Dark Matter by Blake Crouch:
Published: July 26th, 2016
Source: Checked out book as part of employee lending program at bookstore where I work part time
My rating: 4 stars
I'm a fan of time travel and alternate realities. I am definitely a subscriber to the multi-verse theory that there are all different worlds out there, each based on one little change in a decision that was made creating a different future. When the bookstore I work at part time chose this to be one of the push books, back in June I believe, I was actually excited they'd chosen a book that for once I might actually want to read so that I could help promote it as more than just the store push book. I did really enjoy this. It had a great idea behind it, and really it made you think about how should it really end? Who really is the "right" one? There were times that it was very hard to put down, and other times that it did move a little slow, but in the end I was definitely pleased overall with the story.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
“Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.
The Return (Titan #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout:
Published: February 16th, 2015
Source: I think I won a copy from the author on her Facebook group at one point?
My rating: 4 stars
I love Seth. As much as I knew he wasn't the right one for Alex in the Covenant series, I still adored him. I could maybe compare it to how I loved Jacob in the Twilight universe, but not for Bella. This book definitely took this wonderful world created by Armentrout into a new direction, one that was definitely an exciting place to be. As usual, something I love that the author does a lot, was that she tied in the tv show Supernatural. I also like that this means her stories will often take place in Missouri or Kansas, the two states I live and work in, so it makes them have a personal connection for me. As part of the giveaway, I believe I won the other books in this series as well, so I look forward to reading on and finding out how Seth will do with his new interest, Josie. And I do snicker every time she calls him Sethie. Did I mention how cool it was meeting the guy who is the cover model for the books at Apollycon? And that I got to go get him and the other ones coffee? :-)
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…
It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.
Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.
But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.
Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.
The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl (The Haunting of Sunshine Girl #3) by Paige McKenzie:
Published: April 4th, 2017
Source: ARC received after requesting one from author to review
My rating: 4 stars
I did really like this book. It really had some great moments, and definitely added to the whole luiseach mythology that it began in book one and continued well throughout the series. The ending was done very well, and very original and it worked perfectly. Unfortunately, about halfway through I got a little bogged down and moved on to other books, and then it took me a little bit before I was in the mood or not swamped down with other review books and was ready to pick it back up. There honestly were a lot of twists, and that is a good thing. It really kept me going when I did pick it up. It made it hard to put down once I did pick it up and had some time to read. There were many characters throughout that I wondered about, and then there were several new ones that you grew to really like, only to have them ripped away, or else only to find out they weren't who you thought they were. I loved the big showdown at the end, and loved the way that Sunshine had to basically sacrifice herself to save the day. Very "Buffy-esque" in my opinion, and anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Buffy and what high praise that is coming from me. As I read more and more adult romance these days though, I was definitely reminded of how squeaky clean this story was in the love department. Not a bad thing at all. It is just definitely something you can recommend if you want to make sure that there isn't too much of that for the teen you are giving it to. If you're interested in my reviews of the first two books, you can go HERE (Book 1) and HERE (Book 2). Since this is a sequel, I'm counting it as half of one of the books for my September is for Sequels Challenge, since I started it before September, and technically doesn't count.
You should also remember this is based on a YouTube series, which you can go check out HERE.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Sunshine Griffith can communicate with ghosts. Even more amazing—to herself; her boyfriend, Nolan; and her adoptive mom, Kat—she’s recently learned she’s a luiseach, one of an ancient race of creatures who have lived among humans for centuries, protecting them from dark spirits and helping them move on to the afterlife.
Having survived an abyss full of demons, Sunshine Griffith must figure out who—or what—has been organizing the forces of darkness against her. Do they want to destroy her and the rest of the endangered luiseach? Do they want to take over the world? Nolan has figured out that Sunshine’s death would trigger a calamitous event, so not only does she have to stay alive for herself, but for the fate of civilization. It’s not just the demons who want Sunshine dead, though. Her biological mother, Helena, is back. And what is Helena’s history with the mysterious man in black?
Fortunately for Sunshine, she has a lot of people (and ghosts) to help her stop the darkness: Nolan, her father and mentor Aidan, her mom Kat, Victoria, Lucio, Anna, and Ashley—whose handsome new crush, Sebastian, seems hauntingly familiar. But time may be running out as an unexpected event unleashes a fierce war between the luiseach and the demon army. In the midst of the fiery battle, Sunshine will learn a shocking truth about herself and what sort of sacrifice is required to save the world.
