Read to Review: The Glittering World

Title: The Glittering World
Author: Robert Levy
Format I read: ebook on kindle via netgalley
Rating: 3/5

SYNOPSIS:
In the tradition of Neil Gaiman (The Ocean at the End of the Lane), Scott Smith (The Ruins), and Jason Mott (The Returned), award-winning playwright Robert Levy spins a dark tale of alienation and belonging, the familiar and the surreal, family secrets and the search for truth in his debut supernatural thriller.

When up-and-coming chef Michael “Blue” Whitley returns with three friends to the remote Canadian community of his birth, it appears to be the perfect getaway from New York. He soon discovers, however, that everything he thought he knew about himself is a carefully orchestrated lie. Though he had no recollection of the event, as a young boy Blue and another child went missing for weeks in the idyllic, mysterious woods of Starling Cove. Soon thereafter, his mother suddenly fled with him to America, their homeland left behind.

But then Blue begins to remember. And once the shocking truth starts bleeding back into his life, his closest friends—Elisa, his former partner in crime; her stalwart husband, Jason; and Gabe, Blue’s young and admiring co-worker—must unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the artists’ colony it once harbored. All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals only as the Other Kind…

MY REVIEW:
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley,

I couldn't remember why I had picked this book and I can't tell you what I expected, but I can tell you that what I got was nothing I could have ever expected even if I tried. I guess it was sorta about Fae but not really but I guess that depends on what you believe about the Fae, I did like that it was original to me but also it was mysterious and a little captivating. I like that the story was told from each one of the friends point of view at differnt times in the journey, but on the flip side to that I'm not sure I really connected or cared to deeply for any of the characters. It was a very interesting tale and the multiple points of view gave me a pretty deep insight into each individual but as interested as I was in their story I was not as interested in their personalities. 
This book is more fun when its mysterious I think so I will leave the rest up to you to decide, I would recommend this to some people it was a cool story.

Book Review- Reborn (Born #3)

Title: Reborn (Born #3)
Author: Tara Brown
Format I read: ebook (kindle edition)
Rating: 5/5

SYNOPSIS:
Twenty years ago a man made a child he never intended to love.

Ten years ago the world ended and Emma turned her back on the man she believed was her father...in an attempt to survive.

Eight weeks ago she discovered the truth about her family, including the sister she never knew existed.

Last week she had her heart broken by the one man she never imagined giving it to.

Yesterday she turned her back on those she cared for in an attempt to help them survive.

Today she plans on hunting two men to the ends of the broken earth.

Not to save the world.

Not to make the world a better place.

Tomorrow... she plans on getting revenge. 

MY REVIEW:
I have a very intense love/ hate relationship with this book, I really love this world and the characters that inhabit it but I hate how emotional this conclusion made me. I have many feelings and opinions about this book so if you read on spoilers are ahead.
I'm not sure I could ever really understand or connect with Emma but there is just something about her that I like and I'm glad she finally found happiness, stability, and family:
"Because it's us and them, it always was." 
She started this journey as a fierce loner with no one to worry about but herself and Leo but when Ana knocked on her door it started a chain reaction that along the way gave Emma the 'us' she was unknowingly looking for. For a long time I couldn't understand her easy ability to just take a life and move on like she had just stepped on a spider, but the more I think about it the more I realized that it was just a part of how she was raised, how she had survived for so long, and because of her DNA and the wsy she was brought into this world. I must say that the storyline of Emma's evil father and the terrible way things are run was much more interesting than the whole zombie apocalypse I even forgot the infected were a threat for a long time while they delt with the bigger issues of the world.
Now I need to talk about Will, I just don't know why I like him so much, there is so much about him that annoys me and makes me mad but there is so much more that I love, I am very upset at Tara Brown forbreaking my heart twice by killing him, yes twice who does that, how rude to bring him back to his family only to be ripped away again, but also I understand it needed to be done for some things must be built from the ashes of loss and regret.
and I may have loved Will but I love Emma and Jake together even more, and the glimpse in the future eas a wonderful way to end the series proving that life can get better with hard work and love.
I'm sad to see this series over but I am insanely satisfied with the way things went down the good and the bad.

Book Review- Cold Fury (Cold Fury 1)

Title: Cold Fury (Cold Fury 1)
Author: T.M. Goeglein
Format I read: Hardcover
Rating: 3/5

SYNOPSIS:

Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventure

Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).

Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.

Action packed, with fresh, cinematic writing, Cold Fury is a riveting and imaginative adventure readers will devour.

MY REVIEW:

To be honest I bought this book based on the organized crime aspect, when I was younger I always imagined my father in his perfectly put together suit heading off everyday to take care of "business" now to be clear my dad was and still is a hotel vice president and nothing more but he loved old action movies with the crime boss and I thought that was why, this is why I find it hard to believe that Sara noticed akl the whispers even heard parts of conversation and dudnt try to find out more, especially since she watched so many movies on the subject, Willy even hinted something to her and she never thought twice about any of it until her family was missing, I guess you could say that was my big issue with this book Sara was a little slower on the uptake than I would have liked.
there was a lot of cool action and once Sara decided to use what she learned about herself and her family things got really exciting but I wish it had not taken so long for it to pick up, there was a lot of back story which I guess had useful aspects byt some of it felt like filler that staled the real mystery and excitement.
I liked the story behind the outfit and how it included Al Capone and the secret doors. I was no aware this was a series when I started it and Im not sure if I will continue on or not. 

Read to Review- By the Sword (The Kingdom Chronicles 3)

Title: By the Sword (The Kingdom Chronicles 3)
Author: B.C. Morin
Format: ebook (gifted from author)
Rating: 1000 stars its too good for an out of 5 rating it just gets its own number. 

Synopsis:

The Princess of Meira thought it would be easy, that she could go back, take her love, fight the evil Samil and finally begin to build her life. But as Alannah should know, nothing comes easy… especially not for her. 

Alannah finds herself running back to the Kingdom of Anrad to find the love of her life marrying another. As if the weight of that was not enough, it has been discovered that Samil is in his spirit form and can only be killed by a legendary sword whose whereabouts, no one knows. 

As a final battle looms on the horizon and Samil continues to build his army, Alannah and her friends must set forth on a quest to find Annullo. With her friends and some new unlikely allies, Alannah and the others find themselves traversing snow covered mountainsides, confronting ancient dragons, and fighting for their lives against the dark Drow. 

Loss and danger, secrets and legends, and the demands of sacrifice over love push Alannah and the others further than they thought possible in the epic conclusion to The Kingdom Chronicles.

My Review:

First of all thank you to the amazing author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This series has officially become one of my favorites, it was already on there but with the addition of this truly fabulous conclusion it has forever cemented itself a spot on the list. Thank fully this book picks up right where the last one left off, the open ending of book 2 almost killed me ans I was happy and satisfied with how it continued and I know many others will be pleased too. We also get thrown right back into the action, there is so much more going on than a wedding. 
The loss of Tristan is still fresh but it was handled wonderfully and in the end I think he helps them to find what they need and become who they are. The writing is just as amazing as the previous books, maybe better, the fight scenes are action packed and exciting and the beautiful love scenes between perfect lovers get better and better and I love how the two are combined into a perfectly balanced story of love, loss, friendship, and the fight of the century. The multiple POV's are also a great writing strategy, in this series there is so much to know about all the characters good and bad and getting such a rounded view helped me root harder for our heroes and connect to their struggle. 
I have always enjoyed Alannah but watching her be tested on this journey and show so much strength and courage made me love her so much more. I also love the rest of our hero party but I wont say to much as not to give anything away but I will say this is the best and most loveable group of people I have ever had the pleasure to journey with in print form.
I am very sad to see this series come to an end but I'm so glad I took this journey with the Fae of the five kingdoms and I will make time for a reread of this series it is worth it and I recommend everyone reads this series it has it all.

Book Review- Lullaby (The Watersong Quartet 2)

Title: Lullaby (The Watersong Quartet 2)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format: paperback
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Don't miss the next chapter of Watersong, a bold new series that will enchant you, entrance you, and hold you captive under its spell

Now that Gemma Fisher has inherited Penn, Lexi, and Thea's curse - and all the strange new powers that come along with it - she has no choice but to run away with them. Devastated that she has to leave everyone she loves behind, she's still determined not to give in to the unspeakable hungers that plague her.
Unfortunately, they're growing stronger every day, and she's not sure how much longer she can resist.

Harper won't give up on finding her sister Gemma, vowing to get her back no matter what the cost. The search draws her closer to too-gorgeous-for-his-own-good Daniel, and tests her fiercely guarded independence like never before. She's always been the strong one who everyone else depends on.... Can she let herself depend on Daniel?

As Gemma and Harper plunge deeper into a magical world they barely understand, it becomes painfully clear that Gemma's old life may be lost forever. But can she still hold on to her humanity?

My Review:
Book one took me a while to get into and I had the same problem with this one, but once again I found thst I got sucked in and actually ended up enjoying the last half, I was also lost a bit since I read book one a while ago so that may be a factor. My favorite thing about this series is the mythology about the sirens, how they came to be and how they survive, I don't know much about sirens but I do know these ones are scarier and a lot different then I imagined. 
Harper remains my favorite character and I love the relationship between her and Daniel there is an intense chemistry that bounces off the page and I can't wait to watch them fall in love (we all know it has to happen lol) nd I look forward to much more shirtless Daniel in the near future and I really look forward to answers about his "gift".
Gemma is not someone I am a huge fan of but my love for Harper compels me to put up with her and I've noticed I dislike her less and less as time goes on. Gemma and Alex are kinda cute together but they are no Harper and Daniel and I'm not sure I much care if they end up together. 
Although I feel wishy washy about these books, for the most part I enjoy them and I will continue on so I can see how it all ends.

And since my paperback came with a bonus in the form of a novella in the watersong series I will give a super quick review of that.

  Don’t miss this imaginative new short story set in the magical world of Watersong—a realm of enchanting beauty…and terrifying secrets.

Aggie is a mythological creature on a secret mission.  Lydia is a young woman from a magical family with no real powers of her own. And Daniel is a high school boy who’s made it his duty to protect his deeply troubled older brother.  Then one fateful night, their lives collide in a terrifying accident that changes them all forever. And beneath the surface, the ripple effects of the accident will have more impact than anyone could ever guess...changing not only their future, but the fate of an entire town.

5/5 stars.

My Review:

I loved this novella, it was an awesome look into the backround of a few characters and it made me excited to read more. I'm enjoying this series more as I continue and this little gem was a great addition. 

Book Review- Thirst No. 4: The Shadow of Death (Thirst #4)

Title: Shadow of Death (Thirst 4)
Author: Christopher Pike
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Alisa is a five-thousand-year-old vampire, stronger and more cunning than her adversaries. But now she's trapped in the body of a newborn vampire and at the mercy of a terrible thirst. Worst of all, she's facing enemies whose fierce desire for domination grows ever stronger.

The immortal race the Telar is threatening to release a virus to decimate humanity. But Alisa and her friends can't take down the Telar on their own, and they must turn to the mysterious organization the IIC for help. But the IIC has secrets of its own and may have ulterior motives.

With two rivals and no one to trust, Alisa must rely on her dark side to defeat them. But it could cost her life, or her soul...

My Review:

I find this book very hard to describe, this being book 4 things have gitten very twisted and complicated and even though I have read the first three books I was extremely lost for a while but it fairness it has been a very long time since I read the last books.
I'm still unsure how I feel about it, I liked it and I read it rather quickly but I'm just not sure I can love this series and I think the large religious nature turns me off just a little bit but the action and drama make up for it and I know I will finish this series off cause I'm dying to find out how this ends.
I wish this book had more matt, dont get me wrong I love seymore and I hope he gets the girl but I live matt and although he was present it was not the same and I missed him.
The tellar and IIC are just the beginning Sita has some much bigger things to deal with and it will be an exciting adventure I'm sure of it. 
Book 5 is on its way to me and I'm eager to read more of Pike's great writing.

Book Review- If I Stay (If I Stay #1)

Tittle: If I Stay (If I Stay book one)
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: Paperback (yes I have the movie cover version)
Rating: 5/5

 Synopsis:

The critically acclaimed, bestselling novel from Gayle Forman, author of Where She Went, Just One Day, and Just One Year.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family. '

Now a major motion picture starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time. 

My Review:

First of all WOW, I honestly was not really sure about reading this it had so much hype and everyone was saying how it made them cry and all I could think about was my "The Fault in our Stars" debacle and how all the hype for that one didn't really add up, well this one lived up and then some. I don't think I can do this review with out spoilers so beware some small spoilers may be contained in this review.
I'm not much of a crier when it comes to books, movies, TV and sometimes songs can make me tear up but it's rare that a book can bring tears to my eyes and this was one of those books. I broke down and had to take an emotional break when her Gramps told her it was okay to go:
"It's okay." he tells me. "If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I've ever wanted anything in my life."..."its okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you want to stop fighting." 
With out realizing it he gave her the moat beautiful gift ans as someone who knows what it's like to have a strong silent Grandpa so full of love and understanding my heart broke and melted all at once with the broken beauty of it all.
I loved getting the flashbacks into Mia's life before the crash, but each story about the love of her family made it so much more upsetting when you realize they are already gone. I cannot believe she had to lose Teddy along with her parents, the bright young boy missed out on so much and I can understand why his death seemed to hit Mia a little harder than her parents, but even after getting so much insight into Mia the enormous impact that every death will have on her can never be truly understood.
I regret my initial thoughts on this book it was much better than I expected and I'm curious if the movie is as good as the book.