Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
352 pages (Hardcover)
Quirk
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb:
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

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.

Review:
I have finally succeeded in creating a small book club in my hometown with some of my close friends. The first book we chose to read was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It was a book that I had been avoiding for quite some time due to the incorrect impression I had of it. I tend to avoid books that I find scary or frightening and the cover of the book had given me an impression that the book would be darker and slightly more horror filled than was strictly true.

In the end, by looking more into the book, I realized it was more up my alley than I had first assumed. The interesting paranormal, fantastical portions of the story were engrossing and very well thought out. It was unique in a sea of books where there are too many with similarities. The mixed elements of children with special abilities or characteristics and time manipulation elements along with the horror of the enemy population combined to make a wonderful story.

I, along with my fellow book club members, found the characters to be fun, yet realistic. The wide variety of characters worked well together, making the story fast paced and easy to follow. The story was unpredictable and I enjoyed uncovering the enemy plot as the children learned more.

The pictures utilized by the author helped to make the story wholly unique and I loved being able to see the snapshots that were referred in the story. It gave the whole story a new dimension that made it feel real and touchable.

Only one portion made me groan, because the situation seemed to be just a little bit too much, but I'll not say what for sake of possibly spoiling it for people.

I would recommend this book to young adult lovers, especially those interested in paranormal, however it could be a great read for many types of readers.

Overall I would give it a level four out of five hangover.

Interested in purchasing this book? Check out the links above!

Review: The Amazing Book is Not in Fire

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire 
Dan Howell and Phil Lester
224 pages (Hardcover)
Random House
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 
Hello reader,

In this book is a world. A world created by two awkward guys who share their lives on the internet!

We are Dan and Phil and we invite you on a journey inside our minds! From the stories of our actual births, to exploring Phil's teenage diary and all the reasons why Dan's a fail.

Learn how to draw the perfect cat whiskers, get advice on what to do in an awkward situation and discover which of our dining chairs represents you emotionally. With everything from what we text each other, to the time we met One Direction and what really happened in Vegas...

Review:
To start this off, I've been and fan of Dan and Phil for six years now. I follow them on YouTube and when they announced that they were writing a book together I was ecstatic! It came out a week after my birthday and I bought it as a gift to myself. I finished it in a night. I've debated whether or not I should review it, and finally figured I should. 

The book itself is a jumble of their personalities. It starts with them saying hello in the only way they know how - awkwardly. They story is all about their lives: how they grew up, secondary school,university, living together, and their YouTube careers. 

I honestly enjoyed this book. Most times when people hear a YouTuber is writing a book they roll their eyes at the thought. Dan and Phil keep their writing real and interesting. They don;t try and hide themselves from readers, but rather welcome them, They embrace their own weirdness and I believe that is what makes them relatable. 

If you are looking for a funny read that may cause a little bit of secondhand embarrassment, then you'll enjoy this book. It helps you realize not everything you have done is the most cringe worth, as Dan normally has that covered. 

Overall, I give this book a level four hangover out of five. 

Interested in purchasing this book? Check the links above!

Review: Alice's Adventures Under Ground

Alice's Adventures Under Ground 
Lewis Carrol
128 pages (Hardcover)
Cider Mill Press
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 
In celebration of the story's 150th anniversary, this elegant new collectors edition of Alice's Adventures Underground features never-before-seen drawings from renowned artist Charles Santore, and an introduction by revered literary scholar, Michael Patrick Hearn.

When Lewis Carroll first put pen to paper and wrote what would become Alice in Wonderland, he provisionally titled the story Alice's Adventures Under Ground and accompanied the text with sketches to bring his story to life. Now, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the books first publication in 1865, we are publishing that original story, in a faithful and unabridged adaptation, under its original title. Like that first hand-written draft, this stunning new collectors edition features never-before-seen drawings throughout the story by celebrated New York Times bestselling artist Charles Santore (The Wizard of Oz, The Night Before Christmas), and an introduction from the premier authority on childrens literature, Michael Patrick Hearn.

Review:
I am going to start off by saying that I am a huge fan of anything relates to Alice in Wonderland. Books and music inspired by the story always holds a draw for me, and I'm rarely disappointed by the movies either. That being said, I adored this book.

Alice's Adventures Under Ground is the original story that was told to Alice Liddell l, far before it was expanded in order to make the book large enough to be successfully published. Here it has been revived. While the story lacks many of the signature characters, such as the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat, it still contains that same charm as the final Alice story.

What truly makes this book remarkable however is the sketches that go along with the story. Charles Santore's drawings are perfect to go with the story and I found myself studying them again and again. I cannot wait to the the fully finished paintings that these sketches were the precursors to.

I would recommend this especially to other fans of a Alice in Wonderland like myself, as well as anyone looking to read a short classic story with interesting artwork to go along with it.

Overall I am going to give it a level four out of five hangover.

 Interested in purchasing this book? Check out the links above!

Review: Divinity

Divinity 
Patrica Leever
200 pages (Paperback)
Omnific Publishing
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble


Blurb: 
Demons.

They’re everywhere, hiding in plain sight. Chances are, you’ve interacted with one or two of them in your lifetime without even realizing it...

Demon hunter Evelyn Brighton saves unsuspecting humans from the malevolent creatures masquerading around them every day. Working under the Lebriga Corporation’s direction, she never fails to bring her A-game with her keen skill, fiercely independent spirit, and the best weapon in her arsenal: the Divinity blade.

Evelyn’s world is turned on its ear, however, when she is ordered to train cocky new recruit Daniel Summers. They both feel an instinctive pull drawing them to one another, the ancient spells tattooed into their skin illuminating whenever the two hunters come into contact. But with evil looming over the city of Los Angeles, Evelyn and Daniel’s mutual competitiveness and sense of duty to Lebriga and all humankind forces them to hold back their desires. Will their restraint be enough to keep them focused and save southern California, or will the dark forces prevail?

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, Divinity is an action-filled, fast-paced marriage of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Edgy, witty, and sexy, it will bind you in its spell.
 
Review: 
I had been meaning to read Divinity by Patrica Leever for sometime now but had never found the opportunity to do so. Excitingly enough, I got a Nook this weekend, giving me the perfect reason to download a new book and read it in one go on my fancy new reading gadget.

Divinity is about a world full of demons and focuses on the gifted hunters that are out to protect the human race from all of the nastiness in the world. It was a quick-paced, short read that introduced its world and characters quickly before moving on with the plot. However, while I found many of the characters interesting and I was sometimes very pleased with the relationships between different characters, such as the different couples or the relationships between hunters and handlers, the speed of the story left something to be desired with the depth of knowledge and emotional feelings that I had for the characters.

The other issue in it for me was that the love relationship between the two main characters, Evelyn and Daniel, developed much too quickly. I normally thoroughly enjoy when couple are 'fated' for each other, however this felt too fast for me and ridiculously unbelievable. While very little actually happened between the couple until later in the book, the surety they had at times was too unrealistic for me.

What I did enjoy was the world that these characters lived in. The magic that was brought to life in the story was unique and very interesting.

The story was also told split between Evelyn's and Daniel's points of view. Sometimes this is a major flop in some books but it worked very well in this case, as it allowed me to see both sides of the story and to get more detail that I would have otherwise.

I would recommend this to people who are looking for a short and quick, yet fun, paranormal read.

Overall, I give this a hangover level three out of five.

Interested in purchasing the book? Check links above!

Review: Project Cain

Project Cain
Geoffrey Girad
341 pages (Hardcover) 
Simon & Schuster BFYR
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble
 
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson had never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer who brutally murdered seventeen people more than twenty years ago. But then Jeff discovers he was constructed in a laboratory only eight years ago, part of a top-secret government cloning experiment called Project CAIN. And scientists created him entirely from Jeffrey Dahmer's DNA.

Jeff isn't the only teenage serial-killer clone. Others have been genetically engineered using the DNA of the Son of Sam, the Boston Strangler, and Ted Bundy. Some clones were raised, like Jeff, in caring family environments; others within homes that mimicked the horrific early lives of the serial killers they were created from.

When the most dangerous of the boys are set free, the summer of killing begins. Worse, they hold a secret weapon even more deadly than the terrible evil they carry within.

Can Jeff help catch the "monsters" before becoming one himself?

Review:
This is one of those books that I had been anxiously awaiting a long time ago. It came out, I bought it in pure excitement, and then put it on my nightstand to be read after I finished the several that I was in the middle of.  Somehow, miracle of miracles, I am actively reading my way through my back-logged to-be-read pile this summer. Top of the list: Project Cain.

The premise of this story was one that interested me to no end. Serial killers? Sign me up! (As long as they stay in the pages.) And the added mixture of cloning to the plot sounded like it would add a unique twist. This also interested the Biology major in me. The question of how much nature and nurture each have to do with the way a person turns out is such an engaging question that I couldn't imagine not enjoying this book. For the most part I was correct.

The story was fast-paced and full of action toward the end. However, two things held me up a bit. Firstly, there was a lot of soul searching and inner monologue, especially in the beginning of the book. While it made sense, as the main character,  Jeff  (as in the clone of Jeffery Dahmer), found out he was not a normal boy but was in fact a clone. Unfortunately I was not really in an inner journey sort of mood. The second thing that I wasn't overly fond of was the way the dialogue was written. Girard wrote it in a style that was meant to hopefully be engaging to young readers, in particularly boys. While the style, full of short sentences and lists did contribute to the fast pace of the novel, I disliked that quotation marks weren't used. It threw me of a bit and I never really adjusted to it.
Another thing that I struggled a bit with was that the characters didn't excite me. Jeff struggled with his identity for the majority of the novel and some of the other characters fell flat due the journal-like format of the story. The growth of the other characters was lacking and there relationships to the main character were hard to understand.

However, one thing I loved about this was the amount of research that was clearly put into the novel. The number of facts and statistics were nearly overwhelming. It some other reviews I had seen that many people considered the book to much of an info-dump, but I enjoyed the conspiracies and theories, all born of fact. Besides, as the story is only written from the point of view of Jeff I can only imagine a bit of info-dump as the main character was thrown into this plot with all of the information flying at his

Overall, the story was a really intriguing concept that needed to be more finely tuned in some places in order to more emotionally involve the reader. (It is however possible that the adult version of this novel, Cain's Blood, would appeal to me more.)

I give this story a hangover level of 3 out of 5.

Interested in purchasing the book? Check out the links above!

Review: House of Purple Cedar

House of Purple Cedar 
Tim Tingle 
192 pages (Paperback)
Cinco Puntos Press
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble


Blurb: 

"The hour has come to speak of troubled times. It is time we spoke of Skullyville." Thus begins Rose Goode's story of her growing up in Indian Territory in pre-statehood Oklahoma. Skullyville, a once-thriving Choctaw community, was destroyed by land-grabbers, culminating in the arson on New Year's Eve, 1896, of New Hope Academy for Girls. Twenty Choctaw girls died, but Rose escaped. She is blessed by the presence of her grandmother Pokoni and her grandfather Amafo, both respected elders who understand the old ways. Soon after the fire, the white sheriff beats Amafo in front of the town's people, humiliating him. Instead of asking the Choctaw community to avenge the beating, her grandfather decides to follow the path of forgiveness. And so unwinds this tale of mystery, Indian-style magical realism, and deep wisdom. It's a world where backwoods spiritualism and Bible-thumping Christianity mix with bad guys; a one-legged woman shop-keeper, her oaf of a husband, herbal potions, and shape-shifting panthers rendering justice. Tim Tingle—a scholar of his nation's language, culture, and spirituality—tells Rose's story of good and evil with understanding and even laugh-out-loud Choctaw humor. 

Review:  

I was given House of Purple Cedar by my librarian, who asked if I would review the book for him, being that it had just arrived new to our library. Once I obtained the book I looked up reviews done by other to gauge if I would like the book. All the reviews I found rated the book highly and it seemed like it would be a page turner. It turned out to not be. 

In my own personal opinion, I did not enjoy House of Purple Cedar and find the ratings to be off.  When I first started reading the book I thought it was interesting, for about the first chapter. Afterwards, the chapters dragged on, not really coming to a point. Many of the stories told in the book, which contributed to the whole story, could have been smaller, which would help make the story a faster read. 

The book itself is to highlight the horrible discrimination PoC go through, especially Native Americans. The Choctaw people, in their small Oklahoma town, had to deal with a lot of discrimination towards Native Americans as a whole being. I am all for equal treatment for everyone, and there should be more books written about it, but there could have been a more interest sparking way to write the book. 

This is just my personal opinion on the writing and format of house of Purple Cedar, and it's not meant to offend others. 

Overall, I give House of Purple Cedar a level 1 hangover out of 5. But an A for effort. 

Interested in purchasing the book? Click the links at the top! 

Review: The Naturals

The Naturals 
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
308 pages (Hardcover)
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive. 

Review: 

I heard about The Naturals a few months before it came out and it sounded like it was going to be a really great book. I'm glad to say that it didn't disappoint me. In fact, I read it in a day because I wasn't able to put it down 

The novle was very fast paced, which I really liked. There weren't any parts in the middle of the story where it seemed to lag. 

I also really liked the cast of characters. Cassie was really interesting and I especially liked the mental processes she went through while profiling. I also very much enjoyed hoe realistic she was, even though she was "different." The rest of the characters, shane, Lia, Michael, Dean, and some of the rest, were also really fun and I liked there bickering and reactons to each other. Cassie's profiling training with the FBI agents was also extremely interesting. 

The other aspect of the novel that I loved was the mystery. Every few chapters there would be a snippet from the killer's point of view and they really added to the story. I didn't expect the ending at all, to be honest. 

The only small issue I had was the similarity between The Naturals and Kimbely Derting's The Body Finder series. However, there were enough differences that it was still enjoyable. 

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 5 out of 5. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top! 

Waiting On Wednesday: Drop Dead Demons

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It lets us spotlight that haven't been released and that we can't wait for. This week we've picked Drop Dead Demons by A&E Kirk, which is scheduled to release on May 27, 2014. 

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Seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey has figured out why everyone is trying to kill her...now she just needs to figure out how to stop them.

Between all the hell-hired assassins and secret society traitors hunting her down, Aurora didn’t think life as the Divinicus Nex could get worse.

Sure, she's discovered some lethal powers of her own. Plus, six sexy, super-charged, demon-hunting Hex Boys are watching her back. And yes, Aurora doesn't mind running into the muscled arms of the hottest one—and he’s not complaining either.

But when a seductive stranger with questionable motives delivers a deadly ultimatum, Aurora and the Hex Boys plunge into a do-or-die hunt for a legendary treasure that will either finally shift power in their favor or unleash hell on earth.

Pursued by demons of mythical proportions, Aurora and the Hex Boys race deeper into a shadowy world of a centuries old mystery and brutal conspiracy, where no one and nothing is what it seems. Where love and betrayal go hand-in-hand, and trusting the wrong person not only breaks your heart, but can get you killed.

Hiding her Divinicus Nex status from those chasing her, lying to her pretend-wish-he-were-real boyfriend, dodging demons, breaking into tombs, hunting her blackmailer, and passing Physics...Aurora could do that in her sleep.

Or more likely, die trying. 

------------------------------ 

I cannot wait for this book. I read the first book of the series when it was still brand new and I loved the whole story and plot since then. I've been waiting two years for Drop Dead Demons to finially come out and it has, I couldn't be any happier. The plot line is great and not to mention all the guys in the story are hot. 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? 
Let us know in the comments below! 

Review: Geek High

Geek High 
Piper Banks
242 pages (paperback)
NAL Trade
Goodreads -  Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

At this school, everyone's a geek. And Miranda Bloom still can't fit in...

Miranda is a math genius with divorced parents, an evil stepmother, and no boyfriend in sight. She can't even fit in with the other geeks at the Nottingham Independent School for high-IQ students, because they actually have useful talents. Miranda, on the other hand, is known as "The Human Calculator," which doesn't amount to much when people have, you know, their own calculators.

Then Miranda gets stuck planning the school's Snowflake Gala. And as she struggles to find a date and drum up some school spirit at Nottingham-aka "Geek High"-she finds that who you are means more than where you fit in. 

Review: 

Here I am again with another teen/YA book, this week it's Geek High. My mother bought me this book for my birthday back in 2012 and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Enough that I wrote a review for my English class that same year. It follows the first semester of her sophmore year in high school, hitting all the highs and lows hat come with it. 

I liked how realistic the story line is. Parents are divorced, mother moves for a job and daughter has to move in with her dad. Totally plausable in the real world. The main character, Miranda, had a very believable personality and many of the things that she does throughout the story follow what an actual teenage girl would do. Character development of the supporting characters is moderately high, and I mean that in a good way. 

I would say that Geek High would be an enjoyable read for anyone who likes reading YA stories, and teenage girls may be able to relate to many of the twist and turns that miranda goes through. it's a great weekend read, but I would say you may want to be on the mature side, like 13 or older, as mature content is mentioned. 

Overall, I would give Geek High a level 4 hangover out of 5. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Waiting On Wednesday: City of Heavenly Fire

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It lets us spotlight books that haven't been released and that we can't wait for. This week we've picked City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, which is scheduled to release May 27, 2014. 

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ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID. 

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

----------------------------------------- 

Jordyn has been on the edge of her seat while waiting for this installment of The Mortal Instruments to be released. I will admit that I myself have not read any of the books in this series but Jordyn did force me to watch teh movie adaptation of it. i will say the storyline itself seems very interesting, just not my personal style. that doesn't mean I can't wait for it to be released, though. not only are we spotlighting this book but we also have a countdown for it on one of our sidebars. The cover fits along very well with the rest of the known covers and i know fans have been debating over which two characters are actually suppose to be on the cover. 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? 

Let us know down in the comments! 

Waiting on Wednesday: Killer Instinct

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It lets us spotlight books that haven't been relaesed and that we can't wait for. This week we've picked Killer Instinct  by S.E. Green, Shannon Greenland, which is scheduled to release on May 6, 2014. 

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She’s not evil, but she has certain... urges.

Lane is a typical teenager. Loving family. Good grades. Afterschool job at the local animal hospital. Martial arts enthusiast. But her secret obsession is studying serial killers. She understands them, knows what makes them tick.

Why?

Because she might be one herself.

Lane channels her dark impulses by hunting criminals—delivering justice when the law fails. The vigilantism stops shy of murder. But with each visceral rush the line of self-control blurs.

And then a young preschool teacher goes missing. Only to return... in parts.

When Lane excitedly gets involved in the hunt for “the Decapitator,” the vicious serial murderer that has come to her hometown, she gets dangerously caught up in a web of lies about her birth dad and her own dark past. And once the Decapitator contacts Lane directly, Lane knows she is no longer invisible or safe. Now she needs to use her unique talents to find the true killer’s identity before she—or someone she loves—becomes the next victim...

----------------------------

We can't wait for this book to be published! It's coming very soon but we've had our eyes oon it seen it first popped up on all of our Goodreads dashes. Jordyn, Michaela, and I have always been fascinated by serial killers and what makes them tick. Was it something in their childhood? Is there something wrong with them mentally? Either way, we think this book is gonna be great and we're jumoing in our seats, excited for it to finally come. 

What are you waiting for this Wednsday? 

Let us know in the comments below! 

Review: Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar

Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar 
Kelly Oxford
336 pages (paperback)
It Books
Goodreads  - Amazon  - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

From her beginnings as a wunderkind producer of pirated stage productions for six-year-olds, through her spirited adventures watching self-satisfying monkeys, throwing up on Chinese food deliverymen, and stalking Leo DiCaprio, here are the goofy highs and horrifying lows of life as Kelly Oxford. 

Review: 

I didn't know what to expect when I first got Everything Is Perfect when You're a Liar. It sounded like an interesting book, but I was never one for memoirs or life stories. Once I got a couple chapters in I realized that this memoir wasn't like other memoirs out there. Kelly's story is basically multiple essays weaved together to create a story, starting in her childhood and end in her now adult life. 

I have seen many people give mild rated reviews of this book, now that I have personally read it myself, and on Goodreads it curentlly holds a 3.36 star rating. I, on the other hand, love this book. Throughtout the story she is literally telling readers just who ignorant she was as a child and teenager, while as growing as an adult she realizes that everything that she had done in highschool really came back and bit her in the ass. 

Many reviewers have called her narcissistic for complaining about her seemingly perfect life, but what they don't realize is that she not really complaining, but rather telling her life story the way she sees it with her emotions and her feelings. This is what kept my attention while I was reading. If I remember correctly, I finished this book within 3 or 4 hours, so rather quickly. I honestly believe that if you enjoy reading and maybe even laughing at other peolples failures you might like reading this book, and if not, check it out anyway.  

Overall, I give this a hangover level 4 out of 5. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Review: Red Knife

Red Knife 
William Kent Krueger
320 pages (Hardcover)
Atria Books
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

The newest book in William Kent Krueger's award-winning Corcoran O'Connor series finds the charismatic private investigator caught in the middle of a racial gang war that's turning picturesque Tamarack County, Minnesota, into a bloody battlefield.

When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father, strong-willed and brutal Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge. His target is the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the girl's fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red.

Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.

In "Red Knife," Krueger gives his readers a vivid picture of racial conflict in small-town America, as well as a sensitive look at the secrets we keep from even those closest to us and the destructive nature of all that is left unsaid between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, friends and lovers.

Review: 

Red Knife is a book that my sophmore English teacher assigned the class to read. At first, I didn't think it would be a very good book, I've never been a person that was interested by mysteries that took place in Minnesota. I mean come on, I live in the state and I know how boring it really is. I gave it a try though, English was my best class and it looked like a short, easy read that I could quickly finish. 

Once I started the book and got through the first chapter I realized just how much I was going to LOVE this story. While you're reading it you believe that you have it all figured out and that you know who is at fault, then new evidence turns up and the loop is thrown off. I myself take pride in how quickly i can solve murder mysteries in my head, whether it be in a book, show or movie, but this book had me stumped and it was a refreshing feeling. Now, Red Knife is the eighth  book in Krueger's Cork O"Conner series, which can be found on Goodreads. 

I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Krueger last April, at a book festival that has become an annual event in my small town of Saint Peter. Sadly, I wasn't able to talk to him for very long, but from our short conversation I can inform you all that he is a kind man who very much enjoys writing and giving advise to young adults that are interested in writing. 

Overall, I give this book a hangover level of 4 out of 5. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Review: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave 
Rick Yancey 
457 page (Hardcover) 
Putman Juvenile
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble
 
Blurb: 

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. 

Review:

The 5th Wave was even better than I was expecting it to be, and I was expecting a lot. I haven't read a whole lot of alien books in the past, but this one stood out compared to those that I have read. It was well-paced, fresh, and that was one badass alien invasion.

I really enjoyed the sheer amount of thought that must have been put into imagining  the post-invasion world. It was just so well-thought out, with so many details. There were a few things that I probably never would have consider, but that really added to the novel. I loved every detail that Rick Yancey deigned to give us readers, savoring absolutely everything even when it was an awful detail that killed me.

Which brings me to the fact that I would never want to live in this book. Ever. The end of the world wasn't coming. No, it had already come and gone and anyone left was still there because of pure bad luck. But I loved watching the characters fight to live and do what was right in that horrible messed up world. It really gave me something to cheer and hope for.

I also really loved seeing the characters grow throughout the story. Each of them got so much stronger as they kept trying to fight back And some of the twists in the plot had me understanding the hardships the characters were going through At points, I didn't know if I should cheer them on or shout out to warn them that they were being tricked (only to find out I was way off anyways).

So the book was pretty spectacular, aside from the fact that when the point of view switched the first few times, it left me feeling a bit lost. But once I understood what was going on, I saw how necessary the change was. It added to the story rather than detracting from it.

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 5 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Super Six Sunday: Characters We'd Love to Be

Super Six Sunday is an meme hosted by Bewitched Bookworms (one of our favorite blogs) and inspired by "Top Ten Tuesday" from The Broke and Bookish. Today's awesome topic is Characters that We Want to Be. So below is a list of super-cool characters that we'd love be.

Super Six Characters We'd Love to Be

Angie's Picks

1. Fred & George Weasley

I'd absolutely love to be one of these two. They were always having so much fun and loving life, although they were willing to fight and die for a cause too. Both of the twins were very intelligent (even if they didn't always show it) and loved making mischief, which made the books so much more fun than they would have been without them. These were two of my favorites characters throughout the whole Harry Potter series and I'd love to be them.

2. Bonnie McCullough

Bonnie wasn't one of my favorite characters in the Vampire Diaries, but I had so much respect for her. She was just a tiny little redhead, the frailest of the whole crew, but she never backed away from a fight and was always willing to help out her friends. She also had her really cool witch roots that traced all the way back to the Druids, which makes her pretty kickass to me.

Jordyn's Picks

1. Vee Sky

Vee was one of my favorite characters in the Hush, Hush saga. She was fierce in that fun, sarcastic best friend way. The humor that Vee created at the most unnecessary of times was part of the reason why I first loved her, but she also didn't take shit from anyone. I'd be proud to be Vee.

2. Luna Lovegood

I wrote a paper once on how Luna (from Harry Potter) was one of the most inspirational fictional characters I'd ever had the pleasure of reading about, despite the fact that she's not a main character. I still think that's true. I always loved the way that Luna was so innocent but so honest  at the same time. She didn't care what people thought about her, fought with her friends no matter what, and she was very intelligent (even though there was an a lot of crazy in her). I'd love to be Luna.

Michaela's Picks

1. Stella Gunn

Stella was one of my absolute favorites out of Kristen Ashley's Rock Chicks. Rock Chick Reckoning was wonderful. I'd love to be Stella for a lot of reasons. One of my favorite things about her was the fact that she seriously knew how to rock. She could sing and play guitar with passion and had a killer music taste. She stood up for what she believed in, even though it wasn't safe for her. And she also ended up with one of my favorite guys. I'm just saying. I wouldn't mind being her.

2. Sadie Townsend

My second pick is Sadie Townsend from Rock Chick Regret (the seventh book in Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series). Sadie was different from Stella in a lot of ways, but she was still pretty intense. Sadie faced her fears and didn't break when literally everything in her world was going wrong. She stood up to her family, which I think is always impressive, and she did what she could to make up for things that weren't her fault. She also had a stellar fashion sense. Those are a few of the reasons why I'd like to be her, although I could go on.

Those are our six picks for Super Six Characters We'd Love to Be. We hope you enjoyed them. Let us know which characters you'd love to be if you had the chance and comment below!

Review: The Brightest Kind of Darkness

Brightest Kind of Darkness
P.T. Michelle
357 Kindle Edition
Patrice Michelle
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.  

Review: 

I've been waiting to read this book for such a long time, and I'm glad I finally got the chance. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, and I can say that I agree with most of them.

Brightest Kind of Darkness has such an original plot. I haven't read anything like it before. I really enjoyed the whole idea of Nara (love her name, by the way) dreaming her whole day the night before. But it didn't take long before things were changing. We didn't get a complete explanation as to why Nara started losing her dreams, although we did learn what happened to them. I can't wait to read the next book so I can learn more about what was going on. One of my favorite things was the repercussions that Nara caused by changing Fate. It was so logical that there something should happen when someone tries to mess with destiny. And it added a feeling of suspense while I wondered what was going to go wrong next.

I really loved all of the characters in this novel. They were all fresh and unique and I couldn't help but picture myself in Nara's position. And let me say, Nara was an amazing heroine. She tried so hard to help others, even though it could only affect her negatively some of the times. She was a very strong heroine and I loved her for that. Another character I really enjoyed was Nara's aunt Sage. Aunt Sage was that aunt that everybody wants. She was understanding, knew how to bake and make an awesome meal, and was willing to listen to Nara and support her when needed. The other character I feel I need to mention is Ethan. The love interest. Ethan was the perfect compliment to Nara's happiness and lightness, because he was all shadows and mental demons (with an interesting twist). But he wasn't sulky or gloomy. He was just trying to live his life as best as he could, which I loved.

The only complaint I have with this book is that it felt like Nara and Ethan started caring about each other very suddenly, but that might just be me. It didn't really bother me very much though because they progressed slowly and had a few obstacles along the way. There relationship was very sweet and I really liked that they had so much in common.

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 4 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Review: Tilt

Tilt
Ellen Hopkins
608 pages (Hardcover)
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb:

Three teens, three stories—all interconnected through their parents’ family relationships. As the adults pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the lives of the teens begin to tilt….

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year—and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister’s impending death. Can he accept Alex’s love, knowing that his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Love, in all its forms, has crucial consequences in this standalone novel.

Review:

I've read a lot of Ellen Hopkins in the last few years, making my way through the majority of her works. I've loved most of it, rarely disliking her stories. Anyone who has read one of her books knows that she writes about issues and problems in society, showing darker aspects of life. I fully enjoy them, and Tilt wasn't really any different.

The first book I ever read by Ellen Hopkins was Impulse. I was kind of shocked by the content and how the content was portrayed. It took some adjusting for me, as I wasn't used to or originally a big fan of verse. I also had to adjust to the alternating point of views. Tilt was much like Impulse in those ways, containing verse writing and also multiple view points. But Hopkins is a master at telling stories like this. Her verse is elegant and I'm always very impressed at how well the stories flow. The multiple point-of-views only added to the effect of the story, letting the reader see connections we wouldn't know about otherwise. Because, while technically there are three stories being told, I only view it as one.

Speaking of the story . . . I can't explain how much this one spoke to me. It was all about how one lie can lead to another and how everything we do can affect those around us. It was about how people can change. I really loved reading the stories about Mikayla, Harley, and Shance. It was heartbreaking and inspiring all at once as I watched their lives spiral out of control and they tried to deal with it.

And, of course, the classic Ellen Hopkins ending. She left the story off, telling us what happened, but leaving it kind of open-ended, allowing readers to wonder what happened next. It shows readers that the characters' lives aren't finished yet. And I adored the ending.

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 5 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Cast a Harry Potter Spell

Jasmine from Flip That Page came up with this awesome bookish survey! It's so much fun to answer! And it has a Harry Potter theme! And all three of us here at My Book Hangovers absolutely love Harry Potter!

Cast A Spell

Reparo
fixes damaged objects
A book that needs some serious fixing: Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse was a fun enough read for me, but I would have liked some attitude adjustments in the characters. They didn't seem realistic to me, and that made it so much harder for me to connect with them. I would have enjoyed it so much more if they hadn't been so down on themselves and so ignorant of what they had.

Lumos
creates a narrow beam of light
A book that deserves more attention: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson was such a great book! It was so easy to get sucked into and to imagine the world around June. But according to Goodreads, there really aren't that many ratings for it. I think more people should give it a try even though it may seem a little daunting (as it did to me before I started it.)

Nox
counters the effects of Lumos
An overhyped book: Okay, so, nobody hate me, because I know this book is very well liked, but I think Delirium (Lauren Oliver) got way too much hype. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy parts of it, but it wasn't all super original to me and I was never very surprised by what came next in it. I wouldn't say it wasn't worth reading, I just don't think it was as amazing as the hype led me to believe it was going to be.

 

Accio
summons an object from a significant distance
A book you’re anticipating: I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS ONE TO COME OUT! Drop Dead Demons by A&E Kirk is my most anticipated book ever. There was a big thing about how the release date has been moved back a few times, but now I have to wait until July of 2014. I'll have been waiting nearly two years by then, and while I understand there were some issues, I really need this book. The first one was absolutely amazing! And the ending was a total cliffhanger!

Alohomora
opens unlocked doors, unless bewitched
A book you want to be more open about: The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I really wish I could be more open about how much I loved this book. I feel like I'd be slaughtered for admitting it though. I thought it was so much better than her Twilight series. The characters were more interesting, the world was so much cooler, and I really loved the plot and the love story. And I think Meyer's writing improved after Twilight.

Expecto Patronum
conjures an incarnation of positive feelings
A book that made you cry, or at least want to: Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly made me cry towards the end. It really hurt to see what happened between Willow and Sebastian, and it hurt knowing why. I personally thought there was nothing wrong with what Willow was doing so when things went down, it was almost hard to keep reading. But the ending was worth it, even if I shed a few tears before I finally got there.

Morsmordre
conjures the Dark Mark
A book you wish to mark as one of your favorites: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins is one of my all-time favorite books ever. I read it twice in the time I had it checked out of the library. Hopkins writes in verse and that's always something I have to adjust to, but I love her writing and the topics she writes about. It's really great everything she does to bring awareness to issues, but she does it by telling the most beautiful stories.

Petrificus Totalus
petrifies victim
A book you wish to keep forever:  I wish I could keep The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Jordyn posted a review of it a while ago, and she absolutely loved it. The writing was fantastic and the imagination she put into that book was gorgeous. I wish I could just keep it next to me for the rest of time and never ever ever put it down.

Protego
shield charm
An intimidating book you keep putting off: I have a huge copy of the Chronicles of Narnia (C.S Lewis) sitting on my bookshelves and I just can't bring myself to read it. It's got so many pages and all of the print is tiny. Every time I try to pick it up, I end up getting distracted. I feel like I need to read it because I received it as a gift, and I also feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't read it, but I just haven't been able to do it yet.

 

Riddikulus
used against a boggart
A book with a deceiving synopsis: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Jordyn read this one a while ago and didn't get what she was expecting at all. She still really loved it though. And I saw some of the pictures in it, which were pretty wicked. But what she described to me and what the synopsis says seem like two very different things.
 

Lacarnum Inflamarae
shoots fireballs
A book you wish to burn out of your mind completely: Torment by Lauren Kate. Gah! I really loved the first book in this series (Fallen), but I felt so letdown by Torment. It was so different from the first book. The characters had changed, and it felt like the book was going in a whole different direction. I wish it would have been more like what I was expecting after the ending of Fallen. As it is, I'd rather just forget about it.

 

Wingardium Leviosa
levitates objects
A book you wish to reread: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart was a seriously wonderful book. It's been such a long time since I've read it though. I wouldn't mind rereading it a few times. It was such a fun and interesting read! I couldn't put it down! But it's hard for me to remember some of the finer points to the plot, so I'll have to read it again. Not that I'll mind one little bit.
 

Avada Kedavra
causes instant death
Worst book EVER: To me, Silas Marner by George Eliot, was the. Worst. Book. Ever. I read it quite a long time ago in an English class, but I remember hating it with a fiery passion. I've never felt that way about another book. And I tried so hard to like it because my Enlgish teacher was so excited about it. But I just couldn't do it. It wasn't my kind of book, and while I've branched out of my normal genres before, this one didn't do it for me at all. I couldn't have possibly disliked it more than I did.

 

 

Spells Cast On You

Stupefy
puts victim in unconscious state
A book with a chapter you couldn’t seem to get over: The last few chapters of With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent were really hard for me to deal with for multiple reasons. The first reason was that the series was ending. The second was that they were heart-wrenchingly painful, but so wonderful at the same damn time. I couldn't stop reading them, but I was crying and upset and happy all at the same time and it was crazy insane how intense those last few chapters were.


Confundo
causes befuddlement or forgetfulness
A book that generally confused you: Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz. It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember feeling confused during parts of it. Not because the writing was confusing or the plot wasn't understandable though. I just felt like the book's direction had changed a lot since the first book. It barely felt like the same series to me.


Crucio
inflicts unbearable pain
A book that was a pain to read: Beautiful Creatures was a really painful read for me. I didn't get into it the way I usually do with books, but someone kept telling me that it got better towards the end. But for me, it really didn't, so it was kind of painful making it all the way through.




Episkey
heals relatively minor injuries
A feel good book that you enjoyed: Heist Society by Ally Carter was a really fun read. It wasn't too difficult or weighted down with details and emotions. It was just a quick, fun little read that I enjoyed immensely. I haven't read the second one yet, but it's on my to-read list, which mean I'll get to it eventually. Whenever I find time to enjoy it. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later, but my to-read list is nearly never-ending.


Expelliarmus
temporarily disarms an opponent
A book with a swoon-worthy character: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson contained one seriously swoon-worthy character, and that was Tuck. I couldn't get enough of him. I felt bad for Ellie, seeing as how she was majorly attracted to Tuck, who was her older brother's best friend. And of course that wasn't the only complication she had to deal with. But at least Tuck made it better. So much better, especially when they finally got together.


Impedimenta
impedes target’s progress
A book that kept you up all night reading: Alice in Zombieland was the last book that kept me up way too late reading. It was kind of creepy because every time I finished reading about a zombie attack, I could look out my window in the the dark night outside. I kept expecting something to pop up in my window. But I really loved the book. Seriously. If you haven't read it, commence doing so right now at this exact moment.

Silencio
immediate silencing
A book that left you speechless after you read it: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John was a really epic novel. I loved the main character with a fiery passion. She was an incredible lead and I loved watching her grow throughout the story. I loved how much she really got into music even though she couldn't really hear it most of the time, as she was deaf. But watching her dealing with the band and learning to handle the issues they were having was really wonderful.

 

 

Legilimens
allows you to delve into someone’s mind
A book with well-developed characters: Dead Silence (Kimberly Derting) had really well-developed characters. And I really enjoyed watching as the characters grew more throughout the last book. The main character Violet learned how to stand up for herself even more than she already did and she decided to make her final decision without basing it on fear or other people's wants. I really wish the series hadn't ended.


Levicorpus
a spell that turns you upside down
A book that changed your mind about a character from its prequel: Chosen, the third installment in the House of Night series, really changed my opinions of some characters, if only momentarily. For a little while, I couldn't understand the main character Zoey and the choices she'd made. I couldn't accept them and wasn't happy with them. I also completely lost hope in a few male characters and gained a lot in one female character, but I won't say who in case people are intending to read these but haven't. I was a pretty big part of the plot.


Obliviate
used to hide memories
A book with a story you can’t remember: Kiss Crush Collide was a book that I borrowed from a friend and read quite a long time ago. I was going through my Goodreads before doing this post and I saw it in my "read" file, but I didn't remember reading it. It hasn't been that long since I've read it, as I remember reading it now, but I don't really remember what happened in the story. I just remember likely the story well enough, but not being overly impressed.


Peskipiksi Pesternomi
useless spell
A boring book that had absolutely no effect on you: Wither (Lauren DeStefano) wasn't exactly boring to me, but it didn't hold my attention as well as it should have. I finished it, but I don't remember as many details as I usually remember about the books that I read. I also haven't gone to pick up the second one, like I normally would have by now. So I guess I could say that this book had absolutely no effect on me.


Reducto
breaks through solid objects
A book that convinced you to reconsider a certain genre: Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith were the first books that ever got me into the paranormal genre. Which is a pretty big deal, seeing as how that makes up for most of the books I read nowadays. So it basically introduced me to most of the books that I've read and loved within the last few years. Which I will be forever thankful for, because it led me to a seriously large amount of books.


Rictusempra
tickling spell
A book that made you laugh: Croak was one of the funniest books I've read in a couple years. It made me laugh out loud quite a few times, which doesn't happen very often. But it was one of the most humorous reads I've seen in a long time, although once again, I'm behind when it comes to the rest of the series. Something else I'll have to correct soon. I'm looking forward to the new laughs that I'll have with the next installments.


Sectusempra
offensive spell that violently wounds the target
A book that may have scarred you for life: Impulse, another Ellen Hopkins book, was very scarring to me, but it was a good kind of scarring. I wasn't very aware of the issues discussed in that book the first time I read it. But by the time I was done, I was far more aware of suicidal feelings and how much of a stress they can be on teenagers. I'm so glad I read this when I did and discovered Ellen Hopkins.


Tarantallegra
makes you dance uncontrollably
A series finale that made you feel giddy:  Rock Chick Revolution by Kristen Ashley, the final installment of the Rock Chick series, made me really giddy. I couldn't believe that the series was ending but it also said there were going to be more of them, just in a different series. I can't wait to see what Kristen comes out with next and I really hope it's as good as the rest of the books I've read, although I don't doubt her abilities one little bit, and am eagerly awaiting her next book.



Bombarda Maxima
causes an explosion that breaks through obstacles
A book that made you explode with the feels:  Every Day by David Levithan just killed me when the feels hit me. I could barely deal with it. I got to the ending and I just didn't know what to do. It almost hurt knowing how the main character felt about the girl and what he was willing to do for her. I almost wanted to protest how the ending went down, but at the same time, it really did feel like it that was how it was meant to end. I couldn't have accepted it any other way either.


Finite Incantatem
nullifies other spells
A book you thought you’d dislike, but ended up loving: I thought I'd dislike Memiors of a Geisha, but I ended up really loving the story. My friend kept telling my that I needed to read it and that I would love it just as much as she did. But I wasn't sure because I don't normally read historical fiction, especially not stuff that could almost be real. But I gave it a try, figuring that if she loved it that much it couldn't be all bad. And I'm very glad I did, because it's probably one of my favorite books ever now.

Have you made a Harry Potter survey?

If you have, let us know in the comments below and we'll check it out!