Review: Pretty Girl - 13

Book: Pretty Girl-13
By: Liz Coley
Published: March 19, 2013
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books

Description: Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home…only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing - and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love

My Thoughts: Holy freaking crap this book was good, but good in a really messed up way. I dont want to give up too many details so I'll just say a little

We follow Angie, a girl who has just turned up on her street after a camping trip, but only, she's 16, not 13 like she was when whe went camping, and she has no idea what happened in the last 3 years. Slowly we see the loss of time. The breaks in events as Angie tunes in an out of things and originally she has no idea what's going on. She's missing time with her family, losing sleep and feeling things she shouldn't. Soon she realizes due to some traumatic events, her mind has created multiple personalities to preserve her original self. That's it, that's all I'm saying about the plot...just know you should read it.

This book tore me apart, and then patched me up only to tear me apart again. There were so many feelings. so many things that happened that I almost felt like I needed a different personality just to deal with the book. It was great and amazing and filled with happy times, and bad times, and times in between. It was haunting, kind of like a ghost story but not quite. It was scary, not in a terrifying sort of way, but a how can she deal with all this sort of way and makes you think in depth of the power of the human brain.

I'll admit, this book didnt originally interest me. In fact, I only got it because it was on someone's list as the best book ever, and still, I let it sit in my library bag until it was almost due. But once I started the book, I couldnt get enough. This review doesnt even do it justice, but there's nothing else for me to say

Do yourself a favor and read this one, now. Its just that good! My review? 5 BIG stars!

Quickie Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Book: Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin Series #2)
By: Jennifer Estep
Published: May 25, 2010
Published by: Pocket Books

Description: Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I'm  Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

My Thoughts: I loved Spider's Bite, the first book in the Elemental Assassin series and Web of Lies was no different. We catch up with Gin in her retirement from the Assassin business, and she's bored. She's been running the Pork Pit, but other than that, she has no idea what to do with her time which is why when someone comes in to rob her restaurant high on his own magic, she takes fun in letting him know just how strong she really is. It's also why she can't help but help out the Fox's when she finds out someones trying to take their livelihood away from them, and she can't help but decide the best way to handle both situations is to kill the opposing parties.

This book was another fun ride with Gin Blanco. I enjoyed every second of it and I can't wait to read Venom, the next book in the series.

Because I'll be running through this series ridiculously fast, and I don't want to accidentally give out any spoilers, I probably wont review any more of the books here. Feel free to visit my goodreads page to see what I think about the next books as I read them. While you're there, feel free to add me as a friend so I can check out what books you like too. I give this one 5 stars.

  

Review: Spider's bite by Jennifer Estep

Book: Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin Series #1)
By: Jennifer Estep
Published: January 10, 2010
Published By: Pocket Books

Description: My name is Gin, and I kill people.
They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.
Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

My Thoughts: I heard a lot about this book in the blogosphere, and I bought it after a review I read back before I even became a blogger myself, and It's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Despite the constant glowing reviews, I never picked it up until recently, and I'm pissed at myself for waiting so long.

The book is really good. Our MC is an assassin, and a very good one, until she makes a few "sloppy mistakes" and finds herself on the other end of a hit, then she teams up with a Detective to hunt down the woman who wants her dead, despite the fact the Detective wants her dead for the death of his partner. Everything coalesced into a bit mess, with deaths, and violence and snarky amazingness. I loved Gin so much. She's hilarious and witty and sarcastic every step of the way, even if she's lying on her butt facing down her own death. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

You know how there are those books with MC's who have powers, who never really get hurt, and their power always overpowers others. They come out at the end victorious, with all their problems fixed and no injuries besides maybe a scrape here or there. Well, this isn't that book. This is one of those books where the MC gets bruised, battered, punched, kicked, broken, and nearly overpowered to the point that all she has left is her will to survive. She's scarred, damaged, and lonely, and only then is she able to realize her potential.

If you've been thinking about this book, do yourself a favor and go ahead and read it. I give it 4.5 stars. It's very entertaining and enjoyable. I also picked up the audiobook from my library after I finished reading this one, and the narrator for that is great. I got the next book in Audio format from Audible so I can listen while I "work" at work. I'm starting the next book right..........NOW!

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Book: Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate #1)
By: Gail Carriger
Published: October 1, 2009
Published by: Orbit

Description: First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire - and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

My Thoughts: Soulless sat on my bookshelf for a little over two years. I couldn't remember why I had picked it up. I'm not much into historical romance, unless it's by an author I already know about in other genres, nor am I really into the whole mystery thing. Add to that my growing discontent for vampire and werewolf stories, and this should have been the recipe for disaster. Instead, it was a brilliant, hilariously funny novel that I couldn't help but fall in love with.

We follow Alexia Tarabotti, a soulless living in London. Being soulless, or Preternatural as it's formally called, Alexia has the ability to, with the touch of her hand, render vampires and werewolves human for as long as she remains in contact with them and exorcise ghosts. In this story, Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts are accepted by London society, but no "daytime people" know of the existence of the preternatural.

Alexia, a 26 year old "spinster" spends the duration of the book causing all sorts of problems with her parents, the vampire and werewolf society, and the scientists who have started to take up residence in London. As these things go, soon Alexia is at the heart of the trouble brewing in London, and only she can attempt to figure out how to fix it.

I absolutely loved Soulless. It was funny, witty, and exciting in only the way that London high society based books can be. Since I ended up getting this book in audio format from the library instead of reading my book as I ought to, I found myself smirking stupidly as I listened to the book while walking down the street and riding on the bus in response to something hilarious I heard. My love for this book reminds me a lot of my love for the Kate Daniels series, and there were some aspects of both series that are somewhat similar, however  I do not wish to imply that this is a steampunk version of the Kate Daniels series, or that they are anything alike. I repeat....This is nothing like the Kate Daniels series. I merely want to point out that my feelings toward the characters in each series were quite similar.

This was an entertaining read/listen that I would definitely like to read/listen to again. The narrator was amazing, one of the best I think I have encountered so far. I give it 5 stars. For those of you looking to branch into listening to audiobooks, I recommend this one as a great starting point. Be careful though, audiobooks are addictive once you really get into them.

 Since this is a five book series thus far and I will be breezing through the series in the blink of an eye, I wish to let you all know that I will not be posting a review for the remaining books in the series. If you wish to know of my feelings toward the other books, please feel free to add me as a friend on goodreads where I will be posting my ratings of the books.

Have you read Soulless yet? What are your views on it if you have?

Review: Illumine Her by Sieni A.M.

Book: Illumine Her
By: Sieni A.M.
Published: March 2013
Published by: Self Published

Description: After being away for three years and graduating nursing school, Alana Vilo finally returns home to Samoa and knows nothing will ever be the same. Consumed with grief from the loss of her father, she buries herself in her work and the obligations that come with a large family.

While her colleagues anticipate the arrival of a mysterious benefactor, Alana remains unimpressed, until she meets him. Chase Malek is not at all what she expects of the philanthropist that has donated so much to help her island’s hospital. Young, handsome, and strangely knowledgeable of their local customs, Alana realizes there's much more to Chase than meets the eye. After a traumatic experience with one of her patients, her suspicions are confirmed.

Alana starts to resurface as she attempts to uncover all of Chase's secrets. As she starts to put the pieces together, she learns more about herself, and the walls she put up after her father's death slowly start to crumble. But now that she's opened her heart and let Chase in, will he even be able to stay? Or will his greatest secret of all keep them apart?

My Thoughts: I was a little hesitant to read Illumine Her when I received the review request from the wonderful Sieni A.M.. The story takes place in Samoa, and one of my most favorite stories of all time also takes place in Samoa. That book was the reason Samoa is on my list of places I want to visit in my lifetime. I was worried that this book might not live up to the hype I had in my head of Samoa and I was worried that I might not love Illumine Her as much as I wanted to. All my worries were unnecessary though because as soon as I got into the story, I was hooked.

Illumine Her is a story that follows Alana Vilo after she returns home from college and is beginning to work at the nearby hospital on her island. One day, an extremely handsome and rich man named Chase Malek comes by to donate a large sum of money to her hospital's efforts. Alana can tell that this man is somewhat different from everyone else she knows, but even after seeing his differences for herself, she still gets no answers, and he leaves the island. However, after a series of circumstances, and his appearance at her house for his friends marriage to her sister, they are thrust in each other's paths once again. This time, she does get a chance to find out his secrets and she begins to fall for him. Unfortunately, they aren't meant to be, because his secret is one that requires him to be away from her, and he has rules that he must follow, rules that don't necessarily allow him to be able to fulfill his purpose and follow his heart at the same time.

This story was so sweet and different and amazing. It was a love story in every sense of the word; love for one's family, love for one's purpose, love for one's partner, love for one's self, and love for one's country. I absolutely loved it. As a character, Alana has emotional issues that cause her to keep barriers up between her and others, and of course, Chase is able to knock down those barriers and save Alana. They love each other deeply and passionately. Their love is realistic, as are the events in this novel (with a few exceptions). Even the secondary characters were lovable. This wasn't one of those stories where the MC goes on some dangerous journey to fight bad guys and secretly kicks ass with only the use of a hairbrush and two chopsticks. No, Alana goes through life doing normal things, going to school, working as a nurse, hanging with friends and family and meeting a guy. She's just like me! There isn't so much drama so as not to be realistic, there's just the development of love, pure and simple, and it was refreshing in its simplicity.

Then of course, there's Samoa. I must go there. This book portrays it so beautifully. I love the family dynamics (though I don't know how much I'd love them if I actually had to deal with them), and community nature of the people, the beautiful landscape and just everything about it. This book just bumped it up a few notches on my list of places I must go.

There were only a few things about this book that I didn't absolutely love. The beginning was a bit slow and it made the story seem like it took too long to get to the point. I didn't see the plot points start until about one or two chapters in. It wasn't a big deal though and I still enjoyed reading those parts. There were also a lot of character speeches. Often, when having a conversation, one of the characters will talk for a long period of time, usually about how they felt about the other or about a particular subject and sometimes it felt a bit too lengthy for regular conversation. That too wasn't a big deal.

I am a romantic, and love reading love stories. I love to fall in love and I love to see people fall in love. I definitely fell in love with this story, and with Chase Malek.I would recommend this story to those of you who love love. Those of you who, like me, are hopeless romantics. I teared up at the end of this story and how beautiful it is. I give it 4.5 stars. It wasn't absolutely perfect, but it was darn close!

Sieni A.M is a fellow blogger. Go visit her blog here.

Review: On Every Street by Karina Halle

Book: On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy #0.5)
By: Karina Halle
Published: March 9, 2013
Published by: Self Published

Description: When young con artist Ellie Watt decides to call herself Eden White and go after the drug lord who ruined her as a child, she never expects to fall for one of his henchmen. But Javier Bernal is no ordinary man. Subtly dangerous and overwhelmingly seductive, Eden finds herself passionately in love with Javier, the very person she's set-up to betray. With her body and heart in a heated battle against her deep need for revenge, no one will walk away from this con a winner.

This 50K word (100+ pages) novella takes place six years before Sins & Needles. It can be read before or after Sins & Needles and may also be read as a standalone.

My Thoughts: Want to know why I love Karina Halle? It's because she puts out book, after book, after book, multiple times in one year (granted some are novellas, not full novels) and you arent left waiting an entire year to see more of the series you are obsessing over, and they're all great. On Every Street is one such novella, released a mere 2 months after it's predecessor, Sins and Needles (though it takes place before the events of Sins and Needles) and it doesnt disappoint.

On Every Street details the events that shaped who Ellie Watt (con name Eden White) is today, why she is so terrified of Javier Bernal, and why she fell in love with him in the first place. It's crazy, we know how the story will end (if you've already read Sins and Needles) but we cant help watching it happen. Some masochistic tendancy inside me allows me to be won over by Javier just in time to have him ruin me. I mean seriously, who wouldnt fall for a man who says things like:

"I once told you to leave and not to love me,” he cried out, muffled. “I’m taking all of that back. Not because I deserve it or because I’m worthy of your love. But because I need it like the air I breathe. I need you. I need you to believe in me. I need your love to make me feel like I can be redeemed.”

“I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. More than I thought I was capable of. Eden, you’ve taken my heart by surprise from the day I first saw you. It hasn’t been my heart since.”

"I want to stain you, Eden. I want myself imbedded in your skin, in your heart, in your soul."

That last quote alone sends shivers down my spine. OMG, I want to scoop this (seemingly) broken man up in my arms, cradle him on my chest, and show him what love is all about. I want to fix him, and I want him to stain me in all the ways he can (TMI?...I mean seriously, he is an amazing lover...okay back to the point). This love between Eden and Javier is passionate, strong, intense, and all consuming. It's blind and vindictive and tragic. I knew what was going to happen but I couldnt help but be blinded into a false sense of security, only to have my heart ripped out of my chest. I wanted to un-see some of the events of this book, and go back to my blissful ignorance
.
This book is so amazing it's terrible. How dare Karina Halle do something like this to me?

If you havent yet read ths series, you need to. Sins and Needles, and On Every Street can be read in any order but just know it's real. Yes, I know it's fiction, but these fictional people have real vulnerabilities, make real mistakes, and are more like real life people than most non-fiction books are (not that I read much non-fiction). I wouldnt be surprised if, at the end of the trilogy, Karina told us that the story was based off the life of a real  person's diary or something. I dont know how she does it.

If you dont listen to anything else I say, listen to this, read something in the Artists Trilogy. It'll have you looking at life in a whole new way. I have no doubt you know my rating.....5 stars.

Oh, and I finally met Karina at the Boston Author Event!!! She's just as amazing in person as I imagine her in my head!

So, why havent you read Sins and Needles yet?

Review: Into the Hollow by Karina Halle

Book: Into the Hollow (Experiment in Terror #6)
By: Karina Halle
Published: November 15, 2012
Published by: Self Published

Description: Perry Palomino has fought her demons – and won – but the battle is far from over. She’s now left broken and on her own, leaving behind her life and family in Portland to focus on giving Dex Foray – and the Experiment in Terror show – a second chance. But their past mistakes continue to tease and test their relationship, as does the wild and desolate terrain of the Canadian Rockies. The snow-covered peaks and ravenous forests hide an urban legend too unbelievably frightening to be true and the only way the duo has a chance of surviving is if Perry can let in the very man who sent her to hell and back.
Rated 16+ for language, gore and sexual content


My Thoughts: I didn’t want to waste a second after reading this story to write a review of it. I wanted to feel everything I felt and be able to somehow someway show you all how much I absolutely loved it.


We begin with Perry in her home after the fallout from the last book (I’ll try not to give any spoilers). She decides to move out of her parent’s house and in with a certain someone. She decides to think about Experiment in Terror some more and decides that taking on an investigation of a Sasquatch sighting may just be the safest route. After all, Sasquatch doesn’t exist anyway.

Things are strange between her and Dex, as expected and we see the fluctuations in feelings Perry feels. We see the changes they experienced in their lives after the last books events. There’s just so much emotion and I have no way to explain how great it is to see after the terror that was the last book.

I loved Dex so much in this book. I never felt I should love him more but somehow I did. He’s just awesome. I love Perry even more but she also pisses me off, probably because she reminds me of myself and I often piss myself off too. *wink* It’s also because she’s afraid to let Dex in (as always) and for good reason and I so want them together but I completely understand her reasoning. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.

This book had my heart racing in suspense. So many things have been happening and I just love it. The Experiment in Terror series just keeps getting better and better. Yes, it’s terrifying but it’s so much more than that. This series focuses on the intricacies that are our innermost feelings. It’s not about fear for the ghosts or demons or scary man-killing beasts. No, that’s not what it is at all. This series is about facing your fears, all of them, and overcoming them somehow. It’s about understanding that although you’re scared and tired and all hell is literally breaking loose, if you only have the courage to face those fears, you may just be surprised of what you end up with.

I would suggest this series to anyone who likes books that are open, that aren’t all gumdrops and rainbows and daisies. To those of us who understand that love sucks sometimes. It rips your heart open to leave it bleeding onto the street for you to pick up and attempt to assemble into a somewhat decent mess. That after something like that, you can’t and don’t ever want to love again, because how can one heart go on after something like that. How you can face the fear of being hurt time and time again? If you want a story that’s real, I’d suggest you give the Experiment in Terror Series a try. I give it 5 large stars, and I cant wait for the next book in the series, “Come Alive”

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book: Graceling
By: Kristin Cashore
Published: October 1, 2008
Published By: Harcourt

Description: His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human....
Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed.

In a world where people born with an extreme skill - called a Grace - are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone

My Thoughts: So you can probably tell I've been getting more into fantasy books. That's probably because my real life sucks right now and it's fun to escape into a book. (Okay my real life doesnt really suck, it's just not very exciting). With the monotony of " Wake up, walk dog, feed dog, shower, get dressed, feed self, ride bus to work, work, eat, work, get off, ride bus home, walk dog, feed dog, feed self, watch tv, play with dog,  read/do homework, talk/text with friends, sleep, repeat" that is my weekly life, Graceling definitely helped me escape.

Katsa is great and I love her so much!!! she's snarky and doesnt take crap from anyone. I can't tell you how much I love this book. I can't even give you a full description of the book because I don't want to ruin it for you. Just know that I love this book. Just know that you should read it. Just know that you'll love it. Just know that if it's sitting on your shelf waiting to be read, you should go ahead and pick it up.

Oh, and since I had it as an audiobook, I probably should mention that this was a full cast audiobook. It sounded like a play with music and different characters and everything. I want to listen to another audiobook like this if I can find one.
5 Stars.