Review: Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Nomad
J.L. Bryan

Genre: NA Time-Travel Dystopia
Publication date: July 26th 2013

A new dystopian novel from the author of Jenny Pox - coming July 26.

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

-A copy was provided by J.L. Bryan for review-

JL Bryan has always impressed me with the level of originality and excitement he works into his novels (big fan of Jenny Pox), and I was yet again taken aback, this time by a time-travel dystopian that is full of thrills and has a kick-ass heroine to boot!

Time-travel dystopian! When I saw those words together my mind kind of flipped, making me unsure of what to expect. For one, time-travel is nothing to play around with if you're not fully committed to deliver. I have a low level of patience for ignored time loops and paradoxes, and while I'm still wrapping my head around the details of JL's take on it with Nomads and the universe taking care of itself, it's one of very few time-travel plots that I can say I'm ok with (and "ok" is about the best you'll get). Some things still hurt my brain if I think about it too hard, but that's time-travel for ya.

Taking us straight into the action, this story begins with Raven suddenly finding herself in 2013 with no recollection of where she is, nor where she's from. It doesn't take long for her to realize she's in unfamiliar terrain, though, with old-fashioned… everything and bizarre gadgets in her pockets. It also takes just as long for trouble to find her! Raven's personality and smarts made it easy for me to take a liking to her. She's quick on her feet and intelligent in a way that completely fits with where she's really from - the future is not a pretty place. It also makes her loyal to her cause. However great of a protagonist she is, though, she brought out my enthusiasm more than my emotions. Perhaps due to the nature of the plot with its distant past and new present, together with flashbacks and the Nomads theory, it made it hard to get attached with this nonlinear character building. I did, nevertheless, find myself intrigued and unexpectedly enthused by the peculiar romance that she stumbles upon with its sensual pull and lingering sense of wrongness. I was also surprisingly content with the direction JL decided to take with these two.

This plot brings in a layered butterfly effect that requires pinpointing what needs to be changed to bring about a full metamorphosis of Raven's future. This means most of the book takes place in our day and age, where she wants to try to make things better with a nudge - or bullet - but what if it isn't enough? Or makes it worse? Aside from this fun to ponder time-travel bit, I loved learning about the future Raven came from; especially the realistic plausibility of it all. The advancement in technology, the history that lead to this dystopian society, even the fashion, it's a solidly imagined world that is made believably futuristic without any overkill.

Highly entertaining with a time-travel aspect that is just as fascinating as it is perplexing, Nomad is a unique dystopian that's perfect for reluctant dystopian readers, or those who just want a different mix! You might as well pick it up; this book is in your future! (I've seen it!)

FYI - This book is considered New Adult; college life, sex, violence, and a few swear words thrown in.

4 Hot Espressos

Review: Alexander Death by J.L. Bryan

Alexander Death

J.L. Bryan

Series: The Paranormals #3

Publication date: September 23rd 2011

While Seth searches for Jenny, Dr. Heather Reynard of the CDC unravels Seth and Jenny's secrets.

Alexander opens Jenny's mind to her deep past, and to the full horrific extent of her powers.

Torn between her feelings for Alexander and Seth, and between her past lives and her present, Jenny must prepare to face her enemies, as well as the darkness within her...

*A copy was provided by J.L. Bryan for review purposes*

 

*Spoiler free for the series!*

This series started so innocently didn't it? I mean, we have Jenny who's a timid, broken girl with the touch of death--or disease, who keeps to herself (for good reason) being all innocent and sweet. Ha! Good one! Sweet little Jenny is no more. Her character changes tremendously between the first and third book of this series, both emotionally and mentally. Such a plot would not have thrived otherwise, It was a need, and it was done with perfection. Her growth mirrored the plot exactly, going from the Jenny she thought she was, to the Jenny she didn't know she had to be.

Like its protagonist, this series has evolved from a cryptic horror into a complex, even scandalous plot. Again, and I keep mentioning it because it seems to be an ongoing misconception on these books, this is not intended for young readers! Yes it may have teenage characters, but it's a fully adult read that comprises of horror, sex, and drugs, followed by more horror, stronger drugs, and fully described sexual acts! Capish? *shoves book in your face because it's awesome*

Isn't it the worst to review sequels and up? I feel like I've said it all in the previous reviews, and since I refuse to use spoilers, I'm pretty much at a loss. Don't take this the wrong way, it's a great installment that fully lived up to my expectations--although the first remains my favorite. I'm really enjoying how deep we're getting into this epically unique plot. The ending of Jenny Pox blew my socks off, which was the first leaf that turned this series into something completely unexpected. In this third book, and as the title portrays, we get to learn more about this Alexander fellow who started to appear mysteriously in the sequel. I thought his character was very unnerving. I knew I shouldn't trust him or his intentions, still, I found him indefinitely alluring. He has this charm that makes it easy to put our concerns on the back-burner. Besides Alexander, we also get glimpses into the perspective of the other characters, who are all on the hunt for Jenny; some to save her, others to kill her. It's an exciting and drama filled novel, like its predecessors.

More characters means more story, which means more secrets revealed. We learn a great deal more about Jenny and the history surrounding her. I thought the various twists were woven in greatly and, while they're not made to shock necessarily, I appreciated how unexpected some were. And as I've mentioned previously, I do enjoy how JL considers the consequences such a plot would have on the real world, like the CIA and CDC's involvement. Not everyone can be oblivious to a bizarre disease that is sporadically and freakishly killing people, seemingly at random, and always with a particular girl present. I was satisfied with the way things ended in this novel. The series is filled with details ranging from their abilities to their complicated relationships, and I was weary of how things would all tie up at the end. BUT, a little bird told me that there was now (or will soon be) a fourth book *gasp*, so we will see how that ending compares. I will either be impressed at the ability of a planned trilogy to continue without feeling like we're beating a dead horse, or I will curse JL for life. Hey, it's totally his call!

If you're a horror fan--think Carrie--then I'm sure you have read this series already so I have nothing else to say. Right? *glares*

4 Hot Espressos

The Paranormals series:

  Find my review of Jenny Pox here!

Find my review of Tommy Nightmare here!

Blogoversary Day 4: Author & Publisher Love

Where would we be without authors? Without publishers? Do I even dare picture such a life? *faints dramatically*. Today, on the 4th day of my blogoversary celebration week, I'm going to talk about these wonderful people who let us experience worlds beyond our own. Really, it's just a big blah blah post about being starstruck by authors and publishers!

Starstruck

Like probably a lot of you, I felt very intimidated by authors and publishers when I started blogging. To me, authors have always been superstars. I'm not saying this to flatter -- although I do love to flatter authors I love -- but for a girl from a small town Canada where no big authors ever come for signings, I was very starstruck from the whole idea of communicating with these famous people, and actually get replies, and eventually call them friends! At first I was flooded with a sense of astonishment and intimidation: What should I do? What should I say? How should I respond? What if I don't say the right thing? These were all questions than ran through my anxiety filled mind when I got emails and tweets from these people. It was surreal to say the least.

My advice to those who feel the same - authors are people too! And those publishers, they're not so scary! Once I began to get more social with them, I saw how genuinely awesome they all are. Never would I have thought I could tweet an author how much their book moved me, and get a direct message back. Authors love to hear from readers, and a lot of them are very social online. They love to talk, to play around, some will even make jokes at your expense! And THAT is what I love the most about blogging! These people have created stories, worlds, words I've gotten lost in since I could hardly walk, and getting to chat with them blows my mind every single day. They are not mythical beings after all! So don't be afraid to chat them up, I'm happy to call a lot of authors friends.

Tweets that make blogging worth it:

 Carrie wrote The Forest of Hands and Teeth series that I highly enjoyed and knowing she read and liked my review is seriously a huge highlight in my blogging year! I literally squeed when I saw this tweet.

Tweets like this remind me how much authors love us, too!

And then there's always the bizarre heartwarming relationships you might strike up. 

Warning: Some content may be explicit! >.<

I know right? The basement? Who does she think I am? I would at "least" chain her in the spare bedroom. Maybe.

So you see? Authors love their readers! They're amazingly talented, and they're the reason we are all here today blogging, and talking about what we love! Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation, though I would advise against kidnapping threats just yet.

Self Publishing

In this modern, online world, you don't need a publisher to get a book out there. Self published authors are a big deal in the blogging community, and I am beyond amazed at how wonderful these people are. Sure there are bad apples in the mix, but I have personally never had any bad experiences, and even if I would, the bad would definitely not trump the good. I have made friends with self published authors I will be forever thankful for, I have read books that became 5-star favorites, and I have come to notice that they can be just as good as any published book out there. For new blogs, don't let any drama stop you from reading self published books, you may just miss your next favorite novel.

With this said, review requests are a common occurrence in blogging and one "mistake" a lot of us make at the start is accept any request we get out of excitement or intimidation, which end up with us getting books that aren't quite our taste. I know it's exciting, but nothing good will come of accepting books you likely won't enjoy. Read the synopsis, read a few reviews, and make sure it's up your alley.

Note for author: Read our review policy! You will learn our book taste, what we want to see in a request, and other very useful info, which can very well determine if the request will be ignored or not. I kid you not, I got a review request on Formspring the other day. O_O Getting spammed on Facebook and Twitter with random links to your book is the surest way to make sure I never read it. I know authors are busy, but bloggers are busy too, and making a little effort will highly increase your chances that we will at least have a look!
 

Shout Out

Shout out to Kathleen Peacock, Rhiannon Frater, Matt Merrick, JL Bryan, Devri Walls, Helen Keeble, Miranda Kenneally, Nikki Jefford, Lynn Rush, Cambria Hebert, Marie Landry, O'Dell Hutchison, Michelle Madow, Patrice Michelle, Belle Whittington, Taryn Browning, Heather McCorkle, Elsie Chapman, Trish Wolfe, Rachel Harris, Kelley York, and Marie Rutkoski - and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone - who are fabulous authors who I've come to know and am happy to call a friend! Thank you, for all your support and for everything that you do!

Publishers

Publishers are also a big source of intimidation to us bloggers, and ARCs are a big reason. You got a book from a publisher that you hated? You know what? It happens, and the publishers will not black list you! Reviews are to lead people to and from certain books and negative reviews are not a bad thing! They need them as much as they need positives, and no matter what, they will thank you for taking the time to read and review the book. Like I said with authors, don't be scared to approach them with a reply to their tweets, by tagging them on your review tweet, or by emailing about receiving review books. Be professional and courteous, and you win soon strike up relationships with employees there as well!

This is also a bit stunning to me even now. I would never have thought I would be in regular contact with big publishers, not to mention actually receive books from them for review. I am forever thankful for this privilege as a blogger. Even though relationships with publishers are often a bit more formal than the quirky conversations you can have with authors, they're very friendly and social online and I love that about them!

It goes without saying that I'm thankful for all the publishers I have come to know and who have made this year - this blog - what it is today!

And a BIG thank you to ALL authors and publishers! You give us something to be passionate about, and that's something you should all be proud of!

Jenny Pox Second Anniversary Celebration!

Jenny Pox is turning 2 today! I'm sure a lot of you will have heard of this fantastic series yet, but I read the first two books so far and it's a great horror series that you absolutely must check out! I have JL Bryan dropping by with an Ashleigh-esque (the awesome love-to-hate villain) guest post. AND, you even get a chance to win a full set of Jenny Pox, Tommy Nightmare, and Alexander Death, autographed and inscribed to the winner!

Jenny Pox
J.L. Bryan
Series: The Paranormals, #1
Release date: July 22nd, 2010

 

Eighteen-year-old Jenny Morton has a horrific secret: her touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague, the "Jenny pox." She lives by a single rule: Never touch anyone. A lifetime of avoiding any physical contact with others has made her isolated and painfully lonely in her small rural town.

Then she meets the one boy she can touch. Jenny feels herself falling for Seth...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the deadly pox inside her to confront his ruthless and manipulative girlfriend Ashleigh, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.
* * *

Not recommended for readers under eighteen.

 Following books:

Tommy Nightmare
J.L. Bryan
Series: The Paranormals, #2
Release date: April 1st, 2011

 

While Fallen Oak recovers from the Jenny pox, someone new is hunting Jenny. Like Jenny, Ashleigh Goodling belonged to a pair of opposites with powers that mirror each other. Now Jenny and Seth must face the opposite of love...

Alexander Death

J.L. Bryan

Series: The Paranormals, #3

Release date: September 19th 2011

 

While Seth searches for Jenny, Dr. Heather Reynard of the CDC unravels Seth and Jenny's secrets. Alexander opens Jenny's mind to her deep past, and to the full horrific extent of her powers. Torn between her feelings for Alexander and Seth, and between her past lives and her present, Jenny must prepare to face her enemies in the final, catastrophic battle...

Guest post with J.L. Bryan

 Happy Birthday to Jenny Pox – and a major Jenny Pox announcement!

Today is the second anniversary of the publication of Jenny Pox!  And that makes it a great day to announce that there will be a fourth Jenny Pox book, something I wasn’t expecting.  It will be out this fall...details to follow in the near future!

At each stop, we’ll do a quick biography of one of the six paranormal characters from the series.  Exclusive for readers of Xpresso Reads, here’s an brief introduction to Ashleigh, a girl who seems sweet and lovely but is actually a wicked, manipulative monster.  Thanks for hosting, Giselle!

Who is Ashleigh?

Ashleigh Goodling is the preacher’s daughter at one of the town’s two churches. Cheerleader, student council president, valedictorian.  Her paranormal touch has a Cupid-like effect of making people feel love—love for her, or love for each other.  Her hobbies include creating conflict and controversy, amassing and wielding power, and destroying anyone who gets in her way, always pulling strings in the background so that she continues to look like an innocent angel.  Her goal in life is to become President of the United States, and she’s clearly on her way.

Ashleigh has the town wrapped around her little finger, except one person...Jenny.  Because of Jenny’s pox, Ashleigh can’t touch her, and so she can’t control her.  Ashleigh has always made Jenny’s life difficult, but now that her boyfriend Seth might be falling for Jenny, Ashleigh is ready to unleash hell...leaving Jenny no choice but to fight back.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the Jenny Pox trailer:



The Jenny Pox ebook is currently free on Amazon, Smashwords, Apple, Sony, and Kobo, and cheap on Nook!

---

 

 JL Bryan's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, dogs Violet and Tiger Lily, and cats Shadow and Sue. 

Review: Tommy Nightmare by JL Bryan

Tommy Nightmare
J.L. Bryan
Series: The Paranormals, #2
Release date: April 1st, 2011


Goodreads / Purchase

While Fallen Oak recovers from the Jenny pox, someone new is hunting Jenny.

Like Jenny, Ashleigh Goodling belonged to a pair of opposites with powers that mirror each other.

Now Jenny and Seth must face the opposite of love...

*A copy was provided by J.L. Bryan for review purposes*

Jenny has a deadly touch. It's not a pretty death either. It consists of boils, puss, and all that good stuff. Now we meet Tommy - his touch induces nightmares. Your worst nightmares. So in other words, the touch of fear. Fear, considered human's strongest and oldest emotion, is an incredibly fascinating notion especially when used as a tool, so I knew I was in for a good time!

We meet Tommy right away. We get the story of his heartbreaking past, and how his life is about to intertwine with Jenny's. Instead of shying from his touch, he manipulates people to get his way. I hated him. I really did - and I loved it! If there is one thing I have to applaud JL Bryan for, it's his villains. From Ashleigh to Tommy, the villains in this series are masterfully crafted. They will anger you and exasperate you; You. Will. Want. Them. To Die! And if you think you've seen the last of Ashleigh, think again!

Even though it's named Tommy Nightmare, the story is not exclusive to Tommy. We see quite a bit of Jenny and Seth along with some new characters. The one I found the most interesting was Heather. I'm always curious about the general repercussions of horrific events such as the ending in Jenny Pox, and not only are we shown the law enforcement's reaction, we get the actual POV of someone at the CDC: Heather is a CDC investigator and 200+ unexplained deaths in small town, nowhere has gotten her attention. Theories ranging from the plague to bioweapon, I'm especially happy that the aftermath didn't get shrugged off with a mere paragraph, but looked into, questioned, and studied. This also becomes very important in the story as it gives Jenny even more people to fear.

Amounting to strong plot developments, flashbacks are a frequent occurrence in this sequel. We learn a lot about Jenny's past where we see that everyone's character is not always as it seems. We get a deeper understanding of the powers that these people wield, as well as a better perception of who they really are. These flashbacks combined with a multitude of different perspectives makes it a pretty hefty novel; there's a lot to keep track of along with considerable story building. The frequent shifting does cause the pace to slow down at times, but I was impressed at how well it all flows together, giving us a vastly exciting and an overall action-packed novel.

The chemistry filled romance between Seth and Jenny is tamed down in this book. The "new" spark has calmed, plus Jenny is distraught over what she did on top of the doubts being implanted by a certain someone. This is in no way a negative point, though - at least to me. It's realistic and natural for a relationship at their age. Plus, I was never a huge fan of Seth. He's easy to manipulate, I don't mean by Ashleigh which is expected but rather by his parents and friends. I much prefer the tougher, more assertive types. Let's just say that I was very pleased by the ending!

Equally as entertaining as Jenny Pox, Tommy Nightmare is an excellent sequel to a fantastic series. I strongly recommend it to all my fellow horror fans! I do have to warn you that even though they're teenagers, the series is considered an 18+ horror novel as it has some (epic) adult content.

4 Hot Espressos

The Paranormals series:

 Have a look at my review of Jenny Pox here!

Review: Fairy Metal Thunder by JL Bryan

Fairy Metal Thunder
J.L. Bryan
Series: Songs of Magic, #1
Release date: September 16th 2011


Goodreads / Purchase

A rock & roll fairy tale.

Jason plays guitar in a teenage garage band called the Assorted Zebras, but they have no fans, no gigs, and they're going nowhere. Even worse, Jason has a crush on their lead singer, but she doesn't seem interested in him at all.

Then Jason steals instruments from the fairy world. Soon the band is enchanting crowds, and Jason is a step closer to the girl of his dreams, but the new gear is brimming with dangerous and destructive magic they can't control.

Their shortcut to success has cost a troupe of innocent fairies their livelihood and turned Jason and his band into enemies of the powerful and ruthless Queen Mab of Faerie, who sends supernatural bounty hunters to the human world to track them down...

*A copy was provided by J.L. Bryan for review purposes*

Fun and quirky; Fairy Metal Thunder is a quick read that you can easily finish in one sitting. After highly enjoying Jenny Pox, I was especially curious to see what JL Bryan had done with his attempt at a YA novel - about fairies nonetheless. First let me tell you that this could not be any more different from Jenny Pox, and I was greatly impressed. This is plain and simply entertaining with an effortless writing style that makes it easy to get absorbed inside this enchanting tale full of music and magic.

Let's hear it for the Assorted Zebras! Jason, Erin, Mitch Mick and Dred can't even get one simple lowly gig. But when Jason comes home with instruments from the Fairy Ream, the tables have turned. Now people can't get enough of them - instant stardom. Like I expected from his previous work, the characters in this novel are all realistically fleshed out. They're flawed and they make reckless decisions. These are teenagers, through and through. The band dynamics are amusing as well with just a tad of romance woven in. Then, we've got the creatures...

Fairies, goblins, elves, and… get this… a unicorn! And this is no ordinary unicorn either! The sweet, pretty, innocent creature is no more! *pets evil unicorn* It was fun to have these exotic mythical creatures bringing in even more life to the party. From delightful commentary on the realm's past wars, to bizarre and disgusting eating habits; there is no lack of comical antics in this story. Overall we've got a great cast with all types of personalities to enliven these pages.

Going from one realm to the other, the plot is pretty straight forward with the Fairy band trying to find their instruments, and the Man-band (teehee) exploiting them. There's nothing too complex; it's a very light read in that regard. The Fairy lore is original and creative, although since we spend much more time in the human world, we don't delve incredibly deep into Fairy technicalities. But we do get plenty of descriptive details when Jason visits the supernatural realm to boost our imagination of this eccentric land, as well as glimpses of what's coming for these kids in the next books.

Magic music! That's what you get inside JL Bryan's charming YA novel. If you want something refreshing and genuinely fun, this is the book for you!  

4 Hot Espressos

Cover Reveal: Astarte's Wrath & Fairy Blues

Astarte's Wrath

Trisha Wolfe

Series: Kythan Guardians #0.5

Release date: July, 2012

Add it to your Goodreads

A Kythan Guardians Novella

Two thousand years before Dez Harkly developed her secret powers, Kythan Astarte vowed to free the Kythans from the binds that enslaved them to the Egyptian pharaohs and sorcerers. Discover the prophecy that originated from a very different time, and spans generations to link two very different girls...This is the beginning.

Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Actium, in the city of Alexandria, Star struggles with her guardian duties as her feelings for the newly named pharaoh of Egypt grow deeper. Not only is Caesarian her duty, he’s the son of Cleopatra, and he’s…human. All of which makes their love forbidden.

But when a conspiracy linked to Caesar, Caesarian’s own father, creeps its ways into Alexandria, Star must choose between helping her fellow Kythans free themselves of their servitude, or protecting her charge—the last pharaoh—while Egypt burns around her.

---

Excerpt

Whenever the sky bleeds, covering the once-blue pallet with crimson, and the bright ball of fire burns through billowy puffs of white, staining them and the earth in hues of red-orange and amber…and ash floats on a non-existent breeze, I know the Narcolym Guardians are waging a battle.
            Shuttering my window, I unloose the hemp thread, and a sheer curtain veils the sand-covered horizon from my vision. My fingers trail the cream fabric, the tips tracing the darkening clouds against the light material as my other hand curls into a fist by my thigh, dousing the swirling vortex rising up at the charge in the air.
            “Star…?”
            Astarte, I correct inwardly, but pinch my lips closed. “Yes, Habi?”
            Habi’s footsteps echo throughout the mud-brick room as he approaches. “It’s time…”

---

Kythan Guardians so far:

Fairy Blues
J.L. Bryan
Series: Songs of Magic, #2
Release date: January 20th, 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

The sequel to Fairy Metal Thunder.

With their enchanted instruments charming the crowds, the Assorted Zebras attract interest from record producers, and soon they’re off to cut their first album and music video. Jason and his friends don’t know they’ve just become pawns in a sinister plot by a cabal of evil fairies...

Meanwhile, Aoide and her band pursue a new strategy for regaining their stolen instruments, one that will take them into the most haunted region in Faerie.

---

About the cover

Fairy Blues depicts Rhodia, a fairy musician in a band (they prefer "troupe") whose instruments are stolen by human teenagers, who go on to fame and fortune as rock stars while the fairy troupe falls into poverty, unable to earn a living. Rhodia keeps her instrument in the form of a silver harp most of the time, but it can shapeshift into any string instrument. Infused with the power of water elementals, the harp's music reaches into the depths of the listener's heart. Rhodia herself is the sort of fairy who enjoys shopping for the latest fashions at Pick-A-Lily Circus (a major covered market in Faerie), getting her hair braided by the hummingbirds at the spa park, and flirting with the tall and the handsome at the trendiest dance halls in her hometown of Sidhe City. The band's troubled quest to recover their instruments, taking them on a great adventure far from home, into places without a single decent nectar cafe or foot salon, does not amuse her. (Second book in the series.)

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Old cover vs New cover:

Ok first, Astarte's Wrath's cover is gorgeous. I love the colors, the girl is incredibly pretty and her bangs are totally rocksauce! If you haven't read Destiny's Fire, you should it's a great steampunk novel - my review can be found here.

Second, the Songs of Magic series by J.L. Bryan got a completely new design by PhatPuppyArt which I absolutely love! Make sure you go check the other 2 covers on the blogs below because they are stunning! Unfortunately, Fairy Metal Thunder is exclusive to paperback and Kindle until May 23. If you don't have a Kindle and would like to read it sooner, you can use a free Kindle app for almost any device... Or you can enter the flash giveaway (details below)!

For the other redesigned covers in the Songs of Magic series, visit:

-The Bookish Brunette for Fairy Metal Thunder (Book 1)

-Between the Pages for Fairystruck (Book3)

FLASH GIVEAWAY: The first ten comments on each of the three blogs today will win an ebook copy of Fairy Metal Thunder with the hot new cover! If you missed your chance here, head on over to the other blogs NOW! Be sure to include your email or Twitter in your comment so we can send it!

So what do you think, guys? Leave us your thoughts! 

Review: Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan

Jenny Pox
J.L. Bryan
Series: The Paranormals, #1
Release date: July 22nd, 2010

Goodreads / Purchase

Eighteen-year-old Jenny Morton has a horrific secret: her touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague, the "Jenny pox." She lives by a single rule: Never touch anyone. A lifetime of avoiding any physical contact with others has made her isolated and painfully lonely in her small rural town.

Then she meets the one boy she can touch. Jenny feels herself falling for Seth...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the deadly pox inside her to confront his ruthless and manipulative girlfriend Ashleigh, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.
* * *

Not recommended for readers under eighteen.

When I first came upon this book months ago, I thought it was a paranormal romance based on the few reviews I had read. It's only recently that I was told it's actually more horror, comparable to Carrie, and aimed at 18+. This brought it right up my reading list because I love horror novels, Carrie was one of my favorite movies, and this premise screams at me (really!)! As promised, Jenny Pox is horrifically awesome with a deadly touch, a sweet romance, and a brilliantly wicked villain!

Jenny has never been able to touch anyone without causing them to break out in oozing boils, or at worst - die. Consequently, she has grown up without any friends, getting mocked for her "covered up" fashion and loner status. From the get-go, I wanted to take Jenny and hug her. She has such a sweet personality that, because of her touch, people never got to know. She also deals extremely well under her circumstances. It makes it easy to sympathize with her, besides rooting for her to kill everyone. What? For real!

A masterfully written villain, Ashleigh is quite the character. I loathed her; she is manipulative, she is malevolent, and she literally wants to rule the world. It's not hard to guess that she is the one making Jenny's life a living hell. As far as villains go, this one really gets under your skin. I thought her role was ingeniously crafted; you can easily imagine how, if something is not done soon, she can, and will, become unstoppable.

We do have quite the sweet romance woven into this horror novel as well. At first I wasn't too keen on Seth. I didn't understand why he was so open to cheating, or why he was with Ashleigh in the first place, however that was before I realized how much power she had over him. Afterwards, I warmed up to him and was positively rooting for him and Jenny to be together. They make an awesome team along with having great chemistry.

Comparing it to Stephen King's Carrie is not misleading. The plot is clearly different, but it has the same feel with plenty of deaths and gory descriptions. The ending: if you guess it, I will give you a million dollars! No kidding! In a way it's really different than what I was expecting, completely changing the bigger plot of the story, however it's so well thought of, taking me so much by surprise, that I think I loved it! I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the rest of this series and I definitely recommend it to fans of horror novels - although take note that in no way do I consider this a YA novel. Even though the characters are in their teens, there is sex, drugs, gore, violence, death - really, a whole lot of awesome! 

4 Hot Espressos

Jenny Pox is FREE at the moment for ebook!

Click here to go grab it!