Review: Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

Hello, everyone! Today is my stