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.

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.**

Blind Stitches by J.B. Chicoine

Blind Stitches by J.B. Chicoine
Series: N/A
Publisher: Straw Hill Publishing
Format: Paperback
Pages: 300
Source: Review.

Nikolai Solvay has been dreading his sister’s wedding, but when his father dies unexpectedly two weeks beforehand, his return to New Hampshire promises to rake up his worst nightmares.

Meanwhile, talented young seamstress Juliet Glitch has been putting the finishing touches on the wedding dress. Mother of the bride—former prima ballerina and Russian expatriate—asks Juliet if she ‘would hem her blind son Nikolai’s trousers for the funeral’ … and the wedding.

When Juliet meets Nikolai, he draws her into the whirlwind of his unraveling family that makes her own quirky domestic situation seem normal. Confronted with the Solvay’s delusions and narcissism, Juliet must decide if her developing relationship with Nikolai is worth the turmoil as she deals with her own unreconciled past.

Either way, Nikolai cannot stave off the repressed memories surrounding his mother’s defection from the Soviet Union twenty years earlier. Against the backdrop of autumn 1989, during the Glasnost era, Nikolai’s family secrets crash alongside the crumbling Berlin Wall.

 

When I was offered the chance to post the Q&A with J.B. Chicoine I jumped at the chance because the book sounded really interesting, I was also offered the chance to read and review the book. Unfortunately I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

 

The book went way too slowly for me. I was hoping for more mystery than what was in the book and a little more action. What I got instead was a romance that seemed to progress too fast and a mystery that didn't really start unfolding until halfway through the book.

 

I did love the whole Russian aspect to it. I love learning about Russia and the fact that the book is set during a time where the Berlin wall was coming down and communism was still very much alive in Russia was a huge bonus that kept me reading, I really wish that there had been more of the history involved with the book though.

 

The thing that I enjoyed most about the book was the ending. Not because it was over but because so much happened. I don't want to give away spoilers but that ending seriously surprised me. I may eventually give the authors other books a try but for now I don't think I was in the mood for an adult romance.

 

 

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

Guardian's Nightmare by Darren Simon

Guardian's Nightmare by Darren Simon
Series: N/A
Publisher: Divertir Publishing LLC.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 169
Source: Author for review.

Charlee Smelton is an average thirteen-year-old girl struggling to adapt after her family moves to San Francisco. She thinks her biggest obstacle is facing the bullies who brand her a nerd and a dweeb. She's wrong. Her life is about to change-for the worse. First, she receives a gift of the ugliest, most old fashioned bike she has ever seen. Try as she might to ditch it in the city, she just can't seem to escape that very mysterious two-wheeler. Then come the visions of a world across a dimensional divide, a princess in fear for her life and a dark knight pursuing her. Are they just dreams or something more? For Charlee, everything she ever thought she knew about herself soon crumbles as she starts down a path to discover her true self, and she will need that hunk-of-junk bike more than she could ever imagine. Without it, she might not be able to find the hero in herself-the hero she must become to save her friends, family, her city-the world-from an evil only she can defeat. An evil she allows into this world.

Don't let the two star review fool you, I did enjoy this book. It just would have worked better for me if I was younger. I feel like this book is better suited for a younger audience and that they would enjoy the fantasy and suspense immensely.

The plot was really cool. Finding out that you're more than what you seem to be and having to battle supernatural forces is what every kid dreams about right? It is also pretty fast paced and there weren't any points in which I found myself bored or wishing the book was over.

For the most part I liked the characters, obviously I didn't really like the villain of the book but you're not really supposed to anyway. Charlee did get on my nerves at points with her complaining and treating her dad so badly but they weren't big enough issues with her that made me hate her or the book.

The story takes place on Earth but mentions another world where these supernatural forces come from that was really interesting to read about and everything else besides that was really easy to grasp because it's all things we deal with on a daily basis (you know besides an evil being that wants to hurt you).


If you have a middle grade reader I suggest you check this one out. It has elements of suspense that will leave a young reader eager to find out more and just enough fantasy to make it interesting but not enough that will confuse the reader.

 

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

An Ancient Gift and Other Stories by Jeanne Grunert

An Ancient Gift and Other Stories by Jeanne Grunert
Series: N/A
Publisher: Grunert Family Holdings, Inc.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 55
Source: Author for review.

An Ancient Gift and Other Stories is a collection of three “light” horror stories. These tales of the paranormal are akin to old-fashioned campfire stories - stories that offer a sense of the uncanny without the gore.

“The Glove” offers the chilling tale of a woman recounting how her grandfather’s prejudices - and gift for sorcery - terrorized a neighborhood boy. Is her son at risk, too?

“Friday Night Visitor” features the old trope of a deal with the devil. But unlike fiddle contests of old, Rita, our heroine, must guess a riddle to unveil the identity of the visitor and save the guy she loves.

“An Ancient Gift”, the title tale, offers glimpse at a reluctant psychic. Anna and her sister Amy are charged with clearing out her grandmother’s house for the real estate agents when they uncover an unusually wrapped package in her father’s childhood closet, a deck of antique tarot cards. Did their father have the ancient gift of divination, and does one of the sisters have it, too?

 

Don't let my two star rating fool you, I did enjoy the three short stories within this book quite a bit. However, I truly went into it thinking they were going to be creepier than they were. However, this is not necessarily a deal breaker because they were creepy in their own way, just not to the point where I was terrified.

 

Honestly I think the three stories would be good for middle grade readers who like creepy stories but aren't necessarily allowed to read all of the extremely scary ones out there.

 

I enjoyed the last story, also the one the book is named after, the most. An Ancient Gift delivered what I was hoping for with these stories. It was creepy and I was really looking forward to finding out what happened to the two sisters. The first story The Glove was strange, I didn't know what to expect and the ending definitely made me want to know more about the characters and what happened. Friday Night Visitor was my second favorite, the whole mystery surrounding what was going on and how everything turned out definitely kept me entertained.

 

The major issue I had with this book was the grammar and spelling mistakes. It took a little while for me to deal with the mistakes and accept them but it didn't make the book less enjoyable overall. With a little more editing I think this book would be good to go.

 

The three stories that make up this book are quick reads and they are definitely mysterious. If you want something that you will fly through that will have you curious as to what is going to happen in the end I would recommend you check this out. You may end up loving it more than I did.



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

Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Series: N/A
Publisher: Henry Holt & co.
Format: ARC
Pages: 288
Source: Won.

In Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, sixteen-year-old Samantha D’Angelo has death on the brain. Her summer internship at the local newspaper has her writing obituaries instead of soaking up the sun at the beach. Between Shelby, Sam’s boy-crazy best friend; her boss Harry, a true-blue newspaper man; and AJ, her fellow “intern scum” (aka the cute drummer for a band called Love Gas), Sam has her hands full. But once she figures out what—or who—is the best part of her summer, will she mess it all up?

As Sam learns her way around both the news room and the real world, she starts to make some momentous realizations about politics, ethics, her family, romance, and most important—herself.

 

The one thing I absolutely loved about this story was the focus on Sam's job. I loved seeing how her job was a major part of her life and everything that went on in the office. However that was not enough to make me completely fall in love with this book.

 

For the most part I didn't connect with the characters. Sam bugged me. I just could not grow to like her. She was focused and hard working, two traits I usually really enjoy in a character but she was also kind of spineless in the beginning. I tried to like her I really did but in the end I liked AJ a lot more. AJ was awesome, a drummer and really into music. I could really identify with that aspect considering music has played a huge part in my life.

 

This was a pretty cute read. There just wasn't enough going on to keep me entertained however. The mysterious aspects in the story were fine for a while but I found myself not really caring whether they solved the mystery with the mayor or not.

 

 

 

 

Redcliffe: The Adventures of Two Southern Girls by Kathryn B. Hauer

Redcliffe: The Adventures of Two Southern Girls by Kathryn B. Hauer
Series: N/A
Publisher: Redcliffe Management LLC
Format: Paperback
Pages: 207
Source: Author for Review

Having a best friend makes everything more fun! Join Caroline and Cassie as they chase down a runaway horse, rescue an orphan, teach hummingbirds to eat from their hands, visit a blind fortune-teller, unite star-crossed lovers, organize an elaborate Christmas pageant, and lose a little girl in a hide-and-seek game gone wrong. Sounds like fun any girl could have, doesn't it? Guess what - Caroline and Cassie live in South Carolina back in 1840, without cell phones, TVs, or cars. But living back then doesn't put the brakes on their crazy, fast-paced lives. Do you think that girls in history were dull and dutiful? Not these two partners in adventure...in a house where the grown-ups aren't paying much attention, Caroline and Cassie get in - and out - of their share of trouble. Redcliffe is a book-within-a-book where modern-day best friends Bailey and Bianca lead readers to our heroines. When Bailey and Bianca go to their teacher's wedding, a mean guest shocks them with unkind words. The stories their teacher tells them explain that racist comment and take the girls back into the antebellum South where they - and you - get to know Caroline and Cassie. Living on an immense Southern cotton plantation means plenty of excitement for two fun-loving girls. Can Caroline and Cassie manage to stay out of trouble for more than one chapter? Find out in this lively novel where girls like you have non-stop adventures.

 

If you know me at all then you know I enjoy Middle Grade novels immensely. When I had the chance to read this book for review purposes I was beyond excited. I absolutely love anything to do with the American South around the time of the Civil War this includes the antebellum period as well as reconstruction.

 

Even though this book happens mostly during the 1840's in Pre-Civil War South Carolina, the beginning and end of the book is set during modern times focusing on a Caucasian and African American set of friends. The rest of the story is during the 1840's and focuses on a plantation owner's daughter who just so happens to be friends with the girl who is her slave.

 

For the most part the book is kept pretty light, which is good for the age level it is intended for, there are however times when the harsh realities of the time period are shown which I was grateful for. It was handled in a way that wouldn't be too harsh for middle grade children but still shows that life for slaves wasn't a wonderful thing.

 

Out of the two sets of girls, Caroline and Cassie were my favorites. They were smart and interested in learning. They didn't let the stigma's of the time they lived in get in the way of their friendship even though Caroline technically did own Cassie, I really do believe that they cared about each other. I think if more time was spent with Bailey and Bianca that those characters would have been interesting as well, but since only 3 chapters were spent with them I didn't really form any attachments to them.

 

As much as I enjoyed the focus and how it was portrayed, the grammar was a major issue for me. There were times where I was reading and there would be a word out of place or an extra word that didn't need to be there and it really threw me off.

 

Even with the issues with the grammar, I think this would be a good book for Middle Grade readers because it introduces history in a way that isn't too brutal but also promotes understanding that life was not good for slaves during the Civil War era.

 

 



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

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Series: N/A
Publisher: Dial Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 287
Source: Purchased

Told with deadpan humour and bitter irony, Kurt Vonnegut's cult tale of global destruction preys on our deepest fears of witnessing Armageddon and, worse still, surviving it ...

Dr Felix Hoenikker, one of the founding 'fathers' of the atomic bomb, has left a deadly legacy to the world. For he is the inventor of 'ice-nine', a lethal chemical capable of freezing the entire planet. The search for its whereabouts leads to Hoenikker's three ecentric children, to a crazed dictator in the Caribbean, to madness. Felix Hoenikker's Death Wish comes true when his last, fatal gift to mankind brings about the end, that for all of us, is nigh ...

 

Compared to Galapagos this book was a little better. However I was left wholly unimpressed by this novel as well. The idea seemed so cool when I picked it up, but then again I was also on a Vonnegut kick at the time.

 

I couldn't stay focused while reading this, the characters did absolutely nothing for me. I did not find myself caring about what happened to any of them. I would have enjoyed more about the atomic bomb and the people who were working on it, however what I got instead was snippets about the "father" of the atomic bomb and a whole bunch about a made up religion and the children of the man who created the bomb.

 

When everything starts to happen and the pace picked up I couldn't help just wishing the book would be over so I could put it down and move on. I've heard this book described as Vonnegut's greatest work but I can't say that I agree I would take Slaughterhouse-Five over this one any day.

 



 

Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard

Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard
Series: N/A (Though there is an adult companion novel)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Source: Purchased

Fifteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson had never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer who brutally murdered seventeen people more than twenty years ago. But Jeff’s life changes forever when the man he’d thought was his father hands him a government file telling him he was constructed in a laboratory only seven years ago, part of a top-secret government cloning experiment called ‘Project CAIN’.

There, he was created entirely from Jeffrey Dahmer’s DNA. There are others like Jeff—those genetically engineered directly from the most notorious murderers of all time: The Son of Sam, The Boston Strangler, Ted Bundy . . . even other Jeffrey Dahmer clones. Some raised, like Jeff, in caring family environments; others within homes that mimicked the horrific early lives of the men they were created from.

When the most dangerous boys are set free by the geneticist who created them, the summer of killing begins. Worse, these same teens now hold a secret weapon even more dangerous than the terrible evil they carry within. Only Jeff can help track the clones down before it’s too late. But will he catch the ‘monsters’ before becoming one himself?

Let's start off by reading the description shall we? Sounds amazing right? That was the same thought I had when I first read it. Starting the book however I quickly realized that wouldn't be the case. I had to pretty much force myself to even finish this book despite my love for serial killer related things.

The info-dumping was a huge turn off for me. It was pile upon pile of information just shoved at you and some of it I really didn't think mattered too much, case in point there was a whole section where Jeff talks about the likes and dislikes of a man. And then when the information wasn't be thrown at you Jeff had very little clue about anything. Stuff about his dad? No clue. The laboratory? No clue. Nothing at all. It was frustrating and really made the story hard to get through and choppy.

I disliked Jeff. I really did, for a Jeffrey Dahmer clone you'd think he wouldn't be so boring right? Wrong. I had absolutely no connection to him besides the fact that he liked to read. He was of no use to Castillo for the first half of the book and just kept wondering why his dad wouldn't talk to him while there were serial killer clones running around murdering families. The only two who made the book somewhat interesting were Castillo and Ox. They had all of these conspiracies about the government and what was going on.

This book had so much potential but just seemed like a watered down version of Criminal Minds for me. I was expecting awesome serial killers and gore and violence but there wasn't much of anything. It seemed to mostly revolve around Jeff not knowing much of anything and Castillo trying to catch the clones.

Bubble World by Carol Snow (ARC)

Bubble World by Carol Snow
Series: N/A
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Won

Freesia’s life is perfect. She lives on the beautiful tropical island of Agalinas, surrounded by idyllic weather, fancy dress shops, and peacocks who sing her favorite song to wake her up in the morning. She has so many outfits she could wear a different one every day for a year and not run out.

Lately things on the island may have been a bit flippy: sudden blackouts, students disappearing, even Freesia’s reflection looking slightly . . . off. But in Freesia’s experience, it’s better not to think about things like that too much.

Unfortunately for her, these signs are more than random blips in the universe. In Bubble World by Carol Snow, Freesia’s perfect bubble is about to pop.

 

 This was a difficult book for me to rate. On the one hand I did enjoy it, on the other however, I wasn't wowed by it. Going in I wasn't really expecting much and I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the whole revelation about Freesia's perfect world.

We get to see quite a bit of the world Freesia is living in. With it's fancy clothes, perfect weather and extremely laidback style. Though as the book progresses it becomes clear that things aren't exactly as they seem. Things start to get weird on the island and pretty soon Freesia is exposed to the truth of Agalinas.

My one major issue with the book was the made up words. Face-linking? Couldn't they just say kissing? There's quite a few more that could have been left out or at least explained.

I wasn't a fan of Freesia. She was shallow and vain. She talked about people and was a pretty nasty person if you weren't one of her "friendlies". My favorite character had to be Ricky Leisure. He was totally laidback and just kind of chilled all day but you really get to see a whole deeper side of him as the story goes on.

This book is an extremely quick read and would be perfect for the beach. It doesn't take long to get through and is also a pretty easy read.

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason (ARC)

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
Series: Love in the Time of Global Warming, #1
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: ARC
Pages: 356
Source: Won

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.

I was so excited for this book. Go on, read the description, sounds amazing right? I thought it would be too. I was extremely disappointed, maybe my hopes were just too high going into this but I just couldn't love it.

I thought following the adventures of the niece of Sherlock Holmes and the sister of Bram Stoker would be completely interesting but for the first half of the book I was extremely bored. The mystery doesn't really pick up much in the first half of the book, but we are introduced to a murder pretty quickly. The mystery, when it does begin to pick up, is very Holmes-esque and contains quite a few twists that leave you guessing.

The two main characters, I just couldn't bring myself to connect with. Mina Holmes was obnoxious and constantly looking down on people. She was the stereotypical smart girl who had pretty much no friends and a severe lack of social skills. Evaline Stoker was not much better. She was extremely boring and for a vampire hunter that was pretty sad. I just did not connect with either of these characters.

The two characters I did enjoy immensely were Pix and Officer Ambrose Grayling. Pix was a thief and he was witty and had some of the best dialogue. Officer Grayling was obnoxious, but in a way that didn't bother me. He was trying to solve the case and constantly had the two main characters interfering. He was a complete gentleman and I adored him.

The writing style really was difficult to get into. It read like a novel from the time period it's set in. I found myself having to go back and re-read paragraphs just to fully understand the language and that really interfered with my overall enjoyment.

Despite the faults that I had with this novel, I really did like the second half of the book and I will probably be reading the sequel at some point.

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block (ARC)

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
Series: Love in the Time of Global Warming, #1
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Format: ARC
Pages: 240
Source: Won

Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.

In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.

I wanted to love this book, I truly did and based off the description I really thought I would. But when I started reading it I just knew I wasn't going to. I had to constantly stop and ask myself what just happened throughout the novel. Maybe I'm just getting pickier with books but I just couldn't get into this one.

The writing style is definitely something I have never seen before, it's unique but I found it really hard to get into. I've never read something that used The Odyssey as a guide, I never even read The Odyssey and that factor was really interesting for me. The giants were cool and their reasons for existence was interesting, but my enjoyment only went so far.

When it came to the characters I either loved them or hated them. I wasn't a fan of the heroine. I found Pen to be rather annoying. The city is dangerous but she wanted to go to a museum that her mother took her to once and was willing to risk not only her but her friends lives as well. Most of her decisions aren't very smart and I found myself not connecting with her. I loved Hex on the other hand. His story could have been developed a little more but from what is shown to us he's an extremely complex and interesting character. Ash and Ez just kind of seem to be there, I liked them but there wasn't any real connection to them since not much is really learned about either of them.

Love in the Time of Global Warming was a quick read and though I didn't enjoy this one maybe you will, it all comes down to what your looking for. If you want a deep book about the end of the world maybe you should pass this one, but if you want a quick light read that even after all of the faults I had with this seem like something you would enjoy I say go for it.

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender (ARC Review)

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
Series: N/A
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: ARC
Pages: 296
Source: Won in a Goodreads giveaway

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

 

I wanted to love this book, I really did. After reading the description I had such high hopes for this one, I mean Marie Antoinette as a serial killer ghost. Awesome right? No. This book did not live up to any of the expectations that I had.

 

I'm going to start with the pro's on this one. The setting was a major plus. I love Paris and anything to do with Paris. I love that the book describes so much of the city and it's like getting to be there without actually having to leave your house. Another huge plus for me was the historical factor. I'm just going to admit it right now, I'm a history junkie. The facts about Marie Antoinette's life and the different French buildings were fantastic and really had me hooked.

 

The only other good thing about this book was Jules, and his family of course. Jules was just all around sweet and caring. He really tried to help Colette and went out of his way to do things with her. His family was so welcoming and I loved the part with Jules' family.

 

Now, while I loved Jules I hated Colette and her two best friends Hannah and Pilar. Hannah was controlling and shallow and just all around mean while Pilar had absolutely no backbone. Colette was just as shallow and only really cared about something if it concerned her. How is anybody supposed to like someone like that? I felt absolutely no connection with her.

 

The biggest disappointment for me has to be the ghost of Marie Antoinette. While the murders were pretty good, I felt like the ghost was kind of flat. The story behind why the murder's were happening was pretty easy to figure out and the mystery wasn't very mysterious at all.

 

I'd really recommend this to you if you aren't in it for the creep factor because to be honest there really wasn't any.

 

 

 I won this book through the Goodreads First  Reads Program. This has not influenced this review and all opinions expressed are my own.