Chase Tinker and the House of Magic Review

Book: Chase Tinker and the House of Magic
Author: Malia Ann Haberman
Book One in the Chase Tinker series
Edition Read: eBook

Blurb:

In Chase Tinker's world, magic, lies and secrets can be a lethal combination...

Thirteen-year-old Chase Tinker can't understand why he has the power to move things with his mind. Besides that, his dad has been missing for over a year, causing his mom to be too upset to pay much attention to her sons, so now he's been busted for shoplifting. As if this isn't enough to worry about, his younger brother Andy suddenly has a weird magical ability too.

Can things get any crazier? Chase thinks.

Then, a grandfather they thought to be long dead arrives at their door. He wants Chase and Andy to come visit him for the summer so they can learn about their supernatural heritage and why they have magical powers in the first place.

The boys soon find out that Grandfather, along with their cousin Janie, lives on a remote island in the middle of Puget Sound in an out-of-this-world house where fantastic magic can be found in practically every room, stairway and corridor. Chase can't believe their dad has been keeping so much from them.

It's an even bigger shock when Chase learns that all their magic is controlled by a very powerful and mysterious Relic in the attic, and if anything happens to this relic, every bit of Tinker magic will be lost forever. He's even more disturbed when he learns his family has a dark and powerful enemy that is determined to steal all their magic, their house and their relic.

Now Chase must find a way to stop these evil beings, while at the same time figuring out what has happened to his dad, unraveling even more Tinker lies and secrets and not letting on that he has a huge crush on the housekeeper's daughter.

My Review:

**4 Stars**

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. 

MY OVERVIEW: I really enjoyed this book. I love how the author did the good magic vs bad magic.

PROS: Chase was a great character, but I think my favorite was Maxwell. :) The house was both a pro and a con for me. I really like how the different powers worked, and then integrated with the house so everyone could use them.

CONS: I didn't like, however, how the house was first done. Chase and Andy getting to the kitchen was crazy what they had to go through, and it didn't really make any sense, especially once you learn how the house works.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Wow! I did not see the twist at the end coming. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

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2013 Challenges ~ Debut Authors

Ok, so I have decided to sign up for some blog challenges this year. I will keep track of my progress on the challenge tab but here is the first one I have decided to sign up for:

The 2013 Debut Author Challenge is being hosted by Hobbitsies A Book Blog. The goal is to read and review at least twelve (12) young adult/middle grade debut books. 

If you are interested in signing up for this challenge here is the link: Debut Author Signups

Cover Reveal ~ Silenced

Coming Early 2013

Silenced a Young Adult novel by RaeBeth McGee-Buda

About Silenced

Amber Brown spent her entire existence believing Dave was her father. When her mother reveals this is untrue, she goes through an emotional spiral with depression. It's hard for her to believe her mother had lied to her all this time.

A move to a new home and town causes Amber to be consumed by her "darkness" and reverts to cutting to free herself from her pain.

When Casey, her new friend enters her life, she introduces Amber to parties, drugs, and Amber's new boyfriend Landon. The secret of cutting begins to take affect on Amber as she tries to hid it from her friends and family. In the midst of everything, Amber has the desire to find out who her biological father is.

Follow Amber through her trials of depression and cutting, along with the discovery of love.

Add Silenced to your Goodreads shelf

You can find RaeBeth at the following locations:

Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
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Website

Renegade ARC Review

Book: Renegade
Author: J.A. Souders
Book One in the Elysium Chronicles
Edition Read: eBook via NetGalley

Blurb:

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she's thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she's forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren't under her own control.

And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

My Review: 

**2 Stars**

SPOILER ALERT

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

MY OVERVIEW: By looking at the cover you would think this was a fantasy book, but it wasn't. It was a sci-fi dystopian set in an undersea bubble world.

PROS: The beginning was rough. I didn't think I would like the whole undersea world thing, but it grew on me. Once Gavin shows up, the book gets a lot better... then heads on a downward spiral.

CONS: The beginning and end were the toughest to get through. The end was kind of - "Just get this over with. Stop running." [SPOILER] The worst was when they find out that there are... wait for it... zombies! I really feel that this was unnecessary to add. You already have people being conditioned and so much "control" from Mother, and then zombies are added? Really? [END SPOILER]

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I saw that this was the first book in a series, so was nervous that the book would just end without anything being completed/solved. But I was pleasantly surprised that it did have an ending. An opening ending to where another book would fit in, but an ending all the same. Because of this, I do not plan on reading the rest of the series.

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A White So Red Review

Book: A White So Red
Author: Krystle Jones
Edition Read: ebook

Blurb:

Take back what is yours. 

Seventeen-year-old Snow's life changed forever the night her stepmother, the Queen, sent her huntsman to cut our her heart. Fleeing for her life, Snow runs to the Silver Forest, a place as dangerous as it is enchanting, and beings an adventure she could never have dreamed.

With no one at her side but a rowdy band of carnivorous dwarves and an arrogant, rogue prince who's too handsome for his own good, Snow must confront the challenge that's been laid before her: Kill the Queen, and take back the kingdom that should have been hers.

But if she is to succeed, Snow will have to tap into a powerful, ancient form of magic, one that may have been sleeping inside her all along.

My Review:

**4.5 Stars**

SPOILER ALERT

I was provided a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. 

MY OVERVIEW: Wow! Just wow! This was a fantastic reimagining of Snow White.

PROS: I loved Snow (Natalia). She was such a fantastic character and was written beautifully. Casper was definitely swoon-worthy. He just made your heart melt whenever he interacted with Snow. The way the evil queen was done, was brilliant! [SPOILER] I really liked how the evil wasn't the actual queen, but an evil being that overtook her. Again... Brilliant! [END SPOILER]

CONS: I wish we had seen just a little more of Rose. Or maybe that there will be another book, or short story written from her perspective during all this. My only other con deals with the dwarves. At times it was confusing as to who was who (aside from the main ones).

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: A book that I would highly recommend; especially for fans of Snow White or even just retellings.

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