Young Adult Giveaway (Int)

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Welcome to my first Giveaway. <- See the capital. It’s a big moment for me and an even bigger moment for people seeing this post. You have the opportunity to win

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Blurb from Amazon
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas’s life.

I love this book, I gave it 5 Black Butterflies so I’m hoping someone else like it. See my review of Anna Dressed in Blood.

It’s International so everyone can enter. Just read my Giveaway Policy. And fill out this form.

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

To gain an extra entry for this book, just answer this question: If you are on a haunting trip so looking for ghosts, what is the one essential thing (or person) you would bring along?

I would bring my Evil Eye necklace otherwise known as The Eye of Ra which is a protection symbol against harm.

Following is not require but it is appreciated and it garners you an extra entry.
Become a follower through Twitter or become my friend on Goodreads or follow by e-mail. Links are on your right. If you follow, let me know please.

I wish you all Good Luck and visit the other blogs so more chances to win wonderful books. Unfortunately,  I have to send you back to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer since I can’t get the linky to work here. Sorry about that. Click above or the image to head back.

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Good luck!

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians # 1
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Pub. Year: 2005
Purchase: Amazon / B & N

Blurb from Amazon:
After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There’s little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus.

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What I will remember: Complex conspiracy in book vs. Better quest in film

I love mythology, especially Greek, so I don’t understand why it took me such a long time to pick up this book especially after enjoying the film.  It was quite an enjoyable read. I’m not sure if I like the film more or the book though.

Riordan had a great variety of Greek mythological creatures infused into the storyline such as Medusa, the Minotaur, furies, satyrs, demi-gods, and so on.  Medusa going after Annabeth because she is the daughter of Athena. Hephaestus trying to catch Ares and Aphrodite in the act again. Multiples myths that explain the relationship between the gods and the monsters were laid out through the book. I believe the foundations of the myths were correct so when you a spider, think of Ariadne.

Let’s talk characters. Percy is the protagonist of the book. He was all right and like most protagonist, everything comes easy to him but he didn’t really let that go to his head. He was still insecure of his abilities and try his best to do the right thing. Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, was bookworm smart and she tries very hard to not let the rivalry between her mother and Percy’s father Poseidon, get in the way of her friendship with Percy. Grover, the satyr, was a good friend, a bit awkward and funny. The Greek gods appear to be true to their nature such as Ares looking for fights when he can.

I love the descriptions of the Underworld and Hades. Sure, Hades was made to look like the villain throughout the book but when Percy sees Hades for the first time, he is the only Greek god that struck him as “godlike.” He has this personality that demands respect and Percy felt that. I didn’t like that he was compare to a terrorist leader but to each his own. I’m really glad that he wasn’t portrayed as such an evil being considering he is not evil. It showed through his concern over how over packed his domain is becoming and the problems that he is facing. He was very human. I like that. Cerberus is such a lovely puppy as well.

I’m really glad that Persephone was not mentioned in the book, other than her Garden. I hated how Persephone and Hades were portrayed in the film. Seriously, the rocker look did not fit them. I pictured them more as having Gothic elements in their life, it’s much more classic for the Underworld couple.

There are certain parts where the movie was much better. The fighting sequences of the film were more intense than in the book. I prefer the quest of gathering the stones instead of the stones just being given to Percy (once again, illustrating how things come easy to him) and the ending of the film was something I enjoyed more than the ending of the book. Everything was unraveled in New York and we knew who stole the master bolt. The conspiracy in the film wasn’t as in-depth as the conspiracy in the book; the conspiracy is much more complex and there are darker forces at work that were never mentioned in the film. I like the complexity of the book ending but I like the intense fighting at the end of the film as well. This probably wouldn’t have been a problem if I had not see the movie first.

The Lightning Thief is getting 5 Black Butterflies because it is using the Greek mythology properly, it was a very entertaining read, portrayed Hades and his domain in a realistic way. More importantly, I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

5 BB- Total Keeper

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8th book in the 150+ Reading Challenge
Also qualifies for: YA Mythology, 1st in a Series, Cupcake War, Where are you reading?-New York

Review: Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

Title: Deadtown
Author: Nancy Holzner
Series: Deadtown # 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Pub. Year: 2009
Purchase: Amazon/ B & N

Blurb from Goodreads:
They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders-but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human

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Thoughts to ponder on: I can eat anything I want if I become a zombie but I have to avoid the sun. So tempting…..

I’m not entirely impressed with Deadtown. It was a good book but it didn’t wow me away. More than likely, I’ll end up picking the second book in the series since I own the third book. Scratch that out, it turns out that I have the third book in a different series. My bad. I will still pick up the second book, Hellforged.

Vicky Vaughn was a strong protagonist throughout the book. She kicks ass, isn’t afraid to break a few laws, and has pretty cool shifting abilities. She doesn’t appear to be as damage as some leading protagonist; she is more scarred from life but not irrevocably damage. She has a complex relationship with her past and her family. A Hellion, a demon called the Destroyer, murdered her father and in some way, she is connected to him. Her sister, Gwen, is playing the Suburban Housewife in order to deny that she is a shifter or that she has any relations to a shifter. Gwen has deep issues with what her bloodline can produce; she self-loathes which is really sad. No one should hate themselves for things out of their control and genetics is one of them. To be a shifter or to not be a shifter is something that drives a wedge between the sisters but for the sake of a family, Vicky and Gwen do try to overcome it.

The love interests, Alex Kane (werewolf lawyer) and Detective Daniel Costello, I suppose, were likable enough. Not sure who to root for but I didn’t really care for them. Both relationship felt tame and not passionate enough.

I loved the setting of Boston and the intricacies of the city. We have vampires, vampire junkies, zombies, shifters, werewolves, and regular humans all in one city. Paranormal Americans don’t have rights in the USA so they are actively fighting for the same rights that normal Americans have. I believe Holzner did a good job in showing the discrimination and the standards of living that Paranormal Americans have. If the series explores the political dimensions of this new world, I may just fall in love with it. Holzner did a fantastic job in letting the world create itself though passing information and dialogue.

OMG, I hated Tina the Zombie. What an annoying character that only served to irritate Vicky and the reader. She pull idiotic stunts that nearly killed Vicky and wasn’t that charming as a character. At least Holzner had an interesting explanation for the existence of zombies which I won’t spoil. Why zombies require large amount of food (since they cannot process it) is still a mystery to me. The sun-avoidance, I totally understand. Zombies are dead so prolong exposure to the sun makes their skin blotchy and rots their body faster. Not the best time to be around a rotting zombie.

Deadtown earns 3.5 black butterflies. Vicky Vaughn is a fantastic protagonist, the setting has great potential to discuss social issues, and there is an eclectic mix of paranormal creatures. The use of Welsh mythology is also interesting. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the “oomph” or that particular excitement that I’m looking for. Its good storytelling but there needs to be more passion. It was very close to 4 butterflies.

3.5-Pretty to look at, maybe capture

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7th book in the 150+ Reading Challenge
Also qualifies for: 1st in a Series, Where are you reading? Boston, Massachusetts

Review: Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Black

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna Dressed in Blood # 1
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Source: Public library
Pub. Year: 2011
Purchase: Amazon/ B & N/

Blurb from Amazon:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas’s life.

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What I will remember: The tragedy of a life cut too short.

OMG, Anna Dressed in Blood blew my mind away. It was such a fantastic read that I was nearly late to class because I did not, did not want to stop reading. I have no idea on how to do a review on a book that I’m still super giddy about.

Let’s talk about Anna. What a fantastic ghost. Very tragic as well. Blake did an excellent job in describing Anna, her clothing, and the physical changes that Anna goes through which turned Anna into a very concrete character. There was a depth to Anna that is rare in a ghost. She knew what she had done, accepted it, was remorseful and was very much alive in her character.  Her origin story is just emotionally gripping; it’s a cringe-worthy moment. You want to turn away but at the same time, you can’t. Amazing storytelling by Blake.

Cassius Lowood is the male narrator of this book. It’s was odd and new to read a book from a male perspective. I usually read from the female mind. With that mind, Cassius was less focused on the romantic aspect of what was going with Anna. He was aware that he was treating Anna differently but at the same time, he didn’t want to acknowledge why until much later in the book. A female protagonist would have immediately acknowledge the connection and be dominate by the connection. It was interesting to have Cas as the lead character. He was a decent guy who reminded me of Dean Winchester of Supernatural. Dean is more of a badass than Sam, in my book, but I like both of them.

The plot was entertaining and the minor characters were interesting. Cas is driven to do his job by a sense of loyalty to his father and in his quest to avenge his father’s death. The creature that killed his father is terrifying in appearance and in power. Thomas as a male witch was a lovable nerd with a crush on the Queen Bee, Carmel, who proved she was more than a pretty face.

I know I only talked about the two main character, Anna and Cas, but it really was a fantastic read. The writing was exceptional and pulls the reader in. I can’t wait for the second book.

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5 BB- Total Keeper

6th book in the 150+ Challenge
Also qualifies for: 1st in A Series, Cupcake Challenge
Where are you reading?-Ontario, Canada

Wishlist Wednesday # 3

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper. It is the place to showcase one book that has been on our wishlist. Click on the image if you feel like joining in on the fun.

On My Wishlist is: Forbidden by Syrie James

Blurb from Amazon:

She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.

Alec Mackenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . .

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

I love the cover. How awesome are those transparent wings. Looks like it’s going to be about angels. Angels are pretty awesome. And who doesn’t love a forbidden love story? If they are done properly, they are amazing.

Review: Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk

Title: Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator
Author: Josh Berk
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: Galley
Source: Netgalley
Pub Year: 2/13/2012
Purchase: Amazon/B&N

I received this book free of charge from Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Guy Langman can’t be bothered with much. But when his friend Anoop wants Guy to join the forensics club with him in the (possibly misguided) hopes of impressing some girls, Guy thinks why not.

They certainly aren’t expecting to find a real dead body on the simulated crime scene they’re assigned to collect evidence from. But after some girlish, undignified screaming, the two realize it is indeed a body. Which means they have stumbled across a real, dead murder victim.

Meanwhile, Guy has been looking into the past of his father—a larger-than-life character who recently passed away. He was much older than Guy’s mom, and had a whole past Guy never even knew about. Could his father’s past and the dead body be linked? Does Guy want to know? He’s going to need all his newfound forensics skills to find out . . .

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I really wanted to read this book. I love CSI and forensic science so the title alone capture me. That being said, it was just a little disappointing to read. Honestly, when I read “dead body” and his father’s past, I thought they were going to be tightly connected. Instead, everything in the book is loosely connected.

Guy Langman is the main character and I’m not liking Guy at all. He has no ambition and is very superficial. He likes Rachel, the pretty girl, only because she is beautiful in his eyes yet I really can’t picture her. He judges Maurice based on her clothing. She is dressing up in black and immediately says she is trying too hard and no one buys into her new gothic look because she is too chipper at times. To me, that is WTF. Just because a person is gothic, doesn’t mean a person can’t be happy; goths are not depressing people, they may enjoyed the morbid aspects of life though. Abby from NCIS is a very happy goth and no one questions whether she is goth or not. She is. Guy grew on me after 150 pages of reading. He became funny and more relatable but still, not the guy for me.

The minor characters are the ones I’m more interested such as Maurice and TK who is constantly doing research. On what? No one really knows but he is doing research. He is just an eccentric guy. Anoop is the best friend of Guy, not a real interesting character. Hairston Danforth III, I felt so bad for him being treated so badly by people. I would have like to know about him but what little I know is enough to captivate me. Jacques Langman, the half-brother of Guy, is someone I wonder if Guy will keep contact with. There was a huge fuss made about him and yet when the truth is revealed, it’s a letdown and kind of sad. I wish he had a bigger role in the book.

WHERE IS MY DEAD BODY? The blurb of this book promised me a dead body during an excursion and it’s not here. Wait, I finally have my dead body on page 139 (Divide 139 by 228 pages, makes it 61 %). At  61% of  the book, it’s really late for a dead body to drop. (And this alone drops the book 1 whole butterfly, normally, it’s always half a butterfly that I drop but not this time)

The book is divided into two parts- 1) The Forensic Squad and Guy dealing with his father’s death and 2) Murder and missing treasure coins. To me, there are not jiving together but I guess they do go together by very thin lines. What I did like was the burning of the book Guy was writing. The book seemed more in touch with what Guy was feeling and more connective to him. It was a nice touch to end up burning it for his father.

Not much I can tell you about it. There is a lot of Mom jokes ( that’s not what your mom said last night or that’s what your mom said), boobs, boners, and really horrible jokes that have be explained so they are no longer funny. Guy is sarcastic and he does grow on you (if you don’t like him at first).

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3 BB-Pretty to look at

5th book in the 150+ Reading Challenge
Also qualifies for: E-Book, Cupcake War, Where are you reading?-New Jersey

Wishlist Wednesday # 2

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper. It is the place to showcase one book that has been on our wishlist. Click on the image if you feel like joining in on the fun.

On My Wishlist is: Harbringer by Sara Wilson Etienne

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her – and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

I love the cover. The blindfold is really intriguing me. Plus, it is a really nice shade of red. The blurb from Amazon makes it sound really interesting. I want to know what the nightmares are about and why is she having them. I imagine it would be creepy to fall asleep in a bed and then wake up in the floor with red-stained hands. I would freak out.

Review: Wandering Stars by Marlon Pierre-Antoine

Title: Wandering Stars
Author: Marlon Pierre-Antoine
Series: Wandering Stars # 1
Genres: Paranormal Fantasy, Angel
Source:Experience Tour
Format: E-book
Pub. Year Sep. 11, 2o11
Purchase: Only in Amazon
I received this book from The Experience Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb from Amazon:
Alice Valdez is a normal seventeen year old girl living a mundane post high school life that consists of work, sleep, hanging out, and more work – but it all changes when a chance encounter on the beach one night leads to a series of haunting dreams that bring her face to face with the most ancient evil the Universe has ever known. What do you do when the man you care for is none other than the Devil himself? Wandering Stars follows one girl’s journey into the arms of darkness and into Hell itself – all in the name of love.

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Thoughts to ponder on: Lucifer is interesting but he needs help choosing a soul mate.

Anything that has to do with the fall of Lucifer or Lucifer himself, I find intriguing. I suppose it has to do with seeing The Prophecy and having a crush on Viggo Mortensen and Eric Stolz. I really couldn’t pass this book up since it is a story about someone falling in love with Lucifer. I strongly wanted to read a story where Lucifer was a compelling character.

Let’s talk characters. I hated Alice who happens to be the protagonist. She is a very weak female in her world but is very brave to cross Hell to reach Lucas (Lucifer). Lucas is Lucifer and very beautiful; a sympathetic character truly. Evelyn is the Goth girl who happens to be Alice’s best friend. Leo is a linguist nerd who could have been developed more but I’m pretty certain that he is going to have a major role in the second book. Leo is definitely a character that I want to learn more about and see in action. Astaroth is a demon and I thought she was pretty awesome. There is nothing wrong with a demon with an attitude, after all, she is a demon. Overall, I really like most of the characters.

(This paragraph is the only negative thing, the rest of the book was positive)
As I said, I absolutely hated Alice as the main character. This is going to sound cruel but she reminded of Bella of Twilight. I happen to be a strong anti-Twilight individual so for me to use a Twilight reference, it’s low.  Sure, I didn’t like her because I couldn’t picture her but one particular scene cemented by view of her. In the car scene, Pierre-Antoine has Alice compares herself to the car. She was ordinary and plain just like the beat up car she owns before meeting Lucas. After meeting Lucas, she views herself as special. Alice has done what I absolutely hate in any protagonist; she has define herself by her significant other. Alice firmly believes that she has no value unless she in a relationship with a man, not just any man but it has to be Lucas. No one else. To make matters worse, Alice’s self-reflection reveals that she has always wanted something more than her ordinary life but she never went after it. Now, she doesn’t have to since being with Lucas provides that special feeling she so desire before.  Urgh, Alice kill me now. (End of negativity)

If we forget Alice is a part of the book (and I will in order to rate the book), it’s actually a pretty good book worthy of four stars. Pierre-Antoine’s description are right on the mark. We can visualize the world he has created. I love his description of Hell (Being Persephone, I have a fondness for it). He goes through the nine levels of Hell quite dramatically and added Greek elements to Hell. Charon, Cerberus (lovely puppy) and two of the four rivers of Hades, Acheron and Styx, are mentioned there. Another great scene was second ocean incident with Lucas and Alice. It was well-detailed and well-captured in terms of the emotions that Alice felt; fear and love.

The Hell aspect of Wandering Stars is amazing and one of the best parts of this book. Not only do we see the complexity of Hell with each level being assigned a particular sin (Thank you Dante) but there is a forest of forgetfulness where Alice is actually challenged. Alice going through Hell is what made her a strong character. It is hard to cross Hell. I still felt she was doing the journey for the wrong reasons but I’m not going to diminished this amazing feat she accomplished by successfully reaching Lucas at the heart of Hell.

The point of view where Lucas narrated the story are the chapters I enjoyed reading the most. There was a coldness in Lucas that was not apparent through Alice’s eyes. His tale has always been tragic but adding the three failed love stories just make Lucas a more sympathetic character. Not because the romance fizzled but because Lucas willingly let one go of one his conquests. That particular romance was bittersweet. If Lucas is being honest, it adds more dimension to his character because he isn’t just about taking God down by conquering the world, there is some compassion in him that didn’t allow him to use her. Lucas is a complex Lucifer.

It earns 4 butterflies because it is a good story. Pierre-Antoine hardly ever hits a snag when it comes to the imagery he is creating. The journey through Hell is quite magnificent. Lucas as Lucifer has more dimensions and complexity than his love interest, Alice. If Alice had just attempted to try to move on with her life, I would have given this book a 5. I’m not saying she had to succeed in moving on, she just had to try. Keyword: try.

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4 BB-Ready for capture

This doesn’t subtract from the rating but there are some issues with the Kindle format. Some paragraphs are broken off right in the middle of a sentence so it was awkward but it only happen three times.

4th book in the 150+ Challenge
Also qualifies for: 1st in a series, E-book, Cupcake War, Where are you reading?-Daytona Beach, Florida

Once again, I received this book free of charge from The Experience Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Title: Hollowland
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Hollows # 1
Genre:  Zombies, Apocalypse
Source:  Smashwords
Format: E-book
Pub. Year: Dec. 7, 2010
Purchase: Amazon/ B&N/Smashwords
I receive this book free of charge of Smashwords. in exchange for an honest review. It is still available free of charge. Just click on any of the purchase links.

Blurb from Amazon:
“This is the way the world ends – not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door.”

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way – not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

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Thoughts to ponder on: The effective use of combat boots

I love zombies movies, I don’t find zombies sexy like I do vampires but I love watching zombies movies on TV. This is my first reading of zombies in literature and I have to say as good as it was, it definitely reminded me of a SyFy movie with its campiness and predictable nature except for that twist of an ending.

Remy, the main character, is a kick-ass heroine and doesn’t shy away from the goriness of killing zombies. She’s a very hard person because she does leave the infected behind but she’s also willing to come back for them if they are in a danger so that makes a her a great leader. Hocking created a heroine that sticks to who she is all the way through the book, not even a love interest keeps her from completing her goal of finding her brother.

I liked the majority of the cast. Blue as the group’s doctor, Lazlo’s as Remy’s love interest, and Harlow as the friend of Remy. They all seemed one-dimensional at first but eventually (some) become three-dimensional. For example,  Harlow as a 13 year old was immature and wanted the comforts of life in this zombie-infected world. Throughout the book, she gradually realizes that life is not going to be what it was before the infection and gradually adapts to it. I feel that Harlow and Lazlo’s character are the one who grew up the most in one book.

Maybe I watched way too many zombies movies that lead me to predict most of the book. Let me tell you what I did not predict. The Lion (oh, I love that zombie-killing lion)  and the ending (ohh, twisty and I already bought the second book). The lion and  her fascination with eating zombies is something I don’t understand but I can live it. I’m totally not ruining the ending for you but it is good.

What did I predict? The casino in Las Vegas; the cult in Las Vegas, a mercenary band, the military, Remy’s infection and her brother’s immunity (this is not spoiler, it is pretty much given away in the first couple of pages and if it is, I’m so sorry I ruined it for you).  After Remy and her crew are rescued by the military police in Idaho, that’s where  I sort of  lost my mojo in predicting where this book was heading.

This book is getting 4.5 stars because it was a fun read and it was very entertaining. Like a good zombie movie, it has very creative ways of killing zombies and there is always someone with immunity. Remy is a great heroine who is really admirable and I hope to be when zombie apocalypse happens.

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4.5 BB-Ready for capture, Total keeper

3rd  book in the 150+ Challenge
Also qualifies for: Self Published, Dystopia, Science Fiction, 1st in A Series, E-Book, Zombie, Cupcake War, Why Buy The Cow? and Where are you reading?- Las Vegas

Review: Trouble Brewing by Edward Winslow

Title: Trouble Brewing
Author: Edward Winslow
Series: Standalone
Genre: Crime Novel, Comedy
Source: Amazon
Format: E-book
Pub. Year: 2011
Purchase: Amazon/ B&N/ Smashwords
I received this book free of charge from Amazon in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb from Amazon:
Dave’s no superhero, even if he does have a very unusual talent. But when a major New Zealand crime lord comes looking for two million dollars that Dave’s wife embezzled, he needs to learn to act like one.

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Cover Love: When I first saw the cover of Trouble Brewing, I was positive it was going to be about coffee. Lol, I was way off. It’s TEA.

This was such a refreshing read because as serious as it could be, it was a really lighthearted story. Dave is the protagonist and he really doesn’t have much of a backbone but he does grows into it later in the book. Dave is just down on his luck and appears to be a really miserable man because of his current situation. He works at a job he hates and not only did his wife, Belinda, pulled a Ponzi scheme but the people she ripped off are looking for their money back. They want it from Belinda or Dave one way or another.

I really like the supporting characters. Jean was hilarious with his flamboyant personality. Liza was rough around the edges but she was really cool. She completely decided to help out Dave and all he did for her was helped  her gather her stuff from her ex-girlfriend’s place.  She was somewhat of a selfless character and the brains of the operation to gain two million dollars. The plan is to steal a diamond necklace worth that much money. (I would have never about that, I think I would have rob a casino or  a bank. Where else am I going to get two million dollars). The way he robs the necklace is pretty sweet.

I thought the  power to heat up and cool down tea as a power was a little lame that it was funny. “I’m a superhero but I can only work with tea.” Umm, okay. Winslow showed that Dave could be badass using tea only, he totally prove that controlling tea is not a lame power but very useful.

My one problem with this book is the second diamond heist. The first diamond heist is committed by Dave in order to pay off the two million dollars. The second diamond heist is committed by Dave (again) because he doesn’t want Crowley to use the diamond he (Dave) stole to seal a deal with another major criminal.  For a guy with no backbone, he is sure hell bent on retrieving that diamond. I’ll suspend disbelief in this area for now but man, it’s a 180 degrees from the weakling Dave was.

Overall, it was a funny contemporary story about a guy who uses his tea heating ability to steal a diamond necklace.

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4.5 BB-Ready for capture, Total keeper

2nd book in150+ Reading Challenge

Qualifies for Why Buy The Cow?, Self-published, E-book and Where Are You Reading? -New Zealand