Unblemished

Unblemished by Sara Ella
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

If I could give partial star ratings, I would. This book, for me, is somewhere between two and three stars. It was hard for me to get into at first, which makes it difficult for me to continue reading, but I stuck with it. As the story progressed, and knowledge about Reflections came to light, I became more invested in the story line. The author seemed to pick up speed once everyone was out of New York.

By the time I finished the book, I was ready to read the other two books in the series as soon as possible, which is a good sign. If the first book in a series doesn't grab the reader, it doesn't matter how great the other books are.

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

Author: Sara Ella
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: 11 Oct 2016

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School of the Dead

School of the Dead by Avi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy guacamole, I don't care how old you are, School of the Dead will have you hooked. I was not prepared for how intense this book was. I thought I knew what to expect from Avi, but I was wrong, I did not expect this.

To me, the best part of the book is that like the main character, Tony, you don't really know who is telling the truth. In this case, trusting the wrong people could prove deadly. I appreciated the books POV. It wouldn't have had the same feel if the narrator had been all knowing. The reader needs to learn everything with Tony to keep the suspense and mystery going. Knowing who Tony should trust from the beginning would have made the book flat and difficult to finish.

Author: Avi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 2016

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Sheets

Sheets by Brenna Thummler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to read this book on a whim, and I'm so glad I did. Sheets is an adorable children's book that talks to people of all ages. There are parts of this book that are completely fantasy, and other parts so anchored in reality you can see yourself in Marjorie's shoes. It's the juxtaposition between fantasy and reality that pulls the reader in. We all want to see good defeat evil and friendship prevail no matter what type of situation a character may be in.

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

Author: Brenna Thummler
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors / Lion Forge
Publication Date: 28 Aug 2018

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City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Cassandra Clare is good at being unpredictable in her writing. Her books pull you in and keep you guessing. They fit well into the YA category of books, but don't transfer into adult reading well. I think that this would be different if you had read this series as a teenager.

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Momo Freaks Out

Momo Freaks Out by Samone Bos
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Momo Freaks Out was a blog that made into a book. For those of us in America, think something along the lines of
There is plenty of humor and real life, which makes the book something everyone can relate to at some point in their life.

This is a good book to read when you feel like your world is going crazy, it can help put things into perspective. Having not read the blog before reading this book, I feel like I had a harder time getting into it than I would have otherwise. On the flip side, I now want to take a vacation with the author and her family.

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

Author: Samone Bos
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Australia
Publication Date: 2017

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It's Only Stanley

It's Only Stanley by Jon Agee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's only Stanley is a cute children's book that asks the important question, What is Stanley doing? While the family tries to sleep, Stanley is up to something, but they don't know what until it is too late to stop him.

I found this book enjoyable. At the same time, I'm wondering why the people didn't question what was going on a little more. I know it's a children's book, so it doesn't matter, but still, inquiring minds want to know.

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To Look a Nazi in the Eye

To Look a Nazi in the Eye: A Teen's Account of a War Criminal Trial by Kathy Kacer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To Look a Nazi in the Eye was a pretty intense book. I have always devoured books on the Holocaust, but there is a different tone to books like this one. While this book is about the Holocaust, it is more about the question of how culpable were all of the SS. Is the soldier who handled luggage off the cattle cars just as responsible for what happened as the guards forcing people into the gas chambers? This book goes through the war trial of one of the SS soldiers, asking how culpable was he, and how do you handle a trial where the events happened decades earlier.

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

Author: Kathy Kacer
Publisher: Second Story Press
Publication Date: 2017

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Shame Nation

Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate by Sue Scheff
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Shame Nation reads like a modern horror story. It shows how quickly a persons life can be change forever with one misstep on the internet. There is a lot of good advice throughout the book to help readers avoid the pitfalls that others have found themselves in, which makes it a great reference book. That being said, I don't think I would read this book again cover-to-cover. As a reference, it provides the reader with plenty of resources they can go to if they find themselves needing help.

Shame Nation is a great reminder that the internet is forever. Our future may be decided by something we wrote as a teenager.

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

Author: Sue Scheff
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: 2017

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