Sweet Liar

Sweet Liar // Debra Doxer

                                                                 

                                                                            Rating: 4.5/5
     
            *I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review*

     After a long wait I can finally write about the sequel to Like Candy, entitled Sweet Liar.
I very patiently, (okay fine IMPATIENTLY) waited to read this book and it was most definitely worth the wait. The book began exactly where Like Candy left off. Although overall the book was great I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the beginning which is why I couldn't give it the extra 0.5. In the beginning I felt that Candy was being a little too generous with Jonah and I felt she should have been a little more emotional. I realize that Candy's personality doesn't call for this but I wished the fallout reaction was a little more prolonged. It felt like she fell down, brushed herself off and then ran back into the arms of Jonah. Besides this the book was so clever and magnificent that it was very easy to get over my issue. The way that Doxer reveals the plot and ties all the strings of the story together was brilliant and I really enjoyed the reveal of all the mystery that was in the first book. I really love Candy's and Jonah's mature character (except when Candy pulls pranks). It was a breath of fresh air from the characters you would typically find in a young adult book. Even though the characters are mature they are still able to develop through the story line. I wish that this series could've been a trilogy so I could read more about Candy but I'm content with how the story ends. I can't wait to see what Doxer comes out with next!

Leave questions and comments down below!

Find me on Goodreads @ Iman Oza
Contact Me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com
Check out the author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebraDoxer
Check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Liar-Candy-Book-2-ebook/dp/B015TBKNVU

Like Candy

Like Candy // Debra Doxer

                                                                   

                                                                            Rating: 5/5
       
            *I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review*

     Today, I come to my fellow readers with a MUST READ.... Don't argue with me just read it and then thank me later......

Like Candy, I am going to begin by saying...

I ate this book up like candy.

I know corny but THAT is how much I ADORED this book

First things first, the cover is gorgeous and because I have an e-copy I am literally thinking I might buy a paperback just to have the cover.. It looks awesome.

Onto the characters.. some main characters in this book were Candy, the narrator and her love interest Jonah. Some other important characters are the mean girl, Parker and Candy's backup girl Lea. Also, Candy's father plays an important role. 

When the book started I immediately got Alison DiLaurentis vibes from Candy but she turned out to be a REALLY awesome main character. I ended up really liking her. The only time that I was super frustrated with her was in this line...

"I knew Jonah and I weren't destined to become a couple or anything, but something sparked between us..."

Lord, Candy!!!! The book was narrated from your point of view from what I know you both are into each other so don't give me the whole innocent we won't be together thing because it is baloney. You can't say you won't be together but then say you had a spark!

Rant over, that issue was with Candy not Debra.

Moving on to another character Jonah.

He reminded me a little of Warner from Shatter Me. Only because it took time for me to warm up to him. I ended up really enjoying his character.

I liked the relationship between these two characters as it seemed realistic and neither one jumped into anything too quickly. They were both just figuring each other out.

Now onto Parker, she was really like a straight up Regina George. I didn't like her and I wasn't supposed to so that worked out nicely.

Finally, Candy's father. Honestly I was a little upset because the dad was really shady and he would not really tell Candy much. Candy was very honest (for the most part) with her dad and she is a really good kid. Some scenes I really wanted for her to just up and leave when I felt her dad was super cold and distant. 

I still liked the character as a reader because it added a really great dimension that I don't see often.

The book was an emotional roller coaster that I would ride again any day.

I need the sequel right now.

This book was awesome and I can't say much else but leave you with one last thing...

I read the book nonstop from about 6:00 to 10:30.

That's all

-Iman

Leave questions and comments down below!

Find me on Goodreads @ Iman Oza
Contact Me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com
Check out the author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebraDoxer
Check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Like-Candy-Debra-Doxer-ebook/dp/B011F9963G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437621954&sr=8-1&keywords=Like+Candy

The Secret Lab

The Secret Lab // Steven Moore

                       
                                                                         Rating: 3/5

 This book was given to me free from the author in exchange for my honest review...

So today I come to you all with something a little different then what I usually read. This book features a math loving cat, Mr.Paws aboard a spaceship who is caught up in observing a mystery that is taking place aboard. 

I don't have too much to say about this book as I was kind of torn about it. 

