Top Ten Tuesday: Some Music Related Books that I Love!

Hello Starlight-Readers! Today's prompt for TTT was a freebie, so I decided to go over some music related books that I love!!!

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First Impression Friday - Anything You Want by Geoff Herbach

First Impression Friday

Yesterday, I was given an ARC e-copy of Anything You Want by Geoff Herbach by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for a review. I haven't finished it yet, but I'll use this book for my First Impression Friday Review! Without further ado, here are my thoughts!

Cover:

So... the cover is interesting. It's simple and cute, but it doesn't exactly fit the theme of the book. I'd equate a cover like this more with a nice summer romance, not a teen pregnancy story. Still, it's appealing and would look nice on a bookshelf.

Synopsis:

The synopsis makes this book seem like it would be quite interesting... but it fell short. My explanation behind that reasoning is below.

Thoughts on First 30% of book:

I don't like this. It's got this writing style that just doesn't flow with me. I don't know if "Taco" is just really stupid, has some sort of mental illness, or if the author just doesn't know how to write teen boys. He's very clueless about things and overly happy about it and I just cannot enjoy this book. I'll try to finish though. I've gotten this far into it, so I might as well finish so I can write up a proper review. Who knows? Maybe it'll get better!

So there you have it! Happy Reading, Starlight-Readers.

Lumiere by Jacqueline E.Garlick - A Review

Synopsis:

One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything.

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum.

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own.

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

Date Finished: 8-22-15

Rating: 5/5

Thoughts: 

*I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

They always tell us not to judge a book by it’s cover, but with a cover as gorgeous as Lumière’s, it’s almost hard not to. I was initially drawn in by the interesting title and amazing cover, but it was the synopsis that sold me on this book! And I’m so glad that it did, because Lumber was simply amazing!

Jacqueline Garlick’s writing is amazing as she crafts a wonderful steampunk world of dangerous vapors, magic, and machines, inhabited by awesome characters such as our protagonists, Eyelet and Urlick!

Speaking of Eyelet, Garlick handled Eyelet’s epileptic episodes quite well. I don’t have epilepsy, so I can’t verify if it’s an accurate depiction of the condition, but from what I understand about it, it was done well. Her condition wasn’t romanticized, and it also doesn’t run the story. Eyelet learns how to deal with it on her own, and how to keep it a secret from those who would use it to have her locked away in the madhouse. Unlike was also quite accepting of it, which just made me love him more.

All in all, I really enjoyed Lumière, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. I feel like Fans of Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan trilogy might enjoy this series, possibly more than Leviathan! 

Top Ten Books I've Recently Added To My TBR

Hello Starlight Readers! Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is courtesy of The Broke and The Bookish! 

1. Scratch by Rhonda Helms

2. Lightning Kissed by Lila Felix

3. When We Collided by Emery Lord

4. Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

5. Breathe For Me by Rhonda Helms

6. Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith

7. Whisper to Me by Nick Lake

8. Away We Go by Emil Ostrovsky

9. Dreamfire by Kit Alloway

10. The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry

Help Me by Donna M. Zadunajsky - A Review

Synopsis: A novella about a boy named Mick and his struggles with life. His parent’s divorce and a friend’s suicide make his world unbearable. Each “cut” has a deeper meaning. A cry for help.

“I spin my dad’s Ruger SP101 revolver on the wood floor of my bedroom. Sometimes, just to see what it feels like, I place the tip of the gun against my temple, but I never once pull the trigger. NO!”
“I’m more into the slice of the blade against my skin and the blood running down my arm.”
“It relieves so much pressure.”
“And I can breathe again…” 
Help Me! is available in both print and ebook formats.

Date Finished: 1-15-2016

Rating: 1.5/3

Review:

*I received a free copy of this novel via net galley. All opinions are my own.*

So... at first I was totally excited to receive this book. I'm always up for reading books with difficult subjects and sharing with those would could benefit from it. However, I could not get into this novel.

There was a lot of "telling" in this novel, and not "showing," in both emotions and dialogue. While I understand that this was just a brief novella, it fell a bit flat, and I couldn't connect with the characters. This might be a better book for middle school kids, but for anyone older than 14 or 15, this probably wouldn't be received well. The voice was a bit juvenile. I just couldn't get into it. It was very brief, and I finished it in about an hour. Again, it's good for light reading, but there are better books about cutting, such as Cut by Patricia McCormick or Impulse by Ellen Hopkins.
I also wasn't a very big fan of the POV change. I get that it was supposed to add suspense, but it was essentially a retelling of the first part, and was even less interesting than the first. Overall, I was not a fan. However, I see how this can be an important and potentially life saving novel, so maybe it'll be good for younger teens.