Review: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Title: Bleeding Violet
Author: Dia Reeves
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 01/05/10
Buy the Book:

Summary:

Love can be a dangerous thing...

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

Plot: 4.5 Stars
This novel was strangely twisted, in a great way. I've never read a novel before in which the main character had a mental illness. Hanna has bipolar disorder which leads to mood swings and hallucinations, and in my opinion, the author did a very good job describing her illness and it's symptoms without making Hanna seem so "crazy" that it was unbelievable. The town of Portero and its residents made Hanna seem almost normal. Everyone wears black except for the Mortmaine, who wear green, and Hanna, who only wears purple. There are monsters called lures lurking, and doors that open to portals, and keys that residents are given to protect. The paranormal elements of this novel are like nothing I've ever read before.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
This novel was on the longer side, but you wouldn't know it while reading. Chapter after chapter flew by, leaving me on the edge of my seat. It was so strange and twisted, I couldn't put it down. Hanna was impossible to predict, which made the twists and turns in this novel even more mysterious and surprising. Although she went on a few tangents along the way, they always tied into the plot, even if you didn't realize it until much later.

Characters: 4 Stars
Hanna was a great main character. Although she has bipolar disorder which leads to hallucinations and mood swings, the author never let it define her. The mental illness shaped her as a person and affected her desires and decisions, but her world didn't revolve around her symptoms and her pills. It did make her a very unpredictable character, but in a town like Portero, she fit right in. Wyatt was also an interesting character. As a member of the Mortmaine, he helped protect the town of Portero from lures and other dangers. The relationship between Wyatt and Hanna has as many twists and turns as the rest of the novel, and felt very real. Hanna's mother was not what I expected, and her actions were sometimes more shocking than her daughter's. Hanna's father and step-mother didn't have large roles, but there could've been a little more detail given about their characters.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
The cover model for this novel is perfect! Her skin tone is exactly how I imagined Hanna's would be, and it's wonderful to see that instead of a white model that would possibly "sell better." There have been quite a few white-washing cover scandals over the past year or so, and this cover is a great example of portraying the main character's race. The purple that is rippled across the cover is very eye-catching. Plus, it's the only color Hanna will wear because it was her father's favorite. The purple of the cover also looked like fabric, which Hanna had plenty of because she made all of her own clothes. The red little touches of red work well with the purple, plus it was a color she associated with her mother during the book. The font choice for the title works very well. The script looks like it could be Hanna's handwriting, plus it flows well with the purple ripples on the cover.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.

Review: Sparks by Laura Bickle

Title: Sparks
Author: Laura Bickle
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 08/31/10
Summary:

WITHOUT A TRACE

Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern, who holds down a day job as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department -- while working 24/7 to exterminate malicious spirits haunting a city plagued by unemployment and despair. Along with her inseparable salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya has seen, and even survived, all manner of fiery hell -- but her newest case sparks suspicions of a bizarre phenomenon that no one but her eccentric team of ghost hunters might believe: spontaneous human combustion.

After fire consumes the home of elderly Jasper Bernard, Anya is stunned to discover his remains -- or, more precisely, a lack of them; even the fiercest fires leave some trace of their victims -- and she is sure this was no naturally occurring blaze. Soon she’s unearthed a connection to a celebrity psychic who preys on Detroit’s poor, promising miracles for money. But Hope Solomon wants more -- she’s collecting spirits, and in a frantic race against time, Anya will face down an evil adversary who threatens her fragile relationship with her lover, her beloved Sparky’s freshly hatched newts, and the wandering souls of the entire city.

Plot: 4 Stars
Two words: Baby newts! I knew I would love this story from the moment I read the back cover copy because I absolutely loved Sparky the first time around, so of course I would enjoy more little Sparkies. Baby newts aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the detail of this novel, both in Anya's arson investigation job and her DAGR side project. The author really showed that she researched and knew her stuff when I read the paragraphs describing the possible spontaneous combustion and arson scenes. There was just one teeny tiny thing about the plot that I didn't absolutely love, and it involves the ending. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that there were some events in the last couple chapters that seemed a bit too fantastical and coincidental. It was almost as if Anya didn't work hard enough to defeat the bad guy. But they can easily be overlooked because this story was fantastic.

Pace: 5 Stars
The pacing of this novel was perfect. I never wanted to put it down, but it was long enough that I could savor it. I love that there was never a point in which the characters stood around trying to figure out what to do, they just did what needed to be done. And Anya didn't sit around ruminating on things too much without action. A proper amount of time passed between each incident. The author did a fantasic job making sure there weren't so more events packed into a day than there was time.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
The best part of this novel (aside from Sparky and his baby newts) was getting to follow Anya and the members of DAGR through another adventure. Anya's relationship with Brian was progressing slowly, and I hope there are future novels in this series so we can see how the relationship plays out now that Anya knows more about him. I absolutely love that he set her up with all sorts of technology gizmos to watch over the newts. Katie was a lovely burst of humor, especially when she drags Anya out shopping. I thought Anya was a bit out of character during that shopping trip, but with everything going on in her life, I guess you can't blame her. As far as villians goes, Hope Soloman was one of those villians that I loved to hate and rooted against her the whole time.

Cover: 5 Stars
I love this cover just as much as the cover of the first book in the series, Embers. The color palette screams fire and is really eye-catching. I don't think many books could pull off this color palette and not be about an arson investigator and lantern. The cover model chosen is exactly how I envision Anya, and she definitely gives off a tough-as-nails, don't-mess-with-me vibe. My favorite part is the salamander torque around the cover model's neck. As much as I'd love to actually see Sparky on a cover, the torque is just as great because it shows that he hasn't been forgotten.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author.

Waiting on Wednesday (34)

This book blog meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Sparks
Author: Laura Bickle
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release date: 08/31/10
Summary:

WITHOUT A TRACE

Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern, who holds down a day job as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department—while working 24/7 to exterminate malicious spirits haunting a city plagued by unemployment and despair. Along with her inseparable salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya has seen, and even survived, all manner of fiery hell—but her newest case sparks suspicions of a bizarre phenomenon that no one but her eccentric team of ghost hunters might believe: spontaneous human combustion.\

After fire consumes the home of elderly Jasper Bernard, Anya is stunned to discover his remains—or, more precisely, a lack of them; even the fiercest fires leave some trace of their victims—and she is sure this was no naturally occurring blaze. Soon she’s unearthed a connection to a celebrity psychic who preys on Detroit’s poor, promising miracles for money. But Hope Solomon wants more—she’s collecting spirits, and in a frantic race against time, Anya will face down an evil adversary who threatens her fragile relationship with her lover, her beloved Sparky’s freshly hatched newts, and the wandering souls of the entire city .

Waiting on Wednesday (31)

This book blog meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Betrayal
Author: Gillian Shields
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: 08/03/10
Summary:

There are the small betrayals: the unkind word, the petty lies. And there are the betrayals that break hearts, destroy worlds, and turn the strong sweet light of day into bitter dust.

When Evie Johnson started at Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, her life changed in ways she couldn't possibly have envisioned: the discovery of her link with Lady Agnes, her special bond with Helen and Sarah, and their sisterhood in the astonishing secrets of the Mystic Way. Above all, Evie's love for Sebastian has turned her world upside down.

Now Evie returns to Wyldcliffe for another term and more danger. Surrounded by enemies, she lives every day in fear that Sebastian will fall into the darkness of servitude to the Unconquered Lords. The Wyldcliffe coven is plotting to destroy Evie and use Sebastian to secure their own immortality. Evie and her sisters must master the power of the Talisman before it is too late. But could it be Sebastian himself who will ultimately betray Evie?

In this companion to Gillian Shields's dazzling Immortal, magic and sweeping romance cross the bounds of time to deliver heart-stopping emotion and suspense.

Review: Embers by Laura Bickle

Title: Embers
Author: Laura Bickle
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 03/30/10
Summary:

Truth burns. Unemployment, despair, anger -- visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city. Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya -- who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern -- suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya -- with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team -- can stop it. Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.

Plot: 5 Stars
The arson aspect of the plot was amazing and interesting to read about. You can really tell when an author does their research, and I was amazed by Bickle's ability to describe the fires vividly without being drawn out and boring. I also liked the concept of a lantern, or a medium that uses the element fire, and the lore that was weaved into it. My favorite part was how Anya had to balance the two aspects of her life -- being a fire investigator and a lantern -- in a world where few knew about the paranormal.

Pace: 5 Stars
There was never a dull moment. A couple times, I took a break from reading and was like, Whoa! I read that much? I love when stories fly by like that. Each scene transitioned easily into the next and the action never stopped. The subplot involving DAGR and hunting spirits fit nicely between the arson events leading the story on.

Characters: 5 Stars
I absolutely loved Sparky, Anya's salamander familiar. I loved that he cuddled with a Gloworm and that he liked to play with (and end up destroying) anything electrical. He brought a bit of humor to the story exactly when it was needed. Anya was a very likeable heroine. I enjoyed learning both about her powers as a Lantern and her job as an arson investigator. I also found the members of DAGR to be a good group of people, and I hope to see more of them (especially Brian and Katie) in the sequel.

Cover: 5 Stars
The orange colors of this color make you think you're holding a book that is on fire. The cover model was a very nice choice after reading Anya's description. And I loved that the cover model was wearing a salamander necklace like Anya did (to bind her to Sparky). Little details like this that are taken right from the story always make me happy when I see them on a book cover.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.

Teaser Tuesday (28)

This weekly book blog meme is hosted by Misb at Should be Reading.

Here are the rules:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
- Share the title & author too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Title: Embers
Author: Laura Bickle
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 03/30/10

Last week, she'd bought a microwave. As far as Sparky was concerned, this was the best kitchen gadget, ever. It sat, back in its box, on the kitchen table, the white enamel finish charred black and the window cracked. Anya figured the odds of returning it were low, but she'd give it a try. -- pg. 20