Tag: YA

This Chick Read: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

An Enchantment of Ravens is a fairy-tale fantasy about a girl named Isobel who is a portrait artist to the fair folk. In the town of Whimsy, the fair folk come and purchase craft from the artisans. In return they exact payment in the form of spells. Isobel has learned at the tender age of seventeen to be very exact in her negotiations because the fair folk are not honest in their negotiations and what seems an innocent wish for true love may become an obsessive infatuation. When Rook, the Prince of the Autumn lands comes to have his portrait painted Isobel see’s something in his eyes that she must paint on canvas. Unfortunately what she paints is a humanity that the fair folk do not wish to see, and Rook spirits her away to stand trial for her error. During this journey she and Rook come to an understanding finding friendship and love which is against the fair folk’s laws.

I was captured by the charm and spirit of this novel. The author painted her words so they flowed lyrically across the page. The melding of commonly heard folk tales such as the fae can’t speak a lie, with a new fair folk history made the story both familiar and foreign, making it easy to huddle into my blanket on the couch and immerse myself into this enchanted land.

Isobel for being a seventeen year old girl, was wise beyond her years. She was essentially the adult in her household, responsible for her two sisters and her aunt. When she is spirited away by Rook, she gives in to the adventure, worrying about her family, but also seeing new shapes and colors in every hill and tree opening her eyes to the world as a whole rather than Whimsy’s summer colors and sounds. I loved how her emotions were painted in colors.

Rook was an interesting hero. He was one of the fair folk and his glamour was beautiful, but underneath that glamour was a reality that contrasted with that beauty they all wanted to portray. That contrast between fae reality and glamour was found throughout the story giving this a real fairy tale feel, more Grimm than Disney. He and Isobel’s love ran a similar juxtaposition from her innocent first love to gritty heart wrenching pain. I loved how this novel ran from one spectrum to the other in a rainbow of colors from light to dark and back again. The story and the feelings all those colors imbued captured me completely.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! An Enchantment of Ravens Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: When It’s Real by Erin Watt

When Vaughn Bennett meets pop star and teen idol Oakley Ford she is totally unimpressed. He’s late, rude and well, a bit stuck up. She used to be a big fan of his music, but that attitude! Vaughn unfortunately has to suck it up because she’s been hired to be his fake girlfriend to help improve his image.

It took Vaughn and Oakley a long time to warm up to each other, so the first two thirds of the book was all about the tension between the two of them. Oakley was also used to getting everything he wanted, so his lack of courtesy towards Vaughn really made him out to be a jerk. That lack of courtesy wasn’t just one sided though, Vaughn was also not very nice to Oakley for that same period of time. This may have been why I had a hard time with these two characters. I’ll admit that when they finally learned how to be friends with each other I grew to like them more and had an easier time with their transition to love.

I thought it interesting that Vaughn and Oakley were both so independent. Vaughn because her parents died in an accident leaving she and her older sister to raise their younger brothers. Oakley was raised by actor parents and had emancipated himself at 15 from them so he could make his own decisions about his career. His parents pretty much dropped out of his life at that point leaving him to raise himself. Vaughn and Oakley’s history should’ve given them a commonality, and it was certainly used, but not until much later in the book when they stopped antagonizing each other and became friendly. Once they did, those similarities did provide that bond, but I wanted it much sooner!

This was a book that should’ve been easier to like. I thought the plot was interesting, and the characters back stories made them human and sympathetic. When they finally really became a couple I really did enjoy the story, I just wanted them to get there a little sooner than they did. However, once they got over that hump I found that I easily forgave them for taking so long to get there, and Erin Watt really does craft a good story. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

When Its Real Click this link to purchase! When It’s Real (Harlequin Teen) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin

Luisa Ochoa-Jones see’s the world in landscapes of color, smelling emotions and tasting sounds. Sometimes she gets lost in the colors and has to ground herself by tapping her foot three times or digging her naked feet into an image of a sandy beach. When the world gets rocked by a virus killing thousands it’s these same sensory visions that could end up saving the world.

The author’s bio states that she’s in film and in fact along with Philip Seymour Hoffman produced the Academy Award winning film Capote. Light Years was written with a very visual theme and the language she uses could easily be transported into a movie. I’ll give you an example:

” The sound of the city dissolves into a hum. I stare up at the gleaming glass tower and a torrent of blue pours down. The building’s edges blur against the cloudless sky–nature and the man-made becoming one. Blue always tastes like chocolate when I’m nervous, and I’m nervous.”

I was fascinated by this use of color and tastes to portray emotions and thought Luisa totally unique. However, I also felt that her inability to feel emotions like we do held the reader back from being able to feel for her as a character. As the story evolved, Luisa’s fate became intertwined with the virus running its course and those bursts of color ended up having little impact on my own emotions making the climax of the novel ho hum. I was disappointed!

The story had such potential. An apocalyptic virus, a love story, and a heroine who journeyed to self discovery while dealing with personal loss. All very emotional themes that just lacked the emotion to give the book impact. ❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! Light Years Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 10 Reviewed Young Adult Novels of 2017

As I sifted through my reviews from 2017 for last Sunday’s Commentary of my Top 5 Reviewed Novels of 2017 in the Adult fiction category I realized that I had read a large number of great Young Adult novels too. Because it would’ve turned my list into a Top 25 instead of a Top 5 I decided to create a separate list for Young Adult novels. I will admit that even though I read quickly I know there are several HUGE titles that I didn’t read last year like The Hate You Give, which were highly reviewed. I am only one person and still have a huge list of books I’d like to read and it keeps getting longer!  I do have it sitting on my shelf, as well as many others… I read and reviewed these books in 2017 regardless of the publishing date.

If you’d like to read my entire review of each book, please click the link of the title.

When by Victoria Laurie

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“There were many things I loved about this book. I loved how the author put everyone’s death date next to their name when they were introduced into the storyline. I loved her best friend Stubby (although hated his nickname), and his eternal optimism, even through some pretty horrible circumstances. I loved that Maddie, even against all odds-bullied, picked on and beat up, NEVER stopped going to school. I loved that the people who didn’t believe in her ended up caring for her…”

Warcross by Marie Lu

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“I do not play video games and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into this book because of that but I shouldn’t have worried. The world Marie Lu created was vivid, had amazing energy, and painted a 3-D picture for me to visualize and engage with. The games themselves were exciting, the action well written and Emika’s thought process as she deconstructed play exciting. I loved the game!”

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

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“This was a great YA fantasy novel. The plot was original and the characters fascinating. All of the men and women who were auditioning as the next Opal wore masks and were given numbers as names creating gender ambiguity. So, even though they were men and women, they became five, four, and in Sal’s case, twenty-three…I liked this unique aspect of the story and started paying more attention to the plot based on the person. Not the sex of them.”

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

After reading Strange the Dreamer I was curious about this older series of Laini Taylor’s and boy was this first novel great!

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“I loved the mythology of this world, the city of Prague is magical in nature and was the perfect setting, and I fell immediately in love with Karou. Her story was pure fantasy and her love for Akiva overflowed. Their’s is a story I will read to the end.”

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

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“This was a beautiful book to read and very easy to go all in emotionally. Who doesn’t want to root for a girl to be honored for her intellect, find true love and fight the bad guys? Right on!”

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea

“This book deserved all of the accolades and great reviews. At times the subject matter was horrifying and difficult to read, but there were a lot of great stories about everyday heroes too, and for me that made it a really well balanced book. If you like historical fiction, this is definitely worth your time.”

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Wings Ruins

“It was hard to not read all of the reviews of this book before actually reading it myself. They were everywhere! All of my fellow bloggers gushed and sighed, exclaiming over Feyre and Rhys’s love story. Oh those Tamlin fans quickly became Tamlin haters, much preferring Feyre and Rhys. I don’t disagree, Tamlin has some serious control and anger issues, but I was happy to see that in A Court of Wings and Ruin, he was able to redeem himself, if only slightly. Rhys as Prince Charming is almost too good to be true, but the fairy tale prince continues his reign and can do no wrong in this book.”

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae

“I first listened to the audio book of Illuminae, and I have to say it was one of the best audio books I’ve ever heard. It was produced like a movie with different actors for all of the characters, mood music, sound effects, everything!  It was awesome!… Then I picked up the book. Illuminae takes reading a novel to the next level. It is part book, part graphic novel, and all fun! The story of Kady Grant and Ezra Mason is told through a series of emails, military diaries, memos and narrated videos. Don’t miss out on this one!”

A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

A Study in Charlotte

“This book stayed true to the original Holmes and Watson formula. Two people who couldn’t be more different and become great friends, trusting each other over every other person in their lives. This series looks to do the same thing, but with a possible romantic twist. It was incredibly entertaining and at times laugh out loud funny, but at the same time made my heart twang with emotion. This novel hit all of my hot buttons and I loved it.”

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also

“Yes this book was sweet, thoughtful, funny and full of the innocence of young love, but there was a lot of weight to this book too. As an adult, I loved the hope and joy this book made me feel because at times I feel jaded and skeptical, but it also made me appreciate where I am in my own life and happy I am past the struggles of youth although I do still like reading about them.”

I didn’t put numbers next to these books because as I read them I thought, “This is the Best one Yet!” How can you rank each moment next to another?

Have you read any of these novels? Which one was your favorite? Did I miss a great one (Besides the Hate you Give!) that I need to put on my TBR? Let me know!

I’m looking forward to many more fabulous books in 2018!

Keep Reading, Happy New Year!

Deb

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This Chick’s YA Book #Giveaway!

Hi fellow book bloggers! I have really enjoyed reading your reviews, recommendations, and bookish lists over the last two and a half years! Thank you so much for your comments and support! I have cleaned out my YA/NA TBR pile and am offering the books pictured above in a giveaway open to all US, European and Canadian bloggers. I will pick THREE bloggers to receive three books, and ONE blogger will receive four books.

Here is what you have to do!

1) In the comments section please let me know one of your favorite YA books that you read in 2017. Why did you like it so much? Why would you recommend it to me? The book doesn’t have to have been released in 2017 just read last year.

2) Let me know which three books in the above picture you’d prefer to receive. I won’t guarantee that you will get those three if you are chosen, but I’ll do my best.

Sunday January 7th at 9pm cst I will let you know on your comment if you are a lucky winner. I’ll give you my email address so you can send me your address and I’ll get your books shipped out next week. Easy!

My goal is to learn some great new books, have a friendly discussion about your recommendation and clean out my bookshelf!

Book List

Wake the Hollow by Gaby Triana

Under the Lights by Abbi Glines

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn

Beyond Your Touch by Pat Esden

A Hold On Me by Pat Esden

City Love by Susane Colasanti

The Novice by Taran Matharu

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

The Protector Project by Jenna Lincoln

Nexis by A. L. Davroe

Good Luck!

Deb

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This Chick Read: Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno

The prologue for Everything All At Once immediately showed me that there were going to be some surprises in this story, because in what should’ve been a very sad scene I laughed out loud at this family’s heartbreaking homage. Lottie Reaver’s favorite Aunt Helen has died and  left her 24 letters to be opened after she has completed each task listed in the letter.  Lottie’s Aunt Helen is a famous author of a children’s book series, kind of equivalent to J.K Rowling and Harry Potter in popularity. It is hard for her to grieve for her aunt when the world wants to stop you and give their condolences. Everyone loved her aunt and her Alvin Hatter series. This novel is about Lottie learning how to grieve, but the bigger story is Lottie’s self discovery and dealing with her anxiety.

Lottie and her aunt shared these anxiety attacks and as the book goes on we realize that the tasks Helen has left Lottie are multi-purpose. They are to help her gain confidence, allaying her anxieties, but also teaching her how to live and take courage in the living of her life. The letters also lead up to a big personal secret of her aunt’s that is mind blowing and takes this novel in a direction I didn’t foresee.

I loved this novel! It had such heart, and the more I came to know Lottie, the more I really liked her and wanted to see her overcome her fears of life and of death. Her aunt’s letters revealed a lot about Helen’s personality giving the reader insight into why Lottie and her family were so overwhelmed with grief. This author did such a great job of adding subtle depth to each character that their quirks made them interesting and added to their real-ness. There was only one plot point that made me stop in my tracks and go “what??”. You’ll either love it or hate it, but I loved it and didn’t want the story to end where it did.

This was my first novel by Katrina Leno and if they are all this good and quirky, I’ll be a fan forever. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Everything All At Once Click this link to purchase! Everything All at Once Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Invictus is the tale of Farway Gaius McCarthy adventurer and thief extraordinaire. After failing his final exam he is given the chance to captain a ship and put together his own crew to work for black marketer Lux. Working with his cousin Imogene, best friend Gram and girlfriend Priya, they travel through time stealing objects for Lux to sell. Even though dangerous, they are reveling in a girl named Eliot who is the reason he failed his final exam at the Academy. Eliot blackmails her way onto his crew and they set off on adventure that they hope they can return from alive.

Invictus is a mash-up of action adventure, science fiction/fantasy, and romance. Three of my favorite genre’s! Far reminded me of Nathan Fillion’s character in Firefly, at least that is how I pictured him. Far is a bit cocky, good looking and has an energy that doesn’t allow him to stay still for long. When he and his crew are blackmailed into allowing Eliot to become part of their crew that cockiness starts to fade. When he finds out his own history is threatening the lives of his crew, his confidence in his decision is heartbreaking.

The crews antics were fun, their interactions were warm, and the climax was heartbreaking. If you are looking for a novel that has a great story, good characters, makes you bite your nails and cry a few tears, this is the book for you. Oh yeah, and Invictus is a stand alone novel! Although, I could easily read another book or two about this crew and their adventures.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Invictus Click this link to purchase! Invictus

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: 2017 Top 5 Book to Movie (or tv show) Adaptations

A pretty common topic of conversation among book bloggers is whether a book is better than the movie they make about that book. I’m a book junkie, so my opinion is always going to sway towards the book being better, however there were some outstanding attempts in 2017. I don’t see every movie ever made, nor do I read every book written, but I think this is a good representation of what was popular in 2017, according to IMDB.

5) Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

A teenager who’s spent her whole life confined to her home falls for the boy next door.

I gave this book a 5 rating because of the emotions packed into his story and the big twist revealed at the end of the book. I have not seen the movie because I didn’t want to be disappointed.

4) A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A dog looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners.

I heard more about this movie than I did the book, mostly because of the video that was released about a scene with a dog in it that may have treated the dog poorly. This didn’t have anything to do with why I didn’t see the movie. I have a rule. No movies or books with dogs. They tear my heart out and leave me bleeding.

3) Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

I didn’t read or see the movie, however the promotional department did a great job with this movie and book. I have a Little Free Library in my front yard and they used those LFL’s to spread word of mouth about the book, and had a movie premier giveaway contest attached. Very clever!

2) It by Stephen King

A group of bullied kids band together when a shape shifting monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.

I remember when this book was made into a mini series years ago and it scared the bejeezus out of me then. I have not read the book recently and did NOT see this movie. However, it was supposed to be great!

1) Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

The apparently perfect lives of three mothers of first graders unravel to the point of murder.

I did read this book and it was fabulous! I tried to watch the series and just couldn’t get into it, however several Golden Globes and another season says that I may have been in the minority!

What did you think of my Top 5? Did I miss one of your favorite book to movie (or tv show) adaptations? Shout it out in the comments and let’s talk!

Until next Sunday,

Deb

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This Chick Read: King’s Cage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard

Warning! Slight spoiler ahead.

King’s Cage, the third book in the Red Queen series, starts with Mare being held prisoner by King Maven Calore. At the end of  Glass Sword, when their airplane was grabbed out of the sky and Maven’s forces threatened to kill Cal and Mare’s family she gave herself up for their freedom. Maven, surprisingly true to his word, let them go free and used Mare to convince the Red’s that the Scarlet Guard was a terrorist group. Mare, actually held captive by special manacles that inhibited her powers was helpless to stop his plans.

What is it about the villain being so fascinating? I thought the first half of this book when Mare was with Maven to be endlessly fascinating. Here was a boy king who was obsessed with this girl, yet at one point he had her! He betrayed her, but somehow he still wanted her to love him. The psychology behind that obsession, the torture at the hands of his own mother in his childhood. It was so good! I almost wish Mare had wanted him back. I think that would’ve made this book so much more interesting. Imagine if instead of hating him, she loved him and fought with his evil side to do the right thing and become who the country needed. Instead, Mare falls for the older brother, Cal, and fights against Maven’s tyranny. For The Whole Book. Tiring.

I will admit that as I was reading this book I kept thinking this was the final book in the series., and that totally threw me off. As I got to about 50 pages from the end I figured that out and I was so mad at myself.  Why? Why did I think this was the final book?  Why did I read this book before the next one came out? Oh well. Despite wishing Mare had fallen for the other brother, I felt slightly redeemed that things didn’t go quite as planned in the romance department for Mare. Not that I want her to be doomed to disappointment, but it at least made having to read one more book before finding out the resolution to the battle between the bloods and also the battle between brothers.  ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Kings Cage

Click this link to purchase!  King’s Cage (Red Queen)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Forget Tomorrow (Forget Tomorrow #1) by Pintip Dunn

Forget Tomorrow is set in a world where on your seventeenth birthday you are given one of your future memories. This memory is supposed to give you an idea of what your life will be and what you will do for a living. Callie has been training to be a Chef. Well, they call it something different, but in essence that is what she thinks her memory will show her. If it does, it means she will be put into training for that job and her future is secure. However, there is a very small percentage of people whose memory shows them perpetrating a crime. In that case their lives would be forfeit until that memory is reality and they will be charged for their crime. Yeah, you can see where this one is going, right?

This was a totally original tale and I found myself caught up in this alternate world very easily. Callie was an average teenager and this memory completely blindsided her and freaked her out. She is the last one you’d think would be a criminal and Callie is positive this memory will not come true. She then takes measures to make certain it doesn’t with the help of a boy, Logan, that she has grown up with. Logan used to be a good friend of hers but hasn’t spoken to her in five years after his brother was taken away for exhibiting psychic behavior. Something the authorities in this world want to study and basically jail anyone who shows signs of a psychic gift.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this novel and I definitely don’t want to give any of the surprises away in my review. I will say that the ending took me completely off guard. Iwasn’t entirely   pleased with it, but as this is the first in a series I am going to hold out hope that what happens gets resolved in a future storyline! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! Forget Tomorrow Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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