BOOK REVIEW

TAKEN

by

Erin Bowman

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Let me start by saying this is a spoiler free review!!! I don't want to spoil one minute of this book for you. With that said let's get into it.

Two words...Gray Weathersby!

A character although a guy, I could relate to and understand. Erin has created such rich characters, each one true. I immensely enjoyed this book. Bowman created a visual world that made sense. 

From the beginning, I was intrigued, first with why there were no men in Claysoot. And then the Heist, I had so many questions. Why? what was the meaning behind it? Bowman did exactly what a master storyteller should created questions that kept me with a death grip on this book.

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

When Grey found the letter, I started to read a loud(because I read faster when I can hear myself..lol). If you have had the pleasure of reading this book, I know you can agree  when he read, Grey is, in fact- didn't you just wish for the power to see into the future. It took everything in me to not flip the pages in search of what in fact Grey was.  

I could feel Gray's thirst to know what was going on in his home. I was there with him in his desire for answers. The dynamics between Gray and Emma was authentic. It wasn't rushed, their desire for more was relate-able and made me love them all the more. Not for the couple they were becoming, but for how human Bowman made them.

When Gray makes it to Taem, and meets Frank and his interaction with Marco, again authentic. Easy to visualize. Gray's time in the doomed city was paced perfectly, it didn't linger making me bored. But it gave me tension and delivered answers and reactions just in time.

Bree, So easy to like, her witty comebacks were not forced and were very natural. I'm torn between her and Emma, but I won't say too much.

When the answers start following, it's like drinking a cool glass of water on a dry summer's day. On time and refreshing, not to much, to fast.

I started this book on Thursday night and finish Friday afternoon. It's a thrilling and a complete ride.  Check Erin Bowman's Taken out, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Are You Real Writer??

Am I a real author?
 I mean I haven't published so much as a short story. I don't have an agent, heck I haven't even sent out my first query. So, what makes me believe that I'm a Real writer?

On  my twitter page apart of my introduction was, I'm an aspiring author. What does that mean?

To aspire to something means to: direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something. 

Someone I follow on Twitter said, if you actively write daily toward whatever goals you set for yourself as a writer, you are no longer aspiring or hoping to be a writer. In working toward your goals as a writer you are indeed a writer.

I agreed and quickly changed my Twitter status to Writer. 

Today I wanted to write this post to beginners, or those who have made the conscious decision to be a writer. Those who spend countless hours research, outlining, and drafting a story with the hopes of it one day being sent out into the world.

I read a blog post today on not giving up on this journey. As I read the things that inspired this blogger, it made me think of my own journey. One of the things she said helped her was having a great support group.

I 100% agree with her. Aside from getting words onto paper, the biggest challenge I've had on my writing journey is finding a great support group.

Most people start in thier home or immediate circle of family and friends. This is a great, and it's what I would tell someone starting out. Let your husband children sister or sister friend read your work and give their advice.

I mean, let's face it, our family sometimes can be brutally honest without sugar-coating it. And believe me you'll be thankful for this in the long run.

But what if like me, no one in you household likes what you write. On any given day everyone in my household(my husband and 2 daughters) has at least 3 books on their night table. However, my husband the computer geek, read only self help or how to computer related books, and he prefers that they be in French(since it's his first language).

My daughters: one reads urban style books about teens she relates better to at his point in her life( none of them can perform magic, and she likes it that way).And the other is middle grade fantasy(and a pretty good writer herself. One of her stories about a spooky magic mirrored was recommended for publication in her school. Which is saying a lot, seeing as though she's homeschool through a vitual programmed students are scatter all over the US.) Sorry I got side tracked, proud mama here. 

Needless to say whenever they read something of mine, I feel like the advise they offer is based on what they read. Instead of being based on what's right in front of them.

Finding a support group outside of home, in this great big ol' world has been more than a challenge. I find that trying to find a critique group of writers who fit just right with you is a nightmare.

I really want to offer more on how to find/keep a critique partner, but this post is already longer than I intended, so I will continue it in another post. Meanwhile listed below are twitter links and blog link to the people mentioned in this post. Check them out.

Also stay tuned for my next post on Finding A critique Partner/ Writing Group.

Feel free to drop any advice on how having/not having a critique partner/writing group has help/not help you.

( BLOG)PUB(lishing) CRAWL                    TWITTER NATASHA NEAGLE

BOOK REVIEW

TIMEBOUND

The Chronos File #1

by

RYSA WALKER

When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence.

Kate learns that the 1893 killing is part of something much more sinister, and Kate’s genetic ability to time-travel makes her the only one who can stop him. Risking everything, she travels to the Chicago World’s Fair to try to prevent the killing and the chain of events that follows.

Changing the timeline comes with a personal cost, however—if Kate succeeds, the boy she loves will have no memory of her existence. And regardless of her motives, does she have the right to manipulate the fate of the entire world?




MY THOUGHTS:


First let me preface this review by saying, I LOVE anything about time travel. My first thought was this book is going to be a treat for me. I mean hey, time travel and history, I couldn't ask for more. With that said let's get into it.

