Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler 

Series:Y por eso rompimos #1-8
Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Illustrated by: Maira Kalman
Format: Paperback
Pages:354
Source: Gifted.

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

I had such high hopes for this book. Maybe that has something to do with why I did not enjoy it. It took me forever to get through it even though it isn't even that long. The writing was weird and dragged for almost the entire book and it felt like nothing even really happened throughout the whole novel.

I couldn't stand the characters. They all felt extremely fake and over the top to me. The way Min handled the breakup and everything that came after seems extremely petty and childish even though she's supposed to be in high school. Ed seemed like he was just there to be the bad guy and Al I can barely even remember.

The only thing I really enjoyed about this book was the illustrations and the fact that it was written as a letter telling what happened in the past leading up to why these two teenagers broke up. If it hadn't been so angsty maybe I could have loved the book a little more.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
Series:The Steampunk Chronicles, #0.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback (included in the first book)
Pages:86
Source: Purchased.

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined.

There really isn't much I can say for this novella besides the fact that it got me interested in reading the rest of the series. It was extremely slow in the beginning to the point where I wanted to put it down and quit but the further I got through it the more I wanted to read.

Despite the beginning I am actually looking forward to seeing where the story leads and I just hope where it picks up in the first novel it doesn't go back to being slow paced. I hope there's a lot more steampunk elements in the first novel because I absolutely love steampunk stories.

Once it picked up however I was drawn into the plot of the story. I didn't expect anything to happen and I was pleasantly surprised by everything that did. The characters were pretty interesting as well and I can't wait to see how they develop as the story goes on.

Long time no see

Hey guys,

Funny seeing a post from me I know. Ive been gone for over a year now with no explanation whatsoever but I've been reading for fun and haven't felt like writing reviews also life got in the way and I've been enjoying that as weel. I'm really missing the blogging community and considering reviving my little blog here. I've missed you all and I hope you guys stop by soon to see what I have lined up for you.

-Sarah

Tales of the Zodiac: The Goat's Tale by P.J. Hetherhouse

Tales of the Zodiac: The Goat's Tale by P.J. Hetherhouse
Series: Tales of the Zodiac, #1
Publisher: Amazon Createspace
Format: Paperback
Pages: 465
Source: Author for review.

The Tales of the Zodiac is a series inspired by Celtic mythology, Arthurian legend and, most importantly, astrology. Living in a time when Mother Nature has resumed control, the human race has regressed back to its feudal past. It is here, in two civilisations gripped by political intrigue and religious fanaticism, that the tales take place. We begin with Capricorn - The Goat's Tale.

When I was contacted by the author to do a review for the blog I was immediately intrigued by the books description. The premise sounded like something I have never seen done before in a novel and I am glad to say that I was not let down at all.

This book is unique, it has action and adventure. It seems kind of like fantasy but it also seems like it could happen for real too.

As far as the characters go the main character, Gruff was not my favorite. I loved Morrigan and Shara though. Morrigan was funny and constantly had me entertained even when the situations the characters were in seemed dire. Shara was a fantastic character as well, she was mysterious and not much about her is shown in this novel so I'm eager to find out more about her.

If you're into stories that have a lot of depth then definitely give this one a try. The entire time I was reading it I was fully immersed in the story and really didn't want to put it down. Though be warned there are some words throughout the story that seem to be part of the language of the characters and don't make much sense. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series to see where the characters head to next.



**Copy provided via the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

How to Destroy the New Girl's Killer Robot Army by Mick Bogerman

How to Destroy the New Girl's Killer Robot Army by Mick Bogerman
Series: Slug Pie Story, #3
Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Format: Paperback
Pages: 168
Source: Publisher for review.

When Savannah "Van Demon" Diamond comes to town she ruins everything for Mick. She takes over his favorite hang out, outruns him in gym class, and worst of the worst—his little brother has a crush on her. Devising a plan to get her kicked out of school and moved out of Beachwood is simple. Dealing with Savannah’s mind-blowing revenge is Mick’s most challenging adventure yet.
Join Mick as he thwarts insidious traps and deadly weaponry, fighting against the most cunning of enemies. Catastrophe looms for all of Beachwood unless Mick can put aside his pride, join forces with his rival, and destroy the new girl’s killer robot army.

 

When I was contacted to review this book I was so excited seeing as I really enjoyed the first two books in the series. This installment was just as wonderful as the first two and has me eagerly awaiting the release of book four.

 



 In this installment we get to meet a new character, a girl named Savannah. At first I didn't really like her but she quickly grew on me. She was witty and clever and all around fantastic. Mick and Finley were as lovable as ever and had me laughing out loud.

The story is written like a how to guide like the first two books and the pace is just as quick. There is never a dull moment with the shenanigans that the characters manage to get into and the problem that the kids were trying to fix was really cool. Who doesn't love killer robots?

If you want a fast paced, fun story for your kids (or if you like middle grade yourself) definitely give this series a chance! The characters are great and the stories are interesting and have quite a bit of action.

 

**Copy provided via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

Destiny's Gate by Lee Bice-Matheson and J.R. Matheson

Destiny's Gate by Lee Bice-Matheson and J.R. Matheson
Series: Paige Maddison, #2
Publisher: Friesen Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 283
Source: Review.

Live from a place of love. It conquers all that is evil. Shaken by the haunting from Conall, Paige Maddison hopes to put it behind her. When Paige's premonitions, nightmares, and ghostly visions return, however, she realizes there is no way of getting back to the normal she once knew. Try as she might to adjust to her new life at the O'Brien Manor, dark forces begin to brew on the grounds of the haunted O'Brien estate. Paige becomes the unwilling target of the Earthbounds, anguished souls who seek revenge and retribution. But where there is darkness, there is also light. Through an enigmatic string of events that has her questioning who she truly is, Paige soon learns that she is not only being watched over by guardians of both the spirit and mortal realms, but also being called upon by a greater power beyond her wildest comprehension. As her world is turned upside down, Paige faces a life-changing dilemma: Should she embrace her special gift and fulfill the destiny that is unfolding before her? Or will she succumb to the evil that surrounds her and deny her true identity? Destiny's Gate, book two in the Paige Maddison Series, follows the young heroine on her personal journey of discovering inner strength, undying loyalty, and the profound power of unwavering love.

 

Even after reading the first book in this series and not liking it I had high hopes that this book would deliver the excitement and creep factor that I was hoping for. Unfortunately I was left feeling unenthusiastic and tired after struggling through this book. I had hoped that since the book was longer it wouldn't feel as rushed as the first book but it ended up feeling like everything was being pushed just for the sake of something happening.

 

I still did not like Paige. She is still just as unappealing as she was in the first book and I found that I enjoyed her character less as the book went on. I just ended up not really caring what happened to her and in a book where the plot doesn't grab me I hope the characters do.

 

Even after finding out what she was and what she could do Paige seemed way too calm about the whole situation. It just didn't seem realistic. The story seemed to drag on and I kept having to put the book down because I was getting extremely frustrated with the pacing and Paige.

 

I will not be continuing with this series. It was way too hard to get through this last book and I don't like feeling like I have to force myself to finish a book or series even if I am not enjoying it. Don't let my feelings discourage you however, you may love the book, it just was not for me.

 

 

 **Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

Wake Me Up Inside by Lee Bice-Matheson

Wake Me Up Inside by Lee Bice-Matheson
Series: Paige Maddison, #1
Publisher: Friesen Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 104
Source: Review.

Wake Me Up Inside is a ghost story centered around a strong teen-age heroine, Paige Maddison, who is forced to move with her parents from Toronto to hicksville Ontario, to help look after her ailing grandparents. It is a story of discovering one’s heritage and uncovering secrets. What will Paige learn about her family’s past and what will she discover about herself as she moves through this journey?

Paige discovers that her maternal family home is a mansion called O’Brien Manor along with a guest house, condemned cottage and a graveyard. Before Paige leaves Toronto, she has nightmares and visions but does not realize they are of this place until she meets the ghosts haunting the Manor…

 

I was really excited to start this series when I was asked to review the first two books in the series, I was expecting a thrilling ghost story that would keep me guessing and would be really creepy and would keep me up at night hurrying to find out what happened. Unfortunately, the ghost story was not that interesting, the character's didn't really have me enthralled and the story somehow managed to drag by slowly yet at the same time everything felt rushed.

 

The plot sounded really cool, a girl having to go live in a fancy house where there seems to be a lot of secrets and ghostly things keep happening. It didn't really live up to everything it could have been, if only the book was longer maybe the story could have been developed more and it wouldn't have been resolved so quickly.

 

I did not like Paige at all. She was foolish and selfish. She only thought about herself and I did not really care what happened to her. The only characters I really liked were her grandparents even if they were kind of weird.

 

This book did not work for me, but if you like ghost stories but aren't into really creepy ones this one might be the way to go for you. The book is really short but keep in mind that the ending ends up being quite rushed.

 



**Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**