Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Secret Society
Secret Society by Tom Dolby
Do you ever wonder how some people have it all? The best schools, the hottest parties, the priciest clothes, the easiest jobs? Maybe it’s not because they work hard or get a lucky break every once in a while. Maybe it’s because they are part of a secret group. A Secret Society.
My Review:
Alright, off the bat I want to say that I didn’t not like the book, I was just expecting more than I was given.
Opening with the scene of a crime, a boys body found at the base of Cleopatra’s Needle, an Ankh tattoo on his neck, you really need to have the rising action to support that prologue. You really need the reader feeling things- fear, foreboding, angst- the heartbeat of the story has to be strong. Unfortunately it kind of flat lined in Secret Society.
I want to reiterate that I didn’t not like the book, but I found I was reading something different than what was advertised. The first in a series, Secret Society was, I suppose the starting place from where the main characters can unravel the great mysteries that must be yet to come. That was a big problem, the author wasn’t divulging enough to make you understand why the characters are freaking out. There was no hold out and so when the “secret” was divulged to the group (or reader) I just kind of thought, “okay.”
The pacing is great, the individual characters are great, but the plot needs thickening, I know I’m not really one for an over complicated plot, but when you’re adding Egyptian culture to an underground NYC Society full of dreamers, and murderers, you have to weave in some good plot twists and make the reader sweat with anticipation.
On a plus side, the New York City Dolby writes is amazing, looking at the city through Lauren’s eyes is perfect and you can really feel yourself walking down the streets, hearing car horns, shopping bags full of “finds” swinging around. He was the master of setting, through and through!
Thoughts on the cover: I can only assume the model is Lauren, and I think she’s a dead ringer, the costuming department for the shoot were genius, the textures of the different clothing pieces are almost as amazing as the darklighting and the animated glow.
Thoughts on the names: Patchfield, *snort* how pretentious! But I love the nickname Patch and think it suits the boy very well. Phoebe still has the artsy edge the character needed and Lauren, though my favorite character, will always be the “blonde girl cop-out name” in my books! In fact, I made my mother change the name of her character when she thought she liked Lauren. Nick could be a perfect choice if he ends up leading the rebellion against the Society- since Nicholas means Victory of the People.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Winner of the first subscriber contest!
I randomly chose Kelsey’s name and she is the first winner of the subscriber contest!
Kelsey, please leave a comment below with your address and the book you want from my have list, found here:
http://www.swap.com/user/SweetCarolina3/havelist/
For security purposes your comment will not be published on the blog, the comment will only be seen by myself via an approval e-mail.
Alright, so for the rest of you, get your friends and fellow bloggers to subscribe, you are my first ten and I would love to know a little about you. If you want to comment on this post, or on another post, and tell me a bit about yourself, please do!
Alright Page Turners, I will see you again at 20 subscribers, when there will be two winners.
BTW previous winners will be disqualified from this series of contests, therefore we will have no repeat winners, but if I get to host another contest along the way, which has nothing to do with the subscription goals, then please enter away!
Accepting the challenge!
Hello my page turners!
I’ve accepted the challenge and now, until August 2011 I will read at least eighteen of the twenty-one contemp. books being released this calender year!
Click the above button to find out more!
I’ve accepted the challenge and now, until August 2011 I will read at least eighteen of the twenty-one contemp. books being released this calender year!
Click the above button to find out more!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Falling in love with the Beast
Ever wonder what it was like for the beast?
My review:
Okay, don’t ask me what took so long to read this one, blame it on the backburner, as in, this book has always been sitting on my backburner. Part of it was the name, Beastly, I hate when people say “It’s Beast!” so right off I’m really not feeling it and because you have to read the book to really appreciate the thorned rose I’m still not there to read it. Even after reading Diva, which I adore, having written a song about Sean who is the biggest waste, why does he have to be gay! Sorry, wrong book, off topic, but come on, Sean! Alright, I’m back. So even knowing Alex Flinn is amazing and that I want to read A Kiss in Time I’m still not going after the book.
What changed me? They slapped the “read it before you see it” button on the cover and I dove for a copy! I hate knowing that the book is going to be good, but that once I see the movie I’ll never read the book. Plus, as I mentioned, I really, really love Alex Flinn, not to mention fairy tale retellings. A lovely angel (I’m always running into them) over on Swap.com sent me my copy, thank you!
So, my verdict- I fell in love with a Beast! I really hated him, really, really hated him, and then I pitied him and then I fell head over heals in love with a man so beastly! The plot balanced the real world and fairytale land aspects perfectly, usually this is where I find the author will trip themselves up. Trying to give a “teenage expierience” to the characters who are living untypical lives, but the chat room only added to the plot.
The characters, the witch (who from the movie Beauty and the Beast, I always loved anyway) was even great! William was by far my favorite, I mean, yeah, I fell in love with Kyle/Adrian, but I would have taken Will in a heartbeat; his blindness was a great metaphor!
I loved the fact that he grew to love roses and watching him with Lindy was wonderful! I was praying Flinn wouldn’t do something stupid and make them have a blow-up fight and, as always, she came through, their romance was lovely, in keeping with the Beauty story, while still being authentically Kyle and Lindy.
I can’t wait to read the final installment in the series, out in 2011, Cloaked.
Notes on the names: Kyle and Adrian were both awesome choices! Kyle seems like too easy of a choice, while Adrian feels brooding, without being sinister. I was sort of disappointed that Flinn didn’t use Belinda (a personal favorite) which would have been a subtle nod to Belle from the Beauty and the Beast story, while still having the Lindy nickname which means pretty. Kendra is witchy, but didn’t feel ancient enough, I think Aurelia would have been such a bold choice! Magda and Will served their purposes, but I don’t think much of either name.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
My contest entry!
She will see many books…
She will shake hands with great new authors…
But only one book will be signed…hopefully for me!
So, here's hoping you won't win!
Contest!
I have decided to have my first official contest! Yes! I know, it’s thrilling me too!
No matter what any blogger says the thing they want most is ARCs, but to get ARCs and readers to read reviews of those ARCs you have to load up your followers box, plus it’s a major ego trip when
I log in and see I am being “followed!”
So for every 10 “Page Turners” AKA Followers I get I will draw one of your names and I will give you a book from my Swap.com have list!
You can find a link to my Swap.com page if you scroll to the bottom of this page.
But wait, there’s more! When I reach twenty followers, I will give away two books and three books at thirty, you can see where I’m going here, I’m sure.
When we reach one hundred I will hold some big contest, so epic I can’t even comprehend it at this very moment, but it will happen, and you can quote me!
So get all your friends and leave a comment below to say hello, even if you are one of my “origonal five”
See you at ten “Page Turners”
Gabrielle
P.S. This is a great time to start following, I’ve pre-written a couple months worth of reviews and you will find out why on the seventh of October!
Epic contests on Mr. Linky!
The Story Siren is so considerate of bloggers IMO. She set up a Mr. Linky so all bloggers can advertise their contests!
Go here to see every one's contests, I really wish I had one going on!
http://www.thestorysiren.com/2010/09/enter-thisthese-contests.html
Go here to see every one's contests, I really wish I had one going on!
http://www.thestorysiren.com/2010/09/enter-thisthese-contests.html
IMM (4)
In My Mailbox is a weekly memme created by Kristi, The Story Siren, who is beautiful and wonderful and has amazing books!
http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html
This week in my mailbox is-
Fairest of Them All by Jan Blazanin (MTV published this one, so I’m skeptical)
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely (Do you see this gorgeous cover?!)
http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html
This week in my mailbox is-
Fairest of Them All by Jan Blazanin (MTV published this one, so I’m skeptical)
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely (Do you see this gorgeous cover?!)
Rewind by Laura Dower (Interesting premise, reminds me of similar stories such as After the Moment and The Secret Year, both of which I want, but haven’t read)
Sunlight and Shadow by Cameron Dokey (I love this series)
Unclaimed Heart by Kim Wilkins (I read the first page and got hooked!)
Leave your IMM links below in the comments section!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I'm hot, then I'm cold
After her family is in a tragic, and fatal, car accident Mia must decide if she should stay…
My review:
Alright, I think I am the only person on the face of the YA literary world that is not head over heels in love with If I Stay by Gayle Freeman, that doesn’t mean I think it’s a bad book, or that it’s an audacity it got published, on the contrary, I really don’t understand why I have such cool feelings, but I do and stand by them.
One of my inklings as to why I’m not in love with the book is that the love story written in past tense really didn’t give me a magnetic pull as to why she felt she wanted to stick around for him. In fact that’s why I’m itching for Where She Went, the sequel that is being released with great hype this coming spring. Adam and Mia broke up and I think hearing Mia’s voice in the present, in the world will be a great eye-opener for a skeptic reader like myself. I really want to find out where she went, because I felt as though she was reserved and far away from herself and her heart in If I Stay.
So basically I’m throwing down a gauntlet, Mrs. Forman, can you make me understand Where She Went?
Thoughts on the covers: All the covers are great! I mean they aren’t a fairytale, but then, they aren’t suppose to be, right? My only problem is the lock of hair that cuts it’s path right across the model’s nose! I felt like, had that bold line been diminished, the look would have been a bit more lost and otherworldly. I really hope the ARC cover for Where She Went sticks, I think it’s s’marvelous, alive, where this one is dead (in a good way!)
Thoughts on the names: Nothing stood out to me, but I kept thinking Mia was a rather bold choice, since Amelia ‘Mia’ Thermopolis dominating the Princess Diaries series in years past.
Other notes: Not at all sure why it will “…appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyers, Twilight,” but okay.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Bi-Polar Book
Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley
When Emily’s parents plane crashes only two things are recovered at the scene- the little black box and her mother’s tray table, written in lipstick are the words, “Emily, please forgive me.”
My Review:
Alright, this is a bad review, so if you are intent to read this one, or if you have read it and think it’s the bees knees, maybe skip this review.
I have nicknamed Lipstick Apology the “bi-polar book.”
Unfortunately the author couldn’t decide if she wanted a classic girl in the city, gay best friend, popular girls, private school, bad betting boy, new hair cut cliché coming of age novel or if she wanted Emily to feel the weight of her mother’s final words hanging over her everyday. So she flip-flopped, had Emily have a nervous breakdown a few times, but then put her in a cheerleading costume so she could “move on” only three months after both parents were lost in a freak accident and her life turned on it’s axis. This book needed to be medicated almost as much as Emily did. I stuck it out for a while, though the pacing was painfully slow and the story was going no where, but around page 170 just shoved the book away and never looked back. That’s right, I still don’t know what Emily’s mother meant by her lipstick apology, but, hey, Emily didn’t care, so why should I?
I really can’t say much more, bi-polar and cliché are the “tag” words here, if someone finishes this book please confirm the following- Owen was betting on getting in Emily’s pants or something, right? Thought so.
Thoughts on the cover: Great cover, it’s truly too bad about the story, but even the cover couldn’t save this one and Lipstick Apology didn’t make it onto the Mod Podge Bookshelf
Thoughts on the names: There were so many vowel names. I like that the author pointed that out though, Ethan, Aidan, Emily, Owen, Anthony…Jolie and Trent had the best names and were the only redeeming characters, even if Trent was a little cliché with the whole gay NYC hairdresser shtick. I think I would read this book again only if it were written from Jolie’s perspective. I wanted to know what she was thinking more than I cared how Emily felt.
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