The Golden Braid Review

This time I am reviewing The Golden Braid by: Melanie Dickerson.

Rapunzel has spent her life moving from town to town based on her mother’s wishes. Having a thirst for knowledge, she finds someone to teach her something in each village. She can throw a knife, paint intricate murals, but the one things she most wants to learn is to read. On her journey to the largest town she’s ever been to, Rapunzel and her mother run into trouble. Luckily the valiant knight Sir Gerek comes to their rescue. An unexpected bond begins to form between the young individuals and secrets soon come to light that could change everything.

I’ve been in the mood to read fairy tales like this one for awhile now. Once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about this book. The old fairy tale of Rapunzel was made new and with a Christian twist. Going into it, I worried the Christian themes could negate from the story, but Melanie Dickerson wove them together in such a way that made this book a wonderful and inspirational read.

I really like the characters in this book. Rapunzel was sweet, courageous, and intelligent. It was so interesting to see her relationship with her mother and how it spiraled. Gerek was the perfect knight and I really liked seeing his relationship with Rapunzel unfold.

Though there wasn’t any magic in this book like a typical fairy tale has, I couldn’t help but get swept away by this book. The way Melanie Dickerson wrote it just made it feel like the magic was there. This was such a beautiful and fun story.

I didn’t realize this was the sixth book in the series and I was disappointed that I hadn’t read the prior books, but reading this one just made me want to read all the others. I don’t believe reading this one revealed much of anything from the prior books, since every book in this series is about different characters.

Storm Review

This time I am reviewing Storm by: Brigid Kemmerer.

All the school has heard the rumors about Becca Chandler that paint her as a slut. Though untrue, Becca knows her ex-boyfriend is behind them. She settles into her role as an outcast and tries to not let the taunts and suggestive talk get to her. Everything takes an unexpected turn when Becca interrupts the beating of Chris Merrick. She runs off the perpetrators and rescues the badly wounded Chris, only to find herself entangled in a feud she never knew existed.

I was really surprised by this book. I listen to the audiobook for this one, which is something I don’t often do, but I found myself so wrapped up in the story. The mythology of this book draws upon elemental powers (water, air, earth, fire), but Brigid Kemmerer includes aspects into it that make this book feel unique in its portrayal of this.

There are some really big issues that are addressed in this book and I thought Brigid Kemmerer did a good job, but there is still a bit of room for improvement. I didn’t really fully feel Becca’s distress at her reputation and how others treated her. She did exhibit some behaviors that would be expected, but during some moments her torture at school seemed to be forgotten. She bristles at Chris, but she doesn’t seem to ever do the same to Hunter.

I liked Becca, but I really loved the rest of the characters in this book. The Merricks are all great and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series to get to know the rest of the brothers even better. All the Merricks really felt well defined in their own right and they each had unique personalities. I enjoyed Hunter and I really liked how he treated Becca. Towards the end he got a bit annoying, though.

There is a love-triangle in this book. One relationship feels really natural and the other ends up feeling rushed. Becca totally ended up with who I was rooting for and the switch between her feelings for both guys doesn’t feel annoying or unnatural. I really like that she didn’t spend this whole book pinning after both guys, or really pinning much at all. There was no insta-love and for that I am grateful.

This book progressed at a nice pace and I loved all the twists and turns. The ending was satisfying and I loved that all the mysteries in this book are solved by the end. I’m really excited to start the next instalment in this series.

As a small side note, the content of this book isn’t for young teens (and it teetered on the edge of what I’ll read). There are some heavy issues addressed in this book like rape and bullying. There was a bunch of sexual innuendos, lots of language and violence.

Don't Expect Magic Review

This time I am reviewing Don’t Expect Magic by: Kathy McCullough.

Delaney Collins is ripped from her home and life after the tragic death of her mother. Forced to live with a father the nation knows better than she does, she isn’t happy. After a few unexpected turns, Delaney discovers she is a fairy godmother and her first assignment is Flynn Becker, who she mistakenly believes is crushing on the most popular girl in school. Determined to complete her first assignment in order to gain her full powers, she pushes Flynn into one situation after the next.

From reading the synopsis of this book, I thought it would be one I would enjoy. This was a good book, but it felt like it took too long to get started. From the synopsis we know that Delaney finds out she is a fairy godmother, but that doesn’t actually happen in the book until well into it (like almost halfway into it). I found myself getting kind of bored with this book, but I kept reading because I enjoyed Delaney’s sarcastic and funny voice.

The plot flowed in a pretty natural way, but some of the ending felt a bit rushed. I totally saw the events of the ending coming, but I just felt like it still was a bit forced or something. I did really like the development of Delaney and her father’s relationship. It progressed and grew in a really sweet way.

This book was an enjoyable fluffy read and I’m glad I picked it up, but it isn’t without its faults. I do intend to read the second one (since I bought it at the same time as the first) and I even started it, but I have since put it down in favor of other books. One day I might pick it up again, but who knows when that will actually be.

The Rising Review

This time I am reviewing The Rising by: Terra Harmony.

Serena’s race is dying. She is the last baby of the Undine race (mermaids), who haven’t been allowed on land to procreate for the last eighteen years. The werewolves protect the beaches like they once had protected the Undine. Through a series of rebellions on Serena’s part, she is punished and assigned the role of Werewolf Liaison. Forced to venture onto land, she encounters the young werewolf, Liam and they may be the only hope both species has for a peaceful future, but some aren’t willing to let peace end the war…

I definitely enjoyed this book, but it didn’t grip me as much as other books have. I thought the mythology behind this world was well thought out and created a really interesting story. The characters were fun to read and I loved the twists in this book.

Serena is a strong and fearless character. She rebels and faces her punishments with courage. I really liked her as a character. She had her moments where I couldn’t understand why she did the things she did, but I liked her regardless. The way she acted around Liam was understandable (he belonged to a race that had chased, clawed, attacked, and had always been her enemy), but I couldn’t understand why she never wanted to trust him when he was so nice to her. Moving to a different relationship she had, I really liked her friendship with Kai. He seemed like a great guy, but he does have his moments that totally don’t make sense.

I really think the best parts of the book are towards the latter half when all the twists start. I loved the later revelations. This book did make me want to read that next one, but mostly because I want to know what happens after. This novel was good, but not the amazing I-couldn’t-put-this-down type.

The Scourge Review

This time I am reviewing The Scourge by: A.G. Henley.

Fennel lives in a world run by fear of the scourge: savage people who eat the flesh of others. Fennel’s people are the groundlings, who call the earth their home and fear plagues them. The lofties live in the trees, protected from the flesh eaters. Both sides don’t get along, but they depend on one another. Fennel’s blindness is a gift that protects her from the scourge and that forces her to have the job of water-bearer, the sole individual responsible for keeping both the groundlings and the lofties hydrated during the long days the scourge ravages the land.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Going into it, I knew it was post-apocalyptic, but I didn’t quite realized it was a zombie novel, but that didn’t bother me at all. The way A.G. Henley approaches this cliched topic is so fresh and new that I really wanted to know more. I really liked the concepts in this world and found myself wrapped up in this book.

As a character, I enjoyed Fennel. She wasn’t perfect, but she learned to be strong. I have never read a book from a blind person’s perspective before and I really loved it. Having a family member that is blind, I felt like I could relate to this book and Fenn more. The only problem I had with Fennel’s blindness is that it wasn’t made clear that she could see changes in the lighting around her. From the beginning of the book, I thought she was totally blind and it really irritated me that she would talk about it getting darker or lighter. Once I realized she wasn’t one hundred percent blind, I finally stopped feeling like A.G. Henley was making mistakes in her writing.

Peree was a great guy and I really rooted for him and Fenn. I did find him a bit clingy at some parts in the book, but later his behavior makes more sense when the reader realizes Peree has watched Fenn for years (not in a creepy way). I really loved finding out his back-story and seeing some later events unfold that really challenge him.

I really loved the twists and turns of this book. So many times, A.G. Henley threw in things that completely twisted the story into a different direction and it was a very fun ride. The ending was very satisfying and even though this is part of a series, there luckily wasn’t a cliffhanger ending like so many series have. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Backstage Review

This time I am reviewing Backstage by: Jacqueline E Smith! (This is the second book in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers from the first book. Duh.)

Melissa Parker briefly enjoyed the high of her new relationship with her best friend and member of the hottest boy band, Sam Morneau, before being knocked back down by discovering a scandalous affair involving other members of the group. Sworn to secrecy, Mel is now holding information back from her best friends, information that could rip the band apart. Lies and half-truths begin to pile up. More and more, secrets are invading the group and everyone wants Mel to keep her mouth shut.

I cannot fully express how much I love this book. I’ve been desperately (and somewhat patiently) waiting for Jackie to write this book and release it. This one is just as good (if not better) than the first book and well worth the wait.

Like I’ve said in a previous review of Jackie’s work, she has an amazing knack for breathing life into all her characters. They all have so many quirks and feel so real. This book lets us learn even more about all the guys in the group, The Kind of September, and their personalities all shined in it. I just love all the guys! Sam, of course, is my favorite member of the group (more on him a bit later.) Oliver and Josh are great too! Josh is the life of the party and I always laughed whenever he entered a scene. He would brighten anyone’s day. Oliver is so sweet and courteous. He’s dependable and so many times I wanted to give him a hug. Jesse tries so hard to be funny (and he’s just not). I really enjoyed seeing his growth in this book. Cory is, sadly, so blinded by his love for Terrible Tara. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention Joni. She’s so strong and blunt. I love the friendship she has with Mel and how protective she is of the group.

Now, onto the real stars of this novel: Sam and Mel. I love both of them so much! Their relationship is beautiful, breath-taking, sweet, and just so adorable. I might have fallen in love with Sam right along with Mel over the course of this book. He’s just so amazing to her. Ever since reading the first few lines of Boy Band, I’ve loved Mel and her personality. Her voice is so unique and her wit is spot on. I also loved that she didn’t enjoy keeping secrets from everyone. She knew if the truth came out, especially that she knew something and didn’t tell, it would blow up in everyone’s face. It’s so refreshing that she was realistic about it and didn’t delude herself into thinking keeping secrets was okay.

The song lyrics were stunning in this book and each time I read them, my mind started putting music behind them automatically. The tweets from fans always made me laugh. #TOKS #Meliver #JoshAndPizza I’m so glad they were included in the book, it really added an amazing dynamic and made it feel so real.

All throughout this book, I found myself hiding a smile or attempting not to burst out laughing. So many emotions played through me while reading this and kudos to Jackie for really making everything so palpable. The whole time, I felt a kinship to everyone and they felt like great friends I got to spend a few amazing hours hanging out with.

Drama, drama, drama. That’s all I can say about some of the later events in this book. Well, really the whole book is filled to the brim with drama. I’m so glad that the ending gave us a moment to breathe after the crazy, wild ride the book took us on. I really can’t wait till the next installment in the series.

Their Fractured Light Review

This time I am reviewing Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Sofia Quinn lost her father a year ago and has been on the run ever since. She knows how to read people and has pulled off more than one successful con. Gideon Marchant is better known as his online hacking persona: The Knave of Hearts. When Gideon and Sofia find themselves close to being caught in LaRoux Industries (for different reasons), they end up needing each other to escape.

I loved this book so much! This is probably my favorite of this whole series because so much happens! All the players come back from the previous book and it’s like one big amazing reunion (but it’s not really a reunion for the characters who are all coincidentally tied together in many ways).

I could not get enough of the snippets between the chapters. Those passages kept building on each other. Each time I would be swept away by the beautiful writing. All of those pieces continually weaved into a stunning masterpiece and I was blow away. So many times I stopped and reread those paragraphs because they were so good.

I really enjoyed the pairing of Sofia and Gideon. Out of all they guys in this series, Gideon is probably my favorite. His sense of humor was great and I laughed so many times, but I also was drawn in by his goodness. He acted arrogant, but underneath he is a great guy. He’s also quite intelligent and he sticks up for his friends.

Sofia was so much fun to read because she knew how to work people to get what she wanted. She really felt like the most flawed and damaged character in this whole series. Unlike everyone else, the pain she holds is fresh and she’s still reeling from her father’s death. Her journey throughout this book was amazing to witness because she grows so much. She starts out so hardened by the world and it’s spectacular to see her change into something beautiful.

This book was the perfect end to this series and it made me finally come to terms with (and almost enjoy) what I didn’t like in These Broken Stars. I never wanted this book to end, especially with the full cast from the series joining in.

My one complaint to this book is the resolution to the main conflict (not the ending). I didn’t expect the end to come easily, but I thought it was a bit unnatural. The authors really made it into something beautiful, but it felt just a bit too simple.

The ending was great and perfect for this series. I really can’t wait to see what these amazing writers will come up with next.