Thursday, March 31, 2016

Review- Beautiful Sacrifice by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Sacrifice on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Falyn Fairchild can walk away from anything. Having already left her car, her education, and even her parents, the daughter of the next governor of Colorado is back in her hometown, broke and waiting tables for the Bucksaw Café. After every shift, Falyn adds to her shoebox of cash, hoping to one day save enough to buy her a plane ticket to the only place she can find forgiveness: Eakins, Illinois.

The moment Taylor Maddox is seated in Falyn’s section at the Bucksaw, she knows he’s trouble. Taylor is charming, breaks promises, and gorgeous even when covered in filth—making him everything Falyn believes a hotshot firefighter to be. Falyn isn’t interested in becoming another statistic, and for a Maddox boy, a disinterested girl is the ultimate challenge.

Once Falyn learns where Taylor calls home, everything changes. In the end, Maddox persistence is met with Falyn’s talent for leaving, and for the first time, Taylor may be the one to get burned.


Release date: May 31st 2015
Published by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Page numbers: 284

REVIEW:

Normally, I do not read, nor do I like to read romances. There are, however, a few authors who stand as my exceptions when it comes to cheesy stories. On a daily basis, I prefer dark and serious reads. So the rare times when I do pick up a romance, all I hope for is an escape and a distraction, and that is exactly what Beautiful Sacrifice ended up doing for me. While I have come across many negatives reviews for the book, I honestly cannot pinpoint to anything specific that I liked or didn't like about the book that neither made it a must-read, nor a stay miles away from this book read. If anything, it was an average but fun book. Having said that, what has to be made clear here itself is that the more the book is on my mind, the more dumb it seems, which it was. But taken as a light, one-time read, which is far better, it was quite okay really. 

Plot-wise, Beautiful Sacrifice lacked depth and strength. It was the most dullest and predictable plot ever. From the beginning, I had my suspicions about the female protagonist, Falyn's past, and I ended up being right which frustrates me to no end because I want stories to surprise me, to give me the unexpected. Even the so called "twists" didn't pose as twists in the literal sense, but just added to the boring, irritating and highly unnecessary drama that was going on. Honestly, sometimes the plot took such ridiculous turns that the book could be classified as comedy rather than romance. 


Coming to the protagonist, while Falyn's past wasn't anything fresh or new, I genuinely liked reading about her present life where she worked at The Bucksaw Café. The environment there was so welcoming and friendly and instantly added to some nice warmth, in terms of the café owners and Falyn's co-workers who were very kind and fun. Falyn herself was very insecure and kept questioning herself which was frustrating at times. Taylor Maddox was really nice though. The main problem is that, from the very start until the end of the book, Flayn and Taylor's relationship didn't see any development or progress. It was exactly the same, and that was a major disappointment. What was admirable was that for the first time, a Maddox brother lived up to the expectation of a Maddox boy. 

Talking about the Maddox clan, as usual, it was lovely to meet them all, but Jamie McGuire, please! Enough with the same old, same old stuff. I am so fed up of the Abby and Travis wedding plot. It is too much of a coincidence that all these Maddox brothers find the perfect one at the same time. Seriously? I don't need to say every time that I love Abby and Travis. That is no surprise. But even for me, it is getting too much now. Move on, people. And speaking of coincidences, Beautiful Sacrifice had way too many to count. Like I said in the very beginning, I would neither bash nor buy this book. It served its purpose of a book by giving me a distraction for the time during which I read it. Nothing special or extraordinary in it, Beautiful Sacrifice is just another cheesy romance. 



Buy the book: AMAZON


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Book Blitz- Remembrance by Michelle Madow


Remembrance (Transcend Time #1)
by Michelle Madow
Genre: YA Romance
Release Date: July 27th 2011
Dreamscape Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:

Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from 1815, England ... but she doesn't realize it until she meets her soul mate from the past and he triggers her memories to gradually return.

When Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school, she feels a connection to him, like she knows him. But he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching Drew is more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?

Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, but fighting fate isn’t easy, and she’s determined to unravel the mysteries of the past.




Remembrance is now FREE!

BUY LINKS: [ Amazon | Barnes & Noble]

Want to read the entire Transcend Time series for FREE? Sign up for the author’s newsletter!


About the Author:
Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.
Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png




Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway- Goat Children by Jordan Elizabeth

GOAT CHILDREN

A young adult novel with a touch of fantasy, love, and imagination versus reality.



When Keziah’s grandmother, Oma, is diagnosed with dementia, Keziah faces two choices: leave her family and move to New Winchester to care for Oma, or stay in New York City and allow her grandmother to live in a nursing home miles away. 

The dementia causes Oma to be rude and paranoid, nothing like the woman Keziah remembers. Each day becomes a greater weight and love a harsher burden. Keziah must keep Oma from wandering off or falling, and try to convince her grandmother to see a doctor as her eyesight and hearing fail, but Oma refuses to believe anything is wrong. Resentful of her hardships in New Winchester, Keziah finds herself drawn to Oma’s ramblings about the Goat Children, a mythical warrior class. These fighters ride winged horses, locating people in need, while attempting to destroy evil in the world. Oma sees the Goat Children everywhere, and as Keziah reads the stories Oma wrote about them, she begins to question if they really exist.


#

GOAT CHILDREN is now available on Amazon from CHBB.
Check out early reviews on GoodReads!

#

Excerpt: 

Check out Chapter 1:

