Teacher's Pest, Tales From Lovecraft Middle School #3 (Charles Gilman) Review.

This is the third instalment in the Lovecraft middle school series and it is just as good as the first two if not better.

This series keeps going from strength to strength, Charles Gilman is able to keep taking me back to Lovecraft middle school and the Tillinghast Mansion without me ever getting bored of it. 

First there was the demon Professor Gargoyle, then the serpent Price twins and in this book we have Howard Mergler, a supposed good kid who is actually a giant fly creature named a Shaggai. I cannot wait to see what creature Gilman creates for the 4th book.

This book is a quick read and fast paced with all the fun and excitement of this first two books. We get a deeper insight into the characters in this book, we find out a bit more about their family lives and it is definitely interesting to read.

There is a certain ick factor if bugs bother you but it's nothing too over the top.

I give this book 5/5 stars and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The Slither Sisters, Tales From Lovecraft Middle School #2 (Charles Gilman) Review

NOTE: I was sent this book for review by Quirk in exchange for an honest review. The fact that I was sent this book has not influenced my opinions or review in any way.

Much like Professor Gargoyle this book is aesthetically beautiful, with its hologram cover, excellent quality of paper and fun illustrations. 

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?
 The Slither Sisters features more bizarre beasts, more strange mysteries, and more adventure.  It's perfect for readers ages 10 and up.

For such a short book, the plot is nicely twisty, and the writing is light and humorous, albeit with some definite creepy moments. I must admit, the ending had a surprise for me! It's a good set-up for #3, but also allows this one to have a solid ending, not stop on a cliff-hanger. 

Also in the book the friendship between Robert, Glenn and Karina grows stronger and it is one of the more endearing parts of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, maybe even more so than the first (which I didn't think possible) but I can't wait to read more.

I gave this book 5/5 stars!

Professor Gargoyle, Tales From Lovecraft Middle School #1 (Charles Gilman) Review

NOTE: I was sent this book for review by Quirk in exchange for an honest review. The fact that I was sent this book has not influenced my opinions or review in any way.

Before I begin to talk about the plot and my thoughts on this book I have to take a moment to mention the aesthetic beauty of the book itself. The front cover boasts a fun hologram which gives it automatic shelf value it loos great and it is appealing not only to children but to adults like myself [I'm 21]. Inside the book is just as beautiful the paper quality is exquisite and there are numerous illustrations which are beautifully done. This book is possibly one of the most well presented books I own. 

Now onto the plot; Strange things are happening at Lovecraft Middle School. Rats are leaping from lockers. Students are disappearing. The school library is a labyrinth of secret corridors. And the science teacher is acting very, very peculiar. Robert Arthurt knew that seventh grade was going to be weird, but this is ridiculous! With the help of some unlikely new friends, Robert discovers there's more to Lovecraft Middle School than meets the eye. Can he uncover the secrets of the school before it's too late?

Professor Gargoyle is an easy read and moves along at a good pace, I personally devoured this book and read it from cover to cover. It was fun and creepy and while a little twisted at times it is sure to delight readers of all ages. 

The main character Robert was awesome, even more so when he gained a backbone and stood up for himself. Charles Gilman has a fantastic way of creating characters and putting a spin on them. 

I personally would recommend this book for anyone aged 8+ I believe that even teens and adults can enjoy this book too.

I gave this book 4/5 stars and look forward to reading it again and again [plus it really does look beautiful on my shelf] 

Slide (Jill Hathaway) Review

Slide is a fast paced, emotional and suspensful whirlwind that managed to capture my attention from the get go. It is without a doubt one of the best books I've read in a long time.

The whole idea behind Slide is fascinating to me, haven't we all longed to see the world through someone elses eyes at one point? Haven't we all wanted to know what really goes on behind closed doors? I know I have but reading this book may have changed my mind, maybe seeing the world through someone elses eyes isn't always a good thing, especially if that person is up to no good. Jill Hathaway has created a scenario that may seem like a dream come true but that just isn't the case for Sylvia 'Vee' Bell. 

Slide was one of the most suspenseful novels I have read in a long time, I was literally devouring the book needing to find out who the killer was. I had my theories and they were blown out the water, everyone was a suspect and halfway through the book I felt the same desperation as Vee, I NEEDED to discover who the killer was.

Jill also managed to create three dimensional characters who were more than they seemed. Everyone had a secret and everyone had a past which made for interesting reading and made the characters more realistic. I have never seen an author create such a diverse cast of characters before and I think that is part of the books charm. Props to the author for that.

The pacing was fantasic Hathaway never misses a beat. There are no slow parts or areas of the book that bored me, every last word is relevant to the story and enjoyable.

I know I should probably be objective about this and try to point out some negative points in order to make this review fair but in my own personal opinion this book has NO negatives. I would've love the book to be longer but that is for my own selfish reasons (I want to know more).

I finished this book in two sittings and I loved it. I highly recommend it. Can not wait for book #2.

5 out of 5 stars!

The Vincent Boys (Abbi Glines) Review

This book follows the friendship/relationships between Ashton Gray, Sawyer Vincent and Beau Vincent who have been friends since childhood. Ashton and Beau were super close as kids getting into all kinds of trouble and Sawyer was always there to bail them out. Fast forward ten years and Ashton is in a relationship with Sawyer, who is seen as the towns golden boy and her friendship with Beau is practically non-existent. Sawyer goes away for the summer leaving behind Ashton who reconnects with Beau.

This book was a little cheesy at times but it was an enjoyable read. I liked the idea of the main characters being flawed as it felt more realistic. Too many YA books portray their characters to be perfect and it was refreshing to see these characters making mistakes and trying to fix them.

I didn't like Ashton a whole lot as a character, she redeemed herself a little towards the end of the book but I felt like she was constantly making selfish decisions. I liked the idea that she wasn't this perfect 'Bella Swan-esque" character but that still wasn't enough to make me like her. Reading this book I was frustrated by how much hurt she caused so many people.

I loved Beau, he was probably my favourite character in the book. Unlike Ashton he didn't seem to have any selfish motives to me, he did what he did because he was deeply in love. I felt heartbroken for him that Ash had snubbed their close bond and dated Sawyer, even I could see how much Beau loved her and how perfect they were for each other.

I felt sorry for Sawyer he is portrayed to be a perfect Prince Charming, Ashton even mocks him in her mind for this but he didn't do anything wrong. Towards the end of the book I felt like the author tried to make him seem "less perfect" to prompt the reader into forgiving Ash and Beau for hurting him but it didn't work on me. I only hope in the next book he finds happiness because he truly deserves it. 

My favourite thing about this book was that Ashton wasn't a typical stroppy bad ass character and she didn't lie about her feelings for Beau. She was pretty honest and didn't fight her feelings which again was refreshing. This book was a quick read, although I felt the beginning was rushed I did enjoy it. I can't wait to read the next book as I'm curious as to how things turn out with Sawyer.

4 out of 5 stars.

Rules of Attraction (Simone Elkeles) Review

This book is a sequel to 'Perfect Chemistry' it follows Carlos Fuentes, Alex's younger brother as he moves from Mexico to Colarado for his senior year in high school. Carlos is a smart mouth know it all that is determined to be bad, he doesn't admire his brother for leaving the Latino Bloods and settling down instead he looks down on him for it. Carlos' character was almost impossible for me to like at the begining but throughout the book he began to redeem himself.

Kiara Westeford is a good girl who comes from a wealthy family who are super supportive of her. She is a bit of a tom boy and enjoys hiking and fixing cars. She is assigned to help Carlos find his way around his new high school and the two immediately but heads.

After Carlos is framed for a crime he didn't commit he moves into Kiara's house and her parents become his temporary guardians. He resists their kindness and continues to do his own thing but as time goes by he begins to appreciate Kiara and her family.

This book was enjoyable but I didn't enjoy it as much as Perfect Chemistry. I wasn't that fond of Carlos but I loved Kiara's character. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

Dare You To (Katie McGarry) Review

I absolutely loved Pushing The Limits so I was super excited to receive an arc copy of this book on Netgalley! 

I didn't like Beth in Pushing The Limits, I didn't like how she gave Echo a hard time so I was worried I wouldn't like Dare You To but I needn't have worried it was fantastic and once again McGarry has written another hit! 

Beth is a hard nosed, foul mouthed bitch to put it politely so at times it's very hard to read about her and sympathise with her situation. However as the book continues we get to see other sides to her and find out who she really is which was interesting. By the end of the book I felt like she was a better person and it was as though I had watched her mature, you can't help but feel proud of her.

Ryan is not your typical jock love interest, he too has many things going in in his life which makes for interesting reading. I didn't expect to like him especially as I wanted Beth and Isaiah to be together but he really is perfect for her. He helps her to realise that she deserves a better life and he helps her to rediscover herself.

I loved watching Beth evolve as a character, there would be little moments such as her refusing to smoke pot that would give me hope that she could turn her life around. I also liked the appearances of Noah, Echo and Isaiah. 

Her uncle Scott was a very likeable character too I liked that he took Beth away from her Mother and gave her a better life. 

5 out of 5 stars.