Finder by Pepper Thorn

Author: Pepper Thorn

Title: Finder

Publication: March 24, 2014

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Genre: Fairy Tale, Young Adult

Pages: 200

Audience: 13 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): All Sara wanted was her family, back again,but Faery bargains always come with a price,
and what you look for is not always what you seek.

Ever since she can remember, Sara McAlister has had a knack for finding things. What she has not had for the last year is a family.

Since the accident that stole her dad and little sister, Sara has been living a lie, pretending that everything was fine, and that she and her mom were moving on. But when Queen Titania summons her into the beautiful and treacherous Faery, Sara gets a chance to make her lies reality.

The Holy Grail has disappeared, and King Oberon with it. Sara's knack may be the key to saving them … and getting her life back. But there are more powers at play than even Queen Titania is aware of.

Can Sara use her increasingly unreliable gift to complete a quest that has claimed the lives and sanity of Faery’s finest knights

My thoughts:
I found out about this indie author and book from a small convention I went to called the Alabama Phoenix Festival. Pepper Thorn was a panelist in a panel I attended. She of course promoted her book. I had mentioned wanting it after spotting it in the Dealer's Room and reading the synopsis. My husband had bought it for me while I was at the panel. I went back to get it signed. 
This is a fairy tale...you have the Fairy Queen, Titania, and the King, Oberon. For me personally, it took a little while to get into. I think it really hit its stride around page 100. However, I was reading it each day for about 30 minutes at work, and I had just changed from night shift to day shift...so I was dealing with lack of sleep and other kinds of issues. It could have been me, not the book. I did have a problem with Sara just jumping into the fairy realm without thinking. I felt there were some things left untethered. Like how did Sara learn about her gift? How did the fairies know about Sara and her gift? Why did Nuthelm follow Sara through out her life? At the end Sara is given another gift in the fairy realm, but when she comes back to the human realm, there is no trace of it, so what happened to her gift? Why happened to the twin guards?
Also, this is the second novel that I have read that uses Rock City as a meeting ground. This first was American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I thought it was kind of neat especially since that is where I went for my honeymoon, and I know the landscape a bit. Sara goes into the fairy realm on Monte Sano Mountain, which is really close to my home town. To me, that was really cool.
I thought the book was great. It follows Sara who is on an fairy quest and pretty much learns how to deal with her grief and guilt along the way. There are many creatures from unicorns to tiny tree people. It stays pretty action packed, except for the walking/vision scenes. I found those a little slow, but I think they are imperative to the story. I put young adult for the suggested reading age, but I would suggest 13 and up for this story. It is a fantastic novel filled with all sorts of fairy creatures, villains, and heroes. 

 

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Audiobook)

Author: John Green 

Narrator: Jeff Woodman

Title:  An Abundance of Katherines

Publication: September 1, 2006

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 272

Length: 6 hours and 48 minutes

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 1 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Katherine V thought boys were gross

Katherine X just wanted to be friends

Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail

K-19 broke his heart

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

My thoughts: I have heard a lot about John Green and I have purchased Fault in Our Stars, but it is currently on my bookshelf collecting dust while I’m reading six other books. So I thought I would go with an audiobook at the time because I had nothing else better to listen to and I really wanted to try a John Green book. I guess I should have not gone with An Abundance of Katherines, but our library is so underfunded, that this was my only John Green option. I kept listening to it, hoping it would get better. By the end of it I was tired of Colin Singleton, the term “fug” in any format, anagrams, and math terminology. At one point, I was almost certain that Colin had Asperger’s Syndrome. The book never mentioned it so I guess he didn't. This entire book was about him and his wants and obsessions. He never seemed to care about other people. It was annoying. However, his friend Hasan was the comedic relief, but even he got annoying at times. The other main characters were uncertain about what they wanted as well. So it was full of coming of age angst. The book was a good book about being yourself and coming of age novel. However, there was too much stupid love drama with the Katherines, whining from Colin, anagrams, and math for my taste. 

The narrator, Jeff Woodman does a great job. He does a different voice for each character. His southern accent for Hollis and Lindsay and the other residents of Gutshot is over the top, but it works. Some people really do sound the way he narrated them. I think he did a fantastic job. You can tell when Hasan is speaking or Colin or one of the many Katherines. He is a wonderful narrator, but the book was kind of poop for me. If you love John Green I suggest giving it a try, but if you are not a John Green fan, or have never read any of his books I was told to try Looking for Alaska. 

Valiant (Modern Faeries Tales #2) by Holly Black

Author: Holly Black
Title:  Valiant (Modern Faeries Tales #2)
Publication: October  1, 2006
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult, Faerie Tale
Pages: 320
Audience: 15 and up
Rating: 3 out of 5
Source: Public Library

Synopsis (fromGoodreads): When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends.
And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature with whom they are all involved, Val finds herself torn between her newfound affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

 
My thoughts: I have no idea how this book relates to Tithe, but I guess I will find out when I read Ironside. Unfortunately, the experience of the book was lessened as some jerk had censored the book.  

 This book is full of drama and twists and turns at every corner. You don’t expect the bad guys until it is too late. Val is a strong female character who runs away after finding out the truth about her boyfriend. So she jumps on a train and heads to New York on a date by herself…except she decides to stay in New York for a while. Val and her new street friends Lolli, Dave, and Luis aren’t exactly angels. They use fairy glamor, which they call Never to get high. They then have fairy powers to glamor people. Never is very much like heroin and has withdrawal symptoms.  Val runs into some trouble and indentures herself to a fairy to repay for the trouble she and Lolli caused. However, there is some major drama going on amongst the fairies and you don’t know who you can trust. It is a gritty, dirty story, but it is part of the series and it wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t fantastic either.

Audio Review: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Title: Etiquette & Espionage

Series: Finishing School #1

Author: Gail Carriger

Narrator: Moira quirk

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Format: Unabridged Audio

Length: 8 hrs 55 mins

Publication: February 18, 2013

Source: Library

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy, Historical fiction

Amazon|B&N|Goodreads

Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.

My Thoughts: This is the cutest story ever. Sophronia is a mischievous young girl. Her mother is fed up and decides that she needs a finishing school to turn her into a proper lady. Little does she know that Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality is the perfect place for Sophronia and it is more than just any finishing school. I love, love, love this story. Sophronia's curiosity and antics land her in many a situation. Her quick wit, on the other hand, always seems to get her out of said situations. The best part of the story to me is the school's setting. I imagined a stuffy castle as the home of the finishing school. Instead the school is located on a balloon. 

This is a single voiced unabridged audio. This is the first time I have listened to an audio narrated by Moira Quirk. She has done an amazing job bringing the characters to life. Her accents are wonderful and the differentiation between each character is distinct and simple to recognize. This story provides an excellent platform for audio performance. 

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Author: Holly Black

Title:Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales #1)

Publication: October 1, 2002

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fairy Tale, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 336

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover):

Sixteen year old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the blue collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye, finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

My thoughts:

This book has been on my to-read-list for a while. I finally got around to reading it. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was different than I thought it would be. I guess part of it was I did not read the back cover before I dove into the book. I was expecting most of the book to take place in the faerie kingdoms. not in the modern world, or as the faerie call it, the Ironside, which is also the title to the third book in the trilogy. I read this book in about 4 days or so.  However, there are so many characters and places to keep up with, that by the end of the novel I had confused myself. I was wondering who certain characters were, but I finally got it all figured out.
If you like fairy/faerie tales, then I recommend this book. Kaye is an interesting character who is strong willed and fiercely loyal. I liked her a lot because I too am stubborn and loyal. I don't want to say too much about the other characters, but it appears just like faerie glamor some people are not as they seem.
It is a quick, fun read especially if you like faeries. I hope to find and read the second book eventually. Unfortunately, my public library does not have the complete trilogy.

Audio Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Title: Unbreakable

Author: Kami Garcia

Narrator: Candice Accola

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Format: Unabridged Audio

Length: 6 hrs 46 mins

Publication: October 1, 2013

Source: Library

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy

Amazon|B&N|Goodreads

Synopsis:
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this read yet by the end I was saying "What?? Really?? You've got to be kidding me!! Kennedy went through all of that and then this?" I found my self yelling at Kennedy throughout the story trying to get her to rethink her actions and do what I wanted her to do. Garcia did a wonderful job developing the characters and the plot. 

It was easy to empathize with Kennedy's situation and understand why she made the decisions she did. I was left with several unanswered questions at the end of the book. I will definitely continue with this series since, I must know what happens next.

This is a single voiced unabridged production. Candice Accola is a wonderful narrator. I did find it difficult to distinguish between Jared and Lukas but they are twins. Consistent pace is maintained throughout the production. The original material lends itself well to audio presentation. 

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Author: Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant

Publication: October 22, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Pages: 544

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered- fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature- and of herself- wile facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

My thoughts:
 I finished this book a few days ago. I actually started the book back in October right after it came out, but a friend of mine ruined the ending...so I kind of put it off. I'm also doing that to another series. I hate it when people do that, but I eventually get over it because I get to experience the journey. It's just I know I won't have a raw/true reaction to that event because I'm expecting it. Anyway, I'm really not sure how I feel or what I think about this book. I read some reviews about it, and I think the best one described it as Katy Perry's song, Hot and Cold. I think that perfectly sums it up. 
Unlike some fans of the series, I did enjoy reading the book for the most part. I did not like the varying viewpoints because to me Tris and Tobias were written so much alike, that I would forget whose perspective I was in until another character said something, then I was thinking, "Huh? When did we switch perspectives?" 
Of course, Mrs. Roth has no issues killing off her characters. In a way, I respect authors who want to rip your hearts out, but after a while, I start to detach myself from the book and characters so I'm not hurt every three chapters or so. I think she did an overkill for the series, even though it is a dystopian series, she killed off way too many loveable characters. She killed off one of my favorite characters and I had to stop reading at that point and let myself be angry and upset over it. I'm pretty sure I'm still not over it.
As for the ending, I felt one ending was too abrupt for one character. The other character's ending was a bit fluffy and sugary sweet for my taste. Otherwise, the book was fine. It was a conclusive ending to the trilogy. I honestly liked it. There were a couple of quotes about information and one about love that I wrote down to remember. I can say I like Divergent and Insurgent better, but Allegiant makes an okay ending for the series. What do you think? Were you a lover or hater of Allegiant?

 

Audio Review: Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Title: Hollowland (The Hollows #1)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Narrator: Eileen Stevens 
Publication: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Audible Inc
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult
Length: 7 Hours 36 minutes
Format: Unabridged Audio
Amazon|Barnes and Noble|Goodreads

Synopsis:  "This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

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

My Thoughts: This is a great read and is currently (as of this posting) available at a great price on amazon. Remy's world is falling apart. Her parents are dead, zombie's have overrun the country, and she is living in a quarantine. When the quarantine is infiltrated Remy's brother is whisked away and she is forced to find her way to him all the while fending for herself. In the process she finds unlikely friends and undeniable truths. 

The story is intriguing and I was immediately drawn into Remy's World. There is a lot of action and Hocking keeps you on your toes. Ripley is my favorite character. She provides the strength the other characters need and keeps them going. Eileen Stevens did a great job with the narration. I was more connected with the characters as a result of her narration. 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (Audiobook)

Author: Holly Black

Narrator: Christine Lakin
Title:The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Publication: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Pages: 432
Length: 12 hours 6 minutes

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 3.5 out 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover): Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

My thoughts:
My coworkers kept laughing at me every time I talked about this book. I listened to it and it took most of the first disc for Tana to get out of the blasted house! It was a slow moving book. My husband hated it, we listened to it on our way to our hometown to get married actually and we listened to it on the way back home. Something about it made me keep going even if it was so slow paced. I loved the last 3 disc so about chapter 30- to the end held much more action and felt more YA. I listen and read everything. I listened to the acknowledgements at the end. Holly Black says The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a "love letter to all the vampire novels she has ever read." with that in mind it seems like she tried to pay homage to other writers in the genre and finally found her groove towards the end of the novel. So that little bit of information helped me like the book a little more.
The characters were interesting. Tana is such a head-strong, independent character. She fights for what if right no matter if she dies trying and I loved that about her. I still have questions about the scar on her arm, but not enough for it to keep me awake at night. I thought Aiden was going to be another main character, but I was wrong about that. He is a jerk and it shows. I wanted to kick him in the shins a lot. Gavriel is a character with a rich history and a lengthy story. He is a crazy vampire, but I love the way he speaks and even though he is mad, he is trying to keep some sanity about him. The vampires are typical vampires and they don't sparkle, they burn. The only characters who really got on my nerves was Tana's sister, Pearl and Midnight. I wanted both of them gone, but they help the storyline along...so I understand their purpose to the story. 
I really liked Christine Lakin's ability to change accents and characters so well. One minute she is a vampire with a Russian ancestry, then a back woods county cop, then back to Tana or one of the various characters. It was easy to differentiate as each character had a specific voice that she did not deviate from. The only thing, her voice was so calm and soothing that it made me sleepy at times. 
Overall the book was an okay read.  There were a few parts I had not guessed and was actually shocked. There were a few that I guessed or were just obvious. I would not buy this book , but if you like Holly Black, vampire novels, or need something new to read then I suggest checking this book out.

 

Black Heart by Holly Black, (Audiobook)

Author: Holly Black
Narrator: Jesse Eisenberg
Title:Black Heart Curse Workers Book 3

Publication: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Listening Library

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 304
Length: 6 hours and 33 Minutes

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover):

In a world where magic is illegal, Cassel Sharpe has the most deadly ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object- including a person- into something else entirely. And that makes him a wanted man. The Feds are willing to forgive all his past crimes if he'll only leave his con artist family behind and go straight. But why does going straight feel so crooked? 
For one thing, it mean being on the opposite side of the law from Lila, the girl he loves. She's the daughter of a mob boss and thought Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can't stop obsessing over her. Which would be bad enough, even if her father wasn't keeping Cassel's mother prioner until she returns the priceless diamond she scammed off of him ears ago. Too bad she can;'t remember where she put it.
The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning dangerously out of control. But if they want Cassel to use his unique talent to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

My thoughts:
The book starts off a bit slow. It seemed to be about the same pace as the others, but the last few discs had some action to them! I was shocked by the actions Cassel takes and the events that unfold for Cassel and his friends. This book was the perfect ending. However, Holly Black crafted the book so that if she decides to visit Cassel Sharpe and his friends again, she can. If she chooses not to write anymore Curse Worker books, this book won't leave you hanging off a cliff, but you'll wonder about a few things that were left open. As I mentioned before, this book is the most action packed. Cassel and Sam are up to their usual crazy shenanigans again. Sam and Danica are having some major relationship issues, so are Cassel and Lila. Then there is the Feds and the crime families, as well as Cassel's family thrown into the mix. As well as crazy dude and an unusual mystery to solve. It is a great book to end the series with and makes the books worth the read.