Review: Escaping the Rainfield

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Escaping the Rainfield by Eliza Rich

Publication Date: February 17, 2017

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary (From Goodreads):  

            ““April 12, 2003. “Beep. Beep. We interrupt your radio station to bring you this important message. The counties of… no. The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and southern portions of Iowa and Nebraska are in a Flood Warning.””

This was no typical flood warning. With eleven states expecting three to ten inches of rain for an unprecedented number of days, the United States was in a frenzy. Families were evacuating their hometowns in hopes of locating refuge on dry land, but Hannah Davis’ family thought that they could out wait the storm. When their panicked Grandmother reaches out to them, requesting help, they find themselves fighting the weather and time to rescue her. As if that wasn’t enough, shortly after joining forces with two of Hannah’s classmates, Adrian and Ophelia, they come face to face with a gang that wants Adrian dead. As the days go by the family grows increasingly wary whether or not they will reach their Grandmother in time. Will the Davis’ be able to come together to outwit the storm and its surrounding catastrophes? Or will Hannah’s affection for Adrian put her family in more danger than it is worth?”

Pros:

·       Really cool plot! I have never read a book focusing on characters using canoes to escape a flood.

·       The theme of God’s grace was tied into the book realistically; there were doubts, anger, pleas for help, just like in real life.

·       Each character brought a unique element to the story.

Cons:

·       There were a couple of scenes I wish were expanded more because I was really enjoying them!

Final Thoughts:

            I really enjoyed this book; I would recommend it to middle grades/ young adults, especially those that are contemplating the idea of God’s responses to disasters.  Definitely pick up a copy of this!

Review: Cryer's Cross

Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA-Mystery/Paranormal

Pages: 233

Publication Date: February, 2011

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

            Kendall and her boyfriend, Nico, have lived in Cryer’s Cross, Montana their whole life. It’s a small farming town where everyone knows everyone else. Three months ago, a local girl goes missing. The police and all of the citizens combed the area and never found her. Now, another student goes missing without a trace. Kendall, and her friends, are trying to resume school and farm work as if nothing has happened, but strange things have started happening around town. Kendall finds herself in the middle of the search for two missing classmates and must deal with the town’s frightening history.

Pros:

·       I had to read this book in one sitting; it was so captivating!

·       I absolutely loved the romance that unfolds in the book; it was just the right amount of romance for this type of book.

Cons:

·       It could have been longer; there were a few parts of the plot that I would have liked to read more about.

Final Thoughts:

            I absolutely loved this book! There was the right amount of suspense, romance, and intrigue. I definitely recommend this to anyone that likes young adult books!

Review: Winter Stroll

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Romance

Pages: 263

Publication Date: October, 2015

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

            Family and friends gather together each year in Nantucket to celebrate the winter stroll weekend. The Winter Street Inn owner, Kelley Quinn, reflects on all of his family’s drama as he writes his annual holiday letter. He is finally single and he repaired his relationship with his first wife, Margaret. Their son, Kevin, just had a baby girl with his girlfriend, who is also the inn’s keeper. Kelley and Margaret’s daughter Ava has a new beau, a colleague from her school.

This year everyone is gathering together to celebrate Kevin’s daughter’s baptism. Kelley’s hopes of a peaceful holiday go out the window when his estranged second wife shows up. She is the mother of Kelley’s youngest child, Bart, who is missing. With jealousy, old and new lovers, and family tragedy abound, the family might not survive the holiday intact.

Pros:

·       Hilderbrand did a wonderful job of crafting a winter wonderland town.

·       The drama keeps you interested but leaves you with a cozy feeling.

·       It focused on a variety of generations which was a nice change from most romance novels.

Cons:

·       The only downside is that the ending was rather abrupt. When I bought the book I didn’t realize it was a series; it does not seem to be marketed that way. I expected more closure.

Final Thoughts:

This was a lovely, quick holiday read. I will definitely be adding the sequel to my TBR pile for next Christmas.

Review: It's Kind of a Funny Story

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 444

Publication Date: 2006

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

            Craig Gilner is an ambitious student who has just gotten into one of New York City’s top high schools, Manhattan’s Executive Pre-Professional High School. This turns out to be the highest point of his life, after that is all downhill. He stops sleeping, can’t eat, and almost kills himself.  He checks himself into a mental hospital where he meets a cast of unique, quirky characters that include a girl who scarred her face with scissors, a transsexual sex addict, and a reclusive Egyptian. It is here that Craig must figure out how to deal with his depression in a healthy way. 

Pros:

·       This is one of the first Young Adult books that deals with mental illness in a way that does not seem to glorify it.

·       The author, in my experience, accurately nailed the symptoms of anxiety.

·       The main character learns to deal with his depression in a healthy way, but also acknowledges that this is not a cure, it is going to be an on-going process.

Cons:

·       The only downside is that I didn’t find this book years ago!

Final Thoughts:

            This is such an amazing book. I only recently heard of it; I can’t believe it has been out for so long and I never read it before. Definitely pick up a copy of this book!

           

Review: Beautiful Redemption

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA- Paranormal Romance

Pages: 456

Publication Date: October, 2012

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

            In the fourth, and final, installment of the Caster Chronicles, Ethan Wate wakes up dead, or half-dead? He must communicate with his girlfriend, Lena, and his loved ones who are still alive in order to save the caster universe. Through the help of some friends and foes he meets in this new world, he must embark on a journey to rewrite his, and Lena’s fate.

Pros:

·         This book wraps up the loose ends of the series.

·         The plot is still pretty unique compared to other similar books and even compared to the first three books in the series.

Cons:

·         Halfway through the book I became rather bored with the story. I felt like the series only should have been 3 books. It seemed to be dragged out too much.

·         Part of the ending seemed a bit rushed and therefore a bit unbelievable.

Final Thoughts:

            If you have made it this far in the Caster Chronicles, then definitely finish the series. I would not recommend this as a standalone book.

Review: Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicle #3) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Pages: 516

Publication Date: October, 2011

Rating:  5/5

Summary:

            The third book in this series picks up right after the Order of Things has been messed up by Lena. Bizarre insects, called lubbers, have been taking over the small and southern town, Gatlin and destroying properties. Freak storms are causing chaos. Lena’s powers are wavering and Ethan is forgetting basic things constantly. Despite this, Lena and Ethan have to rush to figure out what, or who, must be sacrificed to save Gatlin, and the caster world.

Pros:

·         Lena is growing out of her emo personality and seems to be a more mature character.

·         Each book in the series is more and more immersed in a wonderful fantasy world. When I picked this book up I felt like I was returning to an old neighborhood.

·         The plot shows the characters dealing with bigger consequences and more interesting problems.

Cons:

·         I felt like this plot didn’t need to be drawn out over 516 pages; I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Final Thoughts:

            This is probably my favorite book in the Caster Chronicles series. It incorporates many more fantasy elements, the main characters are less whiney, and the plot is really interesting!

Review: Recoil by Joanne Macgregor

 

Recoil by Joanne Macgregor

Genre: YA- Dystopian Society

Pages: 256

Publication Date: May, 2016

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

            Recoil takes place three years after a plague has infected society. Jinxy James, a sixteen-year-old gamer, has been chosen to compete in a sniping competition based on her excellent performance in the nation’s favorite virtual reality game. She is then invited to join a top-secret government organization that is dedicated to fighting the plague; her role is to snipe the mutated, infected rats roaming the streets and woods. She eagerly accepts this position to finally feel freedom, something she has not felt since her mom has become overly-protective due to the plague.

            During her training, she finds herself falling for Irish Quinn O’Riley. He works in the intel unit and knows more about what the government is really doing than he is letting on. After Jinx finds out some shocking information, she is thrust into making an impossible decision that will impact her relationship with Quinn and her role within the organization.

Pros:

·         This book sucked me in from the first page and kept me reading late into the night to find out how it all ends.

·         Recoil has a unique plot that was definitely better than some of the more popular YA titles offered in bookstores.

·         I loved the romance between Jinxy and Quinn; it was just the right amount!

Cons:

·         The only con I could find was that it seemed like there were a few one liners meant to poke fun at Trump’s ideas for the country. I found myself wondering if this was supposed to be a post-Trump presidency world.

Final Thoughts:

Definitely go pick up a copy of this book! I usually stick to well-known titles but this book definitely has inspired me to look into lesser-known authors. The writing is just as good, if not better than the popular titles that mainstream book stores offer. The unique plot kept me loving every second of the book! I can’t wait to read the next in the series.