December 2019 | Book Nerds Across America

Friday, December 27, 2019

Book Review: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Jacque's Review:

Sweet Reckoning is the third and final book in the Sweet series. There is a fourth book, which is a companion novel told from Kaidan's POV, but this is the conclusion to the original story.

The Nephilim are well aware of what their fathers, the Dukes/Demons, are capable of and are ready to risk their lives to rid the earth of them once and for all. Not all of the Dukes are evil, even though they must carry out their sinful work of spreading greed, lust, envy, substance abuse, etc. One of them in particular, Anna's father, has been helping to organize an alliance between some of the Neph. The other Dukes are beginning to suspect there is a traitor amongst them and begin monitoring him and all of their children very closely.

There were several twists and loop holes that were exploited in this book that greatly added to the overall enjoyment. All of the Neph still needed to be very careful, but we were able to see more of their true feelings and personalities in this book. I loved seeing the twins - Ginger and Marna, Blake, Kapano, Kaidan, and Anna all working together for good instead of evil.

Unfortunately, there couldn't be a happily-ever-after for everyone in the series. We did lose a couple of characters along the way, which was very sad. With the Neph's new found faith and understanding that they were no longer condemned to hell, the loss wasn't nearly as painful as it could have been. They all realized they would be reunited some day.

In addition to Kai and Anna, a few other couples emerged out of the alliance. It was great to see the Neph free to finally make their own decisions and live their lives on their own terms. If you enjoy paranormal romance, I would definitely recommend this series.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Book Summary
Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's easier--
It's safer--
It's better--
--for the other person.
She's got issues. She's got secrets. She's got rheumatoid arthritis.
But then she meets another sick kid.
He's got a chronic illness Isabel's never heard of, something she can't even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who's a doctor.
He's gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her.
Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's complicated--
It's dangerous--
It's never felt better--
--to consider breaking that rule for him.

Flo's Summary
This was full of the adorableness I'd hoped it would be! I'm a sucker for a first love story and this one was so, so sweet. At the same time, I really appreciated the look into the lives of the sick kids. Every time I read an #ownvoices novel it really expands my worldview and understanding, and this one was no different. I am really, really glad Hannah decided to share this story in such a great way.

Sasha is the best kind of book boyfriend and I love the conversations between him and Isabel. It was interesting to see Isabel's relationships with her friends and how they evolved throughout the novel. This book had some good, thoughtful discourse which was fantastic. It didn't shy away from showing the reader the lows. But the sweet, beautiful moments were so sweet and beautiful. I closed the book with a huge smile on my face.

Thank you again to Entangled Teen for sending this along for my review.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Book review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Book Summary
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Flo's Review
This is an interesting one, for sure. I went into this with a lot of conflicting emotions. I wanted to love it, of course, because it's greatly hyped. But I also knew that I might now, due to the fact that -- and this is not a spoiler because of the title -- the guy is a jerk. I'm never good with stories where the guys are jerks.

So now I've finished it, and .... I kind of liked it and kind of didn't. As I was listening to it, the only thing motivating me to go on was that it's my book club read and that I was curious what would happen, based on all the hype. It wasn't necessarily because I was invested in the story. I just...it's got the whole political intrigue, Game of Thrones thing going on, and I don't think that's really my style. Plus, everyone in the story is just plain mean. I always want to be rooting for at least one person in the book, and I feel like the only character I liked and would want to hang out with was Oak.

But on the flip side, I did the thing where I was getting close to the end of the audiobook and I finished reading the rest of the story in print because I wanted to see what would happen and I didn't want to wait until I was back in the car. I knew there would be a twist, I just didn't know what!

So now I'm looking at The Wicked King, and I'm torn. On one hand, the relationship between Jude and Carden ... doesn't do it for me. Again, the mean thing. And let's her real, right now their relationship is built on them being jerks to each other. One the other hand, it seems like nearly everyone has liked TWK better than TCP. For that, I am willing to give it a try.

I think my conclusion is that I will continue on in the series, but just not right away. I need a break from all the meanness, and I have some other books I'd like to get to first.

This book, and this series, is one with the range of opinions from "I loved it!" to "Ehh..." to "I was not a fan." Where do you stand? Let me know in the comments or on one of our social media accounts.

Book Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

Jacque's Review:

This book has been on my TBR list since it was released back in May 2017. When I was at the library a couple of weeks ago, this was sitting prominently displayed on one of the shelves and I couldn't resist any longer. It was described as "The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars." While I haven't read Pretty Little Liars yet, I am very familiar with The Breakfast Club and loved the movie growing up.

I could definitely see the comparison with The Breakfast Club from the very beginning of the book. Five students, who seemingly couldn't be any more different from each other, end up in detention together because of something they claim is a mistake. The teacher found prohibited cell phones in their bags, which are not theirs, but he refuses to listen to them.

Simon is a smart kid who has always been sort of an outsider. When he starts an app that calls out all the indiscretions his fellow classmates have made, and identifies them by their initials, he is not only feared but hated by most of the students.

Bronwyn is most likely going to be this year's valedictorian and has her sights set on Yale.

Addy is the popular homecoming queen.

Nate is on probation for dealing drugs.

Cooper is the star pitcher on the baseball team and could go pro right out of high school.

Simon ends up dying during detention and the remaining four students are now being accused of murder, but they all insist they are innocent. Unfortunately, Simon had something on all of them and planned on outing them in his next post. The police think this is motive for murder and continue questioning everyone, hoping they will crack. Their lives spiral out of control as their secrets are revealed, but they are no closer to solving the murder and are continuously under scrutiny.

This was an excellent murder mystery. I guessed who the murderer was, but I had no idea how everything was accomplished or who else was involved. I really enjoyed the characters and seeing how these teens worked together to solve the murder when the police refused to look beyond what was obvious. They took it upon themselves to clear their names when nobody else would even give them the benefit of the doubt.

I love murder mysteries, but there aren't too many that I have come across that are YA. I have a 14-year-old son who wouldn't like most of the YA books that I read because they appeal more to female readers. I feel like this is a great option for young boys and is something he would definitely enjoy. It is told from each of the four main characters' points of view, so the reader can see and feel how the events are impacting each of them individually. I really talked it up to my son while I was reading it, so I hope he will give it a try for his next choice book. There are so many secrets that are constantly revealed and the high school drama was never ending. I can't imagine he wouldn't get hooked.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Book Review: They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire

Jacque's Review:

At the start of the book we are introduced to Kenzie Summerall, who is your typical over achiever. She is a member of the Latin club and is hoping to win a state Latin competition that could earn her a scholarship to the college of her dreams. She is not one of the popular girls and certainly doesn't consider herself prom queen material, so she is shocked when her name appeared on the annual "hottie list" at school.

For the past thirty years at Vienna High, the junior class boys have voted on the top ten hottest girls in their class. Appearing on the list instantly catapulted Kenzie to the top of the social circles. She is now being invited to parties and boys she never would have even considered to be in her league were asking her out.

The girls on the list form a sorority of sorts when they start having near death experiences. When the first member on the list dies from an accident, they think it must be an unfortunate coincidence. When the second girl dies, they believe they are cursed. Kenzie doesn't believe there is a curse, but instead thinks there is a serial killer who is taking advantage of this annual tradition. Being number five on the list, she realizes she must work quickly to solve this mystery or they could all fall victim.

This was an entertaining YA murder mystery. I never would have guessed why the "hottie list" was first established and what its role was in the larger scope of the story. This book doesn't appear to have a sequel, but I felt like the author left a great opening to potentially continue the story with a few of the more prominent characters.

Overall, I liked the story, but it wasn't a sit on the edge of your seat type of thriller. I enjoyed all of the Latin quotes and how Roxanne tied in some ancient Roman history. I also felt like Kenzie's character grew tremendously over the course of the novel. She was very weak and timid in the beginning, but she really took charge and acted with remarkable bravery to help save and protect herself and the people she loves in the end. I also admired the fact that the author brought to light the fact that Levi, a new boy at the school the previous spring, was dyslexic. Everything anyone seemed to know about him was based on speculation and gossip, but Kenzie gave him a chance. He had a rough childhood and is trying to turn things around. As easy as it was for some of the students to blame him for the accidents because of his reputation, and the fact that he always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Kenzie didn't buy it and even sought his help in solving the murders. These two are polar opposites, but they made a great team and a perfect couple.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Book Review: Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Jacque's Review:

Everyone knows the school bullies, mean girls, and in the case of this book, a psycho teacher, who make life at school a living hell. Don't Get Mad, DGM, is tired of their antics and decides to take matters into their own hands and "Get Even." The book takes place at an elite prep school where the administration has let bullying get out of hand. The Principal even set up his own group of enforcers known as the Maine Men, who only perpetuate the problem.

The four girls in DGM, Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot all have their own secrets and decided to join the group for very different reasons. They appear to have nothing in common, but as the story unfolds, we can see how their lives are entwined and can tell they are forming genuine friendships despite their differences.

When the target of one of DGM's recent pranks is found dead, with one of DGM's calling cards in his bloody hand, the girls realize they are in trouble. Nobody is going to believe they weren't involved. The school's administration, along with the Maine Men, set out on a witch hunt to find the members of DGM and bring them to justice. The girls decide they need to solve this murder before they take the fall.

This was a very entertaining murder mystery, but I had no idea this would have a "to be continued" type of ending. With a few chapters remaining, I was sure we were going to get to the bottom of everything, but we were left just as clueless as ever. I figured Get Dirty, the next book in the series, would be a companion novel, but it is actually a continuation of this same story.

I read a lot of murder mysteries and don't think I have ever run into a book or series in which the crime wasn't solved by the end of the book. I can only imagine how stressful that would have been to readers who finished this book shortly after it was released. They would have had an agonizing wait for the next book to be released and no clue if the crime they had just invested their time in would ever be solved, until the description for the next book was released.

I have a few other books that I need to read first, but I have already requested a copy of Get Dirty from the library. I desperately want to know who is behind the events that have taken place before I forget all of the details and clues that have been uncovered so far.

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