Hellraisers by Alexander Gordon Smith

Sweet hallelujah! Hellraisers is the first book in The Devil's Engine series, there is a second book planned. Smith has lots of other books out, I do recommend his Escape From Furnace series, I have read the books but I do not have reviews up for them. I do, however, have The Fury by Smith reviewed. Warning: theory rant coming....  Here's the video for it too!



Making any wish you have come true sounds amazing. It is until the machine granting you the wishes, tries to kill you eventually. The Devil's Engine is a contraption that will grant any wish you have, you just put your life in its hold for the time being. Marlow Green is in the middle of a fight with monsters from nightmares. To top it all off, he's asthmatic. Stumbling upon a secret group that combats them, he ends up joining in on the fight. Now it's a matter of staying alive and fighting those monsters. Here's to hoping you don't die and end up in Hell for eternity!

Whelp. I loved Hellraisers. There was lots of action, it started with a bang and kept going. I really like the back story to the Engine and what it takes to get a wish to come true. However I don't like the time that is given to the person. I did like the characters Marlow was really likeable, along with Pan-for me. Though I really want more about her, I don't think everything was revealed about her. Smith's descriptions are very good. There are few authors that can make me visualize what I am reading, and Smith is one of them. I laughed a lot too, the airplane bathroom scene had me rolling in the breakroom of my work.

THEORY TIME. So I follow Smith on social media, and he is a huge fan of Darren Shan's. I have read Shan since elementary school starting with the Cirque du Freak series. In Shan's Cirque series there are two best friends: Darren and Steve. In Smith's book there are two best friends: Marlow and Charlie. If you have read Shan's series and Smith's book you may see where I am going with this. I feel like there is going to be more parallels between the books because there where a few spots in Smith's book that where similar to Shan's. I really, really can't wait to see where it goes!! Any other fans of the two feel the same or different?

There is only one dislike I would like to bring up. Cliffhanger. Give me the second book already! This is why I don't read recently published books. I want to read the series completely and not have to wait. Honestly, that is my only complaint.

Hellraisers was not what I expected and I wasn't disappointed. Smith definitely has me hooked and I can only hope the rest of the series is just as good. I do recommend this book to everyone even though it is a YA book. I do want to own this book, and I can see myself rereading it.Though I really want to know if anyone has the same theory as I after reading this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Page count: 342 pages (hardcover)

Price: $17.99

Next: Defying Destiny by Kylie Price

Thank you for reading!
~Jade



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Sweet Seduction by Maya Banks

Way to go me! This review was supposed to post a while ago but it never did. This is the third book in the Sweet series by Banks and I do have the second book reviewed. I have finally found the first book! I got it from my local used book store and snatched it up, so when I can I will be reading and reviewing that. Will I be reading the rest of the series? I don't know yet. I'll get into that later. I do have a video review coming soon so watch out for that link. Here's the video!



Julie had eyes for one guy but it seemed like he was more infatuated with ignoring her. She loved the fact that she was able to get paid for oiling him up and rubbing him down. When you are a salon owner there are some perks. Giving Nathan his last rub down with a little extra thrown in, she plans to move on. Thing is Nathan wasn't oblivious to Julie, it was the exact opposite. When he finds out she is going to let someone else to fulfil her fantasies, he decides to put a stop to that and nail her down. Now there is just trying to figure out how to do that.

Here is yet another book that made me laugh, I am not complaining either. I really needed the laughs. I got a sneak peak at what the first book held, and some of the things that went down. Though very little is recapped and little is spoiled. So a person could read the books by themselves and be fine. Julie made me laugh the most, while Faith and Nathan are tied for second. I did very much like the hints as to the next book. The three main girls are done now and it has to continue with someone and Banks was sure to shed some light on who it is. The ending didn't annoy me but I did have a problem with it.

I didn't like that it was "guy gets the girl, the end." I am extremely happy that they didn't break up and then get back together like I ranted in Sweet Persuasion. Still, guy gets the girl, done. This book wasn't anything crazy special. I liked it because it made me laugh, but I don't see myself wanting to reread it over and over. There were a few parts I wanted to skip because it was a bit dull but the whole book can't be crazy from start to finish, right? I don't know if I want to continue the series because it seems that it's the same story, just different characters and change a few things. That doesn't keep me interested.

This is not something I would recommend for a younger audience. There is sex from beginning to end, it is intertwined in the story. If that upsets you, this isn't for you. It is by no means a bad book I did enjoy it quite a bit, but like I said before, I don't see that I will be reaching for it anytime in the future. As for owning it, I know where I can get it for a steal of a price I might get it the next time I am there.

Rating: Eh, 3 out of 5.

Page Count: 297 pages (paperback)

Price: $16

Next Book: Hellraisers by Alexander Gordon Smith

Thank you for reading, I'm sorry I didn't notice that it wasn't posted sooner!
~Jade

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The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Kaite Alender

This is not the first book for Alender, she has a decent amount of books published and more on the way. As far as I know this is a stand alone. There hasn't been any talk of another book. I do have a Youtube video up as well!



Delia just got bequeathed a "house". It's more like a mansion, though, that was a correction facility for women a long time ago. Her so-many-great-grandpa used to run the place but it was shut down once the women that were sent there quit getting better, and deaths started to occur. The correction facility was more like an asylum, none of the girls left once placed into its care. The house wants to keep the troubled in even after it was shut down. Delia gets trapped, and that's when she learns that the house is still very much alive. Ghosts are all over the place but you can't see them until something happens, and none of the ghosts can leave or move on. Nothing like spending eternity in a asylum, huh?

There was ghostly action! This is what I was looking for with Diary of a Haunting, but I know that these are two separate books. Hysteria starts off with a bang and I was wondering if things would continue to be good through the rest of the book. It was for the most part. I like that time moves differently when you are not human. Again, I love that the point of sibling love was made. You don't know how long you are going to have with your family or anyone and you shouldn't take things for granted. I was kept interested for the most part. I did like the ending, it felt right.

It took Delia half of the book to piece everything together though, but I almost knew right away how things were going to end up. This was the biggest thing that bugged me too. Things got a little dull because she couldn't see what was right in front of her face. Granted most people don't. It didn't really make me want to stop reading but I did want to skip ahead. I did see the end coming, Florence didn't trick me one bit! I would have been more surprised if it was someone else.

Overall I really did like this book, I didn't love it though. It isn't scary, so if that's what you are looking for you will have to look somewhere else. I do think everyone could like this book definitely young adults. Alender did a very good job and I would like to read more from her. I don't think another book will be coming out because of how the book ended but you never know. I don't exactly want to own this book, I know I could live without it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Page Count: 329 pages (hardcover)

Price: $18.99

Next Book: Sweet Seduction by Maya Banks

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

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Diary of a Haunting by M. Verano

As far as I can tell this is the first book published by Verano. There isn't much about him other than he is a professor in Idaho. I don't know if I will be reading anything else from him and I will get into why. If you didn't see, I have made a video of my thoughts on YouTube.



Paige moves from L.A. to Idaho with her mom and younger brother, after her parents divorce. The house that they move into is not right. Things happen and the house itself is infested with spiders, and flies. Little things happening become bigger things, and soon it's hell on wheels. But it is only just beginning and Paige has to dig deeper to find out the truth about things. Can she keep it together till then?

I don't have many things that I liked. I was not part of the people that enjoyed this book. I liked the diary format. It helped me finish this book because the entries were not long. I liked the ending but only because things got going finally. I also liked the editor's note and afterward. Verano tried to make the book seem like it was based on real events, I look for evidence but I didn't find anything. I also liked the front and back cover, but that's about it.

If you liked this book and do not want to see it torn up, please leave now. After a while I read the book to finish it and to see what happened. I wasn't excited, I read it to finish it. I wanted more ghostly action than there was. I think this was more of a possession then it was a haunting on Logan's part. Then just as everything started to get good, the book was over. I think that aggravated me the most. I was hooked at the end and then it was done. The book was dull for me. I didn't care to look deeply because I wasn't engaged to begin with. Verano has some serious making up to do for me to read anything else by him. I will give him one more chance but if I am not captured halfway through the book (which is being generous on my part) I will give up on him.

You either loved or hated this book, I feel, and I did not love this book. I was so excited for it and it didn't even come close. I do recommend this book to a younger audience. I don't see anything too bad in it that would make a more advanced reader in middle school cry. I definitely think it could have been a lot more better. I don't want to own this book and I for sure won't be rereading it.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Page Count: 313 pages (hardcover)

Price: $17.99

Next Book: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Thank you for reading!
~Jade


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Oblivion by Kelly Creagh

The third and final book in the Nevermore trilogy, Oblivion sure does go out with a bang. I do have reviews for the first two books Nevermore, and Enshadowed already up. I really do hope that Creagh starts mentioning something more coming from her. For the most part I enjoy her writing. To be honest I finished this book a little while ago but I haven't had enough time to even think about reviewing it. So I am making time now!



Varen's still in the dream world, and Isobel is starting to lose hope. She doesn't want to go back to the dream world where she had a near death experience last time. But the nightmares don't stop and they are starting to bleed even more into reality. She is faced with either going back and getting Varen or letting reality be destroyed. It won't be easy bringing him back if she can, a new loss and Lilith willing to do anything to keep him are all against her. It's all or nothing in this ending to the trilogy.

Oh my goodness there is finally some action! I was sorely disappointed with the last book because there wasn't much action. Oblivion made up for that. Varen was pretty much all throughout the book as was different aspects of Edgar Allen Poe. I really liked reading more about the dream world, it had me hooked all through the book. One of the last few chapters was very cruel when I thought someone was going to be dead. I loved that part once I got past it though. I did like to see that Isobel still had the determination to get Varen back, she was losing hope but she didn't completely. The ending was the best part of the book just because of  all the things that took place. I can't pinpoint one part that I liked more.

Now for the one thing I didn't like, there were only a few spots that dragged on a bit. Though once they were done there was action again. I am still more upset that the second book in the trilogy lacked so much. I definitely feel as though Creagh could have done something about it, but it's her book, she can do what she wants with it.

I greatly enjoyed this book. I finished it a some time ago and I want to reread it. I can for sure say that I would love to own this book, along with the first one. I recommend this book and this trilogy to everyone, young and "old". You definitely don't have to be a Poe lover to read these books. It is safe for a younger reader who is looking for something that is longer in length but not quite Harry Potter. I'm sorry it's been over a month since I last put a review up, I've been crazy busy. I have books to review, just no time to type the review out.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Page Count: 434 pages (hardcover)

Price: $18.99

Next book: Sweet Persuasion by Maya Banks

Thank you so much, I hope no one is too mad at my disappearance
~Jade


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If I Stay by Gayle Forman

First book in the If I Stay duology, I think just about everyone knows about these two books because of the movie. The second book is called Where She Went. The book itself was released in 2009 and gained lots of popularity when the movie was made. I remember seeing this book in high school but I was too preoccupied with other, longer books. Now I'm glad that I have read it.



Mia had life pretty much good. She has an amazingly supportive family, she's talented and smart. Then it all changes with a simple freak accident. Now she has to decide if she wants to stay or move on with her life. The hardest choice she had to make before was moving away and perusing her passion for music or staying with her boyfriend. This new choice isn't that simple, nor going to be easy to make.

This is a pretty small book I finished it relatively quickly. Had I of been able to sit down and read this nonstop I think I would have finished it in less than a day. I don't want to spoil anything so I will try to keep my likes pretty vague (as usual). I laughed a few times and when I did, I giggled about it even afterwards. Like when Mia and Kim got into a fight. Speaking of Kim, I really enjoyed her message of "family doesn't always mean related to you by blood". Way too many people think this and get disillusioned when their blood-family doesn't end up being there for them. Though I can understand why Mia would think this, her family was so close that facing the reality of possibly spending the rest of her life without them would be saddening. I liked reading about that closeness, it's not often that you see a family that close in real life. I also liked the simplicity of the story. It wasn't full of twists, turns, and hints about what's to come and all the rest.

As for things I didn't like, one is how simple the story was. Everyone swore that they cried and couldn't believe that they were so deeply moved. I wasn't. *SPOILER-ALERT* I knew that everyone was going to have to die for Mia to be faced with the choice of living or moving on.*SPOILER-ENDED* Not just one or two people but all. I didn't cry, I've lost friends to tragic things like illnesses, car crashes, and suicide. After a while you are just content to read and know that it isn't real. Also I don't see where the hype from this book came from. I see how it can be moving for some people really, and the story was nice but other than that it was just 'okay' to me. But that ending! How could you Forman! A dreaded cliffhanger!!!

Even with everything that I didn't like I still recommend this book to those that are younger. I definitely feel as though they would get more out of the story than those of us who have already experienced loss. I don't know when I will be reading the second book. I'm not in a rush to read it, just like I am not in a rush to own this book. If I find it for a good price, I'll take it. I wan to do a book to movie comparison but I don't know how I would do it. If it happens you guys will now.

Rating: eh, 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 196 pages (hardcover)

Price: $16.99

Next Book: Oblivion by Kelly Creagh

Thanks for reading!
~Jade


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Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Most people know Westerfeld for his Uglies series, he does have quite a number of books published, Peeps also being one of them. As far as I can tell there is only two books that belong with the duology and no talk of a third. The second book doesn't follow the same characters as this first book but most do see it as the second book. Peeps was published back in 2005, right around the same time as Uglies. I have tried to read that series however, I could never get into it. I'll keep trying but don't expect anything any time soon.



A one night stand changes everything for Cal. The woman is mysterious and a carrier of a parasite. On the bright side Cal also becomes a carrier, on the downside he's given it to all of his ex-girlfriends. They've become Peeps, known more to the common folks as vampires. It's now up to Cal to track them down and stop them from killing or making more peeps. Thankfully with being a carrier you get all the extra strength, better vision and senses that the peeps do too. Cal's definitely going to need it with all the coming trouble.

I don't have very many likes for Peeps. I tried really hard to find more things but in the end I was more disappointed than anything. The first thing that I liked was the biology lessons. They made me laugh reading them, sadly enough  my nerd was showing and I understood everything that was going on. My favorite was the "Trematodes" chapter, that one had me cracking up (my sense of humor is weird, I know believe me I know). Also I laughed throughout the book, not just with the biology lessons and that helped my rating from being shit for this book. I loved most the different take on vampires or the peeps. I was kept interested the most by that, but eventually I realized that nothing special was going to happen so I just opted to finish the book.

I said I liked the biology lessons until they came every. Other. Chapter. Take them out and the actual story is not that big. I understand getting readers to know that things like the transmission of parasite to host is very common it can be detrimental, but can also be very positive for life. But come on! Every other chapter? It got old pretty quick for me, I felt like I was back in high school in sophomore year. Yeah this was way more interesting to read but I felt like Westerfeld needed something to lengthen the book. Also, the ending. Pardon me but WTF! One little blip with the main problem and then wham, bam done. And the "drama" with the Night Watch. Of course they are hiding things from you, Cal. They call you 'Kid' for a reason! (Okay I'm going to stop ranting now....)

I don't think I will be reading the second book, I would have to order it from another library and that could take quite a few weeks. Also with as disappointed as I was in the book, overall I want to hold off on the second book. I think younger kids could learn something from reading the book along with enjoying the plot. That being said I recommend this to the younger-ish ones. Not too young though, there is talk of sex but nothing to get upset over.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Page Count: 312 pages (paperback)

Price: $8.99

Next: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Thank you for putting up with my rant!
~Jade


You can also find me here: Facebook, Goodreads, and Tumblr!

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

This is the second book in the Nevermore trilogy. I do have the first book Nevermore reviewed, it's on the rougher side of a review but it's still mine. I plan on reading the third book Oblivion however, I don't know when I will be getting to it, I hope soon though. As far as I can find there hasn't been any talk of Creagh coming out with anything else since Oblivion was published. This could very well change at a moments notice and I sure hope it does!



Varen is still gone in the dreamworld, Isobel is in the real world where she is experiencing very real nightmares and visions. Her only hope comes from a grave in Baltimore, where Edgar Allen Poe is buried. On the morning of his birthday a mysterious person visits the grave, he is known as the "Poe Toaster". Whomever it is, they know how to get to the other world, and Isobel needs their help. Unfortunately there are other hurtles she must get over before she can get to him. Varen's being torn in two, toward an evil so powerful and also by Isobel. Though by time she gets to him, he is no longer the same Varen she knows.

Poe! Again, like the last book I loved that Poe's work was incorporated. I am a huge fan of Poe and as of thus far I do not think Creagh did a bad job with his work. I would've liked to have seen more, but this book was more about Isobel trying to figure out how to get to Varen, and get him back into the real world. I really loved the suspense leading up to Poe's birthdate in the first part of the book. I also liked the aspect of the dream world being more in the book. I like the features of that world and how things mirror the real, but at the same time changes within seconds. I did love two characters in particular, Gwen and Danny. Gwen because without her being sassy and sarcastic I don't think I would have read the book in it's entirety. Danny made me smile he knew something was wrong, didn't know how to approach it, but still made it known that he loved his sister. People don't think that kids understand what is going on around them, but some really do.

If you're looking for Varen to be in the book, well I have bad news for you. He really isn't at all. The ending is an excellent draw in for the final book however, if you are like me and wanted to get some action from Varen, you'll be disappointed. In general I was disappointed with the last half of the book. Things were built up to and I was expecting something so much more than the little stint in the other world. By time the ending of the book came I was left with the feeling of "that's it? That's all that this lead up to?" It was more of Isobel hemming and hawing until Poe's birthday. I definitely think that if I wouldn't have waited so long to read Enshadowed I would have seen a lot more of the book as dull. Dare I hint that this had Middle Book Syndrome...? I will highly unhappy if the final book is like this one, and everything built up to and then not properly executed.

I'm glad I didn't get to read this book right after the last one because I would have been more disappointed in the book. I definitely wouldn't rush out and buy this book, I want the first book more than this one. I hope that the last book is a lot better, I'm going to try and get to it a little quickly but I don't think I will be able to because I work a lot this week, and I am already reading another book. I still recommend this to people of all ages, even those who are on the younger side and like big books.

Rating: low 4 out of 5

Page Count: 429 pages (hardcover)

Price: $17.99

Next Book: Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Thank you for reading!
~Jade



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Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake

Nightwalker is the first book in the Dark Days series by Drake. There are six full length novels and a few novellas. Drake has another series out just in case Nightwalker isn't your type of book. I found this book in the fantasy section of my library. This was published back in 2008 and the last novella was published in 2012.


By now Mira is used to being a nightwalker, it's been a few centuries since she has been made. Her mysterious power over fire makes her different from the other nightwalkers and has made her an interest to others. So far it seems that her power is keeping her from meeting her end. A new enemy has arisen and his name is Danaus, a vampire hunter. He's killed many of Mira's kind and she now has to make a decision, either hunt or be hunted.

Again another book that had a lot of action and a few sub plots that could make or break the main one. I think so far they are making the main plot stronger because all the smaller plots are adding to the suspension of everything that is happening. I especially think the conflict between Mira and Jabari could be a great explosion and I hope that Drake explored it. I do like that there is a slightly more complex hierarchy of vampires. There are the ancients, the middle groups and then lower and newer vampires. I haven't heard the term naturi before, which is another name for the fey creatures. The fey are not small or pixie like with Drake. They are not always nice either and this was a great change of pace.

I only have a couple of dislikes and one of them really dropped my rating for the book. Some authors hang onto a phrase and just use it to death. Drake used so and so person "ran their hand through their hair" so many times that I quit reading the book for a few days. In one chapter alone it was used three times. I tried to keep count for the book as a whole but I quit counting after it was used the eight time. I don't know what Drake could have used in replace of that phrase but something else was needed to express their frustration. The second thing that annoyed the crap out of me was that Mira couldn't seem to wear the appropriate attire. Yes, lets wear leather high heel boots while knowing that I have a number of people on my ass. There is cool looking combat ready clothes that she could have considered, knowing that there are lots of people that want her dead.

Nightwalker was a great read, and I was kept interested throughout the book. If it weren't for the phrase "ran their hand through their hair" I would have given the book a higher rating. I don't know if I would reread Nightwalker any time soon. I would like to own the book however it is a book that I would be willing to pass up for another. Honestly, I do recommend this for young adults as well, there's a few PG-13 parts but they don't last but a few paragraphs at most.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Page Count: 370 pages (paperback)

Price: $7.99

Next book: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

Thank you so much for reading!
~Jade


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Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has read or viewed my blog. I woke up last week and when I logged into blogger I found that I was at 2,000 page views!! I know it may not seem like much but for me it is way more than I thought I would get when I first started this review blog some time ago. Thank you again!

Now that that is said, this is the first book in the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance, there are a total of 6 books published and two more anticipated. I have heard that the seventh book in the series has had it's publication date pushed back a couple of times. It doesn't seem that this will be happening any more, hopefully. There is quite a number of books by Chance published, some that go along with this series and ones that do not.



Sometimes being able to see the future isn't as cracked up as it sounds. Cassandra Palmer knows this all too well because her ability makes her sought out by the dead and undead. Ghosts aren't a problem but they will talk your head off. It's all the other creatures of the night that make problems for her. Cassie escaped a crazy house run by an even crazier vampire three years ago and has avoided vampire as much as she can. But the person she is running from has caught up to her and she goes to the vampire Senate for help. Their help comes with a price, and she ends up working with one of the most powerful vampires. He demands a price to be paid as well and Cassie doesn't know if she is willing to pay up.

I guess I go through fazes of getting books that don't have enough action, to getting the books filled with action. Touch the Dark had lots of action, pretty much from about 20 pages in there was almost nonstop action all the way through. I was kept interested with the action but also with the talk about Cassie's back story, and especially a few of the vampires too. As always, I loved that there was more than two mythical creatures in the book. I do plan on reading the second book eventually and I hope to see more of the Fae, and witch aspect. *SEMI-SPOILER ALERT* I did see the part with Tomas coming. I didn't really like him in the beginning, he gave me a weird feeling. *SEMI-SPOILER ENDED* Whereas I wasn't really surprised, I am glad that Chance did that because otherwise events that where going on wouldn't have made sense. I extremely liked that just because one becomes a vampire, they are not automatically "awesome", they get there through lots of work and through the years. Otherwise they are nothing special.

I know I said I liked all the action, but I also had a slight problem with it. There wasn't much down time, and with this things moved really fast. I got confused quite often in the beginning because of this. Cassie would start to talk about her time with Tony and it just wouldn't make sense to me as to what was going on, and then the fighting would start. After a while it did become clearer but that was more toward the end of the book. I would have preferred a little novella to come before this first book just to give a taste as to Cassie's history.

With the couple of problems I had with Touch the Dark I still really enjoyed it. Like I said before I really want to read the second book because things have just gotten started. This is considered an "adult" book, there are a few sex scenes, but I have read much, much worse. A more mature teenager could handle this book no problem. I recommend this book, obviously with the caution to the younger audience because of the sex. I wouldn't mind owning this book, but it remains to be seen how the rest of the series is going to turn out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Page Count: 307 pages (paperback)

Price: $7.99

Next book: Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake

Thank you so much for reading!
~Jade


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Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Nightlife is the first book in the Cal Leandros series, there are a total of ten books published and a eleventh planned for 2016. I will be reading the second book, however I don't know if it will be right away or not (I've said this before but we'll see what happens this time). There are a few other books out by Thruman so if this doesn't peek your interest maybe one of the others will. I picked this book up seeing the name Rob, and I know I read a lot of female authors and I wanted to branch out into more male authors. However upon further research, Rob is a female. I tried everyone, I did. I even read the little blurb about the author in the back of the book and NOTHING said that she was female. Oh well, life goes on.

 

New York City doesn't know that there is a troll under their Brooklyn bridge, a boggle in Central Park and a vampire in the Upper East Side. Most humans don't realize what is going on around them, Cal does but he's only half human. The lovely father of Cal, his heritage is that worthy of nightmares. On top of that him and his otherworldly race are after Cal. Cal doesn't stick around anywhere long enough to find out why though. Niko, his half brother, and Cal for four years have been able to keep ahead of them, until now. Now they are about to find out exactly what Cal is wanted for. Hell on Earth, is just a metaphor for what Cal is going to be used for.

For this being Thurman's first book in 2006, it wasn't bad. It was really nice not reading a romance novel, and switching things up for a bit. I really enjoyed the sibling love throughout the book. Especially since not all half-siblings have the best relationships. I also really liked that Niko took his education seriously, to know more about your enemies and how to kill them is a good thing. Speaking of enemies, Cal has a lot of them being half Auphe (elf), and because of this there was a lot of action. I have had a problem with a lot of books not having enough action and this book definitely sated my action thirst. I loved that there where a lot of mythological creatures and not all of them are beautiful either. Some authors try to beautify mythological creatures (I don't have a problem with this) but not all of them are. I also loved that Puck was a character pulled into the book, if you do not know who Puck is look him up. I also liked the plot even if I did forget it with the first 100 pages.

The first 100 pages of the book where a bit of a bore. I forgot what Niko and Cal where after many times and eventually I quit trying to go back and read what it was. At one point in time I was about to put the book down but I was going to wait till about the 150 page mark before I did that. Thankfully before then the book really picked up. I also found that whereas I normally get engulfed with a book, this did not happen this time around. I could easily put the book down and do something else. I could have easily started another book and just forgotten about this one. Though because of this I ended up skimming over a good amount of the book. I read the parts that where important and skipped over that which wasn't.

I don't know if I would exactly call this an "adult" novel. I could definitely see this as a transition between young adult and adult, it meets a perfect middle ground. It wasn't bad by far but there was quite a few things I didn't like. Most revolving around when there wasn't action there wasn't anything, and when there was action it was good. I do want to read the second book, I am looking forward to what it holds, though it's not that high of a priority to read right this second. I recommend this book to all ages, not just "adult", and if you like fantasy, go for it. As of right now it remains to be seen if I would want to own this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Page Count: 339 pages (paperback)

Price: $7.99

Next book: Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

Note: I'm trying to aim for a book review every other week if possible. If not then I am very sorry. Also I'm almost to 2,000 views! Thank you to everyone who is checking out and possibly reading my reviews. I really, truly appreciate it!

Want to keep up with me in another way? I created a Facebook Page where I will be updating when I post something here! Go take a look at it and like it if you want to.

Texts From Jane Eyre and Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg

Back in high school I remember my 11th grade literature teacher reading this hilarious book based off of Facebook statuses from characters in Hamlet and others. I loved every bit of it and I wish I could get my hands on that book. I was more than excited when I saw that I had won an ARC from a Goodreads first reads giveaway* almost a year ago. This is going to be a shorter review as well.



As the title says, there are text messages from Jane Eyre, Edgar Allen Poe, Gone With the Wind, Shakespeare, and many more. Can you even begin to fathom what some of these characters would text about? Ortberg gives you a glimpse into some of the shenanigans that they could come up with.

I laughed a lot. I hoped that I would, and I did. I was extremely happy with this. I have picked up books like this one and expected just as much and have been let down. This book is a hoot from beginning to end, if a bit naughty at time. I found that I recognized quite a bit of the people and stories mentioned, either from reading them myself, in high school, or just hearing about them from other people. I especially loved Edgar Allen Poe's and Hamlet's texts, they had me rolling in laughter.

I did find that if I didn't know the story or understand the context I wouldn't understand the humor in the texts. For example I have never read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, whereas I found parts of the texts humorous, there were parts where I didn't laugh and was trying to figure out what was being talked about. There are other stories where I had the same problem, but I find that if you don't do like I did and try to read too much into it you can get a laugh anyways.

Either way around I found that I very much enjoyed reading Texts from Jane Eyre, and I would most definitely read it again. I am tempted to read a number of the books mentioned because if they are half as entertaining as these texts, I think I will enjoy them. I do highly recommend this book to everyone, like I said there are a few naughty spots but I don't think anything more that a teenager wouldn't hear in school is presented.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Price: $23 though this could be less (paperback)

Page Count: 226 pages

Next: Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Thanks for reading!
~Jade


*Note: Yes, I did receive this from a Goodreads giveaway. No, I am not being paid or sponsored to review the book. Yes, these are my heartfelt opinions. If you didn't know I received this book late last year and I am just now review it. If I didn't like the book I would say. Have a concern? Email me and we can talk through it.

I would like to add this in, I'm sorry if reviews are scarce. I am working and taking 3 classes this summer. Reading isn't something I have much time for at the moment, but I read every chance I get and when I shouldn't be. However, I will still be putting reviews up when I can. Just hang in there with me I promise it won't always be like this :)

Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz

This is the third book in the Touch series I do have the first two books reviewed. If you go to Deadly Little Lies review I have the first book linked there. Stolarz did publish a book back in 2014 so if you are looking to read something from her that is recent there is Welcome to the Dark House.



Camila and Ben both have the power of psychometry, it's rare to find someone that close to you that has the same specialness as you. Ben can lose control though, if he starts to feel something more malevolent. Camila's specialness gets itself out when she works with her clay. Most of the time she doesn't even understand what it means. Back together they barely have time to talk things through before something start to stir up again. This time, Camila isn't the target of someone's ministrations. This time it is Adam, someone from Ben's past. Clues begin to pile up faster and faster and it's apparent that he's in danger. But who can be trusted?

*nearly put my head through a wall* That's a great start to likes right....? I liked that when problems began to pop up with Ben and her she tried to straighten things out. That's how relationships work, things pop up the couple works on them, when both are ready. Honestly though Kimmie, Wes, and Aunt Alexia saved this book for me. Otherwise I would have put it down. I also liked that Stolarz tried to put more than one topic in that could possibly happen with being a teen, like parents going through a divorce, relationship drama, family problems, parents pressuring. All of these could be a reality as you grow up. I liked it a lot that the puzzles that were being sent to Adam where put in the book as well. Lastly I liked that Camila got to interact with Alexia in this book.

Now for the dislikes. I actually put off typing up this part because I didn't want to completely slam the book. I've been through the relationship that Camila and Ben have (just without the psychometry) and reading what they (Ben) were doing was driving me mad. Ben downright annoyed the fuck out of me and I used to like him! I can understand a person being afraid because of their past, but guess what? IT'S THE FRICKIN' PAST YOU HAVE TO LEARN FROM IT AND MOVE ON! Ladies and gents, do not want this type of relationship. It's not healthy and it's not fun, take it from someone who was there for almost 4 years. Please enjoy your younger years, being an adult isn't as cracked up as it is made to look like. Be single and enjoy it. I stated that I liked that Stolarz tried to put a lot of possible drama besides relationship, but I felt that it was a lot going on for this book. Stolarz should have picked a couple and went with it not all of them. I was more interested with what was going on with Kimmie, Wes, and Alexia then Camila, Adam and Ben. Again, I could have done without the love triangle.

I went ahead and read what the next book is about and I don't know if I will be getting to it soon. I don't want to deal with Ben and Adam anymore. I was more disappointed with this than anything and actually didn't want to read it most of the time because of everything. I still recommend it to a younger audience but, again do not romance Ben and Camila's "relationship", it isn't as "romantic" as it seems. I don't think I would reread Deadly Little Games, and I don't think I would buy it at even half price or at all.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Page Count: 297 pages (hardcover)

Price: $16.99

Next Book: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Short Stories

Thanks for reading everyone,
~Jade

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Sorry there was no post for last week but it was nothing but finals for me and lots of last minute online work so I didn't really get to read. BUT here is the review! As far as I can tell this is the first book for Martin, and I couldn't tell what it was about when I picked it up. So I went to fictiondb.com and as soon as I saw the word zombies I proceeded to keep it with me. I don't know if Martin has any other books planned, but if he does I think I will be checking them out.

Michael and his five-year old brother Patrick have stayed alive through following the instructions of the Game Master. The Bellows are nasty creatures that can tear someone apart if they are not careful to stay away from them. By night the brothers fight them, by day they salvage around to stay alive. Unfortunately that might not be for too long. The others in The Game don't follow the rules, and the Bellows are mutating even more.

The past couple of reviews I have done weren't that well liked by me, however The End Games earns a thumbs up from me. I'm not very hard to please (sometimes). Martin really got my attention with the differences of the "normal" zombies compared to his Bellow-zombies. I really enjoyed that they weren't the typical zombies that we see in movies, TV and read about. With a zombie book you expect there to be some sort of action, and there was in this. All throughout the book things were happening and I couldn't wait to read what was coming next. Along with that the descriptions of things like Cady, and what was happening really made me enjoy this book more. Things weren't too descriptive but descriptive enough for me to really get into what was happening. As for characters I really enjoyed, Patrick by far was my favorite. I don't know why other than I think little kids are awesome. I did enjoy that a main reoccurring theme was sibling love, even when it is hard to love the sibling. I think through growing up and being a tween and teenager siblings forget that they should be nice to their other brothers and sisters. Yes you won't always get along but don't forget that they might not always be there, so love them while you can.

The only dislike I have is character development. For Bonnie, and Hank I can understand why they didn't get the development, but for Holly I was disappointed. I felt that Holly was disconnected with the book. She was a character there for the plot and to get Michael and Patrick through. Martin tried to make her a bigger part of the book but for me it really didn't work.

Despite the lack of character development, I do recommend this book to everyone. Readers young and "old" could find something that they like about The End Games. I was drawn into the book and kept in and I really enjoyed that. For Martin's first book I will say he did a very good job. I can see myself rereading this book later on and possibly owning it. I do enjoy zombie books and I appreciate the twist with this one. It shakes up the normal stereotype and that is another reason why I recommend it.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 369 pages (hardcover)

Price: $17.99

Next: May and June Book Haul

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Second book in the Touch series I do have the first book Deadly Little Secret, reviewed. The next book in the series is Deadly Little Games. Stolarz does have a number of other books out, so if this series isn't your cup of tea, she might have something else that is.

It was only last fall when Camila fell for Ben and found out that he has the gift of psychometry. Though as things began to get good, Bed up and leaves. Heartbroken Camila spends month researching psychometry and even experiences a few spells herself. Wondering if this is something that can be passed from one person to the next, she tries to tell Ben once he does come back but it's no use. She can't get him to listen long enough. Things start to happen though, almost like a repeat from last year. Warning and threats begin to pop up like last time. In the midst of all of this, deciding to move on Camila starts seeing a new guy in town named Adam. He seems to be less complicated then Ben, but a love triangle forms. Ben's past starts to reveal itself and Adam is tangled in it too. Someone is lying but no one will say who.

Yet another book where I don't have that many likes. I'm in a rut lately...but here we go. I liked that Camila tried to effectively cut things off with Ben seeing as they were no longer "together". She knew that it wasn't good to try and keep things at a "friend" level when they had such a heated connection. Sometimes it's better to cut things off completely because it means that both people will be able to heal. I'm interested to see how this next book plays out with Adam. This time around I really enjoyed Kimmie and Wes more, they had me laughing a number of times. I think I'm beginning to like them more than Camila. I loved the snippets from Alexia, it took me a while to figure out who she was. Mainly because I forgot, but once I did I really enjoyed those parts the most. *SPOILER-ALERT* I did see the psychometry being hereditary-thing coming but I was waiting to see who else has or had it in the family.*SPOILER-ENDED* For the last thing that I liked, Stolarz showed with Alexia that how a parent acts toward a child really does affect them. Be it good or bad it has an affect and after so long the child may turn their attitude around completely because of this.

Now for the dislikes...I completely saw Debbie coming. I mean she hates Ben. Granted, yes, the whole school pretty much does but she realllly hates him. So why not make his life hell? I did feel as though I was rereading the first book with some change ups and no kidnapping. I seriously hope that wasn't the point because it killed the mood of the book for me. Also the love triangle, saw that one coming too, and YA novels have enough of the love triangles going on. It's time for authors to switch things up with that. I probably would have guessed a good chunk of the book had I of read this book closer to the last book. The "action" that was being lead up to was a little over a page and then done. There was more talking than anything. I think I liked the tussle between Ben and Adam a lot more. Though this book wasn't dull, it wasn't really anything spectacular either.

I am not completely discouraged from reading the third book, but if things don't pick up I don't know about the rest of the series. I do recommend this book to others but be warned that I don't know if more advanced readers will enjoy it as much as the younger ones, but I could be wrong. I would like to own the first book, but not so much this one. Depending on how the next books in the series go, it will really make my mind up if this is one of those series I want to own just a few of the books or the whole series.

Rating: low 3 out of 5.

Page Count: 282 pages (hardcover)

Price: $16.99

Next Book: The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Zomburbia by Adam Gallardo

Zomburbia is the first book in the Zombie Apocalypse...I don't know yet if it is going to be a series or just a duology. This is a fairly new book, being published in 2014, and the second book Zombified published this year in February. It caught my eye when I saw that it had something to do with zombies and I told myself this time around at the library that I wouldn't pick anything up. As usual, I did. I don't know when I will be reading and reviewing the second book, college is getting reallllly busy, but I will try my best to keep posting reviews when I can.

High school is hard enough, add zombies to the mix and it just makes it that much more awesome. Add another strike by being born in Salem, Oregon. Courtney has a plan though. Selling Vitamin Z while working at Bully Burger and saving the money to move to New York. What's Vitamin Z you might ask? Well, zombie brains. Courtney isn't your run of the mill drug seller though. She notices that things are getting worse. The zombie seem to be getting smarter and faster. No one else seems to notice this at all. If she can make it through high school, avoid being arrested and try to stay out of the line of fire from a stupid boy things should be some semblance of fine. Right?

Yes I do have more likes than THIS HAS ZOMBIES IN IT! There were subtle hints throughout the book that people may become a zombie through something other than a bite or scratch. It was the same hint every time which made it pretty easy to pick up. For me it wasn't overly thrown in your face, and it did make sense as to why this would happen. Also the sarcasm between Courtney and Sherri had me cracking up constantly through the book. There were some dull parts where I was waiting for the book to pick up a bit but they really didn't bother me because I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to know what things where going to happen mainly between Courtney and Brandon. Speaking of those two, I liked that Courtney stayed true to herself even with a hot guy giving her attention. It took her a moment but she did stick to her guns. I think more younger girls need to know that even though a boy or girl likes you, you shouldn't change yourself to keep them interested. If they don't like you for who you are, they aren't worth your time and energy. Lastly I really liked the references to other books and movies. Grease, The Lost Boys, and even Lord of the Flies were mentioned. As someone knowing all three of these it was pretty cool to see how they were incorporated into the text.

For a young adult novel I'd say that even an adult could easily get into it and like it. Although I was able to predict a number of things, Willie and Sherri being one of them. It took me a little longer with Sherri but as soon as Brandon entered the picture, I knew what was going to happen with Willie. It was a dead ringer once Willie's mom was given a small voice too. *SPOILER-ALERT* Though really I don't think this is too big of one. The only other thing I had a problem with was when Courtney decided to aid her friends into trying Vitamin Z. Yes peer pressure is a bitch. Yes you are supposed to support your friends, but not when it comes to aiding your friends into trying a "hard core" drug. Don't do this kids. Just don't. *SPOILER-ENDED* Though I do appreciate Gallardo showing that bad things can happen and when it rains, it pours with the bad times.

I was really pleased while reading Zomburbia, I didn't want to put it down pretty much at all because I was kept interested. I did have a couple of problem but they really didn't deter me from finishing the book. I really hope that Gallardo continues to write, be it with this series or another. I find that his writing style really draws me in even when things are at a slower pace. I would most definitely reread this book, and I do think owning it would be nice. I would hold off to see how many more books are going to be added before really investing in them. Heck, for all I don't know the second book could be the end. I do recommend this book to people of all ages to read, and I don't see a problem with a kid in middle school reading this.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 362 pages (paperback)

Price: $9.95

Next Book: Racheal Awakened by Robin A. Dilks

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I know, I know, I'm a little late on reading this book (more like four years). This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone...but it's better late than never! To be perfectly honest I have had this book for a good year or so and I just now got around to reading it. For those of you unaware this first book in the Peculiar Children trilogy is going to be a movie in 2016 and rumored to be directed by Tim Burton! The second book is out and I do own it, though I don't know when I will get around to reading that. The final book is not published yet, but is set to be in September of this year.

If it weren't for a family tragedy Jacob wouldn't have been driven to a little island off the coast of Wales. While there he finds Miss Peregrine's Hone for Peculiar Children, it's in ruins but after looking around he sees that these peculiar children are more than what they seem. There's a chance they are dangerous, and have been quarantined here for a reason. There's a chance that they may still be alive.

I very much enjoyed this book, Riggs did a fantastic job of drawing me in but I wasn't kept there which I will get into in the next paragraph. I really enjoyed the idea that peculiar children need to be protected from this greater evil. Once the backstory is told of the greater evil I was really intrigued and I wished that there was a novella or something that goes along with the backstory more. I sympathize with Jacob, because if I had a grandparent telling me tales like Jacob's I wouldn't believe them either. It would take for me to come face to face with what they were talking about before I where to believe, like Jacob. I couldn't pick just a few characters that I liked, because I liked basically all of the peculiar children. They are unique and all really cool on their own, and I love how they are kept a secret from the "real world" for their protection too. I was surprised to see that I recognized a few of the photos that Riggs included.

The only real problem I had with Peculiar Children is that I found I could be drawn away from reading it. In between starting and finishing this book I also read 3 or 4 other books. I did always go back to it but if something caught my attention I didn't feel the need to finish Peculiar Children. Now this isn't so much as a dislike, but more of a annoyance. It also takes away from the full 5-rating that I was intending to give. My attention just wasn't kept by Riggs. I will hold off reading the second book for a little bit because of how easily distracted I was from this one.

I did enjoy Peculiar Children very much, I just wish my attention had been kept all the way through. I do recommend this book to everyone, not just young adults. I think that adults could enjoy this book easily. I also think younger readers could enjoy this book, I don't think there is anything in this book that they wouldn't come across worse just listening to the afternoon news. I already own this book and the second, it remains to be seen whether I decide to get the final third book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 382 pages (paperback)

Price: $10.99 (I bought this around $7-$9 at my local Sam's Club)

Next Book: The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

I had reviews going up every Saturday (for me) but seeing as I have a class on Saturdays now, I will just push back the reviews by one day. Now it will be every Sunday that I put a review up.

Cauchemar by Alexandra Grigorescu

Cauchemar is Grigorescu's first book! I happily won* this ARC through a Goodreads first reads giveaway. Obviously I have no way of knowing if this book is going to be apart of anything.

Losing her protector and adopted mother, 20-year-old Hannah find herself alone on the edge of a Louisiana swamp. Her only solace is with Callum, a boat captain and part-time musician. Hannah's biological mother, who is rumored to commune with the dead and known outcast, comes back into her life. So Hannah must confront what she's been kept from, deadly spirits haunt the swamp, secrets from her past, and a special gift that she posses.

Cauchemar was surprisingly a really good read. I found that I kept turning the pages trying to get to the end and see how things played out. Hannah was very young and went through a lot, to be left alone from an "accident". Losing someone you love especially a mother figure is very hard on anyone, and Hannah handled it very well. I did like the supernatural aspect of Cauchemar, it was very captivating and I wanted to keep reading to see how it affected the living because it was. I'm usually not that into an older-ish guy getting with a girl who is as young as Hannah but Callum was for the most part very grown. He cared very much about Hannah in a short amount of time. I loved Grigorescu's descriptions, I could easily form a picture in my head of what was happening. I do like the plot, where things have a way of repeating itself whether you know it or not, though with this plot things where a bit predictable. I did enjoy the last couple of chapters as everything came to a boil and finally had to be dealt with.

I did find that a few things were predictable as I read, it made me a little disappointed in how much I was able to predict in this book. I also didn't think this book was exactly "scary" but there where spots that had me cringing. I was confused a few times, and had to reread a few passages over just to figure out what was really going on. Certain parts confused me as to how they played into the present, but once it was made clear my confusion went away pretty much completely.

For Grigorescu's first novel I say that she did marvelous. I really can't wait for her to write more in the future. I do indeed recommend this book to everyone, though I will say with those younger readers there are a few spots of intimacy, that parents should be aware of. They are not bad, but they are there. Even with the predictability I did find that I wanted to read to the end. I can see myself rereading Cauchemar a couple of times before I put it away for a little while.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 316 pages (paperback)

Price: $16.95

Next book: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

*Note: I am in no way being coerced into making a review. Leaving a review is happily welcome but not required thus if I don't like a book I will say so. This review is based upon my true feelings and thoughts about the book. I promise you I wouldn't let anything sway my opinion about a book.

Fade by Lisa McMann

Second book in the Wake trilogy, I do have the first book Wake reviewed and it is linked. I will have the third book reviewed soon. I made darn sure to check out both books this time instead of one at a time. Gone won't be next, but it will be after the next book review. If you are interested keep on the look out for it, or just wait until I link it back in this review.

Things haven't changed, yet. Janie and Cabel still have a secret relationship and trying to find time for themselves is near impossible. With little clues, something very wrong is happening at Fieldridge High, but no one is speaking up about it. It isn't until Janie enters a classmates dream that things begin to open up. Nothing goes as planned, nothing is easy. Janie has a lot on her plate, and Cable is no help. His behavior ends up getting them both in trouble. It's one hit after another for Janie, she learns the truth about her ability, and it's not the greatest. Her fate is all but sealed as a dream catcher, but what's to come is what could break a person.

Oh the feels, oh so many feels with Fade. This was just as good as the first, and I have high hopes for the third and final book. There was just as much excitement, and drama as the first, only I would say there is more emotion this time around. You're heart can't help but go out to Janie, and everything that she is going through. I'm grateful that she has Cable, but there is more growing that needs to be done mentally and emotionally for them both. I love the fact that I was glued to the book from page one. I had to finish it once I started, things got in the way of that but I was grabbing Fade every chance I got. I was most definitely kept interested throughout the book. I loved the plot and how we got to see Janie go undercover and deal with a problem. I'd say that Janie grows some in Fade she begins to see that she has to be a big girl about her life and not about another's life. She really has to start thinking about her own life and what is going to happen. I love Captain, she's like the tough mother that both Cable and Janie need. Captain is for sure on my top five favorite characters.

I was a little disappointed in a few things. They were minor and shouldn't pose a problem, but I was hoping for one of them not to happen. I know I have mentioned this before. I've noticed that with second books if the two main characters are love interests, this reoccurring theme almost always happens. *SPOILER-ALERT* After the bust goes down and Janie does her job, Cable pretty much breaks up with her. This is more at the end of the book, but it happened nonetheless. *SPOILER-ENDED* I was hoping that McMann would stay away from this, but I understand. Cable's reasoning for this though, had me wanting to bang my head against the wall. I understand with his father being majorly abusive, but still Janie? Janie wouldn't be like that. Also, there was a huge predictable spot in the book, as to the drawback to being a dream catcher. I saw that coming from the very beginning. I think a lot of people also did too. I wouldn't say that it ruined the book for me because there was so much more going on in the book.

Without really intending to, I have been reading books lately that need a sort of trigger warning. Fade is one of them, but it is still a very clean book. There is talk of rape, a number of times throughout the book. It goes with the plot, and the undercover work that Janie has to do. There is nothing graphic, and there are no details. There is also talk of being drugged. This next one is more of a warning for parents. There is talk of sex, once again, not graphic and not detailed. It is hinted toward. If you think you can handle mentions, and hints, then you can handle reading Fade. I guess I will do this more often if I see a need to put a trigger warning on a book.

I recommend this book and the previous Wake to everyone, young and "old". I would love to own this book. I don't see a problem with younger people reading, I don't think the topics in this would be anything that they can't handle. Obviously if a parent hasn't had a few talks with them they may be curious as to what is going on. For a young adult book, I loved it. Even with the predictable parts I wanted to keep reading. It was just a little bump in the road. I just wish that this were a longer book, along with the first. I would most definitely reread Fade again.
 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 248 pages (hardcover)

Price: ???

Next Book: I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer

 

Thanks for reading!

~Jade

Wake by Lisa McMann

The first book in the Wake trilogy, and I wonder where the hype for it is? Or maybe I missed it? I am going to go with I missed the hype, because that's usually how it happens. I've had my eye on this trilogy for a little while now, and I have never been able to get the first book until now. I was warned by someone who has read these books to read them in order if I really don't want to spoil anything. I took the warning and I am glad I did. I hope you enjoy.

Seventeen-year old Janie has a lot on her plate, and being sucking into other people dreams isn't helping any. She's getting tired of it, and sadly has no one to talk to about it because honestly who wouldn't think she was crazy if they knew about it? She can't control it either and it doesn't matter what time of day it is, if someone is dreaming around her she is getting pulled into it. But the dream of a kid named Cabel, is different. He dreams of killing someone, but he also dreams of her.

To say I devoured this book is an understatement. I began reading at about 1AM and was half way through by 3:30AM. I slept, woke up, and read the rest of the book in just a hour and a half more. It was a very quick read for me but I think that has to do with how fast paced it was, for the most part. The pace did slow but never for very long, which I loved. It fit the book perfectly. In the POV of Janie, I find that she was very relatable, which is nice for a reader. Anyone who wasn't very privileged, had to work for their things, and almost an outcast could really relate to Janie. I feel if I can't 'connect' with one of the main characters, the book isn't that enjoyable. Unless the author does something amazing. I don't even know how to explain Cabel, he seems like a bad boy but that's just too stereotypical for him. *SPOILER-ALERT* I did not see him working under cover as a agent at his age coming. I had to read a couple of pages over just to be sure. Though in the end it made sense why and how he came to be in that position. *SPOILER-ENDED* I have never read a book before where a character has been drawn into anyone and everyone's dreams, so long as they are in close enough proximity, and awake. It was what drew me in in the first place when I picked it up a while ago, and read the back cover. I got annoyed with Janie and Cabel in the beginning and kept yelling at the book. It was good yelling, and I was cracking myself up.

Quite honestly I don't have any real complaints about Wake. I was upset by how fast I read it, and how small the book is compared to some of the other books I have read. I have a feeling that unless Ms. McMann makes some stereotypical moves for the next two book, I may just love them as well. Even with the shortness.

I loved this book to say the least. It is a great relaxed read for adults. I made my mom read it once I was done with Wake and she really liked it as well. I recommend this book to everyone of all ages, I personally don't see a problem with someone in 8th grade reading this. There are a couple of spots where Janie gets sucked into a sexual dream but even then it isn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I think I could reread Wake a few times before I would get tired of it. I don't own the book but I surely want to one day, as for the rest of the trilogy, that remains to be seen.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 210 (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next Book: Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Thanks for reading!
~Jade