Valkyrie Rising- Ingrid Paulson

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she'll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she's there.

What Ellie doesn't anticipate is Graham's infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect that something powerful and ancient will awaken in her and that strange whispers will urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, suddenly there's a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it's up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring, Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

The Review

3 ½ stars

This story just drug on and on and it felt like it didn’t get anywhere real in the end. The ending was too obvious.  The only thing that makes the book worth reading is the banter between the two main characters Ellie and Tuck.

Ellie is off limits to Tucker because he is Graham’s, Ellie’s brother, best friend. That doesn’t stop the brewing chemistry between Tucker and Ellie. Sure Tuck tries to stay hands off but knowing there’s a chance you’re going to die in the next hour can really change what you do with it. Tucker spent it strategizing and telling Ellie how he really felt. But that’s at the end. The things said between Tuck and Ellie are really funny. You would never guess that Tuck really likes Ellie because of what they say to each other. Oh! You can guess they like each other by their actions though.

The action didn’t really seem brutal to me. I didn’t really connect with the storyline. So the book was boring because of that and it caused the book to drag on.  

Pivot Point- Kasie West

Knowing the outcome doesn't always make a choice easier. . . .
Addison Coleman's life is one big "What if?" As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It's the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie's parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the "Norms," or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it's not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback's girlfriend. When Addie's father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she's unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she's willing to live through . . . and who she can't live without.

The Review

3 ½ stars

I was kinda bored with this book. I liked the premise of the book and I liked how it was executed… once I got into it. The first few chapters I didn’t understand at first but then I realized what the author was doing and I wasn’t confused anymore.

She seriously chose the wrong department in my opinion. But how she rectified her mistake in the future made sense and she save Laela from dying. So it worked out well in the end.

I loved Trevor so much more than Doug. Trevor didn’t have a hidden agenda when he got together with Addison. Doug did though, he was going to use her and so I decided he was a big pile of crap. I truly expected Trevor to freak out when he found out all she could do, but he didn’t. He trusted Addie. Addie was likable in a way. I thought she played the divorce card way too much. A lot of parents are divorced and their kids don’t always act out. Addie just took the, “Oh my parents are getting a divorce, somebody pity me.” Card way too much.

I felt the story didn’t progress fast enough for me to like it a lot. I do not believe I will be reading this book again. The only reason I’ll read the sequel is to find out if Addie chooses Trevor in the end.

 

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The Avery Shaw Experiment- Kelly Oram

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest

The Review

4 ¾ Stars

    Words were missing. That’s it. That is all the bad things I have to say about this book. I loved this book to pieces. It was one of those books where it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

    I loved the duel perspectives in this book. I liked being able to see into Avery and Grayson’s head. They were such different characters that you wanted to know what was going through the other’s head as the other was talking. I wanted to know what Avery thought of a situation and at the same time I wanted to know what was going through Grayson’s head. The author did a great job with the perspectives.

Now the growth of the characters is what impressed me the most. Avery changed from someone who hid from the public at every chance. She changed from someone who depended on her best friend. She became self- confident and she learned how to do things for herself instead of leaning on her best friend to be there for everything. Grayson changed from a guy who was really conceited into a person who could hang out with the “science geeks” for fun. He became someone else because of Avery.

Aiden was… mean. How could he do that to poor Avery? What did she ever do to him? Why did he have to tell her to leave his debate even after he said they could still be friends? I don’t know. He just didn’t care about Avery through half the book but then we see a change in him when he finally gets some sense knocked into him… literally. He deserved what he got. I was very happy when Grayson finally swung at him. He should have done it a long time ago.

I loved Grayson and Avery’s relationship. They’re relationship was effortless. Avery just had to realize what it is she really wanted. Grayson said he’d wait for her. I’m so glad he did because when they reconciled I heard bells ringing and angels singing Hallelujah.

Oh and I cannot forget about Avery and Grayson’s best friends, Libby and Owen. Libby was o funny and when she was paired with Owen I couldn’t stop laughing. They were so cute together also. I really hope the author does a book about their story.

There is nothing else for me to say except, “The Avery Shaw Experiment, I love you.”

So Over You- Gwen Hayes

Layney Logan, girl reporter.

That's all she's ever wanted to be. This year, her senior year, not only does she have to share the coveted Senior Editor position with her arch nemesis, Jimmy Foster, she also has to figure out how to keep the school paper alive. With the local paper closing and the school cutting Journalism from the budget, it's a long shot. Working side-by-side with Foster, the guy she likes to call Lucifer,makes it even worse.

The only thing Layney dislikes more than swimming in the high school dating pool is Jimmy Foster think he got the best of her, so she takes
his ridiculous newspaper assignment--to go on twelve blind dates--to prove his powers of darkness won't work on her. The trouble is, the more she learns about herself on her journey of bad blind dates, the more she wonders if maybe Foster has known her better than she knows herself all this time.

And maybe she should have trusted him with the secret she’s kept for four years—the secret that broke them up to begin with.

The Review

3 Stars

I liked this book. I think. I’m not really sure. I liked the idea of the story but I don’t think I liked how it was carried out. I didn’t like how the author separated the chapters. I didn’t like how she did it based on the dates. Speaking of the dates, I didn’t like how one of them acted when they wanted to keep seeing her and she turned them down. He was so huffy and puffy that it didn’t really seem like he liked her. I also don’t like how she made Tyler her best friend, when Layney didn’t even know him.

And another thing. I didn’t really get the feel that Layney really hated Jimmy Foster. Sure she said it but her actions spoke otherwise. Sure she got mad at him but I get mad at a lot of people and it doesn’t mean I hate them. She also kissed him. Why would you kiss someone you hate? You don’t. The one thing I did like though was the characters personalities. Jimmy was so protective of her even though she always said she hated him. He just played it off. Layney was fun because even though she had something horrible happen to her, she didn’t let it get her down.

So all in all I think this book was ok.

Unmaking Hunter Kennedy- Anne Eliot

After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--jaded pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is…Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s stunning transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist.
And that’s when things get out of control…



Songs-
History in the Making- Darius Rucker
This- Darius Rucker
We All Fall Down- Darius Rucker

The Review

4 ¾ Stars

          The only reason this book is not five stars is because the author put words in all caps and it bugged the crap out of me. Other than that I felt this book was perfect. I love how at the end Hunter came to understand his mother and I love how he finally learned to accept what he did and move on. Vere was so sweet. She didn’t even know what she was doing to poor Dustin/ Hunter. She was so oblivious to her feelings for Hunter. But that didn’t stop her own feelings from growing for him. Oh her feelings grew all right. Right along with his but she was so blinded by her “love” for Curtis that she couldn’t see what was really going on. Speaking of Curtis, he was a Class A jerk. He tried to turn her against Hunter. He spoke badly about Hunter not really knowing that Dustin was actually Hunter of course. Charlie was terrible. I don’t understand why he didn’t just hit Hunter again. Why did he have to spill his secret? I don’t have a problem that he did, I just wished I knew why.

          Dustin was so sweet. Some of his inner dialogue brought tears to my eyes and when he finally called his mom up, I started crying with the words he said. Tears fell. He was funny too. He loved Vere and it was evident in everything he did for her. Even when he didn’t think he was in love with her, you could tell he was.

          Vere was a-dor-a-ble. Some of the things she did or said had me cracking up. The things she said in front of Curtis always had me cringing because it was just so embarrassing. Vere was a real character. She wasn’t perfect like all the other characters in books these days. She was real and that’s what makes this book amazing.



Poison Princess- Kresley Cole

She could save the world—or destroy it.Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.But she can’t do either alone.With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?Who can Evie trust?As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

The Review

2 ½ stars

One word. Boring. I was so bored with this book. I really didn’t want to finish it but, I did. The only thing that made this book interesting was the characters. I liked the characters. Just not the plot and the things the characters did. I didn’t really appreciate Jackson trying to get into Evie’s pants. They were just kissing and he decided to take things further. Way too far! There was no point to what he did. It just basically destroyed his relationship with Evie. But then he finds this new girl to screw around with him but according to him they never screwed around and according to her they did. So who should we trust? I don’t really care. I don’t know why this book got such great reviews. It was not that good. I really don’t have anything left to say that would help me like this book. Except I do have to say I like the cover other than that nothing. Honestly it was just baddddddd. This book doesn’t even get a fancy color it was just so bad.

Strands of Bronze and Gold- Jane Nickerson

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

The Review

4 ½ Stars

          I have never read the Bluebird fairytale so I didn’t know what to expect when I read this book. I just expected the guy to be a little crazy but he was a lot of scary. After I finished this book I had to find a copy of the Bluebird fairytale. I needed to see if Bluebird was as crazy as Bernard. Yes he was but I think Bernard was crazier.

          Sophia is the main character and she is the voice of the book. Her father has died so she goes to live with her Godfather otherwise known as Bernard. Bernard seems nice enough at first but then you get to see his real colors. He is really possessive and he is really into Sophia. He seems like the kind of guy you should stay away from. And you should. He is bad news. Like seriously, bad. But Sophia doesn’t notice. She only sees his appearance he keeps up in front of her. The only time she sees his real side is when he is angry. When Sophia’s brothers and sister come is a good example.

          Bernard acts all nice at first but then he is questioned by Sophia’s sister and he forces the family to leave earlier than expected. He breaks Sophia’s heart in the process. Bernard asks Sophia to marry him and she says yes. But not in the name of love. She only agrees because she can use his money to pay off her brother’s debts. If she didn’t have debts she would’ve said no because her heart already belonged to another. His name is Gideon and he is a minister at the local church who is not liked by Bernard. I hate how this was an instant love part of the book. Why does everything have to be instant love?

          Sophia’s character was interesting. She wasn’t a defenseless girl, maybe just naïve. She didn’t trust her gut instincts. She also sometimes felt like a gold-digger only staying with Bernard for the gifts and the money.

          Now I know this is bad but my favorite character had to be Bernard! He was a creepy and interesting guy. He pulled me in and captured my minds attention. I wanted to constantly know what he was thinking and what he was going to say or do next. He was such a great character.

          Gideon didn’t intrigue me as much as he intrigued Sophie. I didn’t see the appeal. He was kinda boring and a bit stupid honestly. How could he not see Sophie’s feelings for him? Only an idiot wouldn’t have been able to recognize them.

All in all I loved the book and can’t wait to see what’s next.