Friday, October 24, 2014

Review: The Sugar Queen By: Sarah Addison Allen

The Sugar QueenThe Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Josey Cirrini has been isolated from the town her deceased father put on the map. She has been caring for her mother, making up for her actions as a child, and hiding away. It comes as a surprise when Della Lee Baker appears in her room and is looking to hide away, in none other than Josey's secret closet (a closet filled with treats and romance novels, secreted away from the world and especially her mother). Reluctantly she agrees and finds a something in Della which leads her to finding out more about herself and gaining some much needed self confidence, she also picks up a friend along the way.
Magic fills the pages as only Ms. Allen can write, creating characters and a storyline that might suspend your disbelief, and have you wrapped and wanting to be embraced into the pages.
There is some twists, a bit of mystery, some romance, and as always hope and magic. This is a sweet (pun and true) novel to lose yourself in, but warning -- you will be dazed afterward, looking for that buzz again.

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Review: Horns By: Joe Hill

HornsHorns by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ignatius Perrish awakes on the anniversary of the murder of his love Merrin with horns.
He knows he went to the site last night and from there things get hazy. There is something strange about them - the fact that people forget that they are there - the fact they tell him their darkest thoughts - or how about the fact people ask him about whether doing dark deeds will be a good idea and ask permission.
This leads Ig on a journey into the darkness within to find out what happened to Merrin, to search for her killer. As he searches, he creeps into the deepest darkest recesses of the people around him and finds things that he wished he never did. The pursuit is on and embracing what he has become and the power that it wields is the only way he can begin to seek out the revenge that is due. There is no turning back.
This is a dark tale of revenge filled with humor and the wanderings of the inner workings of those all around us. I found this book so delicious, I devoured the book in one sitting refusing to put it down.

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Review: Contaminated By: Em Garner

ContaminatedContaminated by Em Garner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is 3.5 stars

Velvet Ellis is surviving, trying to care for her sister Opal and searching for her mother in the containment kennels. An epidemic causing almost zombie behavior arose from drinking a contaminated diet drink called ThinPro. Their father was immediately hit, the anger, the madness, and then one afternoon while he was at work, he became one of the many that attacked and was never seen again.
Velvet held out hope. Her mother never drank that much, protected them when she began to see the symptoms coming on. When Velvet finally finds her mother in a kennel, the government collar has been placed around her neck to help prevent any anger outbursts or attacks. Unfortunately, not many people understand why she would even want her mother back, afterall her mother isn't at all what she used to be, she is a "Connie" or a monster.
Opal, Velvet's sister, is the one that opens the door to all that their mother is capable of. Soon, their mother hums, begins cleaning, even shows signs of worry. Velvet knows that despite what they have been told - their mother is coming back to them. It is at this point that the government has placed an order to destroy all "Connies", even those with the collar, they have become too dangerous. In minutes they will be at the door and the collar will have to come off and her mother will have to speak, something she hasn't done in some time - can she do it?

There is a beginning of a teen romance story within the story the helps add to the storyline and the buildup of the characters. I found the actual story really intense. Within the pages the reader will experience the isolation, abandonment, fear, need to connect, only to then have the bigotry and another fear takes it's place. Velvet is a survivor running on adrenaline fighting for her family. I found the concept of ThinPro very unique and believe that there is a link between them and the government -- but this is the first in a series and I will have to find out.

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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Review: Last Train to Babylon By:Charlee Fam

Last Train to Babylon: A NovelLast Train to Babylon: A Novel by Charlee Fam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aubrey Glass has returned home to Rachel's funeral. Rachel did it, she committed suicide, even though it is Aubrey that has the nicely composed letters each year filed away, waiting. Even though it was Rachel that helped all those years ago pour salt into a wound that never should have happened, being that she was supposedly Aubrey's best friend.
Aubrey was forced into a situation years ago and now she is being forced into going back home to Rachel's funeral - she is being forced to deal with the past. She has to go back to where it all happened to finally begin to heal.
How complex the relationship between females as we grow, how protective in our minds we can be given some circumstances beyond our control, and how some actions continue a cycle in our lives.
This was an amazingly honest portrayal of a broken human being. I found the story flowed, the character development beautifully raw and engaging. There is something tragically hopeful about it. The internal dialogue and POV - this is the beginning of a very talented author.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not warn you that this book may contain triggers for those that have experienced rape. The author tackles this in a very real way throughout the book.

