The final chapter in The Goddess Test series did not deliver

My goodreads review can be found here.

 

I really do not like to post negative reviews, I try to avoid them as much as possible.  But being that I have talked about my love for this series so many times before I felt like I needed to wrap it up in some small way.

I picked up this book mid-way through March, excited that I was finally getting around to finishing up the series.  I could tell from the moment I started that it was not going to deliver the thrills that I had anticipated.  I felt the story was predictable, the main character annoying and worst of all the death(s) in the story unnecessary. It took me 3 weeks to read and I had to force myself to open my Nook to read it.  I think the only reason I actually finished was because I told myself I would not read another book until I finished.  So I finished it. And it was just okay. And that is so dissapointing after following this series for as long as I have.

Rounded up from 2.5

 

Oppression a new spin on Greek mythology

This review originally published on Examiner.com

I have long been a fan of Greek mythology, so it takes little to no coercion to convince me to pick up a book based on any of the myriad gods. For whatever reason I had Oppression by Jessica Therrien on my to read list for almost a full year before finally giving in late one night and cracking open my Nook.

It was not instant love, the story begins rather slowly with a bit of background on the main character, and to be honest, it never really moves past a swift walk as it progresses. A trait that I found exceedingly refreshing. I have definitely started to develop a wariness for YA books that move at such a steady clip that by the end I feel as if I have run a full marathon.

You are never bored while reading Oppression and the story has enough action to keep it moving, but where the story really shines is in allowing the reader to experience and discover the world and mythos of the descendants along with Elyse. Of course the love story is compelling, but refreshingly un-angsty for a change. Elyse doesn't fight her feelings, or cause undue drama for her love interest, after all they have bigger problems to deal with.

If there is one complaint I had while reading the book it's the inevitable comparisons you make while reading it to another famous orphan whose life is dictated by a prophecy. If you know anything of the Potter series, it is impossible not to. I would be surprised if the author sites J.K. Rowling's epic story as a source of inspiration.

The story has some violence, a bit graphic at times and is clearly not meant for younger teens but would be a great story for those with an interest in Greek mythology as it takes the well known stories and turns them on their heads. In Oppression the Greeks Gods are not the main event and this lover of all things mythology found that to be a refreshing twist.

A follow up to Oppression, Uprising will be published later this year. 

Recommended for teens 15+.

A Journey to the Tunnels - Everbound an Everneath Novel

Released on January 22, 2013

The hardest part of reading a series is waiting for the next book to be released. Especially when the world is complex and an extended parting and excessive reading makes it difficult to keep it fresh in your mind. As much as I detest picking up a second or third book in a series and re-reading all the major plot points of the first, I must say for once, I was grateful.

Brodi Ashton revisited her first story Everneath just enough to fill in the gaps of what my memory had long misplaced. Once the story began in earnest it was as gripping, maybe a bit more so, than the first book. Based on a completely new interpretation of hell but heavily borrowing from Greek mythology (and not just the Persephone/Hades myth) Brodi Ashton fills in the gaps of the wide brush strokes she painted of the Everneath in part one. Not only does Becks, the main character, finally get to visit the Everneath, she spends a chunk of the book there giving the reader a wonderfully vivid picture of this other world.

One of the complaints I had about the first book was that I didn't necessarily believe the love triangle. How can it be a triangle when only two people were actually in love? A majority of this story was dedicated to making you understand how Cole, the anti-hero, makes you feel about Becks. Having said that, it must be noted that readers should pick up Neverfall, the novella written in between books 1 and 2. It really fleshes out Cole in a way that didn't exist in Book 1. It definitely helps the reader understand him.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read. The story is dark and filled with unexpected turns. 

Recommended for teens 15+.

Review originally published on: Examiner.com 

My summer of reading

I hunkered down this summer with my Nook and NookColor (yes, I am one lucky little duck) and read my heart out.  Of course my genre of choice was YA fiction, I can't help that at heart I am really a 15 year old girl.  All in all I read about 12 1/2 books (I'll explain in a moment).  Not too shabby considering that I really didn't focus too much on reading until July.

Sense & Sensibility

       

I was extremely disappointed with Marvels comic version of Pride and Prejudice, I felt that while the story was adequately interpreted the illustrator missed the WHOLE point.  There was massive cleavage, noticeable make-up, and just a completely wrong look for my favorite of Ms. Austen's works.  So, as can be expected I was hesitant to pick up Sense & Sensibility.  But anyone who knows me at all knows that when it comes to Jane Austen I have to have it (sometimes to my own detriment).  When I finally picked it up to read I devoured it.  I was so relieved that this time around they got it right!  The story was true to the original and the characters were all a regency lover like myself could have wanted.  This is one literature to comic re-imagining that I highly recommend.

The Goddess Test

This book ties for first place in my favorite reads of the summer.  I am a big fan of Mythology.  Last year I read a great re-envisioning of the Greek myths and was convinced that that series was as good as it was going to get. Then came The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter.  From the first page I was glued to the book.  This gem is one of the few books that I actually purchased in traditional printed page format and was so wrapped up in the story that I lugged it around with me all weekend until I finished.  There is something so compelling about stories that have the potential of ending tragically and this one has such a clever twist at the end that you can't believe you didn't catch on sooner. 

The Best Intentions

An Affair of Honor

A Proper Companion

A Change of Heart

 I, as previously mentioned, am a huge fan of Regency Era stories.  Romances are particularly enticing to me.  As a matter of fact one of the main reasons I wanted to get a Nook was so I could read my "lady porn" as I lovingly refer to Romance novels without censure or judgement.  When I found these "classic" regency romances by Candice Hern and the rave reviews that they had received I knew I was in for a treat.  I honestly couldn't believe that I had never stumbled upon her work before.  She is the epitome of the kind of writer that I like: Revisits old characters, links her stories, big on the romance, light on the sex.  It was no wonder I read all three in three days.

Something Borrowed

 
Love Off-Limits

Confession:  This romantic comedy series is my guiltiest pleasure in a long list of guilty pleasure.  I commonly refer to them as my bubble gum break.  So guilty in fact that I refuse to share them.  I can't help loving these oh-so-innocent forays into first love.   In all honesty they can get a bit trying when the characters (mostly teenagers or college students) engage in antics that I myself realized at that age were probably not the best ideas.  But their sweet charm is enough to keep me coming back for more.  If I had to venture a guess I would say I have read about 12 from the series.  Yes, it's shameful but it feels sooooo good.

Soulless: The Parasol Protectorate

 This is my other favorite book of the summer.  I honestly couldn't put it down.  It seemed to gather everything I adore about the escapist literature that I so often turn to into one book. Vampires, Werewolves, Sci-Fi, Victorian England, Romance, quick wit, all with a steampunk twist.  And that was only book one.  I immediately started on book two and am already on page 75.  Did I mention I finished this on Sunday?

Fools Rush In

 I hate it when I can't connect with a character.  I'm an event planner by trade so reading the synopsis of this book it seemed like a no-brainer.  But, I couldn't get through the book.  I felt that within the first couple of chapters I was slapped in the face by a Bible.  There is nothing wrong with being religious but there is such a thing as over saturating the reader with religious context when the book synopsis doesn't come close to mentioning it.  This is what appears on Goodreads: 

Ever wonder how Italian sounds with a Southern drawl?Bella Rossi's life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding-planning business, Bella quickly books a Boot-Scootin' wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she doesn't know a thing about country music. Where will she find a deejay on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his George Strait? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding?
Fun, fresh, and full of surprises, this flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex highlights the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.

For obvious reasons I was taken a back by the complete change in programming, I hate not finishing a book, but there it is.

Cinder & Ella

This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

The cover art instantly captured me and I was really excited about tucking into this obvious retelling of the classic story of Cinderella.  What can I say about it except that aside from the title and one or two references the book is nothing like the original.  I tried to love it.  I really did.  I wanted to connect with Cinder and Ella but the story honestly felt disjointed to me.  The author seemed to try to tell a story that was so different from the original that she lost her way.  It did start out promising and when I thought "okay, it's going to pick up now," it never did.  It took me the longest to get through this one of all the books I read this summer and was left feeling like the story could have been so much more.

Princess of Glass

The second of three physical books purchased this summer.  I couldn't help myself while killing some time at B&N.  I had just finished reading Cinder & Ella and wanted something to wash the taste out of my mouth.  Having not read the authors first book in the series (I honestly had no idea it was series until I stumbled onto the information on Goodreads) I felt a teensy bit lost in the first couple of chapters but as the story progressed and the history of the main character was explained I was completely enraptured.  What a great homage to Cinderella.  As opposed to the previous book which I felt screamed it was a re-telling and then dissapointed all around this one just told you it was a fairytale and paid tribute to Cinderella in its own way.

Spellbound

This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I previously wrote a full review for this great debut a few weeks ago.  I liked it so much I bought one for my 13 year old cousins birthday (she's also a rabid reader).  She devoured it in one day.

Pocket Posh Jane Austen

This is my 1/2 a book, because technically it's not a book in the traditional sense of the word, it's a puzzle compendium (I think that's the word) that uses all of Jane Austens books as well as incorporating different facts from the time period to make one very interesting time filler.  For Austen fans this is really a must have.