Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen

From GoodReads
Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is another ARC review. This is a historical mystery with a lot of Downton Abbey vibes. I love that this book was told from multiple perspectives in both narration and class. Clementine Montfort, the lady, and Edith Jackson, the head housekeeper, have such distinct voices it was easy to bounce between them. Arlen's style of writing was dense but not overly flowery. The tone that she set really helped solidify the setting and her massive vocabulary was refreshing. She used the word vixen to talk about an actual fox, it was marvelous.

The mystery here settles around Lady Montfort's murdered nephew, Teddy Mallory. By all accounts, Teddy was a scoundrel so naturally there are plenty of suspects. Thankfully, the author included two other mysteries to go along with the main plot-a maid and a young lady, apparently unconnected went missing. With the cunning of Mrs. Jackson, and the determination of Lady Montfort, the mystery plays out in a very entertaining way. I did enjoy the resolution of this mystery much more than the mystery I finished yesterday. It was satisfying.

The historical timeline entwined with this book was very informative and relative to the plot. I enjoyed the history lesson and the multiple opinions that were explored. I also loved the dedication of the character to morality and manners. There was just something very noble about characters that actually cared about honor, loyalty, and respect.

Lady Montfort was handled well. The slow unraveling of her character's developed help hold interest when the narrative became too dense. I enjoyed her wit, not over whelming but present, and her tenacious demeanor. The way she interacted with her husband and son really highlighted her intelligence. Her confrontations with Mr. Barclay and Gertrude were fantastic.

My favorite character was Mrs. Jackson. She was proper and intelligent. She did the legwork of this investigation which turned up many interesting tid bits. I can just picture her put in some sort of put in some sort of life or death circumstances and still managing to keep her principles while making it out in one piece. One of my favorite pieces of her depth was her fascination with the talented gardener she kept at a distance and lack of mention to Mr. Jackson. This mystery about her really balanced out her sometimes severe personality.

Arlen was able to add depth to the story with the other character's backstories, though not all were developed and I admit to having a small problem keeping all the young bachelors straight at times. While some supporting character's were developed well like Gertrude, others were not. Lord Haversham, while explored moderately, was not nearly as developed as I hoped.

There were some issues I want to address. The narrative was too rich for my tastes, it made the plot drag a bit even if it was skillfully done. The author showed wonderful bouts of dialogue that were beautiful and pieced together well but that did not permeate the entire book. The side story with Barclay and Mallory was not quite believable, nor did it seem to serve a purpose to the story other than making it politically correct. The chapters told from Lord Montfort's perspective lacked the distinct voice that the chapters from Lady Montfort's perspective and Mrs. Jackson's perspective had.

Overall this was a good read and I would recommend it for fans of Downton Abbey, there were many similarities to this book and that show. A very strong four out of five footmen.

From Google Search


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Dubiosity by Christy Barritt

From GoodReads
Dubiosity is my first ARC review and boy, it was a good one! This book centers around Savannah Harris and unraveling her town's mysterious disappearances and how they link to other crimes. It was very easy to slide into because of the author's charming writing style.

The author takes her time with the Savannah's character development and despite early signs the MC might develop into a Mary Sue, does a good job connecting with the audience. At first, I thought Savannah's grief fell a little flat but I changed my mind. Savannah is a rare female lead that can distance herself from her emotions. Savannah is balanced in the sense that she makes important decisions based on both logic and emotions. Savannah was also very candid about her short-comings and lack of moral fiber. This was so refreshing than the normal justification process that so many main characters go through. As good as Savannah was developed, there were inconsistencies. I did find it strange that she didn't freak out more about a strangers being in her house and that a creative journalist would name her cat "Tiger" for such obvious reasons.

Clive, is not handled as skillfully as Savannah. He comes off as an obvious good guy very early in the book. The first obvious clue-he drives a Jeep. It is a well known fact villains are not capable of driving such fun vehicle. Plus having the bad guy living on the property just would have made it too easy and not romantic. However, Clive is suddenly revealed to be a fake name about 80% (or more) of the way through the book and suddenly his name changed to Jack. It was jarring and strange. I don't think the author should have changed the narration like that so close to the end of the book.

That brings us to the mystery. The mystery element was more complex than usual but I loved it. I really enjoyed the chasing the answers down to each piece. Barritt engaged me and kept me guessing for most of the book. I did not loose interest in plot and the romance/subplots did not over power the main mystery. While I won't ruin the ending of the mystery, I will say that the conclusion was boring and over done. I was let down.

The spiritual turning point for Savannah felt sudden and rushed at the end. It sort of hit me out of left field, especially the intensity. There was a little bit of gradual change but it was like walking into the surf and you get about 6 inches in, then suddenly with one step you are blindsided by a drop off and in over your head. Everything else spirituality-wise was wonderful and I could appreciate Savannah's and Clive's struggles. The spiritual element balance in this book was also done extremely well. I was very worried at the beginning that either the spirituality in this book would be "cafeteria Christian" style or every single thing would be "over spiritualized" but everything was well balanced. (There was one cheesy moment, but I'll let it slide.) This was my best experience with Christian literature so far.

I give Dubiosity, four apples of five and would recommend this book to anyone that believes the Bible and enjoys mysteries.




Monday, January 5, 2015

Reading Challenge 2015


Hello!!!

This year I decided to create myself I a reading challenge. For the purpose of this challenge "read" can mean reading traditionally with text or listening to audio books. Also, some books can fall into multiple categories. For example, if Eric wants me to read "How To Win Friends and Influence People" in January that also counts a a non-fiction.  


Reading Challenge 2015

Total Books: 75

Books Of Eric's Choosing: 12

NonFiction: 4

Read 15 Books from the Old Testament (Counts as 1 Book toward the 75)

Only While Exercising: 12

Classics, no rereads: 4

Set In Florida: 2

Set In Prague: 1

Pulitzer Prize Winners: 3 

ReRead: 2

From the Following Genres: 
Historical Fiction-1
Christian Literature-3
Adult Fantasy-4
Horror-2

Write Reviews: 21


Now this might be a bit sketchy as far as "reading" but I am going to put it in here anyway-

Complete Zombie, Run App
  (Don't know what that is- review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIG9ZlY1vNY)

To Diversify: 
This year I really hope to read more books told from a male prospective. It feels like every book I pick up in YA has a female lead protagonist. So I quantified my readings for 2014 regardless of audience: 33 were told from a female perspective, 12 from a male, and 23 from both/neither.

Wish Me Luck! 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Book Survey 2014

Book and Literature Challenge 2014

1.     Your 10 favorite books of all time.
This is really hard.


1.  The Bible
2.  Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
3.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4.  The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
5.  The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
6.  Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
7.  Lisey’s Story by Stephen King
8.  State of Fear by Michael Crichton
9.  A Song of Ice and Fire Series by JRR Martin
10. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

2.     Your 5 least favorite books of all time.

Oh gosh, I try to forget them.

1. Who Moved My Cheese -First book I didn't like
2. The Little Prince -First novel that seemed pointless
3. Every Day by David Levithan  -There are so many things wrong with this I don't even know where to start.
4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner  -This is tell, not show on crack.
5. Everneath by Ashton Brodi  -This is my least favorite book in the last two months or so. It is awful and you can read my review on it find out why. 
3.     Your favorite characters (and which books they’re from).

Karuo, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Karuo inspired me with her creativity, past, and passion. 
Francisco D'Anconia, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand Francisco is  the dream man. His success, loyalty, intelligence, and willingness to sacrifice are what makes him unique in a world where his type have been stereotyped to death.
Darrow, Red Rising by Pierce Brown: Darrow is arrogant, intelligent but lacking wisdom, determined, and loyal. He can be so many things without being perfect. His flaws are what makes him and this story worth reading. 
Elisa, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: Elisa is on this list because she is actually smart and not just because the author says so. She also breaks a lot of stereotypes and makes you feel comfortable rather than awkward. Her faith, self esteem issues, and logical mind are rare gems in the YA world and all were classy and well done. 
Liam, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken: Liam is basically my ideal fantasy man. He makes "the feels" happen. Shallow? Surprisingly not. He's the good boy with a dangerous edge and lots of love and loyalty. 
Ragnar Danneskjold, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand: Ragnar is one of my favorite character because he exists as an antithesis to another popular character. He was created with just enough vagueness to be mysterious without unknowing, and peppered with all the things we love to love in a character like: being a pirate for good, having cool tech, good looks, being the best captain on the sea. Plus he saves people's money from thieves


4.     Characters you hate.

Edward Cullen, Twilight: This guy has no personality, is cold, sparkly, a creeper/pedophile, selfish, and is a terrible vampire. I am in good company with this one. 
Peeta Mellark, The Hunger Games: I'm so sorry. I feel bad about hating him, and my hate only stems from his survival which makes me an even worse person. But the fact he survived when so many others that were better qualified didn't. Plus I feel like he is the only that got a happy ending when the characters I loved didn't. This makes Collins a genius but I still don't like Mellark. So maybe I just loathe him, not hate him.....
Petyr Baelish, A Song of Ice and Fire: I am not sure there is anything to like about this guy. He is ultimately responsible (in my eyes) for the seven realms going to Hell in a hand basket.
King Joffery, A Song of Ice and Fire: Joffery's cruelty and arrogance thankfully landed him dead but no soon enough. This kid was awful in every sense of the word, a true horror show. 
Clary, The Mortal Instruments: She could be anybody, which I guess is the point but that's boring. She also had what she believed to be an 
incestuous relationship with a creepy dude. Plus she has no redeeming qualities.
5.     If you were stranded on a desert island, what five books would you take with you? Include one reason for each.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy- I haven't read it and the length would entertain me, more bang for your buck.
The Bible, NIV-because spiritual growth can still happen on a desert island and God will be my only company anywayA Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants-I really like to eat
How to Survive Almost Anything from National Geographic-I know next to nothing about surviving alone and I'm lazy, not a good combination
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- because civilization and wit must not be forgotten. 
 
6.     The best book you've read in the last year.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I picked this one because I don't give it enough love. I have read a lot of good books in the last year but this was the most well round of them. It was written well, had a great subject, and taught me the most. 
7.     The worst book you've read in the last year.

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren-I don't know what possessed me to read this but it was awful. Every little thing, but it didn't make my least favorite books of all time list because most people know this. I don't have to save them. 
8.     Your favorite quotes from books.

"I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

---Red Rising 
_____

The Money Speech from Francisco D'Anconia. I can't put the whole thing here. Go look it up, it might change your life.
9.     Your favorite quotes about books.

invoke phone a friend option: My friend says skip this one. 
10.   Name five absolutely great film adaptations of books.

I am not sure there are five great adaptations but let's give it a go!

1.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This is the best one on my list, they incorporated so many nuances I thought would get left out and I thought the acting was fantastic. Very impressive.
2. Jurassic Park by Micheal Crichton. It's a classic, it's a masterpiece.  
3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 
4. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 
5. Yeah, I've got nothing. 
11.   Name three absolutely awful film adaptations of books.

This one is much easier. Whew.

1. Sphere by Micheal Crichton
2. The Mist by Stephen King
3. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
12.   Your favorite author(s).
So I only picked authors I have read at least three books from. That was the criteria I gave myself.  


Tana French. She is a doll and has a wicked, clever mind that she is gracious enough to share with us.
Micheal Crichton. I love how well thought out and explained everything he write is. Jurassic Park, Sphere, Timeline, Sate of Fear, Congo. They just capture me.
JRR Martin. Gosh that man is sneaky. He is the tortoise in the Tortoise and the Hare. He doesn't necessarily
 immediately grab you, but you find yourself immersed and caring but not sure when that happened exactly. He also doesn't churn out the books every year.......
Jane Austen. I haven't read anything from her I didn't like and the undercutting humor is top notch. Plus you learn about the fine art of the insult and charm. 

13.   Your favorite book from childhood.

Shadows In the Water by Katherine Lasky. This book was so beautiful, fun and the setting was in the Florida Keys. It was wonderful. Truly. It had TWO sets of twins that were telepathic and dolphins. Pretty amazing. 
14.   A book you regret not having read sooner.

Atlas Shrugged, but maybe I wouldn't have been mature enough to get it. I wish people would read it and understand.
15.   A book you haven’t read, but is on your “will read” list.

Just one?! I have over a hundred. Probably Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo or The Demon King by C Chima.

16.   A book you haven’t read and have no intention of ever reading. (If you want, tell us why you don’t want to read it.)

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  First, because Oprah is so adamant about it and she doesn't have the best track record to picking books I like, plus our over society's over emphasis on class welfare and victimization at this time, (NOT the time this was written). I just feel over stimulated by the subject matter.   

17.   A book you want to like, but can’t get into for whatever reason. Why can’t you get into it?

A Cuckoo's Calling by Robert G. (Aka JK Rolling). I don't know why I couldn't get into it. The characters were good, the plot was good. Maybe it was the wording? The pace? It could be the pacing. 
18.   A book you think is highly overrated.

Divergent by Veronica Roth. I do not know why people are excited about this at all. The character's relationships make no sense and the world building was pretty but fell flat. 
19.   A book you think is woefully underrated.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor. 
If you have not read this series and enjoy strong, well developed characters that experience true conflict handled in a logical matter that has adventure, magic, and all sorts of meaningful relationships then this book is for you. Plus Prague. 
20.   The environment you most enjoy reading in.

I like being home alone in bed snuggled up. I like the idea of reading outside but Florida general doesn't cooperate. 
21.   The most disturbing book you’ve ever read.
Pet Semetery by Stephen King ---Let me tell you that is some freaky craft right there. I won't be reading that one again
22.   A book you once loved, but don’t anymore. What changed?

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. *le sigh* Honesty is the best policy. Well I thought the whole premise was beautiful and fun in high school but I reread it right after college and saw the error of my ways. The characters are shallow, except Jake (I'm holding out for him!) and there are actually really twisted concepts that are acceptable. 
23.   A book you once hated, but now like. What changed?

I have not had the pleasure of this experience. But I have tried- I gave the Little Prince a second change in college. I gave the Great Gatsby a second chance last year. I also retried Divergent. I almost gave the Picture of Dorian Gray another shot but it just didn't work out. But I challenge you to challenge me! 
24.   Your favorite series.

My mind says A Song of Ice and Fire. One, because it isn't finished. Two, the diversity is sublime. Three, it's long and complex. My heart says Card Captor Sakura but I don't think graphic novels are apart of this survey.

25.   The nerdiest book you’ve ever read.
         Black Bodies and Quantum Cats by Jennifer Ouellette ---It's a collection of stories about physics principals with elaborate analogies. 
26.   Your favourite type of non-fiction book. 
Biographies like the Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Bedford or cookbooks because food.
27.   Your favorite genre.

Well my favorites list would have you believing it was young adult dystopian. But I think my favorite is crime solving mysteries. 
28.   The first book you can remember reading on your own.
        Wizard of Oz, my grandma had this big, gorgeous illustrated version. It was shorter than the original but it is one of my first memories. She read it to many so many times, eventually I remembered the words. 
29.   An author you wish was more well-known.

Maggie Stiefvater. I think her writing would appeal to the masses in general plus the dark fun in her Raven Boys series is unique. 
30.   The book you’re reading right now:

Written in Red by Anne Bishop. My thoughts on this one are: such a fun world but also annoying. I like the characters. The main character, Meg, is tolerable but not entirely believable. I am also listening to the Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). I don't have any opinions on that yet.  


Monday, December 8, 2014

Everneath by Brodi Ashton


I picked up this novel because  the book bloggers I really respect all had great things to say about this. I have never so ardently disagreed.

 In the first page, the main character is pathetic.  "It's so hard to open my eyes!" I am stuck to a boy and he stole everything that made me myself. We spent 100 years cuddling. Hot boy and main character are surprised she has a special power to simply survive. How demeaning. For this I will not name her; she will simply be "the main character." (And also because she is Clary/Bella/Could be anyone). There is also zero introduction which I have never experienced before. It was not pleasant. At first I was convinced I picked up a book from the middle of a series. This has never happened to me before. 

Well in the first scene she wants to go home to her honey after "being asleep" for 100 years. Yeah, that's a great idea.  But lucky for her, only 6 months have passed on "the surface". That is a pretty useless time warp since nothing happened except sleeping/cuddling in the 100 years she was gone. 

When she returns, no one is seemingly happy to have her back. Her dad "tastes" disappointed. Other than the fact the MC is now tasting emotions, her dad is apparently horrid. No one runs to great her when she gets back in school, they just gossip about her being a druggie. Then her honey is, perfectly, in her first class of the day. But aghast! she hasn't thought about what to do now that she has traveled worlds to find him. She gets tongue tied and all she can say is "hi." I honestly don't know if I can stand a few more hours of this torture. 

The writing style is also annoying because the author withholds so much information that the narrator knows. Then sometimes she goes back to explain scene set up after the scene happens. Also, the main character has bouts of memory loss, that is never actually a problem because she remembers everything and it's casually thrown in there after all the memories come back. It's like it was just a clause thrown in there to help the writer get herself out a jamb. This sloppy and confusing. It is also filled with gems like "I heard one of them sigh but I didn't know which one."It's like the author lacks confidence and understanding of language. She added 60% more words to a sentence so that repeats the same idea. The story bounces between a 'now' and 'then' time frames which is both helpful for getting essential details since nothing was provided in the beginning and a waste. Had the story been told chronologically it would have been much better because as I learned how the MC to ended up in her position I did soften to her a tad. It would have also helped the character to make sense. 

Speaking of character that don't involve the female protagonist let's review them. First there is Cole, the bad boy, ever living, emotion eater, rock band guitarist. He is in love with the main character for no discernible reason. Then there is Jack, the wholesome love interest that was the best friend and then the boyfriend. I normally adore this type. Jack will be my exception because he isn't especially endearing, he is just too plain. 

The side characters include Jules, the main character's best friend. This character was treated as simply a role, not a character at all. It was painful. The main character's family, Tommy and Dad, were developed slightly better. The emphasis that the MC puts on them in her mind is not the same emphasis that her actions describe. This sort of illusion is actually dangerous because thinking feelings is not the same as living them out. I will say that the very end of book sort of switches gears in this but for all the wrong reasons and way too late. The only other characters worth noting are Mary, Will, and the MC's English teacher. Mary was actually not bad, but there was a major plot hole connected with her. Maybe it will be addressed in the future but I'll never know. The English teacher was role a filling. But Will, now here is proof that Ashton can write a good character. He has real problems that stem from serious events in his past but he changes over time to combat them. I liked Will. Aston did so much with so little screen time with him.  

Then there are sorts of fabricated problems that feel thrown in like this nugget about a quarter way through: 
"My eyes started to sting even though I wasn't sure if I had recovered enough emotions to cry." What? When did this become a problem? She hasn't had trouble "feeling" anything before. She has been boiling with emotion from the beginning. 

Then there is the MC weird sense of humor. "I smiled at the way he said 'guest' like that was my name or something."

About two thirds of the way through, the main character's father is suddenly a lawyer as well as the major which is revealed in a comment that addresses the way he addresses juries. It's this sort of want to be critical thinking lesson that jars the flow of the book and distracts the reader from the action. 

Good things: 
+Beautiful cover. Like drop dead gorgeous. 
+The author brings up some interesting questions about being famous, like "do famous people always feel like others are waiting for them to perform?" 
+Random burst of good humor like when Cole has a good quip about turning a frown on it's *ss. That was actually funny. 
+The main character also does that thing where she assumes because the rock band is famous on a grass roots level that they are like the famous people she sees on TV. This is a great nuance that adds depth to the main character.  

The ending of this book is suppose to be shocking and true love's glory but honestly the foreshadowing was more like a neon sign than anything remotely subtle so it felt stale. So how I managed through it all thanks to the Good Reads book challenge (only two more for this year's goal!), otherwise it would have been a dnf. 

I realize that this review is pretty harsh but not calling out the problems isn't in the spirit of writing good reviews. I don't actually write well enough to write good reviews but I need all the practice I can get. I give this book one guitar out of five. 















Saturday, November 8, 2014

Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver

Overall I didn't like it. I kept reading because the first book ended and I wanted to see how the main character, Lena, would handle the tragic ending. So I read Pandemonium which was much better than the first book but it's ending twist wasn't surprising at all. The third book I only started because I had it on my on phone. The third book has been the biggest disappointment. Lena's maturity spirals away from her. The best part about the third book is the POV from Hana. Please proceed with caution, as spoilers are present, especially for book one.

The first book, Delirium, sets up a world where at 18, everyone gets a procedure that "protects" them from love. They will not longer love and thus be happier because there won't be any heart break, no coveting, irrational behavior, ect. The author tried really hard to sell this concept and even though I didn't buy it because people that can't love and can't hate wouldn't be able to deal with children and teenagers that can. Also, because without love/hate our society might fall apart because it would destroy our sense of "care about that young child" and it would create a lot of sociopaths. But for the sake of entertainment I decide to ignore this and proceed with blinders. Lena the MC, is just a girl with family problems that worried about getting paired, by the government, and which college she will be assigned. She worries about becoming infected with "love" before her procedure but counts down the days until she will be safe. Her best friend Hana is a little more rebellious and introduces Lena to world that goes against the grain, which Lena balks at but you guessed it-she meets a rebellious boy, Alex. We get a sweet love story that transforms Lena from a blind follower to a "free thinker". Of course they are caught and have to escape. It is entertaining, but not really substantive. The ending is a cliff hanger in which Alex is shot a bunch and left with the bad guys while Lena flees. I was impressed that the author attempt to kill Alex off, but wasn't sure if it would stick. Overall I give this book three empty houses out of five.

The second book, Pandemonium, was my favorite in the series. The book is told in two phases-"Now" and "Then". This was a good choice by the author because it fulfills the readers curiosity about how Lena recovered from book one's ordeal without slowing down the action for the overall book. The Lena of "Then" is contrasted with the Lena of "Now" very well. You never feel like they are two different characters but that these two different phases in life are converging. It builds the drama well. We also get a good look at some new characters. Raven and Tack are handled well and like with Lena's "Now" and "Then" you get a sense of how they developed which is very helpful because we don't know them at all before this book. The only thing I will note is that the editing could have been better. There were some inconsistencies with the character's descriptions, like Tack. Then there is Julian. He only appears in the "Now" section. Julian is a great character. He challenges Lena, he helps Lena, and he is considerate toward Lena. I also liked the plot of this book. The worst thing about this book was the ending. It was suppose to be this great shocking plot twist that CHANGED EVERYTHING. It wasn't, it wasn't even shocking, it was expected. It would have been more surprising if it hadn't happened and honestly probably would have made the third book better. I give this book four riots out of five.  

The third book was a mess. I'm not exactly sure what the plot was suppose to be, so we are going to call it a chronicle of Lena's life and a chronicle of Hana's life. Lena, as a character, acted like a spoiled high school girl and not a hardened warrior. She lost the maturity that she won in Pandemonium. Most of the book was spent agonizing/interacting with the love triangle. When there were scenes with other characters, they did not seem to go with general flow of the story. It's like the author sat down and wrote "the love story" all the way through, then went back and peppered scenes with other characters in.  Julian, I am going to say has some character development but it was glanced over. I have nothing but eye rolling for Alex- there was almost no direct interaction with him, mostly observational which is messy. Think Edward Cullen in New Moon. (I cringed too.) This was emphasized with the POV switch to Hana. Hana's story was interesting and I was most invested in what was happening to her than anything else. She had a lot to deal with and it was interesting to see how she managed despite being warped by a procedure that severely put her at a disadvantage. The ending to this book is left open for both Hana and Lena. The author knows how to write an ending, so I am sure this was done deliberately in hopes of continuing the series. Lena's ending made my eyes roll but Hana's mysterious ending was much more acceptable. I give this book two red birds out five. [Run!]

Is it just me or do these covers give off the "Garden of Eden"  but creepy vibe?

Enjoy!