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Review: Chose the WRONG Guy, Gave Him the Wrong FINGER By: Beth Harbison

Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong FingerChose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quinn Barton was ready to walk down the aisle in minutes, when the groom's brother gave her news of the truth that she just had been ignoring. That evening she took off for a couple days with him. That was ten years ago. That was when they left town and she stayed making wedding dresses for other women.
Fate has brought Burke (her ex) and Frank (his brother) back into town for their grandmother's wedding. And Quinn has found that she can't avoid any of it because she agreed to do the dress.
A beach read, filled with humor, heartbreak, and some insight - "Fairy Tales die hard in the minds and hearts of some girls." But don't look to deep for a third dimension in these characters. Quinn for the most part I didn't even like, except when she was with her friend Glenn - who had more insight than anyone and was a minor character unfortunately.
Want to feel good, have a little laugh and HEA - this is a good read for that fix.

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Review: Dr Who The Blood Cell By: James Goss


Review: Dr Who The Blood Cell                                      4.5/5

By:  James Goss


" RELEASE THE DOCTOR - OR THE KILLING WILL START"

A prison set into an asteroid in far off reaches has found a new prisoner - Prisoner 428. He wants to be called the Doctor. The book is told in the Governor's point of view, which leaves the mystery still unfolding to the very end.
The prison is far from HomeWorld and the TransNet is experiencing major problems. Soon hard decisions will have to be made on whether to release level 7 from the prison itself to allow them a chance to the nearest colony and the rest experience the slow death. The clock is ticking and the outages or increasing. And Prisoner 428 keeps escaping from his cell. He also keeps getting a visitor, Clara, who brings a freshness and fight that can't be denied.

There is something deeper and darker lurking, something that was placed into the prison when it was built - and it is feeding. This is where secrets have to be unearthed before time runs out, because the killing has already begun.

This was quite a thriller Dr Who. It had the wonderful Whovian pieces to it, but it also contained a thriller element that kept you on edge - was this because of the pov, maybe, the storyline, possibly - but this one is a definite must read for any fan.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for a review.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Review: Rooms By:Lauren Oliver

RoomsRooms by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Richard Walker has passed away requiring his family to come together under one roof at his home in Coral River. His Ex wife, Caroline, Daughter, Minnie, Granddaughter, Amy, and Son, Trenton are joined by those that already have had claim to the house long before the Walkers ever walked in. They have their own stories, their own secrets; Sandra, speaks all the time was there in the 70s, before her there always seemed to be Alice.
Living, like the dead, have their own corners they hide in the dark, shadows they keep from each other and at times from themselves. This is so beautifully exposed and demonstrated through the author's writing "it's the same way treed grow around the very vines that are killing them, so they're strangled and sustained all at once." Amazing insight, with different characters as a focus as different rooms are 'explored' or 'exposed'.
There is such a depth in this writing that one could and should re read this. It is haunting and gothic in feel and very enjoyable.

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Review: The Infinite Wave By: Rick Yancey

The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave #2)The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second installment of The 5th Wave is not a letdown. This one will have you on the edge and begin to fill in the pieces of what is to come. You will have to read the first book before entering this one.

Cassie and Evan are in this but not as much as Ringer. There is more of a backstory on the group, on Poundcake, Zombie, which gives a dimension to the humans that are left. The 'plan' is slowly being understood for the wiping of the planet.
"If you are human, there is no hope."
I loved this book, Ringer really standing out. Her interactions with Vosch and her above average mind working to understand the incomprehensible. This is the book that sets up the climax, that builds it all up. I can not wait for the next book, I am on edge.

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