Amazingly good debut novel
356998
Amazingly good debut novel. Can't wait for the next one in the series.
3629126
I received an honest review and I was hooked immediately just totally right away I read it in one setting. What an amazing debut first book that I have read by this author I will be devouring everything she writes from now on and then some I m just blown away I couldn't put it down. I fell instantly in love with Jake and Claire and their story.
2940221
I am so grateful to have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing The Astonishing Color of After, an amazing debut that just completely blew me away. Seriously, its only March and Ive found a 2018 favorite. And I mean, yes, though it is probably due to the fact that I related so much to the biracial main character, there was just so much more to it than that.

The story revolves around Leigh, our half Taiwanese half white protagonist, whose mother recently took her own life. As Leigh struggles with her grief, she encounters a beautiful red bird. The bird, who Leigh believes to be her mother, directs her to a package filled with letters from her maternal grandparents addressed to her mom. From then on, Leigh is determined to meet both her grandparents for the first time, which she hopefully will lead to her finding her mother again.

I don't know how else to say this, but THIS WAS A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL NOVEL.

My mothers hands have turned to wings. Her hair, to feathers. Her pale complexion now red as blood, red as wine, every shade of every red in the universe.

The way the colors were embedded within sentences, the interweaving of magical elements into a cultural ghost story (if this makes any sense at all haha), the accuracy of being in a new place with no sense of belonging, all of these things were what made this novel a new favorite.

Im literally at a loss for words right now, so Im just gonna use bullet points:

- Other than Starfish, this novel accurately captures what it means to be biracial. Plus, I think it can also be highly relatable to diasporic readers, as Leigh constantly frustrated with how she doesnt know the language well and the fact that shes neither met her grandparents nor ever been to Taiwan.

- I love Leighs relationship with painting, AND COLORS. She struggles with gaining approval from her dad, who thinks she should be taking up a more meaningful and successful hobby or skill. On the other hand, Leighs mom is the one who encourages her to be creative.

- Axel. I like Axel. The romance does play a role in the story, but there isn't as much emphasis on it as there is on Leighs relationship with her mother.

- To follow up more on that previous point, the story is told in alternating timelines, past vs. present. The present timeline starts with Leigh discovering that her mom turned into a bird, while the past is a couple months earlier.

- The fact that this is more of a ghost story rather than fantasy. There are many magical elements throughout the novel, but it definitely didn't feel like a straight up fantasy. Leigh discovered more of her familys past through the use of incense sticks, which when burned, would let her see certain memories. And then of course, theres the presence of this red bird, which may or may not be Leighs mother.

- Lastly, I loved the originality of the ending. It is not something I saw coming!

Overall, this whole book is original, unpredictable, and completely relatable. I thank the ARC fairy from the very bottom of my heart for accepting my request for this book. The author did such an amazing job telling her grandmothers story, along with portraying Taiwanese culture and biracial identity. I AM ON BOARD WITH ALL BOOKS SHE WRITES FROM NOW ON, and hopefully one day Ill get to meet her.
1484396
In one word... riveting. The development of the characters was spot-on, as was the development of the plot.  Outstanding debut novel. I look forward to the author's next release.

This book is like a roller coaster ride, and I have loved every single pages of it, an amazing start for a new author for sure!

Let the Lover Be was an extremely surprising story. It was gritty, raw, sexy, with a realistic, yet uncharacteristic HEA ending. The character of Kiana is an alcoholic who is broken, ravaged by the death of her mother which she never dealt with, and the breakup of her relationship with Michelle who has just sent her an invitation to her wedding in New Orleans. The author did a great job of making every character so well-rounded, so fleshed out. From Kiana even to Michelle's fianc, Michael. The dynamic struggle between Kiana and Genevieve who at her core was good, selfless and wanted to change, was different from that of Kiana and Michelle and the author did a great job of displaying that. The plot was so thoroughly engaging by chapter four that the editing and formatting issues were only minor nuisances rather than throwing me out of the story (like Karyn's name being spelled Karen once or twice). The fact that the author acknowledged the struggle two alcoholics would have in a relationship with each other was excellent. In regards to the setting, the author described it with a poetic prose in much the same way that Genevieve spoke throughout the book. There were instances where I felt as though a plot line had been dropped or a subject could have been expounded upon, but all in all the author's writing style was extremely graceful. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and that is why I gave it a score of 39.
3642210
An incredible debut novel. Very well written. The characters come to life instantly and are nicely developed despite being a short novella. I literally could not put this book down and was easily read in one sitting. Highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.
97817
Kimberly finds herself trapped in the jealous grip of her mother's sister as they work for peanuts in her clothing factory (read sweatshop) to repay the expenses of their move to America that include squalid living conditions.  She initially struggles in her new school as her teacher has no empathy for his students' struggles with language, poverty, or any other hardship. Kimberly soon realizes that education is her and her mother's salvation. While she focuses on her studies which lead to her exemplary turn at an exclusive private school for gifted students, she also finds herself falling for one of the boys who works in the factory.

Kwok's beautifully written debut novel is such a refreshing take on the immigrant story. I felt like a voyeur as I watched Kimberly triumph over innumerable obstacles with an amazing unwavering determination but without some neat  bow tied ending.  The author's command of language leaps off the page in her use of colorful Chinese colloquialisms and Kimberly's early attempts at decoding many of the new English words she hears. I can't say more without obnoxious babbling. But, I am gushing over Jean Kwok's Girl In Translation.  I just adore this novel immensely and how I was allowed to become invested in such a remarkable character's life.
1325081
This was a fantastically written debut novel. Skovron's voice and style are perfect for this novel, which is filled with humor, introspection, first love, and figuring out what it takes to believe in yourself and going after your dreams. Sammy is a relatable character who has flaws and is multi-dimensional, as are the secondary characters, who are also fully fleshed out and seem real. One of my favorite characters to read about was Rick (you can find out why in the excerpt vlog posted a few days ago) because he was funny and sarcastic, but also had issues keeping him back from making himself happy in the romance department. My problem with him though is that I felt like there was much more to him and I didn't really get to know about it. I know the story is about Sammy, but at the same time, if you introduce a subplot involving another character, I want to be fully satisfied by the end of it and I feel like that wasn't the case; it was a very small, simple arc when there was clearly much more to it. Alright, I'll stop harping on this complaint and move on, lol.

I loved the romance between Sammy and Jen5. The realization of it, their conversations about it, and how they interacted during the beginning stages of their relationship all felt very real to me and it's great to see this honest portrayal of best friends becoming romantically involved and all the obstacles and questions that come along with it.

The music aspect was very interesting and I loved the inclusion of Sammy's lyrics throughout the book while he was working on them. It gave this new perspective to him that I think readers will enjoy. Also, a tiny little aside, every time Joe (the lead singer) was in a scene, I kept picturing Nathan Explosion from the band Dethklok on the show Metalocalypse on Cartoon Network. Did anyone else have that connection or am I just weird?

Anyway, this is a highly recommended book, so go get a copy as soon as you can!
751519
Liz Carlyle has made a smashing debut with My False Heart.  The tension between Evie and Elliott felt so real as I read through the book.  My heart went out to Elliott as he got stuck in the "love trap."  He so  much wants to do what's right but because of a tainted past his future  could be dark.  Love changes many things in life as Elliott has the chance  to find out. Liz should be commended for introducing such a rivetting first  novel.  I look forward to her next novel.  A definite TBR.
3047805
Ginger Scott's "Waiting on the Sidelines" is an impressive debut novel - well-written and heartfelt; I had an immediate kinship with the narrator and I was sucked in to her world right away. Nolan's voice rings true with the song of adolescence,at once both self-doubtful and confident, both fearful and fearless, both light-hearted and serious. I could completely relate to Nolan's character and feel my heart breaking along with hers. Scott's characterization is one of her strengths. The characters she has created felt real - even Reed, the stereotypical high school football hero - I must add, the QB1 a la Friday Night Lights; his perfect physical persona is offset by his emotional and sometimes moral flaws. Even the town of Coolidge felt like a character to me, seeming like a comfortable old friend. Maybe that's because, like Nolan, I lived in a small Arizona town, the similarities even down to the double-wide trailer.

When a story is told in a way such as this, one in which you want to crawl right into the story and be a part of it, well, what more could you ask of a book? While some may say the plot is formulaic or predictable, and to be honest, I grew tired of the many stops and starts in Nolan and Reed's relationship, but the movie industry wouldn't crank out rom-coms once a month if women truly did not want a fairy-tale-type ending, would they? And I don't think it's a spoiler to say that this story has a happy ending, because I believe a happy ending does not necessarily dictate that the girl and her prince end up together....I think that's part of the strength of this story.

"Waiting on the Sidelines" is a must-read for women, no matter what age. It's a perfect choice for book club. You and your girlfriends will have some great discussions as you walk down memory lane to revisit the requisite mean girl, the perfect boy you were crushing on all through high school and the magic of young love.
1466953
As an avid reader, one of the great joys is reading a debut novel of an up and coming and competent author.  Bent Road by Lori Roy is worth the gamble of buying a book by someone you've never read before.  In fact, the language of the book is so polished I had difficulty believing that Bent Road was a debut novel at times.  However, not being a conspiracy freak, I'll take the word of the publisher that this is a first book.

The story is multi-leveled.  First, on the surface we're introduced to the Arthur Scott family in the process of fleeing Detroit and moving to his home in Kansas.  Arthur, his wife Celia, son Daniel and daughters Elaine and Evie are relocating we are told due to the deteriorating conditions in the great Michigan city.

Then, there are two disappearances.  First, there is Arthur's sister, Eve (not Evie), who disappeared and was murdered before he left home as a young man.  Then there is the second disappearance of the young girl, Julianne Robison.  She disappeared just after Arthur relocated this family near the family homestead.  Are these disappearances unrelated and merely coincidental?

There are other elements.  Daniel's coming of age story.  Ruth, Arthur's other sister and her story as an abused wife.  Evie, Arthur's youngest daughter, enjoys dressing in her murdered aunts clothes.  Elaine has a romance with Jonathan, a local boy.  There are so many facets to this story it's almost as though the author couldn't quite choose the type of story she wanted to write and therefore threw everything in.  Though the book doesn't suffer from this in my opinion, one wonders if Roy might have benefited by narrowing the scope a little. However, Bent Road is a terrific read regardless.  I don't review everything I read, but this novel kept me turning pages.

Trust me, in the end the secrets are revealed in a manner that is satisfying and worthy of a terrifically written novel.

I recommend.
3993246
This is a beautiful standalone novel by a new author.  Shyanne is in witness protection in a college town after being rescued from a criminal syndicate.  She was abandoned or betrayed in the worst possible way by those closest to her and was left without family or a purpose for going on.  She found her recovery in the rescue of abused and neglected horses as well as in the new life she begins.  The story centers around the central question of whether Shyanne can put her past behind her and allow herself to fall in love and commit to a relationship or will her past find her and end her life or wipe the slate clean again with a new identity.

The author has a great writing style and does a fantastic job of writing college-aged characters that look and sound their age.  The secondary characters are absolutely fantastic and I hope we get to read their stories in the future.

(Note: I was privileged to serve as a beta reader for this debut novel.)
3539925
This is an amazing first novel for a new author.  Heck, it's an amazing novel for anyone.  This was recommended to me, but I hadn't expected much.  Mossad and Hezbollah intrigue wasn't something that I follow, and I didn't expect this book to hold my interest.

I was very, very wrong.  This book grabbed my attention from the start and never let up.  I found myself reading it when I was supposed to be doing other things because I couldn't put it down.  The unraveling of the plot, including the author's suspenseful tying in of the various plot lines had me mesmerized.

His characters stayed true to their nature.  I was all set to become upset over any emotional entanglement between the two main characters, regardless of the well-known adrenalin connection between those who have been through hazardous situations together.  But the author handled it with believability, specifically the scene at the end.

I rate this novel up there with some of my favorite authors and I'm looking forward to his next novel.
1683826
4 Stars for an excellent debut novel!

I have been reading a lot of YA lately, so I wanted to try this book since the blurb caught my eye. I was expecting something pretty dark, some angst, and hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, I got all three.

The book is told solely through Kelsie's POV. For a while, the chapters alternate between current time and then journal entries and/or her reminiscing about Wilderness Therapy Camp that took place several weeks before as she recalls the events.

Kelsie is a good example of a depressed teen carrying around a lot of guilt. She's a cutter and her step-mom sent her to camp so she could 'be normal again'. Step-mom is evil, by the way. Kelsie has a poor attitude initially but you can't help but sympathize with her and the struggle she's going through. Immediately drawn to another camper, JC, she plans to use him to get herself kicked out of camp but when that backfires, friendship forms. It's pretty apparent that JC has been through a lot himself and is harboring his own guilt. We do see small pieces of his POV through his journal entries as Kelsie is reading them but that is 'after the fact' as she reminisces on her camp experience and has his journal.

JC is protective, has a good sense of humor and is just an all around good guy. BUT he's at camp for a reason and Kelsie can't quite figure out why though he admits to 'aggressive tendencies'. I don't want to spoil any of the drama or plot twists but there are a few. I figured most of them out early on but that didn't detract from my reading experience and I think that is probably intended.

Tragedy befalls the camp and she spirals down as she again loses the people most important to her. The last parts of the book are all present time and Kelsie has to learn to forgive herself, overcome her guilt, and allow people into her life again.

Thankfully there is an overwhelming sense of hope in this novel and yes, there is an HEA. Keep in mind this is YA, and the ending is appropriate as such. There are a few scenes with sexual tension and what I would call 'light action' but no sex. Due to the subject matter, I'd say 16+ for this book.

The writing here is solid, especially for a debut novel. I gave four stars instead of five only because the story seems to lack some depth/realism in a few places. I don't want to give details at that would spoil the end but overall, this is a good read and I definitely recommend it!
3818172
I wasn't sure what to think when I started this book, but I loved the book and every crazy aspect of Alex Aberdeen by the end of it. Alex Aberdeen is one of the first characters I have ever felt guilty for liking and rooting for (she truly is despicable in all of her sociopathic ways) while simultaneously wanting to punch her in the face. The only negative thing I can say is some of her traits are almost hyperbolic (mainly because the portrayal of alcoholism was unrealistic), but this is a fantastic debut novel. I can't wait to see what is next from Mr. Thomas Jast.
3734356
An exceptional debut novel from author Ashley Claudy. This girl has what it takes. I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book from NetGalley solely based on the cover. I skimmed the synopsis, but I didn't know anything about the author or that it was part of a series until I finished this book. And let me tell you, I would never have guessed this was the author's first book. Ms. Claudy has some talent.

This novel was a unique take on the fighter romance trope. Most fighter romances I have read and seen are all about the drool worthy male fighter, and I can usually take or leave the lead female (because, you know, I would be so much better than her anyway). But not this book, this book was all about Regan. I was concerned at first that I wouldn't like her. I mean, she is only 19 so I was a little worried that she would be another ridiculously naive and vapid character. But she wasnt.

Regan is a SURVIVOR. She is a fighter, literally and figuratively. Reading about a tortured heroine that could still kick ass was a refreshing change of pace. And I think she is gonna kick a lot more ass in the rest of the series, and maybe save Gage in the process (or at least get him to pull his head out of his ass).

This book was dramatic and a little gritty. It dealt with athletes and criminals, and the intersection of two walks of life. Our main characters were trying to break free from the darkness, but realizing that it was easier said than done. None of the characters were perfect, but several were perfectly flawed. I found myself cheering for some of them, and wishing others would be hit by a bus. I can't wait to see what twists and turns lay ahead for Regan and Gage. (Note - slight cliffhanger)
910670
A very satisfying debut novel. A fast pace, great characters and an interesting plot make this book something special.
As all novels do, this book has its fair share of faults. I'll keep those till the end.
The story opens up with Azoth desperately searching for money to pay the sadistic Rat. As all guild smalls, and bigs (Young, and old) he must pay a membership fee, so to speak, or risk getting beaten by the basher ambiguously named Rat. A beating is not the worst that Rat can inflict though, wait for a truly disturbing abuse towards Azoths best friend.
While Azoth is searching we're introduced to one of the most interesting, complicated characters I have seen in a book: Durzo Blint.
The most important thing about this first scene is TO PAY ATTENTION. A lot of foreshadowing, and important character, plot points are introduced in this first scene.
The interaction between Azoth and Durzo is by far the highlight of the book. If you don't love, or at least feel sorry, Durzo then you're completely devoid of feelings.
The plot is brilliant, and just enough cunning. I'll leave you to find out how good the plot is for yourself.
The villain in this story really proves that a villain need not be sympathetic. Or likeable. Or have any desirable qualities. This is one of those old school villains that love to torture, kill, rape and all manner of dark deeds for fun. He himself admits he's close to addiction. Addiction towards murder, not drugs. I actually found it a slight but difficult to read through his perspective. It's is quite honestly truly, twisted evil. Bravo Brent weeks! Bravo!
Now on to the faults. I must admit this book has a good number of faults. Luckily, the good stuff is so good, and the faults are fairly inconsequential.
The first fault is that some of the fights are in the format of: He ploughed through his enemies. But the real big fight that I , and probably everybody, was looking forward too was executed brilliantly.
The world is just not very interesting. The political structure is good, but there isn't really much flavour in the world itself. You'll see what I mean when you read it.
Characters mentioned in passing become incredibly important characters towards end. Which truthfully caused a moment of: Who the hell is that!
And I must admit I would've liked to see more Assassins training, and not a year's later sort of thing. Although that probably worked best. Just me being nitpicky.
If you can look past the faults it's a must have, and I'd recommend it.
95154
This was a good debut for a new, up and coming author. I really enjoyed Anne Jolin's style of writing. It was paced well and gave me characters that I wanted to know. They were funny, endearing and flawed which only made them more relateable.

The book follows the story of Hannah and Greyson. They meet randomly one night at a party and they are both drop jawed at the other, in a good way. Only problem, Hannah has a boyfriend. Fast forward a few months, Hannah no longer has a boyfriend and she runs into Greyson again. Holy hotness do the sparks fly. They decide they want to give a relationship a chance even though they are both wary since they've had a rough go at it in the past.

The things Greyson did to woo Hannah were so sweet. Their date on the lake melted my heart- it was so unexpected from the tough guy. Hannah was a great female lead. She was strong yet vulnerable at the same time. I loved the interactions between her and her siblings- they were very realistic and made it even easier to get into the story. Things are going great for the couple until Greyson has a freakout about being in a relationship. They work thought that and all is going great again until a blast from Greyson's past shows up at his door. From there chaos ensues. Having had enough,  Hannah decides that she is going to take a break to get her thoughts together. She goves to visit her brother who is away at college.

While Hannah is away, Greyson comes to his senses and decides to fight for his woman. After some time wallowing in her own self pity, Hannah realizes that she wants her man back! I found myself wanting more from these scenes. I wanted more of their struggle while they were apart. I found the final reuniting very sweet and fitting for the couple- it was perfectly them.

This book had a great cast of secondary characters. From Hannah's sister and best friend to the J's. I look forward to learning more about the rest of the gang in Anne Jolin's next book.