The nitty-gritty: A great mix of contemporary urban fantasy and old-fashioned mythology, with a snarky teen character who won me over. A few years ago I had the pleasure of reading Rachel A. Marks’ debut, Darkness Brutal, and I was very happy to meet her at San Diego Comic Con sometime after that. Rachel was […]
This might be the first ever Did Not Finish review on this blog! Normally I wouldn’t post anything about a book I didn’t finish, but I’m changing up things for a couple of reasons. 1. I want to let the publisher know WHY I didn’t finish it. 2. Since I have a NetGalley copy, I […]
The nitty-gritty: A heady combination of romance and simmering danger make this an irresistible story, set in the realm of faerie. I really enjoyed this book, and even though I read a bunch of negative/unenthusiastic reviews before I got around to it, I was pleasantly surprised by both the story and Margaret Rogerson’s beautiful writing. […]
The nitty-gritty: A dangerous and thrilling tale that grips the reader from the first page and never lets up. If one thing is certain, you can usually count on seasoned and experienced writers to deliver a great story, and I’m happy to report, like so many other reviewers, that The Cruel Prince is a winner. […]
The nitty-gritty: A super fun read with a cool concept, well drawn characters, and some social commentary for those who like depth with their action. This might be the quickest I have ever read a book! I got through Spliced in just over a twenty-four hour time period, mostly because I stayed home sick from […]
Sparked started out very strong, and I really enjoyed the first half of the story. But unfortunately, around the halfway mark, things started to go downhill for me, and it ended up being a typical YA paranormal that reminded me of so many other stories I’ve read. Which is sad, because I’ve had great luck […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced, frantic glimpse into the future that left me more puzzled than exhilarated, The Uploaded is one wild ride. Little Venice’s streets were hip-deep in spillover from the Atlantic Ocean, a thick muck choked with the Bubbler’s stink and liquefied corpses and rotting seaweed–a dead town that swallowed bodies and vomited out […]
The nitty-gritty: Magical, exciting, emotional and full of human truths, Black Light Express takes what Philip Reeve started in Railhead, expands upon it, and makes it even better. Zen sat awkwardly watching, with Nova’s head on his lap as if it were a bag or something. He had imagined finding Nova alive, and he had […]
The nitty-gritty: A fun, fast-paced thriller about the conspiracy theories behind 9/11, this contemporary YA will give teens (and adults!) plenty to think about. I don’t usually read YA thrillers, but when Geoffrey Girard asks you to read his book, you do! I have to admit I don’t know much about conspiracy theories—although my sixteen […]
The nitty-gritty: A high-octane adventure tale in space, populated by some of the craziest characters you’ll ever meet. Well, this is probably the strangest, wackiest story I’ve ever read, and that’s saying something. Being a lover of speculative fiction, “strange” is the norm and I’ve definitely read my share. Mary Turzillo takes strange to a whole […]