ARC Review: Vision of Serpents by Vincent Morrone

Title: Vision of Serpents by Vincent Morrone

Publisher: Silence In The Library

Release Date: June 1st, 2015

Genres: Action, Romance, Drama, Supernatural

Medium: ARC EBook, Received for Review

I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that Vincent Morrone has written one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever read. When I say that he has quickly became one of my favorite authors of all time. He has never disappointed me and likely never will. 

The plot was fantastic. Before starting this novel, I thought to myself, "there is no way that he can top Vision of Shadows." Well, I proudly stand to be corrected. Somehow, Visions of Serpents was even better than the prequel, a feat I originally thought was impossible. It was simply amazing. There are few novels that can throw me for a loop, and honestly have me on the edge of my seat. There was so many plot twists that literally had my heart racing. There is such an ideal mix of action, romance and drama, and a perfect amount of paranormal. Sometimes, novels have too much of the paranormal aspect and it drowns out the rest of the plot. That is definitely not the case with Vision of Serpents. I loved every second of this novel.

The writing was perfection, as I have come to expect from Vincent Morrone. Every word was precise and flowed perfectly. It was natural and smooth, so much, that I finished the novel in practically one sitting. It was that great. It was suspenseful, dramatic, and descriptive, and it made you feel as if you were right there inside of the novel yourself. The characters were effortlessly written and to experience their many relationships and emotions, whether it be friendships or fall outs, was an amazing feeling. Reading one of Vincent Morrone's novels is always an enjoyable experience.

Overall, I loved every single bit of this novel. I absolutely fell in love with the plot and the characters, and I was truly sad when I finished the novel. I hadn't wanted it to end. This novel truly is unique and a breath of fresh air in the literary world. I recommend it to everyone, no matter who they are. This novel is most definitely worth anyone's time.

Preorder it now at
http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Serpents-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00V8RYF6Y/ref=sr_1_13?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1427393515&sr=1-13

Review: Hushed by Michela DiMarco

Title: Hushed by Michela DiMarco

Publisher: Self

Release Date: November 12th, 2014

Genres: Romance, Drama, Action, Mystery

Medium: Signed paperback, Won

This novel was definitely not what I expected and I loved every second of it. It was action-packed, full of dramatic characters, packed with twists and turns I never saw coming, and so much more. The plot was riveting and the writing was flowing and addictive. I finished this novel in about 2 days. That's how much I enjoyed it.

The plot was exceptional. From reading the synopsis, you do not expect much, honestly. And if I am to be brutally honest, the cover photo also misleads readers. The cover (mixed with the vague synopsis) honestly gives off an abuse/rape vibe. That sounds odd, I know, but I'm being completely honest. I absolutely loved this novel, but I feel as if potential readers will be scared off by the cover and vague synopsis. That is the only thing I would recommend changing. The plot was perfect, there was so many plot twists and turns that made me want to give a standing ovation, and just the overall drama of the novel was perfection.

The writing was great. There was a bit of wordiness here and there, but for the most part, it was pretty spot on. I loved the descriptiveness and the ease with which the author placed you in the story's setting, making you feel like you were right there with the characters. It was so scandalous! I loved it. It flowed smoothly and was very addicting, as I finished it in a short amount of time.

Overall, I loved this novel and I cannot wait for there to be a sequel! (And there better be a sequel. I cannot go on without finding out how this ends!) I beg readers that love drama to look past the cover and synopsis, and instead, focus on the inside. (How cheesy does that sound?) It's a fantastic novel that I truly want to share with readers.

Review: The Returned by Jason Mott

Title: The Returned by Jason Mott

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Release Date: March 25th, 2014

Genres: Mystery, Action, Drama

Medium: Hardback, Won

The Returned was a fantastic novel of epic proportions. It was a wonderful mix of mystery, love, family, and faith. Honestly, when I began reading the novel, I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I did have somewhat of an idea. However, the novel turned out to be the complete opposite, and I'm not exactly sure how to feel about that.

First off, the plot was actually quite interesting. I loved the mix of mystery and religion, which is a duo you don't get to experience often. It was very exciting. The characters were so life like and very relatable, even though they were in such a perplexing situation. The plot of having the dead come back to life (and with such a wonderful religious take on it) was an absolute stroke of genius. It was completely unique and realistic. Honestly, I don't think the author could have better conveyed the emotions and actions of people if this situation actually occurred. At times, I did find it a little repetitive and boring, but for the majority, it was great!

The writing was also fantastic. The southern twist on the writing was an added bonus, and honestly, I found no faults with the writing. It was descriptive, emotional, and had several twists and turns I never saw coming. It was great.

Overall, I loved the novel. I definitely recommend it. I am very excited to hear that it will become an adaptation. I cannot wait to see this story play out on the television screen!

ARC Review: Discovering Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Title: Discovering Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Publisher: Ember

Release Date: September 10th, 2013

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

Medium: ARC Paperback, Received for Review

Discovering Wes Moore is an educational and interesting read that dives deep into the author's life. It's a riveting look into life on the streets, African American discrimination, and how people can rise above their situation.

This novel had a great plot. It had several themes that flowed together perfectly, including discrimination, the apartheid in South Africa, life on the streets, drugs, military school, men in service, and people not letting their situation define them and their life. Unfortunately, at the end, the author compares another man (who shares his name) to his own life. Their lives are completely different and as the author delves into his doppelganger's life story, he begins to wonder what made their paths diverge in such completely different directions. It is a very interesting concept that I believe he explored well and it was quite nice.

The writing was sufficient enough. Not to say it was bad, just that it could have been better. It lacked the "ompf" I needed to thoroughly enjoy it. It just seemed lacking. And this one dimensional writing made the novel feel boring at times, which affected my overall experience. 

This novel has a great story and really talks about some pressing themes that were just as pressing years ago as they are now. It's a wonderful story that people of all ages and all backgrounds should experience.

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Publisher: Speak

Release Date: April 5th, 2012

Genres: Romance, Drama

Medium: Paperback, Gifted

I will start off by saying two things: 1) I don't how many John Green novels I have read now (I should really figure that out) and 2) I expected something a lot different when I first received this novel.

Also, I want to start off by saying John Green and David Levithan are two of my favorite all time authors. (Actually, David Levithan sits slightly higher on my favorites list with his novel Every Day, while John Green sits in second, with an incomprehensibly small amount of space between them. Maybe it's a tie. I'll never know.) Anyway, I love them both.

This novel was quite different than what I expected. What I expected was two Will Graysons and their chance meeting which would ultimately cause them to fall in love. However, I was quite off. And to be honest, I'm not sure I'm liked the way it ended up instead. I feel as if with a novel called "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" they emphasis is on the two boys with the same name. When it turned out that this was not the case, I was bummed to say that one of the Will Graysons slowly and gradually faded into being a background character. The most emphasis was on the character Tiny and with that being the case, maybe the title should have been different? Of course, naysayers will attest to the title being perfect, and the meaning for it being this: The story is not centered solely on Tiny. The "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" is about the connection and the way the two met, which ultimately is what brings the other characters together and in return, the two Will Graysons finally find themselves. I completely agree with that! I just hate that the one Will Grayson (the straight one) was metaphorically put on the back burner. The ending also didn't meet my expectations. I kind of left off on a cliff hanger, like it very vaguely told what happened to Tiny and has friends and his other ex-boyfriend/boyfriend that we never found out if they made up or not? I was secretly wishing for the said Will Grayson to jump into Tiny's arms. But all together, I loved the plot and idea of musical theater. It was great and I simply flew through the pages.

The writing was terrific and utterly perfect as usually. The two are amazing by themselves and simply extraordinary when paired together. They are a dynamite duo that never cease to amaze and impress me and I will continue to follow them, both together and separately. I cannot praise them enough. To understand how good they are, you'll have to read all of their work.

All together, this was a great novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and deeply satisfied me. I recommend this novel to anyone because it simply opens minds. 

Review: Initiation by Alex Duval

Title: Initiation by Alex Duval

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: June 27th, 2006

Genres: Drama, Action, Paranormal, Fantasy

Medium: Paperback, Bought

This story was substantially better than the prequel Bloodlust.  This had more suspense, more action and drama, and more plots twists. Although I did see most of the plot twists coming, they were still very interesting to experience.

The plot was very good. It picked up right where the other left off, but also reintroduced the characters so it could be read first with little confusion (although I don't see why you'd want to do that! This series is one you want to experience entirely.) It was action-packed, romantic, and full of paranormal drama, with plenty of vampire lore.

The writing was also very nice in this novel, just as it was better this time around. It was suspenseful and kept me rapidly turning pages as I hurried towards an unexpected ending that, although it isn't the most suspenseful ending, it still leaves you wanting more. 

Overall, I will definitely be checking into finishing this series. It's a great little vampire series that I predict will get better and better with each sequel. 

Review: Bloodlust by Alex Duval

Title: Bloodlust by Alex Duval

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: June 1st, 2006

Genres: Drama, Action, Paranormal, Fantasy

Medium: Paperback, Bought

I'll agree with some of the other reviews I've read. Yes it's simple, yes there's nothing extremely differentiating between this novel and other vampire fiction and nothing really unique about it, but I did enjoy it.

The plot, like I've said, was very simple and expected. It is much like every other vampire  novel out there. The greatest difference, however, is that the main character is a male, and making it even more unusual, the girl he is crushing on is the vampire. Usually in vampire novels, I am struck with crazy hormonal teenage girls swooning over a big strong boring male vampire, which usually results in a boring and two dimensional romance. However, I was pleasantly surprised at this change in roles. Getting to experience this point of view was quite nice. I also loved several little features in this novel: the swim team, the things about these particular vampires that make them different from the rest, and the playing-hard-to-get romance. And oh boy, how do I love the main character's best friend who is film-obsessed and always has a camcorder in hand. I love that! Sounds like my kind of guy.
The writing was nice. It was flowing and really grabs your attention. It's very fun and light, and really holds your attention. I know I was addicted to it and couldn't wait to see what happened next. There was several plot twists and turns that I didn't see coming and that only grabbed my attention more.

Overall, I see a lot of promise for this series and I will continue to read it. It's very entertaining so far and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Review: Remember Me by Stacey Nash

Title: Remember Me by Stacey Nash

Publisher: AUS Impulse

Release Date: October 1st, 2014

Genres: Drama, Romance, Action, Fantasy

Medium: Ebook, Received for Review

Stacey Nash has written yet another knockout. I've come to expect nothing less from her! This novel quickly became one of my absolute favorites and will definitely stick with me for a long time. It was powerful, romantic, and super dramatic.

The plot was utter perfection. I, of course, fell in love with Forget Me Not, and doubted a sequel could top that fantastic debut, but alas, I was pleasantly surprised. This novel exceeded all of my expectations and blew the sequel our of the water! It was edgy and left me on pins and needles. I have never wanted to bite my nails because of nerves so much. This novel pulls you in and leaves you on the edge of your seat. The memory loss is an amazing element. It's painstaking and nerve wracking, but perfect for the plot of the series plot. Getting to experience the "bad guys" for once was so refreshing and such a unique experience. You see a lot of character development here and it really changes your perspective.

The writing, as usual, was phenomenal. It was fun, emotional, and so very dramatic. I loved how easily Stacey Nash can switch over from a lighthearted and fun scene, to a deep and dark dramatic scene in literally seconds. It was so addicting. The plot twists and turns kept me turning pages at every spare second for two days straight. And that cliffhanger... This novel really is a nail biter from beginning to end.

Everything, from the characters (which were emotional and real in every way)  to the unique plot and fantastic writing, was perfect. I recommend this series to everyone!