Review: Such A Rush

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

Source: Advance Readers Copy

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars


I love the gritty trailer park feel of Such A Rush. Leah is a girl who has every reason to be dysfunctional and yet she is kind and has a quiet fierceness about herself. The more I read about Leah the more I wanted to protect her.  Most people have made up their mind about Leah and they judge her for her looks and for where she comes from. Instead of lashing out Leah shows how strong she really is.

Greyson, her boss's son treats her like dirt and accuses her of sleeping with his dad. Greyson is such a jerk considering that Leah has always had a crush on him. Why are guys such jerks sometimes?

There are moments where you see how sheltered Leah really is, like the fact that she doesn't know how to drive or swim. Then there are other times where she uses her looks as a shield. When her best friend Molly convinces her to go to a party Leah dresses like the girl they all expect her to be. People call her names and treat her like crap and Molly is no where around. I don't think Molly was always a great friend.

Jennifer Echols gives you the most dysfunctional mother I have seen in YA literature and while I get that its a main obstacle I really wanted someone to be there for Leah. I wish the mother-daughter role had been developed a little more.

I think contemporary fans will really enjoy Such A Rush.  Such a Rush is my first Jennifer Echols novel and look forward to reading more from her in the future. I would love to see a follow up novella to check in on Leah.

Review: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Short Version: Dead Silence will not disappoint fans of the Body Finder series. If you are new to the series, Violet has the gift to find the bodies of those who have been murdered. Each body carries a unique echo that calls to her and the killer has a matching imprint that only Violet can see/hear/smell. Violet has a hard time controlling it so she is always pulled into danger because she's compelled to follow the echo or imprint. The Body Finder books are told from Violet's point of view and the killer's. Kimberly's writing is impeccable and by far one of my favorite authors in YA. Kimberly really brings the creepy factor when she tells the story from the killer's point of view! If you haven't read this series pick it up today!

Personal Note:
The Body Finder Series is really special to me. I remember reading The Body Finder and wanting everyone to read it! The Body Finder, Desires of the Dead, Last Echo, and Dead Silence were all five star books for me. I have interviewed Kimberly a number of times and I met her as a debut author in the first year I had my blog. I feel like I got to see her grow as an author at the same time that my blog grew up. I can't wait to see what Kimberly Derting comes up with next!

Warning if you haven't read The Last Echo do not read the long version because it contains spoilers, but don't worry I have no plans on telling you much about Dead Silence. I hate spoilers and wouldn't do that to my readers. You have been warned! If you haven't read The Body Finder, Desires of the Dead, or The Last Echo stop reading now!

Long Version:
After you read the prologue you are going to need to take a break. No I'm serious you are going to wonder what Kimberly has in store for you!

In The Last Echo Violet was forced to fight for her life and in Dead Silence she is now dealing with an echo of her own. The echo is this eerie music that can't ever be turned off. Her family is trying to be supportive, but Violet just wants everyone to stop. My heart breaks for her. In Dead Silence Violet learns more about her ability from a very unlikely source.

I was also really happy to see my boyfriend Jay get more time, because we hardly saw him in The Last Echo. Jay is supportive, but he is tired of who Violet has become since joining Rafe and his group. The only thing I was really hoping for was that Violet would punch Rafe and that never happened!

The killer is completely psycho and will creep you out. I have no idea how Kimberly comes up with the murder scenes, because they feel so vivid!

I don't think anyone will see the ending coming. I know I had questions, but I'll leave that up to each reader. If you do read it, tweet or email me so we can discuss!

To learn more about Kimberly Derting visit: http://kimberlyderting.com/

Audio Review: Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Type: Audio book purchase

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Shadow and Bone is very different from what I normally read. With all the movie buzz surrounding it and Shadow and Bone hitting the New York Best Sellers list the same week it came out I knew I had to read it, but I'm still trying to find the time for all the books already on my shelf! When the Fierce Reads Tour came to town I picked up Shadow and Bone and it sat on my bookshelf for a while. I finally gave in and got the audio and finished Shadow and Bone in less than 24 hours. I couldn't put it down! I loved the details of the world, powers and clothes!

Alina is an orphan who isn't good at much, except being Mal's best friend. Mal is Alina's childhood friend and they've been inseparable their entire lives. Alina puts up with Mal going on and on about girls and adventures. One day Mal is in trouble and in her panic over his distres, Alina saves him. Only what they discover is that she does have a talent and it's one that could save everyone. Alina is sent to the castle to study and learn how to use her new powers. The entire time she was at the castle, I just kept hoping that she would be reunited with Mal.

Shadow and Bone is a story of friendship, finding yourself and fighting for what you believe in. The only plus to being so behind on my reading is that I don't have to wait long for Siege and Storm, the sequel to Shadow and Bone, which will be released June 4.

Audio: Lauren Fortgang, is the narrator, and does a great job. From the moment I started listening I was completely lost in the story. I hope that she will narrate Siege and Storm as well.

Audio Review: Monstrous Beauty

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Type: Audio Book Purchase

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

As soon as I finished Monstrous Beauty my first thought was holy hell this is one dark and twisted book! I will say that, except for Gone Girl, I have not read anything that has shocked me so much. Don't get me wrong I don't hate this book and I love that Elizabeth Fama can pull such a reaction from me, but I don't like many of the characters.

The story is told in two time periods. Present day and 170 years in the past. In the present, Hester meets a mysterious guy who she feels drawn to. Just as she meets this guy strange things start happening around town, some that can only be explained as haunting. Hester starts to uncover mysteries as to who she is and how her family line might be tied into these strange occurrences.

In the past Ezra falls in love with a creature named Syrenka. A lot of the darkness I blame on Syrenka, because if she had not fallen in love with Ezra none of the crazy things in this story would have happened. Syrenka's selfish actions caused a lot of pain. I didn't relate to her at any point and when she was in the story I wanted to skip it.

I love the cover, but I felt like it was a bit misleading. The cover says pretty and even a bit girly, but that's not what the book is about. I wish they would have used something darker or that represented both Hester and Syrenka.

There are a lot of mature subjects in Monstrous Beauty including rape and multiple murders. I think Monstrous Beauty is a good read, because Elizabeth Fama is an amazing story teller. If you like darker novels with a mysterious twist then this is the book for you!

Audio: Katherine Kellgren is one of my favorite narrators. Katherine is the narrator for both Ashes and Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick. Katherine has won a number of awards. She did a great job with the present story as well as the past. I think having a talented narrator really adds to the experience of listening to a book.