Feuds by Avery Hastings

Series: Feuds #1
Publication Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.

For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or “Imps.” A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother’s legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears.

Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he’s a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis—her father’s campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors—but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him.

Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis’s friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...in Avery Hastings's Feuds.

My Rating: 2/5 stars

My Review: Feuds is a classic Romeo and Juliet love story, with a fascinating dystopian twist.

In a world where people can be genetically modified at birth, Davis is meant to be perfect. From her intelligence to her ballet moves. When she meets Cole at a friends party, they fall in love at first sight. What Davis doesn't know is that Cole is not as perfect as she imagines him to be, in fact he's not perfect at all. Cole was not genetically modified at birth, he is poor and will do anything to make enough money to sustain his family, including taking a picture of him and Davis for money.

I had such high hopes for this book. I find the cover to be absolutely beautiful and the synopsis to be very intriguing. Yet when I started to read this book, I was disappointed from start to finish.

There was so many problems with this book, that I don't even know where to start. So I guess lets just start with the biggest problem of them all, the romance. Like I said this is a very Romeo and Juliet type love story, and I don't mean that in a good way. The characters fall in love at first sight (boring!) and then try their hardest to be together even though society doesn't let them. I guess that doesn't sound too bad from my explanation, but trust me when I say that this story is all romance, no plot what so ever. The things that these characters do for 'love' are utterly stupid and irresponsible, even though this is a Fiction novel, I can't see anyone actually doing things that these characters would.

Davis is a Gen, meaning genetically perfect. She is supposed to be intelligent, athletic and beautiful. Well she is athletic, that's sadly one of the only things I like about her. And I guess you could say she is beautiful, but she is one of the least intelligent characters I have ever met. I honestly think my dog is smarter than her. First of all, she couldn't figure out that Cole wasn't a Gen like her. If she truly was intelligent, she would have figured it out from super easy signs like Cole not having a DirectTalk (cell phone thing) or that he never mentioned his last name, where hes from, what school he goes to and things like that. Davis's character also does pretty dumb things, like sneaking out of the city where people literally want to kill her, just to see Cole, I mean how dumb could you get. There's even a moment in the book where she believes that she wants to die if she can't be with Cole. That might have been cute back in the fourteenth century, but now that just considered incredibly stupid, especially for someone who's supposed to be intelligent. Her character's perspective was just painful to read from.

On the other hand, I must say I liked Cole a little bit more than Davis. Don't get me wrong, he is still pretty stupid, but a tad less than Davis. I really do admire the fact that Cole lives in poverty, yet he has such a strong heart to try to raise money for his family. Now hes not supposed to be intelligent, or at least not as intelligent as Davis, but he still did some pretty stupid things. First of all, he gets offered a job get a picture of him kissing Davis. I don't know, but doesn't that just scream "RED LIGHT" to you? Obviously that picture is going to get out somehow, and you will be in a pickle when it does. I have no clue why he would agree to it, that just ridiculous. 
So throughout the book, we hear about how hes only in the FEUDS just for the money because he really want to take care of his family, yet near the end of the book he completely ditches his family all for Davis. I guess you could say that's kind of romantic, but when you look at character development, that send him back light-years! He pretty much just threw away his family, something that he's cared about for such a long time, to be with Davis, a girl who he recently met, who's dying from a disease where they haven't figured out a cure. I'm sorry what?!?!

The plot line of the story is.. well actually there isn't one. I couldn't tell what the climax was, or even if there was one in the first place. This story is all romance, and by that I mean all kisses, that literally it. There's tons of detail about what the characters think, but there's not plot line, or world-building. 

While I do think that this book has major potential to be great, because it really is a great idea about the Narxis aspect and the forbidden romance, it just isn't. If this book went through a major edition process, I feel like it could be a huge hit, but for now, I give it a thumbs down. And sadly I would not recommend this book to anyone, well maybe if you're a giant fan of forbidden love, but even then its a maybe. If you do decide to pick up this book, I really hope you enjoy it more than me.

-Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell
Publication Date: October 8th 2014
Publisher: Flux
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: Lucy Aimes has always been practical. But try as she might, she can’t come up with a logical explanation for the recurring dreams that have always haunted her. Dark dreams. Dreams of a long-ago place filled with people she shouldn’t know…but does.

When her family moves to a New Orleans plantation, Lucy’s dreams become more intense, and her search for answers draws her reluctantly into the old city’s world of Voodoo and mysticism. There, Lucy finds Alex, a mysterious boy who behaves as if they’ve known each other forever. Lucy knows Alex is hiding something, and her rational side doesn’t want to be drawn to him. But she is.

As she tries to uncover Alex’s secrets, a killer strikes close to home, and Lucy finds herself ensnared in a century-old vendetta. With the lives of everyone she loves in danger, Lucy will have to unravel the mystery of her dreams before it all comes to a deadly finish.

Picture Perfect by Holly Smale

Series: Geek Girl #3
Publication Date: June 5th 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Amazon ~ Goodreads 

Synopsis: "My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek."

It's the hilarious third book in the No.1 bestselling, award winning GEEK GIRL series!

Harriet Manners knows more facts that most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

But she knows nothing about modelling in the Big Apple, and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or how to "become a brand", as the models in New York put it. And, even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming from your boyfriend...

Does geek girl go too far this time?

The laugh out loud follow-up to award winning GEEK GIRL and MODEL MISFIT will have you in stitches.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Picture Perfect is the perfect ending to the amazing Geek Girl series. If you haven't started this series yet, I have no idea what you're waiting for, go read it right now!

Harriet is back, and she's even funnier than before. Her amazing character is still the same down-to-earth geek that everyone loves, but this time her Geekiness is taken all the way to New York City.. well sort of. 

When Harriet and her family arrive in America, things don't go according to Harriet's list, once again. Her new home is two hours away from the city, her new tutor makes her feel stupid, and her parents forget her birthday. 

I have loved this whole series so much. Harriet and her family are absolutely hilarious and I know that every time I read these books that they can make me happy no matter whats going on in life. Every one of these books is well written, adorable and hilarious. 

I wish this series wasn't coming to an end because I need more Toby!! Yet this book has the perfect ending to the series and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

I highly recommend this series to everyone, no matter what age or favorite genre, you will love it.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Series: Storm Siren #1
Publication Date: August 19th 2014
Publisher: Thomas Nelson / Harper Collins
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: “I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Storm Siren is captivating, exciting and will keep you on your toes throughout the whole ride.

With a fascinating world, and amazing characters this book will blow your mind. Nym has a power she can't control. When she was little this power caused her to burn down her house, with her parents in it. Since then Nym has been a slave, going from owner to owner. But when she looses control at a slave auction, Nym is taken to a new life living at a grand house where she is left with a choice to either learn to control her powers and use them to protect her country, or be killed. She is called the strongest Elemental in history, now can she control it?

Nym is one of the strongest and most realistic female characters I have ever come across. She lives her life in constant fear of her powers and regret of her past, which leaves some pretty strong repercussions on herself. I felt like this was incredibly realistic, with that much pain and suffering I feel like no normal person could be completely sane, and seeing that Nym wasn't perfect just made this book so much more realistic. 

There is a love interest in this book, and I feel like it was written perfectly. This story is sort of leaning away from the typical love triangle which is perfect for everyone because no matter if you like love triangles or hate them, you will enjoy the romance in this book. 

What I loved most about this book, is that it isn't all about romance. It's mostly about Nym learning to control her powers and following her heart to do what is right. We see huge character development not only in the main characters but also in the smaller characters who are important to the story.

The world-building is out of this world. The descriptions of the characters, the places and the different creatures were so well written I could just picture it clearly in my head. The lengths were perfect, there was enough to make a picture but there wasn't so much where it was boring. It was absolutely perfect.

Just be prepared for the ending. It's a clifhanger.. AND ITS ONE THAT ABSOLUTELY KILLS YOU!!


I need the next book. Like right now.


I highly recommend this book to all the YA fans and everyone who love to read Fantasy books. I can guarantee that this will go on your favorites shelf. 

Happy Reading.
-Aneta

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten this past week.

From Library

The Madness Underneath 
After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Deveaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades--the city's secret ghost-fighting police--are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late. 
In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated THE NAME OF THE STAR, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Leave a link to your STS in the comments below, I'd love to check it out :) Have a lovely week.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: September 10th 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Fangirl is a beautiful contemporary novel that everyone should read at least once.

There is a huge hype about this book out in the blogging community, so I thought why not, since everyone is loving this book, maybe I will too. Now I'm not a huge contemporary fan, I usually prefer to read Fantasy and Paranormal books, but this book is so amazing that no matter what type of book you read, you will love it either way.

Rowell's writing is perfection. I feel like anyone can relate to the characters just because they are so down to earth and realistic. 

Now I've never been to college, so I can't tell you if Cath and Wren's experiences in college are realistic, but I definitely trust Rowell's writing, so thing like this would most likely happen to read people. This is one of the reasons why I strongly recommend this book. College and University are such scary parts of your life, especially if you're going there for the first time. A book like this would definitely help you understand things, like how much you have to study, you might get weird roommates, and that not everyone around you is the same age as you.

Almost everything about this book is perfect. The world-building is great, the characters are fantastic and the plot is just wonderful. The only thing that frustrated me a little was the ending. While it wasn't very clear on what happens to Cath in the future, we do get to know how her class turned out. I wish we could have had a little more detail about what happens next, but I also admire the authors way of keeping the audience guessing. I'm hoping that there will be another book to help tie up some of the loose ends.

Either way, I highly recommend this book to every reader out there, no matter what genre you read. This is a fantastic story that's easily relatable.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: The Last Changeling by Chelsea Pitcher

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The Last Changeling by Chelsea Pitcher
Series:Faerie Revolutions #1
Publication Date: November 8th 2014
Publisher: Flux
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Taylor’s given up on happiness. He’s just trying to survive. Haunted by his brother’s death and pushed around at school, he spends his days searching for a quiet moment of peace, until he meets Elora. The enigmatic runaway gives him a hope he’s never had—the hope of truly connecting with another human being. 

But the daughter of the Unseelie Queen has different plans for Taylor. Born into a world of corruption and war, Elora is determined to free her people from her mother’s tyranny. If she can gain the allegiance of the Seelie Queen, her mother’s loathed enemy, she and her rebels can crush the Dark Court and bring equality to Faerie. But to do that, she’ll need a proper offering . . . 

A human.

To steal a mortal, Elora must become a mortal—at least, by all appearances. And infiltrating Taylor’s high school is surprisingly easy. But as she becomes entangled in his world, Elora realizes something startling: inequality in the human world isn’t so different from inequality in Faerie. Students are bullied, ostracized and attacked for being different. And just like she did in Faerie, she begins gathering up the outcasts, encouraging them to take back the school. Now Elora has two rebellions on her hands: a quickly mounting mutiny in Faerie, and a mortal uprising inspired by the boy she’s destined to betray.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Pandora Boxed Set

Pandora Boxed Set
Publication Date: August 5th 2014
Genre: Paranormal
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: *TWENTY COMPLETE FULL-LENGTH NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FOR $0.99! NO CLIFFHANGERS!*

PANDORA, a best-selling boxed set of wicked paranormal reads, is brought to you by twenty exciting, best-selling, and award-winning authors!

Do you dare open the box?

Whether you love paranormal in the form of romance, suspense, mystery, horror, or fantasy, this boxed set will have something to entice your preternatural sensibilities. Supernaturally thrilling and engaging, this boxed set has it all: ghosts, vampires, mind-readers, shape-shifters, demons, faeries, werewolves, and more.

For a limited, you can enjoy books from today's New York Times, USA Today, Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestselling authors and many more. We have everything from titles that are slated for the big screen to stories from Pulitzer Prize and Bram Stoker Award Nominees! When purchased separately, these books cost over $50! But they are yours today for less than $1.

Professionally formatted, no cliffhangers, and no short stories. Every selection in this rare, limited edition paranormal boxed set are full-length novels and novellas! A few are "First in Series," but we carefully selected only those which can still be enjoyed as a standalone!

Giveaway!

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Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten this past week.

From Library

Fangirl
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Burn For Burn
Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds. 

But bad things can happen, even to good girls . . . and sometimes, the only way to make things right is to do something wrong. 

Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister from the same fate. 

Kat is over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend. Someone needs to teach her a lesson, and, with Lillia and Mary behind her, Kat feels up to the task.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now that she’s got friends who have her back, he's going to be in big trouble.

Three very different girls who come together to make things right. Will they go too far?

A Darkness Strange and Lovely
Darkness has come to the City of Light...

With her brother dead and her mother on the verge of insanity, Eleanor Fitt is utterly alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor begins to hear the vicious barking of hounds and see images of haunting yellow eyes, she fears the worst—that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are coming for her.

To escape and search out the Spirit-Hunters, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. Though friendly, Oliver entices Eleanor with necromancy and black magic, yet as long as she can resist his powerful temptation, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over the city...and there's a whole new evil lurking. With the body count rising, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely...and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

In this spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly, Susan Dennard delivers a thrilling mix of intrigue, romance, and revenge, all set against the wonderfully enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.

From Publisher

Storm Siren
“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Leave a link to your STS in the comments below, I'd love to check it out :) Have a lovely week.

Book Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: A Native's Tongue by Michael D. Dennis

A Native's Tongue by Michael D. Dennis
Publication Date: June 2014
Genre: NA, Contemporary
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: In Michael D. Dennis’s touching new novel, A Native’s Tongue, a young man, torn between two women, struggles to find his way in the world.

As I walked out under the Los Angeles sky, the possibility of becoming something more than a short order cook, living in the valley, and resenting my dysfunctional family occurred to me…

Charlie Winters has never been an overachiever. He is used to just getting by while living with his single mother and working a dead-end job at a cheesesteak stand. Meanwhile, he’s constantly grappling with the voice of his sister, who died in a tragic car accident years earlier, echoing in his head.

So when Violet, an older woman, sets her sights on Charlie and refuses to let go, he follows along. He soon finds himself immersed in a destructive relationship that still fails to fill the void within him.

But then he meets Jennifer, a mystical young woman whose energy and life convinces Charlie to pursue her, even through the darkest corners of Los Angeles, and sets their lives upon a path that can’t be stopped.

Escaping to the California coast, Charlie and Jennifer finally find what they've always needed. But a sudden illness quickly pulls them both back to LA.

It is there, amid the sex, drugs, and split-second decisions that pulse through the city, that tragedy strikes—threatening to tear Charlie and Jennifer apart forever.

Love and tragedy collide in Michael D. Dennis’s poignant new novel, A Native’s Tongue.

Excerpt

Jennifer Bannister’s footsteps echoed down the hall. The uniforms of the inmates dampened the sound. Her ears tried to follow the faint sound, if only to affirm that she was still moving forward. There wasn’t anyone to hold her hand. She just trusted that each sign would guide her in the right direction.
I’ll get there at some point, Jennifer thought, trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. You can’t get lost in here; they don’t let you go off course. Her words slipped away. She felt the cold air settle over her skin. She glanced at a placard marked Visitors Only.
In the cool air, her skin tightened. Jennifer shivered and wished she were somewhere warmer. Seeing Violet for the first time was going to be hard enough. She was going to look the woman she hated most in the world in the eye. She didn’t want to be shaking from the cold and covered in goose bumps.
Jennifer peered through the bulletproof glass at Violet. There were markings embedded in the glass, swirls that made it harder to look directly into Violet’s eyes. Jennifer picked up the phone and listened. Violet grabbed it and began to speak, “It was never you that he loved. You know that right?” Violet’s voice was raspy.
Her expressions and mannerisms changed from static to fully engaged. She stood up and waved her hands maniacally at Jennifer, and then she slammed her fist against the glass.
Jennifer hung up the phone. Her blonde hair got caught in between her hand and the receiver as she placed it back on the black hook. Turning, she slid out of the red plastic chair and down the corridor, guided by the exit sign’s green light. In the
stale air of the prison, she searched for a pack of cigarettes, unsheathed a Parliament, lit it, and smoked nervously.
Two overweight guards carrying guns in nylon hip holsters directed her to the parking lot, where they offered her matching robotic waves good-bye. The midnight blue 2005 Jaguar xk8, which her parents loaned her for this visit, was the only vehicle in the parking lot row. Her parents thought she would feel safer in their car rather than her own bright red Honda.
In either case, she seemed to fit this car, or the car fit her a lot more. Her lean physique matched the lines on the Jag, and it made her feel more mature. She was constantly trying to act older than she was. Jennifer went around to the passenger side of the car and opened the rear door. She set her oversized black leather purse on the back seat and took out a translucent orange bottle filled with tiny white pills. She slung her head back, popped two, shut the door and walked around to the driver’s seat.
The heat had melted the surface of the Jaguar’s leather seats, reducing the fabric to a buttery texture. Jennifer’s blonde hair clung to the sides of her shoulders, heavy with sweat. She retrieved her car key from the passenger seat, pressed the key into the slot, and burst into tears, suddenly unable to move.
Jennifer hadn’t eaten all day. The heavy dose of Xanax caused her to feel excessively nauseous. She blacked out and fell forward, hitting her forehead on the steering wheel. The car increased in temperature with the late afternoon heat. Her powder-white skin grew red.
“Miss. Are you alright? Miss?” A young guard, Bill Marsh, had spotted the car, and decided to go in for a closer look.
When Jennifer didn’t move, he took out his club and smashed the window. She woke up from her temporary coma and lashed out.
"You Fuck!" Her voice was barely audible, even with the window smashed. Her energy was gone.
"Miss--I, I’m sorry you didn't look okay."
"I am! What business do you have involving yourself in my business? Do you know what you did? You just fucked up my car, you moron.”
“Look, I just saw you from my station.”
To Bill, her face looked familiar, though he couldn’t place where he had seen her before.
"You have no idea. Sitting in your stupid box, behind that intercom.
"I’m sorry, I know we’ll pay for the window. Hell, if the prison won't, I personally will." Bill said.

About the Author

Michael D. Dennis is an author and playwright who earned a degree in English literature from Loyola Marymount University. Winner of a LMU Playwriting Award for his play Death of a Watchdog, Michael also had his play, Hen in the Field, produced at the Whitefire Theatre in 2012. His highly anticipated debut novel, A Native’s Tongue, will be released in June 2014. Michael currently lives in Santa Monica, California with his girlfriend and two dogs, Jack and Aurora.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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Clear Your TBR Pile Challenge: Conclusion

This challenge was hosted by The Observant Girl and Fly to Fiction. 

My post is a little late, since the challenge finished a few days ago, but that's okay. So my original goal for this challenge was to finish 10 books in the given time. Unfortunately, I was a little busy since my birthday was on the tenth, so I only managed to hit the half way point in my goal, and read 5 books.

Books Read

 

                                          

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Alienated by Melissa Landers

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

and Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead