Under the Shadow of Darkness by James and Issa Cardona

This review was written by: B

Received: Free e-book from the authors

Publication Date of Book: February 24, 2014

Pages: 188

Stars: (4.5/5)

"In my experience evil is always defeated if we stand, face it and fight it. It is only when we give up that we lose to the darkness."
-Nes’egrinon

Young Bel just graduated from the Academy of Arts and Magic and has been chosen by Nes'egrinon to be his apprentice.  While this is exciting, seeing as not everyone at his school is picked for an apprentice position, Bel is still quite hesitant.  His new master is one of the most renowned wizards throughout both current and past history, but he has had two apprentices previous to him that were killed under his watch.  While the exact causes of their deaths are still uncertain, the mysteries surrounding each of their untimely departures from this world has left Bel skittish and insecure about his current situation.  Also, his mysterious dreams of a one armed boy fervently warning him about something that he cannot decipher does nothing to calm his fears.

It is custom for all wizards to remain celibate, and so Bel has left the only girl he loved to become who he is today.  His determination and loyalty towards his position is unwavering.  So, when he goes to Nes'egrinon's humble home, he is expecting to start his training and have a thorough talk with his master.  Unfortunately, this is not what ensues.  Bel's former rival from the academy is there, Kerlith, along with his master, Muolithnon.  These two want Nes'egrinon's help with a dire situation. Naturally, the old wizard is tentative to participate in their requests.  It is not until Bel is attacked by ghouls in Nes'egrinon's very own forested domain that very same evening that he is fully willing to oblige, and so starts these four wizards journey into the unknown.

A great darkness has been sweeping across the lands where even the sun cannot be seen.  It is eternally black to the point where day and night cannot be properly distinguished.  Searching for the source of this frightening development, they encounter the ghouls time and time again.  These creatures are the living dead in constant search for human blood.  One bite from them will kill you and then turn you into a ghoul as well.  Hundreds have been seen roaming around the lands in every direction.  The wizards discover that they must be coming from a breach between our world and theirs. Under the Shadow of Darkness is their adventurous journey to find and attempt to defeat this breach so that the sun might return again and the dead will remain dead so that the living can regain their lives once more.          

This book has become one of my all time favorites in its genre.  The story was expertly written with enough lure and fantasy appeal to keep the pages turning, and the characters were all unique and enjoyable to read about.  I personally am very excited to hear more about Nes'egrinon's past in the books that will hopefully follow this one in the Apprentice Series.  James and Issa created an intriguing middle grade/young adult book that I can't help but feel will eventually climb the charts with due time.  It has heart, friendship, mystery, humor, and, of course, magic.

The world building was extremely well done in this novel.  I literally felt like I was journeying with the group into the darkness, remarkably to the point where it was practically tangible.  Also, there was definitely one curve ball thrown at me towards the end about Bel's dreams that was absolutely brilliant.  Yet another great aspect in this work of art was the ghouls.  They were a definite intrigue throughout the entirety of the story.  While they were frightening at points, they also carried with them an allure to know more about their sudden presence among the living and how some were more conscious than others about hurting humans for their blood.  Ultimately, Under the Shadow of Darkness was fast paced and a great story.

The only thing that was slightly strange to me was how parts of the dialogue were written.  Throughout most of the book, the speech was how you would expect someone in this world and point in time to talk like.

“Alexius, it is I, Kerlith, apprentice to Master Muolithnon, the wizard of these lands. You remember me, don’t you?”

However, at other times the speech patterns become much more modern and current.

“Wow. That was great! Wooh! You don’t know how exhilarating that is. I feel
like a new man. Hahaha. Okay. Wooh! Listen here. My head’s clearing. Gimme a second."

Don't worry though, this does not take a great amount away from the story told within this book's pages.  It is a must read for all fantasy and wizard lovers, middle grade and young adult alike!

If you enjoyed this book you may also like:

           

Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment (Plagued States of America, #1) by Better Hero Army

This review was written by: B and C

Received: Free paperback from the author

Publication Date of Book: September 2013

Pages: 162

Stars: (5/5)

"I have your file, your picture. I know you like pictures.  I'll tell your parents about you if I ever get out of here.  In the meantime, just remember your name is Penelope Hope, and hope is a good thing."
-Tom

A young man by the name of Tom travels to the Plagued States of America, one of his few and only hopes that may lead to him finding his little sister Larissa. Years ago, when the zombie wave first hit, his younger sibling was ripped away from him.  Larissa was unexpectedly bitten when Tom was supposed to be protecting her, an incident that he could never forget even if he tried.  It is here in the Plagued States of America, particularly the area known as Biter Hill, where our troubled protagonist must search high and low twice a year for a hope that may never come to fruition.  Biter Hill is where many individuals come to trade zombies that they've recently acquired and gander at the spectacles surrounding them, but only the zombie hunters are crazy enough to go near flesh eating, mindless humans.  Even while the zombies seem harmless, you should never get too close to them.  Used as slaves by modern day humanity, people are willing to use them despite the dangers.  These ferocious beasts are kept in a prison at night, moaning until dawn.  Placed and corralled like cattle, they are fenced in, never allowed to leave a heavily guarded area.

Tom must look through the record books located at this zombie outpost.  Perhaps he will see if his sister was brought here and finally fulfill his father's demands, or maybe something unexpectedly horrible will happen instead.  When Tom meets Penelope, a half human/half zombie hybrid, he is naturally curious.  Half-breeds are rare and a true site to see.  While she appears distant and detached from the rest of the world, she's as fast as lightning and surprisingly intelligent.  Her features are more human than zombie, and you could never tell her true nature unless you looked at her glazed eyes.  Locked in a cage, she avoids Tom and rarely shows emotion.  Despite Penelope's current feelings, Tom becomes seemingly more and more intrigued with her situation and her former self prior to this current zombie status.  When Penelope catches a glimpse of a picture with Larissa on it, Tom knows that she is his only hope of finding her, no matter the outposts and their logs.

Suddenly, as he is trying to depart back to his home, a horrible outbreak occurs.  Zombies are getting out, running rampant, feeding off of every human that they can find, craving their flesh.  So many perish.  Zombie hunters, while many are present, are no match for the numerable waves of zombies that just keep flowing out of the prison, and only a few uninfected civilians make it out of this ordeal alive, including Tom.  A group of zombie hunters picked him up out of the chaos along with several other men and women.  They are led by Peske, the owner of the half-breed Penelope who is still under his thumb.  Together, this group must make it out alive through the zombie ridden wasteland if they ever hope to make it safety.  Tom promised Peske that if he got them to a certain point, he would call his father, a powerful Senator, who would have the power to help them receive a rescue team to fly them out of trouble.  However, he was only willing to do this if Peske allowed him to borrow Penelope so that he could find his younger sister while they were waiting for assistance.

In this day and age, zombie books are pumped out so often that the subject occasionally turns monotonous and feels so overused that the ideas are recycled time and time again.  However, Plagued:The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment was an amazing and refreshing zombie novel that all die hard lovers of the shuffling dead genre have to check out!  The idea of half human/half zombie individuals was brilliantly executed!  The mystery behind this subject unfolded quite well, and the answer to this secret was definitely unexpected.  It was interesting to see how Better Hero Army created and breathed new life into a zombie world that had yet to be portrayed.  While so many other stories in this genre are filled with nothing but chaos, his had a structure to it that involved several types of zombies.  There were the half-breeds, a rare and fascinating topic to read about where we slowly discover their true nature during the book's entirety.  Then we have the zombies who are selected and sold as slaves.  These individuals are temporary disabled and, in a sense, operated upon, so that they cannot infect others with their contagious bite.  Finally, we get to see the wild zombies that roam the land in search of meat to satisfy their insatiable hunger, and not only are there adult zombies but children are included in this group as well.  Perhaps the children are just as compelling to read about as the half-breeds are.  We don't want to spoil too much about the story so we'll just say that they don't kill for themselves and never age.    

There are so many aspects to this book that we thoroughly enjoyed.  One of these includes how different the zombie hunters were portrayed compared to the everyday civilians.  These two groups kept butting heads and definitely added a rich aspect to the book.

"How the hell do you guys do this for a living?" Tyler asked.
"Hunting zombies?  It's easy.  No different than lions going into a herd of horned caribou.  Any one of them could gore  them lions, and the lions know it!  But that don't stop them.  It's when you start thinking like you're going to die, like you're prey.  That's when you get yourself killed."-Peske

As many have undoubtedly read, multiple zombie books have cataclysmic repercussions after the zombie apocalypse.  Such worlds are often filled with lawless nations with gun-toting generic characters.  However, Better Hero Army has interestingly enough constructed a zombie after effect that possesses a mostly high functioning human society that has learned to control the zombie outbreak, instead of letting it rule their lives.  Zombies, while dangerous, also provide jobs for a large range of individuals who are willing to expose themselves to the danger that zombie hunting harbors.  A cure is now on the way, but how they are figuring out the means to the end is part of the government's many dirty little secrets.

If you are looking for a survival book, this is a possible option for you.  We loved the descriptions contained in Plagued.  For example, fireflies coated the scenery beyond the main scene.  While many saw glowing insects, these glowing lights were really the eyes of the walking dead, slowly advancing on the group hoping to catch a meal.  Can you imagine the chills after reading that?

Overall, there are so many things to love in Better Hero Army's first installment in the Plagued States of America series to possibly write about.  The journey to find Tom's sister and the guilt ridden conscious that he endured throughout this novel was a story worth telling.  The ending was a shocker to us.  It was not what we were expecting.  It was both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.  How is this possible?  Read Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment and discover the answer for yourself!

If you enjoyed this book you may also like:

          

The Plantation (Jonathon Payne & David Jones, #1) by Chris Kuzneski

This review was written by: B

Received: GoodReads Giveaway

Publication Date of Book: April 2002
Pages: 391

Stars: (5/5)

Pain is something everyone must deal with, and those that deal with it the best will succeed the most.
-Holmes

People are mysteriously disappearing, being abducted by the same unknown force.  These taken individuals were specially selected for a reason, and this reason centers on revenge.  The kidnappings are going on right under everyone's radar until one particular woman is taken, Ariane.  Ariane is a bright, beautiful young woman who is dating one very important man, Jonathan Payne.  An ex-MANIAC, or a participant of an elite branch of the U.S. military, and the head of a huge company, Payne can easily get around.  To make things better, his former comrade and best friend, David Jones is now a detective.  Together, these two men must find Ariane before something horrible happens to her.  Quickly getting a glimpse of what must be going on, they are determined to stop it before matters get worse.

Taking a look at the security footage from her apartment, the area of her abduction, they find that the culprits are all dressed in black from head to toe, and underneath the black clothing  is dark skin as well.  The two clues that they have to go on right now are one tattoo and a single license plate number.  From here, Jones and Payne go on the thriller of the century.  With the authorities having their hands tied in this case, the two take it upon themselves to find out that a group is on a secluded piece of land in the middle of a watery nowhere that absolutely no one would ever look on.  The horrors that go on here behind the veil of law is stunningly gruesome.

Ariane wakes up to find herself in an unexpected and frightening situation.  She's on a plantation that was used years ago when slavery was still a major part of the United States's history.  Here, all of the people are put to work, going through the same horrors that the slaves went through before the conclusion of the Civil War.  Forced to look over the fields, tending to them and working the ground, the civilians live a life of horror.  Cruel men look over them, never raising a helpful hand except when an overseer wants one of them beaten.  Everyday is a game of chance, wondering who will be tortured next.  Ariane is holding out hope that Payne will find her and deliver everyone from the depths of despair.  However, she is still determined to remain strong.  This woman goes and tries to lend a helping hand to those who need it and lessen the pain of everyone around her.  In the face of death, she is still an amazing person.

Why were these people selected to be put on the plantation?

Will Payne and Jones save everyone before it's too late or will things turn south?

Sometimes you gotta betray one trust to gain another.
-Levon Greene

I was extremely shocked when I was reading the forward to this book.  Kuzneski described how no one wanted to publish his book at first, and I thought to myself how crazy they must have been.  The Plantation was brilliant!  The story was so original and thought provoking.  Who would have ever thought of the white man working under those of African descent instead of the other way around on a plantation?  It was a total turn around.  Learning about slavery throughout the entirety of my schooling, I can easily see how horrible it must have been for those poor people.  I, like countless others, despise the thought of one man, no matter their color, ruling and beating another.  The Antebellum lifestyle surrounding the injustice of slavery was a horrible thing, a definite dark spot on American history.  While some individuals may think that this book is racist, I have to strongly disagree.  It was a brilliant outlook on what could and may have been.

Many reviewers mention that the book was graphic and too hard for them to read.  I can definitely understand this.  There were some parts that included extensive blood shed and disturbing scenes, but, while they might be part of the story, they don't engulf it.  I have to respect the author in this way.  He wrote at the end how he wanted to accurately portray how life on the plantation for a slave was no walk in the park.  There were horrible instances every single day that they had to endure.  I feel as though he gave this fact utmost justice.  I also believe that he did an amazing job describing how some overseers may have felt.  Some enjoyed the pain and torture that they were able to inflict on others.  I was extremely glad that Kuzneski's writing rang true to history in so many ways that it may seem unbelievable when reading it.

I absolutely loved Payne and Jones together.  They were hilarious.  Even in the darkest of times, they would make the funniest comments as a way of stress release.  They both were strong characters that you wanted to know more about, especially Payne. The drive and passion that this man had for the safety of one woman was amazing.  Also, this book had an fantastic pace to it.  The adventure, thrill, and suspense never let up.  There was plot twist after plot twist, deception after deception.  I really didn't want to put it down even though I had to carry on with my life.  To be honest, I never expected to love this book so much, but I did.  It has an excellent writer behind it who can easily get into the human mind and write like a true expert.  It almost felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book!  I definitely would love to continue this series.  There's no doubt about it, The Plantation was a fabulous creation that countless people enjoyed and hopefully will continue to enjoy and read for years to come.  Kuzneski definitely deserves five starts for this breathtaking creation!          

If you enjoyed this book you may also like:

          

Seraph of the End, Vol. 1: Vampire Reign by Takaya Kagami

This review was written by: B and C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: June 2014

Pages: 200

Stars: (5/5)

"Lt. Colonel Guren told me something.  He said that when you were a child, your entire family was slaughtered by vampires.  And that is why you refuse to get close to anyone.  You're afraid to lose someone again.  So you don't look for friends or romance...because you're too scared."
               -Shinoa Hiragi

Yuichiro, or Yu, was almost killed by his father, and his mother went crazy, calling him "demon spawn." The woman who was supposed to devoutly love him eventually committed suicide, and his father attempted to murder him, the person who was supposed to always protect him in life.  As a result of this messed up situation between his parents, he is sent to an orphanage.  It is here that all of the children quickly take to him like they do to all of the new arrivals and immediately consider him part of their nonbiological yet true family.  Yu is then approached by the charismatic and "big brother" of the group, Mikaela.  Seeing as they are both eight, the oldest of all the boys and girls in the orphanage, they are looked up to by all.  While Mikaela stresses that they are all family, Yu states that he "doesn't want some stupid family."  This simple word that is so full of meaning proves to be of absolutely no significance to him.  However, he soon finds out that all of the children have had horrible family lives previous to their current situation, just like he did.  That is why they always stick together.  Shocked and now deepened by a bond, Yu is slightly less hardened to them, but he never lets this show.  At the same time, Mikaela sees right through his tough exterior.

Almost as soon as the previously mentioned events occur, vampires suddenly and unexpectedly rise to the surface of the earth in the dead of night.  Adults suddenly fall ill and die in seconds.  Children are left all alone.  Mikaela and Yu try to protect the kids and themselves but are taken underground by the evil inhuman creatures that rule in twilight.  It is here that they live among the creatures of darkness, never to know the sweet kiss of the sun again.  The children grow up a little, and we see them viewed as nothing more than human livestock for the vampires to feed off of as they wish.  They are told that all of the adults died and that now the vampires run as rampant as they wish, as long as it is during the evening hours.  Yu and Mikaela still try to protect their "family" and look over everyone with love and sacrifice.  Freely giving his blood to a noble vampire, Mikaela goes to the demon's house and, during the feeding sessions, slowly steals several items.  One of these includes a very important map that shows all of the tunnels that lead in and out of the underground fortress/city that they are kept in.  This place is a maze, but with the map, the gang has a strong chance to get out and taste freedom once more.            

After returning from a feeding session with the noble vampire, Mikaela wakes everyone up so that they can make their escape.  Following and trusting this new found possession to be accurate, they finally make it to the end of the line.  A huge archway marks their freedom from the underground prison up to the real world that they were born into, but everything goes wrong.  That very same noble vampire is their, waiting eagerly for the young faces to spot him.  From here, he admits that he was planning this out from the very beginning so that he could see the terror on their little faces.  Slaughter quickly ensues and child after child is viciously fed upon until each one is drained of blood for the purpose of a fun game that one vampire concocted.  Helpless to do anything against the vampire's strength and speed, they see countless loved ones fall every second while they still continue to run to the archway.  Finally, only Yu is left.  (Mikaela sacrificed himself so that Yu may live.)  Tired, stricken with guilt, and in utter shock, Yu eventually reaches the surface, a single survivor out of all that tried to escape the grasps that bound them.  However, it is not what he expected.  He is greeted by a young man who claims to kill the blood suckers that come up to his turf during the night.  Yu promises that he wants to be like them, that he will fight with them and kill those who hurt him and took his loved ones away. Yu is out for revenge.

As a surprise to Yuichiro, adults still roam the earth.  Not all of them died in the sudden epidemic and are still active in today's society.  Now that humanity has fallen, it is trying to get back on its feet and take a stand.  Yu wants to be a part of this by killing every single vampire he encounters.  To do so, he must first join to Moon Demon Company, an elite assassination/extermination group.  However, in order to do so, he is told that he must learn to work in a group.  Yu is horrible at this.  To him, he alone must get revenge.  In doing so, the orders that he is given by those in the company mean nothing to him.  He does what he wants without listening to anyone or with regards to authority.  This is the story of his journey to making his one dream a reality.

Yu is struggling to this day.  He continues to think about that night when he made it to the surface while everybody else perished before his very eyes.  They were together and then suddenly they weren't.  Being the lone survivor in this experience makes it so much harder.  No one  went through what he did because he couldn't save those with him.  His drive is what makes him live on.  One would hate to think about what he would do if he didn't have a cause.

What many people do not realize is that we are secret anime and manga junkies. (Now that that is out in the open, cue the shy glance towards the floor.) Seraph of the End, Vol. 1: Vampire Reign was the embodiment of why we love them.  Takaya Kagami wrote an amazing story full of action, loss, love, friendship, revenge, hints of humor, and ultimately heartbreak verses redemption.  Every second of the plot added more and more enrichment to the story.  We were never bored, not even for a second.  Yu and Mikaela were so easily loved and felt for while the vampires were so easy to hate.  The characters were all unique and had such diverse personalities that you just had to love them.  We were really tempted to go up and hug little Mikaela through the pages.  How could you even resist?  The art by Yamato Yamamoto was stunning.  Beautiful and capturing the story perfectly, it's definitely not a secret that everyone would envy his drawing skills.  We felt the pain that Yu did through Kagami and Yamamoto's collaborative work.  Together, they're one big genius!  It's impossible to describe how amazing this manga was or how much we loved it.  There are no words to possibly say what we thought about it.

Yu was complex and full of baggage right from the start.  The instant he was introduced, you realized how great his character was.  The switch between his past and present in the beginning of the book was brilliant and well done.  The love we felt for this book almost made us want to keep it even though it was from the library.  Of course, we didn't, but maybe we'll get the chance to buy it someday.  It's definitely rereading material.  The only thing about Seraph of the End was that we easily predicted the  ending of the book before we were even halfway through it.  However, this didn't stop us from devouring the rest of it.  The ending was still amazing and left us ranting about how we needed the next one for days on end.  We are definitely looking forward to how the author is going to deal with this predictable scenario and make it his own through various and unique creative directions.  If you're a manga addict like us, especially if it's in the vampire area, read it!!!!!  If you love vampires, read it!!!!  You just have have to pick it up!!!!!!!!

If you enjoyed this book you may also like:

          

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

This review was written by: B
Received: Library
Publication Date of Book: May 2014
Pages: 288
Stars: (4.5/5)

Growing up, we were taught over and over again what steps to take in case of an approaching tornado.  Listen for sirens, go to your basement or cellar, or a closet in the center of your house, duck and cover, wait it out.  We had drills twice a year, every year, in school.  We talked about it in class.  We talked about it at home.  The newscasters reminded us.  We went to the basement.  We practiced, practiced, practiced.  
But we'd never-not once-discussed what to do after.
-Jersey

Jersey is your average teenager, going through life just like anyone else her age.  Living with her mother, step-father, and half sister, it is safe to say that she is fairly comfortable.  Marin is her little sister (born of her step-father, Ronnie, a man who never truly opened up to or acknowledged Jersey).  From the start, their mother absolutely refused to let her daughters see themselves in
any other light than true sisters, a philosophy that they quickly picked up on and stuck with, but while Ronnie may be the lovable baby of the family, Jersey still has a hard time putting up with her when she is constantly bothered to dance with her or pay attention to Marin's demanding presence.  All Jersey wants to do is sit around, watch television, do homework, hang out with friends, and avoid dancing with Marin.  Little does she know, life and those in it shouldn't be taken for granted when you never know who is ensured tomorrow.

Living in an area of the United States forever known for its tornado warnings, there has never been a real or truly formed danger.  Sirens are always going off, warning of possible tornadoes that may or may not lead to disaster, and they have yet to lead to fruition.  Incessantly hearing them, it seems like a boy calling wolf more than he should. When Marin and her mother go off to the young girl's weekly dance class, Jersey is left alone like usual.  Ronnie is off at work, and Jersey's friends are busy.  Making herself some dinner, the tornado sirens monotonously go off once again.  Even though she's tempted to ignore them, she goes down to the basement as usual, expecting them to go retire soon like the other ones before it.  However, this is not the case.  Winds pick up, a storm brews, and a tornado touches down.  It travels past her very street, ripping her house from its very foundation.  Scared and bleeding from the swirling objects that are on the move, she cowers under the pool table, wishing for this horrible monstrosity to be over.  No one ever expected this to happen.  No one could believe what was going on, but then as soon as it started, this nightmare finally ended.

Frightened, hurt, and in shock, Jersey climbs her way up the basement stairs into a field of disarray.  Her home is in ruins, family treasures either broken, blown away, or missing.  The only thing she finds of value is Marin's special purse that their mother gave her after she got tired of it.  Jersey knows that Marin keeps all of her special mementos and treasures in it, including a stick of their mother's lipstick (the tip still pointy) and a collection of gum.  Marin made a stern promise with herself to never use these things except on special occasions.  They meant the world to her, but she was nowhere in sight.  Jersey's mind reels with the possibilities of the dangers bestowed upon her family.  They had to be safe right?  They just had to be.  Nothing could hurt them.  This shouldn't have happened.  This was an impossible occurrence, a freak accident that should not have happened.

Her neighbor and long time friend, Kolby, meet up and stare in blind wonderment at the tornado's after effects.  Together, the entire neighborhood clings together and begins to search for people in their ruins.  Jersey, too shocked to do anything, sits through it all and is washed by the newly falling  drizzle from the dreaded sky.  Soon enough, bodies are found, both dead and alive.  Surviving in her devastated home for several days, rarely going out to do anything, Ronnie suddenly returns home.  Neither of them can believe that the other is alive.  Still not having heard from Marin or her mother, she asks about them.  Ronnie finally tells her that there're dead. This blow is barely a register to the storm.  Her daze makes it seem so surreal.

"I could see it from the road," he told me, the two of us sitting in shadows in our motel room.  Neither of us had bothered to turn on the light.  Neither of us would bother to turn it on for the whole next day, either.  I think we were each afraid to see the other, afraid that our brokenness would become contagious if we shined light on it.  "I've seen videos of tornadoes before, but, Jersey, I've never seen anything like this.  It was huge.  Had all these little tornadoes circling it, too.  The thing was so big it looked like it could swallow the whole world."
IT DID, I thought.  IT SWALLOWED MY WHOLE WORLD.

Jersey was just a part of the package that Ronnie had to accept if he wanted to marry the woman he loved, a child that he didn't father.  His mental breakdown after all that he cherished is gone as as a result of the tornado, which doesn't include Jersey, leads him to get rid of her.  He says that he isn't fit for the job.  He just can't look at her anymore.  Yet again shocked, Jersey pleads with him to let her stay with him.  She has no where to go.  He's the only familiar thing she knows.  One of her friends is missing while the other can't help her, and Kolby left with his family for a safer location.  Then, she gets told the truth.  He set up an arrangement for her to live with her father, a man who was absent in her life from the beginning.  This unexpected news leads to quick resentment.  How did Ronnie have the right to dictate her life?  She lost everything, and he was throwing her away.  Meeting her father's parents, her father and his wife, and the rest of his family proves to be much more than she can handle.  The truth is, most of them are just not nice folks.  Being bounced from person to person, Jersey feels horrible.  No one she loves is around.  Countless people are telling her the same thing over and over again, "I'm so sorry."  To make matters worse, her father and his family, now her family, are supposed to love her, but the reality of her situation mirrors just the opposite.  They're nasty people who treat her like dirt.  What's Jersey supposed to do with no family, no love, and no hope?

Torn Away is now one of my favorite contemporary novels.  It was beautifully written and executed perfectly.  Every emotion that Jersey was going through was so easily felt and acknowledged by the reader.  I was practically in tears by the point where she was attempting to go her mother and sister's funerals.  Jersey simply wanted to tell them goodbye, but no one would let her.

I realized that the worst part of someone you love dying suddenly isn't the saying good-bye part.  It's the part where you wonder if they knew how much you loved them.  It's the part where you hope you said and did enough good stuff to make up for the bad stuff.  It's the part where there are no second chances, no going back, no more opportunities to tell them how you feel about them.
-Jersey

I was extremely shocked by this novel.  I've always wanted to read Jennifer Brown's Hate List but haven't yet been able to do so.  I really need to get my hands on a copy of it!  However, when I saw this book staring me in the face, I absolutely had to pick it up.  The cover was so stunning and beautiful that I couldn't help myself or even think of resisting.  Then I noticed that it was written by Jennifer Brown herself, an added bonus.  (Happy dance.)  In the end, I'm so glad that I did.  It was simply amazing and the story inside is just as beautiful as the cover art.  It's message rang true, and I felt for Jersey so deeply.  When she finally arrived at her grandparents' house, the area where all of their children still lived (including her father), was such a roller coaster.  I have to admit, I was quite surprised by how they acted towards her, but I suppose that was to be expected.  Drunken, unreliable, and destructive, her father came to her and told her that he would never love her.  He wasn't her daughter, and he would never be her father.  I was hit by devastation after devastation with this novel.  I loved it yet wanted to chuck it against the wall.  I felt so frustrated for Jersey.  How could all of these people care so little for her?  Couldn't they see she was hurting?!

Jersey alone was an amazing character.  The ups and downs she went through, her character development by the start of the tornado to the end was so lovely to see, and what really stuck with me was her devotion to Marin's memory.  Before she left for her mother's home, she took Marin's purse with the lipstick and the gum in it.  Eating a piece of gun every once in a while, she wrote down an important aspect or memory of Marin on the wrapper.  She stored all of these mementos in a pocket of the purse, keeping them so that she would never forget.  If only she had danced with her once, like Marin wanted.

My heart was broken and mended all due to this single book.  While I was tempted to give Torn Away a four star rating, I couldn't bring myself to do it.  While I struggled with this, I finally decided that the reason behind this novel and its thought provoking theme/question that we are presented with throughout its entirety was a gem of its own.  It had to be given a little more credit than that.  I loved it: What does it mean to lose everything?  When is hope truly gone?  Can it ever really disappear?  If you lose your house, your possessions, and loved ones, does that mean you have nothing left?  Can there be someone out there caring for you still?  Can you really just give up on yourself?  This was what Torn Away was all about.  Jersey was the embodiment of these hard hitting questions.  Perhaps she's right.  Maybe there is a relief in the known, even if the known is ugly, or maybe the ugly can be turned into something stunningly beautiful.

If you enjoyed this book you may also like:

             

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

This review was written by: C

Received: Free ARC from HarperCollins

Publication Date of Book: September 2014
Pages: 288

Stars: (4/5)

Short summary of the story:
Jessamin is a strong-willed, intelligent, and stubborn young lady from the island of Melei, who has come to the country of Albion to complete her education. Jessa lives and works at a hotel in order to make ends meet. Her dark hair and complexion have branded her as an outsider, nothing more than an island rat to the "civilized" Albions. Jessa despises the country in which she now resides, but is unable to go home, as she will never again receive such an opportunity to further her studies. Her dreary outlook upon her new life soon changes when she meets Finn, a young lord that opens her eyes to a whole new world of wealth, parties, deceit, prestige, and magic.
From this point on, however, Jessa's world falls apart. Finn's affections place Jessa right in the center of a political struggle that has been occurring throughout Albion’s nobility. Lord Downpike, the individual that Finn once suspected for the murder of his parents, wants control in order to execute an even greater plan and he will stop at nothing until he finds out the secrets of Finn's magic. This task has just become that much easier with Finn's newly discovered weakness, Jessa. The question is, will Jessa and Finn be able to save the country, or will Albion, Melei, and countless innocents fall into the hands of Downpike?


My thoughts:
Kiersten White has a gift for creating such believable characters and villains. Jessamin was by far my favorite. I have always loved strong female protagonists with wit, charm, and the ability to outsmart any man. Jessamin definitely fits the bill, as she is headstrong and won't let anyone dictate her fate. I adore the fact that she began as an outsider and perhaps what would be considered a “commoner” and eventually became a loved and accepted individual. Finn saw her for who she was, acknowledged her differences, and never hated her for her background, homeland, societal status, or the color of her skin. The fact that this book had a lead character of color was great, as most novels do not often show much diversity.

The romance was adorable. Finn seems to be the man of every girl’s dreams. He comes across as a bit of jerk at the beginning, but then it is revealed that there is a much deeper and sensitive side. The noble aspect of Finn was his greatest quality. He stood his ground and faced all oncoming dangers, even when it meant going it alone.

The setting was also amazing. Kiersten’s words paint a tangible world that was filled with mystery, intrigue, and my favorite part, magic. I especially enjoyed how she wove a historical setting that felt like a Victorian era Europe. My only qualms with this book would be the fact that it started out just a little bit slow, but it soon picked up and my eyes were glued to the pages. Besides, I never saw the ending coming!!!!

If you enjoyed this book you may also like:

          

Citizen Sim: Cradle of the Stars by Michael Solana

This review was written by: C and F

Received: Free electronic copy from the author

Publication Date of Book: May 2014
Pages: 220

Stars: (5/5)

Johnny Clark is your typical teenage boy...sort of.  He loves spending time on the computer (instead of going outside),  hanging out with his two friends, and skipping school every once in a while.  He may also occasionally be described as a slacker or chronic procrastinator, but he's still a great character.  His normalcy seems a constant until one day he wakes up and unexpectedly has knowledge of how to do things he never knew how to remotely perform before.  Suddenly, he becomes exceedingly skilled in math when he was flunking this subject as a freshman just the other year.  He's also having visions of Citizen Sim, a renowned hacker that has even taken down the major search engine Google for a period of time.  Every time Citizen Sim is about to strike, Johnny knows what he is going to do time and time again before he even does it.  Even stranger, Johnny has been constructing a peculiar device that he thinks about at night, waking up in the morning with the knowledge and nagging feeling to put this single device together. He knows that he's missing one piece of the puzzle in its construction, but the thoughts have stopped flowing to him.  That is until he figures out what he needs in math class, a lengthy code.  What does this device do?

Amidst his current troubles, Johnny confides in is friends, telling them about his invention and his issues with the visions of Citizen Sim.  Discouraged and yet not surprised that they think he's bluffing or crazy, he accepts that he is on his own.  To make matters worse, there are two very peculiar men lurking around his neighborhood with unknown intentions, Mr. Jetworth and Mr. Florence.  Little does he know, they might have a history of murder.

Problems continue to arise in young Johnny's life.  One simple example includes a very interesting event at school.  During his math class, everyone pauses what they are doing, literally frozen in place.  Confused, our protagonist watches as his peers suddenly disappear only to be replaced by several individuals he has never been acquainted with before, sharing only a short dialogue before the group is reduced to one innocent looking girl.  When Johnny approaches her, her face turns into an ugly demon like formation.  Suddenly, he is jolted awake in his math class where everything is normal again.  He didn't even know that he had fallen asleep.  What's reality and what's not?  Will Johnny ever figure out what's going on?

Citizen Sim was, simply put, a roller coaster ride of adventure, mystery, humor, suspense, and pure adrenaline.  We each ate this book up, excited for the next opportunity to read more and more of it.  Michael Solana's debut novel was absolutely amazing!  We loved, loved, loved the idea and the plot line.  We've read many books over the years and this one was so unlike and unique among the others that we've read.  Sure, it reminded us of the Matrix, but we loved it nonetheless.  We were glued to our seats, reading page after page, word for word.  (Sometimes, we may be caught skimming some of our books but not with this one!)

Solana's voice in Citizen Sim was brilliant.  We enjoyed every second of it.  Johnny was a fabulous character who we only grew to love more and more as the story progressed.  Every second, we wanted to know more about his world, his life.  We promise that the mystery will keep you flipping the pages until the ending is finally reached.  It was a whirlwind.  We particularly enjoyed the humor that was sneaked into the book.  At one point, Johnny was trying to program his device after he figured out the coding that he needed.  It was at this time that his life was in danger and he had to no where to go and nothing to do but try to finish his creation so that he could save himself.  However, he didn't exactly understand how to program it:

"Five plus twelve over weird triangle thing," said Johnny as he touched numbers and glyphs on the center disk, "swiggle thing, swiggle thing, nineteen slash star...where's the star?  Crap where's the-star!  Nine, five, seventeen..."

We highly recommend this book.  It started off with a bang and kept going, sucking you in before you even knew what was happening.  The story and the characters were ultimately appealing, as well.  If you're looking for a book in the science fiction/fantasy genre or one that will mess with your head, this is definitely for you.  Solana did a great job in creating a masterpiece that we will not be forgetting anytime soon!