Unholy Ghosts (Downside #1)

  Stacia Kane's Downside series has been recommended so many times to me. Many declared that it is in their top favorite urban fantasy series. I was warned that the series is dark and gritty, but I was not really prepared how dark and gritty it came across. Although I did hit some major stumbling blocks and a difficult reading experience with this book, I do see what attracts this series to readers.

Description (from the Publisher): THE DEPARTED HAVE ARRIVED.

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

Review: Unholy Ghosts was a difficult read. Unlike the other books I've read in the urban fantasy genre, Unholy Ghosts is steeped into darkness and the seedy side of societies where drug lords, prostitutes, and the destitute are our main characters. There not many light moments that helped diffuse the serious and ominous tone. It me a while to get into the story, but I did see the appeal of a promising concept. Our protagonist, Chess Puntnam, lives in a world where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur. Chess works for the world-ruling Church of Real Truth, debunking false claims of hauntings and banishing the occasional real ghost. The Church is a fascinating and complex concept, one that you're not really sure how to decipher whether it's good or evil.
  Like the institution that she is working for, Chess is a very flawed character who doesn't always make the right choices. Along with being a powerful ghost hunter, Chess is hiding a huge secret: she is a drug addict, waiting for a solitary moment to get her next high. She makes decisions and finds work to get enough money to buy drugs so when a powerful drug dealer calls on her services to erase her debt to him, Chess finds herself investigating an abandoned airfield, a horrible human sacrifice, an ominous apparition, and a conspiracy against the church itself. I'm a bit conflicted about Chess. I wanted to know her a bit better outside of following her on the job, but she's either too broken to be sympathetic or too stoned to be coherent.
   Another a character that caught my eye is Terrible, a pimp working for the drug lord Bump that has witnessed too many horrors than you can count. Though Terrible is described to be what many would call ugly with his deformities and scars, there is something magnetic and appealing about him. He seems to steal the show every time he appears. I would definitely would like to find out more about him.
  In addition to Chess's drug addiction, another hurdle that I had to get over is the book's local dialect. The book is also written in the third person perspective, which I thought was an interesting choice by the author. Though I didn't give this book a high rating, I'm willing it to give the series another try as I definitely see potential of enjoying the story despite its darkness. If you do decide to pick up the book, I would suggest trying the audiobook. 

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, violence, scenes of drug usage, and sexual situations. Recommended for adults only.

If you like this book try: Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane (Downside #2), Mind Games by Carolyn Cane, Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

The Rules for Disappearing (Rules for Disappearing #1)

  Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you participated in the Witness Protection Program. For Meg Jones, a new process everyday: learning and becoming a new person. It's lonely, frustrating, and unnerving. Many thanks to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced reader's copy of Ashley Elston's debut novel.

Description (from the Publisher): Shes been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that shes been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last. Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they've given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do-or see-that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all of the Suits rules-and her dads silence. If he wont help, its time she got some answers for herself. But Meg isn't counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who's too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there's only one rule that really matters-survival.

Review: Like most readers, I was initially drawn to The Rules for Disappearing because it featured a main character in a Witness Protection Program. Meg Jones and her family have been under Witness Protection for eight months and have been relocated six times. Any day the U.S. Marshals can come to their door to tell them to pack up their things and transfer them to a brand new location. The family will be given new personal histories to memorize, new names, and new appearances. They must never make a mistake. They must always stay in character.
  I had mixed feelings towards Meg. I felt terribly that she had nightmares and was always on edge and uneasy. I loved how Meg took care of her little sister who barely speaks, but her incessant blaming her father for their current situation irritated me. Whatever he's done or seen to land them in this predicament has destroyed the family forever, Mr. Jones has become the scapegoat for the family's frustration and anger. Mr. Jones didn't help the situation either by being so incredibly secretive and not really stepping in when Mrs. Jones drank. I was hoping that the author would focus a bit more on Meg's parents, but the mother is pretty much drunk whenever she appears on the page and the father appears to really try and be their for his family, but ultimately I didn't really think they were three dimensional characters.
  The novel's first half is tense and captivating, as the Jones family tries to adapt to a new home in rural Louisiana. The characters struggle under severe uncertainty and dysfunction. Their new home is dreary, they have very little money, and every bump in the night could mean trouble. Meg has set up some of her own rules that she must follow to keep her profile low: Don't make friends, don't trust anybody, don't use the Internet. Again and again, she tries to discover who is after her family and what happened last June that started this whole mess, but her father won't discuss it. Soon she starts to break her own rules when she gets closer to the truth.
  Elston then breaks the tension when Meg falls in love with a charming boy named Ethan. Their romance was sweet and slowly build throughout the book. Ethan didn't really stand out for me as a character, but he was nice and helped Meg though he had figured out that Meg was lying about her identity pretty quickly. He does help Meg confront a repressed memory, and hits the road with her to free her family for good.
  I have to say that I was disappointed when we learned why the Jones family is in the Witness Protection Program. I thought the answer was too convenient and for me, the plot loses its emotional resonance and becomes implausible, I think some readers will likely enjoy the action. Though we get answers by the end of the book, the author leaves a single unfinished story line for a very likely forthcoming sequel. While I enjoyed this book for the most part and it reminded me a lot of Lois Duncan's books that I read in junior high, I'm not entirely sure if I'll pick up the next book.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, underage drinking, and strong violence. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.

If you like this book try: Shadowlands by Kate Brian, Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

 Wild is one of my quick picks for an adult nonfiction read. It is a powerful, blazingly honest, inspiring memoir of woman who took herself out of her personal hell by tackling a solo, monumental journey into the wildness which proves that no matter how dark things can get you do have enough strength to carry on.

Description (from Goodreads): At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Review: Wild is an unsentimental memoir of the author's three-month solo hike from California to Washington along the Pacific Crest Trail. Following the death of her mother, Strayed's life quickly disintegrated. Family ties from her siblings and stepfather melted away. Feeling emotionally numb, she dived head first into infidelity and drug use, which resulted in a divorced from her decent husband and best friend. For the next four years, her life quickly spiraled into darkness and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Strayed is very frank about her flaws and her writing is very candid, which is what drew me to her story. Her dark days will resonate with others who shared a similar event(s) in their own lives, but her means to find peace within herself may be a bit far fetched but not impossible.
  While waiting in line at an outdoors store, Strayed read the back cover of a book about the Pacific Crest Trail. Initially, the idea of hiking the trail became an abstract idea, something that might be listed on someone's bucket list, but then it quickly became a goal. With absolutely no backpacking experience whatsoever, being woefully under-prepared for the wilderness, out of shape and carrying a ridiculously overweight pack, the author set out from the small California town of Mojave, toward a bridge crossing the Columbia River at the Oregon-Washington border. Many would call her decision to be idiotic and impulsive and they would be right in many ways as she suffered aches, pains, loneliness, blistered, bloody feet, persistent hunger, and suspicious people along the way. Personally, I cringed when she made several decisions that could have easily been deadly yet I couldn't help but admire the author's tenacity of sticking to her goal when there were several times she could have easily stopped. I found a small part of myself connected to her plight and her conversational tone engaged me throughout her story. Strayed discovered a new found sense of awe; for overcoming her limitations along with gaining her inner and physical strength while hiking the PCT. She is stunned by how the trail both shattered and sheltered her as she released all her emotional baggage along the way.
  Some readers have found that Wild is a book filled with self pity and wallowing, but aren't most memoirs just that? If you're looking for a book talking about the wonders of hiking and the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild will surely disappoint you as there is not much discussion to be found. If you are in the mood for a candid and an inspiring narrative, Wild may work for you.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: This book contains strong language, drug use, and frank discussion of sex. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Into the Wild by Jon Krauker, Claiming Ground by Laura Bell, A Blistered Kind of Love: One Couple's Trial by Trail by Angela Ballard, Cactus Eaters by Dan White

The Reel Shelf Presents Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights)

Welcome to The Reel Shelf, a new weekly feature here at Books in the Spotlight where I imagine what's on my favorite TV/Movie character's book shelves. If you have missed any of my previous Reel Shelf installments, you can find them all here. Today I'm spotlighting Tim Riggins from the fabulous and highly underrated television series Friday Night Lights. If you haven't watched the show, do it now. The entire series is now available on DVD.

Image and Quote from Tvfantatic.com

All I wanted to do was come home.

 








   It was really hard to choose one character from Friday Night Lights because the entire cast of characters are amazing. For me, Tim Riggins encapsulates everything that I love about the show. At first glance, it's easy to write off Tim as your typical frat boy/philanderer, but as the show evolves so does his depth. Tim comes from a broken home where both of his parents abandon him and his brother Billy in a haze of alcohol and drugs, leaving the boys to fend for themselves. While he may not excel at school, he is incredibly gifted and naturally talented to play fullback on his high school's football team. Though he may act as if he is nonchalant about the team and the sport, Tim needs the sport the most to help ground himself. Tim Riggins is a character that you want to slap upside the head and yell at because of his stupid mistakes. It's his puppy dog eyes and lazy smile that make you want to give him a big hug. Tim is a man of honor and loyalty and he is played by Taylor Kitsch. 

  Even though Tim isn't much of a reader himself, I think he would be interested in the following books. As always, if you see something that I've clearly missed please add them in the comments!

The Reel Shelf Presents Tim Riggin's Book Shelf

Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger- Return once again to the enduring account of life in the Mojo lane, to the Permian Panthers of Odessa -- the winningest high school football team in Texas history. Odessa is not known to be a town big on dreams, but the Panthers help keep the hopes and dreams of this small, dusty town going. Socially and racially divided, its fragile economy follows the treacherous boom-bust path of the oil business.In bad times, the unemployment rate barrels out of control; in good times, its murder rate skyrockets. But every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true. With frankness and compassion, Bissinger chronicles one of the Panthers' dramatic seasons and shows how single-minded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires-and sometimes shatters-the teenagers who wear the Panthers' uniforms. 

Underdogs by Markus Zusak- Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They're intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben's girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

 Catch by Will Leitch- Everything comes easy for Tim Temples. He’s got a sweet summer job, lots of love from the ladies, and parties with his high school buddies. Why does he need to go to college? Then Tim falls hard for Helena—a worldly and mysterious twenty-two year-old. Their relationship opens his eyes to life outside the small town of Mattoon, Illinois. Now Tim has to choose: Will he settle for being a small town hero, or will he leave it all behind to follow his dreams?

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson-  High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.

I'll Be There by Heather Goldberg Sloan- Sam Border wishes he could escape. Raised by an unstable father, he’s spent his life moving from place to place. But he could never abandon his little brother, Riddle.
Riddle Border doesn’t talk much. Instead, he draws pictures of the insides of things and waits for the day when the outsides of things will make sense. He worships his older brother. But how can they leave when there’s nowhere to go? Then everything changes. Because Sam meets Emily.
  Emily Bell believes in destiny. She sings for her church choir, though she doesn’t have a particularly good voice. Nothing, she feels, is mere coincidence. And she’s singing at the moment she first sees Sam. Everyone whose path you cross in life has the power to change you—sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in ways greater than you could have ever known.

Bleachers by John Grisham- High school all-American Neely Crenshaw was probably the best quarterback ever to play for the legendary Messina Spartans. Fifteen years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie Rake, the man who molded the Spartans into an unbeatable football dynasty.
   Now, as Coach Rake's "boys" sit in the bleachers waiting for the dimming field lights to signal his passing, they replay the old games, relive the old glories, and try to decide once and for all whether they love Eddie Rake--or hate him. For Neely Crenshaw, a man who must finally forgive his coach--and himself--before he can get on with life, the stakes are especially high.

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp- In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be--both on and off the field.
Welcome to Kennisaw--where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country--they'll be legends.
  But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school--the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine--the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else--is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis- The bestselling author of "Coach, Moneyball" and "Liar's Poker" delivers a multidimensional story that traces the upbringing of a young boy through to young adulthood, all through the lens of sports and his community of support. 

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally- What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Greeen moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

Pop by Gordon Korman- After moving to a new town, Marcus strikes up a friendship with Charlie Popovich, a former pro football player. As the two grow closer, Marcus learns that Charlie has early onset Alzheimer's disease as a result of suffering head injuries during his career. Marcus is willing to risk everything to help his new friend. 

Split by Swati Avasthi- Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret. He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret. At least so far.
  Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? 

Raider's Night by Robert Lipsyte-The pressure is on. At Nearmont High School, football stars are treated like royalty, and Matt Rydek has just ascended to the throne. As co-captain of the Raiders, he's got it all, or so it seems: hot girls, all the right friends, plenty of juice to make him strong, and a winning team poised to go all the way. If he can keep his eye on the ball now, his future will be set, with a full ride to a Division One school, a shot at the pros, and most important his dad off his back. But when the team turns on one of its own, should Matt play by Raiders rules, or should he go long alone?

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach- My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing
Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will it get me girls-especially Aleah? So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah's house in the night. But deep down I know I can't run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally have to stop.

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta- Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca - but five years have passed, and now it's Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can't forget. Shooting for oblivion, he's hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom's in no shape to mend what's broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper's Son redefines what it means to go home again. 

Stick by Andrew Smith-  Fourteen-year-old Stark McClellan (nicknamed Stick because he’s tall and thin) is bullied for being “deformed” – he was born with only one ear. His older brother Bosten is always there to defend Stick. But the boys can’t defend one another from their abusive parents.
   When Stick realizes Bosten is gay, he knows that to survive his father's anger, Bosten must leave home. Stick has to find his brother, or he will never feel whole again. In his search, he will encounter good people, bad people, and people who are simply indifferent to kids from the wrong side of the tracks. But he never loses hope of finding love – and his brother.

Next Man Up by John Feinstein - An up-close look inside an NFL powerhouse, from the only writer in America who players and coaches would trust with their secrets. 

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt - The story of a young marine’s return from war in the Middle East and the psychological effects it has on his family. 

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen- There's an extraordinary price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on - and off - the football field. And it claims its victims without mercy - including the most innocent bystanders.     When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school's salvation. Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes.

Crackback by John Coy- When Miles Manning, a successful high school football player, discovers his teammates are using steroids--and one of them is his best friend--he's faced with a tough decision: Is he willing to do what it takes to win? Football is his life, and his family, especially his dad, is pinning its hopes on him. It's a lot of pressure for a high school junior to bear. This gripping look into the world of high school boys and athletes--and their struggle to be the best--is provocative and searingly honest.