Something about this book  grabbed me from the first page. Maybe it was Kate, she's very likable. The dynamics between the grandmother and Kate's mom I didn't particularly care for. I found it hard to swallow, the mom deciding that not only could her daughter go live with her estranged grandmother, but she'd do it without her. My feelings aside, it had to happen for Kate to start her journey, and what a journey it was.

There were times in this book I couldn't turn the page fast enough. I found myself holding my breath, the anticipation of what was going to happen was exciting. Then after a while that anticipation was a bit to much. As a writer I heard people say you have to give your readers a break, let them take a breath. I didn't understand why, I mean I love suspense, doesn't everyone. This book showed me exactly what that meant, it answered the why. At one point I found myself putting down my kindle, a little frustrated that she didn't release the tension. So, I had to do it myself.


Kate's grandmother gives her necklace, and tells her she's the only one who can right a wrong in their time line, or is it the time line that used to be theirs. This is the one thing that nearly drove me to stop reading, trying to make sense of which time line  she was on, was it the past or the future. Then, how some people came back and others didn't. Yeah, there were a few pages I had to read several times, and that kinda took the fun out time travel for me.

Then there was Trey, although I love him, there's was always this nagging feeling that he was going to betray Kate. I found it hard to believe that one minute she would meet a boy, tell him this unbelievable secret and not only does he believe her, but drives hundreds of miles to spill the beans on her secret yet again. This secret, wasn't true to the word. The suspense of their relationship kept me holding on, so for that reason I like it.

As I stated earlier I love history, but to much in a novel seems like I need to be taken notes for a upcoming test. I don't know what Walker could have done differently to get across a very difficult point and keep it interesting, but it was a bit much for me.

I enjoyed young Kiernan immensely, and I loved how the truth his story and their connection unfolded. I was also glad it didn't turn into a love triangle. I felt that Rysa did a great job on Kate's relationship with both Trey and Kiernan, it did't come off as her wanting her cake and ice cream.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm about to read the novella, this review is only my opinion. Please take it as such, and read the book for yourself. I do look forward to reading book 2. This is a book I would definitely recommend, especially if you like time travel. Walker, is a talented author, and I think this is a series to watch. I'd love to hear your thoughts, leave me a comment below.

BOOK REVIEW

GATES OF THREAD AND STONE 

by

LORI M LEE

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

I love this cover!!!

MY THOUGHTS:


I will say this, over all I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it. Below it may seem like I didn't, but Lee weave a story full of intrigue, suspense and awesome worldbuilding. You've got to check it out!

Let me start by saying, "What the drek!?" Honestly, I think it's cute when a character has a tick, but I thought that at some point I would learn the significance of this particular word. But she left me hanging. Although, I don't think it was over used, it still became quiet annoying to me(mostly because I didn't know what it meant). I goggled it after I finished and found that dreck. means rubbish.

I was anxious to read his book after a post by the authors agent on what an effective query looks like. I was intrigued, so when it showed up on Kindle Unlimited I snagged it up.

The world of Ninurta, is vivid but, no place I want to live. The sun only shines for one week out of the year, as a Floridian I would die. The world is protected by a wall that keeps out gargoyles, yes I said gargoyles. At times I felt I could smell the dampness o the Labyrinth.

The story follows Kai as she search for her brother Reev, who she believes to have been sold by his boss to the Black Rider. It's obvious the love shared between these two, the author created a relationship, that felt more than real. clearly Kai responded as I expected, she was not giving up on her brother, because he would never give up on her.

With help from her friend the handsome Avan, a boy she goes all limp around, she sets out to find Reev, and her adventure begins.

The book moves along at a moderate pace, sometimes I was a bit frustrated at not knowing where it all was leading. But, to her credit, Lee has created a fresh new world and that's great. The downside is sometimes suspense turns into nothing more than a long wait.

Kai is a good heroine, but at times I did think she needed a building to fall on her to see the obvious. Sometimes, she was strong and others a bit naive. The heat between her and Avan was steamy. I love how Lee didn't have them fall all over each other the first time the were alone together, or had an excuse to. Avan is an awesome leading guy, he's gorgeous, brave and protective. I enjoyed their relationship.

Kai has this really awesome ability, to manipulate time. I only wish that she used it more, but I guess because no one is suppose to know about her ability, suppressing it falls in line with the story. However, what good is having a power that you can't use.

After they left Ninurta, for me that's where things kinda fell flat. G-10 save this part of the book for me, I really enjoyed his character.

The end, for me was like and explosion of information, that was confusing at times. I felt I'd stayed with the book all this time waiting for the big reveal, and I'm one who loves it when the ending ties up all the loose ends, but leaves me wanting more (you too, right?). Yes, it answers some of my questions, in a sort of in your face all at once kinda way. This was the biggest disappointment in the book for me. It was just to much at once, and honestly I didn't know there was going to be a book 2 until after I finished and saw it on goodreads. The one thing I love about a series is, when each book is a complete story but leaves a  question that makes me want to read the next installment.

This book is complete, in that everything was answered. If there wasn't another installment I'd be fine with that. The one reason I would pick up book 2  is Kai and Avan's relationship. I'd like to see where it goes.

Again, these are my thoughts, this is just a small summary. Please read it for yourself and tell me what you think. Lee is truly a talented author, and I look forward to her future projects.