Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

27 Days to Midnight – Blog Tour and Book Review

27 days to midnight TOUR banner

Click on the tour banner above to see the list of the other great blogs that are featuring 27 Days to Midnight on this tour!

27 Days to Midnight - Book Review

 

Summary:

Everyone in Dahlia’s world knows when they’re going to die. Except her.

Her father has never shown her the pocket watch counting down the days she has left to live. When he sacrifices himself to save her from her scheduled death, Dahlia abandons her comfortable home and sets off after his murderer to uncover the secrets her father died to protect…and the time research that could bring him back to life.

Then she meets Farren Reed. She should hate him. He’s an enemy soldier, a cowardly deserter, and the most insufferable man Dahlia’s ever met. Still, she needs all the help she can get, and Farren is the only chance she has to find the man who murdered her father. But Farren has only twenty-seven days left on his watch.

In that time, Dahlia must recover her father’s time research, foil a psychotic general’s plot, and learn to survive in a world that will never be the same. But the research holds secrets more dangerous than she had ever imagined. She will have to choose what is most important: revenge, Farren’s life, or her own. And time is running out.

Add to Goodreads
Review:

This was the first steampunk novel that I have ever read, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it quite a bit. I found the integration of mechanical objects into people’s lives to be a very interesting concept.

At first, this novel reminded me of the movie In Time, where people have a certain amount of time left to live, imprinted on their arm, and time is used as currency. The idea that you are given a watch with the amount of time that you have left to live is absolutely terrifying to me. I mean who wants to live their lives with that information just dangling over their heads? Kind of makes living not really worth it, if you know when exactly you will die.

Dahlia, our protagonist, is a very determined girl. On her 18th birthday, her father gives her access to her watch, only he knows that she will soon die, as the time on her watch is almost out. He sacrifices himself for her by transferring time from his watch to hers through an experimental process, and dies in the process. Dahlia is devastated, and once she learns of her father’s research into resurrection of people whose time has run out, she is determined to bring her father back to life.

It was interesting to see how some of the main characters acted in regards to their watches and knowing just how much time they have left. Farren knows that he has less that a month to live, and isn’t coping well with that information, so he turns to alcohol to numb himself. He is obsessed with the short amount of time he has left, and is constantly checking his with even though he knows exactly what it says. Then you have the bounty hunter couple, Tiberius and Keet, whose attitudes about the time on their watches is completely the opposite. They don’t want to know how much time is left because they want to enjoy every moment they have in the now.

This book was really enjoyable because it made me think about how people—and especially young people—are constantly living their lives waiting for the next big thing to happen. Waiting to go to high school, waiting to turn 18, waiting to graduate high school, waiting to become an adult. As someone who has lived most of my life in constant anticipation of things in the future, I have realized just how important to appreciate the now. Life is too short to just wish it away.

I give 27 Days to Midnight 4/5 stars. You can purchase it from Amazon by clicking on the book’s cover image below:

Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

The Sound of Us – Blog Tour and Book Review

The Sound of Us Tour Banner

Click on the tour banner above to see the list of the other great blogs that have featured The Sound of Us on this tour!

The Sound of Us - Book Review

Summary:

Kiki Nichols might not survive music camp.

She’s put her TV-loving, nerdy self aside for one summer to prove she’s got what it takes: she can be cool enough to make friends, she can earn that music scholarship, and she can get into Krause University’s music program.

Except camp has rigid conduct rules—which means her thrilling late-night jam session with the hot drummer can’t happen again, even though they love all the same TV shows, and fifteen minutes making music with him meant more than every aria she’s ever sung.

But when someone starts snitching on rule breakers and getting them kicked out, music camp turns into survival of the fittest. If Kiki’s going to get that scholarship, her chance to make true friends—and her chance with the drummer guy—might cost her the future she wants more than anything.

Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. Seeing as though I love Pitch Perfect, and this book was described as Pitch Perfect meets opera camp, I knew I had to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed.

I related a lot to the main character, Kiki. She has a great love (or obsession, whichever you prefer) with television and movies. She constantly has these things on her mind, which is something that I do often. She also has difficulties making friends with people, which is something that I unfortunately relate to. It’s not that Kiki doesn’t want friends, it’s just that she doesn’t know how to maintain her friendships. It probably doesn’t help that her best friend is a two-timing backstabber.

The entire time I was reading this book, I was rooting for Kiki and Jack to get together, despite Kiki’s reservations. I have to give Kiki serious props though for sticking to what she believes in, and dedicating herself to her singing, despite the serious distraction by a hottie! That takes some serious self control and determination.

I give The Sound of Us 4/5 stars. You can purchase it from Amazon by clicking on the book’s cover image below:

Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

The Midnight Society – Blog Tour and Book Review

Midnight Society tour banner

Click on the tour banner above to see the list of the other great blogs featuring The Midnight Society on this tour!

The Midnight Society - Book Review

Summary:

Witness protection has a protocol for dealing with every situation—except magic.

Fifteen-year-old Cate’s life has been monitored since her new identity was created five years ago. She’s spent countless hours learning how to deal with potential threats and dangerous situations. None of which is any use when everyone around her is suddenly frozen like statues at the bus stop.

As Cate attempts to make sense of the frightening scene, a mysterious group of teenagers appear out of thin air. They are intrigued she’s not affected, but focus on completing their deadly mission, using baffling powers before they vanish again.

When the group seeks her out the next day, Cate is drawn into a world filled with sorcery and time travel. After she accidentally brings a cheerleader back from the dead, her incredible powers are revealed. Cate is shocked to discover she has a pivotal role to play in a centuries-old battle between two mortal enemies which threatens to destroy her entire world.

With the distinction between good and evil blurred, she’s faced with the excruciating choice of which side to join. Cate can save her family or protect thousands of people from death. She can’t do both. Will she risk destroying innocent lives to save the ones she loves?

Review:

I must admit, I was a bit hesitant to start reading this book because time travel always confuses me, whether it is in print or in visual media. If it is not done well, I will not enjoy it and that can be rather upsetting when all other elements are fantastic. That was not the case with this book, at all.

The way that time travel was handled in The Midnight Society was perhaps the best way I have EVER seen it done. Not once did I find myself going back and wondering if an event had happened in the past, present, or future, which I was very impressed with. Kudos to you, Rhonda Sermon; that’s practically impossible for me.

I loved how fast-paced this book was. It kept me wanting more, needing to know what would happen next. The characters were all interesting and very well written. The relationships between every character were all so different indwell thought out. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book, given my typical feelings and confusion towards time travel.

I give The Midnight Society 4/5 stars. You can purchase it from Amazon by clicking on the book’s cover image below:

Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

Game of Fear – Blog Tour and Book Review

Game of Fear tour banner

Click on the tour banner above to see the list of the other great blogs featuring Game of Fear on this tour!

Game of Fear - Book Review

Summary:

Sometimes, good girls do very bad things…

Academic overachiever and popular good girl Abbie Cooper is used to being in control, and strives to keep it that way. As senior year at her elite New England private school kicks off, she’s focused on one goal: getting into the Ivy League. But even good girls have dark secrets. One morning, Abbie discovers a cryptic note in her locker, (“I know what you did, hypocrite! Justice will be served, The Avenger.”) Then a photo arrives in the mail. It captures in great detail the explosive secret she’s kept hidden from everyone—the shocking blunder that could get her expelled from Saint Matthews Academy, and keep her out of the Ivy League for good.

Determined to protect her future and the people she loves, Abbie is drawn into a diabolical game of blackmail, cyber spying, and deception. For $50,000, the mystery girl known as The Avenger assures Abbie that her secret will remain safe. There’s only one problem: The Avenger may not exist at all. So who’s stalking Abbie with anonymous text messages that disappear after they’ve been read? Who’s out to ruin her and why? To uncover the horrifying truth, Abbie must play the game, all the way to its stunning conclusion.

Review:

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time that I was reading this book. I kept trying to figure out who was behind the mysterious messages that Abbie was receiving, but could not for the life of me figure it out. Which is exactly the way that I like books like this to go. I can’t stand when the outcome of a book is so predictable, so to be able to go through the entire thing without being able to decipher who the culprit was is something that I loved about this book. That being said, there were some clues throughout that I noticed in hindsight, but they were subtle.

I feel as though this book was warning me to always be conscientious of what I am doing and who is around because not only do you never know who your actions will affect, but you also never know when your actions will come back to bite you in the ass. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that Abbie learns the hard way.

This book was pretty swoon-worthy (hello, Christian!) and was a pretty fast read for me. I’m actually rather excited that there will be a sequel to this book, as I’m not quite ready to give these characters up just yet. I give this book 4/5 stars. You can order Game of Fear by clicking on the image below:

Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

Lantern – Blog Tour and Book Review

Lantern tour banner

Click on the tour banner above to see the list of the other great blogs featuring Lantern on this tour!

Lantern - Blog Tour and Book Review

Summary:

Five days before Halloween, all sixteen-year-old Tori has on her mind is vacationing with her family and scoring lots of candy. Her grandmother’s estate, with its Gothic spires and trails that lead out to the woods, holds an unexpected secret: a lantern that lights up for Tori and nobody else. Certain that it’s a ghost or a prank, she investigates further and discovers a mysterious life that shines in the darkness.

Review:

This book was such a fun, quick read with such an interesting premise. Tori and her family are visiting her grandmother’s massive plantation home during the week leading up to Halloween. One evening, Tori decides to go out for a walk around the property, and discovers a lantern that seems to respond to her speaking to it by flickering between bright and dim. When Tori brings the lantern up to her parents, they want her to drop the subject and stop going out to see the lantern at night. But Tori’s grandmother helps her to sneak out of the house to unravel the mystery of the lantern.

Without giving away any spoilers, this book told a beautiful story about how being whole as a person isn’t just about having a body with all of its’ parts, but that being whole is also about loving and being loved by others. For being such a quick read, this book had quite a lot to say.

I give this book 4/5 stars. Lantern is free, and you can order it from Amazon’s Kindle store by clicking on the image below:

Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

Moorigad: Complete Age of the Hybrid Series – Blog Tour and Book Review

Moorigad tour banner

Click on the tour banner above to see the list of the other great blogs featuring Moorigad on this tour!

Moorigad - Book Review

Plot:

When Kyra, the Moorigad dragon-shifter, unwittingly finds herself at Mystic’s Carnival, a supernatural world between realms, she believes her runaway days are finished. Amidst the carnies and never-ending magic, she finds a home of the heart—friends and belonging among a gathering of paranormal beings. However, living an uncomplicated life was never one of Kyra’s strengths.

She’s falling for her all-too-secretive best friend, Sebastian. And as she delves deeper into his mysteries, her goodwill sabotages their future and her very existence.

Review:

I was initially so intrigued by the concept of the magical carnival that this book revolves around. It was something that seemed so interesting and unique and different from anything else I’ve read before. Mystic’s Carnival has a mind of its own, and the way that Kyra entered the carnival, by accidentally falling through a mural painting of a carnival, was the coolest thing.

One of my favorite things about reading this was how it wasn’t predictable like so many books are these days; the plot was full of twists and turns. The way that the characters were written kept me wanting more as I worked my way through the book. This was different than any other fantasy book I have read, which was refreshing and new.

I had a bit of trouble keeping up with this book and everything that was happening. I don’t know if it was just because I was being immersed into an entirely new fantasy world or if it was the way it was written, but I constantly found myself wondering what had just happened. That being said, this sometimes happens when I read fantasy books, so it isn’t out of the normal for me.

I give this collection of books 3/5 stars. You can order Moorigad: The Complete Age of the Hybrid series by clicking on the image below:

464cf-yabounktourbutton

Categories
Blog Tours Book Reviews

The Cave – Blog Tour and Book Review

The Cave Book Tour

Click on the tour banner above to check out the other awesome blogs reviewing this book!

The Cave - Blog Tour and Book Review

Plot:

When a nuclear war devastates the U.S., a four-day excursion quickly turns into a fight for survival in The Cave. Six Stanford students journey into one of the deepest and longest caves in North America. A day into their journey, a nuclear war begins from within the U.S. Unable to return to the surface, and unsure what they will find when they do, the Cave will test the strength and survival of each person differently – transforming six individuals into a team, and ultimately…a family.

Review:

The suspense in this book had me hooked from the beginning, and kept me reading all the way through the end. Not only did I find myself wanting to know what was going to happen to the characters, but I needed to know. I couldn’t stop reading until I knew how the book ended.

A group of six college students plans an expedition into the Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. They come from all different backgrounds and each have unique majors in college that don’t necessarily have anything to do with their desires to go on this trip. The trip is only set to last for four days, but after a nuclear war breaks out above ground after the first day of their trip, the group forced to stay underground to avoid exposure to nuclear radiation.

The group then has to figure out a way to survive for a month with very limited supplies, and have to constantly hike throughout the caves to find supply boxes and natural streams to survive off of while they wait out their time. And with more hiking comes a lot of accidents and injuries that only slow the group down more and more. By the time that they need to head to the surface, they are in need of some help from outside help, if there is any.

The only thing that bothered me with this book was the way that it ended in a sort of cliffhanger, and only because I wanted to keep on reading about the fate of the students once they reach the surface. That being said, I am most definitely going to have to get my hands on the next book because I must know how this story goes.

To purchase The Cave, either click on the book’s cover image above or click HERE.

There is also a giveaway going on with this book tour for a $25 Amazon gift card. to enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js