BOOK REVIEW: Hexed, by Michelle Krys

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won't stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn't want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie's world, she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn't get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that's seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she's a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie's about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Witches. While I'll admit I read a lot of adult books with witches as characters, I've not really read a lot of YA books that have them. Or at least, not a lot of well done YA books.

Hexed is pretty well done, for a first novel. First novels are frequently hit or miss and this one is a hit, in my opinion.

Indigo's story is really good. She's a typical teenager--well, teenage cheerleader dating the captain of the football team. It's all juuuuuuuust right and perfect in her world, until this guy dies in front of her. From that point forward, the world is a bit more complicated than she ever knew.

It's fairly fast-paced, but not too quick to do the plot justice. It's what you expect--Indigo has to "hit the ground running," as it were, when her life is flipped upside down. There's a steep learning curve (she thought witchcraft was just a quirky thing her mom was into...it wasn't real.), but she handles it well, with help. And the magic isn't there for the sake of having magic. Instead, it's a vehicle for the plot, not the plot itself.

Characters...wow...I wanted to smack the annoyance out of Bishop. He's got that typical teenage "I know I'm hot" guy thing. It's a personality that annoys me, not Bishop himself. He's perfectly written. Indie is amazing. Right on the mark with her voice and personality.

I will say that there was a bit more sex in the book than I'd have preferred. Nothing crassly overt, but it's in there. And honestly, after a bit, the drama of it just got to be too much. 

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Delacorte Press (Random House Chidlren's) through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.

What an amazing book. I pride myself on being able to sort out the ending for books with a secret central to the story line by about mid-way through. I didn't have it this time. I wasn't prepared for the ending. There were some distinct one-line foreshadowing hints, but they didn't catch my eye until everything was revealed...and then I had an epiphany moment.

The relationships of the "Liars" is intricate and deep. There's an intensity that makes sense, even when the world of the book doesn't. 

The writing style (short sentences and tightly chosen words) and slow-slow-slow plot will annoy some readers, but I really think it's necessary in this story. If you feel annoyed, give it a chance.

I really can't do more with this review without destroying both the secret, and the story itself. Just trust me...it needs to be read.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Random House Children's through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

World Book Night

For more information, visit. World Book Night US.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Enter Text Here through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

BOOK REVIEW: The Girl and the Raven, by Pauline Gruber

Sixteen-year-old Lucy Walker just wants a normal life, but finds herself thrust into a world of witches, demons and a mysterious yet irresistible upstairs neighbor who claims to be her protector. All the while she’s desperately searching for the family raven that carries her magical legacy. She's walking a tightrope between good and evil, drawn to both, uncertain which she will ultimately choose.

This book was a fun, quick read. It's not particularly deep and doesn't require a lot to keep up with it.

Which is good and bad. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but this cover (and the premise) made me think there'd be more than what I got.

You get that Lucy is supposed to be strong-willed and simply just strong after the life she lived with her mother. But she's too often flighty and passive about her situation. I mean...someone wants her dead and it might be the father she never knew before. 

None of the characters seemed particularly well-developed to me and I felt like I'd been plopped in to the middle of their lives, rather than introduced to them and being part of the story. Sort of like picking up a soap opera in the middle of season 6 and never watching the first 5 seasons. The learning curve was a bit steep.

Speaking of soap operas, the writing style felt like that. Frequently, Gruber jumped from scene to scene without any cohesiveness--why was this happening now? 

It has a lot going for it, it really just needs to be better polished.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from DragonFly Ink, Ltd. through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

BOOK REVIEW: Far From You, by Tess Sharpe

Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.

The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick. 

The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.

Looking for a good, raw story? One that leaves you feeling raked over the coals emotionally, but still be sincere in its intensity?? Here ya go. 

Far from You is a murder mystery, but so much more than that. Sharpe tells Sophie and Mina's story in alternating time lines--before and after Mina's murder. The before her death timeline is jumbled, as Sophie remembers times spent with Mina, and what was going on the night she died. Each scene fits perfectly in its place in the bigger story.

The relationships in this story (Mina and Sophie, Sophie and Trever, Mina and her boyfriend) are honestly drawn and not contrived to carry the story. There's no drama for the sake of teenage drama (as so often happens). This is dramatic because the relationships are. It's simple because the relationships are.

My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed. Sort of "Oh wait...I've got to wrap this up" and it came across a little forced.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Disney Book Group (Disney Hyperion) through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.