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The Daughters of Morrigan (Souls Out of Ireland #1)
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Three sisters. A magical castle. And a legend as old as Ireland. The day the Doyle sisters are...
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Driven (Reflections, #9) in Books
Apr 6, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
The books by Dean Murray and Eldon Murphy (same person) finally collide in Driven and it works perfectly! With having the two previous stories detailing Geoffrey's life, you get a real feel for what he is trying to do and how he's acting. From the books detailing Jasmin's participation in Alec's pack, you can completely understand how the frustration and exhaustion would be affecting Jasmin. This book answers questions that were raised by the books prior to this one but you are still left with new questions that need answers.
This series is one of the most entertaining ones that I have read and the attention to detail is astounding. These books flow, are easy to read and you are never bored. There is so much action but it is perfectly balanced. You don't feel like you are thrown from one scenario to another.
I loved this book and have been waiting for it very (im)patiently but it was definitely worth the wait. Highly recommended to all Dean Murray/Eldon Murphy fans and fans of the YA, Fantasy or Paranormal genres.
* 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!
August 13, 2016
This series is one of the most entertaining ones that I have read and the attention to detail is astounding. These books flow, are easy to read and you are never bored. There is so much action but it is perfectly balanced. You don't feel like you are thrown from one scenario to another.
I loved this book and have been waiting for it very (im)patiently but it was definitely worth the wait. Highly recommended to all Dean Murray/Eldon Murphy fans and fans of the YA, Fantasy or Paranormal genres.
* 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!
August 13, 2016
Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Sugar Town Queens in Books
Nov 19, 2021
**spoilerz*
OMG, this is going to be one of the best YA novels I'll read in a while. Amandla had me laughing until I cried but by the end I was mostly crying. What a gut wrenching novel with so many ups and downs?!!? Her grandpa truly is the devil and I couldn't ever forgive him either. Amandla pulling a gun out on him was surprising and I am glad she really didn't have the bullets to kill him...I was thinking the grandma was going to have a literal heart attack and I could barely keep listening to the audio book.
Another moment I had trouble getting past is when Jacob stabs Amandla's mother?!
I really thought he and his bros were all talk but turned out he was worse than some creepo. The kid was a murderer and to think he just preyed on little girls and most people didn't bat and eye. This is why I think Amandla was blaming herself and asking was it something she said or wore to invite his attention. We all know it is never what you wear but in some communities they will blame women before they blame men for anything which is what I think Amandla was dealing with and why she internally blamed herself for what happened to Jacob.
OMG, this is going to be one of the best YA novels I'll read in a while. Amandla had me laughing until I cried but by the end I was mostly crying. What a gut wrenching novel with so many ups and downs?!!? Her grandpa truly is the devil and I couldn't ever forgive him either. Amandla pulling a gun out on him was surprising and I am glad she really didn't have the bullets to kill him...I was thinking the grandma was going to have a literal heart attack and I could barely keep listening to the audio book.
Another moment I had trouble getting past is when Jacob stabs Amandla's mother?!
I really thought he and his bros were all talk but turned out he was worse than some creepo. The kid was a murderer and to think he just preyed on little girls and most people didn't bat and eye. This is why I think Amandla was blaming herself and asking was it something she said or wore to invite his attention. We all know it is never what you wear but in some communities they will blame women before they blame men for anything which is what I think Amandla was dealing with and why she internally blamed herself for what happened to Jacob.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Absorb ( The Forgotten Affinities book 1) in Books
Sep 26, 2022
173 of 230
Kindle
Absorb ( The Forgotten Affinities book 1)
By Analeigh Ford
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth. Psychic. Ritual. The three magical affinities. No mage has ever been chosen by all three…until now.
My name is Octavia Hadley, and I am the mage who broke the affinity ritual. I have been at the New York Academy of Mages for less than one day and the school board already wants to strip me of my powers.
It would be a whole lot simpler if it didn’t also mean giving up on them—the four mages that I got paired up with: Kendall, my best friend’s twin brother, Draven, the leather-clad ritual mage, Cedric, the principal’s son, and Flynn, the only other mage who also has more than one affinity.
The school board tells me I am mistake, but I know that isn’t right. This magic is mine, and I will find a way to keep it. My paired mages will fight beside me even if it means losing everything—so long as it means they don’t have to lose me too.
It was an ok book it needed some improvements in world building but the premise was good. I got slightly bored with the teenage love tryst especially in such a short space of time and not a very long book. But it was ok for YA.
Kindle
Absorb ( The Forgotten Affinities book 1)
By Analeigh Ford
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth. Psychic. Ritual. The three magical affinities. No mage has ever been chosen by all three…until now.
My name is Octavia Hadley, and I am the mage who broke the affinity ritual. I have been at the New York Academy of Mages for less than one day and the school board already wants to strip me of my powers.
It would be a whole lot simpler if it didn’t also mean giving up on them—the four mages that I got paired up with: Kendall, my best friend’s twin brother, Draven, the leather-clad ritual mage, Cedric, the principal’s son, and Flynn, the only other mage who also has more than one affinity.
The school board tells me I am mistake, but I know that isn’t right. This magic is mine, and I will find a way to keep it. My paired mages will fight beside me even if it means losing everything—so long as it means they don’t have to lose me too.
It was an ok book it needed some improvements in world building but the premise was good. I got slightly bored with the teenage love tryst especially in such a short space of time and not a very long book. But it was ok for YA.
Morgan Sheppard (926 KP) created a post
Aug 12, 2023
Merissa (12066 KP) rated The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos (Enlighten #1) in Books
May 31, 2023
Zoe is best friends with Kieran, they have been together since day dot. So when he suddenly turns into this death-defying badass, she is a bit shocked. No more so than when another hot bod also turns up to help save her. Just what is going on?
Zoe is a brilliant character, with just the right amount of innocence and naivety to carry it off, without becoming the world's most annoying character. She takes what she has to in her stride, with only an occasional flip-out. She also still tries to continue on with her 'normal' life - cart/horse scenario! With Shay and Kieran by her side to help her sort things out, the future is uncertain for Zoe. High potential on the one hand; death and destruction on the other.
With a supporting cast of excellent characters, all with their own personalities and foibles, this book was an entertaining read from start to finish. With plenty of room left for further growth and adventures, this is one series that I will definitely be continuing. Highly recommended for all YA Paranormal fans.
* 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!
Mar 27, 2016
Zoe is a brilliant character, with just the right amount of innocence and naivety to carry it off, without becoming the world's most annoying character. She takes what she has to in her stride, with only an occasional flip-out. She also still tries to continue on with her 'normal' life - cart/horse scenario! With Shay and Kieran by her side to help her sort things out, the future is uncertain for Zoe. High potential on the one hand; death and destruction on the other.
With a supporting cast of excellent characters, all with their own personalities and foibles, this book was an entertaining read from start to finish. With plenty of room left for further growth and adventures, this is one series that I will definitely be continuing. Highly recommended for all YA Paranormal fans.
* 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!
Mar 27, 2016
David McK (3425 KP) rated Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) in Movies
Nov 28, 2021 (Updated Mar 30, 2024)
Who ya gonna call?
Ghostbusters 2 was released in 1989.
Ghostbusters: The video game in 2009.
At that stage, it was - unofficially - touted as Ghostbusters 3.
The (atrocious) remake was in 2006.
This was released in 2021 - so over 30 years since Ghostbusters 2 - and is now the 'official' third entry in the franchise.
Having said that, there is absolutely no mention of Ghostbusters 2 during it, so you could easily skip that if you wanted a rewatch before going to see this.
This follows a new family, who find they have ties to a Ghostbuster of yore, when they are evicted from their tenement and inherit a farmhouse out in the rural countryside: a farmhouse that has secrets of its own, as does the surrounding neighbourhood.
It's also no secret that this relies heavily on nostalgia for the original and that family is at the core of the movie, written - as it is - by the son of the late Ivan Reitman (Jason Reitman) - and paying an elegiac tribute to the late Harold Ramis (1 of the original 4 Ghostbusters - Egon Spengler - , who passed in 2014.
Oh, and the post (not mid) -credits scene? Goes some way to making up for how Ernie Hudson was treated in the original, when he saw his scenes drastically cut from what was intended.
Ghostbusters: The video game in 2009.
At that stage, it was - unofficially - touted as Ghostbusters 3.
The (atrocious) remake was in 2006.
This was released in 2021 - so over 30 years since Ghostbusters 2 - and is now the 'official' third entry in the franchise.
Having said that, there is absolutely no mention of Ghostbusters 2 during it, so you could easily skip that if you wanted a rewatch before going to see this.
This follows a new family, who find they have ties to a Ghostbuster of yore, when they are evicted from their tenement and inherit a farmhouse out in the rural countryside: a farmhouse that has secrets of its own, as does the surrounding neighbourhood.
It's also no secret that this relies heavily on nostalgia for the original and that family is at the core of the movie, written - as it is - by the son of the late Ivan Reitman (Jason Reitman) - and paying an elegiac tribute to the late Harold Ramis (1 of the original 4 Ghostbusters - Egon Spengler - , who passed in 2014.
Oh, and the post (not mid) -credits scene? Goes some way to making up for how Ernie Hudson was treated in the original, when he saw his scenes drastically cut from what was intended.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Every Other Day in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Warning: Spoilers ahead. And they'll probably be in all caps.
I have mixed feelings about Every Other Day.
The good:
It literally got my adrenaline pumping. Barnes has a good voice for YA novels.
I loved the protagonists and I hated the antagonists. I love Skylar, she's my favorite! I would want her to be my little sister. I love Bethany! (well, in a love-hate kind of way. I like her snark and her sarcasm.) I love Kali. She's totally my favorite kind of kick-ass heroine with supernatural powers.
The not so good:
I almost stopped reading this book a few times. Once right in the middle of chapter 2, because what was happening didn't really click with what the summary said was going to happen. I put it down for a while. When I finally picked it up again, it got exciting right at the end of that chapter.
I tore through it until right before the halfway mark, when something happened and I took it the wrong way and thought "oh no, she's turning into a vampire, it's one of THOSE books," and got really mad, and wanted to quit again. But I kept reading and discovered my assumption was incorrect. And then I read some more and I discovered that she was, indeed, part vampire. I mean, I guess I should have known what with the hourglass filled with blood. But seriously?
Point is, it was hard for me to read for an extended period of time, because I got frustrated.
I couldn't quite tell if it had a plot, or just a lot of events that happened. (See my post about plotless books here for more about that.)
It took me a good long time to get through it. For something so exciting, you would think it would be easier to read more than two or three chapters at a time. I'm not sure why: Maybe the drama was getting to my head and I just had to put it down.
WHAT THE CRAP IS WITH SKYLAR DYING OMIGOD SHE WAS MY FREAKING FAVORITE!!!!1 *breathes* okay Haley, you can handle this… be professional… *sobs and hits head against wall* Okay you can't just kill off a main character like that. Skylar was the reason I kept reading the book and then YOU KILLED HER.
VAMPIRE? REALLY? SERIOUSLY?? LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH YOUNG ADULT VAMPIRE NOVELS OUT THERE, SOMEONE PLEASE WRITE SOMETHING ORIGINAL.
That was not an ending. It needed like, four more sentences. Also: the fact that it is totally the first book in a series? Gah. What's wrong with writing stand-alones?
Obviously, for me, there is more bad than good: but, it was addicting enough that I HAD to finish it.
So. You can decide if you want to read it or not. It really depends on your taste, and what you want in a YA novel.
