Shadows

Rating: 4 out of 5

Favorite Quote: “I know exactly who I am. It’s everyone else who seems to be having a problem.”

Summary:  It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn.

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?

Fast-paced and gripping, Shadows, the first book in the Rephaim series.

Review: I started reading this series because I craved a book that involved angels/demons.  I don't know what it is about these type of story-lines, but they always seem to pull me in. I was a little nervous because the cover seemed a bit off. (I know. I know. We aren't suppose to "judge a book by its cover", but we all do it anyway.) It wasn't that the cover was necessarily ugly or bad, it just didn't seem to fit with the summary.

Don't worry, I sucked it up, and after reading a few chapters, I was like "Okay. Yes. Yes. I'm getting into it." The author does a great job of setting up the main character and establishing the mundane world before introducing the angelic world. Most books have a few chapters or a chapter where the protagonist is living out their everyday, normal life, but unlike other novels, I didn't feel rushed. I got to know Gaby, understand how she sees the world, and create my own opinion about her.

I especially  appreciated the way Gaby's special "amnesia" played into the plot. Although,  Gaby was learning and exploring this new world with us, she had a history with many of the characters.  This allowed for a greater build-up of suspense, and allowed for an overall more satisfying story.

Last. but not least, the characters. If you have read any of my past reviews, you have noticed the emphasis I put on the importance of solid literary personalities. Gaby was easily relateable without being  too unrealistically good.  As much as I liked her, Raffe was my favorite character in this novel.  I thoroughly enjoyed his complexity. At first, he seemed to be nothing more than stereotypical bad guy turned good, or bad boy with a heart of gold, but after finishing the novel, I see that giving him such a vapid label would be a cruel injustice.

Chapter One - Continued

...Here’s the thing, when I died I didn’t see a great light, my favorite memories flash before my eyes, or anything earth-shatteringly cliche like that. What I saw, well, I don’t really remember. Truth be told, the whole thing is a little fuzzy. I get bits and pieces, but most of what I know about the whole ordeal comes from what my family has told me. Simply, one day my heart just stopped beating. I was in English class, like any other Tuesday. I felt the corners of my mouth turn up as I admired Mrs. Merlyn's one yellow wall. Though it was littered with tons of inspirational quotes, photos of famous authors, and pages of books you could still see the sunny, lemon paint underneath. It was like the color refused to be drowned out by all the chaos, and instead built upon it. A perfect metaphor for a happy existence--appreciating the imperfections, letting them be a strength rather than a weakness. Maybe I was crazy for thinking a wall could mean so much, I preferred to believe I was a keen observer that saw what others didn’t take the time to see. Brought back to the present by the deep voice of the audiobook Mrs. Merlyn played as she graded the test she had forgotten to look over this past weekend, I heard the not-so-soft voice of Olivia Dunham behind me, telling her friend Margaret about her “puke-worthy” first date with some guy she had met at a club a week prior. I rolled my eyes. Girls. Why were they all so dramatic? Then nothing. Apparently, this was the point in time my lifeless body fell out of the sad wooden excuse for a desk and onto the dirty classroom floor. I think that’s called irony. Anyway, after waking up from that traumatizing experience in the E.R., I found myself in a hospital room. It was standard as far as hospital rooms go. There was a bed, a old, crappy tv, an uncomfortable-looking chair, two doors, and bland, beige walls. At first, I was thoroughly confused. Was that nightmare not a nightmare at all? Why was I in the hospital? What the hell happened? Where was the bathroom because I really needed to pee? Before I had the chance to get my mind together, one of the doors opened, and an ebony face popped out from the other side.

“Well, look who is awake, the walking dead,” said a rich voice tinted with a bit of laughter.

“Hi,” I tried to say, but it sounded a bit weak, which worried me.

He stepped into the tiny space, and I got a better look at him. Dressed in scrubs, he had a shaved head, high cheekbones, and deep chocolate brown eyes that seemed to know things I’d never understand. His pearly-whites were on full display, offering warmth and cheer at an otherwise frightening time.

“Don’t talk too much. You are still recovering. Nice to meet you though, I’m Darren,” he grabbed the clipboard at the end of my bed, “I’ll be your nurse until eight. If you need me, click that button to your left. I’ll take your vitals, answer any questions you may have, and unless you need me, you won’t see me for another half-hour.”

I nodded my head.

Darren did his thing, fast and efficient, but gently as though not to hurt my fragile state. I asked him what had happened to me, and he explained it calmy.

“I can’t tell you much. All that I know is that when the ambulance arrived, they thought you were dead. They couldn’t find your pulse. They tried reviving your heart, and it seemed to work, but your heartbeat was still weak. Dr. Karver’s the specialist. He told your parents that he didn’t know what was wrong, but that something needed to be fixed. That kind of stuff doesn’t just happen, you know. Anyway, they ran a few tests. Apparently you had coronary artery abnormalities. They took you into surgery and fixed you right up. A damn miracle if you ask me,” he down looked at me and smiled again, “Excuse my french.”

I gave him two thumbs up and a smirk. He then took off his gloves and patted my head. When his hand made contact with my hair everything turned to black.

First & Then

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Favorite Quote: "Close your eyes, real tight, and then count to three hundred. That's all you have to do. You just count to three hundred, and when you open your eyes, five  minutes will have passed. And even if it hurts or things are shitty or you don't know what to do, you just made it through five whole minutes. And when it feels like you can't go on, you just close your eyes and do it again. That's all you need. Just five minutes at a time."

Summary: Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive jock, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them--first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

With wit, heart, and humor to spare, First & Then is a contemporary novel about falling in love--with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

Background Noise: I find that I listen to music a lot when I read, and I feel it can greatly enhance the reading experience. For this particular novel, I found myself listening to the Acoustic Spring playlist on Spotify. Check it out!

Review: I honestly don't know where to start. When I picked up this book, I expected it to be another cutesy love story that made me smile, but didn't stick with me for long. I expected it to get me through a few mindless hours and offer a bit of entertainment. What I didn't expect was how much I enjoyed this book; I simply devoured it. The writing was absolutely fabulous, almost poetic, and the characters were pleasantly dynamic. It has been a while since I have read a story where I have found myself captivated by even the simplest of appearances from characters/personalities that barely rank as minor. Mills has a gift for creating realistic, multi-dimensional beings. Devon, the protagonist, is commendable but not perfect. The author doesn't try to portray her as the epitome of good or beauty, but as someone who has flaws, knows them, and accepts them. Devon also has a life of her own; her mind doesn't just revolve around her love life, and she evolves not through her relationships with her romantic interest, but with her relationship with her cousin, Foster. I guess it has just been awhile since I have read a novel where the main focus was not on a protagonist's romantic woes. (Don't get me wrong, I love those books, but it nice to have a change of pace every once in awhile.) Foster, was an equally fascinating character. In the beginning, I thought he be nothing, but the sad, peculiar kid that needed a little kindness and understanding; however, as the book progressed, you see how strong he really is. As for the rest, I can not really put it in to words. I guess you will just have to read it and find out. 

(By the way, hope you had a great Easter!)

A Little Update

I'm currently working on a schedule for posting. I've been complete crap, but I have made the decision to commit to this amazing activity because it brings me immense joy. To hold you over until I have everything sorted out, I'm leaving you with a snippet of something I wrote recently. If you guys like it, I might consider writing more. Have a great day or night!

Chapter One

My body is completely frozen, and I feel as though each of my limbs have been superglued to the surface below. I hear voices and strange noises all around me. Metal clangs together softly, momentarily drowning out the constant, ominous beeping of what I can only guess is some kind of machine. I want to open my eyes, but I can’t. My eyelids refuse to budge.“Dr. Karver, her parents have just arrived.” My parents? What are they doing here? What am I doing here? Where is here? Horrible thoughts and questions flood my mind; I can feel my heart beating so fast...too fast. Then, there was nothing.

------------------------------------

My name is Eloise Garner. Before you ask, there really is nothing very special about me. I’m smart, but not enough for it to really mean much. I love to read and I even write a little, but that’s not very original. As if my fate wasn’t already sealed, I’ve been blessed with middle child status. Bernard, my older brother, splits his time between “developing computer software” and taking too many mixed martial art classes. Bertie’s that weird breed of human that has the ability to humiliate someone using their fists or their intellect. Don’t get me wrong, in high school, he was a total nerd whose only friends were those that appeared on the screen of his favorite role-playing games. Then he met Riven, a guy who thinks all that it takes to be “cool” is to have a stupid name and some bad manners, at Walmart while picking up some tortilla chips for nacho night. The two of them have been inseparable ever since. Sarah, my younger sister, is the epitome of everything sunny, cheerful, and good. She volunteers at the local retirement center three times a week, is an active member of every stupid club, and is the worship leader of our small youth group. I kid you not, words flow out of her mouth like silk. There isn’t a person in town that doesn’t think Sarah is the kindest, holiest thing to ever touch earth. Now me, I’m the sarcastic introvert that spends her free time tucked beneath a blanket, a book in hand. Of course that’s not all that I do, I also watch tv, and sometimes I might hang out with a few of my friends. Overall, my life is a ball of fun, and at this point, you’re probably wondering why you are even still reading this? You remember that little paragraph from before? It was the one that described some dark, terrifying scene. Yeah, that one. That wasn’t just some story meant to trick you into turning the page. That happened to be the day I died.

Ugly Love

Ranking 4 out of 5

Favorite Quote: "But then I met you, and every single day since then, I've wondered how someone could be so beautiful if there wasn't a God. I've wondered how someone could make me so incredibly happy if God didn't exist. And I realized...just now...that God gives us the ugliness so we don't take the beautiful things in life for granted."

Summary: When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn't think it's love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her. 

Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all. Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.

Review: I decided to read this book because I've liked every novel I've ever read by Collen Hoover. Plus, this particular story had a pretty high rating on goodreads, and I heard something about it being turned into a movie. I just love being able to go see a movie and tell all of my friends "I read this book." (It makes me feel so smart! My friends also love spoilers so I get to have all the power!!) Before I go into anything about this book, I just wanted to let you all know that it contains some sexual content. It was for this specific reason that I was afraid of reading it, but I told myself "Hey! Got to try something new, right?!...." However, after reading it I can assure you that, if you aren't into that sort of thing, all you have to do is skip over those few pages/parts. (You won't miss anything that connects drastically with the plot.) 

Okay, to move on... This book was surprisingly good. I was kind of shocked by some of the inspirational content. (*My favorite quote.*) At moments, it left me smiling blissfully and other times I was just like...dang.... 

The story switches point of views, but not in the way you would expect. You'll read a chapter from Tate's point of view in the present and then the story-line switches to Miles point of view where he tells the story of his past. I really liked this aspect. In most contemporary romance novels nowadays one or more of the main characters will have suffered from a catastrophic event or set of events, but the reader isn't really made aware of the details of these events/event. That is what is so great about Ugly Love. You get to live through the WHOLE backstory of the darker character (which I appreciated immensely). Honestly, this is what made the book for me.

Besides that, I'd have to say, it was nothing spectacular. It is a typical romance novel without any quirky tidbits or unique plot twists, characters, settings, themes...(*other literary terms*) Even with that said, you should definitely give it a read. It's a good book and it may surprise you. (In a thumbs-up-way not a thumbs-down way!) 

Side Note: I'm taking book recommendations. If you have found an amazing read...or you wrote one. (Even if it is on Wattpad. Because I love Wattpad.) Hit me up! Oh...and also if you have any suggestions for songs I adore listening to music while I read!

Personal Demons

Rating: 2 out of 5

Favorite Quote: I walk up right behind Frannie, where she's sitting near the door, in time to hear her say, " You know what, Tay? Go to Hell," and I smile, because I think it's cute that she's inviting her friends along.

Summary: If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be? Are you sure about that...? Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance. Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul. But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.

Review: Ugh! The summary of this book sounded so good, and really pumped me up, but I was highly disappointed. The characters were just...bad. Frannie, the mainish character, was so wishy-woshy. By the end of the book I had no idea who she was as a person. At one moment she was this sweet and nice girl, but a paragraph later and she would be a complete princess. Overall, she just was not the solid character needed to lead a good book. Then Gabe, the tempting angel, was completely flat. He was solely the "good force" and was beyond boring which is really sad considering he was supposedly fighting for the affections of a "kick-butt" protagonist female. The only decent character was Luc. Luc, a demon sent to tag Frannie's soul for hell, was pretty hilarious with his bad-boy banter, but towards the end he started to become just as boring as Gabe. If it was that bad why did I give it a two? Well, despite everything, there were parts of the book I enjoyed....and I finished it. (That's got to count for something, right?)

Slammed

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Favorite Quote: (It is really the letter at the end, but that gives too much away. Don't worry though this quote is extra long and equally as good.)

"Sometimes life gets in your way. it gets all up in your damn way. But it doesn't get all up in your damn way because it wants you to just give up and let it take control. Life doesn't get all up in your damn way because it just wants you to hand it all over and be carried along. Life wants you to fight it. Learn how to make it your own. It wants you to grab and ax and hack through the wood. It wants you to get a sledgehammer and break through concrete. It wants you to grab a torch and burn through the metal and steel until you can reach through and grab it. Life wants you to grab all the organized, the alphabetized, the chronological, the sequenced. It wants you to mix it all together, stir it up, blend it."

Summary: Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Review: This book gave me some serious feels.  I mean, throughout the whole book my feelings resembled a rollercoaster. The plot is so full of twists and turns that enhance the reading experience, but it also makes it very difficult to write a review without spoilers. For this reason I am just going to do an overview of some of my favorite characters:

Lakeyn: Lakeyn is a magnificent protagonist. In the beginning, she lives in this pit of immaturity and hatred, but by the end of the book she turns into a strong woman.

 Will: Ugh…and Will. Will starts out being the simple boy-next-door; however, as the story progresses we learn how truly multidimensional he is.

Lakeyn’s Mom: I was extremely skeptical of Lakeyn’s mom in the beginning of the book. To be honest, I got the feeling their relationship would take a dark turn towards the end, but I was totally surprised! Lakeyn’s Mom instead inspires Lakeyn to take a hard look at her life and decide what matters. She also gives some insightful and powerful views on “life”.

Eddie: I absolutely loved Eddie. She is the epitome of the perfect best friend. She is extremely loyal, honest, deep, and just plain amazing. (Very descriptive right?)  Despite her outward appearance, she is a very kind and gentle. She also supplies Lakeyn with much needed support, as well as, a new perspective.

Read it! You won't be disappointed!