Review: Blackout

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is a hot summer day in New York City when the power goes out.  Many people are scared, some are relaxing and others are finding love.  Blackout includes many stories that are woven together to tell a larger story.  Even though there are six writers telling this tale, the story is still seamless and well-executed.  We read about a couple meeting for the first time, friends who have been together forever, and exes that would rather not be stuck together.  Everything changes when the lights are out.  What will these characters discover as the darkness continues to advance?  This was a fun read, even if you aren’t usually a short story lover.  Since these all connect into a larger narrative, it is hard to look at this book as a short story collection.  It is a quick read and can be finished in one sitting if you so choose.  

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Review: Tell Me When You Feel Something

Tell Me When You Feel Something by Vicki Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Viv has the perfect part-time job.  She is an SP (simulated patient) for a medical school.  She is really good at it because she is always faking how she feels.  When Viv ends up in a coma and there is video evidence of her taking drugs, the questions pile on top of each other.  What really happened to Viv? 

 

Tell Me When You Feel Something is a stand-alone mystery told from many points of view.  The narrators don’t always agree on what they saw or felt and the reader must untangle the stories as they unfold.  Grant did a wonderful job giving various viewpoints, but that same variety was the book’s downfall.  There were just too many changes in timeframe and person that the overall story was pushed to the side in order to follow and determine where the mystery was going.  I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but the middle was hard to get through. 

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Review: Huntress

Huntress by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Huntress may be a princess, but she also knows how to protect herself and those she loves.  She is a glass dragon shifter … the last one of her kind and she likes to work alone.  That is until she meets Gage and can’t keep her eyes off of him.  She doesn’t want to be attracted to Gage because he is the leader of a crime family that threatens her family.  Huntress plans to live and fight alone; she has no plans to be in a relationship.  But when Huntress needs an army fast, she turns to Gage for help.  Will this unlikely alliance be enough to save her family?  Will Huntress stay in isolation or will she give her heart away?

 

Huntress is the seventh book in the Angelbound Offspring series.  Readers who pick this book may be thoroughly confused, but that would be understandable with all the references to characters from previous books.  Since I have read them in the order of publication, though, this was a rocket-fueled ride of action, romance, and intrigue.  Bauer outdid herself again as you created a storyline that was thrilling yet fresh.  The next book “Gage” is listed as the last of this series and I can’t wait to see where these dragon shifters go next.

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Review: Of Princes and Promises

Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alaric may have cheated on Caterina, but that doesn’t mean she is going to let it define the rest of her school year.  Rahul believes the moment he shared with Caterina at the winter formal meant something, but he also knows that he doesn’t have her social graces and would have trouble stepping into her world.  Caterina has learned that Alaric is planning to bring a supermodel to an upcoming social event and she needs a date that shows she is not down and out.  Caterina plans to train and transform Rahul into the perfect gentleman.  Will she be able to work out his rough edges?  What is with the mysterious hair gel that seems to give Rahul the confidence he needs?

 

Of Princes and Promises is the second book in the St. Rosetta’s Academy series.  This fun romance has just enough “magic” to fall into a fairy tale retelling.  The characters are fun and the exchanges throughout are exciting.  There is a little mystery that is included with this story and Menon has outdone herself in crafting a fun read for many ages.  Even though this is a “romance,” it can be read by even the youngest YA reader and will be enjoyed by most adult readers.  Although this is the second book in the series, it is primarily a companion book because the setting is the same, but the main characters are different.  Readers can jump right into this title or start at the beginning.

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Review: Spells Trouble

Spells Trouble by P.C. Cast
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hunter and Mercy are direct descendants of an ancient line of witches who settled in Goodeville.  These twins must learn what they need to do to be Gatekeepers and keep creatures from other realms out of our world.  They quickly learn that there is a lot they don’t know after their mother is the first victim in a series of murders.  Will Hunter and Mercy be able to learn the spells and rituals they need to protect their town?  Will this crisis break even their twin bond?

 

Spells Trouble is the first book in the Sisters of Salem series.  There are many books out there that have witches who are descended from a Salem Witch and this one isn’t much different than those.  I do understand that Cast needed to complete world-building and character development, yet the overall storyline fell flat.  Readers can tell from the ending that there will be more books in this series and I hope that the story will become better evolved in the upcoming titles.  For now, I recommend this series as a no rush to-be-read book.

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Review: Pumpkin

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Waylon is openly gay and he couldn’t hide it if he wanted to.  He is looking forward to the end of his senior year when he will move to Austin with his twin sister for college.  He plans to go Full Waylon at college and live out his true self.  Waylon gets mad after getting dumped and makes an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show.  It is meant for him and his sister, but when it accidentally gets shared with the entire school, he somehow ends up on the prom court as a queen nominee.  What was meant to be a joke on Waylon turns into a chance to let the school truly know who he is!  What will Waylon learn about himself, his sister, and his schoolmates as he finishes his senior year?

 

Pumpkin is the third book in the Dumplin’ series.  With that said, each book is not a direct sequel, and readers who pick up this novel will be able to have the full experience without having read any of the previous books.  I will say that the book took a bit of time to get rolling.  Early on I was considering not even finishing it, but once Murphy had all the characters in their places, the story was a whirlwind of joy to read.  I even found myself having happy tears at the end.  I recommend Pumpkin to everyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories.

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Review: Enduring Freedom

Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

September 11, 2001 changed the lives of many people.  Enduring Freedom is the story of two teens from different parts of the world and how these events affected them.  Baheer is an Afghan teen whose family had to change everything after the war caused them to lose their business.  Joe is a private in the Army National Guard who wants to become a journalist.  Joe’s schooling is put on hold when his unit is activated to go to Afghanistan.  Baheer uses the little English he knows to help his family by providing services to the Americans.  Joe doesn’t trust any of the locals, but as Baheer keeps coming by; Joe starts to see him as a person instead of a nation.  What will these teens learn about each other as their paths continue to cross?  Will this relationship stay professional or will they ever become friends?

 

Enduring Freedom is a historical fiction story that tugged on my heartstrings.  I was in the Army National Guard during Desert Storm and remember the thought of activation always on my mind.  As a young teacher when 9-11 happened, I saw these same feelings flowing around the seniors in the school.  Today’s teens were not alive when this happened, but that does not mean they can’t understand what was going on.  Reedy took some really hard topics and made them relatable to today’s readers and hopefully this book will make everyone who picks it up re-think about what they thought they knew about this time period.  Enduring Freedom is not a long book and I recommend it to everyone, even if war or history is not your go-to genre. 

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