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Ali A (82 KP) rated Practice Girl in Books
May 24, 2022
Jo always seems to fall fast for boys - boys who, for some reason, don’t fall for her. One night at a party, she hears why - the boys who are on the wrestling team she manages, consider her a girl who’s good enough to hook up with, but not someone to date, aka, a “practice girl”.
After hearing those two words, Jo feels a lot of things - hurt, angry, ashamed, betrayed… but overall, she refuses to let those words define who she is. As she works on herself and her relationships, Jo begins to unpack and find out more uncomfortable truths about herself and her connections with all those around her. And in doing so, helps her understand her real worth.
I loved the authentic voice of Jo. I was a bit worried when I first started the book, not really knowing how a YA novel was going to handle the topic of sex. But, after reading the first few chapters, I was very interested in Jo’s story, and my mind changed.
My father was killed in a work accident when I was 12 (3 days into my 7th grade school year), and in the past, I have wondered what has done towards male relationships for me… This book had what I felt like an authentic take on a high school girl’s insecurities and vulnerabilities involving boys and relationships during that time. High school is hard enough as it is, a death of a parent sure doesn’t make it any easier.
I absolutely loved Jo’s rekindling with Leah and making friends with Jen and Amber. The talk those four had about boys and relationships while sitting around in a circle was exactly what Jo needed and allowed for multiple viewpoints that I don’t feel like are seen or heard about often in YA (like a lot of stuff, it’s getting more and more common though!)
I’m also super proud of Jo for her stance in her relationship with Sam at the end of the book. They both had stuff they needed to figure out and kudos for her to kind of force him to acknowledge that.
Overall, I enjoyed this YA novel about reputation, double standards, relationships, and empowerment. I recommend it to those who like contemporary novels that have a strong female lead, who learns lessons that I believe are important for young girls to hear.
*Thank you Bookish First and Viking Penguin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
After hearing those two words, Jo feels a lot of things - hurt, angry, ashamed, betrayed… but overall, she refuses to let those words define who she is. As she works on herself and her relationships, Jo begins to unpack and find out more uncomfortable truths about herself and her connections with all those around her. And in doing so, helps her understand her real worth.
I loved the authentic voice of Jo. I was a bit worried when I first started the book, not really knowing how a YA novel was going to handle the topic of sex. But, after reading the first few chapters, I was very interested in Jo’s story, and my mind changed.
My father was killed in a work accident when I was 12 (3 days into my 7th grade school year), and in the past, I have wondered what has done towards male relationships for me… This book had what I felt like an authentic take on a high school girl’s insecurities and vulnerabilities involving boys and relationships during that time. High school is hard enough as it is, a death of a parent sure doesn’t make it any easier.
I absolutely loved Jo’s rekindling with Leah and making friends with Jen and Amber. The talk those four had about boys and relationships while sitting around in a circle was exactly what Jo needed and allowed for multiple viewpoints that I don’t feel like are seen or heard about often in YA (like a lot of stuff, it’s getting more and more common though!)
I’m also super proud of Jo for her stance in her relationship with Sam at the end of the book. They both had stuff they needed to figure out and kudos for her to kind of force him to acknowledge that.
Overall, I enjoyed this YA novel about reputation, double standards, relationships, and empowerment. I recommend it to those who like contemporary novels that have a strong female lead, who learns lessons that I believe are important for young girls to hear.
*Thank you Bookish First and Viking Penguin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Dead Sagas, Volume I, Part I in Books
Aug 21, 2018
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The Dead Sagas: Volume I, Part I by Lee Conley is a dark fantasy novel, a horror saga unlike any other. This is not a book for the weak. This is the book for the bravest, the ones who dare to read it, and the ones who can handle to continue living with what they now know.
<b><i>Book description:</i></b>
In a land called Arnar, where brave warriors fight for glory, a great evil comes alive.
The secrets of which the scholars were writing about in the past years, the scary stories that were being told in families throughout the generations are becoming true.
Creatures we thought were dead are now walking through the streets, spreading their disease, killing innocent people, and are about to take over Arnar.
The brave warriors are prepared to die defending their lands, but how can you fight creatures that barely feel pain? Are the warriors strong enough?
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/result_1529522968460.jpg?w=510"/>;
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
A story that will leave you breathless until the very end, a story that will push you into anxiety and make you bite your nails. A story that speaks about evil, and good, love, bravery and survival, a book that will sit on your shelf after reading it, and you’ll give it a look once in a while, and say: Ahh.. that was good!
In The Dead Sagas we have the chance to follow the stories of many characters. We will meet scholars and apprentices, we meet warriors and lords, we meet people from the street, doing everything they can to survive, we meet survivors that have seen things and we will meet sailors that are dying.
From chapter to chapter, the story goes from one character to another, and we slowly see the progression of the evil creatures, the spreading pace by pace. While it starts with sailors getting sick and dying afterwards on a ship, it slowly continues to become more and more intense, as we see people literally transforming into dead walkers right after they die, right in front of our eyes.
You will meet Bjorn, who escaped a tribe that cooks and eats people, you will meet Arnulf, who sees unimaginable things will being a lord of the watch. You will see him go through the greatest pain in life, you will see him afraid and brave, you will see him fighting, even though he wants to go and cry in the corner and die.
You will meet a girl that sells her body, so she can buy food for her and her little brother. You will meet a woman warrior, and learn about her amazing and brave story, you will watch how people see their loved ones die right in front of their eyes, and sometimes, they even have to be the ones to kill them in order to survive.
Even though we learn so much about the characters and their stories, it was hard for me to really connect with any of them, as the chapters moved fast from one character to another. This is probably the reason to why I also found the beginning quite slow. It took me around 90 pages, to start realising what is happening.
There will be a lot of violence in this book, a lot of swearing, and scenes that might upset or offend you. This book is not for the weak ones, that is for sure. And while for some of you this might put you off this book, I do have to say that if the book didn’t have a strong language and violent scenes like it does, it wouldn’t have been the same.
The biggest ''flaw'' I had was the ending. I won’t say anything spoiler-ish , as I don’t want to ruin the book for you, but let’s just say that I didn’t expect it to end the way it did.
Even though this is a story about the dead people walking around and killing everything in front of them, this is actually a book about the survivors, the ones that managed to retell this story - the ones that lost anything and everything to be where they are now. This is for the lives of the brave souls, the mighty warriors, that were noble and tried to protect their lands.
A massive thanks to the author, Lee Conley, who managed to find me in the deep waters of Twitter, and who agreed to send me a paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Dead Sagas: Volume I, Part I by Lee Conley is a dark fantasy novel, a horror saga unlike any other. This is not a book for the weak. This is the book for the bravest, the ones who dare to read it, and the ones who can handle to continue living with what they now know.
<b><i>Book description:</i></b>
In a land called Arnar, where brave warriors fight for glory, a great evil comes alive.
The secrets of which the scholars were writing about in the past years, the scary stories that were being told in families throughout the generations are becoming true.
Creatures we thought were dead are now walking through the streets, spreading their disease, killing innocent people, and are about to take over Arnar.
The brave warriors are prepared to die defending their lands, but how can you fight creatures that barely feel pain? Are the warriors strong enough?
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/result_1529522968460.jpg?w=510"/>;
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
A story that will leave you breathless until the very end, a story that will push you into anxiety and make you bite your nails. A story that speaks about evil, and good, love, bravery and survival, a book that will sit on your shelf after reading it, and you’ll give it a look once in a while, and say: Ahh.. that was good!
In The Dead Sagas we have the chance to follow the stories of many characters. We will meet scholars and apprentices, we meet warriors and lords, we meet people from the street, doing everything they can to survive, we meet survivors that have seen things and we will meet sailors that are dying.
From chapter to chapter, the story goes from one character to another, and we slowly see the progression of the evil creatures, the spreading pace by pace. While it starts with sailors getting sick and dying afterwards on a ship, it slowly continues to become more and more intense, as we see people literally transforming into dead walkers right after they die, right in front of our eyes.
You will meet Bjorn, who escaped a tribe that cooks and eats people, you will meet Arnulf, who sees unimaginable things will being a lord of the watch. You will see him go through the greatest pain in life, you will see him afraid and brave, you will see him fighting, even though he wants to go and cry in the corner and die.
You will meet a girl that sells her body, so she can buy food for her and her little brother. You will meet a woman warrior, and learn about her amazing and brave story, you will watch how people see their loved ones die right in front of their eyes, and sometimes, they even have to be the ones to kill them in order to survive.
Even though we learn so much about the characters and their stories, it was hard for me to really connect with any of them, as the chapters moved fast from one character to another. This is probably the reason to why I also found the beginning quite slow. It took me around 90 pages, to start realising what is happening.
There will be a lot of violence in this book, a lot of swearing, and scenes that might upset or offend you. This book is not for the weak ones, that is for sure. And while for some of you this might put you off this book, I do have to say that if the book didn’t have a strong language and violent scenes like it does, it wouldn’t have been the same.
The biggest ''flaw'' I had was the ending. I won’t say anything spoiler-ish , as I don’t want to ruin the book for you, but let’s just say that I didn’t expect it to end the way it did.
Even though this is a story about the dead people walking around and killing everything in front of them, this is actually a book about the survivors, the ones that managed to retell this story - the ones that lost anything and everything to be where they are now. This is for the lives of the brave souls, the mighty warriors, that were noble and tried to protect their lands.
A massive thanks to the author, Lee Conley, who managed to find me in the deep waters of Twitter, and who agreed to send me a paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Midge (525 KP) rated Who (Stalker #1) in Books
Feb 9, 2019
A Touch Of Brilliance!
Who scares you the most, a complete stranger or a person you know that has you in their sight?
Megan Mitcham’s latest novel, "WHO," delivers an intensely evocative story in this first book of her new Stalker series. With intelligently crafted words and an intriguing plot that has plenty of suspenseful twists, this novel made me want to keep on turning the pages. At first, I found the book a little slow and I was worried that the story wouldn’t live up to its promise, however, the pace soon picked up and I knew I was reading a book that I would come to really enjoy.
Billionaire Larkin Ashford is the fiercely independent owner of her fashion empire which was founded on the back of wedlock. When her company has the opportunity to go public, her Board of Directors won’t give her the green light, unless she agrees to marry. A series of threatening messages aren’t making her decision any easier. As she retreats to her rooftop hideaway to clear her head, she finds herself imprisoned in the strong arms of a mysterious chap who thinks she was about to jump…
Despite her friends’ warnings that her knight in shining armour could be her stalker, she can’t get him out of her head. Determined to find the truth, she searches for her mystery man and discovers a dark secret that could destroy everything that she holds dear. With her empire in danger, she’ll have to uncover the truth before her fortune and her life are reduced to tatters.
I loved the character of Larkin who is efficient, imaginative and extremely shrewd. She has deep-rooted issues with trust from her past and she doesn’t believe in love or long-term relationships. Her mother died when she was thirteen, and she has a tense relationship with her emotionally distant father. She does have a few really close friends that are supportive and loyal. I loved that Megan Mitcham introduced us to an abundance of wonderful characters, especially Larkin’s girlfriends, Genevieve, Marlis and Libby. Their exuberance collectively provides many moments of fun, support and girlie laughter.
Larkin’s high profile life is very much lived in the limelight and with major personal and business decisions needing to be made, who is causing so much trouble for her and what will be the price she has to pay?
I had so many different scenarios playing out in my head, and even though I anticipated some of the twists, I couldn’t settle on the outcome and I was kept guessing until the end. The author definitely did not disappoint with the conclusion of this book!
If you love dramatic plots, intrigue and enjoy crime novels with a bit of romance, then Megan Mitcham delivers with abundance in "WHO."
Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Megan Mitcham for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Megan Mitcham’s latest novel, "WHO," delivers an intensely evocative story in this first book of her new Stalker series. With intelligently crafted words and an intriguing plot that has plenty of suspenseful twists, this novel made me want to keep on turning the pages. At first, I found the book a little slow and I was worried that the story wouldn’t live up to its promise, however, the pace soon picked up and I knew I was reading a book that I would come to really enjoy.
Billionaire Larkin Ashford is the fiercely independent owner of her fashion empire which was founded on the back of wedlock. When her company has the opportunity to go public, her Board of Directors won’t give her the green light, unless she agrees to marry. A series of threatening messages aren’t making her decision any easier. As she retreats to her rooftop hideaway to clear her head, she finds herself imprisoned in the strong arms of a mysterious chap who thinks she was about to jump…
Despite her friends’ warnings that her knight in shining armour could be her stalker, she can’t get him out of her head. Determined to find the truth, she searches for her mystery man and discovers a dark secret that could destroy everything that she holds dear. With her empire in danger, she’ll have to uncover the truth before her fortune and her life are reduced to tatters.
I loved the character of Larkin who is efficient, imaginative and extremely shrewd. She has deep-rooted issues with trust from her past and she doesn’t believe in love or long-term relationships. Her mother died when she was thirteen, and she has a tense relationship with her emotionally distant father. She does have a few really close friends that are supportive and loyal. I loved that Megan Mitcham introduced us to an abundance of wonderful characters, especially Larkin’s girlfriends, Genevieve, Marlis and Libby. Their exuberance collectively provides many moments of fun, support and girlie laughter.
Larkin’s high profile life is very much lived in the limelight and with major personal and business decisions needing to be made, who is causing so much trouble for her and what will be the price she has to pay?
I had so many different scenarios playing out in my head, and even though I anticipated some of the twists, I couldn’t settle on the outcome and I was kept guessing until the end. The author definitely did not disappoint with the conclusion of this book!
If you love dramatic plots, intrigue and enjoy crime novels with a bit of romance, then Megan Mitcham delivers with abundance in "WHO."
Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Megan Mitcham for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Grave Mercy</i> is the first book in Robin LaFevers’ trilogy <i>His Fair Assassin</i> set in Brittany in the middle ages. Young Ismae Rienne escapes from her new, abusive husband to the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that she was sired by the god of death. She, like the other sisters of the convent, has been blessed with certain gifts as a result. Their job is to be the handmaidens of death and help to kill people on behalf of St. Mortain.
Ismae’s task is to live in the high courts with a man named Gavriel Duval in order to remove the traitors that threaten the soon to be crowned duchess, Anne. While she is there she begins to suspect that one of the allies is a traitor, but whom? She also begins to fall in love and feels torn in two when the convent demands his death.
It takes a long time to understand what is going on in <i>Grave Mercy</i> especially as a lot of it involves politics of an era of long ago. Towards the end it begins to become more exciting once the reader has worked out who are the good characters and who are the bad and all that is left is to discover how it all resolves itself.
There is something about death and murder in historical fiction that is more gruesome than in contemporary novels. This is another reason why the book was difficult to read.
Initially the amount of names listed on the “Dramatis Personae” at the start of the book was a little daunting however not all of them are key to the plot. The main character, Ismae, is likable and her strength and independence is admirable especially as women did not have much control over their lives at that time. Most of the other characters also existed in real life as, although in part a fantasy novel, LaFevers’ has kept it as historically accurate as possible.
Looking at the reviews on <i>Goodreads</i>, over 900 readers have listed <i>Grave Mercy</i> as Young Adult. After reading the book there is nothing to suggest that it was written for that age group. Admittedly the characters are very young: Ismae, 17, and Anne, 12; but in the 1400s they would have seemed older than society regards people of that age today. The romantic element of the novel is the kind you would expect to find in adult historical novels rather than books for younger readers.
Overall this is a book for people who appreciate historical and political fiction but also like an element of fantasy and romance. It is written really well but to be able to engage fully with the story you need to be really interested in the subject matter.
<i>Grave Mercy</i> is the first book in Robin LaFevers’ trilogy <i>His Fair Assassin</i> set in Brittany in the middle ages. Young Ismae Rienne escapes from her new, abusive husband to the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that she was sired by the god of death. She, like the other sisters of the convent, has been blessed with certain gifts as a result. Their job is to be the handmaidens of death and help to kill people on behalf of St. Mortain.
Ismae’s task is to live in the high courts with a man named Gavriel Duval in order to remove the traitors that threaten the soon to be crowned duchess, Anne. While she is there she begins to suspect that one of the allies is a traitor, but whom? She also begins to fall in love and feels torn in two when the convent demands his death.
It takes a long time to understand what is going on in <i>Grave Mercy</i> especially as a lot of it involves politics of an era of long ago. Towards the end it begins to become more exciting once the reader has worked out who are the good characters and who are the bad and all that is left is to discover how it all resolves itself.
There is something about death and murder in historical fiction that is more gruesome than in contemporary novels. This is another reason why the book was difficult to read.
Initially the amount of names listed on the “Dramatis Personae” at the start of the book was a little daunting however not all of them are key to the plot. The main character, Ismae, is likable and her strength and independence is admirable especially as women did not have much control over their lives at that time. Most of the other characters also existed in real life as, although in part a fantasy novel, LaFevers’ has kept it as historically accurate as possible.
Looking at the reviews on <i>Goodreads</i>, over 900 readers have listed <i>Grave Mercy</i> as Young Adult. After reading the book there is nothing to suggest that it was written for that age group. Admittedly the characters are very young: Ismae, 17, and Anne, 12; but in the 1400s they would have seemed older than society regards people of that age today. The romantic element of the novel is the kind you would expect to find in adult historical novels rather than books for younger readers.
Overall this is a book for people who appreciate historical and political fiction but also like an element of fantasy and romance. It is written really well but to be able to engage fully with the story you need to be really interested in the subject matter.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated White Stag (Permafrost, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Wowowow the synopsis on top of the pretty cover for <em>White Stag</em> called for my name and beckoned me to come and dig myself into a hole for winter break big time.
<h2><strong><em>White</em> <em>Stag</em> has an amazing first chapter.</strong></h2>
Barbieri grabbed my attention with her debut from the very beginning, introducing us to a world where humans and goblins know of each others' existence. The first chapter is action-packed and fast-paced, quickly grabbing my attention and making me want <em>more</em> from the novel.
<h2><strong>"More monster than human."</strong></h2>
Janneke is a human girl who has spent over a century with goblins after her family and village is slaughtered, working as a thrall for one of the goblins. Through observation and her father's teachings, she's one of the few people who survived longer than most. With those years of survival and living, though, she's also slowly lost touch with the human world. Despite wanting to return to the human world and start her life over, she knows it is no longer the same, and it is a struggle for her throughout the book.
<h2><strong>Something about the relationship bothers me a little.</strong></h2>
I can't place my finger on what it is, exactly, but something about Janneke's relationship with Sorren bothers me a little. I guess I didn't care about their relationship? Maybe being in a relationship with someone who technically owns me isn't my thing at all even though Sorren treats her better than any of the other goblins? I honestly don't know.
<h2><strong>So much about rape and flashbacks.</strong></h2>
I'm pretty sure there are at least twenty different ways Barbieri tells us Janneke was brutally raped before she gets placed under Sorren's care. It's implied, it's told, it's shoved in my face and it's used as one of her struggles to accept her transition into becoming a goblin, etc.
And honestly? Without her rape being involved, Janneke is essentially a very special human bean who assimilated into goblin culture with her fierceness and no bullshittery. There's nothing else about her as a character, but maybe we'll see more in the second book?
<h2><strong>Slow, but interesting.</strong></h2>
I think I got caught at a good time while reading this. <em>White Stag</em> is slow, but it was interesting. And if I started reading this a few days later, I would likely say differently because I'm a big mood reader. No book likes to be caught in one of my bad reading days when I go all stabby (aka extremely critical) with books.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/white-stag-by-kara-barbieri/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Wowowow the synopsis on top of the pretty cover for <em>White Stag</em> called for my name and beckoned me to come and dig myself into a hole for winter break big time.
<h2><strong><em>White</em> <em>Stag</em> has an amazing first chapter.</strong></h2>
Barbieri grabbed my attention with her debut from the very beginning, introducing us to a world where humans and goblins know of each others' existence. The first chapter is action-packed and fast-paced, quickly grabbing my attention and making me want <em>more</em> from the novel.
<h2><strong>"More monster than human."</strong></h2>
Janneke is a human girl who has spent over a century with goblins after her family and village is slaughtered, working as a thrall for one of the goblins. Through observation and her father's teachings, she's one of the few people who survived longer than most. With those years of survival and living, though, she's also slowly lost touch with the human world. Despite wanting to return to the human world and start her life over, she knows it is no longer the same, and it is a struggle for her throughout the book.
<h2><strong>Something about the relationship bothers me a little.</strong></h2>
I can't place my finger on what it is, exactly, but something about Janneke's relationship with Sorren bothers me a little. I guess I didn't care about their relationship? Maybe being in a relationship with someone who technically owns me isn't my thing at all even though Sorren treats her better than any of the other goblins? I honestly don't know.
<h2><strong>So much about rape and flashbacks.</strong></h2>
I'm pretty sure there are at least twenty different ways Barbieri tells us Janneke was brutally raped before she gets placed under Sorren's care. It's implied, it's told, it's shoved in my face and it's used as one of her struggles to accept her transition into becoming a goblin, etc.
And honestly? Without her rape being involved, Janneke is essentially a very special human bean who assimilated into goblin culture with her fierceness and no bullshittery. There's nothing else about her as a character, but maybe we'll see more in the second book?
<h2><strong>Slow, but interesting.</strong></h2>
I think I got caught at a good time while reading this. <em>White Stag</em> is slow, but it was interesting. And if I started reading this a few days later, I would likely say differently because I'm a big mood reader. No book likes to be caught in one of my bad reading days when I go all stabby (aka extremely critical) with books.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/white-stag-by-kara-barbieri/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The First Time Lauren Pailing Died in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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<b><i>The First Time Lauren Pailing Died is a beautifully-written novel that opens your eyes about life and its meaning. A very powerful novel with interesting story. I have read books that have a few similarities to this one, but I haven't read anything like this before.</i></b>
The main character in this book is without a doubt, Lauren. In the first chapters, we learn more about her and her parents. Lauren is an intriguing child, able to stare in the distance for a long time and able to see a different mummy that doesn't exist. When Lauren dies as a teen, the story splits into a few parts and we have parallel universes and different story lines happening.
In one of them, Lauren hasn't died at all. She wakes up and continues life as normal. In another, her parents have a little daughter and are coping with Lauren's death while raising the little girl. The third would represents Lauren's mum who can't cope with the pain and commits suicide, leaving Lauren's dad on his own. With all of the story lines, one thing stays the same - a mysterious disappearance of Lauren's dad's boss - Peter.
In every life Lauren lives - she feels like she needs to find out what happened to Peter. In all honesty, this mystery was supposed to be the centre of the story in the book, but to me it just didn't make sense at all. Once we got all the answers, all I could think of was that these two stories could have easily been made into two separate books.
While I had mixed feelings about the mystery of Peter, I definitely loved the parallel universe theme in the book. There were so many alternatives in Lauren's life. It puts into perspective how one choice in your life can make a difference in the long run. If you only change one decision, you could end up somewhere completely different.
<b>I cannot recommend this book enough, if this is a genre that intrigues you. If you are planning to read it, I would suggest to avoid reading reviews and synopsis and go with a blank page of expectations. The less you know - the better your experience will be. Keep your mind open and enjoy. Happy Reading! <3</b>
Thank you to the team from HQ for sending me a hardcover ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
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<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Book-Review-Banner-7.png"/>;
<b><i>The First Time Lauren Pailing Died is a beautifully-written novel that opens your eyes about life and its meaning. A very powerful novel with interesting story. I have read books that have a few similarities to this one, but I haven't read anything like this before.</i></b>
The main character in this book is without a doubt, Lauren. In the first chapters, we learn more about her and her parents. Lauren is an intriguing child, able to stare in the distance for a long time and able to see a different mummy that doesn't exist. When Lauren dies as a teen, the story splits into a few parts and we have parallel universes and different story lines happening.
In one of them, Lauren hasn't died at all. She wakes up and continues life as normal. In another, her parents have a little daughter and are coping with Lauren's death while raising the little girl. The third would represents Lauren's mum who can't cope with the pain and commits suicide, leaving Lauren's dad on his own. With all of the story lines, one thing stays the same - a mysterious disappearance of Lauren's dad's boss - Peter.
In every life Lauren lives - she feels like she needs to find out what happened to Peter. In all honesty, this mystery was supposed to be the centre of the story in the book, but to me it just didn't make sense at all. Once we got all the answers, all I could think of was that these two stories could have easily been made into two separate books.
While I had mixed feelings about the mystery of Peter, I definitely loved the parallel universe theme in the book. There were so many alternatives in Lauren's life. It puts into perspective how one choice in your life can make a difference in the long run. If you only change one decision, you could end up somewhere completely different.
<b>I cannot recommend this book enough, if this is a genre that intrigues you. If you are planning to read it, I would suggest to avoid reading reviews and synopsis and go with a blank page of expectations. The less you know - the better your experience will be. Keep your mind open and enjoy. Happy Reading! <3</b>
Thank you to the team from HQ for sending me a hardcover ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Alice (12 KP) rated War Dogs: Ares Rising in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<i>I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review</i>
War Dogs was so far out of my comfort zone I expected to not enjoy it. I’m pleased to say that I did enjoy this, not only was this a new style of writing for me, it was also a new author. At first I was a little sceptic of a book set on Mars (I haven’t read The Martian yet so the topic of being stuck on Mars is new!) this book was set in the perspective of Master Sergeant Michael Venn (Vinnie), a veteran Marine trained in off-world combat.
The book opens with Vinnie being back on Earth after a shit-storm of a Mars mission throws everything for a loop:
<blockquote>I’m trying to go home. As the poet said, if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are. Home is where you go to get all that sorted out.</blockquote>
The chapters flick between Earth now and Mars then which is, in reality probably only about 2 weeks or so. Michael Venn has been on multiple tours of the Red Planet in his six years as a Skyrine and this is likely to be his last. There’s a good setting of Seattle in the beginning of the book where he’s just got out of the military base he touched down in a little while ago, it’s told from first person perspective and lots of memories are forth coming to the reader.
The basis of the Skyrine and their missions to Mars is from the Gurus – an alien race who made their presence known thirteen years ago when they touched down in the desert and spoke with some camel herders, it then progresses to the Gurus sneaking into the telecoms and satlinks, making a lot of money and then being “spotted” by some really clever computer folks. The Gurus then provide us humans with lots of technological advances for seemingly nothing, at least until they break the news that they have their own enemies – the Antagonists or Antags – and it’s now up the humans to go to war with the Antags.
After this little bit of background the story flicks to Mars with what has got to be one of my favourite lines in this book:
<blockquote>Physics is what kills you, but biology is what wants you dead.</blockquote>
Another favourite is:
<blockquote>…and share a silent fear that here, buckaroos, there are far too many cowboys and not nearly enough Indians.</blockquote>
The story then continues with Michael Venn’s tale of how their mission went tits up and describes various settings on Mars where they are thrown in the deep end and are at risk of dying. I didn’t quite understand why the book was called War Dogs until page 75 when it was explained to a point:
<blockquote>We’re all War Dogs, adopted by a very tall, strong ranch wife.</blockquote>
The descriptions of the characters and the settings in this book are wonderfully done and you actually feel like you’re there on Mars suffering along with Venn, Tak, Kazak and the rest of the Skyrines (a Skyrine is a Marine who is ‘sky-bound’ to Mars) while they wait out the possibility of death before Teal the ranch wife from the above quote comes to their rescue and then while they discover that their mission was compromised from the very beginning long before they actually launched.
Throughout the book there is a character called Alice who comes to Seattle on behalf of Joe (another Skyrine) who is there to help Michael come to terms with being back on Earth after the blow out of Mars. She’s a sort of psychotherapist I suppose who is there to listen to Michael’s story of what happened on Mars (which is basically how the book is written, the storytelling of what happened on Mars but through visions or flashbacks) and she eventually takes him to see Joe only they get caught by the military police. Michael ends up being taken “prisoner” as a fugitive.
This book was – though short – incredibly well written and I definitely want to read the next one which is lucky as I have that as well. This one book has made me want to read more of Greg Bear’s work and I’m on the hunt for the next series to read. As mentioned before the characters were brilliant although there is lots of unique jargon that both does and doesn’t make sense (SNKRAZ for one), the Muskie lingo (Teal’s people) is a little hard going to understand.
The chapter switches between past and present, with the past represented as memories or hallucinations/visions; ultimately War Dogs is a humorous but dramatic tale of Mars from the POV of a Marine that can’t swear. Michael Venn is a great main character with plenty of well presented secondary characters and a good ecclectic mix of plots.
I will leave you with a parting quote:
<blockquote>Ant farm stories are just like life. We have no idea why we’re here, what we’re doing alive, or even where we are, but here we are, doing our best to make do.</blockquote>
War Dogs was so far out of my comfort zone I expected to not enjoy it. I’m pleased to say that I did enjoy this, not only was this a new style of writing for me, it was also a new author. At first I was a little sceptic of a book set on Mars (I haven’t read The Martian yet so the topic of being stuck on Mars is new!) this book was set in the perspective of Master Sergeant Michael Venn (Vinnie), a veteran Marine trained in off-world combat.
The book opens with Vinnie being back on Earth after a shit-storm of a Mars mission throws everything for a loop:
<blockquote>I’m trying to go home. As the poet said, if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are. Home is where you go to get all that sorted out.</blockquote>
The chapters flick between Earth now and Mars then which is, in reality probably only about 2 weeks or so. Michael Venn has been on multiple tours of the Red Planet in his six years as a Skyrine and this is likely to be his last. There’s a good setting of Seattle in the beginning of the book where he’s just got out of the military base he touched down in a little while ago, it’s told from first person perspective and lots of memories are forth coming to the reader.
The basis of the Skyrine and their missions to Mars is from the Gurus – an alien race who made their presence known thirteen years ago when they touched down in the desert and spoke with some camel herders, it then progresses to the Gurus sneaking into the telecoms and satlinks, making a lot of money and then being “spotted” by some really clever computer folks. The Gurus then provide us humans with lots of technological advances for seemingly nothing, at least until they break the news that they have their own enemies – the Antagonists or Antags – and it’s now up the humans to go to war with the Antags.
After this little bit of background the story flicks to Mars with what has got to be one of my favourite lines in this book:
<blockquote>Physics is what kills you, but biology is what wants you dead.</blockquote>
Another favourite is:
<blockquote>…and share a silent fear that here, buckaroos, there are far too many cowboys and not nearly enough Indians.</blockquote>
The story then continues with Michael Venn’s tale of how their mission went tits up and describes various settings on Mars where they are thrown in the deep end and are at risk of dying. I didn’t quite understand why the book was called War Dogs until page 75 when it was explained to a point:
<blockquote>We’re all War Dogs, adopted by a very tall, strong ranch wife.</blockquote>
The descriptions of the characters and the settings in this book are wonderfully done and you actually feel like you’re there on Mars suffering along with Venn, Tak, Kazak and the rest of the Skyrines (a Skyrine is a Marine who is ‘sky-bound’ to Mars) while they wait out the possibility of death before Teal the ranch wife from the above quote comes to their rescue and then while they discover that their mission was compromised from the very beginning long before they actually launched.
Throughout the book there is a character called Alice who comes to Seattle on behalf of Joe (another Skyrine) who is there to help Michael come to terms with being back on Earth after the blow out of Mars. She’s a sort of psychotherapist I suppose who is there to listen to Michael’s story of what happened on Mars (which is basically how the book is written, the storytelling of what happened on Mars but through visions or flashbacks) and she eventually takes him to see Joe only they get caught by the military police. Michael ends up being taken “prisoner” as a fugitive.
This book was – though short – incredibly well written and I definitely want to read the next one which is lucky as I have that as well. This one book has made me want to read more of Greg Bear’s work and I’m on the hunt for the next series to read. As mentioned before the characters were brilliant although there is lots of unique jargon that both does and doesn’t make sense (SNKRAZ for one), the Muskie lingo (Teal’s people) is a little hard going to understand.
The chapter switches between past and present, with the past represented as memories or hallucinations/visions; ultimately War Dogs is a humorous but dramatic tale of Mars from the POV of a Marine that can’t swear. Michael Venn is a great main character with plenty of well presented secondary characters and a good ecclectic mix of plots.
I will leave you with a parting quote:
<blockquote>Ant farm stories are just like life. We have no idea why we’re here, what we’re doing alive, or even where we are, but here we are, doing our best to make do.</blockquote>
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Tether (The ELI Chronicles, #2) in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<b>The ELI Chronicles Series</b>
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2387441859">The One and Only</a> - ★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2803361466">The Tether</a> - ★★★★
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Book-Review-Banner-19.png?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i>As soon as I read <a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/2018/05/29/the-one-and-only-julia-ash-book-review/">The One and Only, the first book of the ELI Chronicles,</a> I knew I had to finish the series. When Julia Ash reached out to me, letting me know the second book, The Tether, is available for review – I obviously jumped at the opportunity!M/i></b>
It took me a bit to get to it due to my busy schedule, but once I finally got my hands on The Tether and started reading it, I couldn’t put it down.
The Tether continues where the first book finished – Ruby managed to save the Earth from the ZOM-B disease and a possible zombie apocalypse, being the only person with a unique blood type that can provide a cure. And then she got turned to a vampire.
And when everything seems quiet, things are starting to escalate again. Ruby’s blood donors are from another planet, and one of the donors is the King of Darkness, an ancient vampire who is in search for food – animals and humans on Earth. And once again, it is up to Ruby to save the planet and her family. Only this time, she discovers she has way more power than she thought.
If you read my review on Book One, you will know I was confused and angry with how the first book ended. Right after a Zombie Apocalypse, we had a vampire ending. For a moment, I thought that once you start mixing too many things up, it can get confusing. But this series somehow manages to keep it all together, and it all logically makes sense. I just fear that perhaps people might not agree with me and find it confusing. I didn’t though.
Ruby, again, was my favourite character. She had to go through so much, and then learn to finally embrace it. She kept herself down on Earth, despite her power, and that made me like her even more. I also respect her so much for sacrificing herself for a greater cause, and always putting her family first!
<i><b>Clay, oh, Clay…</b></i>
We never got along buddy. But I couldn’t help but feel for Clay in this book, and he is slowly growing on me. He has to slowly age and then die, while his wife is immortal. Secretly, I hope he becomes a vampire too, so they can spend their eternity together, even though, let’s be honest, he won’t really bring anything much to the table. But I loved, how he sacrificed himself for his family, and stood up against bullies, even if they were immortal vampires.
I loved our main villain in this book – Zagan. For he had reasoning for everything he did, even though it was wrong. He had a purpose and a goal, and he did have a pinch of good inside him. But he also had evil, and that was never gonna change.
Interestingly enough, and a big no-surprise for me was the government. Their corruption and the depths that they were willing to go to reach their goal was scary – and very accurate to what actually is currently happening in the world. The fear is also represented, and how differently they react as soon as they see someone who has more power than them. Their thinking of making new people similar to this one case, that they could use for greater goals. This moment was captured in the book in a great way, as it is a great discussion point and a very painful subject at the same time for some people.
The new planet, new characters, new powers was an interesting switch within the book. I didn’t expect that at all, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it all fitted in. It was all well thought of, The Tether story, the tree, the blood connection with Ruby, the link between the planet and Earth, the concept of how people lived their belief of healing what they were hurting and keeping the balance. The one thing that confused me was the mentions of their heartbeats, as I thought vampire’s hearts don’t beat.
<b><i>I really enjoyed The Tether and it ended perfectly, getting us ready for the third book and Ruby’s next challenge. I highly recommend it – it is a real page-turner with incredible plot twists!
Thank you to the author, Julia Ash, for sending me a copy of The Tether, in exchange for an honest review!</i></b>
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<b>The ELI Chronicles Series</b>
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2387441859">The One and Only</a> - ★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2803361466">The Tether</a> - ★★★★
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Book-Review-Banner-19.png?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i>As soon as I read <a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/2018/05/29/the-one-and-only-julia-ash-book-review/">The One and Only, the first book of the ELI Chronicles,</a> I knew I had to finish the series. When Julia Ash reached out to me, letting me know the second book, The Tether, is available for review – I obviously jumped at the opportunity!M/i></b>
It took me a bit to get to it due to my busy schedule, but once I finally got my hands on The Tether and started reading it, I couldn’t put it down.
The Tether continues where the first book finished – Ruby managed to save the Earth from the ZOM-B disease and a possible zombie apocalypse, being the only person with a unique blood type that can provide a cure. And then she got turned to a vampire.
And when everything seems quiet, things are starting to escalate again. Ruby’s blood donors are from another planet, and one of the donors is the King of Darkness, an ancient vampire who is in search for food – animals and humans on Earth. And once again, it is up to Ruby to save the planet and her family. Only this time, she discovers she has way more power than she thought.
If you read my review on Book One, you will know I was confused and angry with how the first book ended. Right after a Zombie Apocalypse, we had a vampire ending. For a moment, I thought that once you start mixing too many things up, it can get confusing. But this series somehow manages to keep it all together, and it all logically makes sense. I just fear that perhaps people might not agree with me and find it confusing. I didn’t though.
Ruby, again, was my favourite character. She had to go through so much, and then learn to finally embrace it. She kept herself down on Earth, despite her power, and that made me like her even more. I also respect her so much for sacrificing herself for a greater cause, and always putting her family first!
<i><b>Clay, oh, Clay…</b></i>
We never got along buddy. But I couldn’t help but feel for Clay in this book, and he is slowly growing on me. He has to slowly age and then die, while his wife is immortal. Secretly, I hope he becomes a vampire too, so they can spend their eternity together, even though, let’s be honest, he won’t really bring anything much to the table. But I loved, how he sacrificed himself for his family, and stood up against bullies, even if they were immortal vampires.
I loved our main villain in this book – Zagan. For he had reasoning for everything he did, even though it was wrong. He had a purpose and a goal, and he did have a pinch of good inside him. But he also had evil, and that was never gonna change.
Interestingly enough, and a big no-surprise for me was the government. Their corruption and the depths that they were willing to go to reach their goal was scary – and very accurate to what actually is currently happening in the world. The fear is also represented, and how differently they react as soon as they see someone who has more power than them. Their thinking of making new people similar to this one case, that they could use for greater goals. This moment was captured in the book in a great way, as it is a great discussion point and a very painful subject at the same time for some people.
The new planet, new characters, new powers was an interesting switch within the book. I didn’t expect that at all, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it all fitted in. It was all well thought of, The Tether story, the tree, the blood connection with Ruby, the link between the planet and Earth, the concept of how people lived their belief of healing what they were hurting and keeping the balance. The one thing that confused me was the mentions of their heartbeats, as I thought vampire’s hearts don’t beat.
<b><i>I really enjoyed The Tether and it ended perfectly, getting us ready for the third book and Ruby’s next challenge. I highly recommend it – it is a real page-turner with incredible plot twists!
Thank you to the author, Julia Ash, for sending me a copy of The Tether, in exchange for an honest review!</i></b>
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
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