Mini-reviews: ‘Ensnared’ by A. G. Howard and ‘Hit’ by Delilah S. Dawson
Posted: June 19, 2015 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: delilah s. dawson, dystopian, reviews, urban fantasy 2 CommentsAfter writing like crazy during the week, I’d intended to write like crazy a little more on the weekend. But instead I sorta kinda read like crazy instead.
This weekend I finished:
- Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows #8) by Kim Harrison
- Ensnared (Splintered #3) by A. G. Howard
- Hit by Delilah S. Dawson
I say finished, because I started Ensnared over a month ago, and I’ve been listening to Black Magic Sanction as an audiobook for the last two weeks. I’m not going to review the latter, because it’s book eight in the series and I figure by this point you’re either committed to it or you’re not! I give it four stars, though. (I did review the first book in the series, Dead Witch Walking, here, if you’re curious. The series is a sexy adult urban fantasy with some awesome worldbuilding.)
Onto the other two…
Ensnared by A. G. Howard
I found the start of Ensnared a little hard to get into, but this might be a situation of “it’s not you, it’s me”. If you read my review of the previous book, Unhinged, you’ll know that I read it in 2013, in the hospital immediately before and after having surgery. In the intervening 18 months, I basically forgot the entire book. I’m not kidding — I could remember the events in the first story, but was really confused by the way the third one started, because it was like the second one never happened.
Damned general anaesthetic and awesome pain medication.
However, it did give me the chance to test A. G. Howard on her ability to seed back-story, and I can happily report that she included just enough that I didn’t get totally lost, without being over the top.
High fives?
Once I got party-way through — probably around about where Morpheus shows up, which I’m sure is a TOTAL coincidence — I really got back into the story and the world. At that point I finished the book in only a couple of days and really enjoyed it. Alyssa really comes into her own, Jeb finally redeems himself in my eyes, and Morpheus… Sigh. He’s Morpheus. ❤
Hit by Delilah S. Dawson
This beautiful little piece of book mail arrived a while ago and got bumped to the top of my to-read pile, because I have a bit of a crush on Dawson and her work. Her last book, Servants of the Storm, blew my mind with her writing and the WTF twist at the end. (I’m still hanging out for a sequel, BTW!)
Hit didn’t disappoint.
The genre is dystopian, but it’s the kind of dystopian we don’t often see except in zombie fiction — the kind where the world is just starting to collapse. The government has been taken over by an Evil Corporation (TM) and no one has realised yet. No one except Patsy, the main character … and presumably a bunch of other indentured assassins, although we don’t really get to see them.
Patsy is given five days to confront ten people who have defaulted on their debts with Valor Savings Bank. They have the choice between paying their debts (which they can’t), agreeing to be indentured assassins themselves, or being executed. The book has one chapter per victim, with the chapter title being their name. (I loved that touch so much.)
Of course, there’s even more going on than a seventeen-year-old girl being forced to shoot people and having a slow nervous breakdown, and the sense that there was a greater, overarching scheme takes this from The Hunger Games set in small-town USA to “can I guess the conspiracy theory” hijinks. (For the record, I guessed some of it.)
Like Servants of the Storm, Hit is a book in dire need of a sequel. I loved how it ended, but I need to know what happens next. NEED TO.
Never Be Younger anthology blitz, excerpt and giveaway
Posted: June 17, 2015 Filed under: On Books | Tags: anthology, aussie-owned, book launch, contests Leave a comment
Written by nine authors, Never Be Younger is a Young Adult collection of Shakespeare retellings. From Othello to Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet to The Winter’s Tale, each story has been crafted with a new spin.
From the halls of a high school to hip night clubs to the depths of space, Never Be Younger gives Shakespeare’s classic plays and sonnets a fresh spin for a new audience. Nine authors pay tribute to the Bard by taking his timeless tales to new heights, entrancing readers all over again. A Shakespeare story by any other name still reads as sweet.
All proceeds from the sales of Never Be Younger go to United Through Reading, a charity dedicated to uniting military families through reading.
Excerpt
To Undreamed Shores by Cortney Pearson
I bask in the brisk air, hands aching while the pocket of pain still gnaws at my shoulder.
“That moon shines on those other places, just like it does here in Bohemia. I want to see it from somewhere else. To see what it’s like, knowing something so constant is with me no matter where I go.”
Cove stares at the moon. After several moments he says, “I have something I’d like to show you. Will you come for a ride with me?”
“What, you mean now?”
He laughs, “Yes, now.”
“But I’m—” Sweaty, dirty. Dreadfully behind on this order. If I have any chance of going with Christabel in a few weeks, I’ve got to step it up—I haven’t even started on her pots yet.
Cove takes my hand and, as with last night, I’m instantly aware of how smooth his skin is against the rough spots on mine.
Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win a suite of prizes, including a Nook, several books, an Amazon gift voucher, and more!
About the Authors
Rachel Bateman is a writer and editor who spends too much time thinking she can out bake the Cake Boss. (Spoiler: She can’t.) She lives in the middle of Montana, but dreams of the South. Rachel is the owner of Metamorphosis Books, an author services company offering formatting and interior layout for independent authors. When not writing, editing, or reading books, she can be found playing with her husband, young son, and small zoo of pets. You can find Rachel on Twitter, and her website.S.M. Johnston: Star Crossed Lovers and A Gargoyle’s Prom Nightmare
S.M. Johnston is a writer of weird fiction and soulful contemporaries from sunny Queensland, Australia. Her family includes a husband, two sons and a number of fur babies of the feline and cavy variety. Jessica L Pierce: A Day of Errors
Jessica is a somewhat crazy – yet loving – blond. She lives in Green Bay, WI, hates the cold, and loves her completely awesome camo coat. She is passionate about football, baseball, photography and writing, and won’t go near cooked peas. (Raw peapods are fine.)
She is a student at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, and will graduate in December 2015 with a degree in Communication with emphasis in Journalism. She is a sports photographer and her work can be found at: http://www.studio52photos.com
Cortney Pearson: To Undreamed Shores
Cortney Pearson is the author of Phobic and Such a Secret Place, a mother, musician, and a lover of pink and sparkles.
E.L. Wicker: Star Crossed Lovers & A Gargoyle’s Prom Nightmare
E.L. Wicker lives in Hampshire, England with her husband and two children. Fueled by the bossy voices in her head, she writes New Adult fiction with a side of romance. You can find E.L. on Twitter, and her website.
Nicole Zoltack: Any Way the Wind Blows
Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys, with another little one on the way. She enjoys horse riding (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead.
Olivia Hinebaugh: Mark The Music
Olivia Hinebaugh spends her free time writing. Obviously. The rest of her time is spent playing and reading with her two young children. She also loves: watching Sia’s music videos, quoting Mean Girls, and folding laundry. She actually really does. You can find Olivia
Adrianne James: A Witch’s Life
Growing up Adrianne James couldn’t get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn’t have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up the majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.
During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life’s stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked up in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.
As a New Adult Paranormal (and sometimes contemporary) author, Adrianne James writes strong women, powerful magic, and love that lasts a lifetime.
Christina June: The Scarf
Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters. Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, eats too many cupcakes, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives just outside Washington DC with her husband and the world’s most rambunctious four-year-old.
Six 2015 releases I need to own right now (because my TBR pile isn’t tall enough already)
Posted: June 16, 2015 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday Leave a comment
I missed last week’s Top Ten Tuesday on 2015 releases because I was in my writing cave, but I really kinda wanted to write a post about it. So I’m doing it this week BECAUSE THIS IS MY BLOG SO NYAH!
There are a few books in the works that I want to add but I’m not 100% sure about release dates for some of them, or they don’t have covers yet (or both!), so I haven’t included them here.
The Aussie Authors
(Also, these covers are all earth tones — what’s up with that?)
Burn (The Rephaim #4) by Paula Weston (June)
How to Save a Life by Lauren McKellar (July)
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (October)
The Rest of the World
(Brought to you by shades of blue…)
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day (August)
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer (November)
Untamed (Splintered 3.5) by A. G. Howard (December)
I only discovered about the Felicia Day memoir and Untamed by reading Paper Fury’s Top Ten Tuesday post last week, which I’m pretty sure is why I either should or should not read posts like these. I guess it depends on your thoughts on me owning more books than I could read in a year… (I could totally read them all in a year if someone would keep me in the manner to which I would like to become accustomed, of course!)
Now’s your chance to make it worse! What books am I missing?
Top Ten Books I’d Love to See as Movies or TV Shows
Posted: June 2, 2015 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday Leave a comment
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (an awesome bookish blog hop brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish) is “Top Ten Books I’d Love To See As Movies/TV Shows”. This is a bit of a fraught subject, because I’d be afraid that any adaptation would be done poorly, like Eragon was. But for the purposes of this list I’m going to pretend that it will, of course, be perfect: able to stay true to the books without bogging us down in details that don’t necessarily work on screen.
I’ve broken these out into separate lists for TV and movies, just so that any big producers browsing my blog for ideas can skip to the format they are after.
You’re welcome. 😉
TV recommendations
The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey is a book series I’ve wanted to see made into a TV show for decades. (YES I AM OLD SHUT UP.) And these days they could do such a beautiful job of animating the dragons. I’m smiling just imagining it. And I’d jump at the chance to fall in love with Masterharper Robinton in the flesh … so to speak.
Jacqueline Carey’s Terre d’Ange books are set across three trilogies but if I had to pick just one, it’d be the first, Phedre’s Trilogy. These books contain some fairly provocative content (BDSM is a feature), and a TV show based on them would need to be produced by HBO or similar. We’re definitely not talking Disney, anyway!
The Lotus War trilogy by Jay Kristoff would also have to be produced by HBO, I think — not so much because of the sex (what there is of that is quite tame) but because of the horror aspect. Kristoff’s world is polluted and corrupt, almost beyond recognition, and it’d be a pity to see that sugar-coated.
The Witches of Eileanan series by Kate Forsyth is a “through the portal” fantasy set generations after the initial crossing to the fantasy world; the culture is inspired by the Scottish Celts, but the world is entirely fantastic. The magic element is based on witchcraft, which I love, and the writer is Australian. Yippee!
The Last Herald-Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey is a bit like the Jacqueline Carey series I recommended, in that it’s one trilogy that is part of a much greater body of work about the fantasy setting. Just imagine all the potential for spinoffs. Unlike Terre d’Ange, though, there isn’t any bondage. (The main couple are homosexual, which I suppose some might find controversial, but I’d love to see some diverse fantasy on TV!)
Movie recommendations
The Rephaim series by Paula Weston isn’t yet complete — I’m dying for the final book in the series, Burn, which is due out next month. But it’d make a great, action-packed series of movies with demons, half-angels and a compelling “what the hell is going on” (pun totally intended) mystery that spans the entire series.
Santa Olivia, also by Jacqueline Carey, would make a great standalone movie. (There is a sequel to this book but I didn’t love it as much.) It’s set in an isolated town on the border between Mexico and Texas — isolated in the sense that it has been quarantined for decades after a viral outbreak. It has a bi main character and genetically engineered werewolves. What’s not to love?
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black would be another one that would make a great standalone movie. It’s an urban fantasy where the premise is vampires (with a touch of zombie-ish behaviour), but before you roll your eyes, it’s done in a new and interesting way that I really enjoyed.
The Splintered trilogy by A. G. Howard is a surreal young adult inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Howard’s visually spectacular style would translate beautifully to the screen—but this would be more of a Tim Burton-style movie, not something shiny and Disney-ish. (Sorry to hack out on Disney twice in one post; they are good at what they do, but my favourites aren’t rated G.)
It’s totally shameless to add this one, but of course I think my Isla’s Inheritance trilogy would make a fabulous young adult movie series. The only thing I’m not sure about would be how they’d handle Isla’s ability to see emotions as auras. But I have faith that a clever director would come up with a way.
Have your people call me people, yeah? 😉
Seriously, what books would you love to see on the big or little screen?
My Top Ten Winter Reads
Posted: May 26, 2015 Filed under: On Books | Tags: TBR, top ten tuesday 5 Comments
Before I start, a small plug: this week you can find me over at Jennifer Anderson’s blog, where I’m talking about J.K. Rowling, surviving Australian wildlife, and my love of urban fantasy. Drop by and say hello!
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (a bookish blog hop organised by the Broke and the Bookish) is “Ten Books I Plan To Have In My Beach Bag This Summer”. Of course, it’s the last month of autumn here and thanks, tBatB, for the reminder of beaches when there’s already frost on the ground! *sob*
Still, since summer is so far away and I can barely plan three months ahead, here are the books I’ve got on my TBR pile as winter reads. These are in no particular order, because I am fickle!
I’ve also been reading quite slowly lately, distracted by book releases, edits, and drafting my latest WIP. So the astute will notice that six of these ten books were on my autumn TBR as well.
Awkward.
From top to bottom:
Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Hit by Delilah S. Dawson
The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Autumn Bones by Jacqueline Carey
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Every Breath by Ellie Marnie
Three of the ten are by Australian women writers I’ve never tried before; three are by writers people have raved about to me; and the rest are by authors whose other works I love and who I’m keen to read more by.
It’s going to be a good winter.
What are the books on your TBR for the next three months, whatever the season?
PS. I haven’t included them because photos of my iPhone aren’t that sexy, but I’ve been listening to Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series on audiobook on my commute. I can guarantee I’ll get through at least three more of those over winter. 🙂
Ten Authors I’d Love to Have Dinner With
Posted: May 12, 2015 Filed under: On Books | Tags: Chuck Wendig, delilah s. dawson, top ten tuesday 4 Comments
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is “Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet”. I debated whether to do this one or not, because I already did a top five on the same subject about a year ago. But I figured I’d do an expanded version. In my fantasy scenario, we’re all having dinner somewhere fabulous (where I don’t have to cook!).
In no particular order, Stacey Nash, Lauren K. McKellar and Kim Last. These three ladies are some of my fellow Aussie Owned and Read bloggers, and they’re always so ready to provide advice, cheers and a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold when required. They’re also all super talented, and the idea of being able to sit down with them and brainstorm plot ideas makes me giddy with delight.
J. K. Rowling. The world of Harry Potter is so clever and complex, and I’d love to engage with someone who can achieve such an epic level of world-building. Also, she was a single mother when she wrote it, and we could bond over that. We’d share parenting advice and give each other manicures or whatever it is that bonding single mothers do.
Stephen King. I’d probably be too terrified to talk to him, because — whatever you think of genre fiction in general and horror specifically — this man is a genius. (For the record, I love horror but am now scared of clowns. Seriously.) Maybe I could bask in his reflected glory. If I did speak, I’d have to be careful not to utter any adverbs.
Chuck Wendig. As well as being an excellent writer, he seems to be a stand up bloke, and I’d like to buy him a beer or something. He’s also funny. I like a man that can make me laugh and impart excellent writing advice at the same time.
Delilah S. Dawson. As well as writing kick-ass steampunk fantasy romance and a Southern gothic that will scare you witless. Delilah is funny too, and a geek. She’s such a geek she writes geekrotica, WHICH IS TOTALLY HOT YES I MAY HAVE READ IT SHUT UP! (The safe word is “wookiee”.)
Mercedes Lackey. Misty wrote one of my go-to favourite fantasy reads — the Last Herald-Mage trilogy is comfort food for my brain. I love some of her books more than others (I blogged about that during last week’s Top Ten Tuesday), but given she’s released over 100 novels, that is inevitable. I’d love to talk to her about her approach to writing — how she does it.
Honourable mentions
Unfortunately, unless I get a TARDIS, these folks are no longer available. 😦
Anne McCaffrey. Anne was my first writing love, and her Pern books are the first fantasy world I desperately wanted to live in.
Douglas Adams. Adams was not only a hilarious writer but a staunch conservationist and lover of science.
Who would you have to dinner?
Review: ‘Wait!’ by Stacey Nash
Posted: May 8, 2015 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: aussie-owned, AWW, new adult, reviews Leave a comment
Jordan Hays knows just how precious life is; that’s why he has his own mapped out. He’ll work to pay his way through university while he studies hard, regardless of the constant distractions. Because when it comes to becoming a nurse, he’s deadly serious. He won’t fail to save someone again.
But Hex Penton is way too similar to the sister he lost, and even though the only thing more fun than stupid dares is the crazy girl who sets them, Jordan needs to make a choice. Hex believes every moment is important; every opportunity must be taken, because you never know when the world will be yanked out from underneath you. With the foundations he’s based his life on shaken, Jordan must discover what’s more important: making sure Hex’s life isn’t wasted, or remembering how to live his.
It’s time to play truth or dare.
***
Wait! is a story about acceptance, learning to trust and in turn love while facing life’s unexpected difficulties.
NB: This book is of a mild heat level, and contains no explicit sex scenes.
I think by now it’s no secret that I adore Stacey Nash. Not only is she a fabulous writer but she’s a wonderful human being. Still, you should all believe me when I say that if you want to read sweet new adult fiction (set in a university but without the usual semi-erotic trappings typical of the genre), you should get onto this series ASAP.
Scout’s honour.
Wait! is the sequel to Shh! (yes, the exclamation marks are part of the names). It is set about a year later, and focuses on Jordan Hays, younger brother of the yummy Logan from Shh!, and Jordan’s venture into university life. Jordan’s an interesting character; he’s grown up way before his time due to the death of his sister. In some ways I found him more serious than Logan, and he is definitely more guilt-ridden than Logan is. (I won’t go into the reasons, because spoilers, but it all makes sense.)
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Jordan — but if I were choosing a book boyfriend, I’d choose Logan any day. Probably because he struck me as more geeky and less sporty, and that’s just how I roll. 😉
Still, one of the things I enjoyed about Wait! was watching Hex, Jordan’s firecracker dorm-mate, teach him how to loosen up even as he manages to get her to see that there’s more to life than partying hard. Stacey did a great job of looking at binge drinking and alcoholism (not so much in Hex’s case but probably in her mother’s) without being preachy. Some of the characters were judgemental, but there was no authorial intrusion into it, which is a very tricky line to walk.
The other line that is tricky but that I think Stacey handled well was Jordan’s attraction to Hex even as he realised she reminded him of his sister. That could have been very icky, but it wasn’t, thank goodness!
I quite liked Hex, although her personal decisions weren’t ones I’d have necessarily made myself. (It may surprise you to know, dear reader, that I wasn’t a massive binge drinker even at that age.) I sympathised with her enough that I shared her indignation at Jordan judging her behaviour.
My only quibble (and it’s so minor it’s barely worth mentioning, but I wouldn’t want you to think I was sugar-coating this review!) is that there’s very little swearing in this book. Not that I require swears, you understand, but both Hex and Jordan tend to think words like “darn” rather than more sweary examples, which didn’t quite seem to fit with either one very well. I only recall seeing one of them drop the f-bomb once. It was an appropriate f-bomb, sure, but there were a handful of other times that a curse would’ve fit too.
See, I told you it was minor. 🙂
Seven Books on My TBR That I Will Probably Never Read
Posted: May 5, 2015 Filed under: On Books | Tags: TBR, top ten tuesday 6 Comments
Before I start, just a reminder that I am giving away a paperback of Isla’s Inheritance to celebrate the release of the third book in the series, Melpomene’s Daughter. Get you some!
I haven’t done a Top Ten Tuesday in a while, and I kinda missed it. So even though it’s not Tuesday here for much longer, I’m jumping on this bandwagon! Yeah!
This weeks theme is “Ten Books I Will Probably Never Read”. I’ve decided to copy Emily Mead and limit it to books on my TBR, because let’s face it, there are a TON of books I’ll never read, and I wouldn’t even know where to start!
None of these books would’ve made it onto my TBR in the first place if I hadn’t thought they were worthwhile. I’ve also done a couple of TBR culls (driven by moving house), and these ones survived the cut. But there are almost 100 books in that pile, both paper and digital, which means lots of stories clamouring for my attention.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. I started this one, but life-stealing plots give me the heebie jeebies. And this has one. I should probably get over it — because Neil Gaiman — but I’m not sure I ever will.
Cardinal Sin by Allison Brennan. I bought this and the first book in the Seven Deadly Sins series at the same time, and although the first carried me along (enough so I haven’t given both of them away), I remember being a little put out at the depiction of witches as universally evil. Now it’s been so long I’d have to start from scratch, because I’ve forgotten almost everything.
Passion by Lauren Kate. This book falls into the same category as the previous one — I liked the first book in the series, Fallen, but I didn’t love it. In this case I was disappointed that all the action happened right at the end of the book. It did sorta make me want to know what happens next, but I also think maybe I’m not cut out for paranormal romance.
The Spider Goddess by Tara Moss. This is yet another second book in a series where the first didn’t grab me as much as I liked. (From memory, I found the plot a little transparent? It was years ago, though, so I may be thinking of something else!) Hmm, I’m starting to notice a theme here!
Diplomacy of Wolves by Holly Lisle. I picked this up on impulse years ago. I like Holly Lisle’s books, but I’ve gone a bit off fantasy lately in favour of its urban cousin. I’m sure I’ll love this if/when I read it, but… *shrug*
Mary Queen of Scots and the Isles by Margaret George. I read Margaret George’s historical fiction on Henry VIII and really enjoyed it, but I’m not sure I have the attention for historical fiction these days. Sad but true!
The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey. I used to love Mercedes Lackey’s books, and I was excited when I read the first book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. I bought a bunch of the books, but the second and third ones didn’t do it for me. This is the fourth in the series, and I just can’t face the heartbreak if I don’t like it either. (I also have the next two, The Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Werewolf, sitting there, but I decided not to name and shame the series three times.)
What books are on your TBR that you don’t think you’ll ever get to? Or are there books in my little stack of shame that you think I should give a chance?
Review: ‘The Intern’ by Gabrielle Tozer
Posted: April 20, 2015 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: AWW, new adult, reviews, young adult 1 Comment
Josie Browning dreams of having it all.
A stellar academic record, an amazing career in journalism – and for her current crush to realise she actually exists. The only problem? Josie can’t get through twenty-four hours without embarrassing her sister Kat or her best friend Angel, let alone herself.
Josie’s luck changes though when she lands an internship at the glossy fashion magazine Sash. A coveted columnist job is up for grabs, but Josie’s got some tough competition in the form of two other interns. Battle lines are drawn and Josie quickly learns that the magazine industry is far from easy, especially under the reign of powerful editor, Rae Swanson.
From the lows of coffee-fetching and working 10-hour days, to the highs of mingling with celebrities, scoring endless free beauty products (plus falling for her cousin’s seriously gorgeous flatmate James) this is one year Josie will never forget.
The Intern was an enjoyable book by an Aussie writer who you can tell has worked in the fashion magazine industry before — she had all those little details right. Or at least she was able to fake it. I can’t exactly claim to be an expert, as I don’t actually read them. I think it was my lack of interest in fashion and gossip magazines that meant I found the story a little hard to get into at first…
But then Josie won me over, with her wonderful, quirky personality. She was nerdy, naive and clumsy — but not in a Bella Swan, not-really-clumsy-except-very-rarely kind of way. Josie was really clumsy (as someone with poor vision I can relate to that), and it often got her in trouble. She also had exactly no verbal filter, meaning that the first time she meets a cute boy she tells him all sorts of embarrassing stories, including about how that one time she pooed her pants…
Yeah, I cringed a little too.
Still, I loved her passion for writing and her desire to be a journalist. During the course of the story, she learns that she can actually find stories and write about things she cares about, even if she’s working for a “light” magazine like Sash. I really liked that about her — that she made the best of a less-than-ideal situation. (I guess by then she’d had a lot of practice!)
I loved some of the other characters, including her fellow intern, Steph; sister, Kat; and of course the cute boy in question, James (he was genuinely a nice guy, which is so great to see!). I was less sold on Josie’s best friend, Angel — she seemed to be rather selfish, to be honest, and I don’t think she was in the story enough to redeem herself or really win me over. Still, since one of the elements of the story was Josie and Angel (who were high school best friends) struggling to maintain their friendship after graduation, it did fit.
There aren’t any really “bad” characters in The Intern, except for a few bit characters who just pass through. Everyone who is looked at in any depth at all is revealed to just be a regular person, with good and bad aspects, including the stereotypical “cold boss”, Rae, and the “mean girl” intern, Ava. I kind of liked that, actually; it gave the book more of a happy vibe, when it could’ve been really catty and enraging.
I felt really awful for Josie’s mother, who is struggling after the recent failure of her marriage to the girls’ father. I hope that in the sequel we get to see her thrive. (If she reunites with her ex I will throw things through the wall.)
The Intern is a fun read that touches on some serious subjects but still manages to retain its lighter tone. Given Josie’s age you could consider it new adult, but it doesn’t have any of the traditional new adult subject matter (raunchy sex or drug use) and would be suitable for younger teens.
Review: ‘Half-Blood’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Posted: April 11, 2015 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: reviews, urban fantasy, young adult Leave a commentToday over at Aussie Owned and Read, I’m reviewing “Half-Blood” by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I liked it, but didn’t love it — click here to find out why: Review: ‘Half-Blood’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Cassandra Page 