Review: Chloe Doe by Suzanne Marie Phillips

Title: Chloe Doe
Author: Suzanne Marie Phillips
Pages: 208
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: I'm still two girls living inside one skin...
My soft center is the Chloe I was born to be;
the outer shell, as thick as armor, is the girl
I was forced to become.The place they send seventeen-year-old Chloe Doe is better than where she was. Better than the streets, or so she's told. The Madeline Parker Institute for Girls is the place that can change her-- that is, if she can let go of the past that has nearly destroyed her. 
Inspiring in her ability to overcome, Chloe Doe is poised to show the power of perseverance and, above all, hope.Review: I grabbed this book to read off of my shelf because I was looking for something short and fast, boy did I pick right haha. The main reason I bought this book was because the cover intrigued me, and then so did the summary. This is a sad, yet inspiring story of a girl overcoming a bad childhood and a tragedy. I really enjoyed this book because it felt real and I think that a lot of people could relate to it. I did read a few reviews of people saying the subject matter was too graphic, I disagree. I felt like the actions were only assumed not gone into great detail about. We know what happened but without going in depth.
I really think that Chloe was a strong character. She had her childhood stolen, and then was saved I guess you could say. She was trying to, not start over, but to overcome what she had gone through. Chloe showed a tremendous amount of growth. 
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for a fluffy read because that is not this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

About this author

Suzanne Marie Phillips is the author of 3 critically-acclaimed novels for young adults, as well as the adult thriller, I Will Come for You.

Review: Clean by Amy Reed

Title: Clean
Author: Amy Reed
Pages: 304
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Summary: You’re probably wondering how I ended up here. I’m still wondering the same thing.
Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They’re addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they’ll all have to deal with themselves—and one another—if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there’s nowhere to go but down, down, down.
Review: I have had this book sitting on my shelf for awhile, actually ever since I read Beautiful because I loved it as well. I really love the cover of this book. I also love Amy Reed's writing and in Clean she takes it up a notch writing from five different points of view, two of which are male. Books about addiction are some of my favourites; whether fiction or not, they are so gritty and raw and this one was also full of angst. I only put this book down to sleep. It was fast, easy and interesting read.
I fell in love with all five of these characters and also some of the secondary characters as well. I liked that you could feel the characters growth. I just want more. I need to know more about their stories and where they are now. Each character touched my heart.
This was quite the ride to be on. There were ups and downs, happiness and sorrow. I loved it all. I would recommend this book to those who love to read about addictions.

About this author

Amy Reed was born and raised in and around Seattle, where she attended a total of eight schools by the time she was eighteen. Constant moving taught her to be restless and being an only child made her imagination do funny things. After a brief stint at Reed College (no relation), she moved to San Francisco and spent the next several years serving coffee and getting into trouble. She eventually graduated from film school, promptly decided she wanted nothing to do with filmmaking, returned to her original and impractical love of writing, and earned her MFA from New College of California. Her short work has been published in journals such as Kitchen Sink, Contrary, and Fiction. Amy currently lives in Oakland with her husband and two cats, and has accepted that Northern California has replaced the Pacific Northwest as her home. She is no longer restless. Find out more at amyreedfiction.com.

BEAUTIFUL is her first novel.

Review: Wizdom and Pandora The Quest for the Blood Jewel by K.M. Woodard

Title: Pandora and Wizdom: The Quest for the Blood Jewel
Author: K.M. Woodard
Pages: 306
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Wizdom didn t know dragons really existed. He s never ridden a white woolly mammoth or flown on a griffin. He s never known a real king or a princess or been friends with a goblin. Wizdom s never seen elves that glow blue all the time. All he s ever known are his adoptive mother and his aunt Kayden.  One day he finds himself in a secret world, face to face with dragons and fire monsters. He meets an interesting girl, Pandora, who he learns is no ordinary girl, just as he is no ordinary boy. Wizdom soon finds himself on a magical journey full of secrets, sorcery, danger and evil. He fights many fierce battles and faces certain death as his quest leads him on an adventure like never before as he discovers his true identity or does he?  In blending adventure with emotional growth YA readers will delight in both the wit and gravity displayed by the two protagonists. The packed plot, myriad characters and classic fantasy tropes will keep younger readers engaged and inspired Kirkus Reviews Review: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This was a quick and easy read for me, not only because it was a middle grade novel, but because it was a great story to get lost in. My only concern was that it is very similar to Harry Potter, except these kids go on an epic journey. Also I found a few parts to be a bit jumpy, but otherwise it made for an interesting read.  I did like all of the characters, and there were a lot of them. Sometimes I did forget who was who. But I am excited to watch Wizdom and Pandora grow up. I'm also excited to see what other adventures they will go on. This was a great middle grade fantasy. The world that KM Woodard created is very detailed and easy to navigate. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy the Harry Potter series. 

From Gods by Mary Ting Review & Giveaway

I met author Mary Ting at UtopYA 2014 and she is one of the loveliest people I have ever met.  I knew I wanted to read all her books, but decided to read From Gods since Justine suggested we do a group read. I am so glad we chose it because I absolutely loved it.  Mary has kindly offered a giveaway, so check out From Gods and make sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.  Thank you Mary for your hard work as an author and your kind heart.

From Gods by Mary Ting

Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day? It’s not from Mother Nature. It is most likely from Mason Grand, swoon-worthy demigod, one of Zeus’s descendants. 

Skylar Rome is supposed to be having the best summer ever before she heads off to college. Little did she know, her whole life was about to change while visiting her cousin. Nearly drowning at the beach due to unknown forces, one of the Grand brothers she’d just met, Mason, saves her life. Cool, collected, mysterious, and dangerously good-looking, Skylar is drawn to him from the start. Though she knows he is the type of guy good girls stayed away from, it seems he is always saving her life, and the attraction was inevitable.

Upon meeting the brothers, strange things begin to happen. When she accidentally kills one of the brothers, it throws her life into turmoil, as they search to find the answers. Implausibly, she gets caught up in a world of the decedents of ancient gods, all who have super powers. Not only is her discovery difficult to accept, evil beings are after her. Running out of time and running for her life, she must unravel a mystery. What do they want from her? Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will she find the answers, or will she die trying?

My Review

I just finished From Gods and I am freaking out! I need book 2 right now! Mary has left me on the edge of my sofa feeling like I might lose my mind. My heart is pounding out of my chest. What an ending! Wow!!

Skylar is your average young woman that goes to spend the summer with her cousin Kayla. Strange things begin to happen, for example Skylar nearly drowns at the beach from being pulled under by something unexplainable. Lucky for her, handsome and absolutely yummy Mason is there to save her, but he isn't your average good looking guy. He is a descendant of Zues and has some pretty hair raising powers. Skylar doesn't stand a chance at keeping her distance from Mason. He has the hot, bad boy vibe down to a science. Lucky for her, he keeps having to save her life from the evil creatures that are hell bent on killing her.

From Gods is an extremely exciting story filled with action, adventure, love and I cannot forget hot demigods. I was hooked the moment Mason came into the story. I love Skylar's attitude and her kindheartedness. It makes me feel for her and want everything to work out for her. Mason stole my heart. I knew right from the beginning he had felt a great deal of pain in his life and I wanted to take all the hurt away. I also really liked the other characters Kayla, Nick, Amanda and even Everett. Mary really knows how to build her characters so that you can relate to them and root for them.

An absolutely brilliant book. I am waiting anxiously for book 2. I can't wait to see what happens next for Skylar and Mason.

Now for the giveaway!!!

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