Crazy On You

Published:  March 3rd, 2015

Rocket Raccoon, Vol. 1: A Chasing Tale

By: Skottie Young

Marvel

ISBN-13:  9780785193890

Rocket Raccoon has been a hero to the weak, a champion of good, a heartthrob to many intergalactic females, but his high-flying life of adventure may be a thing of the past when he's framed for murder -- and the authorities aren't the only one on his tail!  (Get it?  Tail?)  The real killer is an imposter who seems to be one step ahead of Rocket at every turn...now it's up to our hero and his best pal Groot to find the truth!  With Macho Gomez and the Ex-Terminators tracking him, can Rocket make it out alive and clear his name?

Review

       If there's any comic that I can get behing whimsical, unrealistic-in-every-way artwork, it would be a comic starring Rocket Raccoon and his ever present buddy, Groot.  So this time, it wasn't the art that got on my nerves.  In fact there really wasn't much of anything that got on my nerves, so to speak.  It was yet another case of the "mehs" for me with this book.  I really enjoyed the first few issues, but I felt like it ran out of steam and I must be the only one who read this that DIDN'T enjoy the issue that was all "I Am Groot"s and pretty artwork.  This whole book starts with Rocket on a quest to find the surviving member(s) of his race, that he found out about recently.  Oh, and to clear his name of murder.  Not that he hasn't committed murder before, but this rap sheet doesn't actually belong to him.  So, it has to be another from his race, right?  Then there's also the matter of all the ex-girlfriends that are trying to kill Rocket, for overall being a womanizing douchebag!

       As soon as the story arc from the first three issues was tidied up, I felt like the last half of the "story" was just filler.  And I think that's half of my problem with reading Marvel comics over DC.  No matter which publisher, there's a 50/50 shot as to whether or not it's going to be any good, no matter what.  But when you look at the pros and cons, I usually choose DC over Marvel.  It tends to be because Marvels trade volumes are about 20-30 pages shorter (2 issues, give or take).  Also, the story arcs, at least from the trades that I've read, seem to be more pointless/used to less effect.  About half the volume is filler, unlike DC where even if it's shitty, all of it's pertinent.  I guess what I've been learning from reading Marvel, and what I learned from reading Rocket Raccoon in particular, is that I'm old and a fun-sucker.  Which, y'know, doesn't make me Marvel's ideal audience.  In other words, I'm the perfect DC fan (to my DC-fan friends, just admit it to yourself).

VERDICT:  3/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

A Life of Her Own, With a View

Published:  January 27th, 2015

Love, Lucy

By: April Lindner

Poppy

ISBN-13:  9780316400695

While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician.  After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation."  But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse have to be, does it?

Review

       I'll go right out there and say that I don't think this book is for everyone and it definitely could have been better.  The original source material for this retelling is A Room With a View by E.M. Forster.  It is a comedy of social errors and the class divide, somewhat reminiscent of a Jane Austen novel, but not quite.  This is less about following the rules of society and finding love with someone who might be slightly inappropriate, in terms of class.  But in say, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth at least has some social graces and knows how to act in society.  Also, she's not THAT far beneath Darcy, no matter what his pride says.  She's a gentleman's daughter.  Lucy Honeychurch in the original Room, falls in love with a young man named George who has no social connections, isn't rich and can't offer her anything other than his love.  She has to choose between socially unacceptable happiness and marrying a man named Cecil (for whom she feels nothing), who could give her every comfort she's used to and more - plus she'd still be accepted in society with her family/friends if she married Cecil.

       When you're adapting a story like that for a modern-day audience, set in the modern United States, it's difficult to translate quite what Lucy would have been giving up by marrying outside her social circle, in a downwards direction.  So Lindner tries to resolve this by making Lucy an actress, who is going to the college her father wants, majoring in business and never acting again, all so he'll pay for college.  That alone is somewhat far-fetched, due to the type of family she lives in and the time period.  It's an upper-middle class, caucasian family, with no obvious religious affiliations and no real obvious reason for this strict point of view.  Also, he forbids her to even continue acting as a hobby.  Alrighty then...and she's supposed to take a trip to Europe in exchange for forgetting her dreams?  On the trip, which she takes with Charlene (the daughter of her Mom's friend), she meets Jesse in Italy and he forces her to question how easily she's giving in to her parents about her future.  I did like the little love-hate thing they had going on at first, but once she's into him she ditches Charlene and is downright mean to her, which I wasn't super fond of.  Being a bitch to your traveling companion is just wrong, even if it's supposedly true love at stake.

       Probably the stupidest thing about this for me, was Lucy's romantic life once she gets to college.  While growing a backbone about being in plays/acting, she seems to lose all sense of self in regards to dating.  Thinking that it's over between her and Jesse, Lucy starts dating someone who seems like the absolute perfect guy.  Yet, she doesn't really have feelings for him.  But he's the perfect guy, so she should just stay with him anyway, right?  Then Jesse comes back to town, to be with Lucy, so she sleeps with him and goes on a date with the other guy the next day anyways, a "weekend away" on which he thinks they're going to have sex (I'm pretty sure it was the next day, I could be mistaken, as it's been a little while since I read this one).  It's like she just wants to miserable.  I think this novel should have been adapted in a different country/culture/place with other social expectations.  Or at least there should have been better reasoning behind Lucy's actions and lack of self-worth.  It made for an unlikeable protagonist which is never fortunate, unless it's on purpose.  Sadly, I don't think it was on purpose in this instance.  Overall, I give this one three stars because I could see the original glimmering underneath.  I also know what it's like to give up the direction of your life to the needs/wants of others.  But there was a lot of wasted potential in this one.  Maybe as a fluffy beach read, if you decide to pick it up?

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Every Body Talks

Published: October 17th, 2012 (first published 1999)
Body Bags (Body of Evidence #1)
By: Christopher Golden
Daring Greatly Corporation
ASIN:  B009SLYJ4A

When Jenna Blake starts her freshman year at Somerset University, she's not only living on her own for the first time, she's moving closer to the father she never really knew.  It's an exciting time, filled with new faces and new challenges, not mention parties and boys and...corpses?

Jenna is torn about her future.  She'd like to be a doctor like her mother, but she can't stand the sight of blood.  Her father, a criminology professor, thinks he has the answer -- and sends her to interview for a job with the Medical Examiner -- an interview that takes place in the middle of an autopsy!

When a congressional aide goes violently insane, and then drops dead, the pathology team at Somerset Medical Center discover that his brain was ravaged with disease -- and loaded with insect larvae.  When Jenna takes on her new job, she is drawn into a web of terrifying disease, dangerous politics, and intriguing mystery.  And when one of her professors ends up dead, she starts making connections even the police haven't seen...which will bring her face to face with a pair of killers, one medical, and one all too human.

Review

       I didn't feel disappointed after reading this, like so many of the other reviewers here on Goodreads.  You want to know my secret?  Extremely low expectations, and the prior knowledge that Golden tends to be the master of the pulpy, Alloy-series type of book.  It was a story centered around Jenna Blake, an incumbent college freshman, who is unsure what she wants to do with the rest of her life.  All she knows is that her mother would love for her to be a doctor like her, but Jenna can't stand the sight of blood.  Her Dad gets her an interview with the local Medical Examiner, who hires Jenna as a pathology assistant.  The first big case is a man who was infected with a mysterious illness, of unknown origin and it becomes a priority to find out exactly what happened, when a teacher on campus dies of the same sickness.  Coincidence or murder?  That's what Jenna will have to find out, especially once her and her dad's lives are endangered.  Can she survive her first week at college?
       This book is extremely short and I didn't really expect too much, since it is the first in a ten-book series.  Also, it's original publication was sixteen years ago, in 1999.  Some of the language, situations, etc. are kind of culturally dated (not as bad as most though, surprisingly).  This type of book is the kind that people who are unfamiliar with YA, and it's ever-widening, reach like to cite when they malign it as all being unmitigated "trash."  It's pulp fiction, pure and simple.  I will say that it reminds me of Nancy Drew, in the sense that Jenna is pretty much just a cardboard cut-out, meant to move along the plot.  Hopefully she and her friends (roommate Yoshiko & southern-boy Hunter) will be better characeterized/fleshed-out in later books.  I do wish that the mystery had been more murder/crime and less of a politically driven, thriller type.  I liked it enough to continue and see if the next couple are any good, but overall I wouldn't recommend it unless you like the type of book that's pure, time-wasting cotton candy.  If you want a really great, plot and character-rich series by Golden, try his Hollow series, co-written with Ford Lytle Gilmore.  Now THAT is an awesome series! :D

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Reflections of a Small Town Family

Published:  September 1st, 1991

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

By: Peter Hedges

Simon & Schuster

ISBN-13:  9780671038540

Just about everything in Endora, Iowa (pop. 1, 091 and dwindling) is eating Gilbert Grape, a twenty-four-year-old grocery clerk who dreams only of leaving.  His enormous mother, once the town sweetheart, has been eating nonstop ever since her husband's suicide, and the floor beneath her T.V. chair is threatening to cave in.  Gilbert's long-suffering older sister, Amy, still mourns the death of Elvis, and his knockout younger sister has become hooked on makeup, boys, and Jesus -- in that order.

But the biggest event on the horizon for all the Grapes is the eighteenth birthday of Gilbert's younger brother, Arnie, who is a living miracle just for having survived so long.  As the Grapes gather in Endora, a mysterious beauty glides through town on a bicycle and rides circles around Gilbert, until he begins to see a new vision of his family and himself...

Review

       I did not even know this was a book until I ran across it by chance on Goodreads, on some list or another.  If you don't like personal reviews, abandon ship now because this shit's about to get real up-close-and-personal -- because this book was super-personal and self-revelatory for me as a human being.  That doesn't mean I will necessarily be gushing about it to everyone who asks for book recommendations, because I think this is a book that not everyone will understand.  Thank you Peter Hedges, you freaking bastard, for that unwanted look in the mirror.  I have a confession to make: I am Gilbert Grape.  We might not have the same name, live in exactly the same circumstances, or feel exactly the same about everything, but we are the same person where it counts the most.  We are the one who stays, the one who takes care of everyone else.  

       Gilbert Grape is someone who has gotten sucked into being the breadwinner and pretty much SOLE provider for his family, whom he both loves and hates at the same time.  He lives with his mother Bonnie Grape who is so obsese that the floor is caving in under her, his sister Amy who is selfless and good (and who deserves better than wasting her youth being mother to her siblings), his younger sister Ellen who is a pretentious brat (verging on slut at times) and his brother Arnie, who is mentally handicapped, never seeming older than five or six years old mentally.  Gilbert works at the local grocery store, that is slowly going under due to the new superstore in town.  He's worked for the owner Mr. Lamson for seven years, and believes in loyalty to the man (and the business) who has been a father figure/oasis for him in the midst of his family issues.  Also, Gilbert has been in a sexual affair with Betty Carver, the insurance man's wife, for about the same amount of time.  He feels trapped in by his family, his dumb-ass friend Tucker, his job, and Endora in general.  

       Things are building up and feelings are coming to head, as Arnie's thought-to-be-impossible eighteenth birthday draws nearer and the rest of the Grape siblings make their way home.  The Girl from Michigan also shakes things up for Gilbert, making him think of his life in new ways, even if they're not always pleasant or easy.  Can the Grapes begin to let go of past hurts and move on, or will they continue to stagnate, with Gilbert "shrinking," as Arnie puts it?  This was uncomfortable to the max.  I saw myself at the age I am now (24) working a dead end retail job, supporting my family because no one else can/will.  I am also not perfect.  In the moments Gilbert calls his brother a "retard" I see myself with my mentally ill mother, and I'm ashamed.  Not to say that I'm a monster, but I lose my temper too.  I am "shrinking," letting things go unsaid and being everything for everyone.  I also see myself in Momma & Amy, eating all of my feelings and multiplying in size.  But this novel is also hopeful, because as the ending tells us, nothing lasts forever.  Things, people and hardships cycle in and out of life.  A beautifully harsh portrait of the American Dream dying in the Midwest, only to be partially re-invented by the time the book ends.  A story that'll stay with me, but I don't see myself revisiting it often.  Highly recommended if you're brave and daring.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Favorite Quotes

"I'm told women scream when they give birth because of the intense pain.  And I think about how easily life can slide away, like thawing ice.  And how it's only the living that scream."

"You can tell the idyllic nature of a family by the upkeep of its picnic table.  Ours is its own indictment.  We are splintering and peeling.  We rot."

Rogue or Just Plain Asshole?

Published:  July 29th, 2014

Rogue (Real #4)

By: Katy Evans

Gallery Books

ISBN-13:  978146755618

The fourth story in the new adult series that began with the New York Times bestseller Real, featuring Brooke's best friend, Melanie, and the ROGUE she can't resist.

Greyson King...

My boyfriend.  My friend.  My protector.  He's the reason I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and the reason I fall asleep limp, worn out, and aching for his warm arms around me.  When we make love, he says my name like it means something.  Like I mean something.

He lied.

His name is Greyson King, but his alias is Zero.  There's no trace of him, he has zero past, and now I know that with him, I will have zero future.  He may leave no trace of him anywhere, but his imprint is in me, in my very soul -- and I hate that a mere look at him commands the beat of my heart.  The temperature of my body.

I've looked love my entire life.  I've waited for the butterflies, the rainbows...

Instead, I'm in a free fall of emotions and there's no one here to catch me but the one man I should be running away from.  The one man I thought was my prince charming.  Except this prince charming went rogue.  Greyson will stop at nothing to make me be with him.  He'll let no one stand in our way, will allow no one to threaten me, and maybe this is what scares me most of all...

What will my rogue do to keep me?

Review

       Thank me later for my edits to the original Goodreads synopsis, which is a run-on sentence if I ever saw one!  Jesus Christ, they're called line breaks and commas people.  Yes Virginia, there is a wonderful and magical thing called grammar & sentence structure.  That bitching and moaning aside, I read this one thinking that maybe it could be better than Real, which I read and pretty much completely disliked.  I didn't mind Melanie too much, so I figured I'd give her book a shot.  After all, less Brooke and Remy is a good thing right?  There was a story to this one, with some legitimate angst to it.  Greyson King is the heir and enforcer to The Underground, which is basically a mafia that collects on debts that people incur gambling and recovers money loaned out that hasn't been repaid.  Melanie is a bit of an airhead/free spirit, who has grown disillusioned with one-night-stands and wants to find her own Prince Charming.  She wants a love that's passionate and all-consuming, like her friend Brooke's.  They collide one night when he helps save her Mustang convertible from the rain and they have a sexy night together.  But with Greyson having a hidden connection to Melanie that changes everything and some serious intimacy issues, can they make a relationship work or will it burn out?

       The grammar, sentence structure, and overall writing "style" is completely atrocious in this book.  The effusive metaphors and hyperbole used by both characters are laughable and stupid.  NO ONE TALKS LIKE THAT!!!  Not to mention the fact that Greyson and Melanie can't have a single conversation that doesn't delineate into filthy, sex-talk.  Which yeah, I can see that in the bedroom, and sometimes out of it, but not ALL THE TIME.  Not to mention, he supposedly thinks she's cute and amazing beyond belief, but the way that he talks to her about what to expect from him is superbly shitty.  This guy is the epitome of being an asshole.  He basically tells her that he's toxic and is going to use her.  Who thinks that's romantic or sexy???!!!  Not me personally, so that really annoyed me after awhile.  Basically I liked some of the humore and there were a couple of sweet moments, but everyone acted juvenile with each other and talked like the older, even more sex-obsessed "Dawson's Creek" teens -- just with a filthier vocabulary and some sexual experience.  Prime example of the dialogue that made me crinkle my nose in disgust:

     "For me this is a fantasy.  You're the fantasy.  For you, this will be a mistake.  A long, pleasurable mistake."  I watch her eyes darken, and I've never been a man to mince words.  "I'm going to be everything you never wanted," I warn on a gruff breath, "nothing that you need."  I slide my other hand further up her thigh.  "Sometimes my work will take me away, and I won't call, and I'll piss you off."  I graze my longest finger over the V covering her sex.  "I'll be selfish, I'll take everything I want, whenever I want it.  I'm not the man of your dreams, Melanie.  I'm your worst nightmare."

     And it just goes on like that, with them continuously talking like this: "You look delectable, Melanie, you taste delectable.  Who is that you're panting for?"  Seriously, what the actual fuck?  I guess this isn't the author for me, considering I want an actual plot in my reading material (and the debt collection side of things was extremely thin, as was the mob life in general) and some dialogue other than dirty talk.  After awhile it got really repetitive and boring.  There was a sex scene every other page and practically all they did was have sex, or do stupid shit/have dumb conversations when they were apart.  And Melanie's man-hater friend Pandora was just the worst stereotype ever.  No one I know, no matter how bitter (and God was she a SHREW) they are in their own life, would be that rude and hurtful to someone who's supposed to be one of their closest friends.  If a friend has made a questionable choice and you have qualms, you voice them and let it be if they insist on ignoring you.  We can't live other people's lives for them, we can just be there to support our friends - approving or not.  Their scenes were painful for me to read.  All in all, a waste of my time and I totally give up on this author.  Not my cup of tea, at all.  Not to say I won't read more New Adult, because I know there's better stuff out there than this (i.e. Cora Carmack, Colleen Hoover, Jessica Park, etc.).

VERDICT:  1.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Happiness Is A Warm Gun...

Published:  April 2nd, 2013
This Is What Happy Looks Like
By: Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
ISBN-13:  9780316212823

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review

 

     Graham Larkin is a famous movie star with a career on the rise.  Ellie O'Neill is a small-town girl who has a quiet life, with a few secrets of her own.  When Graham accidentally send her an e-mail about his pet pig Wilbur they start sending e-mails back and forth, opening up and telling each other things no one else knows.  So when Graham's newest movie needs to change location at the last minute he suggests Ellie's small hometown in Maine.  All he wants is to meet the girl he thinks he could fall in love with.  But a series of misunderstandings and outside influences threaten their attempts to get to know each other in real life.  Can Ellie and Graham work through their issues and allow themselves to be open to true love?  Or is it just another internet hook-up gone wrong?

     Out of Ellie and Graham, he was definitely my favorite character.  He obviously was bewildered by his sudden fame and had originally wanted to go to college, never even considering acting.  But now that he's in the Hollywood sphere, he only does it because he loves the job.  And Graham is far from a cocky douchebag like most teen mega-stars are portrayed as being.  Ellie herself is a bit more of an enigma, being the illegitimate daughter of a very famous politician her Mom had an affair with.  They changed their last name and moved far away from D.C. when the scandal broke.  Ellie's Mom is far from pleased when she finds out her daughter's potential boyfriend is famous and will put her in the limelight again.  My only thing is that the drama between Ellie and her best friend was overblown and annoying.  I felt like the best friend was a complete bitch about things and Ellie just allowed it and made excuses for her, practically being a puppy when she started talking to her again.  After ignoring Ellie for practically an ENTIRE MONTH!  WTFH???  This book was fluff and after Smith's last book, I went in expecting a short and sweet puffy cotton ball.  And that is exactly what I got from this book.  Although I will say that the revelation of the paparazzi exposing who Ellie's Dad is, and nobody caring sort of pissed me off.  Seriously, after making such a huge deal out of the situation/secret it's just a (and I quote from the book) 'footnote' and Graham is more important???!!!  Yeah, I don't think so.  But the romance was sweet, the underlying satire and witty exchanges made me smile and though the relationships were fairly 2-D they were realistic enough.  Overall a fun read, but don't go into it expecting Sarah Dessen-style character development, because you won't get it.

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Only Girl In The World...

Published:  April 2nd, 2013
Prophecy Girl (Angel Academy # 1)
By: Cecily White
Entangled
ISBN-13:  9781620612941

Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons.
Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.
Then he shows up.
Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right? Wrong.
Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

Review

 

     Amelie Bennett's biggest goal right now is to finish school, become bonded to a Watcher and begin slaying demons for real as a full-fledged Guardian.  But with her teachers dropping like flies and the paranormal community in uproar over peace tenets that are about to be signed, a normal path to the future is looking highly unlikely.  The scandal involving Amelie's Mom and the questionability of her angel bloodline's origins aren't helping her prospects either.  When Jackson Smith-Hailey is sent to replace one of her newly dead teachers, Amelie feels an instant connection with him and he seems to amplify her powers to unbelievable heights.  When the school is attacked during an assembly, Amelie is blamed and thought to be evil.  So of course her and Jack go on the run to avoid execution and must also prove who the real killer is before a prophecy that says she's going to kill Jack is fulfilled!  All while trying to make sure the peace tenets actually get signed and a war doesn't erupt between the vampire/werewolf races and the Guardians.  Can they manage to save the world and will both of them survive the effort? 

     In general, I am sick of reading the same old paranormal schtick time and time again.  So going into this one I was really hesitant, especially when I read the term 'Watcher,' which has me harking back to the days of my Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsession.  I was pleasantly surprised with the world-building and was particularly glad to not hate it based on its inability to focus on anything but the angel aspect, which I've noticed seems to be a trend in angel-based YA books a lot of times.  There was a coherent plot, and yes the different angel bloodlines and the calling to fight demons were an enormous part of the plot.  But it was more focused on characters and character development then overcomplicated plots/details that make a reader feel lost, like they're missing some important back story or something.  I loved the snarkiness of Amelie and felt like she really came across as a teenager (which she was) instead of some weird adult/teen hybrid, which comes with the territory sometimes.  It's like the authors forget that teens aren't super wise, smart, etc. all the time.  Sometimes they do dumb things, act like brats, or make you have WTF moments.  Amelia had all of those qualities, but also had a gigantic heart and wonderful sense of loyalty that made me want to hug her.  The relationship with Jackson was cute and although in most cases I don't like insta-love, I don't think this really even qualifies as it.  For the simple fact that Amelie is drawn to him (i.e. attracted to him) and he feels familiar to her in a slightly nagging way.  She doesn't even use the word love until over midway through the book, almost near the end.  The banter, arguments and fuzzy moments made me smile.

     The inclusion of the werewolf and vampire races in side-character capacities was interesting and allowed for an important part of the plot involving peace tenets to unfold smoothly and make sense. But they were by no means main characters (at least till Vampire Luc became mega important at the end of the book) and didn't become annoying, or detract from the main plot.  The twist about Amelie's surprise sibling was very movie of the week and not at all shocking.  I thought the revelation of who it actually was happened to be really odd and didn't fit too great with the direction the action took near the final battle.  It seemed to me just a convenient plot twist.  I really wanted it to be someone she'd never met, but alas I wasn't so lucky.  Which sucked because I really liked that character until the truth was revealed!  The likeability of the characters, the witty dialogue and the overall humor of the book were definitely my favorite points.  With the huge twisting cliffhanger at the end I'm intrigued to see how the author spins things in the next book.  Overall a fast paced, funny paranormal read with a lot of heart that I would recommend to fans of Obsidian by: Jennifer Armentrout, The Percy Jackson Series by: Rick Riordan, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published April 2nd, 2013.*

Story of My Life

Expected Publication: September 1st, 2012

The Encyclopedia of Me

By: Karen Rivers

Scholastic Inc.

ISBN-13: 9780545310284

A is for "Tink Aaron-Martin," "Aardvark," and "Amazing" in this wonderful alphabetical novel!

Tink Aaron-Martin has been grounded AGAIN after an adventure with her best friend Freddie Blue Anderson. To make the time pass, she decides to write an encyclopedia of her life from "Aa" (a kind of lava--okay, she cribbed that from the real encyclopedia) to "Zoo" (she's never been to one, but her brothers belong there).

As the alphabet unfolds, so does the story of Tink's summer: more adventures with Freddie Blue (and more experiences in being grounded); how her family was featured in a magazine about "Living with Autism," thanks to her older brother Seb--and what happened after Seb fell apart; her growing friendship, and maybe more, with Kai, a skateboarder who made her swoon (sort of). And her own sense that maybe she belongs not under "H" for "Hideous," or "I" for "Invisible," but "O" for "Okay."

Written entirely in Tink's hilarious encyclopedia entries, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME is both a witty trick and a reading treat for anyone who loves terrific middle-grade novels.

Review

   Tink Aaron-Martin has been best friends with Freddie Blue Anderson forever, getting into trouble more times that she can count.  Now that she has been grounded, yet again, Tink decides that she's going to write her own encyclopedia.  As she writes, her friendship seems to be falling apart because Freddie wants to be popular more than she wants to be BFFs.  Also they both like Kai, the new boy next door to the Aaron-Martins, Tink begins to skateboard with Ruthie (an unpopular girl Freddie can't stand) and Freddie starts hanging out with a girl who bullies Tink.  The family situation Tink is dealing with only seems to be getting worse, with everyone focused on her brother Seb's autism and expecting her to cope with life on her own.  Can Tink figure out a way to stay true to herself, help her family realize she has feelings too and get the guy against all odds?  Anything can happen in the summer before middle school...  I liked this book more than I thought I would.  I usually end up feeling very 'meh' about middle-grade books, but this one was very funny and relatable.  Even for a young-adult like me!  Tink's family life is slightly wacky and off-balance, with most of the attention on one of her older brothers, Seb, who is autistic.  She and her best friend are growing apart due to the changes they're both making with their personalities and goals.  Kai is an interesting addition to the dynamic, being the first boy Tink has really liked that she's willing to fight for.  And Ruthie was pretty awesome for an incoming sixth-grader.  This book's encyclopedic format was something that took getting used to, but I honestly think that it moved the plot along for me, in a way that the traditional structure might not have.  A cute, funny, heart-trending coming of age story.  My main complaint is how long it took Tink to see that Freddie wasn't worth her time anymore; the excuses she kept making for her got on my nerves.  I thought it was very well-written and it is one that I will be giving to my eleven year old cousin for sure! :)

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is September 1st, 2012.*

Tainted Legacies

Expected Publication: July 31st, 2012
The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test # 2.5)
By: Aimee Carter
Harlequin Teen
ISBN-13: 9780373210756

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimee Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal....

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another....

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before....

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope....

Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages.

Review

   Hera was once a loving, loyal and happy goddess - time and Zeus' unfaithfulness changed that.  Aphrodite saw love as something that is shared by many, not tied down by committment.  Was it so wrong to love Hephaestus and Ares both, just in diffferent ways?  Persephone grew up destined to be with the man her parents chose for her, thinking that they knew best.  But she never loved him and only grew to feel trapped and resentful.  There is a man she could love, however it might be too late for a happy ending.  Hermes was a mischief-maker, but when he became involved with an indepent and spirited human girl, a tragic ending may shatter his heart.  Hades had given up on life after Persephone chose to be with someone else.  His siblings have an idea that might save him.  Will he allow them to carry it out or will he fade into a mere memory?  I enjoyed the revelations that came from Hera/Calliope's novella.  It gave a lot of insight into why she became scorned and angry at everyone in the family.  Plus it explained her unreciprocated attachment to Henry/Hades.  Ava/Aphrodite's novella was definitely one of the more interesting ones, but I honestly felt like she was a tramp/whore who was just looking for an excuse to not have to choose between Hephaestus and Ares.  Her erratic 'romantic' behavior really spoiled any enjoyment I had for her story.  I was bored and annoyed at Henry's novella because I felt that it was totally unneccessary.  Everything had already been told by that point and there was no good reason to have yet another telling of how the tests for the next Queen of the Underworld came about.  My absolute favorite novella was the one for Hermes/James.  I adored his attitude which was quirky and sarcastic as always.  I loved the Robin Hood type setting for the plot that unfolded.  The way he connected with the band of orphans and the slightly tragic romance with their leader was heartrending.  He is definitely my favorite character now, hands down!  One major complaint is the soap-opera behavior and situations of the gods and goddesses.  But then again, Greek mythology is rife with that sort of drama.  Still got really old.  I would recommend reading this before the other books actually, since it's more of a prequel, if you're new to the series.  If not, you should read this for the background it gives.  Overall a decent prequel.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

* I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication is July 31st, 2012.*