{ Rotters by Daniel Kraus }

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

April 5, 2011 by Random House Childrens Books

Format: Ebook

From Goodreads:

Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true, that Leonardo Da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school.

Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.

Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters makes Rotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about father's and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of morality.

My review:

Where do I begin? How do I find the words? Rotters is one of those books that leaves you speechless, numb, breathless, disgusted and creeped out, but all in a good way.

Rotters is a story of a boy who goes through hell and back. The pain that Joey goes through, both physical and mental is truly heartbreaking. As a mother and human being I could not help but want to protect him. Even more heartbreaking is the fact that the bullying that Joey is forced to withstand, although extreme? Happens to numerous kids across North America on a daily basis. Although, what happens to us during our lives should not define us as human beings? All too often it can and does.

This book is not a happy story by any means. It is not for the faint of heart or for those with a weak stomach. It took me a little longer to get through this book, simply due to the fact that I had to put it down frequently and regroup before continuing. It should most definitely be read on an empty stomach!

In the end, would I recommend this book? I whole heartily believe this is not for a younger reader. I would recommend this for the 16+ readers. But, yes. If you are prepared to have both your heart and gut wrenched from your body? Give this one a read.

Rating: 4 stars!

{ Teaser Tuesday - June 14, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along, just do the following:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two(2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Here is mine for this week:

'I would raise bodies like a hard rain sucks worms to the surface. I would become hero to a few; to everyone else I would be the whip of flame flickering through feverish nightmares.'

pg 311 - Rotters by Daniel Kraus

What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What are you reading? - June 13, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what's up next. Here is mine for this week:

Last week:

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Currently Reading:

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Up Next:

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

What are you reading?

{ Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton }

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Feb 15, 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers

Format: ebook

From Goodreads:

First there are nightmares.

Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's powers, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was a dream.

Now she must hunt.

Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My review:

This is a hard review for me to write. The first 50 pages or so I was so excited. I connected with the story and the characters right away and felt that this was going to be an amazing ride. However, it was just okay for me. It kind of fizzled and just left me longing for something more, something was missing. I can't really put my finger on it and say for sure what it was. It was just, okay.

The two main characters Ellie and Will had great chemistry and were very enjoyable. Ellie has a lot to deal with as she learns who she really is and what she really is. Most of the time I found her character to be quite believable, but there were times that it was all a little force and rushed for me. Will too was quite believable most of the time, but he too at times felt a little inconsistent. I realize that he had some inner struggles that he was dealing with, but at times I just found the core of his character too conflicting. I found most of Ellie's friends to be just fluff and not too much substance for me. Ellie's mother was interesting and definitely had some depth to her. I look forward to seeing where her character goes in the next book. Now. Ellie's father. I am not too sure about this character. The man is evil and scary and I was expecting something important to come from this character. But nothing ever happened. I am left with a lot questions and perhaps they will be answered in the next book. But I am just left with an overwhelming feeling of...well, nothing really. I kind of lost all connection for these characters and the story.

In the end? Would I recommend it? If you are fan of paranormal, angels and the Fallen? Then yes, give it a read and see for yourself. I know many readers/reviewers have loved this book. I am not saying I did not like it, I am just left feeling very underwhelmed. I will definitely read the next book in the series. I just hope that it packs more of a punch.

Rating: 3.5 stars

{ Teaser Tuesday - June 7, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

*Grab your current read

*Open to a random page

*Share two(2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page

*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

*Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add to book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

My teaser:

Whatever was inside that box wanted me. I could feel its lulling voice still creeping inside my skull, so hard to resist.

pg 180 - Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What Are You Reading? }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what's up next. Here is mine for this week:

Last Week:

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Currently Reading:

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Up Next:

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Corsets & Clockwork by Trisha Telep

What are you reading this week?

{ I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore }

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Aug 3, 2010 by HarperCollins

Format: ebook

Source: Library

From Goodreads:

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They killed them all.

I am number Four.

I am next.

My Review:

When word of this book first started floating around. I was excited to read it. Then I began to hear little tid bits about the controversy surrounding it. I am not going to go into a long winded tangent. If you don't know what I am referring to and want more info you can read about it HERE.

I had put the book out of my mind and then started seeing all the movie previews. I always read the book before seeing the movie and since Alex Pettyfer was the star? Well, I knew I HAD to see the movie. Thus, I decided to give the book a read.

I admit, the first 50 pages had me really questioning my decision. I found the writing to be very disjointed and the story very slow. Thankfully the story kicked in for me soon after. However, it felt as though two different authors were at the helm. I had that feeling a few times throughout the book. I really started to enjoy it and felt connected to it an then it all came to a halt once again. The last 100 pages really came together though.

The two main characters, John - Number Four - and Henri - John's Keeper - were great together. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow and blossom into this amazing pseudo father/son connection. One of the best aspects of this story for me was when John's legacy's started to show and the anticipation of more to follow. The prospect of becoming flame retardant, being able to become invisible, as well as the things you touch - John's Grandfather had this ability - and being able to communicate with animals. How cool would that be?

Aside from John and Henri? One of my favorite characters was, Sam, John's best friend. Sam is this alien conspiracy theory obsessed geek. But aside from that, he is loyal, funny and brave when he truly needs to be. I can not wait to see where this character goes from here into the next book.

The best character of this book though? Bernie Kosar. The Beagle. I adore books with dogs, but being a Beagle owner myself? I fell in love. I knew the instant Bernie was introduced that there HAD to be something special about him. I was not disappointed!

In the end? Thanks to the last 100 pages being filled with great characters, an interesting story and non-stop action, I look forward to the next installment. And of course, I must now see the movie. Alex Pettyfer awaits!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Favorite quote/scene:

Sam runs into his room and comes out with a backpack. He sets it on the kitchen counter and goes to change his clothes. I peer inside of it. There is a crucifix, a few cloves of garlic, a wooden stake, a hammer, a blob of Silly Putty, and a pocketknife.

"You do realize these people aren't vampires, right?" I say when Sam walks back in.

"Yeah, but you never know. They're probably crazy, like you said."

"And even if we were hunting vampires, what the hell is the Silly Putty for?"

He shrugs. "Just want to be prepared."

Book Trailer:

Movie trailer: