Category Archives: 3 Flames

FUSED
The Samantha Granger Experiment
Author: Kari Lee Townsend
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge
in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; Original edition (November 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402240422
ISBN-13: 978-1402240423

SUMMARY:

After Sam is fused with her cell phone, she’s ready to conquer the world! Or at least the 8th grade…

When Samantha Granger touches a meteor while talking on her cell phone, her life is changed forever: her body now has all the capabilities of her phone (GPS, phone, text, camera). She secretly calls herself a “Digital Diva” as she rushes to answer emergency calls. But will her identity be discovered when sparks fly (literally!) between her and Trevor, her dreamy crush? Samantha has to get a handle on her abilities and quick, because when Sam gets kidnapped and the entire town is in danger, she is the only one who can save them.

MY THOUGHTS:

Isn’t that cover adorable? I thought it was cute and it gave me a sense of what the tone of the book would be like. Samantha becomes “fused” with her cell phone and becomes a teen super hero. 

While I enjoyed this book, I won’t go as far to say it was a favorite of mine.  It was cute and had some funny parts through out the story, but it wasn’t a memorable read that I will remember next year.  While the story was more focused for the younger teen generation, it was still a quick and cute read.  It is a bit predictable, but it just adds to the fun of the book.  You know what is going to come up next, but you still find yourself reading the entire book. 

Great for the younger teens, although some of the older teens and adults should enjoy it as well.  Fun, easy going, and cute is my description of the book.  Not a favorite of mine, but still recommended for teens looking for a quick and nicely paced read.

MY RATING:

THE CRESCENT
Author: Jordan Deen
Source: Purchased

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 190 pages
Publisher: Black Rose Writing (January 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982582366
ISBN-13: 978-0982582367

SUMMARY:

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.

Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused.

Lacey’s fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she’s ever know.

MY THOUGHTS:

I really enjoyed this story from author Jordan Deen.  It has the werewolf factor that is hot and in demand right now, plus it has a love triangle with two gorgeous guys in love with the girl.  

While there were parts of the story that dragged and characters that had flaws, I still enjoyed the journey that the author takes you in in the book.  I was a little disappointed in the fact that Brandon, Lacey’s true soul mate, was only around for a few pages within the first 3/4 of the book.  I wanted to cheer for them, but it is hard when you don’t get to see the characters interact throughout the entire story.  

This leads me to Alex.  Alex is there from the beginning.  He is loving and attentive towards Lacey.  He tries hard to be the boyfriend she thinks she needs.  Plus, he is one of the most gorgeous boys in school which makes the popular girls green with envy.  I found myself cheering that Alex would be the one she chose mainly because I established a connection with him since he was around more in the story.  

Lacey was a little hesitant in the love department with Alex.  She was indecisive and couldn’t make up her mind about the boys.  While I understand that she was torn between two loves, she seemed to flip flop between the two way too much.  


The author saved the action for the last 1/4 of the book which made for a climatic ending.  In a way, I wish there would have been more action and suspense throughout the entire book, but I can also see how the author wanted to build the characters and relationships first.  The action scenes were a little choppy and inconsistent, but I was willing to overlook that fact mainly because of the revelation of who Grant is and the redeeming of certain characters in the book.  


A great read to introduce to young readers and adults who are just getting their toes wet in the paranormal genre, and a series that has me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!  


MY RATING:

SINFUL
Author(s): Sara Dailey and Staci Weber
Source: Author Submission
*I received this book free of charge 
in exchange for an honest review*

Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Mundania Press LLC (November 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594262535
ISBN-13: 978-1594262531

SUMMARY:

After the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Carrington is starting over. In a new city, at a new school, and with a dad she hardly knows, it isn’t going to be easy. Trying desperately to find her way and cope with her unceasing grief, she finds herself surrounded by a force so compelling, so comforting, so captivating that she can’t deny its presence and soon fears that if it were to leave her, she might lose her very self. But is it all really happening or has her wavering sanity finally found its breaking point? Michael’s role in this world has been the same for centuries, but now something is different. He is inexplicably drawn to an intriguing stranger so alluring that he can’t force himself to resist her. Is he willing to risk everything to be with her, even falling? A dark force, hell bent on destroying any chance of happiness for his arch nemesis Michael, is lurking in League City, TX, and there is no limit to his need for vengeance. How far will he go to seek revenge for his sworn enemy’s betrayal? Caught in a clash of good versus evil, Elizabeth soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a battle that has been brewing since long before she was even born. 

MY THOUGHTS:

When Elizabeth’s Mother passes away after a battle with cancer, Elizabeth feels a calm and reassuring presence around her.  At first she thinks it may be her Mother’s spirit trying to comfort her after the loss.  When Elizabeth moves to Texas to live with her Father, she starts to think it might be an angel who is keeping her company instead.

I found the writing to be refreshing in this book.  For once, the characters that are teens, actually talk and act like teenagers!  They actually had the attitude of a teen with all of the school drama that actually is real! While I enjoyed the characters and the story plot, there were a few problems that I had with the book.

First of all the romance between Michael and Elizabeth was so rushed that it almost was instantaneous.  After Michael reveals himself to her, they are madly in love and know that they are going to be together forever.  Some parts of the book were also choppy in story with the time line jumping ahead too quickly.

What I did love about this book though was the constant suspense and high points of the plot.  Just when one climax of the story hit, and you thought that would be the end, it would build to another one before you even knew it.  I was constantly surprised at the different roads the author(s) would take us down.

The side characters were also a delight.  While we don’t get to meet Zander, the head angel, until near the end of the book, he was still memorable and made the chapters great.  Lauren and Amy were fun friends to Elizabeth that you would see at any high school.

While there was good and bad of this book,  I still felt this an enjoyable and entertaining read. I liked the good versus’ evil Angels and the romance that was intertwined in it.  Daniel himself, played an evil angel that you love to hate, but find yourself hoping for the best in him.  I can’t wait to see what the authors will bring to us next!

MY RATING:

FALLEN ANGEL
Author: Heather Terrell
Source: Gifted

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (December 28, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061965707
ISBN-13: 978-0061965708

SUMMARY:
(from Amazon)

Heaven-sent? 

Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

MY THOUGHTS:

To be honest, the cover to this book is what captured my interest.  I love the side view of the girl and the font of the title was great.  Then I read the back of the book and I knew I had to read this book!

Ellie has always been one of the odd girls out in school.  She has never been part of the popular crowd which suits her just fine.  Ellie seems like a normal high school girl, except with a brief touch she can receive visions from the person she brushes up against.  She tries to avoid any contact because she doesn’t always like what she sees in these visions.

When Michael starts to attend her school, they are both drawn to each other.  Michael is obviously one of the popular kids in school and doesn’t understand his attraction and fascination with her.  It is revealed that they both knew each other from a previous trip that both of their families had been on.  While Ellie can’t seem to remember him, Michael definitely is remembering Ellie.

Together, they try to figure out the attraction between each other and why their parents are hiding so many secrets from them.

While I think the romance between Ellie and Michael could have been sweet, it seemed to be a little off with me.  In some instances I felt that Michael even came off as a bit of a stalker at times.  Yet as the story progressed and we neared the end of the novel, I found myself warming up to the blossoming romance between the two.  Of course, with the plot twists and suspense that follows before we near the end of the book, we start to understand why their romance was hard to understand and enjoy. 

The book flowed at a fairly nice pace, even if some parts felt a little boring.  In certain points of the book, I was ready for the author to move on and get to another point in the plot.  I enjoyed the characters of Ellie and Michael, but I didn’t fall in love with them like I should have.  Like I said, I didn’t really warm up to them until the end of the book which made it hard to invest in their story. 

While I liked the book, I didn’t love the book.  There were good points and there were bad points to it.  I will give the next book in the series a go though because now that this book is over, I finally have an interest in the couple and what the author will bring to them next.

MY RATING:

HALO
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge
in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (August 31, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312656262
ISBN-13: 978-0312656263

SUMMARY:

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces. 

Is love a great enough power against evil?

MY THOUGHTS:

Where do I begin with this review? There were some things that I enjoyed about this book, yet there were also so many things that were not so good.

Let’s start with the cover.  Beautiful!  I loved the silhouette photo used for the front.  With the sun shining through it made it heavenly! It truly is a remarkable cover that captures the innocence of love.  I also enjoyed the summary that was included on the book.  It captured my interest since I have been reading more about angels instead of vampires lately.  I am a fan of the angel books that feature forbidden love weaved throughout the plot. 

What bothered me the most, and what I have noticed from other readers as well, is the naive personality of Bethany. She is suppose to be a greater being since she is an angel, but at times she was silly and making decisions that even a regular human teen would be wise to.  When she should have been strong and wise, I felt she was weak and lost. 

The story also moved along rather slowly.  I kept wanting it to pick up the pace, especially since the reader has over 480 pages to go through.  It felt stalled in many chapters with no steam left to push it along.  There were parts of the story that captivated me though.  I did love the basic plot of how angels are amongst us and protecting us from unsuspecting evil.  I also liked the fact that even though this book is about angels, the author made sure not to come across preachy. 

While this wasn’t one of my favorite books of the year, I do see the story having potential for something more in future books.  Will I read the next installment in this series? Yes, but only if the author can fine tune the details of story progression and maturing of Bethany.

MY RATING: