Teaser Tuesday (34)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Only one chapter in and already this book has me laughing out loud. I foresee good things to come. =) So I'm sharing TWO teasers this week.

Purgatory
   - Tim Dodge

1: Kindle Loc 60-62
Charles Cunningham downed the last of his vodka, tossed the contracts he'd been reading into the briefcase on his kitchen table, snapped it shut, went into his bathroom, relieved himself and brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas, eased his 64 year-old body into his bed, turned out the light and fell asleep. Then he died.

2: Kindle Loc 104-6
"I'm dead?" Charles said in a choked voice.
The man tilted his head, looking uncomfortable at having to be the one to break the news. "I'm afraid so."

Should Be Reading @ Wordpress

Become

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Ali Cross takes Hell to a whole new level with her novel, Become, focusing around Lucifer's daughter -- Desolation. The story line is a question of when Desi will choose to accept her inner demon, in other words: become. But Desi doesn't like being an evil force. Which definitely produces a problem for dear, old dad. 

Desi was an easy character to like but not an easy one to understand or really form a strong connection with. Her thoughts, hopes, and fears were often jumbled together. I had a hard time discerning what Desi was aiming for in her rebellion. She disliked being evil but still wanted to return to Hell? Huh? 

Though readers will form a basic connection with Desi based on her insecurities and honesty as a teenage girl, I'm unsure if the bond will strengthen throughout the rest of the book.  

The plot line itself was interesting, but still very confusing. Desi travels to Earth in order to "train" in her journey to become a demon. But when it seems that she has, it turns out that she hasn't. She actually has a choice to opt out of demon-ness. Then angels get involved and a tornado of misunderstanding swoops in. The worst thing was the word choice by Cross. Throughout the novel, there are several different names for the same thing and when used interchangeably readers can easily get lost. I know that I did. Often. 

Become has a great story idea and wonderful characters to build upon, but it didn't feel like a final version to me. Cross's creativity was fresh and intriguing. (I did finish the entire book) But, sadly, I don't think I'll be going back for book two. 

Rating: 2/5 cups

Become: a novel of Desolation

Wrap Up: October

Made it through nine great novels in October. Have to say that The Sun, The Moon, and Maybe the Trains was my favorite read of the month. =)

What's your favorite book from last month? Leave a comment below :D

The Mistaken

All Tyler Karras wants is to enjoy life with his expectant bride; what he gets instead is a graveside seat at her funeral. With the woman who killed her uncharged and still free, all Ty wants now is revenge. His brother, Nick, has dangerous connections and suggests a sadistic plan: grab the woman responsible and hand her over to his associates—sex-traffickers in San Francisco’s Russian Mafia. They offer Ty more than he dreamed possible. In exchange for the woman, they’ll finally let his brother leave the business for good—with his debt wiped clean and his heart still beating.

There’s just one problem: Ty kidnaps the wrong woman.

Now he must protect her from the very enemy he’s unleashed, but the Russians are holding Nick as leverage to force Ty to complete their deal. Caught in a no-win situation, Ty must find a way to save himself, his brother, and the woman, but with the Russian Mafia, even two out of three makes for very long odds

*May Contain Spoilers*

Nancy S. Thompson takes the thriller genre to an entirely new level with her novel, The Mistaken. I was blown away by the characters, the plot, and the twists that tie them all together. 

Tyler Karras is the main character, a Brit who lives in San Francisco by way of Australia  He's the kind of man who walks the straight and narrow, never even attempting to bend the rules. He's full of love, passion, and the desire to help his younger brother become a better man. Though his life is full of misfortune. 

As his life slowly crumbles, Tyler adds weight to his own shoulders, taking the blame for the choices of others. Readers will connect with him easily at first, but the bond is strained when Tyler's actions turn him into a monster who dreams of nothing but revenge. 

Hannah Maguire, a character who shares the narration with Tyler throughout the novel, is the example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though she's ripped from her own life and thrown into one filled with murder, the Russian mafia, and an emotionally ruined Tyler, Hannah is an astounding character. She remains strong throughout the turmoil she is forced into, showing love and forgiveness for those who are forsaken. 

She was definitely my favorite character and a very easy one to connect to. Though some of her actions were hard to understand, such as her developing feelings for Tyler after he kidnapped her and attempted to rape her. (Stockholm syndrome?) 

The plot was well-paced and a shocking realization that revenge really is a dish best served cold. With a warm heart and a sense of love still in place, it's hard to carry out the "justice" you wish to serve. Thompson explores this with Tyler, giving him the chance to avenge his wife and dead child, taking readers to the very edge of sanity. 

The Mistaken is a tornado of mayhem as revenge is sought after with the deceiving promise that justice will heal all wounds. 

Rating: 4.5/5 cups

The Mistaken