eARC Review: The Shadowing - Hunted

Title: The Shadowing - Hunted
Author: Adam Slater
Pages: 208
Rating: 5/5

Once every century, the barrier between the human world and the demon realm begins to break down. Creatures gather, anxiously waiting to cross the divide, to bring death and destruction from their world to ours. This time is called The Shadowing.

Callum Scott has always known that there is a supernatural world out there—he’s seen ghosts for as long as he can remember. Lately, he’s had visions of children being brutally murdered by a terrifying creature. Then the visions start coming true, and Callum realizes that he’s being hunted, too.

Driven by a dark destiny, he must stand against the demons that threaten our world.

And The Shadowing is almost here. . . . (amazon.com)

I hadn't heard anything about The Shadowing: Hunted until I received the galley from Net Galley. I was instantly intrigued by the cover shot, and looked forward to digging into the book. With it being fall, I was looking for something just a bit scary to celebrate the season. I wasn't disappointed.

Set in rural London, The Shadowing: Hunted, follows the life of young Callum. Callum has always been able to see ghosts, and has a special bit of "luck" that helps him to avoid trouble. Because of this Callum is a loner, making himself almost invisible to those around him. He tries to avoid trouble, spending his evenings hanging out with his grandmother at their tiny cottage in the woods.

However, things take a turn for the worst when Callum notices that the ghost have fled the cemetery grounds and all that remains is a lone boy and a massive dog like animal. It is here that things begin to take a turn for the worse.

I don't have a enough good things to say about this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat, had me checking to make sure my doors and windows were locked, and made me look twice at every cemetery I drove by. The writing was very good, and the story flowed from one scene to another. I found myself reading deep into the night, trying to figure out what was happening. I also thought this story was something fresh, and touches on other creatures of lure that have not been so overdone. I like learning about different creatures, and found that to be one of the biggest attractions to this book.

I'm looking forward to continuing on with this series.

Audio Review: 1st to Die

Title: 1st to Die
Author: James Patterson
Listening Time: 9 hours and 1 min
Rating: 3/5

Imagine a killer who thinks, "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?"--and then goes far beyond it. Now imagine four women --a police detective, an assistant DA, a reporter, and a medical examiner --who join forces as they sidestep their bosses to track down criminals. Known as the Women's Murder Club, they are pursuing a murderer whose twisted imagination has stunned an entire city. Their chief suspect is a socially prominent writer, but the men in charge won't touch him. On the trail of the most terrifying and unexpected killer ever, they discover a shocking surprise that turns everything about the case upside down (goodreads.com).

1st to Die was my first Patterson audio, and I have to say that it absolutely freaked me out!!  I completely forgot how violent Patterson's novels can be, and 1st to Die was no exception.  I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened.  There were a few times I had to shut off my MP3 player and give myself a break.  It was that intense.  I'll definitely be checking out more of his books on audio because I think they bring a whole new feeling to his books.

However, the story itself seemed to be a bit lacking.  This was the first in the Women's Murder Club series.  Before this time, all the books I've read of Patterson's were from the Alex Cross series.  I'm actually looking forward to going back and re-reading these in order because I know I've missed some.  But anyways, back to the book at hand.  1st to Die introduces us to Lindsay Boxer, a tough, hard as nails detective, who is trying to solve a serial murder case involving newlyweds.  As the case moves along, Lindsay finds herself problem solving with her three friends: Cindy, Jill and Claire.  Hence, the women's murder club is born.

I loved the girls in the murder club, it was just the whole "mystery" aspect of the book that I found to be a bit absurd.  First off, I had the killer figured out by the time the book was half way over.  It kind of took a lot of wind out of the books sails, but I stuck on to figure out how Lindsay discovered everything.  Secondly, the epilogue threw me for a complete loop and left me feeling a bit sad and upset...not the type of feeling I like to have when finishing a book. 

So, basically, I loved the audio aspect, didn't really like the book itself.  I'm going to try 2nd Chance and see if I like that one any better.  I'll let you know :)

Audio Review: Pretty Little Liars

Title: Pretty Little Liars
Author: Sara Shepard
Listening Time: 7hrs and 5mins
Rating: 3.5/5

In the exclusive Philadelphia suburb of Rosewood, Alison is the Queen Bee of her elite seventh grade hive. BFs Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily vie for her attention, even as each of them hides a hideous secret only Alison knows. So when Alison goes missing after a slumber party, never to be seen again, each girl is heartbroken, but also a little relieved. Now it is three years later, and though the four girls have grown apart, they are each still hiding something. Artsy Aria is carrying on an affair with one of her teachers, fashionista Hanna shoplifts to accessorize her trendy outfits, blue-blood Spencer is sleeping with her older sister’s boyfriend, while straight-A Emily is trying to ignore her attraction to a new female classmate. When the girls begin receiving threatening text messages and emails that from someone known only as "A," they must confront the fact that against all odds, it appears Alison is back. Could Alison still be alive? And if so, why is she so determined to uncover all their dirty little secrets? (goodreads.com)

I'm pretty sure I bought Pretty Little Liars when it first was published, and it has sat on my shelf ever since.  I think I own up through book seven.  I've always wanted to read it but something else would come up and it would get pushed farther back on the TBR pile.  So, when I saw this available as an audio book on the library website, I snatched it up and started it the next day at work. 

I loved the audio, and thought it was really well done.  I also enjoyed the story...even though at times it had my jaw hanging to the floor.  These girls are BAD!!  I don't know if I would recommend this for really early YA readers.  It's definitely for the older crowd.

Now, on to the girls.  Pretty Little Liars centers around five friends - Alison who disappears in the first few pages; Emily the sporty, quiet, obiedient one; Aria the funky, insecure one that really pushes the boundaries; Spencer who tries to be a little miss perfect and finally Hannah who is basically the queen B*tch.  Each of these girls has a secret...a big secret.  No one knows what it is outside of the circle...or so they think.  This is where the book gets good, and a bit creepy.  Someone does know, and someone is spying on all the girls, bringing up the past.  Someone with the first initial A...

All in all, Pretty Little Liars was fast paced, attention grabbing, and full of what ifs.  I already pulled the second one off the shelf because I just have to find out what happens!!

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Chilren

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Pages: 352
Rating: 5/5

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows (goodreads.com).

This is probably the best book I have read in 2011.  I was completely hooked from the very first page.  I was enthralled by the story, and even more so by the pictures that litter the pages of this book.  The old photographs were equally creepy and fascinating, and I found myself looking at them again and again.  I couldn't get enough of them.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is an extremely character driven story.  Told through the eyes of 16 year old Jacob, we learn of a fantasy world that his grandfather told him about.  I fantasy world that his grandfather swears is real.  But Jacob doesn't believe him...at first.

I love Jacob.  I love Miss Peregrine.  And I love the Peculiar Children.  This entire story is just spellbinding.  The writing, for one, is magnificent.  It's smooth and flowing.  It's detailed without being boring.  It's perfect.  I think everyone should give this book a try.  And as an added incentive, I'm posting the book trailer which I really love!!

Review: Firespell

Title: Firespell
Author: Chloe Neill
Pages: 246
Rating: 3/5

Lily's parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn't bad enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie's creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens.

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It's too bad Lily doesn't have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she's discovered yet...(goodreads.com)

This was a cute, quick read that I enjoyed.  It wasn't ground breaking, but it did keep me interested and turning the pages. 

I found Lily to be a bit annoying at first.  I thought it was almost like the "poor Lily" show, and found the book to remind me of almost every other story I've ever read about a girl that has to go to a boarding school.  Things got to be a bit better once Lily followed Scout into the basement.  From there, the story really picked up the past and had me turning the pages faster and faster.

I loved the idea of magicians and dark magic users.  The entire concept was pretty interesting, and I thought the two sides were pretty well developed.  I'm curious to see what happens with Lily and the dark side and how Neill will handle that relationship.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Hexbound, but I won't be breaking down any doors to get to it.  

Review: The Iron King

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Pages: 363
Rating: 5/5

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart (goodreads.com).

I don't even know what to say about this book.  It was just pure awesomeness!!  I'm so angry at myself for waiting for so long to read this because I was scared of the "fantasy" aspect.  If that is what is holding you back too, DO NOT BE AFRAID.  Kagawa does an amazing job, and her writing just flows.  This book read super fast and was addicting. 

I absolutely adored Meghan, and was rooting for her the whole time.  I understand that she was a bit naive, and didn't know her way around, but she was brave and strong.  She's probably one of my favorite heroines I've read about in a long time.  I'm excited to see how she continues to grow throughout the series.  I think there's a lot that she still needs to discover about herself, and I can't wait to find these things out with her!

This was also my first introduction to the world of "Fae" and can I just say that I absolutely loved it.  I loved reading about my favorite characters from "A Midsummer's Night Dream" especially Puck who I think I have a wee bit of a book crush on.  However, my heart truly belongs to Ash.  I can't wait to see where Kagawa takes his story in the next few books.  Regarding the "Fae", I think that this has opened up a whole new world for me.  There's so many other books out there that circle around this theme that I've been too scared to read because I was scared I wouldn't enjoy them because of the subject matter.  I don't know why I'm so hestitant to try new things.  It can be so eye opening!!

All in all, this was an excellent, well written adventure that had me hooked from page one.  I don't think that 363 pages have ever gone by so quickly in my entire life!  This series is definitely addicting and I cannot wait to read the next book and then the next book and then the next book...lol!!

Review: What I Saw and How I Lied

Title: What I Saw and How I Lied
Author: Judy Blundell
Pages: 281
Rating: 5/5

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.

As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between her loyalty to her parents and her feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is . . . who (powells.com)?

I bought this book for one reason...the cover.  Something about the 1940s Hollywood look hooked me and I had to have a copy.  Once I sat down with the book, I read it in one setting (with a newborn so this is an awesome feat).  I also gave this book five stars.  I was thoroughly taken with this book and can't say enough about it.

What I Saw and How I Lied is a mix between a really good mystery and a coming of age novel.  The book hooks you within the first few pages, foreshadowing of events to come:

We never went to the hotel dining room now.  They knew who we were; they'd seen our pictures in the paper.  We knew they'd be saying, Look at them eating toast - how can they be so heartless (pg 2)? 

From there, the story is told through flashbacks.  Evie's family is together again after the war, but one night after a mysterious phone call, Evie's stepfather packs the entire family up and takes them to Palm Beach, Florida.  Immediately, I thought something fishy was up - otherwise, why the made rush, and why the mystery.  What was Evie's stepfather hiding.

Once the family arrives in Florida, Evie meets a young war veteran named Peter.  She almost immediately falls in love with (as did I...Blundell created one of the most enticing male characters in young adult literature).  Peter fought in the war with Joe, Evie's stepfather, however, Joe wants absolutely nothing to do Peter.

From this point forward, the reader is caught in a rollercoast of lies and mistrust.  One thing after another begins to fall apart, and we as the reader, get to experience it first hand.  I personally couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  And once at the end, I wanted to start over again from the beginning.  That is how much this book hooked me.

Blundell has a new book out called Strings Attached about a young girl in 1950s New York.  I can't wait to get my hand on it and read it.  I'm hoping it is just as good, if not even better than What I Saw and How I Lied:

Review: If I Stay

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Pages: 234
Rating: 4.5/5

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands (ifistay.com).


Please explain to me why I wait so long to read books.  I've had this one on my shelf for a little over a year.  Back when I had all the time in the world to read, and still it took me until now to pick it up.  But I must say, I am glad I finally did.

In a single word, this book is beautiful.  It's beautifully written in a way that will catch your attention and will stick with you.  I found myself completely engulfed in the pages, staying up way past my bed time to finish.  I couldn't get enough of it.  The words just seemed to flow off the pages, creating this amazing story that I sunk into. 

I don't want to say much about the actual story because I don't want to ruin it for those readers who have yet to pick it up.  The twists and turns of this book hit you right in the face, like a head on collision.  I don't want to rob anyone of that.  This book is so powerful and intense, it left me shaking.  As I closed the last page, I just sat, thinking of all that I had read wondering what I would have done had I had to make such a huge choice.  Would I have made the right one? 

This book is a rollercoaster.  I suggest a comfy chair, a long afternoon, and a box of tissues when reading!! 

Review: Breath, Eyes, Memory

Title: Breath, Eyes, Memory
Author: Edwidge Danticat
Pages: 236
Rating: 4/5

At an astonishingly young age, Edwidge Danticat has become a writer who evokes the wonder, terror, and heartache of her native Haiti—and the enduring strength of Haiti's women—with a vibrant imagery and narrative grace that bear witness to her people's suffering and courage.

Set in the island's impoverished villages and in New York's Haitian community, this is the story of Sophie Caco, who was conceived in an act of violence, abandoned by her mother and then summoned to America. In New York, Sophie discovers that Haiti imposes harsh rules on its own.

At the age of twelve, Sophie Caco is sent from her impoverished village of Croix-des-Rosets to New York, to be reunited with a mother she barely remembers. There she discovers secrets that no child should ever know and a legacy of shame that can be healed only when she returns to Haiti—to the women who first reared her. What ensues is a passionate journey through a landscape charged with the supernatural and scarred by political violence, in a novel that bears witness to the traditions, suffering, and wisdom of an entire people (oprah.com).

I picked up this book for two reasons.  One, it was shorter and I needed something to get me back on my feet after having the baby that wouldn't overwhelm me, and two I thought the cover was intriguing.  However, I'm not sure why I thought this book was a memoir.  It wasn't until I opened the book and started reading that I realized this was actually a novel (I guess that the fact it said "A Novel" under the title didn't click with my overworked brain).  Despite my surprise, I still very much enjoyed this book.

I'll be honest in saying I don't know much about Haiti or its culture.  I'm aware that they are an impoverished country and many travel through the perils of the sea to arrive on our shores in Miami.  I was not aware of the violence throughout the country.  But, this is why I read.  To expand my mind and learn new things so I am not dumb to what is going on in the world around me.  It is for this reason that reading is important to me.

Breath, Eyes, Memory tells the story of Sophie Caco starting at the age of twelve when she is sent to New York to live with her mother.  Once in New York, Sophie begins to find out the secrets of her birth,  including the reason why her mother screams out in agony every night as she sleeps.  The story itself is haunting.  It gets in your mind and weaves itself throughout your body so that you feel every bit of Sophie's pain and memories.  It is an unforgettable journey to Haiti, a trip that is both troubling and healing.  It is because of these feelings that I recommend this book to all readers.

On top of all this, Danticat's writing is exquisite.  Her storytelling is moving and poetic, and creates a multitude of feelings for the reader.  Each line sticks with you, telling and re-telling the stories of Haitian women everywhere:

"I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to (pg. 234)."

This is a beautiful journey, and one I am very glad I decided to take it.

Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Title: Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5

Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened–of himself or some other fiend (Cover Blurb).

When the television show Dexter first came out in 2007, hubby and I watched the first couple of episodes together.  I somehow managed to quickly lose interest, while he has continued to watch through the four seasons.  I did however, buy the first few books, and absolutely was going to read them right there and then.  Now four years later, I can say I read the first one!
Needless to say, Darkly Dreaming Dexter is totally different than almost all other books that I have read.  A mix between a dark comedy and a slasher horror film, Dexter leaves the reader with a lot of confused emotions.  On one hand, I feel a bit sorry for our vigilante serial killer.  On the other hand, I'm extremely disturbed by his whole story.  After reading this book, I almost want to go back and try re-watching the first season.  The book, of course, has opened up a whole series of questions for me now that I didn't realize even existed when I watched the show.

Despite the subject matter of the book, I really enjoyed Lindsay's writing style.  He took a subject that was extremely dark and created something extremely fresh and rather enjoyable.  I definitely had a hard time putting this book down and finished it in two days.  The character of Dexter is entertaining, and it's definitely interesting to see the different places that his mind takes him.  I like really knowing the inter workings of a main character.  However, I wouldn't want to read these books one right after the other either.  The subject matter is still quite heavy and can be thoroughly chilling at times.

There are five books total, so far, in the Dexter series.  I'd like to continue reading them, but I'll need to space them out over time.  I own the next two in the series: Dearly Devoted Dexter and Dexter in the Dark and hope to get to them sometime later this year. 

This book counted towards the 1st in a Series Challenge and the Mystery and Suspense Challenge of 2011.

Review: Number the Stars

Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Pages: 137
Rating: 4.5/5

Ten year old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think about life before the war. But it's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their town.

The Nazis won't stop. The Jew of Denmark are being "relocated", so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family.

Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now (Cover Blurb).

I can't remember when I first read Number the Stars, but I think it was sometime around the fifth grade.  This was one of the first books I read about World War II and the Resistance movement.  This book helped cement my admiration for the heroes of this time that helped save their fellow man.  It also opened up an entire new world for me, one in which I have always found myself being drawn too.

Number the Stars tells the story of the young Annemarie, a young Danish girl who is best friends with Ellen, a Jewish citizen.  At the start of the Jewish New Year, the Nazis begin to gather up the Jews of Denmark to relocate them.  It is at this time, that Annemarie's parents take Ellen in as part of their family and help her to escape to freedom.

Annemarie is a brave young girl, who not only has to face losing her best friend, but also takes her own life into her hands when she must deliver an important package to her Uncle.  It is not until the end of the story that we learn just how important that package really was.

I enjoyed this book just as much now as I did when I read it so many years ago.  It will always be one that I keep one my shelves to return to again and again.

This book counts toward by 2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge.

Review: Sarah Plain and Tall

Title: Sarah Plain and Tall
Author: Patricia MacLachlan
Pages: 67
Rating: 4/5

Their mother died the day after Caleb was born.  Their house on the prairie is quiet now, and Papa doesn't sing anymore.  Then Papa puts an ad in the paper, asking for a wife, and he receives a letter from one Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton, of Maine.  Papa, Anna, and Caleb write back.  Caleb asks if she sings.

Sarah decides to come for a month.  She writes Papa: I will come by train.  I will wear a yellow bonnet.  I am plain and tall, and Tell them I sing.  Anna and Caleb will wait and wonder.  Will Sarah be nice?  Will she like them?  Will she stay? (cover blurb)

Picking the first book of a new year is always hard.  You want it to be a book with some meaning.  You want to start the year off right.  What if you hate the book?  What if you don't want to finish it?  It could ruin the rest of the reading year for you.  In picking Sarah Plain and Tall, I knew I wouldn't hate it.  I read this book years and years ago when I was in elementary school and adored it then.  I still find this book to be touching and was the perfect quick start to 2011.

Anna and Caleb lost their mother the day after Caleb was born.  Since then, they have been raised on the prairie with their Papa.  Both children horribly miss having a mother, and often talk about her singing and the fact that now that she is gone, Papa no longer sings.  When the day comes that Papa tells them about Sarah, their whole world changes.  They have a chance to have a mother, something they want so badly they can practically taste it.

I think this book pulls at the heart strings because it introduces us to two children who just want to be loved.  Plus, Sarah is a great character - strong at heart, a good worker, and a wonderful mother to both Anna and Caleb. 

I'm glad I took the time to sit down and re-read this book in the new year.  It's definitely one that I will someday share with my own children.

This book counts toward by 2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge.