The book had all the things I wanted when I felt like reading about the world going down the drain and what happens when stuff hits the fan. So naturally, I picked this one up. It’s a short read, as it’s less than 200 pages.

I wish I could like it more. Yet I couldn’t. Although the situation is realistic and could be very possible, I just couldn’t get into this book. It was dry, and the characters weren’t that great to begin with. There’s also a potential love triangle but the characters just were not likable and there was absolutely no chemistry with any of them that it was almost painful to read.

The plot itself was okay, the subject matter interesting but it just did not have enough to really engage me as a reader. It could be also because the bland characters just didn’t do enough to make the plot flow successfully. It does get a little preachy towards the end, with the environment speech – however I have to add that house and how it was made was very interesting and if only houses like that could be made all throughout, perhaps this type of situation could be avoided.

I’d say take this book or leave it. It is a short read, but because of the dry plot and the blandness of characters the reading took a bit longer than I expected. The idea is unique but more should have been done to make it a more engaging book to read.

5 out of 10

Please note: I’m not sure why ppl would tag this book as “Dystopian” I personally think it’s not….

I was glad I picked this book up. It’s such a different story from the other YA I’ve read, and it was a good read, so good, it was hard to put down. The idea of the Fates, and the purpose of the tapestry is very different and it sets this aside from the usual plot hooks you find in the millions of YA books you’ve read – sometimes when you need a break from vampires and werewolves then perhaps you should read Warped.

I liked the time bending fantasy aspect of the book, and how our lives are really all woven into one big tapestry. The story itself is very well written and caught my attention all throughout the book. There’s plenty of magic and action, a very evil villain (well written and extremely evil! she could easily top the list of evil villains), and the romance is well done. It might take a bit to warm up to William de Chaucy, he’s pompous, arrogant, and can be a jerk but as the story goes on, he ended up being one of my YA crushes (his demeanor improves later). I really liked how his character worked out. Tessa on the other hand is a great main character and her chemistry with Will is there, and I liked seeing them both together.

The plot was a most different one. It’s got a great blend of historical fiction and fantasy all mixed in. The pacing isn’t too fast, and not too slow, but it’s gradual and as the story unfolds it gets much more interesting as the reader progresses. Characters are likable, and villain most evil so it fits all the characteristics of a book in this genre but made things interesting by going a step further (by adding in The Fates, and the tapestry).

I most definitely recommend this to other YA readers! take a break from the vampires and the werewolves and pick this book up! you won’t regret it! whether there’s going to be sequel, I’m not sure. It would be fun if there was, it does leave some things left out in the open.

I give it a 10/10

I thought this one was just as good as the first. The action literally starts from the first few pages of the book and grabs your attention. The magic is still there and it’s still fun and exciting. It’s also nice to see a bunch of new characters, but also, some of the previous characters have also returned as well.

The plot was much more engaging and at a faster pace. There was much more character development when it came to both Kendra and Seth (and surprisingly enough, Seth got a little less annoying…). The magic is just as entertaining and I really enjoyed the new addition of the three specialists, it certainly put more emphasis on the magic aspect of the plot and a little more explanation on how it works. There is also some bit of mystery put into all of this (as to be expected) and it certainly was well written and well thought out as I was blindsided as to who the culprit was.

It is recommended you read the first book before jumping into this one there is so much the reader will have missed without reading this in its’ specific order. Highly recommended for Middle Grade readers, or for those who are into the fantasy genre.

I give it an 8 out of 10.

I liked this book, but then I didn’t. The more I read further into this book, I almost wanted to drop it, but I didn’t because curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know what was going on.

You have to wonder about Laurel’s parents. Laurel doesn’t eat like normal teens, and drinks up on the sodas. Yet her mom is okay with that? her parents are pretty much oblivious to everything regarding Laurel and this is where it gets unrealistic. It got a teensy bit worse when her good pal David seems to be VERY accepting of who Laurel really is. He doesn’t think it’s strange? he had no hesitations? he just shrugs and gets along with it? if David had been skeptical at first, it would have made this whole situation a little bit real. BUT! What bothered me the most was how in the end, once Laurel explains everything to her parents…they were just ok with it. Um..what? really? they just suddenly thought: ‘okay honey that’s nice. Run along, play with your new friends and hope your new outlook on life is great’ WTF?! At this point because it was at the end, I resorted to eye rolling. It was just too late into the book to throw it against the wall.

So, despite all of this silliness, there was a couple of things I liked. The world building was pretty good. The fantasy aspect and the magical places are interesting. The plot itself was an all right read and the pace made it for a quick read through. Character-wise, I thought David was the best one of all of them. Just because I thought he really was such a sweet guy after all. (He’d have to be sweet, to be so easily accepting to Laurel). Tamani on the other hand resembled a very jealous possessive guy who has severe issues and overall I found him downright annoying. His little comments here and there annoyed me and I wanted either David or Laurel to kick him in the face somehow.

I’m not sure if I would recommend this. A lot of readers seemed to have liked this book a lot. I’d say there’s better books featuring magical fae out there. I’d say try out Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston instead. For this one, take it or leave it.

I give it a 6 out of 10.

I enjoy reading anything about Marie Antoinette and this one does not disappoint! as this book caters to the younger age crowd, Marie Antoinette’s voice certainly ‘feels’’ younger. The book does a good job covering most of the main moments of her life leading up to her death. The book paints her somewhat in a sympathetic light, although ignorant and oblivious to what really is happening outside of the palace walls. Her large spending sprees and luxuries are a result of her desperate desire to please others, and to be surrounded by her friends (albeit, they all have another agenda). You can’t help but shake your head at these actions, but on the other hand, she was lonely, with no one to really talk to, and being under the constant scrutiny of others, you do sympathize and try to understand what’s she’s feeling. Her admirers and friends don’t help much in that matter either, as they just grab and take what they can. So although she’s done mistakes and she can disliked for her behavior, you can’t help but pity her as well.

The way her story is told is perfect and the writing style is superb. Although it’s a huge thick novel, I found it easy to read, and quick to read through. The setting and descriptions are well done and realistic, so everything is easily pictured. The little rules outlining the beginning of every chapter are cute but it goes to show the lengths to which Marie Antoinette was raised and how she was expected to be at court. It’s rigid and very restrictive, and you can’t blame her for wanting to break rules to suit herself and her comfort – much to the chagrin of others in the French court.

This was a great telling of Marie Antoinette tale for younger readers and I greatly recommend this for those wanting to know more about a misunderstood Queen. Those wanting to read a more adult version of this book, I’d recommend Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund. It’s a more detailed account of her life, and also very well done.

I give it a 10 out of 10

At first this book started off great! it was an interesting idea and I was really interested and engaged with this book. Yet as the book progressed it got really confusing with the flashbacks Pierce has, and her time spent with this mysterious stranger (you find out later who he really is). The flashbacks would have been much better if they actually were related to the present day events but they just seemed to be a rehashing of memories. Even so, it feels it’s all jumbled and it’s makes the reading awkward.

I also had a hard time liking Pierce. She was like a wooden doll with hardly any feeling or form and to be blunt, she just seemed so blah. Nothing exciting at all. I didn’t quite understand her relationship with John Hayden. It was like she liked him, but then she steered clear away from him. Although he ends up saving her from several horrible experiences, she just wants to get away from him as if he’s the plague. Ok. I supposed there’s not a problem with that but if they’re supposed to be the romance couple here, the chemistry seems way off and it just feels like it’s not there. Even the rules of ‘Opposites Attract’ does not work here. Pierce just seemed so wishy washy half of the time I ended up not really liking her in the first place.

The plot itself was okay. Although it’s supposed to be somewhat similar to the Hades and Persephone myth you don’t see much of it except for some parts here and there. Even so, it’s does not seem well put and just feels like a cut and paste job, with a lot of fluff in between. It does pick up in the end though, and it’s interesting enough for me to wait for the second book, I am not in a real rush to get it.

I’d say take it or leave it with this one. I have not read Meg Cabot’s books before but fans of her might like this book more than I did. Those who want a better rendition of the Hades/Persephone myth, try The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter.

I give it a 5 out of 10.

I really liked the way this one was written. It was such a unique and great idea to mix a common social issue with the concept of the Four Horsemen. It’s certainly different and I liked it. It made a whole lot of sense,and did put a lot of things in perspective.

What I liked the most? is the Kurt Cobain version of ‘Death’ he was just plain awesome. I loved it whenever he appeared, he always had some sort of ironic witty comment to contribute. I’d have to say, he was one of my favorite characters in the book.

The way Lisa’s hunger is described, especially during a scene where she’s on a date with her boyfriend, the description of the food, the smells, especially the fries! I was almost hungry myself! this, I thought was a great way of writing. It was so well done, you could almost taste and sense of what Lisa is feeling and what she’s missing out on. What I liked the most about Lisa is, she grows and develops as a character. She finally sees what she’s doing to herself in a rather eye opening revelation (so to speak)

This book was a great way of tackling a very common issue among teenage girls and I most definitely recommend this. It’s put in an interesting manner by using the Four Horsemen and taking a problem plaguing young girls and putting it together. It’s different and makes an interesting read. I say give it a try, it’s worth a look through – it’s a fast read and worth the time.

I give it a 7 out of 10.

I enjoyed reading this novel through and through. Sure, Benny Imura is rather hard to deal with in the first part of this book. His attitude is something close to a lazy brat who doesn’t enjoy any of the jobs he gets. Even when he becomes Tom’s apprentice, his attitude still doesn’t let up. Yet that’s the best part of Benny’s character, because it develops in a big way throughout this book. He goes from immature, to mature as the novel progresses.

I enjoy reading Benny’s friendships with Chong and Nix. Especially with Chong. They both make a perfect friendship and that’s where some of the humor comes from. Character development in this book is wonderful and well done with all of the main characters. Of all the characters, Benny’s attitude wasn’t so great but it improved as the book went along. I found it hard to like Nix. She just wasn’t that great in my opinion. (Lilah on the other hand, ended up becoming one of my favorite characters, second to Tom).

The plot of this book was also good. The action was great and everything you could want in a zombie plot. Yet besides zombies, there’s also the threat of not so nice humans out there and this is what I liked the most about the book. It’s not all just pure killing zombies, but also what humanity does in horrible situations and what some very horrible people are quite capable of doing. This was well done, as like Benny, we’re assuming this is all going to be about zombie killing. Tom shows Benny and the reader what’s it really like, getting rid of these ‘zoms’.

Zombie fans rejoice, this is one of the better books out there regarding the subject. It’s catered to a younger audience but readers of all ages should enjoy this one as much as I did. Most definitely recommended!

I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

Side note: I just finished Dust and Decay. I laughed. Then I cried. Then I yelled out: “noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

What I really liked about this book was the vast amounts of Irish mythology. I don’t know much about it, and have not read much that uses this type of myth so it’s something different for me to read. It’s different, but it’s also so action packed it was like watching one of those adventure movies that are meant for the younger crowd (like Neverending Story, for example). The writing style was good and easy to understand, the setting was very well done and easily pictured, but I really liked how the author tried to make the Irish characters even ‘talk’ in their Irish accent. That, I thought was really well done and it helped give the characters a more real feel to them and it was well written enough that you could even imagine them talking in their Irish accent.

The book is small, and because of the action in this book, reading through it goes fast. There’s a little bit of character development, but the action takes up most of the novel. It’s nice to see familiar mythological characters, Cuchulain for example, and what helps a lot is there’s a list of characters’ names, and places in the beginning, with a pronunciation guide (whoever thought Sidhe was pronounced so differently?!) this was extremely helpful and useful.

The story overall was really good – it hit a bit of a rut towards the ending, but it was still a great adventure to read nevertheless. It’s a great story to read for all ages, however those that liked the Pendragon series by D J Machale should give this one a chance!

I give it a 7 out of 10.

Note: thank you to the author for giving me a review copy of this book!

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. For sure, I wasn’t expecting something that had humor in it. In a way, I suppose you could call it a dystopia, but with comedy mixed into the book. It’s an interesting world, where teen girls are prized and are a valuable commodity. Despite the humor in it though, there are also serious consequences in this society. This is mostly seen through Melody’s eyes. Although under substantial pressure to conceive a child, she also wants to live the life of a normal teenager. Zen is seen as an outlet for that and he provides important support for Melody to cope with this confusion, and eventually, she realizes what she really wants to do with her life.

The introduction of Harmony adds more complication with the story, but also gives an interesting dimension to it. Although she’s raised in a very strict religious upbringing, it didn’t seem to suit her, and it’s only when she’s out of it that she comes out of her shell. Her actions even surprise herself, but she also learns a lot on the way as well.

The plot overall was good, although a little slow to start. We’re not quite sure what’s about to happen, but through the second half of the book it does pick up the pace and gets more interesting as the book progresses. Character development is really good, especially on Melody and Harmony. I preferred reading about Melody, and I thought it was more of an eye opener.

The ending does leave it open to a sequel, and I am interested on how this story develops. Despite the slow pace in the beginning, I say stick with it as the latter half gets much more interesting. It’s an interesting world, one with a good amount of humor to keep the reader entertained. Although it does have a lot of dystopia characteristics, the humor in this book gives the setting a whole different side. It’s certainly refreshing and different to see. Do give this book a try, it’s certainly worth a look see.

I give it an 8/10