Review:Spirits of Glory

Spirits of Glory 

by Emily Devenport

Published by:Smashwords

Released on:October 24th,2010

Pages:

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One morning the people of the North woke up and the people of the South were gone. That s the first thing every child learns on the colony world of Jigsaw. But for one girl, knowing about The Disappearance is not enough. Hawkeye wants to know why.

That's why she spent half her life researching The Disappearance. And that's also why eight Neighbors show up on her doorstep, demanding that she accompany them into the Forbidden Cities ruled by the Southern gods to speak with the Spirits of Glory. Everyone thinks Hawkeye is an expert on Neighbors, these almost-humans who move, talk, and think as if they were born inside one of the Time Fractures. But she can't imagine what they want to ask the ghosts of their ancestors, or why they need her to go along. The Southern gods caused every human inhabitant of the Southern cities to disappear overnight : what else might they do?


But the Northern gods say Hawkeye should go and her curiosity won't let her refuse, even though she's going into more danger than she can imagine. Pain and puzzlement wait along the broken interstate, along with scavengers who want to kill them all. Hawkeye's questions only generate more questions as they move farther and farther into the South, right into the heart of the Disappearance, until Hawkeye's questions have all been answered.

Even the ones she was afraid to ask.
*I received a copy for review, thank you Ms.Devenport!*


The main character is Hawkeye as everyone calls her. The one thing I admire about her is her selflessness. I love that she looks out for her animal friends and I thought it was incredibly adorable. There was also some romance and I approve of the guy Hawkeye likes. I also liked the spiritual aspect.The Neighbors are a huge role in the story. And no they're not actually like next door neighbors. They're kind of like messengers for the gods.  Anyways this story was really good and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars! Ms.Devenport has a nice writing style where you don't have to add in 10 words to a sentence to be more descriptive.Check it out on smashwords.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins

Published by:Dutton

Released on:December 2nd,2010

Pages:372 Hardcover

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Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

     Ok so I know it took me about a year to read this but I finally have, and boy was it fantastic! Anna and the French Kiss was the perfect mixture of romance,comedy,and finding yourself story. Anna was a charming main character. I found a couple of similar qualities between us.Let me just say I loved the tiny snippets of french history and the words! I seriously wanted to jump on the next plane and read the story while walking through the Paris streets to get the feel! And St.Clair.....what else do I need to say? He was just a ball full of hotness! Some production company should pick this up because it would be a fantastic movie! The bottom line here, I rate this 5 out of 5 stars!It was so great and  I will at least need to read this book once a year!

Have a fantastic week!

~Ashlinn

Review: A Creature Most Foul

Nikolas and Company:

A Creature Most Foul by Kevin McGill

Published by:Aero Studios

Released on:September 26th,2011

Pages:394 e-book

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"The Rones lie about their true intent. They enter the city of Huron at the peril of us all. Save me."
Every steward has a city and every steward hears the voice of the city. Fourteen-year-old Nikolas Lyons has heard the voice of Huron and she will change his life forever.
Nikolas and company are transported to a time when Earth is tethered to the fantastic world of Mon – or as we have come to call her, the Moon. He learns that Mon is filled with fire-breathing winged lions and volcano born nymphs and magic so thick you can breathe it. But not all things are grand and beautiful. While aboard the Mottled Craw and in route to Huron, Xanthus is infected by a mysterious creature. It is not long after Nikolas understands that his friend's infection and the evil brought on by the Rones are one and the same. Never one for responsibility, Nikolas finds himself tasked with finding a cure for a dying Xanthus, while protecting the city of Huron from the mysterious creature most foul.

First 100 Page review here.

*I received this copy from the author but that does not affect my opinion.*

  Nikolas is an adventurous 14 year old boy who goes on the adventure of a lifetime with his friends,brother and grandfather. Their mission is to find Huron and help the people but along the way find themselves sidetracked by various events. Nikolas was a likable character as well as his friends. I liked the idea of the book as well but it wasn't what I had expected even though I reviewed the first 100 pages, some things were changed.

 If I were to describe the story I would say it's a little Zathura(movie with Josh Hutcherson) with some Avatar and Greek mythology and a lot of other original factors. If you have read my first 100 page review you know that Caroline(one of Nikolas's friends) was my favorite character and still is. I rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's a lot of adventure but it was a little to sci-fi much for me, but still at least check it out! Thank you Kevin and Aero Studios!

Have a great day and have a happy holiday!

Ashlinn

Review: Happy Birthday To Me Again

Happy Birthday To Me Again by Brian Rowe

(#2 Birthday Trilogy)

Published by: CreateSpace

Released:September 22nd,2011

Pages:291 PDF Form

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Cameron Martin has a huge problem: he’s aging a whole year of his life with each passing day… again. And this time... he's going backward!

When Cameron proposes to his beloved witch of a girlfriend Liesel, he thinks life can’t get any better. But when he reluctantly breaks off the engagement just days before the wedding, Liesel angrily unleashes another curse on the unlucky guy, this time making him age backward, from eighteen, all the way to zero.

Making matters worse, Liesel mysteriously disappears, leaving Cameron with no options, except watching himself rapidly shrink into a helpless child. Will Liesel be able to save his life again? Or will Cameron ultimately fall prey to his girlfriend's wicked spell? 

Happy Birthday to Me Review here

   Cameron is back again ,but with another problem, instead of aging to 80 he's aging back to 1 years old. Lisel, his girlfriend has to once again save him but with her haunting past and Cameron's own mistakes its going to be hard. I liked this book probably more than the first one. For a couple reasons; 1.Cameron has matured as well as other characters. 2.We get to learn about Lisel's past. And 3.Love story! There's not much to say about this book because I don't want to spoil it but it was a very good read and try and check out the first book!I rate this 4 out of 5 stars!

Have a great week!

~Ashlinn

Review: Twisted

Twisted by Sara Shepard

(#9 Pretty Little Liars Series)

Published by:Harper Teen

Released on:July 5th 2011

Pages:305 Hardcover

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It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually.

*I Would not recommend reading this review if you have not read the first eight books my review of the first eight can be found here.*
  
  I'm so glad that I finally got to Twisted. I was kind of waiting to read it when the show came back on but I decided to just read it! As many of you know I am a big PLL fan and I was excited to see new books but like many others the question is why?And what will it be about, but Sara Shepard created a great story.


  Basically after a trip to Jamaica the girls have made a huge mistake that for me was also a shocker. Twisted is set in the present but with the flashbacks from Jamaica which are really important. The more I read, the more I loved the girls. Each one of them have their own individual story and mistakes which makes it interesting. Bottom line; loved it!I rate this 5 out of 5 stars! Ruthless(#10) will be out December 6th 2011! I can't wait!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Ashlinn

I made a Twitter!!Link here

 

   

Review: Happy Birthday To Me

Happy Birthday To Me
by Brian Rowe

(#1 Birthday Trilogy)

Released by:CreateSpace

Published:April 11th,2011

Pages:322 Paperback

Buy here

Seventeen-year-old Cameron Martin has a huge problem: he’s aging a whole year of his life with each passing day. High school is hard enough; imagine rapidly aging from seventeen to seventy in a matter of weeks, with no logical explanation, and with prom, graduation, and the state championship basketball game on the horizon. That’s what happens to Cameron, a mischievous pretty boy who has never had to face a day looking anything but perfect. It starts with a slowing metabolism, followed by gray hair, wrinkles, and heart palpitations. Within days his girlfriend dumps him, his plastic surgeon father forces him to get a facelift, and his terrifying high school librarian seduces him to have sex with her. All he wants to do is go back to normal, but no one, not even the best doctors, can diagnose his condition. When he finds love with a young woman who may or may not be an all-powerful witch, he realizes that the only hope for his survival might be with the one person who instigated his condition in the first place...
  
WOW!!!Such a great book with a great storyline. I didn't know exactly what this book would be like. It kinda reminds me of 17 Again with Zac Efron which I liked so that's not a bad thing! Anyways Cameron was a likable main character; he's outgoing, funny, arrogant, like many teenage boys.But he doesn't stay like that the whole story and I was impressed with the character he became. I also really like Lissel the young woman who puts the curse on him. I really am happy that they're together because I always am a fan for happy endings and this book has one. Bottom line I rate this 4 out of 5 stars!Check it out and make sure to check out my review on Happy Birthday to Me Again when I post it! Thank you Mr.Rowe for the opportunity!

Have a great day,

Ashlinn

In My Mailbox #7 and Week Recap!

** In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a great way to showcase the books you've gotten over the week, whether they are bought, borrowed or free. **

This week I got 2 books from the library. 

Yay for Anna and the French Kiss!!!

 Yay!

I'm going to do a recap of this week(and part of lasts.)

Starting with what I read:

Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins

Farsighted by Emelyn Chand

If I Stay by Gayle Forman 

Happy Birthday To Me by Brian Rowe

Twisted by Sara Shepard
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Reviews:

Farsighted by Emelyn Chand

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Coming Soon:

Review for Twisted, Happy Birthday to Me Again,and Anna and the French Kiss.

Have a great week!!

Ashlinn

Review: If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published by:Dutton Juvenile

Released:April 9th,2009

Pages:199 paperback

Buy here

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make -and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
 Review
   Coming into this book I didn't know what to expect. I thought it would be depressing and talk about her recovery but it wasn't....at all...this book has it's own special quality.

   Mia loves her family so much and she has so many other great things in life; a caring boyfriend, a best friend, and a ride to Julliard with her cello. But all of it is taken away in an instant and Mia is left to figure if she wants to stay with the other great people in life or go somewhere else. Mia was such a lovable character and truly one of my favorites out of all the books I've ever read. I think I love her so much because I find similar qualities between us. It's heartbreaking to know that what happened to her can happen to any of us at any time especially at times where we don't want to go. I thought it was interesting the way the author explained where Mia was. Catholics believe you have heaven, purgatory, and hell. But the way the author described was different and enjoyable. You could call it an out of body experience for Mia. She was floating in between all of it. 


  This book was beautiful and one of my new favorites I rate it 5 out of 5 stars. It's a sad story but filled with happiness, comedy,and love. I'm very excited to see what Where She Went is like.

Have a great day and always tell your loved ones you love them!

~Ashlinn

  

Review: Farsighted Blog Tour

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Published by:Blue Crown Press

Released on:October 24th,2011

Pages:218 ebook

Buy here

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future

*The author did send me this to review but opinions are all my own*

Blog Tour Notes-

THE BOOK:  Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t.  When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).
THE CASH PRIZES:  Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That’s right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.
THE GIVEAWAYS:  Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.
THE AUTHOR:  Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
MORE FUN: There’s more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

Book Trailer

Review-

  As the summary explains above, Alex the main character, is blind and has supernatural "abilities."  Alex was an interesting type of character, I liked him at times and at others I didn't. The one quality I admired was that he didn't just want to mope around all day, he went out, and he made friends. Simmi is the love interest of the story and I really like her personality. I also thought it was really sweet that she didn't care if Alex was blind, she still liked him.

  The conflict in the story is that Alex has a vision that Simmi might die. Alex is scared out of his mind and has to put together all the pieces to figure out who the killer is and when it will happen. About half the story is about putting the pieces together and when they finally did it ended in a way I didn't think it would. What I mean by that is that I thought the book was going to end and we don't know if Simmi really does die, but  they found the guy and it really was a mistaken identity. It's very hard to explain for those who haven't read it. 

  Overall I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out for yourself because its a story you've never heard before! Thank you Ms.Chand for the opportunity and check out all the info above for a chance to win a prize of $100!!

    

 Have a great day!
Ashlinn
P.s. More reviews will be coming!

Review: Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

(#3 Hunger Games Series)

Published by:Scholastic Press

Released:August 24th,2010

Pages:390 Hardcover

Buy here

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

*Spoiler ALERT!*

  So this book has taken me months to finish and I'm so glad I finished it.(And I'm also sick so I thought I should just finish it!) All I can say is WOW it was such a sad but yet good ending. I'm still trying to collect all my thoughts on how I feel about it. Ok so now onto what I disliked and liked.

   The reason it took so long for me was because it was soooo slow in the beginning and I couldn't get into it. Second problem with the book; what is with all of the deaths? I mean Prim, and Finnick!! I was so upset about their deaths because she kind of just said well Finnick dies because of the crazy mutants end. of. story. I was like what....all I gotta say is Collins dismissed many of the deaths in the story.


  Now onto a positive note. I was truly surprised in a good way that she ended up with Peeta. It really was a nice ending to know that everything turned out well. But do I think Katniss truly deserves Peeta, no I really don't. But they make each other happy and balance each other. I feel like Katniss and Gales relationship would have been very toxic and chaotic. I don't know, just my opinion but it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if she ended up with Gale?


  Overall I love this series and am sad to have it end for me but I think it ended perfect.I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I won't be forgetting Katniss's story anytime soon. It taught me to never take anything I have for granted and to always spend time with my loved ones, to always have strength in the toughest times, fight for your beliefs, and to never take life for granted.ever. 

Happy Reading,

Ashlinn