Book Review: Sky by R.E. Palmer

Sky

Author: R.E. Palmer
Paperback: 348 pages
Publisher: FrontRunner Publications (January 7, 2013)
Amazon Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 490 KB
Print Length: 348 pages
Publisher: FrontRunner Publications (November 29, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, R.E. Palmer. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

The story started out a bit slow. The pacing picked up after a few chapters or so. Tomas Moone has been dreaming about this mysterious girl, he called her Sky. Every time he tried to reach out to her, she would always disappear. There's a reason behind the girl's disappearance and it's connected with Shelley's story, a newspaper correspondent, working on a story of a girl in coma who suddenly woke up and killed people after having contact with her. The storyline is believable, I liked the paranormal eeriness until it became sci-fi something.

Sky is told in different POVs, I enjoyed Tomas and Shelley's perspective but skimmed through all other especially Selene's part. The storyline didn't appeal much to me and it felt like I was just reading the story because I want to know what happened with Tomas' granddad and Carly.

As for the writing style, human characters in this book repeatedly said "...errr" (confused state) in their dialogue and the author also used never ending ellipses in both dialogue and narration, thus, distracting me in reading the story. I don't know the rules on that as I don't do literary analysis in this blog but I just want to say that the above constantly annoyed me. 

To read positive reviews, click HERE. 

About the book:

Tomas Moone has a secret - he’s terrified if anyone finds out, he’ll lose the girl of his dreams he’s so desperate to meet. 

Selene has a secret - she fears if Tomas discovers the truth, he’ll reject her, and the last of her race will be lost forever. 

Carly has no secrets – she’s in a coma. If Tomas fails to rescue her, she will suffer an eternity of horror and torment. 

For the first time in her career, Shelley has a killer story, but she dare not tell it… no one would ever believe her. 

Teenager Tomas Moone thinks he may be losing his mind. For years, he has shared a secret, ethereal romance with a girl from his dreams he calls Sky. But suddenly she disappears, and is replaced by Selene - a dark, mysterious woman. She takes him to new and wondrous, alien worlds while he sleeps, promising power and immortality. Despite this, Tomas misses Sky and longs to see her again. When Selene appears in physical form, revealing the secret of who she really is, Tomas is stunned. Suddenly, he has a new reason for living – to save the planet, and find the girl of his dreams. But Tomas is unaware that Selene has hidden plans for him – plans that threaten him, the girl he loves and everything he holds dear… 

About the author:

R.E. Palmer R.E. Palmer was born in Solihull, England. After ten years as a computer programmer, he left to train as an Alexander Technique teacher to follow his main interest - sports performance. From an early age, he loved to read and soon developed a love of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. After writing a number of short stories since his late teens, he finally completed his first novel in 2012; SKY.

You can follow the author on twitter @r_e_palmer, or visit his website at www.repalmerbooks.com for updates on the sequel.

Book Review: Like A Suicide by John J. Archer

Like A Suicide


Author: John J. Archer
File Size: 410 KB (Kindle Edition)
Print Length: 269 pages
Publisher: Nazarite Limited Publishing (September 29, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from John J. Archer. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

Like A Suicide started out slow. Describing the killer's profile is not much of a story for me. I thought it was overly done for my taste. I was also bothered by the goriness and violence of the scenes depicted in the story so I had to stop reading from time to time.

The third or fourth time I picked up this book, I thought I had it all figured out. Well, I was wrong. The twists in the story surely enticed me to continue reading. Every chapter read is giving me doubts on who the real killer is. The last part of the book made sense. Now I understand why the author had to write much on the killer's life as it is - well, needed to grasp the whole psycho thing. The only problem I had in this book was the investigator handling the case. I believe Detective Sweeny failed to cover everything and that one thing (sorry - spoiler!) is very important to solving this case. So I'm not buying that part with Detective Sweeny.

Overall, the author is definitely skillful at wielding a great psychological thriller story.  It was beautifully written, even found myself doing a lot of research after reading this book. I look forward to reading more from this author, John J. Archer.

Note: The review might seem vague to you my dear readers because each time I try to write something about the story, it always ends up with spoilers so I had to re-write everything and make a "general" review.

About the book

"Like A Suicide" is a psychological thriller/suspense about 'Wraith' who is a serial killer. He believes proper order can only be brought about in the world via chaos. Most of his kills make sense in that way. It just happens that this time someone has the nerve to bring chaos into his world by stealing money from him. 

After tracking down the perpetrator James and confronting him Wraith concludes that he is either a genius or an idiot after the man denies knowing anything about the stolen money in a convincing manner. 

Wraith concludes James must die but decides to take his time and find out if this is the guy that might provide the challenging kill he has been looking for all along. He has to do all this with Detective Sweeney, the local superstar detective hot on his trail.

As he gets ready to go for the kill Wraith can sense that something is wrong. It's just that this time this kill seems 'Like A Suicide', which makes it much more difficult than previous kills.

Book Review: Saving Grace by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Saving Grace

Author: Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: Skipjack Publishing (September 24, 2012)
Amazon Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 436 KB
Print Length: 279 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0988234807
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: SkipJack Publishing (September 23, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from Pamela Fagan Hutchins. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Saving Grace tells the story of Katie Connell, an attorney from Texas, who has very much complicated problems in life and love matters. After her parents died in a tragic accident, she realized she has fallen for someone she couldn't have. And then there is one bad rape case that Katie's superior instructed her to manage. Everything seems wrong with her life so she takes a break and goes to St. Marcos, the island where Katie's parents met their tragic deaths. When Katie saw the rain forest house, she finds herself bewitched and suddenly wanting to leave her life in the city for the house. Saving Grace has it all - romance, friendship, horror, suspense and mystery but the ghost story didn't appeal much to me. 

I loved Katie's story, I can totally relate with her character. The life she's living seemed very real to me. Even the dialogue the author used felt authentic. While I loved Katie's story, I hated how the story ended. I can't tell why because that would be a major spoiler. I was so heartbroken with this book, I couldn't get over Katie's pain even a week after I finished reading the book. Wished the story didn't end that way. 

Overall, it was a fantastic read, the story flowed just right. I look forward to reading more from the author, Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

About the book: 

Sometimes the problem with running away is what you can't leave behind.

Winner 2010 Writers League of Texas Romance Manuscript Winner 2012 "Ghost Story" Houston Writers Guild If you're at all inclined to be swept away to the islands to fall in love with a rainforest jumbie house and a Texas attorney who is as much a danger to herself as the island bad guys, then this book is for you. In Saving Grace, Texas attorney Katie Connell escapes professional humiliation, a broken heart, and her Bloody Mary-habit when she runs to the island of St. Marcos to investigate the suspicious deaths of her parents. But she trades one set of problems for another when she is bewitched by the voodoo spirit in an abandoned rainforest house and, as worlds collide, finds herself reluctantly donning her lawyer clothes again to defend her new friend Ava, who is accused of stabbing her very married Senator-boyfriend. Is it women's fiction? A legal thriller? A mystery? Romance? A ghost story? Suspense? Check all of the above. Saving Grace is the book you'd get if Janet Evanovich had written Wuthering Heights meets How Stella Got Her Groove Back: zany, tropical, intense, and eerie, all at once. Readers of Lisa Scottoline will love Katie, Annalise, and the unique and beautiful Saving Grace.

About the author:

Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes fiction and nonfiction. She is a former Human Resources executive and employment attorney who lives with her husband and two high school-aged kids, plus 200 pounds of pets in Houston, but their hearts are still in St. Croix, USVI, along with those of their three oldest offspring. She has six books out wtih SkipJack Publishing: Saving Grace, Hot Flashes And Half Ironmans, How To Screw Up Your Kids, Love Gone Viral, Puppalicious and Beyond, and The Clark Kent Chronicles. She is also a contributing author to Easy to Love But Hard to Raise and the upcoming Easy to Love But Hard to Teach (DRT Press), Ghosts! (Aakenbaaken & Kent), and Prevent Workplace Harassment (Prentice Hall). She won Romance in the 2010 Writers' League of Texas Manuscript Competition for Saving Grace (fka Leaving Annalise), and she also won both Mainstream Fiction (2010, 2011 and 2012) and Narrative Non-fiction (2012) in the Houston Writers' Guild's Manuscript Competitions for Conceding Grace (novel) and How To Screw Up Your Kids (nonfiction book). She won top Ghost Story in 2012 from the Houston Writers Guild. 

Visit her website http://pamelahutchins.com 
Follow her on Facebook http://facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author

Thursday Trailer: Walking Dead Season 3

Walking Dead

Season 3

Official Website

Picture and videos from Screenrant

Book Review: Revenge of the Castle Cats by Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky

Revenge of the Castle Cats
The Grimm Chronicles Book #3

Kindle Edition
Authors: Isabelle Fontaine and Ken Brosky
File Size: 300 KB
Print Length: 110 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the authors, Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Revenge of the Castle Cats starts with Alice being poisoned by the monster she fought in the last book, Happily Never After. Now, we get to know more about Br'er Rabbit, his story and some more stories about the rise and fall of old heroes. The story now focuses on Grayle Corporation's booming business owned by the "Corrupted" dwarfs. As for the plot of the story, I think this is the best among the three short stories as there is enough twist that would make you look forward to finishing the book in one sitting.

Alice's character is developing into a nice and lovable character. I don't know, I can't think of anything special to say about her character but I'm really getting attached to her and even Alice's family and friends. The authors also included stories of secondary characters so Revenge of the Castle Cats is not only about the Grimm tales and characters but also about "real" people in Alice's "real life." By the way, I found out about the Grimm TV Series from a friend and I'm really excited to watch the series because of this. Cool stories!

The third in the Grimm Chronicles, The Revenge of the Castle Cats is an enjoyable read like the other two, Prince Charming Must Die and Happily Never After. Mommies, if you are looking for something to buy for your kids, you might want to pick-up The Grimm Chronicles Books 1-3.


About the book:

After being rushed to the hospital, Alice Goodenough finds herself trapped in the worst dream imaginable: a horrible monster is stalking her in the darkness, making its way to the hospital. It will stop at nothing to kill her.

And that’s not the worst of it. All across the city, people are growing more addicted to Castle Cats, a smartphone game created by Grayle Incorporated. And it’s not just a game. The more you play, the more it controls you. Soon, Alice learns that the dwarfs who run Grayle Incorporated are watching her everywhere she goes, using human beings to spy on her.

There must be a confrontation. Sam Grayle and his brothers have to be stopped. And Alice is going to need help.

Read the authors interview here

Book Review: Crime Fiction for the Beginners by Gervase Shorter

Crime Fiction For The Beginners


Author: Gervase Shorter
Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 28, 2012)
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Gervase Shorter. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

This review is not for the entire book as I have only read the first 100+ pages. I tried reading this a number of times but I really could not get into the story. I thought the investigation to Larry Barlow's murder is too complex so the title is not right for me. I mean, if it is a crime fiction for the beginners, the story should be simple right? The story has too many characters and a lot of different situations are presented. I know they wouldn't be in the book for nothing but frankly, it was kind of a turn-off for me to read further. I had a hard time understanding how all the stories of the side characters and events are related in the murder. 

The book didn't work for me. To read positive reviews for this book, click here.

About the book:

The story revolves around the investigation by attractive, blonde Detective Inspector Harriet Ware of the Met into the murder of Larry Barlow, a publisher found strangled in a Whitechapel alleyway but as the investigation proceeds the plot opens out to include the would-be authors whose work he arrogantly refused to publish and the books they are currently writing. The would be authors include Maud Jackson, who is writing romantic Regency fiction about how the aristocratic Lady Cynthia Cavendish-Harcourt foils the matrimonial intrigues of Jocelyne Bracegirdle, a nouveau riche rival, Hector Treadgold who is writing a science fiction epic in which the last survivors from Earth are making their way through space to the planet they mean to colonise, fighting off reptilian robots from the Ozkon empire en route and Juliet Transom who writes about her heroine Lohana's adventures and mystical experiences in former and future lives. A fourth author, Gregory Scofield, is rewriting a cold war thriller he wrote in the 80s.

As the murder investigation proceeds, Harriet interviews Larry's partners, wife, lawyer, mistress and wife's uncle and tries to guess what crucial information they are hiding. She reviews the autopsy and scene of the crime reports but they provide few clues. Then there is Larry's file of threats and hate letters. Were some of them written by disgruntled would-be authors or by someone else? Meanwhile, her assistant Jim Rose searches for the Chinese restaurant where Larry had dinner shortly before he was murdered. But, in this world of would-be writers, all is very far from being what it seems …

About the author:

Born in England, Gervase spent his military service hunting terrorists through the forests of Mount Kenya. After studying medieval history at Oxford he caught the Transiberian train to Vladivostok on his way to Japan, where he lived for four years. He travelled back to Europe overland and then spent three years in Lisbon, moving in 1973 to Rio de Janeiro where he now divides his time between an apartment overlooking the lagoon and a farm 3,000 feet up in the mountains where he grows bananas, avocados, persimmon and pecan nuts. He is married with four adult children.

Book Review: Out of Shadow by J.S. Winn

Out of Shadow

Kindle Edition

Author: J.S. Winn

File Size: 354 KB

Print Length: 238 pages

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, J.S. Winn. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Becca was raped and her husband was murdered. When the police conducted the investigation, somehow she became the suspect because in the police report, there was no forced entry in any of the doors and windows of the house. And as for the rape, the hospital ran a DNA test and turned out the samples only matched to his husband's DNA. Now, after the investigation, even Becca doubts herself as she once had developed some kind of a mental illness years ago.

Becca is having nightmares almost on a daily basis so she hires a psychologist, Sara, to help her recover. The story is told in alternating POV's, Becca and Sara. 

It's hard to tell if I enjoyed reading this book. Okay - this is a good suspense book. It was a very fast read, the story is gripping, something that you won't stop reading until you read the last pages of the book. The problem lies in me. I easily guessed the bad guy here, like I over-analyzed things. Bad, bad idea! I knew it was him right after he said something to Becca. I also knew about the thing with Adrian and Sara. So it didn't surprise me at all. I can't tell much as I think anything I say could be a spoiler and it's really not good to have an idea about the story. 

I've read other online reviews and I agree with them that this is a must read book. Even if I knew what was gonna happen just by reading more than a quarter of the story, I'm still giving this book a 4-star rating for the writing style and the connection of the twists in the story.

About the book:

Out of the Shadow tells the story of two women drawn together in the present to uncover a crime from the past

Having survived a rape and her husband's murder, all Becca Rosen wants to do is move on with her life, but how can she when she's being stalked by a psychopath with an attitude---and an agenda. The police are no help because they're convinced, with her history of mental illness, Becca has faked the rape to get away with murder. On top of that, Becca has begun to have flashbacks and nightmares of childhood abuse, possibly at the hands of the rapist. Not knowing where to turn, and feeling like she might go crazy again, Becca hires Psychologist, Sarah Abrams, to help her unearth who's behind the crimes of the past...and the present.

Three men come into Becca's life around the same time. While each of these men has his charms, Becca can't be certain whether any one of them is the real killer. Or could it be someone else? Together Becca and Sarah start on a course of hypnotherapy to discover the abuser's identity. Will their work reveal the real killer before it's too late, or will Becca once again fall prey to this demented criminal?

About the author:

J S Winn earned a graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from the University of Metaphysical Sciences. For over 25 years she practiced psychotherapy. Her previous mystery novel set in the American Southwest, Kiva Fire, garnered much critical praise. She has had a play produced by the Actor’s Alliance Festival in San Diego, and her poetry has been anthologized by the San Diego Writer’s Workshop in For the Love of Writing. Her play “Gotcha!” was selected for a reading at the Village Arts Theater in Carlsbad, California in May 2012.

She presently lives by the beach in San Diego County, California.

For more information about Out of the Shadow, please visit http://www.jswinn.com or contact the author at author@jswinn.com

Movie Review: Insidious

Insidious (2010)
IMDb





Director: James Wan
Writer: Leigh Whannell
Stars: Patrick Wilson, 
             Rose Byrne
             Ty Simpkins 


Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:


Insidious is the terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.


My thoughts:


I've been seeing this movie for weeks in HBO but I never had the chance to actually watch it until last week while I was on leave. Wow! Insidious was really that scary! I did scream more than a few times due to some creepy images of ghosts appearing in almost all scenes matching with terrifying sound effects. I love the story! A ghost story that is so original, ooh I was really scared the whole time and could not sleep without the lights on for days! 


The writer did a great job in weaving a thought-provoking ghost story. I've watched some documentaries about walk-in souls, soul-swapping and astral projection and I can't believe that some people do it because they are curious, they want to try it for fun! Just thinking about it, hell no! I wouldn't do that even if it is only temporary.     

Knowing the twist in the story, I consider Insidious a one-time-scary-movie. You cannot watch it again and be that scary like the first time. Remember the movie by Nicole Kidman, The Others? Finding out the twist in that movie made it predictable the second time I watched it. Overall, this is a great horror movie that could give you nightmares for days! 

Give Away Winners: A World Apart by David Brown

CONGRATULATIONS to:

e-BOOK and $20 Amazon GC giveaway winner:

jwhitus

e-BOOK giveaway:

reneerose~closetgirl

Confirmation emails sent and please reply within 48 hours or new winners will be re-drawn. Thank you to the author for these giveaways!

If you didn't win, you may join another upcoming giveaway this week:

KELLY ARMSTRONG's

"THIRTEEN"

Book Review: Soul Retribution by H.B. Salzer

Soul Retribution



Author: H.B. Salzer
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (March 21, 2012)

Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, H.B. Salzer. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts: 

Toni and Amanda have gifts. Both mother and daughter get visions about people's death even before it happens and they use it to help people. Due to financial problems, Toni agrees to do something evil for money. Adam wants to have a good life so he asks Toni to deal with the devil, his soul in exchange for a wealthy life. Problem is, the devil takes Toni's soul instead of Adam's. Now, Amanda wants revenge for her mother so she seeks the man responsible for her misery.

I read this book in less than five hours. The story flowed nicely, liked the mystery and twists.      The characters are believable and situations are realistic. I can deeply relate to Amanda, the main character of the story. I feel her pain when her mother died. On the other hand, Adam's character is also likable. He wants to have a wealthy life not because he's that greedy to want it, but he did it for his family. The author clearly has talent in weaving a mystery story though one thing I note, the writing style is very basic, straight and simple. Of course, I would always prefer this over those books I have read in the past with complex writing style. I know I'm not a writer but I'm just saying if this book is the author's first, she could improve over time.


About the book:

Driven by the untimely death of her mother, Amanda is compelled to seek out Adam, the man responsible for deceiving her mother during a spell gone awry, and sacrifice his soul to save her mother’s. Soul Retribution takes you through Amanda’s journey as she struggles to execute her plan, despite her conflicting emotions, and give her mother the serene eternity she deserves.

Book Review: Dead By My Side by Gloria Galloway

DEAD BY MY SIDE


Author: Gloria Galloway
Paperback: 226 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (July 1, 2011)
Amazon Buy Link



Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Gloria Galloway. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ 




My thoughts:


Dead By My Side has a good storyline, the first few chapters were engaging but there were also some disappointments along the way. When Julia, Tony's police partner, was shot dead, the book became an emotional read for me. Reading about Julia's life and her relationship with Tony (more than friends but less than lovers style) before her death, well, it kept things interesting.  The first disappointment happened while Tony and dead Julia were investigating their first murder case in the story. A mother of twins was found dead in her bedroom while everyone is away - husband, nanny, and the kids. Based on the evidences presented, believe me I instantly knew who the killer was.  I was kind of hoping there would be twist in the story, not the killer I had in mind, unfortunately I was right and I was disappointed. 


Other murder investigations turned out decent with right amount of suspense. However, I had a problem with the pacing of the story, I felt it was too slow to entice me to read further. I soon lost interest in the investigation and began skimming. I was guessing it also has something to do with me hating Julia's character. She would often whine about being dead and the fact that she's not really helping the case. I was constantly annoyed by her attitude, I liked Tony though. 


While the plot is interesting, I didn't enjoy this book much but that's just me. You might want to read some of the positive reviews for this book, read here.

About the book:

Julia Reynolds is a homicide detective with beauty, brains, a smart mouth and a sharp investigative eye. She is the perfect foil for Tony Camarelli, who is handsome, tough, dedicated and thorough. Together they make a great team, trading banter, fighting crime, out to catch the bad guy. It all sounds like a normal day at the office for these two partners. Except for one little detail…she’s dead. Julia and Tony have worked together for twelve years. Their partnership is cut short the day that Julia is killed in the line of duty and Tony is left to pick up the pieces. When Julia’s ghost comes back to haunt him, she wreaks havoc on his peace of mind, plays on his nerves and interrupts his love life. It soon becomes clear that she won’t leave him alone until he agrees to partner up again. As she did in life, Julia helps Tony with the investigation, but this time she has a new and unique perspective from beyond the grave, and they will need it. The duo is about to face the most challenging case of their careers. A cunning serial killer, who doesn’t fit any criminal profile, stalks the young women of Sacramento, daring the local authorities and the FBI to catch him. Hot on the trail of a sadistic monster, they must fight against time while trying to adjust to their new “living” arrangements.

About the author:

Gloria Galloway makes her home in Northern California. She has had a life-long fascination with the spectral world. Her story came together after extensive research of police procedure, crime scene investigation and studies of the criminal mind. She collaborated with experts in the field, including a crime scene investigator and a former deputy coroner of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

Book Review: Nolander by Becca Mills

Nolander


Author: Becca Mills
Kindle: 508 KB (File size)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Amazon Buy Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Becca Mills. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.


Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★


My thoughts:


Beth wants to live a simple normal life - go to school, meet new friends, date a guy and eventually have a family of her own. She can't do all these simple things because she has been diagnosed with panic disorder as a kid. She noticed that she is experiencing severe panic attacks only when she's away from her home town. While studying in another town, her panic attacks seem out of control almost on a daily basis and this is making her social life a problem so she decided just to quit school and go back to her home town. One day, she discovers that her panic attack seems to lessen when she's taking pictures. Everything looks almost normal until she sees in her camera that she's taken a picture of what looks like a monster foot. Beth thinks that someone is playing tricks on her so she shows the picture to her friends and right after showing the picture, people suddenly want to kill her.


I like Beth's character. She is simple and very nice to the people around her. I felt bad that she's not getting a normal life because of her panic disorder. I can relate to her character since I have a female friend with epilepsy in high school. Every time she's going through an attack, students would look at her like she's a freak or something. It's not easy to live a life like that. And especially for the main character, Beth, she has no one to guide her except her married brother that she sees only on weekends during Sunday mass. 


The story started out strong with lots of action and twists. It has a good plot, loved the suspense in the story but I had to take out one star because I didn't like where the story is headed.  The monster turned out something else, sci-fi something. Honestly, I'm not really into futuristic theme, especially the story presented in the story, big foot monster turned alien-monster. I was also dismayed with one of the characters in the story. Things went wrong sometime after the character was build up like some great guy. It was such a disappointment for Beth and I felt bad too because I liked that character. Overall, the story has a good plot, twist, and suspense. If you are into monster-alien theme, you might want to pick-up this book.


About the book:


Twenty-three-year-old Beth Ryder is a small-town girl from northern Wisconsin. Diagnosed with panic disorder as a child, Beth experiences symptoms severe enough that she can't go to college or move to a more populous area. They've also made her dating life hell.


As the novel begins, Beth is struggling to make a good life for herself despite the limitations imposed by her illness. She's recently taken up photography as a hobby -- the old-fashioned kind, with actual film.


One day, she takes a picture that show something she can't really explain, something she didn't see with her own eyes -- something inhuman. When Beth tries to find some answers, she makes contact with a dangerous group of people responsible for policing an unseen world of creaturesthat have abilities humans lack. As events spiral out of her control, Beth must leave her restrictive but safe life behind. Thrown into a frightening new world, she struggles not to surrender her family, her identity, and her sense of right and wrong.


About the author:


Becca Mills is an over-educated, under-exercised lover of good coffee, science, and fast cars. And books. Oh yes. She believes the world can be a rough place and that everyone deserves to leave it behind now and then. That pretty much makes books a human right, no?

Book Review: Stealing Jenny by Ellen Gable

Stealing Jenny


Author: Ellen Gable
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Full Quiver Publishing; First Edition (September 15, 2011)
Amazon Link



Note: I received this book free from the author, Ellen Gable. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings:

★ ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

Stealing Jenny is a Christian novel and I'm surprised that I didn't have any problem reading it. I have read some Christian novels in the past and I didn't like most of them because they're too focused on the moral values, you know those books teaching you what's right and wrong, I'm not really comfortable reading Christian novels that are too "clean". Stealing Jenny in my opinion is not overly religious book, I actually enjoyed reading it. 


I liked the characters especially Jenny and Tom Callahan. They're both religious but they are not perfect.  I enjoyed reading the flashbacks of Jenny and Tom's relationship, back when they were still dating. They have had some mistakes in the past and I liked the way they handled it.

I liked the suspense in the story, I know what it feels like to have a sensitive pregnancy and I was wondering the whole time I was reading the book what I would do if I was in Jenny's situation. What I would do if somebody stole my baby? The story is well-written, if you are into suspense story, you might want to pick up this book.

About the book:

After three heartbreaking miscarriages, Tom and Jenny Callahan are happily anticipating the birth of their sixth child. Their neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives.

About the author:

Ellen Gable Hrkach lives with her husband and their five children in Pakenham, Ontario. This is her third novel. Her second novel, In Name Only, won a Gold medal for Religious Fiction in the 2010 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards. She and her husband create the Family Life cartoon which currently appears in Family Foundations magazine.