Donnie Darko Girl

The Many's beginning was pretty good and hooked me right away. I loved the way it started out all high tension-y with a first date that I just knew was going to go crazy badly. The problem with this story was that the middle was difficult to get through, but I didn't skim it in case I missed something important. Luckily, the last third of the book picked up momentum again.

The Many begins with Stacey, who's out on a first date with a doctor. At first he seems like the man of her dreams, but soon his knowledge of details of her life that she never told him creep her out and cause her to want the date to end early. The next day, Stacey's brother, Karl, notices she isn't acting like herself.

We are then introduced to Isobel and her daughter, Dawn. Isobel also goes on a date with someone who seems to be out of her league, this time a woman. Like Stacey, Dawn notices her mother comes back from the date not quite right. The similarities between Stacey and Isobel's dates are creepy, and both Karl and Dawn know instinctively that something is very wrong. They end up joining forces to investigate what's going on.

I was glued to my Kindle! Field knows how to keep his audience in suspense from the beginning and at the end, but the plot in the middle drags on and could have been fleshed out better. I kept reading, however, because I HAD to find out what was going to happen next. I didn't want to miss something important. 

What terrified me the most about The Many was how the characters changed overnight, yet only their closest loved ones could tell the difference in them. Also, no one else really took Dawn and Karl's concerns seriously.

What I loved most is that vital questions about human behavior are explored. Without giving any of the plot away, I will just say it'll have you thinking about the factors that go into how we as a society decide which human behaviors are acceptable or not acceptable. And who has the right to decide which is which?

I'm SO excited a sequel is coming out. While this book has an ending without a cliffhanger, there is definitely room for more story to be told, and I'll be there for sure.

Not only is the cover of Beauty of the Beast gorgeous, but the story is a beautifully written reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. This is the first novel I've read by Rachel L. Demeter and certainly won't be the last. The story is so vibrant I felt like I was there, even during the few horrifying moments both Isabelle (Beauty) and Prince Adam (Beast) experienced.

As the synopsis warns, there is strong sexual content and sexual assault in the novel (not committed by the hero), so I wouldn't recommend this for readers under 18. Without giving anything away, I also want to warn you that there's a very upsetting tragedy (well, several really) in the beginning which was difficult for me to get through because it tore my heart out and chopped it up in a blender. Let's just say I totally get why Adam chose to isolate himself and is difficult to thaw out when interacting with Isabelle.

But soon an undeniable attraction grows between them, simmering at first, then boiling. I wanted to shout at them to get together already and couldn't figure out if they would or wouldn't. Honestly, I enjoyed being kept in suspense. 

There are sweet moments, angry ones as well as immensely sad ones. I was taken through the gamut of emotions, the entire spectrum while reading Beauty of the Beast. It was an emotional roller coaster ride, but one in which I wouldn't mind going through again. I'm now anxiously anticipating which fairy tale Demeter will reimagine next. Fingers crossed for The Little Mermaid!!

Never Let You Go is the first book I've read by Chevy Stevens, and won't be my last. I've noticed the covers of her novels over the years and have always been captivated by them, making me wonder what stories lie within. She is an excellent writer, ramping up the tension at the right moments and causing you to question what you think you know about the characters. I loved it.

Never Let You Go is a gripping thriller that delivers a punch to the gut. Told from Lindsey and Sophie's (Lindsey's daughter) POVs as well as alternating between the past and present, I wasn't sure at first how all of that was going to work. However, I thought including scenes from the past was genius because they illustrated just how much danger Lindsey and Sophie were in with Lindsey's ex-husband (and Sophie's father), Andrew.

Andrew operates in an insidious way, and his subtle threats wouldn't have had the same impact if Lindsey had simply described her past. The reader needed to see and experience the various methods Andrew used to make sure Lindsey was under his control and miserable. During those scenes, Lindsey's suffocation from her controlling husband was palpable - I experienced those feelings right along with her.

I couldn't imagine having a father like Andrew, so when he gets out of prison, it's understandable for Sophie to desperately look for anything redeeming about her father despite everything her mother has told her about him. Still, I wanted her to stop making what I considered to be dumb decisions that could put her and her mom in danger.

I also thought it clever for the author to include other characters that had the potential to be a threat to Lindsey and Sophie. My only issue was that there might have been too many, and I started figuring out what was going on before I wanted to. I wanted to be kept guessing right up until the very end. I still highly recommend Never Let You Go for those like me who are constantly seeking new thrillers to sink their teeth into.

Trigger Warning: There's a scene where a puppy is harmed but not injured or killed.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

For more reviews, visit my blog at Donnie Darko Girl

The Memory of Things was so difficult to rate because I wanted to love it more than I did; however, a couple aspects of the story just didn't work for me. I should have been able to whip through this book in a couple of sittings, but a lack of time prevented me from accomplishing that. 

The Memory of Things presented me with a different kind of storytelling - it's told in alternating POVs between the two main characters, Kyle and the mystery girl. What's really interesting is that Kyle's POV is straight forward, but the girl's POV is told in a lyrical, almost poetic manner which I found that I liked. It added to the mystery and uncertainty of who she is and why she was at the place Kyle found her.

Due to the sensitive subject matter, I felt compelled to rate this at least 4 stars, but I ended up feeling I couldn't do that because it wouldn't be an honest representation of how I feel about the book. As I mentioned earlier, there were things about the story I wish had been different.

On September 11, Kyle is making his way home after the first tower goes down. He comes across an ash-covered girl wearing angel wings. She seems to have amnesia, and Kyle can't just leave her there by herself, so he has her go home with him. 

Kyle's uncle, who is disabled, lives with him and his family, and I liked the inclusion of a diverse character who isn't found in many books. Kyle's uncle wasn't disabled just for the sake of including diversity into the story - he had an important role to play in the story. I loved Kyle's relationship with him and how much Kyle looks up to him.  

Kyle is an awesome kid who somehow keeps it together throughout the terrifying events of a day that will live in the world's memory forever. He is strong and mature for his age; however I took off one star because I felt there was a lack of depth and emotion overall. There needed to be more. I get that he wasn't sure how to help the girl he found, but I was hoping for more about how these characters were affected by the events of that day.  

I also took off a star because the ending felt a little too pat for me. I think it should have had an open ending. I do give major props to Polisner for handling a national tragedy with the sensitivity and care that she did. I still recommend The Memory of Things because you might not be as picky as I was about the way the amount of emotion in the story and the way it ended. 

How Nick & Holly Wrecked Saved Christmas is a super sweet and humorous read. I loved it so much I've read it twice the last two years. It's a quick read at around 80 pages but not too quick although I would love to hang out with Nick and Holly some more.  

Holly has to stay with her "granny" for Christmas, and a guy she goes to school with has to stay with his aunt at the same building. At first she's annoyed by his presence because she blames him for her broken nose, but she gradually warms up to him. They begin developing a connection, and I liked their interactions, even the times Holly was snarky to Nick.

I love Holly's granny! She's one of my favorite characters of all time. I want her to adopt me. She's so cute and loves life and is aging gracefully. #goals

How Nick & Holly Wrecked Saved Christmas is a story that has stayed with me. I can remember most of it even though I haven't read it since last Christmas. I plan on reading it again for this Christmas, and I'm sure I'll love it as much as the first time I read it.

I LOVED Operation White Christmas so much at the beginning, but then somehow it lost its momentum and the dialogue turned cringe-worthy.  While I realized from the get go that this was a short read at around 90 pages, I still felt like Hollie and Jim got together way too fast. It was unbelievable and unrealistic.

Operation White Christmas really should have been expanded to give the characters more depth and the story more time to develop, then I think it would have been a better read.

