Take a photo of a barcode or cover
WICKED BY: JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
Wicked awesome is more like it! Admittedly there aren't many fae stories that I am not enthralled by, but you know this one had that special JLA flare which took it up to new levels of goodness.
Wicked was centered around a group of kickass people belonging to a secret Order, appointed with the task of keeping the dangerous fae in their own world all the while keeping humans safe and ignorant to their existence. The characters are not unlike many of Armentrout's other PNR leads, brave, smart, super sarcastic and always in loads of trouble.
What we really need to talk about here is the fact that I found yet another imaginary creature that I need to have in my life. TINK! A brownie that has a dirty mouth, wears Ken doll clothes, is an avid Amazon one-clicker, collects troll dolls and loves pop culture. Yup. He was the coolest.
"Grabbing a scarf off the chair, I threw it at him. He caught it, clutching it to his chest as he flew in the air.
"You gave Tink a scarf. Tink is free!" He flew out into the highway like a little cracked-out fairy, screeching, "Tink is freeeeeee!"
Ren looked at me. "What the actual fuck?"
I sighed. "He's obsessed with Harry Potter. I'm sorry."
Need I say more? No, I think not. This was a good start to what appears to be a promising series. I really look forward to seeing where this story goes in the next installment.
Wicked awesome is more like it! Admittedly there aren't many fae stories that I am not enthralled by, but you know this one had that special JLA flare which took it up to new levels of goodness.
Wicked was centered around a group of kickass people belonging to a secret Order, appointed with the task of keeping the dangerous fae in their own world all the while keeping humans safe and ignorant to their existence. The characters are not unlike many of Armentrout's other PNR leads, brave, smart, super sarcastic and always in loads of trouble.
What we really need to talk about here is the fact that I found yet another imaginary creature that I need to have in my life. TINK! A brownie that has a dirty mouth, wears Ken doll clothes, is an avid Amazon one-clicker, collects troll dolls and loves pop culture. Yup. He was the coolest.
"Grabbing a scarf off the chair, I threw it at him. He caught it, clutching it to his chest as he flew in the air.
"You gave Tink a scarf. Tink is free!" He flew out into the highway like a little cracked-out fairy, screeching, "Tink is freeeeeee!"
Ren looked at me. "What the actual fuck?"
I sighed. "He's obsessed with Harry Potter. I'm sorry."
Need I say more? No, I think not. This was a good start to what appears to be a promising series. I really look forward to seeing where this story goes in the next installment.
Nine Minutes. Nine Minutes in Heaven....or Hell? I just don't even know. Seriously. I don't know how I feel about, the way I feel about this book. Make sense? Probably not. All I know is I started this book this afternoon and COULD NOT put it down. I think I must have looked half crazed trying to race through the captivating story.
I think my people talked to me at some point tonight once I got home, I swear I even answered them, some form of mummbly, auto pilot type response. They finally just gave up on me until I set my Kindle down with a resounding "WHAT?!" and a very impressive string of obscenities there after.
I really enjoy a good psychological thriller, and this book delivered so much more in that area than I could have even had a hope of expecting. Nothing was as it seemed. The very starting of this book instantly throws you for a total loop after reading the blurb, and let me tell you, it will keep on doing so until the very last page. Nine Minutes was like a drug, intoxicating and dangerously alluring. And once you've had a taste, you are already a goner, my friend.
A lot of the themes in this book were heavy. I have to give this author props here, so many things in this story were horrible but as you saw it all happen through Ginny's slightly disconnected eyes, you also got that sense of removal from the more nefarious things transpiring. It was brilliantly done. It helped lessen the severity of the heaviness while also allowing you to accept the shrewdness of her accounts of the more contended moments between Ginny and her captor(s). It was easier than I feel comfortable with to see why things happened the way they did, and even sympathize with people that you would think are underserving of such. The character range here was just as impressive as the complex plot. There was a wealth of depth to this tale, but it is not necessarily for the faint of heart.
Nine Minutes is an exceptional story that will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished it, I know I will be. Looks like this is just the start to a series, and thankfully the second book should be coming out soon. I really look forward to seeing what happens next, especially after that killer ending!!!
I think my people talked to me at some point tonight once I got home, I swear I even answered them, some form of mummbly, auto pilot type response. They finally just gave up on me until I set my Kindle down with a resounding "WHAT?!" and a very impressive string of obscenities there after.
I really enjoy a good psychological thriller, and this book delivered so much more in that area than I could have even had a hope of expecting. Nothing was as it seemed. The very starting of this book instantly throws you for a total loop after reading the blurb, and let me tell you, it will keep on doing so until the very last page. Nine Minutes was like a drug, intoxicating and dangerously alluring. And once you've had a taste, you are already a goner, my friend.
A lot of the themes in this book were heavy. I have to give this author props here, so many things in this story were horrible but as you saw it all happen through Ginny's slightly disconnected eyes, you also got that sense of removal from the more nefarious things transpiring. It was brilliantly done. It helped lessen the severity of the heaviness while also allowing you to accept the shrewdness of her accounts of the more contended moments between Ginny and her captor(s). It was easier than I feel comfortable with to see why things happened the way they did, and even sympathize with people that you would think are underserving of such. The character range here was just as impressive as the complex plot. There was a wealth of depth to this tale, but it is not necessarily for the faint of heart.
