Humanitarian aid Abby Howell and reporter Nick Sinclair find themselves in the middle of a human trafficking ring in Pakistan. When Abby realizes she may have witnessed a murder by a high-ranking official, she and Nick must break the story before she becomes its next casualty.

I was really nervous to read The Bracelet because it discussed such a terrifying topic for me: sex trafficking. I live very close to Seattle, WA, which actually has a large amount of sex trafficking, and trafficking in general going on. I also learned quite a bit about human trafficking in one of my college courses, which scared the living crap out of me. Not to mention, the movie Taken, starring Liam Neeson. Obviously, I didn’t handle that very well either.

When I read the prologue for The Bracelet, I was expecting a rather strong novel from Roberta Gately. It was pretty intense witnessing Abby watch a girl get thrown off the roof, and I expected high action throughout the rest of the novel. Unfortunately, I ended up being bored throughout most of the book.

The novel is set in Pakistan, which, honestly, is not a book for me. I don’t mind reading about other cultures, but I often find those types of books to be really educational and long, which is exactly how The Bracelet turned out for me. I also felt that the book was very repetitive.

I cannot express how much I disliked the main character, Abby. I really don’t have any logical reason for disliking her, I just didn’t. She got on my nerves so much! Not to mention, I thought she was an absolute idiot. I know that Gately was trying to educate her readers on what sex trafficking is. However, it really made Abby look bad when she had no idea what sex trafficking was. Seriously? What grown adult has never heard of sex trafficking or human trafficking? I know it’s not widely discussed, but I definitely scoffed at that. I also found her to be very obnoxious, and I felt that she whined way too much. I really did feel pity that her boyfriend of three or so years broke up with her. I did! But….going clear to Pakistan to recover, which is basically what she did, from a break up? REALLY? That’s a little over the top in my opinion.

Unfortunately, while reading this book, I found myself doing something that I never do. I skimmed a bunch of pages, and I ended up skipping whole paragraphs because I was that bored. It really did feel like a history lesson/educational novel, and I felt that this book could potentially be assigned to me from one of my professors. I read enough for school as it is, I don’t want my luxury reading to feel like school also.

Now, here’s the thing. Roberta Gately is a great writer. I understood that while I was reading The Bracelet. To make me a fan, though, Gately needs to take that great writing and make it interesting. Give me a plot that’s going to catch my attention and make me a loyal reader. The Bracelet is more of an adult novel than a young adult novel, but I read both. My books don’t have to be full of fantasy or paranormal activity. I’m fine sitting down and reading an adult romance novel or action/thriller.

In the end, I can’t tell readers whether or not they should read this book, because it really wasn’t for me. However, it did have great writing and this concept may appeal to some. I would encourage fans of this genre to give the book a chance. You never know, you may really enjoy it. Unfortunately, the book just was not for me.

 

Pages: 304

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: November 6th, 2012

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “There is a lot to tell.” Nick was suddenly serious. He leaned across the table. “Trafficking is a big business. It’s a damned bonanza- third-biggest illegal business in the world behind arms and drugs, and it has an endless supply of resources. While the supply of drugs and arms could dry up, there’ll always be girls and women to exploit. It’s a thirty-two-billion-dollar-a year business.”

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn’t want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming

 

Becca Chandler’s life is far from perfect. She’s been labeled the school slut, and she’s made fun of on a constant basis. So, she decided to take a self defense class in order to protect herself from some of the guys who have been bothering her in and outside of school. Little did she know that she would have to use those self defense skills the night she learned them, saving Chris Merrick’s life.

Chris Merrick is from a family of Elementals. His particular power? Water. When Becca pours water on his face the night that a couple of guys are kicking his ass, things spiral out of control. Now the villains believe that Becca is also an elemental, and they will do everything in their power to kill them both. Becca is completely clueless about the powers that inhabit her little town, but she’s going to have to catch on real fast.

I absolutely fell in love with Storm from the very first page. I normally don’t like books that have a male and female perspective, but I really enjoyed it. The characters were amazing. Becca, ohmygosh, she was so brave and strong and all of those other words that I can throw at her. The Merrick brothers were so gorgeous. Funny enough, Chris was my least favorite brother..which says a lot since I really enjoyed his character. But it wasn’t just the main characters who made this story. Becca’s best friend Quinn and her boyfriend Rafe were such excellent side characters. They were so realistic that I was never disappointed with what was going on, and they really added to the overall story line. Seth and Tyler, the “bad guys”, were also so strong. They were the villains, so a part of me disliked them, but I also appreciate them for adding to the story.

What was fascinating about Storm was that it wasn’t strictly a fantasy/paranormal book. Instead, it leaned mostly towards contemporary. If you follow my reviews, or even follow me on twitter, you know how much I dislike most contemporary books. I find them boring and super depressing…they’re just not my thing. What I found out in Storm, though, was that it didn’t bother me at all. Thinking back on it, I think I would have been really disappointed if that contemporary story line wasn’t placed into the book. It made it so beautiful and strong. It was such a great addition to the book and the characters.

Storm focused on so many strong issues for me. One major topic in this book was bullying. Becca had been accused of sleeping around with the entire soccer team, and she was constantly picked on, put down, and made fun of. I often found my jaw dropping or tears welling up in my eyes (something that I NEVER do!). Kemmerer did such a great job of portraying what bulling really looks like. I hope that when people read this book they really think about some of the actions that were occurring. Bullying is a really big, really real thing that goes on in schools, work places, and in general every day life. It’s important for people to read about it and witness it so that they can step up and stop it. You have a voice. Use it.

Another major topic in this book was rape. Now, rape is a really strong issue for me, and I found it really difficult to read those scenes. They don’t go in depth, but it felt so real that it was hard to keep the book in my hands. At first I was angry that that was pushed on me without warning. After I thought about it, though, I realized that it could give some people a really good message. These things do happen. Rape and bullying occur on a daily basis, and I have to give it up to Kemmerer for being able to write about these subjects without being offensive or unrealistic.

Storm also brings up the topic of divorce and parent’s who just up and leave their family. Becca’s dad infuriated me from the moment he stepped back into the picture. I was kind of hoping for a bigger throw down between Becca and her dad. Maybe I’ll get to see that later on? I’ve somewhat experienced what Becca went through involving her parent’s, and I just wanted to step inside that book and punch him where it hurts. It made me mad.

My only complaint with this book is that I guessed who the Guardian was right away. Therefore, there were no big shockers at the end, because I’d already guessed it. The last few chapters also seemed a little rushed. Storm is a big book, so I felt that there should have been a little more time dedicated to the ending chapters. However, I loved the rest of the book so much, that I can’t think of anything that I would want to be removed for that added time.

One thing I really did like, though, was that the relationship between Becca and Chris was not automatic. I actually wasn’t sure who she was going to end up with, Hunter or Chris. Their relationship was hesitant and cute, and they had limited interaction for large portions of the book. Unfortunately, I fell in love with Hunter. Thankfully, I’m pretty sure that Kemmerer is writing a book on Hunter. Fans of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series will fall. in. love. I’m talking head over heels. Why? Because Hunter was almost a identical twin to Adrian Ivashkov. I could have simply read about him all day long. His twist didn’t surprise me either, but I could have cared less. It only mattered that he was in the story.

I loved Storm so much, and I am so excited to pick up the next book in the series, Spark. The next book features Gabriel, my second favorite brother, and I am really stoked to read his story. I would be shocked if I didn’t like Spark more than Storm, due to the fact that I like Gabe better than Chris. I placed Brigid Kemmerer on hold for so long, because I didn’t think I would give her books more than 3 stars. She proved me wrong. This is one of my favorite series of the year.

 

Pages: 407

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: K-Teen

Resource: ARC

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “So let me get this straight.”… “He threw the note at Tommy and then told him to fuck off? Or do I have it backwards?”
“I’m detecting some sarcasm.”
“And then got himself sent the principal’s office because he was ready to defend your honor?”
“Quinn.”
“Her friend waved a hand. “No, I think you might be on to something. This is clearly an elaborate plot to screw with you. He asks you out, he defends you from that meathead—what next?” Quinn’s eyes flashed wide in mock surprise. “Crap, Bex, do you think he will do something truly horrible like buy you flowers?”

 

All Emery Land wants is to be like any other 17-year-old—to go to school, hang out with her friends, and just be normal. But for as long as she can remember, she’s suffered from seizures. And in recent years they’ve consumed her life. To Emery they’re much more than seizures, she calls them loops—moments when she travels through wormholes back and forth in time and to a mysterious town. The loops are taking their toll on her physically. So she practically lives in the hospital where her scientist father and an ever-growing team of doctors monitor her every move. They’re extremely interested in the data they collect when Emery seizes. It appears that she’s tapping into parts of the brain typically left untouched by normal human beings.

Escaping from the hospital, Emery travels to Esperanza, the town from her loops on the upper peninsula of Michigan, where she meets Asher Clarke. Ash’s life is governed by his single-minded pursuit of performing good Samaritan acts to atone for the death of a loved one. His journey is very much entwined with Emery’s loops.

Drawn together they must unravel their complicated connection before it’s too late.

 

For as long as Emery can remember she has had the ability to time travel. She calls them loops: traveling both to her future and home loops. One thing? Whenever Emery loops she has a horrible seizure, something she knows is slowly killing her. Emery’s father is convinced that he can save Emery, but he also wants to use her as his own scientific experiment. It doesn’t matter if it might be better for Emery to lead a normal life, he has to be the one to identify the problem, which causes him to treat Emery like a lab rat.

Sick of being treated like a freak, Emery runs away to Esperanza, a town that the boy in her loops has been showing her. There she finds love, friendship, self identity and pleasure. Four things she didn’t much feel back home. Intent on keeping those essential things in her life, Emery must fight to stay alive, battle a struggling romance and stay off of her father’s radar all at the same time. If only it was that simple.

 

I received Flutter a few weeks ago from Random House, and I strayed away because I tend to dislike a lot of contemporary novels. One day, I came to the conclusion that I could find absolutely nothing good to read. I mean nothing. Desperate, I started to search the piles littering my house, and I gave Flutter a closer look. Before I set it back down I decided that I was going to check Goodreads and see what everyone else thought about the book. Little did I know that Flutter wasn’t just a contemp, it was also about time-travel. Well, that did it. I set everything aside and dived into Gina Linko’s book, Flutter.

The romance in Flutter was so beautiful that it started to become really difficult for me to put the book down. Of course I had both school and work that week, so I’m afraid I got a bit grumpy during the many times I wasn’t able to read the book. Emery and Asher were simply perfect for each other. Honestly, I often felt that I was in a book that Jennifer Echols and Linda Howard tag teamed on. It was that gorgeous.

Above all else, I really enjoyed Emery’s character. I loved her from page one and I never wavered. I can’t even imagine how someone could become nearly as strong as Emery. If I were in a hospital, time traveling back and forth, with the knowledge that I was going to die (not to mention that my father thought I was a lab rat), I would want to curl up in tiny little ball and cry my eyes out. I would be a useless, emotional wreck (at least I can admit it), and would NEVER be able to accomplish everything that Emery managed to. I was so, so, so proud of her for everything she did, and I found myself looking up to her in many places. It takes a lot of skill to create such inspiring characters and a beautiful storyline, and this book had the whole package.

Although I loved this book, I did have a couple of problems. First, I was not a big fan of the time traveling aspect of the story. If this book had strictly focused around Emery and Asher’s romance and her time in Esperanza, it would have received a full 5 stars from me. For most of the book, I did actually consider it 5 stars worthy, but I really couldn’t get into the time traveling portion of the book. Second, I didn’t enjoy the last few chapters of the book nearly as much as I did the rest of it. Again, this comes down to the time traveling aspect. The last few chapters of the book really focused on the looping and Emery’s father, something that I just wasn’t interested in. And, finally, the very final surprise made me angry. These reasons made me knock off a star and a half, but I know that this probably won’t bother a lot of people. Don’t get me wrong, I would read this book again, and I will read everything else that Gina Linko writes. I just really wish this book would have been strictly contemporary.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Gina Linko created such a beautiful world and characters that you won’t be able to help but lose yourself in it. Fans of Jennifer Echols will adore this book, as the romance in it was simply heartbreaking and brilliant. Move aside, Echols, it’s time to introduce Gina Linko. Go order your copy of Flutter now!

Pages: 352

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: October 23, 2012

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “Well, go get him, you dummy” Daisy offered. I started to move toward him and he saw me. He did that thing again, where he put a hand over his heart, and he stopped dead in his tracks, gave me a smile.