Mini-Reviews: Professor Gargoyle and The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman

Name: Professor Gargoyle (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1)

Author: Charles Gilman

Publisher: Quirk Books 

Release Date: 25th September 2012

Pages: 169, Hardback

Source: For review (from publisher)

In Professor Gargoyle, we’re introduced to 11-year-old Robert Arthur and the strange world of Lovecraft Middle School. It’s a brand-new state-of-the-art facility—so why do so many creepy things keep happening? Why is the science teacher acting so strangely? And where are all the rats coming from?
As Robert explores with his new friends Glenn and Karina, he discovers that the school may be a portal to another world.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Beverley's Review

I don't usually read middle grade fiction and both of these were unsolicited review copies so I had no intentions of picking them up any time soon.  However, exams rolled in and I had no time to read the lengthier, 'heavier' books so I decided to give this a go.

Robert Arthur is a pretty likeable but rather flat pre-teen.  I liked reading about his transition to the new middle school and things start to get exciting when strange events occur.  The suspense would keep younger children entertained and the whole 'monster' element is sure to be a hit.  The illustrations scattered throughout also really added to the feel of the book and were superb portrayals of the descriptions.

Overall, this is a great starter to the series which I would recommend to younger children who want a fun, entertaining read which will keep them in suspense.

Name: The Slither Sisters (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #2)

Author: Charles Gilman

Publisher: Quirk Books 

Release Date: 15th Janurary 2013

Pages: 160, Hardback

Source: For review (from publisher)

This second novel in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series begins right where Professor Gargoyle ended. Seventh-grader Robert Arthur has discovered that two of his classmates are actually sinister snake-women in disguise. Even worse, his new middle school is full of “gates” to a terrifying alternate dimension – a haunted mansion full of strange spirits and monstrous beasts. For Robert to protect his teachers and classmates, he'll need to return to this haunted dimension with his best friends Glenn and Karina. Can they uncover the secrets of Lovecraft Middle School before it's too late?

[summary taken from Goodreads]

The Slither Sisters, I think, was a better read then Professor Gargoyle.  It still contained the same elements of adventure, mystery and hideous monsters but what was really interesting was seeing Robert grow as a character.  In Professor Gargoyle, he was your typical meek pre-teen who was a victim of a bully.  But in The Slither Sisters, he became strong and admirable and a great role model for young teens.

The storyline was quite suspenseful as we watch our main characters tiptoe around carefully, not knowing who to trust.  Glenn and Karina also proved their status as the awesome sidekicks and it was great to watch their friendship develop.

I also liked how the book ended on a cliffhanger - a very clever way to keep readers wanting more!

Overall another great, light read which kept me entertained.

Blog Tour: Shadow Eyes Guest Post + Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Today I'll be sharing with you guys the inspiration behind Shadow Eyes, a young adult fantasy novel by Dusty Crabtree. The blog tour is for this book's one-year anniversary! Make sure you enter the giveaway below. Thanks for having me as a part of this fantastic tour, Dusty!!

About Shadow Eyes 

 Shadow Eyes
by Dusty Crabtree
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Synopsis:

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil.  But she is the only one who can see them.  She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.
 Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters.  First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

 Dusty's Blog - Facebook - 

Twitter - Buy Shadow Eyes 

The Inspiration behind Shadow Eyes

Thank you for hosting me, ladies!  I’m honored to be here and to share with you my unique inspiration for my YA urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes!

(Everyone, don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes, your full name in the sequel, and a KINDLE FIRE!)

Obviously, stories don’t just magically materialize out of thin air, and, poof, you have a story.  It would be nice if it happened that way, but generally writers have sources of inspiration that then morph – several times – into an actual idea for a story. Some things that inspire us may be so small we don’t even realize it, but others are fairly elaborate – like the basis of inspiration for my novel.

The idea for Shadow Eyes actually first came to me as a screenplay for a Christian horror movie.  I know.  That’s not really a genre.  But it should be.  Anyway, the movie would have been about a cast of intertwined characters going about their lives and making mistakes with dark, creepy shadows (demons) hovering around them, whispering to them, and influencing them to do evil things.  Only the audience would see the shadows.  The characters would be completely oblivious.  The ultimate dramatic irony!  (Sorry, I’m an English teacher.)  I could see it all in my head, and it was awesome!  But I had no idea how to write a screenplay.

A few years after I’d had that idea, my friend suggested I should write a novel like the paranormal angel books we’d been reading and loving.  I’d always loved the concept of angels and demons in stories and immediately thought back to that screenplay idea.  After a lot of thought on how to make the story work for a novel, I decided on a 17-year-old narrator, Iris, who had a special ability to see the shadows, as well as light figures (angels), but nobody else could. 

The more the story developed in my mind, the crazier I was about it.  All the mysterious characters, the twists and turns, the big mystery about what happened to Iris when she was 14 that first gave her the ability, her making mistakes and discovering who these characters were and, more importantly, who she was – all of it just fell into place on an outline out of my crazy, overly-creative, overly-stimulated mind.  Shadow Eyes, my pride and joy, my baby, is the result.

Giveaway Time!! 

EPIC GIVEAWAY TIME. Make sure you all go enter to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes, your full name in the sequel, and a KINDLE FIRE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading,
Jen xx

REVIEW: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Name: Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1)

Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Mira Ink

Release Date: 5th October 2012

Pages: 404, Paperback

Source: For review (from publisher)
Rating: 4 stars

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Beverley's Review 

Before reading Alice in Zombieland, I'd read a few reviews which tended towards the negative side and I was hesitant at first and hoped they wouldn't affect my own opinion of the book.  Luckily, I was able to enjoy it and found it to be a wonderful start to an exciting new series.

I really enjoyed the concept of zombies being spirits.  I've never read a book about zombies as they're not usually my cup of tea but it was rather thrilling and fascinating.  It was a little disappointing that it wasn't really a re-telling of Alice in Wonderland, there are a few nods here and there but I would've liked to see more.

As soon as I got stuck in, I adored Alice's voice.  I loved the way Showalter made Alice feel so vivid, so real.  Her emotions just jumped straight off the page: her sadness, frustration, determination.  As the story developed, she really grew as a character and became a strong, determined young woman, intent on avenging her family's death.  Character growth was a major factor in Alice in Zombieland, and Showalter did everything in her power to exploit it to make the story easier to relate to.

The secondary characters also added real depth and colour to the book as a whole.  All I can say is that the supporting cast was stellar.  Kat was simply adorable: she had confidence and purpose and I loved how protective she was of Alice.  Plus, her glowing confidence made me laugh out loud at points!  There was also Alice's grandparents who were the sweetest souls ever and their love for Alice was immense.

However, I did have problems with the pacing.  It was rather slow and nothing really happened after the death of Alice's families and I was left wondering which direction it was turning in.  Thankfully, it picked up pace later on so it is a book worth sticking with as the action does accelerate.

Overall, Alice in Zombieland was a thoroughly enjoyable read, with a few nods to a much-loved classic.  Gena Showalter's writing enticed and entertained, with the zombies providing an eerie atmosphere balanced by the wit and charm of both the main and secondary characters.

4 Teacups for Alice in Zombieland!

*Thanks to Mira Ink for the review copy*

Blog Tour: Legacy of the Clockwork Key Excerpt + Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to be sharing with you all an excerpt of Legacy of the Clockwork Key. Make sure you enter the giveaway as well! Thanks to Shane at Itching for Books for letting me be a part of this wonderful tour. Make sure you check out the rest of the tour here!

Excerpt

*This excerpt was taken from an uncorrected proof copy, tentative to change.*

"It ruffled my petticoats as I leaned under the mantel. I gasped as the light from the candle illuminated a narrow spiral staircase descending into the inky shadows below. The dank scent of mold and dust wafted up from the depths.

I paused, listening again for any sound, any sign that I had disturbed the sleeping household. There was nothing but stillness, and I felt an irresistible urge to explore the passage.

I ducked through the fireplace, bending low to keep from brushing against the cinder-blackened walls. The smell of ash clung to my skin as I found myself standing on the edge of the first stair. It felt like ice beneath my stocking-clad feet.

There were probably rats.

I took a step, sheltering my candle, my only source of light.

It could be a passage to an old catacomb.

I took another step.

There might be skeletons and all sorts of unpleasantness.

My foot moved forward again.

I would be trapped in the dark, buried forever. No one would hear me. No one could help" (51-52).

 ---

This particular scene gave me the shivers! It made me want to find out more what was happening in the story. Doesn't it sound good? :D

Giveaway Time!

Enter to win a copy of Legacy of the Clockwork Key, US only! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you all check out this book, and happy reading!

Jen xx

Valentine's Tea Party Wrap Up and RESULTS!

So it's the last day of February... which also means it's time to end our Valentine's Tea Party!  Jen and I have had such fun hosting this and getting to interview all our favourite bloggers and we hope you enjoyed reading them!

If you missed them, here are the links to the tea parties we hosted:

Keertana from Ivy Book Bindings
Eileen from ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***
Aneeqah from My Not So Real Life
Vy from Vy's Blog
Hilda from Catch the Lune
Shirley from Shiirleyy's Bookshelf
Riya from The Teen Book Guru
Jasprit from The Readers Den

Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a paperback copy of Easy by Tammara Webber!

And... you probably remembered us asking you in the kick-off to vote for your favourites out of the different categories.  They have all been counted and we're delighted to announce our winners of 2013...

Favourite YA Couple

Beatrice Prior and Tobias Eaton (Divergent by Veronica Roth)

Sweetest Fictional Boy

Augustus Waters (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)

Favourite Fictional Bad Boy

Will Herondale (The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare)

Most Swoon-Worthy Fictional Boy

Etienne St Clair (Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins)

Favourite Love Triangle

Will-Tessa-Jem (The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare)

Best Author of Romance in YA Fiction

Stephanie Perkins

Book with the HOTTEST cover

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Are you happy with the results?  Did the ones you voted for win?  Let us know in the comments - we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you again from Jen and I for all your support this month - we've had such a blast and you, as our readers, have made this experience extra fun!  So it's even more sad to bring all this gushing and swooning to a close - we hope you have had as much of a great time as us!

Here's to February next year - keep your schedules free so you don't miss the next tea party ;)

Happy reading,

Beverley and Jen xxx

Tea Party Blogger Interview: Jasprit from The Reader's Den!

Yay! Today I have Jasprit from The Reader's Den (one of my favorite blogs EVER) to answer questions about her favorite lovey-dovey stuff! Let's get started!! 

1. Favourite romantic cover?

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. I don’t like my romantic covers to be full with over the top public displays of affection, as I normally take my books everywhere with me, so I don’t want to be hiding my embarrassing cover. So I think the cover to Meant to Be is just perfect, you have a gorgeous backdrop of London faintly highlighted in the back and the couple look so cute together. And then the colours are so bright and pretty, honestly I could sit there all day stroking my gorgeous copy.

2. What type of boy do you usually swoon for?

I used to like the typical bad boy with the tattoo sleeves and bad reputation that falls for the sweet girl and changes his whole life around such as Alex Fuentes. But recently my taste has changed, I find myself swooning over the guy with the floppy hair and gorgeous smile. They usually have that glowering look nailed, which kind of stops in your tracks when you know you’ve done something wrong. But no matter what they will always have your back. Perfect examples include Four from Divergent and Alex from Alderson’s Lila series.

3. What is your favourite friendship that develops into a romance?

Mia and Michael from the Princess Diaries series. The friendship between Mia and Michael has to be my all time friendship ever. Mia always had a secret crush on Michael, before she became Princess of Genovia. I liked how despite Mia getting her royal status Michael still treated Mia the same. I enjoyed watching the slow build-up of their relationship of being friends to being something more through the series. It was obvious as the series developed that they were meant to be together, with all the obstacles thrown their way, their relationship still remained strong.

4. Who is your favourite geeky, adorable boy?

My favourite geeky adorable boy has to be Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door. He’s geeky, charming, and has mile high hair and when he’s thinking things through he has a difficult equation face! He’s clever as he’s always developing little contraptions or robots, but he’s super sweet too, putting other people before himself; allowing his sister’s training schedule to take the spot light in his family for years, always trying to help other people out and some of his sweet lines honestly had me melting.

5. Who is your favourite couple that more people need to know about?

My favourite couple that I think a lot more people need to know about are Heather and Cooper from Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells series. Heather used to go out with Cooper’s brother, but they had a dramatic break-up and since then Cooper and Heather have been living together through mutual agreement. You don’t get to see their relationship until the third book in the series, but the build-up in book one and two is so worth it. It’s like they totally get one another, Cooper can keep Heather calm and cheer her up when she’s feeling down and who wouldn’t want to have built private investigator who constantly reminds you he has a gun permit watching your back?. And Heather’s the one that only understands the real Cooper, with a crazy family like Cooper’s; Heather is the only one that can keep him sane. Cooper also has a dry sense of humour which will keep you in hysterics and Heather’s life is always crazy with her taking it on herself to solve murders at her work and consequently putting her own life at risk and Cooper always trying to bail her out. I hugely recommend everyone picking up this series just so that they can welcome Cooper and Heather into their lives, the series does take a while to get into, but like I mentioned before it’s totally worth it. My love for these two you can probably tell from the mini novella I’ve written.

***

You have seriously read SO many books with SO many swoon-worthy boys, Jasprit! I really need to get on  Meg Cabot's books.. and I totally agree, Meant to Be is such a lovely cover, one that definitely stands out! And I think we can ALL agree that Cricket is a favorite. Thanks so much for stopping by, Jasprit! :)

Make sure you go check out Jasprit's blog!! :)

What are your responses to these questions? Do you agree with Jasprit? 
Happy reading,
Jen xxx

Tea Party Blogger Interview: Riya from The Teen Book Guru

So excited to have one of my best blogging buddies join me for a tea party today! Please welcome Riya from The Teen Book Guru!  Gushing about fictional guys has always been a hobby between us so here we present you a mega-edition of swooning!  Read on to find out more

Hi Riya!!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s so good to have you here, welcome to the tea party!!!!!

Thanks, Bev! My pleasure. :)

What are the best parts of blogging?  The things that put a smile on your face…

There are so many perks of being a blogger, I don’t even know where to begin. One of the biggest ones for me would probably be getting to meet so many people who love reading and books as much as me and sharing my love of books with, well, the world. I finally feel like I fit in somewhere! It’s crazy to think that I now have friends in China, the U.S., India, France... it just blows my mind away. And they’re all so sweet and enthusiastic; I love the whole blogging community. In The Teen Book Guru, I feel like I’ve found my safe haven- my second home. I can be whoever I want, say what I’m really thinking, and be upfront and stay true to what I believe in. I know it sounds cheesy, but my blog has become a monumental part of me, I don’t know what I’d do without it.

Don’t you think it’s fabulous that as well as sharing our love for books through blogging, we can swoon and discuss book boyfriends too? *eyes gleam like a crazy girl*

OMG Bev, don’t you know it! What I LOVE about reading, is that it’s an escape from reality. Whatever you’re going through in real life- the problems, stress, pressure- you can just let go off when you’re reading and immerse yourself in a different world. And in those enthralling story lands are... BOYS! And not the drooling morons in real life, but gorgeous, sweet, beguiling ones! There are so many amazing fictional guys, and if I could, I would marry all of them (the ones I like anyway). Honestly, with so many swoon-worthy male characters, why do we settle for the real ones? ;)

I’d say that when we love a guy in a book, we gush about them in our review… and then we gush about how we would love said guy too in each other’s Comments sections.  We seem to have pretty similar taste ;)  But just to confirm it, can you tell us what it is that makes you fall for a fictional guy?

Well. This is a toughie. We do have really similar taste, so how about you start, Bev? :P I guess, for me, it’s not really one type of personality that makes my toes tingle and belly hum. I could rattle off a list of ten things I look for in a guy, but that’s not what makes me fall for them. Two of the most amazing fictional guys in my eyes; Etienne (Anna and the French Kiss) and Tobias (Divergent) could not be more different. But they’re both special in their own way, which endears me to them. They’re loyal, strong, gah-or-geous and real sweethearts. However, I do have to say that I have a soft spot for bad boys. Oh, yeah. But they can’t just be plain bad. They have to have some kind of depth and sweetness inside them- that’s always what makes me fall for them. I guess, (and I’m really just clutching at straws here :P) what makes me fall for a guy is how real he is. Nobody’s perfect, and  neither are any fictional guys - although some are pretty darn close... ;)

Fictional guys seem to be so much better than ones in real life *sighs* I guess that’s why they’re in books, right?  Anyways, if you could invite any fictional boy to a tea party who would you pick?  And what would you serve him? (‘cos the second best thing after boys is food :P)

ASDKFAB;FBH’osfnakdbnaksdbjak CAN RIYA PICK ALL OF THE SHINY BOYS?

This is going to be extremely difficult! But, since I have to choose, I’d go with...

Etienne St. Clair, from Anna and the French Kiss.

I know he’s in a deep, burgeoning relationship with Anna (who I also adore), but we can still be friends! Right? *hyperventilates* Riiiighht??

Anyway, I had a huge list of guys to choose from, but I went with Etienne because I think he’d fit in the best at a tea party. He is, after all, British- complete with an accent and everything. He’s also SUPER charming and magnetic, not to mention gorgeous, so he’d be making friends in no time!

Okay onto food (another one of my passions)... I guess, since I’m a sucker for those traditional British tea parties, that I would serve him scones, tea (uh, duh), and finger sandwiches. *adopts a British accent* Doesn’t that sound simply scrumptious? ;)

What would you be your PERFECT date?  Is it inspired by a book by any chance?

Well, this is going to be slightly unrealistic and dreamy, since most of the dates I’ve read about are nothing but! One date I’ll always remember comes from The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. Gus and Hazel are in Amsterdam, dining at a beautiful, scenic restaurant. But it’s not really the setting I fell in love with; it was more the simplicity and honesty both of them shared. It was really different from anything I’d ever read, and it was really profound. So, I’m not saying my perfect date would be in a beautiful place somewhere in Europe (although, that does sound pretty good), I guess I’m saying that my ideal date would involve us getting to know each other and just discovering each other; being comfortable to talk about everything. Rose petals and french wine wouldn’t hurt either, though. :P

Are you a fan of love triangles?  If you could be the third love interest on any couple, who would you choose?

I absolutely DETEST love triangles. In my opinion (purely as a devoted reader and gusher rather than a reviewer extraordinare) I think they just add unnecessary stress and tension. They do make it slightly more interesting, but at a huge cost! Aaah I’d hate to be a third love interest on any couple, because you know, with my stunning looks and personality, the guy would OBVIOUSLY choose me (not), but I guess I would go with Daemon and Kat. They are definitely, hands-down one of my favorite YA couples, and I would give anything to be able to witness their scorching chemistry first-hand. I mean, hello, someone call the fire-fighters!

Moving on from guys (I know, it’s too hard!), what are some of your favourite YA romance/contemporary books?

This is a toughie. There are so many darn good books out there! However will I choose? *scratches imaginary stubble*

Here goes nothing:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green *sob*

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

I love all these books so hard!

To conclude, can you share with us some of your most favourite romantic YA covers?

 These four are so cute and lovely!

Thank you so much for being hear today, Riya-sweets!!!  Sending lots of cupcakes, sparkles and magic unicorns your way!
Thanks so much for having me, Bev and Jen. This was a really fun interview! x

***

Isn't Riya just the sweetest, loveliest person ever?

Be sure to check out her amazing PINK blog:

What are YOUR responses to my questions?

Happy reading and gushing,

Beverley xxx