Hello, dearings! I’m alive yet again =D I have been making some solid progress on my readings, which brings us here today: MORE MINI REVIEWS! This time, our theme is Edgar Allan Poe, as I’m reading this pretty and giant book with his main works =) I’m not done yet, hence the ‘part 1’ deal, haha!
Just remembering that the mini reviews deal is a combination of inspirations from Cait, of The Paper Fury, and from Lindsey, of @thepagemistress, and that I do those with books that: a) I really liked, but the book didn’t change my life; b) regardless of my feelings, were too short for a complete review; c) regardless of my feelings, weren’t unforgettable.
In this post, you’ll find mini reviews for these Edgar Allan Poe’s books:
Hello, world! I’m back with another edition of the Mini Reviews and, this time, our theme is Young Adult books! YAAAY!
Just remembering that the mini reviews deal is a combination of inspirations from Cait, of The Paper Fury, and from Lindsey, of @thepagemistress, and that I do those with books that: a) were good, but weren’t unforgettable; b) were too short for a complete review; c) I really liked, but the book didn’t change my life.
In this post, you’ll find mini reviews for:
Madeleine Roux – The Scarlets (The Asylum #1.5)
Madeleine Roux – Catacomb (The Asylum #3)
Rainbow Rowell – Kindred Spirits
Sarah J. Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Sara Shepard – The Perfectionists (The Perfectionists #1)
(Alternative title: HOLLY F*, THE CREEPS. ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE! =OOOOOO)
Hello to you that decided it was a good time to seat and read a review! Or not sit, but happily scroll down through your phone. Oh, well. Welcome to you, no matter if you are seated, on your feet or laid down. My only piece of advice before cutting the crap and start talking about today’s book is: do not read this with the lights off. You know, safety matters and all. Thanks!
Without further ado, today I took the day to review a DELICIOUS book that I received from the author in exchange for an honest review: Black Water Tales: The Unwated, from JeanNicole Rivers! Technically, this is the second book in the series, but they are totally unrelated to each other, so I will just treat is as a standalone 🙂 Thanks so much for sending me your book, JeanNicole! I don’t have the words to describe what it meant to me! Actually I kind of do, as I am writing all about my feels for the book as we speak, but never mind that.
Blaire Baker is one of those people who is in a serious need to find a purpose in life. Which better way than to volunteer herself to teach special children at a poor orphanage in eastern Europe? St. Sebastian sounds like the perfect place to escape her problems and make herself useful, maybe even changing some lives for good. Paired up with Travis, a funny and easy-going nurse on the same mission as her, Blaire heads to Borslav to start her life.
She knew not to expect a nice looking place or even healthy children, but nothing prepared Blaire to the eerie creeps that St. Sebastian gave her. She also wasn’t prepared to deal with emotionless and stoic children that couldn’t care less what happened around them. Or even to hear so many whispers about the basement.
As if caring for those lost children wasn’t already a big deal, Blaire also started to be haunted by her own past. She would have to fight her own demons before trying to dig up the mysteries around the night noises and voices of St. Sebastian.
The only question is… Will she survive long enough for that?
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂
DEAR HEAVENS, WHERE DO I BEGIN?! This book scared me on a whole new level. I admit not being an avid reader of terror books so far in my life, but NOT A SINGLE BOOK THAT CAME BEFORE THIS ONE WRACKED ME SO HARD! Nearing the end, I would shiver in broad daylight, with the sun on my back and many people around me, feeling utterly alone in the world. As I finished it on a very crowded subway station, I kept looking over my shoulder, being sure that ~something~ was watching for me, if you know what I mean. I only avoided a panic attack because I managed to run home and burn my energy. And when I say run, I mean it. I must have looked absolutely crazy, because I only stopped to cross streets and to enter my building… Oh well, it happens to the best of us. For all those sensations, that are priceless on their own twisted way, A MILLION STARTS FOR THIS BOOK!
The narrative had to be my favorite style: third person with switching points of view between Blaire and Travis. As both them are oblivious to the things that really happen at the orphanage, the narrative choice fit as a glove. Even when one of them discovered something else, we all kept in the dark (quite literally) about what was real and what was paranoid delusion. In the end of the book, I truly didn’t know any more if things were actually happening of if it was a glitch from one of their minds. Rivers plays with your mind that hard.
The plot was all kinds of brilliant. I admit that the story starts off a little slow with Blaire going to Borslav with Travis, but as soon as they step on St. Sebastian for the first time, you are doomed. It’s a mix of morbid curiosity with pure agony that makes you go on. You want to see these poor children winning in life after so many problems. I have to also admit that I was actually cool in the scary side while I thought things were supernatural. While I thought that ghosts were behind the bad things and that was a simple matter of calling Sam and Dean, you know?
I thought it would be the case of involving the Impala brothers 😛
However, Rivers played me like a puppet and laughed (metaphorically) at my face. No Sam and Dean were required and just like that my biggest fears came alive: REAL PEOPLE DOING NASTY THINGS. This is what truly scared the shit out of me and Rivers had me at my fear of real people. Well played, Rivers. Well played indeed.
Ok, focus. Now we have characters. Oh, the characters. I was soooo in love with Blaire and Travis once that I got to know them! What I really liked about this book is that the author didn’t push the romance – no, it’s all about the mystery and remaining true to yourself. Despite some facts, it would have been really easy to turn Travis and Blaire into a couple and I am so proud of Rivers for not falling into that trap ❤ From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU!
What I really love about Black Water Tales: The Unwanted is that every character has a shady edge, even the children and St. Sebastian building. By the way, the building pulses with life, which is so freaking odd and creepy. I love decadent places, but I doubt I would have the courage to enter St. Sebastian.
The only complaint that I have is that I ended the book without many vital details. I felt more tying up right before the end and I doubt that the next instalment of this series will also be in Borslav, so it is a bit disappointing. I only overlooked this on my rating because all the rest is SO FREAKING AMAZING that I could deal with some plot holes, haha!
I think I have already went on too much today, so let me just wrap things up by saying that if you love mystery and terror, you simply have to read this book asap. After that, message me for us to fangirl about it together, please! =D
Thanks for reading another unnecessary long and fangirling review, you rock if you reached the bottom of my post! Also, another round of thank-yous for JeanNicole herself for being incredible in both writing this masterpiece and sending it my way ❤ ❤ I loved this experience! But of course you couldn’t tell by this review. #sarcasm
Hi, there! Hope everyone is enjoying the Sunday! Happy Father’s Day for all dads out there! (Here in Brazil we don’t celebrate Father’s Day today, but I’ll make sure to drop a picture of my dad and I when it happens, haha!)
I finished reading Black Water Tales: The Unwanted this week and it blew my mind off – review coming soon, I promise! – so it was only natural for me to stalk JeanNicole and see what else she had written, right? 🙂 It happens that Black Water Tales is a series with standalones – I can testify to that, as I read the “second” volume and never batted an eyelash, haha! So now I want to read the first one too: Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers!
Hi, there! Welcome to a cover reveal for a book that is giving me the chills since I first read its snyponsis: Black Water Tales: The Unwanted, from JeanNicole Rivers!
Black Water Tales: The Unwanted JeanNicole Rivers
Publication date: March 31st 2016
Genres: Adult, Horror
In the remote, eastern European town of Borslav there is St. Sebastian orphanage, a place where people discard their unwanted children. For the American, Blaire Baker, it’s the perfect place to volunteer her services. Paired with a cheerful volunteer nurse, Blaire is enthusiastic about the possibilities, but is quickly discouraged when she encounters the nefarious nature of the staff and the deplorable conditions of the facility and the children.
Upon arrival, one of the children informs Blaire, “There’s something in the basement.” It isn’t long before strange things begin happening, including Blaire’s flashbacks of the accident that killed her parents. The children soon suffer injuries that Blaire, first, fears may be the deeds of the callous workers but she soon thinks the abuse may originate from a source that is less than human, something unwanted.
The unwanted is coming but in order for Blaire to fight it, she must dig into St. Sebastian and herself in search of truth. Blaire wants nothing more than to help the children, but when discovers the tragedy that happened in the basement and learns that the same evil forces are still at work, it will be Blaire who needs help…There’s something in the basement.
IS THIS A BLAST OR WHAT?! *–* I just need to read it, haha! I do hope I make the cut for the upcoming blog tour in May ❤
About the lovely author:
I was born in the tiny, but lovable town of Centralia, IL which has a two screen movie theatre, one high school and still celebrates May Fete, so I had no choice, but to develop a fantastic imagination. Since childhood I have been writing everything from short stories to songs, but I have always aspired to compose a novel. Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers is my first novel and the first book in what will be a series of thriller novels.
Philosophy was my study in college and I received a Bachelor of Arts in the subject from Florida International University. Writing is one of my most favored artistic pursuits, but my love for the arts does not stop there, I am also a vocalist and actress and participate in local theater in Houston Texas.
Hello, again! Yes, despite the readathon, the blog is still up and running, haha! 😉
Today I bring back to life a section of the blog called Must-Have Edition of the Month, which started as weekly, but I think it will be more cool to be around only once a month. To see the previous post, click here 🙂
Beautiful and flawless, right? I won earlier this year their edition of Alice and that piece of art made me want ALL OF BARNES & NOBLE EDITIONS, OMG!
So, if you want to give me a Christmas present, you can pick any of these classic beauties (except for Alice’s and Peter Pan’s, which I already own, haha!) and I will love you forever ;D
That’s it, thanks for reading! Are you a sucker for B&N editions as well??
Hi, there! September is going to be such a full month for us readers! There are a lot of cool books coming out and omg, I want them all, haha! I did a short list with my top most wanted for September, so here we go!
September, 1st
. Catacomb (The Asylum Series #3) – Madeleine Roux
I JUST NEED TO READ IT. Sorry for caps locking, but I’ve read Asylum and Sanctum earlier this year (January and March) and I need to see how it is going to end! I tried to get myself a review copy only to read it faster, but I didn’t got it – it happens – so I’ll have to wait the good will of Brazilian bookstores now…
I went crazy with this book’s cover. IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL! Moreover, the story sounds amazing, can’t wait to put my hands on it 🙂 You can see here it’s trailer:
So, I’m a big fan of Grace’s works – I admit, I only read three books from her so far, but I’m getting there, haha! Those two stories are being released on paperback for the first time 🙂
I’ve been wanting to read a book by Sarah since December and something always happens and stop me from doing so. Hopefully, next December things will be different. For now, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series is out 🙂
I read the first book of this series earlier this year as well and I didn’t know it would have a sequel, it was such a good surprise! ❤ Jordan kindly sent me a review copy and I will start it as soon as I finish Sigmund Shaw! 😀 Thanks again!
. Shattered Blue (The Light Trilogy #1) – Lauren Bird Horowitz
This one I already read thanks to NetGalley (review is here) and OMG, it’s amazing! I can’t wait for the release, everybody should read this book! Think about The Vampire Diaries series with fairies or Fae. PERFECTION! ❤
This will be the novel version to the videogame Kingdom Heats Chain of Memories AND I NEED IT. I love KH games and am reading the mangas, so of course I want the novel as well!
. Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #3) – Ransom Riggs
I’ve met this series thanks to the Asylum series and I still haven’t started it – but I will, soon! Today, I almost chose its first book in the bookstore, but it wouldn’t be fair to read it before The Heir… Anyway, the third book in the series is out this month!
Another series that I want to start. You must be thinking: “omg, where does this girl lives? Didn’t she read the coolest new series out there?” I apologize, I don’t have a good excuse for that, haha! Anyway, the fourth book of the series is out this month.
The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange 