Review ~ Charmed Vengeance by Suzanne Lazear

Charmed Vengeance (The Aether Chronicles #2)
by Suzanne Lazear
YA Steampunk Fantasy
Published: August 8th 2013
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

In the Faerie realm, Noli Braddock's relationship with her best friend V has grown into something more. But V's mother, Faerie Queen Tiana, has ruled that they are forbidden to see each other. Returning to the mortal realm, Noli joins the crew of her brother's air-pirate ship, the Vixen's Revenge. There she discovers that her brother has hired the scallywag Faerie huntsman, Kevighn Silver. While serving as shipmates, Kevighn and Noli learn that the Earth Court King plans to find a forbidden artifact--one that will bring destruction to everyone Noli loves.

My Review:

**4 Stars**

So, I was a little nervous about reading Charmed Vengeance as I wasn't sure where the author was going to take the story. However, once I read that Noli joins her brothers' crew... well, nervous, me? What?

There is a lot that happens in Charmed Vengeance, and especially between Noli and V. They have their share of troubles they are trying to overcome. I just wish trying to turn Noli back to human was one of them. It seemed like, probably, the most pressing issue at the end of book one, yet they don't really search for the "cure" too much in this book.

Jeff is an awesome addition to the series, however, I do not like Vix. She starts to get better towards the end, but I still don't like her. My favorite addition was the rest of the "Vixen's Revenge" crew. They brought a different aspect to the story, and sometimes a humorous one at that. I cannot wait to read more.

Review ~ A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly #2)
by Susan Dennard
YA Steampunk
Published: July 23rd 2013
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there's more trouble ahead-the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

My Review: 

**4 Stars**

While I didn't find Something Strange and Deadly quite as good as A Darkness Strange and Lovely, I did find it quite exciting. Eleanor's world is falling apart around her as she leaves for Paris to get some answers and escape.

I like the introduction of Ollie. He brings a different light to the story and also gives another perspective in the wake of Eleanor's emerging powers. Joseph actually made me mad a few times in this book. He was very black and white and couldn't see any gray. Sometimes you need that gray in life to get by.

Daniel was annoying at first but as he slowly became his normal self, he got less annoying. The tension between Eleanor and Daniel was hard to read at points, but fortunately was relieved towards the end. I look forward to reading more of their story and the story of all the Spirit Hunters in the next book.

Review ~ Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Shadowlands (Shadowlands #1)
by Kate Brian
YA Thriller
Published: January 8th 2013
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they're starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My Review: 

**3.5 Stars**

Cause this is Thriller...  Yup, this book had me on the edge of my seat at points. In the back of my mind, I was always thinking that there was something not right with how Juniper Landings worked... and maybe, maybe they were dead. But I never really solidified that idea.

Darcy was annoying. It seemed like she didn't have any sympathy for Rory's situation... she had been attacked and could have been killed (and worse). Hello... get over yourself and think of her for a minute. Forget about what you are going to wear to the party on Friday, which you can no longer go to. I also don't think Rory's father really handled the situation correctly either. He also didn't seem to have a whole lot of sympathy and comfort to pass down to Rory. The whole "I almost got raped and murdered" thing just never really seemed to hit anyone but Rory.

I look forward to reading the next book. I would recommend Shadowlands to any fans of thrillers and mysteries. It really does keep you guessing.

Review ~ The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
Adult Historical Contemporary
Published: February 10th 2009
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

My Review: 

**3.5 Stars**

An emotional, yet sometimes hilarious, journey into the past. The Help chronicles the lives of two black maids in the 1960's and one white plantation owner's daughter. I don't normally read contemporary books, but I did enjoy this one. I liked seeing a different aspect of life than what I am used to. It really made me sympathetic to those who are treated differently. I would actually hope that this book became one read in high-schools. I feel that teenagers would get more out of this book than some of the "boring classics" they are forced to read now.

I wonder how a book, like the one Skeeter and Aibileen wrote, would have actually done back during the Civil Rights Movement. I wonder how many white people would have taken it seriously and actually thought about what they were doing and how they were treating blacks. I also wonder how many blacks would have suffered because of the book. If anyone would have mistreated their maids simply because "maybe" one of these stories is theirs.

It is a very interesting and emotional story. One that I would recommend to all audiences. I do plan on watching the movie as well. I have heard that it is very similar to the book.