Shattered Blue by Lauren Bird Horowitz

I received this from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

Summary:

Noa’s world had fallen apart. She had lost her sister, her confident, her twin. And now she was left with parents who barely functioned and a rambunctious 3 year old. Everywhere she turned she kept seeing her sister’s ghost, and it haunted her. She didn’t think anything else could possibly go wrong. Then Callum mysteriously appeared. The handsome, mysterious boy showed up and Noa couldn’t take her eyes off of him. As they fell in love, Noa learns a terrible secret about Callum- he’s actually Fae. Noa, scared, tries to run away, but finds herself right back in his arms again. Then Judah shows up. Almost Callum’s evil twin, he turns up and twists their world around once more. Callum is captured, and Judah has to decide whether he’ll give himself up to save his brother, or ensure that he can live the life he really wants.

Main Characters:

Noa- Our little beautiful, fiery heroine. She wears the mask of happiness and moves through life taking care of her sister, hardly thinking of herself. She lets down her guard and allows Callum to enter her heart. Noa reveals her inner strength and fire when those she loves are in danger. She’s someone with true compassion and empathy. She does remind me of a lot of main female characters, but she’s got so many facets to her personality that it intrigues me.

Callum– Our handsome male protagonist, just like many others. Handsome, mysterious, dangerous. He’s the typical male lead that tries to stay away from his lover, but finds he can’t because his love is too strong. However, towards the end, he surprises me. His character is revealed more and more, and he definitely has more character than meets the eye.

Judah- The somewhat unusual rebellious brother of Callum. His appearance was unexpected, but his behavior was typical to me. He ends up being soft-hearted under the tough exterior, and can’t help but adore his brother, even though he feels abandoned by him. Somehow I really like him though.

Sasha- Noa’s 3 year old little sister. She’s moody, energetic, and possessive, just like most 3 year olds. She’s the light of her families life, and Noa is her rock. At first I thought she was just a minor character that was meant to emphasize Noa’s character, but bit by bit I realized she had a bigger part to play than I imagined.

Review: 5 stars

Wow, I’ve just gotten to read so many awesome books lately! I didn’t expect to like this story so much honestly. I read the summary and figured it would just be another fantasy book with some forbidden romance. While I was correct on that part, it surpassed my expectations. There were parts that foreshadowed something that I didn’t realize until I had finished the book. They were cleverly woven in with the dialogue and vivid descriptions. The book was a rollercoaster, taking me by surprising all the time. The ending especially surprised me. So much so that my mouth dropped open and I had to re-read a few parts several times. The cliffhanger it ends on was horrible (in a good way), but it makes a good clear ending, allowing for an excellent start of a new book.

Are You Still There by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

I received this book from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 stars

Summary:

Gabi is the ideal daughter. She does too much volunteering every week, gets straight A’s and never does anything against her parents will. Which is why she’s surprised to be caught in a bathroom stall during a bomb threat at her high school. After she is rescued by the police, events whirl into motion. She’s recruited for a secret helpline that is designed to try and catch the bomber, and stop him before he tries anything else. As Gabi gets sucked in more and more into this case, somehow discovering she’s more involved than she wants to be, her alliances change too. She finds her closest friends within a group of unlikely people, the others working on the helpline. Along with discovering new friends, a romance blooms between her and an outcasted student, Miguel. While trying to deal with this unlikely and forbidden romance, their bomber continues to get closer and closer, and Gabi keeps feeling like she’s missing one very important detail. As the clues roll in, Gabi becomes more and more desperate, knowing the day the bomber will set up his next stunt. Can Gabi save her friends, and the mystery bomber? Or will she have to make a sacrifice she might regret?

Main Characters:

Gabi– Our main protagonist, who appears just like every heroine of stories. Good girl, turned bad by the boyfriend. Gabi had a lot more depth to her than I realized though, although this conclusion wasn’t evident to me until I finished the book. Another difference between her and the common main female heroines is that she wasn’t completely turned bad by the “bad boy” boyfriend. Some changes in her personality happened, but overall, she was still the same person, just with some different traits.
Chloe- Gabi’s little sister. The rebel child, who is jealous of Gabi for their parents loving her more, and seeming to do everything right. Typically characters like this don’t get much dialogue in stories similar to this, but she became more and more essential as the plot-line progressed. The dark, brooding child may be hiding more than meets the eye.
Miguel- The “bad boy” boyfriend. Different from the typical male lead, he’s actually from a different culture than Gabi, which isn’t something I’ve seen much of. While there are some parts of him that are more rule breaking, he’s more like a reformed bad boy than anything else, which was also unexpected. I did love the twists thrown into his personality that made him seem more realistic.
Janae- Janae also defied my expectations by not being the person that Gabi (and I) assumed she was. Her true personality surprised me, and after that I wasn’t sure what to expect from her. Janae is a character that I feel I can personally relate, although not in the exact way her character is. I believe she might actually be my favorite character.
Eric- The common smart boy who Gabi’s parents believe is “perfect” for her. On his way to being valedictorian, kind to all, perfectionist, who could be a better match? As he realizes more and more about Gabi, he shifts his attention away and seems to concentrate more on working with the helpline, while still holding some resentment for Gabi for what he blames her for. In the end though, he pulls through when she needs him most.

Review:

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was attention-grabbing, a bit of a thriller, but still had more of an innocent feel than a complete thriller story. What caught my attention at first was the cover and the title. The first few chapters felt really slow to me, but after a main plot-line point, I got sucked into the story. Even when I wasn’t reading, I felt like I was analyzing the characters in order to get deeper into their psyche and attempting to understand the things that were going on. The story was something uncommon, but had elements that were similar enough to not make a reader who likes to stick to certain genres uncomfortable. The characters were also well developed, although to a point they were stereotypical. The author did a good job of making sure they weren’t completely what they seemed, and I really enjoyed that. People are rarely what they’re labeled as, and I appreciated her making sure that was visible in this work. I feel like it had a good end, and definitely appeared to be a conclusion, not leaving any open ended questions, but still allowing the reader to make some inferences of their own.

Placid Girl by Brenna Ehrlich

I received this book from NetGallery in exchange for a honest review.
Summary:

Hallie is just like every other girl living in a small town: she wants to escape. Within the confines of her own mind she struggles with living up to her vivacious best friend, Sarah. Their band, My Friend’s Band, has recently gotten some hype and as excited as Hallie is, she still feels small. Then a message from a stranger comes in, and her life begins to finally take the exciting turn she wants. In all this craziness, she meets Steve, who just so happens to have a cousin in Hallie’s favorite band, Haze. After hearing about the return of Haze after 5 years of absence, Hallie convinces Sarah and Steve to accompany her to the concert. When they arrive though, something goes very, very wrong, and Hallie has to decide what to risk. Is keeping her friends or meeting Haze more important?

Main Characters:

Hallie: Our protagonist who actually deals with emotions like a normal human would. Haley is funny and human and real. She adds depth to the story, and makes you get invested in the story. Some people might call her a “pushover”, but to me, that makes her all the more real. Many people in life are “pushovers”, even though they would never admit it.
Sarah: The one friend that we all have. The one who gets the guys, who’s confident and outspoken, who’s never afraid to say her opinion. Sarah has some real depth to her, which surprised me. The way she deals with circumstances is the way I’ve seen “that friend” deal with things, which makes her even more real.
Steve: For once, a main romantic interest who isn’t perfectly shaped or sculpted, but is just very human and vulnerable. Steve’s circumstances create him into the human that he is, and although he’s not what he appears at first, the author is able to slowly peel off those masks that we all tend to wear.

I will not be doing Haze to avoid spoilers.

Review:
4 stars
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The title seemed weird to me, and I wasn’t super excited to get into it. After I started however, I didn’t want to stop. The characters drew me in with their humanness, and the storyline trapped me with the twists and turns. The author does a wonderful job of creating suspense, while at the same time dropping hints throughout the story that you don’t notice until the end. There are a few parts towards the end that I felt were a little too predictable, and could have been done differently. Overall though, I enjoyed the book thoroughly, and would definitely recommend it.

The Crazy Psychologist by Miller H Caldwell

I received this book from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

WARNING: THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

Summary:
Sam couldn’t believe his eyes. What on earth was his wife doing splashing around in the sea in her birthday suit? Angie, however, was excited, she knew her Hazelnut Assessment Centre was going to do well, and the kids were so enjoying this activity. As Angie takes on two new student workers, both surprise her in ways she did not expect. As she attempts to recover from her past, she finds herself in the midst of a courtroom, facing down her sexual abuser from so long ago. When that is all said and done, Angie happens across her long lost brother in the most unlikely way. On top of that, her father comes back into the picture. Her father, who was gone so long ago, is back in her life. Angie’s decision will be the changing point of her lifetime.

Main Characters-

Sam- The well-meaning artist husband of Angie. He finds inspiration in ways that most artists wouldn’t consider, mostly those who don’t like to go out of their comfort zones. In the midst of everything that is happening to Angie, Sam is her solid rock. He’s a nice, comforting figure, although I’m not sure how complex he is.
Angie- Of course, our awkward protagonist. It is evident from the beginning that Angie does not behave like other Cognitive Behavior Therapists, but as the book continues this becomes clearer. She’s a likable character, even if she is a bit odd. She works well with the patients, and appears to do most things right. Despite her past, it’s almost as if she’s too perfect.
Tony- The father of Angie. Some of the story follows Tony around as he is released from the confines of his old life. He is a character that I didn’t see personally grow in this story, but from what I gathered, he is completely different from the man he was, and that shows.
Kevin- Angie’s first student worker. A man with all the credentials and life in place. Confident and gentle, he finds a perfect niche within the students.
Lucy- The unexpected student that shows up with Kevin. At first glance, not a very noticeable character unless you pay close attention. Out of a lot of the characters, I almost feel as if she had the most depth.
Mark-The long-lost brother of Angie. After being separated for so many years and happening upon her by chance, his personality shines through his acts. Once again, a character I feel had more depth than was expressed in this book.

Review: 2.5 stars

The book was short enough to read in one setting, which is a plus. However, the switching from being with Tony to being with Angie and Sam was confusing and a bit unclear to me. There are several spelling and grammar mistakes that took away from the story a tad. The premise was certainly interesting, especially since Caldwell professed to not know much about the subject at all. Caldwell definitely did capture the hardships that all of these characters would go through, although not as much as I would have liked. I would have enjoyed more depth given to the characters, or explained a bit more. Overall, not a bad book, but not one I would put at the top of your “to-read” list.