Book Review: The Santa Claus League by Stephen Miller

The Santa Claus League 
by Stephen Miller
Release Date: November 1st, 2013
Publisher: V&E Enterprises
Paperback, 226 pages
2nd Edition
Summary: T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS... Julia Martin is the most incredible girl in school, and Mason Howell is hopelessly smitten by her. Julia is in charge of the local Charity Christmas party and she's pleased at how well everything is going...until her Santa Claus calls in sick. In a panic, she begs Mason to help her by wearing his grandfather's heirloom Santa Claus suit. Mason agrees, to impress the beautiful girl, but things don't go as planned...as soon as he puts on the suit, he gets all the powers of Santa Clause!


Together with John Patton, Mason's best friend, they learn his grandfather was a member of an ancient league of men and women dedicated to helping St. Nicholas use Christmas magic to save the world. The three of them could become the newest members of the Santa Clause League...if they can learn the secrets of Christmas magic!


Cindy's Review:
At a Glance:
Time for some holiday spirits!! Since it's holiday time, it's time to read some Christmas classics and some new books too! I don't really have to much of an opinion of this book, since there shouldn't be too much romance that I normally enjoy. But I just want to tune in for a Christmas read, so here I am.

The Characters/My Opinions:
Mason - The narrator, the main character. The one whose related to a bunch of Santa Clauses. There is such thing as the Santa Claus League and they have the special power of smell and knowledge. His grandfather is part of the SCL and he can, too, become a part of this league. 

Feeling the urge of rewarding the good and punishing the bad, Mason and his best friend, John along with his crush, Julia, decides to take on this challenge. They end up going to the North Pole and got to meet the real Saint Nick and other members of the Santa Claus League.

I was surprised that Julia wasn't a stuck-up girls that most popular girls are. She is actually pretty sweet, but truly I wonder how she got popular like, her wealth? Julia's personality fits more for a shy, quiet girl.

I liked how The Night Before Christmas was actually used in this book. Promotes more Christmas holiday. :)

Final Thoughts: 
If this book ever became a movie, I think it would fit into the Christmas movies we watch near the holidays. I would definitely watch it during Winter Break along with Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Santa Clause, and all the other movies. 

It was a wonderful holiday read. Kind of similar to my list of summer reads with the romances, but this one's in the winter with holiday spirits. :D

The Rating: (1-10): 8~
Happy Reading~

Book Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Shut Out

by Kody Keplinger

Release Date: September 5th, 2011

Publisher: Poppy

ebook, 237 pages

Content: PG-13 / YA

Get a Copy:

       B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

Cindy's Review: 

At First Glance/The Cover:

This book was another one of those recommendations from Goodreads. It came up a lot on my recommendation list so I decided to check it out. It turned to be another one of those fun reads. The ones I enjoy with no really deep heart-aching connections. It's like players and girls. Okay. Bad example. Fine.

The Characters/My Opinions: 

Lissa - Lissa is a cool girl. I understood why she got mad. And in truth, that fight between football and soccer is stupid. I mean, I wouldn't had the bravery to do all that. And in truth, those guys must really want sex. Omg. Because in my mind, I thought the guys weren't like that. I don't think that saying 'no sex' would like affect my school's football team. At the freshman football. I hope. I really do. Jeez. I really do. LOL.

Randy - Lissa's quarterback boyfriend. So she must be really cool. I mean, she got popular girls to listen to her. It doesn't really make a big deal that Lissa's popular in this book and you don't really get the feeling that she's acting like a popular b****, but you just have the idea knowing that she probably is popular. Either way, Randy. He's like weird. I think find him cool and jocky and awesome like what football quarterbacks are stereotyped to be. Not the hot, handsome, cool ass guy, but more like a needy guy who wants his girlfriend to have s** with him. Like what? Okay.

Cash - I don't have a good history with the name Cash. Like I mean, really. Cash? Such a gangster name. I swear, there was a guy named Cash in my middle school and he was like ultimate bad boy. He got expelled. So nothing good on Cash. But Cash Sterling is a really nice name. And really, in this book, Cash is a great guy. He's a leader. I'm serious, he should really be the football quarterback instead. Sorry guys, I go for football more than soccer. If you know what I mean. Football jocks are hotter. At least in book wise. Either way, he's the perfect guy for the perfect girl. :)

Overall Thoughts:

Like I had said above, this is a really fun, fast read. Another one of my 'summer reads' because there's no strings. Not to be mean, but you read about it, move on with another book, forget about it. And after a long while, you see it again, and read it again. Repeat the cycle. I like those books. I mean, you can' really really get attached with every single book you ever read. 

So recommended for those who like romances and a no strings attached book. :) Check it out!

The Rating: (1-10): 8.6 

Happy Reading! :)

Book Review: Proxy by Alex London

Proxy (Proxy #1)

by Alex London

Release Date: June 18th, 2013

Publisher: Philomel

Content: PG-13 Sci-fi

ARC Paperback, 380 pages

Get a Copy:

      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

Cindy's Review: 

At a Glance/The Cover:

I didn't really like the cover. I don't really get the cover. But either way, my friend said it was pretty good. So I read it. It reminded me a lot of Breathe by Sarah Crossan. The fact that they're running away from the government to a secret organization outside. And the fact that only have each other.

The Characters/My Opinions:

Syd - Syd is the main character. Duh. He's a slave kind of thing. He takes the punishment of the rich kids so whenever his patron, Knox gets into trouble, he gets beaten. While his patron watched. I don't really get the point of that. What if the patron liked to see people beat to death? Ugh. If this was our future, I hope I'm not alive when it comes.

Knox - Knox is the trouble maker patron that got Sydney suffering so much. It isn't fair. At all. But like at the same time, since the beginning, I didn't really hate Knox like some people. I felt that he actually had a weak point. And it's true, it does. He actually does care about things. And he ends up acting against his father. SO yeah. I'm proud. That someone like Knox could give up their everything for something so small. Now that totally leads to Marie.

Marie - So you guys know how some women in the 1800's went to work and everything. Like woman's rights and went against staying at home. Well. Marie is kind of similar. Except for women rights that she's trying to go for, it's proxy's rights. She actually cares about her proxy.

Three pretty different characters got together and ran. And together they are trying to change the ways of the government. They see how controlling the government actually is. To compare it to a nowadays idea. It's like the people seeing how UN-ecofriendly our government is, encouraging land waste and shopping. But their government was a bit more controlling.

Overall Thoughts: 

This book was a good read. I was expecting a lot of things that did happen because this is a science fiction dystopian novel, which I read a lot. There wasn't anything much new, but just ideas put in different ways. etc. But that ending did surprise me. A lot. That ending was like 'no way!'

In a way, it did end in a cliffhanger, but not those dying kinds. It's the surprise kinds that make you go like, woah! and then move on and wait for the sequel to come out.

Rating: (1-10): 8.6

Happy Reading.  

Book Review: The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris

The Boyfriend Thief

by Shana Norris

Release Date: April 30th, 2011

Publisher: Smashwords Edition

Content: Middle/High School

ebook, 184 pages

Obtain a Copy:

      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary:  Avery James has her life planned out: this summer she'll work with a humanitarian program in Costa Rica, next year she'll graduate at the top of her class, and after that, college and medical school. Perfect, planned, total order.


The only problem: getting the rest of the money she needs for the trip before the deadline. Hannah Cohen, her biggest competition for the valedictorian title, makes an unexpected offer: If Avery can win over Zac Greeley and make him break up with Hannah before the end of the school year, a check for five hundred dollars is all hers. Faced with the prospect of spending yet another summer working as a giant hot dog, it's an offer Avery can't refuse.


Zac is nothing like Avery expected. Within his chaotic world of midnight slushie runs and spontaneous dance parties, her total order is quickly falling apart while Hannah seems poised to get everything she wants. But just how much is Avery willing to give up for the perfect, planned life?

Cindy's Review:

At a Glance/The Cover:

Omg. Sounds like a cute book. That cover is so cute. On the other hand, that synopsis didn't make any sense. I mean, why would Avery get paid $500 for stealing a boyfriend? What? So are Hannah and Avery friends? Hmm. All these questions just came up. And plus, this was a Goodreads recommendation....so why not read it.

"This must be what it felt to be like a turtle"

Okay gurl. I see you have experienced it. 

The Characters/My Opinions:

Avery James - Well. Of course here, we have our main characters. She's kind of funny and wild. Like the type you would expect to forget something like where her phone was. Her name though. Avery James. Such a guy name. Actually sounds more like James Avery.  

  

"I want you to steal my boyfriend."

Hmmm. Never heard of this.  

Hannah Cohen -  Next person introduced. The opposite of Avery. The ex-best friend of Avery. The arch enemy of Avery. The rival Avery. The one whose dating the boy Avery likes. Hmmm. Makes sense. In other words, this girl is the one who causes the troubles and makes the gossips. 

Zac Greeley - Ya know, the popular guy whose dating the popular girl? The one that girls can't have but ends up having anyways? Well, it's him. And of course, typically, he would be the one for our main character over here.

Elliot Reiser - Avery's ex-best friend. She now thinks of him as a cheater trying to cheat on her best friend, Molly. Elliot is actually a much better person than she thinks.

 Okay. So here's the short summary. Girl is trying to go to Costa Rica. Girl is saving money suffering a part time job. Girl meets boy. Girl sees ex-best friend again. Ex-best friend offered a deal. Girl takes the deal. Girl goes and try to steal the boy from ex-girlfriend. Girl got him to like her. Girl ends up liking boy. Boy finds out about deal. Girl broken-hearted. I don't want to tell the ending. But yep. The very much repeated summary of the girl's story.

Overall Thoughts:

This book was a fun romance read. One of those short summer reads with no deep meaning. Like a saying hello to a stranger. Nod your head and say hi. And then keep on doing your business.

When I come to these books, all my overall thoughts are usually the same. Because well, they are a fast read. And really, I don't have such deep thoughts about them. 

The Rating: (1-10): 8.6

Happy Reading.

Book Review: To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones

To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story 
by Sonya Sones
Release Date: Augsut 27th, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Content: PG-13
ARC Paperback, 728 pages (it was 700 something. I forgot.) 
Attain a Copy:
      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Her friends have a joke about her:
How can you tell if Colette is lying?

Her mouth is open.

Fifteen-year-old Colette is addicted to lying. Her shrink says this is because she’s got a very bad case of Daughter-of-a-famous-movie-star Disorder—so she lies to escape out from under her mother’s massive shadow. But Colette doesn’t see it that way. She says she lies because it’s the most fun she can have with her clothes on. Not that she’s had that much fun with her clothes off. At least not yet, anyway…

When her mother drags her away from Hollywood to spend the entire summer on location in a boring little town in the middle of nowhere, Colette is less than thrilled. But then she meets a sexy biker named Connor. He’s older, gorgeous, funny, and totally into her. So what if she lies to him about her age, and about who her mother is? I mean, she has to keep her mother’s identity a secret from him. If he finds out who she really is, he’ll forget all about Colette, and start panting and drooling and asking her for her mother’s autograph. Just like everyone always does. 

But what Colette doesn’t know is that Connor is keeping a secret of his own…

Cindy's Review:

At First Glance/The Cover:

I read this book base on one from my friend's reviews. And since she has the book, I just borrowed it from her. Her review sounded good. The title and teaser sounded good. Why not read?

The Characters/My Opinions:

Colette - She confused the heck out of me. Like she was such a liar, yet, I can't hate her. I mean, there wasn't anything you can hate about her. She described why she was lying and all. And you can kind of step in her shoes and think. If my mom was celebrity, I probably won't be lying all the time. I would like totally embrace my life, of course, until I start to get tired of paparazzi. But that's all a dream. Back with Colette. Bottom line, she lies a lot. Like she was say something. Then she would be like, I lied. That didn't happen at all. And I'm just like, "Gurl! Forreal?!"

Connor - I really thought this guy was legit. I thought Connor was the one for her. He sounded nice and hot and everything. And that one part where every author writes in the teaser ....but Connor is keeping a secret of his own... it usually turns out to be a good secret or a sad one. Or a surprising one, but good and interesting. And doesn't effect the main character's long, lasting romance.

Well, expect a twist. A real big twist. LIKE OMG. When I read it, I was like 'what!' Then I was like 'BAM. SCORE!' Okay. That didn't make sense. But I really liked Sonya's irony on this one. Whoopee. Like if you don't want to read a spoiler, don't read the part where I said the word 'twist'. Too late now. Oops. That was how Colette was. LOL. I admit though, it is kind of fun....but then, it's so mean. 

Overall Thoughts:

Despite the whole thing with the lying character and the un-legit boyfriend, it was really beautifully written. This whole book was written in like poetry form, yet it didn't rhyme or anything. It was a nice story. Like an epic poem. Without the hero. Therefore, don't be scared of that 700 something pages. Or maybe it was 500 something. I really forgot. Omg. 

There was a nicely written, short rhyme poem written in there. I wanted to share it with you guys, cuz the poem was so true, but my friend took back her book.

Oh wells. For those who like some fun, surprising, lovely read, this book is a great one to try! 

The Rating: (1-10): 8

Happy Reading~ 

Blog Tour: Hated by Mercy Amare

Welcome to the Rock Star Blog Tour

hosted by MPTP Tours.

This is a tour for all 3 books, but I'll only be featuring and reviewing the final book, Hated. So if you haven't read the first 2 books, well, just skim through the review.

You can find the review of the first two books HERE.

Release Date: August 31st, 2013

Blurb:

Everything in my life is perfect. I have a family. My music is now going my way. And I have Stephan. Forever. All my dreams are coming true. But the problem with perfection is that eventually everything falls apart. And my whole life is crumbling around me — piece by piece. 

I am just trying to get through the next few months with my sanity intact, but that seems like an impossible feat. I’m back in LA, and this time I’m not alone. Between finding time for my new husband, my mother-in-law that hates me, and putting up with Alec and Bridgett’s bickering, I’m not sure how much more I can take… And then Mona shows up. I am in over my head.

I thought I knew the truth about everything, but I was wrong. Secrets that weren’t supposed to come out are now being discovered. Secrets about my biological father… Even Bridgett is keeping a secret… Something big. I have to know what, even if it means running away again.

I tried for normal — now I know that there is nothing normal about being a rock star.

Cindy's Review:

In a way, you can say that I was waiting for the final book of this series. I participated in the blog tour for the first two books, and liked it pretty well. Since, of course, that it involves romance and rock stars and all. LOL. 

Either way, I wanted to read the final book of the series. I mean, I might as well finish it right?

Let's start:

Scarlett - The main character. The rock star. The nineteen-year-old. The girl with a complicated life. She's the one. The Scarlett Ryan. Or shall I say Scarlett Montgomery? Either way, Scarlett was pretty entertaining. She is definitely up-to-date with her everyday language. I mean, she actually talks like a teenager. Which makes her funny.:D

Stephan - He does not give me shivers because he's so good looking. Or because of his attitude. Or personality. Okay. Now I make it sound like he gave me shivers. What I meant to say was that, he didn't give me the shivers at all. He wasn't this star-shining, bright dude I can't forget thinking of. In fact, he's pretty normal. I don't know what Scarlett saw in him, but I guess, well, she really liked him. LOL.

This is like a really fun, dramatic, teenage book about life of rock stars. Yep. Amazing. Gee. Add rock star to teenagers definitely equal drama x 100. Forreal. Like this series included every single dramatic scene I had ever encountered in books.

From identical twin sisters to finding out their real biological parents. From getting married at a young age to unlikable mother-in-laws. From love problems to hollywood problems. From frenemies to sister relationships. Gee. There was just so so many to take in. No wonder Scarlett calls her life crazy. And I mean, she totally should have film that documentary, cuz it would make one wild show.

I really did like the ending though. I love how the author broke the ending in parts. As in like. One month after. Then one year after. Then two and half years after. Etc. It gave a really clear ending. And it showed us most of the important events in Scarlett's life. I was very satisfied with the ending. 

The Rating: (1-10): 8~

Author Bio:

I am a YA/ NA author of the books: Don’t Tell, You Got Me, and the Rock Star Trilogy: Jaded, Faded, and Hated. I have a slight addiction to the TV series Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries. I'm 23 years old, and I currently live in St Louis, with my husband of 2 years.

Links: 

Facebook

Twitter

Website: http://www.mercyamare.com

Goodreads Profile

Hated Goodreads

Amazon

Giveaway~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

by April Genevieve Tucholke 
Release Date: August 15th, 2013
Publisher: Dial
Paperback ARC, 368 pages 
Source: Gift from Liana :) 
Attain a Copy:
      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Cindy's Review: 
At First Glance:
Well, it did seem dark, but it definitely seemed good. :D And when my friend gave me the ARC, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and start reading. I just didn't really anticipate how good it actually was. 

Some quotes. These quotes may not be exactly the same from the final version. 
"This was fear. This was biting, scratching, howling, screeching, burning hot fear."
Nice choice of words there. I would love to write like that. And Violet, you should have felt that fear. Way earlier. When you met him. 

The Characters/Summaries:
Violet - Well, what can I say? Violet is a decent girl. She might be a bit gullible though. Just a bit. At least she knows how to take action. And well, suspect people. At first, I was mad at her for letting the obvious devil there, West, go even if he did something wrong. And then, well, the unexpected happened. She was right and I was wrong. That surprise ending there, I really didn't suspect. At all.

"But for all my praying, the devil still found me."
Or did he? He certainly has, ma'am, but just not what you think he is. 

River West - Okay. Him. He sounded cool to me. At first. Like a joke-ster. Prankster. Quirky. Arrogant. Then, the shadow of him arrived. And his unique abilities. It was scary at first, but River doesn''t seem to go too far. He went from back and forth using glow, not using his glow. I got confused. Really confused. Throughout the book, I kept on asking myself if he's the devil or not. It got really confusing.

Of course, we did end up meeting that devil towards  the end of the book. 

The book got darker and darker as I got closer and closer to the ending. But I did read on. It was intriguing. It was quite a story to tell. It sucked in readers and never let them go until they finished reading and closed the final cover. So,  oh yes. It was good. It was better than good. 

"What the hell are you, River? What the hell are you?"
That's right. I'm asking the same thing. What the hell are you?

Final Thoughts:
If you'd like a fast, foggy, dark read, have fun reading this book~ 

Throughout the book, it certainly got me confused. But in a good way. In a way that my head was whirling around thinking, trying to hit that exact spot. To find that ending. To get to know what really did happen and what really is happening. And who all these mysterious people are. And Violet's family history. There's something there also. *wiggles eyebrow. Ya'll know everything will make sense in the end. :D 

Personally, I  think if the book ended like this and not continue on in a series, I think it would make a better ending to the story. It was leave a gasping, needing for air ending. Instead of whatever ending that ends a series. And knowing from experience of reading, not writing it's hard to make a good series ending. Most of them turns out to be ghost endings. 

The Rating: (1-10): 8.5~ 

Happy Reading~ 

Book Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) 
by Veronica Rossi
Release Date: January 8th, 2013
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA Fantasy
Paperback, 352 pages
Get a Copy:
      Barnes and Nobles
      Amazon

Goodreads Summary: It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Cindy's Review: 
At a Glance:
Well, I already know what this book is about. I never got around to reading it, because the first book wasn't that appealing to me, for some random reason. Maybe I had really bad book tastes back then.

Okay. Just a thing, this one's gonna be really awkward since I probably can't remember anything.

And let me just say something about the cover first. It isn't exactly my ideal cover. I don't really find the cover as fascinating as it should be. It is pretty, but it doesn't really connect to the book. And Perry. Err...let's just say I didn't think he'd look like that. Even his clothing doesn't look right....especially his clothing. Where is his blood lord necklace and all? 

Characters/Plots:
Aria - I find myself thinking on the behalf of Aria for....well, mostly everything. Sometimes, I think about Perry. But either way, to me. Aria is more of the main character, even though both her and Perry have a POV. I guess I find Aria tolerating. There isn't something about her that makes me go, "ewww...this girl. Ugh. So annoying." Or anything, but then at the same time, I don't go "wow! She's so cool!" and then dream and fangurl and make up fanfictions about them. LOL. Yes. I do those things.

Perry - Okay. So Perry. No lie. But he sounds cute in  the book. And a good personality too. He has authority. Not weeny or weak. I like my protagonists strong. :D Yes. And then I'll be so proud of them. LOL. He's also brave. Yep. I also like courageous, daring protagonists too. That makes the adventure. 

Maybe it's me, but I find Perry not as goofy as in the first book. Maybe I got things mixed up though. And things wrong. Cuz like I said, I read these a gazillion years ago. Perry is more uptight with the whole blood lord thing. 

There were many more problems and plots in the sequel. In the first book, it was more of a romantic story and introduction of background, setting, and a general problem. But the second book provides a hot, romance packed with dark problems and rush hours. Much more heart-accelerating. :D

Final Thoughts:
Cuz I suck at doing reviews. Does anyone offer reviewing classes? Omg. LOL. 

Okay. Overall, I think this book was an okay adventure read. Although I didn't read it in one night sitting, I did manage to finish the book pretty fast. Like two days. Not dragging long like To Kill a Mockingbird. Omg. 

I really need to keep my acronyms down. I say them way too much. And reviews are supposed to professional too. But without some personality, a review is boring. Okay. Why am I saying all this? Well. Bye~

AND READ THE BOOK ONLY IF YOU READ THE FIRST ONE. OF COURSE.

The Rate: (1-10): 8

Happy Reading~ 

Blog Tour: Ice Rose by Alison Neuman

Welcome to my stop on the Ice Rose Blog Tour

hosted by Virtual Book Tours.

Blurb:

An explosion at Christopher Morris' recording studio leaves his teenage daughter Elissa's life in turmoil with Christopher missing, and Elissa's mobility taken away; even worse, it exposes her parents' lives as secret agents. No longer able to fit into her old world, Elissa embarks on a journey far away from the rock star daughter and dancer existence she knew. Acceptance to Madisyn Academy takes her out of her comfort zone and into danger - into the relentless world of the Sunglass Man, a stalker and a link to her dad's mission.

At Madisyn Academy, Elissa trains to be a secret agent in spite of prejudicial issues over use of her wheel chair, and learns to trust her intuition and believe in her abilities. As an active agent, she completes challenges, falling for fellow student Benjamin along the way. With her new canine sidekick, Morocco, she exposes the danger of her dad's mission and fights to unlock the truth about the mysterious software called Ice Rose. Elissa soon finds herself picking up in her dad's place, needing to complete the mission in order to stop The Northern Elimination Retaliation Deployment (NERD) from taking power. She just hopes she does not lose Benjamin or her missing dad along the way.

Cindy's Review:

The plot of this book just hit really close to home. ;) Not that I'm a spy and a celebrity or anything. But yannoe, those daydreams. Haha. I really love love love, like lurve spy things. Like books, movies, dramas. CIA, M16, etc. Yeah. It's just me. Secret agents. No CSI though. Can't deal with blood. Like at all. Not that I faint or anything. But I just don't like gore stuff. Yeah. 

And I also daydream about celebrities. LOL. Not rock stars. Cuz I'm not in that era. Especially when the rock stars have like a family and children. Except Adam Levine. Maybe. I'm more in the kpop business. That's what I daydream about.

SEE? SO THIS BOOK? PERFECTO. Except.....it doesn't tell the story of a spy and a celebrity. Well. Not really. It tells the story of the spy and celebrity's daughter. I'll enjoy that too. 

When her father disappeared, Elissa is determined to find her father, believing he is not dead. It wasn't until now till she was let on the secret who her parents really are. Spies. Wanting to rescue to her father, Elissa decides to join the spy academy her parents also went to. Of course, there's competition. Elissa made some friends. She made some enemies. She found a crush. :DDDDD Yeah. Benjamin <3 He's sounds cute tho. And he's nice.

Oh yeah. The most important fact? Elisa's crippled. She's lost the ability to use her legs. That kinda sucks, but Benjamin still likes her, soooo.....yeah. Haha. 

Overall, this was a really fun read about Elissa saving her dad and all. I enjoy the romance scenes. ;D And I just love spies. So. So much. Gallagher girl all the way! 

I rate this an 8~

Author Bio:

Alison Neuman lives in Alberta, Canada where she is a freelance writer and lyricist. Nearing the end of her studies for the Bachelor of Applied Communications Degree program at Grant MacEwan College, she was inspired to complete the first draft of  Ice Rose. The pace of secret agent books and movies gave her an unlimited playground for  imagination. Music and performing are passions she was able to bring into her writing and build into her  characters. Alison’s writing has appeared in “MacEwan Today”, “Westword”, and the  “Edmonton Journal” along with three tracks  on the CD release Outside The Window. Cowriting the screenplay adaptation of the  book Whale Songwith author Cheryl Kaye Tardif exposed her to the world of screenwriting, which she hopes to continue to examine further in the future. Alison also has been writing shorter pieces of non-fiction, one entitled Establishing Roots, that earned a top ten ranking in the Edmonton Stories contest. This past spring she was a winner in The Expressions of Hunger Contest in the Emotional Poetry category. Her piece Undeniable Craving was on display in June and July in various artistic locations across the city of Edmonton.  She has completed a final edit of her memoir “Searching For Normal” and is currently writing her next young adult manuscript. When not writing creatively, Alison  is editing or writing for her business, Sandy Tree Communications.

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Book Review: Solstice High by Ardash Vartparonian

Welcome to my stop on the Solstice High Blog Tour

hosted by Virtual Author Book Tours.

Publisher: Strategic Book Group  (October 22, 2012)
Category: Urban Fantasy/Sci Fi/Young Adult
Tour Date: July- Early August, 2013
Available in: eBook and Print,  360  Pages

Blurb:

Matt, Rochelle, Daphne and Jonas are four students starting their senior year of high school, but suffer a freak-accident the very first day and start to realize that they are developing superhuman abilities. They quickly realize that the school principal, Mr. Devlin, has in fact more than just education on his agenda, and is using the school for his own purposes.

Not only must the four friends try to figure out what Devlin’s plans are, but when he will strike, and seeing as how they cannot turn to grown-ups for help without exposing themselves, must themselves grow-up in order to stop him. As well as learning to cope with these developing powers, the four teenagers must deal with the day-to-day muddles of being a teenager, such as volatile emotions, infatuations and family issues.

Cindy's Review:

At First Glance:

Well....I really thought this book would be a fun, hilarious read. Just judging from the teaser and all. It was funny at times, but this turns out to be more of an adventure. And I was also surprised to find some romance in it. Otherwise, it was the kind of book I expected it to be. A fun, high school read about powers. Haha.

The Characters:

Matt - Matt? Hmmm. Well, the first thing I learned about him was that he's gay. It's not meant to be insulting. But I mean, it's a pretty big ish? part of the story. The power he got was changing into an animal. Any, I believe.  Like a bat. Tiger. Etc. Once he does, he gets the animal's strength and other things. Overall, he"s a pretty cool guy. 

Rochelle - Rochelle is the queen bee of the school. Surprisingly, she hangs out with her group. Even if Matt is gay and all. And Daphne isn't the most popular girl. She does use quite a lot of cuss words but that's a modern trend right? Haha. At least in school it's modern. Especially when you're the queen bee. Rochelle's power is telekinesis. Which means she can make things move using only her mind. She can even fly and make herself float. 

Daphne - Daphne is the other girl of the group. She's my favorite character for some. Maybe it's her romance interest with Hunter. ;D Rochelle calls her the redhead girl. I feel like she's closer with Matt than the other two in the group. Daphne's power is the use of fire, light, etc. Something like that. She can burn people. Hunter's the opposite. He's ice. That just makes it more romantic. ;D 

Jonas - Jonas is like the school jock. If you know what I mean. If I'm not getting this from another book I recently read, I believe Jonas is the captain of the lacrosse team. But I maybe wrong. I think he's the swimming captain though. Jonas has the power to heal. So he can heal cuts, bleeding, etc. I think he can even bring back the dead. And one huge thing. He has a crush on Rochelle. Rochelle, of course, doesn't know at all. 

Mr. Devlin - The evil mastermind of the whole thing with superpowers and such. He sends his minions to kill the four of them.....and well. He's doesn't really act mean and all at school, but he is evil.

At the end of this book, there are many deaths. Don't worry, none of them are fist-wrenching, heart-stabbing deaths, so for those who doesn't like to cry, you probably won't cry.

Final Thoughts:

I think this was a nice adventure read. And I truly enjoyed the unexpected romance that appeared in there between Daphne and Hunter. <3 I want to say, kids can read it, since it's just so entertaining, but they can't. 

This book filled in a lot of things you expect from a book. Like you can say it's mature, because it does have some mature stuff in it, but it's not serious at all, like in a new adult book. Ugh. I can't even describe anything, because I'll confuse myself. 

Either way, you should give this one a try if you enjoy adventure, romantic YA books. ;) 

I rate this an 8~

Author Bio:

Ardash Vartparonian was born in London but raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the age of 18 he began his debut novel, Solstice High, and continued writing throughout his last year of school and first year of university, where he moved back to the UK to study English Literature at Edinburgh University. Now a fourth year student, Ardash enjoys going out with his friends, watching horror movies and reading fantasy book while trying to keep up with his university work. Find out more at http://sbpra.com/ardashvartparonian/

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Happy Reading~