Family Storms by V.C. Andrews

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FAMILY STORMS
Storms #1
Author: V.C. Andrews
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star (February 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439154996
ISBN-13: 978-1439154991

SUMMARY:

In the eye of the storm . . .

Living on the streets with her destitute mother, selling knickknacks and trinkets just to survive, Sasha Porter dreams of someday having a normal life, with a real house and family. But she never dreamed a devastating tragedy would bring her those very things: on a stormy night by a rainspattered highway, a speeding car veers out of control, striking and killing her mother and badly injuring Sasha.

. . . is anywhere truly safe?

In the hospital, Sasha is whisked off to a fancy private suite at the request of wealthy Mrs. Jordan March, a complete stranger who keeps watch by Sasha’s bedside and insists she come live at her family’s sprawling, luxurious mansion. Sasha soon learns Mrs. March never recovered from the loss of her daughter Alena, and with nowhere else to go, Sasha agrees to use Alena’s room, sleep in her bed, and wear her clothes. But someone will make sure that Sasha never takes Alena’s place: a jealous sister dead set on making Sasha’s life a living hell.

MY THOUGHTS:


This is the first book I have read by well known author V.C. Andrews.  She is famous for her Flowers in the Attic series, but I never had a chance to check them out and read them.  When I was offered this novel for review, I figured it would be a good place to start and work my way backwards through her books.  


While I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters in this book, it really started to stall after that.  It seemed to stretch on and on with no real progression in the plot.  After Sasha and her Mother are hit by a car, Sasha wakes up in the hospital and learns that her Mother didn’t make it.  They were homeless and therefore without insurance so she wasn’t really receiving the treatment she deserved.  When Mrs. Marsh shows up in her hospital room and moves her to a private room, she is curious to know why she is helping her.  Mrs. Marsh reveals that her daughter Kiera was the one that hit them with her car while intoxicated with drugs.  Mrs. Marsh is very wealthy and insists that Sasha come live with her and her family so she can have a proper home and wonderful life.  Sasha is hesitant in moving in with her because she feels it to be a betrayal to her Mothers memory to live in the same house as the person who caused all the heartache. 


After Sasha moves into the home though, she realizes Mrs. Marsh has some ulterior motives for her being there.  She seems to be replacing her daughter Alena with Sasha after Alena passed away awhile back.  Sasha is living in her room, wearing her clothes, and even being treated like Alena by Mrs. Marsh. 


The book is predictable and rather quite boring after Sasha is moved into the house.  I struggled with finishing this book and was just thankful when it ended.  If this is any indication of what the other books by this author are like, then I am not too sure I will be picking up anymore.

MY RATING:

 
I did not like this book at all! 1 STAR

CONTEST: Win an ARC copy of Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

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HALLOWED
(Unearthly #2)
Author: Cynthia Hand
Expected publication: 1/17/2012 by HarperCollins Publishers 
SUMMARY:
For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.  
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CONTEST:

 Thanks to the publisher, I have one print ARC copy of Hallowed to send out to one winner! 
 RULES:
  1. to enter, please fill out the form below..
  2. entrants must be 13 years of age or older.
  3. contest deadline is November 10th, 2011.
  4. contest open for the USA only!
  5. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON! 
CONTEST CLOSED!!!

Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

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TRIS & IZZIE
Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Source: Amazon Vine
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA (October 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606841734
ISBN-13: 978-1606841730

SUMMARY:



A modern retelling of the German fairytale “Tristan and Isolde”, Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until — she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

MY THOUGHTS:


I wasn’t familiar with the fairytale of Tristan and Isolde, but the summary intrigued me when it said that it involved love potions and falling for the wrong person.  I was thrilled to step away from the normal paranormal of vampires, shape shifters and mermaids for a bit and step into a book involving magic and teen angst.  I have to say though that this book is not as great as that cover unfortunately. The cover is so pretty with all the flower petals and shirtless guy, but the reading material inside is less than memorable.


With not much background to base an emotional tie to the characters on, I wasn’t really invested in the story enough to enjoy what was going on.  The main character is at times naive and predictable,  but the path that the author takes her on really isn’t explained well enough to understand why she is on this path.  The secondary characters were just as much unappealing as the main character.  The bad guy is the cliched bad guy that makes you cringe whenever he speaks from predictability and not evil creepiness. 


Overall, this book was a disappointment to me.  The cover was basically the only thing I enjoyed about this book.  Not one I would reread again in the future.

MY RATING:

 
I did not like this book at all! 1 STAR

November 100+ Books Challenge Reviews

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NOVEMBER LINK UP PAGE
Hi all!  This is the post that you can link up your reviews for the 100+ Challenge for November.  Each month there will be a new link up page and  I will be listing each months main link below the challenge button on my sidebar.  I look forward to reading everyone’s reviews and the books you choose!


* This is for your reviews posted in NOVEMBER only! To sign up for the challenge please go to the page located HERE *

Working Stiff by Rachel Caine

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WORKING STIFF
A Revivalist Novel #1
Author: Rachel Caine
Source: Personal Purchase

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Roc; Original edition (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451464133
ISBN-13: 978-0451464132

SUMMARY:

Bryn Davis was killed on the job after discovering her bosses were selling a drug designed to resurrect the dead. Now, revived by that same drug, she becomes an undead soldier in a corporate war to take down the very pharmaceutical company responsible for her new condition…

MY THOUGHTS:


Since Rachel Caine is one of the wonderful authors who have mastered the vampire niche, I was thrilled to discover that she was going to include the world of zombie like creatures as well!  While her vampire series is focused on the young adult crowd — and adults who are addicted to them too! — her Revivalist series is focused on the adult genre.  While I have never been a huge fan of the zombie craze, I was ready to open them with open arms and dive into the dark side with Rachel Caine.


Talk about some bad luck!  Bryn’s first day on the job at a local funeral home goes from bad to worse when she ends up dead.  Her boss is involved in some shady dealings with a top secret drug from pharmaceutical company Pharmadene.  When she gets caught snooping into the private meeting, she finds herself becoming one of the clients on the steel table.  Yet, when she awakes she finds herself revived and not in the here after.  She is given the secret drug and brought back as a sort of zombie like creature by undercover agents Patrick McCallister and Joe Fideli.  Bryn is forced to work with them to bring down the company that is creating this drug.  


Now when I think of zombies I think of brain eating, flesh sagging, brainless creatures.  Author Rachel Caine brought zombies to a better evolved typed of zombie.  On the outside, Bryn appears to be a normal human being.  Unfortunately, she is just being kept alive because of the drug.  If she doesn’t get a shot, her body starts to decay like any normal dead body.  Basically Bryn is dependent of the drug that she is trying to stop being produced.  I liked the dynamics of the plot and loved each of the characters involved.  I absolutely loved Joe Fideli the best though! He was hilarious and at very protective of his family.  I didn’t really like Patrick at first though.  He seemed cold and distant which made it hard for the romance to progress for me.  


Even though the romance was not what I liked, the story and story progression was wonderful.  I love this new and creepy series and can’t wait to read about what is to come for Bryn!

MY RATING:


Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS