The Book Blog at the End of the Universe

I actually finished reading this book about 3 weeks ago and chose to sit on the review for a while to get my thoughts together. If there was ever going to be a story called gritty, raw and real it's this collection of memoirs. This is Nicole's journey through emotional turmoil, drug use, grief and recovery. I went through a roller coaster of emotion while reading about her story and I have to say I am very conflicted about the book after finishing both stories. 

Memoirs Aren't Fairytales is the gem in this collection for me. We meet Nicole at the end of her drive to start a new life in Boston with her best friend Eric. Trying to escape a horrible experience in college that has left her with more scars than she will admit, we watch the two of them struggle with paying rent, finding jobs and falling head first into the drug world of Boston. Reading two teenagers struggling this hard and then sliding into what you as a reader know is going to be a horrific road ahead is hard to handle but it was beautifully written. You can almost feel all the emotions that Nicole is going through and her slow decent into hell. Other than the fact that the end seemed really rushed, it gave you a huge range of events that Nicole experiences without feeling scatted. I felt like this first book was as detailed as you could possibly get without losing that character depth that makes up a great book and it succeeded in showing the aspects of a drug world that aren't rosy without being blatantly lewd. 

The second book, Scars of a Memoir, however really didn't do it for me. Coming out of jail and into the real world again, you'd expect Nicole to stumble and fail at points, and that was totally fine with me, however what transpires doesn't seem real to me. Take for example, Mark, her once boss turned savior in the form of love. Is it realistic that someone so tied to her past would be able to keep her straight when it turned to drugs? I doubt this. That and the fact he didn't really do anything to help her with her problem even though he has his own brother that struggled with substance abuse and he should have known better just felt wrong to me. In fact, the way she ran into all these people that had some connection to her previous version of life just seemed force not organic and it turned me off. Add the ending in and I was completely befuddled when I finished. The only thing that seemed to flow correctly was Nicole's transition from drug addicted to helping the addicted. I could see that in her heart that's the kind of person she was and was the only consistent story line from the first book to the second that made any sense. 

I struggled to rate this book because of how polarizing I felt from one book to the next. I loved the first, thought it was great story telling mixed with character development and raw actions that held my attention from beginning to end. I would give the first story a 5 if I could rate them separately. The second book disappointed me thoroughly. It didn't create new characters with staying power, and fell into a hole with the past invading but not influencing the present. Too many things just felt wrong to me that I would only give it a 2. In the end I gave it a 3 because I would recommend the first book to everyone but the second I just can't get over

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-memoirs-collection-by-marni-mann.html

Ever wondered how your favorite literary characters would fair in a Celebrity Death Match with each other? I feel like this collection of short stories was exactly that. Twenty Three of the best thriller writers set out to create unique experiences with characters that all of their fans will know. Faceoff was something I never saw coming and I am terribly happy that I agreed to read this title because I came away with some delightful reads and a few shocks along the way.

From Michael Connelly's detective hero Harry Bosch coming to my own backyard Boston to run into Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie to the King of all horror madness R.L. Stine creating a crazy story with Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston, these aren't stereotypical stories thrown together because they just read the same. Each story was unique and interesting, while still giving you that jolt of energy and surprise that most thriller junkies have come to expect from these masters of trade. It's very clear that these are masters of their trade form page one to the end.

That being said, I have to tell you that as someone who normally doesn't read a lot of this genre, I wasn't lost and confused. In fact most of these regular characters I really knew nothing about coming into this book and it never intimidated me. I could tell there were nuances about characters that I missing but I feel like a fan of an author would get it and like that incorporation, while another reader that has never read something by that same author isn't going to be scared off because they don't have prior knowledge of a character. That was the biggest part I was scared of when picking this book up and it was time wasted worrying because I didn't put it down for two days. This is exactly what I expect to find in a book with such a long list of credentials backing it up!

Originally posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-blog-tour-faceoff-anthology.html

At first glance Reboot is your typical popular dystopian story about what used to be America but was ravaged by disease, the government took over and had to rebuild itself. However, what you will find when you read this book is nothing like what you expected. We meet Wren Connolly, a 17 year old girl in the Republic of Texas, AKA 178. That number is how many minutes Wren was dead before her body was reanimated and she became what the title refers to, a reboot. A virus has spread through the country that brings people back to life stronger and less human than before, and at one point caused a huge war that threatened to end humanity. Now these reboots are trained and controlled by the government agency HARC as a young police force. Everything seems legit enough, until Wren meets Callum, a boy that will change her life forever.

I know what you are thinking, that's a lot to process. In fact, I agree with you but that's why I enjoyed this book so much. There was a lot to set up: a past country, a virus that pretty much makes zombies and of course our main characters previous life and the one that she lives in the course of the book. However, this author has done an amazing job of building of a world, developing characters and creating problems they have to overcome without losing anything within the story. I loved the back story to the world these characters lived in and wanted to know more about the world during the reboot rebellion and how we came to the present issues. If I love a book and still I'm looking for more information, that's a winner to me.

The other part that was especially awesome to me was the growth of Wren throughout the book. It was a 365 page hard cover, and I felt like I went through about 1,000 pages with her. She went from cold and robot like to cracking that shell and seeing who she really was as a human not as a reboot. Through that growth we watched friendships tested and romance bloom, along with a change occur both on the inside of a character and on the outside in the world around her. That is A LOT to fit into a book and still not get muddled with vague story lines or cookie-cutter plot. This was a unique futuristic look into a world that isn't unlike our own and how a love can break any steady surface making it something special.

Originally posted: At first glance Reboot is your typical popular dystopian story about what used to be America but was ravaged by disease, the government took over and had to rebuild itself. However, what you will find when you read this book is nothing like what you expected. We meet Wren Connolly, a 17 year old girl in the Republic of Texas, AKA 178. That number is how many minutes Wren was dead before her body was reanimated and she became what the title refers to, a reboot. A virus has spread through the country that brings people back to life stronger and less human than before, and at one point caused a huge war that threatened to end humanity. Now these reboots are trained and controlled by the government agency HARC as a young police force. Everything seems legit enough, until Wren meets Callum, a boy that will change her life forever.

I know what you are thinking, that's a lot to process. In fact, I agree with you but that's why I enjoyed this book so much. There was a lot to set up: a past country, a virus that pretty much makes zombies and of course our main characters previous life and the one that she lives in the course of the book. However, this author has done an amazing job of building of a world, developing characters and creating problems they have to overcome without losing anything within the story. I loved the back story to the world these characters lived in and wanted to know more about the world during the reboot rebellion and how we came to the present issues. If I love a book and still I'm looking for more information, that's a winner to me.

The other part that was especially awesome to me was the growth of Wren throughout the book. It was a 365 page hard cover, and I felt like I went through about 1,000 pages with her. She went from cold and robot like to cracking that shell and seeing who she really was as a human not as a reboot. Through that growth we watched friendships tested and romance bloom, along with a change occur both on the inside of a character and on the outside in the world around her. That is A LOT to fit into a book and still not get muddled with vague story lines or cookie-cutter plot. This was a unique futuristic look into a world that isn't unlike our own and how a love can break any steady surface making it something special.

Originally posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-reboot-by-amy-tintera.html

In most dystopian reads there is always this epiphany that the social situation that a character is in needs to change. Paradigm has hints of that when Carter is narrating his half of the book but it also gives you what I know I always wanted to know as reader, what happened to start the dystopian society that our character is immersed within throughout the story. Alice Davenport provides a look into the world's end and surviving what they call The Storms to develop what Carter has known his whole life. Death, struggle, change, control, regulation and doubt are all things you'd expect to find in a book like this but there are several twists you won't see coming and will keep you riveted all the way to the end.

Seeing as we have two different characters living in different time frames with two completely different POVs in regards to what is going on within their lives, I had two very different opinions on each of them. Alice I liked right away. She was a young kid that had her own quirks but you could tell she was a survivor, and she proved that when the storms killed most of the population but not her. She had this aura about her that you liked and really wanted her to succeed. Carter on the other hand struggled to capture my affection like Alice did.....at first. He came off as a cocky, arrogant teenager when we first met him. He thought he knew everything, that he was smarter than everyone and that he could do everything by himself. As the book progressed the more and more I started to like him. The less time he spent thinking he had everything figured out, the more he opened his eyes to what was going on around him and the more he started to become someone I could get behind.

Because this story is told in two different voices and far apart in a time line, it does get a little confusing. I had to re-read some of the beginning chapters to understand where we were, however I still loved that the author wanted to tell us this origin story. Of course it had a lot of themes and events that are the signature of this genre but that was okay for me because the world, the people and the situations were interesting and I wanted to learn about them. I thought they did a wonderful job of giving me a story that fit in this over-filled bubble of genre but with enough unique elements to make it refreshing. There is nothing wrong with a book that gives you what you expect in a group of stories but surprises the hell out of you along the way.

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-paradigm-by-ceri-lowe.html

What I love the most in a paranormal story is when the author can take a whole bunch of myths, lore, fairy tales-whatever you want to call them and have them interact which each other in an organic way. Evie being an operative for the International Paranormal Containment Agency makes for a great foundation for just that! Evie herself was a witty and sarcastic teenager who is an expert in hunting down paranormals that need to be monitored by the IPCA. Of course not everything is exactly how it seems and what Evie thought she was and what the IPCA stood for comes crashing down when she finds out exactly where she came from and what her powers actually mean. I loved the relaxed nature of this book, combined with the nonchalant nature of Evie while still being a kick ass heroine. She was written age appropriate with some serious situations that she encounters which I thought refreshing. I am looking forward to continuing this series and exploring more in this world

Originally Posted @ The Book Blog at the End of the Universe: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/06/mini-review-paranormalcy-by-kiersten.html

Originally Posted @ The Book Blog at the End of the Universe: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-blog-tour-giveaway-aphrodites.html

When a paranormal story can mix not only human with other, but create a world where more than one race can coexist in a fascinating and creative way, you know you've hit the jackpot of books. The Dark World did that for me. Paige Kelly has been seeing ghosts since the day she saved a little boy from getting hit by a car and died herself for a short period of time. Of course everyone around her thinks she is nuts until a quiet but sexy boy comes to school named Logan Bradley. Now demons weren't trying to steal her to another realm and injuries weren't being racked up by the dozens before he came either but we can ignore that because of how awesome he turned out to be all around. 

Paige was someone I could not only relate too but you wanted to root for throughout the story. I think everyone has had that moment in High School where you feel alone or isolated from your peers, even if you aren't really seeing ghosts, so she tugs at your heart strings multiple times. At the same time she's this girl who challenges that aura of weird by not being waylaid by taunts or snickers, she actually seems quite strong both inside and out which is rare to see in someone so tormented. Logan sees that in Paige and as a reader, I saw it too. It's one of the reasons their romance really made me a fan. These two had a level of respect towards each other that made me believe it was more than just teen puppy-dog love and that it could actually last. Their spark was also developed over the course of story and wasn't instant love. I always appreciate a romance that takes the time to ignite an interest and then nurture it into a full blown fire.

That time the author took to make the romantic relationship work between these two characters did sacrifice something on the action part of this book. There were several lulls in plot that were spent working out issues within  Paige's head and also with the two of them together. For example after the first major fight between Aiden, the main protagonists, and the next real plot moving event seemed like a very long time. I know that it takes a lot of pages to create a believable love story and I can appreciate that but it just seemed to stop the world around them from growing and being moved along. That being said it didn't hinder me from loving the story. The world was fascinating and really stole from the normal New York City we know and built a crazy supernatural wonderland that created a unique story for these characters to run around fighting battles. A refreshing story about two young adults that are a great team is always a joy reading about and I am yearning for more from The Dark World!

Originally posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-dark-world-by-cara-lynn-shultz.html

Back to the Land of the Fae we go for the second installment of Forever Fae, Betrayals of Spring. This time we follow the Summer Courts' second oldest princess Meliantha and the story couldn't be more different for her than her sister's story. After having her heart broken by who she thought was Prince Kalen, Meliantha decides she isn't going to be the fragile princess she was when we began this series and during the 5 years between books she has transformed into a warrior princess, having trained hard learning everything she can to protect not only the ones she cares about but her own heart. This happens to be my favorite part of the entire book. Meliantha is a kick-ass women when we meet her again and it couldn't be more awesome. She can defend herself, she rolls with the warriors  and she is an independent women who doesn't need a man, or anyone for that matter. Now, her sister Calista in the first book was no slouch, but she is put to shame when Meliantha comes back into the picture. However, despite what she may tell herself, the most amazing part is that she still has her kind heart, even if she hides it under all that armor. She cares about her plants, sprites, and family with no less vigor, just an over-arcing theme that she can now protect them if need be, especially with her added power of healing. This balance of stength and compassion is what ends up saving both her own life and the life of her Prince in the end, and I personally think is what makes her the best asset to the Fae against the Dark Sorcerer. 
       Another aspect that I love about these books is the world. The way the Land of the Fae is described is so thorough that I can picture the courts and the forest as though I'm standing in the middle of them. Even just beyond the physical description of the land, I feel like I'm being taken on a tour when I'm reading. Introduced to so many different kinds of Fae as we go along like redcaps, Leprechauns and Tryvar in this story, you can put these characters into the landscape and almost see the entire thing come alive, which I would like to add is NOT an easy thing to do.I always believe that having developed characters is great but when you can put them in an amazing world that has depth and range THAT is what makes an amazing story, and you'll find that in Betrayals of Spring.
         To wrap this up, I enjoyed this book immensely. I may have fallen in love with Ashur, her guardian and Kalen's wolf pack just a little bit....or a lot. The only thing I had written down in my notes was that I would love to see the mortal world get thrown in more. They talk about going there and we get a little glimpse of it towards the end, but I'd love to see some adventure there for someone. I thought this story was beautifully written and you can see the obvious growth from the first book to the second and the story definitely benefits from it. I can not wait to see the other two characters of the prophecy get there own book and see what is next for the Land of the Fae!

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/02/wicked-new-wednesday.html

This "New Adult" (I am absolutely going to be posting about this new genre later on, so stay-tuned for that) read has recently received some pretty intense reviews online, and I'd like you to hear me out before passing judgement on my opinion of this book and subsequently my review. Obviously, if you haven't read this book yet, then you have no idea why I would give this kind of warning, so let me back track and tell you a little about Beautiful Disaster and the issues that are involved within.
               Abby is a college freshman determined to put her past well behind her. She moves away to college to escape her once famous gambling father, who was on top of the world once upon a time, and her own gambling run-in, being one of the youngest poker stars in Vegas. 
                Travis is the college frat-boy ladies man, who makes rent by entering into secret MMA fights in the college underground scene. Coming from an all male family, having lost their mother when Travis was very young, he has never had a meaningful relationship with a women, and never wanted too. Being aggressive in nature, it shocks everyone when he falls head-over-heels for Abby, even though she wants nothing to do with him.....at first.
               Now, this is where things get interesting. After being around each other for weeks, Abby and Travis make a bet that lands Abby living in Travis' apartment for a MONTH. During which time their feelings for each other go on a roller coaster of a ride, Travis being the aggressor for a relationship. Abby on the other hand, does not want to take a chance on a relationship that may end being to intense for it to actually work. After going through some harrowing events, and learning more and more about each other, this book does get its' happy ending. So let me tell you what ultimatly made up my own mind about this book:

• Does Travis have issues? Yes, but so does Abby
• Is he violent at times? No doubt about it
• Are there undercurrents of obsession, abandoment, and broken family problems? Absolutley
• Is this an abusive relationship? I will only answer this question for myself, and my opinion is: No
• There are points in this book that I thought we were going down a very, very bad path. There are points I myself thought this relationship was not a good idea, in fact I still agree that Abby was right to not involve herself romanticly in the beginning. However, Travis grew on me. As we saw what his past was like and all the changes he was going through from the second Abby came into his life, I was surprised. It may take more time than this book took place in, but I do think he can change and be less of the violent, impulsive Travis and be more calm, and Abby is the person that can bring that side of him out.  I think the reaeder can see that by all the changes Travis had made from beginning to end in these pages. My point is, Travis isn't a hero, he's a human. Both of them are college kids with a hard past but an even longer chance at a bright future. They aren't living in a fairy tale where everything is perfect, Travis isn't Prince Charming saving a princess. They live in the same world as you and me, just trying to make it one day at a time. I really enjoyed reading this book and I'd recomend you checking it out too, it may surprise you ;) 

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-beautiful-disaster.html

Bathsheba is a human living in a supernatural world. A supernatural world that consists of them leading the entire world in a group called The Alliance. Most in The Alliance are sub-grouped into clans, which is where Beau, the handsome were-cougar comes into her world. Working for a supernatural match-making firm called Midnight Liaisons,  Bathsheba is the office manager and takes care of most of the operations such as setting up client profiles and making connections. Working with her is Sara, her sister and werewolf, the latter being a secret. Keeping Sara's wolf a secret has been Bathsheba's soul mission since Sara was turned by an abusive boyfriend and also the reason they keep having to run every time someone comes close to figuring it out. After a particularly flighty client cancels her dates with Beau, he calls Midnight Liaisons a little desperate to find someone else to fill it, because he is going into heat. Knowing that humans are not allowed to date any supernatural without an Alliance Visa (yes, you heard me right: Visa), Bathsheba decides to save her job by going out on a date with Beau. After attending said date, Bath gets caught by her boss, the siren Giselle, using her sister's secret(which Giselle knew about...to Bath's chagrin) against her, she is set up on dates and promoted to the supernatural clients as the virgin human. After some "interesting" dates, Beau keeps coming back and seems determined to spend his heat week with her. After something attacks the sisters in their own home, and being saved by the stalker-ish Beau, Bathsheba seems to falling for the were-cougar and agrees to go to his winter cabin to stay protected from whatever was in their home. Needless to say she is pulled in further by the experience, that is until his crazy ex-fiance kidnaps her. Making matters worse, she isn't kidnapped just because this chick is crazy, but she also wanted to become a Wendigo, but decided she didn't like it. For lack of a better description, a Wendigo is shifter turned cannibal. By eating their own, a Wendigo gains the powers of that person and become stronger, faster and lives longer than any other shifters. The reason a human Bathsheba is pulled into any of this is because the ex-fiance wants to turn back from becoming one and eating a human will make her one. More specifically, in a jealous rage, she can take away Beau's new love and kill two birds with one stone. After a heroic escape, while saving Beau in the process, Bath is presented with a huge problem concerning her sister. The wolf pack knows about Sara, and they want her. The most frustrating part of this book comes at this moment. When they meet with the wolf pack to negotiate Sara's freedom, they have a plan to tell them she is mated to a member of Beau's clan, therefore enacting a law in The Alliance that mates stay together in his clan, but we won't find out what happens......til book 2!!! Damn you cliffhangers.... 
               What I liked most about this book was that it didn't have your typical "human falls in love with a supernatural" feel to it, in fact I wasn't sure where this was going at multiple points while reading. Yes, I do think she fell way to fast for a guy she didn't truly know, gave her virginity up at the drop of a hat for him, and got herself into a potentially deadly situation over him.....before even getting a third date. However, the story was interesting and the characters were diverse. It almost took a paranormal romance, mixed in a slight dystopian feel and added some pretty cool mythological story telling and you got this book.  
              A couple things I had trouble with this story were the romance between Bathsheba and beau, and the beginning of the book. I usually can accept some of the love-at-first-sight nonsense A LOT of books in this genre have. I get it, it's destiny, they aren't meant to be together, etc. However, she gave her virginity up in less than a week. After somewhere around 25 years of waiting, she gave it up in less than a week? To a man that could potentially end up sending her sister to the wolf pack, after all the years protecting her, after killing someone to protect Sara, Bath just sleeps with him? Don't get me wrong, I end up liking Beau and I really am looking forward to reading the second book in this series. but can we make it a little hard for the hot cougar to get some tail? 
                My other issue came when I was completely confused during portions of this book. At the beginning, I felt like I missed something in the story, or that I wasn't reading the first in the series. I was confused about the world that it was set in, what kinds of supernaturals were in the story, and what the back story was for Bathsheba. It does get clearer as the story goes on, and I think after finishing it I can see it more clearly, but there was a few moments that I actually had to stop and figure out what was going on. It isn't that complicated I just felt lost and needed to understand things about characters and I didn't get a lot of information. I still felt that way about Beau by the end as well, we really didn't get to know much about his past other than his fiance and a small moment about his father. Hopefully that will come to light as well in the next one.
            My concluding point about this book is that I really enjoyed the story and the world, but I did feel I needed something clearer to read. I will absolutley be reading the second one because of the cliffhanger, I just wish I got a little more in this one. Plus I have a feeling Sara's point of view will be really fun to read!

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/01/salacious-sunday-review-beauty-dates.html

Basic Needs will erupt with all your inner sex taboo thoughts all over it's pages. What isn't sexy about a handsome and nerdy professor accidentally getting his student's personal diaries filled with all the hot fun she wants to have with him?!?! This novella was packed full of sexy and enticing fun and I couldn't stop reading this quick book the second I picked it up. Dr. Cameron is that older but definitely handsome man who normally wouldn't give in to such carnal desires and Kaitlin is the seemingly innocent college student with a crush on teacher. When they collide in his office....it will leave you breathless!

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-blog-tour-giveaway-basic-needs.html

This is a hot and sexy story about a live in nanny and the father of the kids she takes care of everyday. I know what you're thinking, another silly story about a cheating dad with the cliche babysitter, but this short story was nothing like that at all. It had all the hot scenes you come to expect from a Kenya Wright story but there was also so much sensual energy coming off these two characters and so much evolved, caring love that it was hard to hold back even tears at some points! Blake is just a man trying to do what's right for his family by repairing his relationship with his formerly-estranged wife and Paige, having put his kids back together with some much needed consistency and love, just wants something good in her life. This was an awesome story about two people that have damaged pasts that find true love where neither expected it and finally let themselves have something that's good for their soul...as well as their bodies! 

Originally Posted; http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-babysitter-by-kenya-wright.html

I know what you're thinking, another teen vampire book? Really? You would be so wrong about Aurora Sky that I don't even know where to start. When is the last time you read a story about a teenage girl who is a little on the shy side that gets into a horrible accident and comes out on the other side working for the government as a life size chew toy for vampires? Never. Turns out that Aurora's blood is actually a sedative to vampires and temporarily paralyzes them so that the government can move in and take them out. That's a pretty interesting twist to a girl who is about to graduate high school and has never even been kissed before. This girl goes from boring and predictable to bad ass pretty quickly and I loved every second of it.

First of all, this book is packed with everything you possibly could imagine. From teenage drama to boyfriends all the way to secret agents and psychotic vampires, I was literally enthralled with it so much I finished the book in two days....and that's only because I had to sleep in between. There is so much going on that I felt it was nice breaks to go from the training and missions with Dante back to normal high school things with friends and love interests that it broke the book up nicely and made it seem real instead of crazy fantasy. It also grounded Aurora and made her seem real for me. She wasn't some G.I Jane military chick or a Bella from Twilight type that was too weak and needy. Aurora was what you would expect a teenager to be in the situations she was placed in, sometimes she made mistakes but she learned from them. She really grew from beginning to end and that's what counted in my opinion.

The ending made me want to throw the book across the room because it left me wanting to read the second book RIGHT NOW! I didn't, because it was on my nook and that would have ended badly for me, but you get my point. I really loved the uniqueness of Aurora Sky mixed with the fun and witty characters that it had within its' pages. If you enjoy a great vampire story but are looking for something new and refreshing, you have definitely come to the right place!

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-blog-tour-giveaway-aurora-sky.html

If I had to describe this book in a word or two, it would be roller coaster. What is going on in these characters heads and lives are really getting a good beating from start to finish in this one. Claire has always felt like she was the odd duck in her family and maybe she truly is, but her decision to break up with her then-boyfriend Jared because her mother thought he wasn't good enough for her seems pretty harsh. That is until I tell you that her mother was dieing of cancer and Claire thought she was taking some of that stress away. Understandably heart broken Jared channels his emotions into his music, fueling his career to jump to all sorts of success. Hearing someone sing about you on the radio, especially when it's a lie, can really hurt when you only did it as a teenager trying to help her own mother. A few years later when things seem to getting worse in her own life, running into Jared at the beach isn't exactly helping Claire and it certainly isn't making her feelings any better.

The reason I use the word roller coaster to describe this book is because of the situations these characters find themselves. I think everyone can relate to Claire in some way, whether it be the misfit feelings, the passion for music or the need to make the people you care about most happy. I understood why she broke up Jared, I really did, but at the same time I understood why he was so upset. The line was drawn for me, however, when he wrote the song.Not returning her phone calls? Alright, fine. Feeling angry and saying some of things he said to her at the beach? Get it. Making up a lie like that? NOT COOL JARED. The only saving grace for him was the fact that he didn't understand why she dumped him. He made assumptions and let his own insecurities bite him. These two were clearly gaga over each other from day one and that heart break didn't end those feelings. Their passion for both music and each other are what took this story from cute to boiling hot over the course of the entire book.

That passion for music was what made this story worth reading. The romance and all the heart wrenching emotions it pulls out of you are one thing, but Claire is so rock and roll it really makes you smile throughout, even during her internal struggles the way she clears it all out through her guitar and music was really awesome to read about. I know this was sort of a play on Jane Austen but she has nothing on rock and roll music. What also made this really cool for me, and really this might just be too personal, was that it was set near where I live. I'm from Massachusetts, the northeast section of MA and I'm pretty sure the beach house they go to is in Rye, NH (could be completely off, but not the point!) It made it so approachable to read something that not only can I relate to the characters but have a sense of where they are too! Claire was the perfect protagonist matched with a rocky love story but every Cinderella gets her happy ending, even if that Cinderella has orange hair :)

Originally Posted: http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-giveaway-scavenger-hunt-another.html

Truth be told angel stories usually don't make it on my favorite list but this one had a lot of qualities that I liked. Mainly, the kick-ass lead. Willow was great! She was tough, she stepped up her game when needed and she was in a bad situation but made it happen regardless. I could absolutely relate to her and really enjoyed her being the voice of the story.


I also enjoyed the fact that the "angel" part was a very different idea in this book. I don't think I've read another story where angels were quite like this. However, my problems began with the whole "girl doesn't know what she is and then a cute boy shows her". It's played out. I've heard that story about a million times and I'm getting a little sick of it.

I thought this book had moments of awesome mixed with a little pedestrian.

Originally Posted; http://thebookblogattheendoftheuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/10/reviewmini-angel-by-la-weatherly.html