Posts Categorized: Review

Friday, March 16, 2012

Review: Chimera by B.D. Swan

Posted by 31 Comments

Chimera
B.D. Swan
Release date: November 16th, 2011

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Kyanna Kash has a problem: she’s fallen for two guys, but one of them lives only in her mind. At least, that’s what makes sense. But, when she discovers shocking evidence that the man living inside her dreams is real, and is now missing, she is forced to choose which reality to pursue. Her decision, however, might cost her everything; even her life.

*A copy was provided by B.D. Swan for review purposes*

Definitely original, absolutely intriguing: Battling a dual reality, Kyanna is suffering from fainting spells where she lands into a fantasy world with kings, battles, deadly beasts, and a gorgeous soldier.

Chimera throws us into not one, but two story-lines which are both full of mystery and romance. In her reality, Kyanna is a simple girl in love with the baseball star and trying to figure out her future plans. Her relationship with Lincon is incredibly romantic. I adored him – he’s sweet, talented, and visibly in love with Kyanna. They’ve been together for a little while already, too, so there’s no awkwardness of getting to know each other, or worse: insta-love. Kyanna, however, during her fainting spells, finds herself fiercely attracted to Koden – defender of the king in this alternate world right out of a fantasy novel. Koden is old world gentlemanly with a personality you can’t help but admire. I could never decide who I wanted Kyanna to be with, or which reality I wanted her to live in. I was super intrigued by her actual life – what exactly is happening to her to cause her to faint. However, I couldn’t help but become fascinated by the exciting events she was thrown in inside these dreams: We’ve got beasts who prey on women, vengeful princesses, and a fantastically beautiful scenery.

Kyanna herself is a bit hard to relate to at first. I felt the author, being male, was trying a bit too hard to get inside the head of a teenage girl. Making a few stereotypical girly remarks and pointing out the obvious. It did get better after a while, though, and I was able to make a better connection with her during the second half where she seemed to get a more solid personality.

This journey is not fast-paced. It’s a slow process building up to Kyanna’s dream, to have her discover everything this bizarre world has to offer. Nevertheless, I was so captivated by the beauty, the mystery of it all that I was not too bothered by the slow movement. I felt it was designed to give a gradual introduction into the unknown. It also helps that we get thrown from Kyanna’s reality to her dreams, constantly leaving us with fresh intrigue.

All in all the unique story easily won me over, plus the writing flows surprisingly well for a debut author. We’ve got a gorgeous setting and an easy to follow prose that will suit especially those reluctant to get into heavy fantasy.


4 Hot Espressos

Review: Life Is But a Dream by Brian James

Posted by on 03/15/2012 • 31 Comments

Life Is But a DreamBrian JamesRelease date: March 27th, 2012by Feiwel & Friends

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Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it’s the world that’s crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she’ll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? her decision may have fatal consequences.

*A copy was provided by Raincoast Books for review purposes* Did you know that Schizophrenia typically appears between the ages of 16 and 25? How old are you? Scary, huh?…

Review: Dark Eyes by William Richter

Posted by on 03/13/2012 • 30 Comments

Dark EyesWilliam RichterRelease date: March 15th, 2012by Razorbill

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Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At 15, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets. Now the 16-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she’s just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” for teens, this debut thriller introduces a new heroine.

*A copy was provided by Penguin Canada for review purposes* When I see a book being compared to another, especially a well loved one such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I’m always skeptical on how it can actually live up to such a claim. Fast paced and…

Review: Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Posted by on 03/12/2012 • 30 Comments

Pretty CrookedElisa LudwigRelease date: March 13th, 2012by Katherine Tegen Books

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Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa…

Embrace Tour Stop

Posted by on 03/09/2012 • 26 Comments

The Embrace blog tour is dropping by the blog today and we’ve got lots of great stuff for you guys! First there’s my review *cheer*, then a fabulous guest post by Jessica Shirvington *cheer louder*, and to top it off, a fantastic giveaway for a finished copy! *the crowd goes wild*

Review

EmbraceJessica ShirvingtonRelease date: March 6th, 2012by Sourcebooks Fire

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It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up…

Review: Buried by Linda Joy Singleton

Posted by on 03/08/2012 • 29 Comments

Buried: A Goth Girl Mystery Linda Joy SingletonRelease date: March 8th, 2012by Flux

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In a new school and determined to keep her secrets from being discovered, Thorn finds a mysterious locket that leads to a shocking discovery. Surrounded by new friends she barely knows, as well as the school’s famous former student, a smoking-hot musician named Phillipe, Thorn must investigate to find out if one of them is a murderer.

*A copy was provided by Flux Books for review purposes*

Thorn’s Finder ability pretty much says it all- she finds things. When one day, it leads her to an ugly necklace, she’s soon thrown into a murder investigation. Buried is a light read with an enticing premise that, unfortunately, fell flat with unoriginality and lack of…

Review: Starters by Lissa Price

Posted by on 03/06/2012 • 35 Comments

StartersLissa PriceSeries: Starters, #1 Release date: March 13th, 2012by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in…

Review: Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Posted by on 03/05/2012 • 35 Comments

IlluminateAimee AgrestiSeries: Gilded Wings, #1 Release date: March 6th, 2012by Harcourt Children’s Books

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Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious…