Sarah’s review of Dreamland by Alyson Noel

 

In the third book of the Riley Bloom Book series, Dreamland keeps us located in the Here and Now. Riley and her guide Bodhi are given a break from soul-catching after sending numerous souls across the bridge in the last book. But Riley is finding out that other than soul-catching, she’s not quite sure where she stands in the Here and Now. She does not want to interfere with her parents and grandparents lives because they all seem to be having such a great time with their special projects. She finds herself longing for friends, and to find the truth in how to achieve her biggest dream ever. All she has ever wanted to do is to turn thirteen, but having died at the age of twelve she felt as though that would never happen. Yet a brief conversation with Bodhi has left her hopeful that there is a way to achieve her goal after all. Her next step in her quest is to try to talk to her sister, Ever, through a dream. But she needs to find Dreamland in order to do it, and hope that it’s not banned as Bodhi suggested. Upon finding Dreamland, she meets Balthazar, the director of Dreamland who fills her in on the two ways to send dreams. You can either be a dream jumper, where you just jump into the person’s dream and participate, or you can be a dreamweaver, where you can create the entire dream in a studio and send it to the dreamer. Riley learns that the latter, years ago, had been outlawed, and no one practises it anymore. But Riley being the stubborn girl that she is, goes off in search for this studio only to come across another ghost boy who has continued dreamweaving by sending nightmares to people. Riley finds herself trapped in her own nightmares and must find a way to break free in order to save herself and attempt to save the ghost boy.

Once again, Riley is in over her head, and her stubborn attitude leads her to seek out what she wants, no matter what the consequences. She finds herself thrown into a dangerous situation in which she may not make it out of. But while dealing with her own nightmares she begins to grow as a person. In the end Riley learns a very important lesson, not only about herself, but about life in general.

Alyson Noel has such a way with words that keeps you hanging on. Even though these books I feel are geared towards young teens, I find myself continually turning pages to see what Riley is going to do next, or what is going to happen to her now that she has found herself in another unpredictable situation. Noel’s descriptions allow you to put yourself right in Riley’s shoes and see the world, or the Here and Now, just as she sees it and to feel and experience what she is going through. Thanks for writing books that keep us so entertained!

Sarah’s Review of Shimmer by Alyson Noel

This is the second book in the Riley Bloom Series by Alyson Noel. The first one was okay, but I have to say the second one is much better. In this book, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi find themselves enjoying a much deserved vacation after dealing with the Radiant Boy. While vacationing, they find a very mean black dog. Even though Bodhi warns her against it, Riley decides that it’s her responsibility to cross him over. This leads Riley to Rebecca, a young ghost who is very angry about her murder on her father’s plantation in the 1700’s. We come to learn that she was murdered after the slaves her father employed revolted against them. Because she is so angry, Rebecca has kept everyone else who died held against their will with her, and has made it so that they relive their worst days over and over again in their minds. She has enclosed them in a huge bubble, one that seems impossible to escape from once you have entered.

Riley Bloom, goes through a great deal of personal growth throughout this book. She finds herself within Rebecca’s bubble and has to work very hard to overcome her own worst memories in order to save herself and the others who are also trapped. Riley needs to convince Rebecca to forgive those she has trapped. She is faced with a huge task and finds herself learning more than she ever thought she would about herself. As she continues with her soul catching she learns to overcome a lot of her fears. She realizes that most of them are just figments in her mind, and if she believes strongly enough then she can overcome them and the obstacles she faces. She just needs to stay strong.

Even though this story is fiction, some of the instances that involved the slaves come from actual experiences. We learn about struggles, overcoming obstacles and ultimately forgiveness.

Sarah’s Review of Radiance by Alyson Noel

I am a huge fan of Alyson Noel’s other series, first loving the Immortals series, then most recently the soul seekers series. This book, Radiance, is the first in her series of a Riley Bloom Book. We first met Riley in the Immortals series as the younger sister to Ever, who has recently died and has been able to visit her sister, Ever, as a ghost. Ever finally comes to terms with the death of her family and convinces Riley to cross over the bridge, and this is where this series begins.

Riley has finally crossed over a bridge to a place called Here. Riley, along with Buttercup, her dog, have now been reunited with her parents. Just after getting settled into her new life, or death, she begins school. On her first day there the Council summons her. The Council explains that the afterlife isn’t all about relaxation and fun, you also have to work, and Riley has the new job as a Soul Catcher. Her teacher, Bodhi, is a very unique boy whom she is trying to understand. Riley isn’t overly thrilled with having to have a job in the afterlife, especially since she feels like she was already robbed of her life on the Earth plane. All she wants to do is go back.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup travel back to the Earth plane in order to complete Riley’s first assignment, which turns out to be helping a boy, known as the Radiant Boy, to cross the bridge. The Radiant Boy has been haunting for many centuries in a castle in England. Can Riley be the first one to get him to cross when all others before her have failed?

While this first book wasn’t as captivating as the Immortals series, it was entertaining. It was easy to read and followed one simple plot line. I feel as though this series is geared towards a younger audience, and, of course, fans of the Immortals series. While I found the plot to be not overly exciting, she does draw upon people’s fears and Riley has to overcome her own fears in order to do her job. While I didn’t love this book as much as I loved the Immortals series, I did like it, and will continue to read the rest of the series. I am curious to see what other challenges Riley will face, and I want to experience more of her life in the Here and Now. I do wish there was more explanation into that world in this book.

Her character development and rich descriptions bring you right into the book, Noel never fails to deliver in making you feel like you are right there, experiencing it all with them.

Sarah’s Review of The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

I’m not sure where to start with my review of this book. It was one of the most powerful stories I have ever read. Powerful where as it invoked so many emotional feelings and had the ability to place you right in the moment. First off I should begin by giving a brief introduction as to what this story is about.

You first meet the main character, Sage Singer, who is a magnificent baker. She has inherited this talent and works all night in order to make sure all of the bakeries items are ready for the morning rush. She hides herself in the kitchen and only works at night so she can try to escape how lonely she is after her mother’s death and the horrible memories associated with the accident. Sage has been attending a grief support group since the death of her mother and it is there that she meets Josef Weber, an elderly gentleman who has recently lost his wife. Josef is a retired teacher and a beloved man in their community. They quickly form a friendship.

This friendship becomes tested when Josef reveals a horrifying truth about his past and asks Sage for a huge favour that she is unsure if she can go through with, he wants her to help him die. The next little bit that I write may contain a few spoilers about the secret, but will not give away anything from the magnitude of the story. First off, you need to understand that Sage comes from a Jewish family, yet she has decided not to practice her faith like the rest of her family. Her grandmother is a survivor of the Holocaust, in particular, Auschwitz. The secret that Josef has unloaded on Sage is that he was a soldier, an SS guard during World War II, a Nazi. He no longer wants to live with the horrors that he has done in his past and just wants to leave the world, with the help of a Jewish friend whom may grant him his forgiveness. Sage needs to decide if she can forgive someone for a crime that wasn’t committed against her, but against thousands of other people who share the same religious background. She also needs to face her moral conscious and decide if she will grant Josef his one last wish. Upon hearing both Josef’s story about his time as a SS soldier, and reading Sage’s grandmother’s recount of her life during that time, you find that their paths have crossed before.

I cannot begin to describe the feelings and emotions that awaken within you while reading this book, especially the second part (the novel is broken into three parts), which is Sage’s grandmother, Minka’s, first-hand account of her life during World War II. It’s heartbreaking to know that so many people suffered the same fate, and yet many more lost their lives, just because. This book was difficult to read due to the content, but I am glad I did. Sometimes I found that I had to put the book down just because the content was so overwhelming, but I am so thankful that I have that option. It makes you wonder just what your life would have been like, and what you would have done, had you lived through that.

Throughout the book, Picoult adds in another story, which seems to be mimicking the life of Minka. Both stories being interwoven make for an interesting read. One story leads you to think about the other.

Picoult really did her research and brought to life a horrific past that needs to be remembered. I cannot recommend this book enough. You will not only enjoy the rich narrative, but you will also be enlightened and educated. Even though the story she wrote is fiction, it is based on facts and real life events. If you can, please get yourself a copy and read. By far one of the best books I have read.

I am still making my way through Jodi Picoult's novel, The Storyteller, but I just wanted to say, WOW! Never has a book made me feel so much before. The novel is broken into three parts, and I just finished the second one. The rich descriptives and narrative made me feel like I was right there, and the story is so heartwrenching. I'm not sure what I will write in my blog about it....It's a book that you don't want to put down, but sometimes you have to because the story is just so strong that you need to give yourself a break. I can't wait to finish the final part and write my thoughts on the story as a whole. For those of you who have read it, you know what I am talking about, for those that haven't, well I won't say anything until my actual blog, but seriously, everyone should read this book.

Sarah's Review of Horizon by Alyson Noel

 

I couldn’t wait to read the final book in Alyson Noel’s ‘the soul seekers’ series, Horizon. I read the first three all in a row and had to patiently wait for the fourth one to come out. I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for the main characters, Daire and Dace, along with their group of friends.

I can honestly say this final book did not disappoint. It was full of secrets, suspense, mystery and magic. The first three books, Fated, Echo, and Mystic, set you up for what will happen in the Horizon, the final chapter of either Daire Santos life or the life of all of the Richters. Daire Santos is a seeker, and the last one left, which means she is meant to save everyone she cares for from destruction from the doings of the Richter family, who are evil. In the third novel, we found out that Daire lost her grandmother, Paloma, who has taught her all she knows about being a seeker, so now it is entirely up to her to do what she was destined to do and fight against the Richters. She must try to put aside her grieving for her abuela in order to save her friends and everyone in Enchantment. Dace, the love of Daire’s life, has found a dark piece within his soul that is trying to consume him. Dace is worried it will destroy both himself and Daire, but Daire is not willing to give up on their love. While they are torn apart for the time being, you are left to wonder if their love can survive all of the odds that are stacked against them. This book is a wonderful story of good versus evil. How you need to learn to follow your instincts and look deep within yourself in order to find the truth.

The ending was wonderful, but then you read the epilogue and find a huge twist that nobody could see coming, which leaves me wondering if there will be a spin-off from this series one day in the future.

I recommend this entire series to anyone who loves a good mystery filled with magic, good and evil, light and dark, even demons. I loved each book in the series. I don't want to write anything more in case of spoiling the books. Read them and enjoy!

Sarah’s Review of Four Summoner’s Tales, by Kelley Armstrong, Christopher Golden, David Liss, and Jonathan Maberry.

This was an interesting novel. Four Summoner's Tales is actually four novellas within one book, each one very different than the others. Christopher Golden and Jonathan Maberry came up with the idea of writing short novellas all with the same premise, to see what different minds could create. They came up with this idea after discussing how many different stories all share essentially the same plot. So each author was given one premise in which to create a story about. Their premise had to do with raising the dead, for a price. It was amazing to see the different spins and individual approaches these authors took in writing their story. Not one is alike, yet all have the same basic premise.

The first story in the book is called Suffer the Children, written by Kelley Armstrong. She has long been one of my favourite authors and this book actually fell into my hands after winning one of her online contests! The basic idea in this story is that there are many children in a small town who have recently died from a disease. A few days later, two mysterious men arrive, claiming that they can bring these children back to life, if only for a small fee. But what that fee is, is rather interesting. The main characters, Preacher, his wife, and their adopted daughter, Addie, think that this idea is a very bad one indeed and wish to put a stop to it, only to find they may be too late. This story was very well written and kept the reader engaged through the entire thing. I also enjoyed how she wrote from a few different viewpoints, in order to get a better sense of what was going on.

The second story in the book is called Pipers, written by Christopher Golden. In this story, a gang comes in and kills a number of townspeople all in one night. Shortly afterward, a new man comes to town offering to bring all of their loved ones back from the dead, but only if they all choose to participate, and they also find out that the price they have to pay is that they need to do something for this man. The main theme around the raising of the dead in this book is revenge. The man wishes to create an undead army. It was an interesting read, and you realize you never know who you can really trust.

The third story is called A Bad Season for Necromancy”, by David Liss. This story takes you back to England, 1712. A young man, with the name of January, escapes his abusive father and leaves with everything that he can steal from what his father has. He builds himself a new life and tricks people into believing he is wealthier than he is, and in doing so he finds love. But things take a turn for the worse when his father hunts him down and exposes his lies. January finds a book amongst his father’s possessions that shows him how to raise the dead and he takes revenge on those new found friends who abandoned him when they learned the truth of his past, including the love of his life. I love how this book is written, and the way it flows leaves you wanting to keep turning the pages.

The fourth and last story in this book is titled “Alive Day” by Jonathan Maberry. This particular story takes you to Afghanistan in the middle of the war-torn country. A U.S. military team is sent in for a search-and-rescue mission, only to find themselves up against something more ancient and more horrendous than they could ever imagine in their wildest dreams. Maberry takes you back and forth from the perspective of the military operative in charge of the search-and-rescue mission with the leader of the team that has gone missing. This story was a little bit harder to get into for me because I don’t typically read books about the military and war. But after the first few chapters, which are relatively short, the storyline gets intense, and I found that it was very hard to put the book down.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the stories within this book, and if you are looking for a fun read, I would recommend this. The stories themselves are short, but powerful. And it is very interesting to see just how different a person can make a story based on one premise. Each story is so unique and so unexpected. I never imagined the course these stories would take.