Rain's Reviews: Tremor by Patrick Carman

Tremor by Patrick Carman

In the year 2051, some people have a second pulse… 

Like all who have “the pulse,” Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore have telekinetic powers—they can move objects with their minds. But there are five “second pulses” in the world who have an even greater power: Almost nothing can harm them. They are virtually indestructible.

Both Faith and Dylan have the second pulse. But the other side has second pulses, too, and they’ve been training for a war that has been brewing their entire lives. As Dylan executes a plan to infiltrate enemy grounds, he’ll have to face his only weakness, and a family secret that will threaten his very existence.

Together, Faith and Dylan are the only hope this world has left, but they must go their separate ways in order to accomplish their plan. Will their love survive?

With richly developed characters and heart-pounding action scenes, the second book in Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy continues the electrifying dystopian story of love and revenge.~Goodreads
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Review

Tremor was a mind blowing sequel to Pulse. I have been a little anti-series lately but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. There were small discrepancies but overall I could handle it.

Faith was a little rebelious in the first book. Somewhat unreliable, all characteristic things for a teenage girl in YA Lit, but Faith has reached an entirely new level. She is positively mutinous in this book. Its like she intentionally seeks out opportunities to go against Meredith's command. And though there were moments that I thought all of it was completely justified (I have no appreciation for a tyrannical leader) there are lines that need not be crossed. And she took her anger out on everyone, no consideration who it was. You get some answers regarding her unruly emotions and other things concerning her powers that were both useful and interesting, so that is helpful. Anyways, She felt a little less well rounded then she did in the last book but the story felt shorter as well.

Carman had a lot to squeeze into one book. Jumping around to all of the characters involved takes a lot of time. It never really gets boring for me, I love diving into everyone's perspective and seeing how they see the same situations and Carman does each one uniquely so its not like you are reading the same passage three times.

Lets just lay something right out there. All of the characters- clear cross the board- seemed less dimensional. That was a disappointment for me.

Anyways, Dylan was cool. Always the solid rock in the emotional turmoil that is this book. Never wavering, never unpredictable, a solid due you could really get behind, understand and become close to. Well not too close, he seemed quite cold until like the last page but I think that had to do with the lack of character development in anyone.

Hawk is just as awesome as ever and I wish he was my best friend. He get a bit of a darker side to him but I still appreciated his role and personality. Always awesome to have him on your side.

Dylan, Clara, Andre, and Gretchen are just as evil, vile, and generally frustrating as ever. Dylan got a little under my skin, like I almost started caring for him again but now I'm just a tiny bit confused about his true self and end game.

The book had plenty of secrets, action, and seriousness. Don't read it for a light fun summer read. But do read it. I wait impatiently for the next one.

Have you read it? What did you think, I'd love to talk about it!

~Rain

Liberty Bay Books: Tremor
Goodreads

***Hey guys! Friendly reminder. I am an affiliate with Liberty Bay Books and while that in no way effects how I review these books (as you can probably tell by my review) It benefits a great locally owned shop and myself if you purchase these great books through the link above. Thank you bunches!***

Rain's Review: Trust Me I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Trust Me I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.
~~~

Review

Trust Me I'm Lying was a very captivating book. It was a mystery with a criminal edge that keeps you awake at night reading. I wasn't able to guess at things that was going to happen (though I can't usually anyways). The characters were OK. I'm not a big fan of love triangles but this one was really understated and I'm not sure that I would call it a love triangle. The romance that did happen was cut but I ffel like it was stuck awkardly in there far to out of proportion to the issue at hand. The action- well I really liked it. There wasn't a ton of guns firing life or death stuff but there was fun stuff like car chases, narrow escapes, and snooping. It was totally up my alley.
Julep was great fun-except for when Tyler was around until she got used to him. It wasn't the the interection that botherd me so much as the self talk that became really repetitive. Other than that she wa a breave, smart, strong female character that gives me a reason to keep reading young adult romances.
Sam and Tyler were both nice of a bit tragically  under developed but I think that that's just me being greedy.For the story they got their job done with no gaping holes in their story or the books plot. They were both really fun to read though I personnaly liked Sam better (shhh....).
The book overall is deffinitly something I would recommend. The language and romance were clean and though some of the action was shocking none of it was inapropriate. Happy reading y'all and pick this up in stores in Oct!
~Rain
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Liberty Bay Books: Trust Me, I'm Lying
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Grief brought Finley to Ireland. Love will lead her home.

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old. She’s witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will.

She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will’s travel journal. It’s the place he felt closest to God, and she’s hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane.

Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She’s the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise?

Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she’s been looking for has been with her all along? ~GoodReads~~~

Rain's Reviews

I was waiting to read this book for over a year. I got kind of stuck in a I'll buy this one next cycle and never really got out of it until I went on a major Library book haul. And omageeze I am astounded at how spectacular this book was.
I expected it to be a Romance with some traveling and her finding her happiness in her famous boyfriend that she finally started dating after an entire book of fighting with this guy.
BUT, it was positively 100% better. I probably would have realized that if I had done my usual research and realized that the author was a Christian Fiction author. I was so happy with this book. The writing style was phenomenal. The story line was edge-of-your-seat fantastic. The characters were all a joy (well you know, they were constructed well), Only one or two of the characters seemed under developed in their roles but it was easily over looked.
Finley has gone through the past few years in devastation and personal failure. She has everything riding on her audition and she thinks that God has stopped caring about her. She is lost and hurt and angry and completely losing control of everything in her life. She tries to do everything she can to fix it and she honestly thinks she is doing the right thing. I connected with her so well and could really put myself in her shoes. I have never personally gone through every single thing she has but I still felt a connection.
Beckett Rush is misunderstood. Plain and simple. Everyone thinks he is someone he isn't and even Finley is surprised by who he is after she thinks she has it all figured out. I am not going to say to much about him but he was a joy to read and though romance was definitely not the sole purpose of this book it still had some great elements.
Finley's host family in Ireland is funny, loving, and fun and I absolutely fell in love with them all.
Finley meets some challenging people and they all get under her skin in different way's but she treats each situation exactly how she knows is best I am proud of how she did it.
This book made me want to read every single book Jenny B. Jones has written and makes me want to visit Ireland tomorrow. I am definitely going to buy this to put on my permanent shelf and I hope you enjoy it as much as me.
~~~

Buy Links

Goodreads
Amazon

Rain's Reviews: The Paradox of Vertical Flight by Emil Ovtroski

The Paradox of Vertical Flight

What happens when you put a suicidal eighteen-year-old philosophy student, his ex-girlfriend, his best friend, and his newborn baby in a truck and send them to Grandma's house? This debut novel by Emil Ostrovski will appeal to fans of John Green, Chris Crutcher, and Jay Asher.

On the morning of his eighteenth birthday, philosophy student and high school senior Jack Polovsky is somewhat seriously thinking of suicide when his cell phone rings. Jack's ex-girlfriend, Jess, has given birth, and Jack is the father. Jack hasn't spoken with Jess in about nine months—and she wants him to see the baby before he is adopted. The new teenage father kidnaps the baby, names him Socrates, stocks up on baby supplies at Wal-Mart, and hits the road with his best friend, Tommy, and the ex-girlfriend. As they head to Grandma's house (eluding the police at every turn), Jack tells baby Socrates about Homer, Troy, Aristotle, the real Socrates, and the Greek myths—because all stories spring from those stories, really. Even this one. Funny, heart-wrenching, and wholly original, this debut novel by Emil Ostrovski explores the nature of family, love, friendship, fate, fatherhood, and myth.~Goodreads

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Review

The Paradox of Vertical Flight is a devastatingly intriguing book. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to explain what makes it so fantastic. The characters Jack, Tommy, Jess, and Socrates are so real and believable. Jack, the main character and narrator of the story, has a philosopher's brain with no one around except a baby to listen so the internal dialogue is pretty interesting.

Jack is constantly asking questions that make you feel like you can feel the enormity and infinity of the universe. And that coupled with a sarcastic edge makes his narration and personality unique and refreshing.

Tommy is Jack’s best friend and though he doesn’t operate on the magnitude of Jack he can keep up and is a great source of entertainment. With Jack and him in the car (or anywhere) together you will laugh until you cry.

Jess is the butt head ex-girlfriend that i could barely tolerate until near the end of the book. But perhaps I just didn’t understand her the way I was supposed to. To me she was a bitter whiny *bad word* that couldn’t say one nice thing to Jack or anyone else.


The baby is, well, something else. But you’ll have to read to find out what. The whole book was a discussion of the purpose of life and the definition of infinity that just so happened to be taking place in the midst of an impromptu and slightly illegal trip to Jack’s grandma’s house.

~Rain

~~~

Quote

" 'I live," the man says, "always here. Never there. 'Til one day I'll be ever there and never more here, if, that is, there's a there at all.' "

~~~

Goodreads

Liberty Bay Books: The Paradox of Vertical Flight

Rain's Reviews: Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf

Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf

Why We Took the Car

A beautifully written, darkly funny coming-of-age story from an award-winning, bestselling German author making his American debut.

Mike Klingenberg doesn't get why people think he's boring. Sure, he doesn't have many friends. (Okay, zero friends.) And everyone laughs at him when he reads his essays out loud in class. And he's never invited to parties - including the gorgeous Tatiana's party of the year.

Andre Tschichatschow, aka Tschick (not even the teachers can pronounce his name), is new in school, and a whole different kind of unpopular. He always looks like he's just been in a fight, his clothes are tragic, and he never talks to anyone.

But one day Tschick shows up at Mike's house out of the blue. Turns out he wasn't invited to Tatiana's party either, and he's ready to do something about it. Forget the popular kids: Together, Mike and Tschick are heading out on a road trip. No parents, no map, no destination. Will they get hopelessly lost in the middle of nowhere? Probably. Will they meet crazy people and get into serious trouble? Definitely. But will they ever be called boring again?

Not a chance.
~

Review

I’m not convinced of my feeling for this book. Right after i finished it I would have said something along the lines of: Dull and dragging, the main character was trivial in his crush and Tschick was underdeveloped.

But now after giving it some time to stew I’d tell you it was fun and exciting. It lulled a little and was at times hard to pick back up but interesting nonetheless. The timeline and geography got a little confusing but you eventually catch up.

Mike Klingenberg was thoughtful and slow to speak (his character resembled Pudge from Looking For Alaska by John Green). He was given the chance to be a little less boring and forget about his crush-which got a little annoying-and he took it. Driving across Germany and looking for Timbuktu. Andrej Tshichatschow, Tschick for short. He is a particularly interesting conundrum that I would like to learn more about, yet I understand that that wasn’t the point of the story. He is itching for adventure and a friend. He finds booth in Mike, quite unexpectedly. He is cooler than he looks.

All the people they meet and all the trouble they get into, its - in a word, awesome- I want that trip. And you will to. It’s a great read and Mikes thought provoking inner monologue keeps it cool.

There is explicit language in some parts.

~Rain

~~~

"And I was insanely happy. Because you can't old your breath forever, but you can hold it for a pretty long time."

Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Timesbestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

~

Review

City of Glass is the third installment of the Mortal Instruments series. I’m no good at sequel reviews but I’m going to try nonetheless.

The book starts out and I already wanted to put it down- not permanently but you know, to cool down. But I stuck with it and it did get better. I think one thing I enjoy about the characters is that they hold Clary accountable for her actions. Jace and Clary finally get some answers to their plethora of questions. Simon is a very large part of this story and you see more of Magnus and Alec. I liked that Cassandra spread around the POVs and you get a lot of little side stories and the main plot from many different viewpoints. This book, though marvelous didn’t leave a large opening for book four so I am anxious to find out what’s next for this series.

~Rain
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: What We Saw in the Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard

What We Saw in the Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Allie Kim suffers from Xeroderma Pigmentosum: a fatal allergy to sunlight that confines her and her two best friends, Rob and Juliet, to the night. When freewheeling Juliet takes up Parkour—the stunt-sport of scaling and leaping off tall buildings—Allie and Rob have no choice but to join her, if only to protect her. Though potentially deadly, Parkour after dark makes Allie feel truly alive, and for the first time equal to the “daytimers.”

On a random summer night, the trio catches a glimpse of what appears to be murder. Allie alone takes it upon herself to investigate, and the truth comes at an unthinkable price. Navigating the shadowy world of specialized XP care, extreme sports, and forbidden love, Allie ultimately uncovers a secret that upends everything she believes about the people she trusts the most.

~~~

What We Saw in the Night was good. It is a mystery-adventure type book told by a 17 yr old girl with XP. I can’t say to be well versed in XP but you do learn a bit about it in the book which I thought was pretty cool.

Allie Kim is a confused teenager that doesn’t really know what to do in her waking hours. She has two best friends Rob and Juliet. She just rolls with the punches and lets life pass her by. But when her life becomes shaken up she decides to take notice. It took a while for me to really like her and though I’ve warmed up to this female lead she isn’t really my fave. Her passive aggressive attitude and utter obsession with Rob really doesn’t make her appealing. When the action starts to heat up you get a hysterical vibe from her and as weird as it sounds I liked that because that’s how any sane person would be.

Rob is a sweet guy who I enjoyed but I don’t think he was developed enough. He is kind of two dimensional, I would have liked to get to know him better. And then there’s Juliet the Great and Terrible. the biggest self absorbed butt face I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.

But of course every one loved her and she is a huge part of the story *wink wink*

What We Saw In The Night was written well and if you like mysteries then this will definitely be up your alley. The romance between Allie and Rob went all the way and was hastily thrown in and was entirely unnecessary. However despite that is was still a good read.

What We Saw At Night
Goodreads

Blog Tour: Twisted by KayCee R

Tour Schedule

Twisted Cayden Rivers wants nothing more than to be normal, but we don’t always get what we want. For years he has been hiding a secret, afraid of being labeled a “freak”. Every day he goes to school, plays football, spends time with his girlfriend, and helps carry his drunken adopted father to bed. Nobody knows the truth about his unnatural speed and strength, including his life-long friend Camilla. Suddenly, four strangers enter Cayden’s life, and not only do they know his secret, they also have one of their own. With their help, Cayden discovers there is more to his power, something much more dangerous. Something other people will kill to possess. Camilla wishes her parents were around more. She gets lonely sleeping in her big empty house night after night. Sure, she has all the money she could ever need, but the only person who is there for her is Cayden. He has his own family and a girlfriend who takes up most of his time, so Camilla knows he won’t be there for her forever, and recently he’s been acting really strange. Will Cayden be able to keep his secret and his friendship with Camilla, or will his new found power destroy everything, including his own life? Switching between Cayden and Camilla's point of view, Twisted will leave you aching for more.  
~~~
Excerpt
I pushed the guy’s weight off me so I could get up to see if Dom caught the ball, but I stopped short when I looked up at who had tackled me. It was… me? I must have hit my head. Hard. I heard cheers roaring, but they felt like they were coming from far away. That I was watching from a distance, even though I was there on the field.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

  KayCee R KayCee is a 24 year old self-published author from Cleveland, Ohio. KayCee has always loved reading. After a re-occurring dream she decided to try writing about it. She wrote the first installment of Twisted when she was 20. “I kept having this dream about these twins, and then I just decided to run with it. I wrote the beginning, the end, and then filled in the middle.” KayCee finished the book in 8 months and then decided to share the book online. After seeing people get interested in the book and the characters, she decided to write another book and turn Twisted into a series. KayCee has finished four novels in the Twisted series and is currently working on the fifth book.

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Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/4/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rain's Reviews: Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Amelie Bennett: Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons. 

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Rain's Reviews: Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter) by Tiffany King

Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter) by Tiffany King

Hand to hand combat training: Check Cardio and strength training: Check Daemon hunting: Check Anomaly: Check Check, check, check, check...That's all my life is. There's nothing ordinary about me. I'm "special." I know this because I'm reminded of it every stinking day. I can kick a Daemon's ass with both hands tied behind my back. I can run up a mountain without breaking a sweat. Know what I can't do? Get guys to notice me, or hang out with friends like normal people do. I can't just be ordinary because I have an Arch Angel for a mentor who is always breathing down my neck, and a family of angelic Guides and Protectors who scrutinize every little thing I do. Just for a day I want a life where I'm no longer some anomaly, where I don't have to feel like a lab rat. And then I met Emrys. Okay, so my mentor and family hate him, but probably for good reason. After-all, he is a Soul Trader, and they aren't the most trust worthy beings. But, he is sooo hot with his green eyes, leather jacket and the sexiest tattoo you've ever seen running down his back. And-he doesn't treat me like a project. I've got myself in quite a little quandary here. Choosing between my responsibilities and the Trader that holds my heart is something I didn't sign up for. Torn between two different worlds, I must now decide who to trust and who to walk away from. What's a girl to do? See what I mean? I am an anomaly. I am Jordyn.~ Goodreads

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Oh, I’ve been waiting to read this book for months on end. I know its been out and Tiffany King is worth spending 2.99 on I just never did get around to buying it. So when I saw it was free on Amazon I bought it real quick like. Jordyn is the first in the series A Daemon Hunter.

I wonder what makes some demons be spelled Demon and others Daemon? Is it just writers choice like color and colour? Or does it have to do with context? hmm… if you know I’d love to hear the reason.

Jordyn has got to be the snarkiest and sassiest person(ish) I have ever read about. I mean really a remark to everything said. While it was funny most the time, it started to grate on my nerves. Jordyn is very cocky and though it is well earned confidence her need for a little humble pie was astonishing. But, it wasn’t so much so that it ruined the book. The mystery wasn’t the highlight of the book but the action and romance was. And let me tell you it was swoon worthy. But it did stay well in the young adult category.

Emrys, the rebellious, hot, and forbidden soul trader is Jordyn’s kind of guy. And while she doesn’t know much about him and her family and Haniel really don’t like him at all she just can’t stay away. But he isn’t what he seems. At first he acts like a huge player that doesn’t care but don’t let it fool you. And Jordyn can definitely take care of herself.

So I don’t know what to say really except, the climax came very near the end which though the whole story was great I don’t like drawn out build-up but, hey. It is what it is and I would recommend this book to the Saving Angel’s series fans and anyone who likes a romantic, action packed book with snark galore.

~Rain
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Goodreads
Amazon
Tiffany King's Website

Rain's Reviews: Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

After a devastating plague, introverted 17-year-old Dani Campbell and her family find themselves living in a very different America, one run by a cult-like leader, who forces children to move to "safety camps" designed to protect the human race. Encouraged to flee by her parents, Dani and her five-year-old brother seek refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. On the run with danger around every corner, Dani must fight to ensure their survival in this new world while trying to unmask the mystery of how it all came to be. ~Goodreads

~~~

Tent City is the book to read if you like post apocalyptic survival adventures. It’s a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and you can’t stay away for long. It plunges you straight into the action and you don’t have hope of getting anything done while reading it.

Dani has watched the world fall apart. She watched life transition from normal to searching for rations and praying the council doesn’t kill you.  She is stuck in a world of poverty, concentration camps, and tyranny. Can she live through this as the insecure, unhappy, and unwildernessy girl she is? And What happens when through the dangerous events she gets herself into she starts to fall for two very different people? (Yes, there is a love triangle)

Bentley and Jack, the leader and the healer. They couldn’t be any more different and yet they are indispensable to the story.  Bentley, the fearless leader who is always ready for a fight and seeks revenge for lives lost. Jack the doctor who wants to just get through this and helps in anyway possible even if it costs his freedom.

Kit and Brody were great secondary characters. I just wish they weren’t so one- dimensional and I had a hard time getting a reading on Kit. The setting, story, characters, and writing all added up to a great book.  

~Rain

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Amazon

Goodreads

Blog Tour: Smash Into You by Shelly Crane

Blog tour:

Smash Into You

By Shelly Crane

Synopsis:

Jude has spent the whole twenty one years of his life running. From what, he wasn't quite sure. His mother tried to keep him safe; a low profile, a constant move on the horizon, a week's pay always stashed away. She tried to instill in him that he was special somehow, though would never elaborate. He never felt different. He was so completely normal and vanilla that he wondered if it had all been in her head. But then she was murdered and all he saw was a running silhouette of a man as his mother said three final words to him. Three words that changed his whole being.

Never stop running…

Now he's semi-settled into a big town. The college is huge and easy to blend into. It's been three months since he had to move because 'Biloxi', as he calls the man who killed his mother, found him once more.

Then Marley, an eighteen year old girl who is as infuriating as she is blissfully ignorant of her gorgeousness, smashes into his car with hers. Then smashes into his life as he realizes that whatever it is he has that Biloxi wants, she has it, too. And now, they're after them both.

~~~

Review

Smash Into You is a smashing novel ;). It was just stunning and honest at the same time. But you might not feel like that the whole time you’re reading it. But I’ll get to that later on. Smash Into You was a joy read, don’t get me wrong. But with a jaded Jude who has been running from a nameless murder and has watched his mother die by the hands of this man. And a practical stranger get thrown into this mix by accident? Things seem to only be able to go wrong. Jude has been on the run from man and he has no idea why. Every person Jude becomes close to is at risk. Jude has been living this life on his own since he was fourteen. This life full of anger, guilt, fear, and sadness.Don’t Go and misunderstand me, Jude was a fantastic guy deep down. He was compassionate, loving, and real. Tis life would break even the best of men and Jude is doing the best he knows how to do. This is a story of Jude losing himself and this outer person he puts on. He is breaking his chains and freeing himself from this life that was chosen for him. He learns to take control and fight for what he wants. Jaded Jude really isn’t nearly as bad as he seems ;). And, yeah, you’ll have to take my word on it. Marley is a sweetie pie who has had the worst of luck. I can’t tell you too much about her. Half the fun if figuring out this mystery of a girl. I mean, I absolutely loved it. You are always reading about mysterious guys, and men who have secrets but the girl wants him anyways and I immensely loved the fact the her cards aren’t just laid out on the table in the first chapter. I will say this though, Marley is forgiving, understanding, and so darned nice. The jaded and the jewel set off on a life changing adventure with uncertain terms. This book was bloody fantastic with suspense, mystery, action, forgiveness, and revenge. I didn’t put this down till I was done (@ 3a.m.) The plot and characters were amazing and seamlessly laid out in this spectacular story. Smash Into You drags you into a lively world and you get swept up into this exciting anguish of this life. The romance and hope seems doomed to be a lie. But when determined, humans can change the rotation of the earth.  
~~~

About the Author

Shelly is a NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. She loves paperbacks, coffee, and candy corn, and to spend time with her family and friends, go out to eat at new restaurants and site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

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LINKS:

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Rains Reviews: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

Rains Review: Scapemaker by Steve Cypert

 Scapemaker by Steve Cypert
Matthew is the son of Mr. Nicholas Namely, a local high school teacher. But unbeknownst to Matthew, his father is a dreamscaper whose classroom is connected to the dream-world. From his classroom, his students enter the halls of Scapemaker, a dream-world high school for young dreamscapers.

Rain's Review: Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer

Invisibility

Synopsis

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth. ~Goodreads

Review 

 This book had some very high standards to live up to. I love David Levithan’s writing style and everything I’ve read of his has been a favorite. But I haven’t ever read an Andrea Cremer. So with that being said here is what I have to say. 
Invisibility is one of the most unique paranormal books I have ever read. If for no other reason than the subject matter that makes is paranormal. I mean an invisible boy? And not just temporarily but like born that way? Yep, I would have picked up this book no matter who wrote it. I put this book on my to-read shelf on Goodreads in February and as I was scouring the web for any information it would give me about Invisibility I checked David Levithan’s Facebook. Omageeze I am so glad I did. I found out the He and Andrea Cremer would be in Seattle the day after Invisibility went live and I totally squealed. Like in the middle of Starbucks. So long story short I went to the signing, made a complete fool of myself (But that's what life is for, right? *crickets chirp*), and got Every Me, Every You and Invisibility signed. WOOT. So now that you know the back story here is the actual review.
This will be an interesting endeavor...
Stephen is a breath of fresh air. I really love the hot swoony guys who make me sigh and blush and all that jazz. But Stephen is different and I really liked him- a lot. And since he has been invisible to everyone since birth he obviously grew up in isolation from the outside world and doesn't know how to make a lick of conversation, right? Wrong! Stephen has spent his life observing human interaction and this has made him a great conversationalist with humor to boot. 
Elizabeth isn't your run of the mill paranormal female lead. Though she does make some mistakes  she isn't an idiotic boy crazy stereotypical chick who when you see your like, “Are you naturally that stupid or do you have to work at it? She has a pricklier side but it just makes her more resilient to the crappy situations the fates enjoy giving her. But he is also protective, caring, a little self conscious, and of course funny.
Invisibility will find its not so invisible place on my shelf. It will stand in all its proud glory and ensnare me again and again in it’s fantastical pages. Made possible by a blog post not meant to be any more than a happy authors daydream. 

~Rain 
~~~
We stop in the middle of the living room. His eyes sweep the space. 
"you've got a box infestation," he says. "I'm afraid it's serious."
 I laugh, heading to the kitchen to grab a knife.When I come back to the living room, Stephen pushes a box towards me. 
"I've found it," he says. "This is the box for us."
"So be it."

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Release Day Launch: Rain's Review; INCEPTION

INCEPTION by TEAL HAVILAND

ABOUT INCEPTION:

The world is in danger. Mankind is sinking deeper into darkness it cannot understand

Demons are easily capturing souls as they lead men and women down dangerous paths from which there is no return, while Javan, one of the Fallen, seeks an ancient book and the power it promises. If he succeeds, humans — and the world as they know it — will be destroyed.

There is someone who is capable of stopping Javan... 

If she discovers him in time.

Gabrielle is one of the most powerful angels ever created, her job one of the most important. She has come to Earth to learn more about humans and what influences them, and to fight evil she sees growing at an alarming rate. She soon finds herself carelessly distracted with one human in particular, however. Lucas Watkins holds a promise of peace and love for Gabrielle that she never believed she could have again.

Caught between her new mortal ties and ancient immortal responsibilities, Gabrielle must race against what seems to be an ever-quickening clock to learn what she needs to know, uncover Javan’s plan, and find a way to stop him and all who live in Shadows.

Join Gabrielle and her allies in a story of love — past and present — fantastical beings, hidden realms, magic, fate, loss, and the fight of good versus evil in, The Reaping Chronicles.

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Alright so any fans of angels and demons do you like shapeshifters, vampires, and other fantastical creatures? If you said yes to any or all of those then pick up a copy of INCEPTION. This book is a whirlwind of questions and confessions, swoons and heart breaks, and rhymes and riddles.

Gabrielle is the Angel of Karma: sounds pretty cool right?well let's just say the job has it perks. Those perks include some kick-butt powers and abilities and a pretty unusual job description. Gabrielle is the type of girl I could really get used to having as a friend. She is smart, funny, loyal, and a great accountability partner ;).

Lucas, Lucas, Lucas; what to say about Lucas? He is a little complicated, and maybe bi-polar. He could be all happy go lucky one second and then all doom and gloom the next. He can be kind of hard to read but I still enjoyed him. I won’t say too much so I don’t ruin any surprises for you, though i think you’ll figure it out on your lonesome :).

The book is really intriguing, it gets a little repetitive but the things that are repeated are important to remember so I can see the need. The book has a very complex plot with many different characters that are important to the story. The chapters flip flop between different POV’s that include Gabrielle, Javan, and  Lucas, among others. This book is a nice length and takes a few days of intense reading to finish, it been awhile since I have come across a nice and long book ;). The book has quite a few steamy scenes and while more-than-kissing actions are suggested or implied that’s all they are. This book stays within it’s YA rating and the boundaries aren't really pushed thankfully. There is a good bit * read a lot * of forbidden love just to warn you. This is a good read with a heckuva cliffhanger, I recommend it to anyone looking for a mystery of fantastical origins with just enough romance.

~Rain

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ABOUT TEAL HAVILAND:

Teal Haviland lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her four-legged friends. She enjoys photography, travel, reading, music, cooking, daydreaming, writing (of course), and above all spending time with her family and friends.

Teal grew up with a love for anything fantastical or outrageous. After years of dreaming of worlds where fairies, angels, demons, and shape shifters (to name a few) exist, she finally decided to begin writing her stories down. Inception, book one in her series The Reaping Chronicles, is her first published novel.

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