REVIEW: TOUCH BY JUS ACCARDO

TOUCH
DENAZEN #1
JUS ACCARDO
GENRE: YA



SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.
______________________________________________________________________________

MY TAKE
4 STARS

I wasn't really sure I would like this book very much when I realized it had that whole X-Men kinda vibe. I'm not into the X-Men, mutant thing. However, once I started reading Touch, I got totally sucked in!

I really like the characters Accardo created. Deznee is a bad-ass chick that can hold her own. She lives to piss her father off, and could care less of what others think of her. The only problem I had with this story (and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars) is as smart as Dez is, she never had one suspicion her dad was up to no good. For 17 years she believed her father was a lawyer and not the mutant (Sixes is what they call them in this book) harboring scum he was. Was there really NEVER ONE CLUE?

Okay, anyways, her love interest in Touch is the hot escapee from Denazen (her father's company), Kale. He was taken as a child and raised within Denazen as an assassin. He hasn't had much experience with the outside world and is completely out of his element once he escapes. As he's being chased by the men from Denazen, he and Dez cross paths. This is the opening scene in the book.

Touch is fast paced, entertaining, and a really fun (MUST) read.

KINDLE PRICE: $5.99
PAPERBACK PRICE: $11.71

Read more »

REVIEW: TO SELENA, WITH LOVE BY CHRIS PEREZ

TO SELENA, WITH LOVE
CHRIS PEREZ
GENRE: AUTOBIOGRAPHY


SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

One of the most compelling and adored superstars in Latin music history, Selena was nothing short of a phenomenon who shared all of herself with her millions of devoted fans. Her tragic murder, at the young age of twenty-three, stripped the world of her talent and boundless potential, her tightly knit family of their beloved angel, and her husband, Chris Perez, of the greatest love he had ever known.

For over a decade, Chris held on to the only personal thing he had left from his late wife: the touching and sometimes painful memories of their very private bond. Now, for the first time, Chris opens up about their unbreakable friendship, forbidden relationship, and blossoming marriage, which were cut short by Selena’s unforgivable death.

Chris’s powerful story gives a rare glimpse into Selena’s sincerity and vulnerability when falling in love, strength and conviction when fighting for that love, and absolute resilience when finding peace and normalcy with her family’s acceptance of the only man she called her husband. While showcasing a side of Selena that has never been disclosed before and clarifying certain misconceptions about her life and death, To Selena, with Love is an everlasting love story that immortalizes the heart and soul of an extraordinary, unforgettable, and irreplaceable icon.
______________________________________________________________________________

MY TAKE

5 STARS!

Even though this book is categorized as an autobiography, it's not really an autobiography of Chris Perez's life. To Selena, With Love chronicles his life with the late Queen of Tejano, Selena.

It's been 17 years since Selena was killed and a lot of people are wondering why Chris has waited so long to write a book. Basically, he wasn't ready to share his memories of Selena. He finally came to a point in his life where he felt like it was time.

This book gives an insider view to who Selena was as a person. I believe a lot of her fans (and this is true of any artist) forget there was more to her than just what was shown onstage. She was just like everyone else. She had highs and lows, good and bad days.

This book gives an amazing account of Selena and Chris's relationship. From the first time he'd heard of Selena, joining the band, their secret relationship, eloping, to the last time he seen his wife alive.

To Selena, With Love was an amazing book from the first page to the last. Chris did an amazing job projecting his feelings in this book. I think anyone, whether you are a Selena fan or not, will enjoy this book.
 
HARDCOVER PRICE (ENGLISH VERSION): $16.24
PAPERBACK PRICE (SPANISH VERSION): $10.09

Read more »

REVIEW: FALLING UNDER BY GWEN HAYES

FALLING UNDER
FALLING UNDER BK #1
GWEN HAYES


GENRE: YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE


SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

___________________________________________________



MY TAKE

2 STARS


I so wanted to love this book cause I've heard good things, but looks like I will be settling for the eh, it was okay.

There was really nothing original in Falling Under except male lead is half-human, half-demon. It's basically the same old YA paranormal romance, which really disappointed me. Don't get me wrong, the story had it's moments, but overall, it was just--okay.

One thing that really rubbed me the wrong way was there were references to Twilight in the story. I don't know when writers are going to learn to stay away from referencing Twilight!

I did like the comradery between Theia, Amelia, and Donny. These girls are great together.
 

Read more »

REVIEW: LET'S GO PLAY AT THE ADAMS' BY MENDAL JOHNSON

LET'S GO PLAY AT THE ADAMS'
MENDAL JOHNSON


GENRE: HORROR


SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

Surely, it was only a game. In the orderly, pleasant world Barbara inhabited, nice children -- and they were nice children -- didn't hold an adult captive.

But what Barbara didn't count on was the heady effect their new-found freedom would have on the children. Their wealthy parents were away in Europe, and in this rural area of Maryland, the next house was easily a quarter of a mile away. The power of adults was in their hands, and they were tempted by it. They tasted it and toyed with it -- their only aim was to test its limits. Each child was consumed by his own individual lust and caught up with the others in sadistic manipulation and passion, until finally, step by step, their grim game strips away the layers of childishness to reveal the vicious psyche, conceived in evil and educated in society's sophisticated violence, that lies always within civilized men.

More than a terrifying horror story, Let's Go Play At The Adams' is a compelling psychological exercise of brooding insights and deadly implications.
__________________________________________________________________________________

MY TAKE

5 STARS!

*May Contain Spoilers*
Let's Go Play At The Adams' was not an easy read. At times it was gut-wrenching to continue.

I went through a range of emotions while reading this. The things that happened to the babysitter, Barbara, while being tied-up and under the control of the five kids (ranging in age from 10-17) was terrible to say the least.

What started out as a game, or experiment, for these kids turns into so much more. For the first 3 chapters or so, it's a bit slow-going. There is a lot of character building in these chapters--which is crucial to this story. As the story continues, we see the innocence and human emotion being stripped away from these children. They become inhumane, cold, and monsterous.

It was very hard to see Barbara's optimisim begin to degrade when she realizes that it has become more than a game and she's not going to get out of the situation alive. When she accepts that she is going to die, I felt my heart just drop.

The last few chapters of this book were the worst. I just wanted to cry for Barbara. Reading the epilogue was hard as well. Knowing these kids would never get punished for what they did infuriated me.

Let's Go Play At The Adams' will get inside your head and turn your emotions inside out. If you think you can handle it, then give it a try.
 

Read more »

REVIEW: DARK PASSAGE BY M.L. WOOLLEY

DARK PASSAGE
HEARTS BEYOND FOREVER #1
M.L. WOOLLEY


SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

* What is to high a price to pay for love?
* How far would you be willing to go?
* Would you be willing to sacrifice your eternity?
* Every choice has consequences - good and bad...

Jen takes refuge in a rundown mansion when her life falls apart. To escape reality she finds herself choosing between the world of the living and the dead. She begins having vivid experiences with a beautiful male entity who longs to be her soulmate.

Her childhood friend, 19 year old Ivy, has come from a rough past and has always been different. She learns she has the ability to communicate with the dead and as time passes other supernatural gifts emerge. Ivy will stand against the evil that would separate a love that transcends time and her true destiny emerges. Jen & Ivy are drawn into the compelling world of the dark side and propelled on the most important journeys of their lives.

“Let’s go Jen. It won’t do him any good if we are all caught”. With one final glance behind her, Jen urged her horse forward, and toward the safety of the mountains. Her heart was heavy and she immediately thought of the other realm. Her hope was that they were aware of what had happened and would
help. Chaos was already breaking out; and the world was in danger of slipping back to a time of great darkness, reminiscent of the Middle Ages.
_______________________________________________________________________________

MY TAKE

4 STARS

I heard about this book through one of my groups at Goodreads. I read the synopsis and it seemed interesting enough for me to want to give it a go. I contacted the author and received a copy free for review.

To my surprise, this book was more than just your basic, run-of-the-mill paranormal romance. The emphasis is on good VS. evil, forgiveness, and knowing that the path you chose to take isn't always the path you have to remain on.

The only thing that bothered me (and this has nothing to do with the story itself) was the Kindle formatting of this story was a bit off.

I found Dark Passage entertaining and would recommend it to other readers.


KINDLE PRICE: $0.99

Read more »

REVIEW: TORN BY AMANDA HOCKING

TORN
TRYLLE #2
AMANDA HOCKING


SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story…

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

As a special gift to readers, this book contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, “One Day, Three Ways,” set in the magical world of the Trylle.
________________________________________________________________________________

MY TAKE

4 STARS!

I really like this series, and with that said, I believe the second and third books should have been combined. I just don't think enough happened in this book for it to be a stand-alone release.

Torn seamlessly picks up where Switched (#1) left off. Wendy, along with Rhys, has ran away from Forening back to the home she shares with (her host family) Maggie and Matt.  Needless to say, through a series of events, they end up right back in Forening, and a new "love interest" is introduced--Loki. Wendy also discovers some news about her assumed dead, biological father.

The angst between Finn and Wendy is starting to drag, and I'm glad Loki was introduced in this book to shake things up a bit. To complicate things even more, Queen Elora has marriage plans in the works for Wendy.

One thing that I really liked in this book, is we begin to see another side to Elora. She wasn't always the ice queen she makes herself out to be.

All in all, Torn was a fast and easy read that I enjoyed.




KINDLE PRICE: $8.99
PAPERBACK PRICE: $8.99

Read more »

REVIEW: THE WOLFEN BY WHITLEY STRIEBER

THE WOLFEN
WHITLEY STRIEBER


SYNOPSIS (Amazon)

The Wolfen have lived and fed on humanity for thousands of years. They are hideously ugly and utterly savage but relentless and smart. Two cops, a man and a woman, who are bound together in a strange love and hate relationship have experienced the full awful horror of the Wolfen.

__________________________________________________

MY TAKE

4 STARS

Back in 1978, when this book was written, is was probably a pretty scary story...but in 2012, not so much.

Okay, as I stated, The Wolfen didn't scare me, but it was a decent read. In fact, I really liked it. Now days, it's all about the supernatural. A lot of the books that are being read have some supernatural touch to it. This book is a werewolf tale minus the supernatural touch. These werewolves do not transform from human to creature during the full moon. These werewolves are a very intelligent, beastial species. They have thought patterns similar to humans, and this has kept them hidden among man for eons.

The pack of werewolves in this story have moved into New York, and made a huge mistake---they attacked and killed two cops. Now they are at risk of being exposed to the human population when detectives, Neff and Wilson are assigned to the case.

I found The Wolfen to be a quick and entertaining read.

PURCHASE A COPY AT AMAZON

Read more »

REVIEW: THE HOWLING II BY GARY BRANDER

THE HOWLING II
THE HOWLING SERIES
GARY BRANDER


SYNOPSIS (Amazon)

For Karyn it was the howling.

The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago... the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with fire.
But it hadn't.

Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly, and thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable...

_________________________________________



MY TAKE

4 STARS

This book is a great follow-up.

Emotionally damaged Karyn is trying to get her life back on track after the horror of Drago.  What she soon finds out is that not all the evil from Drago perished as she had hoped, but instead are looking for revenge.

I really enjoyed this book and it was a fast and easy read. I was a bit annoyed in the beginning by how Karyn's mental state was written. I think in the first book also this is true, it was just a bit overly done. Even with that being said, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the third.

KINDLE PRICE: $3.99
PAPERBACK PRICE: $14.99

Read more »

REVIEW: GHOST STORY BY PETER STRAUB

GHOST STORY
PETER STRAUB


SYNOPSIS (Goodreads)

In life, not every sin goes unpunished.

GHOST STORY
For four aging men in the terror-stricken town of Milburn, New York, an act inadvertently carried out in their youth has come back to haunt them. Now they are about to learn what happens to those who believe they can bury the past — and get away with murder.

Peter Straub's classic bestseller is a work of "superb horror" (The Washington Post Book World) that, like any good ghost story, stands the test of time — and conjures our darkest fears and nightmares.

_______________________________________________________


MY TAKE

5 STARS!

Ghost Story is one of those books that will leave you saying, "Now that was some good writing!". The story builds slowly from the beginning to the middle, then things get a crazy for the main characters, plus the whole town in the story. The story was not overly complex, but it was well thought out and told amazingly.

This was the first Peter Straub book that I've read, and because I enjoyed Ghost Story so much, I will be reading more by this author. 

BUY YOUR COPY AT AMAZON

Read more »