Review (56): Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom

Don’t Ever Change

M. Beth Bloom

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 368

Format: eARC 

Source: Edelweiss

Author Facebook

My Thoughts: 

Eva has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. So when she hands in her last writing assignment of her high school career and her writing teacher tells her she should focus on writing “what she knows”, she is a little distressed and realizes she doesn’t actually know all that much. She decides to take advantage of her last summer before college to gain new experiences and finally live a life worth writing about. That’s how she ends up as a camp counselor even though she is wholly unqualified, how she finds herself falling for the last person she ever thought possible, and how she almost loses her two best friends. 

Eva is a judge-y, know-it-all who has this irritating need to be different than everyone around her. But despite all of this, I found myself liking her. She knows how problematic she is (because she is told by pretty much everyone she talks to) and she genuinely seems like she wants to change her negative attitude. She realizes that she hasn’t lived any life changing moments thus far because she hasn't really let herself; she’s been more preoccupied trying to be different and unique that she has shunned people and passed up opportunities. She kind of reminds me of my high school self in this regard, unfortunately.

Her sister, Courtney, is also a great character. She is 21 and, although she is more confident and in control than Eva, she is also a little lost and trying to find herself. She is going to community college and doesn’t sound like she fully knows what she wants to do with her life—except maybe travel. I really liked her and Eva’s relationship. She is always there whenever Eva needs her and is actually great at giving her advice and making her realize when she’s being difficult or ridiculous. 

The plot isn’t particularly exciting or action-packed, but it is real. The book takes place the summer after Eva’s senior year and is spent just like any new graduate probably would; with a summer job, spending as much time with friends as possible, and coming to terms with the fact that going to college means leaving the only home you’ve ever known. What I also really liked about this is that Eva doesn’t go through a magical transformation and doesn’t turn into a completely different person by the end of the story. She learns a lot about herself during those few weeks but she herself recognizes that this is just the beginning and that she has a long way to go. And I think that’s perfect.

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Click HERE to read an excerpt!

* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

Review (49): I Am Alive by Cameron Jace

I Am Alive

by Cameron Jace

Series: I Am Alive, #1

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: May 23, 2012

Pages: 267

Format: ebook

Source: Author

Challenge: None

Author Website

My Thoughts: 

Decca Tenderstone lives in a world where teens are given a rank between 5 - 9 at the age of sixteen. For some, this rank defines their futures but for others it means the end of their lives. Those unlucky enough to be ranked under a 5 are called “Monsters” and are seen as a burden to society. Because the government seeks Utopia, those unranked are thrown into an arena and forced to play deadly games. No one has ever come out alive.

Let me just start off by saying that I really did give this a fair try. I had planned on finishing it, but I couldn’t even make it halfway. According to my Kindle for Mac app I read exactly 30% before I finally gave up. 

This really lacked creativity in my opinion. This is basically The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins except for a few details here and there. Instead of drawing 2 tributes from each district, any sixteen-year-old in Faya that was not ranked above a five was thrown into an arena (at one point there are actually about 3,000 kids in there) where they had to survive deadly games. This “Monster Show” was broadcasted all over the world and overseen by a Trickster. Also, Decca, kisses one of the “Monsters,” Leo, in order to keep him in the games and save his life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it is EXACTLY like THG, but it was all way too similar for me. 

The dialogue between the characters was also problematic. It just felt unnatural. The characters would all basically just blurt out a bunch of facts instead of having actual conversations; there was too much telling and not enough showing. Plus they didn’t even sound like they were 16. I haven’t been this age for 3 years now, but even I know sixteen-year-olds don’t talk like this. 

Remember: Just because I didn’t enjoy this doesn’t mean you won’t. I read a lot of 4+ star reviews for this, so if you think you’ll like it, give it a go. 

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Review (34): Shut Up by Anne Tibbets

Shut Up

by Anne Tibbets

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: February 28, 2012

Publisher: Premier Digital Publishing

Pages: 118

Source: ARC from Author

Challenge: None

Author Website

My Review:

Mary’s older sister gets herself pregnant and then decides to marry The Creep who knocked her up which causes her parents to freak out majorly. And to top it all off, Mary can’t seem to do anything right and is constantly getting yelled at by her mom and the now pregnant Gwen. Her brother just tells her to shut up and blend in, but Mary isn’t good at either. Unfortunately, all her attempts to get help are ignored which causes her to plan different forms of escape. 

This story is told in alternating points of view by Mary and her older brother Paul. The chapters are also divided into the present and the past. It starts off with Mary running away from home which is the present and then shifts to explain exactly why it is that she decided to run away in the first place. Other than that, there isn’t much of a plot. 

I thought Mary was very mature for a 12 year old especially after everything that she goes through. I don’t know what I would do if I was constantly being told that I was stupid and useless and made to feel unwanted. I was really happy with the decision she makes at the end and I was rooting for her to come to the conclusion that she does. As for the other characters, I didn’t really like any of them. Gwen was a complete bitch, Rose was a little tattle tale, Paul, who was supposed to be her one and only ally, never did anything and all the other adults in Mary’s life didn’t bother helping her even though they all knew something wasn’t right. 

And lastly, I love, love, love the cover. I feel that it shows how much pain Mary is in which makes it powerful.

Rating: * * *

Click here to read Anne’s author interview!

And thank you to the author for sending me a copy for review.

Review (33): The Dirt by Lori Culwell

The Dirt

by Lori Culwell

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: November 11, 2011

Publisher: Booktrope Editions

Pages: 208

Source: ARC from author

Challenge: None

Author Website 

My Review:
Lucy has been surrounded by “The Whitley Family scandal” for the past 9 years and just when she thinks she is finally going to be able to distance herself from her dysfunctional family, everything just gets even more complicated. All she wants to do is go away to a boarding school in Connecticut where she can step out from under the shadow of her evil, perfect and uber popular older sister Sloane and out of the little desert town that seems to be obsessed with gossiping about her family. Her plan to move across the country relies on her father’s second wedding which does not go as anybody expected.

This book can be summed up in one word: Drama, drama, drama! I thought this was a very enjoyable and quick read. The plot wasn’t as unpredictable as I would have hoped, but it did have its fair share of twists and turns which held my interest. I wasn’t really satisfied with the ending though, I felt that there was something...missing. I don’t even know why, it just felt a little unfinished to me.

As for the characters, the Whitley sisters could not have been more opposite if they tried. I felt that Lucy lacked a lot of confidence which was understandable since she was always being put down by Sloane. I kept rooting for her to grow and stand up for herself, but she never really did. She kind of just hid behind Megan who did most of the fighting. This really made Megan become my favorite because she didn’t seem to be scared of anyone.

The cover is cute and simple. I’m assuming the two girls on it are supposed to represent Sloane and Megan. Why Lucy wasn’t included (since she is the main one), I don’t know, but I still really like it. 

Rating: * * * 1/2

Click here to read Lori Culwell’s author interview!

And thank you to the author for sending me a copy for review.

Review (31): The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo

The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen

by Andrea Cefalo

Series: The Fairytale Keeper series

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: June 1, 2012

Publisher: Scarlet Primrose Press

Pages: 280

Source: ARC from Author

Challenge: None

Author Website 

My Review: 
Avenging the Queen is book one in the new series by Andrea Cefalo. At first I thought it would only be a retelling of the classic Snow White, but the more I read, the more Grimm characters started to pop up. I don’t want to give away which character is who, but I will say that there are appearances by Snow White (obviously), Cinderella, the Shoemaker from The Elves and the Shoemaker, and a few others. They are woven so well into the story and I loved when new backgrounds were introduced. 

But anyways, on to the actual book. Adelaide, nicknamed ‘Snow White’ by her mother due to her snowy complexion, dark hair and bright red lips, must bury her mother after she passes away from the fever that has upset their home in Cologne. Thousands more have been taken, but few are given the Last Rites they deserve which is why Adelaide’s father must bribe the local parish priest to make sure his wife has a proper burial. However, the ceremony goes horribly wrong which prompts thoughts of revenge in Adelaide’s mind. She gets herself and the people she loves into quite a bit of trouble as the story progresses. The beginning was a little slow for me and it took a while to get into the story, but by the middle I couldn’t seem to put the book down! 

Adelaide has to deal with things normal 15 year olds wouldn’t even dream of and she handles it all extremely well. Considering the time period, she is also very outspoken and refuses to bow down to what people tell her to do when she knows they are wrong. She was smart, clever and very brave which I liked a lot. Ivo, her best friend and love interest, was also a great character. He was so sweet and caring that I couldn’t stop myself from constantly going “awww”. Both had their own set of problems, but together seemed to strengthen each other. 

I love the cover of the book, it would have definitely caught my attention had I seen it on the shelves of my local bookstore. And the fact that it was designed by the author herself just makes it that much better!

I am very excited for the second book in the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Adelaide and what prompts her to become the Snow White we know and love today.

Rating: * * * *

Click here to read the 1st chapter!

Click here to read Andrea Cefalo’s author interview!

And thank you to the author for sending me a copy for review.

Review (25): Narrative Loserdom

Narrative Loserdom

by Ryan Collins

Series: Narrative Loserdom, Journal 1

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: December 1, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 190

Source: ARC

Challenge: None

Justin Taggart doesn’t know anything (about being a loser). He likes girls and plays sports and has some friends. Unfortunately his fear of rejection outweighs his ability to deal with these well. Mostly there’s Sterling, the girl of his dreams who knows how to stop his heart by not knowing hie likes her. Another thing is trying to get money with Adam, who’s rich anyways so it’s more about hanging out. As for Justin, he makes ends meet by mowing people’s yards with Adam, and sometimes by breaking into vending machines and selling late-night cable programming to peers (also with Adam). But it’s not like he doesn’t feel bad about it since Jesus died for his sins. School is pretty terrible with all the work and practice, but there are a few people there worth mentioning. Anyone who picks up his journal will be in for something if they feel like getting through a lot of grammar and spelling problems. They’ll probably end up seeing that they shouldn’t have looked at it anyway, because this is someone’s private anthem of girls, grass, and loserdom.

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Plot: There wasn’t much of a plot, mostly because this is the journal of a rambling, 16 year old boy named Justin Taggart. Each journal entry is like a little story about his day or something that happened to him or something that frustrated him. He talks about a lot of different things like girls (1 in particular), his best friend Adam, his various “jobs”, high school and football practice. Some entries are really interesting, others are kind of boring, and then some had me going “WHAT? Why would you do that?!” and then laughing. 

Characters: Because the chapters are all set as journal entries it is very easy to get to know Justin. This book is written by him, not about him so we really get to see into his head. He pretty much just writes down whatever pops up. At points he was slightly too obsessed with Sterling, but in a funny way. And then there’s his best friend, Adam. By the end of the book I still couldn’t really figure out their friendship. They were best friends, but it almost felt like they didn’t even really like each other that much which was strange. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of “best friends”? The characters were all pretty relatable, but would have been more so if I were a teenage boy I’m sure. 

Cover:  The cover is a little too plain and doesn’t really go with the whole journal/diary theme of the book.

Overall Impression: Probably would have been more enjoyable if I were a boy and knew what they were talking about half the time, but still a nice read!

Rating: * * *

Thank you to the author for sending me the copy for review!

Review (24): Spear of Seth

Spear of Seth

by Rene Daniel

Series: Tales of the Van Senmut College, book 1

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: June 16, 2011

Publisher: Createspace

Pages: 246

Source: ARC

Challenge: None
Author Website

What will Alex Khyan do when he faces a world he thought existed only in dreams of an ancient civilization? Alex needs a summer job, and gets one. It is not what he is used to, since he will work as a translator at an archeological dig at the island of Elephantine in the Upper Egypt.  Little does he know what he is getting himself into. Enter Heather and her father, John Van Senmut, the archeologist in charge of the excavations. The dig is not just some dig; it is the ruins of the Temple of Osiris, which stands at the mythical place where Nile emerges from the Egyptian Underworld. When John Van Senmut, falls ill and physicians give up on him, his daughter decides to search the Temple for the cause of the disease and possibly a cure. Her quest leads her, and her unwilling helper Alex, into the Netherworld, which survived the Egyptian civilization by two thousand years. They negotiate its dangers, as well as dangers which come from their contemporaries. They have only one guide – the Book of Gates.

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Plot: Spear of Seth is very Indiana-Jones-like. The action begins right away and you are swept into a very detailed Egyptian adventure filled with treasure hunting, danger, and suspense. Every myth, legend and historical fact needed to understand exactly what they are searching for is clearly described to us. This really came in handy as I had no idea what any of the things they were talking about were. However, at times it was also a little overwhelming and I had trouble remembering and even understanding some of it. I’m not exactly sure how much of this is fact and how much is fiction, but either way, it is clear that a lot of time went into the organization, and maybe even research, of the story.

Characters: The book is told in alternating view points with the speaker clearly written at the beginning of each chapter. Some are told by Alex Khyan, while others are told by Heather Van Senmut. Both are college students who for different reasons get caught in the middle of this big adventure. We find out that Heather is related to the founding family of Van Senmut college and that Alex’s mom is Lebanese which is why he can speak Arabic, but not much else. A little more background into both would have been a great help as I had difficulty figuring them out. There is also a bunch of secondary characters that help both Heather and Alex along the way. Some were very helpful and trustworthy, while others only pretended to be. It frustrated me whenever one of these new “allies” betrayed them! 

Cover: I feel that the cover perfectly reflects the book and it’s Egyptian adventure theme, it gives a perfect clue as to what to expect when you finally open up the book and read it.

Overall Impression: Fans of Indiana Jones and other adventure stories will definitely enjoy and appreciate this story.

                                                             Rating: * * *

Thank you to the author for sending me the copy for review.

And click here to read the prologue and first 2 chapters!

Review (23): Ugly to Start With

Ugly to Start With

by John Michael Cummings

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: October 1, 2011

Publisher: West Virginia University Press

Pages: 168

Source: PDF

Challenge: None

Jason Stevens is growing up in picturesque Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in the 1970s. Back when the roads are smaller, the cars are slower, the people more colorful, and Washington, D.C. is way across the mountains-- a winding sixty-five miles away.

Jason dreams of going to art school in the city, but he must first survive his teenage years. He witnesses a street artist from Italy charm his mother from the backseat of the family car. He stands up to an abusive husband-- and then feels sorry for the jerk. He puts up with his father’s hard-skulled backwoods ways, his grandfather’s showy younger wife, and the fist-throwing schoolmates and eccentric mountain characters that make up Harpers Ferry-- all topped off by a basement art project with a girl from the poor side of town. 

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Plot: This book is actually a series of short stories about a young boy named Jason. The stories are all pretty random, the only thing that connects them all is Jason. All 13 stories are events in Jason’s life that made an impact on his childhood. The first few stories focused on his family; on his mother, brothers but mostly on his father. Then the focus shifts and we start to see Jason searching for new friends and meeting a homosexual neighbor which leads to doubts about himself. There are a few risky subjects, some sexual content, especially in Carter, and strong language that you should definitely be on the look out for.

Characters: Jason is a very curious, smart and a big dreamer, but I didn’t relate to him. Although we are in his head the entire time and get to know him pretty well, there was just something...missing. It might have been because I’m a girl and I probably couldn’t really connect with the male perspective. But overall the characters were all very believable. My favorite would definitely have to be his mom; she was just everything you want in a mother.

Cover: I really liked the cover, it was simple which is definitely the opposite of this book.

Overall Impression: This isn’t my typical read and, had I not been contacted, I probably never would have picked it up, but I still enjoyed it. Definitely a good read for adults.

                                                                  Rating: * * *

Thank you to the author for sending me the copy for review.