Book Review – ‘The First 7’ (#2 The Last 8) by Laura Pohl

A group of kids, the last survivors of the human race…

Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction, LGBT

No. of pages: 367

Clover Martinez and The Last Teenagers on Earth are busy exploring the galaxy after leaving earth behind…even if they can’t help but be a little homesick.

So when their ship receives a distress signal from their former planet, they hope against hope that it means other survivors. But as soon as they arrive, they realize something’s deeply wrong: strange crystal formations have popped up everywhere and there’s some sort of barrier keeping them from leaving.

Seeking the origin of the formations and the reason for the barrier, the group discovers a colony of survivors hidden in the mountains. But the survivors aren’t who they seem…

I enjoyed this more than the debut. I think with the ridiculous aliens out of the picture and the story starting out in space, it constructed a world deep in sci-fi, rather than a dystopian earth facing an alien threat, that slight shift in the tone of the narrative allowed me to shed preconceived notions and really get into the story.

The characters did feel a little more grown up – we still get moments of teenage melodrama, but it seems the war and travel in the stars have seasoned our group and I was less inclined to sigh or eye-roll. Still there is a tone with the presentation (description) of the aliens that we encounter in ‘The First 7’ that feels immature. I guess it will capture the minds of a younger audience (of whom it is intended.)

‘The First 7’ has a much stronger plot that its predecessor but there was the inclination to meander a little. The story is broken into three sections which didn’t necessarily transition as easily as they could have.

We see some great character arcs, and an aspect of humanity shone through brightest for me. Pohl even managed to surprise me with a few plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I’d love to see her write for a more mature audience, what I gather from her writing chops, it has limitless possibilities.

Again the greatest drawbacks were meandering plot and tone of the novel.

We see many of the hanging plot threads from the debut tied up in a rather unusual fashion. And Pohl is not afraid to serve out real-life consequences to her characters after facing apocalypse-level circumstances that you don’t see in a lot of YA. So I am unsure if teens reacting to mental coping mechanisms, combined with hormonal behaviour left the plot feeling that bit erratic: it is either a pretty accurate depiction, or a tone not befitting young adults placed in that situation… it’s hard to tell with them being changed with alien DNA – but it’s the same elements that had me humming and harring from ‘The Last 8’ as well.

I understand the title of ‘The First 7’ and its need to match the hook from the debut, but after completing the novel, I don’t see how it really fits. They mention it in the novel, but the justification felt tenuous at best.

The ending was sufficiently cinematic and while I enjoyed my time reading this duology, it’s probably one I’ll forget fairly quickly. I’d only recommend this for the younger end of the YA market. Adults and older young adults may find this a little juvenile.

Overall feeling: Okay, pretty good.

© Casey Carlisle 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘The Last 8’ (#1 The Last 8) by Laura Pohl

Alien Invasion meets The Breakfast Club.

Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction, LGBT

No. of pages: 357

Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the only reason she isn’t among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it.

When Clover hears an inexplicable radio message, she’s shocked to learn there are other survivors—and that they’re all at the former Area 51. When she arrives, she’s greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth.

Only they aren’t the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The group seems more interested in hiding than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But then she finds a hidden spaceship, and she doesn’t know what to believe…or who to trust.

The cover art for this title is what really grabbed my attention, then the blurb – an alien invasion! It’s not a secret I love sci-fi. ‘The Last 8’ is a solid YA read full of sass and intrigue.

I will say this book read young, the protagonist (Clover) and her merry band of fellow survivors, though many with high intelligence, acted like tweens. These characters are meant to be on the verge of adulthood, but if I didn’t know their age, by the way they acted, I would have guessed 12-13 years of age. This was the biggest drawback for me. I was constantly on the verge of eye-rolling or sighing. The kind of patience I had for my younger sibling when he was doing something stupid, but I had to let him be and learn to navigate the world in his own way.

Leading on from this, with the characters floundering a lot, being reactionary, the plot felt like it too meandered a bit. Like the teenagers attitude bled through. I love the concept and reveals in ‘The Last 8,’ but I just wish the tone would have been a touch more mature. (Granted, I’m am waaay too old to be the demographic for this novel.)

The premise of the aliens was an interesting one, though it read like something you would see in an animated Disney film, it was, almost… comedic. You’ll understand if you have read the book. You don’t really get a sense of the terror from the aliens, just the fear and isolation inflicted from the actual invasion.

I do love the way Laura Pohl can craft an atmosphere. Her characters and character development are pretty great too – but I think maybe the tone of the novel stopped this aspect of her writing from being truly outstanding.

We get a diverse cast, of both nationality and sexual orientation, and while I praise the representation, it was still used as a plot device, a reveal, rather than simply a part of the character. There are subtle differences in approaching this sensitive topic if you compare this to how sexual orientation is dealt with from #ownvoices authors. I can’t speak for Clover and her Spanish heritage because I have no personal experience in that sense, but the fact you could read her thoughts in Spanish was fantastic.

There was a bit of language that I’m on the fence about. I don’t mind swearing when it services the plot or character, I felt it did neither here, merely used to attempt to give ‘The Last 8’ some street cred.

There is an element of mental illness, grief, PTSD, anxiety and depression in the story as well, which given the tone of ‘The Last 8,’ I was surprised at how this was handled… with the swearing, sensitive topics, the tone really clashes with the subject matter.

I feel like there were parts missing from the story – which are done on purpose to keep the pace going, but I feel like there were a few developmental moments skipped in building character motivation, despair, and tension. This is part and part of the tone I mentioned earlier.

I enjoyed reading ‘The Last 8’ and am keen to see where the story goes in the final instalment to this duology ‘The First 7.’ We might see the tone change as the characters grow and overcome challenges, and because it sets up such a wonderful opportunity for world building, with what I’ve liked of Laura Pohl’s writing so far, she could really shine and bring home this series with a bang.

Overall feeling: fun, but a little let down.

© Casey Carlisle 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ by J.H. Trumble

Great issues, but losing relevancy in today’s market.

Genre: N/A, Contemporary, LGBT+

No. of pages: 352

Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, heart-pounding, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an off-Broadway job in New York–at Nate’s insistence–that certainty begins to flicker. Nate’s friends can’t keep his insecurities at bay, especially when he catches Skyped glimpses of Adam’s shirtless roommate. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it’s the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.

‘Don’t Let Me Go’ was struggle that was a struggle to read. Mainly because it deals with bullying and discrimination. It’s not the lightest topic for a contemporary romance. Also, a number of aspects contributed more to my dislike… A storyline that jumps around the timeline was disorientating. A whiny and jealous protagonist Nate. I found the first quarter of the novel, well, boring. I hate admitting this – ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ has some great reviews and was recommended to me by someone I trust. So, I think aside from triggering themes, this is just not the method of storytelling that I related to.

After that first quarter of what ended up as me yawning and putting the book down for a break a number of times, we get a few chapters on bullying and teachers acting inappropriately (*cough* discrimination *cough*) It felt old. Like it had been written in the 80’s, though it was released in 2011. I haven’t read many other contemporary novels dealing with a gay protagonist published in 2011, but other genres published in this year with gay characters did not have this level of hate and discrimination. Yes, the characters faced adversity, but being gay and dealing with discrimination was not all they were about. Additionally, being an educator in high school for over 10 years – talk about a personal slap in the face with a wet fish at my profession.

‘Don’t Let Me Go’ did nothing particularly new. I had trouble connecting with the story or the characters. It went from the two leads groping, to campaigning for gay rights. There was no evolution or character development. Maybe I waited too long to read this? Contemporaries we see being published today are much more sophisticated.

Around the halfway point we start to see some intelligent discussion around gay rights through Nates activism in high school. The bullying had taken the forefront of the narrative and while I value the tone of the narrative, the situation again, feels dramatized and unrealistic. Like harkening to an age passed. So I felt the hand of the author pushing the story along. Add to that the jumping around the timeline and we get a loss of the organic feel to realistic fiction.

Granted the story, writing, and pacing improved dramatically after the halfway point, but it felt like it took so long to get there. And that’s all this story seems to be about. Dealing with hate, ignorance, and bullies. There’s elements of friendship and exploring identity, but I wanted more multifaceted characters. Sure they’re gay, but what else are they? It left ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ feeling two dimensional. Like the author was writing this story to illustrate the negativity gay youth faces.

I did like how it attempted to change perception and educate its readers in the last quarter of the novel. But for me – and what I like in a contemporary – is to connect and relate to the protagonist, get wrapped up in the angst, get invested in their story as they overcome adversity… and well ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ lost me through jumping around the timeline and focusing on a single issue instead of developing the character and using many of their life experiences to draw me in.

I feel like this novel is either an educational tool to highlight the treatment of gay youth in unevolved places, or for a demographic of young gay men… but having said that, attitudes are much different today towards gay youth. We see a lot more community support, and frankly I’d be concerned this novel would scare some. It didn’t deal with the issues in a constructive manner organic to the story.

I’ve read so many fantastic LGBTQIA+ contemporaries that tackle the issues raised in ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ in a much better way while still telling a multifaceted character driven story, that I feel like I’d skip recommending this title in favour of many others. I may give J.H. Trumble one more chance with a title from later in her catalogue: ‘Just Between Us’ is her latest release, back in 2013, but nothing from her in the last 7 years. I’m not holding out much hope.

Overall feeling: Fizzled and faded away.

© Casey Carlisle 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Sacrifice’ (#5 The Elementals) by Brigid Kemmerer

Another guilty pleasure – but didn’t feel like the end of the series.

Genre: Y/A, Paranormal, Romance

No. of pages: 324

From Goodreads:

Earth. Fire. Air. Water.

One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick understands pressure. He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it in for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way.

His girlfriend, Hannah, understands pressure too. She’s got a child of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could put her life in danger at any moment.

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s defiance, his family’s ‘bad luck’. Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war.

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the white flag type anyway. Everything is set for the final showdown.

Four elements, one family. Will they hold together, or be torn apart?

At this point in time, ‘Sacrifice’ is meant to be the last book in the Elementals collection. But I didn’t feel it. I was hoping for the all stakes battle, for all the Elementals to join together as one unstoppable fighting unit. We’ve been getting hints of this all through the series – and well… *fizzle* *deflated balloon*

As with all the other books in the series, we get another perspective – this time from Michael, the oldest Merrick sibling. I’m so glad all the hormonal teen boy violence was kept to a hush and we actually got some story. Though there was an awful lot of people getting shot, blown up and killed. But the Merrick brothers seemed to have chilled a bit – that or they are still reeling and in shock.

I enjoyed the story, but ‘Sacrifice’ just didn’t pack the punch I was expecting. Maybe because Brigid Kemmerer already had a follow-up in the works, who knows. The characters and storylines are feeling more realistic, so I don’t understand why this didn’t grab me as much. Plenty of tension, the stakes were high for Michael… possibly it was the angst that was absent? Or maybe it’s my unmet expectation of the ultimate showdown not being realised? I was also hoping to get more on the mythology of the Elementals, the formation and organisation of the Guides and their motivation. It’s just been very precursory up until now. I want more history and nitty-gritty of these secret warring factions.

I also didn’t get much over the relationships of the other brothers – Kemmerer tends to omit the other characters when she’s concentrating on the story of her books protagonist. I missed Becca, Laney, Adam… I mean it’s a close-knit family unit and is seems common sense that their boyfriends and girlfriends would be present for most of the time.

But that’s just me being picky. And a little gibbed about not getting some of the answers I wanted.

Otherwise ‘Sacrifice’ was another great addition to the Elemental universe. I’m still wondering how there are so many Elementals though, it was getting to a point you couldn’t hurl a stick without hitting one. But that meant plenty of displays of awesome supernatural powers. Me likey! The tension between Hannah and Michael was great, especially with Hannah’s father continually getting in the way. I really enjoyed this emotional tussle.

I read this very quickly, in fact I was wondering where the rest of it was when I’d finished. The same breeze writing style leant to completing the novel in a day.

I’ve seen Brigid Kemmerer’s note on Goodreads informing fans that the next novel in this series ‘Strife’ had been put on indefinite hiatus due to contracts on some of the releases we are now starting to see released and on the publishing schedule. But I hope we get to see her return to the Merrick boys and publish the next book – maybe it will give me the answers I crave?

Nonetheless, I’m putting this guilty pleasure back on my shelf and looking towards the next challenge.

Overall feeling: Where was the rest?

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Secret’ (#4 The Elementals) by Brigid Kemmerer

A refreshing take on what was becoming a formulaic series.

Genre: Y/A, Paranormal, Romance

No. of pages: 328

From Goodreads:

EARTH. FIRE. AIR. WATER.

Nick Merrick is stretched to breaking point. He’s trying to keep his grades sky-high or he won’t get in to college. He’s trying to keep his brother’s business afloat or the Merricks will be out on the street. He’s trying to keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his twin brother Gabriel – or he fears he’ll lose his family. And he’s trying to keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who is his ‘girlfriend’s’ partner.

And then Quinn takes to hanging around his sworn enemy, and an Elemental Guide is counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. Storms are brewing. On all sides.

SECRETS IN THE WIND. DANGER IN THE AIR.

What a turn of events – after starting to get a little bored with the formulaic writing in ‘Spirit’ and then reading the novella ‘Breathless,’ I was indeed breathless… and excited. ‘Secret’ certainly delivered.

We finally got away from the stereotypical romance and got a taste of some real angst. The character development in ‘Secret’ was fantastic for many of the cast. And I blazed this book in one setting. I was compelled. Protagonist, Nick possessed a quiet strength that appealed to me. The struggles he faced and the grappling with his identity felt so visceral and real.

The introduction of Adam as Nick’s love interest did feel abrupt and a bit insta-lusty, but it worked for me. Adam’s representation not only helps raise awareness of the abuse some teens face, but also juxtaposed all the machismo and violence. He was a pacifist and a pillar or strength rolled into one. It was refreshing to read a different type of male character that wasn’t all flighty attitudes and flexing muscles.

Quin and Tyler both managed to annoy the crap out of me though – but it’s just their personality… they deserve each other. Such drama queens, reactionary, and frightened, but express most of their feelings through violence or putting themselves in harms way. I didn’t enjoy their self-destructive ways – but is did make for great tension and plot point reveals.

I’m also seeing a pattern where some of the cast are getting dropped out of the story, It wouldn’t be hard to drop some bigger crumbs and involve them in the plot more prominently when they are not the leads. I felt like I was missing Hunter and Layne… ☹

I felt the melodrama and teen-boy violence was dialled back a bit and let the story shine. Don’t get me wrong, the hormone induced fits of rage are still in here, but if feels like the novel is starting to gain a conscious and perspective showing that it is not all right to always react to unpleasant situations with a fist.

It also felt like we got to tackle some real meaty social issues – and not just as a plot point, but as a tone persevering throughout the story. Discrimination, identity, violence, child abuse… and many more related issues. It gave this instalment a bit more substance, and I found this to be my favourite book in the series so far.

Kemmerer’s breezy and effortless writing style leads to a fast read, and she manages to keep the story driving forward with each chapter so the pacing rarely lags.

The relationships of just about all the main cast are put to the test and evolve in ‘Secret,’ and am interested to see the new dynamic at play in ‘Sacrifice.’ After how ‘Spirit’ ended and set things up, I was expecting more of a supernatural smack-down in ‘Secret,’ but this seemed to head off in a tangent. We still get some awesome paranormal goings-on, but the development of this story arc really didn’t progress, in fact it felt like a repetition of that of the previous novel. But the tangent of Nick’s story was definitely engaging nonetheless. I’m still craving my big battle scenes involving all of the cast – fingers crossed I get to see the elements fly in ‘Sacrifice.’

‘Secret’ definitely revived this series for me and gave me more faith in the Elementals. A great addition to the collection and one I highly recommend to read.

Overall feeling: Revived!!

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Spirit’ (#3 The Elementals) by Brigid Kemmerer

Hormone fueled hot boys with superpowers and sassy girls… YA tropes at their best.

Genre: Y/A, Paranormal, Romance

No. of pages: 301

From Goodreads:

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.

He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust...

With these books concentrating on the Merrick boys, I was surprised to discover that this ‘Spirit’ stepped away from the family and was from the perspective of the new comer, Hunter Garrity. But it stuck with the formulaic writing we are beginning to expect from this series. Fun, angsty, and with tropes up to the eyeballs.

I’m starting to get over boys throwing tantrums and resorting to violence of some description to express their frustration. The Merrick boys and our protagonist for this book in the Elementals franchise, Hunter, love to beat, wrestle, and fight each other at the slightest hint of anxiety. It totally fits the bill of typical behaviour of young men in their teens, but getting into the third novel in this collection, the behaviour is getting tiresome. *sigh*

And then there’s Kat. The way she’s introduced is with a metaphorical slap in the face. She’s practically bipolar and makes no apologies for it. I love the fact she seems to be sexually liberated, not afraid to express her feelings and desires, but I felt her promiscuity was boarding on self-destructive behaviour.

The eldest Merrick brother, Garrick again shows his maturity and how he is growing in how he raises young teen boys with a gentle hand.

‘Spirit’ was fun, but it was all very melodramatic. I love me some angst and drama, and I think if there was some more time in-between reading each of these books I’d love them more, but there were moments when I felt the tone of the novels was a tad immature. Though, perfect for its intended demographic.

So I was getting over the formulaic presentation of the novels – a hot brooding male with violent tendencies, a magnet for trouble meets a sassy independent girl and then bicker and fight before revealing some deep dark scarred past to each other to finally bond… Yes, it is a guilty pleasure, and I do like this type of read every now and then, but I was hoping for some more variety in the Elementals series.

And just when I was thinking all hope was lost, there was a twist.

It didn’t completely redeem the series, but I’m still enjoying it, even with the frequent eye-rolling and huffing at the immaturity of the cast. Boys are so annoying most of the time.

As with the previous books, ‘Spirit’ was a quick read, well paced and developed the storyline even further. Some new characters added tension and interest, and I’m still keen to continue with the franchise. Though I wanted to get that big ah-ha moment from Hunter close to the end… it felt like a non-event. Such a big build up, all of their abilities and I wanted something truly epic, but was disappointed.

There is definitely a lot set up for the next novel in the series…

With many characters behaviour, and how the main cast misinterpret these actions – it happened quite a lot in ‘Spirit,’ and while it added some great tension and perfect reveals for the storyline, they weren’t all entirely believable, and well, felt overdone. Haven’t I read this plot device many times before?

So while entertaining, interesting, and full of a teen girls wet-dream, there was a large element of unoriginality for me. Yes, I’d still recommend it for those who love trope-y YA, and love the over-dramatic teen boy antics and the writing style of Kemmerer. It’s geared more towards the tween market than mature readers who enjoy a bit of young adult content every now and then.

Overall feeling: blah blah blah…

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Spark’ (#2 The Elementals) by Brigid Kemmerer

Hot boy trouble and teen drama.

Genre: Y/A, Paranormal, Romance

No. of pages: 345

From Goodreads:

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own…

I have to say I enjoyed this much more than ‘Storm.’ It was slightly more complex, and although it still had a lot of YA tropes and machismo that frustrated me, their dominance was less present in the storyline. Plus, I felt a stronger connection to the main characters, Gabriel being an angry loner, and Layne being a bookish nerd who doesn’t believe she is beautiful due to some unfortunate scars. Additionally the sense of family was much stronger. In ‘Storm’ the boys always bickered and fought like young bucks jostling for king of the pride; where in ‘Spark’ we start to see more of the person behind the roles they play and how each is slightly damaged, and what they have sacrificed. This ultimately led me to find the Merrick boys much more endearing. With ‘Storm’ I was annoyed with all the boys-will-be-boys behaviour and the amount of bullying that went on. ‘Spark’ brings a strong sense of belonging and comradery.

Mentioning bullying – it feels like every second person in this universe is a psychopath in the wings, waiting to impact with maximum devastation. It’s all so unrealistic and dramatic. But given the tone of this YA novel, it tends to the angsty, over-emphasised flare to create pace, drama, and engage the reader. This series feels like it had strong shades of the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. A group of special teens, just trying to be normal and fit in while battling oppressive forces trying to kill them, all the while hiding their existence from the general public.

Gabriel managed to tick me off quite a bit, he is impulsive, reactionary and quick to use his fists. I kept flashing back to high school and those immature teen boys I wanted to drown in a river. Kemmerer captures that mix of boy and man, fuelled by hormone that we find both frustrating and loveable at the same time. Gabriel is definitely a flawed character and makes plenty of stupid decisions, some led by the character, and others I felt designed by Kemmerer herself in setting up plot and a big reveal.

Layne is my favourite character in this series so far. Yes, she is stereotypical, but I connected to her altruistic nature and insecurity. To her nerdiness and sass.

But the stand out performance has to come from the oldest Merrick, Michael. In ‘Storm’ he seemed to always be getting in the way – an obstacle to work around, where in ‘Spark’ Michael comes to the forefront with compassion, sacrifice, and wisdom. You really get a sense that he is the lynchpin holding the family together.

‘Spark’ is addictive and dramatic, but not a masterpiece. It is what it says it is on the cover. A marvellous YA romp. Expect stereotypes, tropes and lots of hot boys. This is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. The kind of quick fun read to give me a break in-between denser tomes.

I’m not so convinced on the propensity of Kemmerer to couple everyone up –  it feels a little contrite, but that is the trend in YA paranormal romances, so be prepared for some tension filled stories of boys finding true love – and a little of themselves along the way.

I feel like we don’t get as much of the play on the brothers elemental powers in ‘Spark’ – this is a more character driven story. But you get a sense of things building, leading to a battle so I’m sure in the next instalments we’ll get some grand-scale supernatural goodness… just the kind of thing that excited me about this series in the first place.

I managed to read this in a day. It’s punchy and each chapter drives the story forward. A change of perspective between Gabriel and Layne doesn’t really feel all that necessary for the plot, it lays out the storyline plainly and loses a bit of tension. But it gives us teen lamenting in return. A fun tweeny read that I find oddly compulsive; I will be continuing on, intrigued to see where Kemmerer is going to take us.

Overall feeling: getting to like this better.

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Storm’ (#1 The Elementals) by Brigid Kemmerer

Trashy and terribly addictive.

Genre: Y/A, Paranormal, Romance

No. of pages: 432

From Goodreads:

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn’t want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . . .

This was so typically YA. It had so many of the tropes. But I did enjoy it somewhat. It fell into my guilty pleasure category like the Lux series from Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Cue damsels in distress. Cue a love triangle. Cue stubborn boys who treat girls badly. Cue hormone addled teenage boy brains. It had so many tropes I was rolling my eyes. But I also like bad sci-fi and horror movies – I get a delicious kick out of them, and so too did I get a kick out of ‘Storm.’

I was frustrated with all the testosterone being flung around at many points. The possessive nature of the love interests. And everyone seemed okay with putting their hands on Becca to stop her, hold her, it was all a bit misogynistic. That aside, it was also dramatic, and tension-filled like so many pop culture tv movies. It’s the type of thing I enjoy to read every now and then. A quick easy fun adventure.

With so many of the elements that usually annoy the heck out of me in a story, ‘Storm’ could have been a massive flop, but something about this worked… I was always eager to see what was going to happen next. Curiosity, pace and tension were constant throughout. I think if some of the tropes had been eliminated or satirised, I would be singing the books praises, instead, it hit a middle-of-the-road vibe for me. Enjoyable and interesting, engaging even, but not too original.

Told from dual perspectives of the ‘couple’ Becca and Chris, there was a heavy element of ‘tell’ and not ‘show.’

Beca annoyed me as a protagonist, she flip-flopped from one boy to another, always with some body part on her mind. It didn’t feel like she had much else going on except for all the beefcake circling her. She has her moments of stubbornness and empowerment which redeemed her character for me, but then she’d slip into a damsel in distress, or boy-crazy teen, and I was back to the eye-rolling.

Chris was aggravating, if it wasn’t for reading moments from his POV, I’d written him off completely. But he manages to pull a few rabbits out of the hat by displaying compassion and selflessness in between growling and getting all up in the faces of other males in Becca’s orbit.

Hunter was endearing. Charming. And then he fell prey to the possessive posturing too – seriously, I could feel testosterone dripping out of this book. There are a lot of unanswered questions about Hunter – even at the end I still did not get the resolution I was craving for – I’m guessing it will come in one of the following novels in the series. For the most part I’d have to say he was my favourite character. Whether he’s there just to add tension to the Becca-Chris relationship, or an actual viable option for Becca is still unclear.

Brigid’s writing is easy-going, and I read the book in a day. She manages to capture the frustrating teen boy nature perfectly. I literally wanted to reach my hand through the pages and throttle some of the characters. Many times. There are moments of swearing and bullying, and even moments of humour causing me to bark out loud.

As for predictability, I don’t know if I was having a good day or not, but I guessed the entire plot very early on, and even all the sub plots… so no surprises for me. But I still had fun.

It’s on the fence if I’d recommend this – I can see how some would find this derivative, and how others would love the teen angst and soap opera of it all. So if you love trashy paranormal romances – this one’s for you… if you like more intellectually challenging books, maybe skip this title.

Overall feeling: Overloaded on trashy teen drama!

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Cursed’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Another great addition to the JLA collection…

Genre: Y/A, Contemporary, Mystery

No. of pages: 384

From Goodreads:

Dying sucks.

…and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. 

After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things–including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden’s adopted father, a man she’s sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister’s hand again. And hell, she’d also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn’t?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not’ve been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life.

For real this time.

‘Cursed’ hooked me from the first page. A great premise, well-paced, and a fast read. I could see this as a start of a series, though currently it is sold as a standalone. There were plenty of elements introduced that weren’t tied up which could lead to many story arcs over a series. But having said that, it rounds up well enough to leave you with some satisfaction of a fun paranormal read.

I liked the supernatural aspect with abilities, but was wishing for more of the mythology and exploration of this aspect, maybe some origin stories.

Our protagonist, Ember, came off like a big emo/goth chick at first, and I thought I’d have some difficulty relating to her, but overall, I became invested in her story quite early on. She had her girly over-acting moments, which got me a little worried over the direction of her character, though, I found her to be level headed and intelligent.

I still would have liked to have found out about how Ember and the rest of the youngsters at the Cromwell place made up a unit of some kind. It was mentioned, but never fully explored. An X-men style gang sounds like a fun direction for the novel/series.

On the romantic side of things, it had a beautiful build to love, and a cute ending for Ember. Felt like a warm hug.

Her little sister was adorable, but infuriating. It bothered me how she always got her way and was oblivious of the cost… maybe a bit more realism would have rounded her out as a loveable character, other than someone I wanted to strangle.

I was disappointed about Adam – I really liked him and wanted more… We saw so much in the beginning chapters and then… *poof* gone in a cloud of smoke.

The love interest, Hayden, is a character I had a love/hate relationship with. The “misunderstood guy” storyline was dragged out a bit too much for my liking. But fun to have such a swoon-worthy man to drool over. Some of his over-protective qualities and stalkiness were a bit creepy and set of my alarm bells *Warning Will Robinson. Warning* I was really hoping Armentrout was going to deconstruct the trope that we see a lot in in YA, but alas, it remained true to the stereotype.

I definitely didn’t like Mr Cromwell (who ran the Cromwell place,) and I don’t think that will change – the way he operates is a little nefarious and does not match what he says he is trying to achieve. We never do understand why he behaves the way he does, even though his motives are explained.

The plot was mostly predictable, felt a little contrived, where some events seemed steered by the author for dramatic flair rather than unfold organically. It was a little light in tone, and could have gotten darker, angstier with the subject matter; but a lot of those opportunities were passed up – I guess if this was a debut of a new series Armentrout would have gone there, instead choosing a fun, exciting stand-alone. It’s a pity, because with what was set up in ‘Cursed’ it could lead to a great new collection – I say this because as a standalone many things weren’t resolved to my liking, and it would take another two to three novels to explore them fully in an action packed story arc.

Shame about the cover art – it didn’t appeal to me that much – and doesn’t match the Ember described in the pages… more effort could have gone into reflecting the main character and tone of the book succinctly.

Recommend to lovers of the paranormal, Jennifer L. Armentrout. This story is in the same vein of ‘Shatter Me,’ ‘Zeroes’ and ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.’

Overall feeling: Yeah. Pretty good.

© Casey Carlisle 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘The Countdown’ by Kimberly Derting

Alien abduction, hybrids, and government conspiracies… wrapped up in a teen romance.

Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction

No. of pages: 368

From Goodreads:

She may no longer be human…but she’s their only hope.

In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.

Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own—gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she’s captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?

No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice. 

It’s the Final Countdoooowwn!  – sorry couldn’t resist. With this final instalment in The Taking trilogy, I was looking forward to a mammoth dramatic end to what has been a fun sci-fi read. But there was a lot going on. A lot of characters and points of view in the narrative. It was confusing and made me dizzy. It took me half the novel to catch up and work out what was going on.

I’ve said it so many times before: I’m not a fan of multiple perspectives.

However, after a disappointing and slow first half, the storyline began to pick up. I could barely put the novel down as I neared the finish line. We got some great pacing and tension. For the last book in a trilogy it should be this way throughout – there are so many ends to tie up, questions to answer. It should be explosive.

There’s still a tone of immaturity about Kyra and her friends, though I can see how she has grown as a character, I didn’t get all that invested in her or the story. Which is disappointing. The attention the first book of the series really captured my imagination, but things went awry here.

Tyler, our love interest and cute in the-boy-next-door way, only had that going for him. I kept wanting to get more substance. For him to pony up. I hate to say it, but Tyler was a little… forgettable.

Simon, another of the returned and member of their ‘Scooby Gang’ started to grow on me. He was showing some moxy and putting a spanner in the works. This boy had back bone, and then at the end of the novel, I was like – where did all that go. Feelings like that aren’t resolved in an instant…. The resolution felt like little bit of a cop out.

Adam (the alien), the only other character of note didn’t give me that desperation to survive and be reunited with his race I was hoping for. There wasn’t even thankfulness at Kyra and Tyler’s sacrifice to help him escape… It really felt like all the nuance of characters we got earlier on wasn’t carried through right to the end of the trilogy. Characters are the lifeblood of your story, and you need to pay them a lot of attention.

As far as plot goes, it was still light on the explanations; though we get all the relevant answers. Something about the explanation still doesn’t sit right with me. I liked the ending, and considering the romanticism of it all, was surprised there wasn’t an alternate conclusion – I think it would have been a much more impactful ending if it opened up this trilogy to a new world of possibilities. We love to dream about the what-if’s in sci-fi!

Maybe it was the attitudes of the scientists – oversimplified and some forced to fit into the role of a villain… or not. It had me wondering where the complexity was…

As much as I enjoyed the experience reading this, the characters were pretty interchangeable and bland. Their personalities could have shined in obtuse, quirky ways to add a larger dynamic to the narrative. All in all, it was “just nice.”

Great escapism for YA readers. I’d only recommend it to those who have been engrossed by the series, but don’t get your hopes up. A light, easy to read narrative, even though a little scattered. I wanted much more from this final book, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.

Overall feeling: well that didn’t go as planned…

© Casey Carlisle 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.