Teaser Tuesday (#7): Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just click the following link to see the rules. Without further ado, here are my teasers for the week:

• "We both went through the same hell. But I was learning to put it behind me. I was trying to be myself and live my life rather than letting what happened force me to live in fear."
• "The events that led to all the changes in my life were another side to my story, the darker secret side I knew I'd not forget easily. Or at all."

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 3, 2011

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 487

Received: Purchased

Rating: 5 out of 5 Books

GOODREADS BLURB:
In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Oh my goodness. I LOVED Divergent!!

THE GOOD:

Ohmigosh. Seriously. I cannot begin to explain how impossible it was to put this book down. Wow. Wow. Wow. I'd been on a kick were I enjoyed the books, but I didn't need to tear through the pages. Divergent is different. It makes you turn the pages. You have no choice but to throw yourself into the book and come up for air only when you're finished. Really, it's that good. Roth's ability to command a scene is breathtaking. The action is constant. It really is a breathtaking book. You root for Tris from the beginning and you loathe her enemies. You understand she's not perfect, but that's what makes her an even better character. You can understand her struggle to understand who she is, because I think within all of us is the desire to learn oneself. Roth plays on innate emotions and she does it well. Her descriptions are great and there's no lag in the plot at all. This book isn't short, but I ripped through it. Wow, wow, wow. That's all I have to say.

THE BAD:

I NEED MORE...NOW! That's the bad. That's it. :)

OVERALL:

Wow. This may very well be my favorite book I've read so far this year. It's just amazing. It reminds me of The Hunger Games in its own respect, but Divergent is in no way a spin off. It is truly unique, but for those who enjoyed The Hunger Games, this is a logical next book to put on your TBR. I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment. Roth is definitely one of my favorite authors now. This book was just that great!

RATING: 5 of 5 Books

Author Interview: Jessie Harrell

Hey everyone! Today I have the honor of having Jessie Harrell, author of Destined, here on Musings of a Write-Aholic! If you haven't read Destined, go get it! It's a great read, and you'll lose track of time when you read it. It's that much fun to turn the pages! :) Without further ado, here's Jessie!

Hi, Jessie, and thanks for taking the time to stop by the blog today!

Thank you for having me. I'm always honored when someone thinks I'm interesting enough to interview.

You're definitely interesting enough to be interviewed! First off, I loved Destined! What made you decide to write about Greek mythology?

Thank you so much! I was a Classical Studies major back in college and focused primarily on ancient Greek and Roman history and culture. I took lots of classes studying the ancient myths and just loved them. But I also knew lots of people found them difficult to get through. My hope in writing about mythology is to take down some of those barriers.

I think you did an excellent job of making the myth of Psyche and Eros relatable and current! How did you choose the story of Eros and Psyche out of all the Greek myths out there? Was there anything in particular that spoke to you about their story?

Eros & Psyche's story was always my favorite myth. Let's face it, there aren't very many romantic myths. And even fewer with happy endings. I guess I'm just a sucker for a good love story.

Really, who isn't? :) Who was your favorite character to write? Was any character tough to write?

I loved writing Hermes. He's funny and would be a guy I'd love to hang out with. Aphrodite was hard for me to write at first. She started out having too much of a soap opera personality and I really needed to find her core - her weaknesses and wants - before I could make her real.

That makes sense. She was a fun character to watch develop! Where's your favorite place to write? Any special habits you have while writing?

My favorite place is anywhere I can eek out an hour or more of writing time. That usually means I'm glued in front of my desk, but when my laptop and I can go mobile, I'm a happy camper. Regardless of venue, I HAVE to listen to music to get my creative juices flowing. Me and silence don't work well together.

That's understandable. I love music, too! What's on the docket for you now? Any new books in the making?

Why, yes, actually. I just released a short story called "Before" that's in the In His Eyes Anthology (free on Smashwords).  I'm co-authoring a novel called Beneath the Surface that will come out this summer. (Tag line: A timeless love. An endless curse. Which one will survive the summer?) And then I'll have another short story out this fall in the anthology benefiting #yalitchat called Two and Twenty Dark Tales. That one draws on ancient Egyptian mythology and is VERY loosely based on the "Hey Diddle, Diddle" nursery rhyme.

Wow, you're busy! I can't wait to get my hands on these other projects! I'm sure they'll be just as awesome as Destined. Speaking of which, Destined is doing spectacularly on Amazon right now! How's it feel to know people are enjoying your writing?

It's amazing. I was pretty scared to make the leap and put Destined out there, but I knew deep down it was ready. The novel has really resonated with people who enjoy a good love story and don't mind the modern-day flare I added to the ancient setting.

I definitely appreciated the modern-day flare. It's always great when an author puts their style in a myth. Personally, I think that's what can make them better! Do you have any secrets to your success? Anything to offer to others in the indie boat?

I wish there was a secret other than "hard work," but that's all I've found for now. I spent years learning about the industry and how to write for YA. I made sure the novel was professionally edited and had a professional cover. And I've just tried to be a friendly and accessible author on every platform.  It never hurts to be nice!

No kidding! Kindness goes a long ways! Finally, what are you reading right now? Found any good books so far this year?

I'm currently reading How to Date an Alien by fellow Indelible author, Megan Vernon. It's so much fun, but I'm just waiting for the hammer to drop. Gulp! I just finished reading Anew by Chelsea Fine and it was awesome. I also enjoyed Addison Moore's Ethereal and My Enchanted Life by Laura Eno. You've got to hand it to the Indie authors (like yourself!) who are putting out some fantastic books at a fraction of the price of traditional publishers. I can't read fast enough to keep up with my ever-growing list!

I just downloaded Ethereal last night! I can't wait to read it. And you're right, Indie authors are great! It's been a blast to meet so many like-minded authors and learn the trade with others. Writing is such a journey, it's fun to have friends along the way, like yourself. Thanks for stopping by today, and best of luck with all your future books as well as Destined!

Thank you for hosting me! I can't wait to see what's in store for you and your novels as well.

Now for the fun part - Jessie's agreed to give away SWAG to some lucky readers! We have 5 autographed bookmarks to give away, and I'm gifting one copy of Destined to another reader! 6 chances to win! Just fill out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win!

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Release Date: September 27, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Pages: 418

Received: Purchased

Rating: 5 out of 5 Books

GOODREADS BLURB:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Oh my gosh, I can't explain how much I loved this book! I couldn't stop reading it, so it even went to the gym with me so I could read while I worked out! Now THAT'S a good book! :)

THE GOOD:

Taylor's characters are SO MUCH FUN to enjoy and root for! I loved Karou. I could imagine her expressions and person, all the way to her crazy blue hair. She is the type of person I'd love to be friends with. Speaking of friends...Zuzana! Ohhh, I love Zuzana. The texts between them were so realistic and fun. They reminded me of texts my own friends send. Can I have them both as friends? And Brimstone. Oh man. He was so awesome. And Akiva...ahhhh. Okay.

I could go on and on about the characters, but I'll move on. :) The setting - Prague. Wow. At first I was thrown off, because I was just assuming it'd be in America. BUT. This was so much better. I enjoyed the foreign lands and Taylor did an excellent job of making me feel as though I was walking the streets right beside Karou.

As for the plot - it was SO unique! I really enjoyed the twist, but I won't say more than that. Let's just say I need the next book NOW!

THE BAD:

When the story switches to share the background of certain characters, the change is abrupt and made me have to re-read for a second, just to make sure I didn't miss something. It wasn't hard to jump back in, though, and it was just a minor hiccup. It wasn't even that bad, it was more of a "Oh, wait, what?" and then it was over. :) Other than that, I LOVED this book!

OVERALL:

If you haven't read this book, please do yourself the immense favor of grabbing it right this minute. It is so good, I really can't even explain how great it was! GO GET IT! :)

RATING: 5 of 5 Books

 

WWW Wednesdays (#5)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

MY ANSWERS:

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I just started Divergent by Veronica Roth last night and she's already got me VERY intrigued! I'm looking forward to finding more out, but as I'm in the early pages, I can't really say anything much more than this was a good hook. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Last night I finished Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and oh my God, is that one awesome book! I wish I could have come up with something like that! Seriously, if you haven't read this book, go get it. NOW. Like, seriously, leave my site and jump on Amazon this minute!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

I recently spoke with another indie author like myself, and I'm excited to read her book, the Mayfair Moon, by J.A. Redmerski!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, folks! PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

When I'm Not Reading (#6): Heather from SupaGurl Books

Hey everyone, and welcome back for another installment of When I'm Not Reading. This week we have the my awesomesauce Heather, who hangs out at SupaGurl Books! She's a definite Supa Gurl, too. Just wait until you meet her. :)

Heather a.k.a. SupaGurl I'm 33 years old. Married to my complete opposite and my soul mate! I have two kids T-man who is 9 and Kai who is 6. I'm a stay at home mom/wife who escapes in books! I still have not figured out what I want to be when I grow up but it will come to me...eventually! 

GRAB HER BUTTON!

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Me and the hubby on a ride

What are some of your pastimes while you're not reading?

Well, I love to ride my 4-wheeler. We just take off sometimes and head to the mountain and ride for the day. I love it, mud and all. I also really love to go caving. I haven't gotten to go in awhile but there is just something about being in a cave and exploring that calls to me.

That's awesome! You sound like quite the adventurer. I love 4-wheelers, myself. :) What's one of your favorite places to go to take it easy/have fun?

T-man & Kai

Besides the above in question 1, the movie theater. I normally go with a friend or my sister in law and hey in those two hours inside the theater, No one yells hey mommy!! or Hey babe can you do/get this? Plus I get to watch a movie! WIN. Yeah, I am a wild woman LOL. I am a stay at home mom and wife. Two kids plus the husband and I need that every now and then.

I totally get that! We need some good peace and quiet sometimes! Where's one place you'd love to see someday?

Just one? Eeek Ok if I am talking just the US I am going to say Roswell, NM. Yes, I am a weirdo and I'm good with that. I was obsessed with the show Roswell when it came on the CW *The WB* and I so wanted to go there, and I will one day. Now if we are talking Worldwide I'm going with Egypt to see the pyramids! I would love to visit and see those, and really love to be able to go inside and look around/explore.


Egypt sounds like such a neat place, and if you go to Roswell, please come back. Don't let any otherworldlies take you away! But let's get to the bookish questions. What made you start blogging?

Well, real life friends were always asking those questions...What are you reading? What have you read recently that was good? So, yeah I couldn't remember all that on the spot so the blog started out as a place where they could come and see what I have read, what I thought, and what I was currently reading.

Makes sense to me! Do you have a certain place you enjoy to read?

The bathtub! Again, 2 kids, husband and not having a job to “run away to” this is my escape. I get total peace and quiet time in the tub with my book!!

Hah! Just don't get them wet! :) What was your favorite book growing up?

I loved Great Expectations! I could read it over and over and still find new meaning in that book.  

It seems like a lot of people mention that book as a starting point. I'm wondering what I'm missing! What's your favorite book this year so far? (It's okay if you have more than one!)

Whew! More than one is good. In case you haven't noticed...I'm not good at choosing just one fave. Already I have read some AMAZING books, so here goes.. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa *yes I've got to read this already*, Divergent by Veronica Roth *yes, I'm behind on some*, This one is not a YA book but I'm in love with it-Desperate Betrayal by Hildie McQueen.

I'm totally jealous you've gotten to read the new Kagawa book, and I have Divergent on my TBR! You've got good taste. :) If you could meet one author, alive or dead, who would it be?

 Here you go again with the whole one thing LOL. So yeah I can't do that I'm a rebel that way :) So I would LOVE to meet up with you and hang out. Also, Taryn Browning, Shelly Crane, Megan Duncan, J.R. Ward, and Rachel Vincent!

Those all sound like great authors...not to toot my horn, haha. :) But seriously, I'd love to meet Ms. Crane! If you could bring one character to life from a series, who would it be, and why?

If you notice now I am ignoring your ONE word LOL. YA character(s) Kai from Dark Seeker, WOW I want to just hang out with him! Hottie, and wicked strong plus that snarky attitude Yes please. Jace from Mortal Instruments series, why? Does anyone really need me to explain that one? LOL  Non YA character(s) Vishous from Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and yeah I cannot explain this one I would need to cover eyes of the readers ;0) Mercy from The Mercedes Thompson Series! She would be so amazing to hang out with! She is a kick butt girl who knows how to handle things.

Hah, I'm glad you're taking liberties with my questions. :) If you could be any kind of otherworldly, what kind would it be, and why?

Well, this is a tough one. I'm going to go with shifter though. While I love to read about vamps I also really love shifters. They have the freedom of the daytime still. They are bound strongly to family/pack and that's important to me. Plus they are all wicked strong and fast 

~*~*~*~

And there you have it, folks! That's Heather in a nutshell. Now go get to know her better by hanging out with her!

SupaGurl Books -- Twitter -- Goodreads -- Facebook

Teaser Trailer for Traitor - Ashlyn's POV

Alrighty, so here's the second teaser trailer for TRAITOR...this one is from Ashlyn's POV! The last one will be from Liam's point of view...any suggestions for what you'd like to see? :)

Anyway, enjoy, and please let me know what you think! TRAITOR's edits are coming along great and I can't wait to share it with you all!

WWW Wednesdays (#4)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

MY ANSWERS:

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
Right now I'm reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. It is SO good! I'm really enjoying it. I haven't had as much time to read lately as I've wanted, but I'm hoping to get that back on track and finish this one up soon. It's SO good. Seriously. Go get it now!







WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
I recently finished Jessie Harrell's Destined. It was so much fun!! It's one of the fastest, fun reads I've had this year. It's just one of those books you devour. I have a giveaway going on now to win a copy, and I'm hoping to get Jessie on here for an interview in the near future, so stay tuned!







WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?
I'm really not sure on this one, but I keep wanting to read Die for Me by Amy Plum. Maybe I'll finally get that one read after Daughter of Smoke & Bone! :) 







 

So there you have it, folks! PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Teaser Tuesday (#6): Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just click the following link to see the rules. Without further ado, here are my teasers for the week:

• "He was approaching the doorway, was just steps from it when it swung open, letting loose an acrid flood of magic that set his teeth on edge."
• "Akiva was poised to spring skyward and begin the last leg of his journey, to meet them there before returning home, but a heartbeat passed, then another, and still he stood with his feet on the earth, looking in the direction the girl had gone."

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Books with Love Blog Hop Giveaway!

Hey everyone, it's that time of the year for looooooove! So, what's better than to give away books that have to do with love? That's right, this is the Books with Love Blog Hop, and we're here to cater to your book romance needs! This blog hop is hosted by Good Choice Reads and Once Upon A Twilight, so go check them out! :)

What's up for grabs at my stop, you ask? Well, I'm giving away the best love book I could think of - Destined by Jessie Harrell! I mean, what more could you ask for from a book about love besides a story about CUPID?! You won't be disappointed by this great book. You can check out my review here.

Along with Destined, I'm giving away a $10 Amazon card so you can buy whatever books YOU love! You can't go wrong with either of these prizes.

The giveaway runs from Feb. 14-19. I will notify winners on the 20th, and you'll have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification. Let the fun begin! :)

Teaser Trailer for Traitor is out!

Alright, I try not to say much about my own books (really, I don't, I promise!), but I had to link up to the new trailer from Reese's POV. This was my first foray into really advanced techniques in After Effects (again...I'm a nerd and I tinker with a lot of audio-visual stuff when I'm not writing/reading/snowboarding/doing family stuff), so it's a start. :) I hope you guys like it, and let me know what you think!





Anyway, hope you're all having a great weekend, and let's get ready for a great week of reading!

When I'm Not Reading (#5): Kara from Great Imaginations

Hey everyone, and welcome back for another installment of When I'm Not Reading. This week we have the most awesome Kara, who runs Great Imaginations! And, if I might add, she's a total BA editor...so if you writers out there are looking for someone, look no further. She'll knock your socks off. :)

Anyway, without further ado, here we go!

I love reading. I'm obsessed. I read mostly young-adult because I never fully matured, but I also enjoy reading contemporary fiction and literary fiction. I also read some Urban Fantasy, memoirs, and travel fiction. I love Bill Bryson. I am currently working as a copy-editor for self-publishing and indie-authors. My editing services page is now live. I am a huge Big Brother fan and I am also an animal lover. You can find me on twitter pretty much constantly. My handle is @Kara_Malinczak.

GRAB HER BUTTON!

Now onto the fun stuff...her interview! :)

What are some of your pastimes while you're not reading?

I love watching I Love Lucy. I love spending time cuddling with my dog. I work a lot. I edit self and indie-published novels in my spare time. That's my job. And it takes up a lot of my time. I probably pull in over 70 hours a week working. But I do it because I like it and want to help authors put a great product out there. 

Also, every summer, I disappear from planet earth to watch Big Brother on CBS. It's my favorite show and has been for years. I am what you call a super fan. I watch it 3 days a week and subscribe to the live feeds which are live on the internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I post on message boards. It usually starts the first or second week of July and runs until the end of September. My reading is severely diminished during that time, but I do the best that I can.

Sounds like a crazy 2 months! :) What's one of your favorite places to go to take it easy/have fun?

I'm a bit of a hermit. I don't leave the house a lot, and there is nowhere I go where I am a known regular. So I guess I would say home! But I am looking for the next best sushi restaurant in the city that I live in. I just moved and the one I used to go to is too far away. 

Well I hope you find a great one! Where's one place you'd love to see someday?

I'm actually planning a trip to Southeast Asia. I am nowhere near saving the money I have to save to go, but I'm hoping I can make it there before I hit the big 4-0. It's a budget trip. I don't want to stay in fancy hotels and eat gourmet meals. I want to hang with the locals, eat from food stalls, and stay in guesthouses. I want to be immersed in the culture. In my opinion, it's the only way to travel. I want to hit every country in SE Asia, but if I have to choose one, it would be the Philippines. 

Oh, wow! That would be amazing. You'll definitely have to post pictures if/when you go! And of course, the "bookish" questions: What made you start blogging?

Well, I started writing my reviews on Goodreads first. I saw that other people had blogs, and a few that I chatted with suggested I start one. I wasn't sure at first, because I didn't know if I wanted that level of commitment, but once I realized that I didn't have to post every day and I could blog at my own pace, I decided to start one.

That's great. It seems a lot of people get started on Goodreads. Must be the place to start! Do you have a certain place you enjoy to read?

My favorite place to read is the bathtub. But since I can't always be there (I'm not a mermaid), I usually read in my favorite chair. Or in bed. Not very creative, I know, but I would rather read at home than out in public.

No, that's totally okay. I would agree that curling up at home with a good book is the best! What was your favorite book growing up?

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. But I have many. I was a readaholic when I was a child. I also liked the original yellow hardcover Nancy Drew series, 90s thrillers like Fear Street by R.L. Stine, and anything by Beverly Cleary. But seriously? I had over 300 books as a child and I used my library regularly. I pretty much spent my summers reading. I wish it was still like that with kids today.

That's so awesome! You started your love of reading early, then. ::high five:: What's your favorite book this year so far? (It's okay if you have more than one!)

My favorite book so far this year has been The Humming Room by Ellen Potter. It's this great middle-grade novel that is a retelling of, what else? The Secret Garden. And I adored it. It's not out yet, but you can see my review here: http://greatimaginations.blogspot.com/2012/02/publisher-feiwel-and-friends-release.html 

 

Oh, you're lucky! We'll have to put it on our TBRs when it comes out. If you could meet one author, alive or dead, who would it be?

I had to think about this one for a long time. I'm going with Agatha Christie. Because she was a brilliant story-teller, writer, and the master of writing the whodunit. One of my favorite book settings of all-time is from her book And Then There Were None, and I would love to read every book she has ever written. I would like to ask her questions about her writing and her writing process. She must know something that the rest of us don't. 

Now I'm going to have to pick up And Then There Were None. Thanks a lot! :) If you could bring one character to life from a series, who would it be, and why?

Professor Snape from the Harry Potter series. I admire him and I just want to meet him and shake his hand. He. Is. Awesome. Better than Dumbledore in my opinion.

I totally have a secret crush on Snape. Well, I guess it's not so secret anymore, lol! But seriously I agree, Snape is just BA to the core. If you could be any kind of otherworldly, what kind would it be, and why?

Definitely a vampire. You get to live forever and your time is unlimited. You could get to see the entire world. It might get lonely after awhile, but there are always ways to die if you don't want to do it anymore. The drinking blood part sucks, but I think eventually, like all things, you would get used to it.

 

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Well, there you have it, folks! That's Kara in a nutshell...isn't she awesome?! Now head on over to her blog and check it out, or go say hi on Twitter! Thanks, Kara, for stopping by! :)

Catch Kara on: Great Imaginations -- Twitter -- Facebook

Review: Destined by Jessie Harrell

Destined by Jessie Harrell

Release Date: March 27, 2007

Publisher: Mae Day Publishing

Pages: 260

Received: Purchased

Rating: 4 out of 5 Books

GOODREADS BLURB:
When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

OVERALL:

Destined is a fast, fun read that anyone who is a fan of mythological retellings will enjoy. Like paranormal romance? This one's for you, too. :) I really enjoyed this book, and Jessie did a great job of keeping me wanting to turn the pages.

THE GOOD:

Harrell's writing is easy, fun, and contemporary. You never have to worry about not understanding her writing - she put this book it a teen's voice from today and it was great! I've read some reviews that scoff at the non-traditional Greek dialogue, but here's the thing - Harrell made this HERS, and I liked it. If it would have been all old language and what not, I probably would have given up on it. I liked her twist on things and I never felt that her personal touches took away from the story. Instead, I feel it made the book that much better. Her characters were fun and I enjoyed embracing them. Psyche was so much fun to watch, and Eros - gods love him - was a typical guy. I love that while they're gods and demi-gods, Harrell made them feel very real and very human. Hopefully I don't get struck down for saying that. :)

THE BAD:

There were times that I felt details or comparisons were forced, but it was only once or twice. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

OVERALL:

This was a fun read! I have a son that takes up most of my attention, but this book diverted me a bit. :) It was definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone, and I can't wait to read more from Harrell. I have a feeling we've only scratched the surface of her abilities!

RATING: 4 of 5 Books