2015 has been an excellent year and in order to say goodbye to this amazing year, I have decided to do a post listing all our reviews in 2015. So here it is, but before we begin, I’d like to thank the review contributors of TRB.
This year I spent almost 4 complete months writing and editing my novel, Decieved, I was short on time fulfilling all the review requests and it was then that these review contributors really helped me keep TRB flooded with reviews. So a big THANK YOU to all the review contributors (even those who are no longer doing reviews for TRB.) You guys have been a really great help to me!
Special thanks to Galit and Heather. You guys rock! ❤
Also, a big THANK YOU to all the lovely readers of TRB. Thanks for all you Likes, Comments, and Support. You are the soul of this blog ❤
Here are the books that we reviewed at TRB in 2015:
Author: Shari Arnold
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Series: -
Genre: Retelling | Fairytale | Young Adult | Fantasy | Contemporary | Romance
Edition: E-Book (mobi)
Pages: 359
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Source: NetGalley
Buy it here: Amazon
Blurb
It’s been four months since seventeen-year-old Livy Cloud lost her younger sister, but she isn’t quite ready to move on with her life — not even close. She’d rather spend her time at the Seattle Children’s hospital, reading to the patients and holding onto memories of the sister who was everything to her and more.
But when she meets the mysterious and illusive Meyer she is drawn into a world of adventure, a world where questions abound.
Is she ready to live life without her sister? Or more importantly, is she brave enough to love again?
In this modern-day reimagining of Peter Pan, will Livy lose herself to Neverland or will she find what she’s been searching for?
Rating
Review
Plot/Story:
Neverland is a fairytale retelling of Peterpan and as far as I’m concerned this is the best book I’ve read so far in the fantasy genre. It has a dreamlike imagery which will leave you craving and begging for more.
The pace of the story was perfect, not too fast, not too slow. I was able to not only read the story in front of me but was also able to live it forgetting everything around me.
This book is literally unputdownable and I love it so much that it has made its place at the top of my all-time favorites! I’ve already read it twice now and I’ll be re-reading it again soon.
Characters:
I absolutely adore the lead characters of Livy and Meyer, so much so that I guess I’m in love with Meyer! The relationship between Livy and Meyer developed slowly and beautifully. The vulnerability of Livy added more depth to each and every aspect of the story.
I wanted to cry when Livy felt hurt and wanted to do a happy dance whenever she got a positive response from Meyer. I even blushed a dozen times while reading about Livy and Meyer’s small interactions.
The beautiful budding romance between Livy and Meyer was nothing less than magical. It was slow and cute love that started as an odd friendship but developed into something more special. The thing that made their relationship so magical is the subtlety of feelings beautifully expressed by the author.
Shari Arnold’s writing style is so simple that it flows smoothly throughout the book. I enjoyed reading this book mainly because of the uncomplicated writing style. I didn’t just read this book, but I was really able to live it (and that’s something.)
Beginning:
The book started beautifully with Livy reading Peter Pan for children in a hospital. How can anyone not get emotionally involved right from the start with this kind of a start! I was swept right off my feet from the very first page. And as the story progressed I lost myself completely in the beautiful world of Livy and Meyer.
But then after a few minutes, I thought about it and realized that it was for the best and that the ending couldn’t have been better. Yes, it wasn’t a straight out happy one, but it was realistic and, more importantly, acceptable. After being swept off by this story I really dreaded to know the end, but the author, Shari Arnold, really surprised me with a well-balanced ending.
Cover Art:
The cover art of this book is simply awesome. The colors are so pretty and subtle and the minimalistic design makes it a great cover.
Blurb:
The blurb is perfect and gives a fair idea of what to expect from the book. I picked it up from NetGalley after reading the blurb itself, so yeah, it totally worked for me, and I’m sure it’ll definitely get anyone else’s attention as well!
Other Stuff
Opening Line: It’s just before dinnertime at the Seatle Children’s Hospital.
Highlights: Storyline.
Lowlights: None.
Memorable Quotes:
Their eyes are wide and curious, and I love that. If I focus on their eyes I can forget the disease each one carries around like a nametag.
I’ve found that death makes people uncomfortable, while the death of a child clears the room altogether.
God doesn’t save children around here. Sometimes it feels as if he’s collecting them.
Memorable Paragraph:
Jenna slides up closer to me, her excitement a temperature that keeps me warm. She and Alice are spell-bound. They’re the reason I love to tell stories. It doesn’t matter how often they’ve heard it, or that they already know what will happen next. A story is a story. It takes you away from what you’re doing and how you’re living right then, and whisks you away into someone else’s world.
Author: A.J. York
Release Date: December 1, 2015
Series: None
Genre: Children's Fantasy|Fairytales|Magic|Middlegrade|
Edition: Ebook (mobi)
Pages: 31Publisher: Nova Sky Books
Source: Author (Thanks, Jen!)
Buy it here: Amazon
Blurb
A fully illustrated Christmas story that will make your heart sing!
Upstairs in the Anderson’s attic there is chatter coming from the Christmas, Easter and Halloween boxes. Someone new has arrived. Tallulah the Christmas Fairy wakes to find herself attached to the top of a tree. She soon makes friends and has a magical first Christmas. Once the festivities are over, Tallulah finds herself in the attic with the other decorations from Easter and Halloween. Each year they watch the seasons change as they wait excitedly for their turn to go downstairs. Until one day new boxes appear and then the unthinkable happens. A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story is a magical and uplifting tale for the whole family.
Rating
Review
A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story is a beautiful book that gives us a peek in the lives of the various decorations (that we assume to be non-living) such as Christmas decorations, Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving decorations, etc. and even a few toys.
It’s a heart melting story about how the decorations get all super-excited as their time of the year comes and how, when the festival ends, they get sad as they are stowed away in the attic. How they wait for the seasons to proceed and for their festival to come so that they can again be hung or placed downstairs and can finally see the family and the world outside (through the windows.)
The story is told from the POV of princess Tallulah, who is a new addition to the Anderson’s Christmas decorations. She sits at the top of the Christmas tree and makes loads of friends over time. And as the years go by all the decorations grow extremely close to each other and finally all the events lead up to the most amazing Christmas ever. (I won’t say anything further as it is a surprise after all!)
This story is so beautiful that not only children but adults will also enjoy it thoroughly. It’s a fairly quick read and will be a nice gift to give it your kids this Christmas. (I know I’m a little late, but what the heck, it’s still holiday season.)
In the Christmas spirit, here’s some magic for all the readers of TRB:
It’s the oldest bookshop in a town full of bookshops; rambling and disordered, full of treasures if you look hard. Jude found one of the treasures when she visited last summer, the high point of a miserable vacation. Now, in the depths of winter, when she has to run away, Lowell’s chaotic bookshop in that backwater of a town is the safe place she runs to.
Jude needs a bolt-hole; Lowell needs an assistant and, when an affordable rental is thrown in too, life begins to look up. The gravedigger’s cottage isn’t perfect for a woman alone but at least she has quiet neighbors.
Quiet, but not silent. The long dead and the books they left behind both have tales to tell and the dusty rooms of the bookshop are not the haven they seem to be. Lowell’s past and Jude’s present are a dangerous cocktail of secrets and lies and someone is coming to light the taper that could destroy everything.
Rating
Review
DNF’ed at 20%
I just can’t get into this book. I guess a few sentences are plain weird to say the least. Things seem to happen out of nowhere and I have no clue where the hell this book is headed.
I’ve previously read The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson and absolutely loved it. So, I was expecting a lot from this one as well, but sadly, after a few pages, only everything went south.
I like the author’s writing style but for this book what didn’t work for me was the characterization and the desperate need to bring out the characters’ love for books. It felt quite forced to me.
Hopefully, the other books will be better than this one, cause I really liked TCG, and want to read more books like it.
Other Stuff
Opening Line: It was the last thing on her mind when she fled across London.
Author: Otis Frampton
Illustrator: -Release Date: 1st May, 2006
Series: Oddly Normal
Genre: Young Adult | Magic | Fiction
Edition: ascm file
Pages: 132
Publisher:Distributer: Diamond Book Distributors
Source: NetGalley
Blurb
Oddly Normal is a 10-year old girl with the most unfortunate name and the luck to go with it. The product of a unique mixed-marriage (her mother is a witch and her father is human), Oddly has grown up between cultures and she is the proverbial outsider. On her 10th birthday, her parents mysteriously disappear and she is left in the care of her great Aunt, a citizen of a fantastical place called Fignation.
Rating
Review
Note: It’s been quite a while since I read this one and now finally I’ve got the time to pen down a review for it. As it’s been a sort of late reviewing, this review is not as detailed as I would have liked but I’ll be reviewing the sequel soon, so I’ll be more descriptive when I review that one.
Oddly Normal is the one of the best graphic novels I’ve read so far. It’s extremely engaging, superbly thrilling and, I must say, remarkably cute! I love the characterization and Oddly are indeed a really remarkable character. I can completely relate to her and I really think that this series is going to be epic. The illustrations are rich and spot-on. I really, really love this book!!!
The world-building in this novel is a work of pure genius. The names are just totally amazeballs (yea, I had to say that) and the storyline is one that can easily suck the reader inside the amazing and adventurous world of Oddly.
If you’re looking for a new graphic novel series to start with, Oddly Normal is just the thing you need. Trust me.
(Review of Oddly Normal #2 is coming shortly!)
You can also read this review at: Goodreads and Amazon.
Author: Wolfe Cotto
Release Date: February 28, 2015
Series: Vampires Of London
Genre: Paranormal Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 288
Publisher: Black Crow Publishing Limited
Source: Publicity Assistant, Sam
Buy it here: Amazon
Blurb
Edward DeVere, 600 and some year old vampire, resident of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, has been taking it easy.
London is home sweet home and Eddy considers himself a Renaissance man; a bit of a modern day ‘flaneur’. Some would say a ‘slacker’ and a bit of a ‘stoner’. Opinions are divided.
Eddy knows the city like the back of his hand. Life is ordered, predictable and boring. Until someone near and dear disappears and he is left with no choice but to find out why.
It should just be a night’s work for such an ‘old timer’.
But things don’t go as planned.
Eddy’s cosy world starts to fall apart.
Nothing is what it seems.
It’s time to wake up, smell the coffee and roll his sleeves up.
It’s a damn nuisance, he’s exhausted and could really do without all this ‘tom tit’.
But it seems, there’s just no rest for the wicked.
Rating
Review
DNF’ed at page 170. Though I really liked the witty comments and observations of Edward, the writing style of the author really bothered me. The sentence formation is really complex (and at times really weird, what with 5-6 commas in one single sentence itself.) It really distracted me from the plot, which BTW was a little too uninteresting for my taste. At one point (around page 50 or so,) I was wondering what the hell is really going on.
If I would have had free time at my hands I would have tried to at least complete it, but unfortunately, I don’t have even a second to spare. Certainly not for the books that don’t suck me right into it. from the start. But if you are really patient and don’t mind the blabberings of an extremely talkative vampire, then go ahead and give it a try. You might just like this book.
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