Tour Stop {Review/Giveaway}: Barbie Girl by Heidi Acosta

Barbie Girl (Baby Doll #1)
by Heidi Acosta
ebook, 189 pages
Published (first published November 1st 2012)

 Goodreads |  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

The only thing that 17 year old Barbie Starr wants to do is graduate high school so she and her little brother, Everett, can get out of Alabama. She doesn’t care about the rumors that are spread around about her like wild fire. Rumors are nothing new to her. Sure, maybe she could change her reputation, but why bother. She is leaving Alabama as soon as she can. That is, if she can pass algebra and graduate.
The only thing Dylan Knight would like to do is go through high school unnoticed; he has had enough of the drama that is high school. He took the whole of last summer to bulk-up: finally he is not being called names or being shoved into lockers. He wants to remain on the outside of the circle of constant rumors that surround the so-called popular kids who get all the attention. He would not, however, mind if his long time crush Katie took notice of him.
But it is Barbie who notices Dylan and she offers him a deal he can’t pass up: if he helps her pass algebra, she’ll help him get the girl of his dreams. Dylan agrees, but, as it turns out, nothing is simple when it comes to Barbie. Somehow, she can’t help but draw attention to herself — and to him. Soon Dylan finds himself tossed into the whirlwind of rumors that seem to follow Barbie everywhere. Can he save his reputation and still get the girl of his dreams? Or will Barbie be the one to break through his carefully-built facade?

Book Trailer:

About the Author 

Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home.
Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidi’s mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature.
Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasn’t, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky). Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat.
Author Links: Website | Goodreads |  Twitter |  Facebook

“You think you have everything figured out, that everyone has their place, that it is black and white, you fail to see the gray in-between.”

Barbie Girl is a novel that will have you rethinking your own preconceptions and dismissing, if not, analyzing rumors before you take them at face value.  Hopefully it’ll also open your eyes up to second chances and second impressions of everyone around you.

Barbie Girl tells the story of what happens when a geeky guy makes a deal with a girl with a bad reputation to get the attention of the “good girl”.  Of course someone falls in love, true identities are revealed and things don’t go as smoothly as originally planned. 

The depiction of the characters in Barbie Girl were almost, I dare say, solid! 

Yeah Dylan Knight has his issues with prejudging Barbie and everyone else around him, bit who hasn’t.  That made him very believable in my eyes.   I’ll be lying if I said; I’d never bought into rumors or allowed them to affect my opinion of someone until proven otherwise.  With that being said, I found it sad that he allowed those same misconceptions to affect his actions later on even after he got to know Barbie.  

Third (aka whose real name is far too embarrassing to mention in this review) was an awesome wing man.  He’s the best friend struggling with an identity crisis.  He reminded me so much of almost half of my high school student body.  His antics at trying to be “cool” provided much of the comic relief.

Barbie Starr!  I adored her. She was labeled many things.  Among them were “the hottest girl in school” and “the easiest girl in school”.  Some of these labels were spewed from a bit of truth.  Yet there was so much more to her story.  Even with her issues, she made for an entertaining read.

Katie Bloom was the objective and distraction in Barbie Girl.  She’s the perfect student and ideal girlfriend according to Dylan. In the course of Dylan rallying to win her affections, we learn that she’s not all as she appears on the outside.    I don’t believe her character was fully developed.    It would be a delight to see her world further explored in the future.

All and all, I read this one rather quickly. Less than 24 hours is a record with my hectic schedule nowadays.  I've also highlighted quite a few very memorable scenes.  I was drawn to this novel by the catchy cover, but I honestly did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.  I figured it would be ho-hum. See I was prejudging, but I know better now. (I hope.)  I am delighted that I picked this up, because I can’t think of a single complaint.   I like how Barbie Girl ended on a drooling note both inside and outside the book.  It definitely has me wanting more.  I can’t wait to see what drama Barbie World brings.

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Tour Stop {Double Review}: Farsighted & Open Heart by Emlyn Chand

Farsighted (Farsighted #1)
by Emlyn Chand
Kindle Edition, 1st Edition, 226 pages
Published October 17th 2011 by Blue Crown Press
GoodReads | Amazon

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and... oh yeah, he's blind.
Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.
Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger.
With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.

“I ‘see’ color through my nose, and like green most of because so many of the best-smelling things are that hue, like grass, leaves, vegetables, and limes.”
Farsighted is the first in the Farsighted series and follows the supernatural coming of age of boy named Alex. While Alex is physically blind, he has a developing power of second sight. This journey is told from his point of view. While there aren’t any visual descriptions, the reader is presented a strikingly interesting world depiction built by sound, touch, smell, and taste. We’re also introduced to a cast of characters who’s also just as intriguing and diverse. The subsequent novels continue their journey told from their point of view. The novel’s covers hint at the story teller.
I found Alex extremely fascinating. I commented him for sticking up to school bullying in spite of his handicap. His frustration at his mother’s over soldering and father’s “seemingly” cruelness was tangible. I couldn’t help but sympathize with his situation.
Simi is a new transfer students introduced into the story right when things become extremely dismal for Alex’s school life and offers a balm. She’s a soft spoken peace maker. She becomes his only friend and love interest. Shapri is another new student who later acts to shake things up a bit. She’s sassy and a very strong character with a dominating personality. The dynamics of the trio is entertaining. As Alex’s visions become more intense, he discovers a villain threatening to destroy his new found happiness. And as he deliberates on how to save the love of his life, he realizes he’s not the only one wielding untapped power.
Overall, Farsighted was an unique story sure to capture the adoration of any science fiction fanatic. My interest however played an interesting game of tug and war. While I loved every element of this novel, I wasn’t in love with the lead character. He came off as extremely short tempered and always grumpy; and there was a perpetual loom of doom that made this story difficult for me to maintain a steady pace.

*A copy of this novel was provided courtesy of the author for an honest review.

Open Heart (Farsighted #2)
by Emlyn Chand
Kindle Edition, 354 pages
Published May 25th 2012 by Blue Crown Press
GoodReads | Amazon

Simmi Shergill's life is a mess. Her powers of psychic feeling are on the fritz, and Grandon Township's sudden population boom has brought quite a few unsavory characters to town. She also looks like an over-blown balloon in her size 14 pants, but not even starving herself seems to be helping.

At least she has Alex, the boyfriend who loves her so much he'd do anything for her. Last summer, he even risked his life to protect her from the mysterious boy everyone was convinced wanted to kill her.

Just one problem: she's not so sure she feels the same way. Is Alex really the man of her dreams? Why can't she stop fixating on her would-be killer, Dax? Part of her wants to run screaming in the other direction whenever Dax is around, while the other part longs to run into his embrace, no matter whom she'd hurt or what she'd risk.

Simmi's loyalty is on the line. Whom will she choose—the blind seer who loves her, or the charming telekinetic with "bad idea" written all over him? Emotions run high in the tension-packed book two of the Farsighted series.

 

Open Heart eliminated any doubts I had about the Farsighted series. Simmi’s story completely surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Open Heart picks up where Farsighted left off. Dax is now living with Alex and has become the latest torn in his side. At this point, I’ve become immune to Alex’s sullenness and since the story isn’t from his point of view, I was able to whip right through this one. In Farsighted Simmi was presented the way Alex saw her: Nice & Sweet. But there’s so much more to her personality. As I suspected, she had ulterior motives for advancing her and Alex’s relationship. It was an eerie feeling to read this and think back to Farsighted. The Simmi from book one was so much in opposition to this one that it was almost like reading about two different girls. I liked both portrayals of her, but Simmi through her own eyes really struck a chord. I was able to relate to her on so many levels. Like many teenage girls, Simmi has insecurities about her body, relationships and life in general. She fears her powers. She questions her love life. She has physical flaws in which she amplifies in her mind to the point of developing an eating disorder. While I’m sure no one in the real world has experienced the level of young adult supernatural and hormonal complexity as Simmi, there’s definitely a topic we can snip from her life that’ll resonate on one level or another. I am pleased to announce that after this, I am highly anticipating continuing on with this series. I’m even more excited to read Shapri’s story.

*A copy of this novel was provided courtesy of the author for an honest review.



This Tour Stop is courtesy of GoodChoiceReading!

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys
by Maggie Stiefvater (Author),
Will Patton (Narrator)
Audio Play-a-Way, Unabridged
Published September 18th 2012 by Scholastic Audio Books
Length: 11 hours

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

I was interested in reading The Raven Boys mainly because it got such high ratings upon and even before its release. Another determining factor was because Maggie Stiefvater has been on my reading radar for quite some time now. I have both Shiver and Linger in hardback collecting dust on my bookshelf. I’m ashamed to say the only motivating factor for actually getting around to The Raven Boys was the fact that my local library had it in audiobook on playaway. I listened to it during my solo daytime working hours.

The Raven Boys tells a magical journey of a group of privileged teenage boys on a quest to find the age old genie in a bottle. Rather the bottle is energy ley line and the tale is much darker. From another angle, there’s Blue. She’s an “almost” normal girl from a family of psychics. Growing up among, oracles, Blue’s future is no secret. For as long as she can remember, she’s been warned of the bad omen looming over here future love life. When the raven boy’s and Blue’s path collide, they embark on a wondrous suspenseful journey to find what lies at the end of the ley lines.

There’s a plethora of suspense and mystery in The Raven Boys. The romance was downplayed, so that’s a plus for those who don’t like a dominating love story. The action comes toward the end of the novel. The characters were a colorful lot of mixed personalities. Ronan had a very short temper and downright mean. I understand that there’s more under the surface to his actions, yet he was a major turn off. I loved Blue. She was sassy and definitely held her own. Gansey was interesting enough also. Definitely a great pick for the ring leader. Noah was a sweetheart. Adam was disturbing and the story revealed enough for the reader to sympathize with his situation.

Overall The Raven Boys was an interesting and original story. I’m shocked to say that it fell rather low on my reading-enjoyment meter. Will Patton has a very theatrical and spooky voice. His renditions of the male characters were right on, but he sort of failed on his female portrayals. There wasn’t enough of a tone difference. Also overall, at times he neglected to use inflection and it sounded a lot like a Tear Eyes eye drop commercial. Audio books usually add a star or two to novels I wouldn’t normally have the attention span and patience to sit and read through. With this one I found myself needing a break from time to time.

While I didn’t particularly rave over this title, I encourage readers to still check it out. I have high hopes that the sequel will be far more action packed; and I’m interested in seeing what happens next via the physical novel. 

Review: Don't Call Me Angel by Alicia Wright Brewster

Don't Call Me Angel (Forsaken 0.5)
by Alicia Wright Brewster
Paperback, 120 pages
Published June 15th 2012 by Dragonfairy Press
GoodReads | Amazon

After crawling her way out of Hell, Six is ready to cast aside her angel wings and all the responsibilities that come with them. But Earth is not as peaceful as she imagined it. Demons, dark angels, and other hell-beasties escaped before her, and they're not as content as she is to live a quiet life on Earth. A fellow angel who escaped Hell with her commits a series of soul-murders, destroying human souls so they can't go to the afterlife. Although Six has conflicting feelings about humans, she goes after the other angel to keep their escape a secret from the one she fears most.

I read this a while back and didn't realize I didn't post my review. So I had to go back, dig up my voice recorded notes and get to typing...

Don't Call Me Angel had me on alert from the title and quivering from the menacing cover. It simply screamed badassness. To add to the exterior appeal, the first paragraph had me prying my focus away.

When I picked this novel up, I didn't realize it was simply the prequel. Reflecting back, that makes since seeing as that this is merely a teaser. This don't give enough background for you to truly grasp the context of the situations. I enjoyed the mystery yet secretly begged for more. I didn't even learn the true meaning of Six's name until the very end. I admit that was a nagging factor for me. I like to have all the logistical info up front and the drama later. Don't Call Me Angel drives home the concept that "heroes" are dead and displays a villain seeking redemption. While Six isn't requesting mercy, she's definitively not evil incarnate. Yep, there's a whole lot of gray zone aura surrounding her. I really enjoyed that this read like a graphic novel, complete with a picture here or there. I guess if I had to complain about something, I would ask for more romance. I mean in your face lovey dopey, because I'm a sucker for that stuff. I look forward to seeing where A.W. Brewster goes with this series. Big thanks to the publisher and author for entrusting me with an honest review.

ARC Review {Author Interview/Giveaway}: Heartbeat by Faith Sullivan

Heartbeat
by Faith Sullivan
Paperback, 214 pages
Expected publication: February 5th 2013 
Amazon | GoodReads
My Review: ♥♥♥♥

Katie and Adam are afraid of love.
She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.
He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.
When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.
As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape.
Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret.
To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security.
Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.

It’s always an honor to be among the first to review a debut novel of an Indie author.  I was pleasantly surprised to be approached. While I assumed from the cover and synopsis, this would be a love story, I wasn't nearly as prepared for the intense emotional impact of this literary journey.

Heartbeat was such the almost perfect soul mate story. I say almost because there were colossal hurdles woven into the scenario. Reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, the world was totally against these two.  Katie is a sickly recent high school graduate living at home with her granny and father. Adam is a paramedic with emotional baggage. They meet by chance due to a car accident and thus begin their saga. It's not by far a smooth wooing. These two have social issues, villains, and haters.

After the initial meeting is a series of near misses with a lot of longing and fantasizing that'll make you (the reader) swoon. The composition is genius! It's broken down into nice short chapters that had me whipping through and before I knew it I was done. There's alternating points of view so you can get the full spectrum of the two lovebirds. I was a tad disappointed with the transition from infatuation to physical. I expected the piano playing scene to have a theatrical flair considering how the hug blew me away. Overall this was a nicely crafted dramatic romance and bitter sweet novel.

I would definitely recommend to drama fans, New Adult seekers and standalone novel fanatics.  Big Thanks to the author for entrusting me with an honest review.

Great story! What was your inspiration for this story?

To remind all of the jaded single people out there (myself included), that taking a chance on love is worth the risk.

The characters seemed so realistic.  Is there a real life Katie and Adam out there?

Alas, they are only the product of my imagination.

What was the motivation in choosing this particular setting?

The frigid, winter landscape is almost a character in and of itself. I wanted to show through this freezing cold setting that love can penetrate any darkness in the soul. Adam and Katie are loners, but they are able to shine a bit of light into each other's worlds. Through the small town Pennsylvania setting, my goal was to show how confined and limiting such a location can be, until of course you find the right person to share it with. Then that's all you need to feel happy, no matter where you are.

Is there a real medical term for Kate’s condition?

She suffers from Immunodeficiency (or Immune Deficiency).

What was the motivation of having multiple villains?

Since HEARTBEAT is told through alternating points-of-view between Adam and Katie, I wanted each of them to have to face their own villain. Katie has to deal with her controlling father, while Adam is pitted against Chuck, his troublesome co-worker.

Are you a fan of the “Happily Ever After”?

Actually, I'm not. I like to read stories that end well from time to time, but as a writer I tend to gravitate more toward generating an emotional response in the final pages.

Will you continue writing New-Adult novels?  What’s next?

Absolutely. Right now, I'm working on UNEXPECTED, a New Adult contemporary romance set in New York City, circa September 11, 2001.

I like that your bio reveals nothing and you encourage your fans to seek out information via conversation. 

I don't intend to be so mysterious, LOL. I'd rather the writing just speak for itself. Plus I'm not all that interesting. My characters have way more exciting lives than mine.

So here’s a few things  I’m curious to know:

Peanut Butter or Nutella?

I love a generous slice of peanut butter pie.

Coffee or Tea?

I have to have a mug of decaffeinated tea every night.

Facebook or Twitter?

I'm Twitter obsessed. I'd love for you to follow me @_FaithSullivan_

Favorite show on television right now?

There's so many, but right now I'd have to say BEING HUMAN.

Favorite novel?

I'm an admirer on how Beth Revis' likes to throw the reader off guard in her ACROSS THE UNIVERSE trilogy.

Favorite author?

I think Lauren Oliver's ending to DELIRIUM is one of the most gut wrenching chapters I have ever read.

Physical book or e-book?

Either or, I enjoy both.

Favorite Musical artist?

I'm a fan of the gritty authenticity in Pink's voice.

Favorite Song?

I find "Hey Ho" by the Lumineers to be the theme song for HEARTBEAT.

Whose your all-time favorite American Idol?

Hands down, David Cook.

Super Bowl 2013: 49ers or Ravens?

I have no clue when it comes to football...baseball, on the other hand, is a different story.

Favorite APP game?

Unlike Katie in HEARTBEAT, I love Words with Friends.

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ARC Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter
by Megan Shepherd

Hardcover, 432 pages

Expected publication: January 29th 2013 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads | Amazon 
My Rating: EPIC

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

"To me blood smelled like home..."

I have a love/hate relationship with anything goth-emo-horror.  I love to read it, but hate to be scared or creeped out.  Terrify me and I resent you.  But do nothing and I shall call you "bunny".  See you can't win.

I remember The Island of Dr. Moreau movie when I was little.  My older brothers were obsessed with it and kept it on repeat in the VCR.  While I was usually around when it was playing, I can only remember snippets from covering my eyes.  When I heard this was inspired by that, I knew the meat of the story but the potatoes were still foggy.  So reading about the relationships of the characters in this novel was new and unmarred. Yet I doubted there was much that could get to me at my age.

So with much doubt, I embarked on reading this novel (at my own risk).  It gave me waking nightmares!  I can't get the twitching rabbit out of my head.....GAH!  Even when I said bunny earlier I thought of the one in the book and it made my flesh crawl.  Ewww.  And yet I read this front to back with my morbid curiosity driving me.  I couldn't stop turning the pages no matter how gross or eerie things got.  The ending was more a relief... I felt as if I had escaped the island of Dr. Moreau.   Nonetheless, this was an exciting journey.

The dynamics of the characters was complex.  There was no definite evil person or saint.  At times Juliet was as fragile as a lamb and others where she was as fired up as a wildcat. Dr. Moreau was no cookie cutter villain either.  There was much to each character then first observations.

There were enough elements sure to captivate the adoration of every reader:
♥ romance
♥ suspense
♥ action
♥ mystery
♥ religion cults
♥ murder
♥ monsters

This was also way more mature than your average YA book.  You will find yourself forgetting that the character is only sixteen.

This was definitely retro with an edge of creepy!  The cover fooled me.  It looks like one of those historical fictions with language that will put you to sleep long before the story line catches.  But rest assured, the gore picks up right away.    The narrator's solemn situation and peculiar circumstances keeps you turning. The romance was only dished in hints, then it was right back to crazyville.  Insane & magnificent in it's freakiness!

Even in my dreams I can't escape the mental imagery of this novel which is why I have no choice but to rate it "EPIC"!

GOTHIC THRILLER, INDEED!

I could wax poetic on the many things I loved about this but I'll leave the rest for you to discover on your own.

I look forward to future novels this author has to offer.

*I received an ARC from the publisher for review and honest feedback.

{Review & Giveaway}: The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1)
by Avery Williams
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published January 3rd 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers 
Source: Purchased
GoodReads | Amazon

In the first novel of the Incarnation series, the immortal Serephina grapples with a wrenching truth: Falling in love might mean succumbing to death.People say “love never dies”…but love might be the death of Seraphina.

Seraphina has been alive since the Middle Ages, when her boyfriend, Cyrus, managed to perfect a method of alchemy that lets them swap bodies with any human being. Sera ran away from Cyrus years ago, when she realized that what they were doing—taking the lives of innocent people—was wrong. Yet she doesn’t want to die, so she finds young people who are on the brink of death, and inhabits their bodies.

Sera has just landed in the body of a girl named Kailey who was about to die in a car accident. For the first time, Sera falls in love with the life of the person she’s inhabiting. Sera also falls for the boy next door, Noah. And soon it’s clear the feelings are returned. But she can never kiss Noah, because for her to touch lips with a human would mean the human’s death. And she has even more to worry about: Cyrus is chasing her. If she stays in one place for long, she puts herself—and the people she’s grown to care for—in great danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that’s eluded her for centuries: true love?

The Alchemy of Forever tells the story of a girl who finds love after 200 years of defying true death.

 “Seraphina” means “angel”. It is also the name of the main character. This book is told from her point of view. Sera is over 200 years old and has lived to the point where she’s dead inside. Which is sort of an oxymoron but it makes a lot of sense in the context of this story. This story is about ghosts. Well its way more complicated than that! This has elements of spiritual growth from an unlikely angle with a whole lot of syfy camaraderie.

The setting is first in the Middle Ages and then in the present day. I enjoyed watching Sera’s ambitious road to redemption and the miraculous barricades detouring her at a second chance. However she wasn’t very smart for a 200 15 year old girl. She made a lot of errors; and I found myself yelling at the book like one would yell at that girl in a horror movie. The other characters were believable if not a bit vague. I’m still a bit on the fence about some of their reactions, but I suppose in the end it worked.

