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Compete (The Atlantis Grail #2)
8.5
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It’s one thing to Qualify… But do you have what it takes to Compete? With Earth about to be...
Sci-fi Space Adventure Fiction YA Young Adult
Dragon Called
7.0
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In a kingdom that has fallen into chaos, one young woman—and her dragon—are thrust into the role...
dragons fiction fantasy young adult ya epic fantasy
The Dead and the Dark
10.0
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Imagine Riverdale crossing streams with Stephen King's The Outsider and you'll get a sense of this...
Merissa (12919 KP) rated Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers #1) in Books
Apr 10, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
The premise of this book is unusual which immediately grabbed my interest. It isn't the same formula re-worded. However, I was still unsure, even after reading the synopsis, about what I would be getting.
What I got was an interesting, rich and fully detailed book covering not just our main female character but Lexi and the Wish Mistress too. There is enough background on the other characters that they all slot in perfectly together and you know that you are getting a complete story. There are no big chunks missed out of this one.
Mandy's birthday wish was a rare one - it was her soul wish. And it is not just granted without a thought. The wish is the start of a journey that she can choose whether to take or not. And therein lies a brilliant story. It starts off quite light but soon gets darker (in a YA-friendly way). The secret that Mandy was hiding was heartbreaking in its childlike simplicity. It is easy to forget how literal children are with what you say to them and how long it can stay with them. During the conversation with Mandy and her mum, it brought tears to my eyes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be reading Break My Bones, the second in this series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
September 12, 2016
What I got was an interesting, rich and fully detailed book covering not just our main female character but Lexi and the Wish Mistress too. There is enough background on the other characters that they all slot in perfectly together and you know that you are getting a complete story. There are no big chunks missed out of this one.
Mandy's birthday wish was a rare one - it was her soul wish. And it is not just granted without a thought. The wish is the start of a journey that she can choose whether to take or not. And therein lies a brilliant story. It starts off quite light but soon gets darker (in a YA-friendly way). The secret that Mandy was hiding was heartbreaking in its childlike simplicity. It is easy to forget how literal children are with what you say to them and how long it can stay with them. During the conversation with Mandy and her mum, it brought tears to my eyes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be reading Break My Bones, the second in this series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
September 12, 2016
HT
How To Succeed in Witchcraft
8.0
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An overachieving teen witch vies for a prestigious scholarship at her elite high school in this...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shrooms ( Garden Variety Zombies 1) in Books
Nov 2, 2023
163 of 235
Kindle
Booksirens ARC
Shrooms (Garden Variety Zombies 1)
By Zola Joyce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazel always had doubts about the protective abilities of the government. Particularly Child Protective Services and the cranky old lady who’d been doing her best to separate Hazel from her one and only parental unit. Why couldn’t Mrs. Stenopoulos see the value of independent living, and Hazel’s knack for it from the youngest of ages?
She was second in command of her mother’s slightly illegal but very profitable enterprise.
She’d taught herself to drive a full four years before she was eligible to get a license.
She’d rescued her beloved hound from the ‘Clinical Trial’ her mother’s boyfriend of the month had recently concocted.
And just a few weeks after her 15th birthday, she’d secured a full ride scholarship to the local university. Early entrance.
Hazel was a caretaker, a dog lover, and a crack shot. Ask anyone in town.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you enjoy Zombie YA then it’s definitely the book for you! I think it could have done with a bit more humor and it did have some just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ve gone with a 3⭐️ because it’s well written and the idea is really interesting. The ending has thrown me a little and I really want to read the next to make sure I wasn’t high on mushrooms reading that last page 😆.
Kindle
Booksirens ARC
Shrooms (Garden Variety Zombies 1)
By Zola Joyce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazel always had doubts about the protective abilities of the government. Particularly Child Protective Services and the cranky old lady who’d been doing her best to separate Hazel from her one and only parental unit. Why couldn’t Mrs. Stenopoulos see the value of independent living, and Hazel’s knack for it from the youngest of ages?
She was second in command of her mother’s slightly illegal but very profitable enterprise.
She’d taught herself to drive a full four years before she was eligible to get a license.
She’d rescued her beloved hound from the ‘Clinical Trial’ her mother’s boyfriend of the month had recently concocted.
And just a few weeks after her 15th birthday, she’d secured a full ride scholarship to the local university. Early entrance.
Hazel was a caretaker, a dog lover, and a crack shot. Ask anyone in town.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you enjoy Zombie YA then it’s definitely the book for you! I think it could have done with a bit more humor and it did have some just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ve gone with a 3⭐️ because it’s well written and the idea is really interesting. The ending has thrown me a little and I really want to read the next to make sure I wasn’t high on mushrooms reading that last page 😆.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Shadow Keepers in Books
Dec 9, 2022
220 of 230
Kindle
The Shadow Keeper
By Marisa Noelle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sixteen-year-old Georgia Boone has seen the shadow creatures in mirrors and other reflective surfaces since she was six-years-old. But no one--not even her
brother, the person she’s closest to in the entire world--believes her. She is all alone in the hellish world where crow-like creatures hunt her everywhere she goes
When an afternoon of shopping ends in violence and blood, Georgia is sent to the UK’s most prestigious mental health hospital: Brookwood Hospital.
There, she’s forced to face her fears and answer the question:
Are the shadows real, or is this all in her head?
At Brookwood, the shadow creatures are more present than ever. Each day they grow stronger. With the help of a mysterious boy who lives inside the mirror world, she might be able to prove that she’s not hallucinating and stop the shadows from destroying the human world.
I’ve seen a lot from this author on social media and was really looking forward to reading her work. I was not disappointed this is a great YA with some sensitive issues that in my opinion were dealt with very very well. I could relate to a lot in this book from my teenage years to now. It was such an interesting concept and I’m glad it went the way it did it’s nice to see that people with mental health issues can face our demons and win sometimes whether they are real or not!
Kindle
The Shadow Keeper
By Marisa Noelle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sixteen-year-old Georgia Boone has seen the shadow creatures in mirrors and other reflective surfaces since she was six-years-old. But no one--not even her
brother, the person she’s closest to in the entire world--believes her. She is all alone in the hellish world where crow-like creatures hunt her everywhere she goes
When an afternoon of shopping ends in violence and blood, Georgia is sent to the UK’s most prestigious mental health hospital: Brookwood Hospital.
There, she’s forced to face her fears and answer the question:
Are the shadows real, or is this all in her head?
At Brookwood, the shadow creatures are more present than ever. Each day they grow stronger. With the help of a mysterious boy who lives inside the mirror world, she might be able to prove that she’s not hallucinating and stop the shadows from destroying the human world.
I’ve seen a lot from this author on social media and was really looking forward to reading her work. I was not disappointed this is a great YA with some sensitive issues that in my opinion were dealt with very very well. I could relate to a lot in this book from my teenage years to now. It was such an interesting concept and I’m glad it went the way it did it’s nice to see that people with mental health issues can face our demons and win sometimes whether they are real or not!
Chaos & Flame
Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton
7.0
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Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated American Panda in Books
Mar 20, 2019
A little sweet & simple at times, but overall a great read
Mei is seventeen and already in college at MIT, pursuing a dream. But the dream is that of her parents: become a doctor, marry the right man, and live a successful, secure life. Mei's parents have given up so much for her and her brother to live this dream. Her brother, Xing, however, has been disowned by the family. He is a doctor, but fell for the "wrong" woman, and the family no longer speaks to him. Mei, meanwhile, lives in fear of telling her parents her secret: she doesn't want to be a doctor. At all. She's afraid of germs, she hates biology, and her true passion is dance. She's also falling for a classmate, Darren, who would definitely not be on the parental-approved list. Mei is terrified of letting her parents down--and ending up like Xing. But will she ever have the chance to live her own life?
"Study hard. Bring honor to our family. Do not disappoint us. You know the stakes."
So, I wasn't sure I would really like this one when it started: it seemed a little predictable and got off to a rocky start for me. Mei, for instance, meets a germaphobic doctor "exactly like her" at the school's clinic (what are the odds?!), she's the meek daughter scared of her parents, oh she falls for a boy her parents wouldn't approve of, etc. Luckily, though, the book really grew on me and definitely expanded beyond the expected. Mei is a great character, whom I found myself rooting for, and I couldn't help empathizing with. Her parents, honestly, are just so frustrating and stressful. Sure, you can see where they are coming from and the cultural expectations, yet your heart just breaks for this poor seventeen-year-old and the weight of the world she feels upon her shoulders.
"To them, a secure future was the ultimate gift a parent could give. How could I refuse them when this was their motivation?"
The book really soars as Mei expands her wings in college and experiences some growth--meeting Darren, dancing, and reaching out to her brother. It's really sweet and touching, honestly, watching her make some of her own decisions. For me, her friendship and potential relationship with Darren made the book. It's so adorable and fun and was easily my favorite portion. It was exactly what the book needed and somehow felt fresh and not like the usual YA romances. Mei has a really unique voice, and I felt that Chao did an excellent job of capturing her main character. You cannot help but feel for this girl and start to want what she wants.
"'Look, what I feel-the sense of duty-it's debilitating, makes me feel so ashamed that I don't even care what I want.'"
So, even though things can be a little sweet and simple at times, the book really does cover a range of complex issues--cultural, family, societal, and more. It also does a good job of making you smile, and Mei is a lovely character. (As is Darren!) It might wrap up a little too easily, but it was a really enjoyable read overall, and I think Mei's voice is one sorely lacking in YA.
"Study hard. Bring honor to our family. Do not disappoint us. You know the stakes."
So, I wasn't sure I would really like this one when it started: it seemed a little predictable and got off to a rocky start for me. Mei, for instance, meets a germaphobic doctor "exactly like her" at the school's clinic (what are the odds?!), she's the meek daughter scared of her parents, oh she falls for a boy her parents wouldn't approve of, etc. Luckily, though, the book really grew on me and definitely expanded beyond the expected. Mei is a great character, whom I found myself rooting for, and I couldn't help empathizing with. Her parents, honestly, are just so frustrating and stressful. Sure, you can see where they are coming from and the cultural expectations, yet your heart just breaks for this poor seventeen-year-old and the weight of the world she feels upon her shoulders.
"To them, a secure future was the ultimate gift a parent could give. How could I refuse them when this was their motivation?"
The book really soars as Mei expands her wings in college and experiences some growth--meeting Darren, dancing, and reaching out to her brother. It's really sweet and touching, honestly, watching her make some of her own decisions. For me, her friendship and potential relationship with Darren made the book. It's so adorable and fun and was easily my favorite portion. It was exactly what the book needed and somehow felt fresh and not like the usual YA romances. Mei has a really unique voice, and I felt that Chao did an excellent job of capturing her main character. You cannot help but feel for this girl and start to want what she wants.
"'Look, what I feel-the sense of duty-it's debilitating, makes me feel so ashamed that I don't even care what I want.'"
So, even though things can be a little sweet and simple at times, the book really does cover a range of complex issues--cultural, family, societal, and more. It also does a good job of making you smile, and Mei is a lovely character. (As is Darren!) It might wrap up a little too easily, but it was a really enjoyable read overall, and I think Mei's voice is one sorely lacking in YA.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Dreamfall in Books
May 30, 2018
Great potential, poor follow-through
Dreamfall ticked me off, because it felt like the author ended the book on a massive cliff-hanger. I didn’t feel like I was given enough of the story to even faintly satisfy me. Look, I wasn’t expecting it to be a complete stand-alone, because I knew that there were more books in the series. A good series should have each book able to effectively function as a stand-alone. The author should be able to leave some threads dangling, but successfully resolve the story arc of the book while advancing the series story arc as a whole. If I had paid for this book instead of borrowing it from the library, I would be pissed. Maybe I’m being unfair. I’m willing to admit that’s a possibility, but this was just not a satisfying read. At all!
I had high hopes for Dreamfall, but the ending wasn’t the only way it disappointed me. The first couple chapters made it seem like it was going to be super creepy. Insomnia, sleep paralysis, promises of monsters, etc, are an awesome combination especially if you have experienced insomnia, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. You’re able to put yourself right there in the book with the characters. Except that, although the beginning promised great things, the fact that this is a YA book soon asserted itself. Horror-lite, except in the hands of a truly talented horror story-teller, waters down to a handful of creepy scenes and some mild tension on occasion. That’s what happened here in Dreamfall. The only stand-out scenes involved a coffin and a cave. (Though, to be fair, if you find lots of things scary, you might find more to be creeped out by in it.)
And the drama. Oh, the unnecessary drama. Now, to her credit, for once I’m not talking about a love triangle. Instead, it’s a case of the author simply trying way too hard to stretch out the drama. For non-spoiling, I’ll simply say that some of the dialogue made zero sense, and apparently no one besides Jaime ever apparently thinks to check the cameras.
The characters were okay, mostly. I’m out of the YA age range, so the chances I was going to connect with any of them were fairly small. However, I had kind of hoped that I would care about a few of them. I did mildly care about one and that was purely a circumstance of name and time of year more than anything else. Anyways, that one poofed, and thus ended my affection for any of the characters. (Though there was one twist associated with that particular character that made me grin.)
But, because I’m aware that I’ve ranted a good bit about the book, I need to balance this out a bit. Dreamfall has a very interesting plot idea. The pacing of the book is nice and quick. The dialogue between the characters is mostly believable, even if some of the ‘real’ situations are not. Even though the book swiftly lost pretty much all chance of scaring me, up until the end, I was interested – if not thrilled – by what I was reading. My main pick with this book really comes down to the fact that it feels like it was forced to be two (or more?) books instead of one. As fantastic as this plot idea is, it really is a ONE book idea. Oh, I liked the cover, too.
So disappointed because I had my hopes up, and they got thoroughly dashed.
I had high hopes for Dreamfall, but the ending wasn’t the only way it disappointed me. The first couple chapters made it seem like it was going to be super creepy. Insomnia, sleep paralysis, promises of monsters, etc, are an awesome combination especially if you have experienced insomnia, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. You’re able to put yourself right there in the book with the characters. Except that, although the beginning promised great things, the fact that this is a YA book soon asserted itself. Horror-lite, except in the hands of a truly talented horror story-teller, waters down to a handful of creepy scenes and some mild tension on occasion. That’s what happened here in Dreamfall. The only stand-out scenes involved a coffin and a cave. (Though, to be fair, if you find lots of things scary, you might find more to be creeped out by in it.)
And the drama. Oh, the unnecessary drama. Now, to her credit, for once I’m not talking about a love triangle. Instead, it’s a case of the author simply trying way too hard to stretch out the drama. For non-spoiling, I’ll simply say that some of the dialogue made zero sense, and apparently no one besides Jaime ever apparently thinks to check the cameras.
The characters were okay, mostly. I’m out of the YA age range, so the chances I was going to connect with any of them were fairly small. However, I had kind of hoped that I would care about a few of them. I did mildly care about one and that was purely a circumstance of name and time of year more than anything else. Anyways, that one poofed, and thus ended my affection for any of the characters. (Though there was one twist associated with that particular character that made me grin.)
But, because I’m aware that I’ve ranted a good bit about the book, I need to balance this out a bit. Dreamfall has a very interesting plot idea. The pacing of the book is nice and quick. The dialogue between the characters is mostly believable, even if some of the ‘real’ situations are not. Even though the book swiftly lost pretty much all chance of scaring me, up until the end, I was interested – if not thrilled – by what I was reading. My main pick with this book really comes down to the fact that it feels like it was forced to be two (or more?) books instead of one. As fantastic as this plot idea is, it really is a ONE book idea. Oh, I liked the cover, too.
So disappointed because I had my hopes up, and they got thoroughly dashed.