Private London

 The following review I wrote was published in the April 26th Express Reviews of the Library Journal.

Patterson, James & Mark Pearson. Private London. 6 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 6½ hrs. Hachette Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611130232. $24.98; Playaway digital; digital download.

Here Patterson and Pearson (Private Games) follow the story of Dan Carter, head of renowned investigation firm Private London, and Hannah Shapiro, a student with a horrific past. The police and Private are investigating a case that involves kidnappings, murder, and mutilation. Can it be Hannah’s past coming back to get her? Rupert Degas does a spot-on job voicing English, American, and Scottish characters.
Verdict It goes without saying that Patterson fans will enjoy this book, but readers who enjoy thrillers with a twist will want to give it a try as well. [The Grand Central hc was a New York Times best seller.—Ed.]

Call the Midwife

The following review I wrote was published in the April 2013 issue of Library Journal.

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

This memoir, the inspiration for BBC's popular series of the same name, chronicles Worth's experiences as a midwife in London during the 1950s. The story, enhanced by amazingly vivid imagery, brings to life the horror of the living conditions in the slums of the London's Docklands, the sadness of mothers who have lost their babies, and the joy of first- or 24th-time mothers as they meet their children. Narrator Nicola Barber, winner of two Earphone Awards, does an excellent job of portraying both seasoned and inexperienced midwives as well as the wide variety of British accents. VERDICT Fans of the BBC series will enjoy this audiobook, as will anyone interested in the history of midwifery. [The Penguin hc was a New York Times best seller.—Ed.]—

Heaven's War by David Goyer and Michael Cassutt

The following review I wrote was published in the December 2012 issue of Library Journal. 

Goyer, David S. & Cassutt, Michael. Heaven’s War. 12 CDS. Unabridged. 14 ½ hours. Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 9780307934482. $50.00

Goyer and Casseutt’s book Heaven’s War is the second book in the Heaven Shadow series.  Starting where the last book left off, two groups of scientists on opposite sides of the world are abducted and transported to Keanu. They must figure out how to survive on this alien habitat, discover why they were brought there, and why friends who were dead on Earth are suddenly on Keanu alive. Set in the not too distant future, this story has all the elements of a hard science fiction story. Narrator Joe J. Thomas does a wonderful job portraying a variety of characters from gravely voiced Harley Drake to smooth talker Dale Scott to Russian linguist Valya Makarova and many more. Recommended for fans of space science fiction.

The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham

The following review that I wrote was published in the June 2012 edition of Library Journal.....

Wyndham, John. The Kraken Wakes. 7 CDS. Unabridged. 9 Hours. CSA World. 2010. ISBN: 9781906147754. $29.95.

In Wyndham’s The Kraken Wakes (Previously published under the title Out of the Deeps), English journalist for the EBC--- not the BBC, Mike Watson writes an account of events that he and his wife Phyllis witnessed. Starting on their honeymoon with what was described as fireballs falling from the sky and leading to the attacks of “sea tanks” and the unusually fast melting of icebergs. Not your typical science fiction story, the aliens are no longer confined to taking over from Outer Space. The story was cut up in three phases which moved the plot along wonderfully, however there was not much character development. British narrator Alex Jennings shows animation playing multiple people very well including men, women, English, Russian, and French characters. Fans of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds will enjoy this story. 

Eon by Alison Goodman

Crippled Eon was not much of a candidate for Dragoneye, but he trained hard and studied hard. On the day of the ceremony when the Rat Dragoneye was chosen, Eon was overlooked. To everyone's surprise, another dragon emerged choosing Eon. A dragon that had thought to have lost forever, the Mirror Dragon. But the Mirror Dragon wants something that Eon cannot give, something Eon has been hiding for years, something that will surely kill him. Eon is really Eona, a female Dragoneye candidate, something that is unheard of. Eona must embrace her true self if she is to truly become one with her dragon.
I really enjoyed this novel,I thought that Eon was a very strong female protagonist and I thought that it portrayed a very good message of being true to oneself.I am looking forward to the sequel Eona coming out in April 2011.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley

After years of chemotherapy and struggle, Kate is taking her mother back to her hometown to die. With the insistence of her mother, Kate attends school, counting down the seconds until she can be back with her mother. As a cruel prank, Ave, one of Kate's classmates invites Kate to a "party" in the woods. In the attempt to leave Kate there, something goes horribly wrong and Ava ends up dead. Henry, the mysterious property owner says he can bring Ava back to life-but at a price. Kate must live with him for 6 months out of the year. After agreeing, Kate soon finds her world surrounded with Greek mythological beings. She will be given 7 tests where if she passes she will become immortal, but if she fails she would go home with no memory of what happened. That is, if she isn't mysteriously killed like many girls before her.

From the first page I was hooked on this story. I found the character's to be entertaining, yet realistic. I felt the struggle Kate was going through as she tried to take care of her mother. Although I wished the author developed the character's a little more, I'd like to see more of James or Ava. I found myself constantly trying to guess what Kate's tests were. Although the story ended with everything tied in a nice little bow, I'm very excited to see what Carter's next story holds.

The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong

I got this as an ARC from the publisher Harper Collins
Mya has always felt a connection to nature. Animals act differently around her, the animals she takes care of at her home tend to heal faster, oh and there's that whole having visions and seeing through the animals eyes thing. With the exception of the visions most people in Mya's small town just accredit it to her being Native American, but there is something more to it. Pretty soon, people start disappearing and Rafe, the loner now kid in town, starts taking extra notice of Mya.

With a different setting but the same secondary characters from her Darkest Powers series, Armstrong has yet another amazing novel that will leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more.

Matched by Ally Condie

In a Society where every detail of your life is planned out for you; from your meals to your job to who you will marry, one girl must chose to follow or to question everything she has ever known. Cassia follows the rules, she doesn't get infractions, she doesn't question the Society, she does what she is told. At her Match Banquet she sees the face of her match.... Her best friend Xander who is perfect. While looking at Xander's information, another face flashes before her.... Ky, a boy who (according to the Society) can never be matched. Now Cassia has to decide, does she continue to follow the rules and stay with Xander or does she risk it all to be with Ky.

As a person who loved The Giver by Lois Lowery, I really enjoyed this book. I found many similarities between the societies. Cassia, who has to question her entire world and everything she knew, was a wonderful character. The way the book ended has set itself up for a sequel and I am very much looking forward to reading it.

Demonglass

An outstanding sequel to Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Sophie finds herself in England visiting her dad for the summer. With Jenna and Cal (who turns out to be her fiancée!) by her side, Sophie struggles to decide whether or not to go through the Removal. Between someone creating new demons and the Eye getting closer and closer (including Archer) Sophie doesn't know who she can trust. This book was just as good as the first, with the same cliffhanging ending. I would not hesitate to recommend this series to anyone who enjoys young adult paranormal fiction.

Plan B

I read this as an advanced copy from NetGalley.
Plan B by Charnan Simon is about a girl named Lucy who finds herself 17 and pregnant. Luke, her boyfriend and babydaddy, isn't talking to her, her friends keep rattling about throwing her a baby shower, and her perfectly planned out future is no more. Plan B is part of a series "Surviving Southside" that deals with issues that teens may face in high school. The story was not completely unrealistic, the characters however did not seem real.The reading level seems to be for the younger side of the Young Adult spectrum but the content itself seems to be toward the older side. Overall, I didn't hate the book, but I thought that the author did not develop the story to it's full potential.