Review: Kea’s Flight

Title: Kea’s Flight

Author: Erika Hammerschmidt and John C. Ricker

Publication date: May 2011

My Rating: 5/10

Buy the book: Amazon|B&N|Lulu epub|Lulu PDF|Paperback

Links: Goodreads|Website

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Summary:

It's the 25th century, and humans have learned how to end unwanted pregnancies by removing and cryogenically freezing the embryos to save for later. But they never planned for how many there would be, or how much control people would want over their offspring's genetic makeup.

Kea was an exile before she was born. Grown from an embryo that was rejected for having autism-spectrum genes, she has been raised on a starship full of Earth's unwanted children. When a sudden discovery threatens their plan to find a home, Kea must join with other rejects to save the ship from its own insane government.

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My thoughts:

Kea’s Flight is definitely a very different read. I liked the different characters who were, at times, vulnerable, relatable and enjoyable to read about.

I really liked the idea behind the story and you can really learn a lot from this book, however, for me it was one of those reads that start of great but then loses it’s steam.

I started to feel like there was no basic plot line…not that there wasn’t a plot but that there were so many things happening that led on to another happening that it just became too much. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t enjoy it either…it just wasn’t for me.

I do recommend this book for others though. It was a really clever read at times and it surprised me at points. It was just one of those times when I found myself losing interest…it happens.

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About the authors:

 

Erika Hammerschmidt was born in Minnesota and graduated from Augsburg
College with two language majors and an art minor. She was diagnosed
with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 11, and has written Born on the
Wrong Planet, a memoir about her childhood. Her husband John C. Ricker
was born in Hawaii, received a diagnosis of Asperger's at the age of
24, and studied computer science before working in vacuum technology.
They live in Minnesota with their parrot, Rain Man. Together they have
co-authored the science fiction novel Kea's Flight.

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Review: The Damned Busters

Title: The Damned Busters

Author: Matthew Hughes

Publisher: Angry Robot Books

Publication date: May 2011

My Rating: 6/10

Buy the book

Author: Website|Goodreads

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Summary:

Chesney Arnstruther: by day, mild mannered insurance man; by night, fearless superhero crime fighter. By his side, his wisecracking demonic sidekick, in a somewhat ill-fitting costume.

Watch out all you freaks, weirdo's, werewolves and assorted furry monsters, the Damned Busters are on your trail!

File Under: Comic Fantasy [ Satanic Unions / Hell on Strike / A Deal with Satan / Crooked Preachers ]

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My thoughts:

I was definitely intrigued about this book when I heard about it. Where else can you find a book about  an ordinary man summoning a demon by accident who then becomes a superhero?

Yeah, it was a really fun, creative idea for a story that was refreshing to read. It was a fabulously funny story with great ideas about good and evil and it was brilliantly written at times.

But there was a problem for me. The first quarter or so of the book was great. It made me laugh, it made me think, it was going good. But then I sort of started to not like the protagonist and then I found it hard to continue to stick with the story. It sort of lost it’s steam at some point.

I don’t really know what else to say…it had loads of potential to be a lot better for me but I just lost it at one point. I did finish the book but it didn’t really sit well with me.

It does deserve a lot of credit though for the whacky idea and the writing…it was a whole load of different.

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In My Mailbox #18

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @The Story Siren

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So this week I got a load of good books!

I won:

  

 I won these from Book Chick City and I’m super excited to read them!

All links take you to Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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And I bought these:

 

 

 Happy reading everyone!

On My Wishlist #23

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I want but haven't haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

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In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gas lit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

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 Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing.  Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

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 Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen—with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

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So that is what’s on my wishlist this week!

Happy reading!

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Review: Wayward

Title: Wayward

Author: Ashley Girardi

Publication date: March 27th 2011

Book source: Book Lovin’ Bitches

My Rating: 9/10

Buy the book

Author: Blog|Twitter|Goodreads

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Summary:

Born without magic, seventeen-year-old Helena “Hex” Wayward is an embarrassment to her power-hungry relatives.

As the weakest member of the world’s most deadly magical family, Hex learns early how to avoid confrontation. There’s no defending herself against an errant curse or the pit-demon that her cousins like to summon during family reunions.

When the dark magic inside of her -- magic that she never dreamt even existed -- erupts in a violent display, it kills a member of a rival family.
Now, Hex's family hopes to use her magic for their own sinister purposes and their enemies just want her dead. Abandoning her magic will leave Hex defenceless but she's seen how quickly power corrupts even the best intentions.

Caught between the seductive sorcerer who wants her power for his own and the forbidden love of a human boy, Hex has to make a choice:
Save her life or save her soul.

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My thoughts:

I really don’t have that much to say in this review other than I love Wayward!

It was such a great read that I seriously could not put down for the life of me. It’s really not at all what you’d expect it to be. It certainly left me shell-shocked at times with how dramatic it was and how easily I was hooked to the plot.

I loved the main character in this one. She was a real bad girl but at the same time she had her open, vulnerable moments that made her such a great character.

I only have one criticism, if you can call it that, and that was that the main character did seem to be a bit older than she actually is in the story but it did seem to fit at times considering her back-story and what she had to go through.

Wayward was also surprisingly creepy at times. It actually made me shudder at one point especially where Hex’s family is involved. It was definitely a new for me.

What got me though was the fabulous ending! It was so great. I couldn’t read anything else for a while for thinking about this read and what might happen next…it’s a definite must read! Please go and check it out!

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This review was part of a book tour hosted by Book Lovin’ Bitches

Check out the rest of the tour stops for more reviews, guest posts and giveaways!

5/1   review @ Read My Mind
5/2   review @ Sara Is Reading What?
5/5   giveaway @ Sara Is Reading What?
5/8   review @ Awesomesauce Bookclub
5/9   interview @ Read My Mind
5/10 giveaway @ Awesomesauce Bookclub
5/11 giveaway @ Books Glorious Books
5/11 review @ Splash Of Our Worlds
5/12 review @ Just Another Book Addict
5/12 review @ It's All About Books
5/13 review @ Spellbound Witch Reviews
5/13 guest post @ Just Another Book Addict
5/14 giveaway @ Splash Of Our Worlds
5/14 giveaway @ It's All About Books

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Review: The Book of Lost Souls

Title: The Book of Lost Souls

Author: Michelle Muto

Publication date: March 6th 2011

Book source: Book Lovin’ Bitches

My Rating: 8/10

Buy the book

Author: Blog|Twitter|Goodreads

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Summary:

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumour: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumours worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.

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My thoughts:

This book was definitely a pleasant surprise. I knew from the start it would be a great, fun read that would be perfect to sit down with in the sun along with a nice cup of tea!

It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. I read it entirely in one sitting it was that entertaining. It sort of appeals to the mischievous, high school girl in me.

I loved all of the characters and the way they interacted as friends or otherwise. They developed perfectly throughout the story and were all relatable and realistic. I loved how each of them had a certain characteristic that was pointed out at sometime in the story, it made them that much more three-dimensional as characters and it added to the story somewhat.

What I enjoyed most about this book though is how much of a laugh it really was. There were some really fun and creative ideas strewn throughout that made me smile and some great conversations that made me laugh. There was it’s fair share of serious events though which balanced it out considerably, like the mystery in the plot and the protagonist’s relationship with her father…and her complicated love life!

Speaking of, the plot was fantastic! Really original and it kept me on the edge of my seat at times. A real page-turner.

There were a few twists and turns too which definitely kept me interested and the ending was brilliant. I can’t wait for more from this author in particular.

All in all this read was a perfect mix of drama and humour and is a fun, entertaining read.

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This review was part of a book tour hosted by Book Lovin’ Bitches

Check out the rest of the tour stops for more reviews, guest posts and giveaways!

4/22  guest post @ My Bookish Ways
5/2    guest post @ Awesomesauce Bookclub
5/9    giveaway @ Novel Addiction
5/9    interview @ Immortality and Beyond
5/11  giveaway @ Books For Company
5/15  review @ A Chick Who Reads
5/17  interview @ Spellbound Witch Reviews
5/19  review @ Hooked To Books
5/20  guest post @ Hooked To Books
5/25  review @ Splash Of Our Worlds
5/29  review @ Read My Mind
5/30  giveaway @ Aobibliosphere
6/8   review @ Just Another Book Addict
6/15  guest post @ The Bookish Snob
6/16  guest post @ Sugarbeat's Books
6/21  review @ It's All About Books

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

 

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In My Mailbox #17

Hi guys!

So I only got one book through the post this week and it was from UK Book Tours!

I’m super excited to read this one though!

Happy reading!