Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld has taken two beautiful stories and weaved them together to form one. Expect to be mesmerized and fall in love with the main character, Lizzie.

Afterworlds is told in alternating chapters. You get to experience, Darcy's world as it is happening and the world of the characters in the book she is writing.

Seventeen year old, Darcy has been giving the opportunity most writers only dream about, a luctrative, two book publishing deal. She used this as an opportunity to defer college and move to, New York City to live as a novelest. 

Lizzie is the main character in the novel she is writing, titled, Afterworlds. Lizzie is the lone survivor of a terrorist attack and she can drift between the worlds of the living and the dead. She finds out that a dead little girl named, Mindy has been living in her home and she becomes her protector.

This is a compelling coming of age novel that that will keep you turning the pages. It's 600 pages!!! The premise and setup are unique. I hope, Westerfeld writes a sequel because I am itching to read more about Lizzie and Darcy!

Grade: A+

China Dolls by Lisa See

China Dolls is an interesting historical novel that takes place right before, during and after WWII.  It is about three young Asian American women, who become friends and grow up together. Each women gets to tell her own story. See makes their voices distinct and each character has their own unique storyline however their were moments in which, I had a difficult time believing in their friendship. It felt forced and unrealistic.

Normally, See writes a novel that pulls you in and grabs your attention from page one to the very end but China Dolls has a very different feel to it. It's like a riptide, it pulls you in and then pushes you out.  It isn't as engaging as, See's previous novels. I've come to expect so much more from, See and as a result of this, the book falls flat the saving grace is that it is well researched.

Grade: C

Diary of A Pissed Off Flight Attendant by Sydney Pearl

"Sydney Pearl" needs to leave the airline industry. She is bitter, angry, self centered and hates everyone who doesn't fit into her standards. She isn't nearly as funny as she thinks she is. I was expecting humorous stories and laugh out loud moments instead I got one ugly rant after another.

No job is perfect but if one person is so unsatisfied with every aspect except the company perks, that person should seriously considering stepping back for a moment and analyzing their life and job. I like to think that, Pearl just took the worst moments and expanded upon them.

The complaining is so in your face, you don' have time to actually analyze the book. Traveling is never fun and the author hit some valid points but she has an uncanny ability to make you dislike her Her "pissed off" attitude is distracting and had she presented her experiences in a less hostile manner this book could have been something I could recommend. The best part of this book is that it was given to me for free to review. Take a pass and read something else.

Grade: F

Wounded to Death: Stories of Gender Violence by Serena Dandini

Wounded to Death is a collection of monologues/stories about femicide. The monologues are told from the victims voice. The victim's death isn't always a result of domestic abuse it can be something as simple as being a female fetus, unwanted because the fetus is not male. It can be a woman who has lost her life due to "honor killing" or a woman who is brought into a country illegally to work, as a maid, nanny or prostitute.

The statistics on femicide are astounding.  "Just think: every four hours, an Indian bride is killed by her in-laws for not delivering the agreed-upon dowry" (pg. 57), Russia has only ONE domestic violence crisis center for every three million women and  in Italy femicide takes place every two or three days, giving it the highest ranking for the killing of women.

Their are no names giving the monologues more power, move voice because there is no infamous name recognition or face. You can easily picture someone you know and love being subjected to these horrific acts. The monologues are heart breaking, especially when you take a moment to realize that while you are safe and comfortable someone else is in agony or dying due to the hands of another human.

Dandini has tackled a difficult subject matter with finesse and heart. This read is also educational, I learned about the use of  Oradexon on girls and young women in the sex industry. Look it up you will be outraged. My one complaint about this book is that it does not discuss femicide in the United States.  I looked it up and will leave you with this statistic Femicide,  is one of the top five causes of premature death in the United States for young women from 20 to 49 years old.

Revival by Stephen King

 “Once upon a time, I would have said we choose our paths at random: this happened, then that, hence the other. Now I know better. There are forces.”
― Stephen King,  Revival


Revival is an excellent read, a real page turner. It is essentially about the lives of two characters who's lives cross path over and over again. There are a lot of minor characters that play major roles but the majority of the book is about Jamie Morton and Charles Jacob.

Jamie is only six years old when he meets, Charles Jacob. Jacob's is the new minster in town, he has a beautiful wife and young son. They become  part of the community rather quickly until a tragic and rather graphic accident takes place irreversibly changing the lives of Jacobs and those with whom he has encounters with. Jamie being the main person of interest in, Jacobs oddly disturbing life.

 I don't want to reveal anymore of the plot, it is something you had to discover on your own. I long ago quite reading the synopsis of book by my favorite authors and implore you do to the same. It adds an entirely new dynamic to the reading experience when you don't know what your getting.

Set a few hours or days aside because once you start reading this book, you won't want to put it down!

Grade: A+

Atlantia by Ally Condie

 “So much of life is in the smallness of moments...but they are harder to mark. So we need the grander celebrations and occasions. People like to feel significant”
― Ally Condie,  Atlantia


 The world has been divided into the above and below. Those who live in the above have shorter life expectancies due to pollution and those who live in the below live longer, healthier lives. These worlds need each other in order to survive. They rely on one another and have for many generations.

 During the annual ceremony in which the time of the divide is celebrated, those in the below can make a choice to leave and go above if they meet the requirements.  Rio and Bay are sisters who live in the below, in a city called, Atlantia. Rio has always dreamed of going above and Bay loves her life in the below however, Bay makes a choice to go to the above. This leaves Rio stunned, angry and stuck in, Atlantia forever.

 Rio makes it her mission to find out why her twin has made the choice to leave and not tell her. She uncovers many things about her sister, mother, aunt and life in, Atlantia.


Atlantia starts off really slow and then builds up but it never quite reaches its full potential. The premise is unique but it lacks execution.  The characters are rather flat and difficult to connect to, the exception to this is one minor character named, True.  The ending is too neat and tidy.

Grade: C-

Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

I think it is time to retire, The Shopaholic series. It has been on a steady decline and this is by far the poorest book of the entire collection. I love, Sophie Kinsella and writing a not so stellar review has been difficult for me but I have to remain true to my thoughts, opinions and reviews.

Becky, Luke and Minnie are in L.A. They had made the temporary move so that, Luke can work more closely with actress, Sage Seymour. Becky of course finds herself getting into a variety of mishaps, each more intense than the previous one. Becky has made it her personal goal to become a personal assistant to the stars, Sage in particular and things go awry rather quickly. A few characters from previous books make appearance adding to the plot line.

My main issue with this book is that the  characterization of Becky has changed. She use to someone likable. She was vibrant, funny and naive and now she is a bitch. Harsh but true. She is self absorbed, narcissistic and boring! I expect characters to change and mature but the opposite has happened. What has happened to lovable, Becky?

There is no true resolution to the book and it ends on a cliffhanger.

Grade: C-

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult has written another stellar book! I was completely captivated from page one! The characters, the storytelling and the writing are top notch. It is quite obvious that, Picoult not only did a lot of research on elephants but also became quite passionate about these intelligent creatures.

Leaving  Time centers around, Jenna and her quest to find her mother, Alice.  Alice went missing when, Jenna was a baby, disappearing from the, New England  Elephant Sanctuary. Jenna's father is alive and living in a psychiatric hospital. Jenna's grandmother refuses to talk about what happened to Alice, so she enlists the help of a psychic and private detective.  Together they unravel the mystery of Alice's dissaperance.

It's been quite some time since I've become so heavily emotionally invested in a book.  The plot line surrounding the elephants put me through the wringer! A huge portion of the book discusses elephant behavior, which is intriguing and educational.  Set a couple of hours aside because this is one book you won't want to put down.

Grade: A+

The Odyssey Of Falling by Paige Crutcher

Audrey or Odd as she is known as has been struggling to come to terms with the death of her best friend. One day she finds her best friends, diary in the car of her crush, who also happened to be her best friends love interest.

Audrey decides to follow through with a list, Meredith and written down in her journal as a way of honoring her. This takes her on a journey of self discovery. Which, doesn't go unnoticed by her friends and crush. Audrey also learns quite a bit about Meredith and the secrets she was hiding.

This is a well written debut novel. It is a fast, easy read however it felt short on a few things, in particular, Audrey's  passion for music and the signs she uses to decipher things.

Grade: B-

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Sometimes family secrets stay buried and sometimes they resurface. Riley learns more about her families past then she ever bargained for when she returns home to clean up her father's affairs after his death.

 Riley has spent nearly her entire life believing her older sister, Lisa is dead, however she uncovers information telling her otherwise. Riley makes it her mission to find the sister she never knew.

Lisa and Riley both narrate their own life stories. Chamberlain, does an excellent job at giving them distinct voices and keeping the reader entertained!

There are a few plot twists along the way and despite figuring things out before they are divulged, I enjoyed the read and suspect you might too.

Grade: B

The Whispers: A Whispers Story by Lisa Unger

The Whispers is the first of three short stories by Lisa Unger.

It's about a woman named, Eloise who is given the gift of psychic visions and warnings. These visions do not appear to her until after the unfortunate death of her husband and child. At first, Eloise ignores them --- that is until she feels that her dead husband and daughter are guiding her into helping those in need.

Eloise slowly begins to help detectives solve the mystery of missing girls, while at the same time dealing with the court case surrounding the man who is responsible for the death of her loves ones.

Unger has created dynamic relationships between her characters. The story lines are intriguing and when you first reading this short story you will be left wanting more! Sit back and enjoy this quick read. It shouldn't take more than an hour!

Grade: A