Friday, December 19, 2014

[Blog Tour] The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza: Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in


Author: Dawn Lanuza
Release date: October 3, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: N/A
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary / Romance
Purchase: Amazon 
Add to your library: Goodreads

If they say that life flashes right before your eyes when you die, do you also get a flashback of your exes when your perfect boyfriend is proposing to you? At least that's the case for Regina Cortez. There's her dramatic high school boyfriend, her first college crush, the irresistible heart breaker, and the ever elusive one. By backtracking to her past, will Regina make it to 'I Do'? Or will she just keep running away? (via Goodreads)


Excerpt


I watched Dirk for days when he came in. Not that I was waiting for him to notice me; it’s just that the more he tries to blend with the background, the more I see him in the foreground. He would always sulk under the bleachers and light a cigarette even if smoking wasn’t allowed on school grounds. At night, he would be hanging out in the parking lot of a convenience store, waiting for his older friends to get him packs of cigarettes and beer. He still doesn’t smile even if he was already with his friends.

So after following him for two weeks – from a distance of course – I had a breakthrough. We were having lunch by the kiosk while he was sulking under the bleachers, smoking, when he caught my eye. This happened a couple of times before, but I always manage to look away or pretend that I was looking at Amy, my friend who is usually talking about her hair. But that day, I didn’t look away and neither did he. So we stared at each other for a whole minute. Maybe less, but that felt like eternity in teenage

I didn’t come near him, not for another month or so, but since that day, Dirk and I would have a staring competition during lunch. I always lose, because my eyes would get watery and sometimes, Amy shoves her hair right in front of my face so I can check if she has split ends.

Then one day, while we were in the middle of our staring match, he and his deep intense stare turned into something more than I’ve bargained for.

Dirk smiled.

Generally, when you meet someone for the first time, they give you a smile, as if they’re welcoming you into their lives. His smile wasn’t just an invitation.

It cracked his whole world open.

      About the Author




Dawn Lanuza has been imagining and writing love stories since she was a kid. She works for the music industry by day, and writes about meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. She writes short stories, chick lit and young-adult fiction. She has a degree in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines.
Continue Reading

Friday, October 31, 2014

[Blog Tour] Street Food and Love by H.A. Enri: Interview

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in

Street Food and Love
Author: H.A. Enri
Release date: Summer 2014
Publisher: Martin Sisters Publishing
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble  
Add to your library: Goodreads

Sole Eaby, seventeen, has a few complaints he’d like to lodge against life, the main one being that his dad, Cedro, has recently quit his job and withdrawn his entire life savings, which included Sole’s college fund. Why? To launch a food truck business he knows nothing about.
To cope, Sole uses his knifelike wit to moonlight as a stand-up comedian, and so far, it’s paying off. He’s not only replenishing his college treasury, he’s making people laugh; but it’s one person in particular he performs for. Her name is Ava. When the fated bond of humor joins the two, and they begin a sort of quasi-romance, things begin to seem somewhat bearable. Of course, that’s when an ill-timed event decides to put another spin on things. Just when Sole is ready to move on with his own life and disconnect himself from his father and the family business, he suddenly finds himself in charge of the food truck he desperately loathes. Here is where Sole must realize that the answers to love and life are not to be found apart but, rather, are more like a savory recipe: only by combining the ingredients will the wonderful flavors reveal themselves. When comedy isn’t enough, the future seems ever bleak, and a fledgling love has barely had a chance to bloom, where will Sole turn? (via Goodreads)


Interview with H.A.


Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I've actually known I've wanted to be a writer since I was twelve. The brief excerpt of that mini epiphany is on my website’s FAQ's. As for YA, I didn’t know I actually wanted to write for young adults until about eight years ago. This book made it through the publication portal, but there are other predecessors on my hard drive, many young adults megabyte format wondering why they never got to graduate from being mere Word docs to full blown, bound, edited and printed books.

If you were a dish on a food truck, what would you be called?
I would be a patty of thick, ground, kobe beef, topped with cheese, caramelized onion, tomato, guacamole and a special sauce, all between buttered and toasted, thick sourdough. I’m simple, like a burger, but I am also not just your regular driver through or diner burger either (does this sound like some dating site profile? Ha!). In any case, it would be called the Soul Melt because more than deeply satisfying the palate, it would penetrate the soul of anyone who ate it. P.S. I really am into the world “soul” and all it connotates.

Novelists who inspired you?
The list is long. In YA we have Sarah Dessen, Gary Schmidt, Caroline Cooney, Ned Vizzini, I will add that not many people mention Vizzini—God rest his talented soul, and it’s shocking. He’s been considered a pioneer of the modern YA lit genre, and I agree. Hopefully, I see him on the other side and we can collaborate.

Talk about YA Lit.
It is summarily different than it used to be even twelve years ago. And pre 2000’s—forget it. That was like reading Homer. Seriously, I mean you have to practice writing effective scenes during commercials (do don’t delete them, you aspiring YA writers, from your DVR. They may prove to be useful yet) in order to match the pace of the current ideal YA. Secondly, don’t forget the lingo the characters used in your favorite sitcom right before the commercial. It should be transposed to your novel. Remember they used to teach, “Don’t write how you speak”? Not so anymore. Those teachers, apparently, were wrong. And no, I haven’t perfectly mastered the art of copy-matching-and-pacing at commercial speed in my writing style. you remember reading with a dictionary handy? Hey, with apps now, it should be easier, except that rarely do YA books require readers to have to use one anymore. Remember when you read something and went WTF? Even after three reads! And it wasn’t because you checked out. Sometimes it was like the writer just wrote and invited you to his house but said, “There’s the fridge and stove. If you’re hungry, do your best.” I’m not saying I don’t appreciate what is happening now and don’t get it, I do and am not against it. But something in my writing approach still doesn’t mind if readers are expected to sort of work through certain language tones and aspects.

Love and romance aren’t depicted the way the YA genre seems to be going in your novel. Why?
Have you been around a high school aged lately? Till death do us part, mad love isn’t en vogue. Most young adults aren’t really sure where love fits into their lives, and to begin to truly to answer that is scary enough for many people, let alone young people. I wanted Sole to reflect a kid who didn’t just zero in on one girl and know she was the one. That’s usually not how it works anyway, at least not when your age still has “teen” as a suffix. As for Ava, many young girls with allure have older guys after them, and that’s why I wanted to show that in the first chapters. That’s reality for many young adult girls of her capacity. Sometimes, too, they chose those guys. I don’t think this makes my book not YA. Upper YA? Sure. But still YA definitely.

I sense an intentional avenue in your book carved out, specifically referring to your focus of a father and son conflict. Explain that.
Well, it’s got nothing to do with my own relationship with my father. We have an outstanding and close one. But you’re correct about the father and son aspect. Many fathers take a backseat in literature or are two dimensional caricatures who are hands off and don’t really permeate the minds of the young adult protagonist. Really? That is most dads? Huh... Anyway, I wanted to write not for guys, but so that guys could related to the literature as easily as girls could and do. Let’s face it: girl readers vastly outnumber young males, and I sort of wanted both to equally relate here. I can say I’ll probably continue to develop that in other novels.

You have a lot of comedy in your book. What’s the best joke (keep u clean) that you’ve ever heard?
I heard Dennis Miller onstage and, though I’m not saying this is my favorite, I’ll mention it because it just came to mind: he was speaking of the past and with subtlety, in his verbal memoir, he said, “It was hot back then...” and he paused. It was all about the way he said it. The audience slowly got it. Then he said, “The sun was still hot then, right?” He was comparing it to the way people think the past happened in black and white. The genius was, he didn’t even have to say that part to get audience in on it. Brilliant.

Are any of the characters in the book based off of someone you know?
Most characters are concoctions of many people in various forms—those we know, those we’ve heard about, those we’d like to know and those we knew. Once you put all that together, my answer, like a writer, would technically be kind of but not really. Not very technical, is it...

               About the Author


H.A.'s love for all things caffeinated is what keeps him awake and alert so he can pursue that glorious tyrant called Nostalgia. And after all, isn't that what provokes most adult authors to write stories about the teenage years they long ago left behind (referring to Nostalgia, not the caffeine...he hopes)? When he isn't writing, H.A. can be found quaffing coffee (Yes, he might be addicted--don't judge) reading, riding his bike, snapping photos, making music, working on his theory of everything, and, on rare occasions, attempting to discover the elusive, and maybe impossible, secret to time travel. H.A. lives in So Cal. Street Food and Love is H.A.'s first novel.
 
Continue Reading

Sunday, October 12, 2014

[Blog Tour] Not In The Script (If Only # 3) by Amy Finnegan: Review

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in
Not in the Script (If Only . . . #3)
Author: Amy Finnegan
Release date: October 7th 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Series: If Only # 3
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Add to your library: Goodreads

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script. (via Goodreads)

I received an e-copy of this from Tara Gonzales and Bloomsbury Children's through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way..

Review


I have never really read a novel with hollywood actors as characters. So my expectations were all about swoony moments (knowing that some friends loved it because of Jake.)

I got hooked right from the start. It was easy to read and there was a smooth flow as to what the plot is all about. Besides the characters being actors and a good writing style, I particularly felt that I was reading a usual contemporary romance novel. Given that Jake and Emma were all about flirting, that there was a jealous friend, a judgmental society, overprotective parents, assuming friend and just about everything present in one.

What I enjoyed the most is definitely the swoony moments and the characterization. It's not everytime you get to read a novel wherein the characters were explained well. Even with minor characters like Brett and Kimmi. As for the swoony moments, you have to read them for yourself. I'd just say that I kept smiling and giggling to myself like a fool while reading.

I can't say I liked Emma from the start. For me, she was this whiny young actress with a lot of complaints. I never really understood where she was coming from. Knowing that she was an actress, I know that it is just normal for her to be like that. But as the story progressed, I realized that she was just as human as we are. I know that real-life actors are just like us though some have this different sense of reality already. With Emma, I saw how she struggled and tried to correct things. Of course, there were things and reasons that Emma had that I didn't like. Like how she waited a long time to do something that she should have done already. Nonetheless, Emma is one delightful character. Oh, and I admire her for setting up a foundation like that. That's one of my dreams in forever.

Moving with 'The Bod.' Can someone give me a Jake now? I can use all the sweet thoughts and all through this stressful period. Seriously though, Jake grew up like that given his family circumstances. Not everyone would have done that so salute to him. I practically saw the difference between a male and a female when it comes to relationships. That thing and reason that Emma had  was not entirely clear with Jake. Sure, he respect her decision but he was all confused as to why she cannot just do it immediately. See? Gentleman right there. He may have been a little stupid in the end but he figured that out anyway. And hey, this guy was so goal-oriented and the love he had for his family is admirable.

The Hollywood filming was so evident. The filming, the paparazzi, the annoying co-stars. Their TV series reminded me of Gossip Girl and the like. It was entertaining reading about them shooting. There was drama on and off screen. So Hollywood.

I cannot finish this without saying how much I swooned over Jake and Emma. Their not-so-flirtatious moves made my heart go giddy and excited. Yeah, I know. I have mentioned that earlier but it is worth mentioning more than once.

Not In The Script is one funny and sweet novel about two young actors trying to find who they are and what they want in life amidst the chaotic world of Hollywood. You'll get an inside scoop of shooting a series, handling paparazzi and everything about an actor's life.



   About the Author

Amy FinneganAmy Finnegan writes her own stories because she enjoys falling in love over and over again, and thinks everyone deserves a happy ending. She likes to travel the world—usually to locations where her favorite books take place—and owes her unquenchable thirst for reading to Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling. Her debut novel, NOT IN THE SCRIPT (Bloomsbury, Oct 2014), came about after hearing several years of behind-the-scenes stories from her industry veteran brother. She’s also been lucky enough to visit dozens of film sets and sit in on major productions such as Parks and Recreation, and Parenthood.
Continue Reading

Saturday, October 4, 2014

[Blog Tour] The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing by C.K. Kelly Martin : Review & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 1:00 AM in

The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing
Author: C.K. Kelly Martin
Release date: September 1st 2014
Publisher: Dancing Cat Books
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary 
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble  
Add to your library: Goodreads

Losing weight over the summer gains Serena some popularity, but it also means discovering first-hand the pains of being a fifteen-year-old girl in a world that both sexualizes and shames young women. After narrowly avoiding exploitation in a shortlived relationship, Serena aligns with a new friend who was the victim of an explicit image that was shared at school. When Serena finds herself in a relationship with a new guy, she is surprised to find a different set of expectations. But have her previous experiences damaged her too much to make it work? As Serena struggles to find who she is as opposed to who she is expected to be, she begins sighting Devin – her older brother who disappeared months earlier. (via Goodreads)

I received an e-copy of this from C.K. Kelly Martin and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

I had this feeling that I would totally like this one. Yet when I got to a certain point in the book, I thought that it wasn't what I expected. Then again I reached another point in the book and realized that I liked it more than I thought I would. Judgments and conclusions are not really enough, huh?

Everything about Serena's life is more of a cliche. Still it did not bore me entirely. The things that happened to her, how she managed them and how the people around her managed them were all a little expected. Though I guess that's a given in a contemporary novel. What set out this one apart is the realistic thoughts and actions that the characters had. They said and did things one will say and do in real life. It may be rude and all but it's the truth and you can't always get that. At first, I didn't like Serena. Like I've said, the characters were realistic and so she was being a fifteen year old obsessed-with-herself kind of girl. As the story went on, I learned how to soften with her. She had her reasons and stuff. Though that's one thing I didn't exactly feel genuine with. It was like I just read she was having her closure in the end and that's it. I don't know why but it seemed a little rush for me when that happened. I didn't get to feel that heavy weight lifted off my chest.

This novel may be about Serena trying to be contented with herself, trying to find her brother, trying to be enough for her parents. But for me, it was more than that. It was about being fat, about swearing off guys, about judging people based on their looks, about how you cannot help people when they don't want your help, about family issues and just about everything else. I guess anyone can relate to these things even in the most indirect way. So you definitely won't get bored with this. 

I have to commend Kelly's writing for making this novel entertaining while still tackling the issues in a serious way. Truly one of the most realistic light-but-heavy novels I've read with realistic concerns.


  About the Author


C.K. Kelly MartinC.K. KELLY MARTIN’s bestselling debut novel, I Know It’s Over, was published in 2008. It was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and the sci-fi thriller, Yesterday. A graduate of the Film Studies program at York University, Martin loves good books, movies, music, web design, and Ireland. She currently resides in Oakville, Ontario. 
Continue Reading

Monday, September 29, 2014

Book Nerd Blast + Giveaway: Memories From A Different Future (Jump When Ready # 2) by David Pandolfe

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in

Memories From A Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2
Author: David Pandolfe
Release date: August 23rd 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: Jump When Ready # 2
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Tour organized by: Jean Book Nerd Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository
Add to your library: Goodreads

For Nikki, it feels like no time has passed since they rescued Henry’s sister from her abductors. After all, in the in-between realm, time is completely different than for those still “living.” Even though it’s been almost twenty years, only lately has Nikki started crossing between realms again. She’s been checking on Ian—the person they knew as Curtis before he jumped into a new life. Nikki hasn’t admitted it to the others but she’s been curious. Could Ian’s life really be as good as it seems? Can she find the courage herself to try the other realm again despite what happened last time?

When Nikki suddenly starts receiving ghostlike visits from Curtis—all these years since he returned to the physical realm—she can’t imagine how it’s possible. She also realizes it has to mean something serious. Nikki soon learns that, three days from now, an incident on Earth will end Curtis’s new life. Now, Nikki, Henry and Jamie must find a way to alter the outcome of a future event only they know will take place. They’ll also have just minutes to make that happen. Otherwise, Curtis is going to die again, taking with him any hope Nikki and her friends had for starting over. nbsp;(via Goodreads)

About the Author

David PandolfeDavid Pandolfe is the author of three novels, Streetlights Like Fireworks, Jump When Ready and Memories From A Different Future (Jump When Ready #2). His short fiction has also appeared in literary reviews.

While he's still writing about himself in third-person, David should probably also mention that he lives outside Richmond, VA, with his wife, two kids and a dog who's terrified of thunder (not the best situation since it thunders from spring until fall in Richmond). 
Continue Reading

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

[Blog Tour] Proxy (Proxy # 1) by Alex London: Excerpt, Giveaway + Signing Event Details

Posted by Nina L. on 1:00 PM in


Proxy (Proxy, #1)
Author: Alex London
Release date: June 18th 2013
Publisher: Philomel
Series: Proxy # 1
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Tour organized by: Pinoy Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository 
Add to your library: Goodreads

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid. (via Goodreads)
 (via Goodreads)

Excerpt


     He swiped through his datastream, clutching the wheel with just his palms, and locked onto a holo of a long-faced puppy, its tail wagging and its little pink tongue hanging out. It bounded to her side of the windshield and licked her in 3D. She laughed. It was an old stock pic; he’d used it a thousand times before, but it never failed him.
     She waved her fingers around the glowing projection in the air and tossed a text back to Knox.
    CUTE, lit up on the windshield in front of him.
    She wasn’t just talking about the puppy. Knox half-smiled and bit down on his lower lip.
    She noticed. He was watching the road, but he knew that she noticed.
    Alice? Debbie?
    Her mother was on one of those Benevolent Committees. Saving the orphans or matching organ donors or something. Maybe both. They’d go well together. Her father was a mining executive for one of the big firms, data not dirtware. The real value was in data. He was a client of Knox’s father’s company, but that didn’t narrow it down much. Everyone was a client of Knox’s father’s company.
    Her father was bald, right? Knox thought he remembered a shiny bald head when he’d met the man. Must be nostalgia, like her old fashioned name. No one with money needed to go bald. He was probably a history buff. Or was that the last girl’s father? It was hard to keep these fathers and their hobbies straight. Charming fathers was so much more work than charming their daughters, with so much less reward.


               About the Author


Alex LondonAlex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tags series; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.
In 2011, James left teaching to write full-time and now lives in London.

Hollow Pike is his first novel for young adults.







TO ALL FILIPINOS:
I'm inviting each and every one of you to go on Saturday at Alex London's Signing Event. Please see details below. See you there.

 Let's not forget to thank NBS for making this event possible.
Continue Reading

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

[Blog Tour] Misplaced by Lee Murray: Review & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in
 

Misplaced
Author: Lee Murray
Release date: December 1st 2013
Publisher: Leapy Sheep
Series: N/A
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary / Mystery
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon 
Add to your library: Goodreads

Dream cars have no registration plate...

One evening, Adam’s mum pops out for the milk and doesn’t come back, launching a frantic nationwide search. Yet after weeks with no leads, the television crews drift away, the police start asking hairy questions, and Adam’s dad starts seeing someone else. Adam’s life is falling apart. But then he meets Skye, who it seems has misplaced a parent too, and things start to look up. That is, until a body is found...(via Goodreads)

 I received an e-copy of this from Lee Murray and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

Whenever I hear news about missing people, my heart aches for the people left behind. How will they continue to live without knowing what has happened to their loved one? At least with death comes a tiny little bit of closure but with missing, you'd have to cope with the hope that they'd come back which for me is far worse than anything else because it would only leave you hanging. Like your life is put on a pause because your loved one is nowhere to be found and life wouldn't just continue because of that.

I was pretty sure I'd love this because hey, a story like this is as compelling as just knowing its synopsis. How can I not be moved by a story as real as this one? A person goes missing everyday. Some of the missing ones before even emerges like they just went somewhere to buy food or anything. I remember hearing from news before that a missing woman was found almost after ten years. I cannot imagine how her family has felt that time. I'm just happy for them. But as unfortunate as life is, some people aren't found just like Adam's Mom, Tiffany. And I know this is purely fictional but for me, this novel is more of a representation of what happens to the ones left. Knowing that the author has a missing friend, my heart goes for you, Lee.

It happened all fast. If only Adam went to buy the milk. If only Adam wasn't as engrossed in his game. If only Adam didn't somehow took her Mom for granted that day. If I were Adam, I know I'd somehow end up blaming myself. His Mom asked him to buy the milk. If he did, would he be the one missing? Endless questions and What Ifs.

The way everything happened was heartbreaking, at least for me. I knew that Adam's Dad was in that situation which breaks my heart more because his Mom suddenly disappeared. Did she know what was going on? Did she run away because of it? I hate to say this but Adam's Dad was such a douche. Don't get me wrong. I know he had his own down moments about his wife missing. But the way he handled things weren't quite the way I imagined a Dad would. Especially with his new special someone in the picture. I'm not even saying that he shouldn't move on and stuff but Tiffany wasn't even missing for a year. The thing is, your wife is missing. You don't know where the hell is she and you have the time to be flirty with another woman? You're not even taking care of your only son. So how's that, right? Oh and yeah, different people has different ways of coping and that's his way so let him be.

Adam's relationship with Skye was cute and somehow fast. I know the author didn't want to put much detail into their relationship at the start because this would seem like a romance novel. Yet everything was fine because those two just connected at some point. What they did at the latter part of the novel was dangerous and an ironic thing. Adam just left without telling anyone except his best friend. He didn't even think of what his father would think or of Skye's mother. Though I guess those two learned a lesson or two.

At a situation like this, I'm thankful that Adam's Granddad has Alzheimer's. He will only have to remember how her daughter keeps on visiting him and not being missing. I know he knows deep inside what happened but somehow he just chose to remember the good times. Him having Alzheimer's made Adam realized that no matter what, his Mom will always be with him though not physically.

Aside from Adam's Dad, another thing that somehow bothered me was Tiffany's best friend. Her awkwardness made me think if she knew where Tiffany was or that she just cannot face what happened. It just seemed so weird. Yet just as they say, you'd know the people who truly loves you in times of trouble.

I know I'm saying a lot already but given that this is almost a reflection of reality, I just want to keep talking. And I know that no words can ever amount to comfort those who are left behind. The only thing I can think of is just pray that somewhere your loved one is already safe may it be in death or the living.

Misplaced is a heart-wrenching take about a missing person. It's not your guide on how to cope after missing your loved one. It's more of a companion to your situation that somewhere in this world, you are not alone in facing such hardships.

P.S. I felt like I wrote an essay and not a review so forgive me for that. The topic of this novel is just so real that I cannot help but say those insights.



                About the Author


Lee Murray is a full-time writer and editor with masters degrees in science and management. Lee wrote Misplaced after a friend, Florence, went missing from her home in France in 2003. Sadly, Florence is still missing. Lee lives in Tauranga, New Zealand with her husband and their two teenaged children. 


Continue Reading

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

[Blog Tour] Drowned (Drowned # 1) by Nichola Reilly: Review, Top Ten & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in

Drowned
Author: Nichola Reilly
Release date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Drowned # 1
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository
Add to your library: Goodreads

Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.(via Goodreads)

I received an e-copy of this from Nichola Reilly and Lady Readers BookStuff Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

Review

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I was so overwhelmed with all the information about the world Coe lived in that in more than one occasion, I absolutely had no idea what was going on. So yeah, not even about 10% of the book, I was so close to DNF-ing it. But you know, curiosity got the better of me.

I haven't read a Dystopia in awhile so I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing. The world-building at the start was so, how do you say it? It was jam-packed with all details, from general to specific that I got lost more than once. Then it focused on the characters then back to world-building at times. I would have enjoyed this more if the start wasn't that quite generous with all those details. It was too much for me. Especially with all the counting of the tides. Yet I was thankful that I continued reading till the end because I got to understand the totality of the world they lived in. On how it started to become like that, on how the leaders became the leaders and so on and so forth. I can say that at the end of the novel, the world-building was fine as a whole. At least, there was a redeeming point for me.

Imagining living in a world as such makes me cringe because I feel like I would be literally stuck in an island for my whole life. It's not as if you can go anywhere other than the platform especially when the waves come in. Being stranded in an island is already scary as it is for me but living in there would probably be the worst. That's why I admire how Coe and the others were able to live through it. Given that they have their designated work to do and those little parasites that can just kill them immediately. Not mentioning that Coe having lost an arm makes me admire her more. And the fact that she is the only one who can read (her father gave her a journal and a fairy tale book) among all of them made me think that she is indeed special. And damn was she. The underlying surprise for her identity was really a surprise for me. Though in the end, I cannot understand how that happened to her. The one explaining why she was able to not drown. I'm looking for more explanation for that on the sequel.

As much as I admire Coe for her survival skills, I don't understand why she did that at the end. I know she was faithful to Tiam and I know those two have it in together but as many times as Coe saved him, I just cannot understand how was she able to do what she did at the end. Curious are you? Well, let's just say that she did what she had to do given the situation BUT STILL. I guess she really listens to all what Tiam tells her. Or I actually felt like it was the only thing that could happen or else there'd be a lot of issue at the sequel. The princess was another character I cannot understand. She was all, "Tiam is my life, my love." But hey, she NEVER did anything risky to help him. Maybe they have different definitions of love as to their living conditions. So whatever, I'd let them off the hook for that. I know that Coe was the only one who knows a lot among all of them anyway. Finn too, I felt like his character was just put there to introduce chaos. I guess the characters weren't that much given the opportunity to be known by the readers. Most of them were introduced to be as such then something happens so their personality would change. Some of the characters' growth wasn't that much convincing for me.

Drowned was surprisingly a good read for me. Such a unique premise for the genre. You'd be totally asking for more once you read the end.


10 Thing You Didn't Know About DROWNED



1. I actually wrote DROWNED many years ago, but was too busy writing paranormal books under my Cyn Balog name to have a chance to revise it.
2. The first title I had for it was TIDES (that was the document name), and then I changed it to DREAM KINGDOM, which is part of one of my favorite poems, The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot. The chapter headings and many of the images in the book are derived from the poem.
3. Originally one of the first scenes in the book was the remaining children in “school”, reciting the tides timetables for the coming week so that they would make sure that they didn’t get carried away by the ocean, like some children had a few days before. I deleted it because the society I wanted to portray was too far-gone to care about whether children were 1) schooled, and 2) safe.
4. I wrote about 3 or 4 drafts of the book. Finn wasn’t in any of the early drafts.
5. DROWNED comes from me spending my summers on the Jersey Shore. I’ve watched many a tide come in and take away precious things with it. Luckily, no people. But I’ve always been awed by the enormous power of the ocean.
6. While writing DROWNED, I had more than one nightmare about drowning.
7. In the book it says that Tiam was named for Tiamat, the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of the ocean. She is also referred to as the “chaos monster” and it is her body that formed all things. Coe was named after the fish Corvina.
8. I wore a sock on my hand and did a bunch of activities with one hand to see if they were possible, and how much harder they would be. Originally it was Coe’s left hand that was missing. But then I accidentally wrote that she was missing her right hand on the art sheet, so they designed the book with her missing her right hand. Then I had to go back and change it in the manuscript.
9. There is a very detailed backstory to each of the characters on the island—I put it all together as I was writing the book. I could probably write a prequel with all the info I have. Just call me George Lucas.
10. Coe is obsessed with fairy tales, with romantic heroes and true love and things other people don’t care about, because a fairy tale book is the only surviving book in the land, and she is the only one who can read. I wanted to make her environment the complete antithesis of a fairy tale. Despite all the horrors she’s witnessed, she still maintains a wide-eyed, hopeful innocence and a belief in the happily ever after. Will she get it? I’m not saying . . . yet.



                About the Author


Nichola ReillyCyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them.

She is author of young adult paranormal novels; FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS (2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013).e.

She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly.

Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog’s post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015. 
Continue Reading
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

The Bookish Confections . 2017 Copyright. All rights reserved. Designed by Blogger Template | Free Blogger Templates