Girl In The Woods Reviews

Friday, July 26, 2013

Review: The Foul and The Fallen by Kevin McGill

Go enter the giveaway if you wanna win Episode 2 and Episode 3 of Nikolas and Company!

The Foul and The Fallen (Nikolas and Company: Episode 3)

Title The Foul and The Fallen
Author: Kevin McGill
Release Date: 8th June 2013
Publisher: Aero Studios
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: In the third episode of the Nikolas and Company series, Nikolas’s best friend, Xanthus, is slowly turning to stone, and all he can do is watch. The boy steward will have to take a stand against the Council of Teine, the wicked Sheriff Silas Gorringe, creepy orphanage keepers, a mischievous automaton arcade, a horde of blood-thirsty gorgons, and even his closest friends, to try and find a cure for Xanthus Kobayashi. Nikolas is in a race to save his best friend from the breath of the creature most foul.

Detailed Review: Once again, struck speechless. Nothing I can say will convey how asd;flkajsf;kosi AMAZING The Foul and The Fallen is, except that it is way more awesome than the first two books in the series.

The story starts off from where it ended in the second book. Xanthus, has until the Ferret Festival until he completely turns to stone. Meanwhile, the creature most foul is ravaging Huron. But then, the twist happens. THE TWIST. THE TWIST THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

WHO CAN THINK OF SUCH A GOOD STORY? This author, obviously. And he isn't human. He could be a Merrow impersonating as a human. This book is certainly for Harry Potter fans and you find that you can't stop reading, not until you reach the last page, because you're dying to know what happens next. It just amazes me how Kevin manages to keep the transition from one event to another so smooth and without delay or hesitation.

As for the characters, there is a bit of romance in between Nikolas and Helen Wendell and I really can't wait to find out how they progress. As for Tim, I STILL don't like him. Not even bribes will get me to say that I like him. So don't bother trying.

Maybe what the author shouldn't have done though, is to leave the huge gaping CLIFFHANGER in the book. But I will wait. It is worth it. But if the ending in the last book of the series is HORRIBLE, I swear I will die of a heart attack.

Brief Review: I really enjoyed this book! It's just so AMAZING how the author's mind can produce such a story. It's just astounding... But like I said, he's not human.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

To Nikolas's friends who neglected Xanthus, they should learn this lesson...

Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything---- Muhammad Ali

Your Reviewer:

Title This Song Will Save Your Life

Author: Leila Sales

Release Date: 17th September 2013

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

Detailed Review: WOW...WOW... Wow...Ok to be honest, this book was just what I wanted it to be. But it was much much more than that. I especially loved the different characters in the book, because they revolved around the main character, Elise's life and also impact her life in such strong ways. For example, Vicky doesn't question Elise when they first meet. She just accepts her into their group. Amelia Kindl, a friend in school though nice, cause Elise's self-esteem to drop.

The last thing Elise has ever done is try to be someone else she wasn't. But that failed. Nobody has ever liked her, not since she started school in first grade. She gets teased and bullied. She is born to be unpopular, as she bluntly puts it. But then on one of her late-night strolls, she meets two girls, Vicky and Pippa, and is introduced to the chaos and fun that is Start. When she meets DJ Char, she is pulled into the world of DJing, where she seeks refuge and grows to love.

You see, she is living two very different lives in both the day and night. At night, she can be herself, but during the daytime, in school, she feels trapped. But then one day, both lives suddenly clash together but in the end what happens is not a tragedy, but a miracle that tells you being yourself is never a bad thing.

Even though I think it's impossible in contemporaries, the author managed to add in some twists into the book that was really good and well-written.

I cried in the end. I really did. Because the book was just so BEAUTIFUL I love Elise. I feel like I have bonded with her as I read the book and I don't think she is a character I will ever forget. I will always think of her as someone who exists in my life. Her voice is so powerful that it would certainly suck you straight into the story without hesitation.

Brief Review: Elise's voice was written with such clarity that it would really grip the reader from the very first sentence. Your attention will never waver as you read the book and the author makes the world of music fit in so perfectly. The story is a masterpiece unto itself; it completely surprises the reader at times when you aren't expecting it. This is a title you mustn't miss, especially for contemporary and fiction lovers!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

To Elise, who tried to change herself

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken--- Oscar Wilde

Your Reviewer:

GIVEAWAY (US/CAN): Dance in Shadow and Whisper by Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis

Title: Dance in Shadow and Whisper
Authors: Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis
Release Date: 19th June 2013
Publisher: ----
Find on: Goodreads

Kali unexpectedly discovers on her first day of human high school that she’s forbidden to eat or partake of the toilet during class time, the assigned history and species books look best on the shelves of popular fiction, and the boy she’s watching over is definitely a reincarnated war lord.

The highest powers of Kali’s people and the highest powers of Yuuhi’s people, irreconcilable enemies, designated them to find proof that Jason is, in fact, the reincarnated Ares.

All Yuuhi sees in Jason is the typical scrawny, socially inept emo kid dressed in conflicting shades of black. But Kali sees that Jason’s shadow is bigger than he is, and if the powers of Yuuhi’s people find out, Jason won’t be human much longer.

The desire to protect him from an unexpected visitor brings out her most dangerous sides. Something’s changing in her, something she can’t control, and she’s not afraid of Jason mutating into a creature of the shadows more than she’s afraid she’s becoming something even worse.

And the highest powers will be watching her.

THIS IS WHAT THE WINNER WILL GET!!!

Sorry, the giveaway is for US and Canada residents only... But those who enter, I always give the same advice! May be the odds be ever in your favour...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Title: Afterparty
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler
Release Date: 4th January 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Find on: Goodreads

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.

I really can't wait for this! It sounds so good and I just finished reading This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales and LOVED it! This has influenced me to want to read more books like it! Love the cover too! MUST HAVE IT!

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Title: All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Release Date: 3rd September 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: "You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Detailed Review: <<ARC received from NetGalley>>

Good morning ladies and gentleman, I'm here to make a speech about how much I loved All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. Please ignore the exclamations, informal language and sudden outbursts

I was so happy my request for this book got approved that I literally jumped up and down on my bed! I'd heard so many good things about it and I was about to read it!

And the truth was, IT WAS AMAZING. No, even better than amazing. Even after reading this book, I was still traumatized and even until now I can't stop thinking about it. This is the impact All Our Yesterdays on my life. I loved the characters and the story so so much. They seem so real you can imagine you're them. You'll imagine yourself running, time-traveling, falling in love...

I had some mixed feelings about the ending in the book. In a way it was quite good, but to be honest, it seemed tragic to me. As for the plot, I have nothing to say. No words can describe it. Too many turns and twists that will keep the pages turning. AND the characters OMG I think I have to stop writing now for fear of spoiling the book. I am on the verge on revealing the who the characters are. SOMEONE STOP ME. LET's JUST SAY THE CHARACTERS' STORIES IN THE BOOK WILL CONVERGE TOGETHER BUT IN A REALLY SPECIAL WAY. People who have read this book, you know what I mean. I really loved the author describing time travel in such a way that it almost makes you afraid and curious when it is mentioned.

I really hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did. And I love and hate Cristin Terrill for that.

Thank you. *bows*

Brief Review: Everyone, drop the Time Traveller's Wife and other time travel books. THIS is what you're looking for. Filled with romance, action and heartbreak, this book will intrigue readers and keep them turning the pages. Overall, an awesome debut for Cristin!

Final Rating: 6/5 'Atrociously Amazing, Absolutely Amazing, and Awesome'

QUOTE:

This is what I imagine the doctor would say about his time machine,

Time has been transformed, and we have changed; it has advanced and set us in motion; it has unveiled its face; inspiring us with bewilderment and exhilaration---Khalil Gibran

Your Reviewer:

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday #158

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:

Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)

Hmmm... The truth? In the car, because you get free music along with a book. The best place to read right? ;) Well when I'm not driving. But I don't drive so yeah,

Title: My Girlfriend Bites
Author: Doug Solter

Description: Sometimes the boy gets the werewolf.

A wimpy 16-year-old boy wants to find a girlfriend. When he falls for the perfect one, she shifts into a werewolf and throws his life upside down.

After his "dream" girl rejects him, 16-year-old Aiden tries to commit suicide. Yet he mysteriously survives. Now he feels like a loser with zero possibility of finding the perfect girlfriend. Enter Bree, the creepy girl with too much hair who's rumored to be cloned from a frozen prehistoric cave girl that scientists discovered in Canada. But when he accepts a ride from “Cave Girl” during a storm, Aiden discovers this weird girl not only has a kind heart. She's also cute.

Aiden offers to help Bree in Algebra and the two become friends. When Aiden pushes that friendship into a date, Bree accepts. On a romantic night at the zoo, Bree and Aiden fall in love as the animals watch. Unlike Aiden, they can smell what Bree really is.

Bree decides to tell him her deep, dark secret. Her family are werewolves hiding from the Demon Skins, a mysterious new enemy hunting down all the werewolf packs on earth. Aiden struggles with Bree's revelation, but chooses to stand by the girl he fell in love with. But standing by his new girlfriend will be the biggest test of his life.

Too bad Bree can't turn a coward into a fearless werewolf. That bite thing is only a myth.

This forces Aiden to do the unthinkable...believe in himself.

Guest Post by Author

Hi, Everyone!

Chloe and Elicia were so nice to invite me on their blog today to talk about my new paranormal young adult romance novel MY GIRLFRIEND BITES so...

Here are 10 things you didn't know about MY GIRLFRIEND BITES:

1) The main protagonist is a boy, Aiden, and the novel is his story. But I think girls will enjoy reading a YA novel with a boy POV for a change.

2) Bree, the girl he falls in love with, is a werewolf. She's stronger and faster than any human kid at her new school so she must hide who she is.

3) Early in the novel, Aiden tells another girl, Pamela, that he likes her. It backfires and she makes fun of him. The public humiliation triggers Aiden to try and kill himself.

4) Werewolves can't bite humans and turn them into werewolves. That's too bad because Aiden thinks it would solve all his problems.

5) Bree's family had to flee when their old Colorado pack were killed by a new enemy called the Demon Skins. They have been systematically hunting down werewolf packs across the world.

6) On their first official date, Aiden takes Bree out to a special night at the local zoo. The wolves there are happy to see Bree. So much so they threaten to reveal Bree's secret.

7) Issy Bishara is Aiden's best friend. His family is from Pakistan. When Issy finds out what Bree really is, the boy will regret it.

8) Bree is 16 and has her own car. A 1967 Oldsmobile 442. She likes it because it's big, black, and mean looking. Aiden finds out how fast it can go when Bree almost kills him in it.

9) February is mating season for werewolves. It's a time when wolf hormones are hard to control and teen werewolves suffer the most. Bree has to resist Aiden or she will do something she'll regret.

10) This isn't a paranormal novel about a boy becoming a werewolf to solve all his problems. It's a paranormal novel about a normal boy who falls in love with that special girl who helps him realize what kind of person he can be.

MY GIRLFRIEND BITES Buy links

Amazon CA

About the author:

Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Doug went to college at nearby Oklahoma State where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Radio/TV/Film production and worked in local television for 20 years. Doug began writing screenplays in 1998 and became a 2001 semi-finalist in The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. His script Father Figure was one of 129 scripts left from 5,489 entries. His tenth script, Rail Fan, became a quarter-finalist in 2009. Soon after, Doug made the switch to writing
young adult novels in 2008. Skid, a young adult novel set in the world of Formula 1 racing, is his first