When I picked this up I had the preconceived notion that it would be about a person or two walking through life with a memory of another life. But that’s Reincarnation! This is about Incarnations! *SMH* I know, I know. But I refuse to read the synopsis first. That’s a sure fire way to knowing too much.

I enjoyed this novel. I would love to see where it goes in the next book. This is a light & quick read suitable for 16 & older. There are suicidal elements but nothing too graphic or horrid.

Favorite Quote: ""The scariest thing about lncarnates is that we look just like everybody else.""

This is the first giveaway in support of my 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!
Check out this link to see what's next on the giveaway agenda.

This book is gently used and from my personal collection.
Good Luck!

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Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Vampire
by Bella Forrest
Kindle Edition, 147 pages
Published December 14th 2012
Amazon | GoodReads
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤ ❥

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's 17th birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

“…Within the span of twenty four hours, I’d gone from high school senior and certified wallflower to captive of the prince of the largest and most powerful coven of our time…”

On Sofia’s 17^th birthday, she along with four other teenage girls were kidnapped, and whisked away to a secret hidden world of perpetual darkness.  Their purpose was nothing more than to act as human slaves and pawns in a political battle between paranormal beings. 

….And then someone falls in LOVE!

Shortly after the author contacted me to review this, I went to Amazon and noticed that it was a promotional freebie.  I didn't know what to expect, but what motivated me was the length.  Once I started I didn't stop and ended up reading this in a few hours. It was a short read sprinkled with horror, action, and romance. 

While this was a dark tale, the characters really added an element of that fairytale ambiance:

• Ben- the “could be” knight in shining armor
• Lucas- the villain
• Vivienne-the twin and doting sister
• Derek-the sleeping beauty and golden child
• Corrine-the witch
• Sofia, Gwen, Ashley, Paige, and Rosa- the distressed damsels

The setting was suiting.  The point of view switches between two characters (one human, one not human), so it’s interesting to view the events from multiple eyes.  The romance was gradual and somewhat believable.  Yet I found myself battling internally on the issue of Stockholm syndrome.  I never fully believed the possibility before and would shy away from the topic in the past.  Yet this story had me saying “hey, it could happen”.

Favorite Quote: “I know an excuse when I hear one. Don’t you dare deceive yourself into believing you’re the victim.”

Review: Surviving: High School by Bronsen Hawkins

Surviving: High School
by Bronsen Hawkins
Published August 11th 2012
My Rating: ♥♥

Breslin Eliot has alot of memories that he would love to keep in his past. The main ones being why he was returning to Clearveil, and why he left to begin with. But Avalon, his best friend since ever, won't make his return any easy on him. Daisy, the girl next door, wants to get to know the boy she never paid attention to. While Conner and Dexter just want a third musketeer. Being invisible in high school isn't as easy as it seem. And in Clearveil, every ones true intentions show eventually.

Breslin returns to Clearveil, a town he knew very well before he lost his father in a fatal car accident. That was when his mother packed up everything and he and his brother left town. When trouble found Breslin once again, they returned to Clearveil. Breslin was very anti-social growing up, and while that hasn’t changed, he’s attempting to take on the role of an extrovert. Students at his new school show an eerie interest toward him. It seems like people from every social class in the student body hierarchy are volleying for his attention. But something’s not right. There’s nothing extra ordinary about Breslin. Even he knows that.

“…the thing you have to understand about Clearveil is that every-bodies true colors show eventually. Some faster than others. And that nothing, no matter how well kept, remains hidden for long."

Breslin was an enigma for me. He was cynical yet I sympathized with him. He still has nightmares about the crash that killed his father. He used to be very involved in extra-curriculum activities his freshman year. Now in his junior year, and a year behind, he’s lost. This story was told in third person. The supporting cast supplied the most entertainment such as the relationship drama and woos of chasing a crush. However, I didn’t buy Daisy’s interest. I still think she has a motive. In the end a lot of motives were revealed, yet at the same time there were a lot more questions evoked.

Uniqueness:
♥ Every chapter begin with lyrics from a song.
♥ Fresh "NEW" Indie voice in YA literature.

My Doubts:
♥ It really bugged me that Breslin’s mother was referred to as Mrs. Eliot.
♥ The pace of the story sort of dragged.

Favorite line: “Friendly Competition or World War Pink.”

Positive message: “Everyone has a past, who says it has to affect our future.”

(((Thanks to the author for entrusting me with an honest review.)))