Review: The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

When a mysterious piece of jewelry and a strange visitor arrive in the jewelry shop where she works for her evil aunt, Lucinda's course takes a surprising turn. With the help of the Amaranth Witch, a young (and harmless) con-artist, and a prince, Lucinda uncovers secrets about her own royal past. A strong seller in hardcover, this original fairytale marks an exciting debut from a lyrical new voice


My Review: A sweet re-telling of the Cinderella story with a few twists.  Lucinda is an orphan being raised in her Aunt and Uncle's jewelry store.  Her Aunt (the wicked step mother) treats her horribly and Lucinda dreams of the days she remembers of living with her parents, who died when she was very young.  When a strange women arrives with a magnificent pearl, everything begins to change.
 
Lucinda is a sweet girl that is perfect as a Cinderella role.  She is just innocent enough without getting overly sappy and washing out her personality.  She doesn't always make the right choices, but tries her best to make up for the mistakes she makes along the way.  With the Amaranth Witch to help guide her to a better future, Lucinda may just find a new and better place for herself in the world.
 
Buy it now:
 
Barnes & Noble: The Amaranth Enchantment

Nook: The Amaranth Enchantment

Book Review: Thornspell by Helen Lowe

Thornspell by Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince who is destined to wake the enchanted princess in this lush, romantic fantasy-adventure.

Prince Sigismund has grown up hearing fantastical stories about enchantments and faie spells, basilisks and dragons, knights-errant and heroic quests. He'd love for them to be true—he's been sheltered in a country castle for most of his life and longs for adventure—but they are just stories. Or are they?

From the day that a mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, Sigismund's world starts to shift. He begins to dream of a girl wrapped, trapped, in thorns. He dreams of a palace, utterly still, waiting. He dreams of a man in red armor, riding a red horse—and then suddenly that man arrives at the castle!

Sigismund is about to learn that sometimes dreams are true, that the world is both more magical and more dangerous than he imagined, and that the heroic quest he imagined for himself as a boy . . . begins now.

My Review:  Prince Sigismund has grown up sheltered and protected while his father's kingdom is at war.  He has fallen in love with all the stories of enchanted creatures and heroes rescuing princesses.  Then one day it all becomes real.  A not-so-chance encounter with a sorceress sets events in motion that will change his life forever.

Hearing the tale of Sleeping Beauty from the prince's point of view was fantastic.  He wasn't a hero, but had to learn how to be one.  With several teachers to help him along the way, he must face powers that he could never imagine, even after reading all the old tales.  He finds himself drawn to the enchanted forest, a place that is forbidden to all.  When he discovers that his dreams of a princess trapped in the forest are all real, he knows what his destiny is.

Sigismund is not perfect, and this is one of the many things that makes the story so good.  He is trustworthy to a fault and has to learn that not everyone is what they seem to be.  Caught up in events that seem to be spinning out of control, and taken away to fantastic realms that are not his, he learns the lessons and skills that it will take to save the princess.

The resolution had everything you ask for in a fairy tale, along with a few extra surprises thrown in to keep things a little interesting.

Buy it now:
Paperback: Thornspell
Nook: Thornspell

Book Review: In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton

In the Forests of the Night: The Goblin Wars, Book Two by Kersten Hamilton - The Goblin Wars Book Two

About the book:

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

My thoughts (may be spoilers if you have not read book one - I try to keep them to a minimum)
Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it back to our world and out of Mag Mell - along with some friends and with some knowledge of Teagan's past that they all could have done without.  The Dark Man is still on her trail, but is trying to be more persuasive, by trying to go after Teagan's friends and family.  When the group finds themselves back in Mag Mell on a search to stop the growing goblin inside of her.

While I enjoyed returning to Teagan's world again, I had a much harder time following this story than the first.  There were more "main" characters, and they each had their own agenda.  On the other hand, they each brought out a little more of the old mythology which I absolutely loved.  This book seemed to fall into the trap that many second books in a series seem to do - it was more of a wrapping up of loose ends and setting the stage for more than a story that I could really get into.  I'm hoping there's a third book still.  I love Teagan, and all her family and friends, there just need to be a little less going on in the background.

3/5

Invisible by Jeanne Bannon - Pump Up Your Books Tour - Review

About Invisible

Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that…
For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.
Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.
Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too…
Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power.
A coming-of-age story that will warm the heart.

About Jeanne Bannon

Jeanne Bannon has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years. She began her career as a freelance journalist, then worked as an in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada. Jeanne currently works as a freelance editor and writer.
Jeanne’s had several short stories published and won first place in the Writes of Caledon Short Story Contest. Her novels, The Barely Boy and Dark Angel were finalists in the 2010 and 2011 Strongest Start Contests. Another of her short stories “Thom’s Journey” is part of an Anthology entitled A Visitor to Sandahl and is available at Amazon.com.
Invisible, Jeanne’s debut novel, is about a teenage girl who isn’t happy with herself and wishes she could disappear. And one day she does. Invisible is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and the Solstice Publishing website.
When not reading or writing, Jeanne enjoy being with her daughters, Nina and Sara and her husband, David. She’s also the proud mother of two fur babies, a sweet Miniature Schnauzer named Emily and Spencer, a rambunctious tabby, who can be a very bad boy.
To learn more about Jeanne, visit her at her website www.jeannebannon.com
You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter

My Thoughts:
Pros: I fell in love with the characters from page one.  Lola and her friend Charlie have bonded throughout the years and have become best friends.  They have helped each other survive school through bullying and poor family situations.  Lola is large - very tall and slightly overweight, making her a prime target for bullies at her high school.  Her family doesn't understand her and the only people she feels comfortable around are Charlie and her Grandma Rose.  The relationships between all the characters may sound simple, but they are very complicated and beautifully written.  As Lola and Charlie find a way to deal with bullies at school using her ability to disappear, I was a bit disappointed but the after a couple twists and turns it was much better.

Cons:  Too short.  There were some places that seemed to get glossed over that I wanted to know more about.  I wanted to seemore involving Grandma Rose and and definitely more about Charlie.  While Charlie seemed to play such a large part in Lola's life, I felt like I never really got to know her.

Overall:  It needed a little filling in, but a great story about growing up and learning to love yourself for who you are.

Giveaways, Contests & Prizes!

In celebration of Jeanne Bannon’s new release, she will be appearing at Pump Up Your Book’s 1st Annual Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party on December 16. More than 50 books, gifts and cash awards will be given away including an one paperback and one e- copy of Invisible! Visit the official party page here!

 

Invisible Tour Schedule

 

Monday, December 5th
Spotlight at The Plot

Tuesday, December 6th
Character Interview at The Plot

Wednesday, December 7th
Review at Reviews From the Heart

Thursday, December 8th
Guest Post at InkyBlots

Friday, December 9th
Review at In-Interest
Review at Live to Read

Monday, December 12th
Review at WV Stitcher

Tuesday, December 13th
Interview at Pump Up Your Book

Wednesday, December 14th
Review at Review From Here

Thursday, December 15th
Review at Jasmyn’s Reviews

Friday, December 16th
Review at Mad Moose Mama

The 58th Keeper by R. G. Bullet - Pump Up Your Book Tour - Review



The 58th Keeper is the story of a boy called Archy Bass, who stumbles upon a mysterious and powerful relic. The moment he touches it, two warring forces race to find his whereabouts. One side thinks he’s simply too young and too inexperienced to keep it, and the other just want him dead. The 58th Keeper is a roaring trip that takes the reader on the most wonderful and hair-raising scenes imaginable. R. G. Bullet pulls out all stops in hisdebut novel to deliver an incredible journey with unforgettable characters. This book will resonate with you for ages past the last line.

About R.G. Bullet

R. G. Bullet was born in Berkshire, UK. After living in nine different countries he has finally settled in Miami Beach, USA. He is addicted to tea, reading, writing, motorbikes and shamefully, Call of Duty. His middle grade debut novel: The 58th Keeper has just been released.
To learn more go to: http://www.rgbullet.com/
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RGBullet58
and join the fan page for the latest updates and fun competitions
https://www.facebook.com/rgbullet#!/profile.php?id=100002401835900




My Review:
Archy Bass has found himself in an unusual situation.  On a trip with a friend from school, he thinks he's just buying a souvenir, but ends up becoming the 58th Keeper of the Shroud.  Now the shroud has quite a few very special abilities, including making the user invisible and flying.  At first Archy doesn't realize what he has, and when the Kurul, the bad guys, send their best after him he wonders if it's all worth it.  He finds out that in order to keep the shroud and the title of Keeper, he must pass a series of tests, none of which will be very easy.  But he just might be able to do it with the help of a couple friends.

Pros: The action in The 58th Keeper was fantastic.  I had a very hard time putting it down without finishing it.  There always seemed to be something just about to happen.  Archy is a fantastic main character with just the right mix of good intentions with adolescent mischief.  Throughout the story he grows and develops into a young man that is willing to take on a great responsibility.  My favorite part of the story was the Time Quest.  I don't want to say to much and give away too many details, but it was the meat and potatoes of Archy's development.

Cons:  There wasn't much about this story that I didn't like.  I wish I had seen a little more development in Archy's friends and learned more about the history and purpose of SOTS, the keeper's helpers.  I would have liked to see a little more descriptive of the places Archy visited.  Now, since this is young adult story, I don't exactly expect to see an abundance of scenery, but it still seemed a little light in that area.

Overall:  A great story that I hope ends up being turned in to a series.  I loved Archy and reading about his adventures with the shroud.  The perfect story to get wrapped up in.

The 58th Keeper Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

Monday, December 5^th
Book spotlighted Broowaha
Book reviewed at D’Ambrosia Arts
Tuesday, December 6^th
Book spotlighted at Books, Products and More!
Wednesday, December 7^th
Book spotlighted American Chronicle
Thursday, December 8^th
Book reviewed at Joel Andre’s Blog
Friday, December 9^th
Interviewed at Blogcritics
Tuesday, December 13^th
Interviewed at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection
Wednesday, December 14^th
Book reviewed at Jasmyn’s Reviews
Thursday, December 15^th
Book reviewed at Mad Moose Mama
Book reviewed at The Road to Here
Friday, December 16^th
Book reviewed at Community Bookstop
Guest blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner
Saturday, December 17^th
Book reviewed at Everyday is an Adventure

Revengeful Heart by Chrys Phillips - Pump Up Your Book Tours - Review

About Chrys Phillips

Chrys Phillips debut book series, Magic Wars Books is available worldwide. She is a successful playwright with many of her plays being performed in full scale theater and musical productions. When not creating her books, screenplays and theatre scripts, she can be found shopping for her favorite accessories, spending time at Australian beaches and/or traveling the globe to attend her public speaking & writing events. She’s a self-proclaimed chocolate and movie addict.
Her latest book is the YA urban fantasy, Revengeful Heart.
You can visit her website at www.magicwarsbooks.com. Visit her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/magicwarsbooks and Facebook at www.facebook.com/magicwarsbooks.
You can visit Chrys Phillips author/public speaking web www.neversaycant.yolasite.com

About Revengeful Heart

ITS A WICKED RUN OF LOVE ~ SECRETS ~ REVENGE ~ HEARTBREAK AND FEAR…ONE TASTE AND YOU’LL BE BEGGING FOR MORE!
Can a broken heart be mended? Are soul mates destined to be together no matter what forces try to keep them apart?
Lakeview exists…it’s a humble pleasant place to live…but amongst its scenic surrounds immortals are dwelling some are evil enough to haunt and horrify you for eternity and others are loving and full of heroic actions. Would you befriend them? How would you know who’s who?
Teens Rick, Miki & CJ attend Lakeview High and live their teen lives with their secret loves and school hassles…evil is arriving and their lives are never going to be the same! Who wins? Who cries? Be warned its a wicked ride…of hope, tears, strength, power, love and dangerous choices filled with deception, betrayal and tenderness!
AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/Revengeful-Heart-Chrys-Phillips/dp/1935670522/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318743583&sr=8-1
BARNES AND NOBLE
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/revengeful-heart-chrys-phillips/1102407147?ean=9781935670520&itm=1&usri=revengeful%2bheart
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48889
ITUNES
http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/revengeful-heart/id443151936?mt=11


My Thoughts:
Pros:  Revengeful hearts has a great storyline.  Three teenagers, gifted with special powers, are given the task of saving their small town - and possibly the world - from evil from beyond the Universe.  The three have a very realistic relationship with other that reminded me of my time in high school (minus the evil beings out to ruin everything).

The story was split into parts with each one telling the tale of potential disaster that the three must fight.  Each story features a new enemy and familiar friends that help in their own ways.  The concept of revenge and love scorned runs throughout the entire book and helps to hold the stories together.

Cons:  I thought long and hard before writing this part.  There were things that I just had a hard time with in the book that really had nothing to do with the actual story.  There were quite a few places that I hard a time reading because the punctuation and grammer wasn't correct.  This made it a difficult to read through parts without having to go over them to make sense of the section.  I think that if this story was given another editting job that it could really take off.  Each part of the book gets better and easier to read.

Overall:  Revengeful Heart is definately worth the read if you can adapt or ignore the errors.  Once I got into the right frame of mind to skip over them I really enjoyed it.

Giveaways, Contests & Prizes!

In celebration of her new release, Chrys will be attending Pump Up Your Book’s 1st Annual Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party on December 16. More than 50 books, gifts and cash awards will be given away including an e-copy of Revengeful Heart! Visit the official party page here!



Book Review: Escape Velocity by Robin Stevenson

Escape Velocity by Robin Stevenson

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Pages: 240
Acquired: 10/18/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: First Reads
Series: No

Lou is a teenager living in Alberta with her father, and she's miserable. She has no life, no friends, and her father's deteriorating health and prescription drug addictions are driving her mad. Her mother, a famous poet and author, left minutes after she was born. They reconnected when she was a older, but things have happened since that makes it difficult for them to speak to each other. When the unthinkable happens and Lou's dad ends up in the hospital after a stroke, she is shipped off to live with the mother she hardly knows. Lou decides to make the best of the situation and tries to figure out why her mother left. She is convinced the answer will be found somewhere in her mother's writing, but the conclusion Lou draws is not a happy one.

Lou rubbed me the wrong way. The author seemed to be trying to make her optimistic and hopeful, but it just didn't seem to come across the pages right. She had few original ideas and it often seemed like she just didn't get it - any of it. The situation between her and her father seemed extremely unrealistic and I had a hard time relating to them. The strain between Lou and her mother really held the story together for me. With both of them trying to figure their lives and themselves out, they keep missing what really matters most in their relationship.

I saw most of the final twist coming, but it was a bit more dramatic than I anticipated. The book ended nicely for me - it left things open to continue in the imagination, but closed enough to give me resolution.

3/5

Book Review: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

Descended By Blood by Angeline Kace

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 252
Acquired: 10/14/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it:
Series: The Grym Brothers (1)

Brooke Keller isn't your typical high school student. After a lifetime of moving from place to place, she has finally found a spot where she feels at home and belongs. But when strange things start happening, she's afraid to tell her mother and find out they have to move again. Now by strange things, I mean really strange. She "talks" to a mountain lion that attacks her on a hike and realizes that a man is stalking her - trying to kill her. After the attempt at her life, her mother finds out of course, and then a whole new set of strange things begin. She finds out that she is a vampire, and it turns out that she is a very special one. She teams up with a group that is determined to keep her alive and help her adjust to her new life.

Brooke was a good character. She was sufficiently "freaked out" by the strange turn of events her life had taken. She is at once disgusted at her new way of life, and wanting to embrace her new powerful self. She adjusts quickly, but in a way that makes the story real and involving. She finds herself torn between her old life and her new one - torn between her high school love and the vampire hunk that is trying to help her. The attempts on her life continue and she has the choice to embrace her new life and powers or be killed. A wonderful, quick read that I recommend to fans of urban fantasy.

3.5/5

Book Review: A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Acquired: 09/29/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: 2011 Book Battle Long List
Series: No

This is the story of two girls and how they changed each other's lives. Charlie Duskin lives in the city, but even though she is surrounded by people she always feels alone. Her savior from this loneliness is her music. She plays guitar and sings, and she's actually quite good at it. It's too bad she's too shy to show anyone else her talent. Rose Butler lives in the country, next door to Charlie's grandfather. She is always with her best friends and never seems to stop having fun. But Rose wants to leave, she feels stuck in the country and want to go to a good school in the city.

The girls never really hung out together until this year. This year everything was beginning to change for both of them. And even though they don't even realize it at first, neither could have gotten through it without the help of the other. Both sets of eyes are opened to new experiences and new ideas.

This was a very touching novel of friendship. heartache, and rolling with the punches that life can throw at us. Told in alternating perspectives, it was fascinating to see the same situations from two points of view. The author wrote this in a way that wasn't jarring or interrupting to the story. This is definitely a must read book.

5/5

Book Review: Close Kin by Clare B. Dunkle

 

Close Kin (The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy #2) by Clare B. Dunkle
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 224
Acquired: 08/09/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Series
Series: The Hollow Kingdom (2)

We met the sisters Kate and Emily in the first book, Hollow Kingdom. Their life since the joining Goblin society has been "uneventful." They both have their jobs to do, although those jobs would seem strange to most humans, and have made a place for themselves in the underground kingdom. However, Emily is getting older, and as a human woman, the Goblin King is not so patiently waiting to see which of his subjects she will choose to marry. Everything goes a little crazy when Seylin, a friend Emily made in the first book, proposes and Emily doesn't even realize it! Completely offended and heartbroken, Seylin leaves the kingdom to try and find his ancestors, the elves. Once Emily realizes that Seylin has left and what she did to him, she sets off to find him and bring him back.

I still love Emily's character and I really wish we had seen more of her in this book. From the description, I thought it would be about half about her and half about Seylin. While Seylin was very heavily featured, Emily really lagged behind in coverage. Seylin is a very interesting character, but I didn't see him really grow or develop much here. I'm afraid that the second book in The Hollow Kingdom just isn't quite as good as the first, which is a trait I find quite often in series. I'm still going to try and read the third, but it will have to wait until I get some extra spending money.

3/5

Book Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Acquired: Library Book
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: 2011 Book Battle
Series: Blue Envelopes (1)

Ginny has a mission....a mission enclosed in 13 blue envelopes given to her by her Aunt with specific instructions on when and where she is to open each one. After much internal and parental debate, Ginny sets of on a grand adventure that begins in London. As Ginny works her way through the letters, Europe, and a steady stream of extremely helpful strangers, she begins to see her Aunt through different eyes and gains a better understanding of herself.

I really liked Ginny. She was shy with strangers but outgoing once she let you into her world. As she traveled and interacted with new, and sometimes very strange, people Ginny discovered that she was capable of doing so much more than she originally thought. A journey that Ginny first thought was all about "discovering" who her Aunt was, turns into so much more.

I enjoyed this book up until almost the very end. The places and people were engaging and lifelike. Even in what would normally be a mundane scene, the author managed to write in a way to bring out the excitement and anticipation that Ginny must have been feeling throughout the whole story. Now, the very end was a little different. I was all set to have things wrap up nicely and, well, end. But the story is set up for a sequel, which I didn't realize when I started. The ending wasn't cliffhanger enough to make me jump out of my seat and rush off to the library, but it was enough to leave me feeling frustrated that I couldn't just move on. Perhaps that was the point, and it's quite possible I would feel differently if I had known there was a book 2 going in.

