Exceeded Expectations // REVIEW: As I Descended by Robin Talley

Title: As I Descended
Author: Robin Talley
Publication Date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Mira Ink (Harper Collins)
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Flipkart || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.
Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.
Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.
But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.
Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.
But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.
From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

I’ve only read one Robin Talley book before I started As I Descended, and that one holds great personal value to me. I live in India where being with someone of the same gender is considered illegal and LGBT people are highly discriminated.

When I read my first Robin Talley book, What We Left Behind, and my best friend saw what I was reading about, he found it in him to come out to me.

Which brings me to the fact that I had HIGH expectations going into this book that were because of a) past experiences and b) that this was a Macbeth retelling.

“Wicked things this way come.”

My Thoughts:

1.       I’m not a believer in ghosts – I never have been. When I was a kid and everyone around me thought it would be cool to tell ghost stories, I listened to be a part of the group and not because I believed. I loved how As I Descended had a mixture of those who believed and those who didn’t. I also LOVED how REAL Robin Talley made ghosts seem in this book.

2.       To elaborate the last line above, I loved the how spirits were handled in this book. They were this menacing background presence and even spoke in another language. I loved all the ghost stories and the noises everyone heard. THIS BOOK DID GHOSTS WELL. I’ll never believe, but this was still a GREAT story.

3.       I LOVED THAT THERE WAS A F/F (and also an M/M) RELATIONSHIP. Equal to that, I also loved the girls (and boys) in the relationship. They were such different people, but the way they were together, the way they were always on the other’s mind made this so much better and the ending that much harder.

4.       I ADORED THE MULTIPLE POVs IN THIS BOOKS. I loved learning what each of the characters was like – Lily, Maria, Brandon, Delilah and Mateo. The POV switch was so insightful, and kept the entire thing from being monotonous. I also loved that the *ahem* fatal scenes WERE TOLD FROM THE POVs OF THAT PERSON, BECAUSE HOW DIFFERENT AND COOL IS THAT?

5.       Basically, this book EXCEEDED my expectations and I’m going to be adding Robin Talley to my list of auto-buy authors.

A fast paced, spirit filled perfectly executed diverse book that I couldn’t recommend more. 

I live in Washington, D.C., with my wife, our baby daughter, an antisocial cat and a goofy hound dog. Whenever the baby's sleeping, I'm probably busy writing young adult fiction about queer characters, reading books, and having in-depth conversations with friends and family about things like whether Jasmine's character motivation was sufficiently established in Aladdin.

My website is at http://www.robintalley.com, and I'm on Twitter and Tumblr.

Have you read any of Robin Talley's books? 

What are some of your favourite LGBT Books? Who are some of your favourite LGBT Couples? 

I can't wait to hear from you!

BLOG TOUR: The Artisans by Julie Reece- Review & Giveaway

Title: The Artisans

Publication date: May 12, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Julie Reece

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | kobo | TBD
Goodreads: Add to Goodreads

Blurb Description: They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

ABOUT JULIE REECE:

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

**GIVEAWAY**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**MY REVIEW**

I'm a huge fan of the impossible. And strange, sexy, weirdly controlling, know it all guys. And mystery. So, The Artisans, on reading the synopsis, sounded like the perfect book for me!

And while it was a good book, I wished that it could have been more. 

I loved the fact that Raven had a conscious, that she was an excellent artist, and that she cared so much for her family, even if the first was shadowed by excessive teenage drama. I loved that Gideon always mentioned that aloof, mysterious, charming attitude, with the I know it all, have it all air- all while slowly breaking the exterior and showing us his soft side. I loved Dane (Ravens best friend) and all the brotherly love, but it seemed  like Maggie (her other best friend) was only put there because Julie Reece wanted to avoid a love triangle between Gideon, Dane and Raven and to start putting ideas into Ravens head about Gideon- and the I didn't like because best friends are supposed to be more than just that.

I thought the entire concept of the Artisans was strange as well- I mean seriously? Who does that? But then, I guess I figured it out long before it was actually explained, and a small part of me was hoping for more, and I didn't get it. And Desiree. She was the worst of the lot- you'll have to read to find out who she is- but still.

But I did love the overall themes of friendship and strange, forbidden love and random acts of sexy kindness! So, overall, a book I would recommend if just for the romance! 4 stars!

Review: Compulsion by Martina Boone

Title: Compulsion

Author: Martina Boone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: October 28th 2014

Part of A Series?: Yes- The Heirs of Watson Island #1

I Got A Copy Through: YASH prize from the author

Blurb Description: Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn't what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

**MY REVIEW**

"You can’t lose someone you truly love. Love doesn’t come with an on- off switch. It’s made of too many threads of memory and hope and heartache that weave themselves into the very core of who you are."

Barrie Watson is not normal. Barrie Watson has baggage. Barrie Watson had a silent, tough, mother, who never really approved of her and never left their house because of the scars she bore, leaving Barrie to be raised be her gay Godfather, who was brilliant until he announced that he has pancreatic cancer and he was dying, which made Lula Watson die of a heart attack instantaneously.

So, Barrie is shipped to her ancestral home. A huge, falling apart plantation, with an eccentric aunt, a beautiful boy with a number as his name, a slimy uncle and a gorgeous cousin- none of who's intentions are clear, none of whom will explain what the mystery about Watson Island is all about- it's magic, it's history, it's abnormalities.

Except, Barrie isn't normal either. She has a gift- to find lost things- and the house is filled with them. Then she sees a man made of fire, and shadows calling out to her in the dark, and everything goes missing- and she know nothing will ever be what she thought it was...

Compulsion was everything I thought it would be and SO much more. It had the capturing power that only very few books do- to keep you hooked and so much in that world that you find it hard to believe that you're actually living in another. It had everything one could expect from a good book- romance, family, spirits, history and a bit of the paranormal. 

I absolutely loved the characters that Martina created- especially Eight Beaufort, with his perfect imperfections and his gift and just everything about him, that made him SO SO SO swoon worthy!

I will definitely be reading the sequel! 5 golden stars!

Review: Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis

Title: Blackfin Sky

Author: Kat Ellis

Publisher: Firefly Press

Publication Date: May 14th 2014

Part of A Series?: Standalone

I Got A Copy Through: The Guardian Children's Books

Blurb Description:When Sky falls from Blackfin Pier and drowns on her sixteenth birthday, the whole town goes into mourning – until she shows up three months later like nothing happened.

Unravelling the mystery of those missing months takes Sky to the burned-out circus in the woods, where whispers of murder and kidnapping begin to reveal the town’s secrets. But Sky’s not the only one digging up the past – the old mime from the circus knows what happened to her, and he has more than one reason for keeping quiet about it.

**MY REVIEW**

“Nobody really believed Skylar Rousseau would accidently kill herself…”

For three months, she was dead. Three whole months, that she thought she was alive for, but actually wasn’t. And now, she has to deal with the repercussions of living in an offbeat town, being the girl that people used to be in awe of, even before she came back from the dead.

During these three months, her parents have split, her best friends spend most of their time at her grave, and he best friend’s brother, who she just happened to have a major crush on, feels responsible. And now, she’s back, like nothing ever happened- like the months of pain that those closest to her felt, never existed at all, leaving all of them to face the biggest question of all-

How is Skylar alive?

With everyone harbouring secrets, about the day she ‘died’, about their feelings towards her, and even about who she is, the only thing Sky wants now, is answers. Answers that she will have to go out of her way to get- inside a house stained with the blood of the past, inside a forbidden forest with a crazy gypsy woman, and to another time altogether…

Getting her answers, however, must happen fast. For Sky is fading out, losing time, and memories of a strange circus and sinister people plague her dreams along with wolves, fires and amber skulls.

Blackfin Sky was NOTHING like I expected to be, but EVERYTHING you would look for in a paranormal/ fantasy book. It will make your heart pound faster, your fingers flip the pages faster and your brain trying to process the mastery that Kat Ellis has managed to produce!

5 stars!

Minty by Christina Banach: GIVEAWAY+INTERVIEW+REVIEW

Author: Christina Banach
Publisher: Three Hares Books
Publishing Date: April 8th 2014
Blurb Description: Fourteen-year old twins Minty and Jess are inseparable. Maybe they bicker now and then, even crave a bit of space once in a while. But they have a connection. Unbreakable. Steadfast. Nothing can gear them apart. Until a family trip to the coast puts their bond in jeopardy. As Minty tries to rescue her dog from drowning she ends up fighting for her life. Will Minty survive? If she doesn't, how will Jess cope without her? Only the stormy sea has the answer.

**GIVEAWAY**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**INTERVIEW**

We would love to know more about you:

The spookiest things that have ever happened to you:

--I’ve had a few spooky things happen to me in my lifetime. The most memorable is the incident – or incidents - that gave me the idea for the book. After my father died at the end of 2005 I began to smell a strange, yet comforting, aroma around my house. It was a combination of sugar and flour, the sweet distinctive scent that used to cling to my dad’s overalls when he worked as a baker-confectioner when I was a young child. In the months that followed I experienced this smell time and again. Then early one summer morning in 2006, just as the sun came up, I thought I sensed it again. It was perplexing. Unable to get back to sleep, I sat in the sunroom contemplating what was happening to me. Whilst doing this I heard my dog panting and put out my hand to stroke her. Until I remembered – my pet had died the month before. That's when Minty's story came to me. 

This or that:

-- Roman or Greek    Greco-Roman – or is that a cheat of an answer?

-- Apples or Bananas   Definitely bananas

-- Brothers or Sisters   Sisters – but then I would say that because I have an awesome sister who’s also one of my closest friends.

And now onto your masterpiece:

Do give our readers a brief outline of Minty:

Minty is a contemporary young adult (YA) ghost story told from the point of view of the ghost. It’s a cross between The Lovely Bones (without the grim murder!) and Ghost, with elements of The Sixth Sense threaded through it too. I’m told that it’s a real weepy with heart and warmth at its core. It’s the story of fourteen-year-old twins Minty and Jess who are completely inseparable. But then a day trip to the coast puts their bond in jeopardy. As Minty tries to rescue her dog from drowning she ends up fighting for her life, desperate to survive. And survive she must - because if she doesn’t, how will Jess cope without her?

It’s a book about friendship, loss, and coming to terms with consequences. Above all it’s about love and hope.

5. Your favourite character and scene from Minty:

Although I love all of my characters my favourite has to be Minty. Why? Because she’s feisty, brave, loyal and loving with a quick wit and a sarcastic sense of humour. There are several contenders for my favourite scene but, on balance, I reckon I’ll opt for the one where Minty enters Jess’s dream. For me it has a lovely ethereal quality, is full of hope and promise but is ultimately heart-wrenching. 

6. If Minty were turned into a movie: 

-- your dream cast 

Jess and Minty

Jess and Minty: Hailee Steinfield of True Grit fame: 

Iona

For Iona I’ve chosen Malia Obama (US President Obama’s daughter)

For Kirsty I chose Chloe Moretz:

Kirsty

 

If Australian pop singer, Cody Simpson, grew his hair he would make a fantastic Jack.

**MY REVIEW**

What a lot of fun it must be to have a twin- I have always wished, pined after, dreamed of having somebody that I could pull of look-alike stunts with (I must thank The Parent Trap for this) and pretty much everything that comes with having one!

The Jess and Minty ‘show’- they feel each other’s pain, look like looking at yourself in the mirror (Or the front camera of your phone) literally finish each other’s sentences and even share the same dreams! Want a twin yet? Oh, and they’re best friends- of course they bicker, but who doesn’t?

When I read Minty’s synopsis and glanced through certain reviews, I had some sliver idea of what I was picking up. But, as usual, my idea was wrong! Minty was different. Not different bad, and not entirely different good either (though it mostly was) - but just different. And I can honestly say- I liked it just fine that way!

I absolutely loved the way the book opened, diving right into it! The very first beach scene was breath-taking, and had me hooked before I even realised it! I could feel the pain Minty felt, her fear, desperation- all of it just wafting out and hitting me through the pages!

A little into the book, I found it dragging. Just a bit, nothing much- but that phase got over in two chapters I think, and I found myself falling in love again! The ending was simply BRILLIANT! I even felt a tear or two rolling off from my eyes…

Okay- my favourite things about Minty (apart from the whole twin thing, of course):

--Jack (Minty’s ghost buddy who teaches her how to get through to Jess- flawed but simply brilliant all the way!)

--The Roman Aspect (I know a bit about the Romans- Heroes of Olympus fan here) and I loved the way it was a constant regardless of what was going on.

--The Dialogue- it was unusual, and a little strange when I began reading but it grew on me pretty fast!

*Okay, that’s it*

 My Verdict:

A Brilliant new voice to the YA genre!