How to Hang a Witch

Book Review!

Title: How to Hang a Witch

Author: Adriana Mather

Rating: ★★★.5

Date Published: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Page Count: 358

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Synopsis:

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

My Thoughts:

“Group silence can be a death sentence. It was in Salem,”

I have always been fascinated by anything that has to do with witches and if the set is in Salem that is a plus! So, when I read the synopsis of How to Hang a Witch, I immediately knew that I needed to read it.

After her father fall into an unexpected coma, Sam and her stepmother are forced to move into his old childhood home in Salem due to financial struggles. Sam soon finds out that she is a descendant of Mather who happens to be one of the main people responsible for the witch trials, this doesn't go well with a group of kids called the descendants who just happen to be related to the witches that were killed. 

Sam is a very likable but at the same time very frustrating character! I loved her determination, sarcasm and will to never give up, but in some cases, she put herself in very dangerous situations that could have easily been avoided. Sam has is bad in the friend department in her new high school, the only person that wants to get to know her is next door neighbor Jaxon, whom I wish would have been more in the novel, but what I did see of him I really liked; especially how he stood up for Sam. The Descendants were your typical clique mean girls, the only one I really care to see more of is Alice! And then there is Elijah, oh Elijah he was such an intriguing, swoon worthy character; I won't say more because I don't want to spoil anything.

I can’t believe the author is related to Mather, researching him and the trials must have been so interesting and informative! I loved the Salem vibes, like I said above I have always been fascinated with Salem and Witches, so this was the perfect read for me. The ending was full of so many feels, I was just not expecting it and I am kind of salty that my ship did not take sail! The author does include a twist, but for me the twist was very predictable, I saw it coming from a mile away all I said when I came to it was 'I was right'! There is also a love triangle, but I was only rooting for one guy and well as you read above my ship sank before it even left. With all that said, I really enjoyed the book, I read it in one sitting, and cannot wait to pick up the sequel.  

SandraTheBookWorm

The Tower

Book Review

Title: The Tower

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: June 21st, 2017

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: YA Contemporary/Paranormal

Page Count:  345

Follow Author: website, Insta, FB, Twitter

Buy Book: Amazon
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Synopsis:

"On our sixteenth birthdays, our kind is gifted with awesome powers. Except no, not really because this isn’t Narnia, or Hogwarts, or whatever other mythical realm where witches supposedly live. This is Elizabethtown, Illinois, and much to the chagrin of the local chapter of Susie-Homemakers, we live here."

All witches understand that the universe is a scary sort of powerful on a good day. On a bad day? Well, that’s when The Tower card shows its face during a reading. As summer draws to a close before the beginning of junior year, Rowyn Black is tired of seeing that card stare up at her from the table. Rowyn, Reed, and Rosalyn have made it through just about every dramatic storm their sarcasm could weather during their seventeen year friendship, and it would be nice to have a quiet semester. Rowyn hopes that the only thing The Tower foretells is the frightening sight of the school parking lot come the first day- full of more jacked-up trucks and cut off shorts than a Luke Bryan video. True to its nature, however, the universe doesn’t care much for hopes and wishes, and when the promise of The Tower comes crashing down, they might fall right along with it.


My Thoughts:

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book had my emotions all over the place, I laughed, swooned, got mad, cried, ugly cried and then cried some more! I absolutely loved this book and every character in it! It was not what I was expecting, it was better! Nicole has become one of my favorite authors and has loved to make me cry, but I am not mad because this book was so real and raw! It dealt with friendship, loss, grieve, first love, depression, and family relationships; it tackles so many things that we go through when we lose a loved one and the author did it so well, she did not try to sugar coat it one bit.

Rowyn, Reed and Rosalyn families are in the same circle so, these three have known each other since they were in diapers, they have learned spells together, and now they're all in high school trying to figure life out together! I really liked all these characters, but my favorite must be Reed, I know, I know, I am adding another book boyfriend to my ever-growing list. I absolutely loved everything about him how he treated his friends, the way he joked, how he put Row before himself. Rosalyn was another one of my favorites she was so bubbly, and it was impossible to now feel bubbly reading her chapters. I really liked Rowyn, but I really did feel like shaking her around in some chapters, but at the same time I knew exactly where her emotions where coming from, learning to cope with loss is not easy especially when you are a teenager, she went through such amazing character growth and towards the end I absolutely fell in love with her characters flaws and all. 

The author tackled the topic of grieve so well, like I said above she left nothing out! The emotions the characters were feeling, and the way they were acting was so raw and real. She also talked about how the characters got bullied because they were different, I really enjoyed how the author dealt with those situations.  The author also when into depth about the catchers beliefs, I learned so much about paganism what they believe in, the holidays they celebrate, how they learn about spells and so much more! I absolutely adored this novel and miss the characters so much. If you are looking for a good contemporary look no further this is the book for you and even if you are not looking for a contemporary, I highly recommend it to anyone!

SandraTheBookWorm

Trapped in Silver

Book Review

Title: Trapped in Silver

Author: Emily Snowden

Rating:  ★★★★★

Date Published: February 7, 2017

Publisher: OfTomes Publishing

Genre: YA Fantasy

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Buy it! Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

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Synopsis:

To seventeen-year-old Ava, wild woodcats, hungry stragglers, and simple-minded townsfolk are the evils she’s grown accustomed to. But when Ethan, an unusual man with eyes of smoke and fire opal, enters her world she quickly understands that there are worse things out there than drunken men and carnivorous forest creatures. She’s a specialised liar and a hell of a fighter, but against a group of animalistic men called Berserkers she struggles to survive the encounter as the desperate swing of a dagger is all it takes to change her life for good.
Half-dead and hunted by the Berserker’s leader when he forms a monstrous obsession with her, Ava escapes his pursuit in an unfamiliar land full of impossible creatures, unlikely allies, and the man she doesn’t know whether to kiss or kill.
But after dreadful news of her missing brother surfaces, Ava becomes more involved in the centuries-long war and begins to unravel the reasons behind her relentless nightmares, discovering truths long-buried in a violent history of love, loss and betrayal. 

My Thoughts:

I was sent an Ecopy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This novel sunk its claws into me with the first sentence and didn’t let me go until the very end. I absolutely loved this book, it had a couple of flaws, but I easily got past them because the story line was phenomenal! I felt like I could not devour it fast enough. Trapped in Silver is a paranormal fantasy novel, it brings demons, vampires and several other creatures that go bump in the night.

Our novel is told in somewhat dual perspective by somewhat I mean, it is mostly told from Ava’s, but we do get a couple of chapters from Ethan’s. Ava is such a strong female character, I really loved her sarcasm and boldness! I also really liked how flawed the author made her, she wasn’t the best fighter, but she held her own and kicked ass when she could; it made her seem more human and I really liked that. The only thing that bothered me a bit about her was how careless she could be at moments with her safety and otters. Ethan, what can I say about him, he is the arse I fell in love with, and can’t get enough of; to be completely honestly, I really wish we would have gotten more of him! I’m really intrigued by his backstory and just him in general. The main side characters were very likable and some were well let’s just say they’re not my favorite.

The world Sowden created was so well done, I could easily transport myself there and fight alongside Ava, Ethan, and the others! She made a dangerous place sound so beautiful and made me overlook all the dangers so much so that I would not mind living there; especially if I had those amazing characters by my side cough, cough Ethan. The twists the author added in there were good, but a bit predictable, I saw them coming, but that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. The love interest is there, but is a slow burn and I really enjoyed that, insta-love isn’t for me so, I like when an author allows characters to get to know each other before they confess their feelings. The ending blew my mind, I saw it coming, and it still blew me away! I’m so excited for the next installment in the series. If you are looking for a good October read this is it!! It has the monsters and the creepy factor is there. 

SandraTheBookWorm

Paintbrush

Book Review

Title: Paintbrush

Author: Hannah Bucchin

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: July 11, 2017

Publisher: Blaze Publishing

Genre: YA Contemporary

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Buy the Book: Amazon

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Synopsis:

Mitchell Morrison and Josie Sedgwick have spent their whole lives at the Indian Paintbrush Community Village, a commune full of colorful characters tucked in the mountains of North Carolina, and they aren't particularly close--at least, not anymore. Josie wishes she could spend all of her time at Paintbrush planting tomatoes, hiking the trails, or throwing giant communal birthday parties, while Mitchell can’t wait to escape the bizarre spiritual sharing and noisy community dinners. Luckily for both of them, high school graduation is just around the corner.

But when Mitchell’s mother makes a scandalous announcement that rocks the close-knit Paintbrush community, and Josie’s younger sister starts to make some dangerously bad decisions, the two find themselves leaning on each other for support – and looking at each other in a whole new light. Their childhood friendship blossoms in to something more as they deal with their insane families, but as graduation approaches, so does life in the real world, forcing Josie and Mitchell to figure out what, exactly, their relationship is – and if it can survive their very different plans for the future.

My Thoughts:

I was sent an eArc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

My summer has been filled with contemporary reads and I have loved it! Paintbrush was one of my summer reads and I fell in love with it! Josie and Mitchell have lived in the Paintbrush Community and known each other for as long as they can remember, but they could not be more different! Mitchell cannot wait to graduate so he can leave Paintbrush, and never comeback. Josie loves the community and feels like she needs to take care of her sisters since her mom likes to be more like a friend than a mother.

I really liked the idea of the Paintbrush Community, they were like a big family, even though they weren’t related they took care of each other like they were; I’m not going to lie though just like any family some of them were kind of a little out there. I have always like the friends turned to lovers’ trope because it shows how the relationship built up and how the characters fell in love! I really loved Mitchell, I completely understood his desire to leave Paintbrush to go to college and travel to different places, it’s something I have always wanted to do and I just found his character so relatable. Josie’s development trough out the story was very well done, I loved the way she cared for her mom and sisters, but I was so happy that she figured out that she needed to do what made HER happy. The author did an amazing job building the character relationships and adding the perfect amount of drama to keep me turning the page. The ending was perfect and I cannot wait to read more about these two characters and see where their stories go. 

SandraTheBookWorm

Hellworld

Book Review

Title: Hellworld

Author: Tom Leveen

Rating: ★★★★.5

Release Date: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA Horror

Page Count: 320

Stalk Author: Website,Facebook, Twitter

Buy Me! Amazon

Synopsis:

Five years ago, Abby Booth’s mom, co-host of a ghost hunting reality show, went missing while filming in a ‘haunted’ cave in Arizona.

Since then, Abby’s life has all but fallen to pieces, most notably because of her dad’s deep depression and how they’ve drifted further and further apart.

But now, at seventeen, Abby has decided that things will change. She plans to go to the same cave where her mom and the crew went missing and to find out, once and for all, what happened there.

With the help of the co-host’s son Charlie and two of his friends, Abby sets off on a quest for answers…but what the group ends up finding, what they stumble across in that dark, primordial cave in Arizona, is nothing they could have ever imagined.

Abby was investigating a possible haunting… she never expected that there could be something worse

My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hellworld was a very different from my usual reads; I was looking for a good YA horror book and Tom Leveen delivered! I have never enjoyed a horror YA book as much as this one. Abby's mom has gone missing and ever since the investigators stopped the search, she has felt that her mom is still alive. When she finds some evidence that makes her feel like she may be on to something, she decides to call Charlie the son of her mom’s co-host, oh, did I mention her mom has a host for a paranormal show. When she meets with Charlie they decide to go back to the cave were their parents and the whole crew went missing and conduct an investigation of their own; with the help of Charlies friends Alex and Selby.

This book gets its hooks on you from the first page! All you know is that something has gone horribly wrong and they need to find their way out of the cave as soon as possible and to make things even more intriguing the chapters alternate between past and present! So, once you finish one chapter all you want to do is keep reading to find out what’s going on and how they got there! The way Leveen described things was so eerie and I loved it, I like books that give me goosebumps and make me jump from time to time. I can really see this book becoming a movie! I'm one big horror fan and let me tell you, I would be the first in line! I also really enjoyed how each character dealt with what was going on and how their characters grew; that when one would hit a low point the other would take charge and help them snap out of it. Abby was so mature and I absolutely loved it, I hate that she had to grow up so quickly because of the circumstances, but making her as mature as she was made the book even that more enjoyable! Leveen is really a great writer and knows how to immerse his reader into the story and get some really good scares out of them. I can’t wait for the sequel; I need to know what’s going to happen to all this characters and where the story is headed.  

-SandraTheBookWorm

The Book Jumper

Book Review

Title: The Book Jumper

Author: Mechthild Glaser

Rating: ★★★.5

Release Date: January 3, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Count: 382

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Synopis:

Amy Lennox doesn't know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother's childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay.

Amy's grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House—but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy's new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts—at whatever cost.

My Thoughts:

I was provided with an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What attracted me to this book first was that gorgeous cover! I know I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I seem to do it a little too often! Once I was over the initial shock of the cover and read the synopsis, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy.

Amy and her mother decide to go back to Scotland to get away from some things that have happened in Germany. Amy's mother has never told her why she had left her home and why she was so apprehensive to go back. When they get there Amy meets with her grandmother who begins to insist that while she stays with her she must read every day. She soon finds out that the reading her grandmother wants her to do is no normal reading, but that she comes from a long line of people called book jumpers and that the can literally get sucked in to the stories! 

This book is every bookworms dream! To be able to jump into ones favorite book and be able to interact with the characters sounds like the most amazing thing that could happen to me! Imagine all the book boyfriends I could actually meet lol.  Amy is a very likeable character; she's the kind of girl that does what her gut tells her and listens to no one! She knows that there is something going on in the book world and is determined to find out what is going on, with or without the other jumpers help and I absolutely loved that about her. I really enjoyed how the author kept the Jumpers in classic books it just gave this story a perfect feel. Her world building was very well done the way she described the worlds they were jumping into was done brilliantly and made me feel like I was jumping into the books with them. There were a couple of things that I didn’t like, one was the love interest! I mean I loved Will he was an excellent character, but I felt that the author rushed their relationship; I like my relationships to build from time spent together and not just be thrown at me. The ending wasn’t quite to my liking either, it didn’t take away from the story I just wasn’t expecting it and wish things would have ended differently. With that said I actually enjoyed this book! It was a quick read and got me out of my reading slump! 

-SandraTheBookWorm

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

Book Review

Title: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

Author: Martina McAtee

Rating: ★★★★★

Release Date: August 31, 2015

Published: Self-Published

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Page Count: 510

Stalk the Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram

Buy:Amazon, B&N, 

Synopsis:

17 year old Ember Denning has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie. Standing in the cemetery that’s been her sanctuary, she’s threatened by the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen and rescued by two people who claim to be her family. They say she’s special, that she has a supernatural gift like them…they just don’t know exactly what it is. 

They take her to a small Florida town, where Ember’s life takes a turn for the weird. She’s living with her reaper cousins, an orphaned werewolf pack, a faery and a human genius. Ember’s powers are growing stronger, morphing into something bigger than anything anybody anticipated. Ember has questions but nobody has answers. Nobody knows what she is. They only know her mysterious magical gift is trying to kill them and that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery may be the only thing standing between her and death. 

As Ember’s talents are revealed so are the secrets her father hid and those in power who would seek to destroy her. What’s worse, saving Ember has put her cousins in danger and turned her friend’s lives upside down. Ember must learn to embrace her magic or risk losing the family she’s pieced together

My Thoughts:

Where do I even begin! This book had me hooked from the first chapter; I don't know why I took so long to pick it up from my review copies. It has everything you would want in a paranormal read! Reapers, werewolves, witches, reanimators, necromancers, shifters and freaking SOUL EATERS! 

This book is told in four different points of views. We have our main character, Ember who was always felt like she doesn't belong, until the day she meets her two cousins and discovers that she is part of a family with supernatural powers that she herself was oblivious to. I absolutely loved Embers development in this book she really learned how to cope with her powers and how to be more open with and about her feelings. Our second character is Kai, I immediately connected with Kai, he has an enormous heart and does thinks without thinking especially when it comes to his family and I absolutley loved that about him. Our third character is Tristin, I liked Tristin, but I did find her a little irritating; I know her heart is in the right place, but she can be a little condescending. Our fourth character and my favorite, my new boyfriend would be Mace, oh Mace had me since I read his first sentence! I don't even care that he is the "villain" I know that deep down he cares and is a big teddy bear, lol.

I adored every second of this book!! I couldn't get enough and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. The author really took me on a ride that I did not want to end and that I can’t wait to get back on to. The world building was very well done and the character development was outstanding. Did I say how phenomenal all the characters were?! I fell in love with every single one of them even the supporting characters. The ending was such a shocker and I did NOT see it coming, I had to read it several times just to make sure I was reading it right!! Like I said above I just can't wait to get my hands on the sequel and see where the author takes me. If you have yet to pick this series up, I highly recommend it! The covers are gorgeous, the story is different and the plot is AH-MA-ZING

-SandraTheBookWorm

The Crown's Dog Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal

I'm so excited to share the cover of The Crown's Dog by the amazing Elise Kova. Its Jax guys!!!!!!! Gah, I can get over this cover! I can't wait to see the rest of the covers for the rest of the Golden Guard novellas. If you have yet to pick up the Air Awakens series, I highly recommend it! It is one of my all time favorite series! Right now the Air Awakens ebook is on sale for 0.99 cents, to celebrate the release of The Crown's Dog and the whole Air Awakens series in free on kindle unlimited. 

Title: The Crown's Dog (Golden Guard #1)

Author: Elise Kova

Release Date: November 22, 2016

Genre: YA High Fantasy

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(more preorder locations to come)

Synopsis:

A coastal summer is turned upside down by a violent murder, and a quest for lost pirate treasure turns into a hunt for the killer.

Jax Wendyll is the crown’s dog. As punishment for the unspeakable crimes that tourment him to this day, his life has been conscripted to the Empire Solaris. However, in an Empire afflicted by peace, his duties are relegated to unquestioningly aiding the antics of the youngest prince, Baldair.

Erion Le’Dan, a nobleman’s son, expects a quiet summer visit to the Imperial Palace, his only agenda to visit with his unlikely friends. But Jax’s discovery the legendary pirate Adela Lagmir’s old workroom inspires a hunt for her long lost treasure.

The pursuit of Adela’s truth takes the three men to the Imperial summer manor, built along the old pirate mainstays. When Adela’s trident is branded into a murdered servant, Prince Baldair’s summer amusement of treasure-hunting becomes a hunt to find the killer. But, as mysteries compound, the ghosts of Jax’s past may not be the only things haunting them.

The Crown’s Dog is a prequel story about the founding of The Golden Guard. It features characters from Air Awakens and takes place in the Air Awakens world. While it is not required to read Air Awakens first, readers may get more enjoyment from doing so. For those interested, the Air Awakens is available for free on Kindle Unlimited, ebooks for purchase through Amazon, as well as physical copies through The Book Depository.

Meet The Author




Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Air Awakens Series as well as the upcoming Loom Saga (Keymaster, 2017).

Beyond the Neon Shore Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal

Today is The 52nd two year anniversary and to celebrate Dela decided to share with all of us the cover of her new novel and the sequel to The 52nd series "Beyond the Neon Shore" I'm beyond excited to share it with all of y'all! And to keep celebrating The 52nd anniversary the awesome Dela has The 52nd on sale until midnight Halloween night! So, if you have yet to read it take advantage of this sale and go one click it! Okay, Okay I will quit stalling below is the beautiful cover!!

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Release Date: June 3, 2017

Synopsis:

For Zara Moss life was an escape. 

But breaking an ancient Aztec tradition and denying the Underworld god, Mictlan, the very life he is owed is forbidden . . . and punishment will be two-fold. 

With no rules left to follow, and the Celestial gods unquestioning Mictlan’s ability to conjure history’s worst human massacre, Executioners find a way to deliver the key to his success—Zara—to Mictlan. The Castillo family has saved Zara once but this time she must save herself beyond the neon shore. 

As she faces her undead future she discovers that her guard, Tototl, is doing something Mictlan wouldn’t approve of. And that she, too, has the choice to choose her own fate—should she be brave enough to follow.

Yet, in the midst of the bloody games of Tlatchi, a ghastly menagerie, and deadly layers of the Underworld, true friendship thrives with the most unlikely pair of friends.

Meet The Author:

Dela is the debut author of THE 52ND saga, a multicultural paranormal for young adults. Before tracing the minds of Aztec gods, Dela worked as a paralegal and could be found snowboarding at Brianhead, Utah. She currently lives in Las Vegas with her husband, three kids, and exceptionally fat Chihuahua. Her website is www.delaauthor.com.

-SandraTheBookWorm