THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE by Liz Gallagher

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THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE
Source: Public Library
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (January 8, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375841520
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375841521
SYNOPSIS:
Alice and Jewel have been best friends since grade school. Together, they don’t need anyone else, and together they blend into the background of high school. Invisible. 
To Alice, Jewel is the opposite of invisible. Jewel is her best friend who goes to Indie concerts and art shows with her. Jewel scoffs at school dances with her. Alice is so comfortable around Jewel that she can talk to him about almost anything. 
But she can’t tell him that she likes the cool, popular Simon. And then Simon asks her to the school dance the same day that Jewel kisses her for the first time. Still, she can’t say no to Simon. He seems like the easy choice, the one she’s attracted to, the one she’s ready for. But will it mean losing Jewel? 
In a bright debut novel set against the lively backdrop of Seattle, Alice must learn the difference between love and a crush, and what it means to be yourself when you’re not sure who that is yet. 
MY THOUGHTS:
I found this book by looking online at my local library.  I thought the cover was pretty and the story sounded cute so I ordered it to borrow.

I am so glad I found this book.  Granted, it isn’t a long book, but it has a powerful message that is more important than the number of pages.  I liked the character of Alice.  Maybe because every teenage girl goes through a point in her high school life that she wishes she could be more than what she is.  Alice wants to explore outside her cocoon that she has been living in.  She has a wonderful friend in Jewel, who yes is a boy, but she has a crush on Simon.  Simon is one of the popular group, and even though Alice is in the artistic crowd, they begin a relationship.  Yet just as Alice and Simon start to talk to each other, Jewel professes his love for Alice.  Alice must decide which boy is the right path.  Unfortunately, Alice picks the wrong path.  She finds herself falling down the rabbit hole, trying to figure out what she should do.  Finally she figures out what she wants and realizes that she wasn’t invisible to everyone, she was just insecure in herself. 

You can’t help but fall for each of the characters in the story.  It is a simple, teen read that packs a strong punch in life lesson.  A book I thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to read the author’s next book.

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS

(ARC REVIEW) Shadow Bound by Erin Kellison

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SHADOW BOUND
Source: Contest Win
* I received this book free of charge from a contest win*
  • Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Not Avail (June 29, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0505528290
  • ISBN-13: 978-0505528292
SYNOPSIS:
Death
Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths
Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue
Adam Thorne founded the Segue Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow.

Twilight
This is the place between life and what comes after—a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.


MY THOUGHTS:

At first look, I thought this was a young adult book because the cover reminded me of one.  Lesson learned about not judging a book by its cover! 

This book was amazing.  The author captured the magical world between Life and Death wonderfully. Enter fae, banshee, Death and Demons and you have a suspenseful read that will leave you clawing your way out of the shadows to help Talia figure the mystery out.  Adam was a wonderful side character and love interest as well.  Although I did get a bit frustrated with him a few times.  He didn’t want to fall in love with Talia, yet all of a sudden he does a quick turn around and loves her enough to offer his life for hers. I loved how Talia found her strength along the way and together with Adam and Death, they fought the battle. 

I absolutely cannot wait for the authors next book in the series, Shadow Fall! I already have it on my wish list and I am searching all over the internet for chances to win it early since it isn’t out until July 2010!

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS

(ARC Review) Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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RAISED BY WOLVES
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

  • Category: Juvenile Fiction – Animals – Wolves
  • Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
  • On Sale: June 8, 2010
  • Price: $17.99
  • ISBN: 978-1-60684-059-7 (1-60684-059-2)

SYNOPSIS:
 Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn’t mean that she’s averse to breaking a rule or two. 

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian’s basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents’ murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she’s shaped?

MY THOUGHTS:

I knew from the first few paragraphs of this book that I was going to fall in love with this author and her writing!

“Bronywn Alessia St. Vincent Clare!”
Four names, five words, one pissed-off werewolf.  The math in this particular equation never came out in my favor.

That is the first two lines of the book.  I knew that this author was going to bring me witty writing, some laugh out loud dialogue, wolves and page turning suspense with just the first two paragraphs of the book.  I loved the character of Bryn.  She was the typical headstrong and I-know-it-all teenager you would expect at her age of 15 except that she is a human raised by wolves.  Callum found her when she was 4 years old after a Rabid wolf attacked and killed her parents. He marked her as his and she was brought into his pack to live.

Along the way we get to meet many other dynamic players in this great read that will capture your interest and keep you turning the pages for more. My favorite side character in this book is Devon.  He is Bryn’s best friend in the pack, a pure bred werewolf, and just as witty and smart mouthed as Bryn.  When they are together you can expect some laugh out loud dialogue. 

Bryn is always snooping around when she is told not to.  She comes across Chase who was attacked by a Rabid and is now a werewolf.  She feels an instant connection to him and vice-versa.  They become protective of each other. Bryn finds herself challenging everything she has been taught to keep him safe.  At times the book can become a little confusing only because there is so much going on and you have to try and figure out the mystery along with Bryn.  The author did a wonderful job of just giving you enough to think you know what it is going to happen, but then she will throw you for a loop in the end.

This was a great new read and a new author to me.  I had to sink my teeth into this book and hold on for an incredible journey with Bryn. It will leave you howling with joy for the great read and howling with sorrow waiting for another book by this author!  Whatever the author has in store for us next, I will be waiting in line for the next adventure she writes!

MY RATING:


Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS

(ARC Review) I Love This Bar by Carolyn Brown

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I LOVE THIS BAR
Author: Carolyn Brown
Source: SourceBooks
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

  • Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (June 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1402239262
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402239267

SYNOPSIS:

She doesn’t need anything but her bar…

Daisy O’Dell has her hands full with hotheads and thirsty ranchers until the day one damn fine cowboy walks in and throws her whole life into turmoil…

He’s looking for a cold drink and a moment’s peace…

Instead he finds one red hot woman. She’s just what he needs, if only he can convince her to come out from behind that bar, and come home with him…

MY THOUGHTS:

What do you get when you have an independent woman who works in a bar, a sexy hero who likes to get what he wants, and an author who has some amazing writing skills?  You get I Love This Bar by Carolyn Brown.  Who doesn’t love a rugged cowboy in tight booty fitting jeans with a smart mouth and strong will to go with it? I loved the authors story so much, that I had to reread a few parts just to get the ultimate thrill of the scene again.

Then the author takes it a step further and creates memorable side characters that kept me laughing and turning the pages even faster to see what was next!  She has done a wonderful job of kicking up a sexy new series that will leave you boot scootin’ to the store to get your hands on it!

MY THOUGHTS:


Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS

(ARC Review) FORGIVE MY FINS by Tera Lynn Childs

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FORGIVE MY FINS
Source: Donated to the blog
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (June 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061914657
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061914652
SYNOPSIS:
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid—she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type—the instant they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
MY THOUGHTS:
I desperately wanted to read this book after reading fabulous reviews about it and because author Alyson Noel told me I needed to read it ASAP.  When I was offered the book through another blogger, I jumped on the chance! I LOVED this book.
It was so refreshing to read a young adult book that was paranormal, but wasn’t dark.  It was a fun read and light with characters with witty dialogue.  I loved Lily, even though she could be so shallow at times when deciding on a life mate based on looks.  Quince was a riot.  I loved his comical remarks and the way he handled everything.  I absolutely think Quince was the best character in the whole story! He made the book fun and pushed Lily’s buttons all the time.  I loved the bathroom scene and the fun the writer can make out of anything on a page.  The book is the typical young romance with the Disney theme-like feel to it.  You could feel the bubbly personality of each character flowing smoothly on the pages.
I look forward to the next book in this series from the author and basically anything else the author can come up with.  She was a new to me author and have already ordered her other books she has written. A definite must have for your next young adult read!
MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS