I very literally bought Pinelight by accident, while looking for free Kindle books on Amazon's website. For some reason, I had one-click ordering turned on and one wayward click purchased the book. It was only 99 cents, but I was a little bummed at first. Now I felt like I had to read it. So I poked around to find out about it.
The beginning takes place in Louisiana, and that caught my interest. Then I clicked through the first couple of pages, and there, before the opening chapter, was a Bible verse, Ephesians 6:12. A YA book with faith-based themes, a battle between good and evil, and, it seemed, adventure. For some reason, after realizing that, it didn't seem like a typical YA paranormal romance (and it's not.) I felt a little more enthusiastic about Pinelight, and finally read it a couple of weeks ago.
Yes. This is a good book.
It starts with the main character, Clara, riding in a truck with her now former friend Erik. Because it begins in the middle of a scene, the conflict between them is slowly revealed, and I liked that. Erik has betrayed Clara's trust by finding and reading her diary. Clara's life is already complicated, because of a missing chunk of memory and the absence of her parents (she lives with her aunt.) She has one friend at school, who I hope to see more of if there are more than three books, and a nemesis in a popular girl who is just plain mean.
When Clara comes home one day to find her aunt missing and Erik prowling the house with another woman, she flees to a family friend who is much more to her than she thought he would be. After their arrival across the pond, Clara stumbles into another world. There's a touch of romance, but with a darker undertone that leads up to the end conflict.
What this Christian-themed novel lacks is exactly what makes it refreshing. Clara has absent parents, but the author doesn't crutch on making the main character a tragic orphan. Also gone is the innocent lamb sacrifice that so frustrated me in several of Ted Dekker's books. There are no perfectly beautiful and always so nice and sweet characters, like Bryan Davis. Clara is gifted, but with a much heavier burden than being nice. She and her family are bound for battle, and that is kept important.
It's not without the romance aspect, but it appears that the series (as I'm gathering from the sequel, Tigerlily) while indulging in the romantic aspect, is more taking the "sacrificial love" path. I like that. Yes, the characters are young. Yes, they are probably in love. But that's not the only part of the book; it's a much more complex story.
Okay, I'll stop gushing now.
Pinelight, by Jillian Perey, was probably the best book I've ever accidentally bought. Okay, yes, it's the only book I've ever accidentally bought, but I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
Showing posts with label paranormal YA romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal YA romance. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Book Review: Stained by Ella James
Last week's book review was on a really cool book I got for free.
Maybe I should do weekly book reviews here, because I've got another one for you this week. Yes, it was indie. And yes, it was free.
After getting my Google Nexus 7 all charged up and ready to go, I went ahead and downloaded the Kindle app and two books to the device. Stained by Ella James was the first book I picked of the two. It's a YA paranormal romance, with angels bad guys and such, and it was pretty good.
It gets down to business quick, immediately stealing everything important from the main character, Julia, and shoving her out into the cold world in the sketchier neighborhoods of Memphis, Tennessee. But Julia isn't a spoiled kid with no idea how to survive. She's actually a recently adopted teenager, fresh out of the foster system, and not quite normal herself.
She meets (and heals) this guy named Cayne. It's not a love at first sight kind of deal. Though her internal thoughts do admit this guy to be hot, they don't get along. They agree to travel together to attract the bad guy who almost killed Cayne. Eventually, they do become friends, and more, as is to be expected, and both discover more about themselves that they didn't know before. What follows is adventure, but frightening and perilous, and the ending leads directly to a sequel.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice quick read with snappy dialog, a pretty neat tour of the United States, and decent storytelling. I felt at first that Julia was a little bit emotionless until I got further into the story, so don't be turned off by that.
I'm not decided on whether I'll get the sequels or not. I can't really spare for a paperback right now, and the digital copies come in at $2.99 per book. I might, because I do want to know how this story ends. We'll see.
At any rate, Stained by Ella James is free in the Kindle store and a fun read. Recommended.
Maybe I should do weekly book reviews here, because I've got another one for you this week. Yes, it was indie. And yes, it was free.
After getting my Google Nexus 7 all charged up and ready to go, I went ahead and downloaded the Kindle app and two books to the device. Stained by Ella James was the first book I picked of the two. It's a YA paranormal romance, with angels bad guys and such, and it was pretty good.
It gets down to business quick, immediately stealing everything important from the main character, Julia, and shoving her out into the cold world in the sketchier neighborhoods of Memphis, Tennessee. But Julia isn't a spoiled kid with no idea how to survive. She's actually a recently adopted teenager, fresh out of the foster system, and not quite normal herself.
She meets (and heals) this guy named Cayne. It's not a love at first sight kind of deal. Though her internal thoughts do admit this guy to be hot, they don't get along. They agree to travel together to attract the bad guy who almost killed Cayne. Eventually, they do become friends, and more, as is to be expected, and both discover more about themselves that they didn't know before. What follows is adventure, but frightening and perilous, and the ending leads directly to a sequel.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice quick read with snappy dialog, a pretty neat tour of the United States, and decent storytelling. I felt at first that Julia was a little bit emotionless until I got further into the story, so don't be turned off by that.
I'm not decided on whether I'll get the sequels or not. I can't really spare for a paperback right now, and the digital copies come in at $2.99 per book. I might, because I do want to know how this story ends. We'll see.
At any rate, Stained by Ella James is free in the Kindle store and a fun read. Recommended.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Where Was Twilight When I Was a Kid?
A couple days ago, I read this article on io9.com. It's called 9 Reasons to be Grateful for Twilight, and it's a pretty good article. (The site's awesome, too. Seriously, check it out if you love sci-fi or anything geekish. It's great.) I'm gonna zero in on one point, though.
Twilight made young adult books cool.
Growing up in the early 2000s, you'd think that publishers just assumed that teenagers didn't read. It's not like the entire young adult genre was non-existant; it just didn't get a lot of attention. Back then I didn't read the Harry Potter books, and even if I had, that was only a few books, because not all of them had come out yet. My local library was pretty disappointing anyway, but even big chain bookstores like Books-a-Million and Barnes & Noble didn't have much to offer beyond those horrible coming of age novels about puberty and survival or some junk.
I did have the Lord of the Rings books, and I did read them five times. I have The Hobbit, which has been consumed three or four times. I also read a few of the Princess Diaries series. I actually have the first five of those. They're pretty beaten.
And folks, if you're counting, that's a grand total of nine books. Add the Christy Miller series, and that makes twelve, but they were extremely short novels, between 150 and 200 pages each.
So beyond an epic, much imitated fantasy and a blip of teen chick lit, I didn't read all that much of any variety. I was ecstatic when I discovered the first book in the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon, hiding at Books-A-Million one afternoon. But I needed more. I wanted adventure books, with swords and fighting and action and maybe a little romance and possibly some sarcasm. I couldn't find anything I liked at stores because there wasn't anything to find, or at least anything I liked. I mean, I'm picky, but come on. I wanted something more. When I started writing my book, I took it as my mission to provide some sort of epic fantasy to my overlooked generation.
I kept writing my book and looking for stuff to read and chatting on internet forums (though most of that had been LOTR, and didn't last to long after the last movie came out. I'd also probably be more excited about The Hobbit if this year was 2005.) I graduated from high school and headed off to college, met a lot of friends who loved to read as much as I did (and who also enjoyed LOTR) and my angsty, whiny self calmed down and took a backseat and went shopping a whole lot. At some point in 2005, Twilight made its PG-rated debut on bookshelves and became a bestseller. I guess that's when publishers and booksellers began to notice an entire demographic.
When I finished my junior year of college, I decided I needed a break from Bob Jones University. I wanted to take some time off, work, and finish up a correspondence course on the Protestant Reformation. I applied, and finally, late in the summer, got a job at Books-A-Million.
I've talked before about the business effects of the first Twilight film, which came out in 2008, at the same time I was working in the bookstore, and how it led to more people purchasing books (and us running out of New Moon right as Christmas shopping picked up.) By that time, the fourth book was out, and selling crazy. At some point that year, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games came out. I remember seeing it at B&N in Greenville SC.
Suddenly, what I wished for in high school has come true. Yeah, it took a minute, but the YA section at B&N is much bigger than I ever remember it being when I was a teenager. I still browse every so often, checking out cover design (because I straight nerd over stuff like that.) I like to see where the trend is going. Looks like vampires and werewolves are still pretty solid, but the really cool kids are post-apocalypse survivors
I still read YA, and I'm not alone. No, I'm not trying to reclaim my youth. I'm 26 and I don't feel that age anyway. A lot of YA is just plain good, quick fiction, which is what I've looked for. Something I can curl up with at night, under a blanket. Something that will give my brain a break because I'm working on my own stuff.
I admit, I'm a little jealous. I wish there had been more books for teens when I was a teenager, more of the adventurous stuff that I craved. But I'm glad that demographic is no longer ignored. And hey, if I get some good entertainment out of the deal, all the better.
Because let's be honest. At the end of the day, there is nothing quite like a good book, a warm puppy, and a nice cup of coffee for curling up with on a lovely rainy day.
Twilight made young adult books cool.
Growing up in the early 2000s, you'd think that publishers just assumed that teenagers didn't read. It's not like the entire young adult genre was non-existant; it just didn't get a lot of attention. Back then I didn't read the Harry Potter books, and even if I had, that was only a few books, because not all of them had come out yet. My local library was pretty disappointing anyway, but even big chain bookstores like Books-a-Million and Barnes & Noble didn't have much to offer beyond those horrible coming of age novels about puberty and survival or some junk.
I did have the Lord of the Rings books, and I did read them five times. I have The Hobbit, which has been consumed three or four times. I also read a few of the Princess Diaries series. I actually have the first five of those. They're pretty beaten.
And folks, if you're counting, that's a grand total of nine books. Add the Christy Miller series, and that makes twelve, but they were extremely short novels, between 150 and 200 pages each.
So beyond an epic, much imitated fantasy and a blip of teen chick lit, I didn't read all that much of any variety. I was ecstatic when I discovered the first book in the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon, hiding at Books-A-Million one afternoon. But I needed more. I wanted adventure books, with swords and fighting and action and maybe a little romance and possibly some sarcasm. I couldn't find anything I liked at stores because there wasn't anything to find, or at least anything I liked. I mean, I'm picky, but come on. I wanted something more. When I started writing my book, I took it as my mission to provide some sort of epic fantasy to my overlooked generation.
I kept writing my book and looking for stuff to read and chatting on internet forums (though most of that had been LOTR, and didn't last to long after the last movie came out. I'd also probably be more excited about The Hobbit if this year was 2005.) I graduated from high school and headed off to college, met a lot of friends who loved to read as much as I did (and who also enjoyed LOTR) and my angsty, whiny self calmed down and took a backseat and went shopping a whole lot. At some point in 2005, Twilight made its PG-rated debut on bookshelves and became a bestseller. I guess that's when publishers and booksellers began to notice an entire demographic.
When I finished my junior year of college, I decided I needed a break from Bob Jones University. I wanted to take some time off, work, and finish up a correspondence course on the Protestant Reformation. I applied, and finally, late in the summer, got a job at Books-A-Million.
I've talked before about the business effects of the first Twilight film, which came out in 2008, at the same time I was working in the bookstore, and how it led to more people purchasing books (and us running out of New Moon right as Christmas shopping picked up.) By that time, the fourth book was out, and selling crazy. At some point that year, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games came out. I remember seeing it at B&N in Greenville SC.
Suddenly, what I wished for in high school has come true. Yeah, it took a minute, but the YA section at B&N is much bigger than I ever remember it being when I was a teenager. I still browse every so often, checking out cover design (because I straight nerd over stuff like that.) I like to see where the trend is going. Looks like vampires and werewolves are still pretty solid, but the really cool kids are post-apocalypse survivors
I still read YA, and I'm not alone. No, I'm not trying to reclaim my youth. I'm 26 and I don't feel that age anyway. A lot of YA is just plain good, quick fiction, which is what I've looked for. Something I can curl up with at night, under a blanket. Something that will give my brain a break because I'm working on my own stuff.
I admit, I'm a little jealous. I wish there had been more books for teens when I was a teenager, more of the adventurous stuff that I craved. But I'm glad that demographic is no longer ignored. And hey, if I get some good entertainment out of the deal, all the better.
Because let's be honest. At the end of the day, there is nothing quite like a good book, a warm puppy, and a nice cup of coffee for curling up with on a lovely rainy day.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Book Review: Hurricane, by Jenna-Lynne Duncan
So lately I've been wondering about when to set my novel. I'm leaning towards setting it in 2004, the summer before the senior year of the class of 2005. I sorta want some discussion to arise about Green Day's American Idiot album. This would be, of course, an alternative to the ambiguous "now" that many novels seem to float in, especially YA novels. I understand that books need to seem current, but my generation lived history too. Setting a novel seven years in the past lends that feel without dipping into historic research because the author is reminiscing. It's a cozy feeling.
Hurricane, by Jenna-Lynne Duncan, does just that. This novel, set partly in New Orleans, begins in the late summer of 2005, not long before Hurricane Katrina was to strike the Gulf Coast and bring devastation to the area. Yes, it's a paranormal teen romance, but it lacks the moodiness that tends to shadow that genre.
I won't lie to you. I really enjoyed Hurricane. The main character was a normal girl, if fictional characters can be. Sure, she's described as blond and blue-eyed, but unlike other books she doesn't harp on it and talk continuously about her looks. It's a visual reference. The description gives you a solid view of the character and grounds you in the novel so that the real storytelling can begin.
Like many books in the YA genre, it's written in a first-person perspective. I'm not always a fan of the technique, because it can become a crutch for some. But Hurricane had the feel of a friend telling you a cool story. The dates and locations at the beginning of each chapter give the novel a journalish feel, and an abruptly ending paragraph at the end of the epilogue seems indicate that the lead, a writer herself, is indeed journaling her experiences along the way.
As a teen romance, there are, of course, the required hot guys. Though obviously handsome, the two young men aren't described constantly. Duncan instead prefers to focus on their personalities and relationships to the main character. Sarcasm, humor, and snark are comfortable and welcome in this novel's dialogue, and the two boys, Hayden and Luke, are presented as somewhat preppy (in a Southern way) and probably, if they were real, pretty nice guys. A sudden self-sacrificial move by Adriana had me thinking too much of Twilight, but it did prompt me to wonder what I'd do in such a situation.* But even that doesn't detract from Ana's strength as a character. She's likeable enough that the moment comes as more of a brief annoyance, a low note in an otherwise good book.. She's not perfect, and she makes a bad decision. It's real. Ish.
The characters are terribly stock, but the future mom-in-law is a lot like Esme Cullen, and probably no like any real in-law at all.There's a conflict between Adriana and her dad that is solved conveniently at the end by an arrangement that I don't think any father anywhere would be cool with, at all. There is one time when Adriana describes her own hair color swinging around, as in "my blonde hair swished behind me as I ran" or something like that. You'll find out later why stuff like that is a pet peeve of mine.
The late-summer Southern setting is rough and spooky and lends some beauty to the atmosphere of the novel. The descriptions of a post-Katrina New Orleans chill the bones as Duncan so aptly describes a horror more terrifying than any ghosts in the book. But through it all, the tone never loses hope, and the story ties off neatly in the final chapter over a plate of beignets at the Cafe du Monde.
I'd recommend this novel to anyone who wants something that entertains. It doesn't ask much of the reader. The few unlikelihoods, (such as minors moving in with other minors with no problem) that do pop up are annoying, but it really is a well-polished YA novel. And if I'm not mistaken, at least part of the proceeds from this novel are donated to Katrina victims. So go ahead, indulge and give back at the same time.
*I would actually have a gun.**
**Heck, if I were a superhero, I'd still have a gun. Super-power stunting losses of confidence would totally be nullified with a 9mm. Just sayin'.
Hurricane, by Jenna-Lynne Duncan, does just that. This novel, set partly in New Orleans, begins in the late summer of 2005, not long before Hurricane Katrina was to strike the Gulf Coast and bring devastation to the area. Yes, it's a paranormal teen romance, but it lacks the moodiness that tends to shadow that genre.
I won't lie to you. I really enjoyed Hurricane. The main character was a normal girl, if fictional characters can be. Sure, she's described as blond and blue-eyed, but unlike other books she doesn't harp on it and talk continuously about her looks. It's a visual reference. The description gives you a solid view of the character and grounds you in the novel so that the real storytelling can begin.
Like many books in the YA genre, it's written in a first-person perspective. I'm not always a fan of the technique, because it can become a crutch for some. But Hurricane had the feel of a friend telling you a cool story. The dates and locations at the beginning of each chapter give the novel a journalish feel, and an abruptly ending paragraph at the end of the epilogue seems indicate that the lead, a writer herself, is indeed journaling her experiences along the way.
As a teen romance, there are, of course, the required hot guys. Though obviously handsome, the two young men aren't described constantly. Duncan instead prefers to focus on their personalities and relationships to the main character. Sarcasm, humor, and snark are comfortable and welcome in this novel's dialogue, and the two boys, Hayden and Luke, are presented as somewhat preppy (in a Southern way) and probably, if they were real, pretty nice guys. A sudden self-sacrificial move by Adriana had me thinking too much of Twilight, but it did prompt me to wonder what I'd do in such a situation.* But even that doesn't detract from Ana's strength as a character. She's likeable enough that the moment comes as more of a brief annoyance, a low note in an otherwise good book.. She's not perfect, and she makes a bad decision. It's real. Ish.
The characters are terribly stock, but the future mom-in-law is a lot like Esme Cullen, and probably no like any real in-law at all.There's a conflict between Adriana and her dad that is solved conveniently at the end by an arrangement that I don't think any father anywhere would be cool with, at all. There is one time when Adriana describes her own hair color swinging around, as in "my blonde hair swished behind me as I ran" or something like that. You'll find out later why stuff like that is a pet peeve of mine.
The late-summer Southern setting is rough and spooky and lends some beauty to the atmosphere of the novel. The descriptions of a post-Katrina New Orleans chill the bones as Duncan so aptly describes a horror more terrifying than any ghosts in the book. But through it all, the tone never loses hope, and the story ties off neatly in the final chapter over a plate of beignets at the Cafe du Monde.
I'd recommend this novel to anyone who wants something that entertains. It doesn't ask much of the reader. The few unlikelihoods, (such as minors moving in with other minors with no problem) that do pop up are annoying, but it really is a well-polished YA novel. And if I'm not mistaken, at least part of the proceeds from this novel are donated to Katrina victims. So go ahead, indulge and give back at the same time.
*I would actually have a gun.**
**Heck, if I were a superhero, I'd still have a gun. Super-power stunting losses of confidence would totally be nullified with a 9mm. Just sayin'.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Book Review: My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking
I'm back! Sorry about that. Here's a new book review for yall to enjoy.
I like to say occasionally that there's only room for one Twilight on my shelf. The meaning should be pretty obvious. I liked the books, and they entertained me. But I have never been, nor is it likely I will ever be, a lover of modern vampire lit.
Logically, it then follows that while YA literature does interest me, the rise in popularity (re-rise? constant presence?) of paranormal romances and leaves me feeling, well...frustrated because it's just a teeny tiny bit all the very same and I end up desiring something fresh and quality for the upcoming generation.
When I heard of the success of Amanda Hocking's self-published novels, I decided to read into some of her books, several of which are available on Amazon in digital and traditional formats. A few of the Kindle ones are 99 cents. (I just looked for a "cent symbol" key. It's not there. I feel old.) One of the 99 cent offerings was My Blood Approves, obviously a vampire novel. But it had good reviews from others on Amazon. I figured I'd give it a shot.
It was...okay. It, like all books, had its high points and low points.
My Blood Approves was written in the first person person perspective, and Hocking does display a gift for making one feel at home with her main character. The casual manner of Alice's speech made you feel like someone was telling you the story between classes. I liked that. I also liked the main male vampire. He wasn't the epitome of "brooding sexiness" that seems to come standard with vampire novels (or X-men movies.*) He was immature, annoying, and boyish. That I liked, because it was refreshing. And, honestly, pretty funny.
However, the book does have the dreaded stock characters. You know. The mom and dad figure vamps who are so nice that you imagine they probably run a puppy rescue on the side. The vamp brother who is brooding and angry and all "thirsty" and stuff. The sensitive little human brother who cooks delicious food.
The climax of the story comes suddenly and with little buildup. An anticlimax, maybe. By then, I wasn't sure I cared much anymore.
The accomplishments of Ms. Hocking do not protect My Blood Approves from being standard vampire fare. Though far from being sloppy, the novel was full of stock characters and a lackluster, well-worn plot. I won't be partaking of the remainder of the series, though I might check out Hocking's Trylle Trilogy. It's recently been published by a major house, and I'm, quite frankly, curious.
*Yeah, not a Wolverine fan here. I don't dig sideburns.
I like to say occasionally that there's only room for one Twilight on my shelf. The meaning should be pretty obvious. I liked the books, and they entertained me. But I have never been, nor is it likely I will ever be, a lover of modern vampire lit.
Logically, it then follows that while YA literature does interest me, the rise in popularity (re-rise? constant presence?) of paranormal romances and leaves me feeling, well...frustrated because it's just a teeny tiny bit all the very same and I end up desiring something fresh and quality for the upcoming generation.
When I heard of the success of Amanda Hocking's self-published novels, I decided to read into some of her books, several of which are available on Amazon in digital and traditional formats. A few of the Kindle ones are 99 cents. (I just looked for a "cent symbol" key. It's not there. I feel old.) One of the 99 cent offerings was My Blood Approves, obviously a vampire novel. But it had good reviews from others on Amazon. I figured I'd give it a shot.
It was...okay. It, like all books, had its high points and low points.
My Blood Approves was written in the first person person perspective, and Hocking does display a gift for making one feel at home with her main character. The casual manner of Alice's speech made you feel like someone was telling you the story between classes. I liked that. I also liked the main male vampire. He wasn't the epitome of "brooding sexiness" that seems to come standard with vampire novels (or X-men movies.*) He was immature, annoying, and boyish. That I liked, because it was refreshing. And, honestly, pretty funny.
However, the book does have the dreaded stock characters. You know. The mom and dad figure vamps who are so nice that you imagine they probably run a puppy rescue on the side. The vamp brother who is brooding and angry and all "thirsty" and stuff. The sensitive little human brother who cooks delicious food.
The climax of the story comes suddenly and with little buildup. An anticlimax, maybe. By then, I wasn't sure I cared much anymore.
The accomplishments of Ms. Hocking do not protect My Blood Approves from being standard vampire fare. Though far from being sloppy, the novel was full of stock characters and a lackluster, well-worn plot. I won't be partaking of the remainder of the series, though I might check out Hocking's Trylle Trilogy. It's recently been published by a major house, and I'm, quite frankly, curious.
*Yeah, not a Wolverine fan here. I don't dig sideburns.
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