Review: Rebel Belle by: Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle by: Rachel Hawkins (April 2014)

345 Pages

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | 

Goodreads Summary: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

My Review

Rebel Belle and I didn’t always see eye to eye. I was actually really annoyed when I first started reading it. I wouldn’t necessary say it’s the book’s fault that we got off on the wrong foot so much as I was expecting something different than what Rebel Belle ended up delivering. I was expecting a more serious story, I don’t know why I just did, but really Rebel Belle is more of a comedy than anything. Once I became accepting of this oh so very wonderful trait Rebel Belle had to offer I enjoyed the novel a great deal.

The main character, Harper, is always trying to be the best and is always trying to be polite and proper, but when she becomes a Paladin, an awesome ninja type guardian, her life starts becoming just a little more complex and difficult to manage. Although Harper can be annoying with her very high school demeanor and attitude it was hard not to like her, especially with her always hilarious commentary on her Paladin abilities and situations she finds herself in. I did however 100% sincerely enjoy David and his snarky adorableness that he brought to the story and Harper’s life.

As for the overall plot of Rebel Belle, it was unique and very strong. Not to mention that Rebel Belle has a lot of good full blown laughing fight scenes in it and the ending was fast paced and full of little twists. Basically, Rebel Belle may be a comedy, but it’s also full of some awesome action that just added to its quirky weird funny charm.

Don’t pass up Rebel Belle. Pick it up this summer for a book that is just too much fun to ignore. I wasn't a huge fan of Hawkins’ Hex Hall series, (which was good but not great for me), but I’m glad I read Rebel Belle. Therefore, if you had the same feelings as me about Hex Hall don’t let that stop you from giving Rebel Belle a chance. I'm glad I did.

Review: Eat, Brains, Love by: Jeff Hart

Eat, Brains, Love by: Jeff Hart (Oct. 1, 2013)

352 pages

Genre: YA/Horror/Comedy
Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: I won a free ARC of this book from Sara over at Medusa’s Library. This in no way affected my honest review. Thanks Sara!

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Two teenage zombies search for brains, love, and answers in this surprisingly romantic and laugh-out-loud funny debut novel with guts.

Jake Stephens was always an average, fly-under-the-radar guy. The kind of guy who would never catch the attention of an insanely popular girl like Amanda Blake-or a psychic teenage government agent like Cass. But one day during lunch, Jake's whole life changed. He and Amanda suddenly locked eyes across the cafeteria, and at the exact same instant, they turned into zombies and devoured half their senior class.

Now Jake definitely has Amanda's attention-as well as Cass's, since she's been sent on a top-secret mission to hunt them down. As Jake and Amanda deal with the existential guilt of eating their best friends, Cass struggles with a growing psychic dilemma of her own-one that will lead the three of them on an epic journey across the country and make them question what it means to truly be alive. Or undead.

Eat, Brains, Love is a heartwarming and bloody blend of romance, deadpan humor, and suspense that fans of Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies will devour. With its irresistibly dry and authentic teen voice, as well as a zombie apocalypse worthy of AMC's The Walking Dead, this irreverent paperback original will leave readers dying for the sequel that's coming in Summer 2014.

My Review

Now is the perfect time to read Eat, Brains, Love, a funny, no ex that, hilarious teen novel about the life of two newly turned teenage zombies and the agency out to get them. It is definitely original and definitely worth reading. 

I refuse to put spoilers in this review because I want people to read it and give it a chance all on their own. With that being said, there are several things I can’t discuss because of this so hang in there if the review seems a little vague.

Why this non-zombie blogger devoured Eat, Brains, Love:

• Considering Eat, Brains, Love is a book about zombies it is scarily realistic at times. 

• I love that the author wasn't afraid to have the main characters actually use real curse words when they were in horrible situations. 

• The characters were pretty relateable and very interesting. Getting inside the head of a teenage boy with hormones who just so happens to also be a zombie and feels bad for eating his classmates is definitely unique. Jake was a hoot and I loved his POV. As readers we also get the story from Cass’s POV, a very interesting and likable female lead who happens to be hunting Jake down as part of a secret government agency. There is also a handful of minor characters that are all just as interesting and all just as intense as the main ones.

• It’s extremely funny. If my copy wasn't an ARC I would share so many amazing quotes with you, but I'm really not supposed to since it is an ARC copy.

• It’s got the right amount of gore for all you zombie fans out there. There is also one scene that was so creepy it turned my blood cold.

• There isn't a huge info dump. Who doesn't love that?

A few things that didn't impress me:

• There is going to be a sequel and I wasn’t warned about this in advance. (I know it states this in the synopsis I gave you earlier from groodreads but I don't always read those thoroughly or pay attention with they start mentioning "this book is like this movie/book/show etc.") This frustrates me beyond belief. Don't get me wrong, I’m going to read the next book, but I little warning would have been nice so I knew what to expect when the book came to a close. So I guess this isn't really anything with the actual book that bothered me but oh well.

• There are a couple of small stereotypes that I can’t go into without spoiling the book, but lets just say they were annoying.

• The romance wasn’t all that great. This was disappointing because the word love is even in the title. Luckily I think the next book will be even better with the romance aspect of the novel. In the end, this in no way kept me from really liking this book.

Bottom Line: Read it. You won’t find a better time to read a Zombie novel than right now. Eat, Brains, Love was an enjoyable read that was hard for me to put down. 

**I won a free ARC of this book from Sara over at Medusa’s Library. This in no way affected my honest review. Thanks Sara!

Review: Charlotte Street by: Danny Wallace

Charlotte Street by: Danny Wallace (2012)

Publisher: William Morrow

416 pages

Genre: Fiction/Romantic Comedy

Source: ARCycling (from @_extraordiMARY)

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Jason Priestley (no, not that Jason Priestley) is in a rut. He gave up his teaching job to write snarky reviews of cheap restaurants for the free newspaper you take but don't read. He lives above a video-game store, between a Polish newsstand and that place that everyone thinks is a brothel but isn't. His most recent Facebook status is "Jason Priestley is... eating soup." Jason's beginning to think he needs a change.

So he uncharacteristically moves to help a girl on the street who's struggling with an armload of packages, and she smiles an incredible smile at him before her cab pulls away. What for a fleeting moment felt like a beginning is cruelly cut short—until Jason realizes that he's been left holding a disposable camera. And suddenly, with prodding and an almost certainly disastrous offer of assistance from his socially inept best friend Dev, a coincidence-based, half-joking idea—What if he could track this girl down based on the photos in her camera?—morphs into a full-fledged quest to find the woman of Jason's dreams.

My Review

I enjoyed Charlotte Street more than I thought I would. It was a really nice darkish romantic comedy that reminded me a little bit of Bridget Jones’ Diary but from a male perspective. This is a good book, but it didn't leave a lasting impression.

The main character, Jason, tells us his story about love lost, finding a job that works for him, friendship, new love, and life. The writing voice was fun and engaging. I was pulled into this character’s life from page one. He is a reviewer (of music, movies, restaurants  you name it, he reviews it) for a newspaper and his job is probably one of the most interesting parts of this book. Charlotte Street really got me laughing out loud many different times throughout. Sometimes the jokes were duds, but not every joke works on everyone. Although I found Jason very interesting, I can’t say that he is my favorite fictional character or anything like that. Sometimes I loved him and other times I just rolled my eyes at his patheticness. He could get frustrating, but not overly so.

The plot line in Charlotte Street wasn't anything overly new but it held strong. I could guess what was going to happen most of the time, but there were still a few surprises. I felt like the book did ramble on a little too long. Sometimes it felt like a chore to read, which rarely happens to me when I’m reading a romance novel. That it isn't to say I didn't enjoy it. I was able to finish it just fine. The ending was cute and perfect.

This would make a good rainy day read. If you are in the mood to read a quirky British romantic comedy that has a touch of darkness but a lot of laughs, then you should read Charlotte Street.

RATING 3.5/5

Review: Size 12 and Ready to Rock by: Meg Cabot

Size 12 and Ready to Rock by: Meg Cabot (A Heather Wells Mystery #4) (2012) 

Publisher: William Morrow

361 pages

Genre: Mystery/Romance/Comedy

Summary: Heather Wells, an assistant residence hall director for New York College, is once again knee deep in a mysterious death. Her ex-boyfriend, Jordan, and his wife, the popular singer Tania Trace, are in town. Tania announces that she is holding a Rock Camp where Heather works. After finding out this shocking and dreadful news, things get even crazier for Heather when the producer of the Rock Camp ends up dead at the residence hall where she works. Now, not only does Heather have to deal with the snotty teenagers who are attending the camp, but she is up against a killer.

Review: Meg Cabot finally brought this series back to life…the wait was totally worth it.

Heads up, this can be a standalone novel! So don’t let the fact that this is book number four in the series keep you from checking this out.

Simply put, I love Heather. She is human (aka believable, down to earth, and connectable), funny, charming, an oddball, and quirky. What more could you want out of the main character/heroine in a novel? I would have to say not much. Also, her love interest, Cooper, is just as awesome. I promise.

I don’t really have anything negative to say about this book, which is kind of a nice thing since lately I feel like I haven’t been reading the best books. The plot is nicely paced, the characters were interesting and there were many laughs to be had. I also enjoyed the mysteriousness of the novel, it wasn’t always easy to guess what was coming next, and usually with these lighter comedies it is pretty easy for me to figure everything out. I guess the only reason I’m giving this book a 4.5 instead of a 5 is because when I was reading it I just didn’t get that 5/5 feeling. You know what I’m talking about? The one where you want to scream at the top of your lungs “read this book!” at the next person that you see.

Seriously, this book is great for a fun light hearted read. So if you are feeling down, it’s raining out, or you just read a book that made you think a lot, then pick this one up and start reading. If you are already a Meg Cabot fan, I don’t think you will be disappointed. I also think fans of Janet Evanovich would enjoy this series as well.

Rating: 4.5/5   BUY Size 12 and Ready to Rock 

This book counts towards my Series Catch-Up challenge. Check it out HERE.

Review: Notorious Nineteen by: Janet Evanovich

Notorious Nineteen by: Janet Evanovich (2012)

Publisher: Bantam Books

302 pages

Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Romance/Comedy

Summary: Stephanie Plum,  who works as a bounty hunter for her creepy relative, is back once again trying to find a skip. This time she is on the search for Geoffrey Cubbin, the man who stole millions from an assisted living facility. In her plan to try and uncover where Cubbin is hiding, Stephanie takes on another job as Ranger’s date. Someone is after Ranger and now Stephanie is in the crossfire. 

Review: Every time I read a Stephanie Plum novel I laugh out loud, and this one wasn't any different.

This quote really made me laugh, and this is only one of many. I even shared it with my husband since he is a Game of Thrones fan...

“I want to be there when you get Cubbin. And I don’t want to be left out of the television show either. Little people are sexy now. Have you seen Game of Thrones? We’re hot."

Full of explosions, lots of eating, food poisoning, a horrible bridesmaid dress, two hot guys, and a Tiki, this one, even though not my favorite, was still hilarious and entertaining. Even though I love me some Evanovich I need to be truthful, so here is the sad part about this book...

Although I enjoyed Stephanie’s crazy antics and the goofball comedy in Notorious Nineteen, I hate to admit it, but I am starting to think this series is becoming slightly repetitive. There are some plot points that I expect in every book, and if I didn't get them I would be disappointed (if you read the series you know exactly what I'm talking about, car explosions anyone?), but sometimes I get too much deja vu when reading. Also, I think it is time that Stephanie finally chooses between Ranger and Morelli. I'm starting to not even care who she chooses, (Who am I kidding? I am still going to root for Ranger.) as long as she chooses. I don't want this series to end, but I'm starting to think that it might be time.  She did just finish book 19, plus there are several novellas that go along with this series.

If you are looking for a light read that will make you smile, then I suggest you check out this series. They may be getting a little repetitive, but if I'm being honest, I’m still going to read every one.

This series can be read out of order, Evanovich gives a little background information in each book. As a loyal reader this can be somewhat frustrating, but not bad since I usually need a refresher anyway. I’m not sure I would recommend reading it out of order though, because it is better when you read all of them from start to finish, and it's easier to follow. But, it is always good to have that option since 19 books is kind of daunting. 

FYI: There was a movie that came out a while ago based on the first book in this series called One for the Money. I am telling you right now, the movie didn't do this series justice. Plus, the first book isn't the best anyway. So don’t let the movie keep you from reading.

Rating: 3.5/5   BUY Notorious Nineteen

Review: Basket Case by: Carl Hiaasen

Basket Case by: Carl Hiaasen (2002)

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

378 pages

Genre: Mystery/Comedy

Summary:  Jack Tagger writes obituaries for a Florida daily. He comes across the death of Jimmy, a well-known singer from the band Jimmy and the Slut Puppies. Jack believes there was foul play involved in his death. In an attempt to get out of writing obituaries and to have his name on the front page of the newspaper again he investigates Jimmy’s death. Crazy characters and adventures ensue.

Review: I currently edit obituaries at the local daily paper and as a joke a friend of mine gave me this book to read. I have never read anything by Carl Hiaasen before so I was a little unsure about the book. As it turns out, the book was a good read.

Hiaasen writes a good mystery filled with humor. I was laughing throughout the entire book. It reminded me of the books about Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich, which are some of my favorite books. The characters in this book are full of clever one-liners. Jack is an unforgettable main character. His time writing obits has made him overly cautious about death. He is always comparing his age to different famous people that passed away at his age and how they died.

The overall plot at times seemed a little bit ridiculous, but it made the book all that more funny. I read it as more of a comedy with a little bit of a murder mystery thrown in. At times I felt like it took a while for the plot to move forward, spending too much time on the characters and not enough on the death of the famous Jimmy.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book was the information given about the politics of newspapers. It does a good job at giving the reader some insight on how much newspapers have changed in the past few years. I think Hiaasen did a good job at describing how the newspaper industry works.

 If you are a journalism major or a fan of the Stephenie Plum novels then I recommend this book to you. It is a quick read, will give you many laughs, and makes you think.

Rating: 3.5/5