Tag Archive | 14+

Book Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Zoel’s world is run by her constant adherence to the Link, a controlling system that creates all peace within The Community. Connected by her implanted V-chip, Zoel feels nothing but a grey haze of indifference. That is until she starts ‘glitching’. For the first time Zoel can hear her own thoughts. Now calling herself Zoe, she must fight to hide her malfunctions or risk being terminated.

That is until she meets Adrian, who is able to explain emotions and share what the real world truly is. As Zoe meets others like her that glitch, she struggles with not being able to understand how to feel around them. The Community can’t discover their anomalies. Under any circumstances, they must keep their disconnection from the Link unknown. There’s also the issue that the glitchers are developing supernatural powers, and there are others than The Community that would do anything to convince these fragile minds to join their side. But which side is truly worth fighting for?

Sigh. I wanted to like this book, really I did. I got through the first ten pages and thought, hmmmm, kind of like The Giver, but dystopian, decent beginning, maybe if I kept reading it will get better.

I made little notes. There were a lot of repetitive words. Also some overwriting. However, I was still holding out that the story would get better, but it didn’t. BOOM came in the ‘love triangle’ of characters that have known each other for five seconds. Big disappointment. (Especially as this book isn’t directly marketed as romance in my eyes) Halfway through the book I was constantly distracted by the fact that timelines were all over the place. Those chapters seriously needed some editing.

My biggest issue is that one of characters attempts to sexually assault the main character and she sympathises and thinks it’s her fault that he is acting that way. Zoe is a lump of chewed up oatmeal that doesn’t have any redeeming qualities about her. Sure, chalk it up to the fact that in this world the characters don’t feel emotions and this would cause Zoe to be without a personality. However, she makes the choice to change her name, therefore she has the potential to discover herself whenever she was alone, but instead she stands as weak and uninspiring.

I was greatly disappointed with this first book and I won’t be continuing with the series. (The sequel Override, sounds like a X-men rip-off) If anyone else has read this book, I’d love to hear thoughts about this story that could have gone places but seems to be lacking structure and direction.

Book Review: Hooked: When Addiction Hits Home, edited by Chloe Shantz-Hilkes

May18

I don’t usually cover non-fiction, but I was interested when this title became available on Netgalley.

This is a moving collection from teenagers that grew up with a family member suffering from an addiction. Covering alcoholism, drug abuse and even workaholics, the fearless stories don’t shame their family but show the negatives of their situation. Not every story has a hopeful ending but the truthfulness is courageous.

Much like the Chicken Soup for the Soul books of the ‘90’s, Hooked is an excellent source of comfort for teens of today that need to know they are not alone. Well put together and executed right for its market, Hooked has been well worth the read.

Many thanks to the publisher Annick Press for the copy of the book, Chloe Shantz-Hilkes for doing a great editing job and to the authors that contributed powerful yet difficult stories. It takes a lot of guts to write about something so personal and painful.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review; Hooked was published on March 5^th, 2013.

Book Review – Ascent by M. C. Zappitello

Mar26

Cassie Campbell doesn’t have any memories before she was seven. However, things just haven’t been normal since her adoption. Cassie hates being in large crowds of people, she can feel their thoughts that cause severe panic attacks. That is, until she meets William Stuart. Suddenly her world is nothing and everything but Will Stuart.

Together the pair unlock the secrets of Cassie’s past. Will didn’t meet Cassie by chance but has been patiently waiting for the right time to re-enter her life. As she comes to terms with her past alongside her future, her strength will be tested. The only thing she knows for certain is that her life is Will Stuart and nothing can go on without him.

UGH. That is pretty much the basis of my review. What a letdown from Amazon Prime. I am kicking myself for not doing further research in regards to how this is published. (it’s self-published by Amazon) I should have known better and this was one of the most painful books I have ever read.

This is basically a knockoff of Twilight but for the Christian market (Twilight is written by a Mormon and her characters do reflect this if one reads closely enough). The writing is extremely poor, so much so that multiple sentences are constantly repeated right after each other. Although Cassie is seventeen there is a lot of SAT vocabulary mixed into the fiction and I found this as a poor choice for the Young Adult market. Cassie is also a weak character that is only concerned with her love for Will, ignoring her adoptive parents in the process.

The couple are also completely obsessed with having sex with each other, but must refrain for ‘God’. Not only do I find this as such an un-Christian aspect but Cassie also attempts to commit suicide, which is never ok in the faith. Two themes that aren’t Christian? I understand the author may have been trying to heed to modern day market trends but her ideas don’t have any substance and there is no area this would fit into.

I can’t recommend this book for Christian markets because I don’t think it has anything that would put parent’s minds at ease. However, there are too many religious references for this to even breach the modern YA market that it’s no wonder it was self-published.

I wish there was something nice I could say about this book but there isn’t. There’s too much going on without a connected focus. How this will last for another two books, I don’t know and I don’t want to follow through either. Please stay far away unless you’d like to contradict my review. All other thoughts are welcome.

Book Review: Death by Chocolate by Johanna Pitcairn

Mar23

Valentines Day is supposed to be filled with adoration, love and chocolates from a boyfriend. For Julie, she discovers that her boyfriend of three months is cheating on her with blonde haired Melissa. Spoiled, rich and totally dependant on the superficial California lifestyle, Julie makes a rash decision to run away to Vegas. With her checking accounts and credit cards cut off she struggles to feed herself. When a Gypsy comes along promising a warm meal and a free fortune reading, Julie figures to go along since she doesn’t have anything else better to do.

She’s handed a box of normal looking chocolates that taste out of this world. After one bite Julie awakens in a field, with a handsome shirtless man moving toward her shouting ‘Run!’. Thus begins her adventure in a mysterious world where people speak in riddles and Julie is suddenly faced with memories of forgotten best friend Kara. The chocolates are more than just sweets and Julie is going to have to discover the root of her black heart if she’s going to return to her normal life once more.

This was an interesting read! I was looking for something short and this book fit the bill beautifully. It’s extremely fast paced and feels like something I might have studied in one of my literature classes. I loved that it didn’t have the focus of romance but instead slowly gave the reader insight into Julie’s horrible past. My main critic is that there are too many ‘modern day’ references that date the book. Many of the references won’t be relevant in five years time.

For the most part I really enjoyed Julie as a character. She’s not instantly likable and I enjoyed learning why she is the way she’s become. She doesn’t fit the mould of a traditional YA character and it was thrilling to try to figure out what was going on. The ending has left me scratching my head but for good reasons. I don’t think this book is a first of a series and I hope it stays that way. I like a book that leaves me hanging but gives me enough information for my imagination to make educated guesses. If you’re looking for a discussion worthy short book, give Death by Chocolate a shot. You’ll finish it in two hours and will have plenty to talk about!

The wonderful Publisher Curiosity Quills Press provided this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to them and the author Johanna Pitcairn for giving me just what I was looking for!

Death by Chocolate is out now! Get your copy today and tell me what you think!

Book Review: Butter by Erin Lange – Published Today!

Mar5

Being 423 lbs at sixteen isn’t easy. Butter is an outcast and secretly in love with one of the most popular girls in school, Anna. Thin, tall with long blonde hair, she’s the dream girl for many adolescent boys. A gifted musician on the saxophone, he hides on his computer under the handle ‘SaxMan’ to woo Anna behind the safety of the screen.

During a typical lunchtime period Butter gets caught between his feelings for Anna and drawing unwanted attention to himself. There’s something about lunchtime laughter that is soul crushing and Butter has had enough. He creates his own website http://www.Butterslastmeal.com. It was supposed to be a joke. Declaring his dare of eating himself to death on New Years Eve. As the countdown begins Butter gets a reaction he never expected, but mirages don’t last forever. It’s a last meal for one and the Internet will be waiting.

I was so excited to be approved for this ARC; I was instantly hooked from the premise. Sharp, clear and focused, this book doesn’t mess around. Butter isn’t a character that most readers can relate too, and more so, he’s not even likeable throughout most of the book. Butter is a typical spoiled teenager who happens to weigh over 400 pounds. This book reminded me of a scene in MTV’s Awkward, where the popular head cheerleader also happens to be overweight. She shouts at her mother while they’re shopping, her family has money and buying clothes isn’t the issue. The problem is that she can’t wear what she wants because those things don’t fit her size.

It’s such a shock to the system. There is no longer a happy medium for body size. There also isn’t praise for accepting one’s self as they are. Butter isn’t the normal case, and his journey as he grows out is fascinating. This book is so different from most of the Young Adult books out there and I praise the author for writing such a unique title.

Bullying is something that needs to be stopped, but how does one address this issue when it happens between parent and child? Or best friends? Or when the underdog is the one bullying themselves as well as others? Controversial, with a scene that will forever be burned into your mind, Butter is a league ahead of where Young Adult books need to go. You’ll be grateful your teenage years are long gone after reading this, and for those that are in the age category, this book is an example that yes things in life will get better.

Faber and Faber provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for this amazing book and many thanks to the author!

Hot off the presses today! Get your copy now:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Foyles

Book Review: Entangled by Nikki Jefford

Feb26

Graylee and her identical twin sister Charlene are witches. Far from being two peas in a pod the girls are as different as night and day. Charlene is devastated that her boyfriend Blake broke up with her a week before Valentine’s Day for Stacey Morehouse. Graylee’s more concerned with perfecting her invisibility spell. Charlene is one of the hottest girls in school, dressed to the nines with full makeup. Graylee glides through the halls without a boyfriend in embroidered jeans and a tank top.

One night Graylee falls asleep and the next morning she wakes up in Charlene’s room. It’s also April 1^st. Graylee’s been dead for two months and now is sharing Charlene’s body. Every other day Graylee wakes, but she has to act as Charlene in order to avoid repercussion from the coven. Their mother is on the case to fix the problem but time is running out. The more time Graylee spends in her sister’s body the more she learns her sister was more than just heartbroken. Charlene ‘s patience is also running thin and Gray is terrified to learn she’ll do anything to get her body back even if it means losing her sister a second time.

Firstly, I love the cover. Second, the first 30% of the book is a bit rough; the characters aren’t fully developed and honestly, are shallow. The writing isn’t anything new and I wasn’t interested in the story until the double occupying of the body happened. Finally some tension and conflict that’s somewhat engaging. I enjoyed the brief introduction to this world of witches and warlocks, the language and rules. Also, it’s based in Kent, Washington. KENT! If you’re a regular reader it’s not a secret that I am such a sucker for all books that have ANYTHING linked to Washington State.

There is some substance to this book but it gets lost in the romance. Romance isn’t even the main theme – its revenge. Charlene is one piece of work and although it works for the premise of the story. It’s still Graylee’s twin sister. I didn’t really buy the fact that she would act intentionally the way she does in wanting to purge her sister. The readers don’t get to know Charlene before Graylee dies and because of this I’m sceptic of her motives. Nevertheless, I think this read is great for young female readers that are looking for a love story that has drama. At the end of the day that’s all it is. Drama: High school drama. I was left wanting more and I hope the second book can accomplish this but I’m not hoping for a magic spell here. However, it’s based in Washington, I have to read this series!