Book Review: My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace

36330412Book Title: My Whole Truth
Author: Mischa Thrace
Series: N/A (Standalone)
Publication Date: October 2nd 2018
Genres: LGBT, Mystery, Young Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Seventeen-year-old Seelie Stanton never wanted to kill someone. She never wanted to be invisible in her own family, never wanted to crush on her best friend Alyssa, and she definitely never wanted to know how effectively a mallet could destroy someone’s head.

But the universe doesn’t care what she wants. Shane Mayfield doesn’t care what Seelie wants either. When the former high school basketball star attacks her, she has no choice but to defend herself. She saved her own life, but she can’t bring herself to talk about what happened that night. Not all of it. Not even when she’s arrested for murder.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: The Romantics by Leah Konen

29917071Book Title: The Romantics
Author: Leah Konen
Series: N/A (Standalone)
Publication Date: November 1st 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Gael Brennan is about to have his heart broken when his first big relationship crumbles on the heels of his parents’ painful separation. Love intervenes with the intention of setting things right—but she doesn’t anticipate the intrusion of her dreaded nemesis: the Rebound. Love’s plans for Gael are sidetracked by Cara, Gael’s hot-sauce-wielding “dream girl.” The more Love meddles, the further Gael drifts from the one girl who can help him mend his heart. Soon Love starts breaking all her own rules—and in order to set Gael’s fate back on course, she has to make some tough decisions about what it means to truly care.


I totally forgot to publish this blog post from last month, my bad. But I guess now is the perfect time to do it since the e-book version of The Romantics is on sale for $2.99 on Amazon! That’s a very good deal, if you ask me.

 

MY THOUGHTS

The Romantics was so much fun to read. This is not an ordinary contemporary romance book because the story here is narrated by Love himself? herself? itself. Love is humorous and likable, and transitions into different moods appropriate for the situation so I really got the feel for the story. Love also wants the reader to see the best in every character here no matter how douche-y they have acted. Honestly, I think Love being the narrator is the best thing about this one because, come to think of it, if this was narrated by one of the characters, this book may have been a cliche one. And I really doubt that I’ll have enjoyed that.

Another great thing about this book was Sammy; I just love her. She is such a genuine character and I adore her enthusiasm for both chick flick and horror movies because I am a fan of those myself. I’ve actually finally watched the movie, When Harry Met Sally because Sammy mentioned it, and I enjoyed that movie so much it landed on my favorites.

I also need to mention that I appreciated that the flow of events here weren’t perfect. I just love that in books. It adds more thrill to the story that I am just all for.

Overall, I found The Romantics very enjoyable. As a fan of the genre, I really recommend you check this one out especially since the e-book is super cheap right now.

Book Series Review: Slated #1-3 by Teri Terry

Welcome to my first book series review! This post will consist of reviews for all three (3) books in the Slated series by Teri Terry. This would not contain any spoilers but if you haven’t read Slated, the first book, I suggest you stick with the first part of this post only, just in case. Same goes if you haven’t read Fractured, the second book, I suggest you stick with the first and second part of this post only. 😉

My general view on this series is pretty positive. I liked this one and I recommend this if you’re a fan of dystopia!


12743472Book Title: Slated
Author: Teri Terry
Series: Slated #1
Publication Date: May 3rd 2012
Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance – as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

MY THOUGHTS

I have no idea as to how I can write a coherent review because I literally have zero notes. I usually take down a couple of notes when reading so I can easily write a review afterwards. For this one, however, I became too absorbed in the story to that. Well, here goes…

Stating the obvious, I really enjoyed this one. I think that the beautiful cover and the intriguing blurb set very suitable expectations for the book. The overall plot was good; it always kept me wanting more. The concept of being Slated, wiping all memories for those under 16-year-old lawbreakers, is interesting. I also think that Kyla’s dreams are really thought-provoking, as it may provide clues to the mystery of who she was before being Slated.

I warmed up to Kyla, our main character, despite her being dull at times. She has been Slated after all, and she has the Levo which prevents her from having extreme emotions so I understood why her character can seem dull.

The only thing that kept me from giving this book a 5-star rating is that I feel like the end was anti-climactic. I was actually surprised when I flipped the page and all I saw was the acknowledgements. But I suppose that’s understandable, there are two more books in the series, anyway. Also, the thing between Kyla and Ben feels a bit insta-love so that kind of turned me off. Other than that, Slated was a great read which I flipped through very quickly because I really got immersed.


13490543Book Title: Fractured
Author: Teri Terry
Series: Slated #2
Publication Date: April 4th 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Perfect for fans of the dystopian settings of The Hunger Games and Divergent, the gripping second installment of the Slated trilogy is a riveting psychological thriller set in a future where violent teens have their memory erased as an alternative to jail.

Kyla has been Slated—her personality wiped blank, her memories lost to her forever. Or so she thought. She shouldn’t be able to remember anything. But increasingly she can—and she’s discovering that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life and wants her help, she thinks she’s on her way to finding the truth. But this new knowledge lands her in the middle of a tug-of-war between two dangerous adversaries, and despite her misgivings about both of them, she’s forced to choose a side for her own protection.

MY THOUGHTS

I really like the first book so you better believe that I have a heck of an expectation for this one. Fractured met the said expectation, for the most part.

This is the part of Kyla’s story wherein she regains her stolen memories, find out what happened. Because of that, I kind of got annoyed at Kyla sometimes because of how stubborn she can be. I guess she’s just curious in nature but sometimes, what she’s doing is just borderline stupid.

As I anticipated, there was a lot going on here. Like information dump. I liked getting to know more about who Kyla was before. There were plot twists, some I saw coming but some not at all. I actually cried in a certain part of the book, for a certain character. It’s just so heartbreaking, it really had me going.

But as you can see, I rated this one star less than what I’ve rated the first book. Why? I’m not really sure. Maybe because this didn’t leave much of an impact on me as the first one. Maybe I was looking for more about certain characters. But I still really enjoyed this.


17901410Book Title: Shattered
Author: Teri Terry
Series: Slated #3
Publication Date: March 6th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Kyla is in danger from both the government Lorders who erased her memory and the terrorists who tried to use her. So now she’s on the run. Sporting a new identity and desperate to fill in the blank spaces of her life pre-Slating, Kyla heads to a remote mountain town to try to reunite with the birth mother she was kidnapped from as a child. There she is hoping all the pieces of her life will come together and she can finally take charge of her own future. But even in the idyllic wilderness and the heart of her original family, Kyla realizes there is no escape from the oppressive Lorders. Someone close to her may be one of them, and even more frighteningly, her birth mother has been keeping secrets of her own.

In this stunning series finale, Kyla finally finds out who she really is, and the road to this discovery, and to deciding who she wants to become, is full of dangerous twists and turns that will keep readers riveted.

MY THOUGHTS

It took me like, what, three days to finish this one. It’s not even the book’s fault. I had to put it down a few times because of the TV shows I’m so obsessed with (which you can read about here). Anyway, when I did pick this book up to finish it, I stayed up late reading. Like I-can-see-hints-of-sunrise-from-my-window late.

Since this is the last book in the Slated series, I’m really curious as to how it will conclude so I was really excited. The pacing was great throughout the whole book. There’s a great balance between information-centered and action-packed scenes. Still, the plot twists leave me shocked and the ending was actually alright for me.

Although I did tick off 2 stars because I was getting bothered by how Kyla still appears to be a bit of a dry character despite having her Levo, the device that prevents her from having extreme emotions, taken off. And I didn’t like the slight love triangle in this. Not at all. Oh, also, I really craved more of Aiden’s character. Other than those though, it was a great finale for the trilogy.

All book cover photos and book info (such as summary, publication, etc.) are taken from Goodreads.

Book Review: The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson

40511582Book Title: The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
Series: N/A (Standalone)
Publication Date: July 26th 2018
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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‘I will never forget the night I drowned…’

A village with something to hide.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanor Parker wakes up cold and alone in the river that twists through her quiet village. She has no memory of how she got there. But she does know that another girl was drowned in the same river the summer before, held under the water by an unknown killer…

A community torn apart.

Eleanor is a normal, every day teenager. She argues with her mum, spends her days with her best friend, and is looking forward to a carefree summer of sunshine and music. Who would want to hurt her?

A shocking secret.

Determined to unlock the mystery of what really happened to her, Eleanor can’t escape the feeling that something awful links her to the previous summer’s murder. But will she find out the truth before it’s too late?

A gripping and extraordinary coming of age novel that will make you question everything and keep you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars, Looking for Alaska by John Green and hit TV show Riverdale.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

MY THOUGHTS

From reading the book’s synopsis on Netgalley, I pretty much hit the request button instantly. This is pitched as a perfect book for fans of We Were Liars, Looking for Alaska and the TV show Riverdale. Well, I’m a fan of all three of them so that bold claim, coupled with the very intriguing premise, I really thought that I would love this one. That I did, to some extent.

Eleanor Parker, or Ellie, is our main character here. She has been through a lot, with people gossiping about her brother, not being able to eat or sleep, having no recollection of what happened to her, and not to mention that the person who tried to drown her was still out there. But she is just really dull for me. It’s kinda hard to sympathize with the character when she lacks emotions and just goes on about stuff that I couldn’t care less about. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike her. I just couldn’t bring myself to care much for her.

There were also certain times in the book that, for me, felt like dragging. You know what I mean? Like, even though I kept reading, I kept wondering where the fun bits were.

Anyway, what I loved about this book though was the unpredictability. You know me, I try hard to act like Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew whenever I read or watch mysteries. I over-analyze each situation, thinking that it may be a clue to be one step closer in uncovering who the culprit is. But this book. I did not expect the plot twist here.

Overall, The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker was a fun read. Although I wasn’t really biting my nails for the mystery in this one, I sure was blown away by the plot twist.

Book Review: A Study In Shifters by Majanka Verstraete

36684173Book Title: A Study In Shifters
Author: Majanka Verstraete
Series: The Adventures of Marisol Holmes #1
Publication Date: June 26th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Seventeen-year-old Marisol Holmes may be the great-great-great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, but it’s hard to live up to the family name when only one mistake can spell your downfall. After trusting the wrong guy in a case gone totally wrong, Marisol convinces the Conclave, an underground organization of detectives solving supernatural cases, to give her a last chance to prove her worth, and maybe even heal her broken heart.

After all, as a half-blood jaguar shifter, Marisol is uniquely qualified to solve this murder—and every scrap of evidence points toward the culprit being a fellow jaguar shifter. But is one of her own people involved, or is this all a ploy to kick Marisol’s mother off the shifter throne?

Then Marisol discovers her best friend, Roan, is missing, and maybe the killer’s next target. The stakes just got higher than political intrigue. Just when things couldn’t get worse, Marisol’s ex-boyfriend-turned-nemesis, Mannix, starts leaving sinister clues for her. Marisol fears this case might be far more personal than she could’ve imagined.

It’s time for Marisol to prove her worth, or her people could fall into chaos while her best friend loses his life.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

MY THOUGHTS

If you know me, you know that I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. So when I came across this on Netgalley, I did not hesitate to request. I knew that I would like this but I didn’t expect to have enjoyed this as much as I did.

I love the mystery with a paranormal twist. I think it’s quite unique to incorporate paranormal elements to a descendant of Holmes. The mystery element in the book is great; tested my brain and really made me think. When I thought I got it all figured out, BAM, a plot twist would appear. The plot twist at the end especially was absolutely amazing and took me completely by surprise.

The main character, Marisol Holmes, is fairly easy to like. She is a half-blood, half human and half jaguar shifter. Despite being a Holmes, Marisol was often affected by her strong emotions, thus committing mistakes. But no one’s perfect, right? I also liked how Marisol has a Sherlock Mode, where she abandons all emotions to focus on facts for solving cases. Aside from that, Marisol also has her inner jaguar and she kind of grew on me.

However, I sometimes get the feeling that I’m reading the second book in a series where I haven’t read the first one. I had to check Goodreads just to make sure that this is indeed the first book. I think that the book could have done with maybe a bit more background of what happened in the Big Betrayal, not just a quick explanation about it. I would also like a bit more about Roan. 😉

I really enjoyed reading A Study In Shifters because the author did a great job in combining mystery and paranormal, and creating a great main character. I’m really looking forward to the next in this series!