Siren’s Song by Heather McCollum

13 May 2014 2 Comments

by Amy in 5 Stars, General, Romance, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , ,

Today I am very excited to share with you my review of the young adult paranormal/romance Siren’s Song by Heather McCollum as part of the blog tour hosted by Spencer Hill Press. Links to purchase the book and find our more information on Heather and the book are after the review.

Goodreads badgePublished: March 25th 2014
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 376
Format: ebook via Netgalley
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Jule Welsh can sing. She enthralls people with her bel canto voice. But it takes more than practice to reach her level of exquisite song; it takes siren’s blood running through her veins. Jule is starting her senior year at Cougar Creek High when her relatively normal world begins to resemble a roller coaster flying through a carnival scare house. Her mother is diagnosed as insane and committed, a psycho-stalker is snapping pictures of her to put into his homemade Jule-shrine, her voice is suddenly putting people into comatose trances, oh and the gorgeous new guy in town, Luke Whitmore, is interested in her . . . but also wants to kill her.

I am going to be vague and secretive because I don’t want to give anything away because finding out is the best part of this book so you’ve been warned.

I adored this book, I simply adored it. There is no other way to explain it. The story McCollum has written is one that is filled with mystery and intrigue, and a brilliant combination of magic and reality that brings this paranormal romance to life.

From the beginning I was enthralled by the narrative and I fell in love with the characters. There is an ideal balance of secrecy and unanswered questions that tease you as you read and as we follow Jule in her experiences we learn as she does, though we are also not told everything either.

The paranormal element McCollum has in this book is excellent, the siren aspect is wonderful on its own but couple with everything else it’s marvellous. There is an excellent balance between the paranormal and the real, there is no domination of either and while the paranormal plays a large part in what is happening through the story, we are not actually given a large or overloaded exploration of it either. With first person narration by Jule this is understandable, but even when it becomes more prominent story wise, we are given exactly what we need to know in order to understand the story and the history of events, just as Jule is to understand what is happening around her.

Having only read a few paranormal romances I didn’t know what to expect but at the same time I had an expectation in mind. This, I am pleased to say, was nothing like what McCollum delivered. I have nothing against other paranormal romances, as I say I’ve really enjoyed a few, but for me the paranormal side of this young adult novel was fresh and new, certainly unexpected and brilliantly executed.

Initially I thought that Jule was not asking enough questions in the beginning when she saw strange things, I certainly thought some things required asking for an explanation, but as the story progressed I started to understand the possible reasons why. If like Jule you live your life not believing in the impossible or magical, then you may not recognise it immediately. Logic takes over and you use real world examples to explain away what you heard or saw, and while it may seem odd, your mind does not assume it is supernatural.

What I found interesting was that when Jule does discover the truth she is quite accepting. After a reasonable yet quite restrained reaction to what she finds out, she then listens quietly and doesn’t react as you expect. She asks direct questions, establishing the validity in what she is being told and doesn’t let them go unanswered or avoided. Her determination is what I love about her, she isn’t passively accepting things around her but she is willing. I think this understanding is helped by the fact there is clear evidence to substantiate the claims being made and while Jule remains wary on the surface she can’t help but believe what she sees. Though to her credit, while she seems to believe the circumstances around her, there is an underlying scepticism that rears its head every now and then as she doubts what she’s been told. This questioning is also evident regarding her connection with Luke. With all the facts behind her she does not assume that everything is as it appears and what feels real may be masked by magic and short term.

Her understanding of the magical elements in her life was not lost on her and while she goes along with these feelings for Luke she never forgets that they may not be real or everlasting. This is just another reason why Jules is a wonderful character. Her friendships and her common sense are excellent tools in this story, but she also has a sense of responsibility and she is willing to do things for the greater good.

Each of McCollum’s characters are excellent and intriguing, they pull you into their world and lives so completely you struggle to leave. Each character is their own entire person, and through their actions, their relationship with others, as well as what is said and left unsaid we are shown a great sense of who they are which only adds to the story as a whole. When the characters in a story feel complete and real, regardless of their role played, you can find yourself having pity and sympathy for characters with even the smallest part. It is truly wonderful.

I think one of the reasons I was kept up until three and four in the morning reading this book was the fact I didn’t want to stop and I needed to see where the story was headed and what was going to happen. I think if I’d had the time I definitely would have happily read it in one sitting, though having the excitement drawn out over a few days made it that little bit better.

There are some of the best sentences in the book as well. Two of my absolute favourites are “Loved with obsessive devotion, hated with barely controlled fury” and “The bravest warriors scream inside while fighting for what’s right”. The way McCollum tells this story is filled with suspense and secrets and wonderful explanations. They are unique, creative, and the ideal balance that makes then filled with tension and drama and the kind of writing that makes you gasp with excitement and your heart pound with uncertainty.

The conversations and dialogue are great through the book. There is just something about Luke’s portrayal as a character and the dialogue he delivers that is divine. Even the characters pick up on it, he is clever and funny, and he knows the right thing to say in the right moment with the touch of humour and restraint that make it so enjoyable to read.

There is humour threaded through this story which makes it fun to read. There is a humour that comes from characters that have had a long time to accept their situation and there is also a humour where the newly initiated try and make things less terrifying than they appear, a way to diffuse the tension. This is equalled beautifully by the serious moments that grab your attention so suddenly that you aren’t sure what is happening until you’re halfway through it. This is where McCollum excels, through the exquisite depiction of power and danger, magic and love, friendship and family. The kind of amazing writing and narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat, sitting upright in bed, holding your breath while still managing to squeal and gasp as you read.

The reason this book was hard to put down was the fact McCollum has created a novel that not only pulls you long by the strength of her characters, but also with a plot that will not let you walk away willingly. The desire to keep going, to find out the secrets, and see how it is resolved is powerful and one I found very hard to ignore. Siren’s Song captures the beauty, the danger, and the seemingly mundane into a story that stays with you even after that last page.

 In honour of the release of Siren’s Song, Heather is giving away two One Direction lawn tickets to the 28th September show in Charlotte, NC. You can read the Terms and Conditions and enter through Rafflecopter here

 

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Runaway Joe by David Hight

15 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, General Tags: , , ,

Published: February 8th, 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Self Published
Format: Ebook
Genre: Literary Fiction
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

Note: I was asked for a review by the author

Runaway Joe is the story of a young drifter who has isolated himself from the rest of humanity, both physically and emotionally. Until in the summer of 1972, he meets an exceptional young woman, who introduces him to the magic and power of theatre, taking him on a journey through his own mind, and healing his spirit in the process. 
There’s a huge cast of characters that revolve around Joe’s story, and they’ll guide you through tales that run the gamut of human emotion and ethics. 
Tragedy and sorrow, as well as triumph and joy are well represented. Grace and elegance, compassion and courtesy are there too. But it’s not all flowers and sunshine, there’s despair so deep, it’s crippling, there is maliciousness, manipulation, unconscionable villainy and horrifying insanity. 

 

The story is about Joe, Vietnam Vet, now a wanderer who sells arrowheads and artifacts he finds in his travels. We’re introduced to Joe as he is heading to the east coast of America, hoping to arrive alongside a mystery letter he has mailed. Through the early chapters we grow to understand Joe through his reflections and flashbacks on his father and his childhood and we begin to understand who he is and why he is in the situation he’s in. These are very powerful chapters I felt, as they show the relationship and impact a parent can have on their child, as well as the lessons that stay with them years later.

Understanding who Joe is entirely is revealed in snippets as he chats to people who offer him a lift or through further reflections, flashbacks, and conversations sparked by events around him. The types of people and the conversations that happen with those who offer Joe a lift are certainly interesting; some people are very open in discussing their entire lives, while others are a key reason why no one should ever hitchhike. Ever.

Writing about the past is no doubt a hard task, trying to write about an era that has already happened with the knowledge and history of the years afterwards influencing how something is written. The social changes and opinions of the present day are established and by talking about the past the tendency to add a philosophical and prophetic tone to the narrative is tempting and it can also make it appear too reflective.

From early on there are many philosophical discussions and moments with characters, between Joe and his father, with Joe and strangers who offers him lifts, and eventually between Joe, Tom, and Laura, a father and daughter he gets to know after arriving in a small town. These discussions were an interesting aspect, for some characters it suited the context and worked well, while others seems out of place, either because of the character speaking or the context.

Whether it is the 70s setting, the United States location, or the literary fiction genre, I found the dialogue on occasion slightly tedious. I thought that sometimes the characters were saying more things than were necessary and occasionally it sounded out of character or unnatural as a realistic conversational tone.  Character conversations often sound like narrative rather than believable conversation, especially when it does not always uphold this tone throughout. In doing so it makes the characters seem more than what they are portrayed to be, and when it returns to normal conversation it reads as stilted, I never got comfortable with the conversation tone that was depicted, no matter how casual it was intended to sound. I will admit though that like the philosophical discussions, these in-depth and detailed long conversations worked with some people and scenes and not with others.

Joe is usually very reserved but speaks with experience from what he has seen, and on occasion with an acceptable ignorance, Tom on the other hand speaks in a way that I thought didn’t suit his nature, for a man who holds many jobs in a small town he was often preachy and spoke like someone who knew everything about the world. Though being Police Chief, Judge, as well as running a farm could be explained for Tom’s manner, seeing what he does and having age and experience on his side, but with an air of judgement in his subtle lectures to Joe it always felt slightly patronising.

This highly philosophical and in-depth style of conversation worked well for Tom’s daughter Laura though. I saw her as a girl who was very talkative and passionate, very much the philosophical 70s girl who was going to university to be a playwright and actor and was going to be a star. After awhile the intense dialogue and philosophy lessens and conversations become slightly more natural though remain occasionally stiff and stilted. I never felt entirely convinced that there was a casual nature in the conversations but this perhaps could just be a result of genre.

The plot covers a short space of time, slightly longer if you included the extensive flashback in the middle, and in this space of time the development and evolution of Joe’s character is evident. Under the guise of Laura producing her play for the town we see changes in Joe, influenced by the theatre and the lessons learnt through Tom’s guidance and see him on the verge of becoming the man we are greeted with in the opening pages. He is a seemingly calm person but there is a darkness about him that gets him into trouble and as we see him change there are no quick solutions but an eagerness to try and redemption is clearly visible.

With the understanding this is a literary fiction book, which of course comes with certain tropes and expectations, some of these were a bit too prominent I found. In terms of narrative there was a lot of description, not even necessarily about certain people and their clothes which is common, but more in terms of actions. Every action was mentioned, often in extreme detail, and what could be told in a sentence was dragged out, almost tediously sometimes.

One aspect I found interesting was Laura’s play within the story. I find it rather commendable when authors include other unrelated stories within their stories, the act of creating not one workable story but another entirely different one within it is no doubt a challenge. They are also interesting to assess for quality, is it based on how good the reader thinks it is, or as we supposed to be influenced by how it is received by other characters in the book? Either way, the use of the play was a great marker as it allowed a lot of events and character developments on all sides to stem from this one event.

Overall I enjoyed the story. I understand the intention Hight was going for and the nature of the message that was trying to be conveyed, and in some respects I feel these were achieved, but overshadowed perhaps by difficult dialogue expression, over description, and maybe too little plot expansion, and quick fixes and explanations in some cases.

Sun Damage (Sunshine #3) by Nikki Rae

28 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Romance, Sunshine Series, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Published: March 28th 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Self Published
Format: eBook
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal/Romance
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Note: I was asked for a review by the author

Sun Damage_ebooklgLife wasn’t what Sophie was expecting, so why should death be any different? 

She’s come back from swimming between the two, and every problem she left is still there. And then some.

There’s the human world, where she has a brother on the verge of ruins, band mates all set to go on tour, and people she thought she wouldn’t be seeing for a long time showing up.

Then there’s her new world, where she’s seeing and hearing things that should not be heard or seen. Where Myles knows more about her than she could have ever guessed. She still doesn’t know exactly why Michael is tormenting her, but somehow, everything is connected.

The monsters are closing in on all sides and the question is, will Sophie be able to defeat them before it all ends?

 

The final book of The Sunshine Series was everything I have come to expect from Nikki Rae. The storytelling was filled with emotion, excitement, and an engagement that ensured you invested everything in the characters and story you were being told.

Sun Damage follows on from where Sun Poisoned left off to in-part quell all the anticipation Rae left us with last time. But do not expect any immediate solutions, one of my favourite things Rae does is give us a realistic environment amongst this paranormal world. Illness and injury needs time to repair and life goes on. The balance and struggle between the normal and paranormal is shown through the tour Sophie and her band go on, and we also see how Sophie is coping with all that has happened to her.

The continuity and the connection this series has to its past books is part of its charm. The life and relationship of Sophie and her friends is established and we only see more of it exposed and develop through the series. A key difference from previous books is that we get to see Myles’ point of view in addition to Sophie’s, an act which adds a whole other level to the story we’re given and have been told.

Because the story is told from both Myles and Sophie’s perspective, we do get a further insight into Myles’ character, but what you realise as more is revealed throughout the book, is that Myles is keeping secrets from the reader as much as he is withholding from Sophie. We don’t gain a lot of additional information by seeing things as Myles sees them, though what we’re given is significant. While we learn some things in advance, others are hidden until it is time for Sophie to know, until a time when the story requires it.

And you could analyse it and ask questions about more information but you don’t need it, there is just enough to explain, just enough to make it work in the context, and just enough to make you ok that there are some small mysteries in the world. More is explained vaguely and without direct reference than anything else which was fantastic, it’s explained to readers, probably to Sophie as well, without the need for it to be addressed directly. Even the characters don’t try to know everything, they just do the best they can in the situations they find themselves in. That is why it works, we accept their acceptance and you really do seem to understand everything with the explanations provided and what has played out.

I have to say, Sophie in this was a joy to read, we’ve seen how Rae expresses Sophie’s confusion and emotion previously, but what Sophie goes through, what she experiences and feels through this book is fantastic and half of the enjoyment from this book I got from getting caught up in Sophie and the actions and events around her.

There are key sentences that make your ears prick up and you go, “ooo that’s interesting” while there are others that cause you to gasp and read mouth agape. From page one Rae can change everything in a single sentence that alters what you thought you knew and then when you resettle she will spark a new series of questions a few chapters later with another single line. Your heart jumps as you make assumptions, knowing there is a full chance they may come true based on past experience and books. You cannot help but gasp with excitement and wonder and you find yourself being pulled along by these characters, flying through the pages, dragged along by the interest and investment in their lives and the world around them. It’s exhilarating, even when the narrative pace is slow.

Pace is once again wonderful, properly wonderful. The mystery and the continual issues that Sophie faces are wonderful. There is no instant solution, but nor it is drawn out so far that you tire of the problem either. Everything is new, and you see new sides of many characters and watch them become confused and pained as they all try and help. And truly, we all need a Jade in our life, we really do. From the moment the book starts until the end, reading about Jade was one the real joys of this book, and has been through the whole series.

I didn’t talk much if at all about the lyrics that open each chapter in my past reviews. They suit so perfectly to each corresponding chapter, they do in all the books but I noticed it especially in this one. And as usual noticing a few familiar and favourite bands is always a bonus. The music is also a key factor in the series, not just as a plot point but as an escape for Sophie. Her piano and music convey and calm her emotions really well and we gain an understanding of the role it plays in her life.

There is so much I could rave about in this book. I got to a point when I was just enjoying the story and engaged so much with the characters and I remembered I was supposed to be reviewing it and I couldn’t just keep blindly enjoying it, I had to find some faults. So I sat there and thought about the scene, and I thought about the few that came before it and I couldn’t find any so you keep going. Then at the next moment of emotions and exhilaration I forced myself to pause and go, there must be some fault, don’t praise it for no true reason, but I couldn’t and gave up trying.

I’m not a complete fool, I understand books are not to everyone’s tastes and I think if anywhere the ending may be where there is some contention. Personally I loved it, I had a long think about it and I really do. There is a line in there from Sophie that makes you understand why it is ok. Seeing how Rae has created this series, seen where it has come from, seen how Sophie has evolved, this final book is the best ending it could have been given. I think the way Rae builds us up to it, as well as the information and experience we have had with the other books, it is understandable how it comes to the conclusion it does.

I’m sure someone will find negatives, they always do, but I enjoyed this book a lot. Throughout this book, and the whole series to be honest, you get swept up in characters and they pull you along, you get involved in the story and the untold conversations and hidden mysteries you didn’t even know were there. Filled with moments of excited gasps and stifled noises of delight and excitement Sun Damage is definitely a fitting end to the series.

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