Secrets of Skin and Stone by Wendy Laine

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Secrets of Skin and Stone by Wendy Laine! Gris is a shape-shifting gargoyle called a Watcher. He travels to Hidden creek to reside in his relatives’ extra house. He meets Piper while she is searching for what attacked and killed her dog, Jester. For some reason, Hidden Creek is full of fiends and that’s why Gris has been called to live there. Gris becomes intrigued with Piper and they start a friendship and try to solve the mystery of Jester’s death and why there are numerous fiends in Hidden Creek. Piper deals with a specific type of obsessive compulsive disorder and it interested me because of how she handles it in her daily life. The author discusses OCD at the end of the book and opens up with her own experiences of dealing with the constraints and struggles that go along with it. 5 stars for a fun supernatural read for young adults and for the advice and wisdom offered by the author!

Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read an ARC of this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor! A young adult story that encompasses many teen issues, is therapeutic while being told and sticks with the reader for days afterward. Reggie, Snake and Carla share their take on depression, relationships and teen pregnancy . I plan on purchasing this book for the library I work at because the teenagers will love it with it’s sarcasm, humor, struggles and dysfunctional relationships telling the story. 5 stars!

The Shadows We Know By Heart by Jennifer Park

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review The Shadows We Know By Heart by Jennifer Park! My first reaction was surprise and curiosity as I read the first chapter. The story involves a young woman and her family who recently moved close to the woods after their son, Sam, died. Leah, her brother Matt and their parents don’t discuss their loss, but they each deal with it in their own way. Leah ventures into the woods, even though her family forbids her to enter them. She makes a surprising discovery, a human male among the Sasquatch she’s been observing. A tragedy occurred when Sam went camping with the neighbors, Reed and his father. The father was killed and his body was found, but no one ever found the two boys. The two families have tried to move on but the search for the boys has continued for years, which Leah knows nothing about. The mystery unfolds as secrets come out into the open. The story is very interesting and better than I expected. 4 stars for a twist on the uncommon!

Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf! The refreshing sense of humor of Isis Blake opens the story and I’m so happy to be with her again:). She’s setting off fireworks at the top of a chimney with her beloved grandmother at four in the morning. We can see where Isis gets her interesting personality. The author recaps the past events of Isis’ and Jack’s lives smoothly and through alternating points of view. Their roller coaster relationship makes life difficult for both Isis and Jack. They are both trying to figure out their present plans and their futures. This book is the culmination of past relationships, struggles and secrets that have haunted their individual lives and the people they love. I love the snark and out loud ramblings from Isis and also her generous personality and the mystery of Jack and ALL that he encompasses. Remember Me Forever is romantic, suspenseful and fun and ends the series perfectly, 5 stars. Sara wolf knows how to bring her characters to life and have them grow and become part of her readers’ hearts. At the end of this book, a new series by Sara Wolf is introduced- Bring Me Their Hearts which is planned for release in 2018! I’m interested!

101 Things All Young Adults Should Know by John Hawkins

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and River Grove Books for the opportunity to read and review 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know by John Hawkins. Great guide full of helpful, down to earth tips for just about every situation a young adult/adult might find themselves in. The advice is given in sections that work together and focus on keeping balance in 6 key areas of life: health, career, romantic, social, money, and religion. This nonfiction book is helpful and to the point and answers questions about friendships, all sorts of relationships, proper ways to tip waitresses and other service employees, personal time spent and how to achieve and keep happiness. 5 stars!

General Relativity for Babies by Chris Ferrie

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the opportunity to read and review General Relativity for Babies! This picture book with a strong contrast of colors, teaches the basic knowledge of general relativity with clear illustrations and simple explanations. The visuals coincide well with the descriptions in this short board book for budding scientists, 5 stars!

 

Keeping Kyler by Siobhan Davis

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed Keeping Kyler by Siobhan Davis. Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more surprises, more pop up in this book, the third installment in The Kennedy Boys series! As the story is opening, Kyler runs in anger and doesn’t even tell Faye where he’s going. He won’t respond to her texts, frustrating and worrying her even more. This leaves Faye to deal with her own surprises without him, so they are both alone in their struggles. Kyler meets his biological father and turns away with complete disbelief and disgust. And the surprises keep coming, loaded with twists and turns. The relationship between Kyler and Faye is cute, sometimes cheesy, to the annoyance of everyone around them. They are mature for their age and I suppose it’s because of the difficult experiences they have lived through, which makes their lives anything but dull. 5 stars for this new-adult romance and mystery story!

Year of No Clutter by Eve Schaub

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of Year of No Clutter by Eve Schaub. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book! Year of No Clutter is a woman’s memoir of her lifetime struggle with clutter and how she overcame it and dealt with the objects in her home. I’m immediately drawn in by the author’s sense of humor and I can also relate to the clutter problem. As we all know, clutter can just build and build! I worry that I’m a book hoarder, of course I am, and I’m determined to fix that title to home library owner and consolidate my book collection into a functional room. The quotes opening each chapter are charmingly appropriate and dead on with the content of each chapter. Many profound statements can be found throughout this book, but this one really stuck with me, “…I guess what we hoard says an awful lot about us and what we’re afraid of.” I love the idea of photographing children’s artwork and creating a book with the photos for each child. Great space saver with easy access to the artwork. I appreciate the helpful resources listed at the end of the book because sometimes the biggest hurdle in de-junking is what to do with the items you’re getting rid of. 5 stars for an inspiring, interesting and helpful book!

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the opportunity to read and review Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton! The list of characters at the beginning of the book helped refresh my memory of the first book in this series, Rebel of the Sands.
The introduction summarized the past events also and brought me up to speed. Rebellion and war are center stage in the middle of a bundle of tumultuous relationships. Amani gets herself captured so she can rescue other rebels, willing to sacrifice herself if needed. This story is filled with death defying actions and more disguises than I can keep track of, all pulled together seamlessly to strengthen the rebellious plot. Spies, intrigue and harems in the desert setting build a tale of a dangerous Sultan and his kingdom and several heirs to his throne. The tension grows in this sequel and some lives are lost while some are spared. The surprise ending of this sequel, full of turmoil and deception, leaves me anxiously awaiting the third book. 5 stars for an action packed adventure fantasy!

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review One was lost by Natalie D. Richards. The first two chapters show the setting and describe the main and surrounding characters. The action and suspense begins in the third chapter. There’s some kind of animosity between Sera and Lucas that comes to light a little at a time. As I read, I learned more about the four main characters and the struggles each of them has in their lives. Being in a forest is a perfect setting for a horror story and the bridge washing out helped move the danger of being stranded along. Nice steady pacing of the mystery and suspense. The book kept me wondering to the end. Great horror story for young adults, 5 stars!