Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Title: The Collector (Click on title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/ Publication Date: Entangled Teen, April 2, 2013




My Thoughts:

     From the second I saw the synopsis I’ve wanted to read The Collector, and then I finally got my copy.  I breezed through it in a few short hours, and wow, I have to say that I’m pretty impressed.  Scott did a remarkable job on putting a spin on the whole Soul Collector thing, making it almost entirely new.  The writing was entertaining with witty dialogue and snarky comments dropped into places you wouldn’t expect them to be.

     Most books I read aren’t portrayed from the viewpoint of the guy, and I have to say that I found it kind of refreshing.  Dante was exactly how the synopsis portrayed him to be: bad, and uncaring.  Still, there’s more to him than I originally thought there’d be.  Then there was Charlie, she was Dante’s polar opposite.  And it was entertaining to see Dante grow as he got to know her.  Also, there was romance but it wasn’t overbearing.   

     The plot started out running, and kept going until the very end.  There were some very minor things that I had an issue with, but overall it was a good book.  Oh, the ending, don’t even get me started.  I love it when the ending of a book surprises me with facts I didn’t even realize were there.  That’s exactly what the Collector did.  The ending also left a lot of things unfinished.  Needless to say, I have some questions that haven’t been answered.  Still, it left me wanting more and luckily the publication date for The Liberator isn’t too far away. 

I really like it.  I recommend it.

ARC Review: Conjure by Lea Nolan

Previously posted on my Goodreads page
Title: Conjure by Lea Nolan
Source/ Format: Elana Johnson, (Entangled Publishing), E-Arc
Age Range: YA
Publisher/ Publication Date: Entangled Publishing, October 23, 2012



My thoughts:

     One word: Fabulous. I love a good Hoodoo magic book, and Conjure by Lea Nolan did not disappoint. Nolan did an outstanding job capturing the mysterious and sometimes gross elements of Hoodoo, which made the book so much more enjoyable. Nolan created a fantastic world filled with danger and adventure that at some points left me saying out loud, “I don’t know anymore.” Needless to say, I enjoyed reading Conjure.

    Emma, the main character, is dealing with a mountain of trouble, after visiting her father for the summer. Thanks to her brother Jack, who was seemingly blinded by instantaneous love, they’ve unleashed something nasty. Cooper, oh, poor, poor Cooper, he’s such a nice guy, even though his family legacy is about as rotten as it gets. Missy, well, her name says it all. Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, why did you have to be such a creep from the start? The characters were unique, and I liked that. They weren’t generic, and they weren’t perfect. Even Emma had her faults, and lied to her brother and Cooper at one point. Still, that fact just enhances the story.

     The twist near the end…oh boy, you’re in for a real shocker. And the ending, oh, don’t even get me started. I’m so mad right now—mad that I have to wait for the next one to come out, that is. Take my advice: slow down, take your time, and don’t speed through this book. Because you’ll be wishing that you had the second one.

This e-copy was provided by the publisher, thank you!

I absolutley loved it. I would recommend it to everyone.

Review: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Title:Tiger's Curse (Click title for Synopsis)
Source/ Format: Purchased, Paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/ Publication Date: Splinter, January 11, 2011




My Thoughts:

     I admit that I put off reading Tiger’s Curse, because I’d heard that it was just a love story—and I’ve read my fair-share of those.  Some of them I’ve liked, and others, well, not so much.  Tiger’s Curse was indeed a love story, but the exotic setting, and Indian mythology made it interesting.  Houck did an excellent job of describing all the places, as well as the culture of India.  I also loved the way the cover was designed, I felt like it capture the story within. The writing was good, and the story moved at a fast pace. 

     In Tiger’s Curse, we meet Kelsey Hayes, who was a bit of an annoying character.  She had a good nature and was loyal—traits that I saw more of as the book progressed.  Her life was normal, thus, she never thought that she’d be "breaking a 300-year-old Indian curse" instead of working the entire summer.  If anything, the only issue I really had was that Kelsey agreed to go along with things a little too easily.  I felt like she didn't question it enough to make a firm decision on it.  There was a bit of an insta-love, but with everything else going on, I hardly noticed it.  I also like that Ren wasn’t a werewolf, or a vampire, but a white tiger. The story starts off a little slow, and I was left wondering where it was going.  When it finally picked up I was glad that I stuck with the story. I also like that fact that Houck wrote a prologue, which gave me an insight into what happened before the story actually started. 

     The end was satisfying enough, and I get where Kelsey was coming from when she made the decision she did.  For a paranormal romance it was a pretty good book. I might check out the rest of the series.

I like it.  I recommend it.

Review: Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs

Title: Greta and the Goblin King (Click title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Purchased, Kindle Edition
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Teen, December 11, 2012



My Thoughts:

     Greta and the Goblin King was an ok young adult book, and I found it entertaining.  But Greta was stubborn and refused to accept help, which I found kind of annoying.  Isaac was sweet in the way that he cared for Greta, and I wish that she’d been a little more willing to accept his help.  I guess she had her reasons for not trusting him, but she almost got herself and Isaac killed.  The setting, well, I wish I’d learned more about the land—more detail—and a little more about Greta’s life before she arrived in Mylean.  I like the book, and I’ll most likely read what comes next.  I recommend it to those like goblin stories filled with magic and danger.

I really like it.  I recommend it.

 

 

ARC Review: All the Broken Pieces Cindi Madsen

Previously posted on my Goodreads page
Title: All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen
Source/Format:Elana Johnson, (Entangled Publishing), E-galley
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Publishing, December 11, 2012

My thoughts:


    What just happened? No really, what just happened? Never have I ever been more shocked by a book in my life. I just don’t know what I should say about All the Broken Pieces. Well I do know one thing for sure: this book was phenomenal and original. I haven’t read a book like it. All the Broken Pieces was like a fresh breath of air to me. Cindi Madsen is definitely an author I’ll be watching for future works.

     Liv is literally broken, and she doesn’t know why. She did go through such a terrible ordeal; it’s justified to feel so…messed up. Her reaction to it all will suck you into the story, and hold you there, anxiously on the edge of your seat just to see what’s really going on. The parents seemed to really care about liv, but I couldn’t help but think that there was something really off about them. Liv goes through a roller-coaster of emotions as she tries to navigate her life. Along the way she makes a few friends, but she struggles to fit in. Spencer is just a sweet guy, and as the story progresses we get to see why he was so aloof when they first met.

     One word: original. The story wasn’t predictable, and I loved that fact. Madsen threw so many curveballs into All the Broken Pieces that I was stunned when the conclusion came. I literally had to reread it to make sure that I’d read it right. The Conclusion can be described in one word, shocking, which sums up this book. I mean shocking in a good way too. Madsen did a fantastic job; she wove a story that’s bound to be a hit. Five stars!

I absolutely loved it.  I would recommend it to everyone.