Book Review: Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau

Release Date: June 6th, 2017
Read: June 8th-16th, 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: Dividing Eden, #1
Format: ARC, 336 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.

   But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.

   As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.

   With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?

Review:

   Do you wish to refuse the task, Princess?

   The cover of Dividing Eden was one of the reasons I had originally picked up an ARC at McNally Robinson for their Two Thumbs Up Program. Simplicity in covers is one of my favourite book cover trends, so that was definitely a factor when picking up a copy, but once I read into Dividing Eden a bit more, I was also intrigued with the synopsis and couldn't help but be excited to read the book.

   Whenever I look back at Dividing Eden, I will only have happy memories of the cover, because in the end the book did not meet my expectations. Throughout the 336 pages of the book, I was constantly bored and found the plot to be extremely predictable. At times I even wanted to just give up on the book because I just couldn't stand it anymore.

   Then there was the vagueness that clung to everything. There were many occasions throughout the book that information was given, but it was so vague that you couldn't help but wonder what the point was. Especially when they brought it up so frequently. One major point would be the Xhelozi, they were continuously mentioned throughout the book and were considered a major threat but in the end they only had a minor role for a few pages and then were done. It was disappointing.

   Dividing Eden wasn't what I wanted it to be, at all. I was disappointed and bored throughout the whole book, it is more than likely that I will not be picking up the sequel when it releases. 

Rating:

Favourite Quotes:

"I'm worth more than the few coppers you have in your pockets."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Royalty, Princesses, Princes, Monsters, Competitions 

Book Review: Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller

Release Date: March 21st, 2017
Read: March 29th-April 5th, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: Kaitan Chronicles, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can't resist her, even if her ship is an antique. 

   As for Nev, he's a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary. 

   But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they're more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive. 


   Nev's mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she'll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power--and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.

Review:

   What am I supposed to do?
   I can be a big space person depending on the day, depending on the book or movie. So I thought that Shadow Run would be up my ally, the reviews I saw from friends certainly made me think so. Unfortunately in the end I was wrong.

   Right away Shadow Run put off bad vibes for me, it took me a week to get into it, but only one day to finish, and that was only because I wanted to be done with it already. If I was one of those people that DNF books (I don't for the most part), then I would have done just that with this book.

  Overall I think that the story felt like it was missing backstory, so when it jumped right into the main plot it was like I had missed so much. I felt like the world, or I guess I should say universe in this case, could have been so much more. Even if the story took place in a spaceship, I felt as if the story literally locked me in a metal box. I didn't feel anything creative about the story, nothing to hook me in.

   Honestly, I felt like Shadow Run was just way too similar to the movie Jupiter Ascending. I felt the exact same way as I did with the movie as I did with the book, they were both wasted potential.

   I had had hope for Shadow Run, that it would be a next favourite of mine. In the ends things didn't work out that way, and I probably won't be picking up the sequel in the future.  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Do I drink blood?"- Qole

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Spaceships, Royalty, Bounty's

Book Review: Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Release Date: January 3rd, 2017
Read: December 26th-27th, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Welcome to Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sideshow, where necromancy, magical visions, and pyrokinesis are more than just part of the act…

   Mara has always longed for a normal life in a normal town where no one has the ability to levitate or predict the future. Instead, she roams from place to place, cleaning the tiger cage while her friends perform supernatural feats every night.

   When the struggling sideshow is miraculously offered the money they need if they set up camp in Caudry, Louisiana, Mara meets local-boy Gabe…and a normal life has never been more appealing.

   But before long, performers begin disappearing and bodies are found mauled by an invisible beast. Mara realizes that there’s a sinister presence lurking in the town with its sights set on getting rid of the sideshow freeks. In order to unravel the truth before the attacker kills everyone Mara holds dear, she has seven days to take control of a power she didn’t know she was capable of—one that could change her future forever.

Review:

   God is good, but the devil is not so bad to those he likes.
   I've been a huge fan of Amanda Hocking since I picked up Switched, back in 2012. I've read her Trylle series, her Watersong Series, and I've even picked up her Kanin series, although I haven't read them yet. So when Freeks was announced, I obviously had to get my hands on the book. McNally Robinson's Two Thumbs Up program came to the rescue, just like usual.
   Freeks ended up being something different than what I was expecting, but never the less it was still something I found myself really enjoying. Where I expected a story almost completely based on Carnival life, I found myself more focused on the people with exceptional abilities and the surrounding town where the Carnival sets up. It was really intriguing to see all these different abilities that the people had, along with being able to learn about the different mysteries that the town had in store.
   It took me roughly half the book to realize that the book took place in 1987. Most of the time, you find that newly released books either take place in the present or in an obvious time where things are almost completely different like in the Wild West, or in the future with really new technology, etc. With Freeks, having it take place in 1987 you still get that feeling that you're in the present but with a lot of little things that are different. You'd think that the tarot card headers with the date on the front would be an indicator, or even the way the characters dressed would have tipped me off, but apparently not. Even though I was completely clueless for half the book, I was really intrigued with the setting for the other half of the book. Once you paid attention to it, you began to notice a lot of minor world details that Hocking put into the book. It was definitely a time period I'd like to find more YA books set in.
   Although the book is a standalone, I felt like the book could have also been a series. With the way things ended, I feel like the characters still had a large mystical world to discover. If Amanda Hocking decides that she wants to continue the series, you'll find my name #1 on the list to read the next one.
   Filled with magic, creatures, and tattoos, Freeks was just what I needed to settle my paranormal book love. I can't wait to see what Amanda Hocking has in store for us next. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"I've been alive for thirty-seven years, and I have seen all kinds of things that defy the laws of nature. But I've never seen a monster. Only those that are misunderstood and mistreated." 

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Circus', Carnivals, Magic, Werewolves, Monsters

Book Review: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

Release Date: September 27th, 2016
Read: August 8th-10th, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Series: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, #1
Format: ARC, 448 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.

   The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die.

   Paris Catresou has always wanted to serve his family by guarding Juliet. But when his ward tries to escape her fate, magic goes terribly wrong—killing her and leaving Paris bound to Romeo. If he wants to discover the truth of what happened, Paris must delve deep into the city, ally with his worst enemy . . . and perhaps turn against his own clan.

   Mahyanai Runajo just wants to protect her city—but she’s the only one who believes it’s in peril. In her desperate hunt for information, she accidentally pulls Juliet from the mouth of death—and finds herself bound to the bitter, angry girl. Runajo quickly discovers Juliet might be the one person who can help her recover the secret to saving Viyara.

Review:

   The world is bought in blood and pain.

   I've wanted to read a Rosamund Hodge book for a while now, I've wanted to since I first heard of Cruel Beauty and then again when Crimson Bound was announced. It wasn't until I saw Bright Smoke, Cold Fire on the Two Thumbs Up shelf at McNally Robinson that I was finally able to read one of her books.
   The first thing I noticed when starting the book was that for a Romeo and Juliet retelling, our protagonists weren't actually Romeo and Juliet, but rather Paris and Rosaline. I found it to be a new twist on a R&J retelling, although we did see a lot of the two characters Shakespeare protagonists. The book also took place after the main events in the original story, making the retelling something new entirely.
   A lot of things happened in Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, and I would say they all sort happened all at once, which confused me a bit. When I say all at once, I mean that with our two protagonists, each chapter rotated between the two, then we'd get the odd little chapter that was a flashback to Romeo and the Juliet before Bright Smoke, Cold Fire's story takes place. So if something big was happening with one of the protagonists, then you had to keep track of that, along with pay attention to what was occurring with the other character. Then there was the fact that I would enjoy one character's story over the other, so my brain was constantly going back to their prospective even when I was in the other characters mind.
   Besides that little problem, Hodge had a beautifully put together story. She had magic, sacrifice, monsters and ghosts at every corner, it was a very interesting experience to read, and it was definitely something I'd never experienced before. I hope in the sequel that we learn more about the Sunken Library, as well about the curse and monsters that plague Viyara.
   Bright Smoke, Cold Fire was a slower paced read, but none the less entertaining. I look forward to seeing how Hodge ends the series, and how everything turns out in the end. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

I can bear any terror. I am that strong, and that ruthless.

The gods have died, and in their blood, we live as those already dead.

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Retelling, Romeo and Juliet, Monsters, Magic

Book Review: Burning by Danielle Rollins

Release Date: April 5th, 2016
Read: July 5th-8th, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury US Childrens
Series: N/A
Format: ARC, 352 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she'll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl's arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them? 

Review:

Contains Minor Spoilers:

   Monsters are more interesting than heroes.

   Burning was just a random book that I picked up at McNally Robinson for their Two Thumbs Up Program. At first I really intrigued by the premise, but eventually as I started reading it, my opinion started to change.
   I find a lot of the times with standalone's, that there will always be a loose end or two that the author never wrapped up because they had too much else to wrap up. Burning was one of those books for me, I didn't understand why half the stuff in the novel were necessary, or why they even existed. Like SciGirls, or the super powers, I just didn't understand their significance or the point of having them at all. Where did the powers come form? Why was it a big deal to be able to give them to other people? Burning left me with more questions than what I started with.
   Then there was Ben, a new Detention Officer who was super young and obviously had to fall for our main character. A novel doesn't have to always have a love interest in it, especially when it was so unnecessary like this one was.
   Finally, probably the thing I liked best about Burning, was that Angela didn't have the stereotypical body size like most YA girls do. It was lovely to see a change, and not have it made such a huge deal about, even the subtle things were perfect about it. There are so many different body types in this world, one way or another we have to get over that there isn't one body type that is "normal", and not treat them like they're such a big deal.
   Burning wasn't my favourite book, it was an interesting read but I won't end up picking it up again to read for a long time.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"The wolves in the woods aren't any worse than the wolves in here."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Mystery,  Superpowers, Woman's Prison, Juvie

Book Review: Broken Crowns by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: March 22nd, 2016
Read: March 14th-15th, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Series: The Internment Chronicles, #3
Format: ARC, 272 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   The city is falling out of the sky…

   Morgan always thought it was just a saying. A metaphor. The words of the dying. But as they look up at the floating island that was their home, Pen and Morgan make a horrible discovery—Internment is sinking.

   And it’s all Morgan’s fault.

   Corrupted from the inside by one terrible king and assailed from the outside for precious resources by another, Internment could be destroyed because Morgan couldn’t keep a secret. As two wars become one, Morgan must find a way to bring her two worlds together to stop the kings that wage them…

   Or face the furthest fall yet. 

Review:

   How can you tell which are good and which are bad?
   Lauren DeStefano doesn't write books the same way that other authors do, it doesn't matter if she writes Science Fiction or Fantasy, they always have a realness to them. I learnt this when reading her first series, The Chemical Garden series, and saw the same with the first two novels in The Internment Chronicles, Perfect Ruin and Burning Kingdom. It was no different when reading Broken Crowns.
   The biggest thing that stood out about DeStefano's writing is how she's able to put a new view on everything, especially when it came to Internment. She was able to make things that are usually boring or not usually viewed as interesting, intriguing. Like the sun disease, you couldn't help but be intrigued over it, but in reality it was actually cancer. Because the people of Internment were completely new to earth, the new vocabulary was expected, but you couldn't help but feel the same amazement and emotions as the newcomers when it came to the world, drawing you into the story all that more.
   The Internment Chronicles has a new way of viewing happy endings, not everyone has to be with their true love, with no complications with life. DeStefano shows you that you can live a happy life, even if it's not like the usual fairy tale ending.
   Broken Crowns was not what I expected, and in the end, it was everything that I didn't know I needed. With solving all the characters problems in a relatively realistic way, it made the story feel as if it could one day, perhaps actually be real.
  Leaving me content and satisfied, Broken Crowns is the perfect conclusion to an unique series.

Rating:

Favourite Quotes:

"A girl should never stop thinking. Otherwise we'll become what our world thinks of us."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Dystopian, Steampunk, Advenerture, New Worlds

Book Review: Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr

Release Date: March 1st, 2016
Read: December 22nd- 30th, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: Seven Black Diamonds, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Lilywhite Abernathy is a criminal.

   Her guilt lies in her DNA. Lily is half human, half fae, and since the time before she was born, a war has been raging between humans and faeries. The Queen of Blood and Rage, ruler of the fae courts, wants to avenge the tragic death of her heir—a death that was the fault of reckless humans.

   Lily’s father has shielded her from the repercussions of her ancestry, but when she’s sent to the prestigious St. Columba’s school, she’s delivered straight into the arms of a fae sleeper cell --the Black Diamonds.

   Mysterious, glamorous, and constantly at odds, the Diamonds are planted in the human world as the sons and daughters of the most influential families, and tasked with destroying it from within. Against her will, Lilywhite’s been chosen to join them … and even the romantic attention of the fae rock singer Creed Morrison isn’t enough to keep Lily from wanting to run back to the familiar world she knows.

Review:

   You are their future.

   I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Marissa Marr's books, I first started off by reading her Wicked Lovely series which unfortunately did not sit well with me. Fast forward a few years, I had won a bunch of Marr ARCs which included Made for You. One of her more recent novels, this novel fortunately did sit well with me. It actually became one of my all time favourite reads. So when Seven Black Diamonds was revealed I knew to give Marr another chance, especially where Faeries where concerned.
   The book started off slow and a bit confusing, the novel itself is written in the perspective of 4 different characters. So when you're just starting to be familar with each of the characters, it's definitely a jumble of mixed feelings. After you've grown accustomed to the characters, everything becomes fabulous, especially since the plot also speeds up a bit and the action begins to happen.
   The plot and characters of the novel are everything you'd want them to be, fae being terrifying as always, their powers being maleficent, you couldn't help but be intrigued with their politics. I was particularly intrigued with the Black Diamonds and the history behind the queen, hopefully we'll get to see more action on that front in the next few novels.
   Lilywhite was probably my favourite character in the novel, with her Crime Lord father, and her demeanour. It all had me excited whenever her name would appear at the beginning of the chapter. She didn't do anything she was "destined" to do, or just because she was told to do something from the queen. She stood tall, and was the strongest her, that she could be, and you admired her for it. Lilywhite was the perfect Black Diamond without even knowing it, she was perfection.
   Seven Black Diamonds was a novel that showed that even villains have their motives for the way the are, and that people will do everything in their power to protect the ones they love. Thrilling and magical, Seven Black Diamonds will cure any Faery or strong willed character craving you have.
 
   

Rating:

Favourite Quotes:

"He left her there with tears on her cheeks and a lie still burning on her lips."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Faeries, Fae, Crime Lords, Celebrities

Book Review: After the Woods by Kim Savage

Release Date: February 23rd, 2016
Read: February 11th- 13th, 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series: N/A
Format: ARC, 304 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Would you risk your life to save your best friend? 

   Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning.

Review:

   What happened in the woods?
   YA thrillers have become a trend in the publishing world lately, from fall 2015 to now, and from what I've seen, we're going to be getting a lot more in 2016. Being not a huge contemporary fan,  I didn't know what to feel about thrillers at first but after loving the first one I read, I hopped on the bandwagon to thrillville. I thought After the Woods would have the same excitement and would leave me sitting on the edge of my seat like many others did, unfortunately that wasn't the case.
   The first thing I noticed when I started the book, was that the summery didn't give off the same vibe as the book did, or rather you didn't get what you expected when going into the book. Especially when it came to Liv and Julia.
   Liv was just a terrible person, the fact that Julia would sacrifice so much for this girl made me feel disappointed. The two were described as best friends, and when you think best friends, a person thinks of a close connection between two people that love and care for each other, to me the girls had a one sided relationship. Julia was the only one that really cared for the friendship, Liv was an abusive friend. In the novel Savage wanted to showcase the horrible relationship between Liv and her mother, but really the foul relationship was between Liv and Julia.
   I never really understood why the body of the other girl was necessary in After the Woods, was it to bring back the original investigation? Why was she relevant? The girl left me with more questions than what I started with.
   Finally one thing that stood out positively for me was Julia's family situation. It's not often that you read a book were the main characters father was a sperm donor. Or that the sperm donor is actually still close with the family. It was a first time experience for me while reading After the Woods, and I think it would be interesting to see again.
   After the Woods was not the thriller I was looking for, to someone else it might be, but for now I look forward to the future 2016 thriller releases.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"What do you do with the girl who comes back?"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary, Mystery Triller, Psychological Thriller

Book Review: Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
Read: January 19th-21st, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Series: N/A
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

   Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

   But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

Review:

   People with secrets can't hold them forever.
   I first encountered Revenge and the Wild when Epic Reads released the cover, back when who knows when. The description had me intrigued, and the cover was fabulous. As usual people started to get ARCs, and I unfortunately did not. McNally Robinson once again came to my rescue.
   I had a sense of deja-vu when reading Revenge and the Wild, it was as if the book was written in the same style as books from when I first started my bookish obsession. (So roughly 2010). I felt as if I was back in 2010 again. I'm not sure if that makes sense at all, but that's what it was like for me.
   Revenge and the Wild was strange mix to me, it was a mix of supernatural creatures, addictions, robotics and western historical fiction. It was a mix of a lot of things, and I don't know how that settled with me. You could definitely call this one unique.
   Overall the plot was perfect, the book had me captivated throughout all of it's pages. Being Michelle Modesto's debut, I can definitely say that writing is the job for her.
   Quick, entertaining and unique, Revenge and the Wild is a must read for anyone looking for something different to read.
   

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

" Poisons were like woman, placed in beautiful packages but deadly within."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Historical Fiction, Westerns, Vampires, Cannibals, Revenge 

Blog Tour: Arrows by Melissa Gorzelanczyk

   Welcome to the Arrows Blog Tour! I'm so excited to be able to introduce you to Arrows by Melissa Gorzelanczyk! I'm happy to say that Arrows was my second 2016 published book that I've been able to read so far, and by golly if all the books are as great as this one, then we are definitely in for a treat this year! 

   Today I have for you my review of Arrows, a interview with Melissa and finally a giveaway for you all! So I hope you guys enjoy!

Arrows by Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Release Date: January 26th, 2016

Read: December 15th -16th, 2015 

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Series: N/A

Format: ARC, 240 pages

Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   People don’t understand love. If they did, they’d get why dance prodigy Karma Clark just can’t say goodbye to her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does or how he hurts her, she can’t stay angry with him . . . and can’t stop loving him. But there’s a reason why Karma is helpless to break things off: she’s been shot with a love arrow. 

   Aaryn, son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma and Danny but found out too late that the other arrow in his pack was useless. And with that, Karma’s life changed forever. One pregnancy confirmed. One ballet scholarship lost. And dream after dream tossed to the wind.

   A clueless Karma doesn’t know that her toxic relationship is Aaryn’s fault . . . but he’s going to get a chance to make things right. He’s here to convince Danny to man up and be there for Karma. But what if this god from Mount Olympus finds himself falling in love with a beautiful dancer from Wisconsin who can never love him in return?

Review:

   Don't you want to be happy?
   At first glance I thought that Arrows was going to be a full hearted contemporary, but when reading the description I was happily surprised to find out that it involved Greek Mythology! Cupid to be exact! It didn't take much after that for me to go out and get myself a copy!
   Although Arrows had its fantasy elements to it, it still had a very important topic in it, that topic being abusive relationships. Karma our main character is forced to be in an abusive relationship and has to live with it in her everyday life. With these kinds of relationships it's not like she can just leave him, she thinks she loves him so she'll take whatever Danny throws her way. I liked how Gorzelanczyk represented this topic in her writing and how she approached it. She made it so that her readers understood that it was a serious problem and that it's not always easily dealt with.
   Unfortunately with Karma, I felt that she might have been just a little too obsessed of a character, I understand that she loved Danny and that she would always make excuses for him because of their relationship but even if she was supposed to be his girlfriend, she acted a little too obsessed.
   Finally I felt like there were some unanswered questions in the end of the book, what was the purpose of the rebellion in Olympus? Why was Phoebe necessary? The connection to Olympus left me with more questions then I would have liked.
   Arrows was a fun, lively read that give me more perspectives on abusive relationships as well teaching me a bit more about professional dancers. I most definitely recommend picking up Arrows in 2016 when it releases!

    You can find my review on McNally Robinson's Two Thumbs Up review page here.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"I don't love you anymore."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Greek, Cupid

 

   Karma lives with the struggle of being in a abusive relationship, even though her relationship is toxic she just can't seem to stay away from Danny. What do you recommend for people in a similar situation to do?


   Have you ever known someone who is madly in love, yet you can’t figure out why?
Maybe you’ve felt uncomfortable by the things your friend has said or done to keep the relationship together. Your friend tries to make everything seem normal. “He promised to change.” “He said it won’t happen again.”

   You wonder…

   Why does she love this person?

   He’s the reason she’s always crying.

   The answer in Arrows is because my main character, Karma, is under the spell of cupid’s arrow.

   The answer in real life isn’t so simple.

   I’ve told this story before. It’s the heart of Arrows. 

   I am the oldest of six. My four sisters are my best friends. Two of them have experienced relationship abuse, one of them for the most part in secret for more than ten years.
Thankfully, after ten years of silence, my sister decided to take her life back. As is often the case with abuse, she left her then-husband with no control over her life. She had little money, no real work experience. No car. He had used these things to control her for a long time. Since she had never applied for her own apartment, she needed a co-signer—at age 28.

   But she did have the courage to say, “No more.”

   Three years later, she is thriving. She is becoming the person she was told she could never be. A strong, independent woman worthy of true love.

Resources: 

Loveisrespect.org

Break the Cycle 

Teen dating violence prevention

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Signs of abuse and abusive relationships

Please contact Melissa if there are more links you think she should include here.

    Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a former magazine editor and columnist who believes love is everything. A dreamer for life, Melissa has been writing books since she was nine years old when she penned her first story about a beloved black horse. She is a member of the Class of 2k16, the SCBWI and The Sweet Sixteens. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and family.

1 winner will receive a finished copy of Arrows and a swag pack that includes postcards, mini buttons, mini bookmarks, and a mini bow and arrow set, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   Thanks so much for stopping by! I can't wait for you all to read Arrows, I hope you guys all love it!

Week One:

1/18/2016 - Seeing Double In Neverland

1/19/2016 - A Perfection Called Books

1/20/2016 - Ohana Reads

1/21/2016 - The Best Books Ever

1/22/2016 - Once Upon A Twilight

Week Two:

1/25/2016 - Bookish Lifestyle

1/26/2016 - Literary Meanderings

1/27/2016 - DanaSquare

1/28/2016 - Two Chicks on Books

1/29/2016 - Here's to Happy Endings