I tried really hard to like this book, but 12 chapters in I had to give up.

The story begins with Kagan (a vampire) giving the world a warning that in one week's time they would take over the world and kill all humans. He actually kills a girl on screen in a very gory manner. The story continues from there with Ben a member of the Mexican Mafia as our protagonist......I'm sorry I just couldn't relate to this character. Ben and his cousin are at the airport in LA when the attacks begin and from there the story goes from awful to worse. Lots of action, blood and gore. It felt like I was reading a screenplay for a really bad action/horror flick.

When I read the synopsis I thought this story had real potential and it's a new author which I usually enjoy, but the book doesn't live up to its promise. There was so much gore and not much plot that I was not only repulsed by he descriptions but also started getting bored.

However if action/horror/sci-if is your thing, give it a try. You might enjoy it. It's just not for me.

What a disappointment! Here I thought I was getting a cutting edge sci-fi read, and what I got was a reprint of six short stories!! Yes, the stories tie together, but not in a good way. In fact they are set at the same time with overlapping incidents that bring a few of the characters together.

The Atopia Chronicles by [a:Matthew Mather|6151827|Matthew Mather|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1342838843p2/6151827.jpg] is a set of six short stories previously published in 2011 and 2012. Billed by Amazon as the next big thing in science fiction I was under the impression this was a new book. (Not the case! Not the author's fault though). Each story is told for the POV of one character, with a unique plot and sometimes these character's intersect. However the time frame of each story does occur at the same time, so there is a lot of repeat plot points (i.e. defensive test at Atopia repeats in at least first three stories).

So why didn't I like this book? I had the hardest time staying invested in the plot. Mainly because the character's stories ended every 75-80 pages, the POV bounced from one character to another, and some of the imagery I just couldn't picture. Not to mention I felt like I was reading a bad version of the script to the movie Surrogates with Bruce Willis.

Maybe the problem is me. I was only able to read about half of this book before I gave up. I just despised the characters! The first character Olympia Onassis is a narcissistic workaholic who spends the first couple of chapters pining for a pack of cigarettes. The second character Commander Rick Strong spends the entire story having sim children with his clinically depressed (in my opinion Bipolar) wife because he isn't sure he is ready for the real thing. (Now granted this story was funny, especially if you are a parent!) The third character (and who I gave up with) is Vince Indigo who developed the technology that predicts the future. Basically his own technology has predicted his death and so he is trying to escape it, but every time he does it seems like two more events take its place. This character is horrid and I just couldn't read anymore after that which is a shame because I truly enjoy sci-fi books.

So again, I didn't like this book. That said, it is very well written. The plots do tie together nicely, and with the promising prologue I thought I was in for a real suspenseful adventure. However that wasn't the case and I just couldn't finish it. If you like technical, sci-fi with little character development you may enjoy this book. I just didn't.

The City by [a:Dean Koontz|9355|Dean Koontz|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1341717803p2/9355.jpg] is a coming-of-age story about Jonah Kirk, a young piano man living in New York City with his mother and grandfather during the Race Riots and war protests of the mid-1960s. The story begins with an elder Jonah sitting with a tape recorder telling the story that changed his life. A young 8 year old boy who met an extraordinary woman who claimed to be the city and his adventures began.

Okay reviews are so hard to write when the book does not meet your expectations as this one is for me. I'll break it down in a couple of sections so I can talk about what I liked or didn't like. I think that's the best way.

The characters of this story are memorable and very well written. Jonah is a young, African American living with his single mother after his father abandoned them for the second time. He feels a deep need to be the man of the house and if possible shield his mother from any bad that may come to them. Malcolm is his best friend who doesn't come into the book fully until about 60% of the way through. Malcolm is a few years older and described as eccentric, when in reality he has a bad case of OCD and maybe even a touch of Aspergers. Mr. Yoshioka is Jonah's neighbor and becomes his confidant when one bad thing after another keeps happening. Mr. Yoshioka is mysterious to me and I'll be honest that I didn't trust him as fully as Jonah does. Then there is Miss Pearl, the mysterious woman who claims to the city. The way she is describe reminds me of what one may think of as an angel or ghost, the way she appears and disappears at will.

The plot had promise, but fell flat for me. The plot revolves around a pivotal three years in Jonah's life after his father leaves and a mystery woman he saw in a dream moves in up stairs and threatens his life for snooping on her. One connection after another leads Jonah to believe that there is more than just coincidence in what is happening around him. The story as described in the synopsis sounds like a great mystery with some paranormal elements, and it is a mystery with paranormal elements. The synopsis is not deceiving, however it's not a fast-paced, edge of your seat type of read. In fact, I found myself actually falling asleep while reading!! That never happens! I struggled to keep interest in Jonah's story and to be completely honest at 80% I gave up. I couldn't finish it. :::hangs head in shame:::

Overall, I found the story lacking in the mystery element. It was predictable and I had guessed a lot of what was happening before it was revealed. And as already stated I just couldn't bring myself to push through to the end (which rarely happens). So why three stars and not one or two, especially since I didn't finish? Well, the story is very well written, even if it didn't hold my interest. The characters are well thought out and very relatable, and the 1960s era brings a lot of interesting facts and trivia to the story. If you enjoy coming-of-age mysteries then I think you will enjoy this book, just keep in mind it is not fast-paced, edge of your seat!

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight Riders by [a:Pete Clark|4190402|Pete Clark|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-a7c55399ea455530473b9f9e4da94c40.png] is an action-packed re-telling of the beginning of the American Revolution. It follows characters such as Paul Revere, Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Prescott...you get the picture....as they traverse the thirteen colonies and fight werewolves, zombies, and many other mythical creatures. That's right the British isn't their number one concern! It's all the monsters that have come to join the fighting. This is the "true, unheard tale" of the American Revolution and what a fun one it is!

I'm gonna be honest with you. I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. There were times I was laughing so hard at the ridiculousness (is that a word?) of the situations the main characters found themselves in that I had tears streaming down my face. Then there were times that I was re-reading a section because it made no sense. But I guess that's the point really. As much as this is a historical fiction, it is also satire. And I have to say the dry humor won out!

The characters are funny, and because it is written with today's vernacular, the situations they find themselves in made me laugh out loud. Paul Revere is depicted as the bumbling idiot, instead of the rebel who warned of the British invasion. He was so stupid!! To use one of my favorite Southern sayings....Bless his heart! Daniel Boone is also a main character, and he is a no nonsense kind of guy, and he's my favorite!

Then there's the monsters of the story....werewolves, zombies, dragons, wyvern, succubae, and many others. Pretty much think about a mythical creature and it's probably in the story. The French team up with the Indians during the French and Indian War and a character named Guyasuta begins researching why these monsters appeared in North America and not "across the pond." They decide that the monsters started showing up 200 years earlier and the story revolves around the why and how to get rid of them. Especially the how to get rid of them since they seem to be drawn to fighting and the Revolution is on the horizon.

This is a fantastical blend of history, sci-fi, and fantasy. Real people, real events all surrounded by the world that the author has created. Overall, it is nicely done. If you know me, you know my vice is historical fiction and fantasy. However this is the first time I've ever read a blend of the two genres, and to be completely honest it just didn't work for me. What did work was the dry humor and satirical nature of the story itself. FYI this book does contain some graphic violence (hello....zombies!!) and strong language so I'd suggest it for those over 18. If you enjoy a good fantasy novel, like a little history, and want a good laugh, I highly recommend you check out this book.

This review is from the blog www.momwithareadingproblem.com

I received a copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review

I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Hunt For Snow by S.E. Babin is a reimagining of the classic fairytale Snow White. Snow escaped from the Enchanted Forest ten years ago and has made a life for herself in Mystic Falls on Earth. She's a professor in cryptozoology and a private investigator on the side, living with her two friends Belle and Cyndi. Everything is fine or at least she thinks it is until she gets an invitation to attend a conference from the Enchanted Forest. Suddenly she finds herself back where she was ten years ago, trying to survive the wrath of her step mother the evil queen Naomi and her Huntsman Max. Can Snow beat the queen and take back her kingdom?

Alright I'm going to be brutally honest for a few minutes. There were parts of this book I really disliked and parts that I loved. I hate that!! It makes it so hard to write the review. So let's take a minute to break down what I liked and disliked...

