Jalal, my 12 year old son, has taken an interest in the movie making software on the computer. He was playing around with the book cover image for Dragon's Mind, and this is what he came up with. I'm pretty impressed! Leave him a comment and let him know what you think!
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Monday, 8 October 2012
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey: 5 stars
Occasionally I read a
book that sinks its teeth into me, rather than the other way around. This week,
I read two such books back-to-back: Touchback and Cold Kiss. I actually
couldn’t start another book right away, and had to pause for a while after each
of these to let the ending and the overall emotional echo really sink in.
When Danny dies in a
car crash, Wren is heartbroken. Until she finds a way to bring him back. Unfortunately,
things don’t go as planned and she learns too late that bringing back the dead
doesn’t bring back everything. Now she has to figure out what to do with a
creature who looks like her beloved but isn’t really him, all the while hiding
the truth, keeping up with her homework and avoiding a new student who has
figured out what she is.
Cold Kiss by Amy
Garvey is unlike any other YA paranormal book I’ve ever read. Intensely
written, emotionally deep – not how I would describe the average YA book out
there. The characters were real and unique, with clear voices and intriguing
backgrounds. I highly recommend this one.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Cassidy Jones and the Vulcan’s Gift, by Elise Stokes: 5 star
I hate giving 5 stars. Here’s why:
a)
There are people out there who
suspect that 5 stars are from best friends or review swaps or paid for etc (I
write only honest reviews, with no incentives or favours given or received);
and
b)
What if the author’s next book
is even better and you can’t give out more stars?!
But sometimes I just can’t resist. This is
definitely one of those times. I loved this book! Seriously, and I’m not a
young adult. In ‘Cassidy Jones and the Vulcan’s Gift’, Cassidy and Emery are
back for more adventure as they try to capture a runaway tiger and stop an evil
plot that could lead to world domination. What’s not to love, right?
More specifically, I loved the complex
characters that Elise Stokes has created. Even the ‘minor’ characters are real
and have a life. Cassidy and Emery don’t fit into the typical YA lit
stereotype, in which one character (usually the girl) is waiting to be rescued
or protected by the other; nor are they trying to prove anything or kill off
another tribe or gang or whatever. I like how Cassidy’s family is united
without being sappy about it. The parents are actually intelligent and
connected with their kids’ lives. There’s a good balance of adventure, mystery,
drama and humour with a touch of romance (but not too much, thank heavens).
What I don’t like: Book #3 isn’t out yet. Ugh.
I want more.
Definitely highly recommended for anyone
looking for a fun read!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Arson, by Estevan Vega: 3 stars
Talk about unusual. Arson
has a gift / curse: he can start fires with his mind. But this is much more
than a paranormal story. Estevan Vega pulls you into the secrets of his family,
and they are dark. It was fascinating to be part of his life, especially as he
gets to know his neighbor, a girl who wears a mask. The ending was dramatic and
unexpected and sets the scene beautifully for the next book.
I did find that
some of the scenes could’ve been tightened up, especially the dialogue, and those
slowed the story down. Plus the scenes with the neighbor’s mother didn’t really
add to the story and distracted from the main flow, at least for me. With a bit
of editing, spit and polish, this could be a 4 star. I’d still recommend it
though, if for only the dark, brooding sense of mystery it creates.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Hollowland, by Amanda Hocking: 5 stars
A deadly mutation of
the rabies virus has wrecked havoc on the world, transforming the victims into
monsters resembling zombies from a B movie. The only safe place to live is in
military controlled compounds. Unfortunately, the compound Remy lives in has
just been overrun with zombies and now she’s on the run through a hellish
landscape of monsters, weirdoes and escaped circus lions.
This book pulled me
right in, immersing me in this new world that Remy and her friends struggled to
survive. I loved how Remy was such a strong character. I have to admit to being
a little jumpy reading it when I was in a quiet house at night and wondering if
that was the dog barking or the death cough of a zombie.
Intense and absorbing,
I recommend this book, unless you’re by yourself, at night, with strange
sounds outside…
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins: 5 stars
I get it now, what all
the hype was over this book. It was good, really good. Suzanne Collins takes
something as familiar as a TV game show and twists it into an evil mechanism to
control the population. In the arena, 24 teens must fight to the death; only
one victor will leave alive. Sounds grim and gruesome, but somehow the humanity
of the characters shines out amidst the darkness. The Hunger is definitely
worth reading.
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