Review: Karmic Hearts by Jhing Bautista + Author Interview!

Fair warning, this is the first Pop Fiction book I've read. I tried to keep my expectation at a minimum, but right after I've read the summary for Karmic Hearts I knew I just had to read the book.

Title: Karmic Hearts by Jhing Bautista
Release Date: May 09, 2017
Published by: Pop Fiction (Summit Books)

Source: From the publisher

Read the original Wattpad story here.

Love. Magic. Fate. Best-selling romance novel author Karmina Joan writes about these things. She believes that every person has a purpose, that every soul has a destiny to fulfill. She thought hers was simply sharing her stories.

Her story unfolds with Cupid, the Angel of Love himself. He brings with him a mysterious vessel and a message from on high. It turns out Karmina has a bigger purpose after all—a mission that will make or break humanity as we know it.

As Cupid teaches her the tricks of his trade, Karmina unknowingly gives him something unexpected in return— something the angel of love will find oddly familiar. This may become the one flaw in an otherwise perfect plan that destiny had in store for them.

Does love truly conquer all or are there limits to what humanity can do in the name of love? Witness as Karmina struggles to find the answers before time runs out on true love.

I have a tendency to swoon over stories about Love, Fate and Destiny. So a story about a girl seeing red strings? Meeting Cupid? With a writer as the character lead? Count me in.

I must admit that I initially had a hard time reading the book. There were grammar and spelling nuances that distracted me from going further faster, and I had trouble connecting with Mina initially, but I powered through for the sake of the story and I am glad I did. There is something magical in the way the story unfolded, and I found myself flipping through the pages until I reached the end. And WHAT. AN. ENDING.

There's something about Jhing's writing that sustains your curiosity and makes you want to read up to the last page.

If Cupid is real (can he be, please? :) ) he'll probably just smile one of those smiles of his upon finding so many people liking him in the story, and that includes me. This charismatic, drop dead gorgeous guy... humorous and witty. And though I did not like Mina at first, you cannot deny the chemistry between the two of them. Karmina does have a bigger purpose, and it is so much more than sharing her stories, I am glad that even if I find her disagreeable at first, she grew into someone I really want to root for in the story.

Staying true to the title and the plot, Karmic Hearts is a story about all forms of love and all the trials and tribulations that comes along with falling in love. It can be tricky to have a mix of the myths, red string, fate and destiny but Jhing Bautista makes you believe in it. If you don't, then this story will make you want to believe. What a heart warming story, and I am glad my first Pop Fiction book reading experience went really well.

P.S.

Call it curiosity on my part but I did read the original version on Wattpad. My reading experience is a little bit different with that one, but the story still delivers nonetheless. I can easily agree with a lot of the readers that the Wattpad format is easier to read, but reading the book form is so much worth the time as well!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I mentioned the things that made me lose a bit of focus at the start of the book, but this is still a good read! Ah, Cupid...

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Super in love with the cover!

And now I share to you, my dear readers, an interview from the author of Karmic Hearts herself, Jhing Bautista. As part of the blog tour, I was able to ask Jhing a few questions about the book, being an author and the transformation Karmic Hearts went through from Wattpad to being a published book. Read it all below!

First things first, where did you get the idea for Karmic Hearts?

Karmic Hearts is a collection of random ideas that I’ve gathered over the years but didn’t know where and how to use.

a. When I was a kid, I used to save coins to buy this 99-peso cologne. The scent was not the thing that made me want to buy that particular cologne. It was the design on the container. Guardian angels.
b. I love movies that tackle destiny and fate, like Serendipity. It’s just nice to know that no matter what happens, if you’re meant to end up with someone, the universe will conspire to get you two together.
c. I love the movie, City of Angels. It’s just so poetic.
d. I was always curious about who I’ll end up with and how we’ll end up together. This made me curious about everyone else’s fate as well.

Since Karmic Hearts was first published in Wattpad, I'm curious to know more about your writing process. How did you go about writing? Do you finish a couple of chapters at a time and post? Or post the chapter as you finish writing them?

I don’t make a draft for each story. I only have a concept, an ending, and some key points along the way. The Wattpad version of KH went through the same process as my other stories. I wrote the first few chapters and figured out the middle part and up to the end. After I write a chapter, I post it on Wattpad right away.

For the book, since I don’t have to post it anywhere, the writing was continuous. However, the only difference from the Wattpad version was I consulted a few people and asked them to read the chapters that I’ve finished so they can tell me if I’m losing the feel halfway.

You have so many stories published in Wattpad, how do you make time to write? What is a typical writing day for you?

I always have time to write. Even when I’m at work, I find the time to write. Writing is not something that I can schedule because inspirations and ideas come at random times. My typical writing day does not only involve writing. I also listen to songs, watch movies, stare into space, eat, sleep, observe my environment.

Any advice for writers, not limited to Wattpad writers only, looking to have their books published?

First, be ready to compromise. I think people who want to have their stories published should keep this in mind. The thing is, even though we want certain things and think we know what is best for our story, that will change once the publisher comes into the picture.

Second, it is best to rewrite your story, remove the fillers, and only keep the important things. The publisher provides a certain budget for our book. The least we can do is to make it worth their money.

The one lesson/idea your readers can learn when they read Karmic Hearts?

Hmm. A reader sent me a message, probably a year or two ago. She said that Karmic Hearts taught her to pray harder and more sincerely. It somehow strengthened her faith in God.

If you can be in Cupid's shoes for one day, whose hearts would you want to connect and why?

I can’t think of anyone I’d want to connect. Haha!

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And there you have it! I am the last stop for the Karmic Hearts blog tour. Check the list of blogs who participated in the tour for their reviews and other interviews related to the book. Happy reading!

ARC review: Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff

"The days are strange and the nights feel like some hyper realistic dream I can't wake up from." p. 275

This is exactly how I feel about the book, in a nutshell.

Title: Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
Release Date: May 17th 2016
Published by: Delacorte Press
Source: From the publisher (Thanks Julia!)

Buy online: Book Depository

Summary:

Waverly Camdenmar spends her nights running until she can’t even think. Then the sun comes up, life goes on, and Waverly goes back to her perfectly hateful best friend, her perfectly dull classes, and the tiny, nagging suspicion that there’s more to life than student council and GPAs.

Marshall Holt is a loser. He drinks on school nights and gets stoned in the park. He is at risk of not graduating, he does not care, he is no one. He is not even close to being in Waverly’s world.

But then one night Waverly falls asleep and dreams herself into Marshall’s bedroom—and when the sun comes up, nothing in her life can ever be the same. In Waverly’s dreams, the rules have changed. But in her days, she’ll have to decide if it’s worth losing everything for a boy who barely exists.

I have never read any of Brenna Yovanoff's novels, so I didn't know what to expect. What drew me in to this book was the summary, and the "magical realism" theme underlying in the whole story.

The first one hundred pages, I can truthfully say that I only stayed because of the romance, which, when thrown into the mix of messy adolescent thoughts and emotions end up being so confusing I wasn't sure what I was reading. There was just so much to take in. And it took me a while to digest the whole dream side of the story, mainly because I have to go through both of Marshall and Waverly's thoughts first, and boy were they tough to get out of. I had to stop a couple of times because I felt like the heaviness of their feelings are bleeding out of the pages and into me.

One question kept on floating in my mind while I was reading this book. Was high school that complicated? In some level, I understand Waverly. The need to present a version of yourself that everyone approves of, to be perfect. It was hard being her, and at some point in her life she and Maribeth had developed a destructive give and take type of relationship that you can barely call "friendship" while making up versions of themselves which will help them achieve what they thought was something that will make them have a successful high school life. They were, of course, wrong. Waverly denies herself a lot of things, and never acts carelessly because she always thinks of the consequences, and what was best at the time even though that wasn't what she feels. And she feels, despite being called a 'robot'.

Marshall, on the other hand, is a very different person altogether. So much hurt, so much pain. Angst. Drama. The level of 'darkness' he was in is in some ways similar to Waverly, and I think that is what draws him to her. Like with Waverley, who was calculated and careful with her every move, Marshall is someone else entirely underneath the underachieving, bad boy persona. To find that he's actually a kind, sensitive soul was a surprise, though I was still a little bit apprehensive with the way his character was built. To feel nothing and be numb, escape reality by hiding behind the haze of drugs and alcohol. What a sad boy.

And speaking of characters, the one I like the most is Autumn. If the things happening in this book are weird (for me), then she's even weirder. But as I get to know Autumn, that's when she makes sense. Everyone thinks she's weird because she was being true to herself, and does what she wants without caring what people might think. She's frank, she pisses people off, but she's also caring. She's the complete opposite of Waverly in daylight, and I like how Waverly described her: "a friend she needs when she didn't even know she needed to have a friend". Her relationship with Marshall perfectly describes friends growing up: sometimes they just drift away and grow apart. She was also the perfect contrast to Maribeth, who lives to undermine people secretly, slowly and deliberately, to be on top. When in all honesty, she really is just lonely, just like Waverly once was, before she met Autumn and Marshall.

Despite the heaviness, I still find myself smiling at times during heated scenes, because it can get very intense, in that quiet, rushed, secretive kind of way that gives it an entirely different feel. Brenna Yovanoff did an awesome job diving into the characters of both leads that sometimes it's impossible not to get affected by what they think, what they feel. I love that with the alternating point of views, we see what's behind the many layers that define them, not just in high school or their social standing, but in their individual lives as well. Each character added in the story widens the reader's understanding not just of it's like to be Waverly and Marshall, but what it's like to be students at that point of their lives and what they go through as teens.

Spill walls with secrets, crying for help anonymously, it makes one look back and reminisce their own lives as teenagers. Striving to be polished and perfect and realizing that sometimes being perfect just doesn't work, and having the strength to speak up, to be strong and say what's on their minds, what's bothering them, and then work to be better. The lessons this book imparts to readers are powerful. The whole dream part was very tricky and shaky, but it kept me thinking if it was deliberately done as a part of the book's overall appeal. Magical realism always tend to confuse me, but I like how it leads to so much development in the story, in the case of this book.

Places No One Knows is such a loaded read. Different, but worth all the befuddling, puzzling moments. Sometimes, people can only find solace in that very narrow gap between reality and dream, and that certainly is the case for Waverly and Marshall, who can only be their true selves and connect when they're toeing that line. I still can't quite put this story into one form or place, but that's what made this an appealing read for me.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

It took me a while to get used to the whole dream concept, for a while everything seems so vague and outrageous, and the story is so heavy at times I had difficulty in continuing.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
I love how the cover completely defies the expectation it sets when one reads the book.

ARC Review: No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista

I am typing this review literally 10 minutes after I finish reading the book, so forgive me for the review that is also thinly disguised as me fangirling.

Oh man. The feels. It's all about the feels in this book.

(I've actually live tweeted while I was reading the book, so if you're interested in my reactions, you can follow the hashtag, #KaireadsNoLoveAllowed.)

Title: No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista
Release Date: April 19th 2016
Published by: Swoon Reads
Source: Won from the author's contest

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

It's all fun and parties until someone falls in love in this modern fairy tale from author Kate Evangelista.

Caleb desperately needs a fake girlfriend. Either he attends a series of parties for his father’s law firm with a pretty girl on his arm, or he gets shipped off to Yale to start a future he’s not ready for and isn’t sure he wants. And sadly, the last unattached girl in his social circle has just made the grievous mistake of falling in love with him. Fortunately, Didi, recently fired waitress and aspiring painter, is open to new experiences. As the summer ticks by in a whirl of lavish parties, there’s only one rule: They must not fall in love!

It's the classic "two people who belong in two different worlds, brought about by certain circumstances" kind of love story but by the Book Gods, it worked and then some.

And it all started with ice cold water. Didi was having a bad day and glasses of cold water got dumped in a girl at the right place and the right time, she was fired, and she has met Mr. Golden Boy, and was given an opportunity for an unforgettable summer with no strings (or emotions) attached. That is, until feelings get in the way.

As I've mentioned in my live tweet, I was skeptical, maybe a little bit apprehensive with Didi's character (I blame the summary of the book for this!) but the first few pages changed my impression of her, what she did in those first . Unpredictable, yes. Funny and honest, yes. Creative person with a a complicated soul, yes. And to use Caleb's description of her: smart, perceptive with a hint of spice for flavor. Dare I use the word 'fierce'? Not really, but Didi is spontaneous and she views the world in colors, giving off a vibrant feel each time and I just can't help but be drawn and like that part of her. I love the way Kate framed her personality, that feeling where something more hides beneath the portraits, paints and pills.

For someone who's supposedly mastered the art of being a jerk, Caleb is a little bit less than that and more sensitive and attentive over Didi, which endeared him to me a lot. Seriously, a lot of what he does, may they be on purpose or just by instinct, makes me swoon. As a reader, I always have a smile on my face picturing Caleb inside my head. Described as someone who has everything (a.k.a. money and extraordinary good looks), Caleb's life has been maped out for him, pretty much been ruined by love, and I understand why he's trying to get away from it. Ah, but the feeling of smugness at that moment when the very thing he's avoiding happened was priceless.

I just found myself enjoying everything about this book, immersing myself in the story in a flash, relishing every moment of my reading experience. Didi and Caleb were mesmerizing enough to read of with the combination of their banter and perpetual teasing, the subtle cues and hints that they're slowly but surely falling for each other, but the supporting characters added such flair to the story that made it ten times better. Raise your hand if you love Nathan! He's like the fairy godmother Didi needed, and he's this bright ball of sunshine, all smiles and kindness and was just basically one top notch specimen that entertained me so much and made me so curious about him at the same time, that I found myself wishing that he gets his own story. (And we are getting one, thank goodness!) Him, Natasha and Preston are proof that they might be rich but they aren't a bunch of spoiled brats, with them providing good support for Caleb and their interactions with Didi, which more of then than not reduces me to giggles.

See, Kate piles fluff and feelings on top of the other until you feel warm and fuzzy and then she cuts you off with a conflict that on hindsight is something you know will happen, but the feels just overcomes you when you're at that part. A bunch of bated breaths and a whole lot of bracing (myself) around 30 pages before the end because at that point, I was eager to know how it was going to end, rooting for them and needing a happy ending. I was totally swept along with the story and I absolutely love the touch of reality that Kate added, of things not being "always like the movies", and being faced with an illness that puts uncertainty not just in their relationship in the long run but both Didi and Caleb's life as well. I didn't expect Caleb to be that emotional nor his decision on how to face it. Ah, love. It just does things to you. And I don't know how Kate managed to weave such an important theme into the story and make such an integral part click and make the story whole.

Overall, I can say that I really loved this book and I recommend it to everyone who loves a feel good read! It's got such a simple premise but the way it was written just made me breeze through it. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me feel frustrated, it made me sad and ultimately it made me feel such fluffy, romantic feelings. Ultimately, No Love Allowed made me fall in love with YA contemporary romance stories again.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I flipped to the last page and I'm like "where are the rest?!" because all that was left were acknowledgements. I needed more! Also, this might just be me nitpicking a bit, but using and inserting the word "f*cking" in quite a few sentences got on my nerves a little because sometimes it felt unnecessary. Still a REALLY GOOD book though!
.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Perfect visual for what the story is about!

ARC Review: Titans by Victoria Scott

Goodbye, reading slump.
Thank you, Victoria Scott!

Title: Titans by Victoria Scott
Release Date: February 23rd 2016
Published by: Scholastic Press
Source: Publisher

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.

She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.

But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.

A very engaging read. That's something I didn't realize I need when I first started reading Titans. I'm in a year long slump, and Titans delivered a very entertaining story that just sucked me in right from reading page one.

I've had problems with female protagonists one too many times, and it seemed like I will have the same problem with Astrid. I feel like authors tend to make their female leads seem stubborn which will make them seem headstrong, but more often than not (and if not written properly), they will just come off as annoying. I was like that at first with Astrid. I was annoyed with her very much, but eventually my annoyance gave way to understanding. She's just a girl trying to save her family from falling apart completely, and she had been let down too many times to try and rely on others so she'd rather do something on her own. That in itself is admirable, and it made me understand her better.

What made Titans more charming for me are the addition of interesting characters around Astrid, supporting her. Her unlikely friendship with Rags and Barney, a pair of old but extraordinary and very intelligent people who can do a lot of great things. And I liked Magnolia from the very start. What a devoted friend, and really a friend to the truest sense of the word and I understand why one of Astrid's greatest fears is moving and leaving Magnolia behind. Where else will you find a friend who not only supports you in everything, despite having her own set of problems to deal with? Her quirky personality, her passion for art and her devotion for Astrid are what made Magnolia such a star in this book. And who can forget Padlock? I loved Padlock! Although I will admit, I thought the Titan's name will be a little more dramatic sounding, but Padlock was more than a horse for Astrid, though it was not like that at first. I liked how Astrid found another friend in him, and he was not just a means to an end, but a companion and a partner for a lonely girl who just want to feel loved, and was trying her best to take action when no one else would.

To be honest, what really made Titans an enjoyable read for me are the races. Victoria Scott didn't hold back and just described each race in such a way that the words swimming inside your head will effectively help you picture the scenes as they happen. What impeccable pacing! I keep on thinking how it would look like in real life. I feel the thrill, the danger, exhilaration and adrenaline through each obstacle and challenge the unlikely pair had to overcome. I was caught in each and every moment Astrid and Padlock push themselves on those tracks, with only one thing in mind: winning. There's more to the story than just racing, and I love how everything was incorporated to the novel. The strain in the dynamics of Astrid's family, her father's old fashion views, the perils of gambling and its consequences, a child blaming herself for a loved one's death, the gap between social classes and the social stigma one receives from being poor... all of these were woven in good timing inside the novel. Also, not every girl needs a love interest. I love how romance is not really a big factor in this, but that did not take away much from the story.

Thoroughly entertaining and addictive at times, Titan is a quick read that provides good entertainment for the readers in a good blend of sci-fi, fantasy, a side of angst and a healthy dose of action. Victoria Scott made it work! I did not let go until I flipped to the last page, and though the ending felt abrupt, this is one good read.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

The ending, as mentioned, felt a little abrupt. I kept on turning my ARC over wondering if I was missing a page or two! I was also able to figure out the ending way before I read the climactic scene.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Perfect visual for what the story is about!

Review: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Let me start this review by saying that I rarely read MG, much less those set in times that are part of our world's history. But Gavriel Savit's Anna and the Swallow Man is one memorable read.

Title: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Published by: Knopf
Source: Publisher

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone.

And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.

The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness.

Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.

It was obvious right from the start that Gavriel Savit has a way with words. It was, simply put, stunning. It's what made me want to dive into the story more, what pulled me in ultimately, even when I'm uncertain what kind of of story the author will present, even when I thought quite a few times that I'd stop reading and abandon the story. World War II wasn't the best time or setting, as is with every war, but as I continue to read, urged on by the beautiful prose, I found myself immersed in the story more.

Anna is a very interesting child, having a father who knows many languages that she didn't even know what their native tongue really was. There is a certain naivety and innocence in her, especially with the way she sees the war, not knowing a lot and unsure of many, many things and how life just works. But through their journey, Anna grows.

The Swallow Man, on the other hand, is a man shrouded in mystery, someone who knows how to speak the many languages Anna does and it is what made Anna attached to him, he is just like her father. It's through him that Anna learned the language called "Road": something to keep them safe and protected, with his clever ways and his ability to adapt in order to survive. The way he thinks is impressive, becoming Anna's protector, guiding her through an uncertain journey and it's what made me like him.

What people might find confusing is that the story was seen through a seven year old's eyes, but interpreted in a way that makes one think that it's for adults. It made the whole mood of the story seem different, and it worked for me. With very little dialogue, but often peppered with paragraphs and sentences that perfectly describes what was happening, it was obvious in the way the story was set up that this can work not just for YA readers, but for other types of readers as well. There's no doubt that Gavriel Savit has a way with words, and combine that with magical realism along with elements of survival, family, loss and hope set in such a trying time, Anna and the Swallow Man sure makes for a different kind of reading experience.

It's the type of book I do not often read but I am glad I gave this a try. Gavriel Savit's writing was a delight to read, almost lyrical, symbolic, with thought provoking lessons rooted deep within the story.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

A star off is because it takes a while to get the story moving. Like I mentioned, at the start there are times where I thought of giving up but Gavriel Savit's writing kept me holding on. Some parts tend to be confusing, so if needed, take a while to digest them. Ultimately, it is up to the reader to interpret the ending, and there might be some who will not like that.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Have you seen what the book looks like? Love it!

Review: The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver

I might have mentioned it before, but I'll say it again. Books with twins as central figures have a special place in my heart. And Trisha Leaver's book is no exception.

Title: The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ruth!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters.

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

Stripping your own identity and burying it six feet under. Living your life as another person, with half of you dead. Losing the person you were born with, grew up with, in a flash of rage, suddenly. These are all the things Ella had to deal with in the aftermath of that faithful night when she lost her sister Maddy.

The story focuses on both twins, showing how different the lives they live in Ella's eyes as she tries to make sense of Maddy's life, her secrets, her ties to the people around her, the things she had done that led to that faithful rainy night. To see what Ella sees as the "unloved" twin, the "lesser" twin, gave this novel an extra kick in the heart. She couldn't be herself anymore, couldn't continue loving the boy she liked. Ella tried to pick up the pieces of her life, and that takes courage and for that I admired her, and for all other things, and for seeing Maddy as she is for the first time in a long while. I hated Jenna with a passion and I loved Molly. I'm not sure what to feel about Alex, his love for Maddy felt genuine but sorely misplaced. As for Josh, he's a constant but confusing presence for Ella but I felt like I was more focused on the dynamics of the twins life to feel fully what Ella feels for Josh.

Trisha Leaver just speaks to me in this novel. As someone with a twin, this novel puts into words the feelings I sometimes have, and they are not easy to translate into words on paper. The author knew the right things to say, express feelings in an honest, simple but searing way. Twins can be friends and rivals. Twins can be the closest and drift apart but they will always have that undeniable connection. Twins can be opposites. Like Maddy and Ella, one was popular and the other a shy, quiet, talented girl. I can only imagine the pain Ella was going through, losing Maddy the way she did. How she thought it was the atonement for what happened to Maddy, to sacrifice and erase herself to become her sister, because she was the one who will be missed, who was loved. The sting in my heart was felt so often and it felt so real that I found myself genuinely sad. How Trisha Leaver's words affect me.

Needless to say, my eyes were pretty damp right after I finished reading this. Prepare yourself for the last few pages because it is what ultimately made me love this book. It's a wonderful story of healing and acceptance, of moving forward, of acknowledging grief and facing it, writing the wrongs you have done, of family and that unbreakable bond you share with your twin, the differences and similarities, the little things that made them the person they are not less loved by their parents.

Worth the read, dear readers.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

The suspense/ mystery part added a different dimension to this book, but I felt like it had taken away part of what was supposed to be focused on Ella and Josh's relationship, which I hoped was explained more. Josh's character felt lacking for me, to be honest. But the heartfelt emotions, my gosh. Definitely what made me loved this!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Love the imagery for this book. The way the cover shows opposites and parallels perfectly describes what the novel is about in just one picture.

Review: Dream a Little Dream (Silber #1) by Kerstin Gier

Oh how I miss reading Kerstin Gier's novels!

Title: Dream a Little Dream (Silber #1) by Kerstin Gier, Anthea Bell (Translation)
Release Date: April 14th 2015
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ruth!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yep, Liv’s dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially this one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys perform dark magic rituals.

The really weird thing is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where’s she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But they seem to know things about her in real life that they couldn’t possibly know, which is mystifying. Then again, Liv could never resist a good mystery. . . .

Everything started because of smelly cheese imported from Switzerland. I know it sounds amusing and funny, but it did. And then Liv's dreams of settling in a nice place with her family was exchanged for staying in London which comes with a surprise addition to their family and then suddenly she was getting involved in something that sounds too good to be true.

One of the reasons why I love reading Kersin Gier's novels is because she always writes with female protagonists who are witty, comical and Liv is no exception. I like the thoughts that always swirl inside her head, from her thoughts about her new step siblings, her school uniform or boys in general. I like the way she panics and how endearing she can be while doing so, how she can't stay away from secrets and not resist the potential of an adventure because she's naturally inquisitive. Awkward, funny, persistent when needed and with a skeptical but speculative mind.

As cliche as it may sound, being surrounded by hot boys, I like that Liv still keeps a sensible head (most of the time) around them, and that the author has done away with the usual love triangles and instead comfortably assigned different roles to the three who aren't the object of Liv's very confusing but otherwise adorable feelings. Grayson wonderfully fits the role of being an older brother, that genuine concern he has as a step brother to Liv despite the initial awkwardness made me like him a lot. Jasper, who was the embodiment of the typical things you expect from a Ken (doll), good looking, confident and very caught up with girls, he lends an interesting side to the four boys for being the poster boy for good looking guys who doesn't care for anything else other than girls. Arthur, who was quiet and mysterious, dangerously beautiful, curious and serious with something dark in him. And Henry, who has his own secrets to keep. He grew on me, with that thirst to explore things that can't be explained, not to mention being observant and patient with Liv. Take your pick, readers, because each boy has something in them that you'll learn to like while reading!

Reading Dream A Little Dream was quite an experience in itself because I too am convinced that the very thing the conflict of the story is based on simply just doesn't exist. Is it real? Is everything made up? A bunch of coincidences? Nothing is certain, speculations are everywhere, but with Liv's curiosity, she was able to explore not just the dreams, but successfully bond with people, make friends, settle into a new life and have friends. It's not just about the dreams, but each character's story moves along with the main plot. What's fascinating is even if the story revolves around this make believe conflict, you read on because Kerstin Gier injected just the right amount of suspense and thrill, clues and scenes that you can't resist seeing the story through to the end. Lizard doorknobs, a door with three locks, doors which won't open unless you answer a statue's question, cotton candy worlds, cemeteries recreated from a memory, scenes from the past, fears imagined. I love how imaginative the world is in Dream A Little Dream, how fascinating a dream world can be, what one can do, what one can find out, how it can be used, what power dreams can hold.

If you've read Kerstin's other novels, then you're familiar with how she paces and times everything, holds out the answers up to the very end of the story, and then the plot twist comes out of nowhere, leaving you craving for more, so you have to be on your toes all the time. What an enjoyable new novel from Kerstin! With a protagonist you will love, mixing it up with puberty and the thought of growing up, high school gossip and cliques and supernatural elements with a dash of romance, comedy and suspense makes up for an interesting story in Dream A Little Dream. A strong start for what is shaping up to be another incredible, fun series from Kerstin Gier! A word to the wise, the ending will make you feel agony with the thought of waiting for the sequel. Talk about a cliff hanger!

Favorite quote:
It's in dreams more than anywhere else that you get to know people best - along with all their weaknesses and their secrets.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I am majorly curious over Henry's life. There are things in this book that makes me want to know more about the whole thing. And besides, he's as adorable as Liv is!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
You should see the finished copies, gorgeous, shiny and just utterly beautiful!

Review: Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang + Giveaway!

Sometimes we just need to pay attention. Sometimes we just need to notice. Sometimes, we just need to ask for help when we need it.

Title: Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
Release Date: September 9th 2014
Published by: Greenwillow Books
Buy: Fully Booked

Summary:

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

She's the kind of girl you'd love to love, and the kind you'd love to hate. Liz Emerson was one part of the trio of the most popular juniors in her class. Everyone knows Liz. Everyone. But then Liz crashed her car, and things started to unravel, and people realize Liz Emerson's life isn't perfect, not by a long shot.

Physics has never been a favorite of mine, but I give kudos to Amy Zhang for using Physics to illustrate Liz's life and paint it using cause and effect, Newton's Laws, mass and acceleration, gravity and motion. Told in bits and pieces seven days before Liz attempted suicide, crashed her car and the days that followed, Falling Into Place pushes the readers to slide into what was behind the fragile facade that makes up Liz Emerson's life.

Taking a look in Liz's life is a powerful experience in itself. The layers come off piece by piece as we see Liz on her very best and her very worst, the cruel parts and the lonely parts, the pretense and the dreams, the innocence, the potential and the wishes, the things that led her to break people because she too is broken, and the things she did and wished she did to feel whole again, to just feel, to find meaning in her existence.There are a lot of broken people in this novel, and sadly some of them cannot be put back together, but there are others like Liam, who we find unlikely strength from.

It's a cheerless tale, laid bare to the readers in jumbled thoughts and messy emotions and the potent way that Amy Zhang has told this story in simple narrative is what made Falling Into Place a haunting, meaningful read. Sometimes we need to read a book like this, where we just need to look at things just a little bit closer, where we sometimes need to notice, because we might not know when a friend, the one who was always smiling and laughing, might be the one who needed our help the most. Your heart will give a painful lurch or two when you finish reading this novel. Falling Into Place is a gripping, significant debut that needs to be read by everyone.

Falling into Place is available in Fully Booked.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

The sad nature of this book and the heavy theme might not be suitable for most people, but it discusses a very important issue and presents a theme that we all need to be aware of, so I highly encourage people to read this. It'll definitely help provide an insight on what people going through tough times like Liz would feel and do, and what we in our part can do to help.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
That cover is deceptive, beautiful but there's more to it than meets the eye.

-----

Read this in a couple of hours and I am still stunned. Wow.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN A FINISHED COPY OF FALLING INTO PLACE!

Rules:

Open to Philippine residents only

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Must be 13 years or older

Ends 2/28

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[Blog Tour] Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

A world divided by blood and color. The Silvers who are the rulers and the Reds who follow, inferior, slaves. It was the way the world works, until a Red girl named Mare came along.

Title: Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Release Date: February 10th 2015
Published by: Harper Teen
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Mare just wants to escape. Having been born a Red, her only choice as she turns 18 is to serve in the military like her older brothers because she had no other talents. But Mare doesn't want that, and so she would do anything in her power to avoid it. But Mare doesn't have the money nor the ability to do so, the only way she can help feed her family is when she picks pockets. Until one day she meets a mysterious boy, compassionate enough to give her help in a way Mare couldn't forget. But the boy isn't what he seems, and when Mare finds herself working inside the palace, amidst the mighty and superior Silvers, Mare finds out that she might be something else entirely. And the boy who helped her? He happens to be the heir to the throne, the boy she can never have, even as she became a part of the family to protect her secret.

See, Red Queen had this hypnotic quality that just pulls you in the moment you start reading. Everything about this book intrigued me. Mare is a girl one can easily sympathize with, fierce and loyal to her family and right from the start she wanted something more for herself, to break free of the life given to her just because her blood runs red. Her strong personality became more evident especially when she found herself smack dab in the middle of the Royal family, and with her new found ability, she was tested over and over as she familiarizes herself with the very same people she hates: the Silvers, their world, the powers they possess, the rebellion, all while Mare tries to keep herself alive and protect herself as she tries to make the lives of her people, the Reds, better.

While reading Red Queen, I learned early to be wary like Mare, but no amount of vigilance and readiness prepared me for when I encountered Cal and Maven, Silvers and Princes, possessing great abilities harnessing the power of fire. An older brother with the burden of ruling a country divided, a younger sibling who has always existed in the shadow of the first born. They fought for attention and though their personalities are in total contrast with each other, there's much to love and admire on both brothers. That is, until conspiracies, secrets, hatred and betrayal got woven in the story. I loved how Victoria Aveyard managed to make me lose focus enough to not figure out which brother isn't what he really seemed. And boy, the shock I got when I figured it out was something that made me love this book more.

The author managed to build a believable world, full of strife and conflict, and there's a lot of elements worth discussing aside from Mare's complicated relationship with the Royal family. The world Mare sees, it's social hierarchy, the way the society functions under the premise of the superior ruling and subjugating the weak, where one's place in life is dictated with the color he/she bleeds, and the obvious disparity in life when it comes to privileges and power. There's this palpable impact seeing all of these through the eyes of someone who was once that, a Red and now suddenly a Silver as the readers get to see both sides of the story. Even Mare's struggles as she became someone who was neither of the two, still with that burning desire to right the wrongs done to her people is noteworthy. There's absolutely nothing in this book that isn't worth paying attention to, even the minor characters. (Officer Samos deserves a special mention!)

Red Queen is an addictive read. If the political or royal intrigue and family dynamics isn't enough to make your heart race, then the action scenes will. It's not so much about the explosions and uprisings, but the consequences and complications they create, and the impact they have on Mare who exists in a lie in order to live. Nothing is certain. People betray even those they hold dear, and death is always on their heels. No guarantees, no promises. It's a cruel, cut throat world, and I loved reading every single minute of it. Victoria Aveyard's debut novel convinces the readers of her talent and the potential for this book to become a hit is really high. Thoroughly enjoyable, with breath taking, heart breaking romance set in a fascinating, futuristic world, Red Queen is definitely a favorite of mine this early in the year!

One of the very few downside of this book? Waiting for the sequel. How do we past time now?

Content (plot, story flow, character):

This book could have been close to perfect were it not for that one aspect of Mare's personality that I didn't really like: that single minded desire to "avenge" her people, ignoring everything else which leads her to being an irrational person more often than not. Combine that with her complete inability to choose between Maven and Cal which caused her a lot of problems, that feeling of love consuming such a big part of her that she loses focus, until it was too late.
.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
This cover speaks volumes, and it makes so much sense when you read the story. What a perfect representation of the story as a whole.

I have extra content for the followers and readers of this blog! I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask Victoria one question. What is it? Check out the graphic below:

And if my review made you want to read the book, you can check out the video that the wonderful folks over at Epic Reads made to find out more about Red Queen:


Thank you so much to HarperCollins International for letting me be a part of this tour! Follow and check out the rest of the international tour stops by checking out the list below:

2/2 http://amaterasureads.blogspot.com (Philippines)

2/3 http://staybookish.net/ (Philippines)

2/4 http://ghostgrrrl.wordpress.com (Malaysia)

2/5 http://iliveforreading.blogspot.com (Singapore)

2/6 http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com (the Netherlands)

2/8 http://spellsaab.juice.ph/ (Philippines)

2/8 http://defiantlydeviant.blogspot.com (Philippines)

2/9 http://www.carinabooks.blogspot.com (Norway)

2/12 http://www.booksloveme.com/​ (Malaysia)

Review: Linked by Imogen Howson

A thrilling sci-fi read that swept me off my feet!

Title: Linked (Linked #1) by Imogen Howson
Release Date: August 1st 2013
Published by: Quercus
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

For years, Elissa has suffered nightmarish visions and unexplained bruises. Finally, she's promised a cure, and an operation is scheduled. But on the eve of the procedure, Elissa discovers the truth: she's seeing the world through another girl's eyes. A world filled with wires, machines and pain. Elissa follows her visions, only to find a battered, broken girl. A girl who looks exactly like her. A twin she never knew existed. Elissa and her twin Lin go on the run, but even after changing their looks and clothes, they're barely a step ahead of the government agents who are ruthlessly tracking them down. For Lin and Elissa are too valuable to let go, and the dark truth at the heart of it all is too shocking to risk exposing...

I have a twin, I am a twin myself so anything written that features twins will always be fascinating to me. How will they put a different spin on the fact that they're two children, born on the same day, might not be on the same time and might also not be of the same gender? And yet in Imogen Howson's Linked, the concept of twins is foreign. Wrong. Abnormal. And that in itself is what made this book so interesting.

Elissa had a condition where she had nightmares, faints, feels pain and she didn't know what caused it. And so when a doctor finally came up with a solution for her ailment, she was willing to go under the knife to make it stop. But what happens when Elissa's hallucinations turn out to be real? I love how everything in this story is mysterious from the get go, and you'll start wondering from page one what was happening to Elissa. And when you finally make a connection, it doesn't stop there. Who is this other person who looks just like her? Why was she locked away?

The contrast between the twins is very obvious. Elissa pushes Lin and Lin needed Elissa to push her. Elissa leads on and Lin follows, but by no means is she weaker than her twin. Though I hate the fact that Lin had to feel inferior all her life because she's a spare, Elissa's reaction, worries and fear felt genuine. She felt confused, scared, pitied Lin, but I love how she tried to understand her. How she gradually accepted her. And how, in her eyes, Lin is just like her, a human who deserves to be treated rightly and with respect.

The world building is solid for Linked, and it's easy for me to imagine what kind of world Elissa lives in. Planets terraforming, with technologies far advanced than what we have, all of these were explained by the author in great detail. Imogen Howson, aside from the solid world building, managed to showcase what it's like to live in Sekoia. It might be a high tech world, but the way society reacted to Elissa's condition and Lin being a Spare, something people do not readily understand, is still the same as the present. Everyone thought Elissa was an attention seeker, and Lin was treated as nothing more than dirt, even by her own mother. No matter how much civilization has progressed, humanity can still be cruel and judgmental to the things that are foreign to them.

Imogen Howson managed to write a novel balanced with just the right amount of thrill, suspense and a shot of unexpected romance set in a highly developed world. I have to say, I wasn't expecting the surprise the twins found out inside Phoenix. I also liked how unusual Cadan and Elissa's relationship was. That underlying current of romance amidst their prejudice and initial judgment of each other. I like Cadan because he's not the type of male lead you'll immediately swoon over. I was mostly irritated with him until the last 80 pages of the book. But he, along with Lin and Elissa, grew up and changed for the better.

Unlikely bonds, sisterly love leading to unpredicted discoveries, untimely romance, unexpected allies, conspiracies and sinister experiments all wrapped up in a neatly, nicely paced story. I breezed through Linked in a matter of hours! What a page turner! I randomly picked this book up from my shelf and I am just pleasantly surprised. Now I am craving to read the sequel!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

The one star off was: My initial dislike for Lin. I'm glad her behavior gradually got better but she was so unstable at times. Gradually recognizing that she too was human was something I liked and hated at the same time in this book. It was a painful process for her. Also, the timing for when Cadan and Elissa's feelings finally connected with each other? I thought that wasn't possible given the circumstances they were in. Will you really bother confessing when you're about to die? I thought that was out of character for both of them. But I'm a sucker for happy endings, so I'm okay with it. And when Lin finally met her father for the first time? That almost made me cry.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
The illustration of the twins on the cover helped me form a likeness for Lissa and Lin in my mind! Nice imagery for the twins!

ARC Review: Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann

Once in a while I get to read a book full of poems that has just the right amount of kick, sass and bite. This time it's a book called Poisoned Apples, and for good reason.

Title: Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann
Release Date: September 23rd 2014
Published by: Greenwillow Books
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Every little girl goes through her princess phase, whether she wants to be Snow White or Cinderella, Belle or Ariel. But then we grow up. And life is not a fairy tale.

Christine Heppermann's collection of fifty poems puts the ideals of fairy tales right beside the life of the modern teenage girl. With piercing truths reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson and Ellen Hopkins, this is a powerful and provocative book for every young woman. E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars, calls it "a bloody poetic attack on the beauty myth that's caustic, funny, and heartbreaking."

Cruelties come not just from wicked stepmothers, but also from ourselves. There are expectations, pressures, judgment, and criticism. Self-doubt and self-confidence. But there are also friends, and sisters, and a whole hell of a lot of power there for the taking. In fifty poems, Christine Heppermann confronts society head on. Using fairy tale characters and tropes, Poisoned Apples explores how girls are taught to think about themselves, their bodies, and their friends. The poems range from contemporary retellings to first-person accounts set within the original tales, and from deadly funny to deadly serious. Complemented throughout with black-and-white photographs from up-and-coming artists, this is a stunning and sophisticated book to be treasured, shared, and paged through again and again.

