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Book Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You
Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Firebird
Rating: ★★★

A Thousand Pieces of You

There are a few book themes and topics that can end up making a book amazing or absolutely destroying it. Jumping between alternate realities is one of those. Not only does an author have to create one world where reality jumping is possible, but the other realities must be developed as well. Plus, the science behind the jumping has to at least make a little sense. I picked up A Thousand Pieces of You because I wanted to see if Gray was able to create a book that sounded as good as the book description. While I wished for a little more development in some areas, Gray was able to write a book I really enjoyed.

Marguerite has just lost her father. He’s been killed and she knows who the killer is. So she takes the technology her parents developed, the Firebird, along with Theo. Theo is one of her parents’ research assistants. Together, they take off through alternate realities in search of Paul, another research assistant and the killer.

First things first. The world building. We are dropped right in the middle of Marguerite’s mourning of her father. It’s a bit different from the norm, and in this case it just didn’t work. I wish I could have seen a little bit about Marguerite and her father’s relationship, so I knew where we were starting. I didn’t feel her grief as much as I would have liked. I think maybe dropping the story in a day before everything happened would have given me that connection.

As for the other worlds, I think they were sufficiently described and created. Would I have liked a little more in-depth building? Sure, but I also realize that would have made the book ridiculously long and wouldn’t have served the greater purpose.

I’m a little on the fence about Marguerite as a character. I think she’s incredibly brave for using untested technology to search for her father, but also a little unstable, understandably, for it as well. She also makes a few decisions that left me scratching my head. She believes people in certain situations that most people with common sense wouldn’t believe.

In the end, A Thousand Pieces of You was a good book. It handled the alternate reality well. I just found it a little difficult to fall into the story and connect with the main character. I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn’t the amazing book I’d hoped for.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of A Thousand Pieces of You, you can do so here
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Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes series
Rating: ★★★★★

Snow Like Ashes

Snow Like Ashes has an amazingly built world. The struggles of the different Kingdoms are extremely real. We don’t get to see the “before” in this story. We begin with struggles and those struggles remain and change through the book. Meira struggles to find her place in the world, and the fact that her struggle is all a part of a much larger, more encompassing struggle is what makes this book so wonderful.

Meira is one of a handful of survivors from the Kingdom of Winter. She was only an infant when Spring attacked and destroyed Winter’s magic conduit. Without the conduit, the Kingdom’s magic can’t be accessed and used. A small group was able to escape and have spent the last 16 years trying to find the pieces of their conduit and restore the royal line to the throne. When one half is discovered, it sets off a series of events that changes everything Meira knows about herself and the group of survivors.

I liked Meira. She was a real girl, with fears and insecurities, but she also wanted to make a difference. She wants to be able to help the survivors restore their magic. She’s tired of being kept safe and protected. When she is finally able to go on a mission, she makes sure she shows just how much she wants to help.

Meira is also in love with her best friend, who just happens to be the king of Winter, if there was a Winter to rule over. She knows they can’t have anything, since he must be married to someone equal in status, but she can’t just turn off her feelings.

There is a bit of a love triangle in the book, and I’m not entirely sure where I want it to go. Both guys are wonderful, so far, and it’s clear Meira likes both. I’m not even sure if it’s a full-fledged love triangle yet. It’s more of a swoony feelings triangle. I rather enjoyed this triangle.

I am incredibly interested to see where Raasch takes this story next. The ending of Snow Like Ashes wasn’t a big cliffhanger at all. It only teased at what is to come. I’m looking forward to getting the next book and finding out what is next for Meira to tackle.

If you’d like to read Snow Like Ashes, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Title: Exquisite Captive
Author: Heather Demetrios
Series: Dark Caravan series
Rating: ★★★★★

Exquisite Captive

I loved this book. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed reading it. If I’m being honest, my only real experiences with jinn are those of “I Dream of Jeannie” and Genie from “Aladdin.” Those are not even close to the jinn in Exquisite Captive; Demetrios created an amazing story surrounding her characters.

Nalia is the last jinni of her race. She survived a coup that left everyone she cared about either dead or tortured. She is stuffed into a bottle and sold into slavery. Enter Malek. He is her master. He is abusive. And controlling. And confusing. But he is not a love interest.

I am sure some people will disagree with me on that point. Nalia does have conflicted feelings about Malek, but I don’t believe she ever feels love towards him. Caring? Sure. Sympathy? At times. But not love. Her relationship with Malek is like that of a Stockholm Syndrome victim with his or her captor. Malek has had power and control over her for so long, and has scarred her enough with her bottle, that when his behavior changes, she finds kindness.

