Review: The Merciless

The Merciless

Danielle Vega

Razorbill

From Goodreads:  Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls...unless she wants to be next.

By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?

My Review: After finishing this book I said "That was crazy". I had to make sure it was a young adult book to my surprise it is. I was shocked that it was soooo good and left me wanting more.  I am happy to see the author is writing a sequel to this terrific and terrifying book. When friendships go wrong this story lets you know how wrong they can go. I have recommended this to a friend of mine who likes adult horror and she loved it. It is intended to grab you and no let go and it does just that. Wow.......Wow   



Review : How to Ditch Your Fairy

How To Ditch Your Fairy

Justine Larbalestier

Bloomsbury Children USA

 

 

 

From Goodreads: Everyone in New Avalon has a fairy. Though invisible, a personal fairy is vital to success. It might determine whether you pass a math class or find the perfect outfit. But all fourteen-year-old Charlie can do is find parking spaces—and she doesn't even drive. At first, teaming up with Fiorenza (who has an all-the-boys-like-you fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart's desire, she'll have to resort to extraordinary measures to ditch her fairy.

 

 

 

My Review: This book was just Okay for me. Did not hate it or did not love it. The story had it cute and charming points, and it had it funny and humorist parts but not enough to rave about this book. My daughter thought the book was a riot. So this is a middle grade read that deals with first crushes and bonds between friends.

  



Review: Being Nikki



Being Nikki

Meg Cabot

Point

 

From Goodreads: Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts.

Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.

But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.

How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns — especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...

Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.

But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.   

 

My Review:  After reading the first book I was not sure I would read another but, I have been wrong before and this time I was shocked and happy I was wrong. This turned into a book that kept me reading until the end. Mysterious new characters were introduced and Nikki's past started coming together. Em is a great character but now that she has to pretend to be Nikki it is interesting to get to know her past. So this book is full of mystery, adventure and romance. I will now read the third book in the series without  hesitation and actually wanting to know what is going to happen to these characters.

  

Review: Born Lucid



Born Lucid

Christopher C. Evans

 

 

 

 

From Goodreads : In a dark and brooding world where conspiracy theories are no longer just theory, the fate of humanity hinges on the whims of the sociopathic elite - a hidden hierarchy which vie in a secret war amongst themselves, crushing anyone who gets in their way. Every man, woman and child, every agency, every nation state, are but pawns in the greater game of power and control.

Chris Trent, an archaeology student and activist is thrown into the middle of this power struggle when he inadvertently uncovers a "Relic" - ancient technology which turns him into a living weapon too deadly to remain uncontrolled. Press-ganged into the service of a corrupt government agency, he discovers a breakaway society entrenched in intrigue, manipulation, corruption and betrayal, which puppeteers the modern world from the shadows. The only light in the darkness is the unexpected camaraderie of his fellow "Relics" and the hope that they can break their bonds of servitude and save mankind from the seemingly inevitable slide towards a cruel totalitarian police state. But is it already too late?

Jumping from present day to a not-too-distant dystopian future and back again, Born Lucid - Book 1 of the Born Lucid Series lets you see actual modern day events and real government legislation in a whole new light...

 

 

 

My Review: Let me start by saying I do not read a lot of sci-fi, so I did not know how I would feel about this book.

 

     Let me tell you also this book blew me away. I was surprised with how fast I was pulled into the dystopian world that the author created because of the vivid descriptions of the writing and it was hard to be pulled back to reality. Great character development propels this story along with a wonderful writing style. This book is a gripping page-turner that is just the beginning to a series. I could not believe this was a debut novel. The story flowed so well and was so compelling I would have thought it was after years of writing. This book is a winner even if your not a sci-fi fan it will convert you. It has converted me. 

 

   Mr. Evans I hope your writing a sequels because I want MORE. 

 

 

  

 



Review: Alive

Alive

Scott Sigler

Del Rey

 

 

 

From Goodreads : A young woman awakes trapped in an enclosed space. She has no idea who she is or how she got there. With only her instincts to guide her, she escapes her own confinement—and finds she’s not alone. She frees the others in the room and leads them into a corridor filled with the remains of a war long past. The farther these survivors travel, the worse are the horrors they confront. And as they slowly come to understand what this prison is, they realize that the worst and strangest possibilities they could have imagined don’t even come close to the truth.

 

 

My Review: Okay just by reading the Goodreads synopsis I was drawn to this book. I enjoyed this book a lot, the plot twist kind of through me, but I have never read a book like this. The story is enthralling and the characters were interesting. I am going to continue this series to see how it advances.



Review: Some Like It Lethal

Some Like It Lethal

Nancy Martin

Signet

From Goodreads : When the husband of a wealthy dog food heiress is found bludgeoned to death at an exclusive hunt club, Nora Blackbird is as surprised as anyone. Worse still, the evidence points toward a devious blackmail scheme-with Nora's sister, Emma, as the main suspect. Investigating with the help of friend and foe alike, Nora uncovers the secrets of some of Philadelphia's high-and-mightiest-and attracts the unwanted attentions of the real killer...  

My Review: I enjoyed this book, not as much as the first two. Still a good series I want to continue . A mystery that makes you laugh out loud. With Nora and her sisters it always seems like trouble is around the corner, but the way they solve the crime always makes me smile. I really like this series of cozy mystery with just the right hint of humor and romance added in.

 



Review: Zia, The Teenage Zombie & The Undead Diaries

 

 

 

 

Zia, The Teenage Zombie and the Undead Diaries

Angela Scott

Black Pines Press

 

 

From Goodreads:Zia would give anything to be a typical teenager... again. Heck, she’d settle for being a vampire or smelly werewolf, but a member of the walking dead? The lowliest of all the monsters? No way! Nothing is worse than being a skin-sloughing, limb-losing, maggot-housing, brain-craving undead girl. Nothing.

It wouldn’t be so bad if humans didn’t insist on “Living Impaireds” wearing bands to keep their insatiable appetites in check. And if LIs want to coexist with humans, then rules must be followed, no matter how ludicrous they might seem. Why do undead teenagers have to go to high school anyway?

Zia does her best to blend in and go unnoticed, but when a new group of LIs are bused in from another school and she finds herself part of a growing horde, all bets are off.

Besides, rules are meant to be broken—especially when an unbeating heart is pulled in two different directions.  

 

 

 

My Review:

                        I would like to   thank the publisher, author and YA Book Bound Tours for giving me a copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

 

 

Okay to be honest this title grabbed my attention right away. I wanted it and I am glad I did. This is such a fun and touching story. Zia has the problem of many high school students but add the fact she is a zombie on top of that and you can't help but cheer her on in her journey. Facing the fact she is decaying and what to wear to the party, we never had it so tough. This was a touching story with  several themes I liked family, diversity, bullies and young love. I could have read more but the characters are so well developed in this book you get closure in this book and smile at the end.

 

 

 

 





Review: Rogue

 

 

 

Rogue
Gina Damico
Graphia

From Goodreads:Lex is a teenage Grim Reaper with the power to Damn souls, and it’s getting out of control. She’s a fugitive, on the run from the maniacal new mayor of Croak and the townspeople who want to see her pay the price for her misdeeds. Uncle Mort rounds up the Junior Grims to flee Croak once again, but this time they’re joined by Grotton, the most powerful Grim of all time. Their new mission is clear: Fix his mistakes, or the Afterlife will cease to exist, along with all the souls in it.　

The gang heads for Necropolis, the labyrinth-like capital city of the Grimsphere. There, they discover that the Grimsphere needs a reboot. To do that, the portals to the Afterlife must be destroyed…but even that may not be enough to fix the damage. Things go from bad to worse, and when at last the fate of the Afterlife and all the souls of the Damned hang in the balance, it falls to Lex and her friends to make one final, impossible choice.

 

 

 

My Review: This book was the action packed finale to an amazing series. I did not think I could love a series this much but this was amazing up until the end. Going to miss Lex and the gang but I can always know I can re read them any time. Watching Lex grow from a smart mouth bully to the wonderfully strong an determined young lady I know she could be was a journey I was glad to be on and happy I witnessed it. The writing in this trilogy just kept me reading until the end. I will look for more books by this author because she can tell a story