Cheesy concept, but an excellent read
359135
The self help genre always seems cheesy to me, but this is more of a biography of Walt Disney concentrating on his unique personality and perspective that made him successful. A fun and interesting read!
3452816
This series is exceptionally cheesy, over-the-top teen romance. That said, it is still a decent read. The story is interesting and left me really curious to know more and see where the rest of the series is going. If you are able to get past the occasional swooning teenager, I would recommend it as an entertaining read. And on the plus side, it doesn't spend entire chapters of the two main characters staring into the other's eyes and constantly describing their incredible hotness (yes, I'm looking at you "Twilight"!). But I'm not sure that I'm going to read any more of series.
1724861
What I like about the look of this book and the others that Pablo D'Stair is involved with, is just that simple and pulpy look. Those little books you read during transportation trips or a cold winter night. I wouldn't say it's a comfy read, but the shortness of it makes for an easy read.

It's split into two novellas, it cost like 99 cents, so why not get it? This is also a great way to get introduced to these authors, a little taste of what they write. My first D'Stair and Rhatigan.

Both sort of have the same conflict, a dude finds a load of money that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, they snatch it up and run away. The main conflict is the paranoia. Which is what made these novellas so fun to read, that anticipation, are they going to get caught or not? The endings, however, leave you with no answer, which is quite surprising, because most books in this genre tend to say "He did it! And you probably already knew, but he did it!"

That was what I liked about these books. The Pablo one was a perfect example of paranoia. The narrator finds the money, he struggles back and forth, the devil and the angel dragging him from both sides. The Rhatigan one was a lot quicker paced and the narrator was a sort of a wimp in my opinion, he acted tough, but buckled down when it came to the real stuff. But at the same time I don't blame him. He sort of gave in faster than the first, he seemed to have a bit of a  more guilty consciousness while the first one ran away and didn't seem to have the desire to return it as much as the second.

Although I will admit that I liked the second better than the first. I felt that the first was pretty slow, but at the same time it was meant to be that way. It built the paranoia up till the point where it overwhelmed me and I kind of felt like slapping the narrator and telling him to just go. I understand that it's a tough situation, but he felt like that one guy that kept on panicking during the crime and you had to slap him and scold him to calm down or something like that.

 What I also found odd, was that both characters seemed to be escaping from a bad in there life and then the money appeared, and you would think it would bring improvement. But it was too good to be true right? It's like boom! Your wish is granted, but where the hell did it come from and what did you do to deserve it?

Rating: 4/5

Originally posted here: http://wordsnotesandfiction.blogspot.com/2014/12/you-dont-exist-by-pablo-dstair-and.html
679803
Although I will probably try Ms. Grant's other books, I can only classify this one as decent. The romance seems flat at times, even though the characters are at least passably interesting. There are some refreshing ideas thrown into the mix of standard fare, though the plot line takes some typical outlandish leaps. On two occasions I groaned at cheesy scenes within the romance, and one of the dogfight sequences found me laughing though the author never intended humor.
In short, this is an easily read story with a typical plot and an under-developed romance with potential. My recommendation would be to buy it used.
2493839
I read this book in a flash, and honestly, I think the author had a good idea for a plot - it was a little like Twilight fan fiction, but still, it was a decent idea. A girl, running for her life, is turned into a mythical creature in a new way, and discovers that that makes her instantly dangerous in the eyes of the other vampires. So, she's back to running for her life again, when she stumbles upon a vampire family of three men living in the woods, two of whom are slain within the first few pages of meeting them.

This is what bothered me - the lack of character depth. The main character didn't have much background, and spent a good portion of the book missing her human family - whom the reader knows almost nothing about, and then spends the rest of the book meeting people who almost immediately die, which could lead to a heart-wrenching sympathy for the main character - except we know almost nothing about those dying either, other than they're generally nice people. In that sense, I felt like it was like watching a horrible car accident on the news- you think "Oh man, that's horrible!" but then you push it to the back of your mind and go about your day. A really good book has enough character depth to make you cringe and cry right along with the character, to feel a personal connection.

Now, with ANY review, I feel like it's important to realize the good things - as I said, this author did have a good idea, and I liked the "ending" (it's a series), as do I respect the time and effort it takes to be an author and to get bad reviews without being discouraged. So in that sense, go Wynne Channing! With a little more detail, this could be an amazing series. Happy reading!
124869
When I read the book synopsis, I was interested. The idea behind the book was appealing because it didn't seem like an overdone rehashed story - something that I've been encountering a little more lately with some of the books I've been reading. So I was pleasantly surprised when I picked this one up. The story was genuinely what it appeared to be and the book synopsis really is an accurate description of it. So another summary here isn't necessary. After all, how many ways can you say... Boy buys soul. Boy discovers soul is not what he thinks it is. Trouble and danger ensue...?

Although the idea is simple and straight forward, there is more to the story than that. It is very much about the characters and their relationships. In fact, the characters are the real focus of the story - the plot, not so much.

The one thing I wasn't immediately crazy about when I started to read was the writing style - a little more common in the YA genre these days is the first person perspective. However, the author shakes that up when she starts changing whom the perspective belongs to. It worked well here, particularly with building the characters. For the most part it was a good thing, but I did find it a little annoying when some of the characters were repetitive in their thinking. And it did bother me that the main character Seth was so slow to figure out what was going on. With regard to his character, it was a little too stereotypical dumb jock I thought. But each reader will have their own opinion on that.

Overall, I think it was an enjoyable read that would appeal to many YA readers - particularly those craving an angsty, burdened with danger romance. Four stars.
1255080
This book's premise is a little bizarre, and I didn't really mind that it was never explained "how" or "why." (Main character Connie has fairly predictable blackouts in which her consciousness enters Prince Rudolph's mind across the ocean, where she's an observer for a short time before waking up again. Rudolph has the same deal where he travels to her mind. They've lived with it since they can remember and have determined they were born at the same exact time.) Part of the story is just about how their unique existence has shaped them; they speak each other's languages without accent, learn to communicate with each other through specially positioned messages (because their arrival in each other's heads doesn't actually involve thought transference), and deal with having a mysterious "illness" that concerns other people when they lose consciousness regularly without explanation. The plot develops when Rudolph--who is, after all, a prince--gets kidnapped, and Connie is the only person on the planet who knows what happened to him because she was "there" when it happened. (Imagine trying to explain why you have evidence of a kidnapping in such a way!) And of course it's nice to have a relationship between a guy and a girl that's powerful and important without having it be about them trying to date each other. I think I liked the idea more than I liked the writing, but both were pretty good.
1266303
I just finished this book as part of a "virtual book club" I participated in and found it enjoyable, while slightly flawed.

4 stars:
- The humor was charming and well-executed
- The characters were varied and even the villain, Valentina, was in a way endearing. The dynamics established between the characters was fascinating, especially the two sisters.
- The actual plot was zany, outlandish, and magnetic.

Minus a star:
- I thought the integration of the "tractor" element was a little weak
- The family back story did not pull me in for the first half of the book; it did get better, but in the beginning it was a definite detractor
- The very ending was a bit eye-roll inducing (the yoga scene, for those that have read it)
3676256
I started this book a few months ago, but put it down because I found the magical-kids-saving-the-world-from-nuclear-holocaust plot to be cheesy--even flimsy. But I picked up the book again a few days ago and gave it a second shot, this time with more satisfaction.

Although I still found the save-the-world plot to be cheesy and weak--not really emotional or believable--Madeleine L'Engle offers this book some incredible strengths:  a magically unusual creativity and some uniquely beautiful characters.  That's what kept me going, because I honestly couldn't have cared less about "saving the world" from Mad Dog Branzillo.  (And I'm all for saving the world, don't get me wrong!)

In terms of her creativity L'Engle really has something special.  She thinks differently from most people--in such a rich way.  The strength of her creativity allowed me to enjoy a book that easily could have become fragmented as it jumped all over the place through time and space.

I also especially loved the connection between Charles Wallace and Meg.  I found their deep psychic bonding (kything) to be inspiration--and a potential model for us all.

On the flip side, though, I didn't like L'Engle's message about having children as a means of salvation (she loves that idea), nor her idea that family is so wonderful.  If we really want to save the planet, it's not going to come through traveling through time with unicorns and rewriting history (as L'Engle espouses), rather, through looking within ourselves, breaking from the lies and sickness of our family of origin, and getting fully real and honest with ourselves--and NOT having kids until we've done all this.
3000730
This book was pretty predictable and cheesy for me.  It was semi-entertaining and certainly easy to read, but I found myself pretty ready to stop reading it before I reached the end.  I consider this book the equivalent to an airplane movie.  If you want something to pass the time, it will do, but don't expect to be moved to tears.
2737241
Can't stand the October Daye stuff, but love (cheeseball as it is) the inCryptid stuff.  Blew through this in a few hours.  Honestly, this is what got me to try the inCryptid stuff.  Read through this in an evening (it was originally released piecemeal, but it's an interconnected series of short stories.  Worked well in the format, and overall was stunned at how far she was able to take what seems like a pretty silly/stupid concept.  Would definitely buy a sequel.
3409028
It was a fun read and I plan to finish the series, but it was beyond cheesy. It's not the best, but also not the worst. It has your typical teenage love triangle with two older and equally hot guys. Ana is lovable if not irritatingly annoying with her flakiness and inability to make a decision. I did love that they threw in manga and anime references though. Still cheesy, but sometimes cheesy can be good.
743628
I would never have purchased this book on my own, but I won it in a contest so decided to read it anyway. Didn't agree to review it but feel compelled to comment.

Mr. Rhamey is an experienced writer and editor, and it shows in his fiction. He walks the walk as far as what he advises his clients and readers of his Flogging the Quill blog.

The concept is intriguing--a vampire story told from the perspective of a vampire cat. Rhamey's style is light, breezy, witty, and humorous, so it's an easy read. He nails the cat's behavior and reactions very well (or at least what I, a long-time cat owner and lover, perceive those reactions to be).

The premise is that this group of vampires only wishes to be fairly treated since they mean no harm to other humans. (They harvest and drink animal blood--"V1 juice.") So the story becomes a sly commentary on modern society and how we deal with minorities. Because vampires are "allergic" to sunlight, they only want a fair chance at decent jobs (since most night jobs are menial paying), the same access to public services as everyone else (since office hours are always during the day), and other basic rights afforded to every other citizen.

Throw in an opportunistic, bible-thumping televangelist who first sees vampires as tools of Satan, but when he becomes a vampire, sees it as the gateway to eternal salvation, and the plot intensifies with the religious undertones of the perceived hypocrisy of religion and creative interpretation of the Bible.

The characters tend toward stereotype and aren't fleshed out very much (pardon the pun), which is okay in a story like this. Other than a handful of curse words and a few references to feline sexual activity, this could be an entertaining middle-grade book.

Had I been a vampire genre fan, I would have given this four stars. If you like light humor combined with vampire stories, then I recommend this book.
1234542
This is a short read, but I liked the premise. Normally in romance novels when there is a sheik involved he is the hero...this one has a different take. I really liked the premise and definitely think it is worth the read. There are other books with these characters and I may have to get them to read on. The heroine was strong and smart. She found herself the property of a sheik when a diplomatic caravan was attacked. Then enters our hero...not there to save her, but once he meets her he has little choice. ;o)

I recommend giving it a read.
4154173
The concept behind this book was what really pulled me in. Not to mention, I'm always up for a little sci-fi! If you are not one who cares for non-realistic plots, well, this book probably isn't for you. I personally loved Ender's Game and this book was very similar in that both are fighting to ensure humanity's survival from an alien invasion.

While I overall enjoyed this book, there were quite a few elements I didn't particularly care for.

I felt like there was a lot of information overload going on in this book. I realize it is the first in the series, so Silver is setting the stage and helping us readers understand the mechanics at work in the game. However, at times I felt there was more info-dumping than there was actual plot and action. We did get some great action scenes while Miki and crew were on missions and the last 25 or so pages had me really going to see how Silver would conclude the book. (A bit of a cliffhanger, if I do say so myself.)

I liked the main character Miki, well enough. She had every right to be overly inquisitive to the point of irritation. She died and was then brought back to life and put into a game where she runs missions and then takes a break and goes back to her normal life, only to be aware that she could be pulled back at any time. So, I get the never-ending questions and her frustration with their 'team leader' Jackson. She is dealing with quite a bit, including the loss of her mother at a young age and an alcoholic father who won't admit that he has a problem. She ends up admitting she likes the rush of the game (the fear, the adrenaline, the unknown) because it actually sparks her into feeling alive- which she hadn't before. Her sadness was always there, keeping her just under enough to feel it, but not enough to make her seem depressed.

I absolutely despised Miki's best friend Carly. She was shallow, jealous, and well let's face it: a complete bitch to Miki. I realize that she was a loyal friend to her through some pretty difficult times in the past, but that doesn't make up for the way she's treating her now. Ugh. High school girl drama.

Jackson, Miki's team leader in the game, is a complete enigma. We don't really find out his deal until later on in the book. He's a bit contradictory. He tells Miki it's every man for himself in this game, but then goes out of his way to protect her. He tells her he can't talk about the game in the outside world, but continues to break rules anyway. His duality frustrated me a bit. One minute he's kind and genuinely seems concerned about Miki and answering her questions and just getting her through and the next he throws a wall up between them and is back to his cocky, self-assured attitude. He harbors a lot of secrets, which thankfully Silver does share with us bit by bit.

Then there is Luka. He is also part of the team, but has known Miki since they were kids. It seemed like Silver was going to go all love triangle on us, but I think she changed her mind and by the end there is nothing of the sort. There's not much to say about Luka, except he was kind and wanted to help Miki- he didn't think it was fair that she not know so many things about the game.

Overall, this book really showed potential. My biggest issue was all the information overload. I felt like it could have been handled differently, so that I wasn't bogged down with all the specifics and was able to flow along more smoothly with the plot. Will I be reading the second book? Probably. I like the concept and I am curious as to where Silver will take this series next. And hopefully now that we all understand (in very clear detail) how the game works, what the teams are up against, the second book can be more centered around plot and action rather than info-dumping.
99634
I expected this to be a fun and quick read.  And I just adore the simplicity of the cover...the two heart shaped cherries with their stems making another heart...so cute!  Sadly I was just not able to connect with the story.  It was just a bit too cheesy for my taste-a bit too unbelievable.  I couldn't find much substance here. For an adult book it just seemed a bit juvenile for my taste.  The characters did not act the way I would expect intelligent adults (as lawyers -they were supposed to be quite bright) even considering the fact that they were "infected" with this ridiculous disease.  And the way the legal jargon was tossed into the dialogue.  I know that the author was going for crazy and humorous here...but it just fell way short for me...too unrealistic.

Note: I recieved a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
3824030
Not a bad read. The premise is that Jesse comes back to life when she dies, and apparently people who have this syndrome can actually die for someone else, once each person. The basic story is fairly predictable - when does the bad guy ever really win, after all? - but beyond the story of the characters, it also delves into the politics and prejudices of society. I also like the little details the author puts in about Jesse's day to day life, like waking up stiff and looking horrible because she's been a corpse for anywhere from a few hours to several days. Shrum thought things through pretty well, and there's not a lot of deus ex machine. People do things according to their abilities and character. Worth a try. I'd give more stars, but Jesse herself seems a bit shallow, especially compared to the rest of the characters, which is kind of odd. Usually the main character is most carefully drawn.