The relationship between Malek and Nalia is an abusive one. Nalia recognizes that what she feels for Malek can’t be called love, just as what Malek believes he feels for her is not love. Not once did I get the feelings that I was supposed to want a romantic relationship between them.

On the other hand, Nalia’s relationship with Raif is not abusive. It starts out rough because they each want to use the other for a purpose. Raif wants the ability to save the Jinn races, and Nalia wants to be free from her bond to Malek. However, there is not the same abusive tone with their relationship. They certainly don’t like each other right away, but neither individual abuses the other. They develop their relationship slowly, and I enjoyed every second of it.

I am absolutely enthralled by this story and hate that I have to wait so long for the next book. I want to know what is going to happen next, both on Earth and in the jinn world. There are so many pieces to this story that just as I start to think the book couldn’t get any better, it does.

This is definitely a must read book. Demetrios will draw you right in and, if you’re like me, you won’t be able to put the book down.

If you’d like to read Exquisite Captive, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
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IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: Stray by Elissa Sussman

Title: Stray
Author: Elissa Sussman
Series: Four Sisters
Rating: ★★★★

Stray

I was intrigued when I read the description for this book. A new fairy tale? As someone who grew up on fairy tales, I knew I had to read this book.

Aislynn is a princess. She’s not exactly a popular princess, and she struggles with the magical power she’s being trained to control. All her lessons have reinforced the idea that magic is bad, and that to use magic is to stray from the Path. When her magic overwhelms her at the Introduction Ball, where she’s supposed to be introduced to her future husband, she is redirected and becomes a fairy godmother instead.

Fairy godmothers aren’t supposed to feel anything. They are trained to use their magic for specific purposes and to help their master’s control their own magic. But Aislynn is different and she soon stumbles into a secret others at the school are determined to keep quiet.

I wasn’t sure I’d like Aislynn’s character. When she was a princess, I felt very meh about her character. Once she was made a fairy godmother, she started to really question things and I started to like her more. She saw that the way of the world was flawed. She saw that everything she was told wasn’t always correct. She questions the rules and The Path and that made her much more likable, in my opinion.

There’s a hint of romance in this book, but it’s not overwhelming. It was just enough to have little sweet moments and happiness. Each time something happened, I smiled.

The world Sussman built is wonderful. I can easily picture everything in my mind. More than that though, she created a world that made me cheer for Aislynn, even when I wasn’t her biggest fan. The fact that she made everyone, in the beginning of the novel, seems on focused on The Path and how wonderful it is. Not one questioned it. It was the way of the world and didn’t deserve to be examined. Or that’s how it appeared on the surface. Once Aislynn becomes a fairy godmother, she realizes the system should be questioned, and she starts asking.

I’m interested in seeing how this becomes a series. I can see both companion and sequel novels working. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for Sussman, and this is a book anyone who loves fairy tales with a twist will enjoy.

If you’d like to read Stray, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
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IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: The Fall by Bethany Griffin

Title: The Fall
Author: Bethany Griffin
Rating: ★★★★

The Fall

I will admit to not knowing of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” before getting this book. So I looked the story up and read it. And became thoroughly creeped out. And then I picked up Griffin’s story. And got the chills.

The Fall of the House of Usher makes up only a portion of The Fall. Griffin takes Poe’s story and expands on it, turning it into a novel about growing up in a house that makes you crazy. I even felt a little off while reading it. Madeline was born in the house, grew up in the house, and understands that the house will eventually destroy her. Generations before her have gone mad, the house pushing them to insanity and death. Madeline and her brother Roderick are next. Roderick was sent away to school with the hope that keeping him away from the house will keep the curse from harming in.

This causes Madeline to face the brunt of the house’s feelings. The house feels heavy. It feels cursed. But the house also protects Madeline and gives her a dog for a companion. Growing up, her feelings about the house aren’t completely black and white. As the story progresses, it’s clear that the only hope for Madeline and Roderick to escape the curse is to destroy the house.

Through flashbacks, Madeline’s life story is told. I really felt for her. She didn’t have the same opportunities her brother had, and she was subjected fully to the house’s whims. She was lonely, aching for human companionship. Her brother is away at school, the doctors that live at the house only want to test her, and the only friend she’s ever had is a dog.

Based on the opening chapter, as well as Poe’s short story, you know where the story is going. But getting there is horror-filled and chill-inducing. Just reading about the house gives the feeling of heaviness and of evil. The history of death and insanity flows through every page and it honestly made me uncomfortable at times. I loved it.

The Fall is a fantastic paranormal horror novel. My only complaint is that sometimes the pacing didn’t feel right to me. However, this is definitely a good book to read if you want to get that creepy feeling. It’ll give you chills from first page to last.

If you’d like to read The Fall, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: Deliverance by C.J. Redwine

Title: Deliverance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Couriers Daughter Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Deliverance

I have been anticipating this book for a while. Defiance and Deception set the bar high, but I had faith that Redwine would deliver. Something about how well she crafted the characters and created the world made me believe she would be able to not only meet my expectations, but also surpass them. With Deliverance, she did.

Creating a wonderful romance, and then separating the characters might put off some people. It could show the characters’ weaknesses, or even turn them from characters I once loved to characters I find annoying. Yet when Redwine did it, I saw the reasoning. I saw how Rachel wasn’t ready to face Logan yet. I understood how Logan needed to do this on his own first. Their romance was sweet and wonderful first. Deliverance is what made them real.

The rest of the story kept me guessing. These characters constantly found themselves taking one step forward, only to be shoved three steps back. Just when they think they’ve got a plan, someone throws a wrench and their plan has to change. Separately, Logan and Rachel are working with friends to reach an ultimate goal of destroying the tech that controls the Cursed One and removing the Commander from his power.

I think the most interesting thing about Deliverance is that Redwine takes the villainous characters, characters that you don’t want to like, and makes them relatable. You see that the Commander has his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. You see what him the man he is in the story. People aren’t born evil, and Redwine shows that.

I’m sad to see the Defiance series end. I’ve fallen in love with Rachel and Logan. I want to have friends like Quinn and Willow. As much as I wish there was more story to tell though, Deliverance ended the way it should. The story had reached its end and the characters were ready to move on. Deliverance is one of the best examples of how to end a series that I’ve ever read. Definitely put this entire series on your “To Read” list.

If you think Deliverance sounds like a good read, you can purchase a copy here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advance copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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New Review: Blackbird by Anna Carey

Title: Blackbird
Author: Anna Carey
Series: Blackbird Duology
Rating: ★★★★

Blackbird

Blackbird was not quite the book I thought it would be. I was really interested in the story, but I wasn’t sure if I could get into the 2nd person point of view. The first few chapters didn’t really connect with me, but eventually the story drew me in and the 2nd person point of view became an incredible way to feel like part of the action.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks with only minutes to react. She doesn’t know who she is, where she is, or why she’s there. She can’t remember a thing. She wants answers, but has the sense to know that answers are likely dangerous. She has a feeling that she is being hunted, but doesn’t know why or by whom.

Imagine that type of scenario. That panic and fear. The desire to know what is going on, but the worry that searching for answers will only make things worse. That is what the 2nd person point of view conveys in this book. It makes you, the reader, the main character. It’s not like other books where you have to imagine yourself in the place of one of the characters. Instead, the entire book is detailing your life, and you’re just as clueless to what’s happening around you as the main character is.

I think that’s the really interesting thing about this book. I think this would have been a good book from any point of view. The story is interesting and engaging. The characters feel real. But using 2nd person puts the reader directly into the action. I felt the same panic and fear that I was supposed to because I wasn’t reading about some character’s life. The entire book is filled with “you” statements. “You run,” “You are about to do this,” made me feel although I was the main character. I was the one in the book. It’s a feeling I rarely experience so fully in novels written in 1st or 3rd person.

I completely understand that the POV of this book will likely turn some people away. It’s not for everyone. But for me, it made the book more exciting (once I became used to it). I stopped picturing a character doing all those things and was instead putting myself into the book. I don’t mind that there weren’t many answers. It’s all a part of the 2nd person and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this story goes.

If you’d like to read Blackbird for yourself, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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2014 Year in Review

2014 has come to an end.

I definitely didn’t read as many books as I wanted to. My goal was 100, and I read 62. Still a good number. My goal next year will be 100 again. Hopefully I’ll be able to reach it.

I struggled with my reading time this year, but I struggled more with my personal writing time. It can be difficult to focus on getting anything done when all you want to do is sleep. My goal for 2015 is to set aside time every week to just sit down and write. I want to be able to finish my book by this time next year. Or at least a really rough version of it. Editing can always take place later.

I also made the jump into personal blogging. That blog, Butterflies and 65 Roses, began today. It’s going to be the place where I share my journey to find all the good and beautiful things life has to offer.

I’ve already started my 2015 book reading, and I’m excited to get back to sharing my thoughts and feelings about book with everyone.

Happy New Year!

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Personal

As you might have noticed, I’m a bit behind on reviews. Again. And trust me, I don’t feel good about it.

But this isn’t a review, or a commentary on books. It’s not an apology for being behind, either.

OneRepublic is a Colorado band. I’ve loved them for this reason for years. So when they released their most recent video, I cried. Because they feature a boy from Colorado who has cystic fibrosis.

I have cystic fibrosis and have been fighting against it for 24 years. I was diagnosed 10 weeks after I was born. I wasn’t gaining weight and my pediatrician referred my parents to the Colorado cystic fibrosis children’s clinic. That’s when they found out that despite the newborn screening test saying I did not have CF, I did have the disease.

Starting from that moment, my life has been a series of treatments, medications, and hospital stays. I was relatively healthy for 14 years. I played sports, did my treatments, and took the best care of myself that I could.

I was visiting family in Cincinnati when I was 13, almost 14. I was having an amazing time. I woke up at 2am one morning with a cough. Nothing new. But when the cough didn’t go away, and I continued to cough something up, I went to the bathroom to spit. And when I did, all I could see was the bright red blood staring back at me.

I spent a week in the hospital. I left the day before my 14th birthday. But my problems had only started because my sophomore year of high school I contracted pneumonia. It damaged my lungs enough that every three months, I would start coughing up a lot of blood. I can’t taste blood without having a panic attack now.

I had a portion of my lung removed when I was 18. I spent 28 days in the hospital and had to drop out of my first semester of college. My problems went away for a while and I started to get back to living as normal a life as I could.

Last year, I contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA. I have spent the last 14 months fighting one of the worst infections I’ve ever had. I finally gave in and got a medical port. I’ve spent nearly as many days on IV antibiotics as off them.

Cystic Fibrosis is a horrible disease. It’s given me more problems than I can count. I search for a silver lining in every moment, though. I’ve gotten good at finding the good through the bad. That’s why OneRepublic’s video means so much to me.

Many people don’t know much about this disease. It doesn’t get the recognition as other illnesses. OneRepublic is shining a light into a dark place with this video.

Please take a few moments and watch this video. It would mean so much to me to get the word about.

I Lived – OneRepublic

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Review: Arcana by Jessica Leake

Title: Arcana
Author: Jessica Leake
Rating: ★★★★

ArcanaArcana started off a little shaky for me. It wasn’t that it was bad, but it didn’t hook me right away. I continued reading, though, mostly because I’m a history nut and this book has some history in it. After the rocky start, things really started to pick up, and I found myself unable to put the book down until I had finished.

Katherine Sinclair is different from most people in more than a few ways. As a girl, she’s completely uninterested in going to London for her debut. She doesn’t really think she needs a husband, and she finds the social rules smothering. She also has the power of the sun inside her. She can call upon this power for magic, and even though she keeps it hidden most of the time, sometimes she can’t help but let her magic flow. On top of this, she is forced to London where the handsome Earl of Thornewood is her companion. She must figure out who is part of the Order whose only goal is to harness the power of Arcana through destructive means, while trying to maneuver London society.

Katherine didn’t connect with me right away. Her character felt a little out of reach. Once she made it to London, where she struggles with keeping her true character hidden behind the picture society paints, I started to like her more. She has a quick wit, and sometimes her mouth runs without thinking. She thinks of her family first, and cares deeply for anyone who she considers close to her. She also knows that she can’t depend on anyone else for her safety. She may not always be ready to fight, but she’ll try to find a way to keep herself from harm.

The two male characters in this novel were interesting. I would have liked maybe a little more mystery about who was good and who was bad, but I’ll take what I can get. It was pretty clear from the moment both characters were introduced how they would be divided. While there’s really nothing wrong with this, sometimes I like to guess.

The plot itself was interesting. I would have liked a little more weaving of the arcana into the story. I think the novel could have easily read as a good book without the magical element. I wanted the magic there, though. Near the end, it became more of the storyline, but I would have liked more throughout the entire novel.

Arcana started off slow, but soon I was completely drawn into the world Leake created. She has a beautiful writing style and she really made me interested in the characters’ lives. It’s a good book, although you’ll have to like historical fiction and debutante politics.

If you’d like to read Arcana, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher, Talos, for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.