Review : A Monster Calls : By Patrick Ness

Publisher : Candlewick 2011
Author : Patrick Ness
Inspired by : Siobhan Down
Pages: 224

I'm not sure that I can put into words the way that I felt about this book. It was beautiful, it was touching and it made me tear up several times. The book is about grief and how a young boy is dealing with his mom having cancer. I don't think there are any spoilers to give away, yet I am not going to go into a thick detail of the plot. I think it is better to say that I read this book in one sitting. I could not put this down for an instant, I needed to read the beauty all the way through till the end. It touched me, the writing style, the story, the characters, simply everything. It tugged at my heart strings throughout the book, but especially at the end because it had come to the end of the story. I wanted it go on and on but every good story has to come to an end.

Perhaps it touched me because as a young girl I lost my father, but I honestly think that anyone had ever watched a loved one be sick and had to deal with the possibility of them not being there anymore will have a fond appreciation for this book. Patrick Ness is a master of story telling and words, I hope to read more novels by him.

Another part of this book particularly touching to me was that the idea came from Siobhan Dowd, who unfortunately succumbed to cancer before she could publish this story. Luckily for us Patrick Ness was able to take the idea for the story and bring it to us.

Review : The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees

Thank you Harlequin for the ARC of this fabulous book!

I received this as an ARC and I had read the synopsis but I was not sure if I would like it.  Well, it was truly a wonderfully fun book that I am glad I got the chance to read.  With my list of Halloween reads, I have been reading a lot of darker stories and this was like a breath of fresh in between, just what I needed.  The story is about a girl named Miranda who wants to play Juliet in a play, so she can please her mother who also at one time was an actress.  She tries to cast a spell to help her get the part and that is when chaos ensues.  This is the point where I will stop because I don't want to give any spoilers away.

However, I simply loved Edmund Shakeshaft.  I literally laughed out loud several times throughout the book at the retorts that he gave.  Edmund came from the 1500's and now is dealing with life in the 21st Century, so you can use your imagination on how that will go. 

The book was fun and light hearted and not dark in anyway.  Situations were easy to understand and the flow of the book was excellent.  I finished this in a day and a half because I wanted to keep catching up with the characters with any free time that I had.  The story was predictable, as with most love stories, but there were some parts that did surprise me and make me laugh which really endeared me to this story.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a lovely, easy, fun story to pass your time away on an afternoon.  It's one of those stories that when you get to the last page you have a smile on your face.  It just makes you feel good!

Review : Bed Bugs by Ben H. Winters

Wow!  And that does not even describe how much I enjoyed this book.  This book sucked me in (no pun intended) right away.  There were so many terrific elements in this story, the setting, the characters but most of all the story.  Living in NY I was able to easily relate to all the locations that the author described.  I could picture where the characters were and that made it all the more fun for me.  The characters were truly wonderful.  The story is told from the perspective of Susan which to me was so interesting because the author is a male.  I cannot believe how beautifully he was able to convey the female perspective on situations so perfectly I forgot that a male was penning it.  I will not give any spoilers away.  However, I will say that this book will not be your typical nightmare bed bugs story...no no.  It is so much more than that.  With every turn of the page it gets better and better, definitely a must read!

Book Review : Envy (Empy Coffin #1) by Gregg Olsen

 

I really really enjoyed this book. The thing that I liked the most is that it was not a horror book like I thought, it was a thought provoking who done it book. When I read the synopsis and saw the title empty coffin series, I thought for sure it was going to be grisly and spooky. It definitely was spooky but it was totally different than a typical horror book.

The book starts right off with a good old death, one that any spooky thriller needs. For the rest of the book you are led on a tale of learning not only about the characters and their lives, but on a road with the "gifted" twins Taylor and Hayley in their quest for the truth. Taylor and Hayley or "HayTay" as they are sometimes called know some thing is not right in their town, but don't know just what, and you get to go along with them to find out just what that is.

When I got to the end of the story I was really glad to see that the author had taken a true story and wove it into a tale that is very real and very poignant for today's generation of teens. The book was not what I expected but it was better than I expected. It was not just a book seeking to thrill and scare, it sent a message and I'm looking forward to reading more from this series and author.

Review with NO SPOILERS! The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Wow, quite possibly the best books of this year for me. There is alot of hype around this book and the book lives up to the hype. I am NOT giving any spoilers away, but I can tell you that I have not read anything like this before. I love all of these characters, Mara, Noah and Mara's family.
I thought the writing was amazing, the story really flowed easily. There were no tough transitions where you had to go back and read the last paragraph to figure out what was going on. I was able to sit for hours and keep reading and not have to think about any of it. I could just breeze along withe the story and I love that. I will say that this will leave you scratching your head at the end and will have you coming back for more. I want more...NOW!

Book Review : Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

I thought this book was absolutely delicious.  I knew from just reading the synopsis that I would enjoy it but I didn't know I would enjoy it as much as I did!  It was a book about women and how their lives intertwine, but also how different each one is.  It is a story about families, love, life, hardships and trust.

I felt that Ellen Hopkins wrote a beautiful story with so many different elements.  She is a gifted writer whose story can all at one make you laugh, cry, mad and happy.  I felt like I knew these women and their families and wanted to know more about them when the book was over.  There is actually nothing in this book that disappointed me, I enjoyed every single part of it including the poetry written to describe the emotions the characters were feeling at a particular time.

I did not want to put this book down, every spare moment I could find I was reading this.  I took this book on vacation with me and even when waiting in lines for rides there I was reading it.  Hopkins is a brilliant writer who makes the story flow and keeps you wanting more!

Book Review & interview: Hurricane by Jenna-Lynne Duncan

 Hurricane
Author: Jenna-Lynne Duncan
Publisher :  Divertir Publishing LLC
Pages : 208 (Paperback)
Published : August 9th, 2009




This is a paranormal tale which included a multitude of paranormal elements and characters.  Not only was the story creepy and intriguing but there was also a love element.  Besides the turmoil of being hunted by a witch, falling for a distant guy and having dreams in which she can see the future, the main character is also fleeing from the biggest hurricane to hit New Orleans! 
For me, this book was a page turner.  There was so much happening and just when it thought I was about to get off the roller coaster, it took off for another spin.  There are so many elements to this story, so many characters and forces at work, I thought the title was really fitting.  Although the hurricane is one point in the story, there were so many additional things and plots that I felt that the story in and of itself was a hurricane.  I felt I was being swept up into the hurricane with the characters, wondering where we all would end up.  The story moved along quickly and was very fast paced.  The thing I think I most enjoyed about this book was when I thought I had figured something out, I was wrong.  I like being surprised by something that I thought I had so cleverly figured out and am wrong about.  It adds fun and excitement and this story definitely did this for me.  When I finished this story I wanted to read more, I didn't want the characters' story to end, and luckily for me, it's not going to.  Jenna-Lynne is working on her next book in the series and I cannot wait to dive back into the hurricane and see what they have in store for me next!

Read the interview I did with Jenna-Lynne on her first novel Hurricane, down below. 

1.       1.  This is your first novel, how did you feel while going through the process of writing and having it published?

The writing came naturally for me. It was my first shot at a novel but I have written short stories before. I love to write and read a lot. I was surprised at the publishing process. It is not what I thought, let’s just say that. Nonetheless, I was very lucky to have it accepted for submission on my first query. I had heard all the horror stories about getting a book published and I wish I had done more research but in the end I have come out very knowledgeable.

2. What was your inspiration for Hurricane?

Hurricane was based on a short story about a kidnapping I wrote when I was younger. The setting of New Orleans and Katrina fit naturally as I am from there and couldn’t think of a better place to set it. A lot of the details came to me in dreams. I get so wrapped up in the characters that if I’m lucky, I will dream about my story.

3. Now that Hurricane is out in stores, do you think you will create a series?

Yes, I wrote Hurricane with the intention of making it a series. I am currently hard at work writing the sequel and have plans for a third.

4. Where do you like to write and what was most fun about creating this novel?

I like to write very early in the morning. I just kind of crank it out and then go back in and re read it the next day. Rinse, and then repeat!

5. Hurricane is a YA book, do you have plans to work on more YA books or perhaps branch out to adult fiction?

I am open for anything! I love YA though and in addition to book two in the Hurricane series, I am writing some other YA novels. No matter the genre, I love writing romance and don’t think any of my novels will be without a romantic element.

6. What would you like people to know most about Hurricane or why they should buy this book?

A portion of the profits from each sale of Hurricane will be donated to the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. (www.Habitat-NOLA.org)

Hurricane is a novel that really means a lot to me because of the setting of New Orleans. I tried to emulate that precise culture and atmosphere that is unique to New Orleans so readers can share in my love for the city. A lot of people who live in or have visited New Orleans, share in the intrigue for this mysterious city so I think it is something a lot of people can identify with. It is also unique as it is a YA novel about Katrina. The Katrina experiences in the novel were real experiences. Most of the places in the novel are real places including the Lalaurie mansion. Madame Lalaurie is an old ghost story and I was more than happy to put an interesting spin on it.