Book Review: Sound by Shelley Workinger

Sound by Shelley Workinger
Paperback, 218 pages
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012
My rating: 4.5/5.0
Solid #3



My Review:

Sound was a great way to tie up the Solid trilogy. I loved this trilogy, the characters and the plot. I would be hard pressed to decide which book was my favorite. I enjoyed all three books and think all three worked well to make a great trilogy that told the story of Clio and her friends during the summer they deal with finding out what happened to them well.

The characters continue to be wonderful in this book. Clio continues her struggle to balance wanting her alone time and her typical way of dealing with things with how it works to be friends with a group and come to count on others. I like Clio, she feels real and like a normal teenage girl even with her superhuman powers that she has been secretly without her knowledge been given. I love the others too. Garrett is hysterical with his cockiness and humor. Miranda just being Miranda. Bliss with her sweet naivete. Alexis' tough exterior but strong desire to fit in with the group. Rae and Xavier's toughness have really been great addition to the group since the second book. And of course Jack, wonderful, adorable Jack. Each character brings something to the book, and it's not just their powers, it's their personalities. That's what really contributes to the story and had me enjoying every page.

The story behind this one was a little more under the radar than the first two but it was a good light suspense tale with the characters still taking the front seat. I enjoyed the plot, and enjoyed seeing where it was going. In the end I felt things were a tad rushed, but it didn't bother me too much, I still really enjoyed the book. I just felt I needed a little more right at the most suspenseful part. The very end was handled well, but I'm wondering if there is a bit more on the horizon? Oh Ms. Workinger, you are a crafty one.

Even if there isn't, the end was very satisfying. I will miss seeing the gang again if I there aren't any more books in the works and I will be overjoyed if there are. Either way, this trilogy is finished with a flourish. I have enjoyed each book and loved Sound. Thank you Ms. Workinger for a refreshing fun series revolving around interesting characters and a different plot. I loved every minute and Solid is a tremendous finish. If you haven't tried this series, it's a must-read, if you haven't read Solid yet, then you have to get it when it comes out to finish up the series. You won't be disappointed.


About the Book:
Clio Kaid's had one crazy summer.

After learning she was one of a hundred teens who were genetically modified before birth, she and the others departed for "camp" at a classified military site.

Besides discovering her own special ability, uncovering a conspiracy, and capturing a killer, she's also forged new friendships, found love, and managed to lose them both.

With no answers and the end of summer closing in, Clio's terrified of going home more lost than when she arrived.

Will she finally find everything she's been looking for?

Find out in this exciting conclusion to the Solid trilogy.

***I received this book from the author for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Book Excerpt and Author Guest Blog: Heaven Should Fall by Rebecca Coleman

Today I am the tour stop for the BookTrib tour of Heaven Should Fall by Rebecca Coleman.  Up first I have today's excerpt and I also have a guest post from author Rebecca Coleman on the development of the character of Cade in the book.  To check out the rest of the excerpts, guest posts, interviews and reviews, make sure to have a look at the main tour page at BookTrib.  The tour is going on from October 1 - 31.  My review of Heaven Should Fall is coming later today and let me tell you this is one interesting book.  Told from the point of view of several characters, it is a story that I found hard to put down, so make sure you stop by later to find out my full thoughts on this great book.

Excerpt:

“I bet he’s dying to get off that plane,” said Cade. “It’s a fifteen-hour flight from Kabul to Baltimore. That’s a crapload of Nicorette.”

I grinned. “So if he seems really cranky, I shouldn’t assume

that’s his normal personality.”

Guest Post by Rebecca Coleman:

Cade’s takes a dramatic turn after Elias’s tragedy – can you tell us a little more about how you developed his character?

There's a certain type of guy who makes a good romantic hero: good-looking (of course), ambitious but willing to set aside quality time for the woman he loves, passionate, principled and charming-- well, you know the drill. When I go into middle schools for Career Day-- amazingly, they still let me do that after The Kingdom of Childhood-- I hold up a copy of Twilight and talk about how the two romantic heroes, Edward and Jacob, are conflations of everything women stereotypically love about men. And on the surface, Cade-- the guy who loves my protagonist, Jill, in Heaven Should Fall-- is a guy like that, too.

            But as the reader slowly discovers, a man like Cade-- one who feels things deeply, is driven to feel relevant in the world, and believes he is a notch above most people he meets-- is especially vulnerable when things don't go his way. He wants to feel in control of his world, and believes he deserves to. As he feels his influence slipping, the ability Jill once observed in him-- to "find his passion and follow the prize of it like a polestar"-- corrupts into a desperate determination to matter, at whatever cost.

            And so the "dramatic" turn that Cade takes after a crisis strikes his family is not as jarring as it first appears. He's the same guy as ever, only angry now, and with his judgment clouded by grief. This is an aspect of characterization that has long fascinated me. No real human being is entirely good or entirely evil; each person has something they want-- out of life, or out of a particular situation-- and will act, sometimes in ways that conflict with the values they profess, in the service of that goal. That's not inconsistency-- that's humanity. And so while Cade spends most of the book dismissing his brother-in-law Dodge as an ignorant redneck, when Dodge provides him with a route to his goal, the desires of Cade's ego trump his opinion of the man.

            To me, the more deeply conflicted the character, the easier they are to write. A sense of uncertainty and struggle is something I understand, while moral certainty can feel foreign and even false. Like Zach in The Kingdom of Childhood, I saw Cade as a man wrestling with the angel; it wasn't hard to get inside their heads, because in one way or another, I've been there, too. And I think that's what the writing gurus really mean when they say, "write what you know." Every time I sit down to start a new novel I must research places and people, hobbies, music and occupations. learning it all from scratch. But a protagonist who struggles between love and anger, one who means well but often stumbles-- ah. I write what I know.

Book Review: Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin (Ashfall #2)

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Pub Date: October 16, 2012
Hardcover, 576 pages
Ashfall #2
ISBN: 9781933718750

My rating: 5.0/5.0

I loved Ashfall, I thought the setup was great and I was very anxious for Ashen Winter. So I was very excited to be a part of this blog tour and get an early chance to read Ashen Winter. And I was not disappointed.

The main characters of Alex and Darla return and Alex is determined to find his parents. This storyline and the twists, turns and action is great to follow. Along with some new faces and some old ones that they meet along the way. I love Alex and Darla and could not get enough of the characters, their decisions, their growth and how they love each other despite the major changes in the world around them. The new characters introduced also lend some depth to the story. My favorite is Ben. He is high functioning autistic and I love how he is so knowledgeable and helpful, but still has his own issues. I like that Mr. Mullin uses this type of character in the story to shed some light on this type of person and make him human and very lovable and functional at the same time. He's not the butt of jokes, he's real with feelings and a sister that cares for him very much.

The pace of Ashen Winter is break-neck. I could hardly put the book down. Whether they are running from the government bad guys or the real bad guys, the action keeps you engaged. When they aren't running, they are plotting how to get to the next stage they want to reach. And sometimes they are just trying to survive in this new world they have been thrust into. No matter what is going on, I felt I was right there and I was enthralled. I cared about what happened to each of the "good guys". I found myself cheering for them, biting my nails and turning the pages as fast as I could.

Ashen Winter is a great second installment. There is definitely no let down. The world building continues at break neck pace. The thrills are a mile-a-minute and the characters are down-to-earth and people you would really cheer for or against. Mr. Mullin writes great "good guys" and truly bad "bad guys" and a few that are in-between as well. I finished Ashen Winter within 24 hours and now I will anxiously await the next installment. One thing that is great about these books, there is jsut enough in this book to remind you of the first book if it's been a year since you've read it or if you haven't read it at all. Now I do recommend reading Ashfall first, but that's just because it's an excellent book, but you can read Ashen Winter on it's own. So go out, get the book and enjoy. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic-fiction, then this is a must read, if you enjoyed the sho Jericho when it was on, I have to tell you this is a must-read, it's different from Jericho, but parallels it in someways as all realistic post-apocalyptic fiction would. I loved the show, watched it between reading Ashfall and Ashen Winter and couldn't help but think of it while reading Ashen Winter. Ashen Winter just gave me fond memories of the show. I've recommended the book to my husband for that reason and I don't recommend just anything to him. Ashen Winter is post-apocalyptic fiction at it's best.

One word of warning as a parent, this deals with serious subjects and kids growing up before they really should. It's not out of line for the book, but I would recommend this book for older teens, 14+, or if you have a mature younger teen. There is "off-camera" sex, and references to human trafficking and rape, so it's not for just anyone. But as I said, this is a different world (or is it?) I never felt any of it was put in for gratuitous purposes, just as a sign of what is going on. I felt it was well-used. Just wanted this warning in for parents of younger teens. I know my son would enjoy this series, but I'm going to give it a few years.

My review of Ashfall

Author Bio

Mike Mullin’s first job was scraping the gum off the undersides of desks at his high school. From there, things went steadily downhill. He almost got fired by the owner of a bookstore due to his poor taste in earrings. He worked at a place that showed slides of poopy diapers during lunch (it did cut down on the cafeteria budget). The hazing process at the next company included eating live termites raised by the resident entomologist, so that didn’t last long either. For a while Mike juggled bottles at a wine shop, sometimes to disastrous effect. Oh, and then there was the job where swarms of wasps occasionally tried to chase him off ladders. So he’s really glad this writing thing seems to be working out.

Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. Ashen Winter is his second novel.  His debut, Ashfall, was named one of the top five young adult novels of 2011 by National Public Radio, a Best Teen Book of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews, and a New Voices selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Social Media Links

Website

Blog

Google+

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Pinterest

About ASHEN WINTER

It's been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex's relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this trilogy. It's also been six months of waiting for Alex's parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex's parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Purchase Links

Autographed Copies

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

***I received this book from through Netgalley for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Author Interview: Mike Mullen (Ashen Winter Blog Tour)

Today I welcome Mike Mullen, author of Ashfall and the newest installment, Ashen Winter which will be out mid-October.  If you love post-apocalyptic YA, then this is just the series for you.  I have thoroughly enjoyed both books and my review will post later today so I was very excited to interview Mike.  Enjoy the interview!

  

Did you dive right into writing Ashen Winter after finishing Ashfall, or did you take a break?

I did a very rough outline for the whole trilogy before the first draft of ASHFALL was even finished. As I worked on ASHFALL, I kept thinking of interesting ideas that wouldn’t fit. So I’d open up the ASHEN WINTER file on my computer, write down the idea, and then go back to working on ASHFALL. When I finished ASHFALL, I already had twenty or thirty pages of notes and ideas for ASHEN WINTER.

ASHFALL sold on a one-book deal. So when the last edits for ASHFALL were finished, I wrote a proposal for ASHEN WINTER–the first three chapters and an outline—and sent it to Tanglewood Press. They agreed to buy it on spec—even before ASHFALL had been released. After I finished my happy dance, I got right to work on ASHEN WINTER.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I’d love to go back to Northeast Brazil: Fortaleza, Belem, and Recife. I’m using some of the royalty money from ASHFALL to take my wife to Mexico this spring, and we’re getting our passports renewed for that. Maybe if the books keep selling well we’ll go to Brazil next.

What three things do you need in order to write?

My laptop. I’m stumped for the other two. Totally stumped. I was going to say hands, but I think I’d write even if I didn’t have hands. Come to think of it, I could write without my laptop—I’m pretty sure I have a pen lying around somewhere. But I really, really hate to handwrite anything.

Do you have a favorite line in Ashen Winter?

Yes! I put a lot of my own opinions in Rita Mae’s voice—she’s the librarian in Worthington. Here’s one of my favorites:

“He’s a child, Rita Mae,” Kenda yelled. “Without children we don’t have any future.”

“Without freedom,” Rita Mae yelled back, “why would we want a future?”

I totally get the impulse to protect kids. But as a teenager I valued freedom over safety, and even as an adult, I worry that we sometimes draw the line too far on the side of safety. The best, most durable lessons come only when we have the freedom to make mistakes.

Who is your favorite character?

That’s like asking a father which kid is his favorite. Not fair! I like Alex, because he’s based in part on myself as a teenager. I like Darla because she’s based in part on my wife, Margaret. I love Rita Mae, because, well, she’s a librarian and thinks a lot like the adult Mike Mullin. I like Alyssa, because she’s just as tough as Darla but in a totally different way. And I love Ben, because I didn’t think I could write an autistic teen successfully, but most early readers—including two ASD teens and two parents of kids with Asperger’s—tell me I succeeded, so that’s gratifying.

Thanks Mike!

Thanks for joining the blog tour, Crystal!

 

Author Bio

Mike Mullin’s first job was scraping the gum off the undersides of desks at his high school. From there, things went steadily downhill. He almost got fired by the owner of a bookstore due to his poor taste in earrings. He worked at a place that showed slides of poopy diapers during lunch (it did cut down on the cafeteria budget). The hazing process at the next company included eating live termites raised by the resident entomologist, so that didn’t last long either. For a while Mike juggled bottles at a wine shop, sometimes to disastrous effect. Oh, and then there was the job where swarms of wasps occasionally tried to chase him off ladders. So he’s really glad this writing thing seems to be working out.

Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. Ashen Winter is his second novel.  His debut, Ashfall, was named one of the top five young adult novels of 2011 by National Public Radio, a Best Teen Book of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews, and a New Voices selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Social Media Links

Website

Blog

Google+

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Pinterest

About ASHEN WINTER

It's been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex's relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this trilogy. It's also been six months of waiting for Alex's parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex's parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Purchase Links

Autographed Copies

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

Book Review & Tour: Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card is:

NIV Rock Solid Study Bible for Teens

Zondervan; Special edition (August 21, 2012)

***Special thanks to Rick Roberson for sending me a review copy.***

MY THOUGHTS:
Flipping through I think this is a great Bible for teens.  It has the basic setup you expect, plus extras like Rock Solid truths which take verses and give teens the truth from those verses in easy to understand ways followed with a question to think about (and the questions are great).  There are also Rock Solid Promises which are features on one verse or two with a brief explanation and question or prayer and Rock Solid Plans which highlight a series of verses and show you what your next step should be in relation to the verses.  There are also other useful features.  The version is NIV which is a very popular translation that is easy to understand and was and still is a favorite of mine.  The Bible has a nice cover, seems sturdy and looks great for either male or female in the teenage age group.  This one will be going to my oldest who will be turning twelve later this year.  I think it's perfect for him and he'll appreciate a more grown looking Bible.

It's that perfect time of year to contemplate a gift Bible for a teenager in your life and the Rock Solid Study Bible would make a great choice!

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This all-new, full-featured NIV Bible is great for teens looking to grow their faith, increase meaning in their lives, and find hope for their future. The Rock Solid Bible for Teens is a timely guide for teens grappling with big questions about the world, their future, and their faith. Featuring the complete New International Version text, apologetics helps, hundreds of call-outs, and concrete promises for the future, the Rock Solid Bible provides firm traction for the development of beliefs and behavior rooted in the unchanging love, guidance, and promises of God.

Product Details:
List Price: $29.99

Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 1664 pages
Publisher: Zondervan; Special edition (August 21, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310723302
ISBN-13: 978-0310723301

AND NOW...THE A SAMPLE (CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE LARGER):

Chapter will be placed up here soon.

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Cover Reveal: Opal by Jennifer Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Follow this link to an ~~~ EPIC CONTEST ~~~ Announcement. You will want to bookmark this page!

http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/p/october-1-2012.html

USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.

Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

Giveaway: Olivia Cunning Prize Packs

     

To get ready for Olivia Cunning's new release in November Sourcebooks is having a little pre-tour with the band.  And you are the ones that benefit.  Double Time will be releasing November 1st and it's the 3rd book in the Sinners on Tour series.  The first two books, Backstage Pass and Rock Hard will be up for grabs in this giveaway and I will have two prize packs for two lucky winners.  Simply answer the following question in the comments below and fill out the Rafflecopter and you are entered.  Giveaway open to US/Canada, prizes will be mailed from the publisher and the giveaway will end October 1st.

Questions to answer to enter (choose one or more of the following):
What is/was your favorite rock band?  
What is your favorite concert you have been to? 
If you could be a groupie for any band which one would it be?


About Backstage Pass (part of the giveaway):
Five stunning guys, one hot woman, and a feverish romance...

For him, life is all music and no play...

When Brian Sinclair, lead songwriter and guitarist of the hottest metal band on the scene, loses his creative spark, it will take nights of downright sinful passion to release his pent-up genius...

She's the one to call the tune...

When sexy psychologist Myrna Evans goes on tour with the Sinners, every boy in the band tries to seduce her. But Brian is the only one she wants to get her hands on...

Then the two lovers' wildly shocking behavior sparks the whole band to new heights of glory...and sin...

About Rock Hard (part of the giveaway):
An ultimatum can break your heart....

Every night lead singer, Sed Lionheart whips thousands of women into a frenzy with his voice alone. But the stage is the only place Sed feels any passion since he lost Jessica...

If you’re not willing to break all the rules...

It shattered her heart, but law student Jessica broke off her engagement to Sed, determined to be successful on her own terms. But no other man can ever hold a candle to Sed...

Then a chance meeting and tortuously close quarters lead to uncontrollable flares of passion and rediscovery of their unique penchant for public encounters. Now, in addition to the risk of mutual heartbreak every time they get together, they’re in danger of truly scandalous public exposure...

About Double Time (out in November):

Trey’s love life is about to get twice as steamy… and twice as complicated…

Olivia Cunning delivers the perfect blend of steamy sex, heartwarming romance, and a wicked sense of humor in this menage story featuring the hottest guy in the Sinners band. Trey Mills, the notoriously sexy Sinners rhythm guitarist, gives up his bisexual lifestyle and is swept into a hot, heady romance with Reagan Elliot, a female rock star sensation. But when Trey encounters Reagan’s sexy bisexual roommate, Ethan Conner, he can no longer deny who he is or what he wants. Reagan heartily agrees to a solution that opens up a hot new world of sexual experience—and love—with the two men she wants the most.


a Rafflecopter giveaway