Blur by Steven James - Review

Blur
Book 1 of the Blur Trilogy
Author: Steven James
Publisher: Skyscape
ISBN-13: 978-1477847275
Paperback: 368 pages
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal mystery

About the Book:

The isolated town of Beldon, Wisconsin, is shocked when a high school freshman’s body is found in Lake Algonquin. Just like everyone in the community, sixteen-year-old Daniel Byers believes that Emily Jackson’s death was accidental. But at her funeral, when he has a terrifying vision of her, his world begins to rip apart at the seams.

Convinced that Emily’s appearance was more than just a mere hallucination, Daniel begins to look carefully into her death, even as he increasingly loses the ability to distinguish fantasy from reality.

What’s real? What’s not? Where does reality end and madness begin?

As Daniel struggles to find the truth, his world begins to crumble around him as he slips further and further into his own private blurred reality.

Full of mind-bending twists and turns, Blur launches a new trilogy of young adult thrillers from Steven James, a master of suspense.

My Thoughts:

If I had to sum up this book in one word, I'd choose "captivating". From the first page, "Blur" holds and air of mystery that continues throughout the whole story. Daniel Byers is a 16 year old that has lost one of his classmates, Emily Jackson, to an accidental drowning. He really didn't know her except for seeing her in school, so when things start happening to him that involves Emily, it not only shakes him up to the point of questioning his sanity, but he continues to question why. Why him since he really didn't know her?

This YA paranormal mystery was an interesting and captivating read. I sailed through it continually wanting (probably needing is a better choice of words) to know what would happen next. I also was pleased with the ending, as the story itself is finished - no cliffhangers here. Yet at the same time, it's left to let one know there can be more to the story. I appreciate that as I am not one that likes to be held in mystery for a year or so until the next book comes out, and then find I have to go back and reread the book before to refresh my memory.

If you enjoy mysteries, like paranormal stories and/or appreciate younger and impulsive characters, then you will certainly enjoy "Blur". This is definitely a trilogy that is worth considering and I'm excited to say that the next book, "Fury" is scheduled to be released in Spring 2015. I can't wait!

This book was supplied through the Amazon Vine Program for me to honestly review.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After - Review & Giveaway

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After
Author: Steve Hockensmith
ISBN: 9781594745027
288 Pages
Price: $12.95

Synopsis (from publisher)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, were both New York Times best sellers, with a combined 1.3 million copies in print. Now the PPZ trilogy comes to a thrilling conclusion with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After.

The story opens with our newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating “unmentionables.” But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the proper course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote under development in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.

My Thoughts:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After is the perfect ending to the P&P&Z trilogy. Once again we meet with our old friends, the Darcy's and the Bennets, as well as Lady Catherine and her daughter, Ann.

Written in the brilliant style that Hockensmith has perfected, Dreadfully Ever After is full of everything we've grown to expect from the previous novels in the P&P&Z trilogy, and much more. This has to be my favorite out of the trilogy, and I'm sad to see it end. Hockensmith has included the zombies and gore we all crave and is presented in a nicely told tale that has a bit of mystery and suspense that will keep you turning the pages wondering what is going to happen next. His humor (which I love the most) ranges from very subtle to causing one to laugh-out-loud and maybe even a snort or two.

When Seth Grahame-Smith started with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, he used Jane Austen's novel as his baseline to the story. When Steve Hockensmith was asked to continue the trilogy, he stepped in and created his own stories with the same flavor of both Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen making a flawless transition - a huge undertaking which he did brilliantly!

This trilogy will be one that stays on my bookshelf and I'm sure will be passed down for generations. I know in my home my teens love them as much as I do. Make sure to add Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After to your must reads for this year. If you haven't read the others, I'd suggest starting with the first - not because it is necessary, (Dreadfully Ever After can be read as a stand alone) but there's so much fun and Zombie gore you'd be missing.

This comes highly recommend by our whole family!

About the Author:

STEVE HOCKENSMITH is the author of the New York Times best seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls and several other novels, including the Edgar Award nominee Holmes on the Range. He lives in Alameda, California.

Giveaway!!!

Quirk Books has commissioned Etsy artist SpecialMeat to create special Dreadful Antidote pendants. They will  be giving away eight of these at random to folks who give the Dreadfully Ever After page a 'like' on Facebook. Carol does amazing work, just check out these bottles!

A huge thank you to Quirk Books for supplying this book for me to honestly review.

"Angel Burn" by L.A. Weatherly - Review

Angel Burn
Author: L.A. Weatherly
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763656522
Genre: Young adult, fiction, fantasy, paranormal
Available: May 2011


Synopsis:

Alex is 17 and one of the best assasins the CIA has. His job is to travel anywhere in United States and take out his target as quickly as possible.

Willow Fields is a beautiful 16 year old who is considered somewhat strange under teen standards. She fixes cars, buys her clothes second hand (and quite outdated) and has an unusual ability. Willow is physic. She holds the hand of a person and sees their different paths they can take and usually tells that person about the best path she sees.

One day, Willow's classmate, Beth, has her do a reading - a reading that will change Willow's life forever. Willow doesn't see any bright paths that Beth can take, but instead sees something unbelievably horrible, putting Willow in more danger than she can ever imagine.

Alex receives his next target, which happens to be Willow. When he finds her, he is confused, as she's not like any of those in his past. He discovers Willow is the key to saving humankind as we know it, and keeping the evil at bay. Alex's job changes from killing Willow to trying to keep her safe. But can he? And will Willow be able to fulfill her destiny?
 ****

"Angel Burn" has an exciting and fascination storyline. Imagine angels as you know them - not being exactly like you were told, but instead, being something twisted and sometimes downright evil. Yet, when an angel appears to you, you haven't a clue that you are being used - but instead, you are thrilled and grateful that this wonderful being has visited you!

Alex and Willow are very well developed characters with a great amount of depth. They went from not trusting each other to having to rely on keeping each other alive. This relationship didn't develop overnight, which made their situation very believable. Their trust slowly forms into something more - a pure and innocent love, making the storyline even more thrilling and memorable.

This fast-paced, action packed story will keep you immersed in Willow's and Alex's world all the way to the end. Full of intrigue, suspense, and romance, this book will not only appeal to teens but to all ages.

"Angel Burn" is the US release of the UK book "Angel" by L.A. Weatherly. It is the first book in a new and exciting trilogy. The second novel, "Angel Fire" will be available in October 2011, and the final novel, "Angel Fever", will be out in October 2012.

About the Author:

Lee Weatherly, (pen name L.A. Weatherly) is a respected author of teen fiction, including the novels Child X and Missing Abby, and is the winner of the Sheffield Teen Book Award. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She now lives with her husband in Hampshire, England, where she writes, goes on walks, collects frogs and has a cat named Bernard.

Thank you to Candlewick Press and Net Galley for providing this ARC for me to honestly review.