Category: Special Review

Special Review, YA Historical

Book Review: Secrets of the Realm by Bev Stout

Veronica Porras (TTB)

9781484832288_p0_v4_s260x420

I want to thank the author Bev Stout for giving me a copy of her book in exchange for a honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

Blamed for her uncle’s death, fifteen-year-old Annie is on the run. Knowing the perils she will face on the streets of eighteenth century London, she disguises herself as a boy. Her life on the streets is cut short when she becomes Captain Hawke’s cabin boy.
Not only must Annie work alongside the Realm’s motley crew of outcasts and gentlemen, she must also keep her superstitious shipmates from discovering she is a girl.
Annie vows she will never leave the Realm, where dreams are chased, shattered lives can mend, and secrets are stowed like keepsakes in an old desk drawer. But when her past catches up with her, can she return to the Realm? More importantly, will she have a choice?

Review:

A lot of YA Historical novels that I’ve read, seem to have dumb-downed their language, or they use contemporary english in order to make it easier for the reader to read. Secrets of the Realm is different. The first thing that we notice when reading this book is that we get a very different english than the one we use everyday. We also learn sailor slang of the era the book is set in. If you ever find yourself time traveling into the past, this book might save you from trouble. It also teaches you how to become a cabin boy if you are a girl. 🙂

At first, I wasn’t so sure if I liked Annie. Her temper and her actions seemed to get her into trouble all of the time. Through the course of the novel though, she grew and I started to like Annie a lot more. The secondary characters that I absolutely loved and dare I say loved before Annie, were Doc and Christopher. They both helped Annie in so many ways and made Annie a more relatable and personable character.

Now, let’s talk about someone I’ve been avoiding on purpose for several reasons and that is Captain Hawke. For a while there, I didn’t know how old Captain Hawke was, but towards the end, I figured out how young and handsome he is. I dare not say more for the sake of not spoiling you.

I also want to point out quickly that Annie’s attitude for a girl in 18th Century England is not the norm. I love that she prefers sailor clothes over frilly dresses, and that she is strong willed. We can really see the difference in her attitude when the men are telling a story about something dangerous that happened out at sea and one of the lady’s at dinner is fainting, saying such a story was giving her vapors. The author clearly shows how differently women were viewed in the 18th Century.

Lastly, I enjoyed the culture created by the sailors in the Realm. In the Realm, they are all family and all depend on each other to defend the boat and help it get across the seas to its destination.

Overall:

I really enjoyed Secrets of the Realm even though it was a little slow at first. It is important you take in everything as you read it because some parts of the book are jam-packed with really fast paced scenes. I had to re-read some parts in order to fully capture what had been written.

If you like Historical fiction and are a fan of the sea and the sea life, I would recommend this book to you.

Rating: 4/5

Special Review, ya contemporary

Special Review: Saving Wishes by G.J. Walker-Smith

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00007]

Thank you Net Galley and G.J. Walker-Smith for a giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

For Charli Blake, being seventeen is a tough gig.

She’s been branded a troublemaker, her reputation is in tatters and she’s stuck in Pipers Cove, a speck of a town on the coast of Tasmania.

Thankfully, it’s temporary. Her lifelong dream of travelling the world is just months away from becoming reality. All she has to do is ride out the last few months of high school, which is easier said than done thanks to a trio of mean girls known as The Beautifuls.

When Adam Décarie arrives in town, all the way from New York, life takes an unexpected turn. His arrival sets off a chain of events that alters her life forever, convincing her of one thing. Fate brought him to her.

Saving Wishes is the story of a girl who doesn’t quite fit the life she’s living, and the boy who helps her realise why.

Review:

At the beginning of the novel, I was really skeptical about everything. The story I was reading seemed to be a out of a fairy tale book, it was very unrealistic. Over the course of the book, the story got better to the point where I now want to know what happens next. I had requested this novel at Net Galley thinking it was a stand alone, but it isn’t. It’s the first book in a trilogy.

There are several typos and grammatical errors in the story that are distracting, but not enough that you cannot enjoy the story. If you can get past the few first chapters then I assure you it is an okay read. Even though it wasn’t the most well written book, at the end I wanted to know what would happen to Charli and Adam. The book left me sad and wanting more.

Rating: 3/5

Special Review, YA Mystery

ARC Book Review: Prep School Confidential (PSC #1) by Kara Taylor

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Prep School Confidential_cover

I was provided with a ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Prep School Confidential (PSC #1)

Author: Kara Taylor

Expected Publication: July 30th, 2013

Publishing House: St. Martin’s Griffin

Goodreads Summary:

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn’t care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Review:

Amazing!

This book blew my expectations out of the water! When I was halfway through the book, I googled the author and noticed that this is her debut novel. Yes, her debut novel. I couldn’t believe it because the book is so well written and the plot is so good that I am left speechless.

Prep School Confidential is a page turner. The twists that are thrown at you leave you breathless as if you have been running a 5k marathon. The character development, the mystery, the writing, I loved everything in this book.

Since I am posting this review three weeks before the book comes out all I can say is that if you like mystery, if you like boarding school stories, or if you want a good murder story, this is the book for you.

I think even readers that are a fan of fantasy/paranormal/dystopian books will greatly enjoy this book.

Yes, its that amazing.

Rating: 5/5

Special Review, YA Paranormal

ARC/Special Review: Severed Stone (Souls of the Stone #0.5) by Kelly Walker

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Severed-Stone-cover-187x300

I want to thank Net Galley and Kelly Walker for giving me an ARC of the Severed Stone. I greatly appreciate your generosity. I was given this ARC in mind that I would give a honest review of the book. 

Goodreads Summary:

Their story should have been a fairytale, but someone is playing a dangerous game that can only end in heartbreak.

When Ciorstan awakes alone in a field, far from home and more than a little confused, it won’t be the strangest thing to happen that day. Ignoring both her intuition and a mysterious but handsome stranger’s warning, she allows a dashing prince to take her home to his palace. Agreeing to marry the prince was her second mistake. Her next one will rip an entire kingdom apart. Sometimes, true love can be a tragedy with devastating consequences.

SEVERED STONE is a prequel novella, 155 pages in length and can be read at any point during the Souls of the Stones series. (But because it is designed to answer questions posed in Cornerstone and Second Stone, it may be more gratifying after reading those titles first.)

Review:

I want to start of by saying that I have not read Cornerstone or Second Stone. I decided it would be safe to read this novella since it is a prequel, and can be read at any point while reading the series. I do feel as if I was missing something as I was reading it though. I believe I was expecting more on the lines of The Infernal Devices since that is also a prequel, but I do have to keep in mind that TID is a trilogy. 

The writing in the Severed Stone was good, but I wasn’t blown away. I felt like everything happened really quickly. The first third of the book I was enjoying, but then once Fidwen got involved, it was all just chaos. It was one thing after another and I was left with so many things in my head at once. I like where the story went but, I just feel like it could have been executed a little bit better. I am being very nit-picky at the moment just FYI. The chaos I felt within the novella could have been solved by adding a few more pages about the brothers and the queen and less about her in the gowns and the rainbow of girls that were to help Ciorstan out with her transition into the royal life.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great one either. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Some parts were cute and Cirostan’s creepy mother added to the haunting feel of the novella, which I loved. I think this book would have worked better as a novel than a novella.

Rating: 3.5/5

Special Review, YA Paranormal

Special Review: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Veronica Porras (TTB)

A-Corner-of-White

I was provided with a copy of this book by NetGalley & Scholastic. Thank you very much for approving my request.

Goodreads Summary:

The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!

This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot’s dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds — through an accidental gap that hasn’t appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called “color storms;” a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the “Butterfly Child,” whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses.

Review:

I am going to start off with a food analogy to explain how this book was for me. It was like a big juicy delicious looking steak without the seasoning. It was missing something. I liked the idea of the book. I loved how Moriarty build the world in the book but I wasn’t swept away by the story. This had so much potential for being great. I really wish I wasn’t giving it a bad review. This book did not move me and the characters, especially Belle and Jack didn’t move me. Kala didn’t add much to the story either. The only character I liked was Elliot. I felt nothing special for Madeline.

Overall, this book could have been better. Part of the reason why this book did not move me was the writing. It was strange and it took me a while to get used to it.

Sidenote: I love the cover art for this book. It’s so beautiful. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Adult Contemporary, Special Review

Book Review: Etiquette for the End of the World by Jeanne Martinet

Veronica Porras (TTB)
Etiquette for the end of the World by Jeanne Martinet
Etiquette for the end of the World by Jeanne Martinet

I was given a copy of this book through Net Galley. The description of the story was very promising which led me to request it. I started reading the book once I was approved, but after the first 30 pages everything started going down hill. I am sad to say that after trying to read it for over a month, I can’t make myself finish the book and I will write a review on what I’ve read so far. I really wanted to like this book but I couldn’t.

Goodreads Summary:

A romantic comedy of post-millennial manners, apocalyptic career moves, and a woman’s last chance to get life right…

RULE #1: DON’T PANIC—IT ONLY ATTRACTS SHARKS

It’s not the end of the world. That’s what 39-year-old Tess Eliot has to remind herself after losing her newspaper column (“Tess Knows Best”) and being dumped by her boyfriend for a younger woman (a feng shui expert? Really?). Then Tess is hired to write an etiquette guide preparing readers for the Ancient Mayan doomsday of December 21, 2012, and she has to ask herself: Could the world really be coming to an end? At first, Tess fakes her way through chapters like “Boundaries in the Bunker” and “Cannibalism: Yes or No?” But after uncovering a secret plot for world destruction, she is forced to embark on a life-changing odyssey of her own—involving all-too-close encounters with touchy-feely survivalists, conspiracy theorists and one handsome guy who seems way too perfect.

What I liked:

I like that the book wasn’t badly written (as in I did not find any grammatical errors). I also liked the idea that was being marketed. The title makes you want to read the book and I like that. If this book would had been executed better, I would have been a fan of it for a long time.

What I didn’t like:

I did not like the characters in the story or how the plot was developed. The main character at first was someone I could be friends in real life and I kind of liked, but soon she started changing into something I could not stand. There are plenty of stories I’ve read with bad characters, but somehow you come to like them but Tess was one of those characters who I wanted to scream at and say, “Get a life! Grow up!” The only character I liked was Tess’ old boss who helps her obtain side jobs and in a sense is her advisor.

Overall:

I didn’t like the book and I couldn’t make myself finish it. What upsets me is that I requested a copy of this book to review it and I will be giving it a bad review but it happens. Everyone has a time where they have this awesome idea but it is poorly executed and it ends up being a mess. I am not bashing her writing but this story could have been better executed. It had so much potential for being great.

Rating: 2/5

Adult Fantasy, Reviews, Special Review

Book Review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Veronica Porras (TTB)

13477883

This is an unconventional review because this book hasn’t been published yet. The book will be released to the public June 4th, 2013 (in the United States). This review will be staying spoiler free for that very reason and I’ve made a new structure for this type of review. Thank you Net Galley and Dutton for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.

Goodreads Summary: In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

Review:

This book blew me away. Why? Because I didn’t know Richelle Mead’s writing was capable of changing in a very good way. Unlike the Vampire Academy Series or the Bloodlines Series where the reader find themselves only in Rose’s or Sydney’s mind, in Gameboard of the Gods the story is told through many point of views with different lenses. I believe this to be a absolutely brilliant move on behalf of Ms. Mead. Normally, books that have several narrators throw me off because there seems to be something missing, but somehow Richelle Mead was able to find the perfect balance and make it work. I do see some similarities in the structure of the book/series to that of the Bloodlines series and the Vampire Academy series.

There was only one thing I did not like in this book and that was that it had a sex scene in it. I’m a person that tries to avoid books with sex scenes. Nonetheless, this is a great book! Another Richelle Mead masterpiece. There is a reason as to why she is one of my favorite authors.

Edit:

After almost three months since I’ve read Gameboard of the Gods, I love this book even more. As I sat thinking, drinking my morning coffee, the way Richelle Mead made me uncertain about the main characters through the first half of the book. I couldn’t decided who I did and didn’t like. That has never happened to me before and that is another reason why you need to read this book.

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book

3/5: I liked it (A fun read)

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!