Unplugged by P.D. Quaver - Book Review

Unplugged by P.D. Quaver Genres: Young Adult, Thriller

     Unplugged is a thrilling tale aimed at young adults. A group of kids are sent to a new summer camp that claims to wean the children off of their dependence and addictions to electronics. But all is not as it appears as it turns out that this summer camp is merely a front for a kidnapping scheme. The kids are whisked away to a remote island and held hostage. Ironically, they DO learn to live and succeed without any electronic benefits. This is reminiscent of a modern day Lord of the Flies - almost, kinda, sorta. The classic book is mentioned in the story and may spark interest in your youngster, if they enjoy this tale, and I'm all for getting today's kids interested in reading classics.

Prodigal Nights - Fun Read Friday

Prodigal Nights by Lisa Buffaloe Genres: Romance, Christian

     This is another story where the main character is ticked off at God, but then sees the light and forgives Him for all the garbage that they have had to endure in life. I'm almost starting to wonder if these books find their way into my hands through fate or divine intervention in an attempt to get me back on speaking terms with God. But I digress ...

     Bethany has a wild past but is trying to mend her evil ways. Jason has also sown his share of wild oats and is attempting to plow under this crop and follow a good Christian path. When they meet, they both felt shame about their pasts and feared that the other would find fault.

     There really isn't much "He loves me, he loves me not" in this book, which is a relief. However there is an almost annoying amount of "can I trust him/her" and fear of getting hurt and/or whether or not they deserve someone so seemingly perfect in spite of their lurid past.

     That said, the story had many light hearted humorous bits that had me laughing out loud and the end was amazingly gripping. Regardless of my responsibilities and schedules, I did not manage to set this down until the end.

No Words Alone - Review

No Words Alone by Autumn Dawn First book in series Genres: Science Fiction, Romance,   Fantasy

     This novel is the perfect example of why I avoid reading the first book of a series. I loved it and I want to read more. Science fiction is predominently a man's genre, written by men for men, full of geeky high tech text that can make my eyes glaze over when I don't understand it. I have always enjoyed the concept of space travel though and marveled at the main stream egocentric idea that the earth is the only planet in the entire universe capable of sustaining any form of life.

     Xera is stranded on a planet that contains hungry hostile native creatures. She is in the company of her shipmates and the crew of an enemy alien race that also crash landed on the planet. As the only woman, she doesn't trust either group of men further than she can throw them.

     Author Autumn Dawn has taken two genres which are not my normal first choice to read and combined them to make this very original romantic story within a science fiction setting. The alien nation that resides within the Scorpio constellation is seen as savages by the human population but on closer inspection have some very gentle and caring customs within their society. Outsiders, however, are another story.

     Autumn Dawn also succeeds in avoiding a couple of pitfalls that many authors fall into that annoys the heck out of me: The "he loves me, he loves me not" scenario, and the cliffhanger. In spite of some editing issues, it is a great read that I highly recommend and that I moved into the folder on my kindle reserved for series books that I want to read more books of.

Midnight Guests and Other Weird Stories - Saturday Shorts Book Review

Midnight Guests and Other Weird Stories by Amy Michelle Mosier Genre: Horror

     This book is a collection of several short stories by author Amy Michelle Mosier. The tales are incredibly chilling with many downright creepy moments. This was my first reading of this author and I was very impressed. The plots were original, entertaining, and well thought out. I highly recommend this book as an excellent introduction to an unknown author. These short stories will be enjoyed by any readers who love horror that may be interested in finding their next favorite author.

I give it 5 stars!

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne Genre: Classic

     This is a prime example of a classic that I would never read again. I can't believe that they make high school students read this. No wonder everyone has the impression that classics are boring and pointless. I knew that I had read it - or was supposed to have read it - in high school, as I still have my copy of it, but could not remember doing so. I probably blocked it out.

     Historically speaking, it is an interesting testament to the life and times of the Puritan era in the early history of America. But the story is just so dark and dreary, the main character suffered for her shame for YEARS. Speaking in general terms so as not to give away any plot spoilers, FMC finally has a little hope to her situation and *BAM!* Hawthorne takes it away. The end of the story was incredibly confusing to me as I could not understand the motivation behine FMC's actions and I could not fathom as to why she would behave in such a manner.

     My mind constantly wandered during the many dry areas of text which seemed to go on for pages with absolutely no clue as to what he was describing or how it might pertain to the story.

Playmates by Jess C Scott - Fun Read Friday Review

Playmates Book 1 - Wilde Twins series by Jess C. Scott Genre: Psychological Thriller

     Author Scott produces a promising beginning to her Wilde Twins series where fraternal twins are a grisly brother sister team of serial killers. In this first book she begins by introducing us to them as children. We see how Tania goes from a normal 9 year old girl to a teen with little or no empathy, especially for those that seem to have a better life than she does.

     *SPOILER ALERT* nope not going to give away the conclusion of the story. I couldn't if I wanted to since there was no conclusion, just a cliff for me to dangle off of. For those readers who enjoy cliff hangers, you're going to love this one. Personally, I feel jipped. When I invest my time to read a book and don't get some closure, some sense that the book has ended, even if there is a sequel there should be some sense of a conclusion to this book before the next one begins. Ok, off my soap box about my biggest pet peeve and moving on...

     The characters are incredibly well developed. Their actions and reactions are realistic and gives insight to the reader as to how and why the twins develop exactly as they do psychologically and allows us to sympathize with Tania even if we do not condone her actions.

     This installation of the series definitely piques one's interest to follow the Wilde twins lives to see where fate takes them next.

I give it 4 stars!

Imaginary Friend by Troy McCombs - Book Review

Imaginary Friend by Troy McCombs Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

     Nathan is not your average eight year old boy. He is a victim. Abused by his father, terrorized by bullies at school, and misunderstood by his teachers and principal, Nathan has had enough. He fantasizes about a monster that comes to his rescue, wrecking havoc and violent deaths to all who mistreat the boy. The more Nathan imagines his monster the more realistic it becomes - both in added details to the beast and in substance. It isn't long before the impossible becomes possible - Nathan's imaginary friend becomes real and Nathan finds that he cannot control his creation's murderous tendencies.

     A very interesting premise put forth by author Troy McCombs. While I could feel sorry for the little boy because of the abuse he suffered, I had a hard time really liking the character. His whole hearted rage, constant denial of any complicity, self righteous attitude, and lack of remorse once the killing spree began made the boy seem a tad bit creepy to me.

     Entertaining story that is well worth the time and effort that it takes to read it. I would recommend this book to those who love stories about fantasy creatures come to life or underdogs who come out on top.

I give it 4 stars!