Challenges Wrap-up: June

CHALLENGE 1: New Release Challenge

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine (7/1/17)

Night Magic by Jenna Black (5/30/17)

A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess (9/19/17)--Review to come in September

Reignited by Colleen Houck (2/21/17)

Lost Boy by Christina Henry (7/4/17)

Reunion by Colleen Houck (8/8/17)--Review to come later this month

CHALLENGE 2: Series Enders

Well since I don't have the review up until later this month I don't quite feel like counting Reunion though I did read it this month!

CHALLENGE 3: Discussion Challenge

Blogging Through the Years and the Changes

CHALLENGE 4: TBR Challenge

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (9/20/16)

 

 

 

 

Mini Review--The Orange Cat and Other Cainsville Tales by Kelley Armstrong

No longer available for sale.

Betrayals Preorder Pack. Free with any preorder of Betrayals.

Exclusive ebook collection of Cainsville stories for those who preordered, bought on the release week (Aug 9-15), or reserved Betrayals from the library before August 15 2016. Strictly the only way to get this mini-collection—the author's acknowledgement to readers who’ve jumped on board Cainsville.

Contents include:
- The Orange Cat: Gabriel story based on Poe’s The Black Cat, originally in Nevermore
- Bad Publicity: a new Patrick story
- Lady of the Lake: a new Liv & Ricky novella (set right after Deceptions)

In the midist of waiting for a review book, I once again turn to my poorly neglected kindle filled with books and a variety of short stories! I was eyeing the short stories particularly and picked up Kelley Armstrong’s The Orange Cat and Other Cainsville Tales! I didn’t realize this one wasn’t that old, as it was a pre-order gift for ordering Betrayals! Which I did!

As with most short story collections, I’ve broken this down into mini reviews for each story. Being that there were only three should make things rather easy!

The Orange Cat

The first story was the title one! It was an interesting little story involving Gabriel, his client, and his stalker…an orange cat. This takes place when Gabriel was a fresh new lawyer out of school, he’d already won a case, but instead of joining that firm he decided to start his own. Gabriel takes on a case that was rather weird, even for him, but money is money.

His client wants Gabriel’s help in getting rid of a pest. That pest happens to be an orange cat. The cat has done nothing but stare at him ever since one night when the client, in a drunken fit, took out one of its eyes. No matter what he does, the cat always comes back home and stares at him.

It was kind of creepy in a way. And I absolutely loved it!!! The end was rather chilling as well! It’s a befitting story to Cainsville!

Rating 5/5 stars


Bad Publicity

This is a story about Patrick, the renowned author who’s also one of the fae. He’s been watching over his son Gabriel from time to time, but the story is more about when a publicist starts hounding him around town. She’s a young new thing to the industry, looking to make a name for herself and what better way than to represent Patrick! He does his best to dodge her attempts, but then Lisa, the publicist, finds a hole in his contracts where he is obligated to make an appearance should he ever win an award.

Patrick suspects foul play. He’s starting to think his publicist is someone that’s more than what meets the eye. And when the location of the award ceremony is in a shady part of Chicago, well, Patrick will have to do what he must!

Things were definitely surprising in this one. It’s been awhile since I was last in Cainsville, so my memory isn’t too sharp on things, but since these two were sort of prequel stories it didn’t really hinder my enjoyment!

Rating 5/5 stars


Lady of the Lake

This was a bit longer than the previous two stories but still ultimately enjoyable! It takes place after Betrayals, Liv and Ricky are on their road trip vacation and what was supposed to be a brief pit stop for a little fun, turns into an investigation that grips at both of them. There’s a little lake/pond in the woods off the highway where they made their little stop, and they find that it’s not entirely uninhabited.

There’s a particular fae there who has quite the backstory. Well, most of the backstory comes from legends, both human lore and fae lore. We get a more precise rendering of who this particular fae is, not name-wise but story-wise later. It’s after this encounter though, that Liv and Ricky learn that a local girl has lost her baby; mean that she’s gone missing, possibly a kidnapping. It’s unclear. She’s a young mother and completely distraught. Liv and Ricky don’t plan on helping out right away, but they suddenly feel compelled to, that really is more a compulsion of morals than magic!

This was quite the intricate story! Plenty of good fae lore and myths mixed in, as well as the myth we’ve been dealing with for the entire series to date. Which its name and exact spelling are escaping me at the moment. I know it’s not your typical English language spelling, so hence my not recalling it precisely.

This was just a nice little taste of the world of Cainsville and I quite enjoyed the story! It’s hard to pick a “team” for Liv, as both guys have their merit. And then there’s Gabriel, who’s Gabriel. He’s a tough cookie. You never know what to expect from him. And while he wasn’t directly in this story, he was a part of it! A fun little adventure to the series! I cannot wait to see how things will come to a conclusion in the final book in August! I withheld from reading the sneak peek, for two reasons: 1, I still need to read my notes regarding Betrayals so I can get an idea of what happened, and 2, I just can’t bring myself to read samplers. It’s too torturous! LOL!

Rating 4.5/5 stars


This was really one great little set of stories! Highly enjoyable!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars—yeah, I’m rounding up! ;)

 

Random Thursday

This is the last segment of Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans' Curious Questions by Dave Smith that deals with animated features! Next chapter will look at animated shorts! Guessing running time is the only difference!

(image borrowed from Disney Wiki)

During the 1940s Walt was having financial problems due to the war, so he released a series of short films that were in featured packages. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was one of the last ones. Though it took 2 years to make, this set is actually one of the shorter of the sets.

(image borrowed from Frozen Wiki)

Early concepts for a film based on The Snow Queen started as early as the 1930s, predating Snow White! The project was shelved until the 1990s when there was a number of different story ideas for the project for the next 10 years. In 2011, a script was approved and the work began!

Mini Review--The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo

Before he ruled Ravka, before he was the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy with an extraordinary gift. In this prequel story to the New York Times-bestselling Grisha Trilogy, Leigh Bardugo takes us into Ravka's mysterious past, when Grisha lived as fugitives and the Darkling took his first steps on the path to power. Discover new territory in the Grishaverse, as well as two chapters from the soon-to-be-released Six of Crows.

Leigh Bardugo’s The Demon in the Wood was far shorter than I thought it would be, but at the same time it was still a delightful read! The Darkling is one of those villains that you love. Not love to hate necessarily, although I can’t really recall all my feelings towards him as I binge read The Shadow and Bone trilogy almost three years ago! So yeah, memory not so hot, but I do remember loving the Darkling.

This is a short little story of him as a kid. It’s a little heart-wrenching too in some ways. He and his mother moved around a lot because of what they were. It’s never safe for them if anyone were to know. And so begins a new life for them in this little village. Just as Eryk, his new name for this village, finds himself making new friends, he’s also making enemies.

The ending was what really tears at your heart. Knowing who the Darkling is and what his fate ended up being, can give you mixed feelings. But here, he is still just a boy. A boy who wants to fit in somewhere. I think anyone can relate to that. And what happens to him really makes you feel for the poor boy!

A quick and slightly emotional read, but a fun one! If you’ve ever loved the Darkling—and who hasn’t at some point?—this will definitely be a little story you’ll want to check out!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars—would’ve loved for more on the aftermath of things, but it is what it is!

Comic Review--Scooby Apocalypse 10-14 by Keith Giffens & J.M. DeMatteis

Jinkies! Velma is gone! Can the gang put their feelings about her aside long enough to rescue her from the apocalyptic wasteland that she helped create? They better do so quickly, because a powerful puppy is right on their tail!

Moving right along to my comic book series Scooby Apocalypse! It’s been a few months since I last read the first nine issues and diving back in with such a gap proved to once again be dangerous! Issue 10 was rather exciting as it seemed a lot has happened since we last left our heroes. Velma is in overlord mode apparently as she reigns supreme over the monsters that she helped unleashed onto Earth, as we learned last issue. She has Daphne in her clutches and is ready to exact her own kind of vengeance. Will Scooby, Shaggy, and Fred be able to rescue Daphne in time?

Rating 4/5 stars

Jinkies! Velma is gone! Can the gang put their feelings about her aside long enough to rescue her from the apocalyptic wasteland that she helped create? They better do so quickly, because a powerful puppy is right on their tail!

The gang is on the hunt for Velma. They’ve read the files on her laptop she left them. They know she was involved in what is happening to the world they knew. While Daphne seems to harbor a little more resentment than the rest, they are still determined to find her. They know they’ll need her anyway if they ever hope to reverse what was done.

This was another enlightening issue! We get a little more details on Velma and her brothers and what they accidentally caused to happen to the Earth. I truly love seeing this different version of Scooby Doo! There’s still just enough hints of nostalgia to the comic series that I can’t help but enjoy! Plus the bad guys list is definitely racking up in this one! Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Rating 5/5 stars

It’s a Dinkley family reunion! Can Velma reconcile with one of her brothers in order to the save the world that they destroyed? Or is someone else to blame for the apocalypse?

This issue of Scooby Apocalypse shows the gang trying to reach Velma’s brother Rufus. So it’s a brief, nonexistent road trip to Seattle where they find the city look just as damaged and desolate as the others they’ve seen. It’s somewhat of a struggle to get through all the carnage, and since Fred’s still injured he’s left to guard the Mystery Machine, much to his dismay.

We also see snippets of Rufus with his wife Daisy. And we get a better idea of his character if last issue’s wasn’t enough. There’s definitely no sibling love between him and Velma, it’s a scary thought of what will happen when they are reunited!

We also get another little adventure with Scrappy Doo! I was most excited to see him again! Though there wasn’t any enlightening character developing moments, there was still a teeny bit of it! I’m anxious to see if he and Scooby will ever be reunited and what will come of it if they are!

It’s still kind of surreal seeing Mystery Inc. in this way. I’m used to the original Scooby series from my childhood times and I can still hear the original voices when I read this too! This is definitely not your traditional Scooby Doo, but I can’t help but like it all the same! And I’m really curious to see when/how things will be resolved, yet I really don’t want to say goodbye to this series so soon!

Rating 4/5 stars

After a disastrous meeting with Velma’s evil brother, the gang must battle their way out of his terrifying skyscraper. With danger on every floor, how will they make it out alive?

This next issue involves a family reunion between Velma and her brother Rufus and it goes as well as you can expect! There’s definitely some family issues between the brother and sister and we already know that Rufus isn’t quite right in the head anymore! To make matters worse, there’s a horde of monsters gathering outside Rufus’ penthouse building!

I’m always amazed at how quick comics are! Mind you, I haven’t read many in my day. I used to read the Scooby Doo Where Are You? series a few years back, but stopped at some point. They go by so quickly, and yet while it may only be the equivalent of a scene or two (based on book reading) you still see a lot happen! The story moves forward about another inch and you’re left hanging on a cliffhanger for the next issue! That’s the other bad part, there is always a cliffhanger waiting for you!

We get another side adventure with Scrappy Doo and his new pet in this one! Another little moment that tugs at the heartstrings! Loving this series!

Rating 5/5 stars

Velma’s brother turns sibling rivalry up to extremes in his quest to rule the monsters…but the creatures are more interested in attacking his skyscraper than in being his loyal subjects. Can Velma, Scooby and the gang stop him from carrying out his plans to mutate the creatures even more? Plus, in the backup story: Brainy super-dog Scrappy-Doo and his pet human kid are hot on the trail of a puzzle. Monsters are migrating, but to where?

Eek! OMG! That cliffhanger!! Pure evil!! I knew I should’ve waited until next month to read a few more issues!! Because eeek!! Needless to say this issue of Scooby Apocalypse really kept me on my toes! Though the cover I got, makes no sense after the last issue! I was half-expecting to see Rufus again!

We’re now seeing the monsters all ambling about, like they’re being controlled. They don’t really react to Scooby and gang when Velma tries to test a theory. With Daisy now in tow, their motley crew is growing. We also get more snippets with Scrappy Doo and his posse. No side adventures for them this time. Scrappy is still desperately trying to find Velma so she can fix his tech-ware so that he can stay a smart and capable puppy. Plus, he wants Scooby Doo, his uncle, for something as well. I can’t remember if we learned what that was yet…

Things get pretty dicey when the gang splits up—but not in the pairings you might guess—and trouble finds them! Talk about an epic cliffhanger! And the little teaser note the writers left just seems cruel! LOL! A fantastic comic series so far and I can’t wait for next month’s issue! 


Rating 5/5 stars


Since I seem to be binging these issues  in spurts, my memory of the previous ones is a little fuzzy, but I like that you don't really need to remember all the details. We do get recaps of what's vital and I like that! Binging a few issues at a time though does seem to be a good way to go, except you never know when there will be a killer cliffhanger at the end! I feel like there are still things we've yet to learn. Velma had four brothers, I believe we've only learned of two of their fates, so there's still two more brothers who could be of possible help. 

This is definitely not your ordinary Scooby Doo, but yet, I am really liking this new dystopic setting! It makes for quite an exciting read, if a little on the short side! the drawings are pretty awesome too! I still can't quite see my beloved characters in this new one, all the different artists who contribute to this series definitely give new life to everyone. And I was noticing that different artists contribute to different issues, instead of the same team. I feel like I can notice that in the drawings sometimes, but I'm never really positive on who drew what. Keith Giffens and J.M. DeMatteis do seem to be continuing masterminds of writing though! Still, this is a series all Scooby Doo Fans need to check out!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars 

 

Mini Review--Queen of Oz by Danielle Paige

Good is Wicked and Wicked is Good in the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series!

This digital original novella is the ninth and final installment in the series’ prequel arc. It reveals the mysterious backstory of Ozma—and how she went from fairy princess to the rightful ruler of Oz.

Young Mombi was never the best witch in Oz. She wasn’t the most talented, or the most powerful. But when the Wizard knocks on her door holding a baby girl who needs protection, Mombi agrees to take the job. She casts one powerful, surprising spell—hiding the baby where no one would find her. Years later, a boy named Pete goes on a journey to the Emerald City, where he learns the truth about his true identity…and his role in Oz’s destiny.

The final novella of the Danielle Paige’s Dorothy Must Die prequel series is Queen of Oz and this, as you might guess, is about Ozma. I never did read the Wizard of Oz books as a kid, so I suspect that there was a lot more detail to Oz than what MGM showed us with Judy Garland! I watched the Emerald City mini-series earlier this year as well, and I think that may have even helped me a little bit in understanding some of the stories of Oz that I didn’t know about before.

Mombi is a young girl who wants to be a witch, a good witch mind you. She has some magical abilities, but she wants to learn more. So she goes to Glinda in hopes of becoming her apprentice of sorts. Naturally things don’t quite go as planned, as Glinda isn’t really up for teaching anybody anything to do with magic. Then Lurline, a fairy queen, comes to Mombi and tells her that she must go hide in secret and to care for this child, Ozma. For she is the true ruler of Oz and if any of her enemies would know about her, there would be great and terrible danger. This is when little Ozma gets transformed into a boy, by mistake, I think. And so Pete grows up thinking he’s nothing special except for Mombi’s servant boy.

It was another interesting little story. I can’t help but feel that maybe the order of these novellas got a little jumbled. Maybe not though. I did read them in a very odd order of the years with many books in between. It just felt like at times, Dorothy hadn’t returned yet, then she was, then she didn’t. I just would’ve thought that these novellas would follow a certain timeline. As in the last one I read the other day, Dorothy was back! Now in this one, she is apparently back in Kansas.

While it was still an interesting read, I couldn’t really figure out its point. It basically just shows us what Ozma was doing in her time away from the throne. Perhaps there’s a different order these novellas are meant to be in and that would’ve helped to make more sense. As this is the final one of the prequel series, it doesn’t really lead you right into Dorothy Must Die. But again, it was still an interesting read, just not as enlightening as I would’ve hoped for.

 
Overall Rating 3/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

Ever since the debacle of the Chess Queen Enigma, Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker have laid low, trying to settle back into their quiet lives as young ladies of London. But the Holmesian deductive abilities won't remain dormant for long, and when Mina receives a strange package from a winged, midnight visitor, she is catapulted into a new, dangerous adventure: the search for The Carnelian Crow.

Meanwhile, Evaline has received some very disturbing news--news that will change her life forever. Along with that unpleasant knowledge is the strange disappearance of her nemesis, the disreputable pickpocket Pix.

When it becomes clear the arch-villainess the Ankh has made her next move, it will take all of Mina's Holmesian ingenuity and Evaline's courage and determination to stop the criminal from executing her boldest and most dangerous plan yet!

EEP! I STILL need to read The Chess Queen Enigma!! So behind!!

TITLE: The Carnelian Crow

AUTHOR: Colleen Gleason

PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books

GENRE: Paranormal YA

RELEASE DATE: July 11, 2017 

 

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page

3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

Loving this one so far! I always enjoy a good origin story! One that totally changes the way you see the supposed villain! 

"And that was that. Peter had spoken, and we would all do as he wished. It was his island. He had invited us there, had promised us we would be young and happy forever.

So we were. Unless we got sick, or died, or were taken by the pirates." p 18 

TITLE: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook
AUTHOR: Christina Henry
PUBLISHER: Berkley Books
GENRE: Fairy Tale Retellings--bc by now we can say it's a genre! ;)
RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's topic is: Best Books I've Read in 2017 So Far!

*in no particular order

10. AS OLD AS TIME by Liz Braswell--this one took me by surprise since I was unable to really enjoy the first two book of the series. Not sure why, the idea of them was good, but I know in the second one I was totally confused and gave up on it. But this one, this one was GOOD!

9. VIOLET GRENADE by Victoria Scott--another excellent read by Victoria! This one had a dark, gritty edge to it that I couldn't help but love!

8. SPECTACLE by Rachel Vincent--I always love Rachel's books! This one was no exception!! Cannot wait to see how it ends next year!

7. BREAKING by Danielle Rollins--this series so far is pretty twisted, but it's sooo good! It really hooks you in! My only issues is not knowing if there's more. But there NEEDS to be more!!

6. NIGHT MAGIC by Jenna Black--totally amazing!!! And again...I NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE TO COME! Pretty sure there's one, but still!

5. HUNTED by Meagan Spooner--lots of wonderful Beauty and the Beast retellings this year! This was one of my favorites among them!

4. TORN by Alyssa Rose Ivy--looooved finally getting Hailey's story!! Cannot wait for the next installment!

3. THE TURN by Kim Harrison--this one was rather interesting as well! Really makes you look at the Hollows differently, even though it was before we knew all our favorite characters!

2. ROAR by Cora Carmack--this one I took a chance on, but I ended up LOVING it! Far exceeded my expectations!! 

1. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas--LOVED IT!! And yes, I KNOW! I NEED to read the last one asap!! But haven't found the right time yet, but working on it! I swear!

Mini Review--Dark Side of the Rainbow by Danielle Paige

Good is Wicked and Wicked is Good in the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series!

This digital original novella is the eighth installment in the series’ prequel arc and reveals how the wonderful world of Oz began to crumble when Dorothy Gale returned—including Rainbow Falls, Oz’s paradise hot spot.

Polychrome, Princess of the Rainbow, has a pretty cushy job. She spends her days surfing at Indigo Beach, playing with her pet unicorn, and occasionally checking in on the tourists vacationing at Rainbow Falls, where she is—technically speaking—in charge. When Dorothy arrives, Polly is less than thrilled. She’d much rather flirt with mysterious surfer Bright than play tour guide to a spoiled wannabe princess. But Rainbow Falls won’t be paradise by the time Dorothy’s done with it. And Polly may have to leave her life of leisure behind, to become the ruler her land needs.

Danielle Paige delivers a dark and compelling reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire, and follows some of literature’s most beloved characters as their lives intertwine to bring about the downfall of Oz. 

Well I was between books and I still don't have the true next book I am waiting for, so I went into my kindle account and brought up Danielle Paige's Dark Side of the Rainbow! I decided I would finish the prequel novellas before returning to the story at large. Naturally, I was a little rusty about what's gone on in this prequel side of the world, but luckily, it's a series you really can just jump into at any point! All you really need to know is that Dorothy is Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!

In this one, we get to hang out with Polly, who's a fairy and ruler of the Rainbow Falls. She's cousin to Ozma and she's all about having fun and kicking back. So when Dorothy strolls in and says Ozma has taken a little vacay and she's there to fill in, Polly thinks nothing of it. She and Dorothy have fun together, but it's really not long before Polly learns that Dorothy isn't quite put all together. She gets moody and clingy and sort of stalker crazy. And if Polly, our laid back way of life fairy princess is starting to get worried, then you know things are pretty serious! 

This was simply another installment in the series where the people of Oz at large are slowly learning that Dorothy is not the carefree and sweet little girl she used to be. And Polly is more than willing to do whatever it takes to keep Dorothy from sinking her claws into her kingdom!

A fun and quick read that has you shaking your head at the craziness that is Dorothy! Cannot wait to see how this series at large will come to an end! I have my suspicions--that I can only vaguely recall--and will be looking forward to seeing how Amy will get things resolved for Oz for the greater good!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Early Review--Lost Boy by Christina Henry

From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is…

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.

Peter lies.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

I’ve always loved fairy tales, fairy tales in their original format and even Disney-ified! Retellings were soon added to that list when I discovered them some years ago, and after enjoying Christina Henry’s twist on Alice in Wonderland, I was ecstatic to learn she had a Peter Pan retelling, once more, a Captain Hook origin story! For how is it that we have an adult pirate in a land filled with children who never grow up? It was always a mystery to me as a kid, and now we have an answer with Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook.

Also to note, it’s best to think of the fairy tale and not the Disney movie when it comes to retellings. While I love Disney and the things that they do, they themselves are simply making retellings of fairy tales! Fairy tales were even meant for adults too, in the beginning, any Grimm fairy tale can pretty much confirm it! I’m wondering if that’s where we get the word “grim” from now that I think on it! Lol!

So here we follow the story of a young boy named Jamie. He’s lived with Peter for ages now. Peter took him away from a cold life in the Other Place and brought him to his island so that they can always have fun and play games together. And then eventually, Peter started bringing more boys over, because of course, more boys means more fun! Soon Jamie took to caring for the boys that Peter brought over. He would look after them and help them with injuries, make sure they ate. He cared for them. Then Peter brought over a very young boy, despite Jamie’s protests that he was too young for the island life. Peter thought he was cute and would be fun. For Peter is never wrong and always gets what he wants. This boy, Charlie, was rather young and he took more of a liking to Jamie since Jamie cared for him. Charlie is about five years old whereas the other boys are closer to Peter’s eleven years.

Soon we learn that life on the island—for it’s not called Neverland in this version—isn’t as fun and carefree as Peter led them to believe. Things take a darker turn. There are monsters known as the Many-Eyed who will gladly eat the boys if they came to their part of the island. Pirates wreak havoc on the cove, mermaids cause mischief in their usual lagoon, and then of course there’s crocodiles to be wary of. And when Peter starts to get jealous of Jamie’s attention going towards young Charlie, things get real scary, real fast.

As twisted as it may seem, I always love a retelling that takes your traditional villain and make them the one you root for. Though, if you know your fairy tales well, you pretty much know the outcome anyway. But the journey is always surprising anyway! While things in this version of Peter Pan wasn’t all we’re used to, there are still some very familiar aspects and we see more and more of them as the story goes on. And that’s another thing I always love about retellings when authors include the familiar with the new! It makes for fascinating story!

While we all know the general story of Peter Pan, we never really got to learn about Captain Hook. At least in the fairy tale sense, as we have had a few more origin stories pop up in recent years. This is his story. We learn that he too once was once a boy who wanted to have fun and stay young forever. But then he learns that Peter lies. There is much more to the world of “Neverland” than we ever knew before. It’s almost heartrending with the outcome, though again, it’s one we already know. But the details, the details are heartrending! Lost Boy was a fantastically magical read and I loved every moment of it!

 
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
 

Lost Boy releases July 4, 2017

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Reunited by Colleen Houck (ARC)--Review to come at a later date 

Review That was Posted:

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine (Early Copy) (3.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Lost Boy by Christina Henry (Early Copy) 

What I Might Read this Week:

Grave Ransom by Kalayna Price (Early Copy)

Other Posts of Interest:

 Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

Stacking the Shelves 

 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.

After my incredible week last week, it was nice to have a low key week! I almost went the entire week without books, but then my Books for Trade from Katie at Paper Trail YA came in! So excited to read this series! Going to start with Nemesis in a bit and then this beauty!

 

Ally by Anna Banks (ARC) 

 

THANK YOU Katie!! 

Then I went to the Disney Store...and caved:

 

So that was my week! What did you guys get?