Her Royal Highness (To-Be)

Glitter by Apprilynne Pike

Published October 25th, 2016

Second review of the week guys! I'm on a roll.

Danica Grayson is a willful, pannier-wearing,17 year-old from the future. And She’s totally relatable.

Outside the Palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.

When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.

Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can
sell for more money than she ever dreamed.

But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

Glitter first attracted me because of the cover. Then I heard what is was about and it was one of those “I HAVE TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!” reactions. Unfortunately, “right now” ended up being six months later. But, I did read it and it was amazing.

The world of Danica Grayson is a blend of Sci-fi and Historical Fiction that fit together perfectly. Pike does an amazing job of connecting you to Danica almost instantly. The 18th century persona the citizens of the Palace of Versailles don is an exciting, lavish, world full of secrets and strategy.

Danica’s two best friends Molli and Lord Aaron are always kind and supportive of her. Lord Aaron is gay and makes a few comments about another man looking good or Lord Spencer, his love interest. Their relationship is not described or dwelled upon and is not a major part of the plot. Molli is a redeeming character in the story. She is innocent, kind, and sweet-natured.

Our anti-heroine struggles with morals throughout the entire book. She’s unsure if the the price of freedom is a price she can live with. Danica deceives the court members of Versailles, smuggles drugs, and lies to her best friend, as well as her family.

As fiance to a king who she repulses Danica is his number one target. He knows he can’t have her till she turns 18 and they are wed but forces physical contact on her anyway. He kisses her lips and neck in the book several times. These scenes are not explicit and mostly happen in front of others as to convince them they are a happy couple. Towards the end of the book he shows physical abuse twice in the form of grabbing her neck and choking her..

There was however, a redeeming moment. Danica realized she was doing all these things for revenge against her mother and the king. She was pushing away one of the only people who still cared about her (Molli) and needed to stop. Upon discovering a truth that is a major spoiler, Danica stops doing things only for herself. She tries to make some wrongs right again and even apologizes to some of the people she hurt. Glitter had me addicted from page 1 (See what I did there)

Language: Mild

Alcohol/drugs: Glitter is a very powerful drug. In small doses it gives the person a feeling of elated happiness and in high doses it can kill you.

Violence: 6

Sexual Content: Aside from what is explained above there is one make-out scene and kisses here and there.

Spiritual Content: Morals and the feeling of guilt is something that is discussed a great deal. The book takes on an outlook at life that has hope but at a cost.

Currently Reading: My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors

Next Post: Special Christmas post!

*Photo from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24033058-glitter?from_search=true

Books That Were WEIRD

For the record, I started this blog post yesterday but after trying to finish it before bed with an awful headache I decided it was best to just finish it today. So as promised: Books that were WEIRD.

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henri

             

                Magical Realism? Sci-fi? I don’t know how to categorize this book. All I know is that Native American legends told by an old woman only the main character, Natalie, can see, romance, and parallel universes made for a very interesting read. I really enjoyed this book and found that the concepts presented to be very original. The fact that the main character had a Native American heritage and was adopted made for a side of young adult fiction that we don't usually see. I was pleased that there was the story of Abraham and Isaac accurately told in the book. While most of the content is somewhat clean I was disappointed to read that in the last five pages of the book there is a line that talks about God's love for us and says he loves us "f****** well." It was very odd and I didn't appreciate it at all.

Language: Severe, everything else was moderate but for the F at the end

Alcohol/drugs: Several teens (not the main character) get drunk at a party and there are terrible 

consequences.

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: Some kissing, a short make out scene that doesn’t go too far, skippable.

Spiritual Content: This part is a bit tricky. As a sci-fi/fantasy novel there are some very weird concepts about life, death, and spirituality. All different ways of thinking are discussed and Natalie contemplates God and who or what he is. What I saw was a very lost and confused soul who wanted to have faith but struggled with believing in anything. It was very sad to read at times. In conclusion, the book had many spiritual aspects I just can’t summarize or categorize them properly.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

This was a stunning sci-fi survival book. The world building was done excellently and everything was easily pictured. A young war hero, Tarver, and the daughter the most powerful man in the universe, Lilac, crash onto a deserted planet after a star liner malfunction that causes the whole ship to plummet. Their journey as they navigate this eerie planet is well written. As their relationship changes it makes for even more drama to add to their plight. The romance was not original or creative and escalated way to quickly for my liking. The part of this book that was so weird was something you don’t discover until the end. Lilac starts seeing and hearing strange things as they trek to the star liner wreckage. It gradually builds towards the part when you discover what it is and when you do, you’re just like. . .what??

Language: Moderate

Alcohol/drugs: none

Violence: 5

Sexual Content: intimacy is referenced once with no more description that the mention of nudity briefly

Spiritual Content: None

You’ll Like it Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White

                I read this middle grade book several years ago and absolutely loved it. Here’s the synopsis:

                While Meggie and David Blue are from another planet, they're a lot like Earth kids, with similar hopes and dreams. But, they also have GROSSLY UNIQUE qualities, such as blue streaks in their hair that pop up randomly and language skills that sound like nothing on this planet. The story takes these alien kids, along with their mother and grandfather, by accident, to a far planet in which the society is not only oppressive but hostile to individual freedom. People are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing. The Blues, who have spent time in free societies recognize the upside-down-ness of this world. They're almost helpless to do anything, but do what they can, plan their escape, and vow to help others.

               

             This adventure story was so entertaining and well-paced. The story as a whole was very strange but in the best way possible.

Language: None

Alcohol/drugs: They use drugs on people to keep them submissive as the synopsis says

Violence: None

Sexual Content: None

Spiritual Content: None

I made a tag on Instagram inspired by this post. Link is in the side bar, go and check it out!

Currently Reading: Truth Be Told by Justine Johnston Hemmestad and Entertaining Angels by Emerald Barnes

Next Post: Mini Reveiws

Hellhounds

Nasty Left Overs by Guy L. Pace

                Book two after Sudden Mission by Guy L. Pace picks up after the crazy events now called “The Troubles.” The main character is still Paul and we get to see a little bit of a deeper side to him. This book is strictly Y/A.

Reality is back on track, but the world is devastated with only a remnant of humanity left. On a mission to restore Washington, D.C., Paul Shannon and Amy Grossman must face a sinister presence left behind by Satan.

In the ensuing battle, physical and spiritual warfare is waged against the possessed, hellhounds, and even the evil presence itself.

In this fast-paced sequel to Sudden Mission, can Paul, Amy, and their army of faithful triumph against such impossible odds?

                Wow, this book was intense! The beginning didn’t grab me from the start but it picked up quickly. I found some of the possession and demonic encounters to be quite creepy. There were a couple nights I refused to read it before bed because I was so creeped out! I spook easily though and it’s definitely not horror. I enjoyed the creepy parts as it's  not something I usually seek out and they were well written.

              

             I loved the scenes where groups of people prayed over someone possessed and cast out the demon. It showed the Lord’s power in an awesome way. The spiritual warfare in this book is so evident and just laid out in front of you in a way that I haven’t seen before in a book. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect as well in this sequel.

               

             This book was what a second book should be: Better in every way. I saw the areas of improvement and characters were more unique and like-able. I would definitely recommend this book.

I took out three of the categories because there was not anything to rate. . .

Violence: 5.5

Spiritual Content: Just like in Sudden Mission, this book deals with a lot of spiritual warfare and in a Christian novel it’s kind of a given.

Currently Reading: I’m in-between books at the moment

Next Post: April Wrap-up

Beware of the Coyote

Sudden Mission by Guy L. Pace

                I was contacted directly by the author on this one (Thank you Guy!) and was very intrigued after reading the blurb. This book falls into the categories of Christian/Early Teen/Sci-fi. All were clearly evident in the book. Right off the bat I would like to say I liked this book. It was fun, adventurous, and entertaining.

Satan, once one of God’s favorites, now His Adversary, grows impatient with the plan and begins to harvest souls. In a fell swoop, he throws reality out of whack and the world into chaos. God calls on Paul and his friends Amy and Joe to set things right. The young teens journey through a messed up world—with a little help from an angel—struggling against everything the Adversary can throw in their path to accomplish their Sudden Mission.

With their world and their parents’ lives hanging in the balance—and the Adversary sending everything from zombies to Samurais to stand in their way—Paul will discover if he has the strength and faith to set things right again and stop Satan’s harvest.

I have to say though for a first book it was pretty good. It was obvious that it was a debut novel but it held my attention and kept me reading to find out what happened next. I loved the war between good and evil. Both sides were clearly stated and the inner struggle for Paul, the main character, was well done. Satan was depicted as a coyote and actually gave me chills at first!

               

            The supporting characters, Amy and Joe, seemed a little two-dimensional. They didn’t really grab me as someone to root for. The plot was very interesting. On the teens journey to Montana they encounter a number of foes sent by the Adversary (Satan). Monks, Zombies, Trolls, Samari Warriors, and Aliens. They were warned of these foes by an angel sent by God but they’re reactions seemed a little too toned down. Also, they seemed to come up with strategies awfully fast. These were kids who had never seen combat, death, or killed anything and yet none of these things seemed to faze them. 

              

             Maybe it was The Lord giving them peace but that wasn’t mentioned in the situation. Overall, I loved this book. It had the fun monsters and colorful plot of a middle grade novel with the action and character arc of a Y/A. 

Language: None

Alcohol/drugs: In another reality, slightly hard cider is served in a tavern

Violence: 4

Sexual Content: None

Spiritual Content: This is a Christian novel based on spiritual warfare so it is very evident in the book

Currently Reading: Nasty Left Overs (Book 2) by Guy L. Pace

Next Post: Nasty Left Overs by Guy L. Pace

3/12

March Wrap-up, Haul, and TBR

Books Read

This is going to be a very short post because I am in a dreaded reading slump. I finished Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas and started The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry. I have yet to finish this book and am about ¾ of the way in. I really wish I read more but I’m not one to force myself to read unless I have a deadline. So, we’ll see when my slump ends.

March Haul

I received Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart from Scholastic (Thank You!) it is a middle-grade historical novel based in the Midwest about a boy who goes on a search for his horse. I had my eye on this book for a couple months now and was surprised to receive it in the mail.

               

My March Reading List

1.       Finish The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

2.       Sudden Mission by Guy L. Pace

I decided to keep it small since I’m in a slump but hopefully I can read more than this!

Currently Reading: The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

Next Post: Full Review of Cress by Marissa Meyer

2/12

February Wrap-up, Haul, and TBR

Books Read

I finished reading All the Bright Places in the beginning of the month and then moved on to Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer. Let me tell you, I could not put it down. I read it for four hours straight one Sunday afternoon and finished it three days. There will definitely be a review coming soon.  

After Cress I tried to read Eleanor by Jason Gurley but couldn’t get into it. Not after how amazing Cress was. So I actually didn’t read for a few days. When I was ready to dive into a book I picked out something I knew would be good. My TBR challenge this month was “A book with non-human characters”. What I picked is my current read and my last book of the month. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas. It has…creatures in it.

February Haul

               

                The first book, I got for my birthday. It is a Puffin Chalk edition of The Wizard of OZ by L. Frank Baum. It’s my favorite classic and I’ve been eyeing this edition forever. I also received the first book in The Shannara Chronicles by Terry Brookes. It is the TV show edition titled The Elf Stones of Shannara. This book is a high fantasy novel, set in a fictional world called the Four Lands. It follows the quest of Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil to create a new Ellcrys, a magical tree that serves to banish all Demons from the Four Lands.

               

                Later in the month I bought some books on Amazon the first being The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson. This story follows a seventeen-year-old princess who is betrothed to a prince she does not know and runs away on her wedding day. She settles in a distant village and meets two mysterious men. One, the prince, and the other, an assassin sent to kill her. It sounds so good and I can’t wait to read it! The other book is The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry which is a sci-fi novel with time travel. That concludes my February haul!

My March Reading List

1.       Finishing up Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

2.       The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

3.       Allegiant by Veronica Roth

4.       TBR- A book with plants on the cover

Currently Reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Next Post: (I haven’t decided yet)

A Book Tag

I have taken a break from my normal review posts to bring you a book tag. As it is the day after Valentines I thought it fitting to do this one. I now realize that this is the first tag I have done on my blog so I’ll give you a brief definition of exactly what a tag is.

Book Tag- A series of themed questions pertaining to books, literary characters, themes, and worlds.

So there you go, a book tag. I will continue with my planned reviews next Monday. I hope you enjoy it!

The Mushy Gushy Book Tag

Valentine- A book with pink, red, and white on the cover

Just Beyond The Clouds by Karen Kingsbury. The picture doesn’t do the real cover justice. The clouds are pink and white pastel, almost like cotton candy.

 

Sweethearts- Book with the best Pick-up line

Carswell Thorne, a character from The Lunar Chronicles, is one of the best (although sometimes cheesy) flirters in any book I’ve read. He is so full of himself and he constantly points out how handsome he is.

 I am currently reading Cress, the third book in the series, and one line of his still hasn’t left my mind. He had recently had a concussion and was temporarily blind when one of the characters asked how his eyes were he replied:

“Well, I’ve been told they’re dreamy, but I’ll let you decide for yourself.”

Chocolate Covered Strawberries- Your favorite book couple

Definitely Finnick and Annie from The Hunger Games. Their love for each other is so beautiful and Finnick goes through so much to protect her from President Snow. He sacrifices so much and they’re reunion in Mockingjay was one of the best moments in the book.

Roses- Most romantic couple

Scarlet and Wolf from The Lunar Chronicles. I know, again, but I’m kind of obsessed with this series right now. I just think they’re whole relationship is so romantic. He needs her so much that it kills him when she’s not around. He’s so protective of her and her of him. He calls her his Alpha which in the world they live in is the brightest star in their sky. She is his brightest star. How romantic is that?

Teddy Bear- A book that makes you want to snuggle

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. This book is definitely one to make me want to grab my blanket, some tea, and snuggle . . . with myself.

Candlelight Dinner- A book you would take out on a date

I’ve read this book five times so it only seems fitting that I would date it. Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley is one of my favorite books of all time and I never grow tired of the characters or story. I think that we would have a long life together.

Pizza- A book for the single person

This is a book for the single person who is waiting for the right guy/girl to come along. In the meantime, he or she likes to obsess over fictional character’s relationships (A.K.A me). 

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon has such a cute romance in it. It warms your heart and you grow attached to the main characters quickly. It also has a unique format as there is handwritten journal entries and e-mails throughout the book as well as several doodles which makes it very interesting.

Currently Reading: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Next Post: Full Review of All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Photot taken from: http://www.titletrakk.com/book-reviews/just-beyond-the-clouds-review-kingsbury.htm

The Doctor's Adventures on Paper

“I’m just browsing” I told my Dad, “I only have seven dollars with me anyway.”

But there it was sitting on the sale shelf in all its glory. I gasped as I walked over to it and flipped it over to check the price, 6.98. Oh, this was fate. I didn’t even bother reading the blurp inside. If I had I would have read this:

“Now you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire.”

On a windswept Northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path - yet the burned still speak.

The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all.

Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands.

 The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn't made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side... Don't they?

Be forewarned: I dedicate this paragraph to Doctor Who fangirl ramblings.

Okay… THIS BOOK WAS SO GREAT!!! J. T. Colgan captured The Doctor’s wit, charm, and intelligence perfectly. I even had some page markers on hand while reading to mark all the hilarious lines. So, I have to share a few…

“Is that your brother?” asked The Doctor.

Luag nodded. “He’s amazing at fighting” he said confidingly. “But a bit grumpy.”

The Doctor nodded. ‘He’s a teenager. That’s not a concept that’s due to become fashionable for about twelve hundred years, but it really means grumpy. And reckless, without impulse control, occasionally aggressive…”

*  *  *

“What is your plan now, Doctor?” asked Henrik hopefully.

‘I have an excellent plan,” said The Doctor. “And we shall all be perfectly safe.”

“Oh good.” Said Henrik.

“Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“No, just knowing you are taking care of everything makes me feel better.” Said Henrik. There was a long pause.

“You know there is no plan?” said The Doctor finally.

“Yes,” said Henrik.

*  *  *

I could insert more but I’ll stop there. Those of you who completely spaced out for that part…hello and welcome back! This is the first Doctor Who novel I have read and there were a few grammatical things that were distracting at first. Like, some of the paragraphs weren’t indented (Which may have been an editing mistake) and they used apostrophes in place of quotations. 

             Maybe that’s standard with British grammar or with BBC publishing? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I enjoyed this book immensely and hope to pick up another Doctor Who novel soon.

Language: Mild (I actually can’t remember any but if there is it’s a only a few words)

Alcohol: I think they drink a type of rum at a large feast they have

Violence: 2

Sexual content: There are a couple kisses shared

Spiritual Content: Norse gods and beliefs is a key religion in the lives of the people in this book so it is discussed frequently. 

Currently Reading: The Warrior Spy By Dony Jay

Next Post: January Wrap up