Blog Tour: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love.
But she was wrong.

Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.

Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.

From goodreads

Shadows may be the only book that has got me sucked in a the beginning. I've talked about this book for about a month on the blog and all I could say was the prologue was intense. I have to say a fair warning now that I didn't read the first novel yet, but I'm planning to read the entire series all at once soon.

Ilsa J. Bick is a new author to me and boy do I want to meet her now. I usually like to keep wanting to meet an author at a distance because sometimes your role models or heroes let you down. Ilsa, though, really made reading a sequel to a novel you've never read a bit more bearable than I thought. I especially love how she manages to write incredibly detailed actions scenes with out slowing everything down. It seemed incredibly life like.

I didn't meet these characters in Shadows before hand in the first novel because I didn't read the first novel like I said at the start. My perception of all the characters are different then most and not completely sure about any. I find that I miss so much history between characters that I skim. It's going to be my duty to read Ashes soon.

I learned a lot about guns. That's a simple statement that I'm not sure that I wanted to say or not. I was completely clueless about guns before, and somehow I've came out a better? person knowing so much about a weapon that killed millions. It's hard to say, but I think that if you're into that kind of deal Shadows is made for you. This being stated again: I need to read the first novel to get the full effect; I'm going to give Shadows a head nods and thumbs up. (4 out of 5)

Review: The Super Spud by Michael Diack

Genetic engineering has accomplished many things, one of which has been to create the Super Spud! The humble potato elevated to new heights, creating the most flavoursome crisps ever known to humankind! But that's not all - A magical transformation occurs to all Super Spud crisps not eaten before their use-by date. They take on a life of their own. And so long as they remain undetected by humans, they enjoy life in their own Super Spud cities, take part in major Super Spud sporting events and even start the odd Super Spud war or two. Join Colin, Cougar, Hannibal Vector, Generals Rock, Jock and Strap and all the others in their rollicking adventures. You'll never look at a packet of crisps in the same way again! Fun, quirky and totally original.

from goodreads

I don't like writing reviews of books I couldn't finish. So that being said, this review will be short, and maybe uninformative. I got this novel a while back, and was saving it for a time that I wanted something quick and light to read. Well, that didn't come, because I have been in a reading rut. So, I asked two people that I honor their opinions very much to start reading it and tell me their thoughts. Both of which did not finish reading the novel.

The first person I gave the book to read, told me that the book felt very childish. I'm not sure what age range this was directed to, but from the summary I believe middle grade. Of course, you can also tell that a story about crisps is not going to be some amazing, world changing, meaningful adult novel. That person also said that the novel went very quickly, and did not understand completely where the crisps were and what they were doing. The beginning was fast paced. I remember my close friend saying that it's for those kids that have ADHD. I wouldn't go as far as saying that, but I do agree, when I read the first few pages of the novel.

My second friend, when I introduced her to the novel, wasn't very excited about it either. She read a passage or two, and had to stop. She did not like the idea, and I honestly wouldn't have picked up this book either, if I saw it at Barnes and Nobel, or at my local library. She also said that it wasn't well written. That I can't agree with, because even though the writing was fast paced, I didn't have any trouble with it.

That being said, I'd give The Super Spud a head shakes, thumb down, shoulders shrug. (2 out of 5)