Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

A+ 10/10 WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!

I have to start this review off by saying that I don’t normally read these types of books. Paranormal romance has just never been my thing. When I accidentally stumbled upon this book, I was immediately intrigued by the Poe aspect of the story; I’ve always been an Edgar Allan Poe fangirl. I happened to glance at some of the reviews, which generally seemed pretty positive. I took a chance, and let me tell you what, I am SO happy that I did. 

This book tells the story of Isobel and Varen, a cheerleader and a goth who end up being paired together for an English project. Neither one of them is very happy about this arrangement. Isobel’s possessive, football playing boyfriend isn’t happy about it either. 

This book doesn’t have that immediate opposites-attract, love-at-first-sight aspect (THANK GOD). We slowly see Isobel become aware that you can’t judge a person by what they look like and what others think of them. At the same time, Varen doesn’t just see her as a dumb cheerleader anymore. You can tell, even with his aloof mannerisms, that he genuinely cares about her and wants nothing more than to protect her. It is so refreshing to see a romance that develops in a realistic way. Just about when you are ready for them to start admitting their feelings for one another, strange things begin to happen. Isobel begins to have intense dreams that seem all too real when she wakes up. She is hearing voices. She is being chased by invisible adversaries through the woods. Why did all this begin as they started this project? What does Edgar Allan Poe have to do with this?

I am so impressed by the writing of this book. This is one of those stories that could have definitely had a crash-and-burn if it wasn’t executed perfectly. Kelly Creagh managed to weave the story of Isobel and Varen seamlessly with her references to Poe and the mysterious circumstances that surrounded his death. She has given her readers a so-crazy-it-just-might-be-true explanation, and that is one of the greatest things about the book. You are left sitting there wondering...could something like this have really happened? 

I think the only bad thing I could possibly say about it is the cliffhanger ending, and I truly don’t know how anybody who read this when it first came out was able to handle waiting for the second book. Thankfully, I have already downloaded it onto my Nook, and plan to begin reading it after I post this review. 

Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near

THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC!

Isola Wilde is a sixteen year old girl living in England with her parents. She is considered quite strange by most of her acquaintances, but she does have her two very good friends, James and Grace. She also has friends that only she can see, who she has dubbed her ‘brother-princes’, guardians straight from a fairytale. They do everything in their power to protect Isola, which is good, because things are about to get a little crazy when she is walking through the woods and runs into a dead girl in a birdcage. 

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The best thing about this book was the absolutely mesmerizing way in which Allyse Near writes. She has such a unique style, and I truly hope to see more books from her in the future. There was not a single instance where I felt bored while reading this story. 

The second best thing about this book was definitely the main character. Isola is now one of my all-time favorite characters from any book ever. Seriously. She was loving and unique, and it was impossible not to be on her side, hoping for everything to work out for her. 

I don’t know if I can properly express just how great this story was without being excessively gushy. It was truly magical, so I highly suggest you do yourselves a favor and give it a read.

P.S. If you are in America, you can order it through fishpond.com. They have free shipping :)

Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

This isn’t really going to be a proper review; I wasn’t really into book reviewing when I read this book, so I didn’t write down my thoughts. I just wanted to put it out there that it’s one of those books that I feel everyone should read. It’s just beautifully written, and while it is heartbreaking, it is also full of hope.

This book came into my life at just the right time. My father had passed away in July, and I found myself starting books and putting them down repeatedly. I was going through the worst case of reader’s block that I have ever experienced in my life. My fiance, knowing that I had wanted to read this book, bought it for me. 

I'm pretty sure that this book brought me back from the dead, and I will always remember it being the saving grace that allowed me to finally cry and let myself feel something other than emptiness. It will forever hold a spot in my heart for that.

Book Review- The Wisdom of the Shire by Noble Smith

This is a unique and engaging self-help book, perfect for any fan of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Noble Smith encourages readers to take a step back from their hectic lives and the many problems that they deal with on a day-to-day basis, and live in a more simplistic manner, just like the hobbits of Middle-Earth.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have been completely enamored by the hobbits and their way of life ever since I first picked up Tolkien’s books. Good food and cheer, what could be better than that? It seems that Noble Smith shares my thoughts on this matter, and really gives us a handbook to following the Hobbits’ example. One of the chapters has such a simple, yet overlooked message. Sleep well. Yeah, that’s it. As simple as it sounds, how many of us actually turn off our TVs and computers at a decent hour and go to bed? Noble even says, “If you’re reading this book right now and you’re tired, put it down and go to bed.” I also thought that the chapter on love was brilliant. Noble has us think about where we currently base our ideas of ‘romance and love’. How many of us are constantly looking at celebrity gossip magazines and acting so surprised when these people split up and both go after ‘the next best thing’? Smith writes about Tolkien and his wife, Edith, and the obstacles they overcame to be together. “The Wisdom of the Shire tells us: True love must be defended bravely with the soul of a warrior, and yet tended with the patience of a gardener.” 

I was very happy with this book, and I sure hope others will decide to pick it up and add some Hobbit wisdom to their lives. You won’t be disappointed.  

Rating: A+

Will I read it again?: Yes, probably quite often

Book Review- Repeat it Today with Tears by Anne Peile

Susanna is a teenage girl who is obsessed with the father that she has never known. When she schemes up a way in which to meet him, rather than introduce herself as his daughter, she seduces him. Rather obviously, this is not a relationship that is going to end well for either party involved. 

This is the kind of book that I knew I wanted to read the moment I read the synopsis. I am a girl with an absent father. I can relate to Susanna’s longing and desperation for a relationship with her father. I was able to look past the repulsive idea of a father/daughter sex affair, and read it for what it meant to Susie- daddy’s love at last. And she was deeply in love with him, in her own obsessive way. She states that she exists only for him, and she believes it to her very core. Without her father, she is nothing. Just try to imagine having this mindset, never wavering, no matter what happens... I find it utterly heartbreaking. There were so many points in this book where the emotion took over me, and I had to put the book down to get my thoughts in order. That, to me, is a good read. 

This is a book that I highly recommend, if you are able to get past the subject matter. For being just short of 200 pages, it is an incredibly powerful and engaging story. It may be some disturbing subject matter, but it is very beautifully written. One of those stories that even a week after finishing it, you still find yourself thinking about it, trying to make up different endings, imagining what the characters could be doing now...(I’m not the only one who sometimes believes that characters live on after the story is finished, right?...er, no? well ok).

My rating- A

Will I read it again?- Yes

Thanks for reading! 

Amanda