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Review: Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey

Oct6

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

Review: Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra HarveyWhisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey
Series: The Lovegrove Legacy #2
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on October 7, 2014
Pages: 408
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Cousins Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope are all dealing with what it means to be a Lovegrove. For Gretchen, it means she often feels like her head is going to explode. As a Whisperer, Gretchen constantly hears the whispers of other witches' spells. And while this does help her to know when one of her own spells is going wrong, the incessant buzzing and pain the whispers cause makes it difficult to use her gift.

But when something evil begins to menace Mayfair, Gretchen must find a way to master her power. Along with her cousins, a madcap named Moira, and the icy yet irresistible Tobias Lawless, Gretchen faces deadly threats and unimaginable loss in the hopes of preventing the terrible Greymalkin Sisters from rising again.

The second book in The Lovegrove Legacy trilogy, Whisper the Dead will leave readers spellbound.

Whisper the Dead was such a fun read and a pleasant surprise. For the most part, I love Alyxandra Harvey’s books, but after getting so frustrated with A Breath of Frost (book one in the trilogy), I was a little worried about reading Whisper the Dead. For those who haven’t read my review for that, my main frustration was the confusing style of writing I’ve often noticed in Harvey’s books. Though there were definitely a handful of confusing moments in Whisper the Dead, it wasn’t nearly as bad as A Breath of Frost. And right off the bat, that made Whisper the Dead that much more enjoyable. It had an intriguing plot, awesome characters and a crazy cliffhanger that left my jaw on the floor.

While these books are about three cousins, the focus was definitely on Emma in A Breath of Frost. I was convinced she was my favorite character, though I liked Gretchen a lot. And I really didn’t form an opinion – one way or the other – about Penelope because we saw very little of her on her own and, therefore, couldn’t really get a sense of her personality. However, Whisper the Dead focused more on Gretchen and she’s officially my favorite of the three now – though we saw a lot more of Penelope as well, so this could change by the time I read the third book!

Emma was still an awesome character. I love her powers. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of weather witches and how amazing their powers are when used for good, but how terrifying and destructive they could be when used for evil. I think Emma had some of the best revelations in the book and the cliffhanger with her and Cormac was insane. I’m very interested in seeing what that ending means for them in book three!

Speaking of Cormac.. I wasn’t crazy about Cormac in A Breath of Frost. He went back-and-forth with his allegiances so many times, I constantly had to ask myself, “Can he be trusted?” It got so annoying, I gave up trying to like him. But in Whisper the Dead, that didn’t happen. We firmly and officially know whether or not we can trust him. Also, I didn’t find him and Emma to be a believable couple in A Breath of Frost. But as of Whisper the Dead, I officially adore him and Emma. They were adorable together and strong together. They definitely bring out the best in each other.

Gretchen was everything I love in a female character from the 1800s. I love reading books from this time period. I love the balls and fancy gowns and horse-drawn carriages and the idea of “society.” But as much as I love that, I also love seeing a female character that rebels against that, who doesn’t want to attend the fancy balls or be married off to some random guy she doesn’t know or love. And Gretchen was that character and more. She rebelled against every aspect of being a proper lady. She has an awesome power. She also had the most tragic plot twist in the entire book. My heart broke for her.

I wasn’t crazy about Tobias at first. It took a good portion of the story before he grew on me. I didn’t necessarily dislike him in the beginning, but I knew he was working for the Order and I didn’t trust him. Something I did like, though, was the slow build-up to him and Gretchen liking and trusting each other. Also, Tobias had an interesting secret that I’m eager to see more of in book three.

Like I said, I didn’t like nor dislike Penelope in A Breath of Frost. We just didn’t see much of her, so I really had no opinion. But, despite Whisper the Dead focusing mainly on Gretchen, we saw a lot more of Penelope, as well, and learned more about her personality. Her power confuses me the most, so I’m hoping we learn more about how it works in the third book.

Like with Tobias, I couldn’t really remember who Cedric was at first. Later on in the story, it’s explained and I remembered exactly who he was and how I felt about him. I really love the idea of Penelope and Cedric together, though I don’t know if it will happen, which makes me sad. And Lord Beauregard certainly threw a wrench in things, too. Although, I can’t say much more on that.. But poor Penelope was certainly put into some unfortunate situations in Whisper the Dead. And her cliffhanger was almost as insane as Emma’s and Cormac’s.

There are certain characters I can’t discuss in detail for fear of spoilers, but they deserve an honorable mention and, in some cases, tears and feels: Godric, Moira, Lady Theodora, Ewan and .. I’m sure I forgot one or two people, but those are the main ones!

I’ve mentioned it briefly throughout my review, but the ending of this book was insane! The revelations, the plot twists and the epic cliffhanger just broke my feels completely. I think the only issue I had with this book was it was really long, which I don’t mind, but it did drag a bit in a few sections. And it wasn’t nearly as confusing as A Breath of Frost, but there were still a couple moments were I was a little bit lost and had to do some re-reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed Whisper the Dead. It was so much better than A Breath of Frost, which is a hard thing to achieve with a second book in a trilogy. It didn’t really suffer from Second Book Syndrome, though it had its moments. I never felt like anything in Whisper the Dead was just filler, meant to move the story along from point A to point B – The things that happened in Whisper the Dead were important to the overall plot of the book, as well as the complete trilogy plot. It set things up nicely for book three and I’m really, really excited to read it! I would definitely recommend this book!

four-stars

Review: Remember Me by Romily Bernard

Sep29

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

Review: Remember Me by Romily BernardRemember Me by Romily Bernard
Series: Find Me #2
Published by HarperTeen on September 23, 2014
Pages: 355
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

In the sequel to Find Me, Wick Tate, sarcastic teen hacker, is back and once again dealing with criminals and corrupt cops…and a brooding new love interest. Will Wick persevere when some secrets refuse to stay hidden?

Wick had thought her troubles were over.

But she should’ve known better.

Not only is she embroiled in a new murder case, which starts with a body with “Remember Me” carved into it and doesn’t stop there, but she also discovers new evidence surrounding her mother’s suicide…which leads her right back to her imprisoned deadbeat dad. And she has to deal with her flirty new hacker friend, Milo, sniffing around—which her boyfriend, Griff, isn’t too happy about.

The pressure might be too much as secrets—including Wick’s own—climb to the surface.

Remember Me is an edge-of-your-seat thrilling read that’ll have readers turning the pages at lightning speed! The paperback of Find Me is on sale simultaneously, and a digital original novella from Romily, featuring Griff, is on sale just a few weeks before!

Remember Me was an epic, intense and suspenseful read. My heart was in my throat for at least half of the book, if not more. I absolutely loved Find Me – it was one of my favorite reads of 2013! And to have the sequel surpass it in awesomeness? That’s impressive! I definitely didn’t notice any Second Book Syndrome in Remember Me!

Wick hasn’t changed much since Find Me, character-wise. I mean, she has new fears and nightmares from what happened at the end of Find Me and she’s been pulled in even deeper by Carson. But otherwise, she’s still skeptical of everything and everyone and completely untrusting. She’s still protective of Lily and wary of Bren and her affections. She’s still confused about how she feels about her dad, still misses her mom – and still keeps Griff at a metaphorical distance. But in Remember Me, Wick becomes very stubborn and slightly paranoid. She worked alone before Griff, but has since come to rely on him a lot. Yet she pushes him away in Remember Me, refusing to confide in him or ask for help. I really wanted to shake some sense into her at times!

As for Griff himself.. Griff frustrated me. I really loved him in Find Me, but he was very stubborn and childish and annoying in Remember Me. He should have been supporting Wick, not pushing her away or condemning her for her lifestyle. She had her reasons for doing the things she did and if he trusted and loved her as much as he claimed, he should have been more supportive or pushed to help more. And what he did in the end? It broke my heart, but you know what? Good riddance!

Now Milo.. Milo I liked! He was kind of odd in the beginning and his awe at meeting Wick was borderline creepy worship. But the more we get to know him – and the more he and Wick get to know each other – the more he grows on you. He’s loyal, smart and has the connections necessary for Wick to do what she needs to do. He’s almost like a male version of Wick. They get each other, they understand what’s at stake in their line of work and they work well together. I still don’t completely trust Milo yet, though..

The whole Carson story line was really starting to bug me. I think it was one of my biggest issues. I despise dirty cops and he was the lowest of the low, scum and a pain in the butt! I think, deep down, he thought what he was doing would help the greater good, but he sure went about it the wrong way. I think if he’d been nicer to Wick, they could have been an epic team. I’m not sure he deserved what happened to him in the end, though he really did deserve to get knocked down a few pegs. I guess we’ll see where his story goes in the third book – I have a feeling Carson is going to end up being the lesser of the two evils…

Bren and Lily really made me angry in this book. Like, I would have thrown it if I had the physical copy of the book. As it was, I was reading on my iPad and I figured throwing that wasn’t a good idea. But wow.. At one point, roughly half-way into the book, Bren said some things and I just… I flipped out. I wanted to punch her so badly, more than I’ve ever wanted to punch anyone in my life – real or fictional!!! I couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth! And Lily.. I know she’s young and she just wants a family and a normal life, but WICK IS YOUR SISTER! STOP TREATING HER LIKE CRAP, YOU LITTLE BRAT! I mean, really. The things she said to Wick were so cruel.. And Bren and Lily were two characters I REALLY loved in Find Me. So for them to do the things they did.. Honestly, what Bren said is unforgivable and I don’t know if there’s anything she can do that will redeem her.

I love Romily’s writing style and the unique voices she gives her characters. The plot was truly intriguing and incredibly suspenseful. It was a fast-paced read, too. I basically read it in three sittings. Each time I picked it up, I read a huge chunk of the story – I was so engrossed in it, I just didn’t want to put it down. I loved the revelations at the end and I loved the introduction of the new “bad guy,” plus the set-up for the third book – it was all very ominous and creepy! I also can’t wait for the third book!! I’m really excited to see how everything wraps up and how it all ends.

Romily Bernard is an amazing writer. She’s created an amazing world with incredible characters. The story sucks you in and refuses to let go. I’m excited for Trust Me (the third book in this trilogy), but I’m also excited to see what else Romily does in the future.

Overall, if it isn’t obvious already, I highly recommend this book, this series and this author! If you haven’t read Find Me yet, I suggest you do so ASAP! You’re missing out on an amazing read if you don’t!

four-stars

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Sep25

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

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. MaasHeir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #3
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on September 2, 2014
Pages: 565
Source: the publisher
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five-stars

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Heir of Fire has broken my feels and stomped all over them. That is all.

Okay, kidding. I have way more to say than that. But that about sums it up! The ending of Crown of Midnight was pretty intense, but everyone warned me that Heir of Fire would break me – and it did. It was intense, insane, crazy. After reading all four (The Assassin’s Blade included) Throne of Glass books in one month, I’m emotionally drained and I have an epic book hangover.

Celaena has always been a kick-ass, take-no-prisons kind of person. She was broken after the events that occurred between the end of The Assassin’s Blade and the beginning of Throne of Glass. She built herself back up between Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, but she still tried to forget about her past and deny who she really was. But finally, in Heir of Fire, Celaena slowly comes to accept her past, who she is and what she needs to do. She trains and fights and goes through the emotional ringer – first with Rowan, then with all the bad guys she faces throughout the book. Every time she was broken down, she struggled to come back from the blow. At times, it felt like she wouldn’t be able to come back, that she had finally spiraled down into a dark abyss. But in the end, Celaena triumphed. It was a struggle and she suffered tremendous heartbreak, but this book definitely set Celaena up to be incredibly fierce and strong in book four.

Chaol. Oh, Chaol. I adore Chaol so much. I’m Team Chaol. I felt so bad for him though. He basically lost everyone he cared about in Heir of Fire. He worked so hard to protect everyone, to show loyalty to the king and still fight for what was right. I’m happy with the way his story ended in Heir of Fire. It feels right for his character and I’m eager to see what that means for him in book four.

As for Dorian.. I still don’t ship him with Celaena (Sorry Team Dorian!) but I really liked him in this book. He has a kind heart and it’s obvious he’ll be an amazing king one day. I seriously hope, before the series is done, we get to see him as King of Adarlan. I can totally see him righting all the wrongs of his father. But the journey to become king… After that ending? OMG!!! I think Dorian’s story was the one that hit me the hardest. That ending… What happened.. I.. I… I CAN’T TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF SPOILERS BUT IT BROKE ME!!!!!!!

Sarah J. Maas writes epic, amazing characters. Whether they be secondary, tertiary or so in the background, we don’t even learn their name – they all stick with you for one reason or another. It’s really hard to talk about some of them while avoiding spoilers. But I absolutely LOVED Aedion, Rowan, Emrys, Luca, Malakai and Sorscha – though not all of them got happily ever afters and I’m DYING to get my hands on book four to see what happens next for those still… okay.

My biggest complaint with Heir of Fire was that it was REALLY long. I don’t mind reading long books, but there were several sections in Heir of Fire that dragged and were boring – like the ones with Manon. I HATED most of the scenes with Manon and that group of characters (Er.. being vague to avoid spoilers). I liked Manon and Abraxos together, though.

To counter that complaint, I loved all the background we got in Heir of Fire. We learned a LOT about Celaena’s past and what happened Before. We even got a glimpse into what the future could bring, if all goes well.

I’ve mentioned this a little bit throughout my review, but the ending was MIND-BLOWING!!!!!!!! I feel broken and drained and I can’t believe all the crazy things that happened in such a short amount of time near the very end. I’d say the last 15-20% (I was reading an eBook so I don’t have exact page numbers) of the book was intense and the intensity never let up!

After a month of reading the Throne of Glass series, I can officially say this series is amazing. Each book gets better and better. And Sarah J. Maas is an epic, amazing writer. She has created an incredible world with amazing, well-rounded characters. She has broken my feels and I may never recover. And…. WHEN CAN I HAVE BOOK FOUR?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I need it!!!!!

So basically, if you haven’t read Heir of Fire – or any of the Throne of Glass series – you NEED to. Prepare your feels, grab some tissues and read them ASAP! Sarah J. Maas is now forever on my “Auto-Buy Author List” and I can’t wait for Throne of Glass #4, as well as her new series, A Court of Thorns and Roses!

five-stars

Review: Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo (Blog Tour)

Sep8

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

Review: Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo (Blog Tour)Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo
Published by Random House on August 26, 2014
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
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three-half-stars

Home is where the bodies are buried.

Darkly humorous and heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Jennifer Longo’s YA debut about a girl stuck living in a cemetery will change the way you look at life, death, and love.

Leigh sells graves for her family-owned cemetery because her father is too lazy to look farther than the dinner table when searching for employees. Working the literal graveyard shift, she meets two kinds of customers:

Pre-Need: They know what’s up. They bought their graves a long time ago, before they needed them.

At Need: They are in shock, mourning a loved one’s unexpected death. Leigh avoids sponging their agony by focusing on things like guessing the headstone choice (mostly granite).

Sarcastic and smart, Leigh should be able to stand up to her family and quit. But her world’s been turned upside down by the sudden loss of her best friend and the appearance of Dario, the slightly-too-old-for-her grave digger. Surrounded by death, can Leigh move on, if moving on means it’s time to get a life?

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Six Feet Over It blog tour! Today, I’m sharing with you my review of this young adult coming-of-age story. Enjoy!

Six Feet Over It was a quirky, if not slightly morbid, book about a young girl growing up – and learning important life lessons – in a cemetery. Surrounded by death all day, everyday, Leigh has to learn to cope with life’s many challenges, shocks and surprises (both pleasant and unpleasant).

Leigh was an odd character and it took me awhile to get inside her head, though I never completely did. She’s slightly younger than I realized when I first started reading – just 14-years-old at the start of the book, 16-years-old by the end. Leigh starts out sounding and feeling very young. She takes what life gives her and goes through the motions of day-to-day chores and activities. Leigh has little to no character development for the majority of the book. Then, suddenly, she wakes up one day and – BAM! Her whole outlook on life has changed. She makes things right with everyone, standing up to her father and apologizing to those she wronged. It was a little jarring, if not desperately needed.

I really didn’t connect with Dario. Though his relationship with Leigh was completely platonic (at least in his mind.. She may have thought otherwise at some moments..), it was still a bit odd to see their interactions, with him being five years older than her. He taught her a lot about life and death, though, and helped her cope with so many things. He encourages her to stand up to her parents, to embrace new friendships. In the long run, he helped her learn some valuable lessons. But what he asked of her in the end? It was stupid and dangerous and he never should have asked that of a young girl.

I couldn’t stand Kai. I know she went through a lot. I feel bad about that. But all she does is whine, sigh and cry until she gets her way. Her attitude, on several occasions, resulted in Wade and Meredith (aka mom and dad) forcing more responsibility upon Leigh, responsibility she shouldn’t havet had to bear the weight of alone. Kai was the big sister, but she never acted the part.

I really, really loved Elanor. There was something about her that made me want to root for her. She was brave and strong, kind in ways Leigh was not in the beginning. She reminded me of a girl I knew in elementary school – one I had a falling out with, something I still regret after all these years. Despite Elanor’s odd upbringing, she was more sure of herself and more confident than Leigh. She knew how to stand up for herself and I admired her for that. I’m really happy with the way her story ended.

I couldn’t stand Wade and Meredith. If there’s a Worst Parent of the Year Award, it would be a tie between these two. Though if push came to shove, Wade would win it. Meredith kind of redeemed herself a little bit in the end. Wade was never fair to Leigh. He saddled her with so much responsibility, forced her to handle certain situations that she should NOT have had to handle. Wade, as the adult – as the one who decided to buy the cemetery – should have done more than he did.

A big issue I had with this book was the writing style. It took me awhile to get used to it. It was very choppy, with short, jerky sentences and incomplete thoughts. I didn’t like it at first, though I got used to it after awhile. It slowly blended with Leigh’s voice and character. Another thing I had an issue with is the timeline. The timeline moved freakishly fast and with little to no logic. One second it was fall and Leigh’s birthday, then suddenly it was summer then, out of nowhere, winter. Then summer again, then fall and back to Leigh’s birthday. I will say that this allowed the book to come full circle, which allowed for more closure. But it wasn’t a logical jump and it really threw me off.

Though Leigh’s character development was late in the story and very abrupt, she still did learn some important lessons that allowed her to see the error of her ways and mature in the end. The plot was unique and intriguing. It allows the reader to process the idea of death and change in a safe, comfortable way. It teaches the reader that death doesn’t have to be the end, change doesn’t have to be scary and life does go on after the loss of a loved one.

Overall, though Six Feet Over It didn’t wow me as I’d hoped it would, it was still an enjoyable book, flaws and all. I definitely recommend it to the 13-16 age group, though older readers might also appreciate it. I think it’s safe to say that we can expect great things from Jennifer Longo and I’m still definitely excited for her next book, whatever it may be about.

three-half-stars

Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Aug23

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

Review: Mortal Danger by Ann AguirreMortal Danger by Ann Aguirre
Series: Immortal Game #1
Published by Feiwel & Friends on August 5, 2014
Pages: 372
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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three-half-stars

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

In Ann Aguirre's Mortal Danger, Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn’t imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She’s not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he’s impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly . . . bad things are happening. It’s a head rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil’s bargains, she isn’t sure who—or what—she can trust. Not even her own mind.

TRIGGER WARNING: This book can be considered a trigger book. Meaning, if things such as depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide upset you, you might not want to read this book; therefore, you might also want to skip reading this review, since I discuss the main character’s experience with bullying and suicidal thoughts/tendencies in relation to the plot.

I’m very conflicted over how to review Mortal Danger. On the one hand, it was amazing! Creepy, bullying gone wrong, revenge taken to a deadly level. On the other hand, parts of the book were morbid, upsetting and borderline emotionally traumatizing. Not to mention the fact that it took me 18 days to finish it – In the beginning, that was totally me and not the book. But near the end? It was definitely the book. Certain sections dragged, certain sections felt like filler and the pacing slowed down a lot.

Edie was an… interesting character. But for the most part, I liked her. She wasn’t a strong, take-charge character in the beginning. She was ready to end her own life, to end the bullying she had experienced – the truly horrible and and heinous bullying. And then she makes a deal with the devil to take back her “life” and even the score with her tormentors. And, of course, this doesn’t end well for anyone involved – and even those not involved. As the story goes on, she gets a little bit stronger and more confident, but she still isn’t very take-charge. I can understand why, given the circumstances, but I hope this changes in book two. I have the feeling Edie is a fighter.. She just hasn’t shown us that side of herself yet.

Despite all that, Edie was definitely a relatable character. For the most part, everyone experiences bullying in some form or another at some point in their lives. It’s easy to picture yourself in her place and wonder, “What would I have done?” Edie goes through some truly horrifying things and she DOES some truly horrifying things in the name of revenge. You never want to think you’re capable of any of the things she did. But in her shoes, it really makes you wonder.

Edie’s relationship with Kian was confusing and hard to grasp. One minute, she loved him and the fact that he loved her before her “changes.” The next second, she’s questioning his loyalty. Five seconds later, she’s swooning over him. I know a lot of people hated this back-and-forth. For the most part, I was fine with it. It felt realistic that she was conflicted. Honestly, I’d be concerned if she HADN’T been conflicted. But near the end, after suffering through almost the whole book with her indecision, it did start to grate on my nerves. I didn’t like going back-and-forth, wondering if I could trust him or not. It distracted me from the story. It especially sucks because I LOVED their chemistry in the beginning, but it just unravels throughout the whole book.

Kian himself.. Meh. I found myself swooning over him in the beginning, but then he got dull and weird. Plus, Edie constantly questioning him made ME question him, which made me not like him as much.

It became very apparant very quickly that Edie was in over her head. It was so easy for her to condemn those that had bullied her. She literally sold her soul to get back at them. But just as they didn’t know her, she didn’t know them. She didn’t know what was going on in their lives to make them behave that way… Everyone has a story, even bullies. You just never know and can never assume. It doesn’t make it right and it’s not an excuse.. Not at all. But still. This was the case for almost every member of, as Edie called it, the Teflon circle. And as the story went on, Edie learned this lesson the hard way.

There were a LOT of secondary characters in this book, so I’m just going to touch on some of them briefly. I loved, loved, loved Vi, Ryu and Seth. I really liked Davina and Jen, though I never completely trusted Jen and I don’t feel like we got any resolution on that – Hopefully we will by the end of book two! I wanted to bitch slap Allison and Brittany. I REALLY wanted to punch Cameron and Russ a few times. Some of the characters, though… I wouldn’t wish their fates on my worst enemy.

The last sixty or so pages were really hard to read for so many reasons. Honestly, if it hadn’t taken me almost three weeks to read and if I hadn’t been so close to the end, I would have DNF’d the book. There were two twists that weren’t shocking or twisty at all. I could see them coming from a mile away. And while I usually don’t mind that – I love having my hunches validated – in this case, I felt really annoyed and let down. It was SO predictable, it wasn’t even fun to get that confirmation.

Overall, I still recommend this book. I had a LOT going on in my personal life, which is the main reason it took me so long to read it. And I’m sure that’s also why some things hit me really hard, emotionally. I still loved the book, despite everything. What annoyed me may not annoy other people. I will warn you again that this can be considered a trigger book so be cautious if you’re easily upset by the previously mentioned trigger warnings.

Basically, this book ripped my heart out and stomped on my feels. If you’re looking for a semi-scary/creepy/horror-type book, then I definitely recommend this. Though I had some issues with it, I’m still excited for book two and can’t WAIT to get my hands on it!

three-half-stars

Review: Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee

Aug3

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

Review: Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. LeeGates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee
Series: Gates of Thread and Stone #1
Published by Skyscape on August 5, 2014
Pages: 349
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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three-stars

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Gates of Thread and Stone both fascinated and frustrated me. Though an interesting read, the slow pacing and confusing beginning weighed the intriguing plot down and prevented me from fully enjoying the book. The characters, though, were what really kept me reading. Though I felt a slight disconnect to them, especially in the beginning, I felt drawn to them and found that I couldn’t put the book down without knowing what happened to them.

While reading Gates of Thread and Stone, I found myself comparing it to Defy (Sara B. Larson), Pawn (Aimee Carter) and The Immortal Rules (Julie Kagawa). Which is oddly appropriate, since I didn’t enjoy Defy’s plot but loved the characters; didn’t enjoy Pawn’s characters but loved the plot; and absolutely adored The Immortal Rules. While reading, at some point or another, I had a little bit of all those feelings towards Gates of Thread and Stone. I also noticed the similarities in the plot, though despite those similarities, Gates of Thread and Stone still had an original and unique plot all on its own.

The overall theme of this book, however, was “confusing.” We’re thrown into the world immediately, which can be great when done right. There’s a fine line between explanation and info-dump and this book did a little bit of both, but in the most confusing way possible. Half the time, I couldn’t figure out what was going on. The plot itself started off in one direction and took a sharp turn a little over half-way through the book. It reminded me of this weird mix of Greek Mythology and the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Since those are two things I find fascinating, this was where the plot and pacing picked up for me. I was totally intrigued by these two concepts and the world and history.

I wanted to know more about the Rebirth, though. I wanted to know the timeline (was this past, present, not-so-distant future or distant future?) and how things came to be how they were. I wanted to know more about the Infinite and the Mahjo.

In the beginning, I felt disconnected from Kai. I didn’t like or dislike her. She just existed to tell the story. She knew how to stand up for herself and protect herself and I appreciated that, but nothing made her stand out among the sea of YA heroines. As the story progressed, she redeemed herself and I grew to like her a lot more. She never let anything distract her from her mission to save her brother. She learned to fight and she took some huge risks. I was completely intrigued by her ability to manipulate time and I loved learning the origin of that ability.

I want to say I liked Reev, but I feel like we didn’t see enough of him – for obvious reasons – for me to make a final call on this. He was an amazing big brother – protective, dependent, loyal. He did everything he could to keep Kai safe. In the end, I was satisfied with how his story ended. It was interesting to learn some of his past and how he came to find Kai.

Avan was pretty swoony! Though I knew from early on that he was hiding something and knew more than he was letting on, which always made me slightly suspicious of him and his motives. In the end, I did NOT expect the truth to be what it was. It wasn’t what I expected at all! There was one thing that happened with him and I knew it wouldn’t be permanent (it was a little predictable, actually), but I didn’t know HOW he would get out of the situation he was in… I was surprised by the way his story ended, though. I was both relieved and upset and I definitely want to know what will happen next with him. Though again, it’s a bit obvious and predictable (though I can’t elaborate without spoilers, so you’ll just have to read the book and decide for yourself).

I really liked Mason, though I didn’t trust him in the beginning. There was the smallest hint of Mason being the third part in a (forced and unnecessary) love triangle, but it didn’t amount to much and it’s obvious who Kai should end up with.

The ending was fascinating and while some of it was predictable, the rest completely threw me and I didn’t expect it. I liked that things wrapped up nicely, so we weren’t left with an epically annoying cliffhanger. At the same time, just enough went unanswered that it left it open for a second book, which still definitely interests me!

