Review: Dream

Dream by Kyra Selby


Kindle price: $2.97
File size: 3947 KB
Print lenght: 220 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00I2ZDRXM

Synopsis:

He dreamt of her for years... 

She heard his voice in her most desperate of times... 

The last thing seventeen-year-old Ava Evans needed was boy trouble. Moving from the bustling New York City to a small town in Oklahoma, all Ava wanted was some peace. Not the glare of certain dark eyes. But this wasn’t just any typical teenage boy trouble. This was downright bizarre and though she would never admit it aloud, intriguing. 

And charming and popular and not too bad on the eyes. Yes, eighteen year-old Miles Greyson seemed to be your typical All-American boy, beloved by his many friends and the residents of the small town he lived in. And he got along with just about anyone and everyone. 

…Except Ava. Their first disastrous meeting ending in a bloody nose and a trip to the hospital leaves Ava thoroughly confused. Because Miles seemed to hate her even before all that. Upon first glance to be exact. 

Trying to navigate the nefarious world of high school with mean girls, new friends, and awkward unrequited crushes, Ava begins to slowly unravel the mystery that is Miles Greyson while doing her best not to get distracted by Miles himself. 

All the while Miles is unraveling her, leading them both to a startling revelation that changes everything. Impossible dreams, enchanting feelings, and the whisper of a magical wish... 

Young Adult and Older Recommended

My Review:   A Sweet Romance

Although not being really my cup of tea, sometimes, I do venture in the world of pure and simple romance just to break a little from all the action, adventure and bloody fights, and in rare occasions I do end enjoying the read as was the case with Dream.

Kyra surprised me with a very endearing love story with just the right amount of humor. So if I liked it so much, how come I didn’t give it five stars? Well, as I said before, this is not really my favorite genre, and it lacked some action and danger, but was good enough to keep me reading all night what only happens when I’m really into the story.

Ava is an average teenager, who had to deal with her mother’s illness and subsequent death when she was just twelve years old. Now she has seventeen, but the baggage she carries is not light and she struggles to overcome her loss and depression.

Miles is the golden boy of the small city, loved and admired by everyone, but he also went through a lot of pain in the past, and is struggling to overcome his issues very much like Ava.

So, there is not much suspense, and Miles’ secrets aren’t that hard to guess, especially taking in account that the author just went and revealed them in the synopsis, but even without it the story captured my attention and in no time I was fuming and laughing right along with Ava and her friends.

I also loved the carefree and spirited Pixie (Ava’s new best friend), but was a little disappointed with Sophie... She would have made an excellent villain if there was such a thing in this story.

I recommend the book to all who loves young romance and an easy, light read.

You can by the book on Amazon and visit see it on Goodreads.

Review: Forager - A Dystopian Trilogy

Forager - A Dystopian Trilogy by Peter Stone


Kindle price: $2,91
File Size: 738 KB
Print Length: 297 pages
ISBN: 1492949701
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00GUB9DGA

Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Ethan Jones lives in Newhome, a town built upon the decaying ruins of post-apocalyptic Melbourne, ruins haunted by the ferocious Skel, a nomadic tribe of degenerate savages. 

The Skel are ramping up their attacks on Newhome's foraging teams and infesting Melbourne's ruins in ever greater numbers. Is this part of a larger plan that could spell the town's doom? 

Meanwhile, the last thing Ethan expects when he and his companions rescue a two-car convoy from the Skel is a Japanese teenage girl with an outlandish dress-sense, who after they take her back to Newhome, goes to great lengths to ingratiate herself into his life. But is it in gratitude for saving her life or is she seeking something more? 

And what a quandry she places him in, for he knows the rules, that no man is permitted to be alone with an unmarried woman. But how can he drive such a gentle soul away when she touchs his heart so deeply, even though she clearly carries the pain of a broken heart. 

At the same time, Newhome's police force, the Custodians, are suspicious of Ethan's foraging team's successes and are pulling out the stops to find out which member of his team has the illegal mutant ability that gives them an edge over the other teams. Should these peacekeepers discover Ethan is the mutant they seek, they will haul him away and dissect him like a frog.

My Review:  It was hard to put down

The story is told by Ethan’s voice, and describes the world a century after the World War Three.

Ethan lives in Newhome, a well guarded town constructed inside the ruins of what once was the city of Melbourne, and works as a forager, retrieving non-corrosive metals from the ruins around them.

The society changed and the people had little to no freedom. It sucked most for the women, who didn’t have a say in anything at all. They weren’t allowed to go out of their homes without a chaperone, didn’t have permission to go to school, or date, or even talk with their own sons alone.

All the marriages were arranged by the fathers and any kind of misbehave was punished by the Custodians.

But the people who lived inside the walls of Newhome weren’t the only survivors. There were other towns and also the feared Skel (in the beginning of the book, I thought they were zombies or something like that, but that’s not it at all), who raided civilized towns and settlements to steal supplies and abduct captives to be their slaves.

Ethan had an accident two years before the beginning of the book, and because of that, he didn’t remember anything that happened in a whole year of his life. He also was what the Custodians called aberration (people with some kind of genetic mutation) and had the ability to use a sonar, much like bats do, and see through darkness and inside buildings.

Ethan struggles to live up the strict rules of Newhome, and often rebels against them, even more when his father tries to set up his marriage with a girl he can’t stand. He is already in love with a Japanese girl he saved from the Skels

Some things that happens in the book were very predictable, but it didn’t take away the fun I had reading it.

There are also some contradictions, again nothing too relevant to the plot and there is always so much going on that you quickly forget about them.

What I liked: Ethan – he is stubborn and brave, even when he is almost peeing his pants with fear; Nanako – the girl Ethan is in love with. She is very lovable and her feelings for him are endearing. Michal – Ethan’s best friend; and the plot. It was intriguing and fast paced.

What I didn’t like: Some things that happened near the end of the book (and that I will not list here to avoid spoils). But I can say that those things were what made me give this book four instead of five stars.

I read this book in one night and I recommend it to all who loves the dystopian theme with a beautiful love story.

You can buy the book on Amazon
For more information, visit the blog - Forager or go to it's page on Goodreads.

Review: The Mystic Wolves

The Mystic Wolves
by Belinda Boring

Print Lenght: 282 pages
Publisher: Moonstruck Media (January 19,2012)
ISBN: 1469926903
ASIN: B006ZR04LC

Book Description:

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator? 

Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason's commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she'll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength - once given, oaths are unbreakable ... even if it means risking it all.

My Review: Good Pass-time

Darcy is a young werewolf, future mate of the pack's Alpha Mason. She is new to the pack and already feels at home with all of them. Her best friend is Mason's sister Jasmine and the two girls are the masters of mischievous. They are inseparable. Till the worse happens. Jasmine is murdered and Darcy blames herself for this. Mason even going through his own pain, remains by her side and helps her to cope with her grief. But the violent act against the girls was not an isolated one, there is more to this murder than they have thought, and there is an enemy hunting them.

What I liked: Jasmine was my favorite character and I lamented her short participation on the book. Daniel and the vampire Devlin were strong characters too, and Mason, of course. He is perfect.

What I didn't like: The story is a little slow. It all occurs in two days and leaves too much out. For example, it seems that Darcy is over twenty, but she sure acts like a teenager, while the Alpha seems to be much more mature. But their ages are not revealed. Darcy said more than once that she is used to the violence of the supernatural word, but she sure doesn't act accordingly.

All in all, it is a good book and worth as a pass-time.

Review: Sacred Bloodlines

Sacred Blooslines (The Guardians 1)

by Wendy Owens

Print Length: 322 pages

Publisher: Four Bean Publishing; 5 edition (August 23, 2013)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B006C7KFI2

For as long as Gabe can remember, his life had been plagued by haunting images and tragic events. It seemed like everyone he knew or loved was doomed for a life of misery or death. He was starting to come to the same conclusion everyone else had--he must be cursed. Until one day, in a subway tunnel, everything suddenly changed. A horrific disaster led him to a strange new person named Uri.

Uri introduced Gabe to an exciting new world filled with angels, demons, magic, and best of all, a beautiful girl named Sophie. This chance at a new life had everything Gabe always longed for: a family, friends, and possibly even love. He soon discovered, though, that this life came at a steep price. One he feared might cost him his life.

My review: Readable.

Gabe is a sixteen years boy, who thinks his life is cursed, since everyone who cares about him dies. Been an orphan, he is used to move from home to home and as a self-defense mechanism, Gabe tries to isolate himself from other people. Mysteriously, awful accidents always occurs near this boy, and worse, he knows when they will happen. After one of those accidents, Uri appears and vows to have the answer for this strange phenom, and he says that if Gabe want to know the truth, he have to go with him. During their travel, Gabe meets Sophie, who claims to be the same as he and Uri. She is beautiful and gain Gabe's attention right away. After this Gabe dives in a world full of demons and people with angel bloodlines, good and evil and one prophecy.

What I liked: The plot. It is good and have all things needed on a promising series: Action, romance, treachery, and friendship. Uri - The character is funny, brave and yet, sometimes vulnerable.

What I didn't like: The main character Gabe. For someone who is used to survive the foster system, he is quite fragile. All his life he had seen horrible things, yet, he acts as if he had lived a secluded life where bad and strange things never happened. He discovers incredible powers that he never remembers to use (except for the last part of the story, but even then, he doesn't remember, so how good is having them?) I know, the main characters usually grows during the plot, but Gabe seems to be an exception to this rule and sincerely, it made this book a little tiresome. Other thing, the author seems to have forgotten that teenagers have hormones, and the passion Gabe feels for Sophie is more like a girly crush. I'm not sexist, but there is a difference between the way boys and girls think.

Well, considering everything, this is a good read. I hope the main character will evolve during the next book, and I will keep an eye on it.

Start Point - Review: The Mind Readers

Since the blog was just born, I will start by posting some of my old reviews, I hope you enjoy it.

The Mind Readers
by Lori Brighton

Print Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Lori Brighton (December 7, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B004FN1P1Q

Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth …that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers. 

But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she’ll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life. 

Best for ages 14 and over.

• 
  My review: I Recommend.
  
  The main character is Cameron, a seventeen mind-reader. She lives with her grandmother and struggles to fit on the world around her without been labeled as a freak. To do so, she follows her grandma rules (even if it makes her feel guilty like hell), and doesn't hesitate to use her powers to be the person others would like her to be (even if it means bear Emily's abuses). Everything changes when a girl from her school is killed. There's a serial-killer on the loose, and Cam is the only one who can stop him. At least, that's what she thinks. Then the gorgeous Lewis makes his entrance and she is not alone anymore. Like a hero he takes care of everything, but in the main time, she blows up her cover and turns out the freak of the school. Her relationship with grandma is awful, her days with the popular kids are over and she discovered that there are others like her and her grandma. Lewis offers the chance to learn more about herself, her powers and even her father. She can't let this chance escape. Cameron leave all her previous life behind and follows the guy of her dreams to an entire new world, full of dangers and lies.

What I liked: The plot is intriguing, the characters are solid, making you love and hate at the same time, which is a good thing. It shows the author talent to connect the reader with the story. The mystery around who is good and who is bad kept me glued to the book till the end.

What I didn't like: Cameron and Lewis relationship was way too superficial. They lived at the same house, trained together and even so, their love-story consisted only in a couple of happy moments and a lot of deception. How can she love him this way?

All in all, I liked the book and the next one is on my wish list. I'm an addict reader and there isn't a book I don't read till the end, even if it's awful. But evaluating them never comes easy, there are too many things to consider. So I formulated a strategy. The numbers of stars I give to a book are related to the number of days I spent reading it. I read this one in one day; thus it received 5 stars, and therefore, I recommend it.