Review: Our Chemical Hearts

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

This was one of those delightful books that I loved almost as soon as I started reading. A bit of cover lust as well (I loved the big fish on the front) I’ve not come across a lot of YA romantic/drama types from a male point of view before.

 

I was captivated immediately by Henry’s tone of voice and personality. I liked all of the characters in this one, except for Grace Town. I didn’t really like her much at all. But I really enjoyed the narrative and the build of the relationship and how she came into Henry’s world. Henry also had a great support system, some wonderful friends and some likeable parents, an older sister with a bit of a reputation as a troublemaker from when she was at school which had some lingering effects on Henry’s teachers (even though Henry and his sister are nothing alike, and the sister was kind of awesome too).

 

Grace Town comes in dressed in weird boys’ clothes looking very dull and while everyone stares she immediately gets Henry’s attention. They both end up working on the school newspaper with one of Henry’s other friends and develop a sort of tentative friendship, despite the fact that their personalities are very different. Henry is quippy and quirky while Grace is sullen and quiet and seems very brash. Yet Henry’s head over heels for her very quickly.

 

There’s one brilliant scene where Henry and his friend are asking the school gossip queen to dig up some information for them on Grace, and Henry’s friend Murray is looking for gossip on his ex who he’s trying to win back. And Murray actually uses The Simpsons quote “Everything’s coming up Millhouse” quote in the right context and it’s absolutely hilarious. The use of that quote alone was worth five stars.

 

As things progress and Henry learns more about Grace and gets to know her better, there’s parties, drinking, misinterpretation of feelings - do they love me do they not -– the usual things you find in teen romantic drama. A bit of sex as well which was handled very well. Nicely thought out and dealt with from both people involved considerate of each other and where they want to be.

 

It’s exceptionally well written and manages to go from being romantic and sweet to angsty and dramatic without being over the top. When you think things are going smoothly, it twists and becomes deeply emotional and made me sniffle a few times towards the end. It’s got a great cast of diverse characters, each character is fully developed with their own distinct personalities and storylines, interactive parents and family members. And manages to be both funny and hearbreaking and wraps up with a believable conclusion.

 

I loved this so much I purchased a finished copy before I was even half way through. Definitely something I can see myself reading again.

 

Thank you Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1474901/review-our-chemical-hearts

Review: The Night Parade

Review:

 

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

It’s been a while since I read a really good horror novel, and this one caught my attention whilst browsing through Netgalley. Viruses that wipe out the world stories kind of leave me apprehensive in that it will either wind up focusing on zombies or be far too like Stephen King’s The Stand. This book stood out on its own merit.

 

I think what was so great about this one was that the main character, David, was just an ordinary guy. He wasn’t trying to save the world or find a cure or save his town. His wife had died under mysterious circumstances, and government doctors looking for a cure for the virus were supposedly involved. His main concern is to save his daughter.

 

David is a likeable guy because he’s a normal guy. A regular family man who works as an English professor with a wife and a smart small child. As the novel progresses and you learn the circumstances of how the virus stared told in flashback chapters, and the where David is now – on the run from the government, trying to debate how much to confess to his daughter.  The daughter Ellie, appears to be quite apathetic about the whole thing. She appears to be very quiet and very intelligent. At eight nearly nine she’s very well spoken, very well behaved and seems remarkably mature as things go from bad to worse as she and her dad try to find somewhere to hide. David has a brother, Tim, who lives “off the grid” who comes in to help at some point.

 

The tension is well written, the scenes are pretty damn creepy as David and Ellie go from town to town meeting a variety of scary people and towns all virus effected. Ellie starts to exhibit strange powers and there’s hints that her mother knew and possibly could have had them too only the government got to the mom first. The flashback chapters tell how everything started – and it’s completely believable which makes it even more tense and uncomfortable in parts.

 

As it goes on, it’s completely unpredictable as well. And as a reader I found myself really caring about David and Ellie and hoping they made it out okay. You get a sort of sense of how on earth is this going to wind up comfortably for everyone? But it’s a realistic horror novel. A happy ending isn’t necessary. The end was again well done and believable in keeping with the tone of the novel. It didn’t go down in a rush of stupid action. It built up to a dramatic conclusion left very open ended.

(It actually made me sniffle a bit).

 

I would really like to see a sequel following on from this one. Definitely an author I would read again.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1473640/review-the-night-parade

Story Sprites Round 5 Complete

 

Another round of Story Sprites complete. This was a tougher than it looked. 

 

Pink Path

2016 Fantasy- Ruined by Amy Tintera - 3 stars
Gay Female MC - Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler - 3 stars
Character with Physical Deformity - Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto - 4 stars
Novel with Fire and/or Ice Theme - A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick - 4 Stars

 

Yellow Path

Fairytale Retelling Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige - 1 star
Villain Turned Good- Girl of Nigtmares by Kendare Blake - 3 stars
Book Cover with a Face - The Reader by Traci Chee - 5 Stars
Book with a Fantasy Land - Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes - 4 stars

 

Green Path

Historical Standalone - Stone Field by Christy Lenz - 2 stars
By an Author or Color - Pasadena by Sherri L Smith - 4 stars
Setting: An American Chinatown - Outrun The Moon by Stacey Lee - 5 stars
Female Empowerment as a Theme - Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes - 5 stars

 

Blue Path

Classic Horror - The Shining by Stephen King - 5 Stars
Vigilante MC - The Society by Jodie Andrefski - 3 stars
Book with Vampires Betrayed (House of Night #2) PC & Kristen Cast - 3 stars
Classic Rewritten Monsters - Romeo and Juliet and Vampires by Claudia Gabel 2 stars

 

Purple Path

Setting: 19th Century - These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly - 4 stars
Book by Deceased Author I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan - 3 stars
No Romance - The Smaller Evil by Stephanie Kuehn - 5 stars
Book with a Shipwreck - Titanic The Long Night by Diane Hoh - 5 stars

 

Best Books

Girl Against the Universe, Outrun the Moon, Titanic The Long Night, The Shining, Pasadena,  The Smaller Evil, The Reader

 

Worst Books

Stealing Snow, Romeo and Juliet and Vampires, Stone Field

 

Honorable Mentions

Revenge and the Wild, These Shallow Graves, Falling Kingdoms, Read Me Like a Book, Ruined, A Frozen Heart

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1469333/story-sprites-round-5-complete

DNF: Paper and Fire

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

I was really looking forward to this sequel. I had pre ordered a paperback copy, and took a chance when I saw it pop up on Netgalkey thinking I most likely wouldn't get approved but then I did and it was like OMG YES!!!!!!! I was so excited when I got approved for this one. 

 

However, it's a case of I can barely remember anything about the first book, I vaguely remember the world building and remember that I absolutely loved it, but barely anything about the plot. And that is making the second one quite confusing, I like what I read of it,m but it's been over a month since I last picked it up and I'm completely lost with who some of these characters are and where they came in in the first one. 

 

What at I will do at some point in the near future is read the first one again and then follow on immediately with the second one, cause I really do like this series and want to know more about these characters. Just not feeling it at the moment. 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1469261/dnf-paper-and-fire

DNF: This Savage Song

Review:

Managed 141 pages but I'm bored. This book is not getting my attention at all. The world building is divided territories and monsters and the two factions who are in charge. Kate is the daughter of the baddie and August is the son of the goodie. The setting is bleak and dark, and whole Kate is a reasonably interesting character trying to prove she belongs at her father's side in charge and not shoved away in boarding schools, I'm finding August very dull and a woe is me type. Just not interested in where this is going.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1468710/dnf-this-savage-song

DNF: King Slayer

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

Snagged a copy with auto approval from Hatchette Children's on Netgalley as I remember quite liking the first book and being interested enough to know what happens next. Problem I have is I can't actually remember anything about the plot of the first book and I haven't got a clue what's going on in what I've read of the second one. It's not a bad book by any means, it's just confusing as hell. And at the moment I don't feel like re reading the first one. It's certainly something I may do at a later date, and then pick up the second one as I purchased a paperback copy, but not at the moment. So DNFing.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1466054/dnf-king-slayer

DNF: The Loneliness of Distant Beings

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

Something I snagged with auto approval from Hatchette Children's Books on Netgalley. I'm not that fond of sci-fi books, they're often a hit or a miss for me. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't. Unfortunately this title was a miss for me. I gave it 100 pages, but I'm so bored with this book the thought of reading more makes me cringe and my eyes roll.

It's an interesting idea, Seren lives on a spaceship as part of a special mission group of people that's flying out of our solar system to find a new place for people to live, downside is it will take seven hundred plus years to go there. The people who live on the ship follow a set pattern plan and everything is determined for them by a system that's gone on for many many years. Education - two years of manual labour then a speciality. And a computer will tell you who you will marry and procreate with. It's all done by science, no need for romance and no one particularly cares if you don't like the person you're chosen to be with.

Seren hates her life. She's bored out her brains, moody and sulky. Given the circumstances, it's sort of understandable. However, she was so boring, had such a lack of personality and her everything sucks, dismissive of everything and everyone around her got very tiring very quickly. She hates the life partner chosen for her. She thinks her older sister who's happy with her match and her life partner is an idiot. Basically everyone's stupid but her is the impression I got. Then she meets Domingo at the doctor's office one day and he's the best looking thing she has ever seen and just like that she's madly madly in love with him after they spend one afternoon. She's willing to now break every rule she's ever learned to spend time with this guy. Who may have feelings for her but doesn't quite know.

It was a case of insta-love that in this occasion just didn't work for me. I don't like the characters at all, I don't have any desire to know how this all works out. Not for me.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1464859/dnf-the-loneliness-of-distant-beings

Review: Nightstruck

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

This is another one I’m not entirely sure what to make of. It’s described on Netgalley as “the start of a spooky yet romantic dark paranormal horror”. There is nothing romantic whatsoever in this book, at least not to this reader. It certainly managed the dark paranormal horror bit well. It starts off with a scary incident, and the dark creepiness doesn’t let up at all. Not even at the end. 

 

Becket lives in Center City in Philadelphia. She sees something strange in an alley, hears a cry that might be an abandoned baby whilst walking her dog Bob. All her instincts are telling her to run away and never look back but morality wins out. But that single incident is the start of a host of catastrophic events that change Becket’s world forever. It’s subtle changes that barely register at first. 

 

Her dad is the police commissioner and seems to be under the idea that all teenagers are vandals and morons and only out to do no good. Even his sensible daughter. Her best friend is Piper, one of the most popular girls at school. I loathed Piper. Piper is so popular that Becket practically has to make appointments to hang out with her when she can “fit into Piper’s schedule”. Not exactly my idea of a best friend no matter how nice they might be when you hang out. Piper comes from a very rich family and seems to do whatever the hell she wants to regardless of any consequences. 

 

She’s also dating Becket’s neighbor Luke, who unknown to Piper, Becket has had a big old crush on Luke, like, forever, just never done anything about it. She’s too shy. Becket follows the rules, is a good student and generally does what she’s supposed to. Even though occasionally Piper helps her rebel which usually goes wrong. Her police commissioner father is always harsh with the punishments (he doesn’t like Piper at all)

 

The city seems to be having a rash of violent crimes and bizzare incidents happening. A few of these are described in single chapters from the victim’s view points. Becket’s dad’s nerves are stretched to the breaking point. Becket starts noticing weird things herself and doesn’t know what to think, she’s either going crazy or something really really freaky could be happening. Since that baby incident. She rationalises every possibility that it could be, tries taking pictures of uncomfortable weird things she spots. Anything to prove that it’s not something supernaturally dark or weird. 

 

As a main character Becket is actually very likable. She’s strong, smart and despite bad taste in best friends, a capable girl who thinks things through and doesn’t jump to stupid conclusions. Even when things take a turn for the worst. Thankfully she’s not the only one who’s noticed things are weird and scary out in the world, particularly when the sun goes down. She’s hanging out with Luke at one point and points things out to him - he’s noticed it too. 

 

So what does it all mean? To make things worse Piper’s behavior is getting worse. She’s more callous, she flaunts the rules more than ever and speaks with little regard to what she’s saying or who she might be hurting. Luke’s fed up with her, even Becket is getting irritated. All the while at night things are getting more dark more scary and more violent out in the city.

 

It soon becomes a city wide epidemic of catastrophic chaos, violence, death, murder and darkness. Though once the sun comes up, things turn to normal. Becket is smart enough to protect herself when the chaos starts going down. I suppose the romance part comes from her feelings for Luke developing throughout, even though he’s supposedly with Piper, even after Piper’s personality hits rock bottom and she becomes part of the people involved in creating chaos in the night. (There are reasons for this of course). It’s a well done relationship starting off slow and a where are we going does this mean anything, what’s happening here? Despite the unravelling madness of the city, Becket has some pretty good teenage crush moments. Kind of a relief from the darkness and unpleasant atmosphere the novel creates. 

 

It has all the makings for a pretty good book, but there was just something about it that didn’t work for me. The unending parade of violence and bizarre acts just bothered me. I actually like horror novels, and horror movies. I’ve seen my fair share of very violent horror movies and read some very disturbing books where the horror and the gore just doesn’t let up. I actually really liked Becket as a main character, I even liked Luke. I even liked the grownups in this novel.

 

There was just something in this one I just did not like. I didn’t like the end much at all. I’m glad though I read that it was the start of a series according to the Netgalley page on this title because as a standalone I would have dropped the rating. While I wasn’t overly impressed with this book, if there is a sequel I’m still interested enough to know where this story is going. 

 

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for approving my request to view the title. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1463317/review-nightstruck

Review: The Darkest Lie

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: This novel deals with some uncomfortable issues that some might find triggering - sexual exploitation of minors, a student has an affair with a teacher which has a dark turn, nude photo manipulations going viral. 

 

I finished this book almost a week ago and I'm still not sure what to to make of it. 

t’s an okay YA mystery novel. It does deal with some rather dark themes I’ve not seen dealt with in this way before. The characters are likable enough, though the villain of the piece is easy to spot from about half way through. Having said that the reasons for why are fairly twisted. 

 

Cece lives in the type of small town where everyone knows everyone. Some time ago, six months or a year or so, can’t quite remember how long, her mother died under very scandalous circumstances - supposedly a suicide after the star of the high school football team claimed they were having an affair. Cece’s family is torn apart. Her dad is in complete denial, the kids at her school bully her mercilessly over the affair her mom supposedly had as that boy Tommy, is in Cece’s year and some of her classes. The only some what responsible adult in Cece’s life is her grandmother who comes to live with her and her dad, Grandma makes her living playing poker and gambling on the internet. The grandma is probably one of the most stable sensible adult in the novel. 

 

Cece just wants to finish school and get through with as little attention on herself as possible, so she tries to make herself as unnoticeable as she can. Yet one morning she spots the school queen bee and resident mean girl Mackenzie is tormenting a younger student for something she’s wearing, Cece is watching thinking she probably should help but doesn’t when gorgeous new boy Sam comes in and saves the day. He’s nice to the girl being picked on, Cece manages to find the courage to come help. Putting her on the mean girl’s radar. 

 

And the new guy’s too. When they get to know each other a little bit, turns out he’s a wannabe reporter working on a big journalism scholarship and needs a big story to land said scholarship. Cece has been in trouble in one of her classes and has to do some sort of community service as a result and takes a job working at the same volunteer crisis centre her mom ran before she died. There’s still some mystery surrounding that and as Cece starts her volunteer job, and meets Liam, the nice and hunky guy in charge of the crisis hotline, she comes to the realization that there may be a lot more to what happened to her mom than she ever realised. 

 

Sam gets involved as well and as they get to know each other they start delving into the mystery though Cece is reluctant to share information. She’s still victimized terribly with an awful lot of disgusting sexual innuendo from the jocks and their asshole friends. One boy in particular worse than the others. It’s pathetic name calling and jeers to a point and it’s crass and uncomfortable to read and hell for Cece. 

 

[spoiler]

Whilst attending a party, she hears a drunk Tommy shouting he wants to talk to her and nodding at Cece. Which starts an argument with the bullies and the horrible discovery of her mom’s photo on what looks like a porn site. Next day said photo is all over school with Cece’s face and the body from the picture. 

[/spoiler]

 

It’s utterly mortifying for Cece. Who despite all the horrible teasing and jaunts seemed to hold herself pretty well. She doesn’t know how to talk to her dad, he doesn’t know how to deal with her, she’s having a terrible time at school, and while all this is going on she’s discovering there’s more to her mom than she could have ever realised and some pretty creepy things have been happening when she’s been alone at the crisis hotline. And to top it all off she starts getting scary text messages from an unknown source as she probs her mom’s death - which might not have been suicide after all. 

 

All while her feelings for Sam are getting deeper, and she’s getting closer and more friendly with Liam as well.  The relationship she develops with Sam is well written and takes it time to build trust growing to other feelings, Cece has her doubts when the mystery deepens and clues and evidence starts popping up. A journal written by her mom when she was a teenager is found which takes a pretty surprising and yet another uncomfortable dark twist. 

 

And it seems to be what happened to Cece’s mom when she was a girl may be happening still - and it may be happening to Sam’s younger sister who has revealed she has a much older boyfriend. 

 

It wasn’t a bad mystery and certainly had a few interesting twists and turns, though it was at least to me, fairly obvious who the baddie was from about half way through. There was definitely something uncomfortable about the nature of the story, and there were definitely certain parts of Cece’s inner monologue that were quite moving in parts. Though once the mystery was solved, the end was kind of irritating and a bit eye roll inducing. 

 

It was okay, I would definitely read something by this author again. 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for approving my request to view the title. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1463306/review-the-darkest-lie