3.5/5

Book Review: All Good Children by Catherine Austen

All Good Children by Catherine Austen
Genre: Distopia, Young Adult
Pages: 312
Acquired: 09/07/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: LTER

Series: NoneMax, Ally and his mother live in a city called Middleton. Middleton is one of the few places left in the US with a decent school system, safe streets, healthy people, and little crime. But the administrators of Middleton think it could be even better. What if they found a way to get rid of misbehavior in children. Now, we're not talking about just the big ones like arson and fighting, but even the little ones, like giggling in class and expressing an opinion. As this is slowly taking effect on the children of all ages, few seem to speak out against it. Max's mother is one of those few and they begin to hatch a plan to escape from the city.

While, our main character is Max, I fell in love with his little sister Ally. Not the brightest in the bunch, she makes up for it in pure personality. Max, a fantastic graffiti artist, seems to be going through a fairly typical teenage angst stage that didn't seem overly original. The supporting characters tended to remain fairly flat throughout the book until they were effected by the new behavior "cure". Then they just turned into what Max calls zombies....a very appropriate name.

The plot centers around Max and his family and a few of his friends, especially his best friend Dallas, and their lives as they make plans to escape without being zombified. The plan they hatch is intricate and simple at the same time and keeps the story moving as we watch the town slowly become more and more suspicious of the family. There were times when the story seemed to drag a little, but perhaps that was done on purpose to show you how hard it was for the family to make it through. As a concept the story was amazing.

3.5/5

Book Review: The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks

Th Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 416
Acquired: 08/29/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: NetGalley
Series: None

Tobias Vandeveld is in a bit of a bind. He's woken up in the hospital with no idea how he got there or what happened the night before. His mother is furious, the doctors are confused, and the police are involved. Apparently he spent the night in a dingo pen.....naked. Now his friends find this to be the best story of the year (they don't know about the naked part), but Toby and his family are getting concerned. They have been visited by a priest and a rather surly looking man, who claim that the reason for Toby's strange night is because he's a werewolf. Toby's mother flips out, what good mother wouldn't, and tells them both to leave before she calls the police. Of course no one really believes that Toby is a werewolf. But then the story continues and for once, Toby's mother is proven wrong.

Toby is your typical almost delinquent young teenager. He hangs out with the local boys and occasionally gets into trouble, but for the most part he's not too bad. But this whole werewolf thing really throws him for a loop. As much as he doesn't want to believe it, it all starts to make sense. His life takes a turn for the worse, when Toby is abducted by werewolf hunters and held in a secure underground cell. His friendships are tested and his mother is highly upset when it all comes out in the end.

The story was a great read with a "realistic" twist. If you were a werewolf in real life, there's a good chance this is how you would have to life. I enjoyed that part very much, it wasn't too fantastical. The story is told from Toby's point of view which has its pros and cons. It's great getting inside his had and watching the pieces fall into place, but at the same time I felt like I was missing out on a lot of the other characters. They just seemed a little flat to me.

3/5

Book Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep



Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Acquired: 08/19/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Giveaway Win
Series: Mythos Academy (1)

Gwen Frost is a gypsy. What does that mean? It means that she comes from a family with strange magic-like powers. In her case, she can seen the history of items and people just by touching them. It means that her power turned her life upside down and led to the death of her mother. It means that she has been uprooted from everything she know and sent to Mythos Academy, a school for the decendants of ancient mythical beings such as valkyries and Spartans, where magic and destiny are commonplace. But Gwen doesn't fit in. She just wants to go back to her old school and her old way of life.

But she needs to come to terms with the fact that her life will never be normal again. It all begins when the most popular girl in school, a Valkyrie named Jasmine, is brutally murdered in the school library. Gwen feels that like she is the only one that seems to wonder what really happened and may have found a use for her power after all, except now it doesn't seem to be working the way it should.

I loved Gwen. She was upset and lonely, but there was always a good reason for her emotions and actions. There was no random brooding moments. Throughout the story she begins to feel more like she belongs in some ways, and like she belongs less in others. She finds friends and allies in unusual places and she becomes quite the detective...her mother would be proud.

The mystery itself was quite engaging. The hints to solve it were scattered expertly throughout the story and it all linked up very nicely at the end with an ending that was suprising only in the fact that you didn't figure it out sooner. I will definitely be adding the next book to my wishlist.

4/5