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Review: Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college-and everyone's admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.
As a graduation present, Chelsea's dad springs for a three-week summer "boot camp" program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she's immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who's haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain-or finally heal their heartbreak?





 My brain is so scrambled about Playing Hurt. I loved it and then I didn't. It started out horribly slow. Chelsea's injury stops her from playing basketball. To me, her attitude is so pessimistic and awful. I felt sorry for her that basketball was all she had that would make her want to try again. Next, the romance. I liked it. *shrugs* Clint and Chelsea were good together. I didn't like how fast it progressed. Also, and this was my deal breaker, while she was cheating on her two-year boyfriend. He was sweet and thoughtful in an annoying way, but still he didn't deserve that. The ending was what redeemed the book for me. It was more slow-moving and I loved it. It was climactic and awesome.
    Playing Hurt can easily be a five-star book for someone. It deals with a lot of morals and I think it depends on what you consider immoral to determine your thoughts on this book. Try it, you just might love it.

Authors Who Tweet: Tara Kelly

Tara Kelly is an author who tweets. 

Twitter Name: @AuthorTaraKelly

About: YA author, editor, and one girl band. I wrote HARMONIC FEEDBACK and AMPLIFIED (Henry Holt) Editing & Design Services: violetink.org/volatilecreations.com

Website: The Tara Tracks

Books by @AuthorTaraKelly

 Tara said...

"Clearly I need to get back under the covers and stay there. Wake me up when it's spring."

"A reason to drag my tired butt out of this chair and work out right now: I may regain the feeling back in my fingers and toes."

"Watching the snow fall outside my window right now. It's very relaxing, especially now that the heat is on full blast."

Follow Tara on Twitter

*Suggest other authors for this post in the comments!

Review: Isle of Night (The Watchers, #1) by Veronica Wolff

 
Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead.

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

Annelise is a genius, but her life is a living hell. Finally her brain has given her an out and she'll be starting college a semester early. When a turn makes all Annelise's plans go down the drain, she is enticed by a seductive man into leaving all she knows and what little she has behind. Annelise was immediately a likeable character. She was funny and loud and shy, all at the same time. She's a little thing with a big  IQ and an even bigger will. A will that helped her come out on top in the first book of this series. Ronan is a tracker and  the one who persuades her to follow him to an unknown island. He is also her kinda love interest. I can't honestly say how I feel about him yet because he wasn't around much in the book. He seemed like he had potential. 

Unfortunately, life on the island isn't a cup of tea. There is a big twist that surprised me, but might be obvious to others. There were also fighting matches to the death and a strong opponent that Annelise had to face down. Through all these trials, Annelise succeeded and won. Ending the book with a satisfying smackdown and an even better chance at escape.

Review: Sunlight And Shadow by Cameron Dokey

A new spin on "The Magic Flute" by an acclaimed author!

In a time when the world was young and many things were quite commonplace that are now entirely forgotten, Sarastro, Mage of the Day, wed Pamina, the Queen of the Night. And in this way was the world complete, for light was joined to dark. For all time would they be joined together. Only the ending of the world could tear them apart. In other words, in the days in which my parents married, there was no such thing as divorce....
        Thus begins the tale of Mina, a girl-child born on the longest night of the darkest month of the year. When her father looked at her, all he saw was what he feared: By birth, by name, by nature, she belonged to the Dark. So when Mina turned sixteen, her father took her away from shadow and brought her into sunlight.
In retaliation, her mother lured a handsome prince into a deadly agreement: If he frees Mina, he can claim her as his bride.
Now Mina and her prince must endure deadly trials -- of love and fate and family -- before they can truly live happily ever after....
  

     Sunlight and Shadow was very short and cute. The beginning was filled with background information, but in an interesting way that made you want to know. Mina was a very unique character and her background was just as strange. Being the daughter of night and day doesn't seem like an easy position. She had a great relationship with her mother and I wish she could've interacted with her more throughout the book. Her father took an oath to not see her until her sixteenth birthday when she shall have the take a husband. He instantly made a bad impression on me when he broke his promise and me and Mina had the same thought process about his actions. All in all, Sunlight and Shadow was a very good fairytale with all the right elements. It had its flaws, like the run-through ending, but it is a wonderful choice if you want something quick and satisfying.

I'm Being Featured!

Hey Guys! Just wanted to stop by and tell you I'm being featured on Mission to Read! I answered some questions and was wondering if you guys would go check it out! Thanks! HERE

Toxic by Jus Accardo Reveal!!

The cover for Toxic was revealed today!

Blurb:

When a Six saved Kale’s life the night of Sumrun, she warned there would be consequences. A trade-off. Something taken for the life they gained. But Dez never imagined she’d lose the one thing she’d give anything to keep… And as if it’s not enough Dez finds her immunity to Kale fading, the Six brought in to help Kale learn to control his killer touch starts drooling on him the moment they meet. Worse than that? Jade can touch Kale. But bimbo Barbie is the least of Dez's problems. 

After Dez and Kale got away at Sumrun, her father lost not only his most powerful weapon but an important piece of the Supremacy project. Forced by Denazen to remedy the situation, he poisons Dez and offers her a choice—surrender to Denazen for the cure…or die. Determined to find a solution that doesn’t involve being bagged and tagged—or losing someone she loves—Dez keeps the poison a secret.  But when a rash of Denazen attacks hit a little too close to home, Dez is convinced there’s a traitor among them. Jade. 

Sacrifices, broken promises, and secrets. Dez will have to lay it all on the line if there’s any hope of proving Jade’s guilt before they all end up Residents of Denazen. Or worse, dead...

P.S. Jus says don't worry, Kale's delicious self will be on the cover of Untouched, which will be revealed next week.