Teaser Tuesday (168)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. 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



Zoo (p. 276)
   - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

"I have a message for you from Mr. Leahy of the NSA. A high-level meeting is scheduled at the White House this morning. The president will be there, as well as the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Leahy has requested you be there in person to present the new theory you and the other scientists have developed."

Home No More - Blog Tour

Synopsis:
My name is Kendall Carrington—or so I thought…

When 17-year-old Kendall gets pulled over during an impromptu joy ride, she not only discovers she is not the girl she thought she was, but neither is anyone else. Kidnapped when she was young, she is thrust back into a life she doesn’t remember. One where her name is Danielle Tucker and betrayal seems to be lurking around every corner. No longer able to decipher the truth from the lies, she enliststhe help of blue-eyed hottie Lincoln Hunt on her quest for truth.

Will she come to terms with her new life? Or will she go running back to the only home she’s ever known?

Review:
Leddy Parker doesn't shy away from the controversial in her novel, Home No More. This novel takes on a lot, dealing with abuse, kidnapping, the definition of family, nature vs. nurture, love, control, and inner strength. Kendall, also known as Danielle, is the main character of this chaotic crisis and readers will find themselves drowning in the drama, jaw dropped open.

Kendall/Danielle is a seventeen year old girl who grew up as the daughter of a man named John. She knew he wasn't her real father and she knew that Billy wasn't her real brother, but she never questioned why she wasn't allowed to leave the property or where her mother was. Though she claims to have had a good childhood, Kendall is a very violent person, verbally and physically. Though she has experienced a traumatic event, it will be difficult for readers to connect with Kendall. I didn't like her as a character for the first 75% of the book. I thought she was mean, selfish, rude, abusive, irresponsible and untrustworthy. She does get better as the novel goes on, but first impressions matter. I couldn't get over how awful Kendall was to better connect with her. I had sympathy for her situation and difficult choices, but it didn't go any further than that.

The plot of Home No More seems simple at first but becomes more complicated as lies mix with truths. Kendall was kidnapped out of the back of her parent's car after an accident. When she is pulled over without a license, she is taken to the police station and it's discovered that she's actually the missing Danielle Tucker. She's having trouble adjusting to this new life and plans on going back to Billy, her angry and abusive boyfriend, as soon as she turns 18. But then, she finds out that she's pregnant and everything changes. Controversy galore. Readers will undoubtedly have various opinions about each of the topics explored in this novel. Some will connect with Kendall better than others. Some will enjoy the drama filled pages while others will think it's too much. The story is entertaining, without a doubt. However, other than empathy and sympathy, Kendall doesn't seem like a relatable girl or a girl I'd even like to be friends with. She'd definitely yell at me all the time. The girl that Kendall becomes in the end, now she seems stable, friendly, loving, thoughtful. And I like that version of her character much better. The journey helped her become that stronger person.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Meet the Author:
Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use thatimagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped. She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females. The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

Connect with Leddy at www.leddyharper.com 

WWW Wednesday (160)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

    

01. Currently Reading:
Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. I don't like thinking that all animals could turn against humans because I am a HUGE animal lover. But, this book has my attention.

02. Recently Finished:
Home No More by Leddy Harper. When a young girl is taken from a car accident and raised under another name, things get complicated. When that young girl is pulled over and discovered, things get even more complicated. Blog Tour Review on Friday!

03. Reading Next:
Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl by A. Giacomi. This is the story of a young woman who slowly becomes a zombie and how she deals. I'm totally over the moon to start this book!

Grave Mercy

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

*May Contain Spoilers*

I'm a little bit behind on this series, as I've been wanting to read this for some time. So, now, let me jump on the bandwagon and say -- Assassin nuns! The idea alone is completely and absolutely wonderful. Robin LeFevers uses historical events and details to weave her own story about the country of Brittany and a convent of sisters who serve Saint Mortain, the saint of death, in her novel Grave Mercy. 

This first installment focuses on Ismae, a girl scarred from birth and claimed as one of Mortain's daughters. Saved by an herbwitch and a priest, Ismae is hidden and taken to the one place she can be safe and learn to survive (and more). She's taken to become an assassin for Death himself. Ismae is a quiet creature, very reserved. She's so unsure at the beginning that it's difficult to assess her personality. Ismae is incredibly self-conscious. She's also nervous yet eager to prove herself as a skilled, competent assassin. Her loyalty and dedication to her gift is remarkable. Her ability to survive any type of poison is impressive. Readers will enjoy these little characteristics at the beginning. The connection between Ismae and readers will start to thicken as Ismae becomes a key player in the plot of Brittany politics. Her seemingly emotionless stature is replaced by a woman who is learning that life is more complex than ever imagined, and serving Saint Mortain isn't as black and white as the convent made it seem. As Ismae starts thinking for herself and using her own judgement, not to mention falling in love with Gavriel (!), readers will see her open up. 

The plot of Grave Mercy loosely follows real historical events. The band of Saint Mortain's assassins serve their country first. When they learn that Gavriel Duval, the duchess's half-brother, may be in cahoots with France, they send Ismae to keep an eye on him and to gather information by pretending to want to help him. Soon Ismae starts to believe the traitor is someone other than Gavriel and she is determined to flush them out, but her heart serves as a distraction making the assignment more difficult than it first seemed. The story line completely captivated me. I love historical fiction and this was absolutely delightful. I think readers who enjoy tales of royal betrayal and slow blooming love will devour this book, much like I did. I absolutely do not want to wait to get my hands on the next one. This is definitely a trilogy for the book shelf. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups