Young Adult

Book Review: Jackaby by William Ritter 2

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Book Review: Jackaby by William RitterSummary

“Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local authorities–with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane–seem adamant to deny.”

-From Amazon.com

 

Review

So I kept seeing this book all over and I’m pretty sure I borrowed it from the library a while back, but never got to it. So at the library I grabbed it again and decided to read it first (as it was the shortest out of all the books I borrowed).

I finished it in about 4 hours. It was so catchy!

Honestly it was like Supernatural mixed with Sherlock…like two of my favorite things! So naturally I had to love it!

It kept the pages turning just because you were naturally curious as to what was going to happen, with the mystery but also about the relationship between Abigail and Jackaby. So I just kept reading and reading, and then we got to solving the mystery and I had to keep reading. So I read it in a few hours.

It wasn’t a long story so it wasn’t exactly difficult to read it quickly (only about 300 pages) but it was also gripping.

There wasn’t a lot of character development in this book but this is a series, so I’m going to have to pick up the other books later to find out what happens, but I have a lot of lists that I really want to read first, so this will have to wait.

Honestly though, with a lot of people talking about this book and seeming to really love it, I didn’t understand the hype so much. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it but it wasn’t a book I would tell everyone that they have to read first. But of course, this is my personal opinion. It was different, and also not exactly the kind of book I generally read, genre wise.

Never the less, it was a decent read and if you have time, I would suggest checking it out.

For that, I will give it a 4/5 teacups!

rating four tea cups mlcwo

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Strange Magic by Syd Moore

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fiction / Interesting / Young Adult by

Book Review: Strange Magic by Syd MooreSummary

“Rosie Strange doesn’t believe in ghosts or witches or magic. No, not at all. It’s no surprise therefore when she inherits the ramshackle Essex Witch Museum, her first thought is to take the money and run.

Still, the museum exerts a curious pull over Rosie. There’s the eccentric academic who bustles in to demand she help in a hunt for old bones, those of the notorious Ursula Cadence, a witch long since put to death. And there’s curator Sam Stone, a man about whom Rosie can’t decide if he’s tiresomely annoying or extremely captivating. It all adds up to looking like her plans to sell the museum might need to be delayed, just for a while.

Finding herself and Sam embroiled in a most peculiar centuries-old mystery, Rosie is quickly expelled from her comfort zone, where to her horror, the secrets of the past come with their own real, and all too present, danger as a strange magic threatens to envelope them all.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

Beautiful cover!
This was a gift from my mum when she came back from the U.K. this year and I was immediately drawn in from the cover. Yes, I’m one of those who chooses books based off covers. Only because there are so many out there and whatever catches my attention by cover or name wins! I really liked that it was a simple cover, color wise, with this skull in the middle. But it did slightly mislead me in a way. It gave me a Mexican Day of the Dead kind of vibe. But that wasn’t what the book was about at all. I mean first off, it was set in Essex (U.K. for those of you who don’t know where that is).

Captivating story!
Now the story itself was interesting. It was simple, not too far out there. It was based around the witch trials that happened in the past and how someone came back to the present and all that kind of good stuff! It kept me captivated and curious as to what was going to happen next!

You got that feeling from the reading that you really were along for the journey. And I truly did feel like I was in Essex with the weather and all of that stuff!

Main character was slightly annoying.
Only thing that I didn’t like about the book was some of the characteristics of the main character, Rosie. She honestly was obnoxious as hell. She kept getting at the other protagonist, Sam, in the book.  She was very stubborn and not open to what was going on and it really annoyed me sometimes how out of line and rude she was in the book. I’m not sure if that was the point of her, but she really did get on my nerves a few times and I just wanted to slap some sense into her. She always had that ‘Essex Girl’ kind of attitude, all the way up to the very end!

Overall a fantastic read.
However, annoying main character to the side, the book itself was fantastic. It was simple so not terribly full of action (except towards the end a bunch of stuff happened). But it didn’t detract from the book. I noticed that Sarah Perry, the author of The Essex Serpent, really enjoyed the book and that was also what made me want to read it too! I do recommend it as it’s a good read and I think it’s a fantastic gift for someone who is into those magical kind of books!

For all of that, I give it 4/5 teacups!

rating four tea cups mlcwo

Happy Reading!

Purchase the book here at Barnes & Noble.

Book Review: Citizen Kill by Stephen Clark

 in Adult / Book Reviews / Books / Older Readers / Young Adult by

Book Review: Citizen Kill by Stephen ClarkRating: 4/5 teacups

Summary

“When a devastating explosion kills the new President’s young son, her administration seeks to finally end the war on terror. CIA black-ops agent Justin Raines is among the recruits in a new program that targets for assassination U.S. citizens suspected of radicalizing Muslims.

Haunted by a botched assignment overseas, Justin is determined to redeem himself through the program. But when he is assigned to kill a mysterious Muslim educator that he believes is innocent, he grows disillusioned. Now he must find a way to prove her innocence and derail the program before they both are assassinated.

This explosive political thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as Washington stops at nothing to protect the nation from terrorists, while Justin Raines risks everything to protect the nation from Washington.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

I was contacted by Stephen to read his book and at the title, I was hooked. It grabbed my attention immediately. And then I read the summary and I was just so curious as to what the story was about. It was clear that it was going to hit close to home with terrorism and all of these events currently going on in the U.S., but it was definitely worth the read.

Based in reality.
The book is based in reality and has no fantastical aspects. It is completely realistic in how it portrays the government, how it works, and how they operate and the kind of secrets they hold. Of course, it’s not based on fact, but it was interesting to see how this idea was mixed into reality and used the fears that people have in the book.

The topic of conversation was Islamophobia.
The main purpose of the book was the cover the idea of Islamophobia and how just because someone is a Muslim, people seem to assume that they are a terrorist. That was one of the points of the book which I thought was interesting to cover. Of course it is covered in non-fiction books but I haven’t come across it in a fiction book before and it was nice that that kind of issue was addressed.

Action packed.
The story kept you on your toes and kept changes and so you weren’t really sure what to expect next, up until the last pages. It was kind of like real life. You expect something to go one way but it actually ended up going the other, especially with politics and it being an ever-changing ground and you can’t predict what will happen next.

I also really liked the idea that everyone thought that they were the good guy. The bad guy thinks that he is the good guy and the good guy thinks that he is the good guy. Everyone thinks that they are doing what is best for everyone. I liked that that was addressed but it is a true fact of life. Wrong or right, everyone thinks that what they do is to better everyone else, no matter what they are doing.

Overall I really liked the book and will give it 4/5 teacups!

rating four tea cups mlcwo

I would suggest reading it, especially if you like politically fueled reads and ones that keep you turning pages. The chapters were nice and short so you were able to bite through it quickly so it wasn’t a long read.

Happy Reading and let me know what you think!

 

Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

 in Book Reviews / Books / Young Adult by


Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Rating: 4/5 teacups!

Summary

“There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

This book was all over Instagram and everyone was absolutely raving about it. So of course I had to just order it from my library and 24 hours later, it arrived. If you’ve been keeping up with my Insta, you will have seen that I have been drowning in books as of late so I have so many to read. But I put them all on hold so I could complete this one quickly. I read it in about 2 hours.

Overall it was highly entertaining.
It was really a good story and very entertaining. I loved that the main character, Alosa, was so strong and determined. The fact that it was about pirates was wonderful as well. It’s a good summer read because who doesn’t love a good pirate story in the summer? Reading about pirates, within books, is generally rare as everything is about zombies, vampires and angels in these kind of novels. So having something more angled towards the sea was a nice change!

Alosa was a little too strong and didn’t have enough flaws.
It did bother me and that she was so stronger than all of these much larger pirates, and she was like 17 or something. It was a little unrealistic with that, which of course made sense later when you find out what she actually was (read it to find out as I am not spoiling it for you!). But until that point, I was just like “how is this little girl able to kick ass. Like no way!” There were also a few moments within the book of some simple writing language, which bothered me a bit. I can’t remember where exactly but it was like the writing style just declined suddenly and the sentences became simple. But then it went back to the original writing style. I had to keep reminding myself that it was definitely written for middle aged YA.

The romance made the story good!
This was a romance story and apparently some people didn’t really love that aspect of it, or so I heard from people on Insta, but I did quite like it. It made the story what it was. Without the romance between Alosa and Riden the story would have been so dull and boring. The little spats that the two of them had really harked back to Pirates of the Carribean and the kind of things going on there.

Fast paced ending.
I did feel the ending kind of moved fast though. There is another book scheduled to come out next year, which will clarify some of the open ends that were left, but the book came to such a quick ending. It was like they were in the middle of nowhere looking for the Pirate King and then suddenly the King had found them and then it was just over. Like bam, bam, bam. Not that that is necessarily a problem and it won’t bother most people, but I always like there to be a little more of a deep story. With the whole build up, I was really expecting some massive pirate battle. But alas, I was not rewarded with that kind of booty. Just an empty chest.

However the story was very enjoyable and I will be checking out the next book when it comes out next year. I absolutely loved the cover, which was one reason I had to check it out, and it was a nice fluffy read and when the second book comes out, I will be re-reading the series (as you always do!)  Let me know your thoughts.

Happy Reading!

I give this book 4 out of 5 teacups. 

rating four tea cups mlcwo

Singing Fire by T.L. Martin

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Young Adult by

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Singing Fire by T.L. Martin

Summary

“Constant chills, panic attacks, and now paranoia – there’s a reason seventeen-year-old Charlie keeps to herself. Life is looking up when she gets a job at a whimsical tea shop and gains a few new friends, but little does Charlie know there are secrets lurking beyond its door. It only takes one night for her perspective on her small town to change forever. As if witches, vampires, and demons weren’t enough, she soon realizes she’s being hunted for a power she didn’t know she possessed. Singing Fire takes Charlie through an unexpected journey of self-discovery, betrayal, and forbidden love all while the clock is ticking for her to defeat the dark souls pursuing her – before anyone else dear to her has to die. Singing Fire is the first of a two-part series, and its sequel, Raining Fire, is due for release in 2017.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

I absolutely loved this book! Ms. Martin sent me an email asking for me to give it a read and the initial reason I said yes was because the cover was gorgeous. It caught my eye, as well as the summary. I love fantasy kind of books and I hadn’t read one for a little while, so I figured that it was time to.

Now this book just had so much amazing stuff going on. First of all, it was fantasy but not so much so that it wasn’t based in reality. It was kind of like the Shadowhunters idea where they were hiding in plain site. Then you have this girl who just gets sucked into the world. And then you have this vampire who she falls in love with (of course).

I mean come on! Who doesn’t love a good fantasy story, with romance, and a vampire!

I also loved the fact that the ‘base of operation’ was a tea shop! I mean my blood is literally tea, so I had to give it a read just because of that. I just loved imagining this beautiful tea shop that was so small and magical and had all these little secrets. In my mind it was so magical and beautiful.

The book was also not terribly long but so much happened within the short story! I read it in a few hours, outside in the sun (which was amazing) and I just couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and it just kept going and it kept you guessing all the way until the last sentence. I mean that ending had me dying. Come on Ms. Martin!!!! You just had to throw that curve ball! I loved it ‘cus I didn’t see half of the ending coming and it has me NEEDING the next book (which I am so excited for).

The cover of this book is also gorgeous as well. The turquoise with the fire in the middle just caught my eye as the colors were visually pleasing. I mean they say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but you all should know by now that it’s all part of the package. I generally don’t have it negatively impact a book, but it can definitely make a book even better!

Overall I absolutely loved this book! Go check it out on amazon here!

It was definitely a read that I will be reading again in the summer, and just before I get the next book!

Happy Reading!