Book Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Serafina and the Black Cloak

By Robert Beatty 

Release Date: July 14, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon Book Depository

"Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there and they will ensnare your soul."

Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate. There's plenty to explore in the shadowed corridors of her vast home, but she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate's maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.

But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore's corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore's owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak's true identity before all of the children vanish one by one.

Serafina's hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

I pretty much never read middle grade books. Ever. But when I had the chance to read Serafina and the Black Cloak, I was intrigued by the story described as a mystery about an unusual girl who is secretly living in the basement of a grand estate. Why is she hiding in the basement? Can she really save the day? 

Serafina has lived her life obeying her Pa and living in the basement of the Biltmore Estate without being seen or heard by anyone. One night, though, changes everything. When Serafina sees a man in a black cloak stealing a girl visiting the estate, Serafina is determined to figure out who it is. Getting to the bottom of the mysterious man, though, means Serafina must put herself out there and she ends up in the path of Braeden Vanderbilt, the nephew of the Biltmore estate's owners. Serafina decides to trust Braeden and join with him to uncover the man taking children of the estate. Soon, Serafina finds herself looking into the forest for answers, a place she has been forbidden to go to but is inexplicably drawn to. Will Serafina find the mysterious man without exposing herself to the the people of the estate and ruin her entire world? 

This was definitely an interesting read. Serafina has been living hidden in the basement where her father works and she is able to creep and crawl her way throughout the estate without being seen. I loved how Serafina was able to watch so much going on and be such an integral part of the estate without it even being known that she was living there. Serafina knows that she's not an ordinary girl, so I really liked it when we got to know where she really came from and have even more questions about her past. Who really was Serafina? Or, better yet, WHAT was she? 

There was also a big mystery that this story revolved around, and that was who this mysterious man in the black cloak was who was either stealing or killing children from the estate. I think that Serafina uncovered who it was a bit too quickly, but it was fun seeing her gather all of the pieces together and see everything make sense. When she decided to trust Braeden, I loved how Serafina was the only person who Braeden was even interested in spending time with. I did think that Braeden was portrayed as quite a bit older than he really was (he's 12), but Serafina felt comfortable around him and was able to be just a normal girl with him. I liked how Serafina came out of her shell more and more and became someone other than the girl hiding in the basement. 

Overall, I thought this one was an intriguing middle grade read with a unique character, an intriguing mystery, and a sweet relationship. If you're a fan of middle grade novels, I would definitely recommend Serafina and the Black Cloak. 

Stacking the Shelves (153)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

For Review

I got two books in the mail this week that I am very excited about! First, I got the movie tie-in edition of The Scorch Trials, which I am so pumped to read. The movie looks amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next after the way The Maze Runner ended! As for the next book, I haven't heard of it before, but I love the cover and can't wait to give it a try!

From Twitter

Hannah from The Irish Banana had posted a bunch of books on twitter that she was selling and all you had to do was pay for the shipping. I saw these two in her post and jumped on the chance to get them. Luckily, no one had snagged them yet so Hannah popped them in the mail for me the next day and now I have these two beautiful books! Thanks so much, Hannah! 

That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week? 

Book Review: Dictatorship of the Dress by Jessica Topper

Dictatorship of the Dress (Much "I Do" About Nothing #1)

By Jessica Topper

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

As the dress-bearer for her mother’s wedding, comic book artist Laney Hudson has a lot more baggage than the bulky garment bag she’s lugging from New York to Hawaii. Laney is determined to prove she’s capable of doing something right, but running chores for her mom’s fairytale nuptials is proving to be a painfully constant reminder of her own lost love.

So when she’s mistaken for the bride and bumped up to first class, Laney figures some stress-free luxury is worth a harmless white lie. Until the flight crew thinks that the man sitting next to her is Laney’s groom, and her little fib turns into a hot mess.

The last thing Noah Ridgewood needs is some dress-obsessed diva landing in his first-class row. En route to his Vegas bachelor party, the straight-laced software designer knows his cold feet have nothing to do with the winter weather.

When a severe storm leaves them grounded in Chicago and they find themselves booked into the last available honeymoon suite, Laney and her in-flight neighbor have little choice but to get better acquainted. Now, as her bridal mission hangs in the balance, perhaps the thing Laney gets right is a second chance at love.

I have been meaning to read this book ever since it came out. I loved how it promised a story of a girl who was mistaken as the fiancé of the hunky guy next to her on the plane. How was that going to turn out? I had to see! 

Laney Hudson has been given the job of transporting the dress to her mother's wedding in Hawaii. Laney is determined to not let her mom down, which means not letting that garment bag out of her sight. When Laney is mistaken as a bride and bumped to first class, Laney takes the upgrade and doesn't correct the assumption. But when the flight crew thinks the man next her her is her fiancé, Laney has no idea how to get out of the lie she's told. Noah Ridgewood is a straight-laced business man on the way to his bachelor party in Vegas and wants nothing to do with the Bridezilla sitting next to him. When a storm leaves them stranded in Chicago, though, Laney and Noah spend some time together and soon realize their assumptions about each other couldn't have been further off…

This book was exactly what I thought it would be: Adorable. Starting with Laney, I absolutely loved her character and how she was an artist. She used to illustrate comics and turned to drawing when she was stressed. I loved when she drew different people she came across (especially when she drew Noah!) and used her drawing as a way to entertain an adorable little kid they ran into during the novel. Both Laney and Noah have a geeky side and it was so gosh darn cute when they connected over their inner geeks and stopped judging each other based on their first impressions. Noah had a stressful life where some serious expectations were placed upon him, but it only took one day with Laney to make him realize his life really wasn't what he wanted it to be anymore. 

With this book, the author framed it in a way that it was Laney and Noah in the present often reflecting on scenes from the past. We got to see what Laney had experienced in the past that left her so broken and what Noah has been dealing with with his actual fiancé back home. With all of the flashbacks, the pacing was a bit slow and I just wanted to get back to Noah and Laney, but those flashbacks were necessary to understanding the characters. The time Laney and Noah spent together, though, was cute and fun and I loved watching them discover new things about each other and slowly falling for each other. 

Overall, this book was just a bundle of joy to read. With mistaken identities, insane snow storms, and a night in a honeymoon suite, Laney and Noah's story is impossible not to love. If you're looking for a cute, fun romance, you have to check out Jessica Topper's Dictatorship of the Dress.

Cover Reveal: Together We Heal by Chelsea M Cameron

Today we are revealing the cover for the upcoming book Together We Heal by Chelsea M Cameron. This is the 4th book in the Fall and Rise series. This book will be released in August. Check out he bulb and links to the other books in the series below!

About the Book

Trish Grant is not a romantic. Okay, so she may read her share of romance novels, but that doesn’t mean she thinks that some fellow with a six pack is going to ride up on a horse and sweep her (literally) off her feet. Romance like that just isn’t for her. It belongs on the page.

Max Jackson noticed Trish at his cousin’s funeral, of all places. She was hard to miss with her citrus-colored hair, violet contacts and fiery attitude.

Trish was just as captivated by Max. He makes her laugh, which is rare, and it doesn’t hurt that he rocks blue hair and the most killer smirk that drives her crazy. Max is there for her during a rough time and even if she wanted to, she can’t shake him.

There are things about Trish that Max doesn’t know, and she’s not going to tell him. She hasn’t told anyone and doesn’t plan on it, thank you very much. But when Trish’s life is ripped apart by a dark piece of her past, will she let Max in? Or will she give up her potential fairytale to protect her already-scarred heart from further damage?

ADD TOGETHER WE HEAL TO GOODREADS

PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

DEEPER WE FALL (book #1)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

FASTER WE BURN (book #2)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

SLOWLY WE TRUST (book #3)
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times/USA To-day Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vege-tarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watch-ing infomercials, singing in the car, tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman) and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

AUTHOR LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Waiting on Wednesday (202)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

A Step Toward Falling

By Cammie McGovern

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Summary: Cammie McGovern follows up her breakout young adult debut, Say What You Will, with this powerful and unforgettable novel about learning from your mistakes, and learning to forgive. Told in alternating points of view, A Step Toward Falling is a poignant, hopeful, and altogether stunning work that will appeal to fans of Jennifer Nevin, Robyn Schneider, and Jandy Nelson.

Emily has always been the kind of girl who tries to do the right thing—until one night when she does the worst thing possible. She sees Belinda, a classmate with developmental disabilities, being attacked. Inexplicably, she does nothing at all.

Belinda, however, manages to save herself. When their high school finds out what happened, Emily and Lucas, a football player who was also there that night, are required to perform community service at a center for disabled people. Soon, Lucas and Emily begin to feel like maybe they're starting to make a real difference. Like they would be able to do the right thing if they could do that night all over again. But can they do anything that will actually help the one person they hurt the most?

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I haven't read Cammie McGovern's debut novel, but her upcoming release definitely sounds like a book I have to read. While this one covers some more serious topics, such as bullying, I am very intrigued by Emily and Lucas's relationship and how they learn more about themselves as they perform community service. I'm interested to see how Emily and Lucas try to change who they are as people and find a way to make up for what they did. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Last Books That Came Into My Possession

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

A Step Toward Falling

By Cammie McGovern

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Summary: Cammie McGovern follows up her breakout young adult debut, Say What You Will, with this powerful and unforgettable novel about learning from your mistakes, and learning to forgive. Told in alternating points of view, A Step Toward Falling is a poignant, hopeful, and altogether stunning work that will appeal to fans of Jennifer Nevin, Robyn Schneider, and Jandy Nelson.

Emily has always been the kind of girl who tries to do the right thing—until one night when she does the worst thing possible. She sees Belinda, a classmate with developmental disabilities, being attacked. Inexplicably, she does nothing at all.

Belinda, however, manages to save herself. When their high school finds out what happened, Emily and Lucas, a football player who was also there that night, are required to perform community service at a center for disabled people. Soon, Lucas and Emily begin to feel like maybe they're starting to make a real difference. Like they would be able to do the right thing if they could do that night all over again. But can they do anything that will actually help the one person they hurt the most?

----------------------------------

I haven't read Cammie McGovern's debut novel, but her upcoming release definitely sounds like a book I have to read. While this one covers some more serious topics, such as bullying, I am very intrigued by Emily and Lucas's relationship and how they learn more about themselves as they perform community service. I'm interested to see how Emily and Lucas try to change who they are as people and find a way to make up for what they did. 

Book Review: Don't Ever Change by M Beth Bloom

Don't Ever Change

By M Beth Bloom

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Source: Author

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Eva has always wanted to write a modern classic—one that actually appeals to her generation. The only problem is that she has realized she can't "write what she knows" because she hasn't yet begun to live. So before heading off to college, Eva is determined to get a life worth writing about.

Soon Eva's life encounters a few unexpected plot twists. She becomes a counselor at a nearby summer camp—a job she is completely unqualified for. She starts growing apart from her best friends before they've even left for school. And most surprising of all, she begins to fall for the last guy she would have ever imagined. But no matter the roadblocks, or writer's blocks, it is all up to Eva to figure out how she wants this chapter in her story to end.

Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell, Don't Ever Change is a witty, snarky, and thought-provoking coming-of-age young adult novel about a teen who sets out to write better fiction and, ultimately, discovers the truth about herself. 

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was very intrigued because I thought I'd be able to relate to the main character Eva. Eva is a writer who wants to experience life in order to be able to become a better writer. Sadly, I was definitely NOT a fan of Eva and the "research" she performed for her writing. 

Eva knows she's a good writer. But when her English teacher tells her she needs to write what she knows, Eva is determined to go out and experience more in order to write more. The summer before college, Eva decides to "live" and soon finds her life changing in ways she had never expected. 

Ugh. Seriously, that's what comes to mind when I think about Eva. First off, over the course of this book, which takes place over a couple of months, Eva had 3 or 4 guys who were all of the sudden super into her. And one of them was a guy she was kind of sort of dating but was on tour with his band, so he was never around. And when she thinks she likes another guy who I felt like she all of the sudden really liked, she didn't even think about the first guy unless he called or texted. I just could not care about any relationship she was in, even the one that ended up being the most important one. I found Eva shallow and her "connections" with the guys unrealistic. 

Not only were her romantic interests not working for me, but neither were her friendships. Geez. Eva had two "best friends" but she treated them like crap and when they confronted her about it, she just whined some and they instantly forgave her. Eva is just not a good person and I really wasn't a fan of following this story from her point of view. There were some weird moments that I just found unnecessary and strange as well, like something that happens with her "boyfriend" who was in a band and with a camper (she ended up working as a camp counselor) who she found freaking out in the bathroom. While I still finished this book just to see what would happen to Eva in the end, I did not like her character or how she handled pretty much any situation in this novel. 

In the end, Don't Ever Change seriously missed the mark for me. Eva was annoying and the relationships she had were unbelievable. The premise was promising, but Eva ended up being selfish, self-centered, and very pessimistic. If you don't like books with annoying characters who you just can't connect with, I'd say to skip this one.