Review: Forsaken by Kristen Day

Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendents of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it.

Review: The Curse of Betrayal by Taylor Lavati

Ryder has finally decided to take her life into her own hands, but things don’t always turn out as they seem. Ollie and Ari have made a pact that leaves Ryder alone until she ends the curse and chooses her soul mate.

With her knights absent, Ryder becomes independent, seeing things in her visions that force her to question the curse—and herself.

As strange things happen at Demi God Academy, Ryder realizes everything comes back to her. She must use the power growing within her to protect her new friends in ways she never imagined possible. But as new threats surface, she may not be strong enough to protect them all.

In book two of A Curse Books, Ryder discovers what it really means to be Eurydice.

The Thousand Year Curse Review

The Thousand Year Curse by Taylor Lavati

Synopsis

Being a teenager isn't all fun and games for seventeen year old Ryder. After being thrown down the social hierarchy, Ryder Mason has one goal for her senior year- survive.

Within the first month of school, Ryder goes from bullied teen to a cursed half goddess with two boyfriends. As if that wasn't enough, she travels into the Underworld to confront Hades about the curse and her missing mother.

Ryder delves head first into a Godly world as her two knights fight to seek her approval, her best friend's loyalties are tested and people's true intentions are shown in the first Curse Books novel.

Lisa's Review - 4 out of 5 stars

I recently read a book that involved Greek Mythology, and the Underworld etc. so when I read the synopsis I was worried that I would find this book similar and struggle with it - but I was so wrong! The Greek Mythology connections were the only similarities between the two books, and I found myself flipping so quickly through the pages of this one I enjoyed it so much,

Ryder is a kind of loner, with one best friend, and an ex best friend who is now a vicious bully. She lives alone with her dad after her mother abandoned her and lives a pretty quiet life. Until  Ollie and Ari start at the school.

I really enjoyed the relationship Ryder and Ollie had, and I get the Ari was the bad boy, and lets face it, ladies can't resist a bad boy! But the reason I knocked a star off my review was because of the way Ryder accused Ollie of being too controlling - it didn't really come across that way to me. More could have been done to make him look more controlling, he came across as just a concerned boyfriend to me, and given the history I couldn't blame him. The fact Ryder actually has the soul of Eurydice and Ollie and Ari are the sons of Greek gods who fell in love with the original Eurydice who then had a curse put on her, I can understand the concern!

I also found that Ryder didn't seem to put up as much of a struggle when it came to fighting her feelings as she tried to make out she did. I liked the fact that she was a strong, feisty character and this was a real flaw for me and it was a slight let down.

Other than that the rest of the story was pretty good, and I really enjoyed their journey into the Underworld, I could have read a few more chapters of that, it was pretty good.

I was going to suggest this book to my daughter and her friends, until I got to a sex scene! For a book that I would have classed as a YA until then, I was quite shocked at just how steamy it was! I would now hold off on my daughter reading this book until she is about 16!

I also just read that the author is only 22 and this is her first, and self published, book, and I think she has done a great job and I look forward to reading the next instalment!

Links

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18370392-the-thousand-year-curse

http://www.taylorlavati.com/index.html

Purchase Links

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thousand-Year-Curse-Books-ebook/dp/B00EHJM4YA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381748097&sr=1-1&keywords=the+thousand+year+curse

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Year-Curse-Books/dp/1491090863/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381748205&sr=1-1&keywords=the+thousand+year+curse

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-thousand-year-curse-taylor-lavati/1116445981?ean=9781491090862