20 March 2020

Blog Tour: Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson REVIEW



Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson
Release Date: March 17, 2020 
Publisher: Tor Teen
Synopsis: In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, a devastating but hopeful YA debut about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future.

There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey
I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been.
My name is Savannah Darcy Rose.
And I am still prey.

Though Savannah Rose―Sparrow to her friends and family―is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed―“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”―will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe. But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever….


Meet Mary:
Mary Cecilia Jackson has worked as a middle school teacher, an adjunct instructor of college freshmen, a technical writer and editor, a speechwriter, a museum docent, and a development officer for central Virginia's PBS and NPR stations. Her first novel, Sparrow, was an honor recipient of the SCBWI Sue Alexander Award and a young-adult finalist in the Writers' League of Texas manuscript contest. She lives with her architect husband, William, in Western North Carolina and Hawaii, where they have a farm and five ridiculously adorable goats.

MY REVIEW:
Books give readers emotions. Good books give readers more than ONE emotion. The best books make a reader feel like they are living life along with the characters. Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson does every single one of these things. For starters, there are so many books out there with multiple names, that it can be hard to find character names that stick out to readers. Sparrow is both a beautiful name and represents an unforgettable character.

Novels that contain any kind of abuse can be hard to get through. A reader may have PTSD from dealing with it at some point in their lives. Others might just not enjoy reading that kind of thing at all. But writers who take their time to write through subjects such as this rather than around, to me are brave and have so much talent. In the past, I have read books with topics such as relationship abuse and ended up putting them down and never going back. But I had a whole different experience here, I sat down and read this in one sitting. 

I did find myself a tad annoyed by parts in this book, not because they weren’t well written but because I felt too much attention was given to parts that didn’t need as much attention. I think a huge portion of the book was dedicated to the abuse and pain, but only a small portion went to the healing. As a reader who felt for the characters, I watched them be beat up and hurt in more ways than one so naturally the only thing that would bring closure is the characters healing. 

Jackson did a really good job bringing two hard situations together and not making it feel weird or awkward. Sparrow, our main character, lost her mother at a young age and had multiple nightmares throughout the book all the while being abused by her boyfriend. It is easy to read through these different situations and see how both affect Sparrow without getting them confused and having a hard time understanding what she is going through. Sparrow as a character was an open book, I felt everything she felt which is one of the huge reasons why I wanted so badly to see her heal and feel better about both of her situations. She did get her closure, but it felt very rushed.


17 March 2020

The Degenerates by J. Albert Mann


The Degenerates by J. Albert Mann
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 17, 2020
Synopsis: In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized—and institutionalized them for life.

The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded is not a happy place. The young women who are already there certainly don’t think so. Not Maxine, who is doing everything she can to protect her younger sister Rose in an institution where vicious attendants and bullying older girls treat them as the morons, imbeciles, and idiots the doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, either, who was left there when her brother couldn’t bring himself to support a sister with a club foot. And not London, who has just been dragged there from the best foster situation she’s ever had, thanks to one unexpected, life altering moment. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.


Book Links:

MEET J. ALBERT MANN,
J. Albert Mann is the author of the “Sunny Sweet” series, a humorous and quirky set of middle grade stories published by Bloomsbury Children’s USA, as well as "SCAR," a historical fiction novel set during the Revolutionary War published by Boyds Mills Press/Calkins Creek. Jennifer’s short stories have been published by Highlights for Children, where she won the Highlights for Children Fiction Contest. Her next novel--a biographical historical fiction about Margaret Sanger--will be published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster. Jennifer has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Art.

Author Links:

THANKS FOR CHECKING OUT MY STOP ON THE TOUR! 



14 March 2020

Blog Tour: Lab Partners by M. Montgomery BOOK SPOTLIGHT!



Lab Partners by Mora Montgomery
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Publication Date: March 10, 2020
Synopsis: 
Sometimes you don’t know who you love, until they love you ...

When Jordan Hughes arrives at Pinecrest High School, Elliot Goldman’s graduating year suddenly gets a lot more interesting. Smart, good looking and charming, Jordan isn’t exactly the kind of person Elliot’s used to having as a lab partner. But when they start acing their assignments, life is suddenly about more than boring lectures, bad cafeteria nachos, or relentless bullying, and for the first time ever, Elliot can’t wait to get to chemistry class.

As they start spending more time together outside of school, Elliot realizes he’s never met anyone quite like Jordan. And then everything changes one night when Jordan kisses him, making Elliot question everything about their relationship and about himself. The butterflies start to make sense—the trouble is, right now, nothing else does.

Love was the last thing on Elliot’s mind. But as he begins to figure out how he really feels about Jordan, he realizes that sometimes the last thing you are looking for is the one thing you need the most.


MEET MORA: 


 Growing up in a small town forced Mora to be creative as a means to entertain herself. In her free time, she focused her energy on music, writing, and school. Mora graduated with an associate degree from her local community college a month before receiving her high school diploma. She is currently pursuing two majors related to engineering at university, and her tuition is paid for with the money earned through her music and writing.

Instagram: @MoraJMontgomery
Twitter: @MoraJMontgomery


CHECK BACK FOR MY REVIEW SOON!

05 March 2020

Blog Tour: Interview w/ Jus Accardo


Transcendent by Jus Accardo
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: March 2, 2020
Synopsis:
The boy she’d lost, and finally found again, is not the same boy she remembers. As one of the most powerful Sixes, Kale has changed in ways Dez can’t ignore.

He swore he’d never kill, and now he’s out for blood.

He swore he’d never harm her, and now he struggles to control his fatal touch.

They’ve been to hell and back, over and over, but this time they might not survive the fire.

When the truth at the root of the Denazen Corporation’s origins begins to unfold, those behind the scenes will do anything to keep it hidden.

Dez and Kale will be pushed to their breaking point. As long buried secrets come to light, they must fight for their freedom—and each other—as they never have before.

Kale’s destructive power could win the battle, if he doesn’t lose himself to it in the process. Or Dez will be faced with an impossible task—saving the world from the boy she loves.


MEET JUS,

JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. But at the last minute, she realized her true path lay with fiction, not food.

Jus is the bestselling author of the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing, as well as the Darker Agency series, and the New Adult series, The Eternal Balance. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.




INTERVIEW!

  1. What is your favorite time of day to sit down and write?
I write full-time, so most of the time I’m pretty much at it all day every day, but I do find that I’m super productive in the earliest morning hours, before the house wakes up.

  1. What is your favorite snack and drink to go along with writing?
There’s literally a coffee IV in me from the moment I wake up, till not long before my head hits the pillow. As for snacks, I’m a sucker for cheese (weird, I know) and also those reverse Keebler Fudge Stripes. You know, the ones covered in chocolate?

  1. How do you fix writers block, or what do you do when you're not feeling motivated to write?
The best way around writer’s block for me is to read a book or grab my camera and get out there to shoot something awesome. I got involved with photography last year and its been a lifesaver!

  1. What author inspires you?
How long do you have?
Seriously though, if I had to think back to my original inspirations, the ones that got me reading and wanting to create worlds of my own, it would be Mary Stanton, L.J. Smith, and S.E. Hinton.

  1. Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Keep at it. Every word brings you closer to where you want to be, and it only takes one person—the right person—to champion your work.


  1. Where can my followers find you, to follow your journey?

Twitter, Instagram is a biggie for me these days, and you can find more information about my books on my website.


THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!
 
Imagination Designs