The Turn (The Hollows 0.1) By: Kim Harrison Review

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing a free copy of The Turn By: Kim Harrison in exchange for an honest review. 

The Hollows is a series that I have been wanting to try for a while. I own the first book in the series, but I still haven't read it yet. Still I was very intrigued to read this full length prequel novel since it sounded so great!

#SeriesI'veBeenMeaningToTry

Well even though I haven't read the other books I really enjoyed The Turn! I liked the MC Trisk quite a bit and I really felt for her throughout the whole book. Even when sometimes I thought she was making some dumb decisions, I still felt for her. Trisk is just very likeable and she really made the whole book for me. I also love that she is a dark elf because I don't read books about elves often. 

#LovedTrisk

Another thing I really enjoyed is all of the science and genetics in the novel. I think that is a very interesting take on a book about supernaturals. I feel like that is something that I normally wouldn't like, but it is so well done in this book. 

#VeryWellDone

Overall I liked The Turn quite a bit even though I haven't read any of the other books. After reading this one though I definitely need to read the first book in the series as soon as I can. 

#AddingTheFirstBookToMyOutrageousTBR!

I recommend The Turn for anyone interested in a supernatural book with a touch of science, even if you haven't read the rest of the series yet! Also, I think if you have read the other books in the series and enjoyed it then you would probably like this one as well.

#DefinitelyRecommend

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer By: Michelle Hodkin Review

Short Review Summary: 

Book recommendations for the win! 

That's right I finally read it people!! I've had a ton of friends recommend this one to me and tell me that I would love it. Due to that, I bought the whole series back in August for my birthday. I'm glad I did buy the set, because I loved it! 

#IFINALLYREADIT

I did a buddy read with one of my best friends for this one and we sure did have a lot of fun trying to guess what was going on. We called/texted each other a lot with our guesses lol! I had quite a few ideas about what was happening, but I was mostly wrong. Which makes me really happy. I love books like this that are mysterious and keep you guessing. 

#WTFIsHappening?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer may be one of the best books I've read so far this year. For one, Mara is an UNRELIABLE Narrator and a darn good one too! I literally can't trust anything this girl says, sees, or does. I really love that and I hope there will be more of that in books two and three. Also, I like Noah and Jamie's characters quite a bit. I wish there had been more of Jamie in this book though and Noah seems a little too perfect which is pretty unrealistic. I never got too irritated by it though so I still gave the book five stars. 

#UnreliableNarratorAlert

UGH! Now I can't wait to read the next two books!! The writing is so smooth, addicting, and I'm pretty invested in the story now. I definitely feel like this is just the beginning of Mara'a story. There are still some questions that I have that weren't answered in this book. I desperately need more answers. 

#NeedMoreAnswers

Okay I have to tell you all that the romance may bother some people. For example, there is a part where Noah grabs the menu from Mara and proceeds to order for her. Which is not sexy, am I right? I hate this in books, but it happens often enough in novels that I can overlook it as long as it isn't overly done in the book. It's not in this one, but I realize this is a HUGE pet peeve for some readers and there are a couple of small parts like that throughout the book. 

#DearAuthorsThisIsNotSexy

Overall I LOVE The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and I can't believe I put it off for so long! I seriously had so many people tell me to read it for so long now. A big thanks to each one of you that told me I would love it, you were right. I feel like I'm the last person to read this series, but I'm hoping to read books two and three before October is over!

#LoveLoveLove

I recommend The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer for fans of YA paranormal romance books such as Fallen, Hush, Hush, and Obsidian. I also recommend this one for fans of books with unreliable narrators that keep you guessing. 

#HeyFellowYA/PNRLovers!

The Daemoniac By: Kat Ross Release Day Review

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ebook copy of The Daemoniac By: Kat Ross in exchange for an honest review. 

Short Review Summary:

Meh, but I'm the odd man out on this one. 

The Daemoniac started off interesting, but then it lost me about a quarter of the way in. At first I wasn't sure if I couldn't focus or if the book was boring. Since I then stopped and read two more books quickly, I figured out that it was the book. I got to thinking and I finally realized that I've read something somewhat similar to this recently. Stalking Jack the Ripper and this one have a few similarities, but Stalking Jack the Ripper is way better. If it wasn't for the fact that I just read that perhaps The Daemoniac would have been a little better for me. 

#LostInterest

Another issue that I had with The Daemoniac is the lack of character connection. That was majorly missing for me and it's a shame because I really wanted to like Harry! I don't feel like I got to know her well enough. I really wanted the writing to be...richer. That's the only word I can think of right now to describe it because the writing is a bit flat. I did like some of the story line though and I love the classic detective/Sherlock feel mixed with Jack the Ripper. I wanted to find out all the answers to the mystery and that's the only thing that kept me reading. 

#SherlockMeetsJackTheRipper

Overall The Daemoniac is an okay novel, but it's not great. I had a hard time with this one, but it wasn't absolutely horrible either. At first I couldn't decided whether to give this book 2 or 3 stars. I finally had to go with 2 stars because I ended up feeling too meh about the book as a whole. Honestly, this novel is pretty middle of the road for me and I have zero desire to continue with the series. 

#UnpopularOpinion

I can't personally recommend The Daemoniac. However, other than my own review I've only seen super positive reviews for it. So if you're a fan of classic detective books and this sounds good to you then give it a try! 

#ForSherlockHolmesFans!

Waiting on Wednesday- Venom & Vanilla By: Shannon Mayer

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted here at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!

My pick for this week is Venom & Vanilla By: Shannon Mayer. I was just browsing Goodreads the other day and I came across this one. I don't think I've heard of this author before, but the title and cover caught my eye. Once I read the blurb I knew I would have to read this one. I just love stories where the MC goes from a regular human to something supernatural and has to adjust. This definitely sounds like a winner to me! 

Expected Publication Date: November 1, 2016

 Does Venom & Vanilla sound good to you as well? Do you also like stories where the MC goes from human to something supernatural? Have you read anything by Shannon Mayer before? I sure do love this cover and I can't wait to read it! What are you waiting on this Wednesday? 

Waiting on Wednesday- End Of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy #3) By: Stephen King

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted here at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on! 

My pick for this week is End of Watch By: Stephen King. This is the third book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy. I am so excited for this one!!!!!!!!! <---- As you may be able to tell by all of my exclamation points. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, but I have a feeling that this one will be the best book in the trilogy. So far in the series there hasn't been anything supernatural. It's been just straight up crime, mystery, and thriller. However at the end of the last book I got the feeling that something supernatural may be coming, even if it's small, in the next book. From the summary it looks like I was right! I have enjoyed the first two books, but supernatural/creepy/horror/weird is what Mr. King does best and I can't wait for the conclusion of the Bill Hodges Trilogy. 

Expected Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Summary From Goodreads: 

Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more were badly injured, has been in the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic for five years, in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake, and in possession and of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.

Retired police detective Bill Hodges, the unlikely hero of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney, who delivered the blow to Hartsfield's head that put him on the brain injury ward. Brady also remembers that. When Bill and Holly are called to a murder-suicide with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will not only put their lives at risk, but those of Hodge's friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Because Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Bill Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city. 

In End of Watch, Stephen King brings the Hodges trilogy to sublimely terrifying conclusion, combining the detective fiction of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers with the supernatural suspense that has been his trademark. The result is an unnerving look at human vulnerability and up-all-night entertainment. 

Are there any other SK fans looking forward to this one? Have you read Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers yet? 

Shadows By: Paula Weston Review

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Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Children's Group for allowing me to read and review an e-book copy of Shadows by Paula Weston. 

I can't believe I just found out about this series! It seems to be at least somewhat popular, but I've never heard of it until the fourth book came out this past July. How did I miss these?

At first when I was reading the plot summary it sounded very familiar to me. I feel like I have read some very similar books, but there were plenty of differences in Shadows. For example the main character ,Gaby, had her memory messed with. So she doesn't even really know who she is or about anything that really happened in the past. It added a very cool dynamic to the story and kept the plot from being predictable. I genuinely was not sure where the story was going, and I LOVE that.

I must say what I liked best though is RAFA!!! HOTT. I think that probably the series would be a three star average book if it wasn't for Rafa. He is written very well and I think there is a lot of potential for him to be a really deep character as the series progresses. I am incredibly drawn in and I can't wait to find out more about him when I get around to the next ones in the series.

Also, I can't wait to read the next books to see what all we find out about Gaby and her past. And about her twin! What happened to them both that she doesn't remember??? Well, there are a lot of questions I still have left unanswered at the end of this book. I'm happy about that though since it will make me want to read the rest. I sure do wish I had the next books already. I can't say enough how much I wish I had the next books. LOL! ;)

Shadows is a very addicting, intriguing and kick ass YA paranormal book. This is the part where I admit that I did not expect much from the book before I read it. I was curious enough to read it, but I was also fully ready for it to be another "angel ya paranormal" novel that I have read many times. Like I mentioned before there are some similarities to other novels I have read, but I was happily surprised at just how much uniqueness there was! It's definitely worth a read.

I recommend Shadows for fans of YA, paranormal, romance, angels, nephilim, and reads set in Australia.

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The Girl from the Well By: Rin Chupeco Review

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Okiko is a spirit that wanders the world freeing the spirits of murdered children. She was murdered herself, and now she takes the lives of killers and releases the innocent ghosts. One day she meets Tark, a grumpy teen with some pretty weird tattoos. Something evil clings to Tark, but Okiko knows he is not evil. There is a dark spirit inside of Tark, trapped only by the tattoos. Okiko, Tark, and Tark's cousin Callie try to free Tark, without killing him too. The Girl from the Well is filled with the paranormal, evil doll rituals, exorcisms, spirits, and ghosts. 

I was pretty torn between a 3 and a 4 star rating on this one. In the beginning of The Girl from the Well I was a little bit put off by the writing style. It starts off in Okiko's point of view with her saying, "I am where dead children go." At first I was like, what the hell does that mean? Once the story moved on a bit everything started to make more sense though. The style of prose was different and it took a bit of time to get adjusted to it. Surprisingly the style of prose ended up suiting the book very well. 

The Girl from the Well takes inspiration from a Japanese legend (the same one Sadako/Samara from The Ring was based on) and has a few parts that did remind me of The Ring and The Grudge. Which both of those movies creeped me out, and this book did in a few parts too. 

***Side note: Once I went to a haunted house and someone was dressed as the girl from The Ring (which is scary!) and she touched me!! They aren't supposed to touch you! I about died. It turned out the person dressed up as Samara was a guy, and he knew one of my friends that I was with. So he was just trying to say hey to my friend. It was still freaky. ***

So you see this whole creepy girl with long hair covering her face, coming out of wells or dangling from ceilings is a bit scary to me. Which is why I ended up at the 4 star rating instead of 3 stars. I've never read a YA novel that creeped me out at all, and this one did in some parts. So that's worth an extra star to me because I'm a huge horror fan!

I obviously recommend this for fans of The Ring, The Grudge, and other scary Japanese shit. 

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