Tag: Paranormal (Page 20 of 52)

BOOK REVIEW: Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

BOOK REVIEW: Charm and Strange by Stephanie KuehnCharm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Who is Andrew Winston Winters? No one really knows. Least of all himself. He is part Win, a lonely teenager exiled to a remote boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts the whole world out, no matter the cost, because his darkest fear is of himself ...of the wolfish predator within. But he's also part Drew, the angry boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who, one fateful summer, was part of something so terrible it came close to destroying him. A deftly woven, elegant, unnerving psychological thriller about a boy at war with himself. Charm and Strange is a masterful exploration of one of the greatest taboos.


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Wow. This is going to be a hard one to talk about. I mean, how do you explain a book that’s shrouded in mystery? We don’t know what’s real, what’s imagined, what happened…we are completely in the dark until all the pieces slowly start to fit together. Indeed this is a journey that I don’t see everyone loving, but, for me, it was absolute perfection.

There are wants and needs in this world, I think. There are hopes and guarantees. There are the things that are true and the things we need to believe in. And I’ve seen enough in my life to know I don’t believe in much.

Win’s story is utterly devastating. Whether it’s his past or his present-it doesn’t matter-his life is a sad one. We get glimpses of his past as a ten year old child, always craving positive affirmation from those surrounding him. We can already see he is somewhat tainted in the way he sees the world, which, again, is tragic, and we know something isn’t right. And I’m not just talking about the creatures…..

What is there to say when what’s inside of me is unspeakable?

More and more we begin to see his flinching responses and urges to glare and defend, but we aren’t sure why. And no, this isn’t spoilery or giving too much up-we see in the first two chapters that something, whether it’s easy to figure out or not (thanks a lot Goodreads users, for real), I had quite an easy time seeing what was coming. That’s not to say I knew everything, but I guessed the main issue at hand, as I’m sure many of you will, too. But, and I couldn’t say this any more perfectly than my wonderful blog buddy, Anna, did-It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen spoilers galore, Win’s journey stands on it’s own. From the moment you pick up this story, you know it’s going to be special-You just can’t figure out why.

I don’t want to die and I don’t think I can live.

Win was a character that I will likely not forget for a long time. I can’t explain the essence of Win without possibly spoiling the plot, but I can say that, without a doubt, I fell in love with him. His voice was one of a kind. His struggles, his loneliness, his self-deprecation….It was painful. And the whole time I felt his pain along with him. His stomach issues, his longing to belong as a child slowly slipping away as he becomes a teenager no longer wishing to fit in, but to push everyone away. I mean, it’s just so difficult to read…yet you just can’t stop.

How can the same God that created all this beauty have created me?

Like many books lately I am a tad disappointed in my lack of time to read. Reading in twenty minute intervals with my eyes barely staying open hardly bodes well for a shorter story and, like usual, it effected the flow of the story. This has been happening more frequently than I can handle and it’s starting to really aggravate me. I get that life happens, but come on….this was just a short little book and good lord it annoyed me how little I could get done at once. All I can say is that, while the beginning 50% was disjointed for me (as it’s supposed to be as to keep the reader on their toes, but I was even more disjointed with lack of time (See the bigger dilemma here?)), I got to finish the last 50% in one bug chunk and it made all the difference.

From what I can tell, morality is a word. Nothing more. There’re the things people do when others are watching and the things we do when they aren’t.

So, you know, I stand by what I’ve said. This story is wonderful and weird and it lets you go places rarely seen in such a light, but it is certainly not for everyone-not by a long shot. I think that, while this author is clever and unique, she isn’t ever going to be a favorite of mine. I loved this story-I did-but something about her writing makes me side-eye her frequently. And I really do think I’d have rated this 5 if I’d have had the time to enjoy it. But after the monstrosity that is Delicate Monsters and now this one, I think it’s safe to say she isn’t easy to relate to (book wise). Anywho, that being said and slung to the side, I’d love for everyone to give this one a try. Win’s story is unforgettable-you just have to open your mind.

 

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Awwww look how cute the cover issssss….

Said no one ever.

Anna you know me so welllll >.<

BOOK REVIEW – Crushed (Soul Eaters #2) by Eliza Crewe

BOOK REVIEW – Crushed (Soul Eaters #2) by Eliza CreweCrushed (Soul Eaters #2)
by Eliza Crewe
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Meda Melange has officially hung up her monstrous mantle and planted her feet firmly on the holy and righteous path of a Crusader-in-training. Or, at least, she’s willing to give it a shot. It helps that the Crusaders are the only thing standing between her and the demon hordes who want her dead.

The problem is, the only people less convinced than Meda of her new-found role as Good Girl are the very Crusaders she’s trying to join. So when a devilishly handsome half-demon boy offers escape, how’s a girl supposed to say “no?”

After all, everyone knows a good girl’s greatest weakness is a bad boy.

I’m the black sheep of the crowd on this one, and to be frank, it’s the first time I pondered if I would post a review or not, because at first I felt like I wouldn’t be able to explain my feelings. But it was without counting my complete inability to shut up. Hey, everyone has his own flaws, right?

Just – hear me out : I can’t deny that Eliza Crewe does an INCREDIBLE job at ruining all the stereotypes we can expect in a PNR, and for that, really, BRAVO. As you will see, I developed more my reproaches because let’s face it : most of readers agree with what I loved. No need to explain again why Meda is amazing.

Awesome facts about Crushed

No TSTL heroine, but Meda, basically the most powerful weapon living on earth and a believable selfish person by the way (believable because really? How many selfless people do you think there are on Earth? Huh? Am I pessimistic? I am pessimistic). Not to mention her sarcastic thoughts and her craving for freedom. Favorite scene? Her coloring-bonding with little children. PRECIOUS.

No instalove, but characters who struggle to trust each others, and WITH REASONS, because duh, war it is.

No girl hate, but FRIENDSHIP GUYS!! Woot woot! (I missed Chi, though)

▧ Armand is quite stereotypical but then, his puppy sexy eyes won. Well this and the fact that he doesn’t hide behind false pretences : you want a demon? You got a demon. Bad, bad me. Oh, and for ONCE here’s a French character who doesn’t annoy me (even if the French accent has no effect on me, of course). I even giggled a little at his “mademoiselle”

Mademoiselle. Do you know that officially this word isn’t meant to be used anymore in France? YES BECAUSE WE’RE ALL MADAMES NOW (yes, it’s in the law, for the official papers anyway). And I fucking love it. It’s no one business if I’m married or not, and I don’t need to be married to get the “adult word” that “madame” always was. Not to mention that men never had this kind of “young word”. But I digress, sorry.

“You arranged a murder?” Awww, that’s so sweet.
“Nothing elaborate, of course.” He grins slyly. “Didn’t want to overdo it on a first date.”
And he ruins it.”

Feminists vibes, which if subtle, were definitely here. My favorite of the bunch is …

“Some might call me a ‘tease’, but I don’t believe it. ‘Tease’ implies that I owe him something, that I should feel guilty. As if my flirtation is forced on him and he merely tolerates it for an eventual pay-out. That’s bullshit. We both have goals in our little game; why should his goal (sex) take priority over mine (to mess with his head)? Is it because he’s a man?”

YOU GO GIRL. *thumbs up*

Let me down facts about Crushed

▧ In my opinion the story dragged in the first half, and if I always loved Meda, the plot never captivated me. Look, I see what makes this book a favorite for a lot of my friends, I really do. This is a complete case of “It’s not the book but me”, because I have to admit that I wasn’t enthralled as I thought I would be. To be frank, I think that I’m not a PNR reader anymore – Plots involving demons and all that stuff just rub me the wrong way and that’s the same thing with Urban Fantasy : It’s not for me, not for now, anyway.

We don’t know enough things about the demons AT ALL. Maybe that’s just me, but I like to make my opinion by myself and as it is, I don’t know them enough. One might argue that DUH, demons are demons for fuck sake (!!!) but isn’t it the whole point of the series? If Meda gets to catch our attention and love because nothing is as simple as it seems, why couldn’t we learn more about the demons and their possible complex nature?  Because tell me, if the demons are bad and the crusaders are the good ones, what’s new to this? Let’s face it, we already know that the crusaders aren’t perfect, and I LOVE THAT. I only want for the demons to not be Manichean either, but perhaps am I asking for too much.

Miscommunications. Hey, don’t look at me. I never hid that it IS one of my peeves. I can’t wrap my head around situations where people only had to TALK to each others for the story to change.

▧ Was I supposed to not guess one of the end’s major twist? Huh? While it didn’t prevent me from liking the story, I can’t say that I didn’t see it coming. And frankly, I didn’t feel a lot of things. I don’t know. Oh, well. I can’t force myself to feel invested.

► Here I am – while I liked following Meda again, sadly the story didn’t hold my interest the whole time I was reading and yeah, I’m disappointed. But then, I’m clearly in the minority on this one, so don’t let my opinion stop you from meeting Meda, because the girl ROCKS.

BOOK REVIEW: Crushed (Soul Eaters #2) by Eliza Crewe

BOOK REVIEW: Crushed (Soul Eaters #2) by Eliza CreweCrushed (Soul Eaters #2)
by Eliza Crewe
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Meda Melange has officially hung up her monstrous mantle and planted her feet firmly on the holy and righteous path of a Crusader-in-training. Or, at least, she’s willing to give it a shot. It helps that the Crusaders are the only thing standing between her and the demon hordes who want her dead.

The problem is, the only people less convinced than Meda of her new-found role as Good Girl are the very Crusaders she’s trying to join. So when a devilishly handsome half-demon boy offers escape, how’s a girl supposed to say “no?”

After all, everyone knows a good girl’s greatest weakness is a bad boy.

“It’s illegal, you know,” he murmurs. “Stealing.”
I clear my throat. “Stealing?”
“My heart. I could have you arrested.”


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Holy Shit. Holy freakin’ (SEVERELY HOLDING IN STRONG CURSING) cow. This book. This. Fucking (whoops, I tried). Book. I liked book one, okay? I really did. Meda is a bona fide badass and the story (felt) unique and original. Now, to be fair, I don’t really read many demon books. I don’t. Really. So to say it’s original? I might be off base here. But, to me, everything about it was a breath of fresh air. The plot, the characters, the voice. Just altogether a great book, if you ask me. But nothing, I really mean nothing, could have prepared me for how much I loved this second installment.

We’ll face each other in battle, and when that day comes, we will do our utmost to reduce the other to bloody pieces. And we will do it unapologetically.
We know what we are.

Epic. Gripping. Harsh. As. Fuck. Oh, heyo, did I mention that my insides are literally ripped to shreds? No, you say? Well…yeah. They might be a heaping pile of mush at the moment. And I can’t quite decide whether they are a good ‘oooooh, how about that amazing Chelsea peril right there??? That was some good shit!’ or a ‘Noooo. Nononononononononono this can’t be, this can’t beeee’ kind of thing. There are one of two ways my heart can be crushed (tee-hee) and while one is still painful (3), the other is unbearable (2).

Options:

View Spoiler » What does everyone think??? I HAVE NO IDEA! And what did that final line of the book mean and who was it referring to?!


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And wah wah wah, call the wah-mbulance. I know I knooooow, I focus on romance waaaaay too much, but I don’t care!!!! I don’t give a heaping pile of Ellie’s dog poo! To me, while the story was more than enough to stand on its own, romance only adds to the story.

I laugh. “How exactly do you see this…” I wave between the two of us, unable to come up with a descriptor.
“Beautiful friendship?” he supplies with a devilish grin.
“…going?” I finish, ignoring him. “Us being mortal enemies and all.”
“I prefer the term ‘star-crossed lovers.'”

And we all know I’m a sucker for bad boys with dark hair and dark eyes and long eyelashes and…Hmm. You didn’t know? Lol. Well you do now. And I wants to tells ya….oh boy oh boy was he bad. Now, this is speculative, he was more of a quiet, doing it behind the scenes guy. But it doesn’t make it any less of a certainty-The sky is blue. The grass is green. Armand isn’t a sweet or reformed demon. Duh. But I loved him, guys. I luhhh-huuhhh-huuuuuvveeeeddddd himmmmmmmm *whiney voice*.


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Every time I saw his name I got giddy, excited, breathless. He and Meda-together-made this story something I craved when I couldn’t be near it. I literally ached for it. It was this deep, visceral longing. A lot of it had to do with Meda’s voice-she’s hilarious. But add a sexy boy to an already badass story? Meda+Armand+more snark+great story+ sexy sexy sexy=happy happy happy Chelsea. It’s simple MATH, really ;).

“That’s what I get for playing with fire, he grumbles, rubbing his head. It can’t hurt too badly-his head is far too hard.
“And here I always thought I was the one playing with fire. You being the bad boy.”
“Nope,” he says, dropping down beside me. “The one playing with fire is the one most likely to get burned.”
“Ah, well, that settles it. You were only bumped not burned.”
A pause. “Maybe today.”

This second story, to me, was a favorite because we got past all the introductory stuff, for the most part. Jo and Chi and Meda are besties and Meda is a beacon who hangs with the demon hunting crusaders. 90% of the crusaders don’t want her to be at the camp, seeing as she eats souls and all… but Jo and Chi are always at her side and on her side (though it’s not always clear), and would do anything to keep her there/save her-especially Jo. I adored their friendship. I know I tout about the romance blah blah but another layer to this intricate story was the friendship. For real. It was so beautiful to see two total opposites (and old enemies, really) become so close and to see what has became of their unlikely friendship and what’s still to come. I loved it. Not only did it add to the book, it was another key component to making it irresistible.

What a thing, to have your best friend also be your worst enemy.

So, yeah, I could fangirl all day but eh, I think I made my point. I enjoyed this one immensely, and the only thing I can say is that I must love torture. I must love pain. Because my heart? It’s pretty well ripped to shreds, due to recent developments and what’s most likely to come. And, before anyone asks, YES I figured things out and YES I guessed. I won’t elaborate. It changes nothing, ya hear? Nada. So back off on that front, anyone who has anything to say about it. lol. I’m thinking people need to read this. Stat. It’s pretty epic….and I can’t wait to see what happens (maybe…maybe-I might possibly die a slow and painful death, too…who knows? *shrugs).

BOOK REVIEW – Flicker (Flicker #1) by Kaye Thornbrugh

BOOK REVIEW – Flicker (Flicker #1) by Kaye ThornbrughFlicker (Flicker #1)
by Kaye Thornbrugh
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Lee Capren’s life is perfectly ordinary, thank you very much—right up until she’s spirited away by faeries and forced to serve them as a portrait artist. She escapes with the help of Nasser, a human boy whose magic has always been more of a curse than a gift. But what felt like a night in Faerie spanned years in the human world, and Lee returns only to find that her old life is gone.

Now living above a shop that caters to the city’s beguiling magical crowd, Lee doesn’t think her life can get more complicated. Then again, she never expected clashes with Filo, her prickly new roommate and unwilling magic tutor, her growing feelings for Nasser—or the cunning faerie bent on dragging her back to the world she just escaped.

Review:

Oh no.  This book was not for me.  The premise was interesting, the world building was fun, but the characters and I did not hit it off.  At all.  And for me?  That’s one of my favorite parts of a book.  To feel everything they are going through.  To hold my breath, to smile, to cry, to be nervous right along with them.  Not only then do I became lost in the pages, but I truly feel immersed in the story.  Sadly, that did not happen with Flicker.  I became adrift, confused and could not find a way to care about any of the characters.

