Jess N

I honestly don't know how you can go wrong with a time-travel story. It doesn't matter how many times I read books like The Edge of Forever, I'm always so intrigued! What if you could go back and change the past? What if you had the power to save people, and stop bad things from happening? It's fascinating, and Melissa E. Hurst's take on this was no exception.

Told in the from the alternating perspectives of Alora and Bridger, this story picks up right away. Bridger lives in 2146, a time when the ability to travel through time has become a reality. Alora lives in 2013, our present day world. So what happens to make these two come together? Well, you'll have to read to find out. Suffice it to say that these two characters were extremely well done. I liked both their points of view. Bridger's rule following meshed beautifully with Alora's more rule-breaker mentality. I felt like they were rather realistic teenagers. I also love their interactions with one another. This story isn't too romance heavy, or too action heavy, it walks that slim line between the two.

Which brings me to the overall plot. The Edge of Forever is perfectly paced. From the moment I picked this up, there wasn't a part that felt slow. Hurst slowly unravels the story that surrounds her two characters, and brings in important points from each of their current worlds. The one point that I couldn't fully get behind was the world-building here. I wanted so much to immerse myself in Bridger's world. I wanted to see the future. Everything else fell into place, but I never felt like I knew where he was coming from. Hopefully there's more to come?

So, for a solid character build up and expert plotting, I'll happily give this book a four star rating. If you're a fan of time travel stories, this is one to add to your list! It's a quick, and enjoyable read. Well worth your time.

What an absolutely adorable story this was! Apparently this is the second in a set, with the first book revolving around Ava Wren, and her sister Pip. Which I didn't find out until after I'd finish this particular story. I can assure you, Ava and Taco Cat reads perfectly fine as a standalone. If anything, it actually made me want to seek out the other book as soon as possible. Ava and Pip are simply the sweetest, and the perfect example of what sisterhood really looks like.

Truth be told, Ava herself is exactly what an eleven year old girl would be like. Carol Weston easily brings the reader into Ava's mind, a place that swirls with questions of what she wants to do when she gets older, thoughts on whether her best friend is trying to leave her, and the passionate desire for a pet cat. I was extremely impressed with Weston's ability to nail down an eleven year old personality. Sometimes reading MG that is first person narrative can be a little daunting. Characters have the opportunity to feel too old for their supposed age. Not Ava. This darling girl was simply eleven, going on twelve, and full of all the emotions that I'd expect her to have at that age.

There are so many things that I could gush about! The fact that Weston expertly weaves in a discussion on friendship, and the ability to move beyond having a best friend into having many good friends. The idea that when new people move into your life, it isn't always easy to trust them at first. Best of all, the way that a pet can become part of the family without anyone even noticing. I adored every minute of it. I can't quite say too much, for fear of spoiling the last few chapters, but trust me when I say that this book is quite unexpectedly heartfelt. I teared up, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

If you have a young reader, especially one who is passionate about writing, I'd put this straight into their hands. There is so much in this story that will resonate with them, and this is coming from a reader who is well beyond the intended audience. Ava is adorable, and I see many readers falling in love with her.

I can already tell you right now that this review is going to be a jumble of thoughts. I finished reading Hidden just a few moments ago and I'm not even sure how to explain what is going on in my head right now. It's a blur of emotions really. Hatred. Disgust. Pure and utter sympathy. Understanding. This is one of those books that I can't even classify as a tough read. No, it's more like a necessary read that tears your heart out, gives you tons of new information you never knew you needed to know, then puts you back together into a much more whole person. Does that make any sense at all?

Although the synopsis shows the story focusing around Ahmed, and it does, there are so many more vivid characters that are presented to the reader. Ahmed, or Ben as he is known throughout most of the book, is wrenched out of his “normal” existence and placed into a treatment center for queer teens. His parents have one thought. To get him out of their lives until a “cure” for what he is can be found. When he finally finds the means of escape, he is thrown into an underground world full of people who understand him, even if they don't quite understand themselves. These characters, and their dark pasts, become a sense of introspection for Ben as he navigates his way through his new found “freedom”.

Yes, this book is gritty. It's realistic. Reading it was like watching a documentary unfold. I began to believe in the characters between the pages. I rooted for them. I felt for them and wanted to understand them. I wish I could say more, but honestly Hidden is such a complex and masterful piece of work that nothing I say can truly do it justice. To say that this book touched me is an understatement of the deepest kind. I'd say instead that this book shoved my head into the reality that actual teens like Ben go through. How would I have ever known that there are safe houses set up for these teens? Or the atrocities that they are made to suffer at the hands of those that would “cure” them? I feel like my eyes are so opened now to this that it is my duty to place this books in the hands of others and have their eyes opened as well.

I cannot recommend this book enough to you, my dear readers. Be warned, the vocabulary within can be considered offensive if you're not prepared for it. This is definitely a read for the older reader, or at least one to be shared between a teen and their parents. However I can promise you that if you can get past the vocabulary, and see it as just another piece of the truth that these characters really live, you will come away feeling much like I did. I feel like I should go give Tomas Mournian a hug and thank him so much for writing this book and sharing a piece of himself. Truly.

Let me start by saying that Wanted turned out to be so different from everything else that I've read this year, that I was simply blown away from the start. As soon as I was introduced to Michal, a young girl turned bookie, there was no turning back. I'm not very familiar with the betting world, but Ayarbe makes it easy to understand the life that Michal has placed herself in. Her honest voice sucked me in, and her inability to see how important she was kept me coming back for more. I was rooting for her.

I'll admit that I personally connected with Michal instantly. For me, it was based on the fact that both she and I are stuck in the middle of two very different worlds. For Michal, her Mexican heritage is something that was stripped away from her long ago. I won't spoil anything, but this makes things very interesting for her during her high school life. Ayarbe tackles some ideas in this book that will be sure to make some readers squirm a bit. Illegal immigrants, unfair health care, gang violence and so much more are all addressed in black and white.

However there is so much more in Wanted than just messages about equality and humanity. At its core, this is a story about looking for the purpose in your life. Michal, Josh, all the students at the high school, are just trapped in the roles that society has set out for them. Stereotypes and labels hold them in one spot, unable to find their true potential. There are characters in this story that you just can't help cheering for. Despite how messed up they might seem, or the choices they make, you know there is some good under that tough exterior.

Wanted has a last chapter that tore my heart out. I'll warn you now. However the ending was so perfect that it is still hard for me to wrap my mind around. I guarantee you'll be thinking about this book well past finishing it. If you are a fan of Heidi Ayarbe's books, this is one you won't want to miss. If you're just entering her world of fantastic writing, welcome. Wanted is great place to start.

First, a confession. I confess that I am shamelessly in love with Neil Gaiman. If you are worried that this will sully my unbiased review of this book, worry not. In fact, this was my second read through of American Gods and, truth be told, I wasn't all that in love with it the first time I read it. Maybe it was where I was at in my life, or the current reading mood I had, but despite my love for Gaiman this book and I just didn't click. So, when I was offered the Author's Preferred Text version for review, I was eager to give it another chance. Oh, I am so glad I did. So, so very glad. This book is an experience. Brutal at times, beautiful at others, and full of things that will have you questioning reality. In other words, it's Gaiman. At his finest. I don't know why I ever thought otherwise.

Shadow's journey is a strange, and fascinating one. Whether you're familiar with the Norse Gods or not, Shadow will always be there to stumble right along with you. Here's the thing though, Shadow is infinitely more steady than I expected him to be. He's a character who, despite having done things in the past that he regrets, still believes in the inherent good in people. He walks around partially blinded to the world that he's found himself wrapped up in, and yet he never seems inept. I loved Shadow. Every single messy part of him. The book is long, this is true, but with Shadow as my guide I didn't mind one bit.

Then there are the Gods themselves that slither, flap and saunter through this book as if they own every page. Gaiman's broken world pits the Gods of old against the Gods of new. Odin and Bast against the manifested Gods of technology and progress. It's an intriguing premise. If a God is birthed and sustained through worship, why wouldn't we have birthed new ones that relate to cell phones, internet and music? Simply fascinating. What's more interesting than that though, is all of the underlying lore that is penned into these pages. Stories of Thunderbirds, coins that bring back the dead, and areas that shouldn't exist but do. It's so easy to lose your footing in reality and go crashing, right along with Shadow, into this world.

In an effort not to endlessly ramble on, let me assure you that this book easily made my favorites shelf this time around. As I mentioned, this is the Author's Preferred Text version, and actually contains quite a bit of content that was originally cut out. I think it's perfect. The story, the extras, the whole package is perfect. Pick this up! You won't believe how easily you can get lost in Gaiman's world. American Gods is well worth your time.