Tag Archive: young-adult


Review: Silver Tongue


Silver Tongue
Silver Tongue by Evelyn Ink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: This was a free Smashwords ebook from the author for an honest review, Thank you!

I love the way Evelyn Ink thinks. Her books are always so creative and fun. The worlds she builds are like our own but not. The people have many words similar to ours and some that stray from ours but in logical ways. The best part about her worlds are that they are somewhat steampunkie with aeroships at the like. Her characters are believable, flawed but ever growing.

Silver Tongue’s blurb presents the book as dark and scary. As a middle schooler or junior high student that might be thrilling but as an older student I think this book is just a fun adventure. I can imagine reading this book to my own children so long ago and having a great time with it. But it isn’t simple. Older people can enjoy it, too!

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Love and Cola Wars
Love and Cola Wars by Heidi Loney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: This ebook was a gift from the author for an honest review.

If I were a teen this would probably be getting a much higher rating. Even so, I would say this rates a 3.5 star rating. So I rounded it up.

What was good? The book didn’t get mired down in the angst that a lot of YA romance novels do. What worries presented were not hormonal but rather more about life lessons and growth of characters. I liked that we got to see the romance from several points of view. Parents and their own problems were included. There was even a little sister who was given worth beyond being cute. Bravo! The main characters were both strong in their own right yet flawed making them realistic. The story was good. There were a few plot threads so as to keep it all interesting. And I felt I learned something. The terms and play of fencing as a sport was explained while not getting bogged down in detail.

What was bad? Not much, actually. As I’m thinking about this I feel it is my own age that prevented me from immersing in the story as a reader should. Oh, and assumption that Coke is number one. I prefer Diet Pepsi!

Conclusion? If you like Young Adult Romance, this is a book for you.

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Rowena and the Dark Lord
Rowena and the Dark Lord by Melodie Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review will be for ASIN: B00CIZZS70

Disclaimer: I was gifted this Kindle book for an honest review by the author. Thank you!!

I love the Rowena books! This is the second one. The first was Rowena Through the Wall. And the magic is that the wall at the back of the classroom that Rowena teaches in, leads to another land far less advanced in culture than 2013 Arizona. It is a land where magic can still be used. And women are nonexistent due to a curse. So when Rowena appears the men fall over themselves to own her.

But this review is for book two. Rowena is now pregnant with one of the men’s baby. She is able to use magic in this faraway land but finds she must visit Arizona once in a while. Due to things that happened in the previous book, Rowena is blessed and cursed to have even more modern people involved in this wall travel. Whew!

I love how Melodie Campbell is able to make both worlds seem very real. I love the characters and animals that are part of Rowena’s life on either side of the wall. And the plot is spot on. So exciting!

Book two doesn’t leave you with a cliffhanger, but there is a chapter for book three at the end of book two. Darn! Now I can’t wait to read that one! Great job, Ms. Campbell!

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Shadow of the Sun
Shadow of the Sun by Laura Kreitzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Three stars means I liked this book. Was it a favorite? Sorry, no. It had a lot of interesting ideas that were unique, but the follow-through wasn’t there, unless, of course that comes in book two or three.

I liked that the main character was a well-educated lady with lots of smarts. At first, though, I didn’t much like her as she was snotty to her helper. Later that falls by the wayside as the character development reveals someone who does have a heart.

There was a lot of repetition of feelings and information. And it wasn’t long before this genius person, the strong person becomes the fainter, the whiner. And worst of all she becomes the boy-crazy teen. That was too bad as I wanted to like her.

Though fairly well-written, the Tablet/Fire version of this book was hard to read as the font was too light. Thank goodness I was able to read it on my Second Generation Kindle with text-to-speech. I did notice that my edition of the book is no longer available, but there is still a free version for Kindle at the moment. Maybe the font issue has been dealt with. Try it. Maybe you will like it better than I did.

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Review: Visible


Visible
Visible by Cidney Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, that’s sad. I am officially out of Cidney Swanson books to read. This was such a fun romp. After finishing all the Saving Mars I could find, I decided to read this fourth book of the Rippler series. This one was from the best friend, Gwen’s point of view. That caught me off guard at first. I hadn’t read the rest of the series for a while so I felt I missed something. But after reading reviews and blurbs I finally got back on track and enjoyed the rest of the book.

This story is more fantasy, though, I suppose there is an element of science here, it felt much more the fairy-tale. In fact, you will find a few fairy-tales retold in this book that were very apropos to the plot and characters. Speaking of plot and characters, Ms. Swanson did her usual believable, lovable characters in an enchanting, exciting story.

For me, Visible wasn’t as fun as the space sci-fi of Mars, but the Rippler series does offer enough adventure to help me ease back to other books and stories. Visible is aimed at young adult. Saving Mars didn’t feel dedicated to one group or another. Oh, and though there wasn’t a cliffhanger and all plot strings were clean up, there was enough left that should she decide to, Cidney could write more to this series. I look forward to reading more!

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Review: Sacerdos


Sacerdos
Sacerdos by Elizabeth Amisu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Amisu has created a new world, similar to our own, but futuristic while encompassing old world beliefs.

I wouldn’t call Sacerdos a sci-fi but it feels like it at times. Mystery, though? Not cloak and dagger, gum-shoe type. What I have come away from this first book with, is the mysteries are the questions about this world and the main character, Caelara Lessien Teneo’s life and new found abilities. On that line, I would call this a fantasy. It is similar yet different from other young-adult fantasies I have read.

