Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb Review

TITLE: Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb

AUTHOR: MJA Ware

PUBLISHER: MJA Ware

PUBLICATION DATE: 9/5/2011

PAGES: 205

MY RATING:

SUMMARY (From Goodreads):When life gives you lemons, kill zombies -- turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead.

After a failed attempt at running away, best friends Nathan and Misty return home expecting to face angry parents. Instead, they discover the military has destroyed the bridges out of their rural town and everyone's fled--except a small horde of the living dead. The stress of flesh-eating zombies may be more than their already strained relationship can handle.

Even with the help of the town geek and lemonade-powered Super-Soakers, there's not enough time to squeeze their way out of this sticky mess. Unless the trio eradicates the zombie infestation, while avoiding the deadly zombie snot, the military will blow the town, and them, to pulp.

Their only shot is something with a lot more punch. Something like the Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. But even if their friendship survives, there's another problem: Someone has to lure the undead into the trap.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was a really fun book to read. It was amusing, entertaining and silly but still had a great story line that kept me hooked. It had the suspense of wondering if they would survive all of the zombies, but it wasn't too scary for kids to enjoy. I think the book had a great balance between suspense and humor.

The book also had two short stories at the end, which I found very entertaining, espeically the one about the hobgoblin.

CHARACTERS: I liked all of the characters that were in this book. I would have liked to learn more about each of the characters and their background (particularly Kali) but this is a quick read geared at middle grade readers who are probably not that interested in large amounts of detail. Nate, our main character, and Misty are best friends with hints of more. I would have liked to see a little bit more of a romance develop, nothing monumental because they are kids and this is a kid's book, but maybe just a little bit more acknowledgment of their feelings towards one another, even if only in their own heads and not out loud to each other.

COVER: The cover goes really well with the story. It incorporates a few different parts of the story and ties in perfectly.

Also, check out the graphic novel version of the book!

*I received a copy of this book from the author for review.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Review

TITLE: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

AUTHOR: Laini Taylor

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company

PUBLICATION DATE: 9/27/2011

PAGES: 418

MY RATING: 5 Stars

INSIDE COVER BLURB: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark an dusty sho, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she speaks many languages -- not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

From master storyteller and National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor comes a sweeping and gorgously written modern fantasy about a forbidden love, an ancient and epic battle, and hop for a world remade.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Amazing! That's the best word to describe this book. It's fun, exciting, fast paced and all around a wonderful read. The writing in this book is magical. Taylor has a way of describing things that puts you into her world. Here's a quote that I fell in love with near the beginning of the book:

"She had been innocent once, a little girl playing with feathers on the floor of a devil's lair. She wasn't innocent now, but she didn't know what to do about it. This was her life: magic and shame and secrets and teeth and a deep, nagging hollow at the center of herself where something was most certainly missing." (page 45).

I have a love-hate relationship with the ending of this book. It was so good, but I need to know what's going to happen next, right now! I can't wait for the next book!

CHARACTERS: The story is set in Prague, so the names of the characters are not names I am used to hearing, so it took me a minute to get used to that, but it wasn't a huge deal. Karou just seems like an ordinary girl. She's trying to figure herself out and learn where she came from. She's very fun and is someone I would love to be around. My favorite character in this book is Zuzana - Karou's best friend. She's cute and sweet and very loyal to Karou. I would have liked to have more of her in the book. Akiva is also a good character, but I don't want to spoil anything so I'll let you find out why on your own.

COVER: Just like the book -- amazing! I love the vibrant blue color and I love how the mask ties in with the masquerade party that occurs in the story.

Look for the next book coming out in November!

Hemlock Review

 

TITLE: Hemlock (arc)

AUTHOR: Kathleen Peacock

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)

PUBLICATION DATE: 5/8/2012

PAGES: 416

MY RATING:

BACK COVER BLURB: Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. Not only is she being haunted by Amy in her dreams, an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's suspected killer: a white werewolf.

Lupine Syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows about Amy's boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding supernatural mystery series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Loved it!This was such a great book, I wished I had read it sooner. The story line was interesting and held my attention the whole way through. I needed to know what was going to happen and who was going to do what. The very first line of the book drops you into the middle of the action and I love it when books do that.

CHARACTERS: It is easy to relate to the main character, Mac. I feel for her and go through the emotions with her as events in the story unfold. I really like the character of Kyle. He seems like a very sweet character and an all around good guy to have around.

COVER: I like the cover. I love the vines that are incorporated into the title of the book and I love the dress that the model is wearing.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Amazon Vine for review.

Diamond Candles Review Opportunity

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Dyson Housewarming Giveaway

Welcome to the Dyson Housewarming Giveaway event. This took months in the making and Mom to Bed by 8, the Iowa Mom is proud to bring you this fantastic home essential and offer you the chance to win one too! Big thank you to our lovely co-hosts How to Have It All, Mark Your Savings and GiveAway Bandit.

This looks like a great vacuum for anyone to own! Read about it below and then enter to win it for yourself on the rafflecopter form at the end of the post!

Dyson DC23 TurbineHead Canister Vacuum
Delivering 220 airwatts of suction power, this canister vacuum cleaner features advanced Level 3 Root Cyclone technology to ensure thorough, efficient cleaning with no clogging or loss of suction. It also offers a TurbineHead brush bar that's ideal for cleaning medium and short pile carpets and can be turned off for hard floors. Certified asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the unit expels air that contains up to 150 times less mold and bacteria than common breathing air thanks to the vacuum's money-saving, lifetime washable HEPA filter. Plus, Dyson's Bactisafe screen traps and kills bacteria, mold and allergens on contact, preventing them from re-entering the air.
The Telescopic Wrap System allows the hose and wand to be compressed, and ensures that the Dyson DC23 can be stored away neatly and compactly, with no loose components or wires to get tangled. It comes with a stair tool for focusing on dust and dirt from stairs and stair carpets, a brush tool with long bristles to dislodge cobwebs and for delicate cleaning, and a high-velocity airflow crevice tool that's ideal for cleaning base boards, picture frames and in-between furniture. Other features include a clear bin with 0.44-gallon capacity, 21.6-foot cord length, and easy-to-maneuver fixed wheels. The vacuum measures 13.9 x 19.3 x 11.9 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 19.5 pounds. The Dyson DC23 TurbineHead is backed by a 5-year warranty.

Open to worldwide, ages 18+. Giveaway ends on June 15^th. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Squiggles Reviews is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.