Nine Minutes is an exceptional story that will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished it, I know I will be. Looks like this is just the start to a series, and thankfully the second book should be coming out soon. I really look forward to seeing what happens next, especially after that killer ending!!!
I finally read Seth's book......and it was AWESOME! Seriously. As soon as I found out JLA was doing an NA spin-off series from, one of my all time favorites, the Covenant series, I was so pumped! Especially knowing that Seth was to be the main character. Even in some of his more douche moments in the Covenant books, I still really liked Seth. He was always a wealth of witty banter and he was mostly the fun kind of trouble. And while some of that classic Seth is apparent in The Return, we also get to see a more serious, grown up version of Seth. Even though this story is set roughly a year or so from the last Covenant book, having been through all he has, it's taken a toll on him. As much as I loved the sly, mischievous Seth, I quite liked the seriousness that he has now too, I think that I would be disappointed if all the things in his past hadn't taken a toll on him.
***Side note: If you haven't read the Covenant series I STRONGLY recommend doing so before you start The Return. While JLA does give you a basic run down of the past in this book, it in no way begins to do justice to such an incredible series. I really wish I would have re-read it before I started this one. ***
A lot of my favorite side characters from Covenant also made their way into the Return. I was so glad to see Luke and Deacon again, and of course Apollo!! Still one of my favorite elements in all of these stories is the Greek mythology. I just love seeing that in a present day setting. There's something so alluring to me about this, almost magical kind of world, carrying on right under poor unsuspecting mortal's noses. I have always been super interested by the Greek Gods in general. So this whole story is just win/win for me.
Honestly the only reason this wasn't a 5 star rating from me is because, being a first book in a series, it does start out a little slow. It has a lot of world building to do, and I get that, in addition it has some back story to cover from the previous series here too. It's not to say it was boring at the beginning, because that's far from the way it was. I often feel this way about most first books in a series. I appreciate that world building a lot though when things usually pick up a ton in the second book and you have to keep up with a flowing stream of action.
I have to say that I appreciated this series being for a more mature audience than the YA Covenant books. It kind of felt like the story truly grew in maturity along with the characters. It wasn't overly done, it was just enough to seam realistic to the age and life experiences of the characters. I really loved that we got to see some stuff that was totally new to this world thus far too, yay for Demi-Gods!!! What a fan-freaking-tastic addition that is sure to be! All in all I am very pleased with the start of the Titan series, and I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT to see more. Like seriously JLA, Feburary 2016, why do you hate me?!
"Sweet," Stacy said. "Well, let's go check out the dark basement of the abandoned insane asylum. Nothing could possibly go wrong down there."
Yeah I'd definitely be OUT OF THERE ASAP!
But naturally, Ellie, ghost trapping extraordinaire, has no problem sucking it up and facing down plenty of extra creepy ghosties. For Ellie ghost trapping is more than just a job, it's pretty much her whole life. I really liked the different approach here where Ellie looked at ghosts and hunting them from a more scientific standpoint. It was definitely an interesting take on things. I definitely got a vibe that she was kind of a lone wolf and had a hard time opening up to people.
I'd say this story was more plot driven than character driven, which was peachy because the plot was strong. Things definitely took a turn around the halfway point which was really when the whole creep factor of this book stepped way up. That's not to say that the characters were flat in any way, honestly there was certainly enough there for my curiosity to be very piqued! Since this is book one in the series I am hoping to see some more character development in the coming books. Especially more from Ellie and hopefully Jacob too. I was slightly bummed that Jacob was not in more of the story, I think the addition of such a strong psychic really made things even more interesting. Ellie, Stacy and Jacob seemed to make a pretty good team, especially considering this was their first time all working together. I see a lot of promise there!
The ghosts were truly the highlight of this story. It took a little while for them to really come out to play, but once they did it set a definite creeptastic tone. Some of the descriptions were down right chilling. All in all this was a solid ghost story, and I really dug the ghostbuster like idea of trapping ghosts in ghost proof containers, what's even more interesting is what Ellie does with them once they are trapped! I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!
Yeah I'd definitely be OUT OF THERE ASAP!
But naturally, Ellie, ghost trapping extraordinaire, has no problem sucking it up and facing down plenty of extra creepy ghosties. For Ellie ghost trapping is more than just a job, it's pretty much her whole life. I really liked the different approach here where Ellie looked at ghosts and hunting them from a more scientific standpoint. It was definitely an interesting take on things. I definitely got a vibe that she was kind of a lone wolf and had a hard time opening up to people.
I'd say this story was more plot driven than character driven, which was peachy because the plot was strong. Things definitely took a turn around the halfway point which was really when the whole creep factor of this book stepped way up. That's not to say that the characters were flat in any way, honestly there was certainly enough there for my curiosity to be very piqued! Since this is book one in the series I am hoping to see some more character development in the coming books. Especially more from Ellie and hopefully Jacob too. I was slightly bummed that Jacob was not in more of the story, I think the addition of such a strong psychic really made things even more interesting. Ellie, Stacy and Jacob seemed to make a pretty good team, especially considering this was their first time all working together. I see a lot of promise there!
The ghosts were truly the highlight of this story. It took a little while for them to really come out to play, but once they did it set a definite creeptastic tone. Some of the descriptions were down right chilling. All in all this was a solid ghost story, and I really dug the ghostbuster like idea of trapping ghosts in ghost proof containers, what's even more interesting is what Ellie does with them once they are trapped! I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!
THE SECRET DIARY OF LIZZIE BENNET BY:BERNIE SU
I am pleasantly surprised by this book. I honestly had some reservations at the beginning, I wasn't sure just how well a modernization of a classic like Pride and Prejudice would translate. I have to say that I believe it came across quite well. The only thing I had trouble picturing in a modern setting was the mother still trying to marry off all her daughters to wealthy bachelors, because that was (in her mind) the best they could possibly hope for. That ideal felt too antiquated to belong in this time period, in my humble opinion.
Other than that I thought most everything else, including the main themes of the original story, shone through brilliantly. I must admit though that after I devoured this book, I then went and watched the YouTube videos that it was based off, and I thought those were fabulous. I might be slightly biased there though, just for the fact that I actually got my daughter to watch them with me and she really liked them too....she even asked to borrow the book when I was finished!
(yeah this was a huge victory, she's 12 and a total busy body who has a really hard time getting/staying interested in anything book related. *Insert devastating sad face* So yeah, total win for team mom!)
I think that's probably the best part about this story, it bridges a gap between generations. I mean obviously I would love to see youngsters picking up the Jane Austen original, but quite frankly I don't think a lot of them are. So this was a really genius way to bring a classic story to a new demographic. And who knows, maybe this new group of enthusiasts for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will be so taken with the story that they'll want to pick up Pride and Prejudice and see where it all came from.
I am pleasantly surprised by this book. I honestly had some reservations at the beginning, I wasn't sure just how well a modernization of a classic like Pride and Prejudice would translate. I have to say that I believe it came across quite well. The only thing I had trouble picturing in a modern setting was the mother still trying to marry off all her daughters to wealthy bachelors, because that was (in her mind) the best they could possibly hope for. That ideal felt too antiquated to belong in this time period, in my humble opinion.
Other than that I thought most everything else, including the main themes of the original story, shone through brilliantly. I must admit though that after I devoured this book, I then went and watched the YouTube videos that it was based off, and I thought those were fabulous. I might be slightly biased there though, just for the fact that I actually got my daughter to watch them with me and she really liked them too....she even asked to borrow the book when I was finished!
(yeah this was a huge victory, she's 12 and a total busy body who has a really hard time getting/staying interested in anything book related. *Insert devastating sad face* So yeah, total win for team mom!)
I think that's probably the best part about this story, it bridges a gap between generations. I mean obviously I would love to see youngsters picking up the Jane Austen original, but quite frankly I don't think a lot of them are. So this was a really genius way to bring a classic story to a new demographic. And who knows, maybe this new group of enthusiasts for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will be so taken with the story that they'll want to pick up Pride and Prejudice and see where it all came from.
THE MEDIUM PATH BY: ELIZABETH DAVIES
3.5 stars. Okay I really enjoyed a lot about this story. I found the idea of a medium who had passed over and become a spirit guide, someone who guides the recently deceased to where they are supposed to go, very intriguing. Funny enough I have totally been cracking out to the show Medium on Netflix recently, so this book couldn't have come along at a better time.
There were many layers to this story, each one interesting in it's own right. It does initially start out a little slower, well maybe slow isn't the right word, more like there was a decent amount of time spent explaining the idea behind spirit guides, what they do, how they came to be, etc. But after you get the detailed rundown the action really takes off, in a few different fun directions.
Ruby, the mc and my favorite spirit guide, had been helping lost souls find their way to the light for a very long time. She mostly had it down to an art at this point, with the exception of a few pain in the rear, stubborn spirits who found the ghostly life to be a lot more exhilarating than the mystery of what comes after the light. Well that is until a bizarre darkness starts sneaking in and seizing the spirits before Ruby has a chance to help them get to where they truly belong. Ruby, along with a handful of fellow spirit guides, and a few living mediums, join forces to find these missing spirits and who exactly is behind these abductions.
There was also a romance element going on here, which was definitely interesting, especially considering their......extreme differences. I did like the romance here, but it did seem like it went from 0 to 10 rather quickly.
It's okay fast romance, it's me, not you.
I really enjoyed the spirit guides and I thought a lot of Ruby's dealings with helping the newly dead were definitely highlights in the story! Each person had such an interesting tale to tell, whether it be the way they died, their dealing with being recently deceased, or their plans now that they were no longer living.
So all the other stuff that was going on just seemed like added bonuses! I have read quite a few ghost stories, even a few with mediums/psychics but I have to say this may be the first I have read that dealt with all of that but from the other side. It was really neat to get the perspective of someone who had already passed and their take on things. I think people with an interest in ghosts, mediums, or a more suspenseful type of thriller (more mysterious than scary), will quite enjoy this fresh take on this otherworldly stuff.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars. Okay I really enjoyed a lot about this story. I found the idea of a medium who had passed over and become a spirit guide, someone who guides the recently deceased to where they are supposed to go, very intriguing. Funny enough I have totally been cracking out to the show Medium on Netflix recently, so this book couldn't have come along at a better time.
There were many layers to this story, each one interesting in it's own right. It does initially start out a little slower, well maybe slow isn't the right word, more like there was a decent amount of time spent explaining the idea behind spirit guides, what they do, how they came to be, etc. But after you get the detailed rundown the action really takes off, in a few different fun directions.
Ruby, the mc and my favorite spirit guide, had been helping lost souls find their way to the light for a very long time. She mostly had it down to an art at this point, with the exception of a few pain in the rear, stubborn spirits who found the ghostly life to be a lot more exhilarating than the mystery of what comes after the light. Well that is until a bizarre darkness starts sneaking in and seizing the spirits before Ruby has a chance to help them get to where they truly belong. Ruby, along with a handful of fellow spirit guides, and a few living mediums, join forces to find these missing spirits and who exactly is behind these abductions.
There was also a romance element going on here, which was definitely interesting, especially considering their......extreme differences. I did like the romance here, but it did seem like it went from 0 to 10 rather quickly.
It's okay fast romance, it's me, not you.
I really enjoyed the spirit guides and I thought a lot of Ruby's dealings with helping the newly dead were definitely highlights in the story! Each person had such an interesting tale to tell, whether it be the way they died, their dealing with being recently deceased, or their plans now that they were no longer living.
So all the other stuff that was going on just seemed like added bonuses! I have read quite a few ghost stories, even a few with mediums/psychics but I have to say this may be the first I have read that dealt with all of that but from the other side. It was really neat to get the perspective of someone who had already passed and their take on things. I think people with an interest in ghosts, mediums, or a more suspenseful type of thriller (more mysterious than scary), will quite enjoy this fresh take on this otherworldly stuff.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
4.5 stars
I'm officially starting my own dragon like hoard, and it's starting with this first book in the Dragons of Bloodfire series by Erin Kellison. Yup. It was like a little treasure. It may have been rather short at under 200 pages, but much like Kellison's other work she ensnares you in a short amount of time and keeps you enthrall throughout it all.
I haven't had the pleasure of reading very many dragon-shifter books, but I would easily say this was one of the better one's that I have read. The only thing I can say is that you were rather thrown into an extensive world of dragon shifters and their hierarchy quite abrasively, but you were able to acclimate pretty quickly, and it certainly helped that the MC, Emerson was pretty much learning everything as you were.
This was an interesting story and I really enjoyed the fast pace, and most especially the compelling characters. The inclusion of other more familiar shifters such as wolves, and even a rouge vampire, were nice to add to the mix, but I am glad that they weren't the focus of the story, these dragons held their own and then some! The plot was layered and I liked all the twists that constantly kept me guessing as to what exactly would happen next.
I do wish that we would have been given a clear picture as to where this series is going to go next. It ended with a sense of finality for these characters, and no real sense that some other side character might be highlighted in the next addition. I guess I can appreciate a surprise, but I would have liked a more concise lead into what may come next. Honestly though this was a quick, fun, action-packed read and I really look forward to what comes next in this series, whatever that may be! And I mean guys.....DRAGONS! Who doesn't like freaking dragons?! In the words of Mr. T....I pity the fool.
***Just a side note: This is Erin Kellison's story in the recent Dark and Damaged box set with Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Felicity Heaton, Bonnie Vanak, and Colleen Gleason. Which has already been released, but you can find this story published on it's own on 7/13***
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
I'm officially starting my own dragon like hoard, and it's starting with this first book in the Dragons of Bloodfire series by Erin Kellison. Yup. It was like a little treasure. It may have been rather short at under 200 pages, but much like Kellison's other work she ensnares you in a short amount of time and keeps you enthrall throughout it all.
I haven't had the pleasure of reading very many dragon-shifter books, but I would easily say this was one of the better one's that I have read. The only thing I can say is that you were rather thrown into an extensive world of dragon shifters and their hierarchy quite abrasively, but you were able to acclimate pretty quickly, and it certainly helped that the MC, Emerson was pretty much learning everything as you were.
This was an interesting story and I really enjoyed the fast pace, and most especially the compelling characters. The inclusion of other more familiar shifters such as wolves, and even a rouge vampire, were nice to add to the mix, but I am glad that they weren't the focus of the story, these dragons held their own and then some! The plot was layered and I liked all the twists that constantly kept me guessing as to what exactly would happen next.
I do wish that we would have been given a clear picture as to where this series is going to go next. It ended with a sense of finality for these characters, and no real sense that some other side character might be highlighted in the next addition. I guess I can appreciate a surprise, but I would have liked a more concise lead into what may come next. Honestly though this was a quick, fun, action-packed read and I really look forward to what comes next in this series, whatever that may be! And I mean guys.....DRAGONS! Who doesn't like freaking dragons?! In the words of Mr. T....I pity the fool.
***Just a side note: This is Erin Kellison's story in the recent Dark and Damaged box set with Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Felicity Heaton, Bonnie Vanak, and Colleen Gleason. Which has already been released, but you can find this story published on it's own on 7/13***
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
Check out my STONE COLD review over on the blog....
https://bookwormcoalition.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/stone-cold-touch-by-jennifer-l-armentrout/
https://bookwormcoalition.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/stone-cold-touch-by-jennifer-l-armentrout/
*****Pulled over from the blog (bookwormcoalition.wordpress.com) written by my fellow coalitioner, Jennifer (you can find her on BookLikes too,http://bookwormcoalitionjen.booklikes.com) and myself, of course!*****
What a pleasant little surprise this book was! I don’t quite know what I was expecting when I started Bound by Duty, but it wasn’t the level of originality that I ultimately got! This was a pretty great start to what appears to be a very promising series! This was a unique, intriguing story that pulled me in right away and dragged me along constantly wanting more.
The magical/ fantasy element was easily my favorite part about this book, I just adore the world that Smith created here! I love fantasy books to begin with, there are virtually no limitations to where the story can go, only to the author’s imagination. And my friends, Smith’s imagination is quite extensive. This world of mages and all their hierarchy had me completely enamored from the very start.
I love that we were, as readers, taking this journey and learning all these things about this world right along with the main character, Amelia, who was almost as naïve about it all as we were. It made an instant connection between the reader and the main character, which is always nice. Very well done. I also enjoyed the intense element of mystery going on. Not only did we not know much about the mages, but we also never quite knew who to trust or what was going to happen next. It seemed as if everyone wanted to use Amelia to further their own ends, and that made it very hard to know who actually was telling her the truth or had HER best interests at heart. It constantly kept things interesting and kept me on my toes.
I absolutely loved dogs in this story, their unique gift was incredible! Why can’t that exist in the real world?!
For the most part, I liked Amelia. I have to say I liked her better by the end though, when she was a little more confident and strong. The other characters were pretty multidimensional and I have a feeling that we have only begun to scratch the surface of them. Amelia’s best friend Bethany was a breath of fresh air. She was strong, funny and a great friend. I honestly liked Micah, I thought he was interesting and he had an air of mystery that kept me intrigued. The same could be said for Aidan. I will say that I did find the romance between Aidan and Amelia to be a little immature, but realistically Amelia was kind of immature, thanks to the way she was brought up, so it made sense. Hopefully they will mature as the series progresses.
I’m really looking forward to seeing more of these characters and their growing abilities, and just more of this magical world in general! This story did end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it just ensured that I will definitely be reading the next book the minute I can get my hands on it!
Originally, this was to be a 2 part review, and my happy ass (Jen) was just going to swoop on in and add my two cents but I’m pretty sure that Tricia said everything I wanted to and more. Literally felt the exact same about everything, from the magic to the men(i have a little less love for Micah *ahem* douche), the fantastically awesome dogs (I mean really, I loved them). I enjoyed how Amelia’s magic was purple and she was one of a kind. But one of the best things about this book was Bethany, she was such a breath of fresh air. She’s just one of those best friends that you can throw anything at and she’ll roll with the punches or pull your idiot ass out of whatever nonsense you’ve delved into. Can’t wait for book 2!
We received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
By the way, totally thought this was going to be a porn/vamp book with added BDSM….. So glad it wasn’t lol
What a pleasant little surprise this book was! I don’t quite know what I was expecting when I started Bound by Duty, but it wasn’t the level of originality that I ultimately got! This was a pretty great start to what appears to be a very promising series! This was a unique, intriguing story that pulled me in right away and dragged me along constantly wanting more.
The magical/ fantasy element was easily my favorite part about this book, I just adore the world that Smith created here! I love fantasy books to begin with, there are virtually no limitations to where the story can go, only to the author’s imagination. And my friends, Smith’s imagination is quite extensive. This world of mages and all their hierarchy had me completely enamored from the very start.
I love that we were, as readers, taking this journey and learning all these things about this world right along with the main character, Amelia, who was almost as naïve about it all as we were. It made an instant connection between the reader and the main character, which is always nice. Very well done. I also enjoyed the intense element of mystery going on. Not only did we not know much about the mages, but we also never quite knew who to trust or what was going to happen next. It seemed as if everyone wanted to use Amelia to further their own ends, and that made it very hard to know who actually was telling her the truth or had HER best interests at heart. It constantly kept things interesting and kept me on my toes.
I absolutely loved dogs in this story, their unique gift was incredible! Why can’t that exist in the real world?!
For the most part, I liked Amelia. I have to say I liked her better by the end though, when she was a little more confident and strong. The other characters were pretty multidimensional and I have a feeling that we have only begun to scratch the surface of them. Amelia’s best friend Bethany was a breath of fresh air. She was strong, funny and a great friend. I honestly liked Micah, I thought he was interesting and he had an air of mystery that kept me intrigued. The same could be said for Aidan. I will say that I did find the romance between Aidan and Amelia to be a little immature, but realistically Amelia was kind of immature, thanks to the way she was brought up, so it made sense. Hopefully they will mature as the series progresses.
I’m really looking forward to seeing more of these characters and their growing abilities, and just more of this magical world in general! This story did end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it just ensured that I will definitely be reading the next book the minute I can get my hands on it!
Originally, this was to be a 2 part review, and my happy ass (Jen) was just going to swoop on in and add my two cents but I’m pretty sure that Tricia said everything I wanted to and more. Literally felt the exact same about everything, from the magic to the men(i have a little less love for Micah *ahem* douche), the fantastically awesome dogs (I mean really, I loved them). I enjoyed how Amelia’s magic was purple and she was one of a kind. But one of the best things about this book was Bethany, she was such a breath of fresh air. She’s just one of those best friends that you can throw anything at and she’ll roll with the punches or pull your idiot ass out of whatever nonsense you’ve delved into. Can’t wait for book 2!
We received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
By the way, totally thought this was going to be a porn/vamp book with added BDSM….. So glad it wasn’t lol
THE ADHD ADVANTAGE BY: DALE ARCHER, MD
I have so much to say about this book, I just don't even know where to start. Well maybe with a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to this book! I think it's safe to say that most people that pick this book up have a personal interest in this subject, whether it be a medical professional, an education professional (or anyone working with children really), or someone directly or indirectly living with this DIFFERENCE. And make no mistake, that is a much more suitable title for it than disorder. Whichever reason that interests you in this subject, so yourself a favor and please give this book a read. There is a wealth of information, positivity, inspirational stories, and so many tools to help an ADHDer be as successful and confident as they can be.
Okay, I think the way I will do this is to keep this portion of things kind of straight to the point and non-personal as I can and then if you feel so inclined I will post my personal reasons for being so interested in this subject and very enthusiastic about this book and all that it has to offer.
I have to say one thing specifically that was brilliantly done in this book was the structure of it. It made this such a fluid read, most especially I would think, for those with a more nonlinear way of taking in and processing information. It's one thing to talk about things to help ADHDers succeed, and it's so much more when you actually do so in a way that is actually tailor made for them to be able to absorb all of that information. Kudos to you. The way that you, seemingly effortlessly, blended the facts and statistics, with personal stories, and suggestions/tools to encourage success, you did precisely what you preached and I commend you for that. The changing focus on different aspects constantly kept things fresh and broke up any monotony. I have read countless articles on ADHD and not one of them that comes to mind were actually set up in a way that spoke directly to someone with that difference.
One of the absolute best things, in my opinion, was how much positivity there was. How utterly refreshing to focus on the benefits of ADHD, and how to enhance those rather than how to tone these exceptional people down. It's so frustrating to read the statics, and the heartbreaking personal struggles in this book, when a lot of what we need to do as a whole is be better informed, understanding and help build these differences up rather than dull them out with medication. We are failing our kids by not exhausting all other avenues before turning to quick fix in the form of a pill.
Another thing mentioned numerous times was that there is no "one size fits all" answer/way of dealing with these differences. Thank goodness someone said it! My whole parenting experience is predominately built on loads of trial and error. I have found over the years that not all traditional ways of thinking and doing things can be applied to my daughter. Now some of that probably can't be attributed to ADHD but some of it most certainly can. What works for your child, most likely won't work for mine. But that's also parenting in general, there is no instruction manual and each child is an individual. I think the biggest difference for me personally was learning to adjust my expectations, and shut out those other voices that said that there was this one right way to do things. People's opinions and advice can sometimes be invaluable, but when they have absolutely no clue about the ways that your child is different than others, their two cents isn't always worth much, and I found more times than not made me feel like I was a failure. That I wasn't doing something right. It still can feel like that at times. The sooner you realize that what works for some people isn't going to work for you, and if you keep trying new things, ultimately you will find things that do work, sometimes it just takes awhile to get there.
There were numerous ADHDers in this book that told their stories, from the struggles they have had in earlier years or still have as adults, to tricks they've found work for them, to the wild success that they've had, not in spite of ADHD but because of it! Some of the names you will surely recognize, Howie Mandel, Ty Pennington, Channing Tatum, Chef Alexis Hernandez, Terry Bradshaw, and many more. But there were also everyday people ranging from entrepreneur, doctor, photographer, truck driver, waitress, etc. I was glad for each one of their stories, and most especially their many different ways of doing things that I hope to try with my daughter in hopes of helping her find her perfect way!
I also appreciated the part near the end that took time to cover ADHD and relationships. It was told for each parties benefit, which was truly nice. The many tips there can be applied to relationships as a whole, not just romantic.
I really encourage anyone that works with children or has anyone they know with ADHD to pick this up and learn a little something. I can honestly say I have an even deeper understanding of ADHD, and in turn a part of my daughter that I am still always learning about. I really hope that people take as much as I did from this.
****As I am sure you have already put together, my main reason for reading this was my daughter. I was really hoping to get a better understanding of ADHD in general, and more than anything learn some different ways that I could help her be as successful as possible and prevent both of our frustrations as much as possible.
We have had our own share of disappointing experiences because of people's, I don't know laziness, or lack of understanding. My daughter's 4th grade teacher, having never once spoke to me about any concerns, via email, note, or any other standard method of communication between parents and teachers. He never said anything to me about a concern for her learning, or any problems he was having with her in class. But somehow we had jumped from 0 to 10, at least that's how it felt for me, at conferences when he blurted out that "Your daughter needs to see a doctor" or "I think medication will be key." Apparently her excessive talking in class was grating on his nerves, which is totally understandable. What is not acceptable, is the fact that it never seemed enough of an issue for him to contact me about it, so I don't know, maybe we could all brainstorm on some ways to work with her so there were less disruptions. And most of all what I don't accept is that his concerns never once seemed to be for my daughter, but rather himself, or the good of the whole. While I understand that to an extent, I'm not the whole's mother, and that one kid you're singling out without putting in any effort with, yeah that one is my main concern. I was worried about that girl. But along with being angry, I also felt that twinge of oh god, a professional just said that to us, maybe this is a problem. So I did what most people ultimately do in that situation, I took her to a doctor. Which I am sad to say ended up going straight for the good ole prescription pad. It was the last time I saw that doctor. I told him I didn't feel comfortable with that, and asked if there were any other things we could try before thinking about medication. The reply was "Just give this a try and see how it goes.". It's disgusting to me that I felt like drugs were being pushed on my child without anyone really even taking the time to try and figure out what she truly needs. This was an A student, in honors band, btw.
Ultimately I did not end up ever giving her any medication. And for better or worse we've been going at everything in our own ways. There are many road bumps along the way, whether ADHD related or not, but we're always adapting and trying new ways to work together for the best solution. Even if sometimes that means learning to let the kid do whatever works for her, even when it makes no sense to me. EX. listening to music, Facetiming or streaming video and doing homework. LOL We would argue about this quite frequently, with me constantly being like "You can't get anything done that way, you need to focus on your homework." Funny thing was, she was focusing on it, she just did that more easily with a few other things going on at the same time. When I would force her into what I deemed a better environment for learning/being productive, she would struggle to get it done, or rush to get through it and ultimately not do as well most of the time. Her chaotic way, it was what worked for her, and as long as it was working who am I to say it's not the right way! Everything is a learning experience being a parent in general.
The ADHD Advantage just gave me a few more tools to try and a better understanding of ADHD and the many benefits that come along with that. And a million thanks for bringing positive awareness to people about ADHD, and also to the fact that there is a real problem with over diagnosing and over medication. Approximatly 6.4 million American children (11 percent) ages 3-17 are being diagnosed with ADHD and over half of those being medicated . This is a serious problem. Especially if you compare us to other countries, France for instance that is around 0.05 percent of children in that range being diagnosed and medicated. 0.05 percent. We can do better America. ****
I received a copy of this book from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have so much to say about this book, I just don't even know where to start. Well maybe with a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to this book! I think it's safe to say that most people that pick this book up have a personal interest in this subject, whether it be a medical professional, an education professional (or anyone working with children really), or someone directly or indirectly living with this DIFFERENCE. And make no mistake, that is a much more suitable title for it than disorder. Whichever reason that interests you in this subject, so yourself a favor and please give this book a read. There is a wealth of information, positivity, inspirational stories, and so many tools to help an ADHDer be as successful and confident as they can be.
Okay, I think the way I will do this is to keep this portion of things kind of straight to the point and non-personal as I can and then if you feel so inclined I will post my personal reasons for being so interested in this subject and very enthusiastic about this book and all that it has to offer.
I have to say one thing specifically that was brilliantly done in this book was the structure of it. It made this such a fluid read, most especially I would think, for those with a more nonlinear way of taking in and processing information. It's one thing to talk about things to help ADHDers succeed, and it's so much more when you actually do so in a way that is actually tailor made for them to be able to absorb all of that information. Kudos to you. The way that you, seemingly effortlessly, blended the facts and statistics, with personal stories, and suggestions/tools to encourage success, you did precisely what you preached and I commend you for that. The changing focus on different aspects constantly kept things fresh and broke up any monotony. I have read countless articles on ADHD and not one of them that comes to mind were actually set up in a way that spoke directly to someone with that difference.
One of the absolute best things, in my opinion, was how much positivity there was. How utterly refreshing to focus on the benefits of ADHD, and how to enhance those rather than how to tone these exceptional people down. It's so frustrating to read the statics, and the heartbreaking personal struggles in this book, when a lot of what we need to do as a whole is be better informed, understanding and help build these differences up rather than dull them out with medication. We are failing our kids by not exhausting all other avenues before turning to quick fix in the form of a pill.
Another thing mentioned numerous times was that there is no "one size fits all" answer/way of dealing with these differences. Thank goodness someone said it! My whole parenting experience is predominately built on loads of trial and error. I have found over the years that not all traditional ways of thinking and doing things can be applied to my daughter. Now some of that probably can't be attributed to ADHD but some of it most certainly can. What works for your child, most likely won't work for mine. But that's also parenting in general, there is no instruction manual and each child is an individual. I think the biggest difference for me personally was learning to adjust my expectations, and shut out those other voices that said that there was this one right way to do things. People's opinions and advice can sometimes be invaluable, but when they have absolutely no clue about the ways that your child is different than others, their two cents isn't always worth much, and I found more times than not made me feel like I was a failure. That I wasn't doing something right. It still can feel like that at times. The sooner you realize that what works for some people isn't going to work for you, and if you keep trying new things, ultimately you will find things that do work, sometimes it just takes awhile to get there.
There were numerous ADHDers in this book that told their stories, from the struggles they have had in earlier years or still have as adults, to tricks they've found work for them, to the wild success that they've had, not in spite of ADHD but because of it! Some of the names you will surely recognize, Howie Mandel, Ty Pennington, Channing Tatum, Chef Alexis Hernandez, Terry Bradshaw, and many more. But there were also everyday people ranging from entrepreneur, doctor, photographer, truck driver, waitress, etc. I was glad for each one of their stories, and most especially their many different ways of doing things that I hope to try with my daughter in hopes of helping her find her perfect way!
I also appreciated the part near the end that took time to cover ADHD and relationships. It was told for each parties benefit, which was truly nice. The many tips there can be applied to relationships as a whole, not just romantic.
I really encourage anyone that works with children or has anyone they know with ADHD to pick this up and learn a little something. I can honestly say I have an even deeper understanding of ADHD, and in turn a part of my daughter that I am still always learning about. I really hope that people take as much as I did from this.
****As I am sure you have already put together, my main reason for reading this was my daughter. I was really hoping to get a better understanding of ADHD in general, and more than anything learn some different ways that I could help her be as successful as possible and prevent both of our frustrations as much as possible.
We have had our own share of disappointing experiences because of people's, I don't know laziness, or lack of understanding. My daughter's 4th grade teacher, having never once spoke to me about any concerns, via email, note, or any other standard method of communication between parents and teachers. He never said anything to me about a concern for her learning, or any problems he was having with her in class. But somehow we had jumped from 0 to 10, at least that's how it felt for me, at conferences when he blurted out that "Your daughter needs to see a doctor" or "I think medication will be key." Apparently her excessive talking in class was grating on his nerves, which is totally understandable. What is not acceptable, is the fact that it never seemed enough of an issue for him to contact me about it, so I don't know, maybe we could all brainstorm on some ways to work with her so there were less disruptions. And most of all what I don't accept is that his concerns never once seemed to be for my daughter, but rather himself, or the good of the whole. While I understand that to an extent, I'm not the whole's mother, and that one kid you're singling out without putting in any effort with, yeah that one is my main concern. I was worried about that girl. But along with being angry, I also felt that twinge of oh god, a professional just said that to us, maybe this is a problem. So I did what most people ultimately do in that situation, I took her to a doctor. Which I am sad to say ended up going straight for the good ole prescription pad. It was the last time I saw that doctor. I told him I didn't feel comfortable with that, and asked if there were any other things we could try before thinking about medication. The reply was "Just give this a try and see how it goes.". It's disgusting to me that I felt like drugs were being pushed on my child without anyone really even taking the time to try and figure out what she truly needs. This was an A student, in honors band, btw.
Ultimately I did not end up ever giving her any medication. And for better or worse we've been going at everything in our own ways. There are many road bumps along the way, whether ADHD related or not, but we're always adapting and trying new ways to work together for the best solution. Even if sometimes that means learning to let the kid do whatever works for her, even when it makes no sense to me. EX. listening to music, Facetiming or streaming video and doing homework. LOL We would argue about this quite frequently, with me constantly being like "You can't get anything done that way, you need to focus on your homework." Funny thing was, she was focusing on it, she just did that more easily with a few other things going on at the same time. When I would force her into what I deemed a better environment for learning/being productive, she would struggle to get it done, or rush to get through it and ultimately not do as well most of the time. Her chaotic way, it was what worked for her, and as long as it was working who am I to say it's not the right way! Everything is a learning experience being a parent in general.
The ADHD Advantage just gave me a few more tools to try and a better understanding of ADHD and the many benefits that come along with that. And a million thanks for bringing positive awareness to people about ADHD, and also to the fact that there is a real problem with over diagnosing and over medication. Approximatly 6.4 million American children (11 percent) ages 3-17 are being diagnosed with ADHD and over half of those being medicated . This is a serious problem. Especially if you compare us to other countries, France for instance that is around 0.05 percent of children in that range being diagnosed and medicated. 0.05 percent. We can do better America. ****
I received a copy of this book from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.