This Your Song #2 – Book Playlist Meme

Posted by Lizzy on Feb 22, 2013 in reviews | 2 comments

Welcome to This is YOUR song

a brand new book meme hosted by Lizzy’s Dark Fiction.

Meme name is inspired by the Elton John song.  Here, I find that perfect song to fit some of the most popular books. I’ll pick 5 books from different genres or age groups and match them with the song that I think describes the book the best.  

1)  Representing contemporary books, Slammed by Colleen Hoover.

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Song Match:  Head Over Feet by Alanis Morissette

Lyrics:  Don’t be surprised if I love you for all that you are  /  I couldn’t help it  / It’s all your fault

Reason: Poetry in music. Layken thinks that Will set her up for loving him. This song would fit in perfectly at one of their slammed sessions.

2)  Representing erotic books, 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James.

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

Song Match:  S & M by Rihanna

Lyrics:  Sex in the air / I don’t care  / I love the smell of it  /  Sticks and stones may break my bones  /  But chains and whips excite me

Reason:  Not like it has a plot or great characters.  It’s all about the latex and bondage.

3)  Representing paranormal romance books, Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter.

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….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I’d tell my sister no.
I’d never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I’d zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I’d hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I’d tell them I love them.
I wish… Yeah, I wish

Song Match:  Alice (Underground) by Avril Lavigne

Lyrics:  I found myself in Wonderland / get back on my feet again / Is this real?  Is this pretend?  / I’ll take a stand until the end

Reason:  This song matches what the actual book is about (not what the title and blurb allude towards).  This song is about a girl overcoming an event that turned her life upside down.  The literal Alice connection is just an added bonus.  That part connects with the “are zombies real” or “are zombies in my head” part of the book.

4)  Representing controversial books, I have Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt (Can you BELIEVE there’s a sequel!)

Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she’ll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she’s cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden’s coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she’ll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father’s secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity’s last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her “adopted aunt” Emily Dickinson.

Song Match:  Chocolate Rain by Tay Zonday

Lyric:  Chocolate Rain / Say it publicly, and you’re insane / Chocolate Rain / No one wants to hear about it now / Chocolate Rain / Wish real hard it goes away somehow

Reason:  The song is about how society insists that racism no longer exists in the US, despite the in-proportionate amount of minorities in prison.  The book is racist, despite the author insisting it is about finding the beauty within one’s self.

5) Representing Science Fiction, I have Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Song Match:  Reflection by Christina Aguilera

Lyrics:  Must I pretend that I’m someone else for all time? / When will my reflection show  / Who I am inside?

Reason:  Cinder hides the fact that she’s a cyborg to the prince.  She’s afraid that if she reveals her true nature that he won’t like her anymore.

 What do you think about my choices?  Would you have matched different songs to these books?

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Book Review: I Am Just Junco (Clutch #1) by J.A. Huss

Posted by Lizzy on Jan 22, 2013 in reviews | 2 comments

I Am Just Junco (Clutch #1) by J.A. Huss

Genre:  Science Fiction

Publisher:  Science Future Press

Links:  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Website

Released October 1st, 2012

How long can you lie to yourself before it all comes apart?

In 2152 the avian race is on Earth looking for something stolen from them decades ago – their genetics. At the center of the search lies the Rural Republic; a small backwards farming country with high hopes of military domination and a penchant for illegal bioengineering.

19 year old Junco Coot is the daughter of the Rural Republic’s ranking commander. She’s the most foul-mouthed, wildly unpredictable and ruthless sniper the Rural Republic has ever trained. But when her father’s death sparks a trip into forbidden places, she triggers events that will change everything she knows to be true.

As an elite avian military officer, Tier’s mission is to destroy the bioengineering projects, kill Commander Coot’s daughter, and return home immediately. There’s just one problem. Junco isn’t who she claims to be.

With no one to trust, not even herself, Junco must confront the secrets of her past and accept her place in the future, or risk losing herself completely.

Junco is the female version of House.  She says whatever is on her mind and purposely does things just for the sake of being an ass.  She’s the teenager who laughs the whole way through a haunted house, complains that it was cheesy, and then has nightmares about it.  I love how complex a character she is.  Plus, she’s the shoot first then shoot again if still alive kind of gal.  I fell in love with her on the first page and despite all shortcomings of this book, Junco has convinced me to read the series.

The universe in which Junco lives in is a dystopian science fiction.  There’s some geek terms and alien technology, but most of what Junco uses exists on the real world.  I didn’t have any trouble following along with the unique terms, although it did take me a few pages through Chapter One to figure out that “Goat” is not an animal but a vehicle.  Baa!

I liked Tier throughout the story, even though Junco did not.  He’s a killer, but there’s a soft side to him that I find very touching.  There’s not much room for personality between Tier and Junco and so many of the minor characters feel more like plot things than actual people.  Moju especially has no personality.  He plays a big role in the story (and probably the series), but there’s no definition at all to his personality.

There’s quite a bit of disinformation and half-truths being told to Junco by the other characters and it makes the story line confusing as hell through parts, but it does make sense by the end.  Junco is so thickheaded and stubborn that she also hides information from the reader and other characters in the story.  She also manages to pull off the seemingly impossible – pulling a Benedict Arnold every chapter.  She trusts no one and so jumps ship at every opportunity.

I wish that there was a little more polish to the novel, as there’s some things that seem to pop out of nowhere, and a little foreshadow would of been nice.  For instance, Junco being afraid of water isn’t mentioned until it plays a major part in the story.  And the ending felt wordy.  I did love the dialogue and Junco’s narrative had just the right amount of attitude.

Overall, this is a fun science fiction novel with a protagonist you can’t help but love.  Looking forward to reading more books by J.A. Huss featuring Junco.

(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.)

J.A. Huss writes new adult speculative and science fiction as well as an entire line of science non-fiction textbooks that cater to home learners. She has an undergraduate degree in equine science and a graduate degree in forensic toxicology. She adores everything science and considers herself a major geek! Her first series is called I Am Just Junco and is due out on October 1, 2012.

Goodreads |  Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Book Review Blog

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Review/Giveaway: There Comes a Prophet by David Litwack

Posted by Lizzy on Dec 12, 2012 in giveaway, reviews | 4 comments

Today’s book really surprised me.  Thanks to CBB Book Promotions for hosting the tour.  Check out my review of There Comes A Prophet by David Litwack.  The full tour schedule is located at the bottom of the post.

There Comes a Prophet by David Litwack

Genre:  YA Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher:  Double Dragon Publishing

Links:  Amazon  |  Goodreads  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Sony ebooks  |  Apple  |  Lulu paperback

Who among us will cast aside a comfortable existence and risk death to follow a dream?

A world kept peaceful for a thousand years by the magic of the ruling vicars. But a threat lurks from a violent past. Wizards from the darkness have hidden their sorcery in a place called the keep and left a trail of clues that have never been solved.

Nathaniel has grown up longing for more but unwilling to challenge the vicars. Until his friend Thomas is taken for a teaching, the mysterious coming-of-age ritual. Thomas returns but with his dreams ripped away. When Orah is taken next, Nathaniel tries to rescue her and ends up in the prisons of Temple City. There he meets the first keeper of the ancient clues. But when he seeks the keep, what he finds is not magic at all.

If he reveals the truth, the words of the book of light might come to pass:

“If there comes among you a prophet saying ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the light.”

There Comes a Prophet can be viewed as the YA version of 1984.  The key point of 1984 was that the government controlled every aspect of life, particularly thought and ideas.  There Comes a Prophet has Nathaniel and his friends living in the same bleak universe.  But there’s one major difference between the two novels – hope.  The children in There Comes a Prophet have an idea that transforms into a mission, which transforms into a revolution.  I think that the message within this book is perfect for MG and YA readers – one person can make a difference.  Three people can change the world.

During the first half of the novel, I had some trouble connecting with the characters.  I wasn’t sure why Thomas was on the mission since he felt useless – but then he becomes important to the plot near the end.  Orah reminds me horribly of Hermione at times with her smarts and loyal nature.  I did like Nathaniel throughout the novel, especially since he didn’t whine or wallow in self-pity.

The world building was phenomenal and I like how each place on their mission was described so adeptly that I could visualize the map of their world without needing a paper copy.  It’s rare that a book written at this age level can have the depth of an adult novel.  I think at times the message might be too deep for a MG reader to fully comprehend, but the story line is still entertaining enough for younger readers to enjoy.  And the preaching is very limited, unlike 1984.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of dystopians or wants to read a fantasy book that isn’t the typical find this item quest.  The romance is limited, yet extremely sweet and touching.  The subject matter of the book is dark, but there is very little violence on screen.

And yet another book that I need to buy in paperback for my mom and her schoolkids.  This book deserves full marks.

(I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.)

 

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The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter’s editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.

Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned. There Comes a Prophet is his first novel in this new stage of life.

David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.

Website/Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

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Book Review: Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Posted by Lizzy on Nov 29, 2012 in reviews | 0 comments

I decided to review this book as part of the Handling Controversial Topics in my Five Star Review meme.  Thank you to Victoria Foyt and Netgalley for the review copy.

Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls Part 1) by Victoria Foyt

Genre:  Science Fiction

Publisher:  Self-published

You can purchase on ebook or in print from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  More reviews are available on Goodreads.

Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she’ll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she’s cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden’s coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she’ll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father’s secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity’s last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her “adopted aunt” Emily Dickinson.

Overview:  Revealing Eden was a hard book for me to finish.  I wasn’t bothered as much by the racial implications as I was by the plot holes with the world-building.  I didn’t understand whether the the black makeup Eden wore was actually medically necessary or if it was a farce created by a desire for Pearls to look more like the dark skin class in charge.  In US society today, black people (and other ethnicities) are expected to conform to the white standard.  Tyra Banks had an episode on her show, revealing that  in black culture white girl hair is “good hair” and the natural hair of a black woman is “bad hair”. (source).  So, I could understand the reasoning behind Eden pretending to be dark skinned.  I don’t think that it was tastefully done, since BlackFace is something that black people don’t want to see repeated.

Characters:  I don’t think that there could possibly be a character that I liked less than Eden.  She complains about everyone.  She hates everyone.  She wants nothing more than to not only show her real self in public but to be admired to her Pearl traits.  She wants to breed with a Coal because it would advance her socially.  This attitude doesn’t change.  She’s just as unlikable on page one as she is on the last page.  She also had a very annoying habit of speaking in scientific terms at the worst possible time.  When she was about to be eaten by an anaconda  I felt like I watching some scientist on the discovery channel instead of some poor about to be suffocated to death by a GIANT SNAKE.  She managed to completely destroy any potentially thrilling scene with this habit.  And let me say that I do

Plot:  So by the end of the book, I understood what the point of the book was.  While I was reading it, I was bored by the lack of things happening in the middle of the book.  There is quite a lot of Eden frolicking in the wood complaining about the beast/Bramford and her father.  This story is essentially about people trying to find a cure for the sun damage that light skin people get when they are exposed to sunlight.

Ending:  Eden didn’t learn a thing.  She’s still as nasty and unlovable   She still believes that her life will improve by physical change.  She’s like some Desperate Housewife, obsessed with plastic surgery and her appearance.  I could not stomach another book with Eden as the main character.  Bramford turns out to be more selfish than I thought, which was a complete downer.  Eden’s father is dumb and possibly more self absorbed than his daughter.

And let me add that I don’t think the author wrote a racist loving book.  I think the author wrote a racist character and didn’t have enough experience with the topic to write without offending people of color.

If you are easily offended, don’t read this book.  If you like solid world building and likable characters, don’t read this book either.  This is not the worst book I’ve ever read, but it isn’t one I’d ever recommend.

(Picture and information borrowed from Goodreads.)

Victoria Foyt’s debut novel, The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond, a young adult fantasy mystery thriller (HarperCollins) was recommended by The Center for Children’s Books, and received a five-star, must read rating from Teens Read Too: “Foyt has created a compelling character and an electrifying story that will hold readers until the last page.”

Victoria co-wrote and starred in several acclaimed feature films, including “Going Shopping” with Rob Morrow, “Déjà Vu” with Vanessa Redgrave, “Last Summer in the Hamptons” with Melissa Leo, and “Babyfever” with Eric Roberts.

Victoria has appeared on news outlets such as Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, E! Entertainment, HBO, CNN-TV, Showbiz Today, ABC Radio, Turner TV Entertainment Report, TNT Rough Cuts, and Westwood One Radio, and has received extensive coverage on Siskel & Ebert.

She also has been featured in Vogue Magazine, O at Home, Elle Magazine, Movieline, Venice Magazine, Avenue Magazine, Night Magazine, Moviemaker Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, La Opinion, Miami New Times, Dramalogue, and Backstage West, among others.

Born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida, Victoria attended the University of Miami, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in French and Spanish and German. She currently resides in Santa Monica, California. She loves reading–at least two or three books a month–movies, tennis, swimming, hiking, and lots of dark chocolate.

Website  |  Facebook

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Promo/Giveaway: Infinity Children by Trevor E. Donaldson

Posted by Lizzy on Nov 7, 2012 in reviews | 2 comments

 Lizzy’s Dark Fiction presents a promotional post for Infinity Children as well as a giveaway for either a signed copy or an ebook copy of the book.  You can check out the full list of blogs participating with the Infinity Children tour hosted by FMB by clicking HERE.  

Although I wasn’t able to review this book, the premise sounds really awesome.  I’m super jealous of whoever gets a signed copy by the author.  Scroll down for your chance to win!

Infinity Children by Trevor E. Donaldson

Genre: Science fiction, Thriller, Horror,

Publisher: Eternal Press

You can purchase Infinity Children at  Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  More reviews are available at Goodreads.

Only time will tell who is master and who is servant. Lesser gods walk the Earth as do their children. The battles fought between their factions and those of mankind could break the world. The only hope of survival lies in a bloodied journal, discovered amidst the ruins of an ancient civilization, far in the Middle East.

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