Recommended for ages 14+
I have mixed feelings about Every Other Day.
The good:
It literally got my adrenaline pumping. Barnes has a good voice for YA novels.
I loved the protagonists and I hated the antagonists. I love Skylar, she's my favorite! I would want her to be my little sister. I love Bethany! (well, in a love-hate kind of way. I like her snark and her sarcasm.) I love Kali. She's totally my favorite kind of kick-ass heroine with supernatural powers.
The not so good:
I almost stopped reading this book a few times. Once right in the middle of chapter 2, because what was happening didn't really click with what the summary said was going to happen. I put it down for a while. When I finally picked it up again, it got exciting right at the end of that chapter.
I tore through it until right before the halfway mark, when something happened and I took it the wrong way and thought "oh no, she's turning into a vampire, it's one of THOSE books," and got really mad, and wanted to quit again. But I kept reading and discovered my assumption was incorrect. And then I read some more and I discovered that she was, indeed, part vampire. I mean, I guess I should have known what with the hourglass filled with blood. But seriously?
Point is, it was hard for me to read for an extended period of time, because I got frustrated.
I couldn't quite tell if it had a plot, or just a lot of events that happened. (See my post about plotless books here for more about that.)
It took me a good long time to get through it. For something so exciting, you would think it would be easier to read more than two or three chapters at a time. I'm not sure why: Maybe the drama was getting to my head and I just had to put it down.
WHAT THE CRAP IS WITH SKYLAR DYING OMIGOD SHE WAS MY FREAKING FAVORITE!!!!1 *breathes* okay Haley, you can handle this… be professional… *sobs and hits head against wall* Okay you can't just kill off a main character like that. Skylar was the reason I kept reading the book and then YOU KILLED HER.
VAMPIRE? REALLY? SERIOUSLY?? LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH YOUNG ADULT VAMPIRE NOVELS OUT THERE, SOMEONE PLEASE WRITE SOMETHING ORIGINAL.
That was not an ending. It needed like, four more sentences. Also: the fact that it is totally the first book in a series? Gah. What's wrong with writing stand-alones?
Obviously, for me, there is more bad than good: but, it was addicting enough that I HAD to finish it.
So. You can decide if you want to read it or not. It really depends on your taste, and what you want in a YA novel.
Recommended for ages 14+
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The In Between in Books
Feb 1, 2018
I confess that this book was not exactly what I was expecting. The novel appears to tell a typical tale of YA love, but it also spends much of its time in a paranormal, mystical world of the "In Between." It's very odd and I wasn't expecting so much talk of Heaven and Hell, despite the hint from the title.
The story follows Tara Jenkins and Justin Westcroft. Friends as children, they become close again after Tara saves Justin's life, when he nearly drowns in an accident at the public beach. Now in high school, Justin is a popular soccer star, while Tara is just a "regular gal." Tara and Justin quickly fall madly in love and become each other's world.
Part of my issue with this book is just that - Tara and Justin are in high school and the entire book centers on their "great romance" and the idea that they are made for each other, destined for all eternity. Some people pull it off, even if it's a cheesy YA series like Twilight. You find yourself rooting for Bella and Edward. Here... I don't know. Pierce's characters just aren't well-developed enough. I like Tara, but I'm not fully invested in her. I actually cared for Justin a bit more (he seemed to have more of a head on his shoulders), but I don't get to learn enough about him, or really get to know him enough as I read the novel. Instead, you are just left wondering why two young kids are so in love and so convinced, at this age, that they are meant for each other. Instead of falling for their love story, it seems like a Made for TV Special.
Once Justin actually dies (and I'm not giving anything away, the book's summary is forthright in telling you that Tara can't save Justin a second time) and he goes to the "In Between," you find him in this weird mythical, mystical land, and it's just odd. I do feel empathy for Justin as he struggles to get back to Tara, and even for Tara, as she grieves for Justin, but it often feels like two kids playing at being grown up. With the distraction of some weird mystical characters thrown in to boot.