But at first, I was completely intrigued in chapter one.  The story started off with Lee and her best friend at a house party.  What seemed normal, quickly escalated into something else when Lee would catch a glimpse of an image that truly could not be there.  A girl with green hair and black spines growing from her back, a girl with pointed ears, a boy with a snout and wolf’s ears….but when she would take a second glance, they were just normal teenagers.  When things started to become too uncomfortable for Lee, she escaped the party and ended up in the land of the Fey.  Where she stayed for the next 7 years (not by choice)!  At this point, I was SO intrigued.  I was nervous about what was going to happen to Lee and I couldn’t wait to see how she was going to escape.

In the next chapter, everything seemed to change.  We were introduced to two boys, Filo and Nasser, but I quickly became lost.  We would spend a few pages with one of them and then quickly switch to the other.  Then after only a few pages with that one, then we would go back to the other character.  While the switching between characters did eventually become more spaced out, I could never feel attached to any of them.  To know Lee, Nasser or any of the other characters inside out.  Or at the very least to understand their voices.  And with each switch, a lot of times I felt discombobulated.  I never really knew who we were starting out with.  Their voices blended together and felt blurred to me.

I also struggled with the introduction of so many characters within the first few chapters.  We meet Lee, Alice, Morgan, Newman, Jason, a hob, a dryad, Rodney and a lot of names from the Summer Court.  Oh my goodness, I became so confused.  Honestly, it took me close to 32% to have a  good grasp on who was who without having to look at my highlighted notes.  Usually the characters I read about became vivid in my mind and I can visualize every detail about them.  But in Flicker,  I wasn’t able to do that.  Their descriptions became long forgotten.  Especially since I struggled with just keeping up with who was who.

So unfortunately, Flicker was not for me.  While the premise was definitely interesting, I struggled with the changes of viewpoints and the influx of characters.  What connection I had initially made, became disjointed and then lost.  So suffice to say, I will not be continuing on with this series.

***ARC was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***

BOOK REVIEW: Cracked (Soul Eaters #1) by Eliza Crewe

BOOK REVIEW: Cracked (Soul Eaters #1) by Eliza CreweCracked (Soul Eater #1)
by Eliza Crewe
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Meet Meda. She eats people.

Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

Sometimes bad things need to be reminded they’re not the only ones who can bite.

Fun, witty, and surprisingly deep and heartfelt, this story was a page-turner from beginning to end. Meda was a character that will be impossible to forget-if not because of her devious habits, then because of her snarky and hilarious humor. A fun cast of characters makes this book easy to devour and there’s no character you don’t have strong feelings for.

Like any fatherless child, I’ve wondered about the man responsible for the glory that is me. Needless to say, it’s disappointing to learn he’s the kind who’d probably eat his young.

More than once I found myself tearing up and fighting back tears-this story wasn’t without it’s tragedies, despite the hilarious undertones. I was, admittedly, a little shocked that my heart strings were starting to fray by the end of this story….from the beginning I knew that this was going to be deeper than I thought, but not once did I believe it would bring tears to my eyes. The mocking narrative took away from the harshness of what Meda really does, but it’s not so easily forgotten when surrounded with her brethren.

They claim revenge is a dish best served cold, but I’ve found it to be equally delicious hot-not unlike fried chicken.

Dark, gritty, and fast-paced, I found this one hard to put down. Not often does a romance not including the main character (yet) pull me in, but I was addicted to Jo and Chi’s story. So cute and a little desperate, we get all the action and a slab of romance on the side. I can’t wait to see where Meda and Armand’s story goes (what? I’m ALL about the romance, sorry lol) in the next story. He seems to be a dark little soul…Come to mama.


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Oh, and did I mention the peril was through the roof near the end?? Points to Crewe! I LOVED that.

*Sorry-my review reflects my mood-dark and dry….I don’t normally flub or write such short/drab stuff, but I just can’t write right now. I had lots of funny quotes and quite a bit to say but…Oh well.*

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