Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Evolution (Evolution Series Book 1) by Kelly Carrero

by in Book Review and tagged , ,

Evolution (Evolution Series Book 1) by Kelly Carrero

A YA Sci-Fi Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (04/29/12)

Summary:

Jade is your average 17-year old high schooler with the hot boyfriend and good grades. She is perfectly normal, that is, until she gets into a serious car accident and magically heals in front of her own eyes. What is this super power and what’s going on? Jade’s boyfriend, Aiden, is more than meets the eye and together they will have to figure out what happened to Jade’s best friend when she disappears.

Keywords:

High School, Super Power, Female Protagonist, The Special One, Seventeen, Kidnapping, Australia, Relationship, Broken Home, Reveal, Secrets

My Review:

If you want a fast easy read with the female special chosen one, a bit of romance, and continuous action, then this is your novel. This book featured a nice blend of action and mystery but was altogether too short for me to fully get into the plot or the characters. The book kept me intrigued and kept me turning pages, but the plot was a little too much like all the other Chosen One tropes with a teen superhero that has evolved – suddenly – beyond normal human capacity. In essence, despite the action, the book was a bit boring because it presented nothing new.

The main character, Jade, was frustrating because she couldn’t guess what was laid plainly for the reader.

A lot of the world building was left out of the novel. What do the characters look like? I didn’t even realize we were in Australia, other than the spelling of “sceptical” multiple times to indicate we weren’t in North America. This book and its world building could have benefitted from being longer and taking more time to go into depth into the si-fi/fantasy element and the background/personalities of the characters. The ending also left something to be desired. Overall it was a fun read, but I won’t be reading any more from this author.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on April 29th, 2012 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50

Links for more information:

Kelly Carrero’s Website and Blog

Goodreads

Book Review: Beauty and the Bridesmaid by Lisa Souza

by in Book Review and tagged , , , ,

Beauty and the Bridesmaid by Lisa Souza

A Contemporary Romance Novel published by Wet Coast Media, LLC (5/30/14)

Summary:

Nothing is going on in Dot’s life. After atteneding her mother’s fourth wedding and meeting the image consultant Kennedy J, who promises to do her for free, Dot takes the plunge. A strict exercise and diet as well as hypnotism regime turns into weight loss and plastic surgery and an entire wardrobe and personal makeover. After her transformation is complete, Dot meets Jmiller and they date. Everything seems to be going well, until John introduces Dot to his best friend, who happens to also be Dot’s former high school bully.

Keywords:

Bridesmaid, Plastic Surgery, Self-Confidence, Nutrition, Diet, Exercise, Cynicism, Boyfriend, Tragedy, Bully, Transformation, Technology, QA, Weight Loss, Extreme Makeover

My Review:

I love makeover stories; however, for a woman to put herself through hell and back just to be ‘attractive’ according to societal standards does grate on the back of my mind. But this story was told as if it was reality and I’m sure there are plenty of women who feel society’s pressure to be pretty and thin and who do something about it, maybe not as extreme as Dot to achieve her end result. I really did like how her transformation was complete and encompassed good living style according to nutrition and exercise and putting effort into her wardrobe.

The twist near the end caught me by surprise. No spoilers! But this twist made me pull back from liking the book as well as I was up until that point. It was a disappointing turn.

This book was humorous and Dot’s perspective was told realistically and with all the details I would want with a character such as herself. I also really appreciated the full experience of going through Dot’s transformation and I understood how hard and painful all the steps were according to her story, fictional though it was.

This novel was published by Wet Coast Media, LLC on May 30th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Book Review: Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress (The Redvale Zombie Prom Series) (Volume 1) by G. G. Silverman

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress (The Redvale Zombie Prom Series) (Volume 1) by G. G. Silverman

A YA Humor/Fantasy Novel published by G.G. Silverman (09/5/14)

Summary:

Clarissa Hargrove wants to go to prom. Not to dance and participate in one of the most iconic teenager events, but to protest, because prom is for conformists. Clarissa drags along her best friend Cokie and they set up their bullhorns and picket signs outside the school. Good thing they didn’t go into the gym to dance because as the night progresses, almost everyone turns into zombies and Clarissa and Cokie must round up the survivors and escape the maze of death their school has turned into!

