Review: Undeadly by Michele Vail

Goodreads Summary:

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. 

Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble....

Publication Date: November 20, 2012

This is one of the tougher books I’ve reviewed lately. I’m pretty sure I liked it, but a few things left me wanting more. It was also one of the first YA books I’ve read in a long time that felt very young to me and lacked the crossover appeal of other novels in the genre.

What I Liked: Molly was a good protagonist. She wasn’t the typical Mary Sue and I liked her spunky side. She was outspoken and toughened up as the story progressed. The early scenes were fun to read with her family and she had some laugh out loud lines.

The world building was probably the best part of the book. I liked how necromancy, reaping and Egyptian god worship was a normal part of modern society. Although the first few chapters had a lot of information dumping, it was still interesting to read about.

The imagery was also well done in the book. Some of the descriptions reminded me of a B-movie about zombies. The scenes with the ghosts and the zombies were over-the-top, but in a fun way.

What I Didn’t Like: The slang was too much. If Molly said “Whatevs” one more time I felt like I was going to do harm to my Kindle. The dialogue wasn’t only full of slang, but the narrative as well. At first it didn’t bother me, but by the end it was overkill.

I didn’t feel like there was enough progression in the book. The ending felt rushed and left too many open ends. The romance was pretty much non-existent and I wanted more character development for Rick and Rath.

I would probably give the second book a try. I didn’t love the book, but a lot of the elements were unique enough that I think there’s potential in the series.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of Undeadly for review!

Waiting on Wednesday #6

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and highlights an upcoming release we're eagerly awaiting.

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver

Publication Date: March 5, 2013

Goodreads Summary:

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

I really love this series. I'm definitely going to be sad when it's all over =(
What book are you waiting for this week?

Writers Writing Reviews

As I’m getting more requests for reviews, I’m finding myself in a bit of a conundrum. My main issue is whether or not to publish unfavorable reviews of books. After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to only publish reviews on books that I can award at least three stars.

The reason for my decision is that I’m a writer too. I know how angsty writing a novel can be. You’re basically giving people a glimpse into your private inner world. To read that someone thinks your story sucks is heartbreaking. I can read fifty favorable reviews on my novel and still find myself tormented over the one that rips my book apart.

As a writer, I decided to stop obsessing so much over reviews. I know some writers who don’t read reviews at all (I’m aiming to have that kind of will-power). Reviews can get into your head too much and it’s distracting when you’re writing subsequent novels.

I’ve received recommendations from other bloggers to set up a review policy. I’ve done that and posted it under my Contact tab. The gist of my policy is that I won’t post reviews on books I don’t finish or would rate one or two stars. Genres I’ll accept include New Adult, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance and Contemporary Romance. 

Review: The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

Goodreads Summary:

Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn’t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn’t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.

Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her.

As if she were his enemy.

When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .

In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won’t soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense.  

Publication Date: October 16, 2012

I liked many of the aspects found in The Shadow Society including a unique world and interesting characters. I liked how the author used a parallel dimension and an existence of creatures known as shades to create a unique story.

The beginning and the final chapters had the best pacing. Some of the middle dragged a little as Darcy and Conn’s romance develops. I liked that it wasn’t an insta-love connection between the two of them, but after a betrayal occurs, I found it hard to root for them as a couple.

I liked the concept of the parallel dimensions and how the Great Chicago Fire caused a split between the two worlds. The shades were cool creatures as well, but I wished they were more fully developed. There wasn’t an explanation on how they came to exist or how their powers worked. For instance, the characters state that their bodies ceased to exist, but I couldn’t understand how Darcy could hear, see and speak while in the form. The Shadow Society is one of those stories where you just have to go with it and ignore logic.

Darcy was a great protagonist. I liked the complexity of her character and how she could be equal parts tough and vulnerable. Her relationships with her friends and foster mother were also touching. I would’ve liked to see more of these characters in the story.

Conn was a confusing character and I think the author purposely made it hard to get a read on him. I understood some of his motivations, but some of his other actions felt forced. Another romantic interest is thrown into the mix, but didn’t really serve much to the overall storyline.

I enjoyed The Shadow Society more than I expected. I believe this is a standalone, but there is certain room for additional stories about the shades and Darcy.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review! 

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox #17

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.

Holy Awesome Books, Batman! To say I was excited about receiving an ARC of The Goddess Inheritance is an understatement! I adore this series and can't wait to read it.

Purchased:

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Seduction and Snacks: A Chocolate Covered Love Story 

by Tara Sivec

For Review:

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Feature and Follow Friday #16

New and old followers are invited to enter my 200 Follower Giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card.

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Q: Activity! Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common?

This question is hard since I read so many paranormal books. I doubt I would actually want vampires, werewolves and ghosts trying to maim me. With that in mind, I would probably pick a bubbly romance to be a character in, maybe someone from a Meg Cabot or Sophie Kinsella book. Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series and Lizzie from the Queen of Babble series come to mind.

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Guest Post: Four Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Freelancing

Hi everyone! Today I'm welcoming writer Kate Wilson to my blog. She has shared a piece she wrote on freelance writing. If you have followed my blog, you know how much I recommend freelance writing to make a supplemental income.

I'd like to address the writers, designers, and entrepreneurs out there who're considering giving up their day job for a career as a freelancer.

Starting out as a freelancer sounds like a great gig, especially when you're daydreaming about it at a typical 8-5 desk job. But I can tell you from experience that the realities of freelancing are much more nuanced and far less glamorous than whatever you might be dreaming up while typing up a fresh batch of reports for the office. Some bloggers make freelancing out to be the best thing since sliced bread—and while it is a great vocation, there are some aspects of the job that aren't for everyone.

That's not to say that I want to discourage your from starting out on your own as a freelancer, far from it. I just want to equip you, dear reader, with the realities of a life change as drastic as working for yourself. So without further ado, I'd like to share with you four tidbits of advice that I wish I had known before I started out as a freelancer myself. Enjoy, and good luck to all those who do set out on their own!

Money will be tight for a while

I saved about three months' worth of salary before quitting my day job to become a freelancer. I had no illusions about the fact that it would take me quite some time before I could hope to earn a sustainable income, so I had to play it as safe as possible.

Let me tell you this: three months' worth of salary from a decent desk job will only stretch so far when money's tight and projects are few and far between. I was paying for upkeep on my own supplies and appliances, lunches with potential clients, travel expenses, etc. While there's no magic number to save before setting out on your own, one thing is for sure: if you have some money saved, chances are that it's not enough. In other words, save as much money as you can and then some before you quit your job!

Don’t be choosey about clients, even those that are difficult to work with

There is no guaranteed work as a freelancer; you're only as financially stable as the number of clients and projects you have in your docket. That means that you really have to be proactive about finding new sources for work and keeping those that you already have happy and content with your work. Sometimes you'll come across clients that seem like a godsend, ones that can articulate what they want and how they want it done, whether it’s a batch of writing or a web design. These clients are to be cherished.

Many more clients (in my experience) aren’t as skilled at articulating what they want exactly from freelancers. They'll sketch a rough idea of how they want a project to turn out, and it's up to the freelancer to meet those expectations and try to produce content that will please them. Typically this process involves a lot of back-and-forth between the client and the freelancer, including several critiques and maybe some snarky emails. But this is all familiar territory for freelancers: clients are clients, money is money, even if it comes from employers that aren't exactly pleasant to work with.

Get an agreement in writing from a client before working on a project

Which brings me to the subject of making money. This should go without saying, but it's absolutely critical that freelancers get paid for all the work they do for a client. If you're uncertain about how a client will pay for your services, be sure to enshrine your rates and policies in a contract that they will agree to and sign prior to doing any work on the project.

At the very least, your contract should include hourly rates, stipulations for overtime, and precise language on acceptable methods and dates of payment. There's nothing worse than working on a project for a client before they've signed anything, only to find out that they no longer want your work. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you by writing up a solid contact and you'll be fine.

Being your own boss is a lot of work

Again, when I pictured being a freelancer, I thought of all the stereotypes: working in my pajamas, waking up whenever I wanted to, accepting and denying work at my leisure, and taking long lunch breaks. But once you start freelancing, you quickly realize just how responsible you have to be to earn a sustainable living. Sure, you can wake up at 11AM every day as a freelancer, but you probably won't win over many clients that way. Freelancing could be a harsh wakeup call for writers and entrepreneurs who aren't used to so much responsibility, but it could also be a springboard into success for people who can handle it.

Kate Wilson is a freelance writer currently writing about political involvement in higher education for collegecrunch.org. Kate also covers topics related to higher education and mobile tech innovations, especially when both of those topics intersect. Feel free to send some comments her way!