Book: Renegade by Cambria Hebert

Published May 2013 by Smashwords|240 pages

Where I Got It: I got the e-book from the Nook store

Series: Heven & Hell #4

Genre: YA Paranormal

I’ve been beautiful. I’ve been ugly. I’ve died. I’ve been brought back. I’ve had abilities awakened within me. My strength has been tested. My beliefs have been tested.

Yet I stand.

What’s next when you’ve pretty much experienced it all?

The end.

Sam and I are picking up the pieces. We’re trying to come to terms with all we’ve lost. And as much as I would like to hide my head, ignore the reality I live every day, there is no forgetting.

Riley is in hell—I’m still not sure of his agenda. My mother’s past haunts me. And Kimber… Kimber is being herself. Cole sneaks glances at Gemma and she returns them when she thinks I don’t see.

But I do.

When Beelzebub escapes he brings his war to places I never thought he would. Earth. Maine. Home. Now everyone and everything is at risk. This has become bigger than my circle of friends. This has become bigger than me. I have to finish this. I have to find a way to stop him, to finish this war.

I just pray we will all be left standing in the end.

I’ve really enjoyed the other books in this series, and Renegade was no exception!  I think I liked it about the same as Tirade, maybe a little more.

I definitely got pulled back into this world, which I really like.  It’s different than a lot of other paranormal books I’ve read, and it was nice to jump back into Heven’s life.

Everyone got the ending they deserved, and I’m glad things worked out for so many characters.  There were some unexpected happenings, but even then, I wasn’t too surprised they happened (even if I didn’t want things to go that way).

Still, the one person I wanted to know more about was Kimber!  She’s definitely her selfish, jealous self in this one, and her story is the one that felt the most unresolved to me.  I’m really curious about what happened to her more than anyone else because of that.  And there is something about it that leaves me hoping (at least a little) that there’s at least one book set in this world about her.  It’s the same with Riley, at least in terms of slightly unfinished story lines.

While things are (mostly) resolved, there are I few things I’m slightly curious about because there weren’t a lot of details.  Like, the girl that China killed in the first book…did the family ever get closure with what happened to her?  And did Sam ever find his peace with what happened?

Also: the real reason why Heven’s mom thought she was marked for hell.  We get more of that backstory, but not enough to make me happy!  And I wish Gran had more of a role in the series, but particularly this book, with some of the things that Gran’s been hiding.  She’s such an awesome character, and her few appearances makes me wish we saw more of her.

3 stars.  I thought it was a really good conclusion to the series, and I’m sad that it’s over (but at least there are novellas to read!) but there was something about this book that was slightly repetitive.  Still, I liked it!

Book: Conspiracy Of Blood And Smoke by Anne Blankman

Published April 2015 by Balzer + Bray|325 pages

Where I Got It: I checked out the e-book from the library

Series: Prisoner Of Night And Fog #2

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Acclaimed author Anne Blankman returns to the shadowy and dangerous world of 1930s Germany in this thrilling sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog, perfect for fans of Code Name Verity.

The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives in England, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside down. When she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped—and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time—or will Hitler discover them first?

I really liked Conspiracy Of Blood And Smoke!  It’s a really good follow-up to Prisoner Of Night And Fog, and while I didn’t like it as much as the first book, I still really liked it!

I think what I love most about this book (much like its predecessor) is that it takes places in the years leading up to World War 2.  And that it’s about a girl who used to be a part of Hitler’s inner circle.  I think why I like it so much is because it’s such a different take on World War 2, and I feel like it’s a story that isn’t told often in historical fiction.  Well, from what I’ve read, but I could be wrong on that.  Still, this really is one of my favorite aspects of the book because you do see the events that take place before World War 2.

While Prisoner Of Night had events that were seen up close, in Conspiracy, we see them viewed from a distance.  Which still made the book interesting to me, because I feel like it added something different.  Being far away, and knowing what was happening, but not how bad, and getting the feeling that everyone else doesn’t realize how bad things are.

I really am impressed with the amount of research that Blankman has done.  I really felt like she knew much more about what was going on than I ever will, and those details really came across throughout the book.  I loved the author’s note at the end, as well as the selected bibliography.

Part of me also wants another book in the series, because I really felt like there was more to Gretchen and Daniel’s story, but at the same time, it was also a good way to end this duology.  And even though we know what will happen, I still spent most of the wanting and hoping for a different outcome, even knowing it wouldn’t happen.

As for Gretchen and Daniel, I liked that they struggled with the idea that maybe things wouldn’t work out between them.  I’m still not sure how I feel about their relationship, because I found the historical stuff much more interesting.  But things weren’t easy for them, and I did like that, because they had to fight for it.  And after everything they’ve been through, I felt like their relationship had something that wasn’t there for me in the first book.

4 stars.  I really liked Conspiracy, and I’m looking forward to any historical fiction that Blankman writes, especially if they’re as well-researched as this one!  I also loved that we get see what Germany was like before World War 2 starts.

Book: Unraveled by Gennifer Albin

Published October 2014 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux|209 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: Crewel World #3

Genre: YA Dystopic/Fantasy/Sci-FiAutonomous. Independent. Dangerous. They tried to control her. Now she’ll destroy them.

Things have changed behind the walls of the Coventry and new threats lurk in its twisted corridors. When Adelice returns to Arras, she quickly learns that something rotten has taken hold of the world and Cormac Patton needs her to help him reestablish order. However, peace comes at a terrible price. As the Guild manipulates the citizens of Arras, Adelice discovers that she’s not alone, and she must let go of her past to fight for mankind’s future. She will have to choose between an unimaginable alliance and a deadly war that could destroy everyone she loves.

I really liked Crewel, but as the series has gone on, I’ve liked it less and less.  I’m not really sure how I feel about Unraveled- I’m definitely all over the place when it comes to this book!

I really was expecting more of a showdown between Cormac and Adelice, and the previous two books really made it seem liked the ending was going to be something big and action-packed, and I feel like we didn’t get that.  I also felt like the ending was rushed, and while it’s ambiguous/open-ended, I still feel pretty confident in how things will turn out for a couple of the characters. I also wish we saw more of what life was like after the people in Arras made their way to earth.

It’s also pretty slow-paced, and nothing really happens until you get to maybe the last quarter of the book. Maybe that’s why I felt slightly disappointed with how things ended.  I wanted to see Adelice fully use her abilities (old and new) and I felt like we didn’t really get enough of that in the book.  She seemed different somehow- I know she wanted to protect her sister, and who knows what happened while she was gone (months in Earth time, years in Arras time), and now that I think about it, part of me wishes we got to see part of that.

Still, I just love the idea of weaving too much to hate the book.  Part of me is glad I read this one, just because I wanted to know how it all ended, but there is part of me that maybe thinks the concept worked really well in the first & second book, but not so much in this one.  Something about this one didn’t feel as convincing as the previous two, and I kind of lost interest, which makes me sad, because I really wanted to like it so much more than I did.

Things are resolved enough, but not as much as I wanted- it felt like things were introduced, only to be never heard about again, and it makes me wish that the book were longer (or that there was another book in the series, maybe more books would have helped).

2 stars.  Unaltered was okay, and sadly, it wasn’t the ending I was expecting.  Which is unfortunate, because I really love the premise of the series as a whole.  I wish I had more to say about Unaltered, but I really don’t.

Book: In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-The-Counter Look At At The Fast Food Chain That Breaks All The Rules by Stacy Perman

Published April 2009 by Harper Business|345 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction/Business/FoodThe untold story of the renegade burger chain that evokes a passionate following unlike any other.

In fast-food corporate America, In-N-Out Burger stands apart. Begun in a tiny shack in the shadow of World War II, this family-owned chain has stead­fastly refused to franchise or be sold. It is a testament to old-fashioned values and rem­iniscent of a simpler time when people, loyalty, and a freshly made, juicy hamburger meant something. Over time, In-N-Out Burger has become nothing less than a cultural institu­tion that can lay claim to an insanely loyal following.

Perman uses her investigative skills to uncover the story of a real American success story. It is not only a tale of a unique and profitable business that exceeds all expectations, but of a family’s struggle to maintain a sustainable pop empire against the industry it helped pioneer, internal tensions, and a bitter lawsuit that threatened to bring the company to the brink.

This is a lesson in a counterintuitive approach to doing business that places quality, customers, and employees over the riches promised by rapid expansion. In-N-Out Burger is a keenly observed narrative that explores the evolution of a California fad that transformed into an enduring cult of popularity; it is also the story of the conflicted, secretive, and ultimately tragic Snyder family who cooked a billion burgers and hooked a zillion fans. As the story of In-N-Out Burger unfolds, so too does the cultural history of America as influenced and shaped by car culture and fast food.

As a Southern Californian, I’m super-familiar with In-N-Out but not the story behind the company or the family that owns/founded In-N-Out, so when I saw this book at the library, I knew I had to read it!

Parts of the book were completely fascinating, but overall, it was just okay for me.

I think it’s important to note that Perman was unable to talk to In-N-Out, but she did interview a lot of other people, as well as look at Census Bureau records.  Unfortunately, I’ve returned the copy back to the library, so I couldn’t tell you all of the work she put into researching, but what I’ve mentioned is all I can remember as far as that goes.  Still, she had plenty of material to work with, but it would have been really interesting if she could have interviewed the family.

It is a really interesting look at the coupe who started In-N-Out, and it’s as about them and how the company because the company we know today as it is about the fast food industry.  What really stood out was how important the quality of ingredients were, and how Snyder had a really good relationship spanning decades with the vendors.  What also stands out is how important good customer service was, how important good wages and promoting from within are, and how important it is to do something really well.  And that staying small is really important too.

I didn’t know that they were such good friends with the Karchers, the family that founded Carl’s Jr., but it was interesting that they saw each other as colleagues and friends, not competitors.

It is more business-y than I was expecting, and that made it a little bit hard to get through at times, especially when Perman was talking about the trusts put in place to make sure that it stays in the family.  I also think that it’s a book a lot of people might find interesting to some degree (even people who have never been to In-N-Out) but I think it’s devoted legions of fans will find it super-interesting.

2 stars.  While there were a few interesting things in the book, it was more business-y than I thought it would be, and the book did get bogged down in that.

Book: Help For The Haunted by John Searles

Published July 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks|362 paperbacks

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: None

Genre: Adult Fiction- Horror/Suspense/Mystery/Thriller

What It’s About: 

John Searles’s Help for the Haunted is an unforgettable story of a most unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery.

Sylvie Mason’s parents have an unusual occupation—helping “haunted souls” find peace. After receiving a strange phone call one winter’s night, they leave the house and are later murdered in an old church in a horrifying act of violence.

A year later, Sylvie is living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened to their parents. Now, the inquisitive teenager pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night—and to the truth about her family’s past and the secrets that have haunted them for years.

Capturing the vivid eeriness of Stephen King’s works with the compelling quirkiness of John Irving’s beloved novels, Help for the Haunted is that rare story that brings to life a richly imagined and wholly original world.

What I Thought:

I was really intrigued by Help For The Haunted, but it wasn’t what I expected.  It was okay for me, and it definitely had its creepy moments, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.

I think the biggest problem is that even after a couple days after finishing the book, I couldn’t remember much about it.  Other than her sister being sent away to a school to “help” troubled kids (read: her sister was sent away because she’s lesbian) and her dad wanting to keep doing his work even though her mom didn’t want to, not much stands out.  Her sister also doesn’t really seem to care about Sylvie at all, and I can’t help but think that Sylvie would be better off without her.

I vaguely remember the ending, which was boring and didn’t quite fit with the rest of the book.  It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, and while I don’t know what would make for a better ending, I also didn’t care for it, because it seemed so random and out of place.

The book also jumps between past and present and quite frequently, I found myself confused about what was past and was present.  I also wish we saw more of the actual help for the haunted, instead of the aftermath of everything that happened.  I mean, you do sort of see it, but not really.

My Rating: 

2 stars.  It didn’t really capture my attention, and I thought I’d be getting a very different story than what’s described in the summary.

Book: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Published June 2013 by St Martin’s Griffin|216 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

What It’s About: 

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars…

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself. 

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable. 

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present. 

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

What I Thought:

I’ve heard some really good things about Charm & Strange, but I had a hard time getting into it.  It was definitely frustrating to read, and it was confusing, and Win/Drew is definitely unreliable as a narrator, which is actually one of the things I liked about the book.

Since Win/Drew is so unreliable, you’re not sure what to believe or what’s going on, and that’s always interesting to me, but this was a case where my own confusion overshadowed everything else.  Win/Drew had to deal with some horrible things, most of which weren’t said outright, so you have to come to your own conclusions about what happened…and even then, you’re not completely sure if what you think happened was actually what happened.  At least, I have my ideas on what happened, but only in the vaguest sense, s if you’re looking for specifics, you’re out of luck.  And this is definitely one of those books where everything makes more sense by the end of the book.  Which is fine, but it’s not something I’m a big fan of in general.

I did like seeing what happened in Win/Drew’s past, but the mystery surrounding it made it hard for me to empathize with him.  It is an interesting way to deal with something so tough, and I don’t blame Win/Drew for trying (unsuccessfully) to move on.  It just didn’t work for me.  It was definitely drawn out and becomes obvious, and there’s something about it that makes me think of Liar, which I read and thought was okay.

I think I would have preferred that the issues be faced head on, instead of shrouded in mystery, because not knowing didn’t work in the vague way that the story was told.

My Rating:

2 stars.  Mostly because it’s an okay story, but also because I really can’t work up any energy to actually care.