This book, filled with a collection of fifty poems, had an author's note towards the end. And I was struck hard by the first sentence. "If you find the dividing line between fairy tales and reality, let me know." Can you? Christine Heppermann has uniquely spun fifty poems that tackle such complex, dark and heavy themes like sex, bullying, eating disorders, body image and our society's standards of beauty thrown in a dizzying mix of fairy tales and classic stories.

What's noticeable about this is that heady combination of make believe and fairy tales that always calls out to our childhood and the biting, dark charm of the truths peppered in each and every poem the book has. It's not something you usually read. It's not something that is usually written about. The author bravely talks about things that not everyone wants to talk about, and it cuts right through you with each poem you read.

Christine Heppermann managed to shed light to a lot of important issues prevalent in our world right now, and she presents it as it is: harsh, ugly, biting, stone cold truths for everyone to read tucked inside various retellings of classic fairy tales and stories we've all grown up with. There is bound to be at least one poem which will call out to a reader in this wonderful, hard hitting collection of poems. Imagine all of those carefully constructed words paired with exquisite imagery? It gives the book such a haunting quality.

I can't say anything else as you have to read the poems for yourself, but you have to stop and think what it means to you and how fitting it is in the world we live in right now. It's such a marvel how much impact such short compositions can give to a reader. And to that, I say bravo the author.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Not everyone might be comfortable with a poem or two in the book, some are so dark and gritty, others made me feel conflicted and most make me feel funny, conflicted and sad inside. My favorites are: Photoshopped Poem, Gingerbread and Nature Lesson.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Perfect cover. It really conveys the book's message to the readers.

ARC Review: The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond

When an imaginative mind takes the what ifs and the possibilities and spin an amazing story out of it? Even better. This is why I love alternate universes.

Title: The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond
Release Date: September 30th 2014
Published by: Scholastic Press
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ms. Joyce!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

It's been nearly 80 years since the Allies lost WWII in a crushing defeat against Hitler's genetically engineered super soldiers. America has been carved up by the victors, and 16-year-old Zara lives a life of oppression in the Eastern America Territories. Under the iron rule of the Nazis, the government strives to maintain a master race, controlling everything from jobs to genetics. Despite her mixed heritage and hopeless social standing, Zara dreams of the free America she's only read about in banned books. A revolution is growing, and a rogue rebel group is plotting a deadly coup. Zara might hold the key to taking down the Führer for good, but it also might be the very thing that destroys her. Because what she has to offer the rebels is something she's spent her entire life hiding, under threat of immediate execution by the Nazis.

In this action-packed, heart-stopping novel of a terrifying reality that could have been, Zara must decide just how far she'll go for freedom.

The premise of the story was: "What if Hitler won World War II?". History used to be one of my favorite subjects back in high school, so this book immediately piqued my interest. What if THAT is our reality? Can you imagine a world where the Axis Powers took control of what's left of the world after they destroyed the Allies?

Zara lives in a world ruled by the German Empire. Life is hard for those left after the war has ended, it's even harder for Zara who is half-English but has half of Japanese blood running through her veins. She's a lesser person because she's a half, and the rest of the populace scorn and torment her for being a daughter of an Axis soldier. But Zara's mother died fighting for freedom which was still beyond reach, and she too wants to be free. It's easy for me to sympathize with Zara, for how she's treated and for what she sees in the world she lives in. I never once pitied her though, because right from the start you'll see a girl who wants to fight and use her abilities however she can to help achieve her dream of a free world, and be treated equally, no matter how dire the circumstances were for her.

I genuinely liked Bastian. It's quite a novelty to see him, a shy, awkward and awfully kind German boy, the son of a powerful military official, because he's the total opposite of how the world thinks he should be. He betrays expectations, and for good reason. I like how contrary he is, and with the way this novel is painted, he's such a welcome contrast. It's like he's the perfect representation of a small hope that not everyone is unkind. Though I would have liked him to be a bit more of a fighter, Bastian does good in saving Zara in his own way.

Caroline Tung Richmond immediately plunged me into a world permanently scarred by the war, torn into strategic lands ruled by the winners. The Germans rule, and they're a vicious master. You see the disparity of the life between the upper class and the Untermensch, the Mischlings. The world is built upon the cruelty of the German rule and their relentless, savage treatment of the populace. And then there's also the political unrest amidst the rulers themselves. It's a very grim world, and it was equal parts fascinating and terrifying to see the world reduced to that point.


There are characters in this book that you will immediately love, and I did, and the author just managed to break my heart for doing things to them. The short bursts of chaos turning into a full scale rebellion made my heart race and I enjoyed every minute as everything escalates into something big. Caroline Tung Richmond managed to inject just the right amount of suspense, tension and intrigue to an action packed storyline!

One of the biggest reasons why I love this book, aside from the solid re-imagining of an alternative world, is the romance. I must admit, I find myself wanting more than what transpired towards the end. Hopeful, yes, but I was thinking that both Bastian and Zara deserved something better than what they had. But maybe that's just one of the realities of war, a touch of realness added towards the end. The fight for freedom will not end just because they were both in love.

Caroline Tung Richmond fashioned a convincing, fascinating history of her own in The Only Thing to Fear. Zara's tale is an engrossing read from page one! She doesn't disappoint. What a strong debut for Caroline! I will definitely be on the look out for her new books!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I am desperate for a sequel for this book. Open endings are a treasure trove of possibilities for the story, but I want for Zara, Bastian and their quest for the freedom they want to continue! And I still feel a little bit underwhelmed with the romance.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Amazing cover!