Frozen

 

Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)

Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston

ISBN: 9780399257544

Sept 2013

*I received this uncorrected galley from Penguin First to Read*

4 Stars

On the now frozen planet one city, New Vegas, manages to keep the allure of what it once was.  The casinos keep people coming in packs. A blackjack dealer, Natasha Kestal, isn’t like those who come to her table: she wants to get out of town.  There’s a land of myth, a paradise for people like her, which she just happens to have a map to.  It’s too dangerous to travel to the Blue on her own so she hires a mercenary crew led by Ryan Wesson to help get her there safely.  Everyone in the group has their secrets and agenda making every moment on the journey tense.  Nat finds herself getting closer to Wes at the same time that she comes to terms with the power inside that she has been fighting all along.  Can their love survive the choices she has to make?

The complaint I have feels so miniscule now so my rating may get changed when I think about it a little more. It started out slow for me. Obviously it wasn’t agonizingly slow. Once it did pick up (If I had to guess I would say page 50 or so) I didn’t want to stop reading. These characters are amazing. They are flawed and a bit on the dysfunctional side just the way I like them.  I was completely invested in them; even some of the minor characters. The imagery was also superb so much so that I felt that I was right there with them.  Action was abundant but not overdone to the point that it was tiring. I did not want this book to end.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this novel.  I wish it would have had a better first impression but I impatiently await the next installment and fully recommend this one.

Golden Boy

Golden Boy

Abigail Tarttelin

ISBN: 978-1-4767-0580-4

*I won this book through a goodreads giveaway*

5 Stars

Max Walker is everything anyone could want in a son, brother, and friend. He’s academic and athletic and generally stays out of trouble.   Max’s mother is a prominent attorney and his father is running for political office. Besides the trouble his little brother seems to get into his family appears flawless.  Their secret is about to crash the image they work so hard to project though.  Max is intersex and only a few people know. When a trusted family friend abuses that trust they must face the reality that their world is going to change drastically.

The main reason for my rating this with 5 stars is the courage of Ms. Tarttelin and the bravery of this plot. This subject is something that is easier to avoid no matter how interesting it is so I really respect that. I knew from the beginning that I would rate it high because of one particular scenario. Some people will be taken aback by the vivid descriptions and subject matter as I am sure the author knows but she still chose to write it with brutal imagery.

I can’t say it enough…novels that make me look into stuff and want to learn more are honestly the best there are.  I could go on and on about the plot but that isn’t fair.  The format was something that I thought would bug me but it ended up being perfect for the flow and pacing which was great. There are characters that I fell in love with and some that I wanted to shake violently. Being invested in characters whether positively or negatively is very important and this novel delivered in that area also.

There really are no complaints and I know that I will be reading this one again as it’s an unforgettable novel. Needless to say…I truly recommend this one.

 

The Childhood of Jesus

The Childhood of Jesus

            J.M. Coetzee

            ISBN: 9781846557262

            4 Stars

            This is an uncorrected galley provided by Penguin

            A man and a boy have traveled far across oceans to reach a new land. Once there they learn the native language, Spanish, and are given new names. Their ages are determined solely on physical appearance. Washed clean of their memories, like everyone who comes to new country, the man, Simon, sets out with the difficult task of finding David’s mother.  On instinct alone he finds the woman he believes is the mother. The woman, who is successfully persuaded of the role, recognizes her son’s intelligent and unconventional wisdom as brilliance. The school and authorities see it negatively, however, and wishes to quell it by taking him away. Simon, who sees both points of view, must decide if he will help mother and son escape.

            I will start off by saying that this is the first work of this author’s that I have read and I am thoroughly impressed. My only complaint is that it did take me awhile to get with the flow of the pacing. That might just be the fact that I am unfamiliar with the author. I cannot stress enough that I enjoy reading anything that makes my brain go into overdrive and that’s exactly what just happened. First of all there are the characters and their story line which in itself is intriguing. Then there is this underlying mystery of why can’t they remember anything and where did they come from? Possibilities galore were running through my head the whole time. This is one of those novels that make you evaluate life and possibly relate to on some level. I really enjoyed it and will gladly recommend it.

 

 

 

The Companions

 

The Companions (The Sundering #1)

R.A. Salvatore

ISBN: 978-07869-6371-3

August 2013

4 Stars

*I received this uncorrected galley from NetGalley*

I will not provide a synopsis for this novel as it would only give away spoilers. This is a first in a series but it follows a previous saga.

This is my first R.A. Salvatore novel and I am mad at myself that it’s taken me this long. Needless to say, I was not familiar with the story line of Drizzt or any character relationships from the previous books.  I was worried that I would be horribly lost and missing some integral part of the plot.  That happened a little in the beginning but smoothed out not long after. The characters really made this a fun read.  There is this great chemistry between them and that chemistry is what kept me very involved in their stories.  I ran into a few slow spots along the way, but the action balanced it all out.  It was a great first impression of Mr. Salvatore’s work and I will be reading everything of his that I can get my hands on. I do recommend this one, especially to fans of the fantasy genre.

Bone Orchard

Bone Orchard

Doug Johnson (based on a screenplay by Lizz-Ayn Shaarawi)

ISBN: 978-0-9888220-5-4

3 Stars

* I received this book through a goodreads giveaway*

Lazarus Walker has done everything possible to distance himself from his former life as a rocker in a heavy metal band. Unfortunately that old chaotic life seems to catch up to him every once in awhile. When a young girl shows up at his isolated home he assumes that she’s just another fan who won’t take no for an answer, but Kitty Van Winkle is not a fan and has a vindictive plan to ruin his new quiet life.

This is a very quick read and could easily be done in one sitting, which makes it great for busy summers.  I was surprised by the abundance of action that helped turn the pages even faster.  With the pacing and action combined the story flows easily all the way to the end. There are even some twists and turns that I appreciated.

As far as the characters go… I really didn’t connect with any of them.  That’s not as big of a deal as it would normally be. If there would have been a connection I may have felt worse about this one.  The plot is great but predictable enough to be disappointing.

Overall I did like this one and would recommend it, especially to those who are a fan of a quick read, thrillers, or both.