Review: Persistence of Vision by Liesel K. Hill

Title: Persistence of Vision
Author: Liesel K. Hill
Release Date: 29th January 2012
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: In a world where collective hives are enslaving the population and individuals have been hunted to the verge of extinction, Maggie Harper, and independent 21st Century woman, must find the strength to preserve the freedom of the future, but without the aid of her memories.

After experiencing a traumatic time loss, Maggie is plagued by a barrage of images she can't explain. When she's attacked by a creep with a spider's web tattoo, she is saved by Marcus, a man she's never met, but somehow remembers. He tells her that both he and her creepy attacker are from a future in which individuals are being murdered by collectives, and Marcus is part of the rebellion. The collectives have acquired time travel and they plan to enslave the human race throughout all of history. The flashes Maggie has been seeing are echoes of lost memories, and the information buried deep within them is instrumental in defeating the collective hives.

In order to preserve the individuality of mankind, Maggie must try to re-discover stolen memories, re-kindle friendships she has no recollection of, and wade through her feelings for the mysterious Marcus, all while dodging the tattooed assassins the collectives keep sending her way.

If Maggie can't fill the holes in her memory and find the answers to stop the collectives, the world both in her time and in all ages past and future will be doomed to enslavement in the grey, mediocre collectives. As the danger swirls around her and the collectives close in, Maggie realizes she must make a choice: stand out or fade away...

Detailed Review: I like to think that there are two groups of authors in this world:

a) Authors who can make a fantastic story using the most ordinary circumstances and mythology. 

b) Authors who use their imagination to create stories that are just as good as the first group's.

This author certainly lands in group B. Why? This is just totally AMAZING. Let me tell you 5 reasons why:

1. Original. Ah. I feel like I'm sitting and exercising in the park, feeling the cool air on my face. 
2. Amazing plot. I must give it to this author. She's is atrociously GOOD. In a good way.
3. Not much romance. Just action.
4. Cool characters. Just cool.
5. Unexpected twists likely to land you in your bed crying or sobbing or gasping. You choose.

The plot? Well, there is a prophecy to fulfill to overthrow a group called the collectives. And the main character Maggie has to fulfill her role as the Executioner. Now don't think too far ahead. It's not executing people. The rest of the roles are Concealer, Protector, Healer, Witness and Deceiver. They're all individuals. And Maggie has had an unexpected memory loss, one year's worth of memories gone. She doesn't remember what happen in that one year.

But she has flashes from her memory. Which is not nice actually. 

As for the twists, I'm not telling you.

You've got to read it for more. ;)

Brief Review: This author has been overlooked by many authors. Her debut is something worth reading for me. It was a great reading experience since it was a New Adult book, something new for me.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'




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Waiting on Wednesday: Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Let The Sky Fall
Author: Shannon Messenger
Release Date: 5th March 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

YAY!!! Another debut author that I'm eager to read! Gorgeous cover, original plot and awesome name, this book has it all! I want it now! 

Short review: It's fantastic! (Even though I haven't read it yet :))

TGIF - Feature & Follow #133

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

What is the last book that kept you awake late into the night just to finish it? 

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel. How ironic - it had to be zombies. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Wild Awake
Author: Hilary T. Smith
Release Date: 28th May 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

I love the cover! That crazy splash and hair totally sets me off too! And the title is just so beautiful! The description was what really got to me though. It's really hmm... mysterious and you have that feeling that you want to know what really happens. I like contemporaries like this, which coordinate teenage problems and romance all into once.

Review: The Foundlings by R.M. Garcia

Title: The Foundlings
Author: R.M. Garcia
Publisher: Createspace
Released Date: June 23rd 2011
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: After the worst year of his life, all Donnie wanted was happiness, and when he met Abbie, he was sure he had found it. But their happiness together is placed in jeopardy after a chilling a encounter. They are dragged in to the world of Vampires. Orphaned, now they must fight to survive, fight to live and fight to keep their love alive. They find themselves outcasts in this world, the world of the Foundlings. 

In the vampire world of Foundlings, their kind is hunted mercilessly. Donnie and Abbie meet Espee and Nox, who along with other Foundlings stand to protect their members. As the leader of the den, Espee teaches them to survive, to hide, and to avoid detection from the formal Bloodlines. 

You see every vampire originated from a Bloodline Source, and each Bloodline could only birth a certain number of vampires from its Source. As it turned out, Foundlings complicated the formal Bloodlines’ plans and their possible numbers. For every risen Foundling, there would be one less vampire available to the corresponding Bloodline. Every formal Bloodline down the line, from the Reich all the way to the Old Ones, cared little for Foundlings. The reason for their hatred was unknown to every Foundling. To every Bloodlines, these bastard offspring, these “accidents,” were simply intolerable.

Can Donnie and Abbie's love survive? Can Espee figure out a way to protect her kind? She sees something in Donnie, something she has never seen in any other Foundling. Will he be the key?

Detailed Review: [ Review copy received from Juniper Grove ]

I found The Foundlings to be a really awesome story about Vampires. Well for one, the story kicks off immediately with a strong prologue that caught me off guard! With a boy called Donato "Donnie" Guerrero who is basically a normal American Indian human who can talk to Spirits and they give messages or sometimes once in a while his parents see him in a 'spirit form'. I thought this book was really, really good! 

Normally I would have turned down a Vampire novel (thanks to Twilight, no doubt) but after the first page of reading this spiritual, paranormal hunt of Foundlings, I was impressed with the author's quality writing of actual Vampires (not sparkly ones, I daresay)!

Exhilarating, fun and heart-stopping I really loved R.M. Garcia (author)'s writing. He has written quite a fascinating, interesting story. The Vampires in The Foundlings are split up into Bloodlines where each Bloodline has a different ability like, telepathy, telekinesis or even flight! 

Hard to believe?  

Well, you'll have to read it the complete text. 

DONNIE; a hot-headed, impulsive yet sweet to the max - I think Donnie was written quite well as well  descriptions about him and his amazing fighting skills that impressed me, I LOVED this character! With abilities that can match no normal Vampire, Donnie is guy that will do anything for his wife/girlfriend, Abbie. 

ABBIE; over the top at times, bad-ass the next and typically sweet - who knows what will happen next with this girl around? Abbie's strength and determination has served her well in The Foundlings including those feelings of Donnie and the next is ultimate marriage in Canada! Can her love exceed any further? 

ESPEE; Vampire that is wayyy old, generous and is wise - She rules over dens with an iron fist but at times Espee has a typically grandmother-like stance and heart where she will save her dens, her Foundlings and anything she cares without a second thought! This woman has total determination but what is her weak point then? 

The story was very creative, using history and the paranormal to team with each other - Garcia has outdone himself with combining the two together! 

If you love books that have heart-stopping actions, paranormal romance and new world with Vampires, Spirits and creatures called Sources? Well, you better read this book because this is pretty darn good book that has won it's place on my bookshelf of Most Loved Books :)

You will be mystified in the end (hope you do) I can't wait till I can get my hands on the second book! 

I would definitely recommend this book! If you haven't read it, I suggest you should. 

*The second book, The Beasts Within is out NOW!* 

Find out more here!

Buy it here!

Brief Review: The Foundlings is definitely a book worth reading! I couldn't stop reading it non-stop with action, romance and the supernatural all packed in one! R.M. Garcia has written a fast-paced novel that has outdone itself, literally! 

My Rating: 5/5   "Totally Amazing!"

Your Reviewer: 

TGIF - Feature & Follow Friday #132

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Who is your favourite villain from a book? 

I don't have a favourite villain but... I picked The DARKLING from Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo. I don't know why but somehow he's the first thing that popped up in my mind when I saw "villain" in the question - which is absolutely the first thing when I racked my brain :) 

Review: American Ghoul by Walt Morton

Title: American Ghoul

Author: Walt Morton

Publisher: Walt Morton

Release Date: November 28th 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: Seventeen-year-old Howard Pickman has some unusual problems: He comes from a family of ghouls with a long history of digging up corpses, and he’s just moved to a new school filled with kids that are scarier than he is. American Ghoul is the story of an exceptionally odd teenager trying to survive the most terrible time anybody has to go through -- senior year at high school.

Detailed Review: <<ARC received by the author>>

This book changed my view of the 70's. It really did. Trust me.

Howard Pickman has a secret. A secret that burned his parents to death and caused him to be homeless.

He's a ghoul. If you're wondering, no he's not a GHOST. There's a difference between those two. Ghouls are grave robbers that feast on the meat on the newly dead. He can't stop doing it even though he wants to so guys quit your 'ewws' and your views of the EVIL of it. He'll get sick and all those stuff and he'll look very ugly too. He really wants to be normal, but no matter how much he tries, he still tries to fit in with his friends.

Pulled into high school, accompanied with his grandmother's hopes for him to become a mortician, he is plunged into a world of bullies, drugs and most importantly punk rock. His new friends form a band called the Corpsemen (courtesy of Gerald) and there is irony in it. Don't get it? Never mind.

A girl called Marie Ramos has been paying attention to Howard ever since he joined Photography classes and he is in the same state with her. Together they engage in a relationship that is both uncertain and feared by Howard.

With the memories of his grandfather's letters and grandmother guiding him, he learns how to survive in a world where his kind are seen as monsters.

Emotional, horrible, mysterious and thrilling, this book has completely gripped me in its claws without any intention of letting go.

Brief Review: With a slight resemblance to The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, this book brings us to understand what the word 'growing up' really means. And how what you are affects your future and everyone around you. An impressive debut.

My Rating: 4/5 "Really Liked It"



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