Bodies crushed against each other, a blur of hair and clothes, in the mad dash to exit the subway. The air smelled of the greasy restaurants above and felt stuffy, despite the bitter cold that rattled through the damp subway tunnel. My mouth watered as I sniffed roasted chestnuts.
You haven’t eaten dinner yet, my rumbling stomach scolded.
I slipped past a man speaking rapid Spanish to board the train, grabbed a pole, slid on to a seat, and pulled my green bag higher towards my chest. The two paperbacks inside jammed into my ribs. With a groan, I shifted into a new position, wondering what glorious worlds awaited within the glossy covers.
“Whoa ho, ho, ho.”
More people ranting on the subway. It could never be a quiet ride. I opened my bag to peer at the fantasy novels. I’d chosen thick books because they lasted longer and made the reading more rewarding.
“Ho, little one.”
A face shoved into mine from the aisle, and I jerked back, squeaking. Oily black hair hung over a scarred forehead. The man swayed, braying a laugh. I glanced at the woman with bright pink hair sitting on the next seat. She read a newspaper without looking up.
“So much to you.” The man licked his lips and slurred the words.
His pungent odor clawed its way through my nose; no escaping the invisible fumes. They washed over me with groping draws until my eyes watered. I cringed, my craving for chestnuts gone. Anyone on a diet would be thankful to have him around.
He stood, clinging to a pole with one gloved hand. Threads poked from the torn seams in the gripping brown leather. Two duffel bags, stained with mud, rested near his feet, bulging with contents.
I lowered my gaze, clutching the bag tighter. Please go away. I shouldn’t have taken the subway, but I’d done it to save time. Even though I was seventeen, Mama said it wasn’t safe to ride alone, and now, I agreed.
I’m not gonna be home by my seven o’clock curfew. Mama’s gonna freak. I can’t believe I forgot my phone.
“You don’t belong on this world.” He smacked his lips. Behind his head, a large sign told the public not to smoke, or they’d get lung cancer and die. It was easier to stare at the anti-smoking sign than him.
“Yes, thank you,” I mumbled as he leered at me. Even if he lacked a home and suffered from insanity, he didn’t deserve rudeness.
“You like fantasy?”
I stared at my lap, but when he repeated the question louder, I nodded.
“What would ya do if fantasy became your life? What would ya do if it wasn’t fantasy anymore?”
“Fantasy isn’t real.” I shifted my gaze to my black socks. They came up to my thighs and the right sock had a tiny hole near the knee. I’d have to sew it when I got home. If I studied it, maybe he’d grow bored and mosey on elsewhere.
“Are you happy here? Don’t you want more, little one? I can take you to another world.” His deep breaths made snot rattle in his nose.
I gagged, hiding my mouth behind my hand. The woman with the newspaper glanced over. I pleaded silently for her to make the man go away, but she moved to an empty seat down the car, wrinkling her nose. I still had five more stops before I could get away.
Do I dare follow her?
“Don’t you believe in destiny?”
What if he sits next to me? I slid my bag onto the empty seat, clutching the handle. As the subway curved around the corner, it screeched, the sound echoing through the metallic enclosure as if screaming, “Doom!”
“I’ve been to other lands. I’ve seen my future, and I spit at it.” He turned his head to hack on the floor. The saliva bubbled with a yellowish hue.
The subway squealed to a halt, and some of the passengers stood to exit. I removed the bag in case someone new sat down, someone safe, but no one came near or looked at us as they found seats. The doors slid shut, and the train moved again. Four more stops to go.
“Don’t shun fantasy. I’ve made mistakes and don’t want you to make ‘em too. Take it and see what you can do. Take it!” He pumped his fist, revealing grease stains on his coat sleeves.
I scanned the other passengers’ faces. They ignored us, although the ranting man filled the car with his voice. Only the smiling faces on wall advertisements watched. Ever-smiling, ever-trapped in their realm of sales. I fiddled with the zipper on the front of my gray hoodie, heart racing.
The subway halted at the next station. Again, people exited and entered, and no one sat beside me. Three more stops to go. I drummed my fingers against my thigh.
“I know all about the ones they call the Goats.” He drew a ragged breath. “I’m not supposed to, but I know. My wife was one. She told me all about them. Oh, yes, she did. She wasn’t supposed to, but she did. They don’t let them take over the world. They won’t!”
Why do crazies always go for alien invasions? I twirled my brown curls. I’d get off at the next stop and walk the rest of the way, even if I arrived home later.
What if he follows me?
“The Goats!” He flapped his arm.
Alien goat invasion. How awesome. I jumped and clutched my bag like a shield. The subway screeched as it approached the next station. I wanted to run, but he waved both arms, repeating the scream.
The doors swished open, but if I stood to escape, he could attack. Two more stops to go. What if I can’t escape at my stop, either?
As soon as the subway started, he lowered his arm and drew a few breaths. He reeked of alcohol, and overpowering the sweat stench, the stench made my head swirl.
“Beware of the Goats.” His chest heaved. “Help the Goats. Save the Goats!”
He really is deranged. There weren’t any goats in New York City that I’d ever seen.
“Yes, I will.” Go away. “I’ll … I’ll watch out for the goats.”
“The Goats,” he corrected, as if I’d mispronounced the word. He picked up his duffel bags and waddled to the back of the car, where he dropped onto a seat. He took a small paperback book from the pocket of his trench coat and flipped it open.
When the doors swished open at the next stop, I exited in the crush of bodies. People coughed and spoke, heels clicked and wheels on backpacks rolled, and the sounds echoed off the stone walls.
I slid through the turnstile and bolted up the cement steps two at a time, the edges cracked and crumbled and graffiti decorated the walls with images of fire and obscene language. The brightness of the paint, and the harsh edges that curved and sang were beautiful. The scrawls seemed to want to leap off the stone, suddenly alive.
At the top, I grasped the railing. Cold, dented metal bit through the fishnet of my fingerless gloves while I gazed over my shoulder. The people emerging didn’t spare me a glance. I was lost in the crowd, a stationary fixture.
The man wasn’t following. I ducked my head to push into the crowd. People bumped into me, jostling with elbows and bags. I almost walked into a tourist, who snapped a picture of the taxicabs.
“Hey,” called a stout vender from the corner. “You okay?”
I tucked back a brown curl. “I’m fine, but thanks.” Wind whipping between the skyscrapers stole the power of my words.
“Wanna dog?” He held one out, nestled in a white roll.
“No, thanks. I don’t eat meat.”
“Good,” I thought I heard him whisper. “Your kind shouldn’t.”
He couldn’t have spoken. It must’ve been someone else. It wouldn’t make sense for a man who made his living off people scarfing down meat-in-a-tube to agree with my vegetarian lifestyle.
I ogled the sea of metal vehicles washed in the afternoon sunlight like sharks swarming for a fresh kill. I shook off the thought and ran, an empty Styrofoam cup crunching beneath my foot. I didn’t have a watch, but the sun hung low in the sky.
A thought raced through my mind as the sun made windows wink and flash.
Beware of Goats.

#

“Long line at the bookstore.” I dropped my bag on the marble table beside the door to my family’s condo. Instrumental Celtic music wafted from the living room as I left the small foyer, and I almost tripped over my sprawled little sister.
“Phebe, you shouldn’t lie on the floor.”
“Why are you home so late?” Phebe dragged an orange crayon over the page of her coloring book. Her ponytail bobbed as she tipped her head, studying the picture. “You should’ve taken me with you. Mommy said so.”
“I’m sure she did.” I rolled my eyes.
When I’d left earlier, Phebe had still been doing her mathematics homework. We were home schooled, so even in the summer, we had work to do. It sucked because other home schooled students I knew had summers off. That was our penalty for having a mother with a Master’s degree in elementary education.
“Where’re Mama and Dad?”
Phebe sat up on her knees with her eyebrows knit together. “Mommy’s crying.”
My heart sunk and dropped clear out of my stomach. Mama never got that upset when I came home late. Did she find out about the party last weekend at Tiffany’s? I’d lied and said it was only going to be Tiff, her parents and siblings, and me. I hadn’t mentioned her parents were in Vancouver on vacation or that Tiff had invited all of her friends, not just me. Regret stabbed my gut.
“Mama, I’m home! Mama?”
The family photographs glared at me from the wall, none so reprimanding as the face of my Reverend Uncle. I kicked off my flats and hurried into my parents’ bedroom. With the lamp off, only a little light slipped through the closed venetian blinds covering the single window.
Short brown hair fanned over the plaid pillowcase, and Mama lay sideways on the king-sized bed, a crumpled tissue pressed against her nose. Dad sat beside her, stroking her shoulders. He still wore his suit from work—an even worse sign. The first thing Dad did when he walked through the door was peel off his jacket and toss the tie onto the table.
“Mama?” My voice cracked as my throat constricted.
“Your uncle called.” Dad tugged on his green silk tie that should’ve been lost in the pile of mail, not still fastened around his neck.
“Uncle Tom?”
The Reverend in Massachusetts, Dad’s younger brother, only called once a month, on the first Friday. Even though we called him Uncle Tom around the house, we all referred to him as Pastor Thomas to his face.
“No, Uncle Jan.”
Mama’s brother, the one who called less than Uncle Tom did.
“What…what did he want? Has someone died?” Oh no, is it my grandmother? Uncle Jan lived upstate, in the same town as her.
“Keziah, it’s your grandmother,” Dad continued.
Oh no, oh no, oh no. When I’d been younger, we’d lived down the street from Mama’s mother. She had taken care of me while my parents worked, and we’d often picked violets in the yard. Sometimes, I imagined I could smell their perfume years later and hundreds of miles away.
I’d always called her Oma, which meant grandmother in Dutch. I could still remember the way I’d cried and screamed, begging to stay with Oma when we’d moved to New York City. The hours separating us seemed like an eternity.
“She has dementia.” Dad removed his tie and knotted it around his fingers.
I blinked at him. “Dementia?” Demented, like the man on the subway?
“She hasn’t been officially diagnosed, but the symptoms are there. Uncle Jan doesn’t feel she can live on her own anymore.” Dad dropped his tie onto the alarm clock.
“So…she’s moving in with Uncle Jan?” I pictured waking up from a sleepover at Oma’s house with fresh squeezed orange juice waiting in the kitchen beside a bowl of cream of wheat cereal, steamy and sweet.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Oma would sing. She’d pull out the chair, the seat hideous and green, leftover from the 1970s. It had been an honor to sit at the kitchen table with her.
Dad rubbed his chin. “Your aunt won’t let her do that.”
I grinned. “She’s moving in with us? That’s amazing!” I only saw Oma on school holidays, and that summer, we’d had to pass because Mama had taught a summer school class.
“You know that wouldn’t work.” Dad gazed at the dresser across the room, a fog coming over his eyes.
I pulled at a loose thread on my black skirt. If Oma moved in, then Dad would have to move out or risk family war. The yelling would never stop. She hated Dad with a roaring passion I’d never understood. That anger had contributed to the reason why we’d moved, and when we visited Oma, Dad never went.
“Your uncle wants to put her in a home.” Dad leaned over to rub a spot on the wall’s blue paint as if that space was the problem, and he could make it disappear.
I licked my dry lips. “You mean like a nursing home?” 
“No!” Mama rose on her elbows. “I’m not putting my mother in a nursing home. Do you know how they treat their patients? It’s horrible. All those people. Oma would hate it. She’s so antisocial these days. Really hate it.”
“Hush. Come on, sweetheart. It’s all right. We won’t put her in a home.” Dad combed his fingers through her hair.
“Why would Uncle Jan want to do that?” I didn’t know anything about nursing homes, but Mama was right. Oma had become one of the most antisocial people I’d ever met.
“It’s your aunt.” Dad patted Mama’s back. “She wants to put your grandmother away. It’s getting too hard to take care of her, and she won’t let her move in with them. You know how your aunt can be.”
My aunt could be downright nasty—a sickish combination of stubborn and controlling. Dad was too nice to say that aloud, though.
“What are we going to do?” My question made Mama cry harder, and I flinched.
“We’ll think of something,” Dad whispered.

#


Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, is known for her odd sense of humor and her outrageous outfits.  Surrounded by bookshelves, she can often be found pounding away at her keyboard – she’s known for breaking keyboards, too.  Jordan’s young adult novels include ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, COGLING, TREASURE DARKLY, and BORN OF TREASURE.  GOAT CHILDREN is her first novel with CHBB.  Her short stories are featured in over twenty anthologies.  Check out her website for bonus scenes and contests. 

#

Giveaway: 

Keziah lives in New Winchester, a town frequented by squirrels.  Win a squirrel charm necklace in honor of her furry companions!

All winners will be notified after verification of entry at the end of this promotion.  Prizes have been supplied by and the responsibility of delivery are solely that of the author and/or their representatives. Blogs are not liable for non-delivery on the part of the author. No purchase necessary.


I hope you check out Jordan's book and thank you to her for letting us feature Goat Children on our blog. Thank you, readers, for stopping by, and happy reading! 


Monday, March 28, 2016

Review- Dirty Talk by Megan Erickson

Summary-

When the one you shouldn't want is the one you can't resist... 

Brent Payton works hard, plays hard, and has earned his ladies’ man reputation. But he’s more than just a good time, even though no one seems to see it. Until a gorgeous brunette with knockout curves and big, thoughtful eyes walks into his family’s garage and makes Brent want more.

Ivy Dawn and her sister are done with men, all of them. They’ve uprooted their lives too many times on account of the opposite sex, but that’s over now. The plan seems easy until a sexy, dirty-taking mechanic bursts in Ivy’s life and shakes everything up.

Brent can’t resist the one person who sees past his devil-may-care façade, and Ivy finds it harder and harder to deny how happy he makes her. But she has secrets of her own and when the truth comes out, she must decide if she’ll run again or if she’ll take a chance on forever.


Release date: September 15th, 2015
Published by: Avon Impulse
Page numbers: 320

Review-

Dirty Talk is the second book in Megan Erickson's Mechanics of Love series. This book is about the middle Payton brother, Brent. I really enjoyed Dirty Talk. I think its because now we know most of the characters and I also really liked how Brent and Ivy's story went.


Brent has always been the joker brother in the Payton family. Its the way he dealt with his mother leaving and his father being a workaholic. Brent has always had Cal and Max but he is not serious about anything else. I really liked Brent. We got to see the different sides of him. He actually wanted to be serious about Ivy and her daughter. For once in his life he wanted more and I love how he never gave up on Ivy.


Ivy and her sister Alex have moved to town with Ivy's daughter Violet for a new beginning. Ivy and Alex have made a pact to stay away from men because they always lead to trouble but Ivy is seriously attracted to Brent. I loved Ivy. She was a sweet heroine who saw Brent for who he was. I loved Ivy and her daughter's relationship and how she always put her family first.


Ivy and Brent's romance is definitely slow burn. They always have chemistry but Ivy is hesitant and Brent is patient. I loved how Brent never gave up on Ivy. I also loved the bond Brent and Ivy's daughter shared. It was so sweet and just what Violet needed in her life. I liked how Ivy helped Brent go for what he really wanted it life.


Once again we get too meet the rest of the Payton clan. It was nice to see Jenna and Cal. Brent's father and Asher also played an important role. It was also really nice to see the bond between Ivy and her sister Alex. I am eager to read Alex's book which is next to know about her past. Dirty Talk was a great read.



Friday, March 25, 2016

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway- Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis


Summary-

SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN…

After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin, and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock.

Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She’s broke, intermittently seasick, and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I’m-too-sexy-for-myself guy who’s now claiming her dock. Something about Jacob’s dark intensity makes her want to tease—and tempt—him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground . . . until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.


Release date: March 29th, 2016
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Page numbers: 368

Review-

It is no secret that I love all Jill Shalvis books. Her books are like comfort reads for me. They always manage to leave me feeling all warm and gooey inside. After her last book in the Cedar Ridge series I was quite excited to get to Jacob's book in Nobody But You. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Jacob's book as much as I thought I would. It wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't my favourite of the lot.

Jacob is returning to Cedar Ridge after a long time. He has things to fix with his family and he has missed them. Now only if he could get himself to express it. I liked Jacob. There was nothing really wrong with him. But there was nothing really special about him either. I wanted him to open his eyes and see how much the people around him cared for him. 

Then we have Sophie. Sophie is supposed to be a fierce and fiesty heroine with her vulnerable side. She's lost everything because of her cheating husband, she's broke and she's living on a boat. She wants to make the right decisions for herself now and Jacob seems all kinds of wrong and temporary. I liked Sophie but I never really connected with her.

Sophie and Jacob did have chemistry but there was something missing between them. I can't put my finger on it but I didn't feel like cheering their romance on like I did for Hudson and Bailey. I also feel like I sorta missed out on the entire family bonding time which we got in the last book. Yes, there were things Jacob and Hudson had to work through but we didn't get enough time with the entire Kincaid clan.

The one thing in the book that disappointed me the most though was the lacklustre glimpse we got of Kennedy and Mitch's story. I was expecting a full length book for them, or at least a novella but we got a very incomplete and unsatisfactory ending for them. So while this was not my favourite Jill Shalvis book, it was okay. I would only suggest you try out some other books of hers for the first time.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.


Buy Links
B&N 

About Jill Shalvis


New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Review- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.
 


Release date:
Published by: 
Page numbers: 

REVIEW:

Wow. I don't know what to say. Humanity seems to be such a funny word after reading Between Shades of Gray. Who even invented it? Does it even exist? I am so speechless and so contemplative. All I can come up with is one of my most favourite quotes by Albert Camus that author Ruta Sepeteys herself has used a part of in the book and that fits Between Shades of Gray perfectly: 




Between Shades of Gray is an eye opener of the part of European history that remains untold and unheard of until one reads this book. The book was so real, so raw and so true. The characters are not the only people suffering. The reader suffers with them. Half the time, I just kept asking myself, what is happening? Why is this happening? This shouldn't happen! Not to innocent people. Not to anyone. Historical fiction really teaches us what history is all about. History is not just about the socio-political scenarios. It's about feelings and emotions. It's about how the surroundings of a person affect her or him. It is devastating, and it hurts just reading about it. Imagine being a part of it... 




I really have no idea what to say. I wouldn't say that Between Shades of Gray was out of the ordinary. But it moved me and it touched me. It taught me so much. I have really learned to value life because you never know what can happen and how one can go from hundred to zero in the blink of an eye. It taught me strength. I cannot even begin to imagine myself in the place of the characters. 

I know my review is of no help, but there are plenty of reviews out there that explain how incredible this book is. The only reason I decided to put down something is to let you, my dear reader, know that Between Shades of Gray is worth it. It will modify you in the most breathtaking way. And like my friend Tanja was there for me, I will be there to hug you once you're done reading this work of art. 


Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART