Summer's Opus

Title: The Realm Below: The Rise of Tanipestis Author: Susan Rooke Genre: YA Christian Fantasy Fiction Rating: Five Stars! When I love a book, I’m always leery about picking up its sequel. I know, that may sound crazy, but I’ve read a few series where the subsequent books have turned me off to the entire universe. Hopefully, you don’t know what I mean (because you’ve always struck literary gold every time you’ve picked up a book series!). If, however, you’re all too familiar with my plight, then you’ve undoubtedly shared some of my reticence as you’ve reached for the second book of a series. Will it be as good? Will the storyline progress in a way that keeps me engaged? Will I be able to continue to love and hate the same characters with an equal amount of passion? As an avid reader, we tend to build intimate, passionate relationships with our books, so committing to a series is serious business! This month, I happily volunteered to read the second book of Susan ...

Title: Flip Author: Martyn Bedford Genre: YA Existential Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! I’m a sucker for book covers, so when I stumble upon a good one, I immediately have to investigate. Who wrote it? What can those images possibly mean? I’m a fan of bright and flashy things, but what I really love is subtle mystery—you know, those book covers that catch your eye because they seem dark and intriguing. Those always make me wonder, “Now what’s this all about?” So I’ll pick it up off the shelf, or here lately, I’ll click on the link, and I’ll read the synopsis. Almost always, when the book cover is that good, I instantly fall in love, and that’s exactly how it worked out with “Flip” by Martyn Bedford. The cover is definitely eye catching, and the synopsis hooked me from the start, but, before I dive into my take on it, here’s the publisher’s note… “Flip” Book Synopsis What does it mean to have a soul whose will to live knows no limits? One morning fourteen-year-...

Title: The Last Girl on Earth Author: Alexandra Blogier Genre: YA Science Fiction & Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! Life has a funny way of getting busy when you least expect it—hence the delay with posting reviews the last few weeks. So while I've always intended to stick with one or two reviews a month, because I feel as though I can really give a book my full attention then, I’ve also come to realize that it may be easier to reach that goal if I let the author do some of the legwork, or in this case, I simply share the author’s synopsis and then offer my opinion (because who needs to reinvent the wheel, right ! ). So without further ado, here’s the new and improved book-review format… “The Last Girl on Earth” Book Synopsis RAISED AMONG THEM. Li has a father and a sister who love her. A best friend, Mirabae, to share things with. She goes to school and hangs out at the beach and carefully follows the rules. She has to. Everyone she knows—her family, her t...

  Title: Dawn of the Reaper Author: Paul F. McGowan Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Rating: Four Stars! Following centuries of exile, a dragon named Firestorm has set the final wheels in motion to exact his revenge against the kingdom that vanquished his kind. The only problem he faces is one meddling human, who’s discovered his secret plot and plans to expose the dragon to the king. Naturally, Firestorm will not allow that to happen, so he murders the man and incorrectly assumes that he also rids himself of the meddling man’s wife and son. Unbeknownst to the dragon, of course, Rowan survives the attack and before she passes away, his mother begs an accidental passerby to protect her son and his secrets. Archibald Scott, a local shopkeeper and notorious sorcerer, vows to safeguard Rowan’s identity and then raises him as a sorcerer’s apprentice. As Rowan enters adolescence, he excels at wizardry and can often be found causing mischief around town with his friend Sydne...

Title: Scintillate Author: Karen Tjebben Genre: YA Paranormal Fiction Rating: Four Stars Kate Archer is instantly drawn to Nick, the new boy at school. He’s handsome, smart, and interested in her — perhaps a little too much, at least according to just about everyone in Kate’s life. Even her parents think he’s creepy, but Kate instantly falls in love with Nick after he rescues her from a random, mysterious attacker. Romance blossoms — in epic teen-puppy-love fashion — so despite all of the warnings from family and friends, and in spite of the nagging feelings of déjà vu that Kate experiences, Kate and Nick’s relationship continues to grow. All is gushingly perfect between the two until Kate accidentally eavesdrops on a conversation that changes her life forever. Nick, as it turns out, isn’t just the boy next door, and Kate is just beginning her transformation into something that is both fascinating and horrifying. On a personal note, this book reminded me that ther...