Review: WISH by Alexandra Bullen

TITLE: Wish
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bullen – Web, Blog
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

FANTASY ELEMENT: Wishes/Magic, GhostPUBLISHED: Point (Jan 12, 2010)FORMAT: Kindle eBookSOURCE: Freebie from Amazon

SYNOPSIS:

(Provided by Publisher)

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone... until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn't just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can't solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

REVIEW:

This book is a cute little story about loss and love. It’s not epic but it is interesting, beginning to end. The story idea is sweet and the dresses are beautiful and vibrant. I love how some authors can make you see the things in their stories. I liked the little twists and turns in the story line, especially the ones I wasn’t expecting.

Olivia is much like me: timid, afraid of new places, etc. I loved how her sister’s “ghost” helped her fit in her new school and showed her how to be more outgoing. I love how it helped her deal with the the grief of losing her sister. (I imagined half way through that had she had to grieve her sister alone, it would have taken much longer.)

RATING:

I was not expecting to like this book but it turned out pretty cool. I’d rate it at a 3. Good. No regrets. It was interesting how the popular kids in the school were actually pretty good kids. I liked how deep Calla was portrayed and I was actually rooting for her friendship.

When I finished this book on the Kindle, I found the first chapter of book 2 there… I had to read it of course. I was hesitant to care, because where could this story go? But it hooked me right away and doubled the wishing trouble!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is a great novel for teens who like a tender story. Sadly there is little parent involvement but the reason is believable. There is also drinking and a few kisses.

Review: DAUGHTER OF THE FLAMES by Zoe Marriott

TITLE: Daughter of the Flames
AUTHOR: Zoe Marriott – Web, Blog
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
PUBLISHED: Candlewick (Feb 10, 2009)

SYNOPSIS: 

(Provided by Publisher)

What if your deadliest enemy were the only one who could save you?


Inside an ancient temple in the mountains, fifteen-year-old Zira trains in the martial arts to become a warrior priestess who can defend the faith of the Ruan people. Bearing a scar on her face from the fire that killed her parents, the orphaned Zira is taught to distrust the occupying Sedornes. Terror strikes when the forces of the tyrannical Sedorne king destroy the only home she knows. To survive, Zira must unravel the secrets of her identity, decide her people’s fate — and accept her growing feelings for a man who should be her enemy.

REVIEW:

This fantasy novel was pretty good. I picked it up because of the nice cover and the martial arts of the fantasy world intrigued me. It was full of action beginning to end and was different in that aspect.

Zira/Zahira is an interesting character full of all the normal attributes of a 16 year old girl, flaws and all. But as the book progresses I love how she seems to just be possessed by her inner princess and turns out to be quite noble, strong and a great leader. For that, I liked this book. (And because the whole "normal-girl-who-realizes-she's-a-princess" thing has been done, A LOT. Zira really filled that transition deeply.)

But there were three things that were difficult for me. I’ll start by saying I love how Zira and Sorin met, I love his attitude in that part. He’s so mysterious and made my heart flutter. So my first issue was: as they are reunited I was disappointed that the author didn’t milk the emotions for all it was worth. I feel like we only got half the emotions, passion and love that this relationship deserved.

My second issue was that Sorin started out looking like’d be deep and interesting. But as the story rolled on, he fell flat. (I don’t know if it was intentional because of the certain poisonous events.)

Lastly, I love the added twist about Abheron’s actions at the end. (Don’t worry, no spoilers.) But It was a little abrubt and I’m not used to getting my way: I believe all people are inherently good. Maybe that’s not a bad thing… I guess maybe it should be a good thing.

RATED:

So I’m rating this book at a 3. GOOD. A good choice to read, even though there were a few bothersome points. It is mainly because of the main character that this story is any good. But also the plot is pretty good and the world is lovely and vivid, I might add.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Definitely a book that teen girls who love fantasy and action/adventure would like. Good, clean, fun.

Review: BODYGUARD OF LIES by Bob Mayer

TITLE: Bodyguard of Lies
AUTHOR: Bob Mayer ~ Web, Blog
GENRE: Suspense, Spy, Thriller
PUBLISHED: Who Dares Wins Publishing (2010)
FORMAT: Kindle
SOURCE: ARC Provided by Publisher

SYNOPSIS:

Hidden deep within the United States, the Cellar is a secret spy organization who polices the world of covert operations.

Two women from completely different walks of life are thrown into a dangerous fight for their lives like a modern day Thelma and Louise. Neeley is the lover and apprentice of one of the Cellar’s now dead operative, Anthony Gant. After his death, Neeley searches out the mysteries that Gant left behind. Hannah is a rich housewife whose husband mysteriously leaves her and is connected to Gant’s secret. When they meet a plan is set in motion to uncover the dangerous secrets that someone high up in the government is trying to keep buried.

REVIEW:

Neeley is a sexy, dangerous assassin who seems to not have a conscience. But as Hannah talks and opens her up, we see the layered person that she really is. I found her character even more intriguing than Lisbeth in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’

Hannah is a surprising character to the degree that I need to read the second book to see how her life pans out. She starts out a depressed, everyday-average housewife whose husband disappears. When Neeley finds her they are forced together to escape death. But Hannah handles being pursued by dangerous, hired gun, Racine, sent by the Cellar, like she might handle a mix up at the grocery store.

Racine, the crazy assassin chasing them, is seriously screwed up. Everything he does is creepy, even the tone of his narrative creeped me out.

‘Bodyguard of Lies’ is very well told and the plot is exciting and fresh. With a dash of intrigue and a pinch of thriller, this book held me to the very last page. The first 25% of the book is character development, but worth it for the investment in Neeley and Hannah. If you can get past that, you’ll love the rest. I love endings that I don’t see coming. The end is guaranteed to surprise.

RATING:

I’d rate this book as a 4: Very Good. It was very good because of the thrilling surprises and deep characters. I got this book from Amazon for $2.99 and it was totally worth the time and money. 

"In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." ~ Winston Churchill

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I’d recommend this book for adults only, because of the violence and two rather creepy incidences. If it were a movie, it would defiantly be rated R. If you like spy stories of intrigue and suspense, you're sure to love this book.

**UPDATE** When I first posted this review in January 2011, I had mentioned only “one bad thing” about this book was the cover. It was a drab military green with a faded American flag. They have since changed the cover and it’s vibrant and eye catching!