Book Review: "Promised" by Caragh O'Brien

Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien
My rating: 4 and a half of 5 stars

Great ending to this series!!! This book was wonderful. The pacing was great... I mean, once I picked the book back up I had a really hard time setting it back down. LOVED this series. Glad I own all of the books as I will be reading them again. They were all quite clean, too. I don't remember any language (there may have been, but I don't remember it) and there was only one brief innuendo that made me blush a little in the second book.

This book picks up with all the people of Sylum that chose to head for the Enclave packing to get ready to leave and try to set up New Sylum. Leon, Peter, Will, and Gaia along with quite a few others are making the journey. There was just enough time spent on the journey without wasting a huge portion of the book on their trek. Of course, once they get to the Enclave they find things are worse than ever and that their prediction of how the Protectorat would treat them was accurate.

There were some sweet moments between Gaia and Leon and not very much time spent (wasted) on the love square with Will and Peter. This is one love story that was done well: not cheesy, not domineering, but just lovely.

A bittersweet ending... a lot of sadness at the end, but it was mixed with some really good things. There was a minute there when I thought things might end even sadder than they did and I almost teared up until I saw things were going to work out. I always appreciate a book that is written well enough to make you laugh out loud, smile like a goof to oneself, or cry.

What I didn't like: You didn't see much of Maya. The whole second book is centered around getting her back and then you only see her briefly throughout until the end. Her part in the ending is sweet, though.
Always sad to see likable characters die.

Definitely worth a read!! This series is great for boys and girls. It's tough, and real, and full of people fighting for what they believe is right. NOT a waste of time.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to follow me ;).

-B

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UPCOMING BLOG TOUR #1: "Do Over" by Shannon Guymon

 

Coming soon!!!! I will be reading Shannon's new book and reviewing it here! I, for one, am very excited. I have enjoyed all of the books from her "Alpine" series and cannot wait to see her character Trey find love. I will let you know the exact day I will be reviewing here, but it will be sometime between February 1-15th. A new love story just in time for Valentine's Day. 

http://shannonguymon.blogspot.com/p/sneak-peak-at-do-over-first-chapter.html

Read a sneak peek ^ at this link here. 

http://shannonguymon.blogspot.com/p/do-over.html

And read a blurb about the book ^ here on Shannon's blog.

Book Review: Fathomless

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting take on "The Little Mermaid". Really liked the way it ended for the most part... a good little twist there at the end, too. Some comeuppance as well. A book about choices -- about how no matter the circumstances, we can choose how we react, how we feel.

I love fairy tale re-tellings and am always interested to see how authors bring them into the Twenty-First Century. The re-tellings where they just write MORE are great, but it is fun to see the imaginings of a fairy tale in modern times. This was a good mix of just using the basic plot elements and some of the magic from the original story.

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Promised By Caragh O'Brien

ACK! "Promised" was under my Christmas tree. YAY! Cannot wait to finish reading it. I've started it, and htrough no fault of the book, haven't been able to finish it yet.  The "Birthmarked" trilogy is so good. The second book takes on the idea of abortion from a midwife's perspective. Though I have my own feelings on this subject (now is not the time or place to get into it), but I have to say that I felt like Caragh O'Brien did a good job presenting the topic and even though she kind of took a side it wasn't preachy or vicious or mean spirited about anyone feeling any other way. She just kind of put what she thought out there and left it at that.

So far, "Promised" is about trying to earn basic rights from an oppressive government and about the challenges of surrogate mothering. Leon is as lovely as ever and Gaia is definitely a character you can get behind.

So far this series is full of some great stuff: Gritty, tough circumstances... a matriarchal society with just as many flaws as a patriarchal society (Because I don't really think that if women ruled the world all problems would really be solved. I think they'd just be different.)... real characters who are flawed, but you can still get behind them.... and of course a love story that will make you swoon a little without scaring boy readers away.

Book Review: Masquerade by Janette Rallison

Masquerade by Janette Rallison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So fun. A nice, light read that could be categorized as clean... no swear words or sex scenes, though there was some... innuendo, I guess you could say. Not really, but a little hint here or there. It's a book about actors and Hollywood and those types of situations/people/values so it's to be expected, I suppose.
I prefer books where if people were married once are now divorced instead of widowed... that way I never feel like they are being either a. unfaithful to their dead spouse or b. never fully able to love their new boyfriend/girlfriend. If they are divorced they feel... free to love again. Maybe that's weird.
p.s. I bought this as an e-book (Kindle for PC) for... $2.99... so, good deal, as well.

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Submissions

I just submitted my first short story EVER. I don't know what will come of it, but I am glad I put myself out there.

Book Review: Entangled

Entangled by Nikki Jefford




So... the story line was intriguing. Unexpected and intriguing with a really satisfying ending. BUuuuuut. Ugh. It was filthy in some parts... trashy without having any actual sex scenes. I really,  I just.... I don't understand why authors feel like it is necessary to teach teens that that kind of behavior is okay. Like... do we really think teens need to be having sex and risking getting pregnant? Isn't it a scary thought at all that there could be all these young mothers either giving kids up for adoption, trying to raise them on their own, or having an abortion??? Just so they can indulge their hormones? I mean, sure, some kids have sex... it is a reality of these times... but do authors really have to pound into teenagers' heads over and over that it is not only okay, but expected?! Teenagers are kids... practically children. They aren't in a position emotionally, financially, or even physically to be having kids. Sex leads to having children. End of story.

I digress...

Overall... if it hadn't been for the nasty bits I would have greatly enjoyed this book. As it was... not so much. I would be anxious to read the next book, but as much "stuff" as this book had in it... I wouldn't dare. It only gets more filthy in my experience.

If you don't mind skanky teenage stuff, then you might really like this book. If you do... find a different book to read.

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