It has been a busy month- February was chalk full of reviews and deadlines!! Whew- blogging this month almost felt like a job!!

I'm excited for this week as I have a jammed packed week full of Vampire and Science Fiction fun.

Monday Meridi Myers author of Titus and Atreus will be stopping by to say hi and I will pick a winner for a signed copy of her book...............you still have time to enter before midnight tonight HERE!!!

Also starting this Monday is Vampire Week here at my blog, ParaJunkee's, Emily's at What Book is That and The Blog with Bite. We are featuring Hourglass by Claudia Gray (which was so good my jaw is still hanging on the floor) and going all out to celebrate our favorite Vampires. The BWB also has a sweet giveaway in the works along with other secrets in the works..... 

I also found a couple great new blogs. Be sure to check these gals out!

Kirthi at Pages  (Kirthi is a young blogger focused on YA reviews)

The Heart of Dreams (This blog has the cutest buttons ever.....)

And for all you mommy's out there with little ones 4 and under check out.....

Mozi Esme and Silly Eagle Books.

Also I must give a shout out to Aimee at My Fluttering Heart for one of the funniest reviews I've read on Hush Hush....."Got my goat something chronic"  needs to be on a bumper sticker!!!

This week Im planning on reading-

OBLIVION ROAD- by Alex McAulay
Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends -- until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Frightened but alive, Courtney and her companions discover an abandoned vehicle nearby, and seek help. But the vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with the inmates missing, and the guard's dead body in the front seat.


Soon after, a stumbling figure emerges from the snow, a handcuffed refugee from the van. He says he's been in prison for selling meth, but that he once served in the army. Dare they trust him? He pleads innocence about the guard's murder, warns them about the other fugitives, and promises he will help guide them out of the wilderness. But as the group begins a nightmare trek across the frozen landscape, they start to get the feeling he hasn't told them the entire truth, and someone -- or something -- is secretly watching their every move.


THE LAST THING I REMEMBER- by Andrew Klavan
Charlie West is a good kid. He studies hard, trains in martial arts, has just gotten the number of the prettiest girl in his class, and wants to join the air force after graduation. At least, that's the last thing he can remember.

But he has woken up in a nightmare. He's strapped to a chair, and someone outside the door just ordered his death. By calling on his deepest reserves of strength and focus, Charlie manages a desperate escape . . . only to find out that this nightmare isn't ending. There's a whole year of his life that he can't remember--a year in which he was convicted of murdering his best friend and working with terrorists. Now, with the police hunting him and a band of killers on his trail, he's got to find the answers to some of the deepest questions there are: Who am I? What do I stand for? And how am I going to stay alive?


OF BEE'S AND MIST- by Erick Setiawan

Of Bees and Mist is the tale of Meridia -- raised in a sepulchral house where ghosts dwell in mirrors, she spends her childhood feeling neglected and invisible. Every evening her father vanishes inside a blue mist without so much as an explanation, and her mother spends her days venomously beheading cauliflowers in the kitchen. At sixteen, desperate to escape, Meridia marries a tenderhearted young man and moves into his seemingly warm and charming family home. Little does she suspect that his parents are harboring secrets of their own. There is a grave hidden in the garden. There are two sisters groomed from birth to despise each other. And there is Eva, the formidable matriarch whose grievances swarm the air like an army of bees. In this haunting story, Setiawan takes Meridia on a tumultuous ride of hope and heartbreak as she struggles to keep her young family together and discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as the shocking truths about her husband's family.


BORN OF NIGHT- by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Awakened from a drugged sleep in a cold cell, the Princess Kiara finds herself a prisoner of the merciless marauders who threaten her father's planetary kingdom. Miraculously, a rescuer appears, but behind his fearsome mask is the handsome face of a dark avenger whose outlaw touch sets her very soul aflame.


They call him Nemesis. Once a renegade assassin, now a warrior-soldier sworn to protect the innocent from the ruthless mercenaries throughout the galaxies, he has many enemies. Besieged on every side, he knows he is a danger to the beauty he saves from certain death. But the lovely Kiara stirs a hungry longing in his battle-hardened heart, spurring him into a struggle that could restore his honor and heal the wounds of a beleaguered empire -- or tear Kiara from his arms forever....

Healing Sands by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn

Review Copy 416 pages Publisher- Thomas Nelson

Book Synopsis-- Ryan Alexander-Coe is a talented photojournalist who has been on assignment all over the world. But when her two sons choose to live with their father after her divorce, Ryan must give her career up for a small-town newspaper job in order to be near them.

Life spirals out of control when her fifteen-year-old son is arrested. Desperation--both over the fact that she cannot believe her son committed this crime and that he refuses to talk to her--sends her anger level soaring . . . and eventually sends her storming into Dr. Sullivan Crisp's office in search of ways to cope with her anger. Sully is in town assisting at one of his clinics and continuing his search for Belinda Cox, the woman whose guilt-inducing counseling caused the death of his wife and daughter.

Review

This was my first Sullivan Crisp novel and I have to admit with not having the background story it took some effort to get connected to the characters. Once the book got going it flowed nicely and actually led to a very twisty and dramatic finale.

I think the best aspect of the novel was Ryan’s character, as I felt she was real and not ashamed to admit her anger and frustrations on the page. I’ve read some reviews that Ryan’s character was over the top but I thought her honesty was refreshing. As the story dove deeper into Ryan’s thoughts and turmoil I found myself being drawn further into her circumstances and actually interested in going back to read the previous two books in the series.

The authors- whether it was Rue’s or Arterburns words on the pages were written very well and wove a powerful story with humor, compelling situations and gave the reader some thought provoking questions on patience, love and sacrifice.

Rating

The story is wholesome, no language or sex scenes- adult content is mild and I’d recommend this to any reader who loves contemporary fiction.

3.5/5 – Contemporary Fiction

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for review copy

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Never Ending Shelf in which participants will pick one of their all time favorite reads to share.

This could be a book that your read yesterday or years ago. To play along, grab a favorite read and tell us about it. You can include your thoughts about the novel, its summary, your favorite memory related to the novel... the possibilities are limitless.

This week my Pick is Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

When the beautiful and precocious sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age, they are taken to a small Massachusetts town to be raised by their eccentric aunts, who happen to dwell in the darkest, eeriest house in town. As they become more aware of their aunts' mysterious and sometimes frightening powers -- and as their own powers begin to surface -- the sisters grow determined to escape their strange upbringing by blending into "normal" society.

But both find that they cannot elude their magic-filled past. And when trouble strikes -- in the form of a menacing backyard ghost -- the sisters must not only reunite three generations of Owens women but embrace their magic as a gift -- and their key to a future of love and passion. Funny, haunting, and shamelessly romantic, Practical Magic is bewitching entertainment -- Alice Hoffman at her spectacular best.

If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time then you already know Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. Practical Magic was the first Alice book I encountered and after getting a glimpse into the fantasy/reality world Hoffman creates I became a true addict.

Practical Magic has almost everything you can think of… romance, family drama, and fantasy – and for all of those who love a bit of supernatural- it’s got that too.

I would highly recommend this or The Story Sisters for your first Alice Adventure……………

Faithful Heart by Al Lacy

Review Copy; Multnomah Books 304 pages

Book Synopsis:

Dottie Harper fears for her children's safety. Her husband is struggling with dementia brought on by the Civil War. It's as though there are two Jerrod’s locked inside him: the tender and loving man she married, and a harsh man given to fits of violent rage. Dottie's sister, Breanna, is a certified medical nurse. She's headed west, planning to visit Dottie in California and meet her family for the first time. Little does she know what awaits her.

Memorable Quote:

That was before he threatened to kill you. He’s dangerous…Very dangerous. It wouldn’t take much for him to kill you with his bare hands. He’s got to be locked up!!

-Says the good Doctor on Page 245.

Review

I’m not a big western romance fan, so I had a difficult time with the setting of this novel, but all of you out there that have read this series or dig the western thing it was pretty good. The historical aspects were off a bit; there was a lot of medical knowledge going on that I thought wasn’t accurate for the time period-but hey its fiction so sometimes you can bend the rules. For the most part the story just didn’t grab me. The romance between John and Breanna was so full of sappy cheese I was craving nachos. Also the main meaty parts of the book when we meet “the crazy” and get a look into Dottie’s life, took a long time to build up to.

At points when I was reading through Dottie’s turmoil I was thinking she might be the crazy one- due to the fact that she was not willing to get her kids out of a dangerous situation and stay with her husband (suffering from psychological war symptoms) who’s on the brink of severely hurting himself or his family. Finally when we reach the climatic point of the book it comes at an abrupt violent end and all the characters that are left to face the outcome- get a nice easy way out with a happy ending. Sometimes I hate a happy ending.......

Of course to be fair- I haven’t read any of the other books in the series so I haven’t been connected to the characters to really jump into the current events that this story offered. I must give kudos’s to the prologue which gave the reader a nice rundown of the previous books. I definitely felt like there was a big back-story that I had missed, so if this is your type of book (western) I would start at the beginning.

Rating

This is a very wholesome novel, no language or sex scenes. There is violence and adult content so I’d give it a PG.

3/5- Western Romance

Thank you to Waterbrook Press for review copy

Also I have one lovely copy to pass on to my savvy readers. To enter just leave a comment and email before March 5th.

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman
October 2009 by WaterBrook Press

Paperback, 384 pages
Purchased

Book Synopsis

"Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic."

For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier – and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone – or something – igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire. Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets? As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina's feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end. (GoodReads)

I prayed this year would be different…..
My prayer went unheard. After a full day of every grade, including my own, calling me puke and knocking my books out of my hands, I figured if God existed, it wasn’t for kids like me. At home that afternoon, I snuck into dad’s vodka. And I felt better…………………………..
Pg. 152

Nina Parker’s demons live in a bottle of Brandy. Alcohol has taken over her life and the addiction has separated her from everyone and everything she loves. Divorced, on shaky ground with her kids and a Veterinarian career flushed down the drain; Nina finds herself in rehab. After the court ordered stint there, she is leaving sober and moving back to her home town of Abby Hills. In the midst of repairing her relationship with her sixteen year old daughter Meg and her parents (she hasn’t seen in years) a series of grisly animal deaths and murder occur in her peaceful hometown. Slowly but surely Nina begins to suspect that something sinister is lurking in the shadows.

Every hot selling book lately involving vampires or paranormal characters seem to jump off the shelves and it comes as no surprise that the Christian market is becoming more open to the concept. There has always been paranormal and horror Christian fiction but this embrace to vampires and werewolves might make the typical Christian genre reader....cringe.....So to be honest to all my PR lovers out there, those of you who are looking for the next True Blood may not appreciate Thirsty. Yes there are vampires, but they are mild (Carlisle mild) compared to the sexy, violent vamps that are often portrayed in this genre. And while I love a good vampire story, Thirsty was more focused on the entanglement of addiction and not so much the supernatural vampire that was used for metaphoric reasons. My hat off to you Ms. Bateman for taking a chance and going to the dark corners of fiction and being able to still be true to your fans.

That being said, Nina’s journey overcoming her addition to alcohol is enough to read this novel. The core strength of the story is of course Nina’s character, because while she is weak physically she has an amazing mental superpower- and that is determination. Her fight to win back her ex-husband and kids is encouraging for anyone who has ever fought to win back the trust of a loved one.

Markus, the good looking next door neighbor who longingly desires Nina’s neck is not so shabby himself. He portrays of course the metaphoric side to sin/addiction. While Markus struggles with his own thirst he does have many redeeming qualities. Markus truly does want to be good (-the tortured vamp-we’ve all read about him-) and he cares about Nina and goes to lengths to protect her. Along with Nina he feels ensnared by his nature. I liked the concept of Batemans vampires- in which they are born into vampirism- passed down as a sin from the father just like Nina inherited her father’s alcoholism, but at some point Nina had to stop blaming her father for her choices just as Markus had to stop blaming his killing on being a vampire. I thought the parallels between them were written superbly and showcased a supernatural element that can appeal to readers who are hesitant of the vampire genre. I would recommend this for anyone who loves vampire tales, drama and seeing characters overcome.

Language is PG, sex scenes are mentioned but nothing graphic, although marketed to adults, teens over 15 can enjoy this story, especially when the perspective shifts to 16-yr old Meg.

4/5 Vampires-Alcoholism

Winners to the Never Say Never and Third Times A Charm Contests

Thanks everyone who entered the KCW contests, congrats to the Grand Prize winners- who unfortunately weren’t from my blog- but I did pick winners for a copy of the book itself

For Third Time’s a Charm the winner is

Chellie

For Never say Never the winner is

Bani

Congrats girls I have emailed you and look forward to more contests coming…………………

June 19th 2001 by WaterBrook Press

Paperback, 320 pages
Review Copy

Book Synopsis

After two years of serving as a missionary in a remote area of South America, Daria Camfield has returned to the States to mourn her husband, reportedly killed while providing medical aid to a neighboring Colombian village. One family discovers how God can redeem any tragedy. At first, Daria finds comfort only in the daughter born to her after Nate's tragic death. As she begins to heal, she also finds a listening ear and a tender heart in her new boss, veterinarian Colson Hunter. Determined to move forward with life, Daria ignores the still small voice calling her to wait and accepts Cole's marriage proposal. But after the wedding, Daria's new dream life turns into a nightmare with the arrival of an unbelievable telegram:"Nathan Camfield found alive. Flying into K.C. Int'l. via Bogota..." Now two men have the right to her daughter, her life, and her love. Will Daria return to her beloved first husband, abandoning Cole? Or will she reject Nate and choose the only man her daughter has ever called "Daddy"--a man she has come to cherish with all her heart?.............(Sent from Publisher) 

Dear Beneath a Southern Sky,

I want to thank you for waking up with swollen eyes due to the sobbing you caused me. Also I want to thank you for the hours of emotional turmoil I spent with you, the romantic chills that you gave me and above all I thank you for touching my heart with your profound story........................................

Love,
Tinasbookreviews

Needless to say........I loved this book. Deborah Raney is a gifted writer and brings such raw emotion to her characters they almost feel real. The book offers rich detail but does a good job keeping the mundane details at bay so the reader doesn’t get bored. I was so emotionally connected to Daria, Cole and Nate that I couldn’t decide a proper outcome for them. Most of the story is told through Daria’s perspective but elegantly flows to Nate and Cole when needed. The shifting perspectives brought necessary depth to connect to the men involved in this dilemma. Because of the synopsis of the book we the reader know what Daria is going to face, but yet she doesn’t know until mid-way through the book. While the relationship with Cole is progressing, your thinking NO DARIA- Nate is ALIVE, but we travel down this new marriage with her just waiting for Nate to show back up. Not to mention Natalie, the baby Daria had from Nate is now connecting with Cole and calling him daddy. So we see not only Cole and Daria falling in love, but Natalie falling in love with Cole as well, adding to the heartbreak we know that’s coming. Daria is so focused on moving on and falling in love she misses and ignores all the little things going on around her. Vivid dreams of Nate start to trouble her sleep, letters from the missionary field begging her back make their way into her mailbox. The deep gut feeling that she should wait and take things slow with Cole –ignored- As God tries to drop hints all around her she’s put her foot down and will not listen to her heart's warning.

Daria marries Cole and settles into a new married life happy and distant to her faith. When Nate finally does reenter the book- the reunion is agonizing and knowing the heartbreak Cole is going through, makes the reader suffer right along with them. One thing that struck me about this book was the core strength being love and not so much the circumstances. I loved the honesty of the characters especially in Daria. She truly loves Cole and has moved on from her grief over Nate. The marriage is happy but not perfect and when the two fight- it’s real and they express real inner feelings. I found that refreshing for a romance novel that her characters are not these flawless people who gaze in each other’s eyes every second- they are normal people facing big problems and make huge mistakes!

When Daria see’s Nate all her love from that marriage comes rushing back and she is overwhelmed by the possibility of living life with him, big problems and huge heartbreak is on the horizon for our characters. The ending was shocking, and only because I had no idea how Daria was going to choose, the outcome was -for me- so heartbreaking but yet so brave, the decision finally made will drew beautiful parallels between the love story told and the love story of Christianity.

Rating

I would recommend this to anyone who loves romance, no language or graphic sex scenes, there are plenty of references to sex and adult situations in the book but stays wholesome throughout.

4/5 Christian Romance

Thank you to Waterbrook Press for review copy- also can be purchased on WB site.

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay
January 6th 2009 by MTV
Paperback, 288 pages
Review Copy

Book Synopsis

This week my pick is: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

My thoughts: Dear John is everything sappy, lovely and tear- jerky as any Nicholas Sparks treasure is. Written so gorgeous apart from Nights in Rodanthe it’s my favorite Sparks book!

I think what struck a chord with me so profoundly in Dear John was the focus on 9/11 and how Mr. Sparks seriously captured the soldiers’ mind frame in the beginning aftermath of 9/11.

I’ll never forget that morning……one because my husband Matt was a soldier at the time and two because I was on Fort Knox when it happened. Making my morning coffee I heard sirens going off, I thought at first it was a tornado siren but it was beautiful outside. That’s when I turned on the TV and everything changed.

The Base was in complete shutdown, Fort Knox at the time was an open base allowing people to come and go freely after 9/11 every gate inside Fort Knox was fully guarded with MP’s and traffic dogs. I remember how all the soldiers including my husband were on high alert and had this attitude of -I’m Ready-

Matt didn’t immediately go to Iraq, his deployment didn’t come down until three years later, but I remember when he left it was the hardest thing we did….saying goodbye…….He was gone for two years and I remember the letters we wrote back and forth and how I looked forward to them every week. I think that’s the aspect I loved about Dear John, was the letters between him and Savannah and how John was feeling in Iraq. Unlike some love story’s, Dear John does have that small whirlwind romance feel to it, but also seems real and gets weighted down with real life circumstances, nobody gets out on unbelievable circumstances.

I went and saw Dear John with my book club gals……we all loved it!!!!!!!!!

I thought this was the best Sparks book adaptation to a movie since The Notebook, most of all the key elements were in the movie and they stuck to all the major themes in the book. I thought the movie made the story between John and his father even more powerful and the only significant change was the ending……which I loved!! The movie ending gives us “the readers of Dear John” much needed closure concerning Savannah and John. Also can I just say Channing Tatum.........(wow) Not to be missed….go read the book and then run to the movie!!!!!!!!

If you would like me to add your button please contact me

 

I am a girl who loves to read and then review for fun. I started this blog in 2009 to share and discuss the love of literature with other readers. As of now I would consider myself- outside of my normal jobs- a reader and blogger dedicated in bringing insight to all genres.

Personal Stuff

I married the guy of my dreams when I was 18 and we have three daughters... Im 30-something now and have to say life couldn't be any sweeter.

I live in Michigan, where I savor any time in the summer enjoying the Great Lake and walking the Pier......

Im addicted to lip-gloss and Mascara, I buy them whenever Im at the store, seriously its almost as bad as my book habit.

When Im not running kids around, reading, blogging, volunteering or cleaning some mysterious stain off the carpet, you'll find me at my local Indie Bookstore.....or Costco...

I have a profound respect for my faith and love God, which is a huge reason why I have a heart for inspirational novels and reaching out to my community...you know one of those gals who wants to make the world a better place, buy you a coffee and talk about how awesome reading is.

My selections mostly consist of:

Dystopian - fantasy-contemporary fiction-chick-lit- memoirs, romance, fairy tales and Christian/Faith Based Fiction. I also read a lot of YA titles with an occasional paranormal ya, mostly my blog has a very strong lean towards contemporary and women's fiction. While I do read mostly all genres, there are a few subjects I will not read, find out on my review policy page.


Features at Tinasbookreviews

The Saturday Spotlight

This is a weekly feature hosted on Saturdays and highlights an author, their book, guest post and optional giveaway. For more info please contact me at: [email protected]

Shelf Cravings

This fun feature, inspired by meme's all over the blog world is focused on new release books, upcoming books, books Ive discovered and what not. I post these on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Contact Me

Connect with Me At:

Shelfari 

Librarything

Goodreads

Copyright

As of 2010, all reviews and content (besides book pictures, pictures borrowed off the web or other borrowed materials) at “Tinasbookreviews” are under protection of a copyright. Goodreads synopsis, quotes from books and or mention of another work is not under my copyright. Only my personal thoughts, comments and ideas. Also as of 2011 all stock photos used on Tinasbookreviews unless otherwise stated have been purchased from BigStock or taken from FreeDigitals.

My blog design, background and graphics were created by Rachel at Parajunkee’s Design. All Artistic creation is credited to her. TinasBookReviews and content belong to myself and maintain above said copyright.

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... …..(Goodreads)

Fight club meets Gladiator would be a good description of this book. The story, set to feel like a graphic novel or comic book with sentence structure and character dialog, clips along at a pretty fast pace, ends abruptly and everything happens so fast it almost felt like skimming through a screenplay for a movie.

In a dystopian future, blood sport streams live on global TV. Neo-gladiators are celebrities, and Lyn's mother Allison has made a career of marrying into gladiator stardom. But when Allison’s seventh husband Tommy is killed her career of trophy wife is up. Things are looking pretty bleak for Lyn as well, due to the fact that because of gladiator rules, she has to marry her last father's killer.

Did I like this…..well, yes and no. Yes because I loved the concept of the story and it had the potential of a fierce thrill ride. No because the story gains no ground- depth isn’t fully reached with Lyn, or any of the characters due to the pace of the novel. I felt Haines never flushed Lyn out as a character or fully connected her to her decisions. The back and forth of her swaying emotions could be due to the fact that she suffers MUCH loss in the book, and is trapped in a society she longs to get out of. The book for the pace ran actually slow with all the build up and when we finally get to the end it’s so intense and so abrupt you feel like you’ve been cheated.

The content is violent but not overly done, there’s only a few actual gladiator scenes and the premise would make you think Lyn was an arena (gladiator girl) which she’s not….she’s the child of a gladiator family being the daughter of not one, not two, but yes seven fathers. Lyn’s whole -in the arena -was a big disappointment for me. I feel the reviews out there comparing this to The Hunger Games are dead wrong. Lyn and Katniss are as different as night and day, and Katniss actually kicks some major a**.

Romance is a non-issue in this book, the stuff with Uber (the glad who killed Lyn’s 7th pops) was a tangled mass of not working. The scene when they first meet, I just didn’t get it. Maybe it was just me, but the locker room and first date action seemed off. Vague gladiator reverences to blood and severed members ride shotgun on this one, while romance curdles in the trunk. I felt the novel seeing to how it was marketed should have delivered more action and more time in the “Arena”. I mean yes we have an intense tiger moment and there is violence, just not as much as a gladiator movie or book would normally have. The story focuses much more on the serious elements in the book- which were the family dynamics, Lyn’s irresponsible mother, mental health and an out of control society obsessed with reality TV.

Sadly, this book is proof that sometimes excellent ideas shouldn’t be mixed together. Fight Club society doesn’t belong in ancient Rome. Swearing is moderate and there are no sex scenes- due to graphic content and subject matter I’d recommend this for 16 and up.

2.5/5 YA, Dystopian, Gladiators, Fighting

Part of my Dystopian reading challenge

Fallen by Lauren Kate
December 2009 by Delacorte Press 
Hardcover, 452 pages
Purchased

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Review

The scenario: a bunch of crazies at reformed school living among fallen angels turn out to be pawns of a game started many years ago. A seemingly original plot slowly turned into the same clichés and told over story that lead to complete disappointment.

The prologue- sucked me in; I was almost giddy about a dark, gothic doomed romance but mid-way through after all the main characters searching for answers about her and Daniel we wait.... and wait, and wait and wait and wait….and still no answers, and when the end hits…NOTHING….NADA!!!! We get some vague information about  who is who but the mystery we so long to hear will be continued in a future installment.

As far as the angelic and spiritual aspects, Ms. Kate’s Biblical perspective is pretty hilarious. Like I've said before, especially concerning the one about the Nephilm (from a gnostic-The Book of Enoch, which every author and their brother is using right now....) that just because you know of a story from the Bible doesn't mean you know what it’s about.

Most of the time as we -the desperate readers- are trying to find out ANYTHING besides the fact that Daniel and Cam are angels, are stuck inside Luce’s annoying brain searching, searching, searching but never figuring out the big picture. After chapter one the reader is so far ahead of Luce, disconnection takes place and while we know who all the weirdo’s are, poor Luce is still trying to figure out how she got to the school in the first place. Way too many unresolved issues were left by the end of the book and we never find out what exactly happened to the doomed boys with fatal ends, we never fully understand why Luce can see the shadows, we never really know the whole story of why she is destined for the same fate over and over. 

On a positive note, Luce had some redeeming qualities. For instance she genuinely cares for people including her friends and parents (who have sent her to reformed school so they can be conveniently out of the picture) she’s brave in a sense of sacrificial behavior, rescuing others, compassion, and stands up against the murky shadows that have haunted her for years. Not bad for a gal who’s clueless to the supernatural around her.

Lauren Kate’s writing was ok in showcasing visual and imagery effects and the quality of character dialog especially the romantic plot was believable and held strength to the book, the little it had anyways. Fallen is a tricky one, for those of you who love silly romance and cryptic body language I’d say go for it. For those of you who can’t stand an unsolved mystery with immature characters, skip it.

2/5 YA Angels, Romance

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Tell me your not biting at your ankles wanting this one!!!!!!

If you missed my reviews...be sure to check out Shiver and Ballad