On the one hand I really loved the idea and execution of an animal as a narrator amongst humans as this could have easily become silly. I commend the author on his ability to keep Mr. Paws serious but still somewhat realistic.

On the other hand at some parts the story was boring and a little bit juvenile.

Not terribly but I don't know if I would categorize this as a YA book, I am leaning towards upper middle grade if that makes sense.

Overall it was an okay book but it was still unique it gets a lot of brownie points for that...

See when I say I am torn.

I didn't love it or hate it and honestly if you like books like this I think you will consider this one a home run.

On a side note (unrelated) I really wish that this had a little bit of a better cover. I feel like this is not up to the level of what I am seeing with covers. I think considering the setting of the book the cover could've come out super cool if it drew inspiration from the content.

-

Iman

Follow me on Goodreads @ 

Iman Oza

Contact me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com 

Find this book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057G4TH2?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0

                                                

When Rain Rises

When Rain Rises // Sirus Hunt

                                                                     

                                                                            Rating: 4.5/5
         
            *I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review*

  (Just to start off I need to say that this cover is GORGEOUS!!! Props to whoever came up with this and it matches the colors of my blog.)

Now on to my actual review.....

This book follows Rain (I know the CUTEST name ever) an impoverished young man who has amnesia, has a great sense of humor, and is confident that he will be a legend some day. The book takes place in a post apocalyptic society that is protected by walls all around. The book shows us through Rain's journey as he finds out about a secretive group known as The Vivian that is all about doing good on the streets of this city.

I can summarize this whole book in one word....

BADASS (If you read the book you will understand the reference)

This book is amazing in a way that it feels familiar to me but it is still extremely unique. Most of my passion for this book comes from the amazing characters that the author has developed.

The main character Rain is absolutely hilarious and his sense of humor is a refreshing constant throughout the entire book. His confidence is also extremely charming.

The other character that I absolutely loved was Aiden. He is the cunning, clever, and extremely straightforward mentor to Rain. I liked him from the beginning as he is a no fooling around type of guy which provides a perfect contrast in comparison to Rain.

Rain's partner is Alyse and honestly I didn't really like her much. She just seemed super bratty.
However, I did end up liking how much her character develops within the book, I can stand her but I prefer Bianca (the other female protagonist) over Alyse. (Plus I am not sure how to say Alyse//Someone help me!).

If you like action this book definitely delivers some great action. I loved the detail that the character uses when describing the fight scenes. It feels like your sitting in the front row of a boxing match and I'm screaming, "Yeah get him Rain!".

You might be saying to yourself... "Well Iman if you liked it so much where'd the other half star go?", and I can answer that.

The e-book I received was a little wonky in the way the chapters were arranged. Some chapters were missing, others were moved around. I don't really pay attention to chapter numbers while reading because I am so into the story so I completely missed a chapter and then all of a sudden I got the missing chapter like five chapters later. I was actually thinking that part of the story was missing because Rain actually has more amnesia and the author was just absolutely brilliant in showing that.

Oops.

My other small problem is only because I loved the book so much.

I WISH THERE WAS MORE.

I NEED to know about Rain's amnesia and his past. We didn't really get any answers about that in this book but this is a series so I hope that we can find out in the next book.

WARNING: Cliffhanger ending.

So basically I needed the sequel yesterday.

- <3 Iman

Find me on Goodreads @ Iman Oza
Contact Me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com
Check out the author: https://sirushunt.wordpress.com/
Check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/When-Rain-Rises-Vivian-Book-ebook/dp/B00YDI7GS4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433020900&sr=8-1&keywords=when+rain+rises

Have a happy day and leave a comment for me below

      

The Phoenix Rising: Destiny Calls

The Phoenix Rising: Destiny Calls // Phenice Arielle

                       
                                                                          Rating: 5/5  

                                                

                                       

                                       (Spoilers may be ahead... You have been warned)

                This book was given to me free from the author in exchange for my honest review...

 This book is the literal definition to why I love books.

Honestly, books are a place where you can take any idea that you have and develop it in the way you want to. There is so much talent out there that you probably will never get to experience everyone's offerings in the world.

I am glad that I got to experience this showcase of talent.

I will admit that before reading this book I was a little skeptical about how I would react. From the synopsis and the cover (I know kill me about the "Don't judge a book by its cover" thing but I can't help it) I thought that this book was going to lean towards the fantasy YA book genre which I am not especially fond of. 

However, this book was not too out of this world and was very balanced when it came to the supernatural. Actually I would say limited use of fantasy elements were involved (because I swear if there was a dragon out of nowhere I would have flung the book across the room).

The book starts off by introducing us to the normal college girl Kay Morowa. 

The only thing that is not normal about her is her wicked dreams or nightmares and intense visions. 

As the book's title implies destiny takes Kay upon her awesome adventure.

And I mean AWESOME.

I commend the author on the plot of the story which was very unique and had very few unnecessary points. Most of the writing was relevant, even the romance aspect.

It all tied into the characters journey through the book.

I especially appreciated how the author illustrates the main characters development and growth. You can feel a gradual change in Kay all the way up until the end of the book.

The book contained lots of surprising twists without being too out of nowhere and the writing style was a little different but I got used to the format.

The author would have the narrator describe something in the present and also go back in time. The narrator would also have visions of danger that were blended into the story seamlessly before revealing that those events didn't actually occur... it was merely one of Kay's nightmares. Even later in the book when anything surprising happened, I held my breath until I was absolutely sure that it wasn't just a dream or vision.

I could not believe the ending of this book, and I actually had to read it a couple of times to actually wrap my brain around what had happened.

Since I am not going to spoil anything all I will say is I am extremely excited for another book... heck I usually get annoyed by authors writing lots of sequels but this book could even warrant two more books. It was just THAT GOOD.

I can't wait to see where this thrilling adventure will go next!

-Iman

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Iman Oza

Contact me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com 

Check out the author: http://www.thephoenixrisingbook.com/

Check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-Destiny-Calls/dp/149035400X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436240211&sr=1-1&keywords=the+phoenix+rising+destiny+calls

We Were Liars

We were Liars // E. Lockhart

                         
                             Rating: I am utterly confused and do not know whether I give this a 1 or a 5

                                                

                                              (Spoilers ahead... You have been warned)

             So as you can probably tell by my lack of rating, I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. Honestly, the book itself is mostly a set up for the explosive plot twist that comes near the ending. The book discusses family relationships, a healing process, and a mini romance. Its one of those books that tries to show you that being rich is not all that it seems. The book itself could be labeled as a mystery so if you are a fan of that genre go for it. This book also has an eerie feeling to it. Generally if your a person who enjoys having a face like this after reading a book:

Definitely go for it and P.S your face will probably be stuck like that for a couple of days.

Help me decide: Hate the book or love the book?

Start a conversation on the main character (She is very interesting)

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Contact me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com

A Locket Full of Secrets

Locket Full of Secrets // Dana Burkey

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review

When I read the description of this book, I knew immediately that I had to read it. Honestly, I am very glad that I did. When I started to read the book it turned out that my predictions regarding the story line were completely wrong and I am glad that they were. I was expecting a "boyfriend hates my best friend" dilemma YA sob story book. I was happy that I was wrong and the book was a lot more action packed then I predicted.

Besides the unique story line I also enjoyed what a quick read this was.

When I say quick, I mean like QUICK.

There was no dilly dally whatsoever and it was refreshing to not have to sit through boring useless details that authors often add to the book. 

This book and the characters within knew exactly where it was going, what it was doing and how it was getting there.

I kind of hoped for a little more after the story was over as it only took me two hours to read... 

But on the other hand I was really getting my times worth from those two hours.

The only issue I had with this book is with the main character Claire. I felt she was way too quick in making decisions to forgive Olena and go along on such a crazy journey without knowing what the hell was going on. Yes it made the story quicker but I wished we had gotten more insight to Claire's thought process and also dimension to her character.

Overall, read this book when it is released it is worth the time and is a unique read you will enjoy.

Add me on Goodreads @ Iman Oza
Contact me: jenminoa0820@gmail.com

Start a discussion in the comments below, GO!

