ARC Book Review: Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite And Maritza Moulite

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Book: Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Expected Publication Is September 3, 2019 by Inkyard Press|Expected Number Of Pages: 384

Where I Got It: I received an e-ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime…

You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything?

Actually, a lot.

Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I’m spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a “spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own…and to hide a rather devastating secret.

All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks…like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse.

You know, typical drama. But it’s nothing I can’t handle. 

I wish I liked Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, but it was a hard book for me to get through, and I ended up not liking it.

It’s told in a mixed media format, so you see news articles, emails, texts, transcripts, and diary entries from both Alaine and her family.  That didn’t work at all in an e-book format.  It just didn’t look great, but keep in mind I was reading an advance copy, so I’m pretty sure it’ll look better once it’s actually published.

I did have a hard time getting through the book, and part of it is that the mixed media form of story-telling didn’t work in an e-book form.  A few parts of the text were out of order, and it’s hard to have a good flow when you start a new section or chapter in the middle of a sentence.  Again, I’m sure that will be fixed by the the time the book actually comes out, but it did affect my reading experience.

Part of why I struggled with the book was the random tangents.  We’d be reading things from Alaine’s point of view, and then suddenly, we’d be getting imagined emails between her mom and someone at GNN, where her mom used to work, or diary entries on a centuries old family curse.  Even though everything did tie together in the end, it didn’t make sense for most of the book.  I did finish the book wondering what it was supposed to be about.  There’s a lot going on, and while I did like the individual pieces, I don’t know that I liked all of them together.  I felt like it muddled the overall story to the point that I wasn’t sure what the story was supposed to be about.

I did like the family relationships, and that was something I did like about the book.  You don’t really see that in YA, and it was really refreshing to read.  It was nice to see how they developed and changed over time but I wish we saw more of it.

Alaine had a really strong voice, and I wish we saw more of it.  It did take a backseat to some of the other things we see in the book, and I’m a little sad about that because I felt like it took away from her story.

My Rating: 1 star.  I really wish I liked this book more, but it just didn’t work for me.  I think it would work great in physical form, but as a digital ARC, it was hard to get through.  There were parts of the book I liked, but it wasn’t enough for me to really get into the book.

Book Review: Archangel’s Legion by Nalini Singh

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Book: Archangel’s Legion by Nalini Singh

Published October 2013 by Penguin|384 pages

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

Series: Guild Hunter #6

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Nalini Singh, the New York Times bestselling “alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) returns to an immortal world of violent passion and lethal power…on the brink of a deadly archangelic war.

Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicious, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly of disease.

Guild hunter Elena Deveraux and the Archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, leaving New York a ruin and Raphael’s Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, an even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York…and on Raphael. Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same… 

 

I really liked Archangel’s Legion!  I definitely liked it a lot more than the last couple of books, and I’m glad we got back to Elena and Raphael.

It’s not that I don’t like reading about the other characters, because I do.  But we started with Elena and Raphael, and I’m glad their story has continued.  I just love them as a couple and they balance each other out really, really well.

There’s a lot going on with this book, and I feel like this is going to be the turning point in the series.  With a Tower that’s under siege, and the archangel’s getting more powerful, things are getting really interesting.  The world’s changing, and the Cascade is pretty much the reason for that.  I wish we knew a little bit more about it, but maybe that will come up in the books to come.

That’s what I’m hoping, anyway.  I mean, I’m sure we’ll see how much things change, and if alliances are formed between all of the arachangels, and how the divides that will form.  I’m assuming all of the archangels will be pitted against each other, but maybe they’ll all unite against one really bad force.  It’s hard to say, at least right now, but I’ll find out once I keep reading.

There’s a major battle- against Liujan, of course- and I have the feeling it’s far from over.  Things have taken a turn for the worse, and things are going to get a lot worse before they start to get better.  It’s romance, so of course everything is going to end happily ever after…at least eventually.

This world is a lot more cruel and cold, so maybe not, but you never know.  Still, I’m pretty hopeful things are going to be fine in the end.  It just might take a while to get there.

4 stars.  I really liked the story, and I’m glad we’re back to Elena and Raphael!  Hopefully, we’ll stay with them for a while but with things going the way they are, I have the feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of other characters.  It’s not going to stop me from reading on to see what happens.

Book Review: These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

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Book: These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

Published May 2019 by Razorbill|336 Pages

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

Series: These Witches Don’t Burn #1

Genre: YA Paranormal

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she’s ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah’s concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah’s sure it’s the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

Isabel Sterling’s delightful, suspenseful debut is equal parts sweet romance and thrilling mystery. With everything she loves on the line, Hannah must confront this murderous villain before her coven–and any chance she has with the new girl–is destroyed.

I really liked These Witches Don’t Burn!  I wasn’t sure what to expect but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.

I really love this take on Salem and the witches that live there.  It’s definitely different, and I liked how current day Salem was tied to the Salem that we know from the Salem witch trials.  It really did tie together really well, and Sterling did a great job with connecting everything.

In a lot of ways, it’s a pretty typical story.  There are witch hunters, witches can’t tell mortals, and there’s a council overseeing everything.  I didn’t mind it, though, and it was pretty interesting to see the mystery unravel.  People are definitely not who I thought they were, and it was hard to know who to trust.  I was a little bit surprised by the revelations and now I kind of want to go back and re-read the book to see if I can pick up on anything.

The story did feel pretty realistic, and the weird things that are happening could be done by anyone.  I was surprised by some of the things in the book, but I felt like things were revealed pretty naturally.

I liked Hannah, though I didn’t love her.  I felt for her, though, and she had a lot going on, from the beginning of the book to the very end.  Especially at the end of the book.  I wasn’t a fan of Veronica and her love interest Savannah, and it seemed like Savannah had a lot of issues she needed to work out.

I get where Savannah’s coming from, and that she’s not ready to come out, but I also thought she was pretty horrible to Hannah for a good chunk of the book.  Veronica was pretty careless at times as well, and she was pretty terrible to Hannah at times.

Hannah was sweet, though, and you can tell she’s really earnest.  She wants to help and do good, and it shows.  It makes her really endearing, and I’m curious to see how the events of this book will change her.  If it does, but I don’t see her staying the same person she was in this book.

4 stars.  I really liked These Witches Don’t Burn.  It was fun and intriguing, and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

ARC Book Review: Wild Savage Stars by Kristina Perez

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Book: Wild Savage Stars by Kristina Perez

Expected Publication Is August 27 2019 by Imprint|Expected Number Of Pages: 384 pages

Where I Got It: I received an e-ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review

Series: Sweet Black Waves #2

Genre: YA

Inspired by the legend of Tristan and Iseult, Wild Savage Stars is the spellbinding sequel to Sweet Black Waves.

Branwen has a secret powerful enough to destroy two kingdoms.

Her ancient magic led to a terrible betrayal by both her best friend, the princess Essy, and her first love, Tristan. Now this same magic is changing Branwen. Adrift in a rival court, Branwen must hide the truth from the enemy king by protecting the lovers who broke her heart―and finds herself considering a darker path.

Not everyone wants the alliance with Branwen’s kingdom to succeed―peace is balanced on a knife’s edge, and her only chance may be to embrace the darkness within…

I really liked Wild Savage Stars!  It’s a great follow-up to Sweet Black Waves, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

This book picks up where the first book left off, and in this book, we see Essy and Branwen in Kernyv.  We spend quite a bit of time with Tristan’s family- especially Marc and Ruan.  Branwen’s relationship with Marc was particularly interesting, and I hope they’re able to move past everything.

I will say, though, that a lot of the characters have messy and complicated relationships with each other.  Branwen and Essy’s relationship has changed a lot as well, and there is one moment in particular that I’m really curious about.  I won’t give it away here, but it is a moment that really changes things between them.  There are a few things that change their relationship over the course of the book, and they all stand out, but this one really stands out, and I’m not sure why.

With those moments between Branwen and Essy, I did find myself wanting to see things from Essy’s point of view.  I would love to get inside her head, even for a chapter or two, just to see what’s going on in her head.

I really love the world, and I really felt immersed in it.  I don’t know what it is about this world but I really like it, and I can picture everything so clearly.  There’s just something about the world and the magic and the characters that keep me reading.  I would love to see this as a movie or tv show, especially if it focused on Branwen.

Something else I really like about this book is that it does focus on Branwen, and how she sees the story of Tristan and Isolde unfold.  It is great to see their story from someone else’s perspective, and I’m getting more interested to see how everything is going to end.  I’m assuming this series is going to be a trilogy, because the story is far from over, and I honestly can’t see how it’s going to be more than three books.

With the first book, I was a little concerned how the story would work over the course of a series, but I was worried about nothing.  Perez has broken up the story in books really, really well, and so far, the two books have ended in a pretty good place.  I want to keep reading, and even though they don’t end on cliffhangers, the endings are still really great endings that make me interested to see what will happen next.

4 stars.  I really liked Wild Savage Stars, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Book Review: Archangel’s Storm by Nalini Singh

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Book: Archangel’s Storm by Nalini Singh

Published September 2012 by Penguin Group|315 pages

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

Series: Guild Hunters #5

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Enter New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly beautiful world of archangels and immortal power, as a pact is sealed between two souls bound by blood, stirred by desire, and driven by vengeance…

With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

I liked Archangel’s Storm!  This one was interesting and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

It was nice getting a book focusing on Jason.  He’s a pretty mysterious guy, and it was great to learn more about him.  I did like Jason and Mahiya together, and I’m curious to see how that works out.  Considering everything Jason does, he’s probably going to be away quite a bit, but still, I can’t help but like them together.

I really, really liked Mahiya.  She’s had to deal with a lot, and I can’t imaging being in Neha’s court as her niece.  There’s a lot of family history we didn’t know until this book, but I’m glad we know it.  I feel like it explained a lot about Neha, and I feel like I understand her better.  It’s too bad we don’t get more about her consort, who’s only been mentioned, but I’m honestly glad we get the backstory.

We do get more of Dmitri and Honor in this book, and I was a little disappointed with that.  Mostly because I just read their book, and I didn’t need more of them in this one.  But I also wanted more of Jason and Mahiya and they took away from that.  Even though their chapters were pretty scattered throughout the book, I still wanted less of them and more of Jason and Mahiya.

I do want to know if everything we learn about Neha’s family will go somewhere in the books to come.  I hope so, because it did catch my interest.  I wasn’t expecting that to happen, but once I knew, I really wanted more.

3 stars.  I liked Archangel’s Storm but I wish we had more of Jason and Mahiya and less of Dmitri and Honor.

Book Review: The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

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Book: The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Published May 2019 by Alfred A Knopf Books For Young Readers|224 pages

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

Series: None

Genre: YA Mystery

Nothing’s been the same for Beth Teller since the day she died.

Her dad is drowning in grief. He’s also the only one who has been able to see and hear her since the accident. But now she’s got a mystery to solve, a mystery that will hopefully remind her detective father that he is still alive, that there is a life after Beth that is still worth living.

Who is Isobel Catching, and why is she able to see Beth, too? What is her connection to the crime Beth’s father has been sent to investigate–a gruesome fire at a home for troubled youth that left an unidentifiable body behind? What happened to the people who haven’t been seen since the fire?

As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another…

I’m not sure how I feel about The Things She’s Seen.  It’s interesting but I was as interested in it as I thought I would be.

The Things She’s Seen are narrated by Catching and Beth, and their stories are pretty distinct.  Catching’s story is told through poetry, while Beth’s is not.  Catching’s story felt more like she was telling a story, and it felt very rooted in folklore or oral storytelling, while Beth’s story is more rooted in the present day solving a mystery.  It made the narrators very distinct, and it was easy to tell who was narrating.  They alternate sections, and even without looking at who was supposed to be narrating, I knew who had taken over the story.

I will say that Catching’s part of the story slowed things down for me.  I wanted to get back to the mystery Beth was trying to solve with her dad from beyond the grave, and Catching’s story felt like it veered away from that.  Even though we know what happens in the end, and that it’s clearly spelled out in Beth’s sections, I just wasn’t into this story.  It’s not for me, but I can see why so many people love it.  I really wish I was one of them.

This book is definitely for people who like very creepy mysteries, and I most certainly am not the type of reader that will love this book.  I like creepy stories, I like mysteries, but this one just didn’t work for me.  The setting is really creepy, but the characters and writing didn’t grab me the way I thought it would.

2 stars.  The Things She’s Seen just wasn’t for me.  I liked that the two narrators were very distinct and there is a creepy feel to the book but overall, it was just okay.

Book Review: Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh

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Book: Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh

Published September 2011 by Berkley|336 pages

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

Series: Guild Hunter #4

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is back in the shadows of a deadly, beautiful world where angels rule, vampires serve, and one female hunter must crawl out of the darkness to survive…

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more… 

I liked Archangel’s Blade!  This one is definitely interesting, but I don’t know that I like it as much as the other books in the series.

This book focused on two different characters- Dmitri and Honor.  It’s interesting to follow two different characters, especially Dmitri.  I’m glad we got to know him more, because he’s definitely an interesting character.  I can’t remember how much we’ve seen of Honor, or even if she’s been mentioned.  If she has, it clearly hasn’t made an impression on me, though her story was sad but also interesting.  Still, I was more interested in Dmitri’s story.

I’m disappointed that we didn’t get more of Raphael and Elena, because I really like both of them.  They make appearances, of course, so we still know what’s going on, but I’m hoping we get back to their world.

I guess this is where I have mixed feelings.  On the one hand, we’ve had a few books focusing on Raphael and Elena, and we were suddenly pulled from their story to see the series focus on someone else.  But at the same time, there are a lot of characters, and with someone like Dmitri around, it’s also nice to see what’s going on with some of the other characters.  So hopefully, we’ll see a balance of Raphael and Elena and some of the other characters.

I don’t know how I feel about Dmitri and Honor.  Of all the vampires Honor could have chosen, she went with Dmitri?  It’s just so strange, given what he’s into, and what’s happened to her.  It seems like she’s a reincarnation of his mortal wife, but something about them just didn’t sit right with me.  Since they’ve had their book, hopefully future books will focus on some of the other characters, and we’ll just see them in passing.  I’m not sure if I’d be interested in another book about them.

3 stars.  While I don’t love Dmitri and Honor as a couple, I still liked Archangel’s Blade, and I’m hoping we get back to Raphael and Elena soon.

Book Review: This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

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Book: This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

Published June 2019 by HarperTeen|400 pages

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

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Katsuyamas never quit—but seventeen-year-old CJ doesn’t even know where to start. She’s never lived up to her mom’s type A ambition, and she’s perfectly happy just helping her aunt, Hannah, at their family’s flower shop.

She doesn’t buy into Hannah’s romantic ideas about flowers and their hidden meanings, but when it comes to arranging the perfect bouquet, CJ discovers a knack she never knew she had. A skill she might even be proud of.

Then her mom decides to sell the shop—to the family who swindled CJ’s grandparents when thousands of Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps during WWII. Soon a rift threatens to splinter CJ’s family, friends, and their entire Northern California community; and for the first time, CJ has found something she wants to fight for.

I didn’t like This Time Is Different as much I thought I would, but I still liked it.

CJ was interesting, and I love that she’s into flower arranging.  I feel like that’s not something a lot of people are into, and that definitely stood out.  She really was happy helping out at the family flower shop, and it was really important to both CJ and Hannah.  I didn’t love her, but I can’t really figure out why.  She was really hard on people, and not willing to give them second chances.  Which is understandable but she let it get in the way of other things.

Fighting for the flower shop, and changing the name of the school was really important to her, and it was interesting to see her fight for that.  There are issues along the way, including working with someone she doesn’t like.  Which I completely understand, after hearing what had happened.  But it was middle school, and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt..maybe she has changed.

I felt like I learned a little bit more about Japanese internment and the effects it had.  It’s not something I really remember from history class in school, but it had this huge affect on CJ’s town, even decades later.  It very much affected her family, and it became really important to her to fight for her community.

The characters in This Time Will Be Different are very human and very flawed.  I liked that because they felt so very real.  They have a lot of really difficult conversations, and there aren’t easy answers but I think a lot of the characters learn a lot about themselves along the way.

I know for me, I really wanted the flower shop to be saved, and was disappointed it wasn’t, but things don’t always work out how we want them to.  Hopefully, CJ will find something she loves as much as she loved the flower shop and she’ll find something she’s really passionate.  Maybe she’ll stick with the flower arranging but maybe not.  She has a lot of options, I think.

3 stars.  I liked This Time Will Be Different but I didn’t love it.

Around The Internet #16

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Hey there!  I hope this week has been treating you well.  I’ve found some pretty cool things for this edition of Around The Internet, and it’s pretty photo heavy this time.  Enjoy!

That’s all for today, and I hope it’s a good one for you!

Book Review: Archangel’s Consort by Nalini Singh

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Book: Archangel’s Consort by Nalini Singh

Published January 2011 by Berkley|352 pages

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

Series: Guild Hunters #3

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil.

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders. The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

I really liked Archangel’s Consort.  There’s a lot going on in this book, and I think it’s a great addition to the series.

In this book, we see Raphael and Elena back in New York.  Caliane is waking, and things are changing in this world.  She’s supposed to be really powerful- more than Lijuan.  I’m having trouble picturing it, but I also want to see how that plays out.  I think I’m having trouble with it because we’re meeting her for the first time in this book, though she’s been mentioned before.  And I feel like we don’t know a lot about her.

The world is changing because of Caliane, but I’m hoping it goes back to normal.  As normal as a world like this can be.  We also see how Elena gets drawn into things because of an attack at a high school.  Her sister is involved, and I wasn’t expecting that to happen at all.  I thought Elena was the only one with Hunter abilities, but we learn she’s not, and that she seems to have a pretty interesting family history.

I wonder if all of the angels and archangels are affected by what’s going on with Caliane.  Raphael is, and I think a few others are as well, but I’m having a little trouble remembering.  For some reason, I feel pretty fuzzy on the details but either way, Raphael doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him, especially where his mother is concerned.  I want to know how it’s all connected.

4 stars.  I really liked Archangel’s Consort.  I wish I had more to say about it, and that I remembered more of it, but I still enjoyed reading it.