Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston–Book Review

Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston

Published by Penguin Canada July 2011

Source: Personal Copy

Summary:

Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager. On the surface. She’s smart, but a bit of a slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker, but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes. Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.
Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there’s still time, literally, maybe even get a date.
This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every never.

My Thoughts:

  I adore Lesley Livingston’s writing style, and if you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Lesley in person you know how hilariously funny she is. Her sense of humour is found through out the book in the voices of Clare and her best friend…Allie.   Spending her Summer in England, Clare (short for Clarinet) discovers she is a part of a century old curse and travels through time to where the Celtic Druids were at war with the invading Romans.
I found the scenes that centred around this time in history fascinating and immediately starting researching the name Boudicca and Celtic Druids when I finished. For me as a reader, that is a sign of a great read. One that inspires you to read more about it…one that takes you to different places.
Clare is a great character. She’s clever, a little snarky and just “girly” enough.  Her and Al (Allie) make a fabulous pair and it’s great how they stick together no matter what. I have to say that the love interests in this story weren’t too shabby either. Celtic Warrior Connal with his rippling muscles and bravery was a great contrast to the good looking but “brainy” Milo. Hmmm… who to choose?

I really enjoyed Once Every Never and was thrilled to find out that Lesley is working on a follow-up.



For more information about Lesley and her books check out  http://www.lesleylivingston.com/
 or Follow her Facebook Page

Epic Fantasy: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Published by Bloomsbury August 7th 2012

Reviewed from ARC provided by the publisher

Summary:

After serving out a year of hard labour in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Thoughts:

  This is a book I just wanted to sit inside and soak in. It has all the things I look for in a great read; amazing world building, strong character development, swoon worthy love interests and a kick-ass protagonist. Sarah Maas is a talented story teller, the book came alive for me and I did not want this story to end. Celaena is a complex and driven character. A perfect combination of strength and love, though she’s been taught to be a ruthless assassin, she has a softer side and doesn’t loose the girl within. (also a bookworm..-loved that)
  While reading I kept saying to my husband… why can’t I be more like her? He of course asked why I would want to be a ruthless assassin :) It’s not that I want to become an assassin, (maybe if my library gig doesn’t work out) but I would like to be stronger, (and maybe even a little kick-ass). Celaena  knows herself, she accepts her fears and moves to face them. She recognizes fears and strengths in others as well. She’s uses the pain of her past to propel and motivate her to move forward. She has quickly become one of my favourite book characters (ever) and I can not wait to read more of her story. I can not wait to place this book in the hands of every teen and adult I know.

Highly Recommended. One to buy so you can re-read over and over again.



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Embrace by Jessica Shirvington : Book Review, Guest Post

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Published by Sourcebooks Fire 2011

Reviewed by Donna

from ARC provided by the Publisher

Summary:

    It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…” 

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before. 
Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. 
A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…


Special thanks to my friend Donna for guest posting today: Here are her thoughts:


     I must admit that I approached this book with some trepidation. I am sure that many readers can relate to the feeling of saturation when it comes to certain genres or themes. Therefore, when I learned that this novel was about angels, I performed a very large eye roll, and opened the pages....

    I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Jessica Shrivington has created an engrossing story rich with spiritual and angelic lore, based on religious and cultural history that most readers will recognize. Believable dialogue and character development add to the novel's attraction.

This story features Violet Eden, a young girl raised solely by her father when her mother dies in childbirth. Fiercely independent and artistically talented, Vi has surrounded herself with a few choice friends, particularly Lincoln, an older guy who starts out simply her self-defence trainer, but turns into a devoted and treasured confidante. Upon her seventeenth birthday, Violet experiences several unique occurrences: she is given a mysterious letter and bracelet from her mother, she begins to have vivid and confusing dreams and she has discovered unusual markings on her wrists. When Lincoln and his mysterious friend, Griffin, reveal that she is half-human and half-angel, Violet is faced with shock and fear as she learns that an angelic battle between good and evil forces are playing out on earth. She learns that she must make a decision of whether to embrace her angelic powers and become a part of this war, or deny her destiny and live her life in constant danger.

   The theme of good versus evil is personified in the relationships that Violet experiences. While Lincoln represents good, Violet is approached by another angel named Phoenix. Shrivington creates a realistic storyline in Violet's sexual awakening in Vi's exploration of her physical and emotional attraction to these men. The character of Violet is at is best here, as a typical 17-year old's reactions to romantic love is portrayed with all the insecurities and impulsive actions to which readers are sure to relate. Shrivington handles this love triangle with ease.

   The last part of the novel describes Violet's decision to "embrace", an act that is fraught with physical danger and permanence. When Violet learns that she is spiritually paired with Lincoln, she faces an uncertain future. I eagerly anticipate the next novel and I highly recommend this book to fans of the genre.

The Dead I Know by Scot Gardner: Review and Blog Tour

Hi! Thanks for stopping by the blog for my stop on the blog tour for:
 

Summary

When Aaron gets a job at a funeral home, he surprisingly takes to it. But there are dark secrets hidden in Aaron’s subconscious.
He experiences dangerous bouts of sleepwalking and recurring dreams he can’t explain: a lifeless hand, a lipsticked mouth, a man,
a gun... Can he piece the clues together and figure out the truth of his past?


My Thoughts:
     I’m not sure where to begin. Wow. Just wow. This book evoked such emotion in me. The writing is dark, raw and powerful and I was completely transported into the life of this boy named Aaron. As much as this book is about “the dead”, and his job at the funeral home, the story really touches on humanity,  and those who seemingly come in to our lives right when we need them, even if we don’t recognize it at the time. The relationship between Mr. Barton (Aaron’s boss) and Aaron was a wonder to watch unfold. This man’s faith in a boy he barely knew, his  belief in Aaron’s potential was inspiring. If only everyone could have a Mr. Barton in their lives. 
I wrote down a few stand out quotes from the book. Scot Gardner has a way with words and they seem to speak the truth of the moment. These two quotes really stood out for me:


pg. 94  “Hold on, don’t skip all the good bits, I thought. Don’t dream me a life without the romance. Let me do the colouring in myself”


pg. 171 “When somebody reaches out the way Skye had, I’ll have the guts to take their hand and my world will be a different place I know it”

While reading the The Dead I Know, I was  reminded of how I felt reading Perks of a Being a Wallflower. It makes me feel blessed to be a reader, when I have the opportunity to escape inside a book like this; a book that I feel has changed my views about myself, the world and my place in it. Highly recommended.

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I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to ask Scot a few questions:



First Scot , I have to say that I was completely and utterly blown away by the Dead I Know. What a powerful book. I only hope my review and these questions even come close to doing it justice.
Thanks Jen, glad you enjoyed it.


1. I have to ask about your inspiration for the book-What inspired you? Did Aaron’s character come to you first or the story?


I’ve had an unusual relationship with death. My godparents are funeral directors in Victoria, Australia and as kids we were never sheltered from the realities of the business of death. Having said that, the character of Aaron was alive and well in my head before I’d connected him to the setting of a funeral home. He was inspired by a kid I knew who’d lost everything and everyone from his life due to war in Africa. His resilience haunts me still.


2. Mam’s character hit close to home for me as I have a grandmother with Alzheimer’s, she too was a brilliant woman; Have you had anyone in your life with Dementia?


My wife’s mum suffered Alzheimer’s. She lived with us for two years before she needed more care than we could provide. As a storyteller, watching her in decline made me realise that story is everything. Stories are what hold our fragile inner worlds together and if you take the stories away—like Dementia does—people become photocopies of themselves. There was some grace in my mother-in-law’s decline, too—she loved without complication, without expectation, without the hurt she’d hung on to all her life. And there were some funny things, too—she tried to open a can of beetroot with an axe because she couldn’t find a can opener. She lives on in the character of Mam.


3. Mr. Barton was my favourite character (aside from Aaron of course) His patience, understanding, and support makes him the ultimate hero in my eyes. A mentor and father figure many would love to have. Did you have someone in your life that stood by you no matter what?


John Barton is a synthesis of a number of good men in my life. My godfather, Kevin the funeral director, is a kind and loving man who epitomises grace under pressure and has stuck his neck out for me time and again. My dad, Jim, is compassionate and forthright and has loved me and stood by me through the rough and tumble of a creative life. My first boss, Stewie, is in there, too. Gruff and practical when he needed to be, he shared everything he knew about life in three-second bites of conversation. As a young bloke, that was gold for me.


4. Themes of perseverance, courage, the simple act of holding on and reaching out when things seem at their bleakest sang out to me, is there any “one” thing you hope readers will take with them after reading your book?


If I had a catchphrase I’d engrave on a pen to imbue itself into everything I write, it would distil to a single word. Hope.


Thank you so much for your time, and for writing this amazing novel.


Pleasure is mine. Thanks for your insightful questions.
Scot

About Scot Gardner:
Scot Gardner has written several critically acclaimed novels for young adults. His debut novel, One Dead Seagull, was followed by White Ute Dreaming, a powerful story of first love, mates, and a yellow dog. His third novel, Burning Eddy, was shortlisted for the CBC Award and the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Young Adults. Gravity was also shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award in 2007. The Dead I Know was published by Allen & Unwin in Australia in 2011; it is the first Scot Gardner novel to be published in Canada.


For more info about Scot:
http://www.scotgardner.com/

Next stop on the Blog Tour:
The Fable Faerie