Tangled Tides: An Intricate tale of the Sea

5 out of 5! The world building was beautifully created by the way each group interacted with one another. There were mermaids, sirens, selkies, gorgons, and humans. It was beautifully done, though you didn't see much of the humans in this one. The characters didn't grow like I liked, but the story and plot came together enough to make it a good book despite it. The main male character was a merman...yeah you heard me right, a merman. Kind of like this..

Only hot and blue. There was even a ranking system with mermaids. It follows the colors of the rainbow, which may sound cheesy, but it shows their life patterns and what they do as they get older. Each color is a rank and a job. It beautifully blends wisdom and time together to make a system that keeps things in line. It shows orders and chaos. There is a lot of juxtaposition in this book. The selkies are different than some of the ones you are used to. The selkies in this book look like this

so as to better work as an opposite of the mermaids. However, mythology says selkies are human without their coats, like this

However, it was done up rather well. It has a whole back story on why the world is created in such a dynamic, the selkies are half human half seal, why they don't get along with the mermaids, everything. That's really important to me. Even the main character has a detailed back story to go with things. Our main character is Yara Jones. During a hurricane she is turned into a mermaid, and she must learn to live with it while finding out her entire life has been a lie. Rownan, her boyfriend, is a selkie, but there has been so much of her past erased from her, connecting her to Treygan, the main merman of the book. Rownan and Treygan are half-brother, but what was their father and is their dangerous past? All the while the fates conspire against a budding romance between Yara and Treygan, and destroys the romance that Yara felt for Rownan.

So all the while Treygan and Yara are trying to stay

so as to not ruin the only chance at returning all the sea creatures to their home Rathe. The gate has been closed, and Yara is the key to opening it. A tragedy struck 18 years ago, and trapped them all here on Earth where they must smoke c-weed and seagarrettes to survive. I actually thought that was pretty clever. All the while the dual nature of the selkies and mermaids are explained and elaborated on, making a very vivid story. It's beautifully done.

The next book comes out this year...my reaction?

The Commodore's Daughter: A thrilling tale of choices

This book really boils down to choices. I choose to give it 4 out 5 stars, despite it being simple. I would say this is for younger teens 13-15. It was a beautiful story about a young girl, an American, who is about to be married off by her father to a man over twice her age, she's only 15. She is Commodore Perry's daughter, he is the commodore of the American Navy. She realizes she can not do this, even for the father she loves, and her friend Susan B. Anthony convinces her to run. She stows away on her father's ship. Before her father finds her, she is escaping into Japan, the country her father is supposed to open trade with.

However, Japan kills all foreigners. She is harbored by samurai.

Yeah, that's right: Samurai. That was a little confusing, but at least it is explained later. Keiko is a young girl her age, and she is the daughter of the head of the family, the head of that samurai clan. It's beautiful because the girls are mirror images of each other in their family dynamic, both have important fathers and both are enslaved to protocol. Her family is then killed by ninja's, or they attack trying to. I was starting to think this was one of my favorite childhood books Journey to Nowhere by Mary Jane Auch meets The Last Samurai. I couldn't stop imagining the ninja scene. They disguise her but are worried her blue eyes will give her away.  

Okay..yeah..that's what I thought. She had blue eyes in Japan too. Now that actually really bothered me, but for the sake of the story I went along with it. 

This is Jennifer's journey in the land where foreigners are killed instantly, and how she is hunted, with Keiko, a samurai by her side, Ryu a farmer with a hidden path, and in a village of those that are fated to die as she is, she must find a way to rescue her father from certain death in his negotations, learn to live by her own code, save the emperor from a Shogun who wants to take power, get Ryu's sister back from slavery, and save Keiko's family. So this is one action packed story where the main character grows, so I really like it. One of my favorite scenes reminded me of this 

She can be so naive, and when she tried to be a geisha to sneak into the palace, it really came together in my head. I loved it. I defiantly recommend this book for younger teens. 

Demonic Dora: Funny but Disappointing

Demonic Dora by Claire Chilton I'll give 2 out of 5 stars. I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley, but I'm supposed to give it an honest review, and honestly it was a disappointment. At first, I loved this book. I could look past the poor writing style and see something that was worth sticking with. I couldn't stop laughing at some of the jokes.

Then it went downhill. I would suggest this for a 13 year old, or someone of a younger variety. Then it may hit a 4 out of 5, if it was targeted as a children's book, but then again there was too much sex for that. There were so many flaws because it seemed to bounce from content for 12-13 year olds, with all the feces jokes, to 15-17 year olds with all the the sexual content.

So Dora is a witch, and she has religiously zealot parents. They routinely think she's possessed, and she really wants to summon a demon. She finally summons one, where her parents find out because demons plague the church on national television, and they try to burn her at the stake. Her demon lord is actually a kid that can't even pass Hell's exams. He's basically one horny walking teenage boy.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel about him. So, now they've escaped to hell, and this is where the story drops. It went from beautifully hilarious though poorly written, to just poorly written and feces jokes. Dragon feces, monkey feces, bird feces, all of it is in there in a joke getting thrown at someone. It's terrible. I guess a younger kid would like it, but the sexual content was too high. For example, Kieron (the Demon Lord she summoned) and his father actually fight over her saying she belongs to them.

This just wasn't a book intended for a mature audience. I'd love to try the next one, Deceased Dora, to see if it gets any better, but this one just didn't work out the way I had hoped. I hope the author will mature a little in the books to come.

Fathomless: A tidal wave of emotions in this novel

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce was a truly magnificent read, 5 out of 5 stars. The only real detail I think it missed was that I was never quite clear if they were supposed to have tails because of the covers or not. The ocean girls in the book are described to have beauty, but their legs are usually left out of the picture. So, for the sake of my gifs, let's pretend they do.

This book was hard to put down. It's a thrilling tale about Lo, a girl who once was a human named Nadia. She can not remember her human self and can feel herself being lost to the ocean entirely. I have to say that the ending made me sad, but it was at least realistic. Lo struggles with her identity as an ocean girl, and as Nadia, the human girl she was. Cecilia is a triplet who can see the past, her sisters can see the present (people's thoughts) as well as the future.

 One night a boy falls over the railing, and Molly, another ocean girl, tries to drown him. There is a legend that if you can force a human to love you and drown them then the ocean girl will claim the soul and walk out of the ocean human once more. Molly and Lo want this. 

Jude is rescued by Lo and Cecilia as well, letting their lives intersect. Lo struggles to find her identity, as an ocean girl, as a human named Nadia that Cecilia helps her remember, and that the fact that one day she may turn into an angel. But what are these angels really? Is the person who made them ocean girls, taking away their humanity, angels or monsters? What will happen to Lo? Will she forget Nadia all together? Will Lo die and become another person entirely? Will Cecilia be able to help and will Jude ever be able to love Lo so she can have his soul? This book is full of suspense. 

The best thing about this book is that I could never guess the ending. The struggle to be who you are, finding your own identity, for both Cecilia and Lo are incredible. They grow as characters right before your eyes, giving you wonderful insight to their motivations and fears. I recommend this book for all of these reasons. Really, it was just beautifully done all around. 

Drought: A Captivating Novel full of Mystery

Drought by Pam Bachorz was a beautiful novel that I enjoyed to the very end. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. This book is a cult book, one of the very few I have ever read. Ruby is a slave. Every day she and the others that live there, unlike the overseers, are to collect water with spoons from the dew drops. They have a quota that they must reach or be punished. However, Ruby has the thing that makes the water so special, her very own blood. It's kept these people alive hundreds of years.

This water keeps them young, yet the endure such agony every day. I believe this book was compelling because it details the life of the cult, why they believe in their savior Otto who disappeared a long time ago, and how desperately they believe Otto will come back. Not all of them are the same, some like Ruby want freedom to go look for Otto. Then, Ruby falls in love with a new overseer.

Sadly, one of the reasons I only give it 4 stars is that it doesn't really explain why she loves him. The magnetism is apparent, however. This thrilling cult-like novel had me captivated the entire way, but it left questions unanswered. There were parts I wanted to cry, parts where I couldn't stop gushing at the subtle romance, and times that I was shocked at the cruelty in the book. I highly recommend it.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan was well done, and one of the very few zombie books that I actually enjoyed. I'll give it a 3 out of 5 however because I believe that there was still more that could be done with this book. Mary grew up in a village that has a secluded, old time feel to it. The Sisterhood protects the villagers, the unconsecrated (zombies) are the enemy, and the Guardian's powers are their way of life. This is all put into question.

Mary dreams about seeing the ocean, and she truly believes that there is life outside of the walls. Choices are presented to her, a love triangle is formed, and then she's forced out of her only home. She goes with those she cares about, fighting the zombies all along the way. Mary just hopes to see the ocean. That is the main plot to this story, a trip to the beach. It bothers me entirely. That's why I'm giving 3 stars. Most everyone will end up dying for a trip to the beach. 

I don't care what people say it really bothers me. A lot. The story is beautiful, the zombies instead of bringing simply fear bring tears to my eyes because of the sadness. Those they love are forced out, forced to walk the earth with no peace, to crave flesh. 

That doesn't matter in this book. The zombies must die. Humanity has fallen, and this book is full of suspense. Despite the lack of plot, I couldn't put this book down. I loved it until the very end, where I was disappointed. That is why this book gets 3 out of 5. It's beautifully written, but it's still slightly lacking. 

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter I'd give 3 out of 5 stars. It's a good book, but I feel like it brushes over important detail and topics.  There are many girls across the world that know despair, abuse, and rape. When Luce, at the age of 14, is assaulted by someone she trusts one night, she gives into despair, falling into the icy waters at the bottom of the cliff, but she does not die.

It's not a happy event. There are others like her, girls who have given into the ocean despite the will to live, despite despair. They will live like this, now. Sinking ships and being together, surviving in the ocean's depths.

All but Luce feel no guilt for doing what they did. The abuse they've suffered has hardened them. They are now killers. They are now loving only to each other. They feel very little towards humanity.

Luce is different because she still feels guilt for what she's doing. The book is beautifully done, but brushes over important topics when I believe more time should be spent on them. It's saddening because I believe this book had a lot of potential. The characters don't seem to grow, and very little is said about Luce's thought process. I believe the author could do so more with a concept like this, and I hope to be able to rate the sequel a lot better.

Harbinger: Ending the World...with confusion...

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne is a book that is about the end of the world. I found it plain confusion, 1 out of 5 stars at best. Honestly, I had a hard time getting through it. The real reason I had a hard time getting through it because it's just ...

I know that it was trying to be a psychological thriller, but it fell so far short that it was almost comical if I didn't feel like it was killing my brain cells to try to read it.

That's pretty much how I felt throughout this entire book. The main character has some sort of powers to end the world. A world which the book decides to tell you very little about. From what I can understand it's supposed to be our future where pollution has truly ruined everything. I think that there was a moral here but it was hidden behind such bad writing and character development that I couldn't tell if it was accidental or purposeful. The main character's name is Faye and she struggles internally to come into her powers, find out what is going on with her as she's left at a boarding school for troubled kids, and trying to figure out if she should destroy the world or not. What's worse? The weight of this world is in the hands of a character that has NO character development. She doesn't change.

Overall this book didn't build on itself. The psychological thriller turned into something that literally had a plot line lost in the head of a deranged girl. It felt like someone wrote this during a sleepless night and never edited it. It follows Faye through her time at this school and her decision on to destroy the world. They're forced into "families" and the kid she's paired with don't grow as people during it either. They had a small development later on in the book, and if you read it you'll see, but truly it's a waste of money and time.

So my overall opinion?

Graveminder: Death, Responsibility, and Intrigue

Graveminder by Melissa Marr is a beautifully written story about minding the graves of the dead. I'd have to give it 3 out of 5. I believe a lot of questions go unanswered, but it's still excellently done. I feel there's no need to talk about the main characters in any length, because they are forgettable when the story is not. Respect for the dead is something I believe society has lost. We no longer go to keep our dead company, and we certainly do not tend their graves. 

Suffice to say that Rebekkah is stuck tending graves like her grandmother before her, and she finds out there is a reason for it. If she does not give them story, drink, and food then the dead will rise again to take the living equivalent of flesh, blood, and breath. They will become zombies and killers at that. Rebekkah is the graveminder, the person set to go between worlds. The land of the dead isn't what you expect, they still move around as if they're alive, just waiting on the other side for us..and they can still do this...

Though, this is a somber book about responsibility and keeping the dead and the living seperate, it has it's funny moments. I was captivated by the handsome Death, and look forward to seeing more of him. Sadly, I haven't heard of a sequel yet. So, even though I've only given this 3 stars, I'm hoping a sequel will come to fill in all the burning questions it left me with. However, I'm giving up hope. If anyone has any news of one, please do share. 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns: Challenging what a princess is

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson is a beautifully written novel that has wonderful character development. Truly, for me it was the most striking feature of the novel. We all hear wonderful stories about princesses who are beautifully, model thin, tall as the heavens, with long flowing hair, well...not this main character. Elisa, the youngest of the two princesses, is a heavy set girl who's considered homely, but she's the chosen one. She has a god stone in her belly, saying she'll accomplish great things. However she feels like this...

Elisa is a wonderful girl, but she is a princess that lacks beauty nonetheless she is a princess. We all know that a princess has a duty, which most books would like to overlook, but this book does not. Elisa is married off to a handsome king for the sake of relations.

I think both of them feel this way. However, this isn't the worst of dear Elisa's problems. She's unhappy, and she's hunted. She has the god stone and people with dark magic are looking to use the power she has, though she's no idea how it can help anyone.

(wrong book but you get the idea)

So, I won't tell you how or why our dear Elisa changes, or what will happen to her dear husband, who's lands are also in turmoil. Suffice to say, she does. She goes from an awkward girl to someone who is strong and a wonderful female lead. The character growth in all the characters are remarkable, but hers is by far the best. I love the book because of it's settings and it challenges the idea of what a princess is or should be. It also helps that our dear Elisa goes from the overweight girl she is to something like you see below, but she does it by no magic but hardships and determination.

Timeless: Is love strong enough to bridge the gap of time?

Timeless by Alexandra Monir is a beautiful romance novel that leaves you yearning for more. I found it captivating on a level I haven't felt for quite a while.  Michelle has to deal with the loss of her mother while moving in with grandparents she barely knows, rich grandparents. There are key facts missing about her past and things start to line up when she starts to travel to the pass, meeting her ancestors. All of this is a beautiful mystery until she meets a man with striking blue eyes that she's dreamed about all her life. When she falls in love time will tear them apart...

Each time they are pulled apart it's breathtakingly sad. You wonder just how long they can keep up this charade. This book is about love, and about being selfless about it. They have to let each other go, but can they? If they do... can the love they feel really bridge time? Every time they're ripped apart I feel like this..

This book will leave you breathless and it questions if love truly is timeless.

The Devouring: A Thrilling tale of Fear itself

The Devouring by Simon Holt is a chilling novel. I have to say I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's good, but it doesn't quite explain everything I want it to. However, I do know I couldn't put it down, from both fear and anticipation. Reggie doesn't believe in the Vours she finds written about in a book, creatures that take over a person's body on the winter solstice, pushing their souls into a fearscape (a world made from their worst nightmares) until they can never return. However, when she reads a loud on Sorry Night (winter solstice) she starts to believe when one takes over her little brother, Henry. This book was terrifying and exhilarating

...
That is pretty much how I felt after reading this book. I don't like the dark, and these creatures are the very essence of why! Let me put it this way, this is what I found on the back of the book that made me read it:

“When dark creeps in and eats the light,
Bury your fears on Sorry Night.
For in the winter's blackest hours,
Comes the feasting of the Vours, 
No one can see it, the life they stole,
Your body's here but not your soul...” 
― Simon Holt, The Devouring

Needless to say, I pretty much read the book like this...just hoping our little Heroine wasn't too late...

Everneath: Deceit, Deception, and little plot line

Everneath by Brodi Ashton is a unique romance novel. I always love books dealing with the after life but have a hard time finding any that actually meet my expectations. I'd say this book gets a 3 out of 5. It's not that it's a bad book because I actually find it quite good, but it does have some things that really irk me. Nikki is a good character, but honestly she is a little shallow minded. I don't like pretty girls that can do nothing but stare at the camera.  So just...

for a girl that literally GOT HERSELF INTO THE SITUATION. I mean, she hung out with a guy she knew she shouldn't. Nikki is a big fan, so she (very predictably) falls for one of the band members even though they don't seem quite right. Problem is she already has a boyfriend. Though later it does mention that she was seriously physically attracted to him. You shouldn't hang out with a guy you're physically attracted to that seems off if you have a boyfriend especially. So, she comes back to the surface after he took her down to get the life force drained out of her in "the feed". She survived, a rare occurrence. Yet, her boyfriend races against time with her to try to find a way she can stay. One boy chases her, trying to get her to be immortal (the one that kidnapped her in the first place) as he falls in love with her, but instead of dealing with the mess she got herself into she pines for a life that she can't have putting everyone she loves in danger. 

Looking at the picture above, that is literally all she does to try to keep those she loves safe. Letting one get put in danger for her and letting the others go unknowingly into the line of fire. She puts in danger everyone and doesn't care! So this is yet another story where a girl puts her own desires above everyone elses, and tries to pretend that it's in the name of love. She also gets stuck between two men, when really only one is an option. Oh god, not again.