THIS BLOG IS ON HIATUS.

Vain (The Seven Deadly #1) by Fisher Amelie

Publisher: Fisher Amelie
Published: February 7, 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 3/5


If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.                                                         
Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.                                                                                                                      
I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

I rule my elite world. But not because I am the wealthiest.
No,  I rule because I am the hottest.

My light gold eyes are the colour of amber and are perfect. My lashes long. I am practically flawless and it pisses me royally when girls try to copy me.

God, get a clue nimrods. You'll never look like me!

I am VAIN... 

This book was about a girl who was vain, obnoxious, spoiled brat and a definite Queen Bee. The blurb gave promise of a story about an unforgiving head of a clique with no care for the world. The cover showed a girl with piercing eyes that could give the bitchiest look condemning your soul to eternal horror. I was excited and felt sure that I will have a deep hatred for the main character by the end of the book. I was severely disappointed that what I expected did not happened at all. There were only glimpses of the spoiled Queen Bee that I was looking for in the early chapters. It turns out, Sophie was not entirely the shallow and bitchy person the blurb described as. She was indeed a "friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles, every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasybut she also surprisingly has a lot of sense on what is right and what is not so it totally ruined the effect of her being a total heartless bitch as described in the blurb. I was severely disappointed by that. For once, I want a total bitch for a main character. I want a main character that I can hate. I want something that is totally different from the norm. This book, unfortunately, was not what I was looking for. Sophie was a bitch but she also has a lot of redeeming thoughts that made it hard to hate her. Although the I was disappointed by the turnout of the main character, I could enjoy the story and her transformation from being an airhead to someone much humbler.

The relationship between Sophie and Ian was inevitable as this is of a romance genre. It was the standard Love lust in first sight when Sophie saw Ian for the first time. She was startled that Ian was not what she was expecting as she assumed he's an African.

Their romance was cute but I wasn't too excited for it as it was a foreseeable relationship. If you love romance then you will be more excited than I was.

It was an overall a fun read but I wasn't too psyched about the parts where Ian is the savior of everyone and everything. He's such a perfect book boyfriend that you might want to check out. I wish Sophie never changed throughout the book because then it will be as what the blurb entailed. She was a total bitch at first but was too quick to change when she arrived at Masego, Africa. I mean, it took some girl to get hit by a bus to stop being mean, why did it took so little for Sophie to change?

Anyway, this book will be greatly enjoyed by those who are searching for cute romance and in need of a new book boyfriend.

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

Published: March 24, 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA Science Fiction
My Rating: 4/5


Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.
They always say that high school is the best time of your life.
Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait.
Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present. 
I don't actually have a preference for a pre-apocalyptic book. I've read a few and I find them to be almost the same. I was a bit wary when picking up this book. I was expecting much of the same story. What I wasn't expecting was to get sucked into the story as soon as I read it. I love this book for how much it got me thinking. This book also agrees to me in a lot of things. I found myself nodding my head vigorously, agreeing to every words. It seems like the author managed to see into my brain. It's almost uncanny to be reading the words that was the mirror image of my own thoughts.

“Then I’ll tell you. The best books, they don’t talk about things you never thought about before. They talk about things you’d always thought about, but that you didn't think anyone else had thought about. You read them, and suddenly you’re a little bit less alone in the world. You’re part of this cosmic community of people who've thought about this thing, whatever it happens to be.
Continue Reading »

[Book Blitz + Interview + Giveaway] Such A Secret Place by Cortney Pearson



Such A Secret Place by Cortney Pearson 
(Stolen Tears #1) 
Publication date: April 1st 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
[GOODREADS] [AMAZON]
Raids splatter across the news–Arcaian soldiers are stealing magic left and right, using it against the people they steal it from.
When sixteen-year-old Ambry Csille’s brother gets taken in one of these raids, her utter fear and panic should be enough to invoke tears in any normal world. But for Ambry, tears are a thing of the past.
Because of a spell, people can no longer feel emotion; not enough to cry, and definitely not enough to defend themselves against the tyrannical soldiers stealing her people’s magic. A rare vial of enchanted tears chooses Ambry to reverse the spell, and soon she finds herself the target not only of the Arcaians, but of battle-scarred Talon Haraway, who wants the tears for his own reasons.
All Ambry wants is to rescue her brother, but when her tears get stolen, Ambry determines to work with Talon to get them back. Any day the Arcaians could drink her tears. Any day they’ll succeed at draining her people’s magic completely, and all hope will be gone—not only for her brother, but for her world.



Author Interview

Tell us a little bit about The Stolen Tears series, and especially Such a Secret Place. Where did you get your idea?
The idea of a world where tears are magical came to me while I was jamming out to a song by Shiny Toy Guns. I don’t remember which song (I wish I did!) but the idea just bulldozed into my brain and wouldn’t let me go!

The series is about a girl who finds a vial of magical tears and has to use them to break a spell. These tears are the most powerful ever shed, and so naturally many others are after them as well and Ambry has to protect them while trying to decipher who to trust.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes! I remember drawing pictures and scribbling underneath them before I even knew *how* to write, then going around to my family members and telling them my stories.
What inspires you?
Music, definitely. I ALWAYS write with music on, and I usually fit it to the mood of the scene I’m trying to write. Reading stories or watching movies like mine helps too. I was stumped the other day, but while watching Divergent with some friends inspiration struck and I suddenly knew how to fix a spot I’d been struggling to write.

Do you listen to music when you write?
I do! It helps me block everything else out, strangely enough.
On that note, what’s your favorite Pandora station/type of music?
Lately my writing stations are Film Scores radio, Birdy radio (for romantic, swoony scenes), and I’m really liking Ed Sheeran’s stuff and a band called Superhumanoids.
Any other hobbies besides writing?
I read a lot, mostly. Pretty standard, lol. I also love to play the clarinet.
Scenario: It’s the end of the world. Aliens are invading and you have two minutes to hurry and grab your three favorite things before rushing off to safety. What do you grab?

Assuming my family is already coming with me, my top three items would be--
1. The flash drive with all my writing on it
2. My clarinet
3. My copy of Jane Eyre

About The Author


Cortney Pearson is a book nerd who studied literature at BYU-Idaho, a music nerd who plays clarinet in her local community orchestra, and a writing nerd who creates stories for young adults. Cortney lives with her husband and three sons in a small Idaho farm town.
Where to find the author: [Facebook] [Twitter] [Goodreads] [Website]



Giveaway

This giveaway is international. Good luck!
Ends at April 9th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading »

Cinderella 2015 Movie Review [Not A Very Happy Ending Review]


Don't read this if you watch the new Cinderella movie and you love it because you will hate me after reading this. Also, this review contains spoilers!

Just to be clear, I have no hatred for Disney movies. In fact, I love Tangled and I still watch it when I'm bored and in need of some fresh change of stories. I love fairies and the songs the princess sings and even the villain (that's like the best part of any stories). I don't even hate princes that much. Let me tell you what I do loathe. I hate movies that were produced to lure unsuspected victims into watching the movie with promises of excitement and magic and then it turns out to be not. Seriously, this movie was so boring that I felt like crying. I keep waiting to feel the exhilaration but nothing came. I might not hate this movie if it was done any other way but instead, it follows the fairy tale on every turn, even the cheesiest goddamn part! Also, it was painfully obvious the colour theme for the movie is blue. It was everywhere!

The scene that really get to me the most is when Ella and the prince was at the swing and they were like:

Prince: Please, have a seat.
Ella: Oh no, no thank you.
Prince: No, seat please!
Ella: But, I musn't!
Prince: But you have to seat!
Ella: Okay, thank you!
It went something like that. You can't expect me to remember the lines perfectly now, do you? It grates on my nerve so much! I was like "just f***in " sit already!". I may have said that out loud in the cinema.

Also, I think Ella's name turning to Cinderella was such unoriginal idea. I don't remember if Cinderella's name was ever an issue in the original Grimm or  the modern take of the fairy tale but it's not a new idea because I have watched a lot of different rendition of the popular fairy tale. So, I wasn't too happy when the two bobble head step-sisters "brilliantly" came up with the name for Ella. I was like rolling my eyes and saying "of course!".

It's amazing how different the affect of the Cinderella movie cartoon and when it is played by humans. I don't know if I'm alone in feeling this. I hope not. The thing is, in the cartoon, Cinderella and the mice was actually interacting. They might not understand each other verbally but it was apparent that the mice understood and was friends to Cinderella by the way they helped Cinderella make the dress and even  hanging around with Cinderella when she was working away. Also, when she sings, there sure will be birds duet-ing with her. In the human version movie. the connection was lost between Ella and the animals. The movie do highlights the cute black eyes of the mice (they are actually kind of cute) and how they helped her open a window (it was an important moment) but there weren't real enough connection to signify the understanding between Ella and the animals. Everytime Ella talks to the mice like an equal, the only thoughts that flying around my head was one sentence: She's gone bonkers! (I've always wanted to use that word! :D)



 I know it's a gift of some sort but from how she was talking and behaving about it, she looks and sounds senile!  There was this scene where she saved a moose from being hunted by the prince and she was like:
Ella:You scared the moose!
       Why do you want to kill the moose?
       What harm did he ever did to you!
Prince: But, I am hunting, That's what's done, you see.
Ella: Just because it's what's done doesn't mean it should be done.
Her moment to be philosophical was untimely and I can't help myself but say "Bitch, get yourself shot!". What's worst, the prince thought it was endearing! He looks at her like she just said something so genius and the awe in his face made me want to punch him and break his nose.

When the prince lied and let Ella assumed he was merely an apprentice, I find that Ella is so stupid (Not that I hadn't known earlier. I was just proven right.). It was glaringly obvious that the prince was wearing garments that look expensive and he is well groomed (he has to have a large sum of money to look that good! Baths and nice clothes was huge privileges in the olden times.). There was a guy who almost called him Your Highness but he only managed to say "Your High-" before he was cut off by the prince. Yet, Ella didn't even feel suspicious by this. So, in the short time that they have met, the two of them inexplicably fell in love at freakin first sight!

The relationship of Ella and Kit (the prince) was hilarious. It seems like Kit love Ella for her stupidity that I assumed he thinks as "strangely insightful" and perhaps her naivety as "adorable" which she is clearly not. She's just plain stupid. I think Kit just wants to get laid. There were scenes where Ella was talking so naively stupid and Kit was like "Omg, that is so true! You are like so clever!". I can't freakin even!! (I'm so mad I'm using two exclamation.) 

One of the thing that I looked forward to was the dance at the ball between Ella and the prince. There was one moment in the trailer (I saw the trailer on tv. I can't find similar trailer online.) where Ella's dress swished widely and it looked so pretty and magical! So, imagine my disappointment when the moment finally comes, it only lasted for about a second! I do understand that I shouldn't have expected the dress to stay in the air for like one minute but they could have made the motion slower or somehting. Besides, in the trailer, it looks so magical! In the movie, it was an insignificant move!

The only thing or rather someone that I love in the movie was the Fairy Godmother! It's Helena Bonham Carter! But, like other good things that did exist in the movie, she only appeared for a short while.

It's Bellatrix in an alternate universe!
But, I like her better this way!

This reminds me, when the Godmother show herself as an old hag inside Ella's house or mansion or whatever, Ella didn't find that strange at all. Let me repeat in case you didn't catch that, inside the house! She was already inside the house! Ella didn't even find it strange that a stranger was already sitting in her house nevermind the fact that she shouldn't even be there in the first place because the house was closed to everyone outside and all the workers were sent home. Ella is so gullible. I have a sense that she wouldn't even survive one day in our world.



After reading all of this, you might be thinking (or yelling at me) that "This is a Disney movie for god's sake! What are you expecting!" However, I'd like to say that they could have make the story a little better. Look at Maleficent and Tangled, to name a few. That was good and different takes to the old fairy tale. I don't know why the director feel the need to make a new movie of an old story when it was already done before! This new production of Cinderella can never replaced the feeling and tingles I still get when watching Disney's classic animated version of Cinderella.

I guess I would have been more forgiving if the movie wasn't so easily foreseeable. I guess that's inevitable when you have watch a lot of other takes of the same story but the thing is, other takes of the Cinderella fairy tale have their own twists. However, this movie followed the fairy tale very closely so it was maddening when I know what was coming and hoping I would be wrong and I wasn't! I know what was coming every second and frames of the movie. Now, I understand what it likes to be a seer, to know everything or everyone that was coming.
Continue Reading »

[Giveaway + Review] Vampires Suck by Giovanni Valentino

 photo vampiressuck.jpg


Published: October 31, 2014
Publisher: Strange Musings Press
Genre: Humor/ Comedy
My Rating: 3/5
  Vampires Suck
Each story has a different take on the legend of the Vampire. Some hide from the darkness and others can walk in the daylight. Some are cold, calculated killers and others are full of teenaged angst. Some are held at bay by garlic but others love Italian food.Here is a collection of stories designed to poke fun at the whole vampire genre. We have funny stories about the troubles of immortality, about the crazy life of the vampire slayer, and about just how the different vampires get along.But in all the stories, one element is always there.Vampires Suck 
I don't usually read books about vampire. Often, I was trying to avoid the romances that are usually associated with such genre. However, this book is a collection of short stories so there weren't any complex romances to be worried about. Thus, I decided to give this book a chance. Besides, this is a comedy reenactment of vampires so I was ready to dive into it after remembering the humorous movie with the same name. I was seeking for humor and laughter and that was exactly what I got. I was not disappointed by the story. It was humorous and all the while entertaining.

Along with the different stories comes different types of vampires. I enjoyed the varieties of vampires that comes to light in the telling of the stories. Aside from that, it was also entertaining to read about a vampire that suffered from fangs dysfunction. Also, one story that was one of my favorite has a vampire suffered what most parents suffered today that is to go through the phase of teenage girls who wish themselves to be a vampire because of the famous book and movie, Twilight. It was so funny to think that vampires might unknowingly suffers the same things human does. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I was glad that the authors seems to share the same thoughts I have in regards of the night creatures. I'd say read this book the next time you are looking for something short, light and funny to read in between. 

GIVEAWAY


This is your chance to get a hand on one of Giovanni Valentino's books!
Open to US only. Sorry for international readers! :3
Good luck!
1st prize:  $10 Amazon Gift Card, 
2nd prize:  1 Print copy of Alternate Hilarities (vol 1), 
3rd prize: 1 Print copy of Romantic Ruckus,
 4th prize: 3 eCopies of Alternate Hilarities (vol1),
 5th prize: 3 eCopies of Romantic Ruckus

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading »

Cover Reveal: Bittersweet by Michele Barrow-Belisle

This is a cover reveal to the squeal of Fire & Ice- the Faerie Song Trilogy Book 1. If you have seen the cover for Book One, you will be excited to see the cover for Book Two! It's gorgeous! But, first of all, let's see what the book is about!

ABOUT THE BOOK


Bittersweet by Michele Barrow-Belisle 
(Faerie Song Trilogy #2) 
Published by: Astraea Press
Publication date: March 24th 2015 
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Check out Book 1, Fire & Ice here: [Goodreads]
To purchase Book 1: [Barnes & Noble] [Amazon]

To save the Faery world and her mother’s life, Lorelei sacrificed everything, and the dangerous bargain she made in Nevermore had lasting repercussions. Now safely back in her own world, Lorelei seems the same to her high school friends and her supernatural boyfriend. Yet love across dimensions is complicated, especially when an invisible Veil between the two worlds—the only bridge that links the pair, is sealing, threatening to separate Lorelei and Adrius forever.Determined to find a solution, Lorelei resorts to using her new found powers. But when her friends succumb to the same mysterious illness that nearly took her mother’s life, Lorelei can’t help but wonder if her own dark magic is responsible. Still, the nightmares from Nevermore continue their icy hold. Someone from Adrius’s past arrives, determined to destroy Lorelei’s world starting with those closest to her, and Lorelei is forced to choose between her family and friends and a love that was ill-fated from the start.
This book will be publish on March 24th, 2015! Make sure to mark your calendar!

So, are you ready to look at the beautiful cover! I know I am!

HERE


IT 


IS!


Ain't it gorgeous! Look at her dress! Her dress is beautiful what with all the fireflies flying around, illuminating the dress. The color of the dress is beautiful too. But, of course, the girl as an overall is a beauty herself.  That's like the most beautiful computer generated image of a girl I have ever seen. The dark foreboding forest in the background is really creepy and is a beautiful effect for the cover. It gives an ominous feeling.  

Look at both covers in the series. It's an eye candy.

Bet you can't wait to read this book now!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A dreamer at heart, Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in this reality and one foot in another, one of her own imagining. So it follows that she would grow up to write about and sculpt the characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well. As a fan of everything romantic, her young adult novels are populated with witches and vampires and faeries. Michele resides in southern Canada with her hubby and son who indulge her passions for writing, reading, lattes, and most of all chocolate.
She also loves shoes.
Did we mention the chocolate?
Where to find the author: [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Goodreads]


Continue Reading »

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Published: February 10, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins/ Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
My Rating: 4/5
Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.
There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.
Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince. 
I have a love/hate relationship with books like this. I love the emotion that such books can evoke but at the same time the emotions truly sucks! This book makes me feel depressed! 
Which I think is the point because this book is after all about two teenagers trying to commit suicide. So, it hit the point right there. 
Music, especially classical music, especially Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor, has kinetic energy. If you listen hard enough, you can hear the violin’s bow trembling above the strings, ready to ignite the notes. To set them in motion. And once the notes are in the air, they collide against one another. They spark. They burst. 
Usually, books that centers around things depressing will be written as depressingly as the plot so I usually don't get much enjoyment from such books. However, My Heart and Other Black Holes starts off with an almost normal manner (well, as normal as you can get with physics related introduction) without any hint of black clouds looming. So, I wasn't weighed down by any feelings yet which is rare in books of such topics. Usually, the very first sentence can already starting to weigh me down. The light and airy introduction quickly sucked me into reading it. (See what I did there? :D)
I spend a lot of time wondering what dying feels like. What dying sounds like. If I’ll burst like those notes, let out my last cries of pain, and then go silent forever. Or maybe I’ll turn into a shadowy static that’s barely there, if you just listen hard enough. And if I wasn’t already fantasizing about dying, working at the phone bank at Tucker’s Marketing Concepts would definitely do the trick. 
Okay, the introduction may not be all light and airy but the words really captivated me. As soon as I started reading, I know it's going to be a good one because the writing is oh so good! 

Most of the time, the topic of depression and humor don't usually go hand in hand. It's an unbefitting relationship. However, amazingly, the author managed to marry the two elements together into a flawless rendition of a macabre tale. The story can be depressing at times but it never reaches the low point because it will soon be uplifted by the humor. 

Aysel is one of the character who wanted to commit suicide because of an event that changes the trajectory of her life. (Using physics phrases in light of the physics element in the story. :D) I found her to be very realistic and believable in her struggle. 

“Anyone who has actually been that sad can tell you that there's nothing beautiful or literary or mysterious about depression.” 

She was struggling to deal with the repercussion of her father's action. Roman on the other hand wants to die because he was being weigh down by a tragedy that happened almost a year ago. He was suffering from a "what could have been" moment and that is definitely the worst of all. 
“I wish I could draw you how I see you. I'd draw a boy with the most magnetic smile, and the kindest hands, and eyes that are gloomy, but can sometimes be bright. I'd draw a boy who deserves to see the ocean.” 
The story brings out a lot of sadness but also hope. Hopes of things to come, of when it will be better and can be better. Aysel and Roman found in each other places to let go and not hold things back. The outcome only depends on how they are going to act on it.

I love how the author portrays the social environment of Aysel and Roman. It shows the supporting, caring and loving family and friends that were misunderstood and blurred by the guilt that were clouding up Aysel and Roman's eyes. It just goes to show that things can change and be better if only you let them in.

This might not be much worthy of mention but I truly enjoyed the physics mentions in the story. In fact, the title of the book was the first thing that make me want to read it. I was expecting more of a science related story but oh well. 

In all, this book offers the point of view of persons that are depressed. It highlights important points that comes along with such issues. I truly enjoyed the journey of the characters from self-admonition to finally accepting. You should really read this book, if you haven't already. If you are not a fan of the topic than read it to experience the writing. I truly enjoyed the style of writing immensely.

Continue Reading »

The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1) by Soman Chainani

Published: May 14, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: MG Fantasy-Magic
My Rating: 4/5


The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away. 

I started reading this book thinking that it's going to be a light and airy fairy tale. I was delightfully surprised when it turns out quite the complete opposite. For a book that was shelved as an MG, it definitely didn't fit the suppose picture. It was a fresh change to have a fairy tale twisted into an unconventional pathway where the story line doesn't follow the Fairy Tale 101 Guidelines. Besides, the trailer for the book was amazing! It sent shivers down my spine! It looks magical and so out of this world. It held promises of an enchanting, dark tale of a fairy tale gone rogue. Watch this, you must! :D
“In the forest of primeval
A school for Good and Evil
Twin towers like two heads
One for the pure
And one for the wicked
Try to escape you'll always fail,
The only way out is
Through a fairytale.” 

When I first held the book in my hands, my inner 7 year old squealed in delight. I was expecting castles, beautiful princess, charming princes, woodland creatures and mythical creatures. The book also have a lot of beautiful and enchanting illustrations. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I was a kid, marveling at the beautiful illustrations in a book and then when I open the book, tingles spread through my fingers, straight through my hand as I stared wide-eye at the beautiful illustration of a princess dancing with her prince. This book also has a lot of illustrations. I absolutely love it. It helps to accentuates the events of the story and also provided glimpses into the fairy tale world.

I absolutely love the idea of the story. It was unheard of and never before told. I was intrigued by the idea of a school to train heroes, princesses and villains! The story also presented one of the conflict in the fairy tale world that is a trend when it comes to a fairy tale story where the Good battles against the Bad, which is to why villains had not win against the Good side for so long. I love that the author took that matter into account because I was wondering if this story is going to follow the same pattern. Fortunately, nothing in the telling of this story is conventional so I was not disappointed in the execution of that aspect.

As for the characters, there definitely was variants to their characteristic. Sophie was "supposedly" the good girl and Agatha fit right in to the image of a witch. So, Sophie was certain that she will get into the School of Good and Agatha will rightfully be in the School of Bad. But, when the opposite happened, it was truly exciting to see the reasons as to why it happened. It just goes to show that there's often only a fine line separating the good and evil side of us and sometimes, the line could be blurred and we are not even sure which side we are on. Also, the stereotypical image of a hero and a villain were also brought into issue in this book. Usually, when we think about villains the first thing that comes to mind are warts, pointy hats, crooked nose, hunchback and wrinkly skin to name a few. On the opposite, we think about everything good in beauty. This story proves that it can be quite the contrary. Agatha who was described as being ugly, turns out to be in the good side while Sophie who has been beautiful and perfect her whole life, was sent to the School of Evil.

Agatha wished to be beautiful. 

Sophie's supposed goodness because of her perfection reminded me of a quote by Leo Tolstoy. 

Of course, the very important element in a fairy tale is the hero, the warrior who have the destiny to
save his one true love from demise. Such heroes are often princes. Thus, this book was not devoid of a charming prince. In fact, there were a lot of princes in the School of Good. All vying to be the best prince and winning the hand of a lovely damsel. One special prince that plays a major part in the telling of this story is Prince Tedros who is the son of King Arthur. There was nothing special about Tedros that sets him apart from other charming princes in fairy tales. He did have more depth than what's originally thought as some of the chapters were told in his point of view so we definitely get to know a little bit of him and his thoughts. He is not outwardly interesting and I definitely do not have a care for him. To me, the story will be highly significant if he was not in the conflict of interest between the girls.

I also adore the teachers, the mythical creatures and the school ground! The teachers can be fun or eccentric and funny at times. As for the mythical creatures, there were a lot of them! There were every kind of creatures that can be found in a fantasy world. The school ground was amazing and sounds really fun with all the dangerous creatures lurking in the forest and palaces and a barrier separating the two towers. Just look at this map!


The story left nothing to be sought. Everything was perfect and all the correct issues were raised and implemented in the story. I only wished that Tedros, Sophie and Agatha interests conflicts weren't so apparent. Tedros change of heart also was easily foreseen. It seems like the author chose to follow one rule in the Fairy Tale 101 Guidelines about love conflict if there is more than one available damsels. But, it didn't turn out as I was expecting though, to my relief. 

The ending, I think, was perfection. I love how it all turns out. I am now very curious to find out what will happen to the school now that the sides between the two were blurred. This book is recommended to those who love fairy tale or re-tellings, fantasy and those who would like a different turnout to cliched fairy tale endings.
Continue Reading »

[Book Blitz + Giveaway] Grade A Stupid by A.J. Lape



Today I'm hosting the Book Blitz for Grade A Stupid by A.J. Lape. The Blitz will run on 16th and 17th March. This book is highly rated and currently free in US, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia. It is only Rs. 60 in India.

ABOUT THE BOOK


Series: The Darcy Walker Series Book 1
No. of Pages: 375
Publication Date: November 2012
Genre: Young Adult Mystery, Thriller, Humor Add to Goodreads: Grade A Stupid by AJ Lape
Fifteen years ago, Darcy Walker's parents thought it was a good idea to give her a unique name: Darcy, meaning "dark walker." Whether that was a stroke of genius or stroke of stupid, they definitely nailed the irony. She lacks direction, her grades stink despite a high IQ, she's boringly average--although flirting admirers claim otherwise--and God help her, she's infatuated with a bad-boy.  A bad-boy that her hottie best friend, Dylan, wishes would get acquainted with his fist. 

And, oh yeah, there's that tattoo that was a royally stupid idea. 

With her life spiraling out of control, everything changes when she skips class and finds a dead body...in fact, it gets worse. It jump starts Darcy's inner-verb, and her brain hardwired for action gets caught up in a situation she can?t let go. 

Set in the fictional Cincinnati town of Valley, Ohio, Darcy falls into a world of threats, violence, and gangland exploits chasing down every clue to finger the murderer. When a fellow misfit is arrested for the crime, Darcy goes from zero-to-sixty trying to clear his name--constructing aliases, breaking the law, everything that makes perfect sense to her but reeks of Grade A Stupid to everyone else. 

Trouble is...will she live to see sixteen?

EXCERPT

THERE WAS ALWAYS a boy in your life that common sense and the prayers of parents told you to stay away from: fast talker, fast car, and fast hands. He was the boy your father kept a loaded shotgun by the door for and met on the front porch if he ever thought about venturing onto his property let alone the threshold. He was the tall, dark, mysteriously handsome, and uncharacteristically quiet one that made you wonder what was going on in his head, and that little voice in your head said it wasn't always so honorable. He was the boy you broke all of the rules over because bad-boys equaled excitement and the rebel in you liked the ride.?


WHERE YOU CAN GET THIS BOOK



About the Author

A. J. Lape is the author of the Darcy Walker Series which has stayed on Amazon's teen's mysteries and thrillers bestseller's lists since its debut in 2012. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband, two daughters, an ADD dog, a spoiled hamster, and an unapologetic and unrepentant addiction to Coca-Cola--plus a lifelong love affair with bacon she has no plans to sever. A graduate of Morehead State University with a Master's degree in Communications, she's a PI wannabe and recently joined the Citizen's Police Academy in her hometown but daily stops crime through the fictional ADHD character of Darcy Walker. If the FBI ever checks her computer, she'll be wearing prison-orange due to the graphic and disgusting "wiki" articles she looks up...all in the name of career research, of course.
Sign up for A. J.'s newsletter: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ajlape



The Darcy Walker Series


Book 1: Grade A Stupid by A.J LapeAmazon.com {FREE}| Amazon.in {Rs. 60} | Barnes & Noble {FREE} | iTunes {FREE} | Kobo {FREE} | Smashwords {FREE}




 


Book 2: No Brainer by A.J LapeAmazon.com | Amazon.in | Goodreads









Book 3: 100 Proof Stud by A.J LapeAmazon.com|Amazon.in| Goodreads








Book 4: DEFCON Darcy by A.J Lape--> New ReleaseAmazon.com |Amazon.in |Goodreads




Giveaway


Giveaway is an ebook set of Grade A Stupid, No Brainer, 100 Proof Stud, and Defcon Darcy
Open Worldwide
Ends 6th April

a Rafflecopter giveaway


~Organized By~
Njkinny Tours & Promotions


Continue Reading »

Psychaotic: See The World in Red and Black by Irum Zahra

Published: November 18, 2014
Genre: Gothic Poetry
My Rating: 3/5

Psychaotic is not a happy song. It's a collection of poetry and passages that depict struggle of a human mind with it's veiled and untamed nature. It show how far we can go if we incline ourselves to that side and how much we are willing to give up.Psychaotic tells you the harsh realities of life rather than filling your head with fantasies and dreams that will never happen.In that reality check, this book will change how you think about certain things. It will tell you, that wrongs can be right and right can be wrongs as well as, bad can be good and good can turn out to be bad.
I am not a fan of poetry but this book managed to attract me into reading it. The words were beautifully strung together into a poetic lament. The poetry was both disturbing and beautiful. It was undoubtedly an emotional rendition of everything depressing. There was blood, a lot of blood. It wasn't nauseating though as it was nothing gory. It was almost beautiful to imagine the scenes in the book. Some of the poetry seems to show a glimpse of a fairy tale gone wrong. Sure does makes an interesting premise for a totally new and unrelated story.
I love the use of non-complex words because the author has the ability to concoct beautiful sounding sentences using only simple everyday words. It sure does made the reading very easy for a person like me who is not a huge fan of anything poetry.

Another thing that I love about this book is that it provided me with a lot of sentence to quote so I am so excited to create picture quotes out of it.




It was so much fun to read the poetry because I get to experience an instant rush  of feelings. It's like reading a novel just that it's shorter and you get to experience turmoils of feelings in short amount of time.  Definitely recommended to those who are looking for dark tales. 
Continue Reading »