Resist (Breathe #2) by Sarah Crossan Review

4/5 Stars 368 pages
Published October 8th 2013 by Greenwillow Books

Can you believe that I read the first book to this duo over five years ago? Because I can’t. That being said, I did kind of forget what the whole thing was about, but that didn’t stop me from deep diving into this one. By the end of the book, I was all caught up, and remembered probably half of the other one. That’s not important, though. I really need to keep up with my books and remember to finish things like these before it gets to be too long. That being said, I really enjoyed reading this sequel to Breathe.

Following the same characters from the first book, we see Alina, Bea, Quinn and Ronan’s lives as they try to keep on living after The Grove has been nuked, and most of the characters have been pushed out of the life saving pod, one of the only places with air in their known world. But it’s still run by a corrupt minister and his men, who segregate the rich from the poor, and divide the available air accordingly.

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When the book begins, Alina and her friends are on a boat with some drifters that she’s met in the last story, and made a team with. They’re determined to get to Sequoia before their air tanks run out, though some of them are very sceptical, and one in particular ends her life because she feels so hopeless about the subject. They think that they’re the only ones left of their group. Bea, Quinn and Jazz are doing the same, but injured and hiding in the ruins. Ronan is back in the pod after the rebellion, his mind made up completely differently than his sisters, and that causes a lot of friction. Either way, all the characters are in very different situations, each thinking that they’re the only ones left.

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Action packed, rebellious and a struggle to survive, the characters go through horrifying things from forced pairings to war, and even torture. Some of the things I couldn’t believe were happening, that characters could be so evil, but it was so nice to finally reach the end of the book and see what happened in the end. Though this book took a day longer than it usually would take me to read a book of this size, that wasn’t because of the story. Once I was in, I was in, and I didn’t want to put it down.

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If you’re looking for a book about strong teenagers just trying to save the world no matter what their individual beliefs are, then this is the book for you. I love the post apocalyptic world with no air that they live in, because it’s a lot more unique than other post apocalyptic books I’ve read. I never had thought about the possibility of a world without plants or air, but now I have a clear picture in my mind. If you haven’t checked out the first book, I recommend that as well before this one.

Here’s a link to where you can grab a copy for yourself, if you’d like to, through my Amazon Associates.

If you’d like to keep up with the author, you can do so here.

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe. As always, I’m down to chat about this book and whatever else you’d like to talk about in the comments.

Lost Solace (Lost Solace #1) by Karl Drinkwater Review

4/5 Stars 273 pages
Published October 15th 2017 by Organic Apocalypse

Though I haven’t read anything from author Karl Drinkwater before, I’m intrigued by their other works after this book. I was a little confused at first, but once I was into the book, I really was into it. You know I love a good sci-fi space adventure, and this just adds another story to my list of ones I really enjoyed. A really nice cover, a very unique story, unlike anything I’ve read before, and an action packed plot, I couldn’t put it down.

Following a girl named Opal, it shows her life as she flies through space in a stolen military ship with an insanely upgraded artificial intelligence, who she’s named Clarissa. It begins with her in chryo, and Clarissa waking her up and making her food. Though they haven’t known each other for very long, they’re very familiar, and are headed to a lost ship, something they’re not even sure is anything more than a myth. Opal is hoping to not only get rich off of what she finds on it, but to find information to her past on it also. All that, without being caught by the military. What a dream that was.

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What she finds on the ship, however, is beyond anything she could have imagined. A kind of alien species, or something like that, that has bonded into a ship, and created something grotesque and horrifying and really interesting and insane all in one go. Flesh cakes the interior, creating turrets that seem to grow out of the wall at key points for attacks, and horrifying monsters spawn again out of the wall to track not only Opal, but the military that tracks her down to kill her.

This book was very interesting and unique, and even though it’s not my new favourite, I’m glad I got the chance to check it out. If you’re looking for a very different and action packed sci-fi adventure, this is the book for you.

Grab a copy for yourself here through my Amazon Associates link!

Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter if you’d like to keep up with them!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe.

Greyfriars Reformatory by Frazer Lee Review

4/5 Stars 240 Pages Published October 20th 2020 by Flame Tree Press

Another spooky read for the month! This one is much different than the last one, however. Instead of a voodoo laced detective novel, this one is the story of five girls living in a reformatory, a place where you go if you’ve done something horrible and need to be taught how to be different by whatever means it takes. That sounds horrible enough as it is, but there’s a twist. The Grey Girl. And of course, the horrible bullying that takes place by not only the other girls, but also the Principal. I really enjoyed reading this book, but I will admit, I had some trouble getting into it at first.

Emily is so wacked out on prescriptions that she can barely remember her own name. She arrives at the reformatory with the other four girls on a jail like bus, and the only thing surrounding the building is pure wilderness. They’re treated bad, because whatever brought them there in the first place is cause for punishment to the extreme. They’re forced into a routine that leaves them feeling hopeless, but that doesn’t stop their personalities from shining through.

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The Grey Girl is something else completely. Not everyone can see her, but everyone feels the damage that she causes. Once girls start turning up dead, the rest are terrified and cling to their routine. But nothing is as it seems, and the book takes an even darker turn at the end, one that I really didn’t expect. The story kind of reminds me of that game, Call of Cthulhu, if you ever played that. Only without the cult of Cthulhu, and all the fantasy around that. I’m more referring to the part where you’re just endlessly walking through the darkened asylum, and honestly while you’re playing it, start to question whether you’re losing your mind in real life, in the process. If you’re looking for something creepy to read with a big reveal at the end, than this is something you might want to check out next.

If you’d like a copy, you can grab one here, through my amazon associates link.

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can do so here on Twitter.

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe.

Voodoo Heart by John Everson Review

4/5 Stars 247 pages
Published October 20th 2020 by Flame Tree Press

I haven’t read a ton of scary stories this October, but the ones I have gotten my hands on, I’ve really enjoyed, and this one is no exception. Though I do have to say that there were a few parts that I was too immature to read and had me laughing harder than I should have, I did really like reading this, and I’m happy to have a copy for my bookshelf. If you’re looking for a New Orleans Detective style murder mystery novel with a ton of magic and voodoo mixed in, than you might want to check this out next.

Following a detective who’s a little too close to the cases assigned to him, it shows his life as he tries to get over the loss of his wife, who after finding out she was cheating on him, lost her life. Her body was never found, but her heart, and a whole lot of her blood, were found on the bed next to him. Since then, almost the exact same situation has been happening again and again, more and more people missing each month. And he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

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What I expected from this book, was just a normal detective novel, and not the deep dive on voodoo I got. I really liked that about this book. I feel like I learned something, even though it’s fiction, you know? It was really interesting. And I think the whole aspect about curses and rituals really gave it an interesting feel. This wasn’t one of those books where you know who did it, although I did kind of have a feeling about it. A lot of the book, I was wondering if I was being tricked into thinking it was someone else, if the curse was actually real and maybe it could have just been a serial killer who was involved with some dark magic thinking, or if maybe the main character was imagining the whole thing due to some kind of spiral after losing his wife. But no, I got the ending I wanted, with a lot more supernatural aspects than I expected.

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Overall, if you think this is something you’d like, than by all means, grab a copy! I’m glad I have it on my shelf, and I can recommend it to people I know once I see them again. I know a few people who would like this, book, and I think it’s perfect for this month. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here through my Amazon Associates link.

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re having a good day.

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion Review

Though I had been putting this book off for a long time, I finally got around to reading it, and I don’t regret it one bit. For some reason, I just couldn’t get through the first chapter through the dog’s point of view, but once I did, oh man. I couldn’t stop reading it. You guys know I love books about aliens, and this story is so cute and heart wrenching I enjoyed it so much.

4/5 Stars 280 pages
Published May 19th 2015 by Skyscape

Following a teen girl named Emma in first person, it shows her life as she spends most of her time beside her boyfriends death bed at his home, with his family, who isn’t very appreciative of her. Though she gives all the time that she can manage to him, his mother thinks that she’s stealing his last moments away from the rest of the family and wishes that she would just leave. Honestly though, I think that’s a her problem. Why can’t they all spend time together?

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Anyways, that all changes one day when a small space ship crashes down to earth on their farm behind the barn. The consciousness of an alien who was supposed to be dead latches itself first onto Mack, the family dog, and then fixes itself into Lucas, the sick boy with terminal cancer, and a miracle happens. He’s cured. Slowly getting better, his family and his doctors can’t believe it, but something’s changed. He’s not Lucas anymore, and Emma seems to be the only one who realizes that.

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Thus begins an epic journey to get Scout, the alien inhabiting Lucas’s body, home for good. This book was really sweet and an easy read, and even action packed at times. I couldn’t put it down, and I couldn’t ask for more. Though it’s not my new absolute favourite book, I really don’t have any problems with it, and I’m glad I finally sat down and read it. The only question I have, is why did they bring up that thing about Emma’s mom’s boyfriend teaching Emma how to hotwire a car at the beginning of the book if they weren’t going to use that little piece of information? Other than that though, everything was perfect.

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If you love easy going teen romance turned scifi books, then this is for you. The cover is absolutely beautiful, and I really love it. The colours just work so nicely together, and everything encapsulates a certain scene in the book perfectly. I would love to have a copy for my bookshelf. Check it out if you get the chance!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here, through my Amazon Associates link.

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe.

The Cup and The Prince (Kingdom of Curses and Shadows #1) by Day Leitao Review

5/5 Stars 256 pages
Published October 15th 2020 by Sparkly Wave

If you know me, you know that I never used to be into books about magic, or sword fighting, or potions or things like that. But it’s books like these that have been changing my mind. A solid read, this story is full of mystery, questioning, a brave character that just keeps proving her own doubts wrong, and of course a lot of confusion. But all of that confusion doesn’t make for a bad story, in fact it made for an amazing story. And of course, I can’t wait for the next book after that insane cliff hanger of an ending. I really loved this book.

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Following a seventeen year old girl named Zora, she hasn’t really found her footing yet in life. Teaching children to sword fight for as long as she can remember has made her a very good fighter in The Dark Valley, the only place in their world where shadow monsters spawn from darkness. So, they don’t let there be shadows anywhere. Always wearing tight fitting clothes, never using blankets or wearing skirts, and keeping furniture close to the ground as well as lights on at all times. Her life is about to change though, when her boyfriend starts pressuring her for something she’s not ready for, and she realizes that he’s been cheating on her. He doesn’t love her, and she’s humiliated, and sometimes when that happens, you need to take revenge swiftly, because if you think about it for too long, than your chance will be gone. And that’s exactly what she does.

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She steals his letter out of his bag that he foolishly has been too confident to sign his name on, proving that he’s the champion of The Dark Valley, and giving him acceptance into The Royal Games, and this year, competing for The Blood Cup against the other strong champions. But what she doesn’t realize until she gets there, is that there’s something bigger at play, and someone’s out to get her. Not only because she’s the smallest, and not because she’s the only girl, but because she’s getting in the way of their plan. And that’s not good for anyone.

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Like I said earlier, I haven’t always been into full fantasy stories like these with potions and sword fighting and enchantments, but books as great as these are making me really enjoy them. Once I started this book, I couldn’t get enough, and because it’s not as long as other books I’ve been reading lately, I really tore through it, and enjoyed the entire ride. Especially the ending, because I really didn’t have a clue that any of that stuff was coming. I think my favourite character is Zora, because she’s just so tough, an even when she’s not sure of herself, she’s able to face her fears, and her anxiety, and really power through it to get what needs to be done, done. I also love the cover. I think it’s beautiful, and I really love the whole aesthetic of it. I would love a copy of this book for my collection, to look at, to re read, and of course, let my friends borrow to see if they would like it as much as I did. I think if you like stories about perseverance, a strong young woman who faces her fears, and a very interesting storyline, than this is something you should check out next.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here, with my Amazon Associates link.

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can do so here on Twitter.

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe.

Dracula, Motherf**ker! by Alex de Campi, & Erica Henderson Review

Need something short and sweet to fill a gap in your reading? Than this is the book you should grab. Bloody, hypnotic and attention grabbing, Dracula, Motherf**ker is really just perfect, in my opinion. I powered through it very quickly, it being only about eighty pages, and I’d love to have a copy of it on my shelf, just to have, you know?

4/5 Stars 72 pages
Published October 13th 2020 by Image Comics

Dracula’s brides have been around for just as long as the big man himself has. Following a corpse photographer, he stumbles on something he’s going to with he never did. The brides are out for blood and revenge, and they won’t let anyone get in their way of their plan, to take Dracula out. After years and years of him using them to steal their power, making him think he wants them and then tossing them aside like they’re nothing, they’re sick of it.

Overall, I thought that the story was short but really interesting and gory. Just what I love in a comic book. I found that the art style was beautifully hypnotic, and perfectly captured the story. I’d love to have this on my bookshelf just so I could look at it again. Even if you don’t like gory comics, I think that you should check this out if you think it’s interesting, because I really loved it.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can get one here through my Amazon Associates link!

And if you’d like to keep up with the creators, you can do so here!

Alex De Campi

Erica Henderson

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe.

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk Review

Now this is the kind of romance book I can really get into. Unlike the other one I read lately, I didn’t feel too immature to read this, even though I’m twenty three years old. There wasn’t any awkward scenes that made me uncomfortable to read, laughing too hard at parts I really should have skimmed over, or anything like that. This book was pure and amazing, a story of fighting for women’s rights, even though the world they were in was completely imaginary and full of magic. The romance was innocent and full, and it just really made me feel good to read. I couldn’t get enough of this book, and if more fantasy romance novels are like this, than I really should check more out.

5/5 Stars 384 pages
Published October 13th 2020 by Erewhon

Following an eighteen year old woman named Beatrice, we first meet her as she’s on her way to get ready for a season of awkward first dates, which are supposed to end with an arranged marriage. Women are used as bargaining chips, no matter how powerful their magic is, and it doesn’t matter what they want, because they’re only supposed to be used to make their family proud by doing two things: bringing money into their home from marrying a wealthy husband, and having as many children as she can. Not a very happy life for them, but what does it matter? That’s what’s not important. The fathers just think, I guess you should have been born a boy then, if you wanted a different life for yourself. That is, until Beatrice comes around with her insane amount of power, trying to find a way around the arranged marriage that haunts her. The only thing, is that the schools refuse to teach women, and even deny that women could have powers at all. They’re forced to wear a metal collar from the time that they’re married to the end of menopause, that takes their powers from them, making life dull and worthless, aside from getting pregnant and seeing their children grow. But that’s not the kind of life that Beatrice wants for herself, or anyone else.

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After collecting books with hidden messages for women trying to become mages before they’re married off, the only way to get around the horrible life that they’re forced into, she finds the one she needs, but another more powerful woman has her eye on it too. The two agree to pretend to be friends and teach each other what they know, and end up becoming actual friends along the way. And even though Beatrice has wanted nothing to do with marriage and love, only magic, she ends up falling in love too. But that’s when things start to get complicated. Her horrible father wants money, and that’s all he can think of. Her mother is a shell of who she used to be, having to wear the collar for so long. And her sister is obsessed with the arranged marriages, claiming that it’s the best thing that could ever happen, and really just hating that her sister despises everything about them. But she really doesn’t see the big picture.

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I have to say, I’m not usually into these kinds of books, with their way of speaking, the topic of magic, but I’ve been getting more and more into them. The romance label made me worried I wouldn’t completely love it, but I was worried for nothing. I was obsessed with this book from the moment I picked it up, and I really couldn’t get enough. Something about Beatrice standing up for women’s rights really made me feel good about not only myself, but her and the women around her. She just wants to change the world, and will stop at nothing until she gets that, and I really respect that about her. Though she is young, five years younger than me, she really is a much stronger person than I am, than I could ever be. And that’s why I loved this book so much. In her short life, she’s gone through a lot, and was still able to accomplish what she accomplished by the end of the book. What an amazing person. If more fantasy romance books are like this one, than I want to read them all. And that’s really amazing.

If you love books about standing up for yourself, and others around you, and really just women’s rights in general, than you’re going to fall in love with this book as much as I did, even if you think you’re not going to be into it, like I did. Please give this book a chance if you see it, I don’t think anyone would regret it. I can’t wait to get a paper copy for myself and let it class up my bookshelf.

If you’d like a copy, you can grab one here through my Amazon Associates link!!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can do so here!

Thanks for reading!

The Sensation (Salvi Brentt #2) by Amanda Bridgeman Review

5/5 Stars 400 pages
Published October 13th 2020 by Angry Robot

Has it really been two years since the first book? I absolutely loved that one, and my opinion hasn’t changed about the series with this one. From the second I started it, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to put it down until it was finished, and that’s exactly what happened. I really had trouble reading other things while my phone was charging, and that’s exactly what I love about this series. It worms its way into your head, and once you’re in, you’re not getting back out. Kind of like the subject matter in this novel specifically.

Salvi Brentt is back, and even though she’s been put on a desk job for the time being, she’s sick of it, and all the therapy she’s been having to go through since the events of the last book. But that’s about to change, because her therapist is just clearing her to go back on the street, and start the job that she loves all over again. Only with a new partner. This time, however, it’s not about The Subjugates. It’s about people going missing, and occasionally, turning up with their bodies horrifically carved into. It’s about the club scene, and the drug scene. And most of all, it’s about control, and in some cases, the lack of control.

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At around four hundred pages, this solid novel never even gives you a chance to breathe once you’re in it. It’s a rollercoaster that just keeps going up. And then at the end, it finally goes down. Just not in the way you’d expect. It’s one of those that I’m just hoping and praying I’m not going to have to wait another two years for the next one. I love Salvi so much, she’s so strong and she has such a rich backstory that we’re just beginning to learn about. She’s everything you could ever want to be in a person, and she knows it. And I just think she’s the perfect character to tell stories like these.

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The thing that I love the most about these books, is how much it reminds me of one of those crime scene investigation shows, not only in the way the events are laid out in front of you, but also in the way that the characters interact with it, and each other. I really feel like I’m watching a tv show when I’m reading these books, and I think that’s a very hard thing to do. I can’t get enough. And I love the little scifi twist that’s put in. The author writes an intricate web, until you have no way of knowing where to look, who’s to blame, and can’t possibly guess what’s going to happen next, and then it’s all destroyed in the last ten percent of the book, and you’re left thinking, how did all of that happen so fast and I didn’t get lost? And what’s going to happen next?

If you’re into scifi, and you’re into mysterious detective books, than I highly suggest you give this series a chance. At only two books, I have a feeling that this is just the beginning, and I’m really stoked to see what Salvi gets herself into next time, while she’s just trying to make the world around her act right, and save lives.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here through my Amazon Associates link!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can on Twitter here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing great.

The Clock by Matt Hawkins, Colleen Doran, Bryan Valenza, & Troy Peteri Review

In a world eerily similar to our own, the people in The Clock are facing a different kind of pandemic in their world, one where a new viral kind of cancer is ravaging the planet. What do you do when millions of people are being killed by an untreatable form of cancer? Well, you can find out for yourself in this mysterious graphic novel.

3/5 Stars 128 pages
Published October 13th 2020 by Image Comics

In this instance, a scientist named Jack is fighting for his life in a completely different way than everyone else in the book. After losing his wife to this viral cancer, his father is left to take care of his young daughter while he works day and night to find out not only why the cancer is happening, and why it seems to have showed up out of nowhere, and why it’s not reacting to treatment. This action packed graphic novel wasn’t my new favourite, but I did enjoy reading it. I liked the parallel’s to our own world right now, even though it took a much darker turn than I hope we ever will.

I also really enjoyed the art in this book. Much more classic comic art than others that I’ve read lately, it was really nice to look at and I think suited the story well. I don’t really have anything bad to say about it, but I just don’t really have anything to rave about it either. I am glad I got the chance to read it, though. If you’re looking for an exciting graphic novel to pick up next, than you might want to give this one a shot.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here through my Amazon Associates link.

And if you’d like to check out the creators on Twitter, you can find them here.

Matt Hawkins

Colleen Doran

Bryan Vanelza

Troy Peteri

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great day and are staying safe.