Book Review: BREAKFAST WITH NERUDA by Laura Moe

Breakfast with Neruda by Laura Moe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A terrific story! I typically read fast-paced thrillers, and so when I come across a contemporary YA book that holds my interest, I'm quite happy! BREAKFAST WITH NERUDA is a well-told story with unique characters trying to find their place in the world. Laura Moe's writing kept me engaged and turning pages. I needed to know what was going to happen and how the story would resolve! I look forward to reading more from Laura Moe in the future.


*** If you'd like a chance to win a signed hardback copy of this book, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter. I will be giving away a copy in the next edition going out in a couple of weeks. ***


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Book Review: HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH by Emily Ross

Half in Love with Death by Emily Ross

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A well-written mystery! Emily Ross did a terrific job of building the plot and developing the characters in this story set in the 1960s. Life was so different without the Internet and cell phone technology (but that was not the point of this story).

One thing that struck me throughout this story was that oftentimes teenagers don't trust adults enough to confide in them. Why is that? What are adults doing wrong in that realm? If you're an adult, it's something to ponder and ask yourself if the teenagers around you would WANT to talk to you. And if you're a teenager - ask yourself if there are any adults in your life that you thoroughly trust. Why or why not?

Emily Ross is a talented wordsmith. Some of my favorite lines from the book include:

"Darkness was erasing the green from the grass, the blue from the sky." (page 7)

"I knew about the Hi-Ho Club where Tony took Jess sometimes. I'd never been in it but I'd imagined myself there, imagined the colored lights, the sparkling dresses, the love swirling all around." (page 31)

"I missed winter so much. Here, the closest thing to snow was the cold stars that sprinkled the sky." (page 62)

"When I returned with her, things would be different. Maybe she would even be different. Maybe she'd be a person you could talk about without saying 'if only.'" (page 143)

HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH was a finalist in the International Thriller Awards, and I believe it earned that honor for its expertly layered suspense. I needed to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next and how the story would be resolved.

I look forward to the next book by Ross.



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8 Happy Pictures & Quotes for #UNLOCKED

As we near the official release date for UNLOCKED, I thought I'd share some fun pictures, quotes, and stories from readers and retailers. YAY for books! And please, as you receive, read, and review your copy of UNLOCKED, share updates on social media and tag me. It thrills me to no end to see the book out in the world!

Early Reviews for UNLOCKED

Less than three weeks until UNLOCKED releases into the world, and early reviews are starting to come in for the book!

Have you pre-ordered your copy yet? If not, Target has the hardback listed for only $12.32. That's a sweet deal! And be sure to turn in your receipt to win pre-order prizes!

School Library Journal said about UNLOCKED: 
“Kelly's premise of mixing hypnotism and the occult is promising. … The psychological elements and mystery bring the real tension. The book's final third barrels to a dramatic finale. … VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries where psychological thrillers and mysteries are popular.”

The Bookwhore Diaries Blog:
"This book shows the complexity of human behavior. It showed how one struggles with loss, with the unexplainable and with hope. Put into mind as well that these things are experienced by a teenager, whose emotional intelligence is still developing, chaos would definitely describe what she is feeling. Unlocked shows how one accepts whoever they are and letting the people who truly understand them enter their lives."

Pre-order your copy today, and then be sure to post your review online.

Happy reading. :)

UNLOCKED: It's Getting Real

I'm EXCITED to be reviewing the final page layout for my new novel, UNLOCKED! So far - it looks terrific, and I can hardly wait for everyone to read it! Yay for books. :)

It's a #Book Deal!

I'm thrilled to announce that my second book, UNLOCKED, will be published by Merit Press (the YA imprint for F+W Media)!

Here's the official announcement from Publisher's Marketplace:

Text from the image above:

"Margo Kelly's UNLOCKED, pitched in the vein of Lois Duncan, in which straight-laced Hannah chooses to participate in a hypnotism show at the local fair, but when the hypnotist leaves her mind open to suggestion, Hannah must learn to block out the demons that toy with her sense of right and wrong before she ends up killing her boyfriend to appease the demons, to Jacquelyn Mitchard at Merit Press, by Brianne Johnson at Writers House (World English)"

The idea of having a second book out in the world is beyond wonderful, and I'm so excited for you to read it!

Book Review: TWIGS

Twigs by Alison Ashley Formento

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really got a kick out of this book. Yes, it was silly and over-the-top in places, but I laughed a lot. Reading some of the other reviews on Goodreads, I'm surprised that so many people disliked the main character, Twigs. I thought she was pretty funny. But maybe that's because I've thought about hitting people with my car, too. ;) I do agree that some of her nicknames for people were rude, but poor little Twigs, she was unhappy and angry and lonely, and she was just doing the best she could in her soap-opera life.

As far as a YA book goes, there is quite a bit of cussing and sexual references, but there's not a lot of violence (unless you consider hitting people with cars, iPods, and shampoo bottles violent). I might not recommend this book to my younger teenage friends, but I would definitely recommend it to my friends who read Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" series.



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Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

 

 

To celebrate the cover reveal for Who R U Really? I'm giving away TWO Advance Reader Copies of the book! Scroll down to fill out the entry form; contest ends Sunday, May 11, 2014, and winners will be announced Monday, May 12, 2014.

 

WHO R U REALLY?

by Margo Kelly

Merit Press -- September 18, 2014

 

Description:

 

Thea's overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. She's living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can't defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends.

 

Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really "gets" her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit's allure, and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea's life spins out of her control.

 

About the Author:

 

Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, Margo is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her debut novel and will be published by Merit Press in September 2014. Margo welcomes opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.

 

Links:

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

 

Available for Pre-Order:

Barnes& Noble

Amazon

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Book Review: UNACCOMPAINED MINOR

Unaccompanied Minor by Hollis Gillespie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


LOVED IT. I really loved it.

One of my favorite things about books published by Merit Press is that they are not your typical YA. Every book I've read from them has had some sort of unique factor to it. And UNACCOMPANIED MINOR is no exception! It was a breath of fresh air!

The voice of the main character was strong and full of personality from the very beginning. She made me smile throughout most of the book - such a ball of fire.

At first I thought the beginning of the book gave away the ending, but I was wrong. The plotline is non-linear, meaning things don't exactly happen in order. So that kept me on my toes and confused me a couple of times, because I'm used to the typical linear plotlines, but once I got into it I was able to follow along. So don't give up when you see the first few pages are unusual.

Several plot twists caught me by surprise (a good thing) and even made me gasp out loud. I couldn't believe what had happened! Ack. But that made me just want to keep reading to find out what would happen next.

My only pet peeve with the book was the overuse (and maybe even some misuse) of ellipses (you know ... those little dots).

I was a little confused with the final wrap-up, but overall the book was fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

There was no bad language, no sex, but there was minor violence (nothing too much for teenagers).

I look forward to reading more stories by this author and definitely by Merit Press.



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A Killer Title

I have read (and own) quite a few books on the craft of writing, but very few tackle the topic of creating a great title.

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder dedicates a page and a half to the topic, which is more than the other books. ;)

Snyder writes, "to come up with one that nails the concept, without being so on the nose that it's stupid, is an art unto itself" (page 9).

Right ... we know that ... but how do we come up with that great title that nails the concept?

I dunno.

Evidence: My debut novel was originally titled THE EDUCATION OF THIA. After several agents used the phrase "too didactic" in their rejection letters, I reconsidered the title and changed it to BUT HE LOVES ME. With that change alone (I left the content of the query letter the same) I received quite a few requests for the full manuscript. So was it a winning title? Not really. After signing with an awesome agent, we worked and worked and worked to come up with a better title. We decided on SAFE. A winner? Not sure. The editor who made an offer on the manuscript said we had to change the title. Okay. Back to the drawing board.

Snyder also writes, "Title and logline are, in fact, the one-two punch, and a good combo never fails to knock me out. Like the irony in a good logline, a great title must have irony and tell the tale. One of the best titles of recent memory, and one I still marvel at, is Legally Blonde. ... It says what it is! ... If it doesn't pass the Say What It Is Test, you don't have your title. And you don't have the one-two punch" (pages 9-10).

So here is the logline my agent used to sell my manuscript:
Margo Kelly’s debut SAFE is a modern take on “the call is coming from inside the house” old urban legend, in which a young girl falls in love with a guy online who comes for her.

And here's the new title my editor and I came up with:
WHO RU REALLY?

Does it pass the Say What It Is Test? Or is it so "on the nose that its stupid?"

Actually, don't answer the second question.

Naming a book is like naming a child. Inevitably someone is going to hate the name, and you can't possibly please everyone.

*sigh*

BUT the good news is, I have a KILLER TITLE for my next book. ;)

Book Review: Escape From Eden

Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Well, I read five books last week, and I was hesitant to read this one (because I wasn't sure what direction it would take and if it would go too far) ... but guess what? It ended up being my favorite book of the lot!

The writing sucked me in from the beginning. I predicted that it would be a bit creepy with the whole cult thing going on and when it got to the creepiest scene (I'm not giving it away here), I had to take a deep breath and read carefully. I was so worried Nader would take it too far - - - you know - - - step over that line in your mind where your gut wrenches and your heart aches because bad things just shouldn't happen to kids.

Yes. That's right. I'm an adult reading YA. And I hate it when adults (even fictional ones) hurt kids (regardless of their ages). So I was relieved that Nader didn't go too far. Now, don't get me wrong, she pushed me right up to the edge, but thankfully she didn't shove me off the cliff. *sigh* Well maybe she fake-shoved me and then yanked me back to safety. :)

And the plot took turns I was not expecting. LOVE that in a book.

There was a lot of violence in the book. So if that bothers you - this book is not for you. There was sexuality also, but it was well done and didn't go too far. I honestly can't remember if there was cussing - so there must not have been enough to bother me.

A great book. A great adventure. A little creepy.



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Book Review: THE GIRL IN THE WALL

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Oh. I was torn between giving this book four stars or five stars.


Here are my reasons for five stars:
1. The plot was TOTALLY engaging from page one.
2. I couldn't put it down; I read it in one sitting.

Here are my reasons for four stars:
1. I had trouble telling the difference between the two main characters' voices. Sometimes I had to flip back to the chapter heading to see which girl was talking to me.
2. When the gardener was introduced, for some reason I pictured his as a 50-year-old man. That could have been my own filter, but I guess I've never seen a teenage gardener living and working on an estate ... but I guess I've never actually lived on an estate ... or even visited one. ha. So that issue confused me for several pages.
3. I didn't like the title or the cover. Both made me assume the book was about a girl held captive ... which in a sense I suppose she was ... and she was in a wall. ... so maybe never mind ...

But I think the fact that I could not put this book down earns it five stars.

There is a lot of violence (gun violence, primarily). So if that's not for you, don't pick up this book. The language was pretty clean, and there wasn't any sex (that I remember).

I look forward to reading more books by this author!



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