Review: The Killing Woods

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Lucy Christopher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads kills me): Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he emerges from the woods carrying the girl's broken body. "Gone," he says, then retreats into silence.

What really happened that wild night? Emily knows in her bones that her father is innocent -- isn't he? Before he's convicted, she's got to find out the truth. Does Damon Hilary, Ashlee's charismatic boyfriend, have the answers? Or is he only playing games with her -- the kinds of games that can kill?

My Thoughts: Look, it's a book with another beautiful cover. 

I read Stolen a very long time ago but I loved it. Nothing in it was quite how it seemed and it was impossible to guess what would happen next. This book was similar in that way. I found myself surprised frequently. How the characters were feeling was so believable (okay, the romance stuff was a little strange but when is it not, right?). They were having a melt down right in front of me. It was the kind of melt down that friends watch and don't know what to do to fix, that affects everyone around you. It was perfect because that's exactly what this novel needed for me to believe it. I could believe that horrible things happened in the woods and that people would avoid someone whose father probably committed a murder. It was the psychologist stuff that made this novel what it was. It was marvellous.

Of course, that said, teenagers are stupid sometimes. Yes, let's go wandering in the woods with people we barely know or worse, alone. Let's just run off on your own and do stupid things while you are clearly unstable. Let's antagonize people that clearly hate you. Sure, it all needed to happen to get to the end but a few times I felt like I was in the audience of a horror movie, yelling at the screen and blood girl #6 to stop going up the stairs while when the crazy neighbour keeps calling the house and hanging up. No, you shouldn't run into the garage with all the chainsaws. Yes, it's a fantastic idea to let your phone die on Friday the 13th, while you are home alone but supposed to be out of town in the middle of the storm of the century. What is wrong with you people? 

...On another note, although I understood why it was important to the story, alternating points of view have to be done very carefully. At times, I thought that it was too heavy on one side of the story while the other was just being used to move forward. Yes, sometimes a character needs help figuring things out but would these characters have interacted as much as they did? I doubt it. I would have stayed the hell away from them, but that's me. I did enjoy watching them both fall apart and watching both of them ask questions, however.

So, I thought that this novel was really great. It's creepy and a good mystery. I enjoyed watching the characters fall to pieces but was mad at many of their decisions. This was a very easy to read story that had you rushing to figure out what happened. I needed to know how it would end. I was more than satisfied with how it ended. This novel was very well done.

Review: What If

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Rebecca Donovan
Format: ebook (Maybe)
Pages: 352
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Thanks, Goodreads): What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time?

Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago.

Except this girl isn't Nicole.

She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.

When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

My Thoughts: I won't lie to you all, I don't remember how this book ends (I need to review faster, I know). Let's talk about what I do remember. I remember that the language fit the characters and that I bought the main character as a male. You know how sometimes authors just can't write the other sex? Yeah, that wasn't a problem here. I remember that they sounded smart and young and wild. I remember the great writing.

I remember how out of control Nyelle was. I remember wishing that I could be as different as she was. I remember being jealous of her bravery (stupidity) and wishing that I was as free. I remember wondering what her story was and being unable to figure it out at all. I remember thinking that she was a fascinating character that I wanted to keep reading about, even if she was a little annoying at times because of how she acted towards Cal.

I also remember that the representation of college in this novel was pretty accurate. I didn't question it or judge it like I do with most novels with college in it. 

The only problem is that I can't remember how it ended. How memorable could it have been? Obviously, not very. Which worries me. Why can I remember the characters and setting looking back? Why can I remember a scene on a silo (or something of that nature, high up) and a scene in a boat and the rain and being in the truck but not the conclusion of the novel. Maybe I just need to review faster, okay, I know I do, but maybe it wasn't so good in the end. I think I will reread it so that should be a positive for the book, I guess. I'm not afraid to reread the novel. I remember liking it and the characters, that must count for something.

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Ransom Riggs
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads knows that I'm peculiar): A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Thoughts: This book was cool. The pictures were really interesting, especially when you get to the back of the book and you see the collection information. The historical aspects of this book make it much more exciting than it would be any other way. I think the pictures being in the book where they are mentioned is perfect. They were the coolest thing. The pictures are why I picked up the book in the first place.

I found myself pulled into a world of murder and mystery and wild fantasy. This novel was one that had just about everything, even a little growing romance. It was quite an adventure for Jacob to go on and I felt bad for him in some ways. I could understand his curiosity but I would have had a mental breakdown. I also don't think that I would have wandered around by myself after seeing the things that he saw.

This novel has quite the cast. Each one is a character worth of their own book. Each is so unique. I wonder how the author came up with them all. Sadly, it was a little hard for me to follow who each one was. The author does a fairly good job of reminding the reader frequently and the second novel comes with a list (I already have it).

My only real problem with this novel is that it felt more like a middle school novel because of how young the protagonist was. The vocabulary and writing were outstanding, so that sure wasn't the problem. I guess I just had a bit of a hard time connecting with Jacob.

If you like paranormal/fantasy novels or historical (but not at all accurate...because of the paranormal stuff) novels than this one is for you. I think that even if you are just into old photos you should at least flip through the book. It's interesting. Check it out.

Review: Never Never

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
Format: ebook
Pages: 159
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Summary (Never forget about Goodreads.com): Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen. 
Complete strangers since this morning. 
He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget. 

What I think: I have a huge problem with this novel. My problem is that this novel is the opposite of huge. This novel was too short. It's not even really a novel. It's barely a novella. Still, they claim that it can stand on it's own. This is a load of bull. I was enjoying the novel well enough. It was unique, completely different than the usual boring stuff but then it just ended. I loved that it was written by two authors working together. I don't mean that I was rushing through it so fast that I missed that I was coming to the end. I mean that it ended almost mid thought when there was no real reason for the novel to end. Never Never: Part Two was just released last week or something but I almost don't want to read it because I'm worried the same thing would happen. I understand that both authors are extremely busy and that's fine. So wait. Wait until you can tell the full story or, at least, a normal portion of the story. I understand that there was a legal reason for this being a novella but I still think that they could have released the two novellas close or SOMETHING. I don't know...

This novel made me mad. Because of this, I am in no rush to read the next one. I have a funny feeling that I will either not have a single clue what is happening or it will end abruptly like this novel did. 

It could have been so great and that makes me so sad.

Other than that, like I said, this story was unique. I enjoyed the characters and their perspective. I think that both authors are extraordinary (and Kristen can comment on my slightly over the top love for CoHo...). I suppose that, given the length, this novel would be easy for you to get your hands on and would not take all that long to read. Could I just suggest waiting until you have the second before reading the first? 

Review: A Lonely Magic

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah Wynde
Format: eBook (Galley; honest review requested)
Pages: 270 (?)
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (With Goodreads, nobody is lonely): Nothing is what it seems in a glittering new fantasy by best-selling author Sarah Wynde

When a gorgeous guy demands Fen choose between getting shot or overdosing on drugs, she plunges into a sea of trouble. Although she’s rescued from her would-be killer by Luke, a teenage boy, and Kaio, his sexy older brother, escape won’t be so easy.

The protection the brothers provide simmers with unnerving undercurrents. They have secrets and Fen has questions. Who are they? How did they find her? What do they want with her? And why was she targeted for murder in the first place?

When Fen and Luke are forced to run for their lives, Luke spirits Fen down into an enchanting underwater city. But every enchantment has its dark edges. Caught in the tides of emotion, romance, and a plot to destroy humanity, Fen must look deep within herself to find the strength and courage she’ll need to stay afloat in this amazing new world.

Submerge yourself in the latest gripping novel from Sarah Wynde, author of the Tassamara series. You won’t want to come up for air before the final enthralling page of A Lonely Magic.

My Thoughts: How about this? I will talk about what I didn't like, then I will share what I did like. This is likely lack paragraph form as my notes are super confusing for this book. Sorry.

Okay, so the beginning was interesting enough but the speech seemed a little bit off. It struck me as too simple and speech is one of my things. It can cause me to hate or to fall in love with a book. I think that dialogue sets the tone. It creates the characters. In this novel, it bothered me a lot because I could see that there was so much more to this book than the bad speech patterns. Suddenly, I found that some of the character (no spoilers!) spoke in a very bizarre way. It is discussed, yes, however, the change in speech seemed too fast. Fen has been interacting with two of the characters for some time before they seem anything more than formal. By the end of the novel, they sound childlike. They devolved. That shouldn't have happened. Solution? The author just needs to listen more closely to the way people speak and not change speech patterns half way through.

I despised the ending. It wasn't an ending. It was another middle...with no ending after it. The novel was short. There was no reason why that one last little bit couldn't have been discussed. Another novel still would have been possible if that's what the publishers were worried about. I mean, there was still the central problem for the...people. It didn't just have to stop. It made me uncomfortable and unhappy and three days later, I'm still mad about it. Why couldn't we have just finished the stupid thing? 

That said, I enjoyed the general storyline. I liked the magic and the characters (at their core). I enjoyed the beauty of the world in which they lived. I thought that Fen was interesting. I thought Luke was brave. I have to be honest thought, I much prefer Kaio. I also liked the names. I'm a sucker for strange names (as long as you can pronounce them, of course.) 

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I liked the novel...but it needed more work. It needed another few rounds of edits. It needed to have the speech double checked. Continuity and all that fun stuff. It needed to be dumbed down in some areas, and worked up in other areas. It just needed more work. Another six months of hard editing and work on this novel and it could have been amazing but, as it was, it was just too lacking and I doubt I will ever reread it because of this. If it wasn't for the fact that Fen couldn't stop thinking about how hot the characters were, I would suggest that this was for a younger group but I can't even claim that. Sorry.

Review: Meant To Be

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Lauren Morrill
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Rating: um er uh 
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Meant To Be from Goodreads): Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

So: This cover is fantastic. It's so beautiful. It was the original reason that I continually returned to it. It took me about two weeks to finally decide to buy it but the cover was what had me even considering it. Later, it would be the fact that I liked Anna and the French Kiss that would draw me to this novel. I love the idea of books with travel because it is an unique way to explore the world without actually leaving your bedroom...or classroom in which you are trapped and forced to listen to a professor drone on and on about who knows what. It is especially wonderful when the novel travels somewhere you have been before because you can remember what it was like. This novel did that. HOWEVER, those two people on the front do not look like teenagers in high school. They both look thirty and I don't like that cause it leads to unrealistic expectations. I'm not talking about the book, although that is true also. It leads to unrealistic expectations for young people to think they should be like this or like that. Rant over. Anyway...

I don't understand how these two managed to sneak around at all. When I went to Europe on a school trip, we couldn't get anywhere practically; yet, these two manage to run off for entire days at a time. I don't buy it but it doesn't pull anything away from the novel.

I was excited to find that I only saw the end coming in part. Surprises are great things and true surprises are pretty rare. Points for that.

What bothered me most about this novel is that Julia ignores a lot about Jason's past in the end, even the recent past. From what I saw, I wouldn't want to spend any time with that guy so she had the right idea in the beginning. I wouldn't be able to forget the fact that he made the beginning of the trip complete hell or that he made offensive gestures towards me. Later, those gestures are brought up again and make her life suck in that moment to. I would not be nearly as forgiving as she was. 

The novel was alright but there was nothing outstanding about it. I wasn't awed by the unique characters or the description of the amazing places they visited. I doubt that I'd read this novel again even though I could relate to the breaking out of roles Julia did during the course of the novel. It just wasn't incredible. It didn't blow me away. I enjoyed it but when it ended, I moved on easily without much thinking back on the novel. 

Basically: The novel was okay but I (for some reason...sorry author) expected more from this book. I most likely won't read it again but that shouldn't stop you from reading it a first time. If you liked Anna and the French Kiss than you might like this novel; although, Anna and the French Kiss is much better as is the love interest in it. If you've got the money and the time, this novel is decent. It's probably for high school age girls, if that helps you at all.

Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 420
Rating: 8 out of 10

**Spoiler Alert: This is part of a series. You can read the review for Throne of Glass here**

Summary (Goodreads was crowned King): From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My Thoughts: If I was Celaena, I would have totally gone crazy by now. I don't understand how she has managed to hold it all together...at least, she has managed to mostly keep herself together. I'm incredible impressed with her ability to do so. 

This is apparently going to be a very short review because the only thing I really want to talk about is the plot twists and sudden action that this novel is so good at producing. I knew that eventually something bad would have to happen but I never really saw the things coming. It was a good thing. Too often I see what's coming before it happens. In this novel, it was hard to see everyone's motivations before the moment they became important. On top of that, magic is so unpredictable that you could do nothing more than guess when it would cause something to happen. It was exciting.

Conclusion: This series is only getting better. I'm so excited for the next novel. Keep reading, folks!

Review: Throne of Glass

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 404
Rating: 8 out of 10

You can read Kristen's review: HERE

Summary (Goodreads rocks): After serving out a year of hard labor 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 king's 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.
My Thoughts: Let's jump right into it then...
The original cover for this book was awful. I would never have picked it off the shelf. It looked far too much like a middle school aged book. I can hardly read high school aged books anymore without changing plot points in my mind. If Kristen had not forced me to read this series, I probably would never have read it. That thought makes me sad. The new cover is about a million times better. Kristen's review (above) features the old cover if you are dying to see it.

I loved Celaena because she was strong but also weak in her own way. She had to fight so hard to survive that she had to be strong. Her moments of weakness damn near ripped my heart out of my chest. I'm glad that the author kept so much about her a mystery because it means that there will be so many interesting things to learn about her in the rest of the series. 

However, love triangle. I hate those things if they aren't done right. I think it's unnecessary that someone always gets hurt. Like for real? Every single girl in the world does not have multiple guys tripping over her. That just isn't how the world works. But I digress... In this case, the love triangle thing we had going wasn't too wretched. I managed to finish the book despite it. We will see what the rest of the series brings.

I like magic. I like assassins. I like mysteries. This novel has all of those things with a bit of love thrown in on the side with a lot of great action. 

To wrap this up, I just want to mention the third person perspective. I don't read a lot of novels using this writing style. I liked it. It allowed the readers to get inside the heads of many characters all at the same time. You got so much more that way. Of course, I have read novels like this in the past but it's not very common especially in young adult novels lately. It was a nice change that helped to set this novel apart from the others that I'd been reading lately.

Conclusion: I wasn't expecting too much from this series but they turned out to be super great. I would recommend this to everybody. Okay, maybe not everybody but most people. Who doesn't want a kick-ass character? Read it.

Review: The Glass Rainbow (Dave Robicheaux #18)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author:James Lee Burke
Format: Paperback
Pages: 560
Rating: 6 out of 10 (I guess...)

Summary (Goodreads version): James Lee Burke’s eagerly awaited new novel finds Detective Dave Robicheaux back in New Iberia, Louisiana, and embroiled in the most harrowing and dangerous case of his career. Seven young women in neighboring Jefferson Davis Parish have been brutally murdered. While the crimes have all the telltale signs of a serial killer, the death of Bernadette Latiolais, a high school honor student, doesn’t fit: she is not the kind of hapless and marginalized victim psychopaths usually prey upon. Robicheaux and his best friend, Clete Purcel, confront Herman Stanga, a notorious pimp and crack dealer whom both men despise. When Stanga turns up dead shortly after a fierce beating by Purcel, in front of numerous witnesses, the case takes a nasty turn, and Clete’s career and life are hanging by threads over the abyss.

Adding to Robicheaux’s troubles is the matter of his daughter, Alafair, on leave from Stanford Law to put the finishing touches on her novel. Her literary pursuit has led her into the arms of Kermit Abelard, celebrated novelist and scion of a once prominent Louisiana family whose fortunes are slowly sinking into the corruption of Louisiana’s subculture. Abelard’s association with bestselling ex-convict author Robert Weingart, a man who uses and discards people like Kleenex, causes Robicheaux to fear that Alafair might be destroyed by the man she loves. As his daughter seems to drift away from him, he wonders if he has become a victim of his own paranoia. But as usual, Robicheaux’s instincts are proven correct and he finds himself dealing with a level of evil that is greater than any enemy he has confronted in the past.

Set against the backdrop of an Edenic paradise threatened by pernicious forces, James Lee Burke’s The Glass Rainbow is already being hailed as perhaps the best novel in the Robicheaux series.

...Why is that so long? Does it really need to be that long? Come on people, get it together!

Anyway: I'll keep it short since the stupid blurb takes up so much space. This is the second (third?) novel I've read in this series. I like the series. I don't know why but I do. It's different than a lot of other stuff I read. By that I mean that the characters are waaaaaaaay different than in other books I read. It's not bad, just a fact.

This novel made me very angry at the end. I threw it because I had to reread it so many times than do some googling. This may be because my cousins were goofing around in the truck while I was trying to read, the hooligans!

Dave is always so certain that he's right. It bugs me because you can't really see where all this certainty comes from. It's not like the bad guy gives a lot of signs in the beginning. I'm going to chalk it up to my not reading the entire series and reading the ones I read not in any sort of order. Heck, I don't even know where this book came from. I swear they just appear on my shelves.

Not bad, not bad at all. Probably not reread material but I may look into the rest of the novels in the series when I've got some money...

Review: Headhunter (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #11)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Greg Cox
Format: Paperback
Pages: 343
Rating: 6 out of 10 (only cause it's not a reread kind of book for me)

Summary (hunted down on Goodreads): A package bearing no return address arrives at the Anthropology Department of the University of. Nevada...and a shocking discovery is made upon opening the box: a genuine shrunken head. At first, Gil Grissom and his team of crime scene investigators -- Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, and Greg Sanders -- consider this merely an oddity, a grisly relic from the past. But when all the evidence points to the fact that it's really the result of a gruesome modern-day murder, suspicions run high that a brutal serial killer with an unorthodox modus operandi may now be on the loose...

Thoughts from inside my head: Ah CSI books...sometimes they are good, other times not so much. I'm very picky about my CSI books. Different authors for each means different writing styles and different ways of describing things or writing action or doing this or saying that. It can really wear you down after **Goes to count how many CSI like novels she has** like 20ish books. 

This novel was written really well. I learned a great deal about the whole culture/history tie in thing they had going on. One of my favourite things about this novel is that you don't know who it is right from the beginning and spend the rest of the novel trying to catch them. By "you" I mean the CSI's. I guess who it was but I was just lucky, I usually don't when reading. Something is always held back to keep the murderer just out of reach. In this novel it wasn't frustrating; it was perfect. It kept you interesting, bouncing around the "who did it?" 

CSI books really need to stop picking on the Anthropology department! In the last one I read the Anthro department was involved and now it is again. On behalf of all Anthro majors (myself included), knock it off CSI! We know stuff...we could get away with kill you. Anyway...Bones is still on the air and only 1/3 CSI's is left so eat it. You're just jealous and it's unbecoming.

I would have liked to have a little bit more about why the killer did what they did. There is a little bit mentioned but I think it could have been better. Call in the BAU if you have to (CROSSOVER!!) but do something. I believed you, I just wanted a bit more explanation. Run with it.

So: What I've learned from this review is that I watch too many TV shows about crime/murder and that I also read about it (See my reviews for Kathy Reichs and Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY). I think maybe I should try to branch out. You, though? You should read the CSI book if you like the TV show. This was one of the better CSI novels I've read. CSI: Miami ones are still the best however.

Review: Blood Quantum (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #14)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jeff Mariotte
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads): The Las Vegas team of investigators has its hands full following a free-spending night at an exclusive nightclub which leaves the chairman of the Cloud Mountain Paiute Tribe dead. Already surrounded by controversy, the victim had a message scrawled in his own blood at the scene that would indicate a crime of revenge--and members of the chairman's inner circle aren't talking, which leads to a vicious cycle of violence and murder....?

What I think: My first problem with this novel is that it uses the two different shifts. I prefer the CSI novels that only use one crime for the plot. Following two, even if they merge into one in the end, is a lot of work. I get confused as to which characters are working which case; though, by the end, I figured out who was doing what. There is just too much science mixed in for my brain to keep up (in the beginning). This makes me take longer to read them. I bet watching the TV show more would solve this problem but who has time to catch up on four seasons?

Actually, this was one of the more complicated of the CSI novels just because of how many characters were involved with each case but I liked this novel a lot. I loved how everything was wrapped up. The cases went right to the last page of the novel which was a little bit weird because even on the TV show they get a few minutes of character nonsense. It wasn't bad, just odd. 

What else? The action was good. It didn't seem forced. It happened as I would expect after watching the TV show. The author didn't try to overdo it or anything.

Basically, I liked it. 

In Conclusion: A great one for CSI fans...duh. I have another CSI review coming...sometime. Not much of a rereadable novel but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I don't really know what to say here, sorry all.

Review: Return to Me (Last Chance Rescue #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Christy Reece
Format: Paperback
Pages: 330
Rating:  6 out of 10

Summary (I've returned to Goodreads): 
DESIRED TO DEATH 
Posing as an underage teenager, Samara Lyons is out to trap an online predator. Smart, fiery, and fresh off a broken engagement, Samara is up for the challenge. But this challenge might not be so easy. Her boss, Noah McCall, head of a private international corporation called Last Chance Rescue, can't disguise his raw, physical desire for Samara-and she's going crazy battling her own feelings for him. The middle of a high-stakes op, with the fate of dozens of innocent lives on the line, is not the time to indulge in sensual delights. 
Then the sting explodes, forcing Noah to face his dark past and throwing Samara into the middle of an evil tug-of-war. Noah must confront an enemy he knows better than anyone else in the world, while Samara must find a way to stay alive. Now it's no longer a matter of desire-it's all about survival.

So, I can't remember reading the first book in this series. I swear I have it and I've read it but I remember nothing of it but the cover. I can't even find it in my house. From what I gathered, that doesn't really matter. There are overlapping characters but it isn't a hundred percent necessary to read the others in the series. I say this because I am certain that I don't have the third one. Oh well...

Anyway, I enjoyed this novel. It was easy to follow and to understand. I'm sure I would have been drawn into the story more if I had known the characters from the previous novel. I most likely would have already known a bit about the characters. Maybe some facts about the characters would have been less of a jump or less sudden had I read it...but I didn't. Sigh. 

At times, it felt like information was given because the story would not have made sense without it. No, that last sentence didn't make any sense. Most novels give some information on characters or plot on an as needed basis because if the author gave all the information at once the reader would be overwhelmed and would forget what was important. It would also spoil the whole story line. This I understand and I respect because the author has to do it this way. I can't even claim to do anything different in my own writing. I'll also admit that some things are made up on the spot so that there are no plot holes. I understand this as well. I felt, however, that the information was so sudden, just a quick thought, that it was too easily missed. Other information was obviously important in the moment because of how it was said in the story. This whole paragraph isn't making much sense to me. I hope you can figure out what I'm trying to say. I think that the author could have put more into the thoughts of each character. Had this been done slowly, over time, when 'new' information arose it wouldn't feel so forced, so out of place.

Now about the ending...Half way through the novel, I felt like I had reached the end. Almost everything was wrapped up. After finishing the novel, this no longer bothers me but, at the time, I was looking at the unread pages wondering what they could possibly hold. It wasn't a waste of paper, space, or time. It was just a feeling I had. Thought after all the build up to the end, it all comes so suddenly. I didn't hate the ending, I won't tell you that I did. I won't even tall you that it was unsatisfying. It was just...I don't know, out of left field? I wanted more about how Noah came to the decision that he did. Three hundred pages, give me a little more about it!

Basically, I liked the novel. It was a fast enough read. The middle felt like the ending but, then again, so did the ending. We'll say that it felt like two novel in one without all that (sometimes) annoying (most of the time useful) recap information authors put at the beginning of sequels. The action kept me interested in the plot, enough so that I can over look the cliches. Reading the first novel in this series (or whatever it's called) is unnecessary but I think I read it (I need to take a memory test or something). Honestly, I probably won't be searching for the third novel. This doesn't mean that romance fans should ignore this novel. It will never be failed as the best book to come from its genre but it was worth the handful of hours it took to read. How's that for explaining my complicated and confusing thoughts on the topic of this novel?

Review: CSI: Binding Ties (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #6)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Max Allan Collins
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Bound to Goodreads): Ten years ago, Las Vegas was terrorized by "CAST" -- a vicious serial killer responsible for nearly half a dozen brutal murders, and who tested the mettle of the LVPD's new Captain, Jim Brass. After a two-year spree, CASt suddenly disappeared and has not been heard from...until now. Gil Grissom and his CSI team are called in to investigate a homicide that perfectly fits the notorious criminal's modus operandi. But all hell breaks loose when a reporter made famous by the original cases receives a letter from someone claiming to be CAST -- and who says he has nothing to do with the latest slaying.

Now the CSIs must stop someone who may be a copycat killer from striking again. ...even as a murderer from the past continues to evade capture, and isn't taking too kindly to rivals....

My Thoughts: Soooooo, I read the beginning of this novel twice. I'm almost a hundred percent positive. It didn't make a difference because eventually I found a part that I hadn't read before. I was confused to say the least but I moved on.

In the beginning, this was easy to follow. This soon turned out to be a lie. It wasn't impossible to understand. There were just so many characters. There was a copycat? There was an original? There were reporters and police? Never mind that there are like seven CSI characters to follow along with. It was practically, Anna Karenina! A million characters. Too much to follow.

The case was interesting enough though. There was solid action and some science behind it all. It was true to an episode of CSI. Kristen and I were talking about how strange it was that in an hour on TV you can get the whole story but it takes a couple hundred pages to get the same story in book format.

I've read a couple CSI and Criminal Minds novels now. They haven't really grown on me; I can't lie to you. They are a little dull for me. I want more character building and back story. There just isn't time to give the reader these things when there is so much about the case that they have to talk about. I understand that there are limitations, I just don't like them. For this reason, I can't give these books a 10. I do, however, have a couple more to read and review in the next few months...it should be interesting.

So: It's true to the TV show but not much for focusing on the characters. I don't really know how I feel about these types of novels. I won't be reading it again but if you're a hardcore fan of the TV show or the CSI:NY or CSI:Maimi or Criminal Minds novels, you should check out the normal CSI novels too. That's the best this novel is going to get out of me.

Review: Don't Look Back

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Rating: 7/10

Summary (look back to Goodreads): What if you had the chance to start again...but only if you promised never to look back? Samantha is popular, rich, and seemed to have it all...until the night she and her best 'frenemy' Cassie disappeared and only Sammy resurfaced, with no recollection of who she is or what happened. Sammy's a stranger in her own life - a life she no longer wants any part of. Losing her memory is a chance to start again. Then Sammy begins receiving mysterious notes warning her about that night, urging her to not look back. But she can't let it go. As she starts poking around in her past she begins to remember...and something sinister begins to surface.

My Thoughts: I really loved this novel, though it wasn't my favourite of Jennifer Armentrout's novels. I wanted to read it just because it was written by her but it turned out to be a pretty wonderful novel. It didn't seem like it was one of her novels (apparently it was written a while ago but just published? I don't know...). I'm so glad I read this novel.

The novel made me consider what it would be like to lose all my memories. Would I be the same person? Would I like the person I had been? Sam needed to relearn so much about herself. I couldn't even imagine what that would be like, never mind the fact that something horrible was involved and that she needed to fight for her memories to help her friend. I've never read a novel with a premise like this and I enjoyed the uniqueness. It was different and it gets bonus points for that.

I really felt for Sam. She really couldn't trust people or what they were telling her all the time. That would have been tough. I would not have been able to make it through this like she did. Points for being strong even when people were beginning to think she was crazy.

The ending has a solid twist. I mean, the person who did it was on my list but it was still a good choice. The ending was rather intense. The action was pretty sudden but it was really good. Kristen was mad, I was not. I might need to reread the novel just to see if it gives any hints as to who did it. I didn't notice too much foreshadowing but I also have a massive headache and cramps right now. If you read this novel and found some interesting foreshadowing moments, let me know without any spoilers for those who haven't read (that will be hard for you, I'm sure). 

It only took me a few hours to read this novel so it's perfect for that upcoming summer trip. I recommend checking this novel out. If you like mysteries and trying to figure them out than this is for you.

Basically: I want to read all of Jennifer Armentrout's novels. She's wonderful. I have a writer's crush on her. This was different than her other novels but I loved it. I'm not sure the category this novel falls under but I liked it. I would consider a reread, definitely. It's a wonderful mystery wrapped up in a good love story with enough high school drama to make you vomit. 

Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Seth Grahame-Smith
Format: Paperback
Pages: 433
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Summary (hunted down on Goodreads): Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

What I Think: I picked this book up because it had a cool cover and a movie to match it. I didn't expect what it would turn out to be. I didn't have high expectations for it either. I went into it with an open mind. Perhaps, my mind was too open. The novel starts out by stating the "facts". Yes, I realize that this novel is fiction and nothing more but constantly during my time spent reading this novel, I caught myself questioning reality. The author did a wonderful job of making it seem real. It was unbelievable. 

I love that the novel goes back and forth between diary passages and the author's comments. The author puts himself in the story as the narrator. He's almost like a lawyer arguing his case. It's like he's trying to prove that it's real and the passages are his proof. It's fascinating. I've never read anything that presents the story in this manner. I enjoyed it a great deal. It does however make the pages seem longer or...something. The novel isn't as long as it seems because of this back and forth and formatting changes. It's not distracting however.

There is enough fact woven into the fiction to make you pay attention. It also makes you feel bad for Lincoln. He had a lot of heart break and pain in his life according to this novel. It's really amazing that the character of Lincoln (not the real one, this review is confusing me) survived all that he did. The sudden dreams really through you off so watch out for those; the author is sneaky. 

There were some annoyingly large time gaps. I understand that I don't really want to read about 50 years of a life, I just wish that the time gaps would have been stated clearly and more often than they were. There were also a lot of characters that the reader has to keep straight. I eventually gave up trying and just started hoping for the best but between the number of characters and the amount of death in this novel, it's not an easy feat.

This was a fairly easy and fast read for me. I'll go with it not being a waste of time. It's not exactly a young adult work though. It's definitely a real grown up novel. I still love my young adult fiction to have thrown myself fully into this story. I wish I could. Maybe when I'm older, it'll get a reread just to see if the rating goes up.

Basically: I enjoyed this novel and it was really good at trying to trick you into thinking this is really how history went down. I love the novel for that. I thought this was interesting. If you like vampire stuff (Twilight excepted) or action novels then I recommend you at least give this book a quick scan as you walk past it in the book store. I liked it.

Movie: I have yet to watch it though I have it here at my house. I'll get back to you on it. I have to credit with the movie for spiking my interest in this novel in the first place. Without the movie, I would never have heard anything about this novel nor would it have had the cool movie cover that made me pick it up (I do judge books by the cover). I hope the movie is good.

Review: Swan Peek (Dave Robicheaux #17)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: James Lee Burke
Format: Paperback
Pages: 402
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (peeking at Goodreads): "James Lee Burke's new novel, Swan Peak, finds Detective Robicheaux far from his New Iberia roots, attempting to relax in the untouched wilderness of rural Montana. He, his wife, and his buddy Clete Purcell have retreated to stay at an old friend's ranch, hoping to spend their days fishing and enjoying their distance from the harsh, gritty landscape of Louisiana post-Katrina." But the serenity is soon shattered when two college are found brutally murdered in the hills behind where the Robicheauxs and Purcell are staying. They quickly find themselves involved in a twisted and dangerous mystery involving a wealthy, vicious oil tycoon, his deformed brother and beautiful wife, a sexually deviant minister, an escaped con and former country music star, and a vigilante Texas gunbull out for blood. At the center of the storm is Clete, who cannot shake the feeling that he is being haunted by the ghosts from his past - namely Sally Dio, the mob boss he'd sabotaged and killed years before.

My Thoughts: So, I didn't really realize what I was getting into with this novel. It's one of those novels that somehow manage to sneak onto your shelves without you noticing. Eventually you look at it and think "I don't know where you came from" so you pick it up and look at it for a minute. You proceed to ignore it because it isn't your top priority then suddenly you have free time (you bring it on a trip with you so you have to read it) and you finally read the book. This is the first novel in this series that I've read but it didn't bother me. The author provides enough information on the characters and whatever back story is needed that reading the others wasn't important. That's good because this isn't the usual novel I read and I don't plan on buying that other 17+ novels.

This story is less character focused and more plot/action oriented. It really just tells you the story. It gives you the information and expects you to keep up. I thought it was interesting. I liked the mystery and how it was all tied together. I enjoyed that I followed along trying to get ahead. It didn't bother me too much that it wasn't super excited. I managed. 

I found myself rooting for characters. Other characters I totally hated. It worked out how it should have been in that area expect that so many times I wanted to smash Clete upside the head.

For me, I don't consider this very high on the reread list. My being stuck mainly within the interest of the young adult genre kind of keeps my interest elsewhere. This was a bit like CSI novels though, if you like that. Let me know what you think about this novel.

Finally: I doubt that I would turn down another in this series but I'm not going to search for them. This novel isn't really my thing but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I enjoyed the mystery of it. If any of the labels speak to you and your favourite type of novels then check this one out!