Originally posted on my blog Books Forget Me Knot.

It's been days since I finished Roar and Liv and it still has an incredibly heart-wrenching impact on me. I knew things weren't going to turn out okay. I knew. But why read when you already know the tragic events? It's kind of Romeo & Juliet in this aspect. In the prologue we know that it's not a happy story and that it will end with death. But we read it because we want to know how that exactly happens.

In Under The Never Sky we are introduced to Roar and Liv's story. In Through The Ever Night we know a little bit more about what happened to Roar and Liv...but it is completely shattered by what happens to Liv at the end, leaving Roar broken. I knew all this and still I went ahead and read Roar and Liv.

With the Tides food rations running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale, Perry's older brother and Blood Lord of the Tides, makes the decision to give away Liv to Sable, Blood Lord of the Horns. When Roar finds out he is angry and threatens Vale, the man he swore to protect, Vale gives Roar a choice: stay and suffer the consequences or leave and live a life of exile. It's not a hard choice for Roar. He stays and is willing to suffer whatever punishment Vale may inflict.

But Perry steps in and takes the punishment for him.

Perry.

I was literally crying my eyes out because...it was so loyal and brave of him. But it was also heartbreaking because of what he's been through.

Those circumstances did not change Vale's decision. Liv was still going to marry Sable. Period. After careful consideration Vale agrees to let Perry and Roar to take Liv to the Horns. They are accompanied by two of Vale's men, not entirely trusting his brother and Roar.
During their journey, we feel Roar's pain, doubts, and hopes unfold, making it a widely captivating short story.

I couldn't get over the fact of how things...happened. That was the most jarring and enticing part of the story. My heart broke a million times over because of Through The Ever Night. Roar's voice was real, strong, funny and compassionate. I completely fell in love with Roar. I couldn't help myself.

There were vivid details of his past before he ever came to the Tides and his relationships with Perry and Liv. He cares for both of them so deeply and irrevocably. His feelings for Liv striked me the most, sending an arrow straight through my heart.

Veronica Rossi is a brilliant author. Plain and simple. I wasn't expecting the story to be told from Roar's perspective and in first person! Her work is written in third person perspectives, but it didn't change how I felt about the story itself. I loved it like a child loves their most treasured teddy bear. To say that it captured my heart would be a severe understatement. It could even be considered a disappointment because I'm selfish and wanted MORE. But it wasn't a disappointment, not in the least. Roar and Liv was full of romance (heart-wrenching and otherwise), laced with heart-pounding action, and was unforgettable love story that left me utterly breathless.

Memorable quotes:

If I have to lose everything to keep her, I will.

Right. Which is why I was thinking you should propose to Vale that he loan you to other tribes as a breeding stud. He could make some money from your services and it would keep the two of you apart for long stretches of time. And I think the benefits, to you, are obvious.

You were dropped on your head, Roar! A hundred times! It's the only possible explanation.

I understand the risks, Liv. And I'm willing to take them. For you. For us. I choose you. Above everything else, I choose you.

I'll let her go. I'll let Sable have her. I'll do anything, as long as she lives.

Originally posted on my blog Books Forget Me Knot.

This isn’t your typical alien story. Daemon Black and his kind aren’t some strange, small, green creatures like from Toy Story or E.T. They are different and it makes the novel unique and creative on it’s own. I’ve never read a novel about aliens who were beings of light so definite kudos to the author.

So why then did I give it 3 stars? The characters. I had a really hard time with characters. And….I also felt like the novel felt a little flat.

Let’s start with characters: Katy. In the immortal words of John Green, “…nerd girls are the greatest under-utilized romantic resource.” John Green is right! Hardly do we EVER see girls who are nerdish. I loved that Armentrout’s female protagonist was a bookish fiend, much like moi and many other girls out there. I could identify with her in that aspect. I also loved her thoughts about Daemon Black…most of the time. There were instances where it annoyed me because it was overdone. Half-way through the novel I just wanted to give up and call it a day. Ugh. It also annoyed me to no end that she liked Daemon despite the fact that he was just so darn cold and rude to her! Okay, there were times that he was sweet and even likeable but…ugh. Anyways, Katy is strong and insecure (at times.) It’s what makes her real, makes her easier to connect with. Overall, she’s a pretty likeable character.

Next we have the infamous Daemon Black, who everyone finds seemingly attractive. I don’t know if there is something wrong with me but he literally annoyed the shiz out of me. He was just so cocky and arrogant. And I like arrogant guys…in books, okay? I fall for your typical fictional character once in a while. Most of the time there is something deeper inside me that makes me fall head over hells in love, wishing them to be real. But not in Daemon’s case. Yeah, I read that exclusive scene from his point of view at the end of the novel, but it did not help me like his character any more. I also do understand what’s at risk if he let’s Katy near him and his sister Dee. But why is he so bent in having her near him all the time since she got marked (a phenomenon that imprints a human with their energy whenever the Luxen use their power around said human(s)). I’ll tell you why….BECAUSE HE’S ATTRACTED TO HER. Then why, if he’s attracted does he push her away, is crude, belittling, and antagonizing to Katy?! I mean, he was just so moody all the time – like flipping on a light switch every five seconds. Wouldn’t it get annoying?

I know he’s also through a lot, losing his brother and being this ultra super protector….but I don’t think any of that is a good enough reason to treat Katy so badly. He obviously cares for Katy after he got to know her. It’s pent up sexual frustration – that’s what it is, which Armentrout does a fabulous job writing, but I just think it’s executed poorly and very frustrating and overdone, getting in the way of the storyline as a whole.

By the way, Daemon even admits (in the exclusive scene from his p.o.v.) that he liked getting a rise out of her!

Who does that?

*breathes*

Then there was Dee who I thought was sweet and very bubbly. She’s a good friend and I love her for it. I also like her protectiveness over Daemon. At the same time, she was the voice of reason and bluntly asked him what the hell was wrong with him when he acted like a total asshole. (Katy’s word not mine!)

Okay, moving on…the other thing that bothered me was their frequent bantering. It was very cute and adorable and funny for the first few chapters but when you get to the middle it’s like GIVE IT A REST ALREADY.

It wasn’t all bad though, there were some really nice quotes in their that Daemon said that thawed out my heart a little. It made me like him a wee bit more.

I also have to applaud Armentrout for creating witty and humorous dialogue. I giggled and smiled a few times. But at the same time I just thought it was too much and kind of like a joke that get’s old fast.

The other thing that bothered me was the formatting of the copy I received. I tend to ignore these small mistakes but it was something that happened throughout the novel. There seemed to be no indentation when there was dialogue between characters. For example:

Another sigh, much louder and more annoyed than the first pushed through Daemon’s hard lips. “No, Dee, we just woke up and were talking. You were snoring so loudly we couldn’t stay asleep any longer.” Dee snorted. “I doubt that. Katy, are you feeling…okay this morning?”

This sort of formatting happened throughout the novel and at times it was difficult to pick up who was speaking. It’s just little itty thing that I’d want the publisher to pick up and edit next time around.

Anyways, it seems like I”m bashing on the novel and I’m not. I swear. It was just a bit disappointing when I thought it would be an AMAZING read. It has a lot of good reviews giving this series 5 star ratings across the board and I respect that. I see why they’d like this novel: spunky-strong-bookish-nerd female protagonist, supernatural-drop-dead-gorgeous-boy-next-door, sweet-supernatural-hot-boy-next-door’s sister turned protagonist’s best friend, creative and unique idea. There were times where I got lost in the infuriating but swoon worthy witty banter between love interests. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. There was something important missing that would have made me fall madly in love with the world Armentrout creates: substance and suspense. It was thoroughly predictable and that ruins the fun out of reading this story.

I was very resistant in wanting to read this to begin with. Why? Because the cover didn’t captivate me or interest me. Yes, I’m the kind of person that judges a book by it’s cover. But that’s not all that grabs my attention. It’s also the summary or synopsis of a novel. If it’s good and peeks my sudden interest then I take a leap. But I digress. I made a promise to read this for a friend. And I stick to my promises. With that said, I liked the book, but it wasn’t my favorite nor does it interest me enough to keep on reading the series.

Memorable quotes:

I’ve always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect. The ones who throw their beauty around, waste what they have? Their beauty is only passing. It’s just a shell hiding nothing but shadows and emptiness.

Daemon might be the most physically flawless male I’d ever seen-his face was something that any artist would die to get a chance to sit and sketch-no light reflected badly off him. But he could also be the biggest jerk on the planet.

Originally posted on Books Forget Me Knot.

For fans of the Evernight series, Claudia Gray delivers in Balthazar with forbidden love and heart-racing suspense that will keep you captivated until the very last page.

I am one of those hard core Claudia Gray fans. I love all her work and was beyond excited to read Balthazar, a spin-off to the Evernight series following one of my favorite characters, Balthazar – or Balty as Vic calls him and is the only one that can call him that. In the Evernight series, Balthazar’s love for Bianca was unrequited and…that was it. He’s a really good guy – unlike most vampire lead protagonist. He’s loyal, strong, sweet, rational, and riddled with his own share of guilt and redemption.

Gray puts us in the center of the action from the beginning of the novel where Skye is attacked by a vampire and is saved by Balthazar. Balthazar is in New York to protect Skye as she has developed a new psychic ability. Ever since she let Bianca possess her body in Hourglass (I believe it’s Hourglass, I may be wrong) Skye has been plagued by visions of those who have died. Whenever she goes into a room or place where there has been death, Skye sees the death unravel right before her eyes. This new ability causes her blood to have magical properties, giving a vampire the ability to relive a past memory again. It’s the reason why Redgrave is so keen on getting Skye to come with her and thus, is the beginning of an adventure for Balthazar to keep Skye safe.

Skye isn’t your average, defenseless teenage girl that seem to plague a book where vampires are involved. With that said, when Skye is put into dangerous situations she is more than capable of holding her own. Which makes me love her and cheer, “YES!” and give a little happy dance.

This brings me to characters and since I am on the subject of Skye I shall continue my praise. Skye Tierney is a strong, female protagonist. She fights and goes after what she wants. Her life hasn’t been easy as of late with the death of her brother and her absentee parents, not to mention her new-found ability. Even the constant rejection coming from Balthazar because of a little factor called – HE’S A VAMPIRE – didn’t hinder her ability to be a strong character. There were times where I thought she would break down and cry because of everything that was happening around her, but she didn’t. Why? Because she’s strong – I can’t emphasis that enough. She is unsettled by events, but it doesn’t make her weak. Instead it pushes her to keep on going.

She’s also not like other girl in books where they are completely oblivious to the fact that a guy likes them. Nope. She knows that Balthazar likes her and she’s not afraid of being bold, putting herself out there. Their swoon worthy flirting made me giggle like a little kid on Christmas morning! I just utterly loved it!

Then there is Balthazar Moore – that is with two O’s not one ;) *sigh* He’s charming. Sexy. Fierce. Did I mention swoon worthy? I would just like to say that I completely fell in love with Balthazar in this installment. I loved him in Evernight, but with his own novel I got to see and know so much more of him. The novel is littered with flashbacks of his past – both human and vampire experiences . His guilt over murdering his sister runs deeper than I could have every imagined. His thirst for revenge is the driving force for more than half of his immortal life. My heart hurt whenever he denied himself Skye. His mantra, “No humans” practically made me scream out in frustration because he deserved to be happy! He’s not a bad guy, but I understand his concerns for being with a human. His reasoning is logical but STILL.

With that said, I have to give brownie points to Claudia Gray and her frustrating but great job with the internal conflict surrounding Balthazar. He’s fighting the will of his undeniable attraction for her. He has his “No humans” rule, but with every second he spends with her it becomes harder and harder to not break it. How can he stay away from her when it’s his duty to protect her?

The thing I loved about Balthazar was that he wasn’t self-loathing. Let’s face it – a good percentage of vampire books have the male protagonist hating what he is. Balthazar is guilty for what he has done in the past, but he embraces what he has now with a little bit of hard, cold reality. I love how he is strong and protective, especially when it concerns Skye. There isn’t anything that he wouldn’t do to keep her safe and out of the evil clutches of Redgrave – the vampire that killed him and his family centuries ago and is now after Skye for what magical attributes her blood possesses.

We see a lot of old and new faces return in Balthazar that are pivotal for the story itself. I like that no character goes unused. They all have a purpose no matter how miniscule it might be. The plot line is heart-racing and full of suspense and heartache. There’s a little bit of mystery and jaw-dropping surprises that will leave you happy as a clam. If you have read the Evernight books and have not read Balthazar you are missing out! It’s a fun and thrilling roller coaster ride that will leave your heart filled with irrevocable love and joy. Gray does not disappoint in this last installment in the series. It’s mature and written brilliantly and needless to say, it’s definitely one of my favorite book in the entire series. I’m glad to have finally read it as I fell utterly in love all over again with the world Claudia Gray created.

Memorable quotes:

One thing you can always be sure of – any vampire’s life story has an unhappy ending.

Balthazar was the kind of guy who used totally correct spelling and punctuation even when he was texting, which was sort of bizarrely hot. She was in serious trouble if commas could get her going.

Her kisses tasted like poison, and he kissed her more deeply for that, hoping that one day the poison might finally finish this life that wasn’t life and let him truly die.

Don’t you see? It’s the first life I’ve had in four hundred years. With you–in the only way that matters–I’m alive again.

Originally posted on my blog Books Forget Me Knot.

The novel opens up right in the center of the interesting and unique story line with Jill as the introductory character. Jill is a student at Thorndike Academy who is involved in a secret organization (the Network) that involves their attempt to overthrow the reigning power of Vampires in government. Jill is an expert computer hacker as she has been working with the Network for years, gathering Intel from her class peers through text messages, internet browsing, ect. Her friend, Nicky Bloom, who is also a spy working with the Network, enters the Homecoming contest – where the girl who wins is crowned Prom Queen and receives the gift of immortality, while the loser is the winner’s first meal. Politics is the driving force under this disturbing contest and every one knows it.

For years the Network has been trying to bring down the powerful vampires who run the corrupted and unlawful government. That is the reason why Nicky Bloom is entered in the contest under a guise of a wealthy family name and innocent and unimportance that no one would have expected she’d be on of the girls’ wearing black at Homecoming. Jill and Nicky’s mission for the night is to slowly reign in the support of her classmates from Kim Renwick to Nicky Bloom. If successful it would mean a lead in the competition and one step closer to getting Sergio – the vampire who makes the immortals – in a trap to be killed by the Network’s hand.

The story takes place all in a few hours, during the time of the dance. By doing so the novel drags in a few places. There is so much information that is given to us about Jill, Nicky, the Network, and the other important students that are pivotal to Nicky’s mission. At times, I felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere because in a lot of cases there was a “refresher course” (as I like to call them); in other words, it was very redundant.

For the characters, I felt like some of them lacked depth. From the very beginning of the novel, we (the reader) know what Nicky and Jill’s goal and mission is for the duration of the Homecoming contest. With that said, I felt like their whole character was founded upon that drive. Nicky (one of the main female protagonist) was a bit more of three-dimensional character as she shows signs of vulnerability, especially around Ryan Jensen. But that was about it. No character made me feel angry, pity, sad, ect. That lack of emotional depth ruins a book because there is no connection between me and the characters. There were times I questioned their grand scheme of things…but hey, there’s nothing I can do about that.

The story itself was interesting and different to the vampire stories out in the vast world. I like different. I like unique. So I definitely give Spencer Baum kudos for the intriguing world he built. Baum left a few knots untied that make me very curious to see what happens to Jill and Nicky in the next installment to take down the vampires in the U.S. I liked that it left me curious. It makes me want more. But then again, I don’t want to feel like I’m reading it because I HAVE to. I want to read because I WANT to and MUST know what happens to the characters. I may or may not pick up the sequel, The Festival of the Moon. It has a very good plot line, but it’s ruined by the pace and execution of the events that happen. It wasn’t that bad a book but there was just so much that could have been done without it being a drag. I honestly would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a good, FREE read and would love to read something different involving vampires.

Originally posted on my blog Books Forget Me Knot.

4.5 stars

I am very excited to bring you Will Millar’s debut novel, Infernal Machines. It is a highly intricate piece of fiction that left me totally unhinged. I never would have been involved with letting the world know about Miller’s work if it had not been for a tweet I saw on Twitter to sign up for his blog tour. I jumped at the chance because as an aspiring writer I know how important it is to get your work known, it’s even twice the challenge for an indie author. With that said, I love helping out indie authors any way that I can.

Alright, so I’m rambling here. On to the review!

*cue in ultra cool whooshing sound affect*

The prologue to the Infernal Machines left me curious as we are introduced to the cryptic signs of a murder. It made excited, haunted, and thoroughly intrigued to read more. Miller’s writing style is different from what I normally read and can be compared to the subtle horror that is true to 80′s horror films. I really liked the ambiguity that Miller gives us at the beginning, and in turn sets a grounding foundation for the premise of the novel.

The following first few chapters were a little hard to get through. We are introduce to several pivotal characters, switching p.o.v’s from each one. I like exposition – don’t get me wrong – but I found some parts boring. This was my initial thought. I’m glad that I kept reading because the flushing out of characters becomes very important for the novel. It was the bases while Miller constructs the world without it being too much that you just groan and want to give up.

My favorite characters were definitely Paulie and Stoner.I’m not a boy nor have their kind of mindset but I wanted to be their friend. I wanted to go on their exhilarating adventures of investigations with them. I wanted to be that girl who wanted to always tag along because of how awesome it would be! Also, let’s not forget Dee, which is totally awesome! I just loved how she was a little sassy and very strong. People picked on her but she fought right back. This kind of connection between a character and the reader is what I always enjoy. It’s the sign of a great and talented writer.

For the horror aspect of the story, it’s more suspense and the acts of human monsters (serial killers, white supremacists) and inhuman behavior. The legend of the Junkman was really creepy and when I read about him and what he did….well my heart felt like it was going to fall out of my chest. I don’t read horror often, but I was completely enthralled by the subtle detail Millar describes for a scene or the sinister expression on one of the characters faces. It made my skin crawl. This is another sign of how phenomenal of a writer Miller is.

One last thing that I absolutely enjoyed was how the story takes place within a few years. I liked this idea very much as it wasn’t constrained to a day or a week. The effects that the past had caused the events of present and future. This was a brilliant added detail to the story and I give a gazillion brownie points to Millar for this aspect.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to everyone who is looking for a new suspense YA horror novel without the cliches. Will Millar’s, Infernal Machines is purely brilliant, unique, and creative. It’s a great coming of age story filled with mystery, suspense, and twists and turns that will have you completely and utterly wanting more. Nothing is what it seems. Millar just throws a curve ball that is just….well, I guess you’ll just have to find out!

I’m definitely a fan of his work now and can’t wait to see what else he comes up with!

Originally posted on my blog Books Forget Me Knot.

Beautifully insightful. Cold Kiss will remind you of first loves and what it means to let them go.

If you think that the book is entirely predictable judging by the synopsis, you’re wrong. I was wrong too. Instead, Garvey uses exposition – giving us a little bit of knowledge of how Wren’s life used to be before a car accident claimed Danny’s life and left one of her friends’ crippled. Heartbroken she uses powerful magic to bring Danny back to life, but the consequences are dire. Danny is the shell of the boy she used to know.

When Gabriel walks into her life, he immediately senses her power. Gabriel wants to help Wren right things, but it is up to Wren to undo what has been done. But can she send Danny back to a peaceful grave or will she unwilling to let go?

Throughout the book, Amy Garvey writes with heartbreaking passion. There were times where I just wanted to break down and cry because I remembered my first love and how hard it is to let go. Wren’s only ever been in love once with Danny and when he is unfairly taken away from her…well it’s heart wrenching. She’s broken. So what’s the most logical (in her mind) thing to do when you have unexplained magical abilities? Try to bring the love of your life back to life.

Wren is successful. She didn’t even believe that she could after the incantations and spell she cast over his grave. Danny is brought back to the land of the living as a sort of zombie. I saw this because he’s not like your typical zombie who wants to EAT YOUR BRAINS. No. Danny needs Wren. She binds him to her. He can’t think when she’s away from him.

The spell that Wren cast somehow bonded Danny to her. He can’t think when Wren is away from him; he fully expresses this more than once in the novel. This has it’s own ramifications. When Wren meets Gabriel – she slowly begins to start living again. She tries to rekindle her friendship with her best friends that had turned detached and distant when Danny died. Wren also begins to have feelings for Gabriel.

This is what I liked most about Cold Kiss – Wren’s characterization. I really liked that she was real. I could connect to her, to her feelings, to her inner struggle. Those times when she told herself that it was wrong to be with Gabriel, but it also felt right – those were the times I related to. I think any one could; to be in love with one person, someone who has long been gone, and start falling for someone else, even though you are still in love with the first.

If there is one life lesson that I got from reading this novel it’s that you can never forget your first love. They will always have a special place in your heart. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t love again.

When Garvey uses exposition – the retelling of facts before the beginning of the novel – I got a sense of who Danny was. He was this sweet, loveable guy. He was a talented artist and was funny. It’s so…disconcerting how he is when we met him. He’s not fully there. He’s just a shell of his former self. The way Danny is described is so…remarkably uncanny. I felt sad and very sympathetic because… well, he didn’t deserve it. And I’m glad that Wren realizes this. She realizes that she was selfish which made me like her even more because she was self-aware. Wren has great depth to her.

Ahh…and I can’t forget about Gabriel! I loved him. Just…EVERYTHING. He was sweet, strong, a wee bit Me-Tarzan-You-Jane. He was your classic chivalrous knight. Always wanting to help Wren, to save her. But Wren wouldn’t have it. Wren wouldn’t let him push her around even when his intentions were good. She got sassy with him and didn’t apologize for the things that would come out of her mouth. (She has no filter.) He advised her and stated his own opinion even if it was in direct contrast to Wren. THIS is what I LOVED about their relationship. They fought. They collided. There were times when Wren wanted to hit him. I liked this. Very much. I also loved that he was loyal. He was always there for Wren and he didn’t complain whenever Danny was around her. He understood. He respected her relationship with him. To me, it’s a sign of a really great guy because he was just *sigh* I’m a sucker for sweetness.

I really liked this book and I am definitely going to pick up the sequel, Glass Heart, from my library in a few weeks. I want to see what misadventure Wren journeys on next. I wonder if she’ll learn more about her power and the secret surrounding her father’s leave. There were so many questions left unanswered, but I hope that it’ll be revealed in the next installment!

Cold Kiss was a great read! It was predictable (to some extent), but overall I loved it to pieces. Like I said, I loved the characterization, the premise, the story line. EVERYTHING. Plus, I love how Amy Garvey created a different kind of zombie.

Memorable quotes:

Love doesn’t break easily, I found. But people do.

It wasn’t love right away, because nothing ever is, no matter what the songs say, but it was the start of it. A beginning in one way, and the end in another. I think that might always be true of love.

I saw you, Wren,” Gabriel says, and his voice is so soft, a feather drifting on the air, that I close my eyes to listen. “I saw this girl with these dark eyes and this crazy hair and this fuck you look on her face, and I wanted to talk to you.”

Are you kidding? Who are you, my knight in faded denim? I am not some lame princess in a tower who needs to be rescued, thank you very much.

What I wanted was to blow a hole in the sky, explode a star, let the burning embers scorch me and everything they touched.

It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, anymore.

Originally posted on my blog, Books Forget Me Knot.

Marc Kuhn's debut adult novel, The Pope's Stone, couldn't have been anymore brilliantly written. It is a tale of historical fiction, intricately woven with suspense and mystery. Plus, Kuhn is just BRILLIANT. The story itself is a masterpiece and only a great writer would be able to pull off a parallel universe character plot.

Let me begin with the gist of the novel:

Nathaniel Henry Barrington and Nicholas Henry Barrington lead a similar life though they live a century apart from one another. The sudden twists and turns of events they both have encountered in their life isn't purely coincidental but scary accurate. It's hard for it to be possible - it's nearly impossible that it can't be true but the only thing that is connecting Nathaniel and Nicolas is the Pope's Stone.

The stone was given to America as a gift from Rome towards the construction of the Washington Monument. After some deliberation and political strife, John Henry Barrington (grandfather of Nathaniel) break the stone into pieces and thrust it into the River Potomac. But they kept one piece, ensuring it to John for it's safety. This begins the journey of the stone being passed from one generation to the next in the Barrington family until it finally settled with Nathaniel.

There are countless of similarities between Nathaniel and Nicholas's life throughout the story. Slowly, Kuhn reveals similar events that as a reader you could only compare and contrast. It's only when Nicholas begins to unravel the history of the stone that he finds out the history surrounding Nathaniel (his great-great grandfather). It was startling because before the discovery I was reading two character's stories. How Kuhn reveals the mystery of it all is magnificent! Pure genius.

There are many things that I liked about the book and most of all it was the brilliant tale Kuhn spins. It's a definite page-turner once you get through the first three chapters of exposition. I also liked the terrible amount of research that Kuhn must have gone through to make the story true to the time and place it's set.

Lastly, I want to draw attention to the cover. After reading the book I've come away with great symbolism that I appreciate. Definite brownie points to Mr. Kuhn for coming up with the concept of the stone and the journal to be on the cover.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. If it wasn't for my friend Monica approaching me about The Pope's Stone then I never would have found it. It's a really great tale filled with heart-wrenching moments, startling conclusions, and mystery. Once you start reading you won't want to stop until you find out the magical attributes surrounding the Pope's Stone.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

It’s been weeks since I’ve read The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson, but the story still remains with me as vividly as if I had just finished reading it yesterday.

The novel begins with the male protagonist, Owen Parker, drowning on the first day of summer camp at Camp Eden. Yep. You read that right folks. Drowning. While Owen is struggling to stay alive he has a vision of a watery girl who leaves him with a cryptic message. Owen miraculously survives with only small lacerations on the side of his neck as the only sign of mortal harm. As the days pass, Owen discovers that the lacerations are gills and that he is part of an ancient race called Atlanteans.

I honestly loved the world that Kevin Emerson created. It’s a world set in the far future where the ozone has disintegrated -caused by it’s inhabitants (us), and fresh water is rising and evaporating at a rapid rate. The heat is unbearable and can cause life-threatening illness, which has sent mankind to live underground, away from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. Camp Eden represents one of the habitual places left on earth, where there are simulations of the sky, sun, stars, ect. It was by luck that Owen was picked to go to Camp Eden, at least, that’s what we think at first.

And thus, Owen is thrust into a whirlwind of an adventure to figure out what lurks beneath the surface of Camp Eden’s true purpose and who he is.

Upon meeting Owen, we learn that he’s an awkward and mildly sarcastic teenage boy. I just loved his humorous commentary! It was, without a doubt, one of my favorite things about the novel. It was also uniquely done, in my opinion. Like his thoughts were engineered by people who were running his brain. It’s creative and one-of-a-kind! When it comes to Owen and his love interest, Lilly, I couldn’t help but melt into a puddle.

I found his character refreshing. Most YA novels consist of a bad boy now-a-days. Don’t get me wrong, I love my bad boys, but sometimes it gets a bit old…yano? I loved that Owen was a bit awkward and as the story progresses he sheds his skin a little. We see him slowly draw strength from himself and become a leader. He became an unlikely hero, and it’s that very fact that made me LOVE him.

Then there is Lilly, who has become one of my favorite YA heroines. Lilly is strong and feisty. She doesn’t take crap from boys and she stands firmly to her convictions. She has theories about Camp Eden and her “kind”, which aren’t always taken seriously by the others like her. On top of being part of an ancient race, Lilly is a cryo – children who were frozen at the beginning of the ozone layer breakdown by their families in a bid to save them. She’s been through a lot, but it does not deter her strength, which is something that I admire a lot.

Now comes for OWLY my crappy shipper name for Owen and Lilly. I loved their budding romance.Owen was always awkward and tongue-tied around Lilly. He didn’t know what to say half the time he was with her. Lilly found Owen interesting. He was different than the other boys she knew. I just loved their romance and practically died from the cuteness. It’s kind of like that feeling of your first crush. You don’t know what to do or how to feel. You just know that you like them a lot. That’s how I felt about OWLY. I also think that Owen and Lilly balance each other out. There’s a sheltered softness that is brought out from Lilly when she’s with Owen. There’s also a sort of strength that surfaces within Owen when he’s with Lilly.

I found the secondary characters to fully shape Owen and Lilly, but also to stand-alone on their own. They are all important to the story, and I liked that a lot because no character was left behind.

The Lost Code was bursting with unfleeting originality. Emerson writes a unique and clever novel with the basis of the Atlantis myth as foundation. It’s something I’ve never read before in a YA dystopian novel and it’s one the reason why I fell in love with Emerson’s creative and original world. I’m super stoked for the sequel The Dark Shore to hit shelves in May! It just can’t come fast enough. I must know what happens to Owen, Lilly, and Leech as they travel out into the plains of North America. The Lost Code had amazing character development, mystery, romance, twists, and surprising conclusions. It’s a novel that I would absolutely recommend to anyone! It’s thought-provoking with parallel’s between Owen’s world and ours that are uncanny but very much realistic.

Memorable quotes:

You know me, professional Owen saver.

I ate that first dinner quietly, thinking, Great, twenty-nine days left and I’ve already been identified, categorized, and labeled.

Well, you were all cute and pathetic. But it wasn’t pity. I was caring about you.

Time passed, unknowable amounts and I had no sense for it. There was just the blanket and grass, the cold of rain and the heat of Lilly like a small sun beside me, and we lay there until the clouds left and the SimStars reappeared.

Owen Parker, first a turtle, then a fish, now some kind of action figure…

Lilly and I could find that place and start over. Maybe even raise a gill family.

Originally posted on my blog, Books Forget Me Knot.

From the very first page to the very last word, Martha Brockenbrough's Devine Intervention captured my heart. Once I closed the book I literally took a deep breath, hung my head in my hands, and cried. I let out these big, ugly sobs that I never thought I was capable of. It was just...an ending that I was not expecting what so ever. I wanted a happily ever after kind of ending and instead I was given an excellent but bittersweet ending.

*breathes*

But I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. Let's talk about the gist of the novel:

Jerome Hancock is a guardian angel in training who is getting a second chance at heaven if he can succeed in guarding Heidi Devine. But Jerome isn't your average guardian angel trainee. He's kind of a riot. Jerome unknowingly breaks the commandments of the dead, which taint the goodness of his soul. He's also not a very good guardian angel as he makes his charge, Heidi, think she's crazy from a very early age. Jerome has spoken to Heidi ever since she could remember, singing Lynyrd Skynyrd, and offering familiar comfort when she feels alone.

By an unfortunate turn of events, Jerome has to sneak Heidi's soul into heaven through an opening at a mall. But things don't run as smoothly as they ought to. The clock is ticking and they must race against time before Heidi's soul is lost forever and Jerome's soul is sent to one of the nine circles of hell.

The particular and unique aspect I found in Devine Intervention was the layout of perspectives. It was told from Jerome's p.o.v's which is humorous and full of comic relief, and Heidi's, who is written in 3rd person. It's different and I've never seen that done before. But it WORKS. I'd have to say it's pure genius, writing the perspectives in that way.

I couldn't help myself from giggling at the things Jerome thought and said. He's a free spirit, young, and ignorant (as Heidi so bluntly put it). I also loved his censorship! He cannot swear. If he does then he suffers an excruciating amount of pain in his head. So Jerome being brilliant comes up with words to replace those swear words like holy smokes, dumbflask, and (my favorite) chevy. Hidden underneath Jerome's sarcastic demeanor there is a kind of brokeness to him. His story is one of those that crushed my heart because I will never understand how people could doubt the love of others.

I know, that's a little ambiguous, but I am sparing you from spoilers! ;)

Then there is Heidi, who has thought she was crazy since she was a little girl all thanks to Jerome. She was seen as under developed when she spoke about her imaginary friend. As the years passed she learned to keep Jerome a secret. Heidi is an artist, that's the thing she loves to do most of all, but her family pushes her to be athletic (since she's rather tall). I liked Heidi's character because she embodied insecurity and uncertainty. I love when characters are flawed. It makes them real, ordinary like you and me, but extraordinary at the same time. She's loving and caring when it concerns the people who are dearly important to her.

The novel is just full of heart and wisdom. The theology that is embedded into the story is creative and uniquely done. Brockenbrough's commandments were classic and could very well be true and right to live a good and honest life. But we aren't perfect and I like the the theme of redemption also integrated into the novel.

I know, I'm being ambiguous again! Don't shoot me.

There are plenty of twists, laughs, surprises, and tears that will captivate your heart in Devine Intervention. An author has a gift when they are able to bring forth such emotions like laughing out loud and crying your heart dry. Martha Brockenbrough is one of those authors. It's insightful and honest; about seizing the day and making life all it's worth while you have the chance. It's just beautiful. You'll just fall instantly in love with Jerome and Heidi. I did. And their story is one that will be with you for a very long time.