YOU SAY IT FIRST By Katie Cotugno

June 12, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

YOU SAY IT FIRST By Katie CotugnoYou Say it First by Katie Cotugno
Published by Balzer + Bray on 6/16/20
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

One conversation can change everything.

Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: she and her best friend, Emily, plan to head to Cornell together in the fall, and she works at a voter registration call center in her Philadelphia suburb. But everything changes when one of those calls connects her to a stranger from small-town Ohio.

Colby is stuck in a rut, reeling from a family tragedy and working a dead-end job. The last thing he has time for is some privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process. So he says the worst thing he can think of and hangs up.

But things don’t end there.…

That night on the phone winds up being the first in a series of candid, sometimes heated, always surprising conversations that lead to a long-distance friendship and then—slowly—to something more. Across state lines and phone lines, Meg and Colby form a once-in-a-lifetime connection. But in the end, are they just too different to make it work?

Short and Sweet

Meg basically has everything planned out, she’s going to go to Cornell in the fall with her best friend Emily, she has a supportive boyfriend, and she even works at a voter registration call center.

Colby lives in Ohio, and he’s still dealing with the death of his father. Colby is working at a dead end job and has no idea what his future will be like.

One phone call changes everything for these two. Meg finds that Colby gets under her skin, and Colby doesn’t like the idea of someone privileged preaching to him about going to vote. But things don’t end after their first phone call, Meg and Colby continue to talk and end up having honest and sometimes heated conversations that lead to a long distance friendship that turns into something more.

Characters

Meg: Meg lives in Philly and she loves politics, which is why working at the voter registration center is the perfect job. Meg is someone who likes to debate but recently she’s lost that spark. Meg’s parents divorced and her father is getting remarried and her mother is an alcoholic. I felt for Meg she tried to put on a happy face but she had so much going on in her personal life that people didn’t know about.

Colby: Colby lives in Ohio and is more rough around the edges. He isn’t a stranger to getting in trouble and he works a dead end job. Colby has also had to deal with the loss of his father, which has been hard on him.

Romance

Meg and Colby: These two had the most interesting conversations, most of them were about politics. I liked how they talked on the phone almost every night getting to know each other and also getting each others opinions on different topics. These two live such different lives that it made it understandable that they sometimes offended each other. In the end I think these two pushed each other to be better, and to pursue the things they really wanted in life.

Quotes

~ “If you want to change the world, go out and change it, Colby had told her.”

My Thoughts

~ Meg and Colby help each other a lot, Meg helped Colby pursue a job that he wanted and Colby helped Meg voice how she really felt to Emily.

~ I think after everything that happened between Meg’s parents she became more reserved and less assertive which is why she lets Emily make all the decisions.

~ Colby and Meg’s conversations always pushed the other to see a different point of view and I liked that they were honest with each other.

~ So Colby and Meg do end up meeting which didn’t end well sadly. But it seemed like even when things didn’t work out they were always drawn back to each other.

~ Reading the interactions between Meg and her mother was hard, mainly because you could tell that her mother had a problem but didn’t want to admit it.

~ Watching Meg and Colby finally take charge of their lives was amazing to see Meg apply to be an intern for a candidate and watching Colby getting a job he was interested in put a smile on my face.

~ I couldn’t put this book down I just thought that Meg and Colby were great and the ending just left me with a happy heart.

Overall

This was so cute and perfect for a summertime read! I loved the dynamic between Colby and Meg, they’re so different that it worked, opposites attract. The romance was cute and I also liked how the book focused on the issues each of them were facing in their personal lives. Pick this book up its perfect for the summer and also its election year!

Filed Under: Reviews

POSSESS By Gretchen McNeil

May 16, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

POSSESS By Gretchen McNeilPossess by Gretchen McNeil
Published by Balzer + Bray on 8/21/12
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her overprotective mom, by Matt Quinn, the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, the voices are demons—and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Literally.

Terrified to tell her friends or family about this new power, Bridget confides in San Francisco's senior exorcist, Monsignor Renault, who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her freakish new role, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. And when one of her oldest friends is killed, Bridget realizes she's in deeper than she ever thought possible. Now she must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone else close to her winds up dead—or worse, the human vessel for a demon king.

Short and Sweet Review

Bridget can hear the voices of demons and she has the ability to banish them back to where they came from. Bridget is being trained by Monsignor Renault a senior exorcist who enlists Bridget to help him with dangerous exorcisms. When Bridgets friend is killed, Bridget realizes that the demons have a message for her and now she has to figure out how to stop the demon king before he claims a human vessel.

Bridget is one those characters who likes to be left alone, she just doesn’t want to be bothered. I liked Bridget it was interesting to see how her ability worked and I liked that she was able to help with the exorcisms. The demons could communicate with Bridget and gave her a message about what the demon king planned to do, I like how this progressed the plot. Bridget also had a love interest, Matt Quinn and he’s the police sergeants son. Matt and Bridget used to be best friends when they were younger but drifted apart. I liked seeing how Bridget and Matt reconnected, they did have chemistry and they were a good fit he was very protective over her. Bridget’s friend is killed during the halfway point in the book and that’s when things really started to progress. My favorite things about this book was seeing Bridget go to the exorcisms and her piecing together what the demon king had planned and where her ability came from.

I love all of Gretchen McNeil’s books and this one was also entertaining and fun! I liked the whole exorcism aspect and the little bit of mystery that was also in there!

Filed Under: Reviews

DEATHLESS DIVIDE By Justina Ireland

January 27, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DEATHLESS DIVIDE By Justina IrelandDeathless Divide by Justina Ireland
Series: Dread Nation #2
Published by Balzer + Bray on 2/4/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult
Pages: 560
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What’s more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won’t be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane’s back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it’s up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

Short and Sweet

After the fall of Summerland all Jane wants to do is survive and make it to California to find her mother. But when Jane and company end up to a survivalist village called Nicodermus, she learns that things aren’t what they appear to be. Katherine never thought that she would become allied with Jane but she knows that she needs Jane, and even though Jane won’t admit it she needs Katherine too.

Characters

Jane: Jane is still amazing and great at killing shamblers. I feel like Jane had a lot more on her plate this go around. She had to protect a group of people from Summerland and get them safely to Nicodermus. She also dealt with a lot of loss on the way and Jane doesn’t deal with her emotions properly she rather keep them all bottled up which at some points did take a toll on her. At some point in the book Jane loses who she is and she just became cold and I’m glad that she had Katherine around to bring some of her humanity back.

Katherine: Katherine is back and I just loved her presence and being able to read from her POV. Katherine is more levelheaded than Jane and is like the voice of reason. Katherine is also amazing at killing shamblers. She also dealt with a lot but she kept moving forward and doing what she thought was best and that’s what I like most about Katherine she never loses sight of what’s important.

Quotes

~ “You cannot go around threatening murder whenever someone annoys you.”

My Thoughts

~ Deathless Divide takes place right after Dread Nation and the fall of Summerland. Jane and Katherine are with a small group from Summerland trying to safely make it to Nicodermus.

~ I feel bad for Jane she lost someone so soon after learning things about them that were being kept secret. It just made her feel like she wasn’t enough.

~ Anytime the group travels they’re risking their lives and there were a few times I was worried that shamblers would catch up with them.

~ In Nicodermus the girls see some familiar faces from Summerland and that’s when Jane learns that Nicodermus may not be as safe as they originally thought.

~ Gideon Carr is in Nicodermus and he continues to look for a vaccine that will give people immunity to the shamblers bite but he ends up doing more damage than good.

~ After everything that happens in Nicodermus Jane and Katherine are separated, this hurt me. I didn’t like that the two girls were apart. And this is where Jane changes and ends up becoming a cold blooded killer.

~ Katherine on the other hand heads west and tries to find the town that Janes mother may have been headed too.

~ I love the relationship between Katherine and Jane they balance each other out and over time they’ve become best friends.

Overall

This book pulled at all my heartstrings. I LOVED every moment of this book and I’m so glad that we got both of the girls POVs. The friendship between the two girls is heart warming and they truly look out for each other. The ending was amazing, everything about this book is amazing. If you haven’t read Dread Nation yet pick it up and then read Deathless Divide, don’t miss out!

Filed Under: Reviews

YES NO MAYBE SO By Becky Albertalli, Aisha Saeed

January 22, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

YES NO MAYBE SO By Becky Albertalli, Aisha SaeedYes No Maybe So by Aisha Saeed, Becky Albertalli
Published by Balzer + Bray on 2/4/20
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

YES

Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone) Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO

Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO

Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely.

Short and Sweet

Jamie is volunteering for his local state senate candidate and everything is fine as long as he sticks to doing things behind the scenes. Jamie is not comfortable around people so the thought of knocking on doors is not his idea of a good time.

Maya is having the worst Ramadan. Her best friend is getting ready to go to college and it seems like she doesn’t have time for Maya. On top of it her parents are separating. Maya’s mother thinks that the solution is to have Maya go canvassing.

Maya and Jamie learn that going door to door isn’t as bad as they thought it would be. The more time they spend together they learn that figuring out how to navigate their cultures and their crush is a whole different story.

Characters

Jamie: Jamie is a great character I loved how real he was. He cared about his family and friends and tried to help whenever he could. The only thing Jamie doesn’t like about himself is how he gets nervous when he has to talk to people he doesn’t know or public speaking.

Maya: Maya is also a very well written character. She’s having her own troubles this summer and it includes feeling like she’s losing her best friend and her parents due to their separation. Maya doesn’t like change so all of this is a lot to take in for her. Canvassing isn’t what she wants to do but once she starts she realizes that she really does care about the issues.

Romance

Jamie and Maya: I liked Jamie and Maya I think they brought out the best in each other. Jamie is Jewish and Maya is Muslim so when they were just friends things were fine but once they started to develop feelings for each other they really had to figure out how they were going to make things work.

My Thoughts

~ Jamie and Maya were childhood friends but they haven’t seen each other in a long time so when they’re partnered to canvass together its perfect.

~ I like how Jamie was more outgoing when Maya was around, but Maya also benefitted from Jamie because she found a new friend and also someone who gave her a lot of good advice.

~ While canvassing these two actually found that they were interested in things happening, mainly a new house bill that was going to be passed. These two did a lot to get people to know what was going on including social media and making flyers.

~ I thought Jamie’s family was great they were all very supportive, Maya’s parents were great too. Maya’s family was just adjusting to their new circumstances.

~ I thought Jamie and Maya’s interactions were cute, they were awkward at first but I love how much Jamie was trying.

Overall

Who would’ve thought that a book about canvassing would be so cute and entertaining? This book does deal with politics but I throughly enjoyed it and I was impressed by how Jamie and Maya become more involved because they know that they can make a change. I did like the ending and I’m just so happy I got to read Jamie and Maya’s story. I loved this book and thought it was cute and funny and a great look into political activism.

Filed Under: Reviews

3:59 By Gretchen McNeil

December 24, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3:59 By Gretchen McNeil3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
Published by Balzer + Bray on 9/17/13
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, SciFi, Young Adult
Pages: 373
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. And just when she thinks it can't get worse, she wakes to an image of herself in the bedroom mirror. Except it's not her at all—the girl in the mirror is blonder and prettier. And her name is Jo.

The two girls are doppelgängers whose universes overlap every twelve hours at 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to pass through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo's world is far from perfect, and the stuff of nightmares lurks around every corner. And when Josie finds herself trapped there, her life becomes more dangerous—and more deadly—than she ever imagined.

Josie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control but things get weird when Josie sees herself or a girl who looks exactly like her in a mirror, it turns out that the girls are doppelgängers. Every 12 hours their universes overlap and Josie thinks that Jo lives a better life than her jumps at the opportunity to switch places for 24 hours. But Jo’s world isn’t as perfect as it seemed and now Josie is trapped there and has to find a way back home. I love books by Gretchen McNeil so I was excited to finally read 3:59, I throughly enjoyed it. We mainly read from Josie’s point of view but at 3:59 we get to see a few things from Jo’s POV as well. There were so many twist and turns that I didn’t know what to expect or who to trust. I liked feeling like I was with Josie on a journey, she had to use everything she knew about physics to figure out how to get back home. I also liked how Josie learned how things may look better on the other side but it’s not always what you think. The people in Jo’s world don’t really trust her so it was hard for Josie to earn their trust and it was interesting to see how everything worked out. I wasn’t expecting most of the things that happened but it just kept me on the edge of my seat. 3:59 is definitely a page turner and I would recommend it!



Filed Under: Reviews

9 DAYS AND 9 NIGHTS By Katie Cotugno

June 12, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

9 DAYS AND 9 NIGHTS By Katie Cotugno9 Days and 9 Nights by Katie Cotugno
Series: 99 Days #2
Published by Balzer + Bray on 5/1/18
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Molly Barlow isn’t that girl anymore. A business major at her college in Boston, she’s reinvented herself after everything that went down a year ago… After all the people she hurt and the family she tore apart.

Slowly, life is getting back to normal. Molly has just said I love you to her new boyfriend, Ian, and they are off on a romantic European vacation together, starting with scenic London. But there on a tube platform, the past catches up to her in the form of Gabe, her ex, traveling on his own parallel vacation with new girlfriend Sadie.

After comparing itineraries, Ian ends up extending an invite for Gabe and Sadie to join them on the next leg of their trip, to Ireland. And Molly and Gabe can’t bring themselves to tell the truth about who they once were to each other to their new significant others.

Now Molly has to spend 9 days and 9 nights with the boy she once loved, the boy whose heart she shredded, without Ian knowing. Will she make it through as new and improved Molly, or will everything that happened between her and Gabe come rushing back?


Short and Sweet Review

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I knew what I was doing to myself when I decided to read this sequel to 99 Days, but I still did it. Why? Because its only a duology and it’s the end to the 99 Days series, and I just wanted to read it and be done with it. Moving on I will give you guys the synopsis and tell you why I didn’t like this book. Molly Barlow is in college now, she has a new boyfriend, Ian, and they’re on a vacation around Europe. Funny thing is Molly’s ex-boyfriend, Gabe, is also vacationing in Europe with his new girlfriend, Sadie. So after bumping into each other and comparing travel plans, Ian extends an invitation to Gabe and Sadie to join them on their way to Ireland. Now Molly and Gabe have to make it 9 days with each other. Alright lets get into it. So after everything that happened in Star Lake, Molly tried to reinvent herself while she was in college and apparently that means she won’t cheat on anyone anymore or I don’t exactly know but that’s a huge thing with her, trying not to make the same mistakes. I was okay with that like you go girl. The only problem is that Ian doesn’t know anything about her life at Star Lake and she keeps it a big secret and at a point in the book they get in argument because he was keeping something from her and I felt like she was being a hypocrite because she’s keeping things from him to. Not only does she not talk about her life back home but Ian doesn’t even know that Gabe is her ex, he just thinks that she dated Gabe’s brother, same thing with Sadie she has no clue about their history. We get to see Imogen in Ireland because she got into an art program and I honestly thought that she was the only likable character. Molly and Gabe make this book hard to read they obviously still like each other but they’re dating other people and I had no time for it. Molly is envious when Gabe holds Sadies hand and it’s like that’s his girlfriend! It was just a hot mess and I don’t think I’ve disliked a main character as much as I dislike Molly. Anyway you would think this would be an enjoyable book with all the traveling but its miserable its so bad I didn’t want to finish this book but I pushed through. I’m glad that there’s only two books in this series and I don’t have to read them again. If you want any recommendations on books with decent love triangles or maybe books with travel I can recommend some but this series is not it.

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Filed Under: Reviews

99 Days By Katie Cotugno

May 27, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

99 Days By Katie Cotugno99 Days by Katie Cotugno
Series: 99 Days #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 4/21/15
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Molly Barlow is facing one long, hot summer—99 days—with the boy whose heart she broke and the boy she broke it for . . . his brother.

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that's how I know everyone still remembers everything. She has every right to hate me, of course: I broke Patrick Donnelly's heart the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. Now I'm serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn't finished. I'm expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it's just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. "For what it's worth, Molly Barlow," he says, "I'm really glad you're back."

Day 12: Gabe wouldn't quit till he got me to come to this party, and I'm surprised to find I'm actually having fun. I think he's about to kiss me—and that's when I see Patrick. MyPatrick, who's supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who's never going to forgive me.


Short and Sweet Review

Molly Barlow is back in Star Lake for 99 days, and all she has to do is survive the 99 days. Molly left town after her mother’s book revealed that Molly cheated on her boyfriend Patrick with his older brother Gabe. Here’s the thing everyone basically hates Molly and its one of those things where everyone hates the girl but the guys seem faultless… it takes two to tango (or in this case cheat.) Anyway, I felt bad for Molly like I said everyone hates her, her best friend doesn’t want to talk to her, and on her first night back her house was egged. As the book progressed I started to hate Molly too, at first, I felt bad for her and then I realized that she’s selfish and indecisive and likes to make the same mistakes. Molly’s ex Patrick has moved on and is dating a girl named Tess who so happens to be Molly’s coworker and you would think that Molly would move on at this point but she still likes to think of Patrick as hers even though she’s dating his brother Gabe at this point! What’s even worse is that there was no chemistry between her and Patrick or her and Gabe it was boring, it was like she wanted both brothers at the same time and if she couldn’t then it wasn’t worth it to her. I think the worst thing about this book is that she’s now dating Gabe and then she cheats on him with Patrick it’s ridiculous and like a never-ending cycle, you would think she would have learned her lesson. I liked how short the chapters were but Molly as a character I could do without. The book was okay it could have been better. I plan on reading the next book in this duology just to get it over with and to say I read it.

Filed Under: Reviews

NOCTURNA By Maya Motayne

April 30, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

NOCTURNA By Maya MotayneNocturna by Maya Motayne
Series: A Forgery of Magic #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 5/7/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks.

As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.

After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.

But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.


Short and Sweet

After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfie is next in line for the throne but he doesn’t feel like it should be him. Alfie will do anything to bring Dez back even if it means using forbidden magic. Finn is a thief and one of her powers is the ability to change her appearance which comes in handy, but when Finn comes in contact with a mobster who takes her power she has no choice but to do her bidding to get her power back. Now Finn is tasked with breaking into the palace and stealing a treasure. Finn and Alfie’s fates collide when Alfie ends up setting an evil force free and now both of them have to stop ii or watch the destruction of their home.

Characters

Alfie: Alfie has been through a lot, he’s still dealing with the loss of his older brother and at the beginning of the book he’s coming back from a trip away. Alfie knows that people are relying on him to be the leader they need and he’s not sure he can live up to their expectations. Alfie has also developed a bit of a drinking problem to deal with his emotions and sometimes he does have a small anger problem. The one thing I truly loved about Alfie is that he know what kind of person he didn’t want to be and he never wanted to go to far, so if he did get angry at people he would stop himself before it got too far. He was a good character he tried to do what he felt was right and owned up to his mistakes and tried to make things right.

Finn: Finn is a thief and she can change her face, she hasn’t seen her own face in years and she likes it that way. Finn’s past was pretty mysterious and we don’t find out what happened until later about why she likes to change her face. Finn was pretty guarded and mainly cared about herself and getting her magic back. I did like how Finn does end up helping Alfie, she’s snarky and definitely able to stand her ground and I loved her for it.

Luka: Luka is Alfie’s cousin but they’re more like brothers. Luka was upset when Alfie left and felt like Alfie was abandoning him. He cares about his cousin a lot and he plays a very pivotal role in helping Alfie when they’re trying to stop the ancient power.

Ignacio: Ignacio is like an adoptive father to Finn. He felt betrayed when she left him and now he wants her to either join him or die. Ignacio likes to hurt everyone that Finn gets close to and its pretty sick how much control he wants over her.

Romance

Alfie and Finn: Well this is more of a friendship, a friendship I feel that could possibly blossom into more if these two wanted it to happen. I liked the dynamic between these two they had to learn to work together. Alfie was the more caring one in this partnership while Finn was a little more realistic about everything.

My Thoughts

~ Let me just start off by saying this is a Latinx inspired world, and it wasn’t like things were just sprinkled in but it felt very authentic, from the settings, the words, and characters names. Honestly the writing is amazing and it makes the imagery seem real.

~ I loved our characters, I’m sure Alfie and Finn were never supposed to meet but it just so happens they were at the same card game. These two don’t have the best first encounter, they end up fighting and in a few days are reunited again and have to learn to work together to stop the magic they unleashed.

~ I realize I haven’t talked about Dez much, but he was important to his family and his kingdom. Alfie was with Dez when he was taken from him and Alfie felt like Dez was still alive so he spent most of his time looking for ways to get his brother back.

~ I liked their adventure to stop the magic, they even broke into a prison and had a very elaborate plan. The magic was a dark force and was looking for people who could sustain it and act as a host. Alfie had a bit of it with him and it took a toll on him to use it.

~ Alfie was able to control water while Finn is able to control stone. It’s interesting because characters also have propios which I want to describe as like their shadow, each one does something different, Alfie’s is able to see the color of other peoples magic, Finn’s allows her to change her face, and Ignacio’s gives him control over people.

~ The ending was great and I think that this is going to be a series so I can’t wait until the next book is released to see what’s going to happen to these characters.

Overall

This book was magical! I loved the Latinx inspired world it was different, and I haven’t read a book like it. The characters are what really make the story it was nice seeing two people from different worlds having to learn to work together for a common goal. The magic elements were a nice touch and our characters learned that sometimes magic comes with a consequence. I thought this book was great and once I really got into it I couldn’t stop reading! Definitely read this book if you want to get swept away into a world full of magic!

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Filed Under: Reviews

DREAD NATION By Justina Ireland

April 8, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DREAD NATION By Justina IrelandDread Nation by Justina Ireland
Series: Dread Nation #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 4/3/18
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.

In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.

But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.

And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.


Short and Sweet

Jane attends Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore preparing to be an attendant and fight off shamblers, but that’s not the life Jane wants. Jane just wants to finish her education and go back home to Kentucky. But when families start to go missing in Baltimore Jane finds herself in the middle of a situation she never thought she’d be in.

Characters

Jane: Jane is our main character and I liked her. Jane was smart unlike some of the other girls she knew how to read and write. Jane was sometimes impulsive which got her into a lot of trouble at times. Jane is also great at fighting shamblers at close combat.

Katherine: Katherine is black but she’s light skinned which gives her an advantage to pass as a white woman which she and Jane use in certain situations. I loved Katherine she well mannered, snarky, and fashionable, she’s also great with a rifle. I felt bad that people didn’t want her as an attendant because she was too pretty.

Romance

There’s not much romance in this book. Jane used to date Red Jack but they broke up and are somewhat friends now, and Jane and Gideon are just friendly with each other.

Quotes

~ “Besides Jane, the day I cannot take down a few shambles wearing something fashionable is the day I turn in my rifle.”

My Thoughts

~ Let me just start by saying Jane and Katherine are my favorite thing about this book! They didn’t like each other at first but then they ended up growing on each other and that is the greatest relationship in this book their friendship!

~ The book is told in Jane’s POV only and at the start of every chapter we see a little snippet from letters between Jane and her mother. All I really want is for Jane and her mother to be reunited.

~ I liked the mystery aspect of the book because where were all the families disappearing to? This one hit more to home for Jane because its Red Jack’s sister who also goes missing.

~ When Jane and Katherine were sent to Summerland I felt to bad for them because the Priest and the Sheriff were awful it was almost like they were running a cult.

~ Like I mentioned earlier Jane is pretty smart and she comes up with a plan to get her and Katherine out of Summerland and to somewhere safe mainly back to her home at Rosehill.

~ The ending left me wanting Jane and her mother to reunite especially because the letter problem and I can’t wait to see her journey to California

Overall

I loved this book, it was amazing and I’m ready for the sequel! I just want Jane to find her momma and I want more of Jane and Katherine I love their friendship. This book was captivating and entertaining and I can’t stop thinking about it!

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Filed Under: Reviews

DUMPLIN’ By Julie Murphy

December 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DUMPLIN’ By Julie MurphyDumplin' by Julie Murphy
Series: Dumplin' #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 9/15/15
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 380
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body.

With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does.

Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.


Short and Sweet Review

Willowdean or Dumplin’ is a self proclaimed fat girl and in this book she’s learning a lot about herself and the relationship she has with those around her. Willowdean is happy with who she is but she does struggle with insecurities at times. The first half of the book we learn who Willowdean is and why she loves Dolly Parton so much, and its because of her now passed aunt Lucy. It isn’t until the second half of the book that Willowdean decides to join the pageant. Theres not much that goes on in this book plot wise there isn’t a big plot or anything huge we just navigate life with Will. There’s a lot of relationships in this book with Will and her mom, Will and her best friend El, Will and her aunt Lucy, there is also a love triangle with Will, Bo, and Mitch. Lets start with Will and Lucy. Lucy was basically a second mother to Will and she’s the one who introduced Will to Dolly’s music. We also see Will try to keep Lucy’s memory alive by listening to Dolly and going through her stuff often. Will and her mom, Rosie have a tense relationship. Rosie won the beauty pageant when she was a teen and now she is on the pageant committee. Will feels that because of her size her mother doesn’t see her as beautiful, these two clash a few times in the book. Will and El, I love these two they’ve been friends for the longest time and its Dolly’s music that brought them together. These two support each other but they do learn that sometimes even though you love someone you could always use a little space. So the boys… Mitch is in Will’s class and he asks her out and they hangout a few times. Bo is someone Will works with and eventually he starts going to the same school, these two made out a few times during the summer but Will felt as if Bo was trying to keep her a secret and she didn’t like that. During the second half of the book Will hangs out with Millie, Amanda, and Hannah a few other girls that have joined the pageant. This group of girls are misfits but in the end they learn to embrace the things that make them different and I think that this is one of the most beautiful things about this book. I enjoyed reading Dumplin’ and once I got into it it didn’t take long for me to finish it. I love that these girls learned to embrace who they are and I also like how Will realized how important the people around her really were. I would recommend this book its cute and has a good message and I also watched the Netflix movie and obviously some things were changed but it was also pretty good.

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Filed Under: Reviews