Corruption by Jessica Shirvington

Contains mild spoilers. Check out my review of Disruption

Corruption
Disruption Duology: Book Two 
Written by Jessica Shirvington
Dystopian, Science Fiction
Publishing November 1st 2014
437 Pages
Add to Goodreads
★★★★★
How do you live with yourself when you’ve deceived the one you love? How do you move on when the person you’ve been fighting to save betrays you?

Two years ago, Maggie Stevens began the hunt. Four weeks ago, Maggie’s world fell apart, when she finally found what she’d been looking for. And when Quentin, who had blindly trusted her, unravelled her web of lies.

Now, Maggie lives in the dark. But she’s not about to stay there. Not when she still has to bring M Corp down. Not when there is still a chance she could win him back.

In the exhilarating conclusion to Disruption, Maggie must do whatever it takes to show the world the truth. And the price for her quest?

Everything.
Time has no meaning when you're confided to a darkened cell, weak and on the verge of succumbing to defeat. But that's how the M Corporation keep their captives obedient and only thoughts of Quentin are keeping Maggie Stevens alive. It's been four weeks since she was captured, and now suddenly released, she knows that she is now living on borrowed time. The Mercer family will never let her live.

Her first priority is to keep her family safe, the next is to find Quentin. But after Maggie's deception, will Quentin want anything to do with her again? The fight against the Mercer Corporation will require Maggie to battle her own demons, but is she ready to lead a revolution?

Kelly's Thoughts

Jessica Shirvington is phenomenal. The Disruption Duology is simply the best Australian dystopian series I've ever had the privileged of reading. Told from the perspective of Maggie Stevens, sassy, self aware and a manipulator who knows how to get the job done. Her only weakness has always been her father, the man who was supposedly removed from his home by force, only for Maggie to discover the truth behind the man she has always idolised.
I have watched as they were gunned down, locked up. The faces I have turned my back on and walked away from. All because I was trying to save the man who had helped put them there.
The world is now run by the Mercer Corporation. Citizens who are deemed unworthy are thrown into underground prisons and left to rot, while the remaining population live their lives according to a wrist band that denotes how they rate with a potential partner, their physical statistics and how the oppressive society is able to weed out the undesirables. In Disruption, Maggie recruits Quentin to her cause, through deception and manipulation, the heir to the Mercer family never expected to fall in love with the girl who is now wanted by the law.

I adore Maggie. She's the ultimate heroine. Sassy, intelligent and where others have failed, she didn't lose her identity when presented with a love interest. After being captured and held hostage, Maggie is now even more determined to bring the Mercer Corporation down and understands that this may be her final act of heroism. She's abrasive and manipulative, which only adds to her charm. But it's the secondary characters that also bring a warmth and humour to the storyline, including best friend Gus. Maggie and Gus have a seemingly toxic friendship, but care for one another deeply. Gus certainly steals the spotlight throughout Corruption and his contribution will endear him to fans of the series.

What strikes me most with Jessica Shirvington, is her ability to create characters that are exceptionally realistic and throw them into fictional worlds to find their own feet. Not often to we see both incredible world building and strong individual characters within the same storyline, with authors usually sacrificing one to build upon the other. As the mark of an phenomenal author, Jessica Shirvington is a natural storyteller and I can't wait to see what she's working on next.

The Disruption Duology is simply the best of Aussie young adult, and Jessica Shirvington is absolutely brilliant.

A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

A Sudden Light
Written by Garth Stein
Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Published October 1st 2014
400 Pages
In the summer of 1990, fourteen year old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant, whole trees, and is set on a huge estate overlooking Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch Grandpa Samuel, who is flickering in and out of dementia, to a graduated living facility, sell off the house and property for development into 'tract housing for millionaires,' divide up the profits, and live happily ever after.

But Trevor soon discovers there’s someone else living in Riddell House: A ghost with an agenda of his own. For while the land holds tremendous value, it is also burdened by the final wishes of the family patriarch, Elijah, who mandated it be allowed to return to untamed forestland as a penance for the millions of trees harvested over the decades by the Riddell Timber company. The ghost will not rest until Elijah’s wish is fulfilled, and Trevor’s willingness to face the past holds the key to his family’s future.

Raging Star by Moira Young

Raging Star
Dustlands Trilogy: Book Three
Written by Moira Young
Book one review: Blood Red Road
Book two review: Rebel Heart
Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Published May 13th 2014
344 Pages
When the star reader, Auriel Tai, challenged Saba to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo and the Tonton, Saba was so confident in her purpose. Then she met DeMalo and he confounded all expectations with his seductive vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo and Saba had an intense and passionate encounter, physical, emotional and psychic, that changed her life, and now he wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to create and build a healthy, stable, sustainable world... For the chosen few.

Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop his dangerous New Eden project. Still uncertain, her connection with DeMalo a secret, Saba commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother Lugh, anxious for the land in New Eden, Saba leads an inexperienced guerilla band against the powerfully charismatic DeMalo, in command of his settlers and the Tonton militia.

What chance do they have? Saba must act. And be willing to pay the price
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#AusYABloggers Laini Taylor Interview

The always brilliant Laini Taylor was visiting Australia in September, and when Hachette Australia were allowing one of the group to interview our international guest, there was no one more qualified for the role than Kristy from Book Nerd Reviews. She lives and breathes Laini and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. So she went along to chat about books, fangirl and ask the questions that Aussie readers and bloggers submitted.

Dear Diva Submissions

I'd like to think of myself as one of those people that can dish out helpful advice. It's not always helpful, but the intent is there and that counts for something. So now in conjunction with Sporadic Reads, Diva Booknerd is now offering free advice. It doesn't need to be book related, but relationship advice, how to tell your crush you have that third nipple, or when you've caught your brother wearing ladies underwear. My doors are open. Aliases will be used. And letters will be published twice weekly both here and at Sporadic Reads starting on November 2nd.

Simply fill out the form found here.

Mini Review: This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman

This Night So Dark
Starbound Series Novella
Check out my review for These Broken Stars
Written by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Science Fiction, Romance
Published October 8th 2014
109 Pages
Download Free
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
The breathtaking short story that connects the first two novels in the Starbound trilogy, These Broken Stars and This Shattered World.

Tarver still has nightmares about the night, six months before the Icarus crash, when he rescued a group of civilian researchers being held hostage by brutal mercenaries. Now Tarver and Lilac must reconcile his memories of that fateful night with the truth that they uncovered on a mysterious planet after the Icarus crashed.
Tarver is on his way to the research facility, along with fellow soldier Fisk on their routine patrol. Believing that faulty equipment has caused a transmission to be cut short, the two are sent to explore the facility. But what they find is a hostage situation. The mercenaries are holding the resident scientists hostage and tarver finds himself fighting for his life, and those around him he vows to protect.

Alliances will be torn, blood will be shed and Tarver will never be the same again.

Kelly's Thoughts

This Night So Dark follows the story of Tarver, taking place before he found himself on the Icarus, and being stranded with Lilac before disaster struck. He holds the position on the patrol squad, seemingly an easy task as he recovers from his duty on the front lines. As he recalls that night at the facility to Lilac, the reader learns more about LaRoux industries, the technology that fueled the Icarus and why he was a celebrated and decorated hero. It was a superb read.

The second half of this free novella contains the first three chapters of These Broken Stars and This Shattered World, which I'm eagerly awaiting to be released. This Shattered World is the story of Jubilee and Flynn, one a military captain and the other a rebel leader who is holding Lee hostage in the midst of an escalating war. It was three chapters of brilliance. The reader is thrown straight into the action and introuduced to the two new characters, Lee and Flynn, that will take the Starbound series to the next level.

I'm giddy with excitement waiting for it's release.

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst

Conjured
Written by Sarah Beth Durst
Mystery, Urban Fantasy
Published October 1st 2014
384 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia 
Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name, but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access, and there is nothing they won’t say, or do, to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things, things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed, and she’s lost all short term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her, but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

Pandora Jones: Deception by Barry Jonsberg

Pandora Jones Deception Pandora Jones Book Two
Check out my review for Book One
Dystopian, Science Fiction
Published October 1st 2014
288 Pages
Add to Goodreads
★★★★☆
It was difficult to know when nightmares ended and the waking world began.

Pan is still struggling to distinguish between her dreams and reality. When she wakes in the Infirmary her mind replays the sight of Nate running along the shoreline and the way his body froze and then flopped after he was shot. But her memories hold more questions than answers and she doesn't know who to trust.

When she forms an unlikely alliance with Jen to try to make sense of everyone's haunting similar memories and the conflicting information about The School, she finds herself with unexpected enemies.

Pan and Jen are determined to seek the truth, no matter what rules they must break or how terrible the danger they face. But can they even trust each other?

Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.
Pandora Jones now finds herself back at The School, the teen community where they are prepared to ensure humanity survives in the new world. A virus spread across the globe, humanity falling victim to the flu like symptoms. Bodies lined the streets as the virus spread throughout communities, with teen survivors taken to a former military barracks now housing The School. But Pandora has seen outside the walled compound and knows that The School isn't what it seems.

Pandora needs proof and enlists the help of her hardened and snarky team mate Jen. The two girls devise a plan to explore the village on the other side of the compound. What the girls discover could change their lives forever. When they return to The School, the rumours are rife. Pandora is painted as a delusional teen, with her new sidekick supposedly along for the thrill ride. Their team is in ruins, and the two girls find that sneaking around and keeping secrets has only segregated them from the group. They need to escape, but with the compound on lock down and the girls being watched, will they make it past the wall to see what's left of the world? Their lives might just depend on it.

Kelly's Thoughts

Pandora Jones: Deception completely surprised me, it was engaging, enthralling and took me on a thrill ride while exploring new friendships and alliances. It focuses on Pandora and Jen, two girls who formally held a strong dislike for one another and now a friendship is on the verge of blooming. Jennifer has quickly become my favourite character, she's incredibly tough, sassy and sarcastic. In Deception, we see her befriend Pandora for the sake of the adventure of exploring outside the compound, but she begins to allow Pandora to see her softer side, that is just as resilient. I really enjoyed reading the banter between both characters and their friendship blossoming.

Unlike Admission, Deception doesn't focus on romance but rather exploring new friendships and alliances. There is also the inclusion of a new character, who is bound to spark a few interests, quite literally. After the group returned from their deadly expedition, I assumed that the experience would have strengthened the group, but I was surprised that it seemed to divide the alliance and the girls keeping their reconnaissance mission a secret from the others certainly didn't help. I thoroughly enjoyed Admission, but was able to completely immerse myself in Deception and it kept me enthralled throughout.

I'm so excited seeing the direction Australian Young Adult is headed, no longer is it subjected to contemporaries but now we have incredible post apocalyptic and dystopians with Barry Jonsberg leading the charge. His style of writing is incredibly laid back, simplistic and allows reader to fully immerse themselves in the storyline without large blocks of mindless information or purple prose. I loved Deception, it was an intelligent read and once again Jonsberg leaves the reader on a tenterhooks with another cliffhanger, even more explosive that the last. Book three in the Pandora Jones series, Reckoning, is no doubt going to be epic.

State of Grace by Hilary Badger

State of Grace
Written by Hilary Badger
Utopian, Science Fiction
Published October 1st 2014
336 Pages
Thank you to Hardie Grant Egmont 
Ever since she was created, Wren has lived in an idyllic garden with her friends. Wren's deity Dot ensures the trees are laden with fruit and the water in the lagoon is crystal clear. Wren and her friends have everything they could possibly need right there, in Dot's Paradise.

If only Wren could stop the strange, disturbing visions she's started having. Do these visions make her less worthy of Dot's love? And what does Blaze, the most beautiful and mysterious of Dot's creations, know about what's going on in Wren's head?

Wren is desperate to feel Dot's love, just like everyone else. But that's harder than ever when a creation she's never met before arrives in the garden. He claims to be from outside and brings with him words and ideas that make Wren's brain hurt.
 
And as she deals with this disturbing knowledge, Wren confronts a horrific secret from her past. Now she must decide whether to return to the comforting delusion of faith or fight for the right to face the very ugly truth.

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

A Little Something Different
Written by Sandy Hall
Contemporary, Romance
Published September 1st 2014
272 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia 
The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common, they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.

But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together...

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

The Hunt 
The Hunt: Book One
Written by Andrew Fukuda
Dystopian, Vampires
Published May 8th 2012
292 Pages
Don't Sweat. Don't Laugh. Don't draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can't run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn't hurt him and he doesn't have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It's the only way to stay alive in a world of night, a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he's chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene's carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He's thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible, and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever, but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Black Ice
Written by Becca Fitzpatrick
Mystery, Thriller
Published October 7th 2014
392 Pages
Britt Phieffer has never been that adventurous, but that's about to change. Wanting to impress her ex boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trip with her and go trekking through the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming.

But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, and find two knights in shining armour, Shaun and Mason, who are also hiding out.

But all is not as it seems, and Britt quickly discovers that the guys are there for reasons other than hiking… Dangerous reasons that mean they need to get off the mountain, fast. In exchange for her life, Britt is forced to guide them down, and as they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold and snow, Britt realises the only way to get out of this alive is to pretend she is on their side.

But playing nice is hard, especially when Britt is unsure whether Mason, gorgeous and sexy, is the enemy or an ally. And as she begins to lose track of who is in control it is only a matter of time before things turn deadly…

Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington

Between The Lives
Written by Jessica Shirvington 
Contemporary, Paranormal
Published May 1st 2013
242 Pages
Add to Goodreads
★★★★★
For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every twenty four hours she Shifts to her other life, a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: The arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other.

With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what, and who, is she really risking. 
Almost eighteen year old Sabine hides a secret from both her families, she leads a double life. At midnight each night she endures the Shift, transported from two separate lives she leads, each life pausing until twenty four hours when she returns. In both worlds her name is Sabine, but that's where the similarities end. In one life Sabine is the golden child, wealthy, popular with a devoted boyfriend that she has never quite connected to. In the other, Sabine adores a younger sister, her parents work tirelessly and are never home. Two sets of friends. Two families. Two lives. And one girl that can't go on.
I was two separate bodies. And if I was two separate bodies... And if one of me was to stop existing... The other should continue. And I'd just have the one life.
It's always been that if Sabine cut her finger in one life, the injury would transfer into her other world. But lately the rules have changed when Sabine breaks her arm... Which doesn't transfer over. To test the theory, she begins to experiment with medication stolen from her parents pharmacy and self inflicted wounds, testing the limits of how far she can push herself before her other life begins to crack. What is she were to end one life, would she still exist in the other? Sabine must decide which future she wants more, the edgy girl with the absent parents, or the clean cut Sabine who has the world for her taking.

But when edgy Sabine finally decided to tell her parents, she's institutionalised. No one believes her until she meets Ethan. Ethan challenges her and seems to care for her regardless, but does he believe her? Ethan believes in living life to the fullest, but is he enough to convince her to stay?

Kelly's Thoughts

Jessica Shirvington, you are brilliant. Between The Lives drew me in, kept me enthralled and left me absolutely broken. From the first few chapters, I found myself emotionally involved in both Sabine's lives, and the real girl underneath both personas. She lived both lives as expected of those around her, but has held the secret of the two worlds her entire life. She feels incredibly alone.
My body trembled as I considered my cruel reality. I couldn't take it anymore. The freakishness of my existence was bad enough, but the loneliness that constantly tortured me was far worse.
But the genuine version of Sabine lines between her two worlds, where no one knows who she truly is. My heart ached for her situation, which could be considered a metaphor for how so many teens feel during those awkward years of finding their feet and their place in the world. It was beautifully written with almost a poetic tone, intelligent and unique. I loved how Sabine was able to retain a separate identity in both her lives, even though neither was a reflection of her true self. She was sassy and social aware, but leading both lives has left her tired and she tests the limits to see how separate her two worlds have now become. Until she meets Ethan.

I loved Ethan. His character was a turning point in Sabine's life and offered salvation, even without wanting to deter her decision. He represented life and urged her to consider her choices. But most of all, he was able to see the real Sabine, not the girl who was committed for an alleged mental illness or seemingly self harming. He was the support Sabine's character desperately needed, for someone just to see the real girl.

Jessica Shirvington is phenomenal. I should have prepared myself for the deep emotional investment after having read and loved Disruption. The stunning turns the storyline took left me breathless and emotionally spent. Another brilliant Aussie author added to my favourites list.

The Secret Abyss by Darrell Pitt

The Secret Abyss
A Jack Mason Adventure Book Two
Written by Darrell Pitt
Middle Grade, Steam Punk
Published June 25th 2014
256 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★☆
Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle return for their next action-packed adventure.

When the world's deadliest assassin, the Chameleon, escapes from prison, Jack begins his most dangerous investigation yet.

With only the scantest of clues, the team travels from London to New York, a bustling metropolis filled with airships, steam cars and exciting new ideas.

Here they uncover a terrible plot that threatens the president's life and brings the nation to the brink of civil war. Can Jack track down the Chameleon in time? And just what is the mysterious whip of fire that has the power to wreak destruction across the world?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book One
Written by Rick Riordan
Mythology, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Edition Published December 1st 2009
375 Pages
Add to Goodreads
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... Again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend, and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Sandy Feet by Nikki Buick

Sandy Feet
Written by Nikki Buick
Contemporary
Published September 24th 2014
257 Pages
Thank you to UQP
Add to Goodreads
★★★
Life was not meant to be easy. It was meant to be a treacherous obstacle course, a cruel gauntlet, and right then I was in the thick of it.

Hunter is stuck in a car with his family as they travel up the Queensland coast. It is a trip that his mum thinks will bring the family closer together, especially now that his stepdad and baby brother are part of the mix.

But with tension and secrets sizzling beneath the happy family facade, the road trip soon becomes Hunter's worst nightmare. The further away from home he gets the more he can't shake thoughts of the accident that took his dad away from them.

Forced out of his comfort zone, Hunter tries to embrace life on the road. Between campsites he parties with friendly backpackers on the beach, has one too many close encounters with wild animals and finally meets a girl who actually understands how he feels. But is it enough to help him deal with the real reason his family set off on their journey in the first place?
Sixteen year old Hunter is stuck in the car with his family, on an impromptu road trip up the Queensland coast. Six weeks without his friends or social media, and home schooled by his mother and step father. Hunter spends each day gazing out the car window at the arid Australian outback, while bickering with his ten year old sister who had down syndrome and lastly, the baby. His half brother. But Hunter despises being dragged along on his mother's journey of self discovery, but with her fragile state and having nearly lost her once before, he admits defeat. Hunter and this stepfather have a strained relationship, he resents his sister calling him Dad, a title which he'll never hold as far as Hunter is concerned. 

But as Hunter begins to take in his new surroundings on the road, he sees that perhaps not all is lost and begins to enjoy exploring the flora, fauna and meeting other campers. Especially Sophie who understands his turmoil. But life is cruel and when sister Pippa is involved in an accident, his world will unravel and he discovers the real reason for their impromptu road trip isn't what it seems.

Kelly's Thoughts

Sandy Feet is a wonderful contemporary about life, finding your feet, acceptance and a sense of family.
If there was a defining moment that made a boy into a man, I think that was that particular moment for me. Right there on the side of the road, on the way to Cairns Hospital, outside the crocodile farm, something changed. Something shifted.
Told from sixteen year old Hunter's perspective, he's angry and frustrated and wants nothing more than to be home where he can access social media, play games and hang out with his friends. But instead he finds himself fighting for the window seat on a three week long road trip up the coast. Although his mother remarried after the collapse of her marriage, Hunter has never accepted the man he calls Step as a member of their family. He even resents sister Pippa for referring to him as her father. At first Hunter is seemingly the average teenage boy with a chip on his shoulder, but as his story unravels it soon becomes apparent that his anger can be justified.

I found the family dynamics wonderful. Pippa with down syndrome who really doesn't need any assistance. She's sassy and I loved her ability to stand up for herself. Their mother seemed to waver between loving mother, stern authority figure and carefree spirit. Although she was clearly dealing with her own crisis, she seemed to neglect Hunter's emotional well being. Angry, sullen and withdrawn, it was the typical teenage cry for help. But surprisingly under the circumstances, Hunter otherwise seemed like a well adjusted teenage boy and I struggled to find any deeming qualities within his mother. His step father was the more engaging of the two, taking on a family with existing complications yet he still wanted to be part of the children's lives. I really felt for his character, it can't have been easy trying to engage with a teenage boy but he seemed like the most reliable and solid figure Hunter had in his life.

But Sandy Feet felt a little repetitive, as the interactions between Hunter, family members and other travelers were too few and far between and the teen spend his time either absorbing the monotony of the scenery or reflecting on how the life he left behind is forging on without him. Hunter also recalls on memories of his father, who is now no longer in his life and I felt incredibly sorry for what he and Pippa have endured. I really enjoyed the fluent character dialogue especially, it gave realism to this being a family that you could find practically anywhere around the country.

Sandy Feet is the unassuming and quiet journey of learning acceptance, forgiveness and making the most of the life you've been dealt. I really enjoyed how Nikki Buick painted the diverse and blended family dynamics, while imparting that the onus falls on the individual how we accept them, flaws and all. It was a engaging and delicate read that is perfect for a lazy Sunday on the beach,

Brew Bash: David Estes Review and Giveaway

Brew (Salem's Revenge: Book One)
Written by David Estes
Apocalyptic, Paranormal 
Publication October 1st 2014
440 Pages
Thank you to David Estes 
Salem’s Revenge strikes without warning or mercy, ravaging the powerless human race under the forces of united gangs of witches, wizards, and warlocks. During the slaughter, Rhett Carter's foster parents and sister are killed, and his best friend and girlfriend are abducted by a gang of witches calling themselves the Necromancers, who deal in the dark magic of raising the dead. Rhett’s sword-wielding neighbor with a dark past saves Rhett from becoming another casualty of the massacre and teaches him the skills he needs to survive in this new world.

Rhett is broken, his normal high school life of book blogging and football playing shoved in a witch apocalyptic blender. The only thing he has left is his burning desire for revenge. Armed with his new witch hunting skills and a loyal, magic powered dog named Hex, he sets out into the unknown with one mission: hunt and destroy those who took away everyone he ever loved.

But Rhett isn’t just a witch hunter; he has secrets of his own that he has yet to discover, secrets that his enemies will stop at nothing to keep him from.

And discovering the truth about himself is the human race’s only hope.
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