn't remember any of it. CPS is forcing her, her father, and step mom, to go to counseling sessions. Her father hates it, Noah Hutchins also has to endure counseling sessions courtesy of the state of Kentucky. His parents are dead and he was separated from his younger brothers. He has all but lost visitation privileges because he physically struck his first foster father. He was hitting his biological kid, but according to the state, that doesn't matter. The school has a new counselor, Mrs. Collins, and she suggests Echo tutor Noah. Echo needs money to restore her brother's car and Noah needs to get his grades up and change his attitude so that he can visit his brothers. The new counselor suggests that Echo tutor Noah. Win/Win situation.
At first the two can barely tolerate each other. There is some instalust, but neither one wants to get close. That all changes when they realize they have a common goal: steal their files from Mrs. Collin's office. The files contain information on what happened the night Echo's mother tried to kill her. Noah's file contains the address of his brothers' foster parents. If Noah can prove they are mistreating them, he can win back custody of them when he graduates.
The story kept my attention the entire way through but I couldn't believe how stupid all the adults were. Echo's dad, Mrs. Collins to a point, the foster parents of both Noah and his brothers, not to mention Beth's Mom and her abusive boyfriend. All these kids would have been much better off if they had been emancipated.