Review: Naked '76

Naked '76 by Kevin Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lili Garcia was content playing the piano, but when an opportunity to play bass for a newly forming band appeared, she jumped at the chance to learn the new instrument. This new punk band takes off and with the addition of a new guitarist they begin to make it big. Unfortunately, Billy the Kid has secrets he only partly shares with Lili and while trying to understand William, she also is looking within to decide what she really wants.

Naked ’76 is a stand-alone historical fiction novel that will entice the reader with a realistic storyline while throwing the history of English Punk Rock into the mix. The band members’ rocky associations leave them always on the verge of imploding, yet Brooks’ tale keeps readers going along the way. The book was enjoyable and worth the read, but I finished the book feeling like something was left out. Even though I feel something is missing, I still think it is a good read for those who like realistic fiction and/or historical fiction.


View all my reviews

Review: The Giant

The Giant by Lex Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Readers learned a lot about The Loners in the first Quarantine book, yet Gonzalo was seen in the periphery and readers were not able to grasp the depth inside this large young man. Before that fateful scene when The Loners stood up against The Varsity, Gonzalo lived with a gang of thieves inside the ductwork of McKinley High School. During his short time with this band of misfits, he falls in love with a girl named Sasha, but he is destined for a great size and soon becomes too large to fit inside their secret passages. Gonzalo is now outside of McKinley High, but he is unwilling to leave the infected zone. He will do everything in his power to find and reunite with his girlfriend Sasha. Is Sasha even alive still? What turmoil will Gonzalo have to wade through to find out his answers?

The Giant is the fourth book in the Quarantine series. It is composed of two intertwined stories that were a little confusing at the start, but once readers understand that the first story is Gonzalo during the first book and the second story is outside the high school, the alternating storylines become easier to adjust to. Unfortunately, readers who finished The Burnouts with unanswered questions about the overall fate of the infected will still have to fill in the gaps with their own guesses. Thomas has opened up the possibility of additional companion books in this world where chaos seems to rule.



View all my reviews

Review: Gone Wild

Gone Wild by Jodi Lundgren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Seth has just found out that he won’t be able to discover the identity of his birth mother until he is nineteen years old. Those three years seem like an unachievable obstacle when presented alongside his adoptive mother’s mean spirited boyfriend. Brooke has been rebelling against everything her mother is trying to control and her rebellion has led her to the realization that it has been six weeks since her last period. Both teens decide to hike into the wilderness on Vancouver Island and due to complications neither person planned for, they find themselves needing to work together in order to make it out alive.

Gone Wild is a rapid read jammed packed with wilderness survival and teen turmoil. Both characters will be tasked with setting aside what they feel is their problem in order to assist the other with a more pressing issue. Although the book itself does not have much substance (I read it in two hours), for teens that are reluctant to pick up a lengthy book, this just might be what the librarian will recommend. Gone Wild was a pleasant escape with a slight tear jerking moment at the end.


View all my reviews

Review: Three Sisters, Three Queens

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Margaret may be the oldest Tudor princess, but when Katherine of Aragon is brought to court to marry Prince Arthur, Margaret realizes that she has a new rival as well as a new sister. With her younger sister Mary, these three sisters will become three queens: Katherine the Queen of England, Margaret the Queen of Scotland and Mary the Queen of France. Through a series of treaties, promises and betrayals, the sisters must continue to rely on their family connections in order to secure their own authority and the possibility to rule.

Three Sisters, Three Queens is the newest addition to The Tudor Court series. Although Henry and his torrid escapades are woven into this storyline, he is in the periphery with the primary story being the little known adventures of Queen Margaret of Scotland. The passages flow quickly and I wanted to know more. I will admit that about three quarters of the way through I went online to read a little more about Margaret, but overall readers can enjoy this book for the historical fiction it is. A great read whether you are reading it in the order of publication or the order according to history.


View all my reviews

Review: Soldier

Soldier by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ember Hill is standing behind her decision to be a rogue dragon and now she and Riley are on the run and trying to uncover the deepest and darkest secrets about Talon. She misses her twin brother, Dante, but since he chose to stay with Talon there seems to be no other choice. Garret, the human soldier that started Ember questioning her beliefs, is secretly watching the Order of St. George and has now discovered secrets that will rattle the views of dragons and dragonslayers around the world. Will either order survive the turmoil that has been set in motion? Will Ember need to choose between Garret and Riley for her heart’s desire?

Soldier is the third book in the Talon series. Events pick up shortly after the conclusion of Rogue and readers will not be able to get the full experience unless they have read the first two books. Kagawa has a few mental clues interspersed within the storyline to help returning readers and they were enough for me to jar free the feelings I kept from a year ago. The action is intense and the emotional rollercoaster is plausible as Ember struggles between her human emotions and her dragon instincts. A great continuation and I will be looking forward to the fourth book when it is released.


View all my reviews

Review: The Beauty of Darkness

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lia and Rafe have survived the recent battles, but the war is not yet over. They both have a kingdom in desperate need of a strong ruler and neither is willing to give up the needs of their own kingdom in order to be with the other person. Will either kingdom endure to sustain another generation? Will Lia and Rafe be able to truly express their love for each other?

The Beauty of Darkness is the third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles. Readers who have not taken the time to read the first two books may be a little confused with some of the conversations, but overall this story can still be enjoyed by itself. Pearson’s interwoven stories are easily followed even as the narrator changes between Lia and Rafe. Readers will experience action, intrigue and a dash of romance in this fast paced book. A good ending that will leave most readers satisfied.


View all my reviews

Review: How to Keep Rolling After a Fall

How to Keep Rolling After a Fall by Karole Cozzo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nikki Baylor had a party at her house and did not stop her friend from posting pictures of a classmate in a compromising situation. To make matters worse, the friend used Nikki’s Facebook account to post the photos and now Nikki has been expelled because of this cyber bullying incident. Nikki has lost her friends and the trust of her parents; she must now go to a new school and decide who she will become. After meeting Pax, a wheelchair bound boy who will not let his disability stop him from playing rugby, she discovers that other people know what it is like to have one bad decision make a mess of their life. Will Nikki get a second chance with a new set of friends? Can she heal the broken relationship with her parents?

How to Keep Rolling After a Fall is a stand-alone realistic story that is timely and plausible. Cozzo has developed a cast of characters that are relatable and representative of teens everywhere. The storyline progresses naturally and there are no unnatural revelations that will leave the reader thinking “really?” The novel itself is short and even a reluctant reader will be able to enjoy and finish this tale. Although the main character is female, Pax’s supporting character will have male readers also finding satisfaction with this book.


View all my reviews