Blog Tour: Review for THE NEWSTEAD PROJECT by Melanie Schulz

3 out of 5 hearts

I received a copy of The Newstead Project as a part of I am a Reader, Not a Writer blog tours.

Joel is a talented high school athlete that was approached by a scout from Newstead High School.  He was offered a full scholarship to this private school to complete his high school career.  He has been waiting his whole life to hear those words, but they don't sound like what he expected.  Joel doesn't want to go but after watching his mom struggle to put bacon on the table, he decides to accept the offer and travels 20 hours to his new home in Vermont.  Newstead is nothing like he expected and immediately he realizes there is more to it than a regular high school.  The only distraction and freedom from it he finds is as a dishwasher at a local pizza shop; here he meets Rachel.

Rachel knows the true goal of Newstead.  Plus, she knows Joel's true identity.  He doesn't even know, but she does.  She is terrified of him and the other Newstead students.  She has moved from town to town since her parents passed, not staying in a single place for more than three months.  She is relying on that to get away from Newstead, but to her utmost disappointment, she has to stay in Wanton.  Joel and she bond together to uncover The Newstead Project.

An interesting factor of this book was it's connection to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (which is a military tactics guide by one of the best Chinese military generals of all time).  In the beginning, it kind of give a glimpse to the mystery behind Newstead but as the story unfolds, you get a better understanding.  I want to read The Art of War now.  The fantastical element behind it was used in one of the more unique ways that is has in other fantasy books (I'd tell you what it is, but it'd be a spoiler).  Regardless, I would still categorize this as more of a thriller/suspense book.

There were a few grammatical errors that were a bit distracting.  She also switches the POV, so you have to get used to that.  However, when she did, I didn't get a clear distinction between Joel and Rachel - the character voice for both of these was very similar, despite their different backgrounds and challenges.  Bascially, Schulz's decision to tell the story from both angles did add much more had she written it from only Joel's perspective.

The second book of this series,  The Bashan Agenda, comes out on November 1, 2013.

-Mariela

"What am I going to do?  The question sounded familiar, too familiar." - Melanie Schulz, The Newstead Project

The Newstead Project by Melanie Schulz
Paperback, 321 pages
Published May 1st 2013 by Black and White Publishing Co.

Book Tour: Review for DEER IN HEADLIGHTS by Staci Hart

3 out of 5 hearts

Here's the official synopsis: 

What do the Greek gods do when they're bored? Because they're always bored, so humans are the perfect players in their games.

Aphrodite owns love; she hasn't lost a competition on her turf in over three millennia. Apollo is on a mission to win. He's counting on it to finally get the one woman he's never been able to have. The two gods will choose their human players, and if Aphrodite can't get them together before the clock runs out, Apollo will get his way. And Aphrodite couldn't have that.

Lex and Dean are perfect for each other, they just don't know it yet. Dean is a perpetual bachelor, and a brooding, beautiful rock star. Lex is always with a man, but she'll never fully give herself up. Aphrodite has her work cut out for her, but if she can't make it work, no one can.

The gods have their own drama. Apollo killed Aprhodite's mortal love - they've got beef that's been dragging on for thousands of years. Ares, the douchebag, is forever trying to pick a fight, and trying to get Aphrodite into bed. And Persephone, Aphrodite's best friend, is the one person who Aphrodite shares everything with.

Follow the gods as they fight, laugh, cry, lose love, gain power, and make a mess with humans.

My review:

For some reason or another, I was thinking this was going to be YA (maybe it was the cover), but it is Adult.

There are two stories in this book as one.  One is the story of the feud between Aphrodite and Apollo.  Eros (commonly known as Cupid) shot the water nymph Daphne, Apollo's love interest, with an arrow to make her detest Apollo, even though Apollo and Daphne were in love.  After trying to run away from Apollo, Daphne's father turned her into a laurel tree so Apollo would leave her alone.  To get his revenge, Apollo sought out Ares' (Aphrodite's former lover and father of Eros) help and Adonis, Aphrodite's love, was killed.  Thousands and thousands of years have passed, but they are still incapable of letting go of the past.  In the midst of their boredom, the gods have challenges against each other, but Aphrodite and Apollo have ulterior motives between theirs.

Aphrodite, referred to as Dita in this book, is against Apollo in a challenge of love.  Both have a human subject that they will use during this challenge:  Dita's is Lex and Apollo's is Dean.  Dita's feat is to make Dean and Lex fall in love while Apollo's is the opposite.  The second story follows Dean and Lex.  Dean is the lead singer and guitar player of a rock band that recruited Travis, Lex's boyfriend, as the drummer. Dean has a lot of baggage and has never allowed himself to have a steady relationship, choosing a very promiscuous lifestyle.  However, when he meets Lex, they have an instant attraction that feels like something other than physical.  Lex vowed herself to never fall in love and is content with her relationship with Travis, but Dean sparks something within her that is making her think otherwise.  Thanks to Aphrodite and Apollo, they have quite a number of moments between each other and the challenge is on.

For me, this would definitely fall under chic-lit.  I will give you a warning that there are a few graphic scenes that made me blush, especially because I wasn't expecting them.  Honestly, I believe the story could do without them.  There is a different way of suggesting intimacy rather that full-out explaining it.  Anywho, I am a big fan of Greek mythology so I was interested to see the way Hart used it and made it her own.  I will say that although this book contained actual references to Greek mythology (Aphrodite vs. Apollo), Hart made it her own by modernizing the setting to present day and incorporating the love battle of Dean and Lex.  There is nothing wrong with a little fantasy.

About the Author:

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom; she has three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife; even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f, ends with k, and there a uc in there. Just saying. From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics. But let's be honest, she's mostly writing.

-Mariela

Deer in Headlights by Staci Hart

Paperback, 164 pages
Published February 13th 2013 by Promise Socks Publishing (first published February 12th 2012)
ISBN 9781482539
edition languageEnglish

Book Review: CINDER by Marissa Meyer

3 out of 5 hearts

Another blogosphere find.  Well actually, I heard all about Scarlet, the book that follows this one in the series and figured I'd give the Lunar Chronicles a try.

Cinder Linh is an adopted cyborg and lives in New Beijing after World War IV.  She is the Cinderella of the future, a helpless girl living under the care of a ruthless stepmother.  Her only friends in the world are the android Iko and her stepsister Peony.  She spends her days as New Beijing's best mechanic and is forced to give all her earnings to her stepmother.  Her reputation as mechanic earns her a mysterious visit from New Beijing's own Prince Kai.  He is more handsome in the flesh.  But, Cinder has bigger fish to fry.  Her beloved sister Peony becomes infected with the plague, a plague that is taking thousands of lives by the minute.  To make things worse, Cinder's stepmother blames her for Peony's illness and sends her off to become a medical test subject.  There, she discovers the secret of her past and her role in an intergalactic feud.  She is the key to humanity's survival.  What can she do?

For me, this book was very predictable.  The entire time I was reading it, I knew what was going to happen. Not to say that I knew the entire story line within the first few pages but I was able to assume the entire storyline after I was a third in.  However, Meyer has a way of writing that makes you want to keep reading.  Even though I already knew how things were going to play out, I wanted things to get better for Cinder and Prince Kai.  I was cheering for her, so I kept reading.  Plus, I hated the villainous Queen Levana and wanted Cinder to bring her down.

Even though I could say this book was mediocre, I have a feeling that the series as a whole will be worth the read.  So, I already checked Scarlet out from my library.

-Mariela

“Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything. It would completely ruin your life. What would you do?” ― Marissa Meyer, Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Hardcover, 1st Edition, 387 pages
Published January 3rd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
ISBN 0312641893 (ISBN13: 9780312641894)
Edition language:  English

Book Review: TEETH by Hannah Moskowitz

3 out of 5 hearts.

Another random find at my local library.  After reading the blurb on the back, I chose to read it because it has...magic!  Being a little kid at heart, I had to read it.

Rudy and his family moved to an island in the middle of nowhere.  His 5-year old brother Dylan has cystic fibrosis and the island is home to Enki silver fish, which have magical healing powers.  As a middle-class family, they could not afford some of the other treatments for Dylan and this is his last hope of survival.  The island is inhabited by other ill persons and their family members, everyone clinging on to the hopes of recuperation.  

Rudy is the only teenager on the entire island and he is submersed in a sea of loneliness  trying to erode the selfish thoughts of freedom that circle his brain.  He meets Teeth, who is half human and half fish.  He also meets Diana, who is the daughter of the woman that discovered the island.  Instead of giving in to his hormonal impulses, he spends all of his energy befriending Teeth.   As their friendship flourishes, the secrets of the island come crashing out.

I finished this book pretty quickly.  I was really looking forward to the magical realism aspects and they proved to be okay.  As I read through Rudy and Teeth's relationship, there were sometimes that made me think this was a LGBT book.  Even when I finished it, that question was left unanswered.  I suppose this notion came about because of the manner Maskowitz describes Rudy's feelings and the way he touches Teeth.  

Besides that, I liked the fact that Maskowitz wrote the character's thought in realistic terms.  With fiction, there are many cases that authors write in the character's thinking/emotions as they should be, but Maskowitz writes them as they are.  One of the key struggles that Rudy has is that he wants to live for someone else and feels selfish and guilty if he doesn't.  Even though the language may seem immature at times, it fits with the characters and their stage in life.

There wasn't anything that had me clinging to it for dear life.  It was okay, definitely a fluff read.

-Mariela

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published January 1st 2013 by Simon Pulse

ISBN 1442465328 (ISBN13: 9781442465329)

Edition language:  English

Book Review: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

3 out of 5 hearts

I decided to read this book because it was all over the blogosphere.  Especially with the release its sequel Unravel Me earlier this month, everyone walk blogging and tweeting about Mafi.  I had to give in and give it a try.  

*Since the official synopsis is pretty vague, this may seem like a spoiler.*

We meet Juliette Ferrars, who is locked in solitary at an asylum because she is considered a danger to society.  It has been almost a year since she has seen or spoke to another person.  She is told she is getting a roommate but she never thought it would be a guy.  Her new roommate is Adam Kent.  Despite the situation, they pretty much fall in love while in captivity.  Suddenly, one day an army of soldiers barge into their cell and drag Juliette to meet Warner, who is a psychopathic leader of the Reestablishment.  Juliette has a special trait, which is that her touch is lethal.  Warner intends to craft her trait into a torture mechanism to use on rebels.  

Juliette and Adam are taken to live at Warner's headquarters.  It turns out that Adam is a soldier in the Reestablishment and he is assigned as Juliette's guard.  But, Adam is in love with her, which was obvious from the start.  He devises a plan and they escape.  From then on, Juliette and Adam are running for their lives and the twists emerge.

As soon as I started to read it, I was pretty hooked.  Mafi has an amazing talent in writing emotional descriptions and imagery that it sucks you in.  At first, I did think it was a bit over the top, but I had to remember that Juliette had never experienced acceptance, love, or touch.  Then, I felt it was most appropriate and Mafi conveys it beautifully.  I think there is a good balance between action and romance in this book.  I appreciated that Juliette was always written as a heroine, even when she thought her trait was a detriment. 

So why 3 out of 5?  The lack of a creative or original plot.  I am aware it is a dystopian book.  There were a few minor details that were unique.  However, the last 100 pages were the problem.  It became The Hunger Games meets X-Men meets Fantastic Four.  I love graphic novel and comics, so I know the stories and characters in X-Men.  As I was reading, I had the hunch that something very similar to the events in Mockingjay would occur and I was right.  Then, the other "special" characters were introduced that they were complete spin-offs of other comic/science fictional characters, even Juliette (Rouge from X-Men).  So, I was very turned off to the point I almost stopped reading.  But, I read it to the end and I thought the ending was cheesy.  

However, like I stated, Mafi creates amazing descriptions and I want to know what happens to Warner, so I will eventually read the following books.

This is book one of a trilogy.  Books 1.5 and 2 are already out.  The third will be out Fall 2013.

To each, their own.

-Mariela

"Laughter comes from the living."  I shrug, try to sound indifferent.  "I've never really been alive before." - Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Hardcover, 338 pages
Published November 15th 2011 by Harper
ISBN 0062085484 (ISBN13: 9780062085481)
Edition language:  English