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Books With Bite

My name is Savannah and I’m the founder Books With Bite.  Books have always found a way to my heart with great literature and adventure. Though I may not be a teen, I wish I could be!

Review: Press Play

Press Play - Eric Devine

One thing that I enjoy about Eric Devine’s stories is that they are raw and real. He never down plays the story but really tells it how it is. Because folks, we live in a real world with cruel people. I’ve seen it many times on tv. Kids being hazed in the most ugly, crazy, and de-humanzing way. Kids being bullied and pressured to fit in. This story captures what teens go through today.

Plot: This is about a young boy who loves to video tape. He tries to captures what goes on in his high school halls ways and has stumbled upon some harsh hazing. He decided to investigate further going onto much trouble he never seen before. He also battles with his weight (which kids constantly make fun of him) and him just learning to survive. Really this story is gritty. At times I cringed but could not look away. This kids are so harsh and so mean. I’m not going to lie and say that this story angered me a lot. The plot is good. It captures the reader right away.

Hazing/bullying: This is the part that angered me the most. No matter who Greg went too, EVEN TEACHERS, no one would help him. They never believed him. How could they sit there and brushed him as nothing. This kid has evidence yet the schools used it against him saying it was against school polices. UGH! The nerve of these people. These kids suffered yet no one did anything to protect or save the kids.

Ending: At least the ending gave some redemption for what these kids went through but only because the kids took matters into their own hands. No adults wanted to stand up for them until they did it for themselves. And you know what? That’s what happens in today schools. No one wants to take responsibility and its the kids that suffer in the end.

I really enjoyed this story. It certainly stirred up many emotions and got me thinking. You want a good look at what goes on with teens today, read this book. Press Play is a gritty yet realistic story that is gripping.

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Review: On The Edge

On the Edge - Allison van Diepen

This book really took me away. I was expecting a romance story (based on the cover) and instead got this deep story of love and war.

Plot: This is a really good story. So it starts off as this hard working girl, is walking home then witnessing a crime. That crime that she witnessed has gotten her into trouble with local gangs. I think the whole mix up with gangs gives the story a much more realistic feel. It was such a simple story that with the turn of events brings it life.

Street Gangs: If you ever lived in a rural/downtown area then you might be familiar with how powerful those gangs can be. When Maddie gets beat up by a rival gang, she get rescued by another. I think the whole mystery of who saved her and why, gives the reader a better story. For me, the mystery had me reader faster and wanting to know who exactly is her mystery hero.

Love: OMG! I have to admit that I totally let myself get caught up in this book and the mystery man. I fell for the sneaky kisses, looking over the shoulder, finding any clues as to who this guy is. And once I knew, boy did I swoon!

Ending: It wasn’t a totally happily ever after but it did carry some of it. There was rush of action and adrenaline throwing the reader into a whirlwind of street violence. It showcase how dangerous it can be for people who get mixed up with the wring crowd.

On The Edge is a great story that if you let it, can be swept away in. I adored the action mixed with love.

 

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Review: Opposition

Opposition - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Well it took me months to pick up this book. It sat on my shelf looking at me, daring me to read it. To know the ending. But my #seriesenderphobia (and yes, this is true I do have this) prevented me from reading it. My anxiety hit sky high overtime my hands held the book. Finally one day, I bit the bullet and decided to read it. It was time.

Plot: So this plot pretty much carrie on from the next book and started off with a bang. Literally my heart was in my throat. I could not believe what is going on. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, but I mostly wanted to close the book and put it back on the shelf. I kept going, hoping for some reassurance that things will get better. The plot is very moving and keeps the reader intact. I read page to page nonstop and loved every single minute of it.

Alien Invasion: I think the way it works out in the end, benefited both races fine. I was surprised how quickly and easy the fix was. Surely they were able to move on and still live on their lives.

Ending: Well the ending is bittersweet and something I want to relive again. It was awesome and surely I love it. I just wish I didn’t read it as fast.

 First and foremost, this is one heck of the series. Ever ambitious and engrossing, Opposition is bold. A witty story of aliens in high school, Opposition is an stellar conclusion.

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Review: Deliverance

Deliverance - C.J. Redwine

I’m happy to say that I have followed this book from the very beginning. It has captured my attention yet I could not put it down.

Plot: So if you have followed this series, then you know what is going on. Rachel is in a war and captured, struggling to hang on. Logan is trying to get to her as well as dealing with secrets of his own. This plot fills in the reader with many secrets and answers. It has plenty of action so you will neither get bored or tired of it. I read page to page as fast as I could.

Rachel/Logan: The plot does switch between the two characters. It does flow well, giving a reader a good insight on what is going on in the moment with both of them. I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting it was to know Logan thoughts. I always wanted to be in his mind more and this story gives the reader the opportunity.

Ending: Well the ending gears up for this epic battle and its awesome. Things get resolved and the reader even gets a really nice ending. I couldn’t help but smile as I read the last few pages. In fact, I read them three times. Just so I can feel the feeling of love and peace.

Yes this series is DA BOMB and yes, you should go out and buy it. Deliverance is an excellent tale full of energy and achievement.

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Review: Stray

Stray - Elissa Sussman

I always have a heart for fairytales so I definitely wanted to give this book a try. This story is quite unique and gives the reader a story to look forward to.

Plot: This is about a girl who has magic, yet this magic is restricted. I found that in the beginning of the story the plot moved slowly. It wasn’t until the middle did it finally start to catch up. Things moved along nicely with the plot line, giving the reader more insight on magic, fairy godmothers and the world that Aislynn lives in.

Magic: I found this part hard to understand. They have magic but have to control it to the extent of not really using it. And if they do use it, they get moved out of society in being fairy godmothers. Their taught to use their powers but not really. I just found it how they treat magic like it was good but BAD as well. For me, it was like geez make up your mind. Either they use it or not.

Ending: The ending ends well with lots of questions answered yet more left unaswered. I wonder what the lives of the other girls will become and how magic being exposed will do to the people.

I found this story to be quite unique. I never really read anything like it and it has inspired me to want more. I like to know more of the history of this world and where it will lead to. Stray is an amazing story of magic and having faith in your path.

Source: http://www.bookswithbite.net

Review: Mary: The Summoning

MARY: The Summoning - Hillary Monahan

As  a little girl this game was always played at many slumber parties. I remember one time someone double-dared me to do it. I did it but man on the third time I said her name, I bolted towards the door. LOL! I don’t think I have ever been so scared in my life. When I think back at it, I realized how silly it was or was it?

Plot: If you are familiar with bloody mary then you know the story. A group of girls, summoning bloody mary and getting into a world of trouble. It has plenty of action, screaming and of course heart racing fear knowing she is in every reflection.

Mary: One thing that really got me into the story was the history on Mary. I enjoyed reading the letters into the past about Mary. Something awful happened to her that made her this way. I can only hope that in the second book that there is more information of what happened to Mary. The reader gets some information to help with the story now, but I think more questions will be answered later.

Ending: The ending is left at a good place. Not solved but sort of. Things are left still quite scary and I wouldn’t mind reading more.

This is a great halloween read. It carries on some great history and action. Exploring the myth of Mary the author reboots this tale into much more.

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Review: Winterspell

Winterspell - Claire Legrand

Now this is the book I was looking for. The perfect read for a rainy weekend.

Plot: If you enjoy fantasy then you’ll love this story. It begins with a girl facing some hard times. She is hard pressed to make things better and stumbles on some information about her mother’s passing. Within moments she finds out what her mother was working on. It’s something out of this world and totally intriguing. I loved this plot. At first the plot did move slow but once the reader began getting more tidbits on her mother’s past and who she was, things began to get interesting real fast.

Another world: One thing I enjoyed about the book is the jump from one world to another. It was like walking into the closet and finding Narnia all over again. The readers meets a prince, a queen, lots of fairies (fae) and world left torn over war. So much to take in, I gobbled it all up quickly. There are plenty of plot twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Ending: The ending is amazing and leaves me wanting more. The author was very smart in the way she paced her story giving the reader the right amount of information yet holding back some so that we look forward to more answers later.

Verdict: this book is awesome! It’s another high fantasy that I just want more of. More of the world, more of the adventure of magic, more of the prince! Just more!! Winterspell is an mesmerizing tale of solid action and fantasy. The rousing elements and dramatic scenes gives the reader an amazing read.

 

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Review: Winterkill

Winterkill - Kate A. Boorman

So I have not read this type of book in a while. I think that last civilization I read was “The Forest Of Hands & Teeth” where there was a civilization  out in the middle of the woods, aren’t allowed to leave, etc. So I was pretty interested in what this story has to offer.

Plot: This is about a group of people who leave out in the woods following a strict amount of rules. The live under religious restriction and are forced to do whatever the “brothers” tell them too. I found this story interesting because of the way they live. And of course the one girl who rebels, breaking rules, going deeper into the forrest. The plot also dives deep into the past on how this little town got started and why. I loved following the character, learning more of the why and how’s.

Rules: A lot of the rules are the keep the people in fear as well as trapped there. No one comes back from the forrest so they are forced to live there. That is until the reader learns that there is indeed more outside of the forrest.

Ending: The ending leaves for more to be explored. I really like the outcome and would like to read more “beyond” the forrest should there be a second book. It also ended on a happy, cheerful note, that even though so much was exposed, there is still much to be changed.

I really enjoyed this book. It certainly wasn’t what I expected but it had certain parts that had me completely immersed. Winterkill is an crafty thriller with lots of twist and turns.

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Review: This Is How It Ends

This Is How It Ends - Jen Nadol

I really enjoyed this story. The whole concept of seeing the future through binoculars is so exciting!

Plot: This is about a group of kids who, while playing in the woods finding a pair of binoculars. Upon looking into the binoculars, they see a brief look into the future. This alone excites me. I mean, I wonder what I would see if I looked into it. Good or bad? Honestly, I’m not sure that I even want to look. The future is uncertain and a tad bit scary. Anywho, this plot rocks. It’s well paced with plenty of drama to keep the reader entertained.

Binoculars: These binoculars made me wonder. Where did they come from? Can you see more of the future if you continue to look in? What else can they do? All this and more flowed through my head as I devoured the story. I loved that all characters played a part  in each others future. Some good/bad. Each characters also held information to their future that they didn’t share. Throughout reading the story, I was anxious knowing somehow their futures were and  how they affect each other.

Ending: Well, that ending certainly surprised me. I wasn’t expecting such a revelation but man oh man. The information that flowed out of the pages just reeled me in even more. I totally loved how my suspensions were right. The futures impacted each other more than what I thought. It was an great and well written ending!!

I really enjoyed this story. I can only hope that there will be a novella or possibly a second book to determined their future. The ending does leave it open for more. If you love a good mystery, supernatural story read this book.

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Review: Black Ice

Black Ice - Becca Fitzpatrick

So I started this book looking for some good thrilling action. I got just that.

Plot: This story revolves around the woods, a snow storm and some unexpected run in with some trouble. I really liked the pace of the story. One minute its going they way I think it is them BAM, change. The plot is very thrilling with the mysterious of the woods, survivals and of course disappearances. All the characters bring something to the table. Either it’s their keen instinct for survival, their mysteriousness of who they really are and the storm that keeps on getting worse.

Characters: This story also plots out a very good teen thrill-like movie. The chapters flow well with bits of the characters of who they really are coming out little by little. I admit that my suspensions of what was really going on was flying through my head. Like is he the killer? Where did the  other girl go? How did he get there so fast? So many questions/motives going through my head that I was thoroughly entertained.

Ending: Now the ending didn’t quite catch me by surprise sense I had my suspensions right, but I loved the way the plot lead up to it. It gave me this rush of excitement to know what is about to go down!

My only gripe is the slight stockholm syndrome. Then again, everyone was lying not saying who they really were so I think I can get past this little tidbit.

Overall, this is a great thrilling book. I would recommend this book for older mature teens as it does carry on some gruesome scenes right from the start. Black Ice is an sharply written, well written thriller.

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Review: Complusion

Compulsion - Martina Boone

So when I first got this book I thought it was more magic. It is, initially, but it has a lot of history which I loved. For me, a good back round to the story came make it or break it. And ya’ll, being a southern gal myself, I adored it.

Plot: One thing I really enjoyed is the whole southern atmosphere. I could literally see myself on the plantation, sipping on ice cold sweet tea and cornbread. I love the way the plot moved. It moved well, giving the reading bit by bit of the past. It made me feel like I was at the plantation. The pace of the story is great as well. I like that it had a deep history the went back generations. The mysterious of the curses and what they generation now is doing is very interesting to read.

Family/Friendship/Love: Like all southern brawls, this story is rooted with family drama. I love it! All families are fighting over something that happen years ago and it carries on to the next generation. I like that Barrie is really nice and trying to do her best to find out what happened in the past. Her willingness to set everything aside for others is amazing. I love how adventurous she is as well. She sets out to find something, man will she find it. Her love interest is a great southern guy who is not only charming but witty. The way their relationship unfolded (not an insta-love)  with first being strangers, then friends, funny dates and of course finally love. Now that is how a romance is done!

Ending: I really love the ending of the story. It gave me the feel for more. There was so much drama packed in the last few chapters that my breathe was being taken away! I look forward to reading more. I hope that the author writes about the other families now that I’ve learn about this one. I’m interested in seeing what the other families lives have been. Especially the unrequited love between older people that was never given the chance.

Overall, I really like this book. It felt like a wave of fresh air. If you love a good romance, with deep rooted history give this story a go. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more.

 

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Review: Silver Shadows

Silver Shadows - Richelle Mead

OMG you guys. Seriously this book is so amazing. I sill can’t get over it!!

Plot: This story carries on where the last book left on. If you have not read the Bloodlines series then what are you waiting for? GO and read it. Also, you don’t have to read the VA series either. The plot moves rather quickly and changes pov between Syndey/Adrian. Both pov flow well with plenty of drama. Believe me when I say you’ll love it.

Syndey/Adrian: Because of their current position both struggle a lot. I admit that I was a bit mad at Adrian with his behavior but I forgave him at the end. All I have to say about Syndey is that girl is strong. She kept her head up, no matter what she went through, believing till the end.

Ending: This ending is seriously like no other. EPIC!! When I was reading the last few chapters I was giggling, smiling ear to ear and of course, taking every page in like my favorite ice cream. Seriously soooo good! Even now while writing this I can’t stop smiling.

I want more. This story has just hit another point where I can not get enough.  Silver Shadows takes it to a whole other level. The love, the fighting, the drama all leading up to one surprising ending!!

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Review: Sisters Fate

Sisters' Fate - Jessica Spotswood

Well its finally here. The end! I remember when this first installment swept me off my feet. It was a story that I remember and loved so much that I had to follow it. I did. I’m sad to see this series end.

Plot: This story follows what has develop from the first book so if you have not read the books you should. The plot immediately pulls the reader in with a sense of sadness. Much has changed between the sisters even going to far as taking away a loved one. The sisters are having trouble balancing what they want to what they need. They keep fighting, keeping secrets, not to mention with the nonsense the brotherhood is spreading as well as the fever, the sisters find themselves in much trouble. While reading this story I had no problem envisioning the city, the people as well the emotions flowing through the book.

Friendship/Sisters/Love: This area gets very complicated very fast. Though much has been taken away there is much to fight for. I wanted the sisters to reunite and work together. For much of the book they were at odds with each other only thinking of themselves. The love interest was too scrambled to bits so as you can imagine my heart was beating pretty fast. As the plot continues, things began to piece together.

Ending: The ending is not what I expected. I thought the sisters would make up and be together instead I was left with,”What just happen?!” Don’t get me wrong the ending is quite good. It kept me at the edge of my seat. Although I wish it could be different, their choices are their own.

I love this ending. It fits the story just right tying up all loose ends. I’m glad that I got to read the story from start to finish. I certainly enjoyed the series and can’t way to read more by this author.

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Review: Isla and The Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

The last and finally book. I have to admit that I was a bit anxious when reading this story. I have adored the first and second in the series and wondered if the third would do the series  justice.

Plot: This story follows Isla who is in the city when she meets Josh. The plot moves at a steady pace giving the reader exactly what they expect. A good friendship turned into love, then the troubles of love come along. I didn’t have any problem getting into the story or following it.

Love: This is the one area I did have a problem with. It seemed to me that their love was intsa-love. One minute they meet and the next their in love. I really wanted to be wooed. I like their adventures as a couple and learning to have a long distance relationship but it all felt rushed. Like there wasn’t enough time to basked in their romance cause it got filled up with drama.

Ending: The ending was as suspected. They get into a fight and then they get back together forever. I like the HEA but really I expected more.

For me, this story is good.  I honestly prefer the first and second book than this one. Still, the story covers all the bases for a YA romance and if you need that teenage angst then go for this one.

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Review: Grimm's Complete Fairytales

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales - Jacob Grimm, Kenneth C. Mondschein

Ever since I was a little girl, fairy tales have always made a way into my heart. I will never forget staying up late reading stories about Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. The more I read these fairytales the more I wanted. Then I found my way to the fae. Another realm of stories I fell into. Then I learned about The Brother’s Grimm. I was immediately consumed with learning about all these stories and fascinated that even existed. I wanted the beginning. I wanted the truth of how and where this stories began. So I began searching for the perfect book to open that door.  I found it in my local indie bookstore. I ask if they have a collection of the “real” Grimm’s brothers stories. They said yes and brought me this beauty…

Can I talk about how BEAUTIFUL this book is? Cause it truly is. Leatherbound, eerie and smelling wonderfully (yes I sniffed the book). It has gold pages laced with the real stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, etc. I have it sitting by my bedside in which I read a story each night. And each story has brought me so much satisfaction.

The stories themselves aren’t anything new. Most of us all heard of the Grimm’s stories either by movies (Disney has turned many Grimm’s stories into movies) or tv shows. I personally love reading the real thing. I feel like I stepped into a whole other world when I open this book. And maybe there is hope that something, maybe something strange will happen…you know, just like in stories. (WINK, WINK)

If you are a fairytale lover like me and enjoy reading, go pick up this beauty. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adore this book. I’m not even half-way through  it (as I’m reading it slowly) but it is truly a wonderful collections of stories. I will warn you that these stories don’t all have happy endings. These stories were meant for children as lessons for life. Some end in happy endings while others not so much. With each story, I think about the life lesson that the Brothers Grimm are portraying. The way the capture it so beautifully in just a mere couples of pages always leaves me in awe.

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Review: Kiss Kill Vanish

Kiss Kill Vanish - Jessica Martinez

This is an great story! From the very first chapter I was intrigued by what surrounded Valentina yet she didn’t know.

Plot: This is about a girl who finds out her father is not who he says he is. She runs away only to discover more secrets. One thing that really pulled me into this plot was Valentina herself. She was blissfully unaware of her fathers actions and left so thinking she was done for. The plot carries this deep power struggle of facing her past as well as what she can do for her future.

Friendship/Love: This area totally caught me by surprise because I thought this was a safe haven for Valentina. After discovering so much about her life, truly this area has to be good for her. Instead it bit her…bad. It crept up on me since I was so caught up with Valentina and her discovering her fathers secrets. I honestly didn’t second guess it and even fell for every word he said.

Ending: I like the ending. After coming to a conclusion, Valentina takes matters into her own hands. Which I really enjoyed. I liked seeing her prove everyone wrong. She took what power she had left and made it work for her. You go girl!

This is a spectacular story that completely captured me. I really enjoyed the secrets, the action as well as the development of Valentina.

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