Reviews

The Mystery Blogger Award

December 23, 2016 JenAcideByBibliophile6 Comments

The Mystery Blogger Award

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The Rules:

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog
2. List the rules
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
6. You nominate 10 – 20 people
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
8. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
9. Share a link to your best post(s)

“Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.

This award was created by Okoto Enigma @ Okoto Enigma’s Blog

Thank you again to Book Pandamonium for tagging me!

3 Things About Me:

1. I am currently living in California, which is where I have always been living, but it is my serious and undying wish to ESCAPE! I know I know, great weather and all…but really. No thank you.

2. I just turned 25 and realized that from now on, all birthdays will be surrounded by sadness and old sad people. I am SO stoked!

3. I have really long wavy hair and the bottom part of my head is shaved, all the way around, but you can’t even tell when my hair is down. Sweet, I know. I’m like a proper lady by day and a rebellious little metal head by night.

I obviously love deceiving people 😉

Book Pandamonium’s Questions:

1. Which do you prefer: winter break or spring break?

Considering that I do not have the luxury of partaking in these breaks anymore, I will reflect back on my adolescent days.

*Immense reflecting*

Winter break…come on dude…presents.

2. What was your least favorite book of 2016?

UGH! Firebolt (The Dragonian Series Book 1) by Adrienne Woods. That writing seriously hurt my soul. It felt like the book gods were thrusting a rusted serrated knife into the depths of my creative happiness and just twisting it around so that all of my love for words and reading could just die a sad and pathetic kind of unfortunate and bleak life where I had to live the rest of my days bored and wishing for some excitement like an unnecessary and annoying run-on sentence that has absolutely no commas…

…I win the dramatic award for 2016.

3. If you had the chance to talk to a celebrity, who would you want it to be?

How about we trade the talk for a night of drinking with Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann. I could totally die happy after that s**tshow of a night.

4. What’s your most anticipated movie for 2017?

A Cure for Wellness. Just CREEP me out and get me all excited why don’t you!

5. Weird: Do you have any unusual talents?

Sarcasm.

It’s like…did she say sarcasm because she was being serious about that being her talent, or was her choosing to say sarcasm her actually being sarcastic? Confusing, I know.

My Questions for You:

If you could fall into any book world, which one would it be?
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
What is one of your best childhood memories?
How do you feel about jumping out of a plane or bungee jumping?
What is your favorite genre of music?

~ TAG Bloggers, You’re It! ~

~ Tag One – Quill Quirk ~

~ Tag Two – Books and Beauty Are My Bag ~

~ Tag Three – Glorious Panic ~

~ Tag Four –Book Huntress’ World ~

~ Tag Five – Book Review Becca ~

~ Tag Six – The Book Marauder ~

~ Tag Seven – The Book Galaxy ~

~ Tag Eight – Beach Books Blog ~

~ Tag Nine –I Prefer Books ~

~ Tag Ten – Annelise LeStrange ~

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Book Review: ONE MOMENT by Kristina McBride

December 21, 2016July 12, 2017 JenAcideByBibliophileLeave a comment

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This is a Reprint edition that will be available on January 17, 2017. Links for Pre-order are below:

Amazon.com – One Moment by Kristina McBride

BarnesandNoble.com – One Moment by Kristina McBride

Goodreads.com – One Moment by Kristina McBride

Disclaimer: This was sent to me by the publisher, Skyhorse Publishing/Sky Pony Press, via NetGalley for an honest review.

Genre: YA/Fiction

Plot: This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

McBride delivers a novel of secrets that packs an emotional punch, perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Gayle Forman.

Opinion:

Well S**t, that was depressing.

After a traumatic accident that leaves her boyfriend Joey dead, Maggie finds herself unable to remember the final moments that lead up to his death. Maggie remembers spending the day at the gorge with her childhood friends and boyfriend Joey, and she even remembers climbing up the trail with him to jump off the cliff together. But for some reason, everything else is a blank. As the people closest to Joey try to pick up the pieces after his death, Maggie starts to unravel deep secrets about Joey and starts to realize that he might not have been as perfect as she thought.

I feel like it has been quite a while since I have read a true YA Fiction story that hasn’t had to do with magic or the underworld. I couldn’t have asked for a better book to bring me back into the “real life” stories that I have always adored. If you are a big reader like me, which I hope that you are, then this book will probably be pretty enjoyable for you, but also fairly predictable. This story is formatted in a way where the reader gets a basic idea for what the book is about, but they are really on the quest to find out HOW Joey died and what he was like. Though I had figured this story out at the beginning, I was still happy to find that there were few unexpected moments in this story. I think the author could have given the “mystery” behind Joey’s death a little more pizazz though (that sounds horrible when I say that out loud, I know). Maggie literally tells the reader that she was running hand in hand with joey towards the cliff and stopped. Now he’s suddenly dead at the bottom. Well gee, I WONDER how THAT could have happened?! You mean he didn’t make the leap off the cliff correctly after you abruptly stopped?!? I just can’t believe it.

*Insert extreme sarcasm here*

Other than THAT, I really liked this book. It was a quick read and the pace just clipped right along, which meant that I finished it in one day. I didn’t get a strong connection to the characters in this book, but I don’t really find it to be that necessary with this story. Usually I am a big advocate for character development, but I find the amount of facts about the characters to be enough. Don’t get me wrong here, it’s not like you feel a complete disconnect from them or anything. They are just the basic normal teenagers going through their adolescent years…not the most complex creatures, if you catch my drift. I did really like the characters of Maggie and Shannon the best though. Maggie is going through a very traumatic experience, and I found that she held herself together fairly well. What I like about Shannon is that she is a COMPLETE b***h most of the time. I love a sassy character that just blurts things out without a care in the world, so you go girl! Of course deep down I actually hate her because other ruthlessness, but still.

All I can really say about this book, without giving too many secrets away, is that it is a really quick YA read. It brings the reader back to the nostalgic moments that came with being in high school around your childhood friends, while also pulling our tender heartstrings. Some things that happen in this story feel brutal, and it makes you sympathize for the characters and hope that everything will turn around for them. I definitely recommend this book for a lazy day read or for those cold Winter months ahead…this story about summer is sure to warm you up and get your blood boiling!

3 Stars

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Blogging Awards · Book Tag · Books

The Entertainer Blogger Award

December 20, 2016December 20, 2016 JenAcideByBibliophile24 Comments

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The Rules:
– Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
– Add these rules to your post.
– Answer all the questions below.
– Display the award picture in your post.
– Nominate 12 bloggers who are funny, inspiring and entertaining.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to BookPandamonium for tagging me! XoXo

The Questions:

1. Why did you start a blog in the first place?

My mom was actually the person that gave me the idea to start a book reviewing blog a little over a year ago. I had no idea that there was THIS much of a book following on the internet and social media, it honestly blew me away. I looked into blogging about books that I read in my spare time, started a blog, and like THAT I had various authors contacting me asking to read/review their work. So here we are.

2. What is your favorite book?

I truly hate getting asked this question. It is literally impossible for me to choose just one book because I have enjoyed SO many. I usually just say Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher because I had read this when I was in my preteen years and it left a dark hole in my heart. It is one of the few books that has left a serious imprint on my mind, and for that I will always love it.

3. What do you dislike the most?

Unsarcastic sarcasm.

4. What is your favorite food item at the mall?

? What? The mall, Really? Is this a thing..?

5. What is your favorite pastime?

Ignoring the world and reading of course.

I also like going out with my guy friends and dancing really weirdly around them until they get completely weirded out and embarrassed by me and just leave. I like that.

~ TAG Bloggers, You’re It! ~

~ Tag One: Teacher of YA ~

~ Tag Two: Red Lips and Bibliomaniacs ~

~ Tag Three: Confessions of a Pinay Bookaholic ~

~ Tag Four: Sassy Book Lover ~

~ Tag Five: The Mexy Librarian ~

~ Tag Six: Mrs Reads Books ~

~ Tag Seven: Purple Sheep Girl ~

~ Tag Eight: Hello Beautiful Book Blog ~

~ Tag Nine: Book Kaz ~

~ Tag Ten: Bookworm Inkk ~

~ Tag Eleven: Beach Books Blog ~

~ Tag Twelve: Sydneys Shelves ~

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Book Reviews · Books · Reviews

Book Review: FIREBOLT (The Dragonian Series book 1) by Adrienne Woods

December 19, 2016 JenAcideByBibliophile10 Comments

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Amazon.com – Firebolt (The Dragonian Series Book 1) by Adrienne Woods

Goodreads.com – Firebolt (The Dragonian Series Book 1) by Adrienne Woods

BarnesandNoble.com – Firebolt (The Dragonian Series Book 1) by Adrienne Woods

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by a fellow book reviewer, Laura at LaLaBookReviews, with permission from the publisher, Fire Quill Publishing, for an honest review.

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Plot: Dragons. Right. Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales, and sixteen-year old Elena Watkins was no different.
Until the night a fairy tale killed her father.
Now Elena’s in a new world, and a new school. The cutest guy around may be an evil dragon, a Prince wants Elena’s heart, and a long dead sorcerer may be waking up to kill her. Oh. And the only way Elena’s going to graduate is on the back of a dragon of her own.
Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales. Now it’s time for Elena to believe – in herself.

Opinion: I am honestly wondering if I was reading the same book as everyone else was who has reviewed this on Amazon and Goodreads. I have seen a TON of really great reviews for this book with multiple readers praising everything about the story, from the plot to the characters. I can agree that the idea for this story is fantastic, but not much of anything else is.

Elena Watkins has grown up having an almost normal life, apart from her father moving her every 3 months in the hopes that they won’t be found…but only if Elena knew what they were running from. One night as her father rushes her out of yet another house, Elena soon discovers what her father has been so fearful about her entire life: dragons. Suddenly the fantastical bedtime stories that her father told her as a child becomes real, and they are attacked by threatening dragons that kill her father. Taken into Paegeia to keep her safe, Elena now finds herself in a world she thought was make-believe. Elena soon discovers that her new home and school are filled with dragons, and that they aren’t all as threatening as the ones she first encountered. Elena must now acclimate to her new life that is full of magic, as well as helping her new peers fight off an evil that is threatening their existence.

I have not written a fairly bad review in a long time, and it’s hurting me to have to do this right now. I try to keep all of my reviews positive with constructive criticism in them, and backing up every negative I have with a few positives. I’m really not sure if I can do that with this review, because I truthfully hated this book. In all fairness, my distaste for this book has NOTHING to do with the idea behind the book and the overall plot. I loved the world of dragons that the author created and the direction the author was going with the story. I enjoyed the turmoil that many of the characters were trapped in towards the end, and that this fantasy story turned into an adventure tale. Apart from the overall idea, I just felt that the execution was severely lacking.

My main issue with this story is the writing. I think we can all agree that if the writing in a story is just NOT working, it makes for a very difficult and cringeworthy read. When it came to dialogue, characters interacting, and the scene moving through the day as we followed Elena; the writing was driving me crazy. The author writes in short paragraphs that feel like bullet points, and these short paragraphs will literally jump into different times of the day without any warning or give the reader a vague explanation of a character feeling. I was constantly coming across sentences like “the pop quiz after was hard” or “I went straight to my room”. When I see sentences written like this and given in a way that feels like notes, I get the feeling that the author has trouble with dialogue and filling up the empty spaces of a story. When the author has characters go into detail about past events in Paegeia or explain facts, the author does a great job in being creative and descriptive. I know that if I were to write a book, I would have the same problem. Creative writing comes easy to me, but filling a story up with that unnecessary “fluff” is tedious and sometimes strays away from the nostalgia of the book. So I get that, I really do.

The characters…oy vey. I couldn’t connect with any of them, and they felt underdeveloped and boring. Elena is extremely irritating and immature. Her character whines and complains about everything! I just wanted her to get it together and stop being such a baby about everything, and suddenly she just does. It literally goes from her acting like a child, to having no fear and being a pro. How did that happen?!?! The relationship between Elena and Lucian didn’t exist and wasn’t building into anything, but then in one page they all of sudden are together and are all googly-eyed for each other. I have never witnessed such a rushed romance in my life, and I just found it completely strange. The author has also overused the use of exclamation points in dialogue between characters. I cannot express to you how many times you see “Becky!” or “Sammy!” or “Elena!” being said by one of the characters.

All I can really say is that I feel like this story was poorly executed and written. It makes me sad because I really liked the plot for this series and it has great potential to be SO much BETTER. This is of course just my own opinion, it seems that plenty of other readers are absolutely in love with The Dragonian Series and really enjoyed the writing. It just wasn’t for me, and with that, I will not be continuing this series.

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Book Promo · Books · New Releases · Pre-order · Reviews

Book Review: ROSEBLOOD by A. G. Howard

December 16, 2016 JenAcideByBibliophile20 Comments

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RoseBlood will be available to purchase on January 10, 2017, links for Pre-order are below:

Amazon.com – RoseBlood by A.G. Howard – Pre-order

BarnesandNoble.com – RoseBlood by A.G. Howard – Pre-order

Disclaimer: This ARC copy was sent to me by the publisher, ABRAMS Kids, via NetGalley for an honest review.

Genre: YA/Romance/Fantasy/Gothic Romance

Plot: Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.

Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

Opinion: Usually when I come across a book that focuses on music, I normally avoid ever reading it. Due to RoseBlood being written by A.G Howard, and considering how much I LOVED the Splintered Series, I knew I had to go for it and request it from Netgalley. I am honestly so happy I branched out and decided to read this, because it was a really creative take on The Phantom of the Opera.

When Rune was the age of 4, her father played an opera song on his violin that changed her life forever. Now, many years later, anytime a new opera song is played around Rune she has the overwhelming urge to burst out singing…no matter how much she resists. In the hopes that Rune will get help, her mother sends her to a school called RoseBlood that focuses on Opera. Here they hope to help Rune control her gift, but the history of the institution begins to frighten Rune. With thoughts that RoseBlood is the home of the famous Phantom of the Opera, Rune also comes into contact with the mysterious boy named Thorn that lurks around the grounds. As the relationship between Thorn and Rune starts to strengthen through music, the plans that the real Phantom has for Rune forces Thorn to choose sides between his love and his father.

So obviously this is a fantastical spin-off of The Phantom of the Opera, where the original characters names are used and the past events are more or less the same. The reader is reintroduced to the original Phantom Eric, but also given a new character named Thorn (Etalon). Thorn is rescued by the Phantom at a very young age from a child human-trafficking ring (dark stuff I know), and makes the decision to go live with the Phantom and learn from him. Our female lead character, Rune, has the voice of Christine and the Phantom desperately wants her for her voice. I really liked how the author took this very famous story, kept most of the facts the same, and completely made an entirely new tale for readers to fall in love with. The story has strong gothic romance undertones in it, which was an absolutely perfect setting for me to get lost in. I love anything dark and eerie like that, so as soon as Rune stepped into her new school I knew that this was going to be something special.

I will say that the story can drag on a little at certain points, like in the beginning for example. That was SUCH a long and drawn out introduction of Rune and her mother sitting in the car, and I found myself tentatively rolling my eyes and skimming the “blah blah blah”. I also feel as if I didn’t get enough out of the character of Rune. I wasn’t very connected to her character as much as I was to Thorn. The troubled past that Thorn had gave me a sense of compassion for his character, but I really liked how put together he was all around. Rune’s character came off as boring to me most of the time, and I would have liked a better description on her singing. When Thorn sang as a child, he was described as an avenging angel that’s voice could force a person to face their most unforgivable sins. The description of the power that Thorn held over people with his voice was beautifully explained, but Rune’s voice wasn’t. Seeing as how this story centers around Rune and her voice, I think the author could have gone the extra mile to ensure that the reader felt how important and amazing her singing was.

With those small points aside, I overall really liked this book but felt that the character of Rune could have had more. The romance between Rune and Thorn was heartwarming and sweet, and I was constantly wanting more for these characters. I think that this is a really creative take on The Phantom of the Opera, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original story. Even if you are not familiar with the original, the reader is given enough explanation to understand the past events and be able to dive into this world.

3 Stars

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