Beautiful Nightmare: Some Dreams Become Your Reality by Ashley Marie Nestler

Long ago, the world suffered a terrible war, leaving behind only a select few hundred people. Believing that strong emotions fueled the war, those who survived created a town named Lunamoon, where each new human would be altered to be unable to feel emotion. 

They decide to choose only one man in each generation to be named the dream maker, and he would create dreams for everyone to tell them what their jobs and life outcomes would be.

The dream maker is able to live in solitude for the duration of his life, but the moment that the current dream maker is born, everything changes. Shawneleigh, a premature child was born with narcolepsy on the same day as the dream maker, lives on her own in the hospital. Through her sporadic sleeping spells and the connection they made at birth, she and the dream maker are able to connect through her dreams. They become friends, and then, fall in love.

Beautiful Nightmare is a tale of love and faith, showing how we can stand up for ourselves, while standing against those who want others to fail. For through it all, in the end, there is love.

First-time author, Ashley Marie Nestler, grew up in Westminster, Colorado. "I have lived right by the mountains all of my live, and the beauty really inspired me with this novel. 

Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/AshleyMarieNestler

Review: 

I have to point this out before  I say anything about the book. I found this out shortly before I started reading it. This is the author's debut novel, and she wrote it during her senior year of high school. Let that sink in for a minute. Think about what you were doing during high school. In my case, I was a super boring honor's student, scared about graduating high school and going to college. I have always loved to read and have, on occasion, fantasized about writing a book someday. However, I couldn't imagine my 17 year old self sitting down, putting pen to paper and finishing a whole novel, much less having the courage to publish it myself. Needless to say, I was super impressed before I even read the first sentence.

Now on to the book: the story has an interesting and unique premise - the people of Lunamoon's brains are altered when they are born, removing their emotions. While this is a great concept, I think the follow through could have been better. It seemed like there were too many inconsistencies and contradictions, and things that didn't make much sense. For example, for people that are supposed to be devoid of emotions, they sure are prone to experiencing some pretty strong emotions, like jealousy, rage, and for some, love.

Also, I don't understand at all why a sex scene was included in this book. The world as they know it is turned upside down, and they sneak into an empty hospital-ish room for a quickie, when she wasn't even aware what kissing was earlier in the book? I thought that this was kind of tasteless and am not sure what the point was. This could be just me, though.

The ending of this book totally threw me for a loop. There were some aspects thrown in there that I didn't think really fit in with the rest of the story. I don't want to give away an spoilers, but the ending seemed like a completely different book. To me, it seems like too many different plot lines were popping up that didn't mesh with the rest of the story.

However, overall, I definitely respect the author for writing this book and putting it out there. If this is what she accomplished during her senior year in high school, I would definitely like to see what she can do later in life. Although this book wasn't my favorite, I would definitely read another book that she writes!

I received a copy of this book for free, in exchange for an honest review.

Soul Finder by Jacinta Maree

Since being discovered as Soulless, Nadia has become a target for both terrorist groups and government corporations. Now, her only hope for survival rests in the hands of the man sent out to kill her: Diesel, the Mad Dog terrorist.

Diesel is determined to free himself of the never-ending curse of reincarnation and the haunting memories that plague his mind. But when his search leads him to Nadia, a greater desire stills him from taking her life. Unable to see into Diesel's cracking mind, Nadia instead puts her faith into his strength, fueled by eleven generations of unmatched rage and insanity. Their tight-rope relationship balances the two between life and death, love and rage, trust and betrayal.

Tension pulls at the hems of their dangerous companionship, and as time runs out all madmen must eventually make their choice.

Book two of the thrilling Immortal Gene series dives deeper into the danger of trusting your heart over your head. 

Review

I read Soulless, the first book in the Immortal Gene series and started on Soul Finder the same night. Overall, I really enjoyed the first book and was excited to see how the story progressed, especially with the HUGE cliffhanger the first book ends with. 

The only thing that I found a little disappointing was how Nadia goes from super strong and independent to dependent on Diesel. It seems like throughout a lot of the book, she struggles with her feelings of self-worth depending on Diesel's perception of her. I really would have liked for her to continue being as strong and confident while in a relationship with Diesel. However, the author does a good job at explaining the nuances of their relationship, even if I might have preferred things a bit differently.

Besides this, the book was very well-written, and the author does a great job of story building. The story also has a very unique concept.

Although I was super excited to move from the first book to the second, I am sad that I will have to wait to see what happens next.

Thank you, Xpresso Book Tours, for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour! I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Author Bio

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Jacinta Maree considers herself a chocoholic with an obsession with dragons, video gaming and Japan. She writes a variety of genres, including YA paranormal, steampunk, horror, new adult, dystopian and fantasy. Winner of 2014 Horror of the Year and Bestselling Author, Jacinta writes to bring enjoyment to others while fulfilling her own need to explore the weird and the impossible.

Author Links

http://jacintamaree.wix.com/jacintamaree

https://goodreads.com/author/show/6448929.Jacinta_Maree

https://facebook.com/jacinta.maree.10

https://twitter.com/jacintamaree6

Autonomy Blog Tour Review and Giveaway (INTL - Ends 11/3)

Balmoral Murraine works in a Battery, assembling devices she doesn't understand for starvation pay. Pasco Eborgerson is the pampered son of an Elite, trying to navigate the temptations of the Pleasure Houses, the self-sacrifice of the Faith, and the high-octane excitement of Steel Ball. They are two strangers, who should never have met, and now they will rip the world apart. 

What happens when ninety percent of the world lives on skaatch - a jellyfish and insect composite?

What happens when mankind spends more time in alternative life sims instead of the 'real' world?

What happens when economic interest is the sole determinant of global decision making?

What happens when a single secret is discovered that calls into question everything we have ever believed?

Welcome to the Autonomy. Welcome to your future.

First of all, I'm super excited to be a part of this blog tour and giveaway! Thank you Xpresso Book Tours!

Any book that starts with she "felt a pop between her legs followed by wetness" is bound to be interesting! When the next sentence talks about getting a bonus for hitting the baby quota, it had my attention... except, I am an idiot!

As I moved on to the second paragraph, I realized that it was not referring to a baby quota but describes finishing her shift to hit the quota before having the baby. (I thought about taking this part out of my review, but why not let someone else have a laugh t my stupidity? I do all the time!)

Balmoral was dealt a CRAPPY hand. From the second she was born, it kept hitting the fan. She was named Balmoral Murraine for heaven's sake! That was definitely not the name her parents picked for her. She never whines or complains, though. She just figures out a way to live the crappy life she was handed.

This book was awesome! It exceeded my expectations.

It has been refreshing to read YA books lately that have strong female characters that are not wrapped up in a cookie cutter love triangle of some type or super boy crazy.

I wasn't sure if there would be a sequel to this book, but the ending set up for one perfectly. I can't wait to see what happens next with Balmoral and Pasco! The only thing I'm upset about is how long I will have to wait to see what happens next!

Buy Autonomy Here:

 

Author Bio:
Jude Houghton developed a love of fantasy from a relatively early age after realizing an innate talent for making stuff up could result in something other than detention. Working across the glove in fields as diverse as journalism, data entry, sales, management consultancy and babysitting. Jude has partially succeeded in putting an English and History degree from Oxford University to good use. A somnambulist, insomniac, lover of letters, Jude writes late into the night, most nights, tumbling down the rabbit hole to dream of other lives. Jude currently lives in Pennsylvania with an over-enthusiastic family and absurdly entitled dog.

Giveaway Details:
5 copies of Autonomy by Jude Houghton
International - Ends November 3rd 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

True Grit meets The Road in this post-apocalyptic psychological thriller--narrated by a young girl who has just learned that her adopted father may be a serial killer, and that she may be his next victim.

In the remote wilds of a ravaged land, Elka has been raised by a man who isn't her father. Since finding her wandering in the woods when she was seven, he has taught her how to hunt, shoot, set snares and start fires--everything she needs to survive. All she knows of the world outside if gleaned from whispers of a cataclysmic even that turned the clock back on civilization by a hundred and fifty years and reduced governments and technology to shambles, leaving men at the mercy of the elements--and each other.

Everything changes when Elka learns that the man she has been calling father is harboring a terrible secret. Armed with nothing but her knife and her wiles, she decides to escape his clutches and sets out on a long journey to the frozen north in the hope of finding her long-lost parents.

But as the trail of blood and bodies grows in her path, Elka realizes that daddy won't be letting his little girl go without a fight. If she's going to survive, she'll have to turn and confront not just him, but the truth about what he's turned her into.

Not 5 minutes after I finish writing about how well the author of Spontaneous wrote about high school students spontaneously combusting without making it too icky, I started reading Wolf Road. The first paragraph of the book describes a man that has just killed a boy and still has blood on his knife and his scalp hanging from his belt. The irony was not lost on me, and I seriously wondered what I was getting myself into.

Let me first say (well, first after the lovely disclaimer above, warning you that this book may contain some gore), if you do not like reading books written in the dialect of the characters, you may not enjoy this book. The book is written in first person, and the main character was raised in the wild and talks like a hillbilly from way back when. Here is an examples from the first chapter:

Nana let out one a' her big signs. Seen other folks from Ridgeway sign like that, like they weren't just sick a' the person giving 'em ire, but sick a' the whole world what was full a' them.

The rest of the book follows suit, but I think it adds to the story. The dialect kind of reminded me of The Knife of Netter Letting Go (awesome book btw). Not using Elka's dialect would have made for a completely different reading experience, though. It would have taken away from the story and we would not have been able to get as clear of a picture of her and the world she lives in. 

I really enjoyed this book! I do have to admit that the last chapters were a little slow, but necessary to wrap everything up.

Overall, it was a GREAT book! It was well-written and had a wonderful story, and I hope to hear more from Elka, very soon!

I love that Elka is a strong, independent woman, and the book doesn't focus on any romantic relationships. She's got much more important things to worry about! You do not have to read about her falling in love with an unlikely choice or her conflicting feelings about two boys that are total opposites but equally compatible with her. I'm not knocking those books. I like some of them, but I hate that it seems to be the recipe for waaaay too many YA books nowadays. 

This book is not like any other YA book that I've ever read. It is completely original and definitely work a read!

I receive this book from the publishers, via Blogging for Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Check out my GoodReads review!

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

A darkly funny and spectacularly original exploration of friendship, goodbyes - and spontaneous combustion.

Mara Carlyle's senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until-wa-bam!-a fellow senior, Katelyn Ogden, explodes during third period pre-calc.

Katelyn is the first, but she won't be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara's suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.

Whip-smart and blunt, Mara narrates the end of their world as she knows it while trying to make it to graduation in one piece. It's an explosive year punctuated by romance, quarantine, lifelong friendship, hallucinogenic mushrooms, bloggers, ice cream trucks, 'Snooze Button™,' Bon Jovi, and the filthiest language you've ever heard from the President of the United States.

Aaron Starmer rewrites the rule book with Spontaneous. But beneath the outrageous is a ridiculously funny, super honest, and truly moving exemplar of the absurd and raw truths of being a teenager in the 21st century...and the heartache of saying goodbye.

Let me first say that this book grabs your attention, right off the bat. The first sentence describes a girl blowing up in her pre-calc class and how the janitor "probably figures he's only have to scrub guts off one whiteboard this year."

I requested this book a few months ago. However, there was an issue with the download link that took a while to resolve and get a new one. So, it inevitably got pushed way back on my TBR list, and by the time I started reading it, I'll admit that I forgot what it was supposed to be about

The book starts with Katelyn, the super-smart, weed-smoking senior blowing up in the middle of class. The news blames terrorists, at first, because she was Turkish, even though both of her parents were born in the US and no one else was hurt and nothing else even remotely explosive was found.

It wasn't Mara's "year to blow things up. It was her year to blog things off, perhaps her last change in her lie to say 'f*** it.' It was a lot of people's last chance to say 'f*** it,' as it turns out."

This book is written in first person, as if the main character is speaking directly to the reader. Here is how her senior year starts out: Once Katelyn blows up in pre-cal, another student blows up in the therapy group intended to make the students who saw the first "explosion" feel better. Needless to say, therapy was cancelled indefinitely.

This book was hilarious!  Even things that would usually be mundane details are funny in this book. The author had me cracking up through the whole book!

I really enjoyed this book, but I'm not sure what I think about the ending. I get what the author was going for, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It wasn't that I didn't like it, I just thought it should end differently, not that I can tell you how it should have ended differently... Maybe I just wanted everything wrapped up nice and tidy, with a pretty bow. Maybe he's leaving an option for a sequel... That, I would be happy with. 

While it might not have been the ending I would have chosen, I totally wasn't expecting it, and I do love a surprise ending!

Overall, this book was awesome and funny and super creative. I would encourage anyone who wants to laugh*, but isn't afraid of a little spontaneous combustion, to read this book!**

*Disclaimer: If you do not like reading books with curse words, this book will probably upset you. I think it added to the humor, but it will probably piss some people off. 

**Also, I must clarify that although the book talks about some occurrences that are pretty icky, it doesn't go into explicit detail about the gore that goes along with spontaneous combustion. Compared to the Library at Mount Char, this might as well be a Disney story. The gore in that one really sticks with you... Is it strange that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED that book, even though some of it really grossed me out? Sorry, off topic....

TL;DR: Read Spontaneous. You'll laugh, you might cry, but you (probably) won't want to puke.

I received this book from the publishers, via First to Read, in exchange for my honest review.

Check out my GoodReads review!

Irena's Children: Young Readers Edition (Review) by Tilar J. Mazzeo & Mary Cronk Farrell

From New York Times bestselling author Tilar Mazzeo comes the extraordinary and long-forgotten story of Irena Sendler -- the 'female Oskar Schindler' -- who took staggering risks to save 2,500 chidren from death and deportation in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II -- now adapted for a younger audience.

Irena Sendler was a young Polish woman living in Warsaw during World War II with an incredible story of survival and selflessness. And she's been long forgotten by history.

Until now.

This young readers edition of Irena's Children tells Irena's unbelievable story set during one of the worst times in modern history. With guts of steel and unfaltering bravery, Irena smuggled thousands of chldren out of the walled Jewish ghetto in toolboxes and coffins, snuck them under overcoats at checkpoints, and slipped them through the dank sewers and into secret passages that left to abandoned buildings, where she convinced her friends and underground resistance network to hide them.

In this heroic tale of survival and resilience in the face of impossible odds, Tilar Mazzeo and adapter Mary Cronk Farrell share the true story of this bold and brave woman, overlooked by history, who risked her life to save innocent children from the horrors of the Holocaust. 

I have read several books about people who were sent to concentration camps during World War II, but I haven't read a book that focuses on the people who helped those being persecuted and subject to atrocities at the hands of the Nazis. And after reading this book, I have no clue why not!

Note from the author: "Some parts of the story are so terrible, I didn't want to write them, they might be sad and painful for you to read. But if we don't know abut the Nazi's brutality, we can't begin to understand Irena's journey."

This book is an edition designed for young readers. However, it is an enjoyable read for all ages. It was an especially good read for someone who didn't know anything about Irena and her brave acts during the war.

Irena was younger than me when the war started. When I think about what I was doing and what my mindset was at the same age that she was doing AMAZING things and saving lives... smh *sigh*

Before the war, Irena worked at a social welfare office that ran soup kitchens all over Warsaw. When she could no longer help people with the soup kitchens, she recruited her friends to help save children from being killed by the Nazis.

I am sad that more people don't know Irena's story. The end of the book explains a little about why that is, thought.

After WWII, the Soviet's didn't like Irena and her group that worked so hard to save OVER 2,500 CHILDREN. So, her story was buried and wasn't dug up until 1999, when a group of American teenagers produced a play for their high school about Irena's life, called Life in a Jar.

More people should learn this part about what was going on during WWII! Lots of people have heard the story of brave people who hid from the Nazis and escaped death, but Irena and her friends did not hide. They risked their lives on a daily basis, stood up to the Nazis and played their game, often outsmarting them to help save lives.

Irena Sendler was a short, blond woman that the Nazis, and most others that met her, underestimated. This, combined with her intelligence, courage and compassion, led to saving over 2,500 children.

This book was EXCELLENT, and I recommend it to absolutely everyone. It is touching, inspiring, and a great, quick and easy read.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Children of Icarus by Caighlan Smith

It is Clara who is desperate to enter the labyrinth and it is Clara who is bright, strong and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It is no surprise when she is chosen, But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end.

This book was pretty awesome! It kept me guessing. I couldn't guess what was going to happen next, and I love it when that happens. 

However, the main character made me really angry quite a few times throughout the book! She could have made everything so much easier if she wasn't such a wimp. Although she pulls herself together a little bit more as the book goes on, she seems pretty weak throughout the book. I like it better when authors depict strong lead female characters. I'm just hoping that she ends up being the strong hero as the series goes on.

Disclaimer: This book is not for the squeamish. There are a couple of parts that made me feel a little sick, but it's not pointless gore. Even though there were some 'ewwww' moments, I was ok with it, because it contributed to the story in a big way.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series! I hope the author does a good job at progressing the characters and the labyrinth, and I think this was a wonderful beginning to what can be a great series!

I received this book from the publishers, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. 

Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.
After all, she was a normal American herself once.

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father.

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out that much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.

Now, Father is missing--perhaps even dead--and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own.

But Carolyn has accounted for this.

And Carolyn has a plan.

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling--and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy.

THIS IS ONE OF MY NEW FAVORITE BOOKS!

Imagine if Chuck Palahnuik started writing YA Fantasy....

Yeah, I know! How AMAZING would that be?!?!?!

This book has a little bit of everything... It's funny, it's got bits of fantasy, a little sci-fi, some historical fiction, a YA feel...

"That's the risk on working to be a dangerous person," she said. There's always the chance you'll run into someone who's better at it than you."

"Steve didn't like the stairs, It bothered him that they hung in midair, unsupported. Steve said this 'weirded him out.'

This wasn't surprising. The list of things that Steve found objectionable was long and growing. It included the Library itself ('How can the furniture hang on the ceiling like that? It's creepy.'); the jade floor ('Jade isn't supposed to glow.'); the apothecary ('What the hell is this thins? I' m out of here.'); the armory (David's trophies made him throw up); the Pelapi language (It sounds like cats fighting); her robes ('Did you borrow those from Death?' She hadn't.); and, of course, Carolyn herself."

Yes, it can get a bit graphic in places, and if you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip a few bits here and there (and everywhere).

I had never heard of Scott Hawkins before, but I am super happy that I came across this gem on Blogging for Books! I will certainly be on the lookout for future work from Scott Hawkins, and I can only pray that he will write a sequel.

DISCLAIMER: If you do not like weird, you will not like this. This book has some serious weirdness, and I loved it!

I received this book from the publishers via Blogging for Books, in exchange for an honest review.