Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 29th, 2014

Genres: Drama, Action, Romance

Medium: Hardback, bought

Dare You To is a fantastic novel that is a perfect mix of romance and drama. It's suspenseful and full of characters that are easy to fall in love with. The writing is fantastic, the plot is amazing, and the characters are all perfectly written. This series by Katie McGarry is one of my all-time favorites, because it gets better and better with every novel she writes.

 

The plot is amazing. It's suspenseful, action-packed, and full of sexy romance. These novels are the epitome of romance novels, as they sometimes have a certain "damsel-in-distress" feeling, while at other times, the roles are switched, and it's the female protagonist that saves the hunk. I love how with her novels, there is the balance or equality in all the relationships. The girls are always strong, independent women, and the boys are just as equally brave. This makes these stories very easy to read for both genders and all ages. It's mature romance and it's definitely not just some 'daytime-soap-opera' romance. In these novels (and especially this one) the romance is continually interrupted by sporadic bursts of drama and action. This is also another reason why these stories are just as interesting for boys as they would be for girls. The action and drama will draw anyone in.

 

The characters, as usual, are spectacular. Each character is so perfectly written, that they all feel so lifelike. This is another reason why this series is so popular, because the characters all feel like you could know them in real life. Each has a unique personality, and they all contribute to the plot in some way. They are raw and emotional, and each demands you fall in love with them.

 

Katie McGarry's writing is so spectacular that I come to expect it every time I read one of her works. I expect is so much, I would be absolutely astounded if I did read one of her novels where the writing wasn't spot-on. As I said previously, McGarry writes with a certain balance. Not only does her characters have this balance, but so does her writing in general. She has mastered the art of perfectly balancing action and romance together in a plot. Her words all seem specifically chosen to tell the story and situation, and display the correct amount of emotion. I know I always say this, but her writing is raw, it's emotional, and it's simply one of the best I've seen.

 

Overall, this novel was yet another home run from Katie McGarry. The characterization and plot depth in her novels is what really draws the crowds in, as it surely was what hooked me. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with.

Review: Obstacles by Christopher Reardon

Title: Obstacles by Christopher Reardon

Publisher: Solstice Shadows

Release Date: December 18th, 2013

Genres: Action, Fantasy, Drama

Medium: Paperback, Received for Review from author (Thanks Chris!)

Obstacles by Christopher Reardon is a unique new novel about making difficult decisions, facing your fears, and fighting for what you believe in. It is a perfect mix of action, drama, and fantasy. With an intricate plot and many plot twists, this novel is a good read for those looking for an original fantasy tale.

The plot of this novel is truly one of a kind. In it, a man named Alcott is faced with a difficult decision; let a small child die or compete in a set of obstacles to win the child his life... and Alcott take his place and lose his own. This original plot makes for a suspenseful ride. There's plenty of action and drama, making this novel perfect for both genders, and a fantastic fantasy element that ties everything together and makes it enjoyable for any age. It's fast paced and full of twists and turns you never see coming.

The writing was good. I won't say great, because it was lacking in many places. Most noticeably for me, the sentence structure was off and needed some variation. It felt like every single sentence was short and had the same number of syllables. There needed to be some differentiation here and this would have improved my opinion greatly. Secondly, the writing could have been a bit more natural. It would have flowed so much easier if this has been done. Thirdly, the dialogue could have been more natural as well. I just wish the writing hadn't been so rigid and fake at times. Aside from these few problems, the novel is very descriptive and keeps a good pace. The creativity is there, but the writing needs some work.

I'll briefly touch on the characters. They were all very nicely done and each played an important part. They each had great back stories (may I say I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the characters had a sister with Down Syndrome. As I, too, have a sibling with Downs, I love seeing representation in fiction today.) Every character was perfection.

Overall, the novel was quite good. It was unique, with a great plot and wonderful characters, and although the writing needs a little work, I will recommend this novel to fantasy-lovers. Christopher Reardon is definitely one to keep an eye on for the future.

ARC Review: Gypsy by Trisha Leigh

Title: Gypsy by Trisha Leigh

Publisher: Self

Release Date: May 7th, 2014

Genres: Drama, Action, Romance

Medium: Paperback ARC via Author

Gypsy by Trisha Leigh was an spellbinding novel full of edge-of-your-seat action, exciting drama, and believable romance. This novel hooks you right away from it's originality and unique voice, and is definitely a series you don't want to miss.

Starting off, what was the biggest thing that drew me in about this novel? The setting. The moment I found out this novel was set in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina, I knew I had to read it. A bit of a backstory here, last summer I vacationed in the charismatic city and for one week, I was in paradise. More than a year later, here I am, and I have not been able to get the charming city out of my head. In a few years time, I will be moving there to continue my career. Trisha Leigh wrote Charleston into this novel perfectly. She describes the city in perfect detail, and allows you to lose yourself in the city though her words. I could clearly picture the streets and areas in my head, remembering the quaint streets and the inviting homes. It was fantastic. And aside from that, the plot was brilliant. It was a perfect mix of slightly apocalyptic action, drama, and a touch of blossoming romance. The exciting and fresh plot draws you in and refuses to let you go. There isn't a minute that passes without something exciting happens, and it leaves you craving more whenever you are forced to pause in your reading.

The characters are as charming as the setting. They are interesting and all manage to be unique, despite the large amount of characters. Each has certain traits that define them, and they all involved in a complicated tangle of relationships that is very interesting to explore.

Along with that, the writing is also great. It's concise, yet descriptive and full of inner conflict and monologue at the same time. Trisha Leigh writes with an uncanny ability to keep the reader interested, no matter the situation or lack of action. Her tone of writing is as exciting as the plot; it's fast, riveting, and full of suprises.

All in all, this was a great novel full of twists and turns you never see coming. I will admit that I had trouble getting into the novel in the beginning, that the beginning is slightly slow, but it picks up and redeems itself about halfway though. The last half is packed to the brim with drama and romance, and surprises await you at every turn. This first installment of the Cavy series is one you simply cannot miss.

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Title: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: November 26th, 2013

Genres: Romance, Drama, Action

Medium: Hardcover, bought

Crash Into You is an exciting, sexy, thrilling novel full of fast cars, electric romance, and dramatic plot twists. Katie McGarry definitely does not disappoint with this novel.

The plot of this novel is as exciting and original as all of her other novels. With this novel, I was quite pleased to find out one of the main themes in this novel was cars. As a great lover of cars and racing, this novel was perfect for me. Katie McGarry perfectly mixes in information about cars and racing, all while being easy to understand and without overwhelming the reader, especially one who may know nothing about cars and/or racing.

The writing was tremendous as usual. McGarry has the uncanny ability to write from a point of view that totally envelopes the reader and absorbs you into its plot and emotions. And speaking of emotions, McGarry also writes with extreme emotion and believable relationships and situations. She weaves stories of broken hearts and romances that mend, and continues to be one of the best authors in Ya/Na fiction.

The characters in this novel were also quite heartwarming and yet sometimes heart breaking to read from. The emotions and relationships described in this novel are completely realistic and raw, and ones that will definitely pull at your heartstrings. Isaiah and Rachel's characters left be breathless and their romance blew me away. This unaverage couple and their friends are ones you will definitely never forget.

Overall, this novel is a fantastic novel of delicious, sexy, dramatic romance, written by one of the greatest romance writers today. Woven poetically with plot twists and action, this novel quickly became one of my all time favorites and is one I proudly recommend to all readers.

Review: Vision of Shadows by Vincent Morrone

Title: Vision of Shadows by Vincent Morrone

Publisher: Silence In The Library

Release Date: July 15th, 2014

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Drama

Medium: EBook, received for review

Oh. My. Gosh. Where do I start? Well, I usually don't start off a review sounding like a fan girl, but this is an unusual case. I have to say, I fell head over heels for this novel. From the very beginning, I was entranced in the amazing story of Bristol and her paranormal infused life. And the moment Payne enters the story... I haven't flipped pages that fast in along time. This story is exactly what I've been looking for. Easily one of the best novels I have ever read and one of my absolute favorites.

After the death of her parents, Bristol Blackburn’s life is thrown into chaos and she’s forced to move to Spirit, a small town where shadows are stirring. As she learns to navigate her new school and figures out how to keep her psychic abilities secret from her family, Bristol comes face to face with the boy who makes a regular appearance in her dreams: the gorgeous, possibly deadly, Payne McKnight. Soon she’ll find out if Payne will be the love of her life, or the end of it — and she has no idea which possibility scares her more. 

And that’s not even the worst of it. Strange shadows are haunting her dreams, and they’re up to something that could put Bristol and the lives of everyone she loves in jeopardy. -Amazon.com

From the very first page, the plot takes off and you are hanging on the edge of your seat. Naturally, when some authors write a plot like this (action-packed to the point that it is at a constant climax) it is too much to handle and is too busy. With Vincent Morrone's novel, that is definitely not the case. He writes with constant suspense and action, throwing in surprises at every turn, leaving you guessing every second. It flowed naturally, but also had many twists I didn't expect. The plot was both so suspenseful and gripping that I rarely had a free moment where I wasn't reading this story. I was that hooked. And I can't say that very often.

The characters were unbelievably realistic and interesting. Bristol's POV was an absolute joy to read in, and the way she saw things was both intriguing and easy to believe. She harnessed that 'normal teenage girl' factor that most authors seem to miss, while still having the fantasy characteristics when she accepts her role of talking to ghosts. And Payne... Oh Payne. His character was one of the most refreshing I have read from this year. He was an all-around normal guy (aside from being a handsome gentleman with a special ability) but because of his normality, he also has his faults. That is what I liked about these characters. They were so powerful and unreal, yet at the same time, realistic and relatable. Their faults made them the strong characters they were in the end. They really are nicely formed, descriptive, interesting characters.

The writing also left me speechless. Not only was the plot written perfectly, and the characters' back stories impeccable, but so was every other bit of the novel. Just the normal transitioning of scenes and characters' actions were written with untouchable skill. And the dialogue shared between the characters absolutely blew me away! I have read novels before where every bit of the dialogue feels like filler and sounds robotic. The characters sound very predictable and the dialogue is either cheesy or fake. And when writing about characters in their teenage years, for a teenage audience, the characters need to talk like normal teenagers. Not like children off a 90s sitcom. With this novel, the characters spoke to one another spot-on, perfect dialogue. Theirs words actually meant something, were emotional, and constantly laugh-out-loud funny! I had the best time reading this novel.

Overall, this novel was an absolute joy to read. I wasn't disappointed with a single thing and found zero faults and a million things to love. From the plot, to the characters, to the overall writing of this novel, it left me breathless. It was so amazing, I want my own paperback copy now! This is definitely a novel I would recommend to everyone, no matter what genres you prefer. Because you will love this novel. I know I did! As soon as I get myself a paperback copy, I will have to simply wait on pins and needles until I can get ahold of the sequel. Oh, how I cannot wait!