2015/03/15

Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1)

Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1)
Gates of Thread and Stone Summary:
In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Gates of Thread and Stone Review:

This book was okay. There was a lot of hype about this novel and the cover is beautiful so I was expecting some great things. It sadly didn't live up. The author did her best to try to make the ideas work together and to show the the heroine was a very strong and independent character. The opposite showed. The ideas were there but they lacked the continuity that they needed and there seemed to be parts of the story that were missing. Some ideas were taken out of the story and they were brought back into the story and few scenes later. They were meant to be mind blowing but the ideas needed some more depth to make them work.

There was also a large amount of characters. They kept popping in when the story needed them but most of them lacked depth and didn't last more than a few scenes. I did enjoy Avan though. It's an original name and he was a guy filled with character. He was a little flat at first but as the story progressed you saw his true character. He was protective, a gentlemen and a very good friend. He was a person that everyone would want as a friend. Only problem was that he was a little too forgiving about Kai. She was the person that I couldn't agree with. Kai had the premise to become a very interesting character but she fell flat a lot throughout the story. She was continuously using Avan and denying her feelings for him. This wouldn't be that bad except that she blamed him for her love but would not stop talking about him. She also had the power to manipulate time but hardly ever used. It was an imaginatively creative idea yet the power hardly played a role in the novel. On the other hand, I liked how she had a relatable past. Kai had a completely unforgettable back story that was portrayed with skill. She a good story that motivated her to do what she was. Only if she could have developed more as a character. Reev I would have loved to see more of and I hope we get a lot more of him in the later books.

Another good thing was the mythology. What an interesting idea. I would have liked to see it play out more in the story but I'm hoping that it will play a much bigger part of the next novel. It was quite nice at the end of the novel that all the pieces fit together and create this story. I will gladly read the next book to see how her story continues.

Thanks you Netgalley for letting me read this novel for an Honest Review!

2015/03/03

One Last Song


One Last SongOne Last Song Summary:
I was seven when I swallowed my first needle.My mom freaked out and rushed me to the emergency room.

She stayed by my side all night.

I never wanted it to end.

When you spend your whole life feeling invisible-when your parents care more about deals and deadlines than they do about you-you find ways of making people take notice. Little things at first. Then bigger. It's scary how fast it grows. Then one day something happens that makes you want to stop. To get better. To be better. And for the first time, you understand what it's like to feel whole, happy . . . loved. For the first time, you love someone back.

For me, that someone was Drew.

One Last Song Review:
One Last Song. What an amazing book! I got through it within a few hours. Five I think. It's very different from the books I read because of the genres. I usually read paranormal because of the action, horror, mystery maybe even some plain romance. But this was a little bit out of the boundaries. And I am very glad that I read this book.

Saylor Garson is a character to remember. I have never heard of anyone with her disorder and that put a very wild spin on the book. I found myself drawn into her ideas, struggles and her life. She was alone and I felt her pain, when she was with Drew I felt her love and happiness. "I was falling for this scared, lonely, broken, brave man who sang songs about secrets." I nearly cried when I read this line both from happiness and from sadness. Drew was truly a brave soul and I found it so sad to think that the wouldn't get their own happy ending (I am a romantic at heart). He was an original character that had a depth that many characters these days lack. None of the scenes or struggles were sugar coated and I was glad that the problems were faced head on. The characters themselves were eye openers to diseases and disorders that I didn't know existed. And how the human spirit can prevail. The characters had their moments of inspiration and were very realistic.

This book had a vibe kind of like The Fault In Our Stars, although I prefer this much more. Maybe because no one spoiled it or the characters were more real. I fell in love with this book from the way Saylor hurt herself, to the strength inside of Drew. The ending could have been done a bit slower and there were some very, very minor plot issues but overall the book was amazing. I really loved it, recommend this to anyone who will give this book a try and I'm so happy that I got to read this book!

Thanks you Netgalley for letting me read this novel for an honest review!