Review: Crazy Messy Beautiful

Crazy Messy Beautiful by Carrie Arcos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Neruda is destined to find the love of his life. He must, since he is named after the great love poet Pablo Neruda. Unfortunately, as a sixteen-year-old artist, he has only experienced heartbreak. After Callie and Neruda are paired for a writing assignment, he discovers that she is more like him than any of the other girls he has crushed on. Is Callie his soul mate? Will their mutual love of art bring them together?

Crazy Messy Beautiful is a stand-alone love story without all the romance. The protagonist is a teen-age boy who has grown up with love in the forefront of his family. Arcos has developed Neruda’s voice so that readers of any age and any gender will appreciate his plight. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Michael Crouch and he portrayed Neruda with a flawless rendition that made me feel I was inside the character’s mind the entire time. Crazy Messy Beautiful is a great love story, especially for readers who don’t normally read romances.


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Review: The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tea comes from a family of witches, but her magic is like no one else’s. She can wield the magic of necromancy and is considered a bone witch. Because she holds a powerful magic, most people are either scared of her or other witches like her. Tea must leave her family and village to train with those older and wiser. Can Tea learn to control this magic? Will she be able to help her kingdom as war bubbles in the kingdoms around her?

The Bone Witch is the first book in a new series by the same name. Although the premise of the story holds a lot of merit, the execution was missing the magnetic pull of a good fantasy story. Tea’s plight would pull me along and then drop me unexpectedly in the next chapter. Chupeco left an ending to make readers curious about the next stage in Tea’s life, so I will try the next volume in the series and decide at that time if I will continue further.


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Review: Decelerate Blue

Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In an undisclosed future time, everything revolves around speed and efficiency. Angela doesn’t feel the need for speed and soon finds out that she isn’t the only one. During a visit to a park to look for an item buried by her grandfather, she finds herself literally underground and in the middle of a resistance movement. In this new place, the world has slowed down and people are encouraged to read and relax. Is Angela ready to go against the Guarantee?

Decelerate Blue is a stand-alone graphic novel that has a promising premise, but no actual substance. Just when the reader adjusts to the brief language of the new world, Angela is underground and must attempt to speak in a normal manner. The graphics are a saving grace and the story that is portrayed within the drawings is deep and emotional. Decelerate Blue will be enjoyed by die-hard graphic novel fans, but should not be someone’s first attempt at this genre.


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Review: Lifeblood

Lifeblood by Gena Showalter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ten’s Firstlife has ended and she has chosen which realm to spend her Everlife in, but there is a war taking place and Ten has a role to play. She has a rare power that the Powers That Be want to use; unfortunately, the enemy wants her stopped. She is still trying to learn about her Secondlife, while also fighting for her own survival. Will Ten be able to fight Killian and overcome her personal feelings toward him? Which is more important, Love or Winning?

Lifeblood is the second book in the Everlife series. Showalter does spend some time having the main character think about events from the first book so readers will be reminded and memories will be jogged. New events start quickly and readers will swiftly be immersed in Ten’s Secondlife. My feelings about this novel were erratic at best. I would find myself completely absorbed in the story and then a little while later wonder why I was reading it at all. Lifeblood was a good second book in a series, but I really hope the next installment re-grabs my interest.


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Review: The Silent Songbird

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Evangeline is an orphan and the ward of the King of England. She has always known that noble women do not marry for love and that she will be expected to wed whomever the king chooses. Unfortunately, King Richard II promises Evangeline to Lord Shiveley, an advisor that is twice her age and who also had a first wife die in mysterious circumstances. Evangeline decides she would rather be a peasant than Lord Shiveley’s wife and runs away with her maidservant. She is now at a small country estate and is pretending to be mute to hide her identity. Will Evangeline be able to stay hidden while also living her life? Is love a possibility for a woman of noble birth?

The Silent Songbird is the seventh book in the Hagenheim series, yet as someone who hasn’t read any of the other books in the series; this novel seems to stand well on its own. Dickerson doesn’t need to spend a lot of time world building because the story takes place in 14th century England, which would be familiar to most readers of historical fiction. The romance is constantly pulling at the edges of the first half of the book and the end result is predictable, yet enjoyable. The Silent Songbird is a good escape, but not a drop everything and read book.


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Review: Heart of the Storm

Heart of the Storm by Michael Buckley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lyric Walker was held prisoner under water for over half a year before she was able to escape to the surface. Now that she is on dry land, she wants to find her friends and family and get the word out about the Great Abyss. Her time away wasn’t that long, yet when she returns she discovers that humans and Alpha are actually working together to get the country restarted. It isn’t all sunlight and roses, though, because there are still people out there who want to sabotage the work being forged. Can Lyric overcome the human obstacles before the monsters from the sea arrive? Which love will Lyric choose to pursue?

Heart of the Storm is the third and final book in the Undertow trilogy. The action is intense from the beginning and readers will be excited for the many story lines brought to an end. Yet I found the flashbacks to Lyric’s underwater time a little confusing at first. I will admit that it could be because I flew through it faster than I should have. The ending is perfect, yet not everyone will be happy. That is not unusual when a girl has to pick a boy … someone is always left out. Heart of the Storm is a good escape, but only for those who read the first two books.


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Review: Long Way Home

Long Way Home by Katie McGarry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Violet was raised around the motorcycle club the Reign of Terror, yet because her father died conducting Terror business, she feels she must protect her younger brother. This means she must sever all ties to the club, including her ties with Chevy, the boy she loves. Her plan comes to a standstill when another motorcycle club approaches her with old secrets and threatens the people she loves. Does Violet really know what has been going on inside the club? Who can she trust when there are many lives at stake?

Long Way Home is the third book in the Thunder Road series. The story is told in the alternating voices of Violet and Chevy, so readers will be given a balanced viewpoint of most events. McGarry doesn’t spend much time reminding readers about earlier events, yet even though there was time between these two books, I was able to pick the story up and dive right in. This third book is not the end of the story and most readers will see the hints of future storylines weaved within. Long Way Home is a nice escape read for those who like an easy and clean bad boy romance.



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