Lock & Mori by Heather Petty: A Book Review

Title: Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori #1)
Author: Heather W. Petty
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Retelling
Release Date: November 1st 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students—one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James “Mori” Moriarty—meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart.

Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more…

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London’s Regent’s Park. The police have no leads.

FACT: Miss James “Mori” Moriarty and Sherlock “Lock” Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.

FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.

FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock’s one rule—they must share every clue with each other—Mori is keeping secrets.

OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can’t trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.

I'm a huge Sherlock fan. So it went without saying that I needed to read this book. Although, now that I have read it, I have mixed feelings about it. 

I thought it was a clever take on the classic Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty relationship. Having them play the opposite sex, with a love/hate type feeling coming from Mori towards Sherlock. Does she like him? Does she not like him? I can tell you that Mori had a lot of personal demons in this book that she was unwilling to let go of from the start. A lot of hatred building up inside her as well.

The story was alright. The reader gets a lot of back story and flashbacks that seems to blend too much with the current story or drone on and on. One point we were in the present and then a memory comes up and 2 pages later we are back to the present. Another point the past blended with the present and you didn't know where you were. This, I was not a fan of whatsoever. The story also was pretty predictable from the first murder on. I pretty much saw where all this was going right away, which I like to be guessing for a while instead of being hit with it right away.

All in all I have to give this 3 stars simply for creativity. However, I will not be revisiting the rest of the series.

YA author of the LOCK & MORI series (available from S&S BFYR). Awkward Witch of the Forest. High Cat Lady of Reno. Kdrama addiction specialist.

Find Heather: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine: A Book Review

Title: Prince of Shadows
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: NAL
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Retelling
Release Date: February 4th 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In the Houses of Montague and Capulet, there is only one goal: power. The boys are born to fight and die for honor and—if they survive—marry for influence and money, not love. The girls are assets, to be spent wisely. Their wishes are of no import. Their fates are written on the day they are born.

Benvolio Montague, cousin to Romeo, knows all this. He expects to die for his cousin, for his house, but a spark of rebellion still lives inside him. At night, he is the Prince of Shadows, the greatest thief in Verona—and he risks all as he steals from House Capulet. In doing so, he sets eyes on convent-bound Rosaline, and a terrible curse begins that will claim the lives of many in Verona…

… And will rewrite all their fates, forever.

So I really have to say that I loved this book. It was a great retelling of the classic Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. So be fair warned before you read this. If you aren't a fan of Romeo and Juliet or at least open to the possibility, then this book probably isn't for you. 

I have had a love for Romeo and Juliet since we were forced to read it in school. The teacher made us sit through the movie as well. (Which let's say is probably the only time I didn't skip his class lol). So when I saw this, I knew I had to read it. This also opened me up to this great author even more than I already was.

This tale we get to take a look at Romeo's cousin, Benvolio and see what kind of life he lives. We are taken through and getting a feel for how close he is with his cousin and his best friend, Mercutio. We get to see him as the allusive Prince of Shadows, who doesn't rob from the rich and give to the poor, but takes from the unjust and punishes them in other ways, by humiliating them for being "robbed" from the Prince of Shadows. However, things take a turn when Ben meets the beautiful and well forgotten cousin to Juliet. 

So we still have the ultimate family feud, heartache, love and even curses. What's not to love about this?

Rachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of more than 40 novels, including the Great Library series, Prince of Shadows, the Weather Warden series, the Outcast Season series, the Revivalist series, and the Morganville Vampires series.

Find Rachel: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog by Ralph Hardy Review

Title: Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog
Author: Ralph Hardy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Middle Grade, Retelling
Release Date: May 31st 2016
Source: NightOwl Reviews
Purchase: Amazon

From a compelling new voice in middle grade comes a reimagination of The Odyssey told from the point of view of Odysseus’s loyal dog—a thrilling tale of loyalty, determination, and adventure.

For twenty years, the great hero Odysseus struggles to return to Ithaka. After ten years beneath the walls of Troy, he begins the long journey back home. He defeats monsters. He outsmarts the Cyclops. He battles the gods. He struggles to survive and do whatever it takes to reunite with his family.

And what of that family—his devoted wife, Penelope; his young son, Telemachos; his dog, Argos? For those twenty years, they wait, unsure if they will ever see Odysseus again. But Argos has found a way to track his master. Any animal who sets foot or wing on Ithaka brings him news of Odysseus’s voyage—and hope that one day his master will return. Meanwhile, Argos watches over his master’s family and protects them from the dangers that surround a throne without its king.

I absolutely loved this book. I will admit at first it was strange reading from a dogs POV, but once I started getting further into the book the more and more I enjoyed it. I actually found myself looking up some of the gods online to see who they were.

The characters were highly likable and Argos was one character you couldn't help falling in love with. He had such devotion and loyalty to his master Odysseus, even after the 20+ years he had been gone. The tales he learned from fellow animals such as birds and sea turtles was incredible. 

I highly recommend this book to ages 8 and up.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Ralph Hardy graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in English and received his MFA from Columbia College, Chicago. He now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife and children and a dog named Harvey, who is nothing like Argos. He is the author of The Cheetah Diaries, Lefty, and a number of short stories.

Find Ralph: Website | Facebook

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Blog Tour: Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross #Review @RockstarBkTours @thesarahcross #PromoSpot #Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross blog tour!

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

If you want to live happily ever after, first you have to stay alive.

Viv knows there’s no escaping her fairy-tale curse. One day her beautiful stepmother will feed her a poison apple or convince her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Henley, to hunt her down and cut out her heart before she breaks his. In the city of Beau Rivage, some princesses are destined to be prey.

But then Viv receives an invitation to the exclusive club where the Twelve Dancing Princesses twirl away their nights. There she meets Jasper, an underworld prince who seems to have everything—but what he really wants is her. He vows to save her from her dark fate if she’ll join him and be his queen.

All Viv has to do is tear herself away from the huntsman boy who still holds her heart. Then she might live to see if happily ever after is a promise the prince can keep. But is life as an underworld queen worth sacrificing the true love that might kill her?

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?

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3 Star Review: Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross @EgmontUSA @thesarahcross #BookReview #Giveaway

Title: Tear You Apart (Beau Rivage)
Author: Sarah Cross
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Genre: Teen, Fantasy, Retelling
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase: Amazon

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

If you want to live happily ever after, first you have to stay alive.

Viv knows there’s no escaping her fairy-tale curse. One day her beautiful stepmother will feed her a poison apple or convince her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Henley, to hunt her down and cut out her heart before she breaks his. In the city of Beau Rivage, some princesses are destined to be prey.

But then Viv receives an invitation to the exclusive club where the Twelve Dancing Princesses twirl away their nights. There she meets Jasper, an underworld prince who seems to have everything—but what he really wants is her. He vows to save her from her dark fate if she’ll join him and be his queen.

All Viv has to do is tear herself away from the huntsman boy who still holds her heart. Then she might live to see if happily ever after is a promise the prince can keep. But is life as an underworld queen worth sacrificing the true love that might kill her?

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?

I recently read Kill Me Softly, which is the companion novel to this one. It is set before this one so you kind of get a feel for some of the characters in this one. However, the characters seem slightly different to me from that one to this one. For instance, in the first one, Viv and Henley seem like they like each other but in the same sense they can't stand each other. You can tell she is using him. As to where in this one, they are in love with each other and play on that even though they are broke up. And so starts the jealousy and fear factor of the Snow White fairy tale tie-in.

This one also ties in at least 3 different fairy tales and a slight hint towards another one. We read about the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Rumpelstiltskin and Snow White. Plus we get a little introduction to Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk (which I would personally love to read about next, along with a few others).

You also get to see Viv as a total bitch, plus you can see her sweet and loving side as well as her forgiving side. It seemed that no matter how badly she was treated by certain people, it was those people who she ultimately ended up loving the most.

All in all, this was a pretty decent book. I'm giving it 3 hearts due to the confusing character personalities (the transition between Kill Me Softly and Tear You Apart). However, I still can't wait to read the next addition to the Beau Rivage fairy tales.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*

Sarah Cross is the author of the fairy tale novels Kill Me Softly and Tear You Apart (coming January 2015), the superhero novel Dull Boy, and the Wolverine comic "The Adamantium Diaries." She loves fairy tales, lowbrow art, secret identities and silence.

Find Sarah: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads | Tumblr.

One US winner will receive my ARC of Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross.
Winner has 48 hrs to respond to email.

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5 Star Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige @daniellempaige @crossroadreviews

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Series: Dorothy Must Die #1
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Re-Telling, Teen, Fantasy
Release Date: April 1, 2014

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

 Dorothy Must Die was a very imaginative re-telling of the famous Wizard of OZ. It took you on the darker side of OZ and the darker side of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow, even Glinda.

Amy has spent most of her life taking care of her mom and trying to stay invisible at school. Until one day where she is expelled for something that she didn't even start and a freak tornado takes her on an unforgettable trip into OZ.

For me, this book was pretty awesome. I always loved the story of OZ and this re-telling was right up my alley. It had some horrific characters, amazing witches, romance, doubting and action. I really can't wait to see what happens next.

Danielle lives in NY. Before turning to YA, she worked in television & was nominated for several Daytime Emmy's. Dorothy Must Die is her first novel.

Find Danielle: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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3 star review: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross #BookReview @EgmontUSA @thesarahcross

Title: Kill Me Softly (Beau Rivage #1)
Author: Sarah Cross
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Genre: Retelling, Teen, Fantasy
Release Date: April 10, 2012
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | B&N

Summary from Goodreads:

When Mirabelle runs away from her godmothers to Beau Rivage, the city where she was born, she hopes to discover answers about her parents' tragic death. Instead, she finds a group of unusual teenagers, each with a fairy-tale curse. In this strange seaside city, scenarios from fairy tales are played out over and over, and Mira has her own part in the drama: she's a "Somnolent," doomed to prick her finger and fall into an enchanted sleep like Sleeping Beauty. The problem is she's not interested in the charming (but slightly boring) "prince" who is fated to be her romantic counterpart. Mira is much more attracted to suave, handsome Felix, who bears a curse he can't, or won't, explain to her.

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{Review} Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Title: Strands of Bronze and Gold
Author: Jane Nickerson
Publisher: Random House Children's
Genre: Historical, Retelling, Young Adult
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Source: Random Buzzers
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | B&N | Kobo

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

I will admit, I have never ever read anything to do with Bluebeard but have heard talk about him. So I sort of know a few stories. So, when I went into this, I had no expectations or hopes that it would be like the actual stories, which probably made this a little easier to read.

To be honest, this actually started off slow for me. And when I say slow, I mean, I read the first chapter and put it up thinking I wouldn't come back to it, ever. But, a few months later and I found myself swiping my fingers over the spine and pulling it off the book shelf to read again. Glad I decided to try again. I found myself getting caught up in Sophia's life and rolling my eyes and hating Bernard de Cressac.

Sophia was a girl of seventeen and had moved in with her godfather due to the death of her father. At first she thought that her life was grand and couldn't imagine anything better. But she soon discovered the dark secrets that were laid to rest at Wyndriven Abbey and found herself searching for a way out.

Sophia's character was very likable, she was young and naive, which made her all the more real. She had ideals of what life should be like and missed her family very much. She grew up a lot throughout the course of the book and became a very strong individual, which I found agreeable.

Bernard was a very lustful character. He believed in riches and power and believed that his controlling behavior and tempers were for the best. He was a very jealous individual. He was everything that you love to hate. And believe me, I hated him immensely.

The story was quite interesting, however, I did anticipate the ending a little and some of the course of events. I do wish that this book had a few surprise twists so it wasn't as predictable. But it was still a really great read and I recommend it to readers who enjoy re-tellings.

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Waiting on Wednesday #WoW @harperteen @daniellempaige

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads which I can't wait to get my hands on.

This week my book is: 

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Release date: April 1st 2014

Pre-order your copy today:
Amazon | TBD | B&N | Kobo 

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I've been trained to fight. And I have a mission: Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage. Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

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{Review} Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet (Scarlet #1)
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Children's
Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Fantasy
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | Kobo | B&N

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Scarlet was one of those books that took me by surprise actually. I remember it was one of those books I simply couldn't wait to get my hands on just because of the cover. (Yes, I pick out books based on covers mostly.) I remember wanting to read it really badly and then the thrill was over for me. I don't know why, I guess I got consumed with all the other books that I had piling up. Then, one day this past week, it was just staring me in the face and I knew that I had to dust it off and start reading it. Very glad that I did.

I have always like the fact of Robin Hood. You know, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. He was always so valiant and brooding.  I grew up watching the Disney movie and saw the movies Robin Hood: Men In Tights (one too many times) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (absolutely loved Christian Slater in this movie). I have always wanted to read the stories about Robin Hood however.

I liked how the writer put a twist on Will Scarlet. I didn't expect Scarlet to be who she was in the end though. I also expected a different ending to the story, but was glad that the ending I had in mind didn't happen.

The characters were likable. I really enjoyed Robin's character and Scarlet's. They were both so strong in their own ways, but it was the character of Much I enjoyed so much more. He wasn't the brute strength to the band and he wasn't the mad scientist type. He was the calmer, more reserved type person. And he wanted to be so much more than what he was. I truly admired him in this book.

The story was pretty great. I especially liked how the sheriff was far more darker then the movies made him out to be. Would love to know how the original book made him out. Gisbourne was a nice twist to the tale and so was the true identity of Scarlet. Reading the dialect throughout the book made me feel like I was living it and speaking it. I imagined Sherwood Forest like this huge area with nothing but tree houses and ropes swings. But maybe that's because I watched the movies too much.

I highly recommend this book to people ages 14 and up, who loved excitement and adventure.

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Review: Beauty by Nancy Ohlin

Title: Beauty
Author: Nancy Ohlin
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult, Retelling
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Source: from publisher for review
Purchase: TBD | Amazon

Looks to kill for...

Ana is nothing like her glamorous mother, Queen Veda, whose hair is black as ravens and whose lips are red as roses. Alas, Queen Veda loathes anyone whose beauty dares to rival her own—including her daughter.

And despite Ana’s attempts to be plain to earn her mother’s affection, she’s sent away to the kingdom’s exclusive boarding school.

At the Academy, Ana is devastated when her only friend abandons her for the popular girls. Isolated and alone, Ana resolves to look like a true princess to earn the acceptance she desires.

But when she uncovers the dangerous secret that makes all of the girls at the Academy so gorgeous, just how far will Ana go to fit in?

I have always been a fan of retellings (as I'm sure you have heard me say before), so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. And let's face it, the cover is beautiful!

Beauty is a retelling of the classic Snow White. But instead of being a wicked step-mother, it's a wicked mother who becomes jealous of her daughter's beauty. And Ana will do anything for her mother's approval, even if it means she needs to become hideous. But when the Beauty Consultant informs Queen Veda that her daughter will still surpass her in beauty she decides it's time to send her daughter away to a boarding school.

The characters were great! I really liked the relationship that Ana had with Pell. They have such a strong friendship, even when times are tough and things start to strain at their friendship, they always seem to pull through. 

Ana also loved her mother the Queen, very much and was always trying to please her. They had a more unconventional bond. Although Ana was alienated by her mother, she still loved her and still desperately tried to win her approval.

The story was quite good, however, very predictable. I could see where the direction of the story was going halfway through the book as soon as her friend, Pell, was accepted to a boarding school. I did wish to read more of what happened at the end of the book, instead the reader was kind of left hanging a little.

All in all, this was a great first novel for Nancy Ohlin and I cannot wait to read more. I would recommend this for anyone ages 14 and up.

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