The Raven’s Tale by Cat Winters My rating: 3 of 5 stars I finally had the chance to read Cat Winters’ new book The Raven’s Tale. I found it to be extraordinarily dark, making my skin crawl with every page. I don’t know much about Edgar Allen Poe. I had to analyze one of his shorter stories, Ligeia for my Gothic Literature course last fall, I read a manga version of The Tell Tale Heart and obviously saw The Simpsons version of The Raven many years ago, but Poe has always been a creator of dark tales that I could only stomach in very small dosages. And this comes from…
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Last of Her Name
Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury My rating: 5 of 5 stars I had this book from the library probably almost two months before I had a chance to read it (I had the option of renewing it many times; the overdue fines would have been outrageous). I was not emotionally prepared for the story. Ever since the weather turned a bit warmer, I have been in a mood to read stories similar to Kaufmann and Spooner’s series Starbound, but had trouble finding stories with good world building and worthwhile plots and characters. Well, this was pure gold. Even now almost three weeks after finishing the book, I’m still…
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Save the Date
Save the Date by Morgan Matson My rating: 2 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.This was incredibly detailed and it took me more effort to stay focused on the story than any book I have read since “The Counsel of Elrond” in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Sorry, but that chapter took me a month to get through; I kept falling asleep and the same was happening with this story (not that I’m trying to compare classic fantasy literature with contemporary young adult fiction).I found the protagonist to be rather entitled and self-centred. There isn’t really much else…
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The Cheerleaders
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas My rating: 5 of 5 stars I don’t know how I came to know about this story, but I immediately put a hold on it at the library and couldn’t wait to read it. I finished it in 2 days.Truth be told, regardless of what the synopsis promised the reader, I was still expecting a tongue-in-cheek, high-school serial killer sort of story like Scream Queens, which it certainly was not.The characters, with their secret agendas and equally suspicious motivations, were well thought out and created. The main character, with her own share of emotional turmoil and hardship, was highly intriguing to follow on her path…
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Girl at the Grave
Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.I have to start out by saying I couldn’t read this story during my commute, because I got so invested in it that one time I only made it home through sheer muscle memory. At one point I found myself on a bus and only hoped it went to my destination.What a journey this story was! If I remember correctly, one of my favourite authors wrote a review on Girl at the Grave and I immediately had to read it. I was so…
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When Dimple Met Rishi
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon My rating: 2 of 5 stars I have seen many people on Goodreads read this book and even though I have taken a step back from reading much of the YA genre these days, I was curious to see what it was all about.It started out quite well, with the protagonist going against tradition and wanting to put her education and career aspirations ahead of her family’s traditional hopes for her. Introduced as a make-up avoiding, computer science enthusiast, Dimple had my hopes up high for an unconventional story that wouldn’t end the way most YA contemporary stories ended. She felt relatable and…
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According to Audrey
According to Audrey by Happy LaShelle My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.That was quite the trip down memory lane with respect to my first high school love. A lot of different emotions were running through me as I made my way through this story and I was truly invested in Dove’s journey.Although at times the protagonist came across as overly emotional and analytical with a big splash of teenage hormones, it was interesting to read her narration as she dealt with love, school, family and her uncertain future. She felt alive and real,…
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From the Earth to the Shadows (Valkyrie #2)
From the Earth to the Shadows by Amanda Hocking My rating: 2 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review. I was hoping for a nail-biting conclusion to this duology, but sadly the story got lost along the way. I found the main character to be inconsistent from the first book to the second one. All of a sudden, talk revolved around her maybe/almost boyfriend and how happy she was to be with him and his almost smile lifts the corners of his mouth etc. etc. I get it, having new and exciting feelings for someone can take over, but please…
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Odd & True by Cat Winters
Odd & True by Cat WintersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.With all Cat Winters’ books, I read them in one or two sittings, trying to swallow them whole and then mope that I have to wait for her next book to be published. Odd & True is no exception, I loved every page of it.The main characters, two sisters are very different, yet joined together in a fantastical adventure that has the reader question what is reality and what is myth.The author’s talent and skill creating not only two very interesting young women to follow along their…
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The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat WintersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I never judge a book by its cover. I don’t care, if there is a pretty picture on the front cover, trying to allude to the contents of the story or if it is just wrapped in brown paper. But something struck me when I looked at this book the first time. I had to read it without even perusing the synopsis. It was a strange and enticing feeling being drawn to a book with such intensity. This strange and enticing feeling continued throughout the entire reading of the story. It was dark, sad, infuriating and powerful.Being an…
