Danni Mae

Review also on Dannimae.com

I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I lifted this book off of The Book Dame -who loved it- and it became my first ever adult ghost story. I anticipated Little Girls with an edgy curiosity, expecting to be scared or at least a little creeped-out, but although there were plenty of gritty scenes that made me uncomfortable, nothing had scared me like I thought it would.

Laurie, the main character of the story was portrayed very well. In fact, you got a good idea of who everyone in the family was. I was impressed by how the light tone of Ted and Susan didn’t subtract from the dark tone of the book. Reading Little Girls, more often than not my mood could be described as “numb.” Even in the scenes dictated by Ted’s lighthearted banter with his daughter, I felt Laurie’s perspective of an outsider looking onto something that hardly fit in with her life. Her relationship with Susan was not really that of a mother and daughter that loved each other, but more of a stepmother who feels like an intrusion upon a daughter and her father. This I enjoyed, if not with a little sadness.

Another remarkable thing in Little Girls was the imagery. I had very clear views of what was going on inside the novel, particularly during the darker scenes: peeking through a tall wooden fence, shadows passing under doorways, and especially the last scene with Abigail, which I won’t reveal due to spoilers. Let me just say that it was very well written in a way that it was easy to picture. You know how sometimes you read the sentence (for the millionth time) “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” and your mind just kind of skips over it and doesn’t really picture it? Yea, none of that in Little Girls. Every scene was vivid and well written.

It may have been a well written book with good characters, but I often found the plot lackluster. There were a lot of over-described actions and when I look back on the events I realize that nothing remarkable really happened until the end. There were some key points, but the beginning and middle of Little Girls seemed like completely different books from the end. Had the whole book had the plot of the end with the high points of the beginning and middle, I definitely would have liked little girls more.

Overall, Little Girls had a lot of strong standpoints, but I just don’t think it was my thing. It is my first horror story and I was expecting a little more creepiness, (although there was one scene where I got the level of thrills I desired, at the end with Abigail, but it was only one scene) but if you think this may be your cup of tea, check out The Book Dame‘s review for some more insight.

Recommended by Paper Fury

Review also on Dannimae.com

This book took me a whole week to read. And that’s not because it was bad- it was just so thoughtful. Everything in Maggie’s world- everything– from the morning sounds of the main character’s house to the way a boy holds a book he loves- is described meticulously and in detail. I believe this book wasn’t written, it was crafted. Just the pure thought that went into this book alone was enough to boost the star rating, but ya’ll probably can already tell I loved it, because I’ve already used three italics.

I was hooked by the first chapter. Really. Sometimes I’m hesitant to start a book because delving into a world that’s so separate from mine while I’m still thinking of the last book I read is a little exhausting for me. I don’t just read, really, I put myself there. I imagine the characters, imagine I live in that world. It’s all very juvenile. But by the time I was done with the first chapter, I though “okay. I’m going to love this book.” And I did. Now all I can think is “what took me so long to pick this up?”

What indeed.

But the characters- is it weird to say I loved them? No, no, not in the fangirl love where you just *squee* looooooove Edward Cullen (don’t worry, I’m not making fun of you if you did, I was there once, too) but in the genuine affectionate love that you feel for a friend that you know? Like, actually know. In real life. That is how I felt for every single one of the main cast. From the charmingly whimsical but secretly obsessive Gansey to explosive and impulsive Ronan, I loved everyone in this book. It also had a weird setup, with four male characters and one girl, and the fact that there’s not really a romance in it even though there’s the underlying hint of one, The Raven Boys is definitely different from most books, but I think that works to its advantage.

And the world! Magical and mysterious, I just couldn’t get enough of it! Can’t. Because I’ll be reading the next in series soon! I may review it, but I doubt there’s much of a point to that- if you’re like me, once you read the first you WILL be reading the second.

Reced by:

http://hardcoversandheroines.com/2015/06/25/hold-me-like-a-breath-by-tiffany-schmidt/#comment-18646

Review also on DanniMae.com

Loved it! I got exactly what I expected out of “There’s Cake in my Future,” and I couldn’t have been happier with it. It’s a chick-lit that follows the story of three best friends in their different stages of love: one getting married, one wanting to get married, and one thinking she just wants a hot romance. But when a cake pull (which is a beautiful idea, by the way) goes awry, all of the girls end up with something else. This book was light, fun, sweet, and don’t you just love the cover?

Buuut moving along, more detail. I loved how what was happening to Nic and Mel turned to utter devastation (because I’m cruel like that) during the course of their romances. Their attitudes in the face of (light) tragedy made the book worth reading. I loved Mel’s screw-it-all-and-go-nuts personality and even Nic’s constant comedic groaning. As for Seema, I generally hate the whole pining-after-someone-for-the-majority-of-a-book-because-we-both-know-we-want-each-other-but-neither-of-us-admits-it-because-we’re-too-sissy-and-also-the-book-would-then-only-be-three-pages-long plot device, but when it came to Seema, she had legitimate reasons to believe Scott wasn’t into her at all, and even I wasn’t sure, which is new because in a romance, the reader is always sure. Sometimes the half-flirty way they treated each other was ridiculous to me, and I just wanted to say “the line’s right there! Just jump over it!” because no woman should fall asleep in the arms of a man when she’s not sure if he’s into her- you just can’t do that to yourself. But for the most part, Seema’s story was enjoyable, too.

Also, loved the flow of time that There’s Cake in my Future took. It began at Nicole’s wedding, rewound to the events before, and then continued the wedding and went from there. It was an unusual way to do things, seeing as the majority of the book was written linearly, but it works well for this one.

And although it was completely unrealistic, I loved Mel’s ending.

Overall, a light and fun read for someone in a bad mood or feeling lonely. Or someone looking to get married themselves. Or someone who’s about to be a bridesmaid. (Which is the same as wanting to get married yourself.)

Devoured in a day. Or less! Just took me a few days to post it here. For faster reviews, visit me at DanniMae.com.
Bone Gap is a fantasy written as a fairytale that perfectly hits that sweet-spot between reality and magic. Beautiful and ethereal, it fascinated me with the way its characters saw the world and the strong personalities of everyone involved. I loved the characters. I loved Finn with his daydreamy way of talking to animals and I loved Roza and her defiant self-sacrifice in the face of fear. This book was a four star instead of a five due only to the rarity of defining moments or memorable lines, and although that’s a point away from perfect in my book, it can’t be seen as entirely a bad thing: Bone Gap flows as easily as the lives of the people within it, and despite the magic and unexplainable circumstances, this makes it all the more real.
But it is not without its inconsistencies! Although the characters that are spoken of commonly- the ones with names- are all dynamic and unique, none of them fit the so-called personality of the town. Bone Gap- the place- itself is described as a gossipy small-town community, but I got a sense that the undefined speaking roles were all just a part of the scenery, adding to the character of the town whereas none of the people we actually got to know in the book quite fit the bill. This somehow makes the town seem smaller or as if the events happening in the book aren’t happening within the town at all, but in a separate, different location. All of this, however, is pretty nitpicky and doesn’t at all effect the way I feel about Bone Gap- the book, not the place- which is a daydreamy sort of fondness.
Overall, Bone Gap is perfect for a lazy day read- particularly a rainy, lazy day- and good for a little bit of escape from reality.

Ooh, I loved this book and I hated it. I got it off of my TBR knowing that I wanted it so I forgot to double check the synopsis and was not expecting a series of short stories in place of a novel. Some of the stories were based on other things she had written, like “The Coldest Girl in Coldtown” and “Tithe,” and getting a little more insight on her older stories was fun, but the ones I really, really enjoyed were independent.

Which brings me to the ‘hate’ part. WHHYYY did I pick up a series of short stories by Holly Black? They were all too- well, SHORT! Almost every story in the collection left me wanting more, which is good in a novel, but in a short story that will never see a sequel, it’s dreadful. I can’t write a really in-depth view of a collection like this, so I’m just going to say I completely enjoyed The Poison Eaters, but I am never, ever picking up a series of short stories again. Particularly by Holly Black.

Check out Dannimae.com for more reviews like this. I'd love to meet some Holly Black fans!

The most memorable thing, to me, about The Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn't Fly is that it did a very good job of portraying average kids. Their thoughts and feelings were unusual for an avid reader, because most books portray magnificent and unusual people, old or young, but TFBaTGWCF's kids were perfectly tuned to their ages.
One thing I didn't like about it is that the source of the main problem here could have had been more explained, but I think that's more of a personal thing than a fault with the book, because I always love more detail. I also liked the relationship between the main character and the floating boy: again, it was like an average teen romance. The author didn't try too hard to make the Floating Boy into a stud- in fact, when you first see him, he's stuffing his face full of food, and that new perspective is realistic and refreshing.
I'd say this is a good read also because the pacing is done well. Halfway into the book you still don't know why all the odd things are happening, but I didn't care because I was enjoying the story, so even if you're not sure whether or not this is for you, it's worth a pick-up because it reads like butter.

To me, Taken by Tuesday was really just so-so; I didn't love or hate it. I enjoyed reading it when it was in front of me, but it wasn't a book I thought about when I was away and I doubt it'll be a book I really remember after a while. That being said, I'm not going to go too in-depth with my review, and I'll just name my favorite and least favorite things about the book.

My least favorite thing was the emotion of the book. Whereas I was expecting a romantic wedding novel, most of what I read was about a girl trying to make it in a big city. Although I don't particularly mind that and it was enjoyable enough, the parts that really got to me were the parts of Taken by Tuesday that were supposed to be tense. I can't say I really felt any fear or concern for the characters, and the scenes themselves- particularly the one important scene at the end- just didn't seem like too much of a big deal, even though big-deal-things were happening. I just didn't feel the emotions I think I was supposed to.

My favorite part of Taken by Tuesday, however, was the character development during the lighter scenes. I liked the characters of Judy and Rick and I loved how they interacted when they were flirting with each other. The dialogue was interesting and fun, and kind of more what I was looking for when I picked up this book.

I'd like to actually rate this one three and a half stars.

I really don't know where to begin with this review; The Circle had a lot of great points, and a lot of weaker points. If you asked outright what I liked and disliked about it, I'd be able to name more dislikes than likes, but that didn't stop it from being a really enjoyable read. The dislikes are all small and overlookable compared to the things I liked about The Circle, so I'll start with that.

The thing that bothered me the most was the image of Sentria. It was completely uncreative. Yes, with three moons and a purple sky, it looked different from Earth, but that was really the ONLY difference. Am I really to believe that Sentrians have soil that is not suitable for growing coffee, yet this foreign planet lightyears away celebrates with turkey, cranberry sauce, and celery? I wasn't aware turkeys could live on a planet where the temperature is more than 100 degrees on a regular day. More than that, Sentria seems to have a lot of similar aspects to Earth: throughout the book Charlie and his father played ""the Sentrian version of chess"" and a Sentrian worked with ""an item resembling a wrench."" Maybe I'm being nitpicky, but if there's going to be a planet where the inhabitants lived secluded from Earthans for years and now think of Earthans as lesser than them, their objects, foods, and games should not have anything in common with the Earthans'.

That being said, I loved the government of Sentria. Completely controlling and nosy, it was the perfect example of a dystopian government. There were a lot of times that I found myself intimidated by their actions, especially during the end, and although they didn't take a really strong position in the book until about halfway through, it was worth the wait. I liked how the beginning of the book was dedicated to forming a really strong relationship between Charlie and Lilly- something not a lot of books take their time with- so that when the government came in to try to separate them, it really meant something. The tone of the book also completely changed. Whereas the beginning was a cute little high school romance read, the end was a romantic thriller.

Another dislike I had was the time period. This book took place in the 80's, but I really just don't see the point of that. Everything from language to activities seemed completely modern. Although I had to look up what a mum was, that was the only part of the culture that I was not familiar with, and I know NOTHING about the 80's. Likewise, Charlie was from the 50's, but that seemed pointless, too. At first, he struggled to fit in with human dialogue, but he didn't have to be from the 50's for that- he's an alien; I'm sure it would've been believable if he'd struggled anyway. Not that it ever amounted to anything, so I really just don't see the point.

Lastly, I loved the side characters. Although it was hard to remember everyone because The Circle throws a lot of names at you, every person in this book seemed thought out and realistic. I especially loved Beth and Claire. I wish that Evelyn's obsession with ruining Charlie's life was explained better, because for a married woman trying to climb up the government ladder, destroying her ex seems a bit stupid, so I'm hoping the second book has some more insight on that. I plan to read it once it comes out, because I really did enjoy the first and the turn it took at the very end, so I'd love to know what happens.

I adored this book; it was a fun and simple read. At first, the impulsive (nutcase) behavior of the main character led me to believe I wasn't going to like it at all, but by the end I came to love Madison and Jared, as well as all of the side characters in Accidentally Married.

The relationship between Madison and Jared was completely realistic in my opinion; it started off with him thinking she was a nutcase (which was COMPLETELY realistic, considering she started off as a nutcase) and the progression of their love was slow and steady, happening bit-by-bit. By the end, they had a strong and believable relationship, and even the ""he/she can't possibly love me"" moments they had- which I normally despise in a book- were very realistic and well-played, which made them both enjoyable and heart-wrenching.

Speaking of heart-wrenching, I cried. Why is every book making me cry lately? I used to NEVER cry. Maybe I'm just finding good books. But their bond was perfect and I loved every second of them.

One thing that was lacking was the side characters. They were mostly all dynamic and different, but I found myself always wanting to know MORE about them. I wanted to spend more time exploring Jared's family and especially Patricia's fiancee, considering Madison was sharing her marriage with them and he had no more than five speaking lines in the book. I wanted to know more especially about Jared's and Madison's mothers, as the information on both of them was pretty bare-minimum. Also, a lot of the actions Jared's family took- without spoiling any of them- seemed unrealistic, but that could have been explained if I had known them better.

So overall, a very fun, cute read that I found myself really enjoying. I was constantly thinking about this book and whenever I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be. Not to mention my biggest problem with it is that I wanted more of it. Totally worth the read for someone looking for something fast, cute, and light.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be ""ohmaigawd."" Not because I personally loved it, but because that was the mood of the entire thing. There was a lot of danger throughout the course of Doppelganger- although it only felt dangerous towards the end of the book- but somehow the main character, Citrus, managed to keep this ranty high-school-preppy attitude almost the entire time. Let me explain what I mean with an excerpt. This is at the beginning of the book, so it's not much of a spoiler; it's right after she discovers she has a Doppelganger and runs away with a boy who also has one.

""He switched off the car and turned to face me. I kept my head leaned back against the seat, and my head was starting to pound. I knew I was totally going to get a monster of a pimple now, because of all the stress. Probably on my nose, and especially since I couldn't get to my facewash. Still, I tried to breathe normally and concentrate on Aedan as he spoke. I just hoped the pimple didn't show up until after Aedan and I stopped hanging out. Please oh please oh please I told myself. That would be just the thing to push me over the edge right now- dying of embarrassment. I didn't need any more stress.""

In case you're wondering, almost the entire book is like this. Just previously we were talking about our doubles taking over our lives and kidnapping people- are we really going to worry about pimples right now? And about a million times during the course of this book she went off on a complete tangent that ended in ""why is my brain over-thinking like this?"" Why indeed.

The progression of the bond between the two main characters was as jittery as the writing. For a half of the book, they're complete strangers running from danger together with nothing other than their current situation in common, then all of a sudden he begins to show major concern and affection for her. I understand that danger can bring to people together, but there was no path between point A- strangers- and point B- in love.

70% of this book was 'meh,' but interesting enough (and kind of fun in a ""I love to hate this person"" type way with the narration) but the ending really picked it up. This seems to be a common theme in the books I've read lately. The ending revealed secrets, surprises, and interesting plot points that- despite my dislike for the main character and a lot of the narration- actually makes me want to read the second to see what happens.

And while we're on the narration, to be fair, it got better. Actually, Citrus had a lot of good development throughout the course of this book. She started off as a nervous wreck afraid of her own shadow, and ended up as a fairly independent woman willing to lead others to safety at her own expense and throw herself into danger for answers. In the end, I have to say I was proud of her for the steps she'd taken, and whereas she started off this book barely passing for teenage mentality, she grew into a fairly wise young adult by the end, and it was a refreshing thing to notice. I think this will also make the second more interesting, and I plan to pick it up if I ever have a chance. Overall, Doppelganger was a quick, fun read and a good way to pass the time between long books.

Three Stars

I read Madly, Deeply for Katie's Countdown Wedding Read-along event, and even though all this time has passed, it's just my first book! It's taking me forever to put aside some time for reading! Everything's been so crazy busy around here, so we appreciate you keeping up with us, and I finally have something to show for it!

I am really glad I finished this book. About halfway through, I was sure that I was going to give it a terrible review, but now that I've finished it, I can't help thinking that it was actually pretty good.

There were a lot of things that annoyed me at the beginning. First of all, the love between William and Annaleigh just felt wrong. I knew that they were supposed to be in love, but I just didn't see it. Annaleigh was too strong a character to fall for someone like Will, who, to me, seemed very wishy-washy and pansyish. The love seemed even more unreal when everyone around them started talking about it. Even Annaleigh's parents agreed that William loved Annaleigh more than anybody in the universe ever loved anybody else, and it all seemed very played out, like the author was trying to convince us rather than developing dynamic characters.

I also didn't like Mary at all in the beginning. I could tell she was supposed to be a likable character, but she was just so obsessive and over the top. She drove me nuts when the wedding planning began; she was completely overbearing and acted as though it were her wedding and she had a right to make all of the decisions. However, there was a reason for this behavior and everything was explained, so when I discovered Mary's side of the story, she became completely likable for me, and actually turned out to be my favorite character. That aside, though, once you find out why she was so overbearing, it seems completely unreal that she would allow the wedding to take place where it did with hardly more begging than ""please.""

Annaleigh was also a strange character. She seemed to have two different sides: the side portrayed by the narrator, and the side that came out in all of her dialogue. As the story followed her, Annaleigh felt fears and sorrows that were realistic to her, only to be ruined every time she opened her mouth. In this way, I feel like I never really understood what Annaleigh was like as a person, because the story never delved deeper into that stubborn, joking side of her that was the complete opposite of the fragile, quiet woman I came to know through the narrator. That being said, as the story moved on and Annaleigh talked less, the love between Annaleigh and William became more believable through her more delicate side.

On a small note, and it's hardly fair to review the book based on this, when the main plot point happened, I felt like the book should have ended there. Obviously, it would be no good if it had, but- without spoiling anything- when it did, I just felt like ""oh, well that's the end of that, then,"" and it didn't feel like much of a story could be made from there. I was wrong, but I spent a great deal of the book feeling that way.

However, despite all of my qualms with this book, the ending completely made up for it. I spent the last 30% of this book with tears in my eyes. Literally. I could not stop crying, and finally I was able to believe the love between William and Annaleigh and feel the loss they felt. I honestly believe the author must have gone through what Annaleigh and William went through at one point - obviously just the possible parts, of course- because the emotions were portrayed so well and she brought up so many good points and thoughts and feelings that I think it couldn't have been possible without a personal experience. My eyes were watering the entire time, especially at the very end, and regardless of the sad points in this book, I finished it with a good feeling that made the whole thing worth reading.

I spent this week at someone else's house, catsitting two babies with separation anxiety, and what better way to kill time than read? Even for the size of this book and the fact that I had very little to do, The Artful took me the entire week to finish. That's not to say that it was bad, but I think it had a lot of potential that just wasn't utilized.

We start off with good characterization, good explanation, and a whole ton of juicy stuff happening in the plot. Sounds like a wonderful way to start a book, right? It is. So it's hard to explain why the beginning went so slow for me, and it took so long to get actually hooked on it. The characters are charming enough and the danger is real, but there's just a sense that no one really cares about what's going on, so it's hard for me to care, too, even when one of the main characters breaks down, which seemed very out of place.

One really great thing that I do have to say about The Artful, though, is that the world-building was done very well. It was very easy to picture the world that Wilbert Stanton was trying to create, even if you don't know anything about the real-world places that were mentioned in the book, which I don't. The picture of the world that Twist and Dodger live in was very well pained and elaborate. However, the situation that put them in that world was not. Very, very little was said about the virus that destroyed the world, maybe just one paragraph. I feel like the virus, in this sense, was more of a plot device than anything actually important.

The characters were also hard to relate to. There were three mains, and I only really became attached to Dodger. To me the narrator, Twist, was very whiny and pushover-y, so when he finally had his big chance to do something on his own I was so dissapointed to see that he didn't learn anything through his travels and the whole thing fell apart. Then he had his big ""I'm not a loser anymore"" moment, and that was really due to someone else saving his life and someone other than that not really paying attention. I was constantly waiting for Twist to be something more, and although he gets what he wants in the end (sort of) I can't help but think he never deserved it. Gia was pretty much a blank slate for me. I can see the author was trying to make her quirky and tough, but her personality really just flip-flopped, and I don't think it was meant to, although it could have been a good way to characterize her and add upon her secrets and her past if it was done right.
Lastly, the plot itself was good. It was interesting, and the places that their journey took them were well drawn out and all very diverse, which I loved. Each area they went was completely different with unique culture and scenery, which was lovely. All in all, the plot and setting were very well done, and if the author had focused more on making solid, relatable characters, The Artful could have been an excellent book. Despite this, The Artful is both a debut novel and a first-in-series, so there is definitely time for improvement, and I wonder how the books that follow will play out.

I live in a small town with a small library. I found Deadly Pink one day when the book-pickings seemed slim, and decided to give it a shot. As I read on, I was delighted to find that Deadly Pink was written by Vivian Vande Velde, the same author who wrote Heir Apparent, a book that I loved. Sadly enough, it didn't even come close to being as, well, ANYTHING - enjoyable, well thought out, developed- as Heir Apparent. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.
One thing I liked about Deadly Pink was the interaction between characters. Grace's worry-wort of a mother was annoying at times (I think she was meant to be), but there were a few moments with her that had me smiling and laughing, and I enjoyed Grace's interaction with her sister. Grace's determination to save her sister led her on a path of discovery of Emily's dark secrets, and I like how realistic Deadly Pink is in this sense- that sisters may be close, but so distant at the same time. I liked the development between the two as they began to learn more and more about each other. It was a small part of the story, but enjoyable, nonetheless.
The story itself, however, needed some work. The writing was often monotonous and led itself on a tangent. At points it was far too detailed, especially during the resolution. A book is supposed to make you want to see it to the end, but the way the main problem was solved in this story was generally uncreative and it made me feel as though the author was simply sick of writing by this point and just wanted to get the book over with. Which also happened to be how I felt while reading it.
Still, Deadly Pink creates a world that's fun to imagine and explore alongside the main character, and other than the ending-flukes, it was a rather enjoyable story. Not fantastic, but a quick read if you're looking for something different.

Starters is set in a world that is imaginative and unique, and it's really satisfying to see someone take an interesting idea and turn it into a great story. In a world that has such an interesting tweak to it, like the ability for the elderly to take on the bodies of the young, it's uncommon to see the story and characters mix so well with the idea, which is what would have attracted you to the book in the first place. At risk of sounding too much like I'm quoting Goldilocks, some books have a good world-idea like this but it's utilized far too little- Graceling, for example- some books have a great world-idea but overexpose it to the point where the story revolves around the world and not the characters- Divergent, for example- and some books do it just right. Like Starters.
Note: This isn't to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy both Divergent and Graceling, because I did, I just think they didn't do the main-world-idea thing as well as Starters.
Aaaaaaaanywho, Starters was interesting and compelling from beginning to end, and had a writing style that really flowed and was easy to understand, but not overly simple. The main character, Callie, was believable and likable, and the plot itself was fast paced and active, but didn't sacrifice character development and good interactions in favor of plot progression.
The only thing about Starters that really irked me was the resolution. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go into too much detail here, but everything just seemed too easy to solve, and then everything was better. I feel like in a dystopian, fixing the main issues of the world should be a challenging struggle and take a lot more time and thought than what was put into the ending of Starters. I suppose this is the sort of thing I should reserve judgement on until I've read the next book in the series, Enders, though.
In the end (the end of Starters, ha) Starters was thrilling and unpredictable with a few big plot twists that really put me in Callie's world and make me think about what I would have done in her situation. It was a great read, and I'm looking forward to Enders.