Review: Ashes to Ashes

Some boys are forbidden. 

Lilia always felt guilty about going behind her best friend Rennie's back when it came to Reeve. The no-dating-your-bff-ex will not only get you kicked out of the clique, but as Ashes to Ashes shows us -- it can cause heaps of trouble.

Unlike the sequel, where Kat was passively left without much of a role, the three girls are more present than ever, as Kat and Lilia rush to uncover the secret behind Mary's disappearance. But neither of them drag out the story as we puzzle through the enigma. Instead, they divert our attention to other serious matters like intimidation, suicide, grief and sex. Life is forever changing, and this book reminds us to hang in there.

An unexpected shocking conclusion to the Burn for Burn series.

Review: The 52nd

Aztecs and Mayans get a highlight in Dela's debut novel The 52nd. 

Lucas is condemned to watch the Underworld claim fifty-two human sacrifices during the ritual periods. He's a watcher and immortal -- he's dead. But Zara, the last victim chosen is full of life and about to start her college years. There's something special about her that none of the other victims share. Perhaps there's a reason the Underworld wants her? Could saving her end these pointless rituals once and for all?

The 52nd balances romance and paranormal throughout the pages quite well. There's a lot of tension as Lucas' motives start getting noticed by the Underworld, particularly by the witch Xibalba, but nevertheless, the relationship between Lucas and Zara never feels rushed. In fact, these two don't really share a love at first sight. Lucas is on edge and takes his time opening up to Zara. Both their families are very present in the story, including Lucas's pet jaguars. 

A new author worth noticing. 

Author Laeken Zea Kemp discusses her new book

I'm pleased to welcome author Laekan Zea Kemp today to promote her YA novel, The Girl in between.

Bryn Reyes is a real life sleeping beauty. Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn't spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.

But the appearance of this strange boy isn't the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn't find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.

                   Find it on Goodreads                                               Find it on  Amazon

Thank you for being with us, Laekan. Please do tell, what inspired you to write this book?

I started working on this novel in April of last year and, to be honest, I can't really remember where the original idea came from. Probably because I can't really remember what the original idea even was. I know that it started out as a contemporary standalone and I'd been really interested in exploring dual narrative again but I suppose the story started out the way all of my stories have--with the central relationship. It isn't always a love story that's central to my novels but I do like to focus on human relationships, whether that's familial or within the context of first love. The characters always come to me first and the various means of torturing them always comes later.

If you could host a diner party with two writers who would you pick and what would you serve?

That's easy. My two favorite authors are Maggie Stiefvater and Melina Marchetta and as long as I could delegate the cooking responsibilities to someone else, we'd have an Irish potluck/Italian-style Sunday night dinner with plenty of Guinness and chocolate everything.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

The advice I would give to aspiring artists in general is to dive into your passion with a clear vision. It doesn’t have to be glamorous or grandiose, it just has to be clear. In fact the more specific it is the better. So many of us struggle with validating our choice to pursue the arts and because of that sometimes we have a tendency to shy away from the risk and rejection that comes along with it. We tow the line between our dreams and the more practical expectations of the people around us and wonder why we’re unsatisfied. Don’t be afraid to make declarations and definitely don’t be afraid to make them loud enough for other people to hear. Be honest about what you want, regardless of how silly it may seem to others, and do something every day that brings you closer to that goal.

What are you working on now -- or would you rather surprise us?

It takes time for an idea to fully form in my head to the point where I’m willing to devote 6-8 months to exploring it so I’m not sure when I’ll revisit the paranormal genre again but coming up next I do have plans for a few contemporary romance novels followed by my foray into the dystopian genre.

You can find Laekan Zea Kemp:

Website  Twitter

Thank you for being with us Laekan, and good luck on all your future projects.

Top Ten Tuesday: Have a Little Faith in Me

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP CHARACTERS YOU WISH WOULD GET THEIR OWN BOOKS 

They may be on the side lines, but we love them. Which characters should get their own books:

Edward from Twilight 

Midnight Sun never did see the light of day. Even though Meyer was one of the first YA author's to start the trend of writing the story from both characters point-of-view. Maybe one day, she'll surprise her fans and publish it. 

Stargirl from Stargirl 

I want to know what really went through her mind when she stood up to the bullies. How could she just rebuff their cruelty without letting it damage her spirit?

Albus Severus from Harry Potter

A continuation of the Harry Potter series?!? Yes, please. A real book this time -- not some another LinkedIn curriculum ''story'' from Dolores Umbridge.  

Isaac from The Fault in our Stars 

Did he ever find his always?

Laurie from Little Women

I still think Amy's a rebound wife , so prove me wrong Laurie. 

Lolita from Lolita

Ever wondered if Lolita would have been just as controversial had it been written from her point-of-view?

Rodrick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid

It could be based on his school and band life. Maybe he gets into college after all. 

Natalia from Every Little Thing in the World

She was a stronger character, the book could have easily been based on her as well. 

Which characters topped your list?

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

''We accept the love we think we deserve.''

Are there perks to being a wallflower? Charlie might seem like a peaceful introvert, but behind his mask, he deals with loss, watching his sister suffer from physically abuse, his best friend shun for his sexual orientation and his crush being called easy. The list on disastrous love relationships is long. With all of these demons eating him up inside, can he remain a wallflower forever?

It's true, I often criticize books that focus on narration more than dialogue. They go against the "show don't tell" rule. But there's something different about this one. 

First, Charlie spoke directly to diary me his friend, creating some sort of platonic relationship between us. He's an introvert. And his fear of displeasing others, especially when he forced himself to do things that made him uncomfortable, was difficult to observe. I kept praying for his character to grow. Also the novel was kept short, with lots of hot topics to maintain the reader's attention.

Great for book clubs.