Review ~ The Island - Jen Minkman

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 1st June 2013

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Description:
‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall.
Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.
I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

My Opinion

It was the description, combined with the cover that drew me to this novella. I mean kids taking care of themselves, on an island, which is separated into two classes that are divided by a wall and a strange man washing ashore causing Leia to question everything she has been told and grown up with sounds interesting right? However in my opinion this novella did not live up to the description and for me there is more detail in the description than in the actual novella.

I read a lot of reviews complaining this book is Star Wars 'fan fic' so I was slightly hesitant to start this once I saw the reviews. I have never seen Star Wars so I cannot compare this novella to the movies but I know enough to see where people have got these views from. First of all the main character is called Leia, there are references to 'The Force' and then mentions of Luke. However that's as far as my knowledge stretches though so for me the Star Wars thing was not an issue. I did think how some of the characters believed the book to be true was an interesting concept.

The major the thing I had an issue with in this story was the fact I feel the description has more detail than the actual novella. Everything just seemed so rushed and it caused the writing to become jumpy and disjointed as rather than moving from one scene to the next seamlessly the writing just seemed to abruptly change with little detail. It was a common case of telling the audience rather than showing them and I think most of this was down to the restraints of it being a novella. There just wasn't enough time to develop anything in the amount of detail I would have liked.

As well as this because of the lack of detail I didn't really engage with any of the characters as there was a lack of development and a lack of any real emotion described. The speech felt a bit stiff and unnatural and seemed to move the plot along rather than develop relationships. It just didn't appear believable to me. I hate to say this as I really wanted to like this novella as the description sounded so good but I just could engage with it at all and it was only due to the fact it is a novella did I finish it. If it had been longer I think I would have had to given up.

Overall I was pretty disappointed with this novella. The premise was good but due to the restraints of it being a novella it left a lot to be desired for in terms of description, character development and plot line. 

Review ~ Born in Flames (Born in Flames Trilogy #1) - Candace Knoebel

Ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Published: September 6th 2012 by 48fourteen

ASIN: B0096PPK4Q

Description

Red mirrored scales race up my arms as the haze of pain blurs my vision. My bones crack, breaking to realign. I scream. It is then that the realization of my unavoidable fate sinks in; I am of a dying race. I am dragon.

Aurora Megalos, orphaned and teetering on the edge of adulthood, thought finding her past would curb the sting of being an outcast. Having no memories of the time before she awoke on her foster mother’s doorstep, she yearns for the emptiness inside her to be filled. With her fellow orphaned best friend, Fenn, by her side, she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. But something powerful stirred within her that she couldn’t explain. Something wanted out.

In the dark of night, a crazed Seer, dubbed Mr.Creepy, erases everything she’s ever known with an impending prophecy. She now faces two paths. Return to her true home to protect a dying race against a growing evil, or stay hidden in the safety of our realm with a shot at a true love. With a vengeful Arch Enemy stopping at nothing to see her dead, she’s running out of time; a decision must be made. What would you choose?

My Opinion

I first saw this book when I entered a giveaway to win a copy. The beautiful cover caught my eye and the dragon concept intrigued me. Sadly I didn't win so when Candace Knoebel offered me a chance to review the book - when I took part in a cover reveal for the sequel - I was quite excited and jumped at the chance to accept. 

Recently I have started to read more and more dragon themed books and I'm starting to get into them. Born in Flames presented an interesting concept with Aurora not remembering anything from her previous life in a different world. You get thrown straight into the action which did confuse me a lot as no description of who everyone is, is given and so it was hard to make out what was going on. However the book did remain at a fast pace and even though people aren't cleared up until the end it did add to the over all mystery as you follow Aurora's journey of discovery. It also helped me feel like I was finding stuff out with her rather than being a few steps ahead.

The plot line in Born in Flames was constructed and structured well however the book could use a serious edit as beside the numerous grammatical error there were a few continuity issues. This left the book either contradicting previous events or forcing me to re-read bits to check whether the information really had been stated for example, at one point Aurora tells Fenn a letter that has just been read out mentions him directly by name but when you read the letter it does not. It not only confused me but ruined the overall finish. Other times it could do with an edit to avoid repetitive sections that seem to go over the same information with unnecessary detail. I must admit I did skim some parts as I was like "OK I already know this and have been told a few times, move on..." and parts became boring.

With regards to the characters, I have to say I love the name Aurora and the way the author linked it to the name's meaning I thought was quite clever. For most of the book though, Aurora was whiney and annoying, throwing tantrums at the first sign of any hardship. She also came across as quite childish, a fact shown with her nickname of "Mr Creepy" for a guy trying to help her. I did like her towards the end where she did start to come alive but personally it was a bit late and I would have like her development to be spread through the novel rather than all at once. It also felt like she wasted a lot of time with her whining and refusing to do things. I mean they were on a time scale and it just lacked a realistic quality. For me there was no sense of urgency. 

On another note I would have liked more romance as personally it all seemed a bit abrupt. They had been living together for years and never done anything about it or admitted their feelings but within a space of a few weeks they have this deep connection all of a sudden. Not to mention when they both admit it finally Fenn was cut out of the novel! Maybe he will be in the sequel and more will develop, I don't know. 

Overall Born in Flames was a fast paced book that did hold my interest, however if the writing continues at the standard it is right now I'm not sure I will be able to read the sequel as this book was in need of a good edit to get rid of mistakes and hone in on the main points to get rid of unnecessary detail that made it seem long winded in places. I love the cover and the overall concept and think with some changes Candace could have a good book on her hands.

                                           

Review ~ Lessons in French - Hilary Reyl (ARC)

Paperback received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

Expected Release Date:  1st June 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins

Description
First love: first heartbreak. First job: first nightmare boss. A seductive coming-of-age tale set in the most romantic city on earth.

Fresh out of university and determined to dream big, Kate can hardly believe her luck when she lands a job as a ‘little-bit-of-everything’ to the world famous photo-journalist Lydia Schell. Better still, the job is in Paris, and her guide to the most romantic city on earth is the handsome Olivier. The Berlin Wall is about to come tumbling down, and the world feels full of possibility.

But the oh-so-charming Lydia turns out to be the boss from hell. The ‘little-bit-of-everything’ includes collecting under-the-counter diet pills and walking a flatulent dog round the rainy streets of the sixth arrondissement. And the gorgeous Olivier? He happens to be dating Lydia’s daughter…

As the two worlds of her disastrous job and exciting flirtation look set to collide, Kate is about to get a fast education in the French approach to having it all.

My Opinion

When I got this book in the post I was really excited to start reading it. The cover looked interesting like a sweet romance, something I would like - and I really did want to like this book even though I couldn't bring myself to by the end of it. No matter how much I wished I could engage with the book and grow to love it I just couldn't.

The main thing I struggled with while reading this book was the language. The author seemed to use too many words to describe something insignificant where, for example she could have said it in four. Because of this there was massive paragraphs of description that left me bored as the story moved along too slowly. As well as this the author appeared to go from one extreme to the other in terms of description and parts I actually wanted to read about were skipped with an off the cuff comment for example "We had sex." There was no description - and I don't mean graphic detail - but there wasn't even a romantic build up and at times the author seemed to state facts rather than show the audience what she meant, allowing them to visualise it. 

Due to this fact, I did find it very hard to connect with the characters. They felt stiff and unrealistic, especially Kate who seemed incapable of being able to think for herself. I mean it took her the whole book to figure something out that really wasn't that hard. The family she lives with are shallow and just as irritating as they make her run after their every whim. I don't know if this disconnection was down to the lack of detail and jumpy style of writing but I really felt nothing for the characters - I just found myself not caring either way.

As well as this the author used random French phrases throughout the novel and although this gave the book an authentic quality I found them slightly pointless and irritating. For one, I dropped French when I was fourteen so struggling with pronunciation made me just skip the sections in French as they detracted from the flow too much. Also I did find myself questioning what their point was as it seemed at times like a way to add extra words as the author would have to translate some of the phrases after. For me it didn't make sense to have them if they just had to be translated.

The book did however pick up slightly about three quarters of the way in (a little late, but better late than never right?). The writing began to flow better and so did the speech, especially when Kate and Oliver were together. It seemed more natural and even though I was dying for there to be more romance, I was able to read these sections without skipping parts, which is why I put my rating up to two stars.

Overall I got to the end of the book and no matter how much I wanted to like it I ended up feeling I had just wasted a lot of my time. This book did sound like 'The Devil Wears Prada' from the description but it didn't really go anywhere. There was a lack of actual romance and heartbreak and the characters were impossible to engage with, especially when apart. There was one redeeming quality but for me it wasn't enough for me to wish I had stopped reading when I first got bored as it didn't pick up enough for me to change my attitude towards it.

Review ~ Meet Me in the Dark (Demons of Dreams Saga, #1) - Lilly M. Love

ebook downloaded on an Amazon free day after hosting a spotlight for the book. 

Description
The first in the Demons of Dreams Saga.
Did you sleep well last night? Did you dream? Have you met someone in your dream? Whether it was pleasant or not, it was just a dream ... wasn’t it?
Are you sure?

What if you think you're dreaming, but you‘re not?
What if suddenly a handsome stranger shows up in your dreams and you fall in love with him?
What if you wake up in the morning and your body is covered with scratches that you cannot explain?
What if not only you begin to question your mind?

They come at night, sneak into your dreams and if they want, also into your life! They are the demons of dreams and no one is safe from them...
Did you really just have a dream last night?

Leia Walsh is a young woman, successful in her job selling high-priced properties to New York’s wealthy. Against her good judgment she falls in love with a man who appears regularly in her dreams. Leia doesn’t believe that he is a product of her imagination, but is convinced that he exists. She starts to look for him in her daily life, but the game of the demons of dreams can be confusing and Leia soon doubts her sanity until she is invited to a party one day...was it just a dream after all?

My Opinion 
The description of this book hooked me into accepting it as the idea of dreams interests me, I mean I have enough crazy dreams of my own but the concept of it being translated into a book as the main idea was new to me. The idea of the demons of dreams intrigued me and I was excited to find out what this novel was about. For me though this book didn't live up to what I expected it to be sadly, and I found it quite a struggle to read. I like the initial idea and I think with some editing and re-drafting it could become a really engaging and exciting read but personally, I don't think it's quite there yet. 

The main problem I had with Meet Me in the Dark was the transitions between Leia's dreams and her reality. The changes were quite abrupt and besides a line break nothing really distinguished it from the previous scene. Because of this the writing felt very choppy and hard to read as it became confusing as to which world Leia was in. I think I would have preferred the dreams to be in italics as for me it signals a change and allows me to distinguish it easily, especially if it is not clear the character has fallen asleep. 

As well as this, the choppy style of writing that jumped from place to place made it a struggle for me to connect with any of the characters. There were a few moments where I sympathised with Leia because of her situation but most of the time I felt very detached as I was constantly thrown about in the story. Also, with regards to the males in the novel we never really learn much about them except for the same facts; one runs the business, another is married and they are all incredibly good looking. We only started to learn what they are towards the end of the novel and by then it was slightly too late for me as it didn't give many answers in the short amount of space and just as the book started to pick up it ended. I would have loved to learn little bits about them as the book went on rather than getting it all at the end, although I am still slightly confused as to what they were now.

My final problem with this book is once again related to the characters. Some of their actions or reactions just didn't seem believable or plausible to me, for example Leia never really seemed to freak out when things happened in her dreams. I mean if someone threatened me or did what they did to her I would be scared out of my mind but Leia just seemed to accept it without any emotion. Also there were a few plot holes that let the structure of the story down and I found myself asking "well why didn't she do that instead, isn't it obvious?" It just wasn't very solid in structure and the characters were not continuous throughout which I think may have been added to by the constant and abrupt switching of setting.  

Overall I think this book has the potential to become a very intriguing story however as it stands right now for me it feels underdeveloped and lacking in completion. The initial concept was great but the choppy and jumpy style distracted me too much to get immersed in the characters and world. I'm sorry to say I just couldn't connect with this book no matter how much I wished I could.

Missing Me (Girl Missing #3) - Sophie McKenzie

Description
Six years have passed since the end of Sister, Missing and Madison is now a teenager. During a visit to her older sister Lauren, Madison learns that their biological father was an anonymous sperm donor and sets out to track him down. Her search bears fruit sooner than she expects, but is the father she discovers all he seems? As Madison gets drawn into a mysterious investigation involving missing girls and secret hideaways, she finds herself in more and more danger.

My Opinion
I was excited when I heard Sophie McKenzie was releasing another book in this series as I really enjoyed the Girl Missing and Sister Missing. However when I heard that it was written from Maddison's POV I had slight doubts about the narrative and where she would take the charcters.

I finished this book within a few hours and I really read it just because of my feelings towards the first 2 books. This book sadly disappointed me though and in my opinion failed to meet the standard of book 1 and 2. The book seemed to follow a similar story line and structure (Kidnapping, death, doubt about people and resolve). It felt like there was a lack of ideas and the series should have come to an end after Sister Missing. This was also evident from the POV. To me it seemed like there was no more stories left to tell from Lauren's POV so to bring out a new book McKenzie had to change to Maddison. I didn't feel this worked as we had already established a connection with Lauren and even though she is in this I didn't like how she was portrayed.

The book was basically about Maddison finding herslef and becoming more confident but it didn't have much of a connection with the other books in the series as it had moved on like 6yrs. I found myself skipping pages and missing out chunks as I felt distant.

The book did have some positives though. It was full of action and was faced paced. It did keep you hooked but that was more because I was hoping it would get better and live up to the other books rather than the narrative.

Overall this book was a big disappointment for me. It felt like it was more of a money idea than actually needing to carry the series on. Even though it is well written and faced past it does not live up to Girl Missing and Sister Missing and the change in POV annoyed me. I love Sophie McKenzie's work but for me this book didn't do anything other than bring my opinions of the series down. I doubt I will re-read this book again and read another in this series (if there is one I know the description says it's the last) as it is becoming predictable.

Rating: 2.5-3