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Kristin (149 KP) rated Other Side of Forever in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
OS
Other Side of Forever
Shannon Eckrich | 2012
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Allie is that awkward girl in school with only a couple friends, trying to keep her head down and her nose clean and make it through each day without causing a scene. However, there's a secret she's been carrying for years, a secret not even her best friend knows, and that's how she wants it to stay. That is, until a new boy strolls into the shop where she works, and throws all her best-laid plans of staying off love's radar out the window.

I rather enjoyed this book right from the start, as I remember being one of those awkward high school kids. Although, it was never to the extent of Allie, as she has to hold her emotions in check due to her secret. Not too easy when you're being harassed by two older bullies just for accidentally pushing one down the stairs. But while the two girls are trashing the store where she works, Allie loses it, and now what does she do? They know there's something up with her, but not exactly what, and then this hot new guy shows up, and her day just keeps getting better. Although many people would love the gorgeous new kid to take a shine to them, Allie's the complete opposite, and it gnaws at her that she feels an electric attraction to him whenever he's around. The main characters really grabbed my attention, as Allie and Ethan are both hiding something, and I couldn't wait to get to the part where they finally opened up about their secrets. Ethan's is a little beyond what Allie could have imagined, but their bond is great, and he helps her cope with everything in her life.

My only issue is I felt the ending was rushed. It was a great story, don't get me wrong, but about 3/4 through, I was under the impression it would continue into a second book because of the issue with Ethan (I don't want to give too much away). However, only a couple of chapters later, it gets resolved in one of those "happened in the background" type ways, and it just didn't seem to flow with the pace of the story. I would love a continuation, to see how the characters cope with what happens in the end, but if that's the case, then I wish the last couple chapters of this one had been stretched into a sequel. Still, a very good read, and I'd recommend it to fans of the paranormal, paranormal romance, and YA.

4 stars
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated But Then I Came Back in Books

Dec 14, 2018  
BT
But Then I Came Back
Estelle Laure | 2017
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

Estelle Laure’s second Young Adult novel is due for publication with promises of a unique storyline. <i>But Then I Came Back</i> is about life after a near death experience, and the ways it alters your view of the world. Eden was lucky to wake up from a month long coma after being involved in a terrible accident. However, life cannot immediately go back to the way things were. With a mountain of therapy sessions ahead of her to relearn how to swallow and walk, Eden feels her ballet career is over before it even had a chance to start. And, graduating from high school does not seem likely either.

In the hospital, there is another girl in a coma who has not been as lucky as Eden. Not knowing whether she will ever wake up, Eden becomes obsessed with Jasmine, especially as she is certain she saw her in a dream-like state whilst she was unconscious. Eden also becomes fascinated with Jasmine’s only visitor, Joe, and for his sake is desperate to help wake Jasmine up.
Bordering on paranormal, Eden and Joe experiment with ways of reaching Jasmine, wherever she may be. As their relationship blossoms, Jasmine deteriorates, and soon Joe must make a decision: let Jasmine go, or keep trying, knowing she will not be the same person if she wakes.

Eden’s personality will resonate with book lovers as she is forever quoting from literature. On the other hand, her behaviour is initially antagonistic, which makes it hard for the reader to give her any sympathy. As a result, it takes some time to get into the story.

When Eden wakes up, she is obviously confused and unwell, which affects the way she behaves. I did not like her as a person, and therefore was not that interested in the book. It was also difficult to pin point the key theme of the novel. Was the paranormal theme the main concept, or Eden’s recovery and relationship with Joe? Neither of these was explored deeply. There was scope for so much more, especially the prospect of an in between – a limbo between life and death.

<i>But Then I Came Back</i> is a little disappointing; the blurb promises something special, but all we are given is a teen romance, and not a very interesting one. Estelle Laure is a good writer; nevertheless her storyline was underdeveloped.
  
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Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated Zombies for Everyone: A Jenna Sutton Supernatural Cozy Mystery in Books

Aug 10, 2021  
Zombies for Everyone: A Jenna Sutton Supernatural Cozy Mystery
Zombies for Everyone: A Jenna Sutton Supernatural Cozy Mystery
Kimberly Wylie | 2021 | Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The mystery was well-paced with plenty of clues.
YA Cozy is a new one for me, though I will say this book feels more like a paranormal adventure story than a cozy mystery. The mystery was well-paced with plenty of clues. It was easy to assume why the attacks were happening once it came up in conversation, and from there, very easy to pick out the big bad. Still, the story was an enjoyable one with lots of action and plenty of pop culture references, some of which I am certain are less applicable to the YA crowd than their parents, but fun nonetheless.

In this book we are introduced to Jenna and her partner Kieron, high school students with a little something extra. She is a Hunter. Her job is to investigate and hunt down things that go bump in the night. Kind of a cross between Dean Winchester and Buffy Summers. Kieron provides moral, tech, and info support. They are asked to track down the source of a zombie bite before it leads to a full-on outbreak. It becomes apparent that there is more going on than a simple zombie attack and with several great suspects, it moves at a fair clip.

Despite the extracurriculars they really are just typical seventeen-year-old kids worrying about dating, homework, and mean girls. That is a fun contrast to the uber adult nature of the work they do. Jenna’s mother is missing, presumed dead (a story point that I am certain will be prominent in upcoming books) Leaving Jenna with the job of caring for herself while staying under the radar of adults who would put her in the system.

The magic world built for this story is sound, though it will need some bolstering ahead as it went up fairly quickly. I think another 50 pages of story could have easily softened the info dump feel. There is a lot of information to process about magic and recurring characters, as well as The Consortium and The Covens, but at some point in this series, things are going to get really interesting and my sixth sense is tingling in anticipation. This is a great story for age 12-18 readers and really for anyone who enjoys YA and/or paranormal cozy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily