Review: Kira Harp – The Benefit of Ductwork

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Rose Herbert

The Benefit of Ductwork

Kira Harp

17 year old Andy lives with his two dads, is an average student, and has an average life. When Kyle comes onto the scene, Andy feels upset and abandoned – don’t his parents love him enough to not replace him until he has moved out for college?

What I liked about this short story was that I caught the character dynamics really quickly, and was able to individualise each person in my mind really clearly. The characters were consistant, and the action was engaging enough that I didn’t feel the pages passing by.

My complaint would be that it was too short! As a short story, it was great, but I felt that there could have been more! I wanted to know more about Andy’s childhood (although what was mentioned of it was smoothly integrated), and more about how the family dynamics would change in the future.

This short story is a great one for also illuminating the plight of queer people in trying to adopt or foster children in need. Same sex parental units are no worse at parenting than ‘traditional’ couples, yet often they are ostracised and their children treated differently. I can imagine Andy’s response and Kyle’s bullying as being quite typical of what these people would experience.

I’m going to look out for other novels by this author in this genre, and perhaps branch out a bit too. I’d give it four stars, simply because although I loved it, I wanted more, more, more!

I received this novel from the author as part of a new Goodreads initiative by the group YA LGBT Books called ‘Read-to-Review’. The requirement of this program is that you only ask for one novel at a time, and that reviews are posted within one month of receiving the copy. I was so excited to have something short and queer to read, I had to read it the same day!

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Review: Jessica Penot – Midnight Queen

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Midnight Queen

Jessica Penot

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Midnight Queen’.

Aiela isn’t like the other children, and her mother wasn’t a typical woman either. Despite her mother’s wishes that she remains on the island, Aiela is determined to see more of the world. She doesn’t know of her history though, and that could be her undoing.

The official blurb:

Aiela has spent her entire life sheltered from the world. Her only dream has been to escape
the quiet island life she’s know and find adventure in the world outside. After the death of her
mother, Aeila escapes to the University, a world filled with technological wonders and exotic
people. But her own history is dark and the secrets behind her birth may destroy everything that
hold Aiella together.

My review:

I read and reviewed the first novel, The Twilight Saint, after it was free as a promotion on Amazon. I found it very enjoyable, if a little dark, and so I signed up for this novel’s tour.

The beginning is catchy, nothing like a race against time to get the feelings for the main character pumping. You get the idea that Aiela doesn’t give up easily. I felt very attracted to her, particularly when she picked biology as her major! I didn’t think she was as weak as others had suggested.

Some of the descriptions in the novel still didn’t sit well with me, although I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with it. The world was really detailed and enjoyable. I guess some of the telling vs showing problems – but it’s difficult to do that with life on a ship.

The storyline was engaging, because initially it was impossible to tell which way things would go. Fascinating really. The University hasn’t changed at all since The Saint was there. Oh, but there was an extra layer of awkwardness when Aeila met H. If you didn’t read the Twilight Saint, you wouldn’t know just how awkward it was.

The changes in perspective, and very similar character names made it a bit difficult for me to follow the story at times, but it was interesting to see how people’s lives changed after they met Aiela. She was a catalyst of change – just as her mother was, despite what Aiela may have thought.

Sex is dealt with in the same matter of fact way as it was in The Twilight Saint. Yes, it’s there, it will be in your face almost immediately after you open the novel, but it’s not offensive until later in the novel. Aeila uses it to manipulate people mercilessly. I loved the idea of the water containing birth control! If only it was the case here.

The ending was a little ambiguous for me, and it left things open for perhaps a third book. It’s hard to tell! I found myself still wondering what was going to happen next, so that was a good feeling.

This was a relatively quick read for me, but I liked it. It’s a plot driven novel, and the motivations of most of the characters are unclear. I give it 3 stars!

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About the Author

I am a therapist and writer who lives in Alabama with my three corgis, children, husband, and other strange creatures. My short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including CSM, Summer Gothic, Bound By Blood, and Outer Darkness. I have ghost story columns in theValley Planet and White Cat Magazine where I share my love for ghost stories that send shivers down your spine and keep you up at night. I also share my passion for all things ghostly and haunted at my blog, ghost stories and haunted places.

I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press, Haunted South Alabama. Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America. I’m also workng on the next book in my Circe series. The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama. Click Here to Follow My Blog!
You can contact me at jessica.penot@gmail.com

You can find her at:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

December 12 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

December 14 – My Cozie Corner – PROMO

December 15 – Bunny’s Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO

December 16 – A Dream Within a Dream – PROMO

December 18 – Pure Textuality – Guest Post/PROMO

December 19 – Mom With a Kindle – Interview/PROMO

December 20 – Jen McConnel – Guest Post/PROMO

December 21 – Marked By Books – Review/Interview

December 22 – Lovely Reads – Guest Post/PROMO

December 26 – The Avid Reader – PROMO

December 27 – My Cozie Corner – Review

December 27 – Words I Write Crazy – Review/Guest Post

December 29 – Black Lillies are Dead – Guest Post/PROMO

December 30 – Book Lovin Mama’s – PROMO

December 31 – Delirious About Books – Interview/PROMO

January 1 – The Cosy Dragon – Review

January 2 – Krystal’s Enchanting Reads – PROMOJanuary 3 – Brooke Blogs – PROMO

January 4 – My Reading Addiction – Review

January 4 – Waiting on Sunday to Drown – Review

Review: Katie Gallagher – Catching You

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Catching You

Katie Gallagher

I previously received this book as part of a tour, but I could not rate it high enough to let the review be published while the tour was on. Please find my review of this 1-2 star book here.

I was drawn to ‘Catching You’ because it had hints that Lauren could see the dead after her boyfriend dies in a car accident. Paranormal plus YA = good, right? No, not in this case. Instead there was a wishy washy storyline that didn’t get me excited or even have me wondering what was going to happen. I had no empathy for the characters, and so I couldn’t have cared less if more of them were killed.

I started getting bad feelings about this novel from the beginning – too many description of people’s outfits in ways that didn’t work for me, as well as blow by blow descriptions of teeth brushing and the like.

The funeral, and the young characters reactions aren’t all that good. I felt like there should have been more there, both in term of emotions and also the reactions of the adults to Elizabeth’s pronouncements. I just didn’t have any feeling.

The dialogue left me feeling a bit sad. It’s ok to have contractions in speech! Sometimes it feels like the author has just gone right through with Word replace. Much more work to be done there.

Lauren’s responses to the text messages were a bit weird. It’s just think it was a wrong number, or try calling them or something. No big deal. It was totally unclear to me why this would be the case. Maybe it’s an American thing I’m missing?

I’m going to be generous and give it 2 stars. Or maybe not. I at least finished it, but I can’t decide if that was out of pity for the characters or some sort of odd martyrism.

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Review: Julie Anne Peters – By the Time You Read This I’ll be Dead

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Rose Herbert

By the Time You Read This I’ll be Dead

Julie Anne Peters

Daelyn has tried to kill herself multiple times, and each time has failed. She’s got scars everywhere and can no longer talk, and doesn’t want to keep trying. Mix this with a boy who won’t give up on her and you get a poignant teenage novel.

You have to be in the right mood to read this novel I think. There are some great thought provoking moments, as well as the discussion questions at the end of the novel to consider. Novels like this should be in high school required reading.

The narrative is written so that you can’t feel too much of Daelyn behind it, which is the point – she has isolated herself from the world. Although the title of the novel suggests that this is written in a journal format – never fear, it’s not.

Although I was hankering after it when it first came out, I couldn’t say that this was one of my favourite Peters novels. It’s not bad, it’s a theme close to my heart, but it just lacks some of the pizzazz of the others. I don’t know what’s missing. Maybe it’s just that I expect queer novels from her, and this isn’t one of them. It’s definitely still about minorities.

Bullying is a problem which is becoming worse, not better, over time. Daelyn has suffered horribly, but indeed, she never did stand up for herself. It’s not really her fault though, although I’d love to know why she was fat in the first place. When I was in highschool, there was an obese girl who was bullied. I never really knew her that well though, and she moved schools because of the bullying. Kids are cruel.

I’d recommend this book for anyone who enjoyed Scars, The Burn Journals or anything else in that type of genre (coming of age / mental illness).

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Review: Tamora Pierce – The Song of The Lioness 2: In the Hand of the Goddess

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Rose Herbert

In the Hand of the Goddess

Tamora Pierce

Alanna’s secret is out to a select few. Now she must decide between her love for Jon, and her love for George. At the same time, she has to overcome her weaknesses to try and get to her Knighthood.

The storyline of Alanna’s fear of love becomes more prominent, and carries through this novel to the others in the series. There is at least a conclusion to this novel, even if it feels like each thing carries through each time.

There are time jumps in this novel that could have been made more of so that I noticed them. I did think Alanna was very young to be having sex with people, even if it’s only really mentioned in passing. It feels like Jon is exploiting her – he might well be.

Roger adds the plot progression to this novel that makes things happen. Although he did start playing a role in the first novel, he’s bigger this time. And of course, he’s the meanie that Alanna must defeat.

I’ve reread this many times, and enjoyed it every time. I’ll probably want to read it again next year! If I have time that is…

The ending is a satisfactory, yet predictable one. I’d recommend the novel for adults and teenagers once again. Excellent for anyone wanting to break into the fantasy market as a teen.

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Review: Tamora Pierce – The Song of The Lioness 1: Alanna: The First Adventure

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Alanna: The First Adventure

Tamora Pierce

Alanna wants to become a knight, but she’s a woman. With the help of her twin, Thom, she’s about to embark on the biggest deception of her life. The penalty of failure is most likely death, but she wants to protect those she loves.

I have read this novel so many times I have lost count. So when I tried to pull it apart in the same way I have all my other review books, I couldn’t! I’m sure there are some inconsistencies somewhere, but I just love Alan so much that I can ignore it.

It’s fascinating to try and work out where the turning points in the book are. For me, it’s a real challenge. I just love this novel! It’s good honest fantasy with an endearing main character and a woman who knows what she wants, and most of the time isn’t afraid to go get it!

What makes me come back to keep reading this novel? Well, it’s that the city is realised nicely, and there is enough historical interest to keep me reading (but not too much). It links in really well with the other books in the series as well. Pierce has mastery of knowing when to stop a novel – a bit of a cliffhanger, but not too much and you feel satisfied after reading.

I own this novel in an omnibus, and I waited for many years to see if the other books by Pierce set in this world would be released in the same form. Sadly, they weren’t, and now I have them all in very different covers. Within each series it matches though, so that makes me happy. I find the cover on the left very attractive 🙂

Please note that I have now changed the format of how my posts will appear, and also the titling conventions. If the novel in question is part of a series, I will now put that series name in the title with a number, so that it is easy to locate series in my Reviews by Author page.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Brightly Burning

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Brightly Burning

Mercedes Lackey

Lavan is an unremarkable young man who doesn’t want to follow in his parents footsteps. Instead, his parents send him off to merchant school to see what can be made of him. Sadly, the bullying at the school is horrific, and poor Lavan can find himself getting angrier and angrier with no outlet. That anger has to find its own outlet somehow.

This novel (an old favourite) is everything that the Collegium Chronicles promised, but didn’t deliver. Lavan is fleshed out in great detail, you love hearing his perspective on things. The level of description is just right, and even if you’re familiar with the Valdemar series, you’ll appreciate the background that is thrown in.

One of the more skilful literary techniques in here is the foreshadowing. You hear very little from Herald Pol at the beginning, but that little bit is very important. A bit more between each of those characters, perhaps something from Elenor would be good, but overall I love this novel as much as the first time I read it.

I’m not sure the life bond between Lan and Kalira is that convincing and fits in with the other things in the series. Elsewhere it has been said that lifebonds only occur between those with a tendency to depression and the other partner who can save them. Lan just gets super angry, not depressed most of the time, although there are hints when his gift first begins to show.

This novel is just after the Herald Mage series and it’s obvious that Lackey has tried to tie it in as much as she can. So chronologically, it is between Magic’s Price and Oathblood. The cover on the left is not the one I have. I have one which fits in far better with the rest of my collection of the novels.

I’d probably say this one was suitable for older teens and adults. The ending is sort of depressing and uplifting at the same time.

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Review: Katie Gallagher – Catching You

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Catching You

Katie Gallagher

Welcome to Reading Addiction Online Book Tours’ stop for ‘Catching You’.

Lauren should be enjoying her holidays before starting university. Instead she’s in hospital after having a car accident.

The official blurb:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Lauren’s life. It turns out to be the worst.

After Lauren wakes up in the hospital and learns that her boyfriend Ryan has died, her life slowly begins to unravel. She soon begins receiving mysterious text messages that make her wonder if his death was even an accident like everyone is saying. She finds herself leaning on Nick, her boyfriend’s best friend, for support. He tells her tidbits about Ryan’s life that make her wonder if she even knew her own boyfriend at all. Now, she’s even more determined to learn the truth about Ryan’s death and she wonders who she’s able to trust. She starts confiding in her best friend, Bryn, until she remembers something about the accident that makes her wonder if she’s trusted the wrong person the entire time. She’s determined to get justice for Ryan, but can she do it without losing her best friends?

My review:

I couldn’t include my review for this novel, so please find instead a Guest Post.

You can purchase Catching You from Amazon (an affiliate link).

The Rejection Blues (guest post)

There is only one way to put this; rejection sucks! When you ask the captain of the football team out on a date and he says no, you end up doing one of two things; calling up your best friend and asking her if she wants to help you egg his house or two; you stock up on all the Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream you can and have a pity party. But, in the end you get over it. You realize that there are other fish in the sea and begin dating your lab partner.

It’s the same thing with writing. You spend months, maybe even years writing a manuscript that you think is really good, so you decide to send it off the agents in hopes that someone will believe that it’s as good as you think it is and sign you. But, it’s not always that simple. It’s very rare that the first agent that you send your manuscript off to will want it.

I wrote my first novel in 07’ and after revising a bit, I sent it off to a few agents. It got rejected. Although, most of them were nice about it at least, saying things like” I didn’t feel the character of Bob, but maybe another publisher will” or “It’s got potential, but it’s just not for me.” Sometimes, I’d get a full request to never hear from the agent again. I wallowed, whined and said that I was never going to write again. That didn’t last long though.

I wrote another novel and sent it off again. This time I didn’t even get a form rejection. I didn’t get one response, but I wasn’t going to give up. I just thought maybe it wasn’t the novel for me, so I decided to take a break. I spent time with my husband, read books I wanted to catch up on, and didn’t think about the novel for another year or so.

Finally, when I began to feel the pull of writing again, I pulled up the file on my computer and read it over. It wasn’t too bad, but I could tell that it needed work. I sent it off my critique partner and she sent it back with some pointers. I began editing it like crazy.

After four years, approximately twelve rejections, and eight revisions it was finally accepted for publication. So, how do you deal with the rejection blues? Don’t give up. Set it as
ide and go have a life. Spend time with your family, watch a movie, or read a good book. Your novel will still be there when you’re ready to look at it with a fresh eye.

About the Author

Katie Gallagher lives in Pennsylvania where she spends her time writing young adult fiction, and avoiding housework at any cost. She loves coffee, watching reality TV, and flip flops. She lives with her husband, who graciously tolerates her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of cooking skills, and two very spoiled cats.

Contact the Author

Website

Twitter – @Katie_Gallgher

Other Tour Stops

December 18 – Andi’s Book Reviews – Review/Guest Post

December 19 – My Reading Addiciton – Review

December 20 – Brooke Blogs – Review/Guest Post

December 21 – Teena in Toronto – Review

December 21 – Dark Seeker Publications – Review/Interview

December 22 – Book an Appointment with Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post

December 23 – The Cosy Dragon – Review/Guest Post

Review: Ginger Voight – Love Plus One

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Love Plus One

Ginger Voight

Shannon needs a bit of a push in the right direction to get her life moving onwards from the comfortable rut she has found herself in since she found her job working as a production assistant. She’s full of good ideas for shows, but she’s too shy to put herself out there. This time she will though, and she might find love where she didn’t expect it.

So you like sitcoms, romances and reality TV shows, but can’t find the time to watch them on TV? You could read this novel instead! Personally, I’d prefer this novel to any of the other dating shows out there.

This reminded me a bit of ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’, and the whole mole thing that Shan came up with for her idea isn’t really that big a deal. The exposure of the nasty girls, but the realisation that most of them can be nice, is a good one. However, I felt the final three came from behind, and the third girl probably never had a chance.

This novel did a great job of non-erotic romance. A real refresher after what else I have been reading lately. Nothing more than a few darkened bedroom scenes and a purple boa!

A reminder to the ‘real women’ reading this novel. This is a US novel, so when they say size 12, that’s a fair bit bigger than the Australian size 12. So that’s to say, I’m pretty sure that that might be in the obese category, which I simply can’t condone (particularly if it’s a cookie fed weight, not a medication or health induced one). I didn’t like Shan any less for this, and I though the fact that she started making herself fitter during the course of the show was great.

My complaint about this novel would be that the secondary characters are not fleshed out enough for my liking, which I suppose makes it a typical romance. I would have loved to hear more from Dixie, a bit more from Jorge and of course, a bit more from Shan’s sister.

I wouldn’t have said it was gripping, but in places it had me almost crying, and that’s a mark of another good novel for me. I’m not sure I’d read it again now that I know how it ends, but if you’re going to sit down and read this one (as I recommend you do), you’ll want a nice glass of wine and 2-4 free hours as you travel with Shan.

I received this novel as part of the Goodreads: First Reads program, but this did not influence my honest review in any way.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elemental Magic

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Elemental Magic: All New Tales of the Elemental Masters

Mercedes Lackey

This is an anthology that fits into Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series. There are 17 short stories, and I have given a quick review of each one.

A Song of the Sea – It fitted in well with the continuity of Lackey’s novels and it was good because of the historical references scattered throughout it (that I could actually recognise).

The Fire Within Him – This one was well written, but the concept was a little strange and I think it took the bounds of things outside Lackey’s range. I don’t think it belonged here.

Makana – I found the names in this one super strange, and it was a bit witch-doctor-y in nature. But it was good all the same.

War to the Knife – Really enjoyable, which is what I would expect from Rosemary Edghill. I did get a bit confused by the beginning because I’m not at all familiar with history, but the tale spinning itself was great.

Stones and Feathers – Oh this one was good! Very good! And it had so much more potential, and I would have loved to see it as a full length novel.

Fire’s Children – Also very enjoyable, and fitted in well with Lackey’s legacy. I think I’ll look out for more novels by Elizabeth Waters.

For the Sake of Clarity – I’m not entirely sure this was kosher with the other stories, but it was enjoyable all the same. It didn’t feel like it was too short either – it was set up, then continued very nicely. The language was a little iffy in parts, but I was able to gloss over it. This was more like the fairytales that one would expect.

To Ride the River Horse – This one went with the fairytale idea, and it was very good. I would have liked the ending to be a little clearer on what happened to the baddie though.

The Phoenix of Mulberry Street – This one I thought would be based on the fairytale of The Matchstick Girl, but wasn’t. It was really good anyway 🙂

Air of Mystery – This short story could have been made into a much longer novel, I would have loved even more from this. It had all the right notes for a short story, and a bit of research as well – brilliant.

A Flower Grows in Whitechapel – This one was obviously written by someone familiar with the series, but branched out from what we already knew of Sarah and Nan.

Tha Thu Ann – The name of this one was a bit strange, but the theme fitted in well with the short story that came right before. I really felt the characters for this one too.

The Collector – I don’t know enough about American history for this one. I’m guessing it’s accurate though, and I found that the intermingling of elemental magic was very neat.

Queen of the Mountain – Another good one, although I felt it could have been longer. A good use of irony for the reader here.

I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing – Although this one was by Lackey, it lacked some of the pizzaz I expect of her. It wasn’t any better than some of the authors in this anthology, and I’m going to branch out for sure in future.

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The Rejection Blues (guest post)

About the Author

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Other Tour Stops

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