lely

Smashwords book reviews by lely

  • Rose Awaken on June 05, 2012

    I'm left in this quiet, foggy kind of surreal place after reading this book. This is a great beginning to a very intriguing story. It is definitely a short story being 15 pages but it carried so much weight. It is beautifully written, compelling, placing me in a trance and wanting much more when it ended. Some thoughts: I didn't care for the authors description of Sebastian who is the mysterious friend in the synopsis. She describes his lips being too full to ever be considered sexy and nose too wide to be considered beautiful although she thought him handsome. I know it was meant to be Rose's opinion but please be careful. Those features ARE beautiful. Voodoo or Vodun is mentioned and I'm excited to see this included in the book and hope the author does the religion justice by being as accurate as possible. Finally, Rose is an eight year old but the voice carried in the book is of an adult. I actually thought this was an adult book until I read the About the Author blurb and realized the author writes YA. So this had me a bit confused throughout the book but only a bit. All in all, overall, it was good enough to rate, comment and want more of this trilogy.
  • Zed on Aug. 31, 2012

    There’s something about zombies that doesn’t necessarily call my attention. It could be that I’m a bit chicken about dead things eating living things. When the author reached out to me to read this book he was so nice about the whole thing that I had to give it a try. He gifted me a code but I didn’t use it in time. Because I promised to read/review I went ahead and purchased it. I’m really glad I did. This story is so unique and so well put together that I couldn’t help but to be in awe. It was fun to be part of Zed’s world. Zed is no ordinary zombie. He is a very smart zombie who is very comfortable in his ways. He likes to be invisible to everyone, zombies and humans alike, to read and enjoy his eternal life. However, just because he likes to be invisible doesn’t mean he’s not aware of said zombies and humans. He is very aware of them which is why he rather stay away. Well, all is great with the world until he meets Chase. Chase is a young human girl who literally turns his world upside down. When Zed loses his home to a fire he takes up Chase on her offer to take him to a new home. This is when the adventure begins. It was fun, action packed, cute, and so funny! I loved it all including the very mysterious ending that sealed the deal. I have to pick up the next book in the series. I think everyone should read this and take a chance on a very unique take on zombies. Go read it now!
  • What Kills Me on Oct. 16, 2012

    This might be a bit spoiler-ish for some. Please be one with your Spoiler Sensitivity Level and tread carefully. I have to admit that I was not digging the first couple of chapters, more specifically prior to Axelia becoming a vampire. First, it felt that those chapters were predictable. We have a foreign student out enjoying Italy when she notices someone watching her. She needs to get home and gets lost on the way when stalker person then befriends her and then gets uber scary. It was just all too familiar. Secondly, Axelia wasn’t someone I liked. She was always trying to be funny and I didn’t find her funny. Needless to say, there were a lot of eye rolls coming from me, eye rolls and disappointment when I really wanted to like this book! BUT, Wynne Channing came through and with amazing colors, AFTER Axelia became a vampire. It was like flipping a switch. What I liked: *Axelia becomes more likeable, less trying to be funny but actually is funny at all the right moments. She comes into her abilities and confidence slowly growing into a very believable heroine. *Axelia never loses her humanity which made her stand out, special and added to that heroine factor. *Lucas, Axelia’s mentor, was written extremely well. He is well defined and is a strong character from the beginning. *The multi-cultural cast! * The vamps and the prophesy. I found it all to be very unique and enjoyed its complexity. *The lack of romance! I LOVED that romance was not really a focus! This book has a lot going on and busting at the seams with action and it didn’t need the complication of a romance full of angst. Nice balance…Enough said. * Most of all I loved the feeling that I was watching a movie. It was like Matrix finds the Underworld. It was pretty kick ass. Everything that needed to be seen in your mind's eye was clearly seen. Every scene transitioned nicely and every action scene executed just as nicely. *Fast paced! *THE ENDING! I thought the ending was absolutely awesome and I think it was played brilliantly. The more I thought about that ending the more I felt it wasn't as black and white as it appeared but instead walked away with a deeper message. I’m really glad What Kills Me turned around when it did and that in the end it truly was a great reading experience. I jumped online immediately after finishing in hopes that I could find information on a follow up installment. I didn't find any but hope that there will be another book. This world is one that can easily be explored further in a few more books. In fact, I’d be thoroughly disappointed if there is not a follow up to this read because there are a few ends that need to be cauterized. Peeps, this book is available RIGHT NOW for .99 at Amazon and Smashwords. Take a chance on this one! A finished copy was provided by the author via the Goodreads Making Connections Group.