Before I get into the nitty-gritties, I do think young-adults who love fantasy will love this book. When it becomes available again, I think many of my issues will have been resolved. I may have become jaded on the YA fantasy genre. Please take that into account. Do notice that I did still give the book four stars. Much of that was for world and character development. Well done!

There were many errors, typos, etc. But the story held true no matter what; it kept me reading. There were many boring parts that had me questioning which book I should be reading instead. But again, I had grown to care about the main character enough so that I wanted to see what would happen next. There was war, and bullies. If you think it is bad going to one school with bullies you are snatched away for a time of R&R to another, colder school with wool blankets and more bullies. And more war. All that fighting wore on me. And though the book didn’t end on a true cliffhanger, I made sure that the next book is ready for me when I can read it. So, um, yeah. Almost excellent.

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Review: Jaguar Moon


Jaguar Moon
Jaguar Moon by Martha Bourke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This second book was so much better than the first book. It has more action and viewpoints to see from. I know a lot of people that don’t like differing points of view but I do. I didn’t like Maya that much in the first book. She was too wimpy. But in this book we get to see her through her friends eyes. And we get glimpses into their lives apart from her. In the first book I wanted to know more about her best friends, the twins. In this one we get inside information, so to speak. I wanted to dig deeper into her mate’s life and we did.

What I like about both books is that I can see that the author, Martha Bourke, spent a lot of time researching and then educating the readers to a part of the world some of us needed to be introduced to. She didn’t give this information in a boring way that would detract from the story, but, rather, as a significant part of the tale, as much a part as the supporting characters.

Something that usually gets to me in novels is the use of other languages. When most authors add that ‘piece of class,’ they seem to assume we all know these other languages as well. Other authors will go to the far extreme and translate in parenthesis. But that get cumbersome and takes the reader out of the story for sure. Ms. Bourke has figured out a great way to integrate the translations so that the reader feels a part of the conversation. Well done!

I will remember this story and may read the series again. But I didn’t feel as secure at the end of this book. Though it wasn’t a cliffhanger, I feel my nerves are jangled and wish I had the time to get to the next book (I think I saw that the next book is out) but it will have to wait. Have you seen my currently reading shelf, meaning those I must read and review soon? Not to mention my TBR shelves! So off I go to my other books until I can pick up the next one and have a bit of time.

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Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh. My. Gosh! I think this is the best book ever! Thank you to all that recommended it so highly. I, too, now sing its praises!

Laini Taylor is the storyteller’s storyteller. Once I started into the world that she created I didn’t want to leave. In fact, though the copies I had of the hardback and the CDs were borrowed from the library, I couldn’t bear to return them had I not gone ahead and bought the Kindle and Audible versions to read again. And while I was at it I picked up the next in the series.

Oh, and I need to sing a few praises to the narrator, Khristine Hvam. I was caught up in the sound of her voice and her ability to wring out every nuance each word and even syllable the book had to offer.

The main character, Karou, is real, palpable. I could see through her eyes, smell what she smelled, anguish in choices to be made or mistakes that resulted. The cast of characters surrounding her were also real. I keep trying to come up with another word, after all this IS fantasy, but that is all I can come up with, real.

Magic is in abundance in the book, whether it is meant to be or not. Yet it is highly believable. And always leads to hope. Hope is the theme, I think. It made me feel it deep inside in places that haven’t felt it for a while. Hope. How many books give you that? That is a priceless commodity.

Please read this book with the audio along side. It immerses you into this world and you will feel hope, too.

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Review: Jaguar Sun


Jaguar Sun
Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I should have read this near 12-21-2012, then the end of the world and or Mayan calendar would have added a bit more excitement. Maybe I have read too many teen girl becomes shifter becomes goddess. I just couldn’t get into this.

I liked it okay. But the main character, Maya, diet coke addict, was not independent enough. In fact, I thought she was rather a crier and a fainter. A wimp. You would think that her gifts would make her a little bit stronger. You would think that her cool twin BFFs and her handsome, smart boyfriend would be enough to bring her into a confidence and even a bit of spunkiness.

I had hopes with the plot, being about a coming world-peace. I loved the bits about centering and meditation. Those are great lessons for teens to read about with all the stresses they all go through. But somehow, the instructions got lost and didn’t go deep enough, and were always cut short by something else. How in the world could she have reached any proficiency?

I would have liked to see the relationship between Maya and Matt grow, instead of a distance between them and then suddenly mates. Kind of missing something in the middle there. I would have liked to get to know the other shifter friends. And more about the one that had a crush on Maya.

Even still I have the next book and am hoping the author gained her chops and thereby a tighter story.

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Review: Darkmoon


Darkmoon
Darkmoon by S.M. Reine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Not many books throw the main character into the action pregnant with twins. Even worse, whose babies are they? Poor Alpha Rylie has found herself in this weird predicament. I love that the rivals for her love and progeny are brothers who have love for each other, often to their own detriment. And will these twins be pups or human? So many questions yet so much to do!

Meanwhile, Rylie’s aunt is now a zombie. And Cain, the rotten apple from Abel and Seth’s mother, is raising–well, Cain! Add to all that the care of a pack and Rylie’s got trouble!

This was another quick exciting read that had me up til the early morning. I had to know what was going to happen, and the action didn’t quit until that last page. No, it wasn’t a cliffhanger. Even so, I have made myself not read the next book until I write this so I won’t be confused again. SO–Read this series after Summer of the Moon series and enjoy!!

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