Scookie Reviews

Happy Halloween, book lovers! There's still a few hours left before the giveaway ends, so enter below as soon as possible. The Clearing  is a dystopian adventure set in a village run by psychics, and it was awarded the Editor's Pick seal of approval by Evernight Teen. A couple more great reviews have rolled in recently, so I'm overjoyed about it. a Rafflecopter giveaway   If the giveaway above isn't showing, then use this link to visit the rafflecopter:  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c24e37ac4/? Reviews so far Fantastic Book! It is an incredibly exciting post apocalyptic adventure with a strong female main character. It is a pretty quick read but it packs a lot of plot and character development. The writing is engaging and keeps you turning the pages. I ABSOLUTELY loved the ending. One of the better “zombie apocalypse” books I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot!) I would love if she wrote a prequel. The village is so incredibly intriguing. I received this book...

BEFORE AND AFTER by Andrew Shanahan 4 Stars Verdict: Unique take on weight loss and a zombie apocalypse. Trigger warning for eating disorders and body shaming. Ben is a soft soul struggling with mental health that centres around food. He's obese and hasn't left his flat in years. The day he's scheduled for surgery to remove his diabetic foot, the world seems to lose it's mind and turn into angry zombies.  I didn't like this book much at first. I could tell it was quirky, which appealed to me a lot, but it took a little while to get going, and then the apocalypse angle seemed...odd. I wasn't sure about it. The story jumps between day one of the apocalypse and Ben's weight story throughout his whole life beforehand. For a while, I only really enjoyed the flashback chapters. Here's where we really got to meet the main character and where I could understand him better. Here's where the charm and struggle of the book felt real.  There are a couple of fun...

THE CITY OF SNOW AND STARS by S.D. Howard 4 Stars Verdict: A dark fantasy with a wholesome cast.  Trigger warning for rape/abuse.  'I'm not wanted for me, only what I can give, and there is nothing left.' I don't usually quote books, but this is a very quotable story! The dialogue was powerful in places, and the way the characters bonded together was the strength of this Christian fantasy adventure.   It's written in third person with a narrative that I personally found a little distant at times. That said, the characters are easy to root for. Runaways Trinia and Jayden team up with a wizard to take down Trinia's abusive father before he can take over the kingdom. They're joined by a talking wolf and a shapeshifter called Batanny, who in many ways seems like an older version of Trinia. Threads of pain run through this book and pull the characters together in a way that makes this dark read still feel wholesome at times.  It soon became an easy to enjoy fant...

THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 3 Stars Verdict: Great set up but I lost interest.  Avery is about to inherit a billionaire's fortune, despite never meeting the man - if she can spend a year living among the disinherited family. This one starts off strong with a smart main character. It has complicated families and a whole cast of shady rich folk who may or may not be threatening Avery's life in order to get their hands on a not-so-small fortune, and of course, there's an epic mystery at the heart of it: why has Avery inherited this billionaire's estate to begin with?  More mysteries pile around Avery, from clues coded into letters and secrets within the mansion. The extended family all have their quirks, which pulled me for a good while.  However, not a lot gets answered, at least not in the twisty, exciting way I had hoped for. There's a large cast of suspects to whittle down but not enough time with the carving knife, and Avery's focus is pulle...