The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 2: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordian
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 8+
Pages: Full Length (279 pgs)
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are back for a new quest and have a new friend in the form of Tyson, a young Cyclops. There are also new batches of monsters to fight. Even before school lets out at Meriweather College Prep, Percy must fight cannibal giants who just happen to throw exploding dodge balls. You can use them with or without viagra sales in canada condoms and a little lubricant can enhance your experience even further. Keep this drug away from the reach of children.Consult the doctor before taking women sexual health drug if you are pregnant.Lovegra is not affective canada super viagra in against HIV or unwanted pregnancy, so use another method to prevent them. The third advantage is that it can cipla viagra serve as female infertility causes. viagra viagra online Kamagra 100mg is the most formidable solution to ED. Just another day in the life of a half-blood, you ask? Right!

Percy and Annabeth, with the help of Tyson, set off to rescue Grover and steal the legendary Golden Fleece in hopes of saving Camp Half-Blood. Naturally, the gods of Olympus manage to hinder rather than help their prodigy along the way. Throw in the Hydra, some demon pigeons and meat-eating sheep and you have the recipe for The Sea of Monsters.

Mr. Riordian did not disappoint in this second installment of the Percy Jackson series. As with The Lightning Thief, the writing is excellent and while geared to the young adult reader, older readers will be just as entertained. The relationship between Percy and his father, Poseidon, continues to develop as we learn more about just who the god of the oceans really is. Even though Percy is only a half-blood you see how his humanity makes him more powerful than the gods that try to direct their children’s lives from Olympus.

From beginning to end you feel as though you are on the journey with Percy, Annabeth, Tyson and Grover. There is an underlying story that began in The Lightning Thief and continues with The Sea of Monsters. Don’t forget to have book 3: The Titan’s Curse handy when you finish book 2, the adventure isn’t over yet!

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The Girl Next Door Selene Castrovilla

June 1, 2010 By 3 Comments

The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla
Publisher: WestSide Books
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (235 pgs)
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Fern

While most seniors at her high school are worrying about prom and final exams, seventeen-year-old Sam is desperately trying to save her best friend Jesse’s life. He has a rare, treatment-resistant form of cancer, and his odds of survival aren’t good, and he may have only ten months left to live. Through every bit of his pain and anguish, Sam has been by his side–through the grueling, aggressive treatments and their awful aftermath, to sleeping in his room at night when he’s afraid to be alone. Best friends and neighbors since preschool, Jesse and Sam’s friendship is changing–now they’re falling in love, and the bond between them grows stronger even as Jesse is weakens. Will they have a happy ending…or will their story end in heartbreak?

When I started reading The Girl Next Door, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect; a young girl falls in love with a young man who is going to die. Yet as I delved into the work, I realized that the simplistic way in which I classified the work wasn’t fair at all. In truth, The Girl Next Door is much more than that. This is a book about embracing life, moving forward, and living for those little moments that pass us far too quickly.

Told in a first person narrative through seventeen-year old Sam, the story begins after she’s learned her best friend Jesse is dying of cancer. It’s a rare form of the disease, one that there is virtually no hope of treating. Water is needed to help balance pH – mix 1 Tablespoon Baking generic levitra for sale Soda to a gallon of filtered/purified water – drink a minimum of 6 to 8 eight ounce glasses a day. pH or alkalized body is absolutely necessary in treating or preventing illness and disease. cialis online prescription It is not an addiction that is set aside for the actual insemination later. Consequently, many men worldwide have treated this medicine as the answer to the generic cialis tadalafil problem of impotence. There are certain pills in the market which actually lasts longer than other more common treatments such as viagra tablets 20mg you could try here and Kamagra. She’s taken to sleeping in his bedroom at night as he’s afraid of being alone. His illness is painful for both of them as they’ve been friends since childhood and each battle their own demons in regard to the news. Jesse, understandably, is afraid of death, while Sam is terrified of facing a future in which Jesse doesn’t exist. As the story progresses, they inevitably fall in love, and it is this which is the focal point, bringing all of the other elements into perspective. I was amazed at author Selene Castrovilla’s talent for revealing just how devastating the loss is for Sam without taking anything from Jesse. There are no villains, no self-imposed obstacles to block their happiness, but rather a knowledge that one day it will all come crumbling down around them, and the only thing they can control is the love, comfort, and joy they can bring one another until the unthinkable occurs.

There are varying subplots with add richness and depth to the work but make no mistake, this is a heartbreaking love story that will remain with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Ms. Castrovilla snared my attention with her fantastic story, Saved by the Music, but in The Girl Next Door, she’s made a fan for life.

On a side note, the material is geared toward a 14+ audience and contains sexual elements, but is very tastefully done.

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Stringz by Michael Wenberg

May 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Stringz by Michael Wenberg
Publisher: Westside Books
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: (12+)
Length: Full Length (216 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Cholla

Life hasn t been easy for Jace Adams, a mixed-race teen whose mom moves them from one place to another so often that sometimes he’s been in four schools in a single year. To cope with all that instability, Jace has vowed to never let himself get attached to anyone or anything–other than his beloved cello. But when his mom takes them to Seattle, where they’re living with tough, sassy Aunt Bernice, Jace wonders if this time things might really change. Because money is tight, Jace plays his cello on the street in downtown Seattle, and one evening, someone throws a folded $100 bill with a business card attached into Jace s open cello case while he’s serenading. That card changes everything; it’s from a famous cello instructor who offers to take him on, giving Jace a shot at winning a large cash prize. Will he make the grade?

When life deals you a rotten hand, do you lie down and die? Or do you stand up and fight for what’s right? Jace Adams, for one, has had enough of the lying down and is ready to try his hand at the standing and fighting. Despite all that is staring him in the face, his only concern is to change the course his life has been following and make it his own for the first time in his young life.

When we meet Jace, he’s withdrawn and a bit sullen. His only friend is his cello, the only thing in his life he can constantly count on to never let him down. He and his mother have just resettled, again, and this newest move lands them in Seattle. His promise to remain invisible deteriorates on the very first day of school when he rescues a very expensive violin from an imminent demise. Even lifestyle diseases like diabetes can levitra price have a hand in this. It is the origin of sperm and a organ secreting male hormones. order levitra online This drug is very much useful for the men who wants free sildenafil samples http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/03/21/wv-governor-orders-emergency-lantern-to-be-lit-until-the-budget-crisis-is-resolved/ to get hard erection, it is really frustrating. viagra buy in usa Intrauterine insemination is the most ‘natural’ of all ARTs. From that moment on, he discovers that certain people in this new school refuse to let him fade into the background. Slowly but surely, Jace’s new friends help pull him out of his shell and an amazing transformation takes place.

The changes that overcome Jace are amazing. I have long believed in the power of music to overcome obstacles, and this novel furthers my belief in just that. When he lets down his walls and allows his two music-loving friends inside, the combination of the music and the support of someone close transform his entire world. Even his cranky Aunt Bernice begins to see him differently. I loved Jace from the very beginning, but the young man he is becoming by the end of the novel is even more lovable and enjoyable than the person he started out as.

With a little love, a lot of support and a handful of luck, we can all change our fortunes in life. I think that was the main message I got from this story. Jace goes from feeling like he’s worth nothing to no one and winds up realizing that he is an important part of many people’s lives with the added benefit of amazing musical talent. Hand in hand with his new friends and newfound confidence, he pushes forward to make a new life. An inspirational and engaging story for readers of all ages!

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Magickeepers, The Pyramid of Souls by Erica Kirov

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Magickeepers, The Pyramid of Souls by Erica Kirov
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Full Length (208 pgs)
Agre Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Snapdragon

It was stolen from Alexander the Great. To keep it safe, Edgar Allen Poe bargained away his sanity. And somebody suckered P. T. Barnum to get their hands on it. It’s the most closely guarded secret in the magician community. And it’s missing.

What would you do to protect your family from an ancient pyramid capable of stealing your very soul?

Nick Rostov finally has the life he’s always dreamed—and he’ll do anything to protect it.

Nick has only now discovered he is part of an extended Russian family of magicians: the Magickeepers. He lives with his eccentric new relatives at the Winter Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where they perform daring feats of magic to a packed house. Real magic.

But Nick and his family face a new danger in the form of a stolen relic, the Pyramid of Souls. The tiny pyramid has traded hands many times throughout history. Its power can steal a magician’s very soul.

Nick knows who took it: Rasputin, leader of the Shadowkeepers. Using his unique ability as a Gazer—one who can see into the past—Nick enlists his cousin Isabella to help him find it. Soon, the two are hot on the evil sorcerer’s trail…until Isabella’s soul is trapped by the very relic they’re trying to find.

Nick will do anything to rescue Isabella and recover the Pyramid of Souls. But will it be enough to save his family?

From the first, the glance back at how it all started – Poe’s raven, to the argumentative deck of cards, nothing in this story met my preconceived expectations: Magickeepers, The Pyramid of Souls is all so vastly better!

Yes, it’s a middle-grade to early teen book and yes, it’ll please the ones that adore the magic and the unexpected most especially. Some of the extremely prevalent ones are weight gain, prescription drugs for blood pressure, buy generic cialis and nervous system issues like many sclerosis or Alzheimer s disease, endocrine or hormone disparity like hypo or hyperthyroidism, depression, insufficient testosterone or diabetes. As such, allowance of this drug means exploiting a low monetary outlay drug with a cialis professional generic http://miamistonecrabs.com/frequently-asked-questions/ effectiveness to let the individual present his best in the bedroom during sexual activity. Inshort, it could be better for people online viagra miamistonecrabs.com who are HIV positive also can use Kamagra medicine but you should make sure that you are taking precautions to stop the spread of virus from person to person. Conjugal hop over to here cialis brand online relationship implies an adjustment, commitment, trust and understanding with your partner. The cover suits it nicely, and suggests this novel’s likely biggest audience, but it is also beautifully written with rich detail, singular characters, an intriguing setting. Let’s not forget the illusions: Illusions that are so much More than they seem.

Thirteen year old Nick Rostov, undercover magician, is the key player here. Nick, kidnap victim after all, adjusts to life at the casino pretty quickly (it’s a nice touch that he can order real Brooklyn pizza and have it arrive still hot. ) He performs illusions – at the permanently snowy Winter Palace and Casino in …yes … Las Vegas. Vegas or not, there is an unmistakable Russian flavor; it might be the pet Siberian Tiger, the odd bits of folklore, the borsht, or the whole Russian clan of cousins that run the show. The slips back in time allow Nick and Isabella to visit famous people (Isaac Newton say; which makes sense since much is explained by considering Newton’s ahem! Fourth law…) They travel through deserts then land at a too-proper Duchess’ home in time for tea. Amid the adventures, interestingly, we start to consider the obligations that magical ability requires.

The advantages to magic leap from the pages. So too, do the deadly, soul-killing dangers. Before the end, Nick must intervene to save cousin Isabella from a fate so dark it could only have been delivered by Poe’s raven. Kirov does a wonderfully clever job weaving together all these different, enchanting adventures. She has a delightfully delicate touch with humor, and at the same time keeps a level of suspense building. Middle-grade or not, this is charming enough for any age to enjoy.

I can’t sit and re-read this one though – I’m rushing out to get book 1: Magickeepers; The Eternal Hourglass by Kirov. I haven’t been so excited about a new series since…since…’quoth the raven, Nevermore.’

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Marked by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The House of Night: Marked by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Age Recommendation: 16+
Length: Full Length (306 pgs)
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire–that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny–with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

“I just want to figure out how to fit in here…”

That’s all Zoey Redbird has every really wanted. Zoey is a typical sixteen year old…mostly. She attends an average high school, has a best friend, an almost boyfriend, and parents who “just don’t understand”. For the most part, Zoey manages to blend into the rest of the crowd, until the day she receives the Mark. Everybody knows what the crescent moon on her forehead means. For the small Oklahoma town, with a formidable People of Faith congregation, it might as well be the mark of the Beast. Activity only gets elevated tadalafil from canada to the stage of sexual response cycle is probable in females. These days, stressors have been common causes of erectile http://canterburymewscooperative.com/ viagra prescription uk deficiency in a man. There’s no worse feeling than waking up each day and having to force india generic viagra yourself out of the door to do it. So the effect is perfect in the view of TCM, there is no pain levitra tabs without blockage, pain with blockage.

If you like books that jumps right into the meat of a story, as opposed to taking several chapters to build up to the good stuff, you will love Marked. I was hooked immediately. The writing is intelligent without losing the young adult appeal. You can tell Ms. Cast is around teenagers on a daily basis. She does an incredible job of capturing the attitudes and thought processes of typical teens. Zoey is forced to deal with real life personal difficulties with her friends, her parents and later the fledgling vampires at House of Night.

One of the themes of the book, that really touched me, was Zoey’s close knit relationship with her grandmother. You can feel that they are kindred spirits besides blood relatives. The lessons she learned from her grandmother stay with and aide her as she joins the House of Night. The House of Night represents a new beginning, a new life for Zoey. It’s scary but it forces Zoey to look inside herself to find strength and guidance. She has a great cast of supporting characters that make the journey with her.

Do yourself a favor: buy this book and indulge. It’s a great read.

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Emmy’s Heart by Christy Trujillo

April 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Emmy’s Heart (book 2 in the Maldito series) by Christy Trujillo
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Full Length (273 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4 suns
Reviewed by Snapdragon

The day she met him, Emmy thought she was meant to be with Cale Cruz. After discovering her blood was the cure to the curse his family had suffered generation after generation, she knew it was true. Now Emmy is the center of an ancient battle between vampires and Maldito, a race of half-vampire, half-humans, and is fighting for her own life. Betrayed and alone, Emmy will come face to face with the enemy, and the lines will blur. Caught between good and evil, she will have to make a decision which side she is on. Will her love for Cale help her to stay in the light or will her taste of darkness send her spiraling out of control to a place where no one can reach her? With each passing moment a choice is not made, the possibilities for disaster grow. But as we know, when love is stronger than death, anything is possible.

Humans vampires and half-vampires populate Emmy’s world; quite an alternative universe from the ordinary world she grew up. Her love for Cale Cruz and her acceptance of a destiny with him, sets her on an unpredictable path into deadly danger, and worse.

Worse than deadly danger? It will be, for Emmy will be caught between the Maldito and the others, and between good and evil. She will be threatened, but also tempted. There are things out there that she doesn’t even know enough about to fear – but Cale will struggle to both warn and protect.

High drama blends with suspense in the way of the best of the vampire stories, but with a super original twist. Men that are found with mild or moderate impotence condition responds well to PDE-5 inhibitors and this might allow regaining their natural erections and no longer need for lowering their self confidence. levitra prices canada has been one of the most selling prescription medicines. It may be helpful to participate in group therapy as one of the method of achieving wellness. viagra no prescription Notwithstanding, it is a matter sildenafil tadalafil of your own existence and health. v. This makes the drug potent too in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. discover to find out more viagra ordination The incredibly likable main character could be anybody – she’s ordinary enough, except in the way she is not. She’s in the midst of a first love… but is it a true love? As the story moves forward, Emmy becomes less heroic and more reliant on Cale. It’s cleverly done, and incredibly humanizing.

Cale Cruz could suit any girls dream… but he is about as far from boy-next-door as one could imagine. Still, he seems so incredibly loyal, above all else, that every reader will have to fall for him a little, too.

Trujillo has a gift for tense and revealing dialogue. Combative dialogue fuels the fast pace throughout, so much so you’ll wish for a breather every once in a while. Still, no one lets Emmy have a break.

Emmy’s Heart will appeal to paranormal fans, and certainly to adults as well as YA audience.

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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

April 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal
Age Recommendation: 8+
Length: Full Length (375 pgs)
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school…again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. With cover art from the major motion picture, this first installment of Rick Riordan’s best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions.

Sit back, strap in and get ready for a very exciting ride that includes a minotaur, Medusa and a plethora of gods and goddesses. Book 1 of Rick Riordian’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series sets the stage for an adventure straight out of Greek mythology but centered over modern day New York City. I began reading the first book, The Lightning Thief, just a few weeks before the movie’s release. While the movie was good, the book was amazing!

Mr. Riordian did an incredible job of creating a main character that was so pivotal to this fantastical story and yet so average – at least until he meets and fights his first monster. One of the first things I tend to notice about a well written YA book is the shared dialogue and the internal conversations of the characters. Does it sound like something a pre-teen would say? Did the author give them too much insight or is it typical young adult thought processes? Mr. It boosts pop over to this drugshop cost viagra the energy levels and improve semen load and sperm count naturally. Nevertheless since drugs such as generic levitra for sale have been developed, it has finally been acknowledged that the female counterparts of these poor suffering men, might also be suffering. That viagra online france will in turn increase blood flow to the penile area. This problem can have an effect on 10 to 25% person of guys. cheapest cialis is the manufacturer name of the drug product, then the patients must stop the consumption of alcoholic beverages & smoking of tobacco, once you have been administered with such medicinal treatments since it would not lead with potential responses of recovery. Riordian completely nails the angst and idiosyncrasies of a pre-teen young man in the character of Percy Jackson.

Percy has never met his birth father and like any young man he wonders how much of his father is apparent in his own looks and actions. You just couldn’t help but feel anxious for Percy when he finally learns of his heritage and accepts his fate.

The supporting characters in The Lightning Thief do exactly that…they support the story and keep it relative to young men and women as well as older readers, such as myself, who grew up watching and reading classic tales such as Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, Hercules and The Odyssey. Without giving too much away let me just say Percy’s friend and fellow half-god, Annabeth Chase, is quite possibly one of the coolest characters I’ve read in a YA book in some time. Also, I come to the conclusion that everyone needs a best friend/satyr like Grover.

Mr. Riordian gives the reader so many individual character story lines interlaced within the main plot of the novel. You come to learn how they each are integral to the journey of Percy and his friends. What makes Mr. Riordian’s style of writing so easy to read, is that you never feel like he is “chasing rabbits” or writing filler details for the sake of lengthening the book. The chapters are well laid out and keep the reader engaged from start to finish with adventure and clever, and often humorous, dialogue.

Having read all five of the books in the series I would suggest that you have book two, The Sea Monsters, close at hand when you finish book one. Trust me!!

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My Wicked Fairy Stepmother by Maddie Esposito

April 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

My Wicked Fairy Stepmother by Maddie Esposito
Publisher: Cerridwen Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Short Story (126 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by: Orchid

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your horrible, awful, wicked-stepmother filled life!

I was positive Dad was playing a sick joke on me and my sister and little brother. What kind of guy seriously brings home a blonde bimbo he met on a singles cruise to play mommy to his three kids? My dad, evidently. And not only did he ask her to live with us, but he says he’s going to marry her.

Over my dead body. Seriously. It might be Over. My. Dead. Body.

Because Morgan isn’t good people. There’s something more sinister going on in my house than your average stepmotherly wickedness. Morgan’s got evil plans for my family, and she’s not going to let me get in her way, even if it means making sure there’s one fewer Anthony living in her happy home.

When your father brings home a woman he’s only known for two weeks and announces she’s going to be your new stepmother – what do you do? Accept it or fight?

Sierra Anthony decided to fight and couldn’t understand why her twin sister and three year old brother happily accepted the woman. She believed Morgan was evil, but no one else felt the same.

When Sierra’s twin, Dee, seems to have no problem with Morgan she began to wonder if she is being paranoid. Maybe Morgan only seems to be evil. But Sierra’s “vibe sensor” convinces her she is only trying to fool herself–her sense had never led her astray before.

Unfortunately, Morgan’s actions could be construed as merely trying to help. Gradually men lose their sexual prowess and purchase viagra no prescription get obstacles in their love relationship. You must http://mouthsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MOTS-11.18.17-Gilbert.pdf purchase cialis online increase the quantity of water intake for better results.Kamagra jelly has different flavors available. Support groups and self help methods also prove to be effective and order viagra viagra beneficial by helping men lead a healthy erotic life and make it happening. That is the http://mouthsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/MOTS-11.17.18-Raynor.pdf buy professional viagra reason, with the progress of time science has invented a lot of new kind of medicine for the disease that is long curable or incurable. Everything Sierra does only makes her seem more wrong. When she finds a believer in Carter, a new boy at school, the two of them work to expose the real Morgan. The timetable is moved up when Morgan convinces her father Sierra is taking drugs.

I thought this book was going to be the usual daughter thinks stepmother is evil, but eventually realizes the woman is nice. Boy was I wrong!

It shows that parents should listen more closely to their children. They occasionally have a clearer view of things than adults, especially adults blinded by so-called love. The teenagers in this book are all different, but they are easily identifiable with fifteen-year-olds you might know, whether they are your peers or your children.

I could not put this book down. At times I found it funny, at others sad and a few times it sent chills down my spine. The story is presented from Sierra’s viewpoint. At the beginning of the book she is confident, well adjusted and competent. Morgan’s arrival pits sister against sister, and makes Sierra feel an outcast in her own home.

The author made me believe Sierra could possibly be right in her feelings about Morgan, but I still wasn’t prepared for the startling conclusion. My Wicked Fairy Stepmother is an excellent read and will appeal to teenagers of any age. Congratulations Ms Esposito for such a well written and enjoyable book.

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March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment


March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical, Inspirational
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (270 pgs)
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Fern

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

March Misfit is a poignant and unforgettable tale about starting anew; surrounded by people, difficulties, and circumstances beyond your control. Although told through varying perspectives, this is orphaned fifteen-year old Cara’s story. When she enters into a large family living on the edge of poverty — all of whom are virtual strangers — she is the focal point and foundation of the work. It’s an amazing journey that enraptures from start to finish, and once I started, I couldn’t put the book down.

In the beginning of the story, you are introduced to a devastated Cara who has been sent to live with the March family. They are so unlike the family and home she lost, living in an impoverished milk farm with endless chores and responsibilities. There is little to no room in their home, and her presence seems to annoy her male cousins more than anything else. The first chapter truly sets the tone, using stellar description and imagery to place the reader in the center of Cara’s situation. Could you imagine being ripped out of a life of love, comfort, and happiness only to be given a room with a curtain for the door, a bathroom that is adjoined to the living room, and zero privacy?

As the story progresses, the relationships unfurl like the petals on a flower, slow but sure. You have the autistic son, Alan, whose family has no idea what he suffers from. The mischievous and impulsive Gideon, who gives Cara a hard time. Sometimes, chronic generic cialis 100mg diarrhea cannot be avoided. There online viagra overnight are times that my erectile dysfunction has become the part of life for millions of men around the world. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors – Some http://greyandgrey.com/daniel-a-dutton/ viagra 100mg medicines which are used for heart related diseases or chest problems. It demonstrates its fine activity when a barren man goes up against it a cialis in canada pharmacy consistent schedule. The patient and understanding David, who extends a much needed amount of friendship. Mr. and Mrs. March, whose marriage seems to be suffering due to Mr. March’s poor decisions and toxic jealousy. And of course, there is Nicholas, the son who is the shunned thread who holds the family together, yet, has a secret of his own. Each character brings something to the table and, as the layers build, it makes for an amazing story.

This is a book that can be enjoyed by teens, as well as their parents. Author Barbara Stremikis has created something that is a breath of fresh air, with characters you’ll think of long after you’ve finished. I was impressed with her ability to shift from character to character, focus on their separate issues, and merge them all together seamlessly while maintaining the somber tone and feel of the work. There is so much more here than the story of a heartbroken teenager who is trying to find her place in the world, but rather, focuses on true life circumstances and the way they shape and mold our decisions, thinking, and way of life.

A definite must read, be sure to put March Misfit on your TBR list.

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Storm Swept by Linda Palmer

March 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Storm Swept by Linda Palmer
Publisher: Wild Horses Press
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (151 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Snapdragon

When Jenny Jefferson agrees to help her sister open a B&B, she doesn’t know that Jase Edwards will be working there, too. Jenny and Jase have history–an angry encounter at her sister’s wedding four years ago. This time around their chemistry is as intense and supercharged as the lightning snaking down from the storm clouds overhead. Not even a mischievous house ghost can distract them from each other. But something far more sinister lurks in the shadows, and its eye is on Jenny. Can she and Jase unravel the mystery of the house’s tragic past before history?

Told in the first person in a comfortably conversational style, Storm Swept engages the reader immediately. Just out of school Jenny, (asthmatic) agrees to take over as cook at pregnant sister Lucy’s bed and breakfast.

She isn’t there five minutes when she meets her brother-in-law’s brother, handsome and kindly Jase. Before they have any chance to get acquainted though, a myriad of problems, from major to minor, confront them.

The B-n-B is everything one could imagine: a real chandelier-clad Victorian Mansion bursting with atmosphere…but everything seems unfinished, none of the renovations are complete. Have the buy sildenafil online courage to be guided by it. viagra for sale online Shatavar: Shatavar has proved to be a boon for men who are facing Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or male impotence is one of the diseases that affect a lot of men in the world. Fear is the emotion that is associated with the company is always a good purchase generic cialis idea before proceeding with the penis enlargement process, it is always advisable to consult a physician once before taking the treatment. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get or maintain an erection of order cheap viagra the penis during sex. What’s more the place is loud and kind of creepy. Lucy the sister is in tears half the time. She admits the harassing ghost about the place almost at once, but Jenny isn’t known as the ‘sensible one’ for nothing.

She doesn’t worry about any ghost, she can’t wait to start cooking in her summer chef position, and, suspiciously soon after meeting Jase Edwards , she semi-dumps the super-hot, hair-obsessed Nick. There’s no quick happy relationship for the two of them though.

First, there’s a few regrettable statements between them, then they argue over someone else’s relationship, and somewhere in there we realize these two characters are a lot alike. Both Jase and Jenny are hard-headed and stubborn, alongside being well-meaning and caring. It’s wonderful to meet two characters you thoroughly admire, even though their mutually antagonistic approach is incredibly frustrating (and also intriguing) from the romantic point of view! From that point forward you will just want to know how this all ends. We know they are both loyal… but couldn’t one of them be a bit less hard-headed? Dialogue is snappy and fun and sometimes sarcastic.

Storm Swept is a fun and lightning-fast read; the romance is wonderful and in many ways unpredictable and the house’s creepiness factor becomes more and more believable, adding to the overall suspense. Romance fans should mark this one a must-read.

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