Hachette Book Group

Review: Reality Boy by A.S. King

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RBI don’t read as much YA as I used to. However, sometimes you just have to feed a need! This book did not disappoint. I have never been a big fan of reality TV. This book pointed out many reasons why reality television isn’t necessarily a positive influence in the world. Especially when it comes to the stars of the show. It seems that instead of learning from the pain and heartache of what some of these shows have created, the public just wants more. Like a train wreak we are unable to tear our eyes away from.

This story is about Gerald Faust. He is an almost 17-year-old that is still known to the world as the young child that starred in a reality television series. Even though more than 10 years have gone by…even though much of the show took place when he was only 5 years old, he is still known, and judged by the events that the show chose to show the world. Just imagine how anyone can take a few minutes out of your week and sculpt them into what they want the world to see. Imagine that everyone judges you by those few minutes alone. You have no chance to show them the events that led up to those events. You have no chance to tell your side. No one is allowed to see how others treated you prior to those events. No one is allowed to see what happens after the events. Now imagine this is how you will be judged not only in that week, but in the rest of your life. Isn’t being a teenager hard enough?

I can’t really say that this book has a happy ending. I can’t say that you’ll fall in love with any of the characters. I can say that parts of it will make you sad. Parts of it will scare you. Parts of it will also make you angry. You’ll be reminded that we should not judge those that we do not know. You’ll be reminded that you’re not alone no matter how much you might feel that way….

Should you read this book? Yes! Turn off that damned telly and pull out this book. It was a quick read. It will have you wanting to hurry to the end to see how Gerald fairs in life. You will want his reality to be a happy ending! I won’t lie to you….this is based on reality tv…and just as reality is never “wrapped up in a pretty bow” at the end, this book won’t be either. Nothing is really ever perfect, is it? Some people never get the help that need. Some people never choose to face the hard facts…about those they love or about themselves….but sometimes, life does get better! Sometimes you do find positive people to surround yourself with. Life CAN get better…perhaps not perfect, but at least you can make changes that improve it….at least in this respect, this book is very much like “reality”

Enjoy! Until next time….

Urania xx

Reading copy obtained from Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now Reality Boy

Sneak Peek Review: Parasite by Mira Grant

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Parasite** The release date for this book is October 29th **

I am not often surprised by a series.  However, the Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant did just that.  I’ve read some zombie books and these books just didn’t *read* like a zombie series.  When I saw that this new book was coming out by Grant I was terribly excited!  I was sad to see the end of the Newsflesh series and wondered what Grant would do next.  Then I found the book on Netgallery as a “read now”  and I got SUPER excited!  I just couldn’t wait and I read it as soon as it downloaded onto Kote Kindle.  I really enjoyed this book. It’s a good follow-up to the Newsflesh Trilogy and it did not disappoint me much.   There’s no doubt when you get to the ending that there will be more to follow. I am somewhat disappointed that I knew what the ending was going to be. It wasn’t that hard for me to figure out the “big shock” at the end.  However, I am not really sure that Grant intended for it to be a surprise. I think the main character was just faced with having to accept facts that she already knew…she was just unwilling to believe…After all, if it was staring me in the face for most of the book, I reckon it was staring her in the face as well….just saying….I would also like to say that many of the characters of the book the reminded me of some of the characters from  the Newsflesh Trilogy.  I think that if I had not read that series, I would have perhaps enjoyed this book a bit more.  The storyline was somewhat new and exciting, but the players, for me, were not….Only the names seemed different….not the personalities….

This book reminded me a lot of Stephenie Meyer’s book “The Host”. Having said that, I will say that I can actually see Grant’s story happening one day in the future. Meyer’s book takes a much larger stretch of the imagination. I believe that science could find a way to introduce organisms into our host bodies to help combat illnesses as in this book….I am not so sure they will be extraterrestrials as in Meyer’s book….I will be looking forward to reading the next book and I hope that I don’t have to wait too long!

ARC provided by NetGallery for an honest review…

Until next time….

– Urania xx

Buy it now  Parasite

Review: The Edge of Never by, J.A. Redmerski

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“You were the missing piece of my soul, the breath in my lungs, and the blood in my veins.”

I cannot express how much I loved this book. I grabbed it only for the cover and I was completely shocked how wonderful it was.

Camryn was sick of her life and wanted more. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew she wasn’t gonna find it at home. So she packs a bag and hops on a Greyhound bus and sets out. Meanwhile, Andrew is on his way to see someone, but he really isn’t in a rush to get there. So he packs a bag and hops on a bus.

Little do they know that their quest is going to drastically change their lives. Even though they have completely different reasons for traveling, they slowly build a friendship that will help both of them in some very hard situations.

At first the book is in Camryn’s POV, which you find out that her life has gone down the crapper. She has had more heartache than someone twice her age. But then it switches to Drew’s when he takes notice of her. And it’s fun to hear what’s going on in his head. 🙂

As they travel, you slowly see their relationship grow from strangers to way more. It was really sweet to watch it unfold. When they sing together, I just cry. Now, when I hear Poison and Wine or Barton Hollow, by Civil Wars, I think of them.

“I think if past lives are real then we have been lovers in every single one of them. I’ve known you for a short time, but I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

Their trip has a few nerve wrecking parts, some sad parts, some fanning your face parts, and a few “HOLY CRAP, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” And let’s not forget my favorite, the ‘OH MY GOSH!!! OH NO!! THIS CAN”T BE HAPPENING!!!” All in the name of drama. I don’t think I stopped crying during the last 25% of the book. Don’t even get me started on the Epilogue.

This is a standalone, but the author decided to write a second book, The Edge of Always. We have to wait til November for that one, but I think I’ll make it.

~Melpomene

Buy It Now The Edge of Never