REVIEW: Dream A Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

Let me tell you a thing: I loved SO VERY EXCEEDINGLY MUCH The Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier. Oh my goodness the time travel and the fantasy and the characters. I can't. So I went into this new book by her with a whole lot of expectations... that were sadly and dramatically let down. Dang it. Let me tell you about it.

The Short Story:

If you like books about dreams and the mind and super dark things, this book is up your alley. Think lots of mind games and a blurred line between waking and sleeping. And some creep factor. Also, since some people are turned off by this in YA, the main character is quite young and acts it. I think if this book sounds interesting to you, give it a try! But it wasn't my cup of tea. Too much creep, too much awkward.

The Long Story:

Liv and her sister, Mia, have just been uprooted from their temporary home once again because their mother met a new man... again. So they're a little bitter about attending another new school with the same issues that every school has. With one exception: a few of the students seem to be dabbling in things they shouldn't and they really want to get close to Liv. Liv stars seeing and meeting these people in her dreams and inexplicably they can all remember what happened in that dream the next day at school.
So. Liv is ridiculous and I can't deal with her. There is a whole lot of freaky stuff going on in this book and I could hardly believe how dumb she was being by seeking out these things and these people who were CLEARLY trouble from the start. UGH. She made me crazy.
Also, the romance in this book was the most insane trip I've ever read. I normally am fine with insta-love, when it's done well! This romance was not. It came out of nowhere and was fairly awkward to read (in my opinion) and I wasn't even rooting for them. That was the biggest problem: I didn't care if they ended up together or not because for half the book I had been given no real clues to lead to that end! It was odd.
The creep factor in this book was TOO DARN HIGH for me because I'm a total wuss. But it made me like the book significantly less because I was expecting a bit more light and fluffy and less scary and hellish.
I enjoyed the dream element because it was super unique and something I'd never read about before. The way Gier constructed the world of dreams and dreaming and how it all worked was so cool and I liked that a lot! But that was just about the only upside for this book.
Overall, if you're a fan of dreams, creepy books, and don't mind a naive main character, give it a try. I'm sure there are people who would like this book, I'm just not one of them.

2/5 stars.

Happy reading!

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

ASDFGHJKLPOIUYTREWQZXCVBNM. Incoherent babbling due to overwhelming amounts of excitement.

Let's try again.

I AM SO HAPPY THIS BOOK EXISTS AND NOW I SHOULD TELL YOU WHY!

The Short Story:

If you read the Harry Potter series at any point in your life and still have a great and sincere love for it, PLEASE. READ. THIS. BOOK. If you haven't read Harry Potter, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Spoilers out the wazoo. Yes, it is slightly odd to read as a script, but if you really love the series, it shouldn't hinder your love for this book!

The Long Story:

This story picks up precisely where the epilogue of Deathly Hallows ends: Albus Severus Potter's first year at Hogwarts! And the shenanigans start immediately. Albus forms and unlikely (or seemingly unlikely) friendship with Scorpius Malfoy, who lives a difficult life. Fortunately for both Albus, he can relate to having a famous father and how it feels to live in the shadow of what that father did in his own life. I can't give more plot details without spoiling, I think, but these boys embark on a fully ridiculous adventure and it is so fun to follow.
Albus and Scorpius' friendship is one of my favorite things of all time!! They are so fantastic together, and hilarious and supportive. Scorpius cracks me up and Albus is the perfect balance to Scorpius' geekiness.
I loved seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their new roles (EEEP) as adults in the wizarding world! Seeing their jobs and family life and married life, oh boy, so satisfying. And not just them, but other characters from way back in the good ole days returned in awesome ways! Holy guacamole, I got so excited every time we met another character.
Some people are saying they saw the plot twist coming, but wow, I don't know how, because that twist hit me like a fastball to the face! I had to read that section a few times before I realized it actually happened and that really was the right thing. Sheesh.
The writing was so great for this, especially with it being a script book. There were just enough cues and descriptions to fill in the blanks where the dialogue couldn't go. For the most part, it was easy to get a visual because we've had eight movies and seven books to get a picture in our head of these settings and characters! And then we have enough experience with the world that the action and new characters come to life in our minds fairly easily. At least that is how it worked for me.
I highly recommend reading this. If you're feeling nervous because it is a script or because you aren't sure it can live up to your expectations, give it a try anyway. If nothing else, it is a new story in the Harry Potter world! I really think you'll like it :)

6/5 stars. Yes, I know what I typed. That extra star is for nostalgia.

Happy reading!

REVIEW: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

It is hot. It is humid. And it is the most summery of summer weather, which means stay inside or in the shade and read for hours and hours... and hours.
So when the world is trying to melt me, I do just that! While I'm not a "seasonal reader," I looked at The Unexpected Everything and I was like YES SUMMER YES.
And you guys, it did not disappoint AT ALL! This book is summer in a book, perfect and fantastic and all the things yes.

The Short Story:

If you like stories about being spontaneous and finding yourself and REAL friendships, (and dogs), read this book. The dogs were some of my favorite characters, the romance is very well done (albeit a smidgen insta-lovey), and the growth in all of the characters is great. This is truly the quintessential summer novel. Please read!

The Long Story:

Andi is the daughter of a now-infamous politician, and scandal has turned her world (and plans and summer and life) upside down. As a type A person and a constant planner, Andi couldn't be more thrown by being forced to change her summer plans at the last second. And she definitely could not have guessed she would become a dog walker. Or meet a dorky boy. Or have to hide secrets from friends and family. Or anything else that happens in her summer, but the craziness might just be what she needed all along.
Andi is such a relatable character for a lot of people, especially in high school, who are always on the lookout for ways to better their resume or look more impressive to universities. Morgan Matson lets you see every bit of Andi and her motivations and fears and goals. This makes you really want to keep reading just to get to know Andi better.
I love the relationships in this book (except to a point, which you'll probably understand when (yes I said when and not if) you read it)!! Family relationships and friendships and romantic relationships. THEY MAKE ME SMILE! This book has so many genuine characters and their relationships with one another are so enjoyable to read about.
I'll be honest and say I saw the plot twist (is it a plot twist? the surprise? sure..) coming a mile away. But that didn't affect my reading the book; it just made me want to read more and more. I thought the author wrote this conflict very well and in a way that seemed accurate to real life.
My favorite part: the romance. So. It was unbelievably amazing for me! If you like sugary sweetness, this might not be your favorite romance. But if you like hilarity and a couple just having the best time together, this is a great one!
Again, the dogs. THE. DOGS. Bertie. ASDFGHJKL. I loved how much attention was given to the dogs because it made them into important characters! I have two dogs and reading about how the dogs were acting made me laugh because I knew exactly how dogs are.
Overall, this book was funny and clever and sweet and sad and emotional and relatable and REAL. Highly recommend!

5/5 stars, no doubt.

Happy reading!

REVIEW & BLOG TOUR: Blue City by Charlay Marie

I am so-golly-gosh-darn-excited to say that I'm participating in the Blue City blog tour this week via Happy Lil Book Tours!! Woohoo! I was so excited when Jennifer contacted me on Instagram to join one of her tours and when I read the synopsis of this book, I thought it sounded too good to pass up. Also, when I saw that the author, Charlay Marie, lives in my home city of Columbus! Woo!

I'll give you the official synopsis and then let you know what I thought (super fresh thoughts, as I just finished this book about an hour ago!).








Synopsis:
"Jen Kallis never forgot the night her father vanished into a strange, white light from inside her closet. Even though no one believed her, Jen knew what she'd seen and refused to accept that her dad had abandoned her and her mom. Ten years later, Jen, now 17, remains haunted by his disappearance when, without warning, her closet door bursts open and reveals a bright white light.
Stepping through the light, she time travels to the year 2222 to a world far different from her own. Everything in Blue City is strange, with buildings that soar too high in the sky, hover cars that zoom on transparent blue streets, and robots that look just like humans.
When Jen is confronted by Asher, an attractive commander with a bad attitude who warns that her life is in danger, she convinces him to help her escape and find her father. Together they embark on a wild journey where she has to battle Asher's fierce ex-girlfriend, Rogue, for his love, and Jen discovers that there's something far bigger than her quest to find her father: the fate of the world - past, present, and future - is in her hands."

AND now for your regularly scheduled review :)

The Short Story:
If you like time travel (I do), futuristic worlds (I do), and high-action quests (I REALLY do), give Blue City a chance. This is the first in a series so it is heavy on the world-building, but once the world is established, the plot moves along at a great pace and the ending might just break you a little.

The Long Story:
I'm such a time travel nerd it's a little ridiculous. If the synopsis even implies time travel, I am ALL OVER THAT. Now that I've already given you the official synopsis, I don't need to tell you much (or anything really) about the plot, so I'll just talk about how I felt about it (read: good. I felt quite good about it!).
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. It seemed to take awhile for them to really take shape for me, but when they did it helped me get into the book more and the story was more real for me. Also, Lark. When you read this book, let's geek out about how STINKIN' CUTE this kid is. Love him.
The world building was excellent!! The world is fascinating and entertaining and I could really picture the setting and wanted more than a little bit to visit. The world building did take a lot of the book and, at some points, made the plot slow down a little bit, but it did not really affect my enjoyment of the book.
The pacing was also great and I didn't ever get to a part where I wanted to skim and just get to the next good part. They were all good parts!
The romance was a little insta-lovey so if that is something that bugs you, maybe try another book... but I am completely 100% happy with instalove in books. Yep, I said it. I like it just fine!
My one critique about this book is the beginning. That sounds mean because of how general it is, but it felt like the author needed to get into her groove writing this book before I was able to get into it. The writing improved as the book went on, but the beginning was a little hard to get through. Once Jen gets to Blue City, the book goes from there in awesome directions and I enjoyed reading it!
I will likely pick up the sequel whenever it comes out! The end of this book was like WHOA WHAT BANG POW SHOOT WHAT YES NO YES. So.

I give this book a confident 4/5 stars!

Check out Charlay Marie's website and the Happy Lil Book Tours site for more upcoming tours! Also find me on Instagram (@the.storied.shelf) where the tour continues!

Happy reading!

REVIEW: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

I have quite the obsession with literally anything and everything that Rick Riordan has written and likely will ever write in his lifetime. Greek mythology is pretty cool, but then he just amps it up to a new ridiculous never-before-seen level! When I heard he was writing a book in which APOLLO was the main character, I pretty much keeled over right then... and bought it as soon as it was released. 
If you haven't read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or the Heroes of Olympus series, then I have two things to say to you: 1) Stop this silliness and READ THEM ALREADY, and 2) You cannot read this book without reading those unless you want to be spoiled for so so many things. Spoilers are sad. Just read the books. Please, thank you, and good day to you.

The Short Story:

If there has ever been a book/series for which ADVENTURE is the perfect descriptor, this would be it. The Hidden Oracle is a non-stop adventure with twists and turns that you almost definitely cannot see coming, fantastic friendships, and the most arrogantly lovable narrator you'll ever read. I think. I loved the plot and the character development and pretty much everything was perfect. I cannot handle my love for this book. 

The Long Story:

This book is about Apollo, who was one of my favorite characters in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He is obnoxious, troublesome, clever, and has just gotten himself straight-up booted from Olympus for... something that he can't remember. One alleyway garbage fight later, he finds himself with a new "acquaintance" and a lot of things to figure out (like why he isn't the most beautiful being in the general vicinity anymore). Apollo has no clue how to live in this world as an ex-god-who-is-now-human person, so he turns the only place he can imagine might help him: Camp Half-Blood! YAY! Or not yay. Because things are going wrong and it seems like he might be the only one able to fix these broken things that all might have to do with the thing he can't remember that made Zeus kick him down to Earth and... yeah. It's complicated. And amazing.
I cannot declare my love for Apollo accurately with words. I love his obnoxious self and everything he says just cracks me up and golly gee he is irritating in the best way. But he has this hidden depth that you would never have guessed existed, but being inside his head gives you such a twist on his personality. His growth and change is wonderful to see, even though he retains some of his truly pompous opinions. 
If you read the PJO or HOO series and were intrigued by Apollo, I think you will REALLY enjoy this series. Like really a lot very much. 

5/5 stars.

Happy reading!

REVIEW: Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

Before you even have a chance to point it out, yes, I am "that girl." I read the cheesiest of the cheesy romance books and love every sickly sweet minute of it! That leads into this review quite nicely.

I picked up the first book in this series last year and couldn't put it back down again! Then I realized it was a series and I went crazy... and still put off the next one until about a year later. Not sure what's wrong with me; I have a problem. Oh well, this series is fantastically corny and great. Also, each book in the series can be read as a standalone (a feature I adore in a series like this) but there is some character overlap (think Anna and the French Kiss series). Let's just get on with it, shall we?

The Short Story:

If you like The Princess Diaries and classic cars, read this series. I know that sounds like a super weird recommendation, but it is spot on. If you like complicated relationships and lovely historical settings, read this series. If you like Christian values and inspiration, read this series. While it is not a huge plot point, Christianity does make an appearance as important in the lives of a few characters (and not so much in others). Give it a try for that super sweet and adorkable romance.

The Long Story:

Reggie Beswick is a law-partner turned car-restorer living in the American South and she loves her life. Pizza on Friday nights with her close friends and family, restoring her dream cars, and living a quiet existence. Then Tanner Burkhardt shows up and throws a wrench (HA, because mechanics) into any and every plan she ever had. He tells her she is the long-lost princess of a teeny tiny European country that is about to lose its chance for independence unless she comes back with him and becomes their monarch. And their story goes from there.

This is not the most complex or beautifully written book out there, but you'd be hard pressed to find a cuter romance or happier ending. The characters are not highly developed, but that is not (always) something that bothers me in a book. There is some development for sure, the characters aren't static, but for someone who is looking for deep characters, you won't find that here. And I think that's okay!

The story was very interesting though and I really enjoyed all the places it went within politics and relationships and royalty and what not. I was so intrigued by the "antagonist" figure and how he justified his actions. I like a good villain! 

Again, if you like Christian values in a book, this entire series is a great choice for you! The romance is classy and appropriate but still wonderful and sweet. There are good morals and questionable morals sprinkled throughout, as well as some divine intervention. I think this added a lot to the story and made it more rounded out.

Bottom line, this is an adult version of The Princess Diaries and, as a die-hard lover of that movie (no I haven't read the book, too bad), I HIGHLY recommend this book and this series. Please try it!

4.5/5 stars.

Happy reading!

CAMP NANOWRIMO!

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! On this day, the twenty-seventh of June in the year two-thousand and sixteen, I do declare that I will be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo! 

YAY! :)

For the last two years I've considered doing NaNoWriMo in November and have yet to do so... until I heard about Camp NaNoWriMo that happens during July, which is way less busy that November for me. Lately, I've been feeling really inspired to write but have not found the motivation to actually start. I've been planning, plotting, personifying, and what not, but haven't written more than twenty words. This is going to be the PERFECT set-up and the perfect time to start. 

Camp NaNoWriMo is just like NaNoWriMo, but summery and camp-themed. It is still a month of huge writing goals with what I've heard is an amazing community and support. It is a fantastic way to jumpstart your writing project while being surrounded by people who believe in you. You set your own goal and CNNWM helps you keep going!

I've wanted to be an author, to write stories in any capacity, since I was little. I love writing still and now, having just graduated from college and having the whole world at my feet (or something like that), seems like the best time in my life for me to give this a try for real. 

The book I want to write is a probably middle-grade (but maybe YA, we'll see) friendship-and-family-and-revenge-and-adventure-and-fairies-and-magic-and-kingdoms-and-first-love story. I've had the characters in my head floating around and becoming more defined for about a year and they're itching to have their story told.

I couldn't possibly be more excited than I am right now! If you're joining the Camp NaNoWriMo fun, find me on the website at thestoriedshelf :) I would love to write along with you! Subcribe to this blog and follow me on Instagram (@the.storied.shelf) because I'll be posting updates (and rants) periodically throughout this month. 

Happy reading!