Cease & Desist

Cease & Desist by Stephen David Hurley (2016)
-eARC Review-

Cease and Desist

YA/NA Fiction | Contemporary | Thriller | Supernatural
3.5 Stars
Blurb:

“What if the secret to being charismatic were actually a gene you could inherit, and pass along to your children. What if this “X-factor” could make you a star? Welcome to the world of Cease de Menich, a sixteen-year-old actress in New York City who gets cast as Joan-of-Arc in a reality-drama, only to discover her “acting gift” has been passed down through her bloodline for almost six-hundred-years. Cease finds the plot of the drama reveals dark secrets from her past–an abusive mother, a brother who committed suicide–and the reader must decide if she’s a reliable narrator or a terrified girl who’s succumb to the pressure of fame and the abuse of her past.  Continue reading

A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (2011)

A Monster Calls

Everybody Fiction | Contemporary | Paranormal
5 stars
Blurb:

“The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.”
Goodreads  Continue reading

Toward a Secret Sky

Toward a Secret Sky (Toward a Secret Sky #1) by Heather Maclean (2017)
-eARC Review-

Toward a Secret Sky

YA Fiction | Paranormal | Romance
3.5 Stars
Blurb:

Toward a Secret Sky by New York Times bestselling author Heather Maclean is a new breed of YA novel: an intelligent adventure-quest crossed with a sweeping, forbidden love story. A mix of reality and possibility, this fast-paced thriller will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown as it leads the reader on a breathless flight through the highlands of Scotland, the secret city under London, and history itself.  Continue reading

Quanta Reset

Quanta Reset (The Shadow Ravens #3) by Lola Dodge (2016)
-eARC Review-

Quanta Reset

NA Fiction | Sci-Fi
4 Stars
Blurb:

“Quanta has escaped her laboratory prison, but that’s where the good news ends.

Life at the Shadow Ravens’ compound is a disaster. She’s drowning in visions of the dark pasts and darker futures of her fellow Ravens and is plagued by her own panic-inducing memories, but Lady Eva still expects her to “train” and “participate in missions.” Plus, the food tastes like burnt plastic.  Continue reading

Ferran’s Map

Ferran’s Map (The Cat’s Eye Chronicles #4) by T.L. Shreffler (2015)

Ferran's Map

YA Fiction | Dark Fantasy
3.5 Stars
Blurb:

“The bloodmage Volcrian is dead, but a new enemy lurks in the shadows. The Shade, a fanatical cult of demonic assassins, is trying to resurrect the Dark God and unleash His power back into the world. In their wake, a deadly plague is spreading across the land.  Continue reading

Viper’s Creed

Viper’s Creed (The Cat’s Eye Chronicles #2) by T.L. Shreffler (2012)

Viper's Creed

YA Fiction | Dark Fantasy
4 Stars
Blurb:

“Sora is having visions. Strange, terrifying visions brought on by her Cat’s Eye necklace, an ancient and magical device. Spurred to action, she leaves her mother’s cabin to find Crash, the mysterious assassin who once changed her life. She is certain that together, they can discover what the necklace is trying to tell her.

Crash is still on the run from the dark sorcerer, Volcrian, but now a plague is spreading across the land. Volcrian’s quest for vengeance has awakened something far more evil than himself; a force that could destroy the entire kingdom. Together, he and Sora must harness the power of the Cat’s Eye and kill the sorcerer before it’s too late….”
Goodreads 
Continue reading

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 & 2 (Harry Potter #8) by J.K.Rowling (2016)
Cursed Child

Theatre | Fantasy
3 Stars
Blurb:

“It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. Continue reading

The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (2012)

The Casual Vacancy

Fiction | Contemporary3 StarsBlurb:

“A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN…

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.  Continue reading

The Walls Around Us

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma (2015)

The Walls Around Us
YA Fiction | Paranormal Mystery | Psychological Thriller
4 Stars
Blurb:

“On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom.  Continue reading

The Ones

The Ones (The Ones #1) by Daniel Sweren-Becker (2016)
-eARC Review-

The Ones
YA Fiction | Sci-Fi
3.5 Stars
Blurb:

“Cody has always been proud of being a One. She and her boyfriend James were two of the lucky babies from the 1% of the U.S. population that were randomly selected to benefit from genetic engineering. Now, she and the rest of The Ones are excelling. They are healthy, beautiful, and talented. They aren’t otherworldly, just perfect. And to some, that’s not fair. The Equality Movement, capitalizing on the growing fear and jealousy, gains political traction and actually outlaws their existence. Society shows its darker side as The Ones are marginalized. The line between right and wrong blurs in the face of injustice and Cody becomes closer to a group of radical Ones intent on fighting back. James begins to fear just how far she is willing to go for the cause.”
Goodreads

Expected Publication Date: September 6, 2016  Continue reading