To Catch a Cat Thief: Review

 

 Welcome to my tour stop for, To Catch a Cat Thief by Sean Cummings.

Check out my review, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!!!! 

To Catch a Cat Thief

by Sean Cummings

Publisher:  Rebelight Publishing

Genre: Middle Grade/mystery/humor

 

 

Hundreds of cats are missing! Fear not-Penelope Ann Pickersgill and her hippie grandma are on the case. While her friends go to cool camps, twelve-year-old Penelope has to spend the summer with Grandma Bev, who is convinced that cat-eating aliens are beaming the town's furry friends aboard their mother ship at night. Lights in the sky point to UFO's, but Penelope is sure there's a more logical explanation. With a little help from Sherlock Holmes, she and Grandma Bev set out to find the cats. Will they be able to solve the mystery before all the cats in Thornhill disappear?

 

 

 

 

 

Sean Cummings is a mutli-published author with works ranging from urban fantasy (Shade Fright, Funeral Pallor) to dark fantasy and superheroes. (Marshall Conrad) 2012 saw the publication of Sean’s first young adult novel. Poltergeeks is a rollicking story about teen witch a race against time to save her mother’s life. The second book Student Bodies, hit stores in 2013. In 2014, he published The North, a gripping post-apocalyptic thriller for teens. To Catch a Cat Thief is Sean's first middle grade novel.

 

Sean lives in Saskatoon Canada with his wife, two lazy cats and a spotted dog named Stormageddon. You can learn more about Sean and his books at www.sean-cummings.ca.

REVIEW

Everyone, listen.......

This is by far one of the funniest books I have read this entire year.  I'm being completely honest when I say. " I was literally shaking with laughter and fun at nearly every part in this book".... Wait, I shall explain..... 

Ok, so first, just make sure you always have ur squirt gun at the ready. :). Yes, you will get it when you read.... The cat is absolutely psychotic in the best way ;). 

Any way

This book is full of mystery, shananagins, and all around fun.   Is it UFO's?? Is it not a mystery??? Who really knows but Penelope and Grandma Bev.  Really people, this book is a quick fun read that you can not put down.  

I had an amazing time reading this story and I hope you will too!!! 

So go out, buy it, read it, and have fun :) 

5 out of 5 baubles!!!!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Giveaway Information:  Contest ends November 27, 2015

 

• Two (2) winners will received a physical copy of To Catch A Cat Thief by Sean Cummings (US/Canada)

• Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of To Catch A Cat Thief by Sean Cummings (INT)

Direct Link:  

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e454/?

Praefatio Blog Tour.....

Welcome to my stop for the Praefation Blog Tour!!!  Below you will find info about the book, author, my review of the book and a link to the Giveaway.  So read on and have fun!!!

ABOUT PRAEFATIO

Title: Praefatio (Praefatio #1)

Publication date: May 21, 2013

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Georgia McBride

Seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway...

After having been missing for weeks, Grace is found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help. Over the course of twenty-four hours Grace holds an entire police force captive with incredulous tales of angels, demons, and war; intent on saving Gavin from lockup and her family from worry over her safety.

Authorities believe that Grace is ill, suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind. Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of dark angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse steeped in Biblical myth. Grace’s claims set into motion an ages-old war, resulting in blood, death and the loss of everything that matters. But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true?

Praefatio is Grace’s account of weeks on the run, falling in love and losing everything but her faith. When it’s sister against brother, light versus darkness, corrupt police officers, eager doctors and accusing journalists, against one girl with nothing but her word as proof: who do you believe?

ABOUT GEORGIA MCBRIDE:

Georgia loves a good story. Whether it’s writing her own, or publishing someone else’s, story is at the heart of everything Georgia does. Founder of Month9Books, YALITCHAT.ORG and the weekly #yalitchat on Twitter, Georgia spends most of her days writing, editing, or talking about books. That is, of course, when she is not blasting really loud music or reading. She lives in North Carolina with four dogs, a frog, a parrot, 2 kids, parents and a husband. PRAEFATIO is her first novel.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Review

Praefatio is the beginning of what seems to be a wonderful series of books.  This is a story that tests your ideals of what is "Good" vs. what is "Evil."  This story will keep you guessing and send your mind through a maze of uncertainty. We follow Grace, a 17 year old 1/2 human 1/2 angel, through her triumphs, confusion, fails, feelings of helplessness, and consuming love, as she tells her story during a police interview.  

This book, for me, was definitely a story that I had to "pay attention" to.  There is alot going on in the story.  You will most certainly have to turn off the TV and give your full attention to this alluring story.  Trust me, you will want to.  Praefatio is different than many books I have read in the past few months.  You are reading the story as Grace tells it.  You feel what she is feeling and understand the utter confusion she goes through as she learns about who she is and what is really going on.  

The book is well written.  However, the transitions between time lines in the book are a little rough.  I found myself having to re-read a few pages to make sure my mind was switching from past to present, from dream self to physical self.  This being said, this story is original and wonderful.  

There is sooooo much this book has to offer.  Love, deceit, sabotage, mystery, and much more.  The author does an amazing job making the reader feel the feelings that Grace is feeling.  I literally wanted to grab a flower and start pulling petals, "he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not."  The relationship between Gavin and Grace is one that had me angry, sad, happy, ecstatic, and in love.  I cannot wait for the next book.... I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!

I will leave you with this...... This book is not something you pick up, read, and forget about.  You will be engrossed with this story, and you will be sent on an unforgettable emotional ride.  So... when this book comes out, GO get it and ENJOY it!!!

RATING

4 out of 5 baubles

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Winner will be drawn April 27, 2015

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Praefatio by Georgia McBride (INT)

Link to Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e309/?

Nest, By Esther Ehrlich

 Title: Nest

Author: Esther Ehrlich                  

Release: September 9, 2013

Publisher: Random House Children's

Purchase:  Amazon / B&N 

 In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi "Chirp" Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp's mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes.

Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery.

My Thoughts:

Nest is a beautifully written story about friendship and love conquering grief and worry.  Ehrlich does an amazing job of writing the story from Chirp's point of view.  From the beginning I found myself engrossed in Chirp's play full imagination.  I was enthralled by the way Chirp and Joey could create a world all their own and immerse themselves into the adventure they created. 

I enjoyed every part of this book.  I was laughing and crying throughout this entire story.  All I can say is this book is perfect for middle grade and above.  Anybody could pick up this book and fall in love with the characters. The story is the perfect example about how children find comfort in wondrous and beautiful things.  I loved this book!!! 

5 out of 5 stars.

Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)

Title: Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz; Michael Johnston
Release: 9/17/13
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Purchase: B&N/ Amazon

WELCOME TO NEW VEGAS, a city once blanketed in neon, now covered by ice.  Like much of the planet, New Vegas only knows one temperature - FREEZING.

At the heart of the city is Nat, a sixteen-year-old blackjack dealer looking for a way out. She's heard rumors of the Blue: a hidden paradise buried somewhere within the barren icy wasteland of the world.  It's a place where Nat won't be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.  But passage to the Blue is treacherous, and Nat's only hope is a young ragtag crew who may be almost as unqualified as she is to survive the journey. 

My Thoughts:

The idea of the world being "frozen" is not an out of this world idea.  And the fact that New Vegas is still full with the worst of human desires, makes the story feel like it could be a near future reality.  These ideas make this book one I was excited to read. 

As I read through the first half, I was disappointed. The characters felt rushed, but the plot line moved very slow.   I felt the characters were not developed well.  I would have liked more dialogue and interaction between the characters.  This being said, the setting development is amazing!  I could picture the places the characters were, and could even get a good sense of what the world is like in Frozen. 

The first half is slow, but once the journey is in full swing the story explodes!  More character development as well as romance and action make the second half worth the wait.
Frozen, is a post-apocalyptic world filled with death, destruction, beauty and magic.  This is a story that leave you wanting the next installment.  Once you get through the beginning, the rest of the story is well written and gripping.  I would recommend this book for a quick fall read.

3 out of 5 stars

Feuds, By Avery Hastings

Title: Feuds 

Author:  Avery Hastings                  

Release: September 2, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Purchase:  Amazon / B&N 

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.

A NETGALLEY REVIEW

My Thoughts

I was excited to read this book.  After reading the Synopsis, I was intrigued and optimistic that the story was going to be original and well written.  The dystopian setting and the hostility between the Priors and the Imps makes this book interesting to a wide variety of readers. This book has so much potential! However, after a few chapters I began to lose hope..... There are things that make this book disappointing, as well as, aspects that make this book good. So.... Lets get into the details.......

This book is to short. Period. The plot, characters, and setting are underdeveloped.  The story moved so quickly that I was adding in my own interpretations and ideas into the story.  Don't get me wrong, this writing style works well for some books, but not this one.  I do feel that Feuds needed to be longer.  I wanted Davis and Cole to develop more.  I wanted to know more about their families, and the history of why the world is at its current state.  I feel the book is lacking in these details.   But, there is a positive for the story being short, it's to the point.  I got the minimum amount of details to keep the story progressing. Even though I feel the story could have been developed more, I still feel like I got what I was supposed to out of the book.  

This book also has alot of plot lines going on.  There are corrupt politicians, underground fighting, Olympiad trials, and a disease.  All of these are touched upon in the book, but i feel, are not developed well.  Please keep in mind that this is the first in a series.  There is a huge possibility that these lines will be developed.   

Bottom line is this;  This book for me had some issues, but the potential is so great that I will buy the book and buy any sequel.  Why will I do this you ask??? Because, I have attached myself to these characters and this story and I will see it through.  As should anyone who reads this!!  I would recommend this book to any age group.  I will purchase this book, but I will wait till it comes out in paperback.  

2.5 out of 5 stars