Review: Curiosity Killed Shaney by J.C. Wallace

Shaney's curiosity is always getting him into trouble, including stumbling into a ritualistic circle and being imbued with an energy that will eventually tear him apart. He soon finds that Hudson, a man he cares for deeply, might be responsible for his misfortune. Add in the betrayal of his best friend Todd and the desire of a demented occultist named Silas determined to control the energy inside of him and there seems to be no way out. Can Shaney find a way to rid his body of the nefarious energy before he dies a horrible death?

I instantly loved Shaney. Good thing, since it's told from his POV! He's quirky, fun and completely likeable. He's always getting himself into trouble, but it's always with the best of intentions. Truly, it is.

Shaney's love interest, Hudson, is equally likeable with his mildly stand-off-ish attitude and unexpected devotion to Shaney.  I say unexpected because we didn't really know Hudson's feelings until he decides that Shaney is his and he isn't going to let anyone eff with him. Me likes him, I do.

"Shaney had felt like the center of Hudson's universe, but he couldn't be. He wasn't anyone's everything. Pain in the arse, yes. Pain in the neck, definitely. Bane of existence, absolutely. But everything? Everything was a polished, sparkly ball of perfect, while Shaney was a defective, tarnished ball of flawed human being."

To say Shaney has a low self-image might be an understatement, so anyone who's able to make him see his own awesomeness is a winner for me.

I instantly fell for both our heroes and they instantly fell for each other. It didn't really happen until around the halfway point but it still felt insta to me. Maybe because there wasn't much flirting or knowledge of their mutual attraction until BAM! they were calling each other 'Baby'. Which I am a total sucker for, BTW, so I wasn't really all that bothered by it. It was cute, endearing and well, I liked it about them.

Okay. So.

Our heroes? They were great!

The paranormal, witchy, symbols, geometry, magical stuff? Not really.

It was too much. Once I got a grasp on the who and what and how, something or someone else was thrown in and I was forced to figure everything out again. If it were kept simpler I think it would have worked well. By simpler I mean taking a couple of the ideas and really fleshing them out. If I start to feel confused when reading because I feel like there's too much being shoved at me, I lose interest. And that's what happened here towards the end. I was really loving it and was totally feeling Shaney, but bit by bit my brain got all muddled and I was gone.

The first half was 4 solid hearts! Second half... about a 2. So, I ended up with 3. I'd definitely read on, especially if we were given Todd's story.

A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Violence Begets by P.T. Denys

After a tragic accident devastates his family, 16-year-old Rick St. James starts his junior year of high school alone in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. When he meets Kevin Vincent, he’s too distracted by the promise of new friends to see that Kevin has secrets of his own.

Having created an environment where he's feared and admired by his classmates, Kevin finds pleasure in using his good looks and violence to control and manipulate those around him. Secretly, he cruises the gay club scene, turning tricks to earn money so he can party and get high.

As Rick’s dad becomes increasingly violent and abusive at home, the two form a surprising and volatile trust. In this battle of wills, their precarious friendship will either keep their lives from blowing up around them or possibly light the fuse that will cause the explosion.

My initial reaction to this book -

I could not stop reading this book, it was brilliant and beautiful. It was also brutal and unbelievably sad and I won't forget it for a long time.

I may write a more extensive review once my head and heart have healed a little.

Well a week has passed but I'm still struggling to put into words how much I loved this book. Be warned, it is sad - it is more than sad, it's tragic - from the beginning to the end. Yet in the middle something beautiful blossoms. Have you ever seen a patch of weed with a pretty flower in the middle, well that is this book to me.

I'm not going to rehash the blurb or the story, there's no point. I will say at the start I HATED Kevin...just goes to show, don't judge a book by it's cover, or don't make assumptions til you know the full story. Yeah, it was one of those books that made you stop and think about your interactions and responses to people. Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. Instead of being preachy though, this story made me love the characters and because of that I felt every, single moment of their pain. Each and every one and it still hurts.

Not an easy read - but a must read. A real must read.

Review: Small Circles by Megan Duke

Small Circles is the story of four friends over four years of their young adult lives in Tennessee. Starting in their sophomore year at a boarding school and continuing through their freshman year at different universities, the friends face the same trials most teenagers face today, as well as a few other things. This inspiring story touches base with the struggles of defining oneself in spite of homosexuality, drug addiction, suicide, and heartbreak. Most of all it sends one message: it’s okay to be happy.

  
When we talked about the blog and discussed our heart rating system at some point one of the Unicorns suggested a broken heart for DNF books or books that an individual reviewer just finds impossible to rate. I have to admit, though I love chief designer extraordinaire Natasha's design, I didn't think I'd ever use it. I mean you either like a book or not, right? In a book you don't like there are usually aspects to be found that are good, even with a book you really don't like a review can be written to explain why you've chosen the rating you have. The most negative review can be written without being a slag fest. So, beautiful though this heart is, I knew I would never have to use it.

Then I read Small Circles.

Before I start this review I will give my usual disclaimer that, to me, the most beautiful thing about reading is that it is entirely an individualistic pursuit. What one loves another doesn't. Even the most famously popular books have their critics (and not all of them are trolls looking to hell raise some controversy in this quiet little bookland of ours) - heck even in the clubhouse we disagree strongly on what we like and don't like. *Shocked face* I know right? But it's true, you only have to read our monthly bookchat to see. So when I finished this book, with no freaking idea what to with it, what I felt about it, how to contemplate writing a review I decide to see what others thought of it. I perused the reviews on GoodReads and to my surprise it has garnered an average of 4.55 stars. What????? Did these people read a different book to me? Nope - they just had a different opinion, which is good, no car crash, no drama, nothing to see here folks. (Well apart from the review that is).

So from the beginning;

This inspiring story touches base with the struggles of defining oneself in spite of homosexuality...

This was the promise I loved. That a book has homosexual characters but it isn't all about their sexuality. The recognition that teens are struggling with many issues and whilst their sexual orientation/preferences may be one of them, it isn't all of them.

Did it deliver?

In many ways it did, we followed the lives of these teens throughout High School. Three boys and one girl whose lives were intermingled in that way that only happens to teenagers. Paxton and Larson have been friends forever, then Owen joins their group. The feisty 12 year old who stuck up for Larson when he was being bullied fitted into the threesome easily and the trio became four when Jade joined at the beginning of the story.

I loved the interactions and dynamics between the four of them. That ease that comes with years of friendships - the angst of growing up. Life had been particularly hard for Paxton and he didn't always make the best choices to help him cope. Larson, the openly gay one of the group and Paxton's best friend, did what he could to help - he listened and advised and tried to steer his friend on the right tracks. But Paxton wasn't always honest and Larson was dealing with his own teenage angst. Add in some complicated love triangles (squares) and secrets between these guys and it all becomes one big, hormonal, angst fest.

So far so good. 

The writing is easy to read, Megan Duke has some fabulous characters, some real and raw scenarios and some definite understanding of what it's like to be a hormonally charged teen.
I did have one complaint at this point and that is that it seemed at times to rush. In an averaged sized book we got through four years of life. It was set out in these four years of High School and, in my opinion, each year could have been a separate book. The issues and tribulations penned in each portion of the book could have been written more in depth, at times resolutions seemed to come a little quickly and easily in order for the next problem to appear. This is my take on it, how I felt. Not badly written just a little....convenient at times. The troubles were hooking though and I wanted to keep reading. I invested in the characters, I wanted it all to work out for them. I really did.

I have to be honest here, I can't write this portion, the bit that explains my rating, without some kind of spoilerage going on - so if you really don't want to know, stop reading now. Please, I don't like spoilers but I can't justify my rating without it.


So why the broken heart rating?

Because it did break my heart, but not in a way that I felt was relevant or necessary to the story. One of the MC's dies. So? Yeah, I know, though I'm an HEA kinda girl I can and have read and highly rated books that has an MC death. Some of them have left me distraught - a good book draws you in, makes you fall in love with the characters. In the M/M genre I can think of three books straight off the top of my head that had me in that gut wrenching place (I won't name them because if you've not read them I don't want to spoil them), that awful place where you genuinely feel like you have lost a good friend. You're grieving with the other characters but some of it is your loss too. It's only a book, only fiction you cry. I know and sure, once the book hangover's cleared, I've got up and carried on. But for that moment in time it is as real to me as an actual death, a good author has that knack.

What I don't like is a death that seems irrelevant to the story, appears to be there just for a touch of drama and that 'Oh my fucking fuck I did not see that coming,' moment. Those plot lines I really don't like. I know in real life shit happens. It really happens and we can't control it - but part of the beauty of reading is to escape from real life. I don't need 100% butterflies and unicorns and hearts and flowers and glittery rainbows. (Well Unicorns I always need) but yeah I need the other stuff some of the time. I like it a lot of the time, in my reading I really, really enjoy it - but a well written, relevant angst fest I can get onside with. I can become involved with and I can even be happy at the finish. Death for drama I can't. I left the reading of this book feeling deflated and - well I suppose angry, angry that I'd invested myself in these characters, that life and the HEA I'd hoped for, that I'd seemed to be getting, was snatched away from me. I felt let down and so close to the end of the book I didn't have time to resolve those feelings. I was just left hanging and hating the time I had invested in it. So that's why I chose the broken heart. It wasn't an easy choice - the writing is good, it was just the closing storyline that I had the problem with.

A copy of this novel was given to us in exchange for an honest review.

Review: From Darkness to Darkness (Loka Legends #2) by Jay Bell

From the cradle to the grave…

The Black Oligarch is dead. Some call his replacement a boy, others call him a threat. Cole lost everything the night he became Oligarch: his family, his home… even Jonah. Now he’s alone, left only with painful memories and the power to destroy the Five Lands.

When Dylan is sent to help Cole, he finds they have more in common than expected. They hope to build a new life together, but dark forces have other plans for them. The dead are rising, bringing secrets from the past that threaten to change their lives forever. Can Dylan guide a young man through the darkness and protect those he loves without making the ultimate sacrifice?

**My desperate attempt at a spoiler free review**

So, I'm in love. I'm in love with a cat. A big, talking cat.

Kio has stolen my heart with his loyalty and snark, and I'm not sure if I'll ever get it back.

But, I digress.

Dylan, Tyjinn and Kio are back and thrust into another adventure where they set out to do more than should be expected of any of them.

We're introduced to Cole as he loses everything he loves most, including his boyfriend Jonah. Dylan is then sent by his father to get Cole after his father sees what has happened to him. But on the return, Cole is influenced by someone less than trustworthy, Thistle, who promises to help him get back what it is he wants most. Jonah.

And, really, who can blame the kid? He's just lost it all, of course he'll do what it takes to get back the most important person in his life.

Now, Thistle. I kinda liked the guy. I sympathized with him more than once and could kind of see where he was coming from. Yeah, he was all kinds of cray and disturbed, but the glimpses into his past did help to make him a tad likeable, even for a villain.

What I enjoyed most about this Loka book (besides Kio) was the different directions in the plot. This wasn't Dylan's story like the first book, nor was is Cole's book. We have a whole cast of great characters all working in different ways against Thistle.

My favorite of these sub-plots was that we learned quite a bit about Kio's parents and his past. But in my desperate attempt at 'no spoilers' I won't say much more about that. Except that I was more than surprised at where he came from and more than pleased with Kio's reaction.

From Darkness to Darkness was just that... pretty dark. Much darker than the first with much more heartache. No big surprise here, but Jay Bell did manage to squeeze a couple tears out of me. It's like he knows exactly which strings to tug.

This is, first and foremost, a fantasy adventure. But there is a great love story that, I'd say, is pretty epic, too.

"Dylan grabbed Tyjinn and kissed him. This is why he loved him. Not for his handsome face or beautiful body, not for his power, talent, or all the other traits that had first made Tyjinn so alluring. No, Dylan loved him for his heart, which despite his cool exterior, burned with endless passion for him, for truth, for everything right and just."

As a romance reader, I enjoyed every scene that Dylan and Tyjinn shared. Their relationship has grown since the last book and I love where they are now. And I not only had their story to gush over, but Cole and Jonah's as well.

Group Review: Tough Love by Heidi Cullinan (Love Fest)

Tough Love, Special Delivery, Book 3

Crescencio “Chenco” Ortiz pulled himself up by his garter straps after his father’s will yanked the financial rug from under his spank-me pumps. He doesn’t need anyone, yet when Steve Vance steps into his life, the prospect of having a sexy leather daddy on tap begins to take on a certain appeal.

There’s a hitch when he learns Steve is friends with Mitch Tedsoe—the half-brother Chenco never knew except through his father’s twisted lies. Despite his reservations, soon Chenco is living his dreams, including a performing gig in Vegas. Now if only he could get Steve to see him as more than just a boy in need of saving.

Steve’s attraction to Chenco is overshadowed by too many demons, ones he knows his would-be lover is too young to slay. Yet as he gets to know the bright, determined young man whose drag act redefines fierce, Steve’s inner sadist trembles with need. He begins to realize Chenco’s relentless tough love might be the only thing that will finally set him free.

Warning: This story contains glamorous drag queens, exhibitionist secondary characters, and no-holds-barred BDSM play, including watersports. Readers advised they may well leave this novel feeling uncharacteristically fierce.

This is a bittersweet moment in the clubhouse. We all just finished Book #3 of the Special Delivery series and DAMMITALLTOHELL did we have a good time reading and loving this series together or what? We couldn’t wait to get to this story and not a one of us was disappointed (except for it being over, hence the bittersweet). Tough Love was especially fun because while Special Delivery and Double Blind were new to a few, they were an awesome re-read to others, Tough Love was new to us all. The beauty is, now Tough Love can (and will) be a re-read, guaranteed. Thank you Heidi for making us look at blue semis, poker, cat posters and drag queens in a whole new, and incredibly amazing, light!

And now, Unicorn thoughts . . . . .

Also - some of these reviews may contain some spoilers, consider yourself warned!


Miss Sunny Says:

The characters: More Mitch, Sam, Randy, Ethan, and Crabtree? Sign me up! Add in Chenco and Caramela, who I loved, and I was feeling a little giddy. Steve was likeable, and at first, I really liked him, but later on, I felt disconnected from him as he struggled with different worries. Also, Steve's BDSM preferences were outside my comfort zone, which made it even more difficult for me to connect with him. All in all, though, these were interesting, complex personalities that contrasted with each other even as they worked well as a family. 5 big shiny stars

The writing: So much emotion shown through words. Beautiful, consistent characterization. Great details that were slipped into the story. A few spots with too much telling, though, and a lot happened off page, just enough to make me say, wait, what about... 4 stars

The story: Simple, interesting, kept me engaged, but more a vehicle for the characters to interact. Strong beginning. I loved meeting Steve, Chenco, and Caramela, and I loved how Steve understood Carmela right away.
-The BDSM didn't work for me for me as much as it did in the earlier books. ***SPOILER*** ...especially the sadism; serious pain at that level and for its own sake was difficult for me to read about and the needle play went further than I was prepared for. Watersports? In general, it just confuses me.  I did like other parts of the BDSM play, though.
-Caramela was such a great character, I wish she'd been present more often. It felt like she was too easily put away.
-I also wish we'd had more Chenco and Mitch time. They were brothers meeting for the first time and we barely saw them together. Chenco had more page time with Randy and Sam.
-After a strong and interesting start, it felt like the story stalled a bit, started to meander. Actually, the whole story was like that, strong scenes that grabbed me interspersed with a lot of telling, summarizing, wrapping up. 3 stars

Overall, 4 stars, but I'm not sure I would have liked it as much as I did if I hadn't read and loved the other books first.

Favorite quote: "Chenco swallowed a whimper. 'I'm not a princess, bitch, I'm a queen.'"

Side note: I don't think he means to, but Randy tends to steal the show. His personality is so big it draws most of the attention in every scene he's in. Sam does something similar, not just because of who he is, but also because of how everyone else reacts to him. Those two seem to be the main players, even in this story about other people. Of course, that might be my impression because that's just how they affect me :)

Miss Lorix Says:

So we're back with the series that made me realise I like a little kink in my reading. *cough* a lot of kink if it involves Randy *cough*

And this gem was certainly no let down. Before I start I will echo Sunny's thoughts that I may not have read/enjoyed this so much without having read the previous two in the series - who knows I may have done, but, as I had already read them and couldn't unread them, it'll forever remain a mystery.

So as well as Sam, Mitch, Randy, Ethan & Crabtree (scary, scary man) we meet Steve & Chenco & Caramela. Caramela is Chenco's drag queen persona and boy does she rule the roost. She was a fabulous character but I also loved her alter ego Chenco. I also loved Steve, a lot. He made me feel safe - he made me feel like Chenco was safe with him. Strange really as he had some kinks going on that I couldn't relate to. The beauty of Heidi Cullinan's writing is that, though I couldn't understand the needle or watersports (or if I'm honest some of the more basic BDSM stuff) I could totally understand the characters' need for them. If I took each individual kink and analysed it in the cold light of day I wouldn't 'get it', but I had such empathy for the characters, purely due to Heidi's writing, that I did get it. I understood their needs and desires and the way they dealt with release and pain and love. In short Heidi Cullinan is a genius.

Of course the original three characters, in particular Randy, were my favourites - I'm pretty sure as long as they have stories to tell I will never get tired of reading them.

Miss Breann Says:

 "Bossy McBosserpants. Big old Dom, don't-you-fuck-with-me, I-run-the-room Steve Vance."

*purrs*

Yup, I liked Steve. A whole hell of a lot. I completely agree with Lori's take on him, he was safe. Chenco and Caramela were safe with him. He helped them discover things about themselves that they didn't even know existed. Things they didn't know they wanted, let alone needed.

I'm talking about Caramela and Chenco as two separate people, because really, that's what they were. Of course, Caramela was a part of Chenco all the time, but when she came out to play everyone around knew who they were talking to. She's 100% badass and I love, love her for it.

The sex. Ooooooh holy BDSM hotness, the sex. Their chemistry, they had such chemistry I almost couldn't stand it. The way they fit together was completely perfect.

"Even if you were fifty-five, tonight I'd call you boy. It's not about your age. It's your role. Being a man is tough work. Being a boy is something we all miss, and some of us never got it. Right now you get to be a boy. You can be tired, you can be petulant, you can be scared. It doesn't matter. I'm your man right now, the only one you need. You can lay it all down and be a boy. In fact, I require you to."

*THUD*

I really loved all the BDSM elements they shared together. I love what they represented to each other and how they were done. They only deepened what they had and it only deepened my love for Steve and Chenco.

Unlike my fellow unicorns here, it's been quite a while since I've read the first two. I loved this with or without the rest of the series. It's a forever favorite of mine. It was dirty and kinky and loving and just fucking hot. Holy fuck, it was hot.

Miss Jenni Lea Says:

Well. Lemme just tell you about this here little story. First, we have Chenco. Chenco the scared little rabbit who hides behind his alter ego (Caramela the Fierce One) because he doesn't know how else to deal with the shit life has thrown at him. He meets Steve The Badass Dom soon after his asshat of a father dies and leaves him abso-freaking-lutely nothing. Nothing but a headache, that is. Oh, and Chenco is Mitch's half brother, but you already know that from the blurb so we won't rehash it here.

I seriously think this is my favorite of the series. Now, I know what you're thinking, "what?!?!? What about RANDY?!?!?!". Yes, yes, Randy is still (and always will be) my favorite character but story-wise, this one knocked it outta the park for me. There was just so much excitement! They were doin' stuff and saying stuff and doin' more stuff and I just ate it all up. I think part of the reason it was my favorite is because it didn't just focus on Chenco and Steve but on all of the characters. I gained more insight into the mind of Crabtree. I got to see Sam grow up and be even more confident in himself than ever before. And I got to see Ethan from a totally different perspective (I ♥ Ethan!).

Even though the kinks in here weren't my kind of thing I still found myself engrossed in the scenes and I was able to get a feel of how much Chenco and Steve were into it and how much it affected them and it really came across in a respectful and entertaining manner.

So, do I recommend you read this book? Why yes, yes I do. Read it. Right now. Now I say!

Miss Ann (that would be me) Says:

Tough Love is pretty much the epitome of why I love reading Heidi Cullinan’s books. The characters have SO many dimensions, that no matter what their kink is, be it needles or Disney princesses, I get it. I don’t have to understand it for myself, but I so understand it for her characters.

Reading the “warning” at the bottom of the blurb, I should think I would say, “Oh, hell no!” And yeah, for me, “Oh, hell no!” But for Steve and Chenco, the kink was so beyond the act itself, it was almost as if the act didn’t matter, it wasn’t the point. The point was what the act represented the symbolism of respect, trust and release. All things that both Steve and Chenco needed so desperately.

I love that her characters can’t be pigeonholed. Sure Steve is a leather daddy and Chenco is his sub learning all about pain play. At first Chenco seems to be in a desperate state and Steve is going to be his savior, but as the story progressed, I had to wonder, who was saving whom here. Every pairing in this series is so spot on perfect and these two are absolutely no exception. And, while I love the story, love to read more about my favorite characters (and meet new ones, Caramela – HELLO!) and love the filthy sweetness of it all, what I love most is all the layers in which these guys love. Every act is so much more than just an act and speaks to each of them so personally I feel like I know them inside and out. I really can’t recommend this series enough. And while Tough Love may be new, it’s a classic just like the first two.

Find more info on BookLikes and Goodreads

Review: Benjamin Pepperwhistle and the Fantabulous Circus of Wonders by Cornelia Grey

Benjamin Pepperwhistle has one overriding desire: to handle the glorious machinery that is a gun. So when he decides to run away to join the circus, it's only natural that he should seek out the legendary pistoleer, Cole Beauchamp, and beg to be his assistant. Life in the circus has definite ups and downs, but as Benjamin settles in to his role, he finds that some perks are even better than he'd anticipated.

WOW, this was WAY more than what I expected. I kind of thought it would be a quirky and interesting little diversion, but other than that I really had no expectations. The cover and the title sucked me right in. Now, if someone would have told me yesterday at this time that I was going to read a book about gun play and it was going to be off the charts sexy I would have said, “Ha! Yeah right, I’ll do dirty all day, but I don’t do crazy.” Well, well, well, guess what? I can totally do this crazy!

I’m always impressed when an author can take a taboo kink and make it work because of the great characters and their connection. The dynamic between Cole, Benjamin and the guns was so intense and their physical reactions to the show they were putting on for the circus was damn crazy good. That’s what got me here and what the author did so well, it ultimately is not about the guns. The guns are a tool to get at the emotions of control, trust and release and all of that pushed both of these guys buttons hard.

There are a few editing niggles that I wanted to fix. Inconsistencies with the time that Benjamin had been with the circus (see below*) and at a critical moment when he should have been out of bullets, but the scene continued without him reloading. I was so into it though I just said to myself, “OK, 2 days, 2 weeks, whatever.” And, “We’ll just pretend he just reloaded to get on to the goodies.”

I would love, love, love to see a couple more chapters of this story. Not that there is anything missing, it is a pretty short story after all and the balance was pretty good with background and buildup. The sex in the story wasn’t even that physically intimate, but the emotional and mental aspect of their sexuality was so damned well done, I didn’t want it to be over. What really got to me was the roles in their power play that were unexpected, but written so fluidly they added to connection between Cole and Benjamin. It made the open ended HFN happy enough that I can completely buy into them having and HEA.

*I saw on GR that the author had made some expansions from the original story and has corrected the time frame - check it out. Thank you Cornelia!

 

Review: Bloodline by Barbara Elsborg

No one can tattoo better than Inigo, a two hundred year old vampire, who works on human and supernatural skins. But he’s never tattooed a faerie and when a bunch of them insist he comes with them to tattoo one of their kind, saying no proves not to be an option. His skin is Oberon, the faerie king, and Inigo fears this will be the last tattoo he’ll ever do.

The moment Micah lands in the faerie king’s bed chamber, he knows the guy is trouble. But if he’s to save his sister and his family, let alone the job he’s paid to do, he has to stay in Faerieland and endure Oberon’s sadism. When he’s thrown into a vampire’s cell, covered in blood, he fears this day will be his last.

This book follows on from Jumping in Puddles - though there is no need to read that one first.

What do you get when you throw a vampire tattoo artist with a penchant for snark in with a gorgeous fairy James Bond?  You get a delightful romp into the land of the fae and an adventure rife with danger, deceit and intrigue.  You get a clever tale of magic and mischief.  And shenanigans!  What more could you ask for?

Even though there were parts that were extremely dark and disturbing you can’t help but consider this a light, entertaining read.  The balance between light and dark is as perfect as a tightrope act.  It all boils down to Inigo.  Inigo is a delight.  He’s a funny, snarky, arrogant horndog.  He also may be a bit messed up in the head.  I mean, he talks to his penis… and it talks back.

“You’re clever as well as a great fuck?”  “Yep, so don’t lose me.”

Though this book may be about fairies and vampires and have a fantastical storyline it also has an emotional maturity that you don’t see very often.  For example:

One thing he did know, keeping quiet and not trying to sort this out would only make things worse.

and

“Don’t push me away because you’re scared.  Do the opposite.  Pull me closer.”

I had so much fun reading this book!  I haven’t laughed this much in a long time.  Between all the snappy comebacks and one liners this was a riot a minute.  There were a few times that made me sad or angry but then something funny would happen to bring me out of my funk.  And the epilogue?  Perfection.

What have I learned with this book?  I’ve learned unicorns are awesome.  That’s what I’ve learned.  Unicorns are King of the Forest.  They also can cure pretty much anything, even zombieism.  We… er, I mean they are majestic beings who are second to none.  See?  Awesome.