Book Review: Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 9780385744256
Pages: 355
Series: Nightmares! #1
Source: Gift

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sleeping has never been so scary. And now waking up is even worse!
 Charlie Laird has several problems.  1. His dad married a woman he is sure moonlights as a witch.2. He had to move into her purple mansion, which is NOT a place you want to find yourself after dark.3. He can’t remember the last time sleeping wasn’t a nightmarish prospect. Like even a nap.  What Charlie doesn’t know is that his problems are about to get a whole lot more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night’s sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world—that’s a line that should never be crossed. And when your worst nightmares start to come true . . . well, that’s something only Charlie can face. And he’s going to need all the help he can get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird. For good.

My Review:

What a fun book! This was a gift from my daughter seeing as she knows how much I love to read and how much I love Jason Segel (mostly from How I Met Your Mother). I don't know how much of this was written by him and not Kirsten Miller but it was a fun read no matter what.
Charlie is going through a rough patch in his life right now, and on top of dealing with all of that, he cannot sleep without falling into a terrifying nightmare that eventually becomes a living nightmare. What I really liked about this book is that as a 29 year old reading this, I was taken back to my best childhood memories. I felt like a kid again! I read this book with a smile on my face, and I seriously wanted to make a fort and read it late at night with a flashlight! I think this book would appeal to so many others. Young and old alike. And maybe even for younger kids, it may be a little frightening! It had great friendships and it overcame obstacles. I can't wait to read The Sleepwalk Tonic, Nightmares #2, and I just found out in late 2016, The Lost Lullaby, Nightmares #3 is due to be published! Get ready to be spooked!

Book Review: True by Hilary Duff

Publish Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0857-9
Pages: 304
Series: Elixir, #3
Source: ARC from publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:

Following the harrowing events of Elixir and Devoted—and the ceremony that almost killed Sage—Clea faces a new reality: With Sage’s soul in Nico’s body, the love of her life looks an awful lot like her best friend’s boyfriend. Can Clea and Sage really be happy under these circumstances?
Clea wants to try to enjoy their new life together, but Sage is acting different—angry—and she struggles to keep her friends from finding out what has happened to him. Something is clearly haunting Sage, and Clea is losing control. Can she trust her friends with the dangerous truth, or will she have to risk losing Sage to madness?

My Review:

I still find it hard to believe, but Hilary Duff is an author and she wrote this series and pulled off a pretty good trilogy. The Elixir novels were intense, romantic and intriguing. We never knew what would happen next and I enjoyed that. In True, book #3, we finally see the fate of Clea and Sage. Are they finally together for life or did the ceremony from Devoted end Sage's life forever? If you've read Elixir and Devoted then it's crucial that you finish the series and read True.

Sage is alive through Nico's body and this was the hardest part for me. That was Clea's best friends boyfriend who is now dead, but can be seen walking around, but it's not him. It was just hard to wrap my head around that, and be okay with it. 
Sage is now dealing with anger issues from being inside Nicos body, and has become a violent person with episodes here and there and he's forgetting things that have just happened and Clea doesn't know why this is happening. She is determined to bring out the old Sage, her soul mate, the kind hearted Sage we all knew. Can she does this alone? Can she trust her friends to support her and help Sage? The ending of True will have you re-thinking the loyalties of all of the characters in this series and with the back and forth POV's of Clea and Rayna you will see things differently. How does Rayna feel now that her boyfriend has left the earth but his body remains? These are all new issues that will be dealt with in the final conclusion of Hilary Duff's Elixir Series.

Book Review: Savor by Megan Duncan and Author Interview!

Publish Date: September 28, 2011
Publisher: Megan Duncan
ISBN: 9781466159211
Pages: ebook, 183
Series: Warm Delicacy. #1
Source: From author for honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:
When Claire Miller turned eighteen all she wanted to do was celebrate her birthday, but after a night on the town with her best friend she awakes to a visitor she never expected. The rulers of her region, a vampire royal family, have chosen her to be turned as their new heir and vampire princess. In a world fueled by the power of blood, Claire quickly discovers the vampire royal family is not what they seem and that she has secrets in her past, she never knew existed.

My Review:
Claire turns 18, goes to donate blood which is the norm when you're governed by vampires. She get's her donor card, and soon realizes that her blood is pure, and she will be reigning over as a princess.
My first thought while reading this, is that Claire is not hesitant at all to become a vampire princess. She totally accepts that she may never see her friends and her mother again and she's fine with that. But then we see that Claire was never really that close to her mother and it makes a bit more sense. But i just couldn't quite comprehend her dropping everything as quickly as she did and starting a new, and very different lifestyle. I think there should have been a little more back story about the relationship Claire has with her mother, or lack of relationship and maybe it would have pieced it together a bit more for me. Claire is not the most up to date with her vampire history either. Admitting that she never paid attention in school. It was hard to imagine her being a princess in the vampire royal family without knowing anything about them. She still believed that vampires had no reflection and they were afraid of garlic, which we soon learn is not the case. I think these two things made me a little apprehensive about the novel at first. I just wished for more background and maybe if Claire was a vampire know-it-all or something, then turned out she was completely wrong abut everything, and faced the horrible truths about the vampire world - but maybe that wouldn't work for the whole series and is clearly not where Megan Duncan wanted the story to go, which is why I'm just a reviewer, not an author.

Once I got passed these minor details, and I accepted that Claire could accept being a vampire princess, I enjoyed Savor. The story line was very interesting, seeing as vampires are the norm and the Rulers, and humans accept them was refreshing to read. Claire is a fun little character, though Robin definitely stood out more to me. She's a fun-loving, kind vampire who would do anything for her friend as we see in her and Claire's developing friendship. Robin knows a lot about the vampire history and is the one who is there for Claire throughout her transformation and gives her the scoop on all the princess duties. We meet Dmitry, a vampire who can literally make you swoon over him . He's a fun, charming vampire with whom Claire immediately falls for, and it's great seeing their relationship develop. Their interactions are easy and he brings out confidence in Claire that she didn't always have.
Near the end of Savor, a lot changes and Megan Duncan reveals that the vampire princess has to go through a ritual that has not been done in ages since it was never deemed necessary, until now. And due to a riot that breaks out and puts the vampire world in danger, this one little notion will change so many things in Claire's new vampire world and I cannot wait to read book #2 to see where things will be headed. 

Author Interview

Hi Megan, thanks so much for coming to my blog and doing an interview with me!

Stellar Book Blog: What inspired you to write Savor?

Megan Duncan: It was actually the main character, Claire. She was the first person that came to mind when I first thought up the series. I wanted to create this realm for a girl, who grew up in a world ruled by Vampires. I didn't want them to live in hiding like they do in most all books. In my mind, Vampires are powerful, and it made sense to me that they would reign over humans; even rule over them as a royal family.

SBB: Why vampires? Have you always wanted to write a vampire story?

MD: Most definitely. I've read tons and tons of Vampire stories and have always wanted to write one, but I held back until I felt I came up with an original idea.

SBB: Describe the Warm Delicacy series in one sentence. Get us hooked!

MD: When vampires rule the world, blood must be shed and when your enemy is immortal; the battle never ends.

SBB: Did you have to do any research for Savor, or is everything straight from your head?

MD: The only research I did was to see if there were any stories like mine out there. My main goal was to create a vampire story that hadn't been told a dozen times over. I wanted, more than anything, for my book to be unique.

SBB: When writing Savor, did you know exactly where your book was headed? Did your characters surprise you in any way and steer you in a different direction?

MD: I started writing Savor on a whim when the idea hit me. I was watching something on TV and the story just popped into my brain, so I grabbed my laptop and started writing. Having only a vague idea of where I wanted to go I just let my characters do their thing, and allowed this new world to grow on its own. It was lots of fun.

SBB: Did you always want to be an author? What would you be if you weren't an author?

MD: Oh yes, I've wanted to be an author since the 4th grade. But, if I weren't, I would want to be a graphic artist. I love the cover design part of being an indie author.

SBB: What do you like most about being a YA author?

MD: I absolutely love hearing back from readers when they tell me how much they love a certain character or story. Getting their feedback really drives me forward and makes what I do all the more rewarding.

SBB: You're a self-published author, was the journey what you thought it would be? Why or why not.

MD: Nope not at all, but I'm still happy I did it. In some ways its harder, and in others it is easier.

SBB: What, if any, are your writing habits? 

MD: My writing habits are strange and tend to change with each book. Since I'm currently writing the next installment in my Dystopia series I am writing at night a lot, mostly in my living room in the dark with either Supernatural on the television or some other scary movie or show.

SBB: Grwoing up, did you read a lot? If so, what were your favourite books?

MD: I read a ton growing up, and my favorite books were by Anne McCaffrey. I love her Dragonriders of Pern series, and Acorna Universe. Simply amazing!

And just for fun, if you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? 

MD: Anne McCaffrey! Her stories inspired me so much and I'd love to know what inspired her.

Thank you so much for coming to my blog and taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. I really appreciate  it, and had lots of fun!

Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Goodreads 

Be sure to check out Megan Duncan's Warm Delicacy series if you're looking for a fun twist on your typical vampire story, or if you're just looking for a good read!

Book Review: Elixir by Hilary Duff

Publish Date: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
ISBN: 978-0-8570-7054-8
Pages: 330
Series: Elixir, #1
Source: Bought
Goodreads Synopsis:
Clea Raymond is a talented photojournalist and the daughter of high-profile parents. Usually she's in total control of her camera, but after Clea's father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and handsome young man begin to appear in Clea's photos--a man she has never seen in her life. When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned--and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future--and their lives.

My Review:
I had a hard time taking Elixir serious. I kept waiting for that key point - 'Oh right, what was I thinking reading this? Hilary Duff wrote it!' - Maybe I was being completely judgmental  but that's what I was thinking reading this. I kept remembering of the old Hilary Duff - you know, Lizzie McGuire, then pop star - and I thought there's no way she can now be a best-selling author of a YA Paranormal/Fantasy series.(actor-> singer -> author -> what next?) But that key point never happened, I finished the book, and enjoyed every part of it!
Clea keeps seeing this guy show up in her photos. At first, she writes it off as a security measure seeing as her mother is in politics, and is always trying to protect Clea and keep her safe. After multiple dreams featuring this mysterious guy and hours of studying these pictures, Clea finds one where the guy seems to be  floating and Clea knows this is not possible. So she digs deeper and gets some help of her best friend, Ben. Together, they uncover that this is what Clea's dad had been studying (he's missing), and after traveling around the world together, Ben and Clea try to unlock the secrets of this mysterious Elixir of life and find out who keeps appearing in Clea's photos, also trying to piece together the disappearance of her father. When we finally meet the guy in the picture, a character named Sage, things start going in a different direction, Clea is drawn to him in a way no one can understand.
Clea, even though a daughter of a politician and world renowned surgeon, who can travel around the world whenever she wants, and vacations in the hot spots of Paris and so on, is a character that readers can relate to. She's still just a teenager who likes being with her friends and loves dancing and the scene with Ben and her in Rio on the beach is proof of that. Sage is mysterious, and yet endearing and I always felt the need to know more about him. Ben, a young and smart guy is a real sweet and amiable character who will put anything on the line to help and protect Clea. Duff's writing was alright. she put a lot of description is her work and was able to pull readers in. There's a lot of information just left hanging there so book #2 is a must-read!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Book Review: Envy by Elizabeth Miles

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: Sept 4th, 2012
Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2221-6
Series: The Fury Trilogy, book #2
Source: ARC from publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:
The Furies are back in the second book of a chilling paranormal trilogy where revenge rules the day—and “sorry” isn’t going to cut it. Spring is coming, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath.
Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her.
Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all…
It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

My Review:
Envy follows the lives of Em, Drea, JD and others from the first novel in this trilogy, Fury (my review here). We are reunited with these characters along with Ali, Ty and Meg, the beautiful 'cousins', also known to destroy the lives of others because they are Furies. Beautiful girls who wreak havoc on those who have wronged someone. The wrath they dealt out continues when the new girl in town, Skylar becomes close friends with Meg. Skylar moves to Ascension to start her life again and make the most of it. She had a tough life where she was always in the shadow of her sister and now she's ready to become popular and have people notice her. Skylar, being the new girl meets Gabby, the girl who is super nice to everyone and right away the click. They become good friends and Skylar is happy. That is until one of the Furies tries to ruin it all and put ideas into Skylar's head, that may change everything.
Envy is written so that each chapter focuses on a different social group per se, though the all overlap and intertwine. Em, from book #1 is trying her hardest to explain her situation with JD, whom she has finally admitted feelings for. But he feels betrayed and hurt and cannot fathom ever forgiving her for what he thinks happened. Meanwhile, Em is trying to put a stop to the Furies and finds out some things along the way that may or may not be the answer. And this new Crow character, there's something to him that I just cannot wait to read about in book #3. I'm eager to find out more about this mysterious high school drop out.
I really enjoyed Envy, more so than Fury. This book was written better with more character development and more depth. Overall, Envy was just more enjoyable. And I'm happy to see that we are getting some answers and some explanation with the history and background of these ladies who are out to get you. There was definitely a creepy feel to the book. Envy will seep into your mind and haunt you well into the night. It's just that kind of good!