ARC: The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

Description:

"You have only to call my name to bring me back", he whispered, his breath hot in my ear. "You have only to love me to make me human". Callie McFay is the guardian of the last gateway between the world of Faerie and mankind. Seduced by a powerful incubus demon, she has succeeded in banishing Liam to the Borderlands but he still haunts her dreams, tempting her with the knowledge of how to bring him back. But loving an incubus usually ends in death for a human. For her own sake Callie must learn to control her desires and ensure Liam remains trapped for all eternity in his watery prison. Only there is a more dangerous creature than Liam in the Borderlands. The Water Witch is also looking for a way back...

Review:

The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

3 out of 5

So first off, the first, 120-150 pages reminded me why I have a hard time reading Ms. Dark’s last book, Demon Lover.  There is a slow flow that is almost too slow, and it has way too many details! 

Callie is a whiney character who has guilt issues, as well as other issues that make her irritating.  Now, she does have some redeeming qualities:  Her loyalty, her willingness to learn, her stubbornness, all of that makes her a palatable character, but nothing more.  She is also a relatable character because of her constantly returning to her “unhealthy” relationship with Liam.  We’ve all had those kinds of relationships, so it does make her more relatable. 

Duncan Laird bothered me from the start.  He seemed too good to be true and too conveniently appeared when Callie needed a tutor.  And in these books, there is no such thing as a coincident.  Plus, look at his name (all you baby name books who know the meanings...), Ms. Dark literally sets it up for us to realize SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!

Bill the Handyman and Liam the Incubus.  Sort of saw this coming… But on Bill, I loved how he behaved.  Also I think that Liam had finally figured out things, and truly loves Callie with his whole being. 

Ralph the Mouse:  I want one!  I love Ralph and the way he seems to be smarter than Callie a lot of the time just reiterates how dense she is.  Plus, he loves to read!  What better kind of pet/familiar is there for a reader?

The chaos between the Grove and IMP, the Elves/Nephiliums, and the potential doors to Faeirie all being closed seems to help balance out Callie’s emotional chaos.  I will admit that I enjoyed learning more about Faeirie mythology according to Ms. Dark.

I HATE cliffhangers!  And this book has a huge one (like giant elephant huge), which just sets it all up for book 3.  Now, I will probably have to read book 3 because I need a resolution!  But I’m hoping, deep down inside that the next book will be better than the last 2 books.

So do I recommend this book?  Yes, it is an okay book.  But will I re-read it?  Nope. 

Happy Reading!

Cana

Smoke & Mirrors by Marie Treanor

Description:

Deceit and desire, and a treasure beyond price...

When struggling Scottish writer Nell Black accepts a one-off job with the police, translating for an arson suspect from the isolated ex-Soviet republic of Zavrekestan, she stumbles into a terrifying world of organized crime and paranormal abilities that turns her whole belief system upside down. Faced with an incomparable thief, hit men who spontaneously combust, gangsters, drug dealers, British Intelligence and a fiery goddess, Nell no longer knows who to trust. The man who saves her life is a criminal to whom deceit is second nature. He has more smoke screens and more plans in motion than anyone else can keep track of. He is, moreover, probably insane. Even his fellow gangsters are afraid of him. So why is he the one man Nell wants to touch her?

Rodion Kosar is in trouble. His convoluted plans all lead to one goal - the retrieval of his treasure - and to achieve that, he needs Nell to believe he isn't the bad guy. He has many reasons beyond his own desires to make love to her. Especially when a plan goes wrong and he has to play dead before someone really kills him - either the police, the menacing Russian crime lord known as the Bear, or the powerful Guardian of the Gifted whom he's defied once too often. Nell's burgeoning gift of second sight could be his best route to the treasure, and yet keeping her with him spells danger. For Nell has her own agenda, her own mission, and she could just as easily cause his final downfall.

My Review:

Smoke & Mirrors by Marie Treanor

5 out of 5

Let me tell you, this is another great book by Marie Treanor, BUT I still prefer my ancient vampires to her fire starter.  Still, this book is amazing. 

Yelena “Nell” Black is an interesting character.  Skeptic, psychic dreamer, daughter of an immigrant and a thief, a translator, and after all of that, she is completely unsure of herself.  She makes one of the best unlikeliest heroes ever, and I love that.  You know she will be one of the heroes, but you just aren’t sure how she is going to become the hero.  I love that!

Rodion Kosar is a criminal from Zavrekestan, a gifted supernatural fire-starter (would that make him a pyropath?), and is a major pain in the ass to the Guardian.  Overall, the best kind of bad boy in a book that I’ve read in a while.  Tough, sexy, and trying to save his siblings just tip that sexy bad boy scale in his favor, of course!

Full of action, sometimes, I had was wondering when they were going to have some down time for some loving!  J  I mean, I love the action, I love the mystery of everything going on, what the treasure is, and if Nell and Rodion is going to make it, but I really wanted those steamy, yummy chocolate dipped scenes.

There was a bit of confusion for me when it came to the drug lords.  You know, like who was who, and then there was the confusion on who Derryn was and what he had to do with the actual story. 

Favorite quote:  “I love you.” “Thank you.”  Really, it was the closest thing to Han & Leia’s “I love you.” “I know.”  I literally laughed out loud, and so hard that my co-workers thought something was wrong!  I mean, what girl wouldn’t want to tell someone that you love them and them tell you “Thank you.”  What the heck!  But, Nell  knew exactly what he meant. 

Going from Scotland to Zavrekestan, seeing different cultures, languages and lifestyles, and everything in between the growing relationship between Nell and Rodion, it is one wild ride.  Overall, this is a great book, and I’m looking forward to more from this series, as well as more from Ms. Treanor. 

Happy Reading!

Cana

Audio Book Review: Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Description:

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

Review

Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

5 out of 5

I think I laughed more than anything with this book.  The tone, the sarcasm, the general ideas were all wonderfully light, and helped to make this book a great book.  It was honestly the lightest tone zombie book than I ever expected to read.  And I loved it!

Now, this is not an exact re-telling of Alice in Wonderland. Rather, this is a pleasant story that has some elements from Alice in Wonderland.  Characters like Ali (Alice), Cat (Cheshire Cat), McKinely Love (Queen of Hearts), Cole Holland (the Black Knight), and then we have the rabbit cloud… I think it was a great way to tell this story. 

I really loved Alice.  Her struggles to adjust, and then her struggles emotionally about losing her family, and then about Cole and then everything in between just made her loveable.  You can’t help but want her to win.  She is very curious and full of questions (a very Alice characteristic, if you ask me), stubborn, and intelligent. 

Cole… The good guy in the bad boys clothing.  Yummy.  I loved him, and I thought he was one of the best characters in the book.  I mean, how many bad boy look-alikes do you find that are actually perfectly wonderful good guys that kick zombie ass and is willing to do whatever you want because he secretly (and not so secretly) loves you.  He is strong, intelligent, stubborn, and brave.  All this makes him wonderful!

Emma & Cat were so similar, that at times (if I wasn’t paying attention), I would think they were the same person.  They are both great characters who added a lot of humor to the book. 

Now, I am not sure how I feel about Zombie-ghosts.  Better yet, I’m not sure how I feel about well-dressed zombie-ghosts.  I mean, suits, prom dress, wedding dresses… Really? 

I think for a book that is secular, I must admit that it has some great faith-based lessons, and no matter what faith you practice or have, we could all use those messages/lessons in our lives. 

There were a lot of surprises, a lot of shocking moments, and I honestly was caught off guard a couple of times.  I mean, kudos on trying to keep us on our toes while reading (or listening) to this book, Ms. Showalter. 

I think that out of all the Adult/YA Adult authors that are out there writing books for both ages, I think Ms. Showalter did an amazing job!  Nowhere did this book cross a line between Adult, Mature YA, or YA, and I think that is wonderful!  (And trust me, I’ve read a lot of Ms. Showalter’s Adult books...).

Overall, this is an amazing book.  Highly recommend.  

Happy Reading!

Cana

Audio Book Review: Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Description:

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

Review

Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

5 out of 5

Let me just say how amazing the cover is... I mean, just LOOK at it!  Gorgeous!

I think I laughed more than anything with this book.  The tone, the sarcasm, the general ideas were all wonderfully light, and helped to make this book a great book.  It was honestly the lightest tone zombie book than I ever expected to read.  And I loved it!

Now, this is not an exact re-telling of Alice in Wonderland. Rather, this is a pleasant story that has some elements from Alice in Wonderland.  Characters like Ali (Alice), Cat (Cheshire Cat), McKinely Love (Queen of Hearts), Cole Holland (the Black Knight), and then we have the rabbit cloud… I think it was a great way to tell this story. 

I really loved Alice.  Her struggles to adjust, and then her struggles emotionally about losing her family, and then about Cole and then everything in between just made her loveable.  You can’t help but want her to win.  She is very curious and full of questions (a very Alice characteristic, if you ask me), stubborn, and intelligent. 

Cole… The good guy in the bad boys clothing.  Yummy.  I loved him, and I thought he was one of the best characters in the book.  I mean, how many bad boy look-alikes do you find that are actually perfectly wonderful good guys that kick zombie ass and is willing to do whatever you want because he secretly (and not so secretly) loves you.  He is strong, intelligent, stubborn, and brave.  All this makes him wonderful!

Emma & Cat were so similar, that at times (if I wasn’t paying attention), I would think they were the same person.  They are both great characters who added a lot of humor to the book. 

Now, I am not sure how I feel about Zombie-ghosts.  Better yet, I’m not sure how I feel about well-dressed zombie-ghosts.  I mean, suits, prom dress, wedding dresses… Really? 

I think for a book that is secular, I must admit that it has some great faith-based lessons, and no matter what faith you practice or have, we could all use those messages/lessons in our lives. 

There were a lot of surprises, a lot of shocking moments, and I honestly was caught off guard a couple of times.  I mean, kudos on trying to keep us on our toes while reading (or listening) to this book, Ms. Showalter. 

I think that out of all the Adult/YA Adult authors that are out there writing books for both ages, I think Ms. Showalter did an amazing job!  Nowhere did this book cross a line between Adult, Mature YA, or YA, and I think that is wonderful!  (And trust me, I’ve read a lot of Ms. Showalter’s Adult books...).

Overall, this is an amazing book.  Highly recommend.  

Happy Reading!

Cana

Descent of Blood by Elizabeth Marx

Description:

When times are darkest, some vampires desire more than blood …

England, 1465. Mortal men clash in the War of the Roses for the English crown, while vampire warriors’ move undetected among their ranks, savoring the flow of blood that battlefields provide.

Vampire prince, Severian Pearce, fears the revelation of the immortal clans to humankind should King Henry fall from power. While in pursuit of Henry’s enemies, Severian comes to the aid of Meridian Neville, a human woman he craves—and not for the scent of her blood … Meridian is torn between honoring her father’s dying wish and her unexplainable yearning for Lord Severian. But as Severian and Meridian work together to protect a relic hunted by mortals and immortals alike, the red veil descends over them. This all-consuming attraction can drive immortals to the brink of madness. Will the existence of this powerful bond between a human and a vampire be enough to unite the immortal clans or is the red veil a scourge set on destroying any chance they might have of happiness?

When all hope is lost, one vampire will fight unto death for his forbidden love.

My Review:

Descent of Blood by Elizabeth Marx

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy Sweet Mother of the Great Cow Daisy…. This book was great!  It had romance, it had intrigue, it had a mystical mystery about the red veil and Cain, it had adventure, and a bit of murder.  Add in the old English, and the War of the Roses in the background, and you have the makings of an amazing book!

Meridian is one of those strong, innocent, and absolutely amazing women that you hope that you would be like in those situations that she finds herself in. I liked her first thing after she was handling the crossbow that was pointed at Serverain.  Nothing like a strong willed woman who is willing to defend herself.

Serverian is that sexy knight in shining armour that would strip you naked, have his way with you and then marry you… In that order :P.  And then he would protect you and your honor by killing, maiming, and many other manly things that would just make you want to keep him around… Yep, definitely loved him as a character.

Arrian… I don’t know what to say about him, but he is definitely something else.  As a forerunner to the story, he already knows the secret of the red veil.

Philabe was a great minor character who seems to be everywhere, even when he wasn’t.  Think of this book as kind of like his diary of the events.  I kind of like that. 

I do love the type of vampires that were in this book.  There were enough to where I kind of lost track. But learning who was what, and what skills the vampires have was pretty cool. 

I will admit that there was some slow going at the beginning of the book.  It took me getting through to the 2^nd chapter before I was learned that I loved this book.

The only thing I had a hard time with that disappointed me in this book was what I call the Twilight Cliché.  I knew as soon as they got together what was going to happen.  But since that was the only disappointment I had, I think we are ahead of the game.

Overall, this is a great book!  Highly recommend and I am looking forward to the next book.

Happy Reading!

Cana

Dark Dealings by Kim Knox

Description:

There are monsters in the city. And one of them is her…

Ava Kalle's empty soul devours magic. And her hunger is deadly. She's sharp, quick and can live in shadow, making her work as a spy for the Mages a natural choice. She lives on the fringes of society and likes it that way.

When the man she loves takes another woman for his mate, the darkness in her heart unravels and she'll do anything to get him back. She makes a dangerous deal with a fire elemental, Heyerdar, who has a vested interest in agreeing: together they'll use forbidden magic, harnessing their sexual energy to drive the couple apart.

But soon their pact pushes them both into a dark sexual obsession. One that Ava may not be able to control…

My Review:

Dark Dealings by Kim Knox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a hot little number of a book!  Think of this as the sexy clubbing LBD that you would wear to seduce someone… Well, Ms. Knox, your book did it’s job! 

So, what did I think of Ava:

Ava is a thief, a magical being whose soul is “empty”… Pretty much this means she is a magic eater/thief.  At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but then it made sense.  Like, “Oh, that is what that means!” understanding. 

I think she is such a strong character because she fears herself, and what she might do.  And yet she still desires to be loved and cherished and (generally) doesn’t let being a thief hold her back.  I think that it also makes her life even harder that she is an outcast.  It makes you want to cheer her out to get what she wants.

What I think of Heyerdar:

Heyerdar is a fire elemental who likes to walk NAKED in the sun every morning.  I think that it definitely makes it a fun perk of the book.  To read how everyone goes out to watch him, how people talk about it, and probably desire him.  And yet, he does it with an extreme amount of confidence and (can I say this) cockiness….

I think as a character, He is controlling, he is an ass, and frustrating beyond beliefe, but he truly seems to care about Ava.  Maybe not to much at first, but it definitely happens.

I think what makes him the best (other than those special little scenes with Ava), is how he not only wants to learn, but wants Ava to learn about who she is, not just as a thief, but also as a person.  Through books and experimenting, they together learn who they are as individuals and together. 

Other Characters:

Reist, oh how I hate him!  I didn’t like him from the beginning.  He struck me as one of those incognito asses.  You know the ones.  They are the ones you think are nice, wonderful, and respectful guys, but in all reality they are asses who are mean, horrible and just plain man slut.

So what did I like/love:

I loved how this book has everything:  Intrigue, romance, sex, magic, betrayal, and even a happy ending.  I find that it is a more than just a “nice story” where 2 people with similar goals accidently end up together in the end.  I know, that is really corny, but it is true! 

Another perk was that it is a very adult story, but sex is not the main driving force of the story… Well, it is part of the main driving force.  But there is an actual purpose for it in the story, it gives movement to the plot:  to provide magic for Ava to eat. 

I think that the back story of the “controlled” thieves and their rampage through the city definitely keeps you guessing on who is doing it.  I mean, I tried to figure out who the actual villain was, but let me tell you, I never expected who it was. 

Overall, this is a good book and an easy read.  I definitely recommend this for all those who are 18 and older. 

Happy Reading!

Cana

Audio Book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Description:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Review:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Listening to this book was like listening to someone on the brink of insanity. Poor Juliette hasn’t seen anyone or spoken to anyone for almost a whole year.  Shea hasn’t been purposely & safely touched anyone and vice versa, in almost 17 years.  So overall, it isn’t a surprise if she is on the verge of a psychotic break.  I think the fact that she hasn’t is a testament to her strength. 

Overall, Juliette is an okay character.  She is a wounded, almost broken, creature.  You can’t help but sympathize with her.  But as the story progresses, it is nice to see her start growing a backbone and showing/ using her strengths and powers to make life better for those around her. 

Adam, the boy who loved and remembered, is a deep well that I don’t think we will know it all.  He holds many secrets, a good many that have to do with Juliette.  I wonder if we will find out more about him, of if he will still remain partly a mystery. 

Now let me have a moment to vent about Warner… Ugh!  No matter how good looking, rich and powerful you are, evil is evil, crazy is crazy.  It is just that simple!  I don’t like him; I think he is a deranged boy who has more issues that we even know.  I don’t even understand how there are some readers/bloggers/reviews who actually like him?!?!?!?!?!? So this is what the twilight zone feels like!

This dystopian novel has its good points and its bad points.  I liked the characterizations and the reasons for the society, but it bothers me the cliché way the author uses to make a love triangle.  Honestly, no love triangle is needed.  I think there is enough drama with Juliette’s curse/gift to not warrant it. 

Overall, I found it to be a poor book choice for an audio book.  An example of this is how the book is written in a semi-diary format.  Reading the book, you would see the words marked out.  Unfortunately, you can’t see things in audios.  So what they do is make a scratching noise to let you know what is happening.  A bit of an issue, as at first I thought that my audio book was skipping, especially when the same words/phrases were repeated and scratched out.

An issue with the book:  I had a problem with the flow of the novel.  It was struggle to read it/listen to it, because the flow was inconsistent and was just like someone having a mental break down. 

I’d love to tell you more, but I’m holding off, as I don’t believe in Spoilers!

Overall, I think this was a good book, but I highly recommend that you read it in written format rather than listening to it.

Happy Reading!

Cana

Ours Is Just a Little Sorrow by Gwen Hayes

Description:

The colony of New Geneva has risen from the ashes of her dying mother planet, Earth, by rebuilding a society based on a time before everything went horribly, horribly wrong...the Victorian Era...

Violet Merriweather first sets eyes on Colonel Winston when he purchases her at auction from Witherspoon Academy, the orphanage where she’d been raised after her rescue from Earth. Dutifully, as she was taught, Violet pushes away her fear of the monstrous, forbidding Thornfield Abbey, and throws herself into her work as governess to the Colonel’s youngest son.

But the Colonel's elder sons have other ideas.

John and Gideon Winston are as different as night and day, and each wants to claim Violet for his own. John immediately charms her with his intelligence and cordial demeanor, while Gideon, the dark rogue, delights in flustering her at every opportunity, awakening a yearning she doesn't understand and most assuredly does not want. She tries to deny her pull to both men, but an uneasy midnight bargain with one forges a new alliance as she’s dazzled by an underground New Geneva she hadn't known existed. And temptations she cannot resist.

But something is preying on the women of New Geneva, something that threatens to unleash the ghosts of Thornfield and drag them all into hell. And that something wants Violet most of all.

My Review:

Ours is Just a Little Sorrow by Gwen Hayes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow!  Now, let me tell you, I fell in love with Ms. Hayes books with Falling Under and Dreaming Awake, but this novella makes me want to just cry that it ended.  I enjoyed it that much!

I will warn you that this book inspires a lot of questions.  Like what happened to Earth exactly?  Is New Geneva a planet, a moon, or a ship?  Better yet, is New Geneva in the same solar system or even the same galaxy as Earth?  Who is this serial killer?  But, in this novella, thankfully most of these questions are all answered relatively quickly. 

I love how perfectly improper Gideon is.  He is everything a rake should be, but he is more than just your average rake.  He is a strong and caring man, even though fate (and his mother’s actions) hasn't given him the most enjoyable lot in life. I think he keeps trying to find a way to redeem his mother’s sins, but he doesn't know how.  And while everyone thinks that Gideon is the epitome of a bad boy, I think he is actually a good guy smothered in bad boy charisma (that is like chocolate, only better).

Violet… Oh what can I say about Violet?  She is a girl who wants to save everyone, who quietly remains in the background and wants to be a burden to no one.  But as she grows as a character, she starts stepping out of the background, though she is still trying to save everyone.  I think she is a pretty strong woman, considering the fact what her society of submissive women seems to be.  And I think it is her strength that makes her such an appealing character.

Brava to Ms. Hayes on pointing out safety when going out to a bar (even in the future).  Too many girls in novels today are more than willing to accept drinks from strangers, and it is no wonder a lot of young ladies don’t know that you don’t do that.  Thank you for having your lead female character show at least some safety sense!

My personal favorite part of this novella is the history of how New Geneva came to be.  Theme parks, steampunk fascinations, and cosplay all had a role.  As a cosplayer, it gives me hope that one day we will rule a world!  But as an explanation, I think this is the most believable reason for a Post-

Earth Steampunk society to exist.  I mean, what other reason would we as a society want to revert back to old fashion ways blended with modern technology?

Now, this is an adult book.  There are a few scenes, though not graphic, do relate to adult activities (yes, which does mean sex… Trying to be delicate, but oh well).  I think Ms. Hayes, does a wonderful job of not making it the driving force of this novella.  This is not your penny bodice rippers; there is actually a story line other than the sex. 

I will say that though I already kind of knew who the serial killer was, I was still through for a loop.  And even though I was right on the who, I must say that I was not prepared or had even thought of the whys, wheres, and hows of it all.  Plus the added zombie insert was brilliant!

Overall, I think this is a great novella, and I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Hayes. Highly Recommend.

Happy Reading!

Cana

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Description:


Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever. 

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent. 

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They areVirals


My Review:

Virals by Kathy Reichs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Living and working on an island off the coast of South Carolina, Tory Brennan lives with her newly found father. With her group of friends, they explore the island, discovering the wildlife, and just growing up. But when a scientist decides to kidnap one of the wild dogs of the island and infect it with a new rare strain of Parvo, Tory and her friends decide to take action and save this dog. Little did they know that this is just the beginning of an unbelievable adventure that will change their very DNA, and lead them to a mystery of a cold case.
This is the first book I’ve read by Kathy Reichs. I really enjoy the television show “Bones”, and so I decided that I was going to read one of Ms. Reichs’ books. I know I probably should have started with the actual “Bones” series, but instead I started with this enjoyable YA spin off.
I really enjoyed this book for 2 main reasons. First, the play of personalities between Tory and her friends was great! They all have similarities and differences that create a believable group of teenagers trying to figure out what is going with their own bodies (beyond the hormones :/), as well as trying to grow up at the same time. Secondly, I enjoyed this novel for the fact that is located in my home state. Though I live in the upstate of South Carolina, I am very familiar with the coastline. I enjoyed the descriptions of an area, a town, and a people that I am familiar with.
Though the idea of a type of virus that isn’t transferable from one species to another (i.e. Parvo) is hard for me to believe in my non-scientist mind, this book made it easily believable as well as understandable. I really enjoyed how these teenagers used the knowledge their parents passed on to them to solve a mystery.
There were a few times that I found the dialogue and flow of the book to be lagging, but those were easily remedied and were quick to pick up.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading the second book in this series. Highly recommend.




Happy Reading!


Cana