Book Review - The Sweetest Dark

Book Review

The Sweetest Dark (The Sweetest Dark #1) - Shana Abe

Bookshelves: Series, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Young Adult

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (It was ok)

Recommended Age: Adult

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I really liked the basis with dragons and stars. I felt it was pretty unique. I liked the main characters, and hated the ones you were supposed to hate. I did find some of the writing style a little confusing. The jumping back and forth between points of view didn't flow really well to me. I was a little disappointed that we were given a setting around WWI but then it's just in the very background. I felt it was a very creative setting for a young adult novel and would have loved more of it weaved in. The ending was sad but I will continue to the next in series to see how the rest of the story plays out.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - Here is Where

Book Review

Here is Where: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History - 

Andrew Carroll

Bookshelves: Historical Non-Fiction, Informative

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: 13+ 

It depends on the child.  This is a historical non-fiction work.  Some of the events are too mature for some children.  Unless the child loves historical non-fiction it is probably better suited for older teens and adults. 

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book was great. I am not a history buff, and I love historical fiction but have a hard time finding historical non-fiction I like. I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was travelling right along with the author. I loved how he focuses on smaller important pieces of history that are often overlooked. I knew some of the stories but there were many I was unfamiliar with and I there were so many names I should have recognized but didn't. He brought a lot of those names to light. If you're unfamiliar with the story he gives a brief overview before focusing on the part he's diving into. I liked how his interactions and conversations were written. It wasn't just back to back dialogue. The book is pretty big and filled with information but it's broken down into smaller sections and then smaller chapters. It's easy to pick up the book and read one or two or sit down and finish ten in a row. The only reason I didn't give this book a five was due to lack of pictures. I was given an uncorrected proof, so I'm not sure if the published version will be filled with photos. He tells about all the pictures he takes of places and I wish I was able to see exactly what he saw even if now it's just a parking lot. He does focus on a lot of unknown tragedy, but as he points out, it's important to see those massacres and sacrifices that were made so that we can prevent them in the future. I am eager to read other historical books that he has written or will write in the future and I might just become a history buff yet.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - The Mystery of Smugglers Cove

Book Review

The Mystery of Smugglers Cove (The Mystery Series #1) - Paul Moxham

Bookshelves: Adventure, Early Chapter Books, Good for the Kiddos, Mystery, Read Aloud to the Kids, Series

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: 7+

Nancy Drew type mystery and crime most kids would be able to handle.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced adventure/mystery set in the 1950s in Britain. I think fans of the hardy boys and nancy drew type series will enjoy this book. I love how these kids go out to find adventure and makes friends quickly. The plot is fast paced and clues are left that later lead tie the mystery together. The curiosity of the children often gets them into trouble including numerous times getting captured, but it all works out in the end. No pictures, but the plot was moving so fast my kiddos enjoyed listening. I like how each of the characters gets to be "the hero" and it's not always one person who saves the day or comes up with a plan. The crooks and crimes involved aren't too scary that the kids have nightmares. This is a series I will keep an eye on and continue to read my children the next one.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - Saving Grace

Book Review

Saving Grace (Katie & Annalise #1) - Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Bookshelves: Series, Chick-Lit, Adult, Mystery

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: Adult

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I won this book as a giveaway and I'm so glad I did. It was a little slow at first but it picked up quick and was a fast easy read. I loved how the main character was personable. She had problems. At first I kept shaking my head thinking get it together girl! But I think that's the point. The story is written in a way that made me feel like my girlfriend was telling me her own story. I found myself adoring many of the characters. Thanks to this book, I fell in love with an island I've never been to. I think I know where I'm planning my second honeymoon for sure. I loved feeling like I was getting an inside tour from a local. There were quite a few subplots which made it hard to really dig deep into the mystery. For this purpose I wouldn't read it solely for the mystery but more for the novel with a bit of mystery thrown it. There's some language, a lot of drinking and a pretty pg romance. There is reference to a rape during a trial she is handling. I think this is a start to a new series and I'm eager to read the next one when it comes out.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose and Sanity - Meg Meeker 

Bookshelves: Non-fiction, Parenting, Self-Help

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (It was ok)

Recommended Age: Adult 

     This book is about parenting. 

This book was pretty decent. It's filled mostly with stories of her friends showing how the habits work or don't work. A lot of it is changing your mind about things, not necessarily doing much different, but about how you do it, or see it. She talks a lot about faith, not necessarily a specific religion, she even mentions atheism, but if that's something that turns you off you might want to avoid it. She does speak a lot to working mothers which didn't apply to me so I kind of tuned those parts out. I probably wouldn't read it again, but I find myself trying to apply some of the things she talked about.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - Allegiant

Book Review

Allegiant (Divergent #3) - Veronica Roth

Bookshelves: Series, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (It was ok)

Recommended Age: 13+ 

     There is some language.  More violence, bombings, deaths.  The romance turns physical with this one.

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REALLY BIG SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't go on unless you already know the ending.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was pretty disappointed in this book. Kind of like Hunger Games for me. I get so invested and spend so much time on a trilogy and certain characters and the ending just leaves a nasty sour taste in your mouth. It wasn't just because of the ending. But the reason behind the ending. I feel the author really only wrote the ending the way she did for shock value. After her suicide march in Insurgent, Tris spends a large portion of the final book talking about how badly she wants to live. All the things that are worth living for. All the things she loves. Then she realizes how Caleb will never actually be sorry for what he did, but just feel guilty for it. So in the end she trades her life, one worth living, full of people and things she loves for someone who has nothing to live for and is swimming in guilt? I don't see that being worth the "sacrifice" they talk about. And ppl say that she goes because she knows she's going to survive. But she doesn't. And she is the one person who can resist every serum these guys have come up with and we have no idea why and she's the only one and then she's dead? Why didn't Caleb or Matthew chase after her and shoot David? Or Caleb saves her and gets shot himself. That would be redeeming, her brother actually did have compassion and love. But nope, he's just a tool. Why didn't she attempt to take the gun from him instead of just go for the button? After all, he was injured AND in a wheel chair. Taking one shot while attempting to disarm him would have been better than turning her back to him to get continuously shot while she presses the button. Aside from the ending, I wasn't that thrilled about the rest of the book. A lot of questions are left unanswered like the reason she can resist serums, the reason Tobias appears Divergent but really isn't. They seemed to matter a huge deal but there's no explanation. This crazy amazing thing is happening!!!! Why? Because that's just the way it is, accept it. I felt like there were too many plots going on at once to avoid plot holes. And the whole beginning of the book is pretty slow. I understand why, all these descriptions and explanations need to be given, but it definitely was harder to get through. The end goes pretty quick, but I feel like we lost a lot of the characters along the way. In the end Tris and Tobias didn't seem to be the same characters we see develop through the trilogy. And the very end with just Tobias, that just sucked. I think it was written to give closure to the loss, but I found it completely unsatisfying. Why didn't she just kill of Uriah at the explosion. What was the point of him being in a coma only to be unplugged later? So at the end Tris and Tobias wouldn't be in the same place at the end? But if they were, wouldn't that have made the ending more dramatic? Since she did seem to be going for shock value. Some ppl seemed to really like this and love the kick in the teeth ending, for me, I wasn't a fan. If I could have a do-over, I wouldn't have started the series.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - Keeper of the Grail

Book Review

Keeper of the Grail (The Youngest Templar #1) - Michael P. Spradlin

Bookshelves: Historical Fiction, Series, Adventure, Young Adult, Read Aloud to the Kids

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: 8+ 

     This is juvenile fiction.  The biggest concern is the battles, fighting and death.  It isn't too gory, but there is some description.

I enjoyed this quick easy historical fiction for youth. I think most of the concerns I have for it will hopefully be resolved in the rest of the series. I enjoy how our hero is left on the door step of an abbey as a baby with a note saying it is for his own safety. From the beginning you wonder who this boy really is. Sir Thomas and some other Knights of the Templar show up and suddenly Sir Thomas requires a new squire and Tristan is just at the right time of his life for it. From the beginning I liked him but could tell he knows more than he's letting on. The meeting with King Richard also stirs some questions. Sir Hugh is the bad guy you love to hate but somehow Tristan always manages to squeak out of his grasp. When the city is surrounded Sir Thomas makes sure that Tristan escapes with the holy grail with a mission to deliver it. On his way he meets up with a young Robin Hood and the two of them decide to travel to the port city together. I liked how it didn't get too deep into the political debates of the Christian Crusades but I'm eager to see where the books go from here after they added Maryam, a warrior from the Saracens. There are parts that are not historically correct, but considering this is a work of fiction some leeway should be made. I liked how Tristan wasn't all about the battle. Being raised by monks made him virtuous first. The ending was quite the cliff hanger leaving you questioning things and eager for book 2. There was a few curses, no romance and some battles. It's not too gory, but there are attacks, battles and deaths and an arrow being removed which might be too much for some younger kids. I see this as a good series for my boys. I might add this to our list of read alongs for the family. Will continue to the next.

Happy Reading!

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