Review: Feral by James DeMonaco and Brian Evenson

Feral by James DeMonaco and Brian Evenson
Summary from Goodreads.com
Publication Date April 4, 2017

From James DeMonaco, the writer/director of The Purge film franchise, comes the provocative and terrifying last stand of a lone outpost of women in the wake of a deadly pandemic. 
Allie Hilts was still in high school when a fire at a top-secret research facility released an air-borne pathogen that quickly spread to every male on the planet, killing most. Allie witnessed every man she ever knew be consumed by fearsome symptoms: scorching fevers and internal bleeding, madness and uncontrollable violence. The world crumbled around her. No man was spared, and the few survivors were irrevocably changed. They became disturbingly strong, aggressive, and ferocious. Feral. 
Three years later, Allie has joined a group of hardened survivors in an isolated, walled-in encampment. Outside the guarded walls the ferals roam free, and hunt. Allie has been noticing troubling patterns in the ferals' movements, and a disturbing number of new faces in the wild. Something catastrophic is brewing on the horizon, and time is running out. The ferals are coming, and there is no stopping them. 
With Feral, writer/director James DeMonaco and acclaimed novelist Brian Evenson have created a challenging and entertaining novel of timely horror and exhilarating suspense."



Review: The premise of this was really interesting. The POV switched between characters and 1st and 3rd person and was sometimes confusing. Also, epilogue was the title of the first part and prologue was the title of the last bit, while that may be some clever twist possibly, it's not something that is easily seen and may confuse some readers. I felt if the POV switched between just Allie and Kim and stayed consistent, 1st or 3rd not both, it would have read better. Possibly putting the Dr.'s POV in letters would have made sense. Overall, loved the story and seeing as how it was written by someone who has done a movie before I would love to see this as a film, it kinda reads like one.

Review: The Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

The Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
Summary from Goodreads.com
Publication Date March 28, 2017

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever. 

Review: I don't normally like anything that is historical, but if it has a paranormal aspect I will always give it a try. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The historical aspects of the book were not overwhelming and it read as any other paranormal novel just set in a different time. I loved the story and the choices that essentially all characters had to make between what was right and wrong. I am looking forward to more in this world.

Review: The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse
Summary from Goodreads.com
Publication Date: March 21,2017

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter dares to hope that she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But the reality of becoming parents proves much harder than Lucy and Jonah imagined. Jonah’s love and support is unquestioning, but as Lucy struggles with work and her own failing dreams, the strain on their marriage increases. Suddenly it feels like Lucy is close to losing everything…

Heart-wrenching and poignant, this latest work by bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: what does it mean to be a mother in today’s hectic world? And what if it’s asking too much to want it all?

Review: I love the subject and realness of this book. I did find that some parts were a little drawn out but it didn't take away from the emotion that I felt from the story being told.

Review: The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
Summary from Goodreads.com

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

Emma
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.

Jane
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.


Review: I thought this started out a little slow, but it got really intense and kept me reading. I read this all in one sitting. While I did not like the ending, I thought this was a great book on the manipulative personality of society. I honestly thought that the end was going to have a dystopian twist and was kind of disappointed it didn't. That was not the only reason I did not like the ending, I just felt that it did not go well with the personalities and twists that were discovered. No spoilers here, but I would gladly give you a more detailed opinion if you ask. 😊

Review: The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
Summary from Goodreads.com

For the perfect love, what would you be willing to lose?

It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but he casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As they learn more about their colliding worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. 


Review: Started out slow, almost DNF, but it got better the further I read and that kept me going, I cannot wait for the nest book! Love Zoe and X and even Jonah, great characters. I hope book two lives up to my expectations.

Review: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

13 Reasons Why By Jay Asher
Summary from Goodreads.com

"You can't stop the future."
"You can't rewind the past."
"The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play."

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever." 

Review: All the feels. This is a very sad story and I felt for more than one character. Others I just wanted to beat their ass and say really? But this is a truthful novel, I felt I could see myself in these situations and realized that like Clay and Tony, and others there was probably times that I could've made a difference to someone but chose to look the other way. Very heart-wrenching story that needed to be told.

Review: Brat Pack America a Love Letter to 80's Teen Movies by Kevin Smokler

Brat Pack America A Love Letter to 80's Teen Movies By: Kevin Smokler
Summary from Goodreads.com

From the fictional towns of Hill Valley, CA, and Shermer, IL, to the beautiful landscapes of the “Goondocks” in Astoria and the “time of your life” dirty dancing resort still alive and well in Lake Lure, NC, '80s teen movies left their mark not just on movie screen and in the hearts of fans, but on the landscape of America itself. Like few other eras in movie history, the '80s teen movies has endured and gotten better with time. In Brat Pack America, Kevin Smokler gives virtual tours of your favorite movies while also picking apart why these locations are so important to these movies.

Including interviews with actors, writers, and directors of the era, and chock full of interesting facts about your favorite '80s movies, Brat Pack America is a must for any fan. Smokler went to Goonies Day in Astoria, OR, took a Lost Boys tour of Santa Cruz, CA, and deeply explored every nook and cranny of the movies we all know and love, and it shows. 

Review: If you love 80's movies and would like to reminisce about what made them great this is a fantastic collection of essays and interviews. It brought me back to my childhood and makes me long for a 80's movie marathon this weekend. I read this in preparation for an upcoming author visit at my college and I can't wait to hear what he has to say. 

Introduction

Hello! I just want to say a little about myself and my goals for this blog. Currently I am an English Major at University of Cincinnati with the end goal to go into editing and publishing. I am an editor on the student journal Eastfork, you can find us at eastfork.us I love reading, my favorite genre is paranormal, with or without romance, but I also love psychological, thrillers, dystopian and romance. My goal with this blog is to give reviews of what I read, whether I bought the book or checked it from the library (where I currently work 😉), and to receive recommendations from anyone who has a good book they want to share! So feel free to leave me any comments, especially if it's about a book, I will give anything a try.