Overall, while the beginning was horribly confusing and the pacing was slow, the characters kept me reading, despite a small disconnect. I ended up really caring about them, desperate to know what would happen to them. I’m definitely interested in seeing where a second book would take the plot and the characters. I still recommend this book, despite the issues I had with it. Others might not be bothered by what bothered me and, overall, it’s a truly fascinating plot.

three-stars

Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Jul24

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

Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. PearsonThe Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on July 8, 2014
Pages: 492
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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five-stars

In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

The Kiss of Deception had everything I love reading about, all in one book. I love books that take place in the past – specifically, in 1800s England. I love books that take place in similar time periods, as well. I also love books set in the distant future, in which all technology has disappeared and it seems as though the plot takes place in 1800s England or a similar time period. That was a lot of babbling, but hopefully you guys understand what I’m trying to say! Basically, I LOVE the time period this book is set in. I love the characters, the plot – Pretty much everything about this book pulled me in and kept me reading (I read it in two sitting and in the second sitting, I read 375 pages without stopping!).

Barely 60 pages in and I was already in love with the world, as well as Lia’s character and voice. There’s a fine line between her wanting to live her own life in her own way, and her being kind of selfish for running away and abandoning her duties as Princess. But I understand why she ran and, if I were in her position, I would have run, too. I knew it was too good to last, but I enjoyed the life she made for herself and the people she met. I admired her, though, for knowing when it was time to go home. In that particular moment, I could really see the character growth, that moment when she finally acknowledged her duties and responsibilities and realized she couldn’t run from them. It took a lot of maturity to come to that conclusion.

It’s really difficult to talk about the prince and assassin without giving anything away. This was the biggest mystery in the book and one of the very few things that annoyed me a little bit. Trying to guess who was who was a fun mystery at first, but after awhile, it started to distract me from the story and it became very confusing. I focused so much of my attention on trying to figure it out that I’m pretty sure I missed some key plot points and revelations. It was also a lot of back and fourth, thinking “Well, I love the assassin/prince… But I love _______. I hope they’re the same person! But what if ________ is the assassin/prince? I don’t like him as much!” (Sorry for the confusion! Leaving out the male character names to avoid spoilers or even a hint of a spoiler!)

After a LOT of going back and fourth, I finally just tried to enjoy the story as it was told to me. I tried to stay in the moment and avoid thinking about it, though several hints are dropped and some are hard to ignore. But, thankfully, the “name” that I loved turned out to be the “title” that I loved so it all worked out in the end!

I adored Pauline. She was a faithful servant and friend to Lia. She didn’t have to do what she did and she didn’t have to abandon everything she knew and everyone she loved. But she stuck by Lia through everything. I also loved Gwyneth. She was that person who can be your best friend or worst enemy and she tells it like it is, whether you want to hear it or not. Sometimes, Lia needed Gwyneth’s brutal honesty in order to see things clearly. Another great character was Berdi. She was the much-needed mother figure for Lia, Pauline and Gwyneth. She was strict when she had to be, but caring when she needed to be.

The “journey” at the end was interesting at first, though it began to drag and I grew bored with it. I just wanted it to end or something to happen. There were some epic character and plot revelations sprinkled into the journey, though, so it was still worth-while in the end. It also showed that Lia was tougher than she gave herself credit for. She endured a lot throughout the journey. She also suffered terrible heartbreak, but she still pushed on. She didn’t bow down to her enemy, not once.

Overall, despite two things that bothered me (the annoying back-and-fourth of who was who and the too-long “journey” that dragged), I loved The Kiss of Deception so, so much! It had all the elements of a perfect book (in my mind, at least) and it was everything I love to read about, all in one book. The ending was incredible and a complete cliffhanger! I can’t wait to get my hands on book two! Mary E. Pearson is an amazing writer and a masterful story-teller. She created an incredible, believable world filled with wonderful, complex characters. I highly recommend this book!

five-stars

Review: Accidentally Married on Purpose by Rachel Harris

Jul23

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

Review: Accidentally Married on Purpose by Rachel HarrisAccidentally Married on Purpose by Rachel Harris
Series: Love and Games #3
Published by Entangled: Bliss on July 14th 2014
Pages: 266
Source: the publisher
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five-stars

One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love.

Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she’s all about what’s happened in Vegas staying there.

Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity…though there’s something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories…and rings on their fingers.

Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn’t the hardest part—it’s reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can’t last. Tyler’s first love will always be music—and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.

Rachel Harris has done it again! Accidentally Married on Purpose was adorable, fun, hilarious, sob-inducing (at times) and filled with incredible characters and sexy, swoony guys. The lovable characters alone made me unable to put this book down (I read it in about two sittings!), but the epic plot made it my favorite in this series!

I’ve always been a Sherry fan, ever since we met her in Taste the Heat. In fact, my original notes from when I read Taste the Heat say that Sherry is “a great character. Funny and insightful with the perfect blend of annoying little sister and friend.” And my review of Seven Day Fiance said, “There’s going to be a third book in this series, and I’m DYING to know which hunky guy and girl-next-door are going to be front and center in that one! (Fingers crossed for Sherry!)”

So, obviously, I was beyond thrilled when Sherry was the female lead in Accidentally Married on Purpose. She’s an intriguing character, both tough and vulnerable all at the same time. She acts like she doesn’t have a care in the world, but she’s been hurt before and it’s hard for her to trust. She absolutely has the biggest character growth from the beginning of the book to the end – Even from the first book in the series to the end of this one! She really changed – and definitely for the better.

Also, I loved how much of an animal lover Sherry was. She said she would adopt all the animals if she could, and I can definitely relate! Plus, I loved her sense of humor. It had me laughing out loud!

Tyler was soooo yummy. He was kind, sweet and swoon-worthy! *Fans self!!!* Plus, he was ADORABLE with Elvis. So beyond adorable that every time he interacted with Elvis, I was a puddle of mushy awwwwww’s! A man who loves dogs as much as Tyler seemed to, is a man after my own heart! He had a heart-breaking back-story that nearly brought me to tears a few times.

I absolutely loved the plot and the situation Sherry and Tyler were in. It reminded me a lot of Open Road Summer by Emery Lord and Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler (though those are young adult books). I love the whole “famous singer falls for regular person” thing. I love seeing the behind the scenes of the music and movie world. It completely intrigues me! On the one hand, it almost never happens, but on the other, it holds just enough reality that you can completely picture yourself in Sherry’s shoes. With the right place, right time, why couldn’t a famous singer/song-writer fall for a non-Hollywood person?

It’s always intriguing when one character doesn’t realize the other is famous. It adds a more wholesome, honest feel to the plot. The character that’s famous can open up more and they become more vulnerable by sharing their secrets. Also, Sherry not recognizing who Tyler was kind of reminded me of Jason not recognizing Colby right away, so it felt like things came full circle. Plus, the chemistry between Sherry and Tyler was undeniable!

Of course, I loved seeing Colby, Jason, Cane and Angelle in Accidentally Married on Purpose! I think that’s the best part of Rachel Harris’ books – getting to see all the characters you know and love from the previous books. It just brings all the plots together and you can see how the different characters have grown and see how they interact together. It’s very heart-warming. Personally, I really wasn’t an Angelle fan in the beginning – for reasons obvious to those of you who read Taste the Heat. But I adored her in her book, Seven Day Fiance, and I loved what a great friend she was to Sherry!

And that ending! That ending!! That ending was amazing and wonderful and perfect and I LOVED IT! I can’t say anymore without spoiling it, so I’ll stop now.. But I LOVED it!

Overall, Accidentally Married on Purpose was my absolute favorite book in the series. I loved Sherry, I swooned over Tyler and I adored the plot. The ending was one of my absolute favorite HEA’s ever! And as always, if you haven’t read any of Rachel Harris’ books yet… Well, what are you waiting for?!?!?!? No, seriously. Stop reading this and GO READ HER BOOKS! ALL OF THEM! NOW! You’ll thank me later, promise!

five-stars

Review: Uncaged by John Sandford & Michele Cook (Blog Tour)

Jul9

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

Review: Uncaged by John Sandford & Michele Cook (Blog Tour)Uncaged by John Sandford, Michele Cook
Series: The Singular Menace #1
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on July 8, 2014
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

#1 New York Times bestselling Prey author John Sandford and Michele Cook debut a high-octane young adult thriller series.

Shay Remby arrives in Hollywood with $58 and a handmade knife, searching for her brother, Odin.

Odin’s a brilliant hacker but a bit of a loose cannon. He and a group of radical animal-rights activists hit a Singular Corp. research lab in Eugene, Oregon. The raid was a disaster, but Odin escaped with a set of highly encrypted flash drives and a post-surgical dog.

When Shay gets a frantic 3 a.m. phone call from Odin—talking about evidence of unspeakable experiments, and a ruthless corporation, and how he must hide—she’s concerned. When she gets a menacing visit from Singular’s security team, she knows: her brother’s a dead man walking.

What Singular doesn’t know—yet—is that 16-year-old Shay is every bit as ruthless as their security force, and she will burn Singular to the ground, if that’s what it takes to save her brother.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Uncaged blog tour! Today, I’m sharing with you my 4-star review of this epic young adult thriller. Enjoy!

Uncaged is unlike anything I’ve ever read and it’s definitely not a genre I usually gravitate towards. However, I enjoyed every single second of this thriller; it was a fast-paced read that kept me on my toes, dying to know what happened next. I would sit down, intending to only read a handful of chapters and I would end up reading a huge chunk of the book in a single sitting – I just couldn’t put it down!

At first, I really didn’t connect with Shay, the main character. However, I liked her right from the beginning – does that make sense? Normally, when I can’t connect with a character, it ruins the story for me. But I had nothing against Shay, so I still enjoyed getting to know her and seeing her story and her journey. She was never weak or defenseless. She was always strong and able to take care of herself, but I definitely still saw a lot of character growth in her from beginning to end. She starts out as more of a loner, in desperate need to find her brother. From there, she really opens up and begins to trust the people she has come to consider friends. And before that, trust was definitely not something Shay gave easily to anyone besides her brother.

Odin was interesting… From the synopsis, it seems like Uncaged is his story, but it’s really not. His actions get the story going, but it’s really Shay’s story. Odin is more in the background. Shay had to go looking for him and he’s the reason Singular goes after Shay. Without Odin doing what he did, Shay never would have gone to California and never would have met Twist, Cade, Cruz, Emily, etc. So, as I said, his actions get the story going, but this is truly Shay’s story.

I loved, loved, LOVED Twist. When we were first introduced to him, I was completely confused and uninterested. I mean, Shay describes him as looking like the Cat in the Hat and below is one of the first interactions we have with him:

“‘Assault on me is an insult to Dum and Dee,’ the Cat in the Hat said.”

I mean… What?? But as time went on, I pretty much adored him and everything about him. Clearly, this book is some kind of take on Oliver Twist. The hacking, the group home, the leader (Twist) – and obviously his name alone incites comparisons. To be honest, my first thought was “This book reminds me of Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes… And that was a loose take on Oliver Twist. So if that’s the case, this must be a take on Oliver Twist, too!”

I loved West. I don’t think I was supposed to.. I mean, technically, he’s not one of the good guys – at least in the beginning. But there was just something about him from very early on that made me adore him. I can’t explain it beyond that without risking spoilers. I will say, though, that the way his story ended in Uncaged… It broke my heart!

I loved the secondary characters in this book, as well. Cade, Cruz, Emily – and yes, X, especially! They, along with Twist and Shay, were like a family. Maybe not in the beginning, but they came to be. They always had each other’s backs.

Despite how much I enjoyed Uncaged, I did have a few problems with it, as well. The plot and timeline were not straight-forward. We’d have two chapters in a row that were from Shay’s story. Then, we’d skip to Odin’s story and it was something that took place hours (sometimes days) prior to Shay’s chapters. It was really confusing. Also, there were too many characters and too many plots and I just couldn’t keep track of what was going on and who was who most of the time. I still can’t sort out who half the Singular characters are… However, over time, I did get used to the writing style and it became easier to understand what was happening.

There was also a lot of technical jargon that I didn’t understand and I had to stumble my way through it. It wasn’t so confusing that it ruined the story for me; however, the story would have been MUCH better if I’d understand it.

Finally, I’m a HUGE animal lover. Going into this book, I knew it dealt with animal experimentation and lab experimentation and I tried to look past it because the overall plot sounded epic, but certain scenes just absolutely broke my heart, so that was difficult.

But then that ending.. WOW! That ending was insane, action-packed, crazy… I could go on and on. My heart was in my throat for much of the ending. Several things happened that I didn’t expect. I love the set-up for book two, though, and I’m really, really excited to see what happens next!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had an interesting plot and intriguing characters. Plus, it’s not something I normally read and it was nice to discover a new genre. I definitely recommend this book to fans of Oliver Twist, as well as to fans of books that feature computer hacking and Oliver Twist-like plots, such as Remember Me by Romily Bernard, Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes and Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon.

four-stars

Review: In the End by Demitria Lunetta

Jun23

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

Review: In the End by Demitria LunettaIn the End by Demitria Lunetta
Series: In the After #2
Published by HarperTeen on June 24, 2014
Pages: 448
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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three-stars

The thrilling conclusion to In the After, the survival story of Amy and Baby, set in a near future where Earth has been overrun by vicious, predatory creatures.

It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope, and she’s been surviving on her own, like she did in the After. Until one day, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Amy had hoped she would never hear: Dr. Reynolds has Baby.

Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy must make her way to Fort Black, a prison-turned-survivor-colony, where she will need to find Ken, Kay’s brother. He alone holds the key to Baby’s survival.

One small slip-up on this quest could spark a downward spiral that would not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the very survival of the people in the After.

Considering how much I loved In the After (book #1), I was thoroughly disappointed with In the End. The pacing was slow, most of the book felt like filler and I couldn’t stand most of the new characters we met.

Amy was still a pretty good character, though she spends a good deal of this book getting into trouble, not listening and doing stupid things. When someone told her to stay put, to wait until things were calm or safe, she just didn’t listen. I really wanted to scream at her. If she had stayed put, like she was told to, she would have avoided at least 80% of the trouble she ran in to. And while Amy grew and matured a LOT in In the After, her character development was almost non-existent in In the End. It’s almost like she peaked at the end of In the After.

We meet a lot of new characters in In the End. I only sort of liked two or three of them. But even then, I feel like we didn’t really get to know them, so it was hard to like them. And that’s despite the fact that two of them were major characters for almost all of the book. We just didn’t get to see enough of them or learn enough about their past and who they were. I liked Jacks in the beginning. He was calm and mild-mannered, yet his attitude screamed “cocky leader.” As the story went on, I wasn’t crazy about certain things and it wasn’t until the very end of the book that I realized I liked him a whole lot more than… Well, someone else… But.. Spoilers, so I’m shutting up – read the book! And I liked Brenna immediately but I never trusted her, so that messed with me because I was always waiting for her to turn on Amy.

Baby was one of my favorite characters in In the After for so many reasons. She was a young child, but she was smart, resilient and knew how to survive. She had an intriguing back-story, too. But she was BARELY in In the End. That was really disappointing. And when she WAS in the book… Well… Sigh.

As I mentioned before, most of this book felt like filler. It had Second Book Syndrome, except in this case, the series is a duology and only has two books. So that was a pretty big disappointment. Honestly, most of the book just felt like its only purpose was to get the reader to the last 20 pages. Because, really, that’s when things finally picked up. Until that point, the book was slow, boring filler and completely predictable. Nothing ever took me by surprise.

Another huge complaint I had with this book? Sexism. Lots and lots of sexism and the idea that women belong to men and are nothing more than “property.” These women were branded with tattoos to mark which man they belonged to… UHHHH, NOPE. This knocked it down initially from a 4-star to a 3.5-star rating. And then the slow pacing, predictability and filler-like feeling dropped it to the final 3-star rating. Also, as a minor side-note, sooooo many parts of this book felt like Walking Dead rip-offs.. Just saying.

I wish this book had some more redeeming qualities I could talk about, but it just didn’t. I adored book one but I could rant for hours about this book. I usually avoid spoilers in my reviews. But if this review had spoilers, it would be triple the length that it is now with all the ranting.

So unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. I feel completely let down by it. Personally, I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it to someone, though others might enjoy it where I didn’t. I still think Demitria Lunetta is a brilliant writer; she crafted a gorgeous, creepy world, described it to us vividly and kept me turning the page, still eager to see how it all ended despited how much I didn’t enjoy it. I’ll definitely still be watching out for future books from this author.

three-stars