Divergent

Divergent // Veronica Roth

                                                                 
                                                                              Rating 4/5

                                             

      By now I am sure you have heard about this book and its absolute awesomeness..... (Unless you live under a rock, which is completely understandable)... So good that I actually read Divergent and Insurgent on the same day before they were EXTREMELY popular.
    As a single installment Divergent was a success, especially because of the decent world building that occurred. I am sure it was quite a task to make this book relatable as the idea of the setting and plot is a bit far fetched. The plot was great, but somewhat predictable.

   One of the big issues that I had with this book as well as the series as a whole was the lack of character development. I felt that Tris was static as she started daring (dauntless), cunning (erudite) , selfless (abnegation), and ended daring, cunning, and selfless. We didn't really see a change. Seeing a character go from being scared but brave to scared but brave isn't a difference.

    You will learn through my review of the next books in this series that by the end I was not crazy about it.

    Honestly I love trilogies and this one should definitely be read but it does not match up to YA trilogies such as The Hunger Games, Shatter Me, The Selection, even The Goddess Test.

Start a discussion down below about why you love, or don't love this book.

Find me on Goodreads: Iman Oza

Goodreads

Goodreads- The Ultimate Book Platform

   

  Hey, everyone, today I am coming to you to talk about goodreads.com the ultimate place for readers to socialize.

     This website is great for people looking to find the next book to read. The amazing thing is that the website will suggest books to you based on your preferences and books that you have previously read.

     It's free and through this website you can meet fantastic new people as well as read some reviews of books that bloggers (like me) will post under books. You can also join communities such as Addicted to YA. If you are an author this website is also a great place to promote your books!

Find me on goodreads: Iman Oza

*Remember to leave a comment mentioning what books I should read and review next*

--- Happy Reading :)

The Wrath and the Dawn

The Wrath and the Dawn // Renee Ahdieh

                              So let's talk about a recent release The Wrath and the Dawn....
                                                                     
                                                                       Rating: 4.5/5
                                                
                                          (Spoilers ahead... You have been warned)

               This book is a spin on the classic tale 1001 Arabian Nights. The book similar to the tale follows Shahrzad or Shazi, who represents the story teller who is cunning enough to survive as the wife of Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. Khalid has been taking a new wife only to have them killed by dawn, and the previous victim was none other then Shazi's beloved friend Shiva. Shazi marries the young king to exact revenge upon him for taking her friend's life.

           However things take a turn (an expected one) when Shazi survives to see the dawn and starts to fall in love with the boy- king.

           Now on to the fun part...... REVIEW + QUESTIONS

          Firstly, I want to say I absolutely LOVED this book. There was just enough suspense as well as romance. I also feel that the romance in this book felt a little more realistic then it may feel in other YA books as it takes the characters time to figure the situation out before deciding anything.

         As for point of view the story is told from four perspectives:

• Shazi
• Tariq ( Shazi's previous lover)
• Shazi's father
• Khalid

                    Because of the differing points of view the story felt a little bit confusing especially when we got to the parts about Shazi's father, Jahandar. I mean I know there is some kind of magic in this book but how did Jahandar go from having a ratty old book to performing some ceremony and gain some wickedly crazy powers.... I really hope that gets explained.

                 Another annoying part of this book was that there were many words that were not English but rather Arabic or Farsi words. The author kept sticking these words in to the text and I know that if you didn't have some background... you might miss what was going on. Also, the book had a freaking glossary in the back. There is no way that every time a word comes up I am going to flip to the back of my book for reference.

              Despite this, the story was absolutely amazing and I was immediately swept up in it. It left me wanting more from the series. Luckily, this is the first book in a new YA duology (we could never have enough of those).

Questions:

One thing that I was wondering is that if Shazi decided to marry Khalid right after her friend was killed... shouldn't Tariq and Jahandar know that she is out for revenge. If they did, why did they not let her handle it? They just had to interfere with her plan obviously. Also, if Jahandar wanted to bust her out right away why did he agree to let her leave in the first place? The story didn't mention anything about her being forced into this.........

Final Thought:

The guys in this book are confusing while Shazi is a straightforward powerhouse. (GIRL POWER!)  

-Iman

Goodreads: Iman Oza                                           

Welcome

Welcome to Minoa Minutes ,

This is the blog for all things books as well as other stuff that I happen to love.

I am also open to reviewing for authors so feel free to ask about reviews.

I hope you enjoy and happy reading :)

-I