Tag Archives: teen
Monday Mini Review – Angel Fall by Susan Ee @Susan_Ee
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Angelfall by Susan Ee is one heavenly story I won from Toi Thomas.
MY REVIEW
I am so glad I won this book because I loved it and I probably never would have found it on my own. The angels brought death, destruction and the apocalypse. Sixteen year old Penryn will team up with Raffe, an angel warrior caught up in angel politics. They will save each other again and again, as they struggle to find a way through the new world they live in. Forbidden love, complex characters and world building full of desperation and danger make me want to now who will be left standing. I was immediately drawn into this dark and desperate world of angel against angel, angel against human, human against angel and human against human, as Penryn and Raffe try to change what’s left of the world they live in.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
Monday Mini – Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor @lainitaylor
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I was so excited when I found I had won a hard copy of Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
I love the gorgeous cover. How about you?
MY REVIEW
I was awed and amazed with the excellent world building and the romance that crosses all barriers. The characters are richly developed and complex, each one vital to the story in their own way. I loved everything about this unputdownable fantasy, so I will warn you to start Strange The Dreamer on the weekend, lock all the doors, pull the curtains, and put up the DO NOT DISTURB sign. My only complaint…There is another book and you will need to read it to get all the answers.
“Life won’t just happen to you, boy,” he said. “You have to happen to it.”
I was super excited that I won a copy of Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
laini. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
Welcome to Weep.
Friday 56 #150 – Storm of Aaranon by R E Sheahan @RESheahan
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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or 
so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.
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Storm of Aaranon is the first book in the Storm of Aaranon series by R E Sheahan. I have read all three books and rated them 4 stars on Goodreads. Erynn quickly won me over and took me on an adventure that I loved.
MY 56
Erynn stumbled forward. The brilliant green walls and ceiling illuminated an area roughly ten meters wide and fifteen meters long. The height varied from one meter on the sides to about three meters in the center. Outcroppings of small rocks covered with the pulsing green radicance scattered the sandy floor of the cavern. The one thing she didn’t see way a way out of the cave.
(Pages 56 in paperback published in 2011)
GOODREADS BLURB
Beneath Erynn’s petite build, curly red hair, and startling blue eyes, lies a deeply hidden secret.If the truth about her were revealed, her life would be in danger. Her dream to be a fighter pilot would tailspin, crash, and burst into flames.
Jaer’s wise brown eyes reflect his smoldering strength. An enigma, charismatic and moody, he is a physically powerful warrior who defends his world. A warrior afraid to love because of mistakes in his past.
When the presence of a marauding alien society is discovered on their planets, a struggle of life and death begins. Both Erynn and Jaer’s worlds face annihilation.
A mysterious force plunges Erynn into Jaer’s cold, dangerous, and beautiful world with its magical essence and living consciousness. Both the alien enemy and this strange inexplicable power pursue Erynn.
Teaser Tuesday #100- Stranger Than FanFiction by Chris Colfer @chriscolfer
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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.
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I won a fabulous package from Chris Colfer that included the book, Stranger Than FanFiction, a pair of sunglasses, a notebook for travel , and a keychain of America. I would have missed this wonderful story if I hadn’t been lucky enough to win it.
Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
MY REVIEW
This is a wonderful adventure novel about a group of nerdy high school kids traveling from coast to coast with their childhood idol, stretching their horizons and growing as individuals, learning the true meaning of friendship. Stranger Than FanFiction by Chris Colfer surprised me by being so much more than just kids on a road trip, with the writing drawing me in slowly and the ending hitting like a punch to the gut.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime–but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he’s been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.
An Island Mystery – The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West @karilynnwest
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An island, a mystery, and the beautiful and intriguing cover of The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West drew me in. I had to know what the story was.
Cover design by Ebook Launch
Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
MY REVIEW
Ronan is an iluminator. That’s all he desires in his life. He’s no slacker, though his boss at the book store may have another opinion. He’s a diligent student, loves the training, pouring his heart and soul into his studies. He has his apprenticeship, graduating near the top of his class, until…
Luminators are endowed with the power to see and restore memories. The rich used to dominate the luminators, until hard times forced them to sell some of their land. The power comes from the land itself. Now, even families and second class citizens, a common islander, like Ronan, may have the power. The rich think it’s wrong. Sound familiar to present day circumstances? The rich and empowered want it all to themselves.
Cassie is a long time friend, along with Eli. She’s bold, daring, maybe a bit headstrong, (lol, very understated description of her) a daredevil. Eli’s family was wealthy. Somewhat of a surprise that he is friends with Ronan and his snooty parents hates it. They felt only the wealthy should have the power. The same goes for Cassie. She is not a luminator, but her father is.
Eli and Ronan met at the Academy. Cassie met them there, when they befriended her. She needs to think twice about her playful suggestions of entertainment, which can be dangerous and foolhardy.
They believed all they did was good, but everything can be misused and abused. Power can be a seductive thing and abuse of power can be easy to fall victim to for some of our characters. Some danger is hidden and some is in your face.
Some things had a ring of familiarity and I had to see if check I’d read it before. Once I got into the book, it didn’t take long to realize that I hadn’t. I have read thousands of books, so maybe that’s why some things rang familiar.
When everything Ronan has strived for is at risk, when his friends memories are on the line, I wonder if Ronan will do the right thing. What do you think? Well….I’m not telling. Find out for yourself by reading the book.
The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West is filled with fabulous characters and I loved each and every one of them, even the bad ones. It was great watching the gang grow and rise to the occasion. The world on the Island of Islayne was filled with action, intrigue and danger that I would definitely recommend.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A powerful island. A dangerous mystery. An impossible choice.
For centuries, the island of Islayne has given certain residents the ability to revive other people’s memories. These gifted individuals are known as luminators, and sixteen-year-old Ronan Saunders desperately desires to join their illustrious ranks. As he struggles against the prejudice of the old, powerful families who have an iron grip on the trade, Ronan falls under the tutelage of a reclusive luminator, rumored to be insane.
kari . As they delve deeper into the mystery, what they find forces them to question their loyalties, doubt long-held beliefs, and wrestle with the dire consequences of revealing the truth. Ronan finds himself torn between everything he loves and the only future he’s ever wanted. The entire fate of the lumination trade hangs in the balance of his decision.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kari Lynn West writes contemporary YA fantasy—normally while drinking far too much coffee. She likes to create character-driven stories that are set in the real world with a twist, weaving fantastical elements into everyday life. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters
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Monday Mini – Armageddon Has Arrived – Hell Holes by Donald Firesmith @DonFiresmith
Perfect for the Halloween season, Hell Holes by Donald Firesmith.
I love the cover (by Ellie Kay Bockert Augsburger) and horror, so I was super excited to get a free copy from Amazon, but be sure and check for the ‘0’.
Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
MY REVIEW
Hell Holes by Donald Firesmith was everything I had hoped for and more.
They were asked by Exxon to come up and check out the Hell Holes that had become a threat to the pipeline. Stowaway photographer, Aileen O’Shannon, is quite a handful and so much more than she appears to be.
Have you ever thought about not just climate change, but all the holes we punch into the earth? Could we be destroying the planet we live on…or is there something else happening, something so monstrously evil we cannot imagine.
What had been a secret, which I love to have revealed to me, was on the verge of becoming Armageddon. Bloody, gory, slasher type horror. Demons rise from hell, hungry and I sure don’t want to meet them on a dark lonely highway…or anywhere else, for that matter.
Characters fall, so be careful who you become attached to. I love when an author does that, leaving me wondering who will be taken out, how they will be taken out, and who will be left standing. I also love when an author can surprise me and I did not see the direction the story would go when I began. Nice job, Donald.
I wasn’t ready for the ending!!!!! but end it did. Does not stand alone and I am left hanging…BUT This is a two book series, and Book II is out and ready for reading.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…
Hell Holes, Book I: What Lurks Below was FREE at time of posting.
Blog Tour – Tethered by Jenn Marie @AuthJennMarie @YABoundToursPR
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Tethered (Intertwined series #2)
by Jenn Marie
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Daye: July 16th 2017
Summary:
A previous lifetime. A malevolent curse. A love they can’t live without. Will their past claim them once more? Elizabeth and Adam are about to find out …
Elizabeth and Adam survived the century old curse that nearly claimed the lives of their counterparts, Josephine and Braden, but at what cost?
As the veil between timelines continues to diminish, they yet again find themselves in a race against time to cheat death in the past in order to salvage their futures. But with the curse given form, everything is changing, leaving them vulnerable to new threats. No longer are the dangers of their former lifetime contained to the Jefferson Plantation—a land fraught with peril and where horror reigns every summer between July 20 and August 13.
Until now …
Having changed the past, history has rewritten itself, extending the last day of the haunting to August 31—their new expiration date. Without the aid of visions, though, Elizabeth and Adam must find a new way to uncover their past, leaving Adam to scour the plantation for clues, while Elizabeth learns how to access Josephine’s subconscious.
Meanwhile, the Callahans—a vengeful family intent on keeping Elizabeth and Adam apart—will stop at nothing to preserve their bloodline and keep the curse from destroying their family. Will their ruthless antics prove tragic once more?
Now more than ever, their love will be tested as Elizabeth and Adam contend with the forces of the curse and fight to save their counterparts in 1905.
Will they overcome the odds stacked against them? Or will the curse claim them for good?
Buy Links: Amazon US / Amazon UK / iBooks / B&N / Kobo
Intertwined (Intertwined series #1) on Goodreads
About the Author
Jenn Marie currently lives in sunny California with her wonderful husband and their runt kitty, Chloe. When she’s not writing Young Adult Fiction, she can be found reading, plotting or spending time with her crazy, lovable family. Current obsessions include the movie, Frozen, the New Girl series, Arcade Fire’s latest album, and avocados. Seriously, she can’t get enough of it! Writing, for her, is a passion that refuses to be under prioritized. No matter what’s going on in her life, whether good or bad, writing is always there to lift her spirits.
Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Instagram
Blog Tour Organized by:
- You can see my Giveaways HERE.
- You can see my Reviews HERE.
- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
- Thanks for visiting fundinmental!
Monday Mini – Secrets Are Revealed – The Father Hunt by Becca Campbell @beccajcampbell
Becca Campbell has done a fantastic job with her Flawed Series and I have a character novella to share with you today.
Sooo, let’s meet Graham.
MY REVIEW
The title makes the premise obvious, but Becca has a way of adding bits and pieces, bringing the characters to life, revealing them in all their glory, faults and all, allowing us to share their journey, good and bad.
Graham wanted to know who his father is, but…his mother wasn’t talking.
He heads on vacation with his friends. You know how kids are, looking for something to get into. This time, they had a mystery to solve.
I enjoyed this novella of a young boy, friendship, his insecurities, his need to know, his first love, sweet, hopeful, happy and sad…but I FEEL GOOD at the end.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Fifteen-year-old Graham has always wanted to know his real father, but his mom won’t share that hidden part of her past. When he discovers an old love letter stashed in her closet, he suspects this clue may lead him to the truth.
While vacationing at the beach, Graham, with the help of his feisty and beautiful friend Violet, searches for evidence of this mystery man.
Will digging up the past lead Graham to find his real father? The secrets he discovers are bigger than he ever expected.
The Father Hunt is a novella-length companion to the Flawed series that can be read alone.
MY REVIEWS FOR BECCA CAMPBELL
- You can see my Giveaways HERE.
- You can see my Reviews HERE.
- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
- Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
- Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
- Thanks for visiting fundinmental!
Look At This Beauty That I Won – Seeker by Veronica Rossi @rossibooks
Welcome to my One Sentence Review for Seeker, Book II of the Rider duology, by Veronica Rossi.
I would like to start off by thanking Book Nerd and Veronica Rossi for Seeker and the goodies I won.
After reading it, I would love to have read Riders first, but it’s not necessary.
I mean…check out this beauty.
MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW
Horses rising from shadow, fire, ash and light, danger and suspense that had me shucking and jiving, flawed characters that had me eating out of their hands, and a storyline that had me twisting and turning to the end left me with a warm fuzzy feeling and a few chuckles in this paranormal/supernatural romantic fantasy that I highly recommend.
4 Stars