There were still sweet moments here and there, and if you're willing to suspend your disbelief, you can enjoy this with a cozy blanket and mug of hot chocolate on a snowy day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book!

As I recently wrote in a review for another book in which a fictional story was set during a real-life tragedy (in that case, 9/11), it's tricky writing fiction with a horrific real-life event as the main event. There's a balance to be struck between keeping the facts of what really happened and the story you're trying to tell.

I wanted to really love The Sugar Men but found I wasn't fully invested in it. While the beginning hooked me right away, I found parts of the story implausible and wasn't able to connect with the characters very well. The flashbacks were the most engaging parts of the novel, and I think the story would have fared better had the present been contained to the beginning and ending of the novel.  

What I found most implausible was Susannah's journey back to Germany. With her illness, I don't think she would have been able to travel alone. I couldn't understand why she insisted on going alone. Why didn't she ask at least one of her kids to go with her? I also was surprised at how little her kids knew about her past. I can understand how she'd want to bury her past, but how do you keep all of that pain and anguish bottled up from people you love? I'd imagine it would have eventually spilled out long before it did.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a difficult time connecting with Susannah and her kids, hence the 3 stars. Since her kids didn't know their mother as well as they thought, I felt as a reader I didn't, either. And her kids -- the reader learns very little about them. They were just kind of there almost as props. 

On the plus side, the author researched the Holocaust thoroughly. I wanted more of Susannah's story when she was a kid, and I felt disappointed when the story swung back to the present. The time Susannah spent in a  concentration camp was described in such vivid horrific detail that it didn't feel like fiction; however, the rest of the story wasn't nearly as engaging. The flashbacks were what I wanted to read about the most.

We hear so much about Auschwitz that it's easy to forget there were other camps with their own atrocities. The author did well with setting the story in a different concentration camp.  

Overall, I'd still recommend The Sugar Men to anyone who's interested in learning more about the Holocaust because while Susannah is a fictional character, the author was able to put a face to this real-life tragedy.

Amish Christmas Baby definitely isn't my typical read, but I picked it up when it was free, looking for holiday reads. I don't read Christian fiction and don't know much about the Amish, but I was in the mood for a Christmas-themed story to get me in the holiday spirit.

It was a quick and heartwarming read. I loved Ellie to pieces. She's the one who finds the baby on her doorstep, and I think she has a heart of gold. A remarkable woman with a kind heart who thinks of her family first and what she can do to take care of them.

I was put off that a mother would just dump her baby off in the snow. What if no one had heard the baby crying? I felt bad for the mother, but her baby could have gotten very sick, or even worse, died!

There was a lot of repetition with Ellie wanting the baby and wondering whether it'd be better for her to raise the baby or the mother to take care of the baby, since she knows who the mother is. The repetition caused me to knock off a star.

Amish Christmas Baby is just the beginning of a little series. I'm not really interested in continuing on with the series, but other readers will likely enjoy it. Not quite how I hoped this first one would turn out, but a heartstrings tugging kind of short story nevertheless with well developed characters.

For more of my reviews, check out Donnie Darko Girl!

Going in, I knew "Zombie Thanksgiving" was only 24 pages so I tried to prepare myself for an extremely short story. The writing was so good, but it was still just way too short for me though.

It's good that "Zombie Thanksgiving" left me wanting more but also bad because I had so many questions. I would have liked more background on the zombies and the main characters. What happened to them next? I might never find out!!

This is why short stories, in my opinion, are so difficult to pull off. Readers want them to accomplish A LOT in a short amount of time. I'd rather not read one that ends on a major cliffhanger, which "Zombie Thanksgiving" does. So if you're okay with cliffhangers, give this one a go. Otherwise, you might end up pulling your hair out wondering what happens next.

For more of my reviews, check out Donnie Darko Girl!

Starla Cupp and her best friend, Poppy (I love her name!), run the Dixie Cupp (yep, spelled with two p's) Diner together. I love their friendship; they're truly best friends who support each other. It's so nice to see two strong women supporting one another - no tearing each other down going on here! Just really refreshing.

At first I thought the town of Sugar Hill was a cozy one where everyone knows everyone but quickly discovered while everyone does know each other, they don't necessarily like each other. There are a lot of secrets floating around, and it's anything BUT a cozy little town. There are some serious shenanigans going down.

I laughed when the police chief, who's a major health nut, gets roped in by the mayor to judge the annual cupcake contest. There went Starla's hopes of keeping up her winning streak!

I loved Starla. She says she doesn't just let things happen to her - she says she lives life on purpose, and I really love that motto. Starla made me want to start living my life "on purpose" and stop feeling like everything is out of my control.

The twist was a surprise. I might have seen it coming a tad, but I was left guessing there for a while.

I just really really want more of these characters and searched to see if the author is planning on it. Not sure at this point, but I think chances are good. I definitely want more Starla!

I also bought a book by the author called Mall Santa Murderfor 99 cents because I enjoyed her writing so much.

So happy to have been able to scoop up Pumpkin Spice & a Body On Ice for free! I feel lucky to have discovered such great characters and writing!

Check out more of my reviews at Donnie Darko Girl!

After reading the first sentence of Eleanor's Gift, I thought, my God, Sousa's writing is beautiful! And it's not the kind of writing that's just beautiful for the sake of beauty without going anywhere - no, the story is enriched and propelled forward by it. The characters are richly drawn and come to life on the pages, and you can imagine what they would be like in real life. 

There is a subtle sense of horror underlying the events that happen in Eleanor's Gift, a creepiness that you can't outright define, an insidious danger lying in wait. At first, I thought the mysterious stranger was walking into danger at the hands of her rescuers, but then I began to sense that there was something mysterious and indefinable about her. She's found with strange marks on her neck, and I couldn't wait to find out how she was the only survivor and where those marks came from. 

Sousa is a master at weaving a Gothic tale and leaving you satisfied though Eleanor's Gift is a short story. If you tend to shy away from short stories, I really think you should pick this one up because it's exactly the way a story should be set up and told.

I received a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Check out more of my reviews at my blog, Donnie Darko Girl!    

I've been fascinated by Buddhism as soon as we learned about the religion in high school. I took a few classes on it in college, and I don't think I've come across a book where the main character is Buddhist, so I jumped at the chance to read MY BUDDHIST CHRISTMAS. I really wanted to see what it would be like around Christmastime for someone who isn't Christian.

Most of my family are Christian. We celebrate Christmas with all of the traditions that go along with it. While I've tried to imagine how people of the Jewish or Islamic faiths must feel living in the U.S. around Christmastime, I've never thought about Buddhists, so this book called to me, begging to be read!

There aren't too many young adult novels with a male lead character, especially one with a good head on his shoulders like Chris. He's so likable, and I could relate with him in some ways - feeling like you're too uptight and missing out on fun when what your friends are doing doesn't feel quite right to you, wanting to do something you love to do, and just navigating through the pressures of being a teenager and a high school student. And his loss...I could identify with his grief.

I felt protective of him, especially when the parents of the girl he likes didn't think he was good enough for her. I did think Mary invited him a bit soon to meet her parents, though. I mean, they hang out one time after school, and then she invites him to a pre-Christmas dinner the next week to meet them! I don't think I would have said no either if it was someone I had a crush on...I'm pretty bad at saying no...but with Christmas coming up, I thought it was pretty brave of Chris to take that challenge on. That's another reason I felt so protective of him.

And wow, Chris's band mates annoyed me. I couldn't believe how they kept putting off practicing their music. Surely there had to be some better girls or guys to be in the talent show with?? They seemed to know nothing about Chris, nor did they try to know anything him. Yep, I was definitely feeling protective of Chris.

MY BUDDHIST CHRISTMAS does an excellent job of showing what it's like to be Buddhist, better than any textbook I've ever read or could ever hope to read. That's exactly what I was looking for when I dove into Chris's story. Though it isn't quite Halloween yet, it was a perfect book to get a head start on some holiday reading. I love reading books that take place around Christmas, and I love learning about Buddhism, so it was a win-win for me. You won't learn the entire religion in one book, but you'll be able to understand it in a practical way of what it might be like to live day to day as a Buddhist. Five stars for MY BUDDHIST CHRISTMAS all the way! :D

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can find more of my reviews at my blog, Donnie Darko Girl.

It's taken me way too long to read a novel by Mia Hoddell! Her books have been on my TBR for a long time, and now that I've read Not Enough, I'm doubly excited to get started reading more of her work.

Not Enough's synopsis called out to me - I'm an introvert and have felt the effects of others not understanding what that truly means, although not to the extent the main character, Neve, feels. I believe there's a spectrum when it comes to determining whether you're an introvert or an extrovert. Rather than someone being 100% introverted or 100% extroverted, we fall somewhere on the spectrum, with some of us closer to one end or the other while still others fall somewhere in the middle.

I fall closer to the introvert end of the spectrum, but there are situations where I can identify with being an extrovert. If you want to get down to the nitty gritty in the case of Neve, her character is probably an extreme case of introversion. The way people in her life treated her was abysmal, especially her own mother. Thank God she had Blake, whom I'll get to in a moment.

Cece is briefly introduced in the beginning, and wow, what a piece of work she is! Cece says things I would never say to someone who's supposedly my friend, and I couldn't understand why Neve bothered with her. Possibly low self esteem, which Neve definitely struggled with. Let me list the ways in which Cece is a TERRIBLE person!

1. Encourages Neve to drink alcohol until she's trashed
2. Encourages Neve to pick a random guy for sex
3. Berates Neve when Neve doesn't do exactly what she wants her to do
4. Doesn't care about Neve's safety or well being AT ALL

I could go on.

Cece does the opposite of slut shaming to Neve. I didn't know there was such a thing. And I couldn't believe when the words, "You should have wanted it. Everyone else would have," fell from Cece's lips. REALLY??? Wow...just wow... I probably would've decked her.

Even sadder? Neve's mom basically encourages those same things.

The thing is, Neve envies people who can let loose and have fun, in a safe way of course. I envy those people, too. I'd love to go to a club and dance like no one's watching. That sounds like a lot of fun to me. Like Neve, I worry about being laughed at, which doesn't sound like a big deal even if it happened, but for people like me and Neve, it would crush us. It's a legitimate fear that causes her to freeze up.

Blake is the bright spot in Neve's life. Man, when I say he's there for her, he's REALLY there for her! We all need a little more Blake in our lives. The chapters alternate between Neve's POV and Blake's POV, and I really liked knowing what he was thinking. It helped flesh out his character and made him more realistic, plus I fell just a bit more in love with him hearing his thoughts and feelings.

As for the huge secret Neve's been shouldering, I can understand why she wouldn't want to share that. People don't react well to something like that, especially if they've never been through it. There's a huge stigma, which is sad because then the people who need help don't always get it because their fears outweigh their hope.

Not Enough is a well-told, heartbreaking story that delivers a punch to the gut and makes you fervently wish for Neve's hope to outweigh her. You'll root for Blake and Neve to see what they have in each other and that the beauty of their friendship could bloom into so much more.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
You can find more of my reviews at my blog, Donnie Darko Girl.

I received a copy of this book for an honest review. You can find my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.

"We leave as four."

FOUR is a zombie story to be devoured, heh heh. But seriously, this was a great zombie read with well developed characters and a well written plot. There's even something extra thrown in supernatural-wise besides the zombies, which had me turning the pages to find out what it was because it isn't revealed for quite a while.

The four main characters - Jeff, Scot, Alec, and Kale - are friends from high school who are like the four Musketeers, but they've had drama where two of them hate each other and they all four generally drifted apart after high school. They organize a reunion of sorts, and pretty soon everything goes to hell. Literally.

Scot's a player. He has a sort-of girlfriend, and I say sort of because he cheats on her, constantly. He's a douche, but I didn't totally hate him. I disliked him greatly, lol.

Alec is sweet and ready to settle down with his high school sweetheart. He's having trouble with his dream of becoming a firefighter. I liked him quite a bit. He seems to make solid decisions and be a caring person.

Jeff was transferred from the regular military to a special military that's kept quiet from the public. He got into great shape after high school after spending that time wishing he was stronger.

Kale doesn't seem to have grown up much after high school. He has a roommate, and they play video games a lot. He's pretty gung ho about being a hero and won't let the other guys forget about the mysterious event that happened when they were younger, and I was glad for that. I HAD to find out what happened and what it meant for them in the present time.

Watching these guys try to put the pieces of their friendship back together was riveting. There was a lot of baggage there they could either work through or choose not to. The characters were well written, the plot well developed, and the action with touches of romance was balanced well.

Something happened when they were in high school, and there were hints here and there that it was a supernatural occurrence of some kind and what it was could help in the zombie apocalypse. I was DYING to know what it was and couldn't wait to find out.

Oh, and of course the zombies! The zombies were scary AF. Some were super fast, others were slow, and you basically didn't stand much of a chance against them. The totally, totally skin crawling, shiver inducing, look-under-your-bed-before-sleeping kind of zombies. Ah, George Romero would be so proud!

If you're a zombie/horror fan, you really need to snag a copy of FOUR. I would NOT steer you wrong! Plus, I'm picking up the second installment asap. :D

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My stop on the blog tour can be found at Donnie Darko Girl.

You know how there are books with gorgeous covers that immediately attract your attention, so you check out the synopsis, and you're like, I've gotta read this book! It sounds too awesome to miss! And you're so excited, you even forget how beautiful the cover is because you're looking forward to diving inside to the story?

That's how IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH was for me. I couldn't wait to dive into the meat of this story. Could. Not. Wait. I had all kinds of scenarios I was imagining, and it was exciting. Really and truly exciting. Plus, I love to see how authors imagine the afterlife to be. It's always interesting and never disappointing.

So in IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH, popular girl RJ dies before her time because she's accidentally touched by a Grim Reaper, and as you can imagine, she's super pissed. Though she's a brat, I actually liked her snark and couldn't help but laugh at her attitude. Sure, she's self-entitled and stuck up and desperate to retain her popularity, but she's also very real. There are people like her out there (I know, right?!), and I actually found myself rooting for her.

I wrote this status update when I began reading the book: I'm only 14% in so far, & I love it so much! It's so funny and snarky and adorable!

There were things I liked about IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH, and things I didn't like. As I mentioned, I liked RJ quite a bit. One thing that bothered me was how Death was called "Death Himself" every time he was mentioned, although I ended up getting used to it. I understood why he was referred to that way the first time, but after that I thought it was unnecessary.

I wanted more from the moments where RJ was to go back in for a do-over. Those moments didn't last long enough for me, and it seemed almost too easy for RJ to change her thinking and thus change her future. People don't change overnight, so I wish more time had been spent on RJ's transformation because I loved seeing her change. I think time spent on the trial could have been better spent on RJ's moments back in time fixing what she didn't get right the first time around.

It was refreshing to have a story that didn't revolve around a romance. There are touches of romance in IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH, but it isn't the crux of the story. I really appreciated that.

The ending was really surprising! I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did. This isn't to say I didn't like it. I'm not disappointed at all - I think it was a fitting end, I just didn't see it coming. It caught me off guard, which is a good thing. I like not being able to predict things in books.

Overall, I recommend IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH for anyone who loves a good story with redemption and exploration of life, death, and what it all means.