The Book Cover

Title: A Year Without Autumn
Author: Liz Kessler
Pages: 304
ISBN:978-0763655952
Rating: ★★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

If you could see into the future – would you look? Jenni Green doesn’t have a choice. On her way to visit her best friend, Autumn, Jenni suddenly finds she’s been transported exactly one year forward in time. Now she discovers that in the year that’s gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never be the same again. But what caused the tragedy? How did Jenni skip a year? And can she find her way back to the past to try to change what lies ahead? With humour – and her customary light touch – the author of the EMILY WINDSNAP books plays a fascinating game with time, and explores the changes that take place in friendships and families in the aftermath of a disaster.

Review

I received a Year Without Autumn, thanks to NetGalley.com (Love that site!) This book is also the first that I have read by novelist Liz Kessler. Though, I can honestly say that it will not be the last. I thought the idea behind the novel, A Year Without Autumn, was pretty cool — time travel!

Jenni and her BFF Autumn are attached at the hip, so much so that they have near-by vacation time share homes that their families visit together every year. Though this year something very strange happens and Jenni goes to Autumn’s condo to meet up for their riding horses adventure only to discover that — Autumn doesn’t live there anymore. The strange thing is, Jenni just saw Autumn minutes before. What is going on?

Although the reader (i.e. me) makes sense of it early on, Jenni struggles with the ramifications of time traveling back and forth in the present and the future and making changes. Will knowing what the future holds help her save Autumn, or will it destroy her?

I found A Year Without Autumn to be a delightful tale mixing friendship and time travel. I would definitely recommend the book to pre-teen readers (and anyone, really, who enjoys a good time travel tale!) I can not wait to read something else by Liz Kessler.

The Book Cover

Title: Watched
Author: Sharde Richardson
Pages: 290
ISBN:978-0983149804
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

Mikayla doesn’t want much: just to rock out to her favorite band, become the next Kwiki Stop video gaming champion, and keep her Q-tip habit under control. What she does want is the sight of the sudden inexplicable dark auras around everyone to stop. Problem is, those auras are demons and Mikayla is the last trait holder with the power to ban them. Which is a total buzz kill.

To make matters worse, the town folk of Sulphur Springs don’t look the same, and her classmates are a little dark in the eyes. There are murders, suicides, reckless skinny-dipping, gratuitous use of Q-tips, and newfound powers that Mikayla must learn to control.

Her past becomes present when a shape-shifter tells her what her true identity is, and how to keep the demons of Hell from nipping at her Converse. Through him she’ll discover who to trust, who to kiss, and how valuable her abilities are to the right beings. Because the evils of Hell aren’t staying down without a fight.

Or without her soul.

Review

Mikayla, the main protagonist,  is as real as real can be in this fictional paranormal tale, Watched. There isn’t a thought that doesn’t pop in her head that doesn’t seem realistic, genuine,  and hilariously funny. You can not help but love such a true to life character. Slipping into the story is incredibly easy and before you know it, you’ll find yourself reading the last word and craving more.

Watched begins on Mikayla’s birthday. Having a a stutter has caused her to feel comfortable in her own solitude, and her birthday is no different. Alone and on the lake, Mikayla celebrates her birthday by ice skating in one of her favorite places. Unbeknown to her, a mysterious man has followed her to her spot to prey on this birthday girl. Attacked and left for the dead, Mikayla some how materializes to a place of safety, the hospital. It’s not something she understands, herself. One minute she’s being attacked and the next, she is dying on the ground outside the hospital.

After Mikayla has recovered enough to wake up, she begins to see auras around everyone, which turn out to be their demons. Not knowing how to make sense of her new visions, she meets Lucas (a mysterious stranger) who tells her that she was born to kill demons. Mikayla can’t quite wrap her head around it — kill demons?

The reason I loved Watched was because the way Mikayla reacts to the news of her destiny is so real. She doesn’t just accept the news but struggles to understand her past and what her future holds. That… and there is Lucas who was sworn in to bond to her and protect her during her battle with the demons. Lucas can be distant and stern, but there is no doubt that you will fall in love with him. No doubt at all, as I have!

Watched has everything a teen paranormal romance should have — romance (of course), intrigue, adventure, and horror! You are sure to love it as much as I did. It was beautifully written. Sharde Richardson definitely has multitudes of talent and it won’t be long before she realizes it herself!

I can not wait until the sequel comes out. Sharde, get on that — will ya?

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With an autographed copy of Watched by Sharde Richardson.

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6/19/2011 until  6/27/2011

The Cover

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Pages: 496
ISBN: 978-0062011992
Rating: ★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review

Oh, I love, love love Greek Mythology. I was quite excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley and to be able to fall in love with a new sets of Gods and Goddesses (in this case, Demi-Gods). I had heard rave reviews about Starcrossed – and no wonder as it is the Greek Mythology version of the infamous Twilight series! While Josephine Angelini claims it is a retelling of The Illiad, I think it’s more like a retelling of Twilight but with Gods instead of vamps and weres. While it can be a bad thing to be compared to Twilight ( a series that I loathe with a passion), I do not feel the same way about Starcrossed. I am not quite sure how to feel, to be honest.

In my opinion, Angelini knows what her readers are looking for, what they want, and I give her major props for that. She’s not just beauty, but brains, too! This book will be successful, there is no doubt about it. That being said, it doesn’t mean that the novel will be well received by everyone, myself included.

I am going to start with some positive aspects of the novel. For one, I loved Claire who has been Helen’s best friend forever since they were in diapers. Claire is outgoing and sassy and says what she thinks and acts upon what she feels. Being one of the minorities in Nantucket, Claire (Japanese) really understands Helen in feeling different. You see, Helen has always felt she was different but had no idea why. All she knew was that her stomach cramped up every time she brought attention to herself. Having such debilitating pain caused Helen to be much more of a loner than any teenager wishes to be. Because Helen is so serious and timid, it is nice that she has a friend like Claire who brings out bits and pieces of Helen that no one sees often. Even better than that, Claire has a feeling that Helen is more than just different (in fact she thinks she’s a vampire!) and yet accepts her anyway. (What a great friend!) Still, Helen is quick to avoid Claire when she starts to discover the truth about herself and where she comes from.

I also liked the idea that the Father was in charge of raising his daughter on his own with the non existent Mother; a bit different from general stereotypes of single parent families. Although it felt like the Father was quite absent, for the most part, I admired his willingness to raise his daughter alone.

Angelini twisted myth to fit her story and wove an extravagant tale of two families at war with each other, and the Gods to which they are descended from. Helen and Lucas are on opposing families and when they meet for the first time, Helen (with no feelings other than hatred) attacks Lucas with the urge to kill him. Helen, who has lived in a small town her entire life, doesn’t realize where her hatred comes from but she knows that whenever Lucas is around Helen is haunted by three disheveled women who reach out to her, weeping tears of blood. It’s in Helen’s blood to want to kill the members of the Delos family and Starcrossed is the story of two lovers born of hate who risk their own lives to save each other.

Now as said before, Starcrossed bares an uncanny resemblance to Twilight. Here are some of the similarities:

• Both Bella and Helen are socially inept high school girls who (regardless of their awkward unsocial behavior) has guys flocking to them.
• Both girls are being “raised” by their “barely there” fathers. While it’s no doubt their Dad’s love them, the Dad’s in both stories play a background role.
• The Delos family is very much like the Cullen family — all attractive, many times rude, and keeps to themselves.
• The “sister” of the opposing families are both psychic.
• Lucas has to fight the urge to kill Helen, just as Edward had to fight the urge to kill Bella.
• Both stories mix love with violence against each other.

Those are just to name a few. The reason I disliked Twilight so much was because I believed that it was spreading the wrong message to teenagers about how love should be. So because Starcrossed bares such resemblance I am truly on the fence with how I feel. On one hand, like I’ve said before, I have a weakness for Greek Mythology — but the Mother in me is quite upset and disappointed of how the story unfolded and what it represented to the young impressionable reader.

What kind of stinks right now is that on Twitter there is this whole #YaSaves movement going on because one blogger or reporter insinuated that a lot of teen novels are doing more damage than good by spreading the wrong message. Heck, maybe that person was just talking about Twilight and its message that violence and love can mix. Unfortunately Starcrossed does nothing to eliminate that thought; that love can exist without violence.

Again, I am so conflicted. (Can you tell?)

In regards to the actual writing — I struggled for about a hundred pages or so. Starcrossed was written in third person, which when done correctly, can weave a magical tale that puts us outside the character but within their world. I am not sure Starcrossed really effectively did this. For a while it felt that I was being given half the story but not the entire story with many scenes lacking in descriptive detail. It was as if Angelini trusted the reader too much to know what she was talking about when she wrote the novel. When I read a book, in third person especially, I need the help to visualize. I need someone to paint the picture so I can sit back and admire it. When the picture is half painted, all I can focus on is what is missing and what needs to be done rather than what is right before me. For a while, actually, I kept thinking, “Oh no.. I am going to hate this novel.” because of lack of detail in the scenes and even the character dialogue. The guilt while reading was immense. I wanted to love the novel to its very core but I can’t say that I actually did. While I do not hate Starcrossed, it did not really do it for me.

I rated it a 3 because the concept was there and I did end up finishing it. It was impressionable to have me thinking about it a long while after I finished the novel but not completely engaging to where I couldn’t put it down. To me it was just average and while others will love it, like Twilight, many will not.

If you are a parent and your teenager wants to read the book, I would sit down with them and have a talk about how it is not normal for two people in love to want to inflict pain and death on each other and remind them that it is just a story and that you do not condone romanticizing violence. If you feel your pre-teen/teen can understand the difference between what is real and what has been made up to add interest to the story, then feel free to let them read Starcrossed.

The Book Cover

Title: Wherever You Go
Author: Heather Davis
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-0547501512
Rating: ★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

A poignant story about making peace with the past and opening your heart to love. Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. But she has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, trying to get close to Holly—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. As their uncertain new relationship progresses, the past comes back to haunt Holly and Jason. Her Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?

Review

Wherever You Go is told from three different views, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Yes, you’ve heard me right and for the most part, although I admire Heather Davis for trying something new, it just did not work for me. In fact, it hindered my ability to really get into the story.

The first person point of view is told through Holly, a teenager with way too much responsibility for her age and not enough friends (it seems like) to even things out. Her boyfriend, Rob, had just died in the car accident that Holly happened to be in the car with at the time of the collision. His friends seem to blame Holly, for supposedly being drunk at a party, and have given her a hard time since Rob’s death.

The second person point of view is done through Rob, who has died. For some reason he has not been able to move on into the other world and he has no idea why. I think this was my least favorite view point and (in my opinion) should not be used unless you are writing a letter.  We know it is Rob, but it is being told like we are Rob and we are being told what to do. It is also told in present tense. For example “You are doing this.” and I just didn’t really feel for this point of view or the idea that it was in present tense. After all, every writer learns that it is important to pick a point of view and stick to it (same with tenses). During this view point, however, we get a better look at Aldo, Holly’s Grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. When I picked up Wherever You Go, my Mom had just lost her best friend from early onset Alzheimer’s. Needless to say, the topic really touched home on that front.

The third person point of view is about Rob’s friend, Jason. His friend’s grave is barely cold when he swoops in for the kill — er, to sweep Holly off her feet. He also, typically as most “good guys in novels” are, attractive and rich. (Oh and you know Holly lives in a small cluttered apartment with her barely there Mother, her little precocious little sister, and now has to babysit her sick Grandfather. So naturally, Holly needed a rich Prince Charming to sweep her out of her “horrible life”.

My favorite character in the entire novel was Aldo, as he had so much depth. A typical Italian grandfather, it was sad to watch his mind go and that he was aware that his memories were fading to disease. To make sure he would not forget certain things, he made a list and asked that his granddaughter, Holly, help him to remember these particular events in his life. I found that aspect of the story charming and memorable. Holly’s dedication to her Grandfather’s care has much to be admired. If only all teenagers showed that much dedication to family (with little complaint) and much maturity so early on in life.

On the other hand, I felt that Holly lacked in character depth. Her boyfriend, who she was supposedly in love with — just died and she really pushes those feelings deep inside her that I often wondered if it really even affected her. Her apathy to her situation(s) really bugged me. Does she not have huge resentment for having to be so heavily relied on by her mother to take care of the house, her Grandfather, and her little sister? Her Mother also did a great job of throwing out the guilt and playing the victim card that it made me feel sorry for Holly.

I was not a fan of the multiple points of view and tenses, and some things (which will be discussed in the spoiler) bugged me about the characters /situations — but some aspects of the story, such as Aldo dealing with his Alzheimer’s were truly charming. Although I am not a huge fan of the novel, it does have it’s warming moments and I know many other people enjoyed the read tremendously. You just may be one of them!

**Spoiler**: (Do NOT look if you are sensitive to spoilers!) show

Even though I found a few things peculiar about the story, it may hit home to someone else. If the novel sounds interesting to you, then I say — give it a shot.

The Book Cover

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-0978662134
Rating: ★★★★
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

Review

Kate’s mother is dying of cancer; the effects having left her weak and unable to properly care for her own daughter. Kate, although not wanting to talk about the possibility of her mother dying, agrees to return to her mother’s hometown for the remainder of her mother’s life.

Kate starts school and like any normal teenager, she feels misplaced and shy. When popular cheerleader, Ava, invites her to a party Kate is anything but thrilled about the invite. Even though Kate would rather be home with her mother, she knows that her mother desperately wants to see Kate fit in so agrees to go. Like any Mother, she wants to know that Kate will be okay after she leaves this world for the next. Unfortunately for Kate, Ava has other plans; plans that involve abandoning Kate in the middle of the woods late at night and running off. However when Ava does this, she hits her head on a rock and drowns in the stream. Even though Kate feels betrayed and mortified and even though she is desperately scared of water, she risks her life to save Ava’s.

Enter Henry — serious and a tad creepy but undeniably handsome. Upon his mysterious stumbling upon soaking wet Kate and dead Ava, Kate had no idea that her life would forever change. You see Henry is the God of the Underworld, Hades. He asked Ava if she was willing to do anything to bring Ava back to life. Even though Ava didn’t deserve such an act of selflessness for her behavior to Kate, Kate agrees — that she will do anything. What Kate doesn’t realize that she has promised an eternity of spending the Fall and Winter months at Henry’s estate, where she will be treated like a Queen. Sure — it sounds good. Being treated like Royalty and all she has to do is spend six months with this handsome stranger?

I hate to spoil anything so I won’t go into further detail about what happens when Ava joins Henry and his servants/guests at his estate. I just want to tell you that I immensely enjoyed The Goddess Test. From the very first page until the last, I couldn’t put it down. The Goddess Test is loosely based on Greek Mythology and I absolutely love anything to do with Greek Mythology. I feel very fortunate to not only have been able to read this prior to it’s release, but I loved discovering a new author, Aimee Carter. I wish the author much success with this novel!

I received The Goddess Test from NetGalley as an ARC and am quite sad that I no longer have it in my possession as the books expire. (Enter very sad pathetic face, here!) I cannot wait until the second in the series comes out, Goddess Interrupted. I will be checking out @Aimee_Carter ‘s Twitter frequently for updates on the development of the second book. I only HOPE that I am as fortunate to snag an eARC for Goddess Interrupted as I was for The Goddess Test. (Yes, that is a not so obvious hint.)

Anyway — I highly recommend The Goddess Test. It’s an easy and entertaining read and sure to keep you wanting more!

Book Cover

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Pages: 416
ISBN: 978-0062026774
[Rating:3]

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com)
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she’s dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she’s trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their new found happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won’t want to miss.

Review

I had high hopes for this book. Though about a quarter of the way into it, I curled my fingers around my iPad, looked up to the Heavens and exclaimed, “WHY OH WHY?!” Another great idea turned into a instant-love romance that makes me roll my eyes. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a typical Pisces — I love me some sweet things and gestures. But, my God, love is not instant. (And yes, I totally found my true love when I was a teenager, 15 years old to be exact) so I am open to the idea of teenagers knowing love. But to lead kids on to believe that it happens in a blink of an eye is completely misleading. Plus Amelia was completely void of true character.

I feel a rant coming on but I will hold that rant for another day; another entry.

We are introduced to Amelia. Amelia is a ghost who doesn’t know much about her life before except her first name and where and how she died. She knows she drowned by falling off a high-bridge overpass but she, herself, doesn’t know why. Was she murdered? Was it suicide? She certainly doesn’t feel suicidal. But then again, Amelia doesn’t feel much of anything. Amelia is as empty as you can make a lead character. It’s like she died, lost her memories, and forgot how to be interesting.

Amelia is stuck wandering our world trying in vain to get someone alive to talk to her. We understand very quickly just how lonely life after death has made her (oh isn’t that so comforting?) So when Joshua comes along, a drowning boy who also happens to be her age, Amelia is drawn to him. When he awakens to her presence, he’s not scared. Oh no. Even when she tells him she’s a ghost. What does this “normal” 17-18 year old boy do? Why he invites her to go to school with him? Oh gag. Come on! I love the supernatural. I believe in the afterlife, but if my grandfather (who I know and love) were to appear before me, I sure as heck would scream (at least just a little.)

The story was interesting enough to continue reading and wonder what would happen. I wanted to find out who Amelia was and how she died. But as for the little love thing between Joshua and Amelia — eh, I could not have cared less. I didn’t believe it. This wasn’t a believable romance, even in the supernatural sense. Joshua was too perfect; much too perfect for a teenaged boy. I guess I can’t really complain too much about him, as he’s not stalking her in her sleep or giving her a black eye during lovemaking sessions, and he certainly doesn’t want her blood. But, still.

Will it be a popular book in the genre? Sure. It’s hard to go completely wrong in YA paranormal romance. You give the kiddos what they want and this is the kind of stuff they want whether or not it makes love unbelievable. Is it something that will win awards, absolutely not. But I am sure it’ll win the attention of thousands.

Title: Ultraviolet (ARC)
Author: R.J. Anderson
ISBN: 978-7613-7408-4
Pages: 304
Price: $17.95 (HC) $12.95 (EB)

Synopsis:

(Taken from back of book) Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she’s confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori’s body has not been found, and Allison can’t explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated — into nothing.

But that’s impossible. No one is capable of making someone vanish. Right? But Alison has always been different. Nobody seems to see the world quite the way she does ..

Ultraviolet is genre-bending paranormal YA in which Alison discovers that everything she’s believed about herself and the world is wrong– and that she’s capable of far more than anyone else would believe.

Review:

I received this book from the publisher as a digital ARC. I have never heard of R.J. Anderson as of that moment but my eyes and ears are open now. She has caught my attention. Ultraviolet was very easy to get into and I was hooked from the very beginning. It was such a relief to be able to start a book and not be able to put it down until the end. Even at the end I wanted to read more. I really hope that Anderson is currently writing a sequel.

Alison is a young girl of 16 and she wakes up in the hospital, in the psych unit. She can not remember how she got there; not right away, at least. When the memories return, they don’t make sense. Was she really capable of murder? Weeks had passed since Alison had been admitted to the hospital before she woke up. Now that she has calmed down, she is admitted to Pine Hills Mental Hospital into the Red Ward, for those who are in danger of committing violence against themselves or others. That is, until she is fit for the yellow ward.

Everyone thinks Alison killed Tori, but no one can explain how it happened in the supposed time span. How could a young 16 year old murder another girl her age and hide the body within minutes before returning home? Things just do not ad up. Alison does know that one minute she is fighting with the Tori and the next Tori is being pulled apart in a painful, excruciating way. Then she disappears. Is Alison crazy? No one just disappears. More importantly, did Alison do it? Is this some hidden power manifested within her own being?

I felt that Ultraviolet was done very well. R.J. Anderson put a lot of thought and research into the novel, having bits of truth put in. I have never heard of some of the issues Alison faces, the phenomenons, but they exist. To find out what I am talking about, well — you’ll have to read the book. Those who enjoy paranormal YA will definitely enjoy R.J. Anderson’s, Ultraviolet. I found nothing wrong with the book other than the fact that it ended with me wanting more.

Title: Slice of Cherry
Author: Dia Reeves
Pages: 512
ISBN: 1416986200

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com) Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.

It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities….

Review:
I first discovered Slice of Cherry on another book bloggers “Waiting on Wednesday” entry. I found myself so intrigued with the description that I wrote it down and vowed to read it as soon as I could. Months and months later, I finally was able to obtain a copy and read it for myself. It wasn’t at all like I expected and that’s not exactly a bad thing. To put it fairly simple the book was, as described by another reviewer on GoodReads, “A Psychopathic Killer’s Narnia” and they couldn’t be more accurate.

We meet Kit and Fancy Cordelle, sisters of the exceptionally tight kind. They do everything together and are rarely without each other. After all, no one understands what its like being in their shoes; the daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer. No one else understands their urge to kill; no one except their father and he’s in Prison awaiting execution.

Initially I thought Slice of Cherry would be a realistic thriller about two young girls who are too much like their father and are too close for comfort. What I discovered was that it was a mixture of paranormal oddness. It made me wonder, “What exactly was Dia Reeves ON when she wrote this?” Even so, she’s quite the genius. There were points when it ran a little slow and bits and pieces that confused me. For example, Reeves mentions ‘cacklers’ a lot in the book, which were described as monster-like creatures. When I looked up ‘cackler’ google said they were birds and I kept wondering why was everyone scared of BIRDS? But it turns out Reeves has made up a fictional monster creature which may be mentioned in a companion novel, “Bleeding Violet”. For some reason the town these girls live in, Portero, Texas is highly magical/mysterious and not a lot of detail goes into what makes Portero such an open door to all that is paranormal. For a while, actually, I thought I was reading about a setting near New Orleans for all it’s voodoo like descriptions.

After I finished Slice of Cherry, I felt strange. Almost violated in a way; creeped out for sure. I even woke up in the middle of the night and all I could think about was how strange this book was. I am just at loss for words. It sounds like I am complaining but I am most certainly not. Only master story tellers can make you feel a wide-range of emotions, even emotions people don’t particularly like to visit often.

Slice of Cherry was a wonderfully written piece of new author, Dia Reeves, full of gore and magic, and more gore (and a little romance). I think for those that enjoy reading about serial killers, you may have the stomach to read (and enjoy) Slice of Cherry. For those who are super sensitive to horror, you may never sleep again.

Overall: Buy it.

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
ISBN: 978-0385736817
Pages: 320
[Rating:5]

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)
In Mary’s world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Review:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is probably one of the most recommended books on Twitter. You ask the twitterverse what dystopian novel you should read next and The Forest of Hands and Teeth is usually the one recommended. I don’t blame them. This book was oddly intensely interesting from the very beginning to the very end.

Keyword: Intense.

On the surface you have a typical dystopian society. They are shut off from the rest of civilization (to which they believe has perished) and they have a very specific way they like to do things. Everything from jobs to marriages are carefully decided for each member of Mary’s world. In a semi-old fashioned type of way, Mary expects to be “called” on by the boy she loves.

On the outside of this perfect little society are zombies — and lots and lots of zombies. Freakishly descriptive zombies that will give you the willies just reading about them. While Ryan never outwardly says “these creatures are zombies”, it’s pretty much a given. Even with the zombies on the outside, there is an odd sense of safety, as long as precautions are taken. No one is allowed near the fence.

The trouble is — Mary wants on the other side of the fence. She wants to find the ocean; a place that her mother had lovingly described in many childhood stories. The ocean seemed like a very real and sacred and magical place and no one believed it existed.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a story of love and survival. It’s dystopian meets zombies. It seems absolutely bizaare but it makes sense. It kind of reminds me of that movie with Will Smith (although the name doesn’t ring a bell at this very second). You know the one where disease takes over and turns people into zombies. It’s like a post-war zombie book… but good.

If you are into dystopian novels (or into zombies) I definitely recommend picking up The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Just — don’t read it too close to bed time.

Note: I can’t believe I only have 3 entries in the entire month of may. This 3rd trimester lack of energy is REALLY affecting me!! Eek!

Title: Phantoms
Author:Dean Koontz
ISBN: 0425181103
Pages: 448
[Rating:4.5]

Synopsis: (Taken from GoodReads.com)
They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body, strangely swollen and still warm. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.

Review:

It was a scary read, that is for sure. I don’t think I had as many f-ed up dreams as I did when I was reading this novel, Phantoms by Dean Koontz. The entire thing was creepy. A doctor and her younger sister (which, due to an age gap, don’t know each other very well but don’t have anyone else left) stumble upon a series of strange deaths. On top of that, the once busy town is deserted.

I was hooked towards the beginning — scared out of my mind. Though towards the end, it started losing me a little bit (once it was discovered what was happening). Although part of me was intrigued by the history of mass disappearances in the real-world (You’ll be looking them up!) I thought Koontz idea of the ancient enemy was too sci-fi for my liking. I admit, though, that it was very sci-fi, it still was spooky.

Having enjoyed the book as much as I did, I went and rented the 1998 movie, Phantoms, and wish I hadn’t. I couldn’t even get through the first 20 minutes because they had changed so much and it was so *yawn* boring. Nothing deserving of the suspenseful spook the book gave of!

If you enjoy horror (with a bit of sci-fi twist) then I definitely recommend reading Phantoms by Dean Koontz!