A Bridge Through Time (Jennae Vale) Book Review

2018 Reading Challenge

9. A Bridge Through Time by Jennae Vale

Synopsis:
Ashley Moore's life in San Francisco has hit a few snags, not the least of which involves sightings of a mystery man around every corner. Is she losing her mind or does he really exist? Her search for this grey-eyed stranger leads her to Scotland. There she meets a witch with a secret, a vindictive English knight who is bent on revenge, and she crosses a fog shrouded bridge into the arms of a 16th century Highlander.
Cailin MacBayne is no stranger to beautiful women, but has always managed to stay one step ahead of commitment. That all comes to an end when he meets Ashley. He doesn't care where this beautiful, yet unusual lass came from, he's just happy to have found her. Ashley cannot resist the handsome Scot and finds herself falling hopelessly in love. In the process, a secret is revealed, a battle is waged and Ashley must ultimately decide whether to return to her own time or give up her 21st century life to stay with the love she has found in the past.

My Review:
This was something I wouldn't normally read so I did struggle a bit to get through the book. The time travel part was confusing at first. I don't think it was portrayed as well as it could have been, at least when it happened, when Ashley crossed into 16th century Scotland. It was hard to get into the time period the book was set in, although I believe the author did a good job with the language of the 1500's. I couldn't really get into the story until closer to the end and I was left underwhelmed.

Do you like to read time travel books?

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (John Tiffany and Jack Thorne) (J.K. Rowling) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

13. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne (based on an original story by J.K. Rowling)

Synopsis:
The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play received its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

My Review:

As a Harry Potter fan, I was excited to read this book. It's weird, though, because if I didn't have to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for school in 7th or 8th grade, I don't know if I would have ever read the Harry Potter series or not.

Since this is a play version and written as a script, you can't expect this one to be like the original Harry Potter series. There's a different vibe during this story and it didn't feel like the eighth book in the series. Yes, I am one of those people who felt that the series should have concluded with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That book just felt right for the story to end at that point; I felt that it was the right conclusion to the series.

It was hard to feel connected to the kids in this, especially Albus, as they just weren't going to compare to their parents. There was something magical in Harry, Ron, and Hermione and the rest of the characters and I felt like since it was written as a play format, you couldn't feel the magical connection to their kids.

I can appreciate the format of this book because I have performed in plays and musicals in the past, but at times, I was left bored and disinterested. It ended being more nostalgic as I liked meeting Harry and everyone else in his class again as I grew up with those characters (as someone who is 30 now, I feel as if I got older with them as they got older). It was nice seeing the original group change into the adults they are in this story because we all change as we grow into adults and figure out who we are.

Now, let's actually talk about the story itself, as that's what this review is supposed to be about. Albus feels the weight of the world on his shoulders as the son of Harry Potter, something he never asked for. Throughout Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Albus struggles with that and he wants nothing more but to try to do whatever possible to create his own identity and distance himself away from being Harry's son. He finds help with Scorpius (Draco's son) and together they team up to create some mischief, but don't realize how dangerous that can be, just like Harry and Ron used to do. It causes the past and present to come together and keep things interesting, as I don't want to give the story away.

There were a couple things I enjoyed. First, I appreciated the relationship between Albus and Harry. They may have been in conflict with each other more often than not, but I thought it kept the story interesting. Second, I enjoyed how Albus and Scorpius became friends despite being sorted in different houses and what the lack of friendship was like between their fathers. I feel like it can be applied to the world today. Too often, there are people who tell us not to be friends or associated with so and so because of different beliefs, race, etc. As long as we have things in common or similar interests with others, it shouldn't matter what race, religion, beliefs (they have), sex, identity, etc, they are.

Final Thoughts:
I had a love-hate relationship with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

1. Don't compare it to the original Harry Potter series. You'll just end up being disappointed.
2. While I didn't mind the play format, I thought it got in the way of the dynamics of the actual story.
3. It would be better to see this performed than to read it. (And yes, I usually like the book more than a movie or play version)
4. As a Harry Potter fan, you will still enjoy getting to know Harry, Ron, Hermionie, and Draco as adults.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Sinful Cinderella (Anita Valle) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

36. Sinful Cinderella by Anita Valle
      Topic/Theme: book based on a fairy tale

Synopsis:

And you thought the stepsisters were wicked.

I'm not who they think I am. A docile girl who meekly obeys her stepmother and stepsisters. Some kind of sick angel who cheerfully bears their mistreatment. That's what I WANT them to think. Because then they won't suspect what I'm really up to.
The ball, the prince - it's all part of my plan to come out on top. Stepmother and her demented daughters will pay for every floor I have scoured, every sneer I have borne. They don't know about the white magic, how I use it to enhance myself. They can't see that my heart is black as midnight, rotten as a poisoned apple.
They're about to find out.

My Review:

I was searching for books based on a fairy tale and came across this one. 

In this retelling of Cinderella, Cinderella is the one who is mean and evil. Not entirely evil as her stepsisters, though. It was definitely weird to see a different version of Cinderella herself. This is a novella and after reading it, I can't imagine it as a regular novel. The story was crafted cleverly, but not high quality for me. This version made it seem less believable. I did enjoy the twist at the end and suddenly everything within the story made sense. Anita cleverly combined two fairy tales into one, but I feel that giving the other fairy tale away would ruin the surprise if you decide to read this. 

I'm not a huge fan of story re-tellings, especially classic fairy tales (I like them if they're done properly). Honestly, Sinful Cinderella missed the mark. While it was nice having Cinderella be the opposite, it was just too strange for me. 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

A Clash of Kings (George R R Martin) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

15. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
      Topic: book that's more than 600 pages

Synopsis:

Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders - Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon - who held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead...victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky—a comet the color of blood and flame - six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard's son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King's Landing. Robert's two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.

My Review:

In case anyone doesn't know, this is the second book in The Game of Thrones series.

As the story continues, I can say that I enjoyed this one more than the first book. George does a great job of keeping the plotlines well executed. My only wish is that he would show some of the characters more mercy. I find it frustrating that the Lannisters seem to get away with anything, while the Starks always get the short end of the stick. Daenarys, in my opinion, has the best storyline, but it tends to get under rated because of everything else going on.

The one thing that bothered me was how Davos all of a sudden gets chapters when he's really not a main character. Or even talked about that much in the first book. I would rather hear from Joffrey and Robb, who are actually kings. It would be interesting to see what they are thinking and going through as kids who have to rule and battle. 

Since there is so much going on throughout, I find that it's difficult to right a great review because a proper review of this book could be long. So instead I compiled a short list of my favorite and least favorite characters.

Favorite Characters

1. Jon Snow

2. Stamina Marathon

3. Bran Stark

Least Favorite Characters 

1. Cersei Lannister

2. Joffrey Lannister

3. Sansa Stark

And finally there's one character who I have a love/hate relationship with: Arya. She's the one who didn't follow the rules, but at the same time, shows that females can do anything. Even if that's pretending that she's a guy.

~Meg~

Paranormal Public Book Review

2015 Reading Challenge

29. Paranormal Public by Maddy Edwards
      Theme/Topic: book with magic

Synopsis:
There is no such thing as a mage. There is certainly no such thing as a vampire, pixie, werewolf, or fallen angel. And they certainly do not all attend a college together called Paranormal Public University. One minute Charlotte Rollins is a normal girl about to go to a normal college. She is at once excited and nervous, getting ready to start this new phase in her life. The next minute she is a freshman not at a normal college, but at Paranormal Public University, a school where paranormals of all kinds must co-exist. Charlotte must learn magic, that is, if she could actually do magic, which unlike every other mage at Public she can’t seem to manage. Her transition to this new and wonderful world is difficult. On top of trying to learn magic, make new friends, and confront forbidden love, the archenemy of the paranormals, the demons, are getting stronger. They are looking for something. It turns out that Charlotte might just hold the key to finding it. Can Charlotte get a handle on her powers in time to save the school she loves? Can she fulfill a destiny the paranormals scarcely dared to hope for? Or will she be too late?

My Review:
I thought it got off to a bit of slow start, but it did get better as it went along. Since this is a book about magic, I only found what happened to Charlotte in the beginning was strange (right before and as she was taken away to the paranormal university).

I did appreciate how the five dorms were explained: Airlee being for mages, dream givers and werewolves; Cruor being for vampires; Aurora being for fallen angels; Volans being for pixies; and Astra being for elementals. What I particularly didn't like was how they weren't really allowed to get along with people from the other dorms/houses (or the whole my house/dorm is better than yours type of vibe) besides their own - it was too cliqueish and high school like for me. I personally don't like cliques, but it definitely shouldn't be any of that in college/university - you would think the people would have matured in that area by then.

This was the kind of book in which you knew what was going on before the characters did. For instance, I knew Charlotte was an elemental long before she did. I had figured it out when she had the strange experience in Astra the first she had to clean it. It did take me a bit longer to realize that the president was behind everything. I felt bad for Lisabelle who took the blame for it all (by way of the president).

Of course, all the houses/dorms had to come together at the end to save the university. Most of the trouble could have been avoided if they all got along from the get-go though.

There were a lot of similarities with Harry Potter. Since I am a Harry Potter fan, this book didn't live up to my expectation that I had going into reading this. It was kind of a letdown for me. Although the story did have its moments, it wasn't good enough for me to want to continue reading the rest of the series.


Note: I will not be posting for a few days after this because I have to go out of town for a funeral. If I feel up to it, I will try to post on Wednesday and if not, it will be Thursday.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