Tag Archive | Self-Published

Book Review: The Breeders by Katie French

This is a world where girls are used to breed for the greater good of the remaining population. That is, except for sixteen –year-old Riley Meemick. Capable of being disguised as a ‘Bender’, or mutation of neither boy nor girl, she lives in constant fear of being taken by the Breeders.

When her Mama is taken to Breed, it’s up to Riley to hide her identity from the handsome Clay and get her back with her younger brother Ethan.

The trouble is, who can one trust? When supplies run low or someone gets sick, how can help be found?

I don’t want to give too much away for this book; it truly is an interesting read.

Must get the nitty-gritty out of the way, this book would be fabulous except for the overwriting. Less is more love, and the execution of the story needs a bit of tweaking.

However, overall, despite the flaws (there were also a few misspelling and improper uses of grammar), I felt that this was a great dystopian story and a fantastic premise. With some work this story could go places.

You feel the despair of the characters, their hunger, their thirst and fear of the unknown.

Then the information on how the Breeders work – truly terrifying.

One of my main downsides to the story is that even when girls are highly sought after – they’re still not treated equally or with respect. It’s frustrating that as the creators of life, the human race still treats them as a commodity even though survival is based on their welfare.

I’m not a fan of the romance bit as it’s too forced and obvious, but I enjoyed reading about how far gone the world has become, it’s dystopian done well. If you are looking for a story to make you feel better about your life, The Breeders will help put things in perspective.

Book Review: When Cooper Suns Fall by KaSonnda Leigh

Mar30

Chela and her twin brother Micah are not your average siblings. Born from a human father and angel mother tends to complicate things. Especially when your mother’s race has been outlawed for hundreds of years, and should Chela or her brother be discovered for what they are they’ll shot on the spot. Micah is Chela’s other half, but a sickness threatens his life as he lies in a coma.

As Chela tries to do anything she can to get proper medical assistance for Micah, her temper and curiosity lands her in a bit of trouble. Soon she’s fighting for her right to stay in society, but it’s only the beginning. There are others like Chela, that fight just as hard to stay under the radar but also train with their gifts. A prophecy is exposed. A murderous beast haunts Chela’s world. Teenagers continue to be kidnapped, never to be seen again.

Chela is huge piece of this puzzle. As she learns more about her gifts and her mother’s world she’s going to have to make a choice to stand up and claim her place or turn her back on her future, no matter how complicated it may be.

This has been quite a refreshing read. I was really impressed with quality of writing and instantly curious to learn more about this world and the main character. I don’t normally read this kind of genre, there’s a lot going on. It’s a science fiction fantasy that’s kind of like The Hunger Games? There’s a lot of fast paced action and characters.

For those that love this kind of genre this book doesn’t disappoint. Rich with details of this different type of world and society it’s got a little bit of everything. Even romance is on the line but it’s not the main focus. It’s not easy to breeze through, so make sure you’ve got the attention span for it.

This book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to for the book and the author!

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.