That being said, the book managed to keep my interest. I kept reading, wanting to know what would happen to Justin and Tara. Would they kill them both? Would they be reunited? Surely it wouldn't just end with him stuck here and her still pining away? After all this?! In the end, the ending is rather "pat" and the book just sort of ends.
Come to think of it, this probably *would* make a great Lifetime movie. And I'd no doubt guiltily enjoy it with a box of chocolates.
(Note, I received a free digital copy of The In Between in return for a honest review.)
The story follows Tara Jenkins and Justin Westcroft. Friends as children, they become close again after Tara saves Justin's life, when he nearly drowns in an accident at the public beach. Now in high school, Justin is a popular soccer star, while Tara is just a "regular gal." Tara and Justin quickly fall madly in love and become each other's world.
Part of my issue with this book is just that - Tara and Justin are in high school and the entire book centers on their "great romance" and the idea that they are made for each other, destined for all eternity. Some people pull it off, even if it's a cheesy YA series like Twilight. You find yourself rooting for Bella and Edward. Here... I don't know. Pierce's characters just aren't well-developed enough. I like Tara, but I'm not fully invested in her. I actually cared for Justin a bit more (he seemed to have more of a head on his shoulders), but I don't get to learn enough about him, or really get to know him enough as I read the novel. Instead, you are just left wondering why two young kids are so in love and so convinced, at this age, that they are meant for each other. Instead of falling for their love story, it seems like a Made for TV Special.
Once Justin actually dies (and I'm not giving anything away, the book's summary is forthright in telling you that Tara can't save Justin a second time) and he goes to the "In Between," you find him in this weird mythical, mystical land, and it's just odd. I do feel empathy for Justin as he struggles to get back to Tara, and even for Tara, as she grieves for Justin, but it often feels like two kids playing at being grown up. With the distraction of some weird mystical characters thrown in to boot.
That being said, the book managed to keep my interest. I kept reading, wanting to know what would happen to Justin and Tara. Would they kill them both? Would they be reunited? Surely it wouldn't just end with him stuck here and her still pining away? After all this?! In the end, the ending is rather "pat" and the book just sort of ends.
Come to think of it, this probably *would* make a great Lifetime movie. And I'd no doubt guiltily enjoy it with a box of chocolates.
(Note, I received a free digital copy of The In Between in return for a honest review.)
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated From the Wreckage(From the Wreckage, #1) in Books
Dec 28, 2017
Growing up can be tough
Michele G. Miller tells the story of a teenage girl who's life has been turned upside down by a tornado. Jules loses a lot but she also learns alot about herself. This book is almost written in the form of introspection. The main character, Jules, is the narrator as she makes her senior year video. It is from this unique perspective we hear the story.
I liked the different form of flashback. The plot was scattered in some places but I feel that was on purpose because that was how Jules was feeling at the time. Miller takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the novel. She starts with the innocence of being young then uses the tornado to throw it all in turmoil. It was almost like the tornado was a metephor for the trials of growing up but put in a physical form that can be understood.
This would be a coming of age novel but with a forceful punch. Death is a hard lesson but so is out growing what you know and are comfortable with. Losing your first love and friends is a traumatic experience no matter how it happens.
A sequel to this book has been written and I hope to read it soon. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys coming of age books or YA literature.
I liked the different form of flashback. The plot was scattered in some places but I feel that was on purpose because that was how Jules was feeling at the time. Miller takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the novel. She starts with the innocence of being young then uses the tornado to throw it all in turmoil. It was almost like the tornado was a metephor for the trials of growing up but put in a physical form that can be understood.
This would be a coming of age novel but with a forceful punch. Death is a hard lesson but so is out growing what you know and are comfortable with. Losing your first love and friends is a traumatic experience no matter how it happens.
A sequel to this book has been written and I hope to read it soon. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys coming of age books or YA literature.