Review Week Day 2 | "Envy" by Sandra Brown

I received a copy of Envy through a Goodreads giveaway along with Texas! Sage (Review here). Unlike Texas, Envy was published in the early 2000s rather than the early 90s and is a thriller rather than a chick-lit romance. I don't know if it was the change of genre or the change of writing technique, but I liked Envy so much more than Texas! Sage.

Before I get into my full thoughts, here is the book's Goodreads description: 

Sandra Brown, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, keeps readers turning pages with an explosive tale of a long-ago crime and the victim's plan for revenge...When New York publisher Maris Matherly Reed receives a tantalizing manuscript from someone identified only as P.M.E., its blockbuster potential-and perhaps something else-compels her to meet its author. On an eerie, ruined cotton plantation on a remote Georgia island she finds Parker Evans, a man concealing his identity and his past. Maris is drawn into his tale of two young friends and a deadly betrayal ... and to Parker himself. But there's something especially chilling about this novel, its possible connection to Maris's own life, and the real-life character who uses her, or anyone, to get what he wants.

I really enjoyed this book. After the prologue, which was a little difficult to get into, though not for a lack of action, the story picked up and became a page turner that I couldn't put down. It wasn't a perfect book by any means, I will get into the few things that readers could have issues with in a moment, but it was a fun, fast paced read that is perfect if you want to take a break from fluffy, light hearted contemporary or heaver books. 

The chapters were a little long, which can be a problem for those readers who like to break their reading up by chapter. The way the antagonist goes about his plot development is overdone in a far fetched way and it seemed like Brown was trying too hard to put across the fact that the bad guy is rotten to the core. 

There is a bit of instalove. It's not as bad as in other stories, but the relationship develops in a jumpy sort of way that makes it seem like the characters involved go from hating one another to having deep affection with no middle ground to see that change shift. 

The storyline was good, the plot was intriguing, but it also seemed like there were a lot of plot points that made it seem like multiple underdeveloped plotlines were going on together and I can see that getting confusing for readers who aren't planning on finishing the book in just a few sittings. It can also make the book itself come across as never ending with so many twists and new plot points popping up seemingly out of nowhere. 

My last note isn't a gripe about the story, but it is a comment that some people might be able to relate to, I am a big fan of the television show  "Frasier" and because of that, it makes it difficult to read or hear about anyone named Maris without picturing the forever unseen character from the sitcom. 

Aw well, I got used to it, and anyone else who may be in the same boat will too soon enough after they start reading. 

Review Week Day 1 | "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

This week's review is over a book I read all the way back in July! I know. Running a little late. Luckily I had very strong feelings about the book and of course took some notes, so I'll still be able to let you know what I thought of  "The Night Circus". Of course, before I get into my thoughts, here is the book's Goodreads description:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called "Le Cirque des Reves," and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway--a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

This book came out a few years ago and was automatically being raved about as a must read for people who loved Harry Potter. While I had always been interested in the book, I put off reading it until this year and I have to admit, I wish I had read it sooner! I loved this book! It was a quick, magical read that threatened to distract me from my Camp NaNoWriMo duties in July (fun fact, the first draft of this book was a NaNoWriMo project). 
Now, that's not to say the book was perfect, and as much as I loved the book, there were a few things to note:
The book succumbs to the need for there to be a love triangle/jealousy to force certain plot points, even though that cliche has been used to death and is really no longer necessary. 
The entire story centers around a competition of sorts that only is explained in bits and pieces and can sometimes seem confusing based on how the book is told (switching back and forth between a few different time periods). 
The story can seem to drag on a bit, focusing on world building and developing the circus attractions. If you read the book in a sitting or two, it's fine, but if it takes you longer to get through the book, I can see some parts being tedious. 
Sadly, so much focus is on building the circus that some of the characters are a little flat and underdeveloped. Not to say you don't care about anyone as a reader, I just didn't find myself caring for everyone the way I wished I did, personally. 
If you read the description, the synopsis puts a heavy emphasis on "true love" and the romance intermingled throughout the competition, but that doesn't make a huge appearance until much later. Yes you can see the characters noticing each other and becoming intrigued with one another, but they don't show their feelings until further into the book and so the description relying so heavily on it is a bit of false advertising that the book doesn't need. 
It's a great story. It's so much fun and like a magical fairy-tale for adults (though younger readers can definitely read this as well), I recommend it to people who like and are looking for a gothic magical fix.

Review | "Sweet Evil" by Wendy Higgins

This is yet another late review over a book that I read months ago, but aside from wanting to review it anyway, I had a much different opinion than more people after finishing this book and wanted to share my thoughts.
Before I get into those thoughts, though, here is the book's Goodreads description:

Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns? 

I first heard about this book just as it was coming out a few years ago, but never got around to ordering it, and eventually it slipped to the back of my mind. It wasn't until after the second book came out that I really started to hear things about the trilogy. A lot of people loved it, some people considered the series a "guilty pleasure" others said it was surprisingly "steamy" for a young adult novel, but over all, everyone seemed to enjoy the story. The books themselves are relatively inexpensive, and after months of debate, I finally ordered the first book to give the series a try.
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. 
Now, that doesn't mean I hated it. I gave the book three stars and didn't give up on the book halfway through, but I also donated it as soon as I finished and removed the other two books from my to-read shelf. 
I had quite a few issues with the book, so I'll try to keep them as concise as possible, though there will be some spoilers. Nothing extreme, but some details:
Anna was a bland character for me. Her personality was described in a way that read very much like a filler character, which is not good if you consider that she is the narrator of the story. She also doesn't make the wisest decisions about self preservation (she goes running in a strange place all alone).
The dialogue was forced and didn't always fit with the plot (example: at one point Anna says something about making a lot of bad decisions when the amount of bad decisions is three. Now, three bad decisions isn't great, I suppose, but it's not "a lot" if you take into account what those decisions are and the character's apparent lack of getting in trouble her whole life etc.).
Kaiden came across less like a suave Casanova character and more like a leery creep. 
The love scenes are written in a very choppy manner that made the the equivalent of cinematic shaky cam scenes. This probably doesn't bother everyone, but it's something that gives me a headache to make sense out of.
The book pushes the  "He didn't take advantage of me when he could have, so clearly I'm in love with him and he's perfect" ideal which is tiring. I realize Kai is half lust demon, so it's probably extremely difficult for him not to do so in the book's world (which is shaky justification, but I'll let it slide), but he wasn't being prince charming, he was being a decent human being.
The character Scott apparently has a reputation for being a creep who likes slip girls drugs to take advantage of them, however, that doesn't fit with how long rumors went around about Anna. By the time the next year rolled in, the school should have been talking about Scott and another girl, not Scott and Anna and what happened at the beginning of summer party.
There is some word redundance.
The book, for me, started out not great and made its way to almost good by the end, however that wasn't enough to make me want to buy the other books. Perhaps I'll finish the trilogy one day, but it will definitely be a "borrow" series for me, and not a "must purchase".

Review | "Cry Sanctuary" by Moira Rogers

This week's review is over the first book in the "Red Rock Pass" series by the writing team that makes up Moira Rogers (the same writing team that is responsible for the Kit Rocha "Beyond" series).
This review is, again, a few months in the making, so before my review, here is the book's Goodreads description:

Keith Winston is tired of fighting. The war between werewolves and wizards rages on in Europe, but he's come home to Red Rock, Montana in hopes of finding a bit of peace. Instead he finds more strife as he struggles against the pack’s dictates that he resume his place as the alpha’s right hand man.

When he rescues a new wolf on the run, he knows his instant attraction to her could cause trouble. What he doesn't expect is to find himself embroiled in another battle that goes against all his instincts—and his heart.

Abigail Adler learned about the existence of werewolves only when she became one. With her life is threatened by a corrupt alpha, she flees to the only sanctuary she knows: Red Rock. While she’s grateful for the pack’s protection, she chafes under its unbreakable rules of conduct—except when it comes to submitting to the passion Keith stirs in her.

Then her tormentor kidnaps her sister in an attempt to lure her out of hiding. To save her, Abby and Keith must be willing to do the very thing that could get them all killed—break all of the rules.

I read this book in July when the authors announced that the first books in all their series (Kit Rocha included for those of you interested) would be available for free in ebook format. Now, the Moira Rogers paranormal romances are hit or miss with me. 
This is more of  miss. 
While I gave the book three stars, it wasn't my favorite by them. The sex seemed thrown in and didn't fit with the build up and afterwards the characters had a forced element to them. Like their interactions were trying to be natural and the dialogue was unnatural at times. Somehow the storyline rushed before things could develop as intricately as they could have been, but the book seemed to drag.  
Since the book is available for free, I recommend it if you're interested in reading something from these authors. Do I personally think I will continue with the series? Probably not.

Review | "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer "The Lunar Chronicles #2"

Today's review is a few months in the making. Luckily I have my notes from my reading so I can still review my thoughts even if it's been a few months.
Since this review will be over the second book in a series, there will be some spoilers for "Cinder" so I advise you to click out of this review if you haven't read that book yet and you would like to.

As always, before I get into the review, here is the book's Goodreads description:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

After absolutely adoring Cinder, I was extremely excited to jump into Scarlet and over all, I wasn't let down! I do have a couple notes to keep in mind though that kept the book from being perfect. 
The relationship between Scarlet and Wolf doesn't make sense, and by that I mean it's rushed. Part of that is due to the fact that this book follows mainly five characters' perspectives whereas the first installment only followed Cinder and Kai- which allowed them more room in the book to interact and blossom a relationship. The way the story progressed didn't allow the reader to see them evolve as characters and so it seems abrupt. The reader might feel like they've missed something because, while the end game is predictable, you don't get to see the entire journey the characters took in their own minds to get there. This isn't a big problem as it's certainly not the first book to do something like this, but it is a plot point the reader might almost have to turn a blind eye to. 
There are a few chapters thrown in randomly that follow characters other than the five main perspectives. This serves to let the reader know what is going on throughout the storyline, and that makes perfect sense, but it is also a little confusing and choppy feeling to never see those perspectives come up again during the course of the book. 
In the end, I think that if you liked Cinder, you'll enjoy this book as well. The new characters are a little stubborn and might be difficult to like in the beginning, but they grow on you and I am extremely excited to see where the series goes.

Book Review | "Isla and the Happily Ever After" by Stephanie Perkins

This week's review is over one the books I had most anticipated for 2014, the conclusion to the "Anna and the French Kiss" companion trilogy: "Isla and the Happily Ever After"! This book, as most fans of Stephanie Perkins know, was originally supposed to be released in 2012, then 2013. In a blog post by the author, she explained why the book was taking so long to be released, but it still made the anticipation almost unbearable!
Anyway, I'll get into my thoughts, but first, here's the Goodreads description:


The café is boiling. The atmosphere is clouded with bittersweet coffee. 
Three years of desire rip through my body and burst from my lips: “Josh!”
His head jolts up. For a long time, a very long time, he just stares at me. 
And then…he blinks. “Isla?”
Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on brooding artist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And, after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer break, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to face uncertainty about their futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
Set against the stunning backdrops of New York, Paris and Barcelona, this is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching and irresistible story of true love, and the perfect conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series. 

I will admit, while being an absolutely adorable book, it wasn't my favorite in the series. That place is still held by Anna, followed by Isla and ending with Lola. My main issue with the story was the communication between Isla and Josh. This is one of the only young adult stories I've read where two characters like each other, tell each other that fact and start a relationship without a whole mess of conflict getting in the way first, which is a plus. However, it seems like after that their communication goes out the window. 
Yes, it's believable, but only to a point. They're in a relationship for a reason, and I found myself wanting to somehow reach into the book and shake some sense into both of them. Nearly all the conflict in this book shouldn't be there, and wouldn't be there if the characters would just TALK to each other. 
I didn't exactly buy the insta-love and wish we got to know Josh and his feelings for Isla a little bit better so his side of the relationship didn't seem forced into existence. 
Isla, while endearing and adorable, seemed to push the limits of quirky a little too much (she is constantly tripping over things and falling down which stops being cute and starts seeming like the fact that she's "a little strange but in a cute way" is being played up too much). 
There were a few cliche` elements that weren't necessary, but didn't exactly take away from the story and are only faults if you begin to really break the novel down. 
Also, the timing of the book is a little confusing. It is supposed to be set during the same time period as Lola's book, but it's not. It's set up to make it seem like it's taking place the year after "Lola and the Boy Next Door" which, in turn, throws off details from "Anna and the French Kiss".  Again, that's a pretty minor issue, but it is something I noticed.

Ultimately, I think the story could have been tweaked to perfection, but it's also understandable that writing the ending to your first series, one that's so beloved, can be an extremely trying task for an author. While it could have been better, I still loved the book and wholeheartedly recommend the trilogy.

Book Review | "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones

I'm back with another book review! Finally! My last review dates back all the way to August, if you can believe that. I took some time off to study for exams I just finished with at the end of October and in doing so I've collected quite the list of books I need to review, so I'll just get right into my review over this week's book, "Howl's Moving Castle"- the first book in a series, though it can be read as a stand alone.

A lot of you may be familiar with the animated film adaptation of this book, but I went into the story only having heard some great things about it on Booktube, and I can't disagree with what all the reviews have been saying! 

Before I get into my thoughts more in detail, here's the book's Goodreads description: 

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye. 

This book was a lot of fun to read. It's typically classified as being middle-grade, though the main character is in her late teens and Howl is in his twenties, but something about the whimsical nature of the book, the innocence of the adventure, makes it a very good choice for younger readers as well as older readers who are just looking for something light. 

Now, that being said, I did have a few (though some rather minor) issues with the book, and here they are:

I'm not sure if the author intended for this book to be a middle grade story from the start, which would explain the word redundance and the tendency for some phrases to be written very simplistically. However, older readers might find that writing structure a little annoying, at least at the beginning of the book. 

A large chunk of the book passes without much plot development. That isn't necessarily a complaint, because I was still entertained by those passages, but it could have been trimmed down a bit so easily bored readers don't put the book down because it lacks action. That being said, the characters didn't seem to develop that much during those times where the story wasn't moving along. Neither independently, nor in their relationships to each other which is a little disappointing. A story that could have been more or less entirely character driven was pushed ahead by the magic and fantastical setting over the people living in the world. 

Also, the ending seemed rushed. It was thrown together in a way that seemed a little too silly. 

I wish the author would have spent less time on the more "boring" moments and elaborated the characters and the stories ending a little more.

All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am interested in what the rest of the series has in store.