Storm Review

TITLE: Storm
SERIES: Paper Gods #3
AUTHOR: Amanda Sun
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen
PUBLICATION DATE: 6/30/2015
FORMAT: Paperback
PAGES: 287
SOURCE: Amazon Vine
MY RATING: 

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #74: READ THE LAST BOOK IN A SERIES - 5 POINTS.

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: After almost a year in Japan, Katie Greene has finally unearthed the terrible secret behind her boyfriend Tomohiro's deadly ability to bring drawings to life--not only is he descended from Kami, the ancient Japanese gods, but he is the heir to a tragedy that occurred long ago, a tragedy that is about to repeat.

Even as the blood of a vengeful god rages inside Tomo, Katie is determined to put his dark powers to sleep. In order to do so, she and Tomo must journey to find the three Imperial Treasures of Japan. Gifts from the goddess Amaterasu herself, these treasures could unlock all of the secrets about Tomo's volatile ancestry and quell the ink's lust for destruction. But in order to complete their quest, Tomo and Katie must confront out-of-control Kami and former friend Jun, who has begun his own quest of revenge against those he believes have wronged him. To save the world, and themselves, Katie and Tomo will be up against one of the darkest Kami creations they've ever encountered--and they may not make it out alive.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was a great ending to a great series. It picked up where the second book in the series left off, rounded out the overall story line and wrapped everything up nicely. The writing in this book sucked me in. I could see everything in my mind as it was happening. The book has nice reminders of what happened in the previous books without having long drawn out summaries. It helped refresh me on what was going on since the last book.

There were far fewer drawings included in this book and I really missed seeing them, but it makes sense because the characters weren't really drawing anything until further in the book. I really enjoyed the drawings that were included.

I liked the ending of this book. I felt that it was the best possible way for things to go and I felt like it wrapped up the entire series enough to where I felt content.

CHARACTERS: The characters are all great. We don't really learn a lot about the characters, but I feel like we already know a lot about them from the previous two books.

COVER: This is my least favorite cover of all the books in the series. I loved the first two covers so much. I wish they would have made this one more similar to the first two covers.

**I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine and the publisher for my honest review. My opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

Cat Daddy Review (Audio)

TITLE: Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love and Coming Clean
AUTHOR: Jackson Galaxy & Joel Derfner
NARRATOR: Jackson Galaxy
PUBLISHER: Tantor Media
PUBLICATION DATE: 5/10/2012
FORMAT: Audio
LENGTH: 6 hours 24 minutes
SOURCE: Bought
MY RATING: 

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #55: READ A BOOK FEATURING AN ANIMAL PROMINENTLY IN THE STORY - 4 POINTS

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): Cat behaviorist and star of Animal Planet's hit television show My Cat from Hell, Jackson Galaxy, a.k.a. "Cat Daddy," isn't what you might expect for a cat expert (as the New York Times noted, with his goatee and tattoos he "looks like a Hell's Angel"). Yet Galaxy's ability to connect with even the most troubled felines--not to mention the stressed-out humans living in their wake--is awe-inspiring. In this book, Galaxy tells the poignant story of his thirteen-year relationship with a petite gray-and-white short-haired cat named Benny, and gives singular advice for living with, caring for, and loving the feline in your home.

When Benny arrived in his life, Galaxy was a down-and-out rock musician with not too much  more going on than a part-time job at an animal shelter and a drug problem. Benny's previous owner brought the cat to the shelter in a cardboard box to give him up. Benny had seen better days--his pelvis had just been shattered by the wheels of a car--and his owner insisted he'd been "unbondable" from day one. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

An inspiring account of two broken beings who fixed each other, Cat Daddy is laced throughout with Galaxy's amazing "Cat Whisperer" advice for understanding what cats need most from us in order to live happier, healthier lives.

MY THOUGHTS: I thought this would be a good book, but I had no idea how good of a book it would actually be. I am a huge fan of the show My Cat From Hell, so when I was at the library and I saw that this was a book, I knew I had to get it. Soon after, audible had a deal on this book, and I scooped it up. I love when writers narrate their own books because they can put emphasis on certain words or phrases that they want to stand out. Jackson does a great job with that in his book. I can hear in his tone of voice when he is angry or excited, etc. and it makes me feel those things right along with him.

I went through quite a lot of emotions in this book. I am an animal lover and have had my fair share of pets in the past, the present and most likely will have in the future. Therefore, I can put myself in Jackson's shoes during some parts of this book. I don't know what it's like to be addicted to drugs, but I do know what it's like to love an animal, and I could feel the love that Jackson has for his cat Benny. There was a chapter of this book that was particularly hard for me to listen to which made me tear up and feel quite emotional (I happened to be driving in the car at the time of course!). But being able to connect to something on that level just makes it better for me.

If you are already a fan of Jackson Galaxy, or you love animals, this is a book for you.

The Rules Review

TITLE: The Rules
AUTHORS: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
PUBLICATION DATE: 6/23/2015
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 352
SOURCE: Amazon Vine
MY RATING:

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #29: READ A BOOK WITH NO MAGICAL OR FUTURISTIC ELEMENTS - 2 POINTS

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Junior Robin Brisset has no idea what she's in for when she accepts an invitation to one of Callabrese High's most exclusive parties. And when the trademark scavenger hunt begins, Robin must go against every rule she's lived by to survive.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was hoping for a really scary and thrilling book and that's what I got. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. This book has so many different points of view. We just jump around from character to character and it was hard for me to keep everything straight. I could follow what was going on in the story line, but I had trouble keeping track of who was who. I feel like if this book had stuck to one or two perspectives, it could easily have been a 4 star book for me. It's an action packed book; there's a lot happening and I was invested in the story, but I feel like the big reveal would have been more shocking to me me if I'd been able to keep track of the characters better.

CHARACTERS: As I said above, there were so many different perspectives that I couldn't really keep the characters straight. I feel like I didn't really get to know anyone because we were jumping around from person to person.

COVER: The cover is great. It's really creepy and fits with the feel of the book.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine and the publisher. My opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

COYER Read-a-thons Sign Up Post

I'm going to be taking part in all of the read-a-thons as part of the 2015 Summer COYER challenge. You don't have to be participating in COYER to join, so anyone is welcome. Click on the images to find out more information about each read-a-thon!

Black Iris Review

TITLE: Black Iris
AUTHOR: Leah Raeder
PUBLISHER: Atria
PUBLICATION DATE: 4/28/2015
FORMAT: eARC
PAGES: 320
SOURCE: Netgally
MY RATING: 

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #34: READ A BOOK WITH BLACK IN THE TITLE: 3 POINTS

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): It only took one moment of weakness for Laney Keating's world to fall apart. One stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors began. Slut, they called her. Queer. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mother decided she wasn't worth sticking around for.

If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate.

She's not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses--and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crim who has thorns of her own.

But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces--the bully who brok her down completely--she decides it's time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help.

Which was the plan all along.

Because the rumors are true. Every single one. And Laney is going to show them just how true.

She's going to show them all.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Wow. First off, I rated this book more of a 3.75, but just went ahead and rounded up to 4 because just wow. It's really hard to say a lot about this book. I don't want to spoil anything and I'm also kind of in awe. There was so much in this book. I feel like I don't even know what just happened to my brain after finishing this.

This book pulled me in. It's very intense. There is a lot of strong language, violence, drugs and alcohol use and a whole lot of graphic sex scenes. If those things are not for you, then you should take a pass on this book. But if you are okay with those, then this book is definitely worth reading. This book was filled with drama, backstabbing, lying, cheating, deceit and more. It was a roller coaster ride the whole way through.

This book jumps around quite a bit on the timeline and I found myself really confused as I was reading as to when the events were happening, but I made myself push on. In the end everything came together and I was able to piece it all in my head without a ton of brain power.

CHARACTERS: Again, I don't want to give away any spoilers so I'm not really going to go into much about the characters. I really like the name Blythe, I think it's really unique. Other than that, all I have to say is some of these characters are ruthless.

COVER: This cover is stunning! So simple and just beautiful.

**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley the publisher for my honest review. My opinion has not been influenced in any way.**

Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings Review

TITLE: Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings
AUTHORS: Michelle Knight with Michelle Buford
NARRATOR: Maria Cabezas
PUBLISHER: Recorded Books
PUBLICATION DATE: 5/6/2014
FORMAT: Audiobook
LENGTH: 7 hours 14 minutes
SOURCE: Bought
MY RATING: 

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #26: READ AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY - 2 POINTS

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): Michelle was kidnapped in 2002 by a Cleveland school bus driver named Ariel Castro. For more than a decade afterward she endured unimaginable torture at the hand of her abductor. In 2003 Amanda Berry joined her in captivity, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Their escape on May , 2013, made headlines around the world. Millions of well-wishers now wonder: What really happened in that house, and how did Michelle find the strength to go on?

Barely out of her own tumultuous childhood, Michelle was estranged from her family and fighting for custody of her young son when she disappeared. Local police believed she had run away, so they removed her from the missing persons list fifteen months after she vanished. Castro tormented her with these facts, reminding her that no one was looking for her, that the outside world had forgotten her. But Michelle would not be broken. Heartbreaking, shocking, and ultimately triumphant, Finding Me reveals the details of Michelle's story, including the thoughts and prayer that helped her find courage to endure her unimaginable circumstances and now build a life worth living. In sharing both her past and her efforts to create a future, Michelle becomes a voice for the voiceless and a powerful symbol of hope for the thousands of children and young adults who go missing every year.

MY THOUGHTS: It's hard to put an actual rating on this, because this isn't a story that I necessarily "liked" as the subject matter is extremely unpleasant, so my rating is more for the fact that I was drawn into the story and my inability to put it down.

I am fascinated by Michelle's story. I first heard her talk on Dr. Phil and was completely invested in her story. I enjoy reading kidnapping stories, especially when I know there is going to be a happy ending. I guess I'm just fascinated and curious about how someone could do these things to another person. I was so enthralled by this story and could not stop listening. I cannot believe that these young women were trapped for long and went through everything that they did, but managed to stay hopeful and come out of it on the other side. I cannot imagine having to deal with anything like this for even one day, and yet Michelle managed to make it through 11 years of this torture. She and her fellow kidnapees are just so incredibly strong and I admire them all so much.

Tiny Pretty Things Review

TITLE: Tiny Pretty Things
AUTHOR: Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
PUBLISHER: Harper Teen
PUBLICATION DATE: 5/26/2015
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 448
SOURCE: Amazon Vine
MY RATING:

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #22: READ A BOOK WHERE DANCE IS PROMINENTLY FEATURED - 2 POINTS

BACK COVER SUMMARY: There can only be one prima ballerina. No knows that better than Gigi, Bette, and June, three students vying to be the next star at Manhattan's most elite ballet academy. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance--but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year, or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. In a world where every dancer is both friend and foe, Gigi, Bette, and June will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy drama from CAKE Literary, a new packager dedicated to bringing diversity to YA books. With gossip, lies, and scandal, Tiny Pretty Things is a riveting read about three not-so-perfect ballerinas who will do anything to get on top.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was pretty disappointed in this book. From reading the description, I expected this book to be filled with juicy drama, mystery and nonstop twists and turns. But to me, it read more like a contemporary with a hint of mystery. It's a pretty slow read. The last 50-75 pages does pick up a little bit, but this is a pretty chunky book, so most of it is slow.

I didn't really like the ending. This book just wasn't for me. If you're a fan of contemporaries, but are looking for something that isn't a fluffy, light contemporary, this might be something to pick up. It just wasn't for me.

CHARACTERS: I had trouble keeping up with the characters. The book is told through three different perspectives, but there are a LOT of characters in this book and I tend to struggle with books that have a lot of different perspectives.

I did like June and was excited to discover more about her and her story, so that's probably what pushed me to keep reading this book.

COVER: The cover of this book is so pretty! I love the black background with the purple writing and the ribbon weaved through. It fits with the plot of the story for sure.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine and the publisher for my honest review. All thoughts are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

COYER Scavenger Hunt Sign up

This is the first time I've ever heard of this event. I'm super excited to try it out, but also a little bit nervous because there is a TON of stuff to do and it seems a little overwhelming. I'm going to give it a shot though and see how I do. As with most events I participate in, I don't really have any specific goals that I want to aim for other than just reading a bunch and participating as much as possible. I'm really excited to give this a go!