Keywords:

Zombies, High School Prom, Alternative to Prom, Vegan, Protest, Escape, Death, Dying, Gore, Guns, One Night

My Review:

Clarissa is an edgy character. She swears. She’s a vegan. She doesn’t go to prom, she protests prom. Clarissa is an interesting character you can get behind because she has a mission and nothing will stand in her way. She has conviction in spades. Her best friend Cokie is a muted version of Clarissa, until she opens up and tells her friend and the readers who she really is and what she really wants, which was way cool!
This was a fast read with a steady pace full of action and adrenaline. I never thought our main characters were going to get eaten and some of the plot twists were a bit fast for my liking, but overall I enjoyed this book. I liked the writing style and how the author, through her main character Clarissa, viewed prom, teenagers, zombies, culture, friendship, and bravery.

This novel was published by G.G. Silverman on September 5th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

G. G. Silverman’s website

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: MORE (MORE Trilogy Book 1) by T. M. Franklin

by in Book Review and tagged , , , , , ,

MORE (MORE Trilogy Book 1) by T. M. Franklin

A Fantasy Novel published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House (10/3/12)

Summary:

Ava is failing physics. Her professor proposes a tutor at no cost to her and she jumps at the chance, since she needs to pass the class to keep her scholarship. She can’t afford tuition without the scholarship and spends enough time working to make up the difference anyways. Her tutor, Caleb Foster, seems to be everywhere in Ava’s life and she doesn’t much mind, other than that funny feeling she keeps getting that she’s being watched.

Keywords:

Supernatural, Paranormal, Race, Powers, Super Powers, Physics, College, Diner, Working, Romance, Drama, Humans, Protection, Fighting, Fleeing, Taking a Stand, Capture, Threat, Elimination

My Review:

The first half of this book was rather boring and I kept waiting for the action to pick up, which it did, with a fury. Suddenly Ava’s life was turned upside down and she was in constant fleeing mode.

Though the book was slow to get going, the ending was much more satisfying, but by that point I was ready to put the series down. The plot twists were too convenient, moving characters where they were needed in the narrative without proper placement within the plot. Characters like Lucy and Ava’s childhood friend were dropped off when Ava’s story took off. The plot just didn’t do it for me. The story wasn’t different enough from all those other “chosen one” novels and the paranormal aspect was not original either. I also didn’t feel like I ever really got to know Ava as a person before she was swept up into her supernatural character role.

This novel was published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House on October 3rd, 2012 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

Links for more information:

T.M. Franklin’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: Across the Ages 1 by RaShelle Workman

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Across the Ages 1 by RaShelle Workman

A Fantasy/Time Travel Romance Novel published by Polished Pen Press (12/21/14)

Summary:

Lucy Channing lives in 1815 in England. She is supposed to marry her childhood best friend… Whom she does not love romantically. Holding out that something will change her fate, Lucy’s grandmother comes through with a locket to transport Lucy to her true love. Traveling to 2015 is quite a shock to Lucy, especially when the first person she meets is the arrogant, egotistical William Godwin.

Keywords:

Romance, Time Travel, Love, Fantasy, Mystical, 19th Century, 21st Century, Shock, Dressing, Helpless, Forced Marriage, True Love

My Review:

The first chapter was completely unnecessary and was only mildly related to the story told in the rest of the novel. I skimmed it so I could get to the actual story being told.

Lucy lives a typical life in the 1800’s in her class, but she has atypical feelings for a woman in her time. She thinks she can marry for love and passion and is not satisfied with her soon to be betrothed because she is not in love with him. Because she still loved him as a friend, it wasn’t that big a deal for her to find her ‘true love’ because the match was a good one! She could have learned to love Dashel and had a good life.

I absolutely enjoyed every minute and thought Lucy had when she was spirited 200 years into the future. I understood so well what she was going through because it was described in great detail and her thoughts were spot on. She was a traveler in a new land and new time and new world.

I didn’t believe in the romance between Lucy and her ‘true love’ William. It felt forced and rushed.

The pacing was very uneven and the ending was incredibly rushed and then abruptly left off. I will not be reading further.

This novel was published by Polished Pen Press on December 21st, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

RaShelle Workman’s Website

Book Review: Bitsy by Rayna L. Stiner

by in Book Review and tagged , ,

Bitsy by Rayna L. Stiner

A Dark Fantasy Novel published by Tagorbi Publishing, LLC (08/15/16)

Summary:

“It takes guts to get up every day and face the world after you’ve seen so much of its ugliness.” (Kindle Locations 2415-2416).

Bitsy and Liz are the same person, or rather different personalities of the same person. After surviving her own childhood horror, Bitsy and Liz emerged. Now an admin assistant for the local hospital in the ER for abuse victims, Bitsy wants nothing more than to play violin in the local orchestra, but her alternate ego has other plans.

Keywords:

Music, Musician, Violin, Orchestra, Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Violence, Fantasy, Survivor, Split Personality, Psychic, Hospital, Boss, Portland, Alternate Personality, Vigilante, Crime, Death, Dying, Angels, Rape

My Review:

This book wasn’t a story so much about Bitsy as it was about trying to relate a concept about the terribleness of child abuse and sexual abuse, which is quite noble but didn’t work in this particular novel. The fantasy and dream sequences seemed forced into the narrative and the plot was overwhelmingly odd and ill-fitting with the subject matter. The graphic sexual violence and suggestions of sexual violence felt forced into the storyline and these gritty details didn’t so much further the plot as gross me out.

The fantasy was necessary for the plot, but very distracting and unnatural seeming in the way it was integrated into the story. I skipped over much of the description, especially wherever the fantasy was involved.

The concept of a person who has been in such a traumatic experience that their personality splits into two separate entities to deal with the emotional turbulence and healing is very, very interesting and kept me reading this story, but the plot and the interjection of the ‘dark fantasy’ element was a big turn off and didn’t fit into the story well.

This novel was published by Tagorbi Publishing, LLC on August 15th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75

Links for more information:

Rayna L. Stiner’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: The Unwitting Journeys of the Witty Miss Livingstone: Book I: Journey Key (Miss Liv Adventures 1) by Kennedy J. Quinn

by in Book Review and tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Unwitting Journeys of the Witty Miss Livingstone: Book I: Journey Key (Miss Liv Adventures 1)by Kennedy J. Quinn

A Steampunk Novel published by Amazon Digital Services Inc. (10/25/16)

Summary:

Miss Livingstone doesn’t quite fit into her era because she is a woman with her own mind. It is the early 1900’s until Miss Livingstone peeks into the new bookshop and finds time-traveling stones that take her forward in time to meet the owner of the bookshop. Then she is taken back through time as she attempts to solve the mystery of the stones and find some good books on the side!

Keywords:

Time Travel, Female Heroine, Adventure, History, Literature, Literary References, Snoqualmie, Books, Steampunk, Evil, Lurking, Romance

My Review:

A new blend of history, great literature, and adventure, Miss Liv Adventures was a fun read. I especially liked how every adventure ended with the steam train taking Miss Livingstone back (or forward) to her own time. I really liked the integration of books and history into the plot of the book and thought the details surrounding the key were marvelous and fantastical.

Miss Livingstone was curious to a fault and brave beyond doubt as she traveled across time and space, never forgetting her home and her love of books. The places she traveled to were rich and lively and there were just enough different settings to keep my interest but not too many to be confusing.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services Inc. on October 25th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Sheri J. Kennedy’s Website and Blog

Goodreads

Sheri J. Kennedy on Facebook

FreeValley Publishing Featured Author

Book Review: Purple Text Talk by C.Y. Robertson

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Purple Text Talk by C.Y. Robertson

A Middle Grade Novel published by Chizzy Press (2/12/16)

Summary:

Aria doesn’t want to make her family worry any more than they have to. She remains quiet and unobtrusive in the middle of her many siblings as they move mid-year. Leaving her best friend Lily behind shouldn’t be so bad because she can make new friends in her new school, right? Fitting in is hard and maybe not even worth it if Aria has to do and say things she’s not proud of, will she stick with it or stay true to herself?

Keywords:

Texting, New School, New Friends, Travel, Popularity, Best Friends, Talking, Phone Calls, New Town, New House, Bullies, Mean Girls

My Review:

This book felt scattered, just like a preteen. Not only was there text talk, there was text grammar and text style. It was difficult to read because details and transitions were not there, but you get the tone of the novel, the mood of the main character Aria and the big picture for the plot. I prefer books with more to them, but for pre-teenagers who text talk and text read and text love, they will totally get this.

The plot was more scattered than I would have liked, since it was more based on showing a slice of life than on a particular main character goal. I enjoyed the story with Luke even though it felt like a subplot that took over the story in the end. Luke and Aria were very fascinating characters, not the norm for pre-teens.

I wish I had more details on how old the characters were. Aria had too many siblings to keep straight!

This novel was published by Chizzy Press on February 12th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Book Review: Breeder: Arrow’s Flight Book #1 by Casey Hays

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Breeder: Arrow’s Flight Book #1 by Casey Hays

A Science Fiction/Dystopian Novel published by Whispering Pages, LLC (11/22/14)

Summary:

Kate lives in the only civilization left on earth, a small village where women rule the town and men are kept alive only as breeding stock to replenish the earth. Kate has been chosen as a breeder and she must fulfill her role in society, but on her birthday when she is led to the Pit for her first mating, she rebels. Kate never wanted to be a breeder, but in this society where Fate is all important, will she be able to break out and do what she wants or will she be forced to conform to society’s rules?

Keywords:

Breeding, Procreation, Dystopian, Female Run Society, Rebelling, Leadership, Fate, Destiny, Village, Isolation, Friendship, Council, Voice, Chosen, Disobedience, Punishment, Secrets

My Review:

Another dystopian novel. Another female heroine. Another enticing and excellent book that had me enthralled to the very end. Some parts may have rambled on a bit, but the story was so well written and held my attention from beginning to end.

Kate is an amazingly active and headstrong character who doesn’t let things happen to her, even though this is how Fate works. She refuses a role as a placid character. She is dynamic and stubborn and in this way, too, she is special. Any one of us could be Kate if we too followed our hearts and didn’t look the other way when injustice happened.

I loved Kate just a little bit more every time she interacted with a male and showed her strength, innocence, determination and humanity.

I look forward to more books, dystopian or otherwise, from this author.

This novel was published by Whispering Pages, LLC on November 22nd, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Casey Hays Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Black Poodle Over Seven Hills by Victoria Bastedo

by in Book Review and tagged , , , , ,

Black Poodle Over Seven Hills by Victoria Bastedo

A Contemporary Romance novel published by Satin Romance (10/18/2016)

Summary:

Soubrette offered to transport a high-end black poodle to Seattle in exchange for a free ticket to a new life, but when the owner’s cousin shows up instead of the owner, Soubrette will have to follow up to make sure the puppy gets to the right home. The cousin, Timothy, is immediately taken with Soubrette (and the dog) and offers to show her around and help get her settled. This simple meet cute will take a turn when Soubrette’s left behind baggage arrives in Seattle and interferes with Soubrette’s new life and new relationship.

Keywords:

Seattle, Poodle, Romance, Friendship, New Place, Moving, Leaving Behind, Stalker, Bully, New Beginnings, Queen Anne, Tourist, New Job

My Review:

A simple, meet-cute novel full of witty dialogue set against the lovely hills of Seattle’s Queen Anne, Black Poodle Over Seven Hills was a charming fast read. Where does the titular poodle fit in? She brings Soubrette and Timothy together – not in the ‘can I pet your dog’ sense, but in quite a different manner altogether. An airport chase and mistaken identity isn’t that big of a deal for Soubrette since she is calm in the face of potential danger, but this first scene foreshadows the depths the plot will jump to after the main characters meet and grow their friendship.

Both Soubrette and Timothy were fully developed persons with interesting backstories. Never has the answer to the question “so what brings you to Seattle” been so intriguing. Soubrette is a lively and cheerful lady with spunk and wit to spare even in the face of the past that won’t stop clinging to her coattails. Seattle may offer a new start for her, but she can’t leave her past behind, it will just take a bit longer to catch up to her.

Soubrette is a great mixture of passive and active character. Even when bad things followed her around, she was able to use her strength of character to make her own way and bully her way around some fairly tight situations. She is no damsel in distress, but even she can’t win all her battles. And that’s where Timothy Marsh gets a chance to save the day. Both Timothy and soubrette are independent, but any time they are together you will just have to smile at their witty banter and camaraderie.

I received an ARC from the author.

This novel was published by Satin Romance 10/18/2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 3.75

 

Links for more information:

On the web

SnoValley blog

Victoria Bastedo blog