What I Liked

I really enjoyed the concept and plot behind the story. Snow escaped Max (because he let her) ten years prior and has lived a quiet life on Earth ever since. While there she's trained herself in battle, studied the mythical beings of earth, and basically prepared herself for if she ever had to face the huntsman again. The conference that brings her back to her old life is interesting in concept and brought a few plot twists as Snow comes face to face with the people she left at the hands of her stepmother.

The book is an interesting play on urban fantasy as it brings the fairytale characters to our world and in our setting, trying to understand technology and TV. In fact, I love the author's use of pop culture references, such as one instance with the slap bet from HIMYM and a Doctor Who reference.

Max....enough said ;)

What I Disliked

Unfortunately for me, there were more things I disliked than liked in this book. First the characters. Snow could have been a really strong heroine, however some of her characteristics with that of her friends Cyndi and Belle gave me the impression of a love-scorned teen instead of a woman who is a college professor. I found not just Snow, but all of the characters a little immature. Maybe it's just me, but if I had an evil stepmother trying to kill me and a kingdom to save having the hots for some guy would not be on my mind.

Then there was Naomi, the evil queen/stepmother. Basically she didn't seem that evil to me. She wasn't scary in the slightest. In fact I felt like she was the mean girl in high school who no matter how much she wanted to be the popular one she couldn't so she made Snow's life hell. I mean yeah she was trying to kill Snow, but really she was just a jealous woman acting like a teenager.

The pop culture references...while I enjoyed these I also found them off-putting. Here are these characters who haven't lived on earth for very long making references that in reality they wouldn't know. Also using our religion to curse...would the character even know what they were saying and wouldn't it make more sense to use what is used in the Enchanted Forest? I don't know I just found it distracting.

Max and Snow....I didn't understand this relationship. Max was under a compulsion by the Queen to kill Snow. Somehow he breaks the compulsion to allow Snow to escape the first time. But there is no indication that they knew each other. Yet somehow he breaks this really powerful spell to save a girl because of a pretty face. Then there's their first night together and basically every encounter they have that is very lust-filled. I just didn't buy it.

My Conclusion

Overall the book was just okay for me. In fact if I'm staying honest with you, I had a hard time reading it. The characters' immaturity, the lack of actual romance, and the various pop culture references were distracting and a little on the annoying side. Also for an urban fantasy, there was an amazing lack of fantasy until a good half way through the book. Now in saying all of this, the author did a good job of laying the foundation for the series as a whole. I expect that there will be more fantasy and more from all the characters as the series progresses. If you enjoy contemporary, new adult fiction with an urban fantasy flare, then I believe you will enjoy the book. Just keep in mind that it is a very loose interpretation of the classic Snow White story.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of this review.

WHY GOD WHY IS THERE ANOTHER BOOK?!?! One was really enough. Another Day by David Levithan is a *companion to Every Day and tells the EXACT SAME STORY from Rhiannon's POV.

*Note: This is a companion, NOT A SEQUEL. It tells the same story as the first book just from a different character's point of view

Honestly this book didn't need to be written. It just didn't. I feel like it's an attempt on the author to get more money off the success of the first book and I have a feeling it's going to flop big time.

Rhiannon is a sweet, kind girl who is easily forgettable. She doesn't speak up for herself, she cowers to her boyfriend, and doesn't have too many friends. She doesn't reach for the stars, she has no dreams of her own, and she, in general, is not a good role model for teen girls (just saying). It's no wonder some sentient being who body jumps every day fell in love with her - please note my sarcasm.

The plot is the same as the first book. A fell in love with Rhiannon while he was her boyfriend for a day. Now the question becomes can Rhiannon love him no matter what body he is in. The following is not a spoiler, it's a fact stated near the very beginning of the book. The answer is yes she can love him, but she can't be physically attracted to him. Be serious, could you?! I couldn't and I wouldn't even try. BUT Rhiannon does. Why? I believe because she is desperate to have someone see her. I mean really see her for who she is not who she is with.

I did not finish this book. I just couldn't. I tried. I spent over two weeks reading this book and gave up at 75%. Why? Because it was boring! I've already read this story and while there was some new information about Rhiannon, scenes that weren't in the first book because A wasn't there, most of the book is just a regurgitation of the first. Think about it for a second. Take your favorite book where two characters are prominent (you know they're both in every scene), now imagine an author writing from the other character's POV. Would there be much difference? No.....that's this book!

Overall it's well written and I did enjoy reading Rhiannon's POV more than A's. BUT it was just so repetitive. I think I would have enjoyed it more as a novella instead of a full length novel. That way all the A scenes could be glossed over, because hey I've already read them! On the good side though, if you haven't read Every Day then you could potentially skip it and read this one instead. It won't affect the story at all! Because again it's a companion NOT A SEQUEL. Sorry folks! I know many might be looking for a sequel, this isn't it.

So I debated ranking this book with stars, but since I didn't finish it, I didn't think it was fair to the author. Personally I wouldn't buy this book, but I also felt only lukewarm to the first book. If you read it let me know what you think!

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Initial Reaction:



The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is written by one of my all-time favorite authors MItch Albom. I’ve been raving about wanting/needing this book since I first heard about it a little over a year ago. Sadly, this is the first (and I hope only) time Albom has ever let me down. After making it roughly three-quarters of the way through I had to sit it down. I just wasn’t feeling the characters or the story. In fact I can barely recall what it was about.



Let me first explain what the book is about then I’ll tell you why I didn’t like it. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto follows the story of the title character after his untimely death on stage. Frankie Presto is a well-known guitarist and each string of his guitar has the ability to change someone’s life forever. Pretty cool concept right?

I loved the idea of a musician – in this case a guitarist – having the ability to change someone’s life through music. It was just cool! Pretty early in the novel you get a glimpse of this happening when Frankie stops a guy from beating up on a girl in a bar just by playing his guitar. Very cool, and I was hooked!

The narrator of the story is Music. Yes, music is an entity, kind of like a sentient being, granting people with the gift of music. He’s very interested in Frankie and Frankie’s untimely death. The story starts at his funeral, and music then begins to tell his story starting at the very beginning. In between music’s chapters are other chapters told from guests at the funeral so you get snippets of Frankie’s life out of order. This didn’t bother me so much because it was like you are really at the funeral and people are coming up and sharing stories about the deceased. Again cool!

So here’s the thing. Despite all the coolness of the book, it was boring. I kept waiting on the story to pick up, but it didn’t. It is very much a historical fiction as Frankie interacts with all these iconic rock and roll stars from the 50’s on. Again that part was cool, but I’m sorry to say, not for me. While the story revolves around the deceased Frankie Presto, I felt like I really didn’t know him. His character was flat and undefined. He had very little interaction with people other than to play his guitar.



I was SO disappointed! I adore Mitch Albom and I have since I first read his book Tuesdays With Morrie. He is one of my DEAR (drop everything and read) authors. When I received this book from the publisher I was on cloud-nine and started it immediately. Because I didn’t care for it, I set it aside and restarted it last week. I’m sad to say I couldn’t finish it. Despite the book having Albom’s unique style of writing, I just couldn’t get into the story. If you enjoy historical fiction, are a fan of the rock and roll age, than maybe give it a try. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s not for you. If you do read it, come let me know how you like it.

I received an eARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Initial Reaction:



WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY WONDERLAND?! The first time I ever read Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland I was ten. I loved every single word, even the ones I didn’t understand at the time. As an adult, I STILL love the classic. Carroll developed a world with strange and beautiful creatures, a world where anything you can imagine happens. It’s unique, smart, funny, and at all times strange and peculiar. Very few people can do a retelling of this story and get it right. Unfortunately Gregory Maguire is not one of them.

After Alice is a poor attempt at retelling Carroll’s classic. Maguire tells the story of Ada, Alice’s neighbor and sometimes friend and her accidental trip down the rabbit hole. It started off strong, catching my attention with the author’s attention detail, BUT it plateaued near the middle and never regained momentum. Ada is a very dull character with thoughts too big for her age. (What child at ten reads Dante’s Inferno?!) And DO NOT get me started on his portrayal of Wonderland! I was severely disappointed in the lack of imagination breathing fresh life into these characters. They were flat, not at all “mad” and were missing the important element of all Wonderland creatures…peculiarity.

So I really liked the author’s version of Wizard of Oz, Wicked, so I was REALLY excited to pick up this book. BUT it read like a poor attempt at fan-fiction. And to steal from Alice “he writes as though he has a thesaurus on his desk.” EVERY SINGLE WORD seemed to be larger than the last. Don’t get me wrong, I like a smartly written book, but sometimes you can go too far. AND Mr. Gregory Maguire, you did.

For me, a lover of all things Wonderland, this book just didn’t make the cut. I tried my best to read it all, but wound up stopping at 80%. I just couldn’t suffer through more. If you’re a fan of the author, than you may like it. If like me you love Carroll, I suggest you steer clear!

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.



I was SO excited to read Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes but I was sorely disappointed. Not only did the characters lack any real depth, the author’s take on Wonderland fell flat. I’ll be completely honest….I couldn’t finish the book! I don’t do that very often. In fact I HATE to not finish books. If I start, I have the compulsion to finish and I have a rule that I don’t stop until at least halfway. If I make it that far, I should just finish. This one I just couldn’t. I could NOT make myself finish it. And I HATE that!!

Dinah is the teenage princess who will grow up to be the vicious Queen of Hearts. Yeah she’s a spoiled brat. Everything and everyone is out to get her and no one loves her and…yeah do you see where this is going?! She annoyed me to no end. I like my characters strong, slightly flawed and growing. I do NOT like whiny, manipulative, and self-centered. Honestly Dinah felt like a normal teenage girl with anxiety/jealousy issues.

The rest of the book….it fell flat. There was nothing compelling, nothing intriguing, NOTHING that was promised in the blurb….just NOTHING. The “bad” characters weren’t that bad. There was a ton of info dump and the world-building was about nonexistent. When I hear Wonderland, I expect greatness and at the very least lots of odd and peculiar things. None of that was there. So after reading 70% I quit. I couldn’t finish it. I tried and I wanted to keep going, but I was too disappointed. I’ll stick with the original or maybe the movie that comes out next week.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I really, REALLY wanted to like Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros. First off, did you see that cover?! It’s drool worthy! Plus assassins, government experiments, the whole cloak and dagger feel of the blurb….yeah I was super excited to read it. However, it just didn’t live up to my expectations, and after reading to just pass the halfway mark I set it down, unfinished. Where do I even start?

Please note that since I technically didn’t finish the book, this review is my opinion and reasons why I didn’t finish, not a reflection of the author’s writing.

What Worked
The format for Project Pandora was really interesting. In fact it was the book’s saving grace for me. As the reader, you are dropped into the middle of the story with not much background on the characters, what they are doing or even how they are doing what they are doing. It helps to build the suspense. Between the chapters though are case notes about the characters which give insight into what they’ve been trained to do. While I didn’t finished the book, I did skim through to read all the case notes. I found them more interesting than the actual story.

Hades! This kid is supposed to be the dark horse of the book, the creep. However I fell in love with him. He’s a very dark character, twisted, and the only one who seems to remember and be immune to the directives.

What Didn’t Work
The head hopping!!!! Oh my goodness, y’all I had no clue whose POV I was in half the time I was reading. The characters blurred together as their voices (aside from Hades’s) just weren’t distinct enough for me. I lost count of the times I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was narrating at the time. For me this was a big problem. There were too many characters to try to keep them straight, not to mention how each character had two separate lives (the normal teen and the assassin).

The whole two people in one body thing was weird for me. Technically they were the same person, but whenever a specific sentence was said that would trigger them to become an assassin and know things/people they didn’t know before. It was all very strange and not well explained….granted I didn’t finish the story. Maybe it’s explained later on?

The plot was nonexistent. At least I never picked up on it. AND I was pass the midway point of the book! I should have at least known what the assassins were doing at this point, right?!

Underage drinking and drugs. Look I get it, you think I’m a prude and you’re right. I know 16 and 17 year olds drink and some get their hands on marijuana, but I don’t like to see it in books geared towards the young adult crowds, ESPECIALLY when peer pressure is involved. Big turn off for me. I nearly set the book down at that point.

My Conclusion
Overall, Project Pandora isn’t a bad read. The author’s writing is decent and the characters were intriguing, even if I never really picked up on the plot. However, it just wasn’t my kind of book. I enjoy science fiction, but I lean more towards robots, aliens, and dystopia. If you enjoy thrillers and suspense with a dash of sci-fi, I recommend you give it try.