Friends and Traitors (Slayers #2) by C.J. Hill – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Oct 232013
 

Slayers2Friends and Traitors (Slayers #2)

Author: C. J. Hill

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Published Date: October 15, 2013

Hardcover: 400 pages

Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

ISBN# 978-1-250-02461-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free softcover ARC in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Back Cover)

In C.J. Hill’s action-packed sequel to Slayers, the group of teens known as Slayers have been betrayed—but they won’t give up without a fight.

Tori’s got a problem. She thought she’d have one more summer to train as a dragon Slayer, but time has run out. When Tori hears the horrifying sound of dragon eggs hatching, she knows the Slayers are in trouble. In less than a year, the dragons will be fully grown and completely lethal. The Slayers are well-prepared, but their group is still not complete, and Tori is determined to track down Ryker—the mysterious missing Slayer.

What Tori doesn’t bargain for, however, is the surprising truth about her powers. She isn’t just a Slayer, she’s part Dragon Lord, too. How can Tori fight to save her friends when half of her is programmed to protect dragons? And with a possible traitor in their midst, the Slayers will be divided in more ways than they ever imagined.

Review

I loved reading Slayers, so it was great revisiting these characters again in Friends and Traitors. After a key member of the Slayers’ team is revealed as a traitor, two new dragon slayers join the team. Adventures are had, battles are fought, and relationships are forever altered.

I haven’t read a lot of YA involving dragons (only the Slayers series, the Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George and the first book in the Firelight series by Sophie Jordan), but it’s interesting to see different aspects of dragon lore portrayed in various ways in each one. If you like dragons, you will probably enjoy all three of these series.

The Slayers series is a lot of fun. I appreciate reading about a strong yet feminine lead character, as well as a group of teens working together as a team for the good of society. Both young men and young women, as well as their parents, will enjoy Slayers and it’s sequel, Friends and Traitors.

Visit C. J. Hill:

BLOG | WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Find Friends and Traitors:

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK | GOODREADS

FireandIceSlayersBanner

 For the full Friends and Traitors Blog Tour schedule, visit the Fire and Ice blog.

CJHillBioPhotoAbout the Author: CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother’s pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children’s books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.

(Most writers’ first novels aren’t publishable. CJ Junior’s first novel wasn’t, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.)

CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (see Content Warning)

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Aug 202012
 

The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Published Date: January 2012

Hardcover; 336 pages

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 9780525478812

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: borrowed from my local library

Summary

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Review

Though YA is not my usual genre choice, I was very curious about The Fault in Our Stars after reading the summary above. It was a fascinating read for me and provided a glimpse into a world I know absolutely nothing about. The story of Gus, Isaac, Hazel, her parents, and a bitter, alcoholic author named Peter Von Houten pulled me in and kept me reading.

I knew about the emotional aspect ahead of time so I kept the tissues nearby. I used them more than once. The first time was during one of Hazel’s flashbacks with her parents when she was really sick at first and they were getting ready to say goodbye. As a mother, I couldn’t help it.

I wondered why I kept reading when I knew this couldn’t end well (meaning happily ever after, right?) and yet I kept turning pages. Is it worth the read? In the end, it just depends on how the reader feels about what is lost vs. what is gained. Is love worth the agony? Would the reader rather have “painless” ignorance or experience once-in-a-lifetime love that can only end in heartache?

While this is a YA novel, if my 14 year old were to express a desire to read it I would ask her to wait a year or two and then we would discuss the content issues below and decide from there. Some of the LDSWBR adult readers may hesitate if they prefer to keep their reads very clean. The story was strong enough to carry me past the content issues because I really wanted to see how things would end.

I haven’t read any other novels by John Green so I don’t know how this book compares. I will not make any recommendations about who might enjoy this book because it is such an individual choice with stories like these. I don’t know if it is a book I will read again or not at this point, but I do know that it will stick with me for a long time.

Content Warning

Language: Some swearing, there may have been one F-bomb near the end (I’ve read a few books since this one so I can’t say for sure)

Sexual: One instance of premarital sex, no description; one vague, brief mention afterward of a condom problem

Other: The tone of the book is more mature than might be expected considering the age of the main characters; some blunt references to body parts and functions but nothing explicitly coarse.

Variant by Robison Wells – Combined Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Combined Reviews
Nov 032011
 

Variant

Author: Robison Wells

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published Date: October 2011

Hardcover; 356 pages

Genre: YA Dystopian

Reviewed by: Shanda, Sheila, and Mindy

FTC FYI: purchased with own money

Shanda’s Review

Variant begins with Benson, a 17-year-old foster kid who has moved from home to home since he was five, as he is dropped off at Maxfield Academy. Benson is excited, hoping that this is his opportunity for a quality education. It doesn’t take long for Benson to realize this school is not what he thought it was and he wants out.

I have heard people mention both Lord of the Flies and Ender’s Game in reference to Variant. I haven’t read either of them, so this review will be free from any comparisons to those books. My experience with what is considered YA Dystopian is limited to The Hunger Games (which I loved) and The Maze Runner (not as much), as well as Matched and Possession, so I will also not be comparing Variant to other YA Dystopian-type novels as a genre.

What I will tell you in this review is how I felt about this long-awaited novel by Robison Wells as a 30-something mother who is looking for entertaining and clean books for both herself and her teenager to read.

I would hand Variant to my (nearly) 14 year-old daughter without hesitation. If my nephew was a little older, he would get a copy for Christmas this year. Maybe I’ll buy one for him now anyway and give it to him in a couple of years.

I started to read Variant and didn’t put it down, even for dinner. I found the writing smooth and engaging. Both the characters and the story were intriguing to me. I appreciated the lack of swearing, both traditional and “made-up.” (There was one instance of “b—-rd” after a character is killed, but that is all that I can remember.) There is violence but it never felt excessive or pointless to me. There is no sex or gratuitous content.

There is desire. Desire for freedom, something Benson never really appreciated before. For friends and acceptance, things he didn’t know he would like having so much. For normalcy, which takes on an entirely different meaning halfway through the book.

Thinking back, there is nothing that I “tripped” over or that pulled me from the story. I had no problem suspending a little belief about foster kids disappearing from the system with no one noticing. Stories like that have been in the news several times in the past few years. I hear about a number of run-aways each year as well.

I really liked Benson and the other Vs, especially Jane, Mason, Curtis and Lily. The other key characters were easy to like or despise depending on your position.

There is a scene with Benson, Jane, Dylan and Laura that is seriously intense. I’m pretty sure I read it with my mouth open in shock. What followed was a twist I did not see coming.

I found the ending to be an effective cliff-hanger that definitely made me want more but did not leave me overly-frustrated at having to wait for the sequel.

I give Variant 5 stars out of 5 for going above and beyond what I expected, which honestly was a lot.

Young adult fiction is the genre I am the most picky about after being disappointed in content and quality several times. I don’t read much YA so I am thrilled to have enjoyed Variant as much as I did. I recommend Variant to teenagers (boys AND girls) as well as adults.

Sheila’s Review

Benson Fisher is looking for a brand new start at a brand new school. He is not prepared for what awaits him when he gets there. Strange happenings are occurring at Maxfield Academy where the students are running the school, with no adults in sight.

From the very beginning you realize that Variant is not going to be like other books out there. I found I was drawn in from the minute he pulls up to the front doors of the school. Students standing at the windows are screaming at him, making this a very strange welcome to a new school. Oh yes, later Benson finds out it had been a warning for him to run while he had the chance.

From this point on it is such a wild ride. Every day, Benson finds more and more weird things about the school. He also plans every day how he is going to escape. The people that he thinks he can trust, he finds their friendship is all a facade.

Variant leaves you guessing through the whole book. I can guarantee that you will not guess about nor believe some of the things that are revealed. The end IS as shocking as everyone has been saying.

This book is such a great mix of a dystopian theme and a surprising dash of sci-fi. The writing is clean and the characters are distinct. I can’t wait to find out where the story will go from here. It all reminds me of mice in a cage running through tubes, they never realize that they are not getting anywhere. Is this what Benson is going to find out? If you are curious as to what I mean…well, you are just going to have to read the book.

It is a five star, totally fantastic YA book that I will read again and again.

Mindy’s Review

I need to say this first—Variant blew me away. I loved every page. I started on a Saturday afternoon and finished that night.

Variant starts off very strong and doesn’t let go until the last sentence. Even then I was left with my mouth open. This book is so well-written. The characters, whether good or bad, were amazing. The surprise twist had me screaming and saying, “No way this is happening!” My husband was teasing me while I read because I had my hand to my mouth and gasped many times.

Benson Fisher is headed to Maxfield Academy. He wanted this school to be the ticket out of his disappointing life. He couldn’t have been more wrong. As soon as he arrives at school, he knows something is wrong. Immediately when the gates open, two kids try to run to freedom.

Benson doesn’t know what to think when he meets Becky who explains how things works at the school. No teachers. Students attend classes on weird subjects and earn points. Benson finds out from Isaiah that he is “expected” to join a gang—The Society, Havocs, or the V’s. Each gang is in charge of certain jobs at the school. Benson chooses the Variants. He tries to escape, making quick enemies of Dylan and Laura from the Society. He eventually makes friends in his gang, but escape is always in his mind.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’m going to stop there. So many amazingly cool things happen, your jaw will be dropping, too. It is violent in spots, so younger readers beware.

5 out of 5 stars. Absolutely superb. Smooth writing and non-stop action.

 

 Have you added Variant to your to-read list yet?

 

The Jane Austen Diaries: Pride and Popularity

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Sep 162011
 

Title: Pride and Popularity (The Jane Austen Diaries)

Author: Jenni James

Publisher: Inkberry Press

Published: July 13, 2011

Softcover: 238

ISBN# 978-0-9838293-0-0

Reviewer: Sheila

FTC FYI: Review Copy from the publisher

Chloe Elizabeth Hart despises the conceited antics of the popular crowd, or more importantly, one very annoying self-possessed guy, Taylor Anderson, who seems determined to make her the president of his fan club! As if! Every girl in the whole city of Farmington, New Mexico, is in love with him, but he seems to be only interested in Chloe.

This modern high school adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” is a battle of wits as Chloe desperately tries to remain the only girl who can avoid the inevitable—falling for Taylor.

I love most re-tellings of Pride and Prejudice. Jenni James has created a modern, teen version of Pride and Prejudice that will delight any Jane Austen fan. Chloe Elizabeth Hart is the main female character of this fun tale. She is a normal teenage girl dealing with the ups and downs of high school life. For many years there has been one boy who has become the bane of her existence. Taylor Darcy Anderson is the most popular boy in school and he wants to recruit Chloe into his fan club. Chloe doesn’t like the antics of the popular crowd and resists being assimilated into his group of admirers.  This scenario is the basis for so many humorous things that happen in the novel.

Jenni James has written a very engaging character in Chloe. This teenage girl is more mature than some adults. At the same time, she is very much written with a teenage voice. The characters are all very real and the situations are things that happen in every high school across America. It is a lot of fun to see the cat and mouse chase happening between Taylor and Chloe. The only thing I couldn’t relate to was how strict Chloe’s Mom was.  I may have to get with it and start practicing being more strict before my daughter starts dating in three years. As in the original Pride and Prejudice, I liked the main character’s father better than the mother.

I recommend that Pride and Popularity be read together with mothers and daughters. This is what I plan to do. I loved this book and truly look forward to reading the rest of  The Jane Austen Diaries. The next book in the series, Northhanger Alibi, will be released in November 2011. I am giving this book 4 stars for being a fantastic read!!

To learn more about Jenni and her book please go here

To purchase Pride and Popularity go here to:

Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble

Watched by Cindy Hogan – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features
Jul 202011
 
Today is the last day to comment on
The 2011 Book Blogger’s Cookbook post to enter to win a Kindle!

***

Watched

Author: Cindy M. Hogan

Published: CreateSpace

Published Date: April 2011

Softcover & Kindle: 348 pages

Genre: YA Suspense

ISBN# 978-1453899151

FTC FYI: Free ARC from the author that did not affect my review

From the back cover:

It takes more than a school trip to Washingotn, D.C. to change fifteen-year-old Christy’s life. It takes murder.

A witness to the brutal slaying of a Senator’s aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot boys.

She discovers that if she can’t help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.

I started reading Watched a few hours before bedtime. I made it through the first few chapters before deciding to continue in the morning because I wanted to be able to sleep without nightmares. Cindy opens Watched with a group of teens in front of a creepy hotel. It’s late night in Washington, D.C., and they are wandering unsupervised around the city after sneaking out of their hotel.

“I plastered a smile on my face, trying in vain to stop the shiver that traveled with slow determination up my spine.” (Watched, page 1, first line.)

Watched is told from the point-of-view of Christy, an inexperienced and insecure 15-year-old whose parents sent her off with a “see you in two weeks” and not much else. Not very popular in her high school, Christy is determined to be accepted by her tour’s mini-group of older and richer teens. She finds it more difficult than she expected to leave behind her “brainy” and “goody-goody” tendencies that she is convinced caused her to be so unpopular back home.

After witnessing a brutal murder, the group is forced to decide what they should do about it. They know they are dealing with professional and scary people who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt them or their families. The experience binds them together despite their decision not to talk about it after discovering a clever way to contact the FBI. The group continues on as normally as possible despite Christy’s suspicion that they are being watched.

The suspense carried well throughout the story, with only a few teen-angst-y parts distracting from it. I read the book quickly and only felt pulled from the story a few times. The writing style and voice felt consistent for an older YA audience (15+) though there were a few rough spots that could have been polished for the final version (I was reading an uncorrected proof).

Watched, as a suspense-novel, is more plot-based, and Cindy did a good job on the storyline. I do find myself wishing for a little more depth in the secondary characters close to Christy, but that could be because I am a character-driven reader and often find myself wishing for mystery-suspense characters with a little more depth.

I was relieved to see that Watched is part of a series because I was left feeling like I wanted just a little bit more after finishing the book. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I think Cindy Hogan has great potential and is definitely an author to watch.

Watched is available for Kindle and Nook (only $2.99) as well as in paperback at Amazon and Brigham Distributing.

Cindy is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card for commenting on her blog and telling her which blog sent you there. Don’t forget to follow Cindy’s blog while you’re there.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Age: 15+

Content:

  • Language: none that I can remember
  • Sexual: one boy pressures Christy to come to his room but she resists; kissing w/little description
  • Drugs & Alcohol: others drink around Christy at a club and she “pretends” at one point but does not drink
  • Violence: three specific incidences of violence including a beheading and people being shot

Follow the Watched blog tour:

July 18th

July 19th

July 20th

July 21st

July 22nd

The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum – Countdown to Summer 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Summer, Special Features
Jun 062011
 

15 days until summer!


Lisa Mangum has loved and worked with books ever since elementary school, when she volunteered at the school library during recess. Her first paying job was shelving books at the Sandy Library. She worked for five years at Waldenbooks while she attended the University of Utah, graduating with honors with a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, she has worked in the publishing department for Deseret Book since 1997.

Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy. She is the author of The Hourglass Door (which was named the 2009 YA Book of the Year by ForeWord Reviews) and The Golden Spiral (which was awarded the silver medal for the 2010 Benjamin Franklin award).

The final book in the trilogy, The Forgotten Locket, was released May 2011.

Visit Lisa’s website and blog.

Follow Lisa on Facebook: Lisa Mangum and the Hourglass Door fan page.

LDSWBR: If you had an entire day to read (on the beach, at the lake, by the pool, etc.), what book(s) or genre would you reach for first?

LISA: I would reach for an epic fantasy novel—specifically A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. Not only do I love the series, but book 5 is coming out this summer and I have to catch up on the plot. :)

LDSWBR: What book(s) do you look forward to reading the most this summer?

LISA: I’m really looking forward to the new book by George R. R. Martin—A Dance of Dragons. And top on my list of “to-reads” is the new one by Sarah Dessen—What Happened to Good-bye. (I got a copy at BEA; so excited!) I also really want to read Shadowrise and Shadowmarch by Tad Williams. And there’s the new Cassandra Clare novel—Clockwork Angel. The list goes on and on!

LDSWBR: What is your favorite outdoor cooking recipe? (Can be grill, campfire, Dutch oven, etc.)

LISA: I love a perfectly grilled hamburger with Italian seasonings and a melty layer of fresh mozzarella cheese on top. Yum.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Lisa. Enjoy your summer!

The Forgotten Locket (Shadow Mountain; May 2011) is available for purchase from Deseret Book, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Are you a barbecued burger “purist” or do you like to experiment with different flavor combinations? Go on, tell us your barbecued burger secrets. :)

***

***Countdown to Summer 2011 Contest***

LDSWBR will hold a drawing on June 25, 2011 for a $50 Amazon gift card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors featured in the Countdown. This will be a raffle-type drawing, so more entries means more chances to win. There are several ways to enter the Countdown to Summer 2011 contest. See details below.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors:

  • The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
  • Gifted by Karey White
  • Bumpy Landings by Donald J. Carey
  • Captive Heart by Michele Paige Holmes
  • The Perfect Fit by  Michele Ashman Bell
  • River Whispers by Kathi Oram Perterson
  • Hazzardous Universe by Julie Wright & Kevin Wasden
  • Hearts Through Time by Marie Higgins
  • Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys
  • The List by Melanie Jacobson
  • The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum
  • The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden
  • Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack
  • **Bonus Prize** An autographed copy of BLOODBORNE by Gregg Luke (released August 2011)

Do ANY of the following to enter:

  • Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Summer 2011 author posts. Comments can be added on any of the author posts anytime during the contest period (June 1, 2011 through June 24, 2011). Only one comment per person per Countdown to Summer author post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
  • Send LDSWBR an email to ldswbr AT gmail DOT com telling us which of the following you have completed. If you already do these things, email us and let us know. Each item gets you 1 entry.
  1. Follow LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook
  2. Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter
  3. Subscribe to LDSWBR by email (see top right sidebar on website)
  4. Follow LDSWBR with Google Friend Connect (right sidebar beneath “Follow LDSWBR”)
  • On each Countdown to Summer author post, leave a comment telling us which of the following you completed or already do. Each item gets you 1 entry.
  1. Follow the author’s blog (if they have one)
  2. Follow the author on Twitter (if they tweet)
  3. Follow the author on Facebook (if they have a Facebook page)
  • Tweet this message each day. One entry per day. Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it (LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet): LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2011 – Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card & great summer reads! http://bit.ly/kZ5jXw @ldswbr
  • Blog about this contest on your blog then send us the link to your specific blog post. You can find the Countdown graphic badge/button to include in your blog post here. (5 entries)
  • Post the following on your Facebook page (3 entries) then send us an email (ldswbr AT gmail DOT com) telling us that you did: LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2011 – Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card & great summer reads! http://bit.ly/kZ5jXw

Here are the rules:

  • Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MDT on June 24, 2011.
  • Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MDT on July 2, 2011 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
  • Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
  • LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.

Let’s keep counting down to summer with some great reads!

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