Gold Star Review: The Diviners

The Diviners
by Libba Bray

Book Description:
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Review: 

Creepy and fun!  

This book is set in the 1920's, which is one of my FAVORITE historical eras. So glamorous.  Speakeasys, flappers, jazz...New York City must have been one happening place.  I would have loved to have seen it.  As it is, I envy the clothes and the sense of freedom that the flappers must have felt.  

I loved the way this book unfolded.  It was subtle at first how all the different characters were going to end up intermingled into one big story. I liked how they all fit together eventually like puzzle pieces.  I found the reason for them developing their psychic abilities intriguing and I'm desperate to get my hands on the next book ASAP! 

The serial killer story was gripping and while it had it's gory moments, it wasn't overwhelming. It was the perfect blend of creepy and compelling.  I found the language to be helpful in this...even when Evie was staring at a gruesome murder or was learning grisly details, her horror was offset with her attempts at humorous colloquialisms, "And how!," "Jeepers Creepers." Those moments were helpful to deflect a little bit from the grotesqueness of the crime scenes.  

With fun language, a sit on the edge of your seat plot, and great characters, I have to give The Diviners a GOLD STAR.  I will most definitely read book two, Lair of Dreams, as soon as it hits the shelves! 

Gold Star Interview - Josin McQuein!

Hello All!

As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, to liven up the blog a little, I'm going to (try to) interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews.

Today's guest is the fabulous Josin McQuein! I'm so excited. I loved Josie's science fiction thriller,Arclight. You can go back and check out my gushy Gold Star Review here.



Welcome, Josie! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. I have just a couple of quick questions for you:

1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write Arclight?



Ha! All told? 15+ years. Arclight came from several other things that I starting writing back when I was in high school. Most of it was from a space opera screenplay that I wrote as a teenager. Other bits and characters came from a vampire novel that never was, and a zombie story that didn't work.

Once the story was framed out as Arclight, however, it was about 18 months from first draft to final edit.

2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

I think maybe mysteries or science fiction for an older audience.

Neither Arclight, nor Premeditated (comes out in October!) started off as YA-centric. I aged the characters down to fit the category, but originally, the component stories all had adult casts.

3. I LOVED that Arclight revealed the science-fiction-y bits slowly as Marina started to discover the Arclight Leaders' secrets... did you do any special research into some of the "history" that Marina discovers, the things that bring them to a world with the Fade?

Not really. I'm a long-time sci-fi fan, and my original career path was genetic engineering. I had just enough base knowledge to cobble together some pseudo-science to make the Fade "work."

For the internal workings, the Arclight's not that different from reality, at its heart. The people in charge don't always consult with the rest of the population before they make decisions that can effect everyone, and this is especially true for young people. It's sad, but adults don't always trust that teens have the capacity to reason through problems on their own.

And this may sound strange, but I never "set" my stories anywhere. The settings exist in a void, to me, so I don't usually research settings. No cities or geographical locations were mentioned in the original drafts; that was added later because my editor wanted something a little more concrete.

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?
Go everywhere.
(LOL, that's on my list, too!)

5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination?
DisneyWorld. Sounds cheesy, but it's true.

Favorite childhood book?

Wait Til Helen Comes

Favorite writing snack food?
None. I can't eat or drink and write at the same time. My keyboard suffers for it.
(Hmmm...I would have to schedule myself in lots of breaks then!)

Favorite clothing item?
A blue shirt that I actually bought as a teenager.

Thank you so much, Josie, for letting me interview you. It was a pleasure!

For more information about Josie and her books, check out her blog at http://josinlmcquein.blogspot.com/ or follow her on twitter (@JosinMcQuein)!

Gold Star Review: Arclight

Arclight
by Josin L. McQuein

Book Description:

The Arclight is the last refuge in a post-apocalyptic world consumed by terrifying monsters called the Fade. No one crosses the wall of light that keeps the last human survivors safe. There's nothing else left and nowhere to go. Or so they thought, until Marina, a lone teenage girl, stumbles out of the Dark.

Marina doesn't remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. And the Fade want her back. When one of them infiltrates the compound and recognizes Marina, she begins to unlock secrets she didn't even know she had. Marina knows she's an outsider in the Arclight, but she'll do anything to protect those who saved her. Whether they want her help or not.

Review: 

I could not put this book down! From the opening pages, I was totally sucked into Marina's world. McQuein's writing is very suspenseful. Similar to Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Marina learns things in bits and pieces as she deals with amnesia.

It's been a little while since I've come across a book that just literally sucked me in so hard that I did not want to stop reading...especially when the book ended. I want more of Marina's journey. I want to find out where the humans will go from here.... It's hard to describe what I want to see without giving things away, but there are characters that I'm totally intrigued to see more from and I want to jump back into this world.

I'm giving this one a gold star for being completely fascinating. Danger, mystery, romance, and more...in my opinion, this is a great example of post-apocalyptic science fiction!

Gold Star Review: Boy21

Boy21
by Matthew Quick

Book Description:

You can lose yourself in repetition--quiet your thoughts; I learned the value of this at a very young age.

Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights, and Finley is left to take care of his disabled grandfather alone. He's always dreamed of getting out someday, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood, and the life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won't pick up a basketball, but answers only to the name Boy21--taken from his former jersey number.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, a unique friendship may turn out to be the answer they both need.

Review:
This is a book that I never would have picked up without prompting. It's got a sort-of unappealing cover, it's about basketball and boys that live in a not-so-nice neighborhood. Not my normal type of book. Am I glad, however, that I was forced to pick this one up? YES!

I sat down to read this and I won't lie, I was pretty much figuring I'd hate it. Instead I found myself totally absorbed, unable to put the book down until long after my regular bedtime, even as my eyes were fighting me, wanting to close. There is something about the tone of this book that hits it just right. The story is powerful and haunting and absolutely, heartbreakingly believable. I finished this book and immediately started recommending it the next day....to think I thought I'd hate it, LOL!

Yes, there is violence, and yes, it's definitely a book for high school readers, but I don't think there's a person out there who wouldn't find something in this book relatable or compelling once they started it. Please ignore the cover. Please trust me. This is an excellent book and I am most definitely awarding it a GOLD STAR.

Gold Star Review: The Elite

The Elite
by Kiera Cass
The Selection, book two

Book Description:
In America Singer’s world, a bride is chosen for the prince through an elaborate televised competition. In the second book of the Selection series, America is one of only six girls left in the running. But is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—she wants? Or is it Aspen, her first love?

Review: 

I have to admit that I was equal parts extremely excited and extremely nervous for this book. I really loved The Selection, a lot more than I had anticipated I would...it was a fast, easy read that drew me right in... (You can read my review here) I could not wait for the sequel, but I was terrified of "middle book syndrome, " you know, the middle book in a trilogy that really serves no purpose...the one that should just have never existed because the "trilogy" would have been better as a duet? I was especially scared about this one because I knew it was going to focus so heavily on the romantic triangle in America's life.

I was so HAPPY when I read this book. Yes, it focuses on the romantic issues, but it does so openly, honestly, without pretending to do anything else...AND, though I'm still a HUGE fan of Prince Maxon, I found myself wavering into Aspen's camp from time to time. That *never* happens to me. That means that Kiera Cass has basically written the MOST CONVINCING ROMANTIC TRIANGLE I think I've read to this point. Super KUDOS to that... and a GOLD STAR!




Besides the romance and the interactions between the girls, which I continue to find fascinating (it's like watching ANTM, you know at some point there's going to be cat fights...they can't help it!), there was actually a lot more revealed about the politics and origin of America's world. I loved how Cass revealed things through America's own education and felt that the world was really starting to come into focus around her. I cannot wait to see how America faces the political prospects that face her in the next book...it should be *very* interesting...

Gold Star Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars
by Diana Peterfreund

Book Description:
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Review:
Wow. I loved this book. It had all the romantic and sweeping, yet understated elements that you find in classic Austen, but they were wrapped in the most intriguingly imagined post-apocalyptic world. Persuasion is one of Austen's books that I really love (my favorite is Emma, in case you were interested) and I was a little afraid that Peterfreund might have taken on a little too big a task in modernizing it.... I should have had faith! She's one of my favorite authors for a reason. Peterfreund nailed it!!

I found myself wrapped in a world where I could see the connections to Austen's original work, but had no trouble at all losing myself in the new story, forgetting that it was anything but what it was. This world is similar to our own, but Elliot's family and friends are so far removed from our society that it feels very foreign. I liked the religious aspect that helped develop their philosophies and how it felt organic without becoming an overwhelming aspect of the book.

The romance. Ah, the romance. I loved it. It felt very real. Both characters had reasons to feel hurt and both had reasons they were unable to let go. Elliot and Kai were two very strong personalities that were stuck in a tough situation that could easily have torn them apart forever. I loved that Peterfreund made Elliot strong enough to not only be herself, and only herself, to succeed in the things she tried to do, but also strong enough to fight for the man that she loved with all her heart.

Though Elliot may be younger than the original character Anne Elliot that she's based on, in the post-apocalyptic world that Peterfreund created her emotions and convictions ring true in the same way, regardless of time and place. Peterfreund’s retelling effortlessly blends a new world and a new, struggling society with the heart and soul of Austen’s tale. The science fiction themes are easy to understand and seem to integrate themselves seamlessly into the story so that even readers shy about delving into the genre will have no trouble navigating this foreign world.

I recommend this book to all readers, regardless of whether or not you've read the original Austen tale that inspired it. I give this book a GOLD STAR and can't wait to see what Peterfreund does with The Scarlet Pimpernel in the upcoming Across a Star-Swept Sea.

Gold Star Review: Fox Forever

Fox Forever
by Mary E. Pearson
The Jenna Fox Chronicles, book three

Book Description:
Locke Jenkins has some catching up to do. After spending 260 years as a disembodied mind in a little black box, he has a perfect new body. But before he can move on with his unexpected new life, he’ll have to return the Favor he accepted from the shadowy resistance group known as the Network.

Locke must infiltrate the home of a government official by gaining the trust of his daughter, seventeen-year-old Raine, and he soon finds himself pulled deep into the world of the resistance—and into Raine’s life.

Review:
What an amazing end to the trilogy. I've loved Jenna Fox's story from the start and Pearson ended Jenna and Locke's story masterfully. The entire series has been thought-provoking, emotionally intense, and impossible to put down. The final book lived up to its predecessors without fail. Locke's journey was both exciting and introspective. It's sort of impossible to thoroughly review this book without giving spoilers for books one and two, but I do need to say that the bad guys get their due, Locke finds the love he truly needed, and Jenna finally finds the closure that her life had been lacking. All around an amazing story and Pearson deserves a GOLD STAR not only for this book, but for the entire trilogy.

The only other trilogy that I've read that I feel is as strong as this one is Neal Shusterman's Skinwalker Trilogy. If you haven't read those, go pick up Everlost right now!

Review: The Essence

The Essence
by Kimberly Derting
Pledge, book two

Book Description: (contains slight spoilers for book one)
At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

Review:
Book one of this series, The Pledge, was the first book that I gave a GOLD STAR review to in 2012. Now since it had been almost a year and a half since I'd read that first book, I was a little worried that I would not remember exactly what happened, and while to an extent that was true... (I'd forgotten the names of a lot of the characters, but Derting managed to reintroduce everyone extremely well) there were events and pieces of the world that were still etched so deeply into my brain that I sort of fell right back into Charlie's story without a hitch.

I was immediately creeped out again by the idea of Queen Sabara being in Charlie's head. I was fascinated by the language barriers amongst the social classes, and how some reveled in their new equality while others passionately rebelled. I was immediately drawn back into Charlie's love for Max, her best friend Brooklyn, and her baby sister.

Then Derting took it another step further and I just loved the world even more. To find someone else who has an ability that is going to throw Charlie's world into complete chaos. To have her begin to be emotionally torn as she begins to feel for Sabara. To have rival Queens...both as allies, and as women who might want to see Charlie dead...

Everything was more emotional, more dangerous, more intriguing.  I was both extremely satisfied and frustrated when the book finished.  Why? Because it was SO good and now I have to wait until sometime NEXT YEAR for book three... AHHHHHHH....so long to wait! 

For making me itch to be back in Charlie's world IMMEDIATELY. For making me hate Derting *just a little bit* for not having book three already on the bookshelves... I give this book a GOLD STAR.



*Sigh* And now, I have to sit back and wait for more... *taps foot impatiently...*

Review: Poison

Poison

by Bridget Zinn

 

Book Description:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she's the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom's future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king's army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she's not alone. She's armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can't stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she's certainly no damsel-in-distress—she's the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.


Review:
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book.

It was funny, it was exciting, it had a great main character, and took place in an interesting world.

The cover is a little deceiving. It makes Kyra look like a really tough character, a la Katniss, and while she does have some of that in her, the overall tone of the book and the characters is much, much lighter. I found myself giggling a lot and I read this one really quickly because I was enjoying it so much... 

In fact, I loved the lighthearted tone of this book so much that I am giving it a GOLD STAR review and recommend that everyone pick it up!!

 

Gold Star Review: Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone

by Leigh Bardugo

 

Book Description:
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

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Review:
Startlingly intriguing, this fantasy takes place in a world that feels both familiar and completely alien. There are details that make this world feel like an out of time Russia, with very eastern styles of dress and customs, but Bardugo has also taken that baseline for the world and added so much that is unique that it couldn't possibly be truly set there.

The horrible demonic creatures that plague the people of Ravka are scary and very alien-like. I kept picturing the weird creatures from the movie Pitch Dark (*shudders*).

Ugh. So creepy and deadly...

 

I loved the military-esque society that Alina is part of in Ravka.  Led by those who can do magic, but mostly "regular" people.  I'm very intrigued to see what happens to Alina now that her place in society has changed so drastically.  Will she be able to survive being on the run from those she once revered?

 

This book left me hanging. I felt like I'd just come back from a world that I'd never imagined, but was totally real.  I wanted to dive right back in for more.  For that, a GOLD STAR!

Gold Star Review: The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

 

Book Description:

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

 

Review:

This is a stellar book. Absolutely stellar. The concept is phenomenal. The characters, though animals, are still anthropomorphized (humanized) enough to make them evoke sympathy from readers. The storyline is perfect. The writing style fits the character and story beautifically.

Yes, I am gushing. This book deserves to be gushed over. If you have not read it yet, PICK THIS ONE UP. I guarantee that every reader will find something to love. Animals, art, love, grief, it's all here. The free form verse makes this book a breeze to read (I think it took me an hour or so) and my heart was bursting when I was done.

I cannot recommend this one enough. If it does not win at least one award this year, I think I will be shocked and somewhat appalled. Definite GOLD STAR.

 



Review: Personal Effects

Personal Effects

by E.M. Kokie

 

Book Description:

Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, Matt feels like he’s been sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, but Matt can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother’s stuff from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. But as Matt searches for answers about T.J.’s death, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.’s life that suggests he may not have known T.J. as well as he thought. What he learns challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother’s memory, and take charge of his own life.

 

Review:

Wow. This debut novel blew me away. Before I tell you why, let me note that this book is getting what will probably be my last gold star for the year!

 

 

This book was touching. This book was funny. This book was...it was everything. I ran the gamut of emotions right alongside Matt as he discovered who his brother actually was...and who that makes him.

 

This book touches on some heavy topics. Grief, homosexuality, abuse, love, and it does it all while still feeling natural. Matt is a fully realized character surrounded by people that have interesting facets, as well. The way that even characters who are no longer in the story manage to become fleshed out as the tale progresses...that takes talented writing and storybuilding.

 

My heart broke for this character and then rejoiced as he was reborn into a stronger, more complete person. Well done. Impossible to put down and well worth reading. 



Review: See You at Harry's

See You at Harry's

by Jo Knowles

 

Book Description:

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. Her dad is always busy planning how to increase traffic to the family business. Her Mom is constantly going off to meditate. Her sister Sarah, who's taking a "gap year" after high school, is too busy finding ways not to work; and her brother Holden is too focused on his new "friend" to pay attention to her. And then there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, and the center of everyone's world.

If it wasn't for Ran, Fern's best and oldest friend, there would be nowhere to turn. Ran is always calm, always positive. His mantra "All will be well" is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe.

But when their lives are unexpectedly turned upside down, Fern feels more alone than ever, and responsible for the event that wrenches the family apart. All will not be well. Or at least, all will never be the same.

 

Review:

What a book! I have to warn you...the cover of this book is deceiving. When you pick it up, you might think this is a light read with a slight romance, or something fun for summer... you will get way more from this book than you were expecting!

This is a book that deals with a family. A close knit family and their relationships. A family dealing with children coming of age and a family dealing with the worst sort of grief. While Fern is our narrator, and a great one at that, each family member is fleshed out and becomes a strong part of the story. Even Fern's extended family, her friends, seem like real kids that you could meet.

This book felt so authentic that I found my heart breaking as I was reading. I was sad, I was angry, I smiled, I laughed. I felt like a part of the family almost. It was completely gut-wrenching to deal with what Fern's family must face.

I cannot help but give this book a huge GOLD STAR for being simply amazing.

 

I can't recommend this one enough. If you haven't read it yet, and you like realistic fiction, this would be a great one to pick up ASAP!! 

Review: Seraphina

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

 

Book Description:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

 

Review:

It has been a little while since I have read a story about dragons that has left me in awe. It's not that the dragon books out there aren't great...it's that they all seem to have very similar lore these days. Not so in Seraphina. Though I have read books where dragons could take human form before, Hartman writes about this process and other dragon-y aspects in such a way that it felt utterly new and brilliantly done.

 

I could picture the painful process of a giant dragon folding in on itself to take Saar (human) form. I could empathize completely with how they must feel trapped and utterly alien amongst humankind. I understood their mathematical and scientific brains, revolted by human feeling and floundering as emotions they did not want flooded their systems.

 

Hartman manages to convey excellently drawn perspectives of both humans and dragons as they beome embroiled in political strife. Seraphina, who can see both perspectives, is the perfect narrator. Her struggle to fit in, yet hide herself from scrutiny is fascinating. Her relationship with dragonkind draws readers in effortlessly. Her struggle to fight off feelings for the one man she should never pursue...

 

A phenomenal fantasy debut, absolutely recommended to all fantasy readers, and well worthy of a shiny, shiny (dragon scale shiny, LOL) gold star: 

Review: Bad Hair Day

Bad Hair Day

by Carrie Harris

Kate Grable series, book two

 

Book Description:

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school's premed program. But after he's arrested for murder, she's left with the bodies. And when Kate's brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone—or something—is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate's supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius . . . but if she can't figure out what's behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what's left of them—are going to keep piling up.

 

Review:

Oh, Carrie Harris... how do I love your books? Let me count the ways:
1. Sassy heroine
2. SMART heroine
3. Good friends
4. A great boyfriend
5. Funny, loyal brother
6. Viral Zombies
7. Hilarious LARP groupies
8. "Werewolves" (or are they...)
9. Nanobots
10. Geektastic internships with Doctors
11. A "Rock"-a-Thon

This book once again made me laugh out loud, even as I was marveling at the brilliant blend of the paranormal and hardcore science. I love that for every weird phenomenon that happens, there is a perfectly viable explanation and, of course...Kate is always right there to fix things!

The perfect vacation read (I tore through this one while I was in Martha's Vineyard, in fact), I am going to bestow a beautiful Gold Star to this book!

 

 

Bad Hair Day is coming out this November! 

Gold Star Interview: Kelly Keaton!

Hello All!

As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, to liven up the blog a little, I'm going to (try to) interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews. :D

Today's guest is the fabulous Kelly Keaton! I'm so excited. I loved both of Kelly's books in the Gods and Monsters series, but today, we're going to talk officially about the second title, A Beautiful Evil. You can go back and check out my gushy Gold Star Review here.

Welcome, Kelly! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. I have just a couple of quick questions for you:

1.     How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write A Beautiful Evil?

 

Since it was the second in a two book contract, the idea – or at least a vague idea – was there from the time I sold the first book. So, almost two years. The actual writing time once I started it was about two months - I’m a big procrastinator, LOL.

2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

Not anything I feel would need to be secretive about. I’m actually toying with writing a contemporary romantic comedy. Love reading those and always wanted to write more in that genre. My very first manuscript was a rom-com w/some paranormal thrown in.

  

3. I LOVED that A Beautiful Evil evoked such a strong atmospheric setting. You must have researched New Orleans quite a bit. Is there any one part of New Orleans that you think everyone should visit or a piece of the town’s history that you think everyone should know?

Thanks! There are so many places I’d advise people to see. The Garden District. Lafayette Cemetery. The French Quarter. Jackson Square. You can just walk and shop and sit and eat and take it all in, day after day, and it never gets old. NOLA has this amazing Old World yet vibrant feel, an ambience – a feel-good, happy, artistic vibe. Well worth the visit! *I cannot WAIT to go to New Orleans someday. I think there are so many cool things to see!*

 

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?

Tour sites of ancient Greece. *That is on my bucket list, too!*

 5. Quick picks list:

Favorite vacation destination?

Beach, mountains, and NOLA.

 

Favorite childhood book?

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley

  

Favorite writing snack food?

Doritos

  

Favorite clothing item?

White V-neck T

 

Thank you so much, Kelly, for letting us interview you. It was a pleasure!

For more information about Kimberly and her books (I personally keep stalking checking her website for information about book #3!), check out her website at http://kellykeaton.net/

Gold Star Interview: Kimberly Derting!

Hello All!

As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, to liven up the blog a little, I'm going to (try to) interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews. :D

Today's guest is the fabulous Kimberly Derting! I'm so excited. I have really enjoyed Kimberly's Body Finder mystery series, but she officially won my heart with The Pledge. It won my first gold star review of 2012, which you can go back and read here.

Welcome, Kimberly! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. I have just a couple of quick questions for you:

1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write The Pledge?

 

The Pledge was probably the longest—in terms of time—that it’s ever taken me to put a book together. It took me a while to get the idea just right, since it came to me in pieces instead of all at once, like The Body Finder did. The first piece was a simple question: “What would it be like if someone could understand all languages?” But I definitely wanted the story itself to be bigger than just that component. I spent a lot of time thinking about how Charlie’s ability would work, what kind of world she would live in, and creating the monarchies and her friends and family, before I’d ever written a single word.

The first draft was fast, only a couple of months, but there were several rewrites before it actually made it to the final version. In all, it probably took almost two years to complete!

I actually talk about coming up with the idea for THE PLEDGE here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwK-Ja9wk4

2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

I think I’d like to try my hand at historical romance. Believe it or not, I used to (and still sometimes do!) devour historical romances. They’re my not-so-guilty pleasure. I’m not even sure I’d bother with a pen name! *That's one of my go-to reading guilty pleasures, too!*

3. I LOVED that The Pledge was completely centered around language. It became so powerful, almost a weapon, and definitely a status symbol. Can you tell us how you came up with that concept?

Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I’m fascinated by language on so many levels. Not just how it can be used as a weapon—or a divisor—as in The Pledge, but also how it can be used as a tool to bring people together. And people will often use language to judge others and/or make assumptions based on their grammar, idioms, or dialect. Often times, language is the foundation for the first impression we make about someone else, whether intentionally or not.

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?

I would love to become fluent in a foreign language! I took two years of Spanish in high school, but all I can remember now is how to order a drink, say hello and goodbye, and ask someone what time it is. How cool could it be to actually carry a full conversation? *Learning Spanish and basic Sign Language skills are on my bucket list, for sure!*

5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination? Used to be Maui, but I think it might be Paris now. If there was a Paris with Maui weather, I’d be in heaven!

Favorite childhood book? Charlotte’s Web

Favorite writing snack food? Lately: Pretzel M&Ms.

Favorite clothing item? I’m always cold, so anything that keeps me warm...sweaters, scarves, boots, fuzzy socks... *Me too! I LURVE my sweaters!!*

Thank you so much, Kimberly, for letting us interview you. It was a pleasure!

For more information about Kimberly and her books, check out her website at http://www.kimberlyderting.com/

Review: Glow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glow

by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Sky Chasers, book one

Book Description:

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

Review:

Whoa. This book got me from page one and I could NOT put it down. It was compelling, it was creepy, it was... it just was. I sat down and I read and read and read and read.

The characters were great. Kids put into the most difficult of situations...the adults they relied upon have been either killed or taken from them, and now they must take on roles that none of them are truly prepared for... Kieran steps up as "Captain," only to be overthrown by his rival, Seth. Waverly and all the other girls have been kidnapped to be used to populate the other ship that knows it will slowly die out if they cannot procreate...

Each of the teens must decide what their role will be in their new existence. Though they continuously hope to reunite with the remaining parents, they must learn to survive for themselves until that becomes a possibility. There's a little bit of a "Lord of the Flies" thing going on here...

While there is most certainly the start of a love triangle here, what I loved about this book was that there was so much development into why each character would have developed into the person that they've become that they are each strong on their own. No one person is willing to be defined by their relationship to anyone else. While the romantic feelings are a strong factor for the teens trying to reunite, it is not ultimately in any way the driving force that leads them.

With scary themes about morality, experimentation, and societal expectations, Glow was one of those books that I thought about for weeks after I read it. Things just kept rolling around in the back of my head and popping back up to the surface. It was powerful that way.

For that, I bestow an "I can't stop thinking about it" GOLD STAR!!



Gold Star Interview: Alethea Kontis!

Hello All!

As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, I was thinking of ways to liven up the blog a bit and had one of those fabulous epiphanies... I'm going to start, or at least attempt, to interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews. :D


Today's guest is the fabulous Alethea Kontis! I'm so excited. Alethea's debut YA novel, Enchanted, is one of the BEST fairy tale mash-ups I've read, ever! You can check out my gushy review here.

Welcome, Alethea! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with us. I have just a couple of quick questions for you:

1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write Enchanted?

The original short story, "Sunday" (technically a novelette, since it was about 10,000 words), was written for a fairy tale contest held by my online writers group (The Codex Writers) in the summer of 2005. That story was published in Realms of Fantasy magazine in the fall of 2006. So it took a good seven years for that to go from being a handful of magical story seeds to a book on a shelf in the bookstore...but I had the opportunity to publish a few other books during that time. And seven is a magic number, so I'm okay with that.

Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of seven years to write the sequel!

2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

I am a very lucky author in that I am already published in a myriad of genres without having to use a pseudonym. Score one for Princess Alethea!

When I was a teenager, I decided to be romantic and submit some of my stories under the pseudonym "Madeleine Mercer." Madeleine is the name of my maternal grandmother (and my middle name), and Mercer is the maiden name/stage name of my aunt, actress Ernestine Mercer, who passed away in 2011. Marion Zimmer Bradley sent back a scathing form letter with my rejection telling me all the reasons why I should NEVER EVER USE A PSEUDONYM. I was too scared by that letter to ever do it again.

*OMG. That is one of those letters that you both treasure and fear. I can't believe you have a letter from THE Marion Zimmer Bradley!!*

3. I LOVED that Enchanted incorporated bits from *so many* different fairy tales. Did you have a favorite growing up, one that always resonated with you?

My two favorite fairy tales growing up were "Snow White and Rose Red" and "The Goose Girl." I loved the story of the grumpy leprechaun with the long beard (who makes a brief appearance in Enchanted) and the Bear Prince...I actually cast Snow White and Rose Red as sisters of Seven Woodcutter (Five and Six), in a scene that got edited out. But never fear, they will be back!

"The Goose Girl" was just wonderful all-over...and the talking horse's head never bothered me one bit. Drops of blood and an evil maid overpowering the princess and her talking horse...what's not to love? And such great characters! Conrad was a clever boy to ferret out that something was wrong. The king was a clever man to listen to such a boy...and then to turn around and force the evil maid to offer up the idea for what later became her own punishment (also mentioned in Enchanted). Teaser: A good chunk of this storyline will appear in Friday's book!

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?

I hate the term "bucket list." Mine is a "Princess List." You can find it here: http://aletheakontis.com/2010/05/the-princess-list/

The easiest thing would probably be to take a hot air balloon ride...but I'd much rather go spend Guy Fawkes Day in England. I miss England.

*Me too! I have family "across the pond," but we do NOT get to visit enough!*


5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination?
England. Specifically to visit my friends Kit McCormick, Jennifer Lee, Mark Newton, and Christian Dunn.

Favorite childhood book?
Goop Tales by Gelett Burgess. They Call Me Boober Fraggle by Michaela Muntean. The Nunga Punga and the Booch, by Jean Wilson Kennedy. The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin. Gertie's Green Thumb by Catherine Dexter. How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days, by Stephen Manes. Fairy Tales. Anything by Ogden Nash. I CANNOT PICK ONE, THERE WERE JUST TOO MANY. I've been a rabid reader since the age of three.

Favorite writing snack food?
Hummus and veggie chips. And that's all Sherrilyn Kenyon's fault.

Favorite clothing item?
My emerald green Dartmouth shirt. I didn't attend Dartmouth, but I visited there, and might have applied if it was less than $20K a year. Theodore Geisel went there. You may remember his as Dr. Seuss.

Thank you so much, Alethea, for letting us interview you. It was a pleasure!

For more information about Alethea and her books, check out her website at http://aletheakontis.com/