Review: Transformed

Title: Transformed
Author: E.V. Fairfall
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 273
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Publisher: Silver Stag
Summary: Thea, all-mighty Mother Earth, only had one rule to follow above all else, one promise to keep to her brother: never take a human form. She would've kept that promise if it weren't for Brice. He's handsome and confident, but above all he's merciless.

He's also a hunter who has tormented Thea for years. She believes if she could teach Brice compassion, she might finally be able to save her creations and herself from his savage ways. Then she meets Chamber: another hunter.

She soon finds herself fascinated by−and torn between−the two boys: Brice and Chamber. Lost within a torrent of human emotions, Thea starts to lose who she is as she falls in love with the one thing that she's always hated: a hunter… a human.(via Goodreads)

My Rating:

| Goodreads | Amazon | My Goodreads Review | 

I received this book as a free ebook from the author in exchange for a honest review, so a big thank you to E.V. Fairfall for this opportunity!

The cover is what initially caught my eye with this book, but it was the plot that drew me in! This was a very unique idea that I've never seen before in young adult books. It's a story of a not-so-young girl: Mother Earth.

I was initially a little bit frustrated with Thea because she went from being this ancient being who has seen so much, to being a stereotypical teen with a crush, but as the story plays out I saw that it was very much part of the character development. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, because dress it up however you like, she was very typical of YA protagonists, but it helped the story along and set up for a delicious plot twist!

I loved the way the romance was handled between Brice and Thea. I was, again, a bit concerned but the wonderful way it was written I feel like when things went bad, I could feel it just as though I was being hit with a bag of bricks, much as I imagine Thea did. It was a nice illustration of how things can go bad so fast. 

I did have one complaint, the time did not seem to flow quite right. I found myself flipping back to see if I had missed something, or feeling like I had missed a chunk of time. Nothing huge, but enough that I noticed it a few times. 

I particularly enjoyed the mythology, can I call it that, in this. The back story of Thea and her brother and how they interact with a sentient Earth. Even though they are titled 'Mother Earth', 'God', 'Earth' I got more of a 'God' feel from the Earth. I liked the fluidity of the whole thing. 

It was a wonderful, well written, interesting book that kept me on the edge of my seat on more than one occasion! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys books with spiritual fiction in it, or someone who enjoys light fantasy and contemporary books. 

What is your favorite fictional religion or religious mythology?

Review: Frostfire

Title: Frostfire
Author: Amanda Hocking
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
Series: Book 1 in The Kanin Chronicles
Pages: 336
Release Date: January 1, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Summary: The first book in a magical new YA series from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking that invites readers back to the beloved world of the Trylle.

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes. Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royalty. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden. But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero who she once loved – appears to be up to something dangerous, kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?(via Goodreads)

My Rating:

| Goodreads | Amazon | My Goodreads Review | 

What a refreshing and exciting beginning to a series! 

I had this on my to read list for a while but didn't start it until I saw the upcoming 3rd book and gave it a chance. I don't see a lot of books about trolls so this was very exciting. I also found that this book barely fell into the young adult category and was more of a fantasy book. Not that I dislike YA, obviously, but it was a nice change of pace. 

The world building in this book was very well scattered into the plot of the novel. I generally love this part the best so it was nice to see it in bits through the whole book. I also liked the way that Bryn is very much an adult, but obviously newly one. She has a job, an apartment, and her own life, but she seems to be new to it all. I am glad it was not the same old 17 year old lives with parents who for some reason let her do really dangerous stuff. 

The intricate political and racial complexities were also very interesting. I really enjoyed hearing about them, who can speak with who and to what degree and who can live with who and where. I think that it speaks to a lot of different situations in today's world. 

I will defiantly be reading the next few books in this series!

Review: 'Salem's Lot

Title: 'Salem's Lot
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Pages: 631
Release Date: October 17th 1975  Publisher: Pocket Books  Summary: Something strange is going on in Jerusalem's Lot ... but no one dares to talk about it. By day, 'Salem's Lot is a typical modest New England town; but when the sun goes down, evil roams the earth. The devilishly sweet insistent laughter of a child can be heard echoing through the fields, and the presence of silent looming spirits can be felt lurking right outside your window. Stephen King brings his gruesome imagination to life in this tale of spine-tingling horror. (via Goodreads)  

My Rating:

| Goodreads | Amazon | My Goodreads Review | 

I read this book as part of my Stephen King project (AKA I am reading Stephen King). Before I started it I read Dracula because King says that it heavily influenced this book's writing. I'm really glad I did that, and I recommend that everyone read Dracula before they read this because the comparisons are amazing. This was the story that Dracula is hyped up to be! Where Dracula failed, King has managed to succeed spectacularly!

I love the way that the town it's self is a major character in this book. King spends a lot of time, arguably even too much time, setting the tone of the book by taking you through the town, but I thought it was just right. I enjoyed the other characters as well, particularly Matt, although somehow I missed that he was older initially! Once I realized that he was, I loved him more because, well, I love old people that's why.

I was told that this was one of Stephen King's scariest books, and I'm not sure where I stand on this. While I don't think that the actual plot scared me at all, King did a great job of setting a tone. The descriptions of how the characters themselves were feeling was so well written that it actually made me a little jumpy (...scared...) particularly walking in to work. In the dark. At night. At the full moon. 

I will say that one of the big reasons that I did not give this book a 5 star is that it stuck a little too close to the Dracula story. It was better written, more readable, more enjoyable, with a better pace and written in a more believable way, but it was essentially Dracula. Where it did stray was the parts about the house, and the fires.

I think that the ending leaves it open for a sequel, or mentioning in another book (I'm told King likes to do that) so here's hoping! Basically if you're thinking about reading 'Salem's Lot do it and just skip Dracula!

What book do you think is just a better version of something else? Happy reading! 

P.S. Check out the new layout for reviews! 

Review: Marked

Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

**This review was originally posted on Goodreads**

I had heard about the House of Night series books a lot, and thought I'd give them a try, although I admit, I really did not expect to like them all that much. That being said I thought that this book was really well written, and laid out. 

I particularly loved the matriarchal society that P.C. and Kristen Cast have designed and the very unique way in which they write the vampyres. This is not your run of the mill vampires are scary, but these ones are not all bad story. It presents vampires as more of a secret society. 

It isn't a book for everyone, but It reminds me of the popular television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in the way that it takes normal problems that teens and young adults would be going through, and makes them into supernatural or magical issues. 

There was a slight(ok, not so slight) undertone of feminism in the book, but it was not irritating, or overpowering. It did not overpower the plot as many of the feminist themed books tend to do. I am pretty sure that there were also ties to Wicca but I am not 100% on that as I am not familiar with that group. 

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought that I would and honestly the thing that held me back from 5 stars was the language. It was clearly trying to be 'hip' and 'cool' but came off childish, unrealistic, and to use a lame word, lame. That combined with some of the choices Zoey made were frustrating, however I guess that's just part of her character. 

Overall I think that this book would appeal to a wide variety of readers, including those looking for a romance, and those looking for something with a little bit more plot to it. I recomend that you give this series a chance!

Marked on Goodreads

My review on Goodreads

Review: The Last of the Firedrakes

The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy

I received this book as an advanced reading copy through Netgally from Wise Ink Creative Publishing and before I say anything I would like to say a big thank you to them for allowing me to read this book. 

The long asked question of 'what to read after Harry Potter' has been answered, as long as you don't mind a bit of déjà vu. I thoroughly enjoyed Oomerbhoy's masterpiece, from the stunning cover, to the cliff hanger at the end, and all the wonderfulness between. It took me a bit to get going, but once I did I couldn't put it down! 

I was initially a little put off by the similarities in the plot to the Harry Potter series, it felt like someone chopped the books into chapter sized hunks, mixed them up and stripped away the details, then put them back together and filled in with a new story. As the book went on, however, the comparisons lessened and it grew in it's own right, blooming into a very compelling story. It still puts you in mind of Dursleys, Hogwarts, and a certain blonde would-be villain, but it has a flavor all it's own. 

I was very impressed with Aurora's character. She was flawed, and young, but she was very likable. I don't always love main characters, but she felt very real to me. She was not obnoxiously over confident, but she also did not float about putting herself down so others would praise her. I liked that she has dark hair, and that she loves her dark hair. This stuck with me for some reason, and I started to picture her like princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin!

There was a romantic side to this book, and again, I must say it was beautifully written. I am normally left on the outside of romances looking in thinking 'good, she is happy,' or 'they want to be together' but that was not the case here. There is a point in this book, where Aurora and Rafe's inevitable romance just hits me! Not only did I want it to work out, but Oomerbhoy paints such a beautiful picture of longing that it leaks out of the page and you can feel it. 

Rafe was probably my favorite, and I couldn't help but picture him as a cross between Flynn Rider, and Aladdin! He put me in mind of a Robin Hood character immediately and I loved the depth his character has! I really feel for him in his current mess he find's himself in, and I can't wait to see how he fixes it! 

I think the biggest drawback to this book was that there were places that the plot similarities did become a bit overwhelming, mainly in the begining of the book, so if you are someone who is bothered by that you may not enjoy this book as much as you should. But the similarities are less as you go, so I have high hopes for the next book. No word on when the next book will be out, but I'll be here waiting when it does!

This book is set to be published on August 15, 2015 hop on over to Amazon right now and pre-order your copy!


The Last of the Firedrakes on Goodreads
My review on Goodreads

Review: The Year of the Flood

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

I liked this book a lot more than the first one, and to be honest I liked the first one a lot more once I had the perspective of this book. I was pretty generous with my 3 star rating of Oryx and Crake mostly because of how much it made me think, and continues to make me think, but this book really earned it's 4 stars, and I liked it in it's own right.

I really enjoyed the different points of view of Toby and Ren. It was a little bit confusing at first, trying to figure out the timeline and characters, but it really brought the world to life. I thought there was some interesting religious points brought up by the gardeners, but most importantly I think that this book really showed Jimmy/Snowman's character. All of the characters went through similar, traumatic events, and lived through what was essentially almost the end to the human race. In the first book we see Jimmy sinking into himself, and wholeheartedly believing his is the last human on earth. He thinks that there is no way that anyone else could have survived. On the other hand Ren has no reason whatsoever to believe that anyone else has survived let alone Amanda, the one person she reached out to. But she believes that it is possible. Then Toby who is somewhere between the two, she feels like the last person, but she wants to believe that Zeb survived. She *wants* to believe, but she isn't always able. I really enjoyed seeing Jimmy/Snowman from Ren's perspective, as well as seeing his story as seen by others. It shows that he really is just a misogynistic, narcissistic, low life, that has an inflated scene of his own importance and worth. It was this, I think, that made both books better. The perspective change. I know that I questioned in a review or Oryx and Crake if something was how Jimmy saw things, or how the author saw them, and I am very pleased that this book answers that question. 

If you have read Oryx and Crake you must go and get this book right now because you are missing out if you don't!

The Year of the Flood on Goodreads

My review on Goodreds

Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I'm very late to the game here, but when it comes to this book it's most defiantly better late than never! I know that the book world and the world of young adult has been raving about this book for, well, forever. I myself have had it on my to-read shelf since September of 2011! Well I finally got around to reading it and let me tell you, it is marvelous!

Right off the bat you get thrown right into the middle of a world, and in the middle of the excitement! There is no winding up period in this book, you learn about the world, and the political situations on the fly! As you race around with Katsa, you begin to learn about Gracelings and how this beautifully crafted world functions. There is something wonderfully realistic about a society that would fear and hate these gifted individuals, and their mismatched eyes, and it allows the book to have the touch of fantasy, while the majority of the world is carrying on as normal. 

Katsa reminded me of a more likable Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. I particularly loved that she focused on the important things going on in the world, and was not immediately swept away by a man. Although there is eventually a romance that unfolds, it is not overwhelming, and it does not eclipse the overall plot of this book. It felt more like a story of building trust, and a true relationship, than the terrifyingly unhealthy obsessions that I am seeing more and more. 

I am really looking forward to the sequel, especially because this book actually contained what I would have thought would be the climax to this series, so I can't even begin to imagine what is coming next!

What's a book that everyone read long before you did, and are you feeling like you missed the excitement train?

Cinder on Goodreads

My review on Goodreads

Review: Carrie

Carrie by Stephen King

What happens when you mix high school, crazy, and supernatural powers? Carrie, that's what! This was my first venture into the world of Stephen King. I know what you're thinking how did this girl escape Stephen King for 25 years? Surely she's encountered it and just doesn't know it! Well my friends, you would be wrong. I was busy reading and re-reading, The Hobbit, and Harry Potter, and perusing the forums for fan theories. So now, years past when I should have been exposed to things everyone knows about, I'm trying to catch up. A wonderful woman I work with suggested to me that I start with Carrie so I did. 

The first thing that struck me about this book was that it was wonderfully written. Even the sporadic writing style of jumping from narrative, to documents and back again oddly worked. The only thing I knew about Stephen King was that he's 'that horror guy with a million books' so I was under the impression that someone with that many books could not possibly be that high quality. Boy was I wrong!

While I didn't find this scary, I thought it was a brutal view of a tortured high school student with exaggerated consequences. The frank discomfort that this book gives the reader is so effective in getting it's message across. 

The way this book is designed you know from the beginning it's not going to end well, but I still had that hope that if Carrie could just hang in there until after high school, things might be OK. 

I was very excited to find that this is also the first novel that Mr. King wrote, and that I can continue through his books chronologically (I love chronological reading!) and see his writing progress!

I would absolutely recommend this book to every high school student. Perhaps if more students put themselves in the head of the 'losers' they would be a little nicer. I would also recommend this to almost anyone, as it is an excellent book. 

Carrie on Goodreads

My review on Goodreads

Review: The One

The One by Kiera Cass

**This review was originally posted on my Goodreads**

** This review has some explicit spoilers in it**

This book was not as good as the first one, but much better than the second. I really liked that the back and forth between Aspen and Maxon came to an end pretty early on. As I've said in my review of The Elite, I was not a fan of the love triangle. I still found the love story plot a bit tired. Maxon was selfish and obnoxious dating 3 people at once, although I do know that is the basis for this series. The thing that got me though was the childish games that America and Maxon played with each other. Who cares who says I love you first? Page after page of back and forth monologues about how she loves him but can't or won't say it unless he says it first, and then the arguments over who should say it! For Heaven's sake just someone say it and be done with it!

As far as the political aspect, I thought it was amazing! I liked the way the northern rebels' story line played out and I absolutely loved the scenes with the Italians. This book had a feel that danger was right around the corner, but unlike the previous book, it felt important, and worth the risk. 

I also really enjoyed seeing the family dynamic in the Singer household and was genuinely sad when the father died. I did not, however like the 180 Celeste's character pulled. I think she started out too extreme and had to come too far too fast to make it believable. I did like her after said unbelievable character change. 

I think that the ending was rushed and a little bit of a cop out, but I saw it coming. Too much setup had been laid out for the Aspen reveal not to touch on it, and the king had to die to tie this up nicely. I didn't see the queen's death coming though, and was upset about that. I really liked her, she seemed like quite a lady. 

If someone liked the first two books, I think that they would really enjoy this wrap up of the series. 

The One on Goodreads

My review on Goodreads

Review: The Selection

The Selection by Kiera Cass

**This review was originally posted on my Goodreads** 

This was another one of those start out rocky books. I almost put it down for a while but then decided to finish it and I am so very glad that I did! I thought, initially, it was going to be another cliche book about a girl who doesn't know how pretty she is, while forcing it down your throat that she is. That, and I'm not a huge fan of America as a name. I am happy to report that it was not one of those books, and the name was not an issue. 

This book is set in a dystipian America after world war 4, and a Chinese invasion due to debts. The countries of the world had consolidated into a few large countries rather than so many small ones. Instead of a president, Illea (the country that most of North America has been reformed into) has a royal family. When the heir to the throne comes of age, girls are sold into political alliances, and boys must pick one common girl from the selection, where 34 girls all compete for the prince's favor while navigating eliminations,group and solo dates, and the royal palace. Think fluffy Hunger Games meets The Bachelor. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between America and Maxon, as well as hearing about how the society works. The caste system was particularly interesting to me, and was a focal point of this book. I liked that America did not just fall into the role of perspective princess. She always seemed to remember her place as a 5. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book, a lot more than I expected to. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political dystopian stories, especially those about royal life, and people who enjoy reality shows like the Bachelor or the Bachelorette.

The Selection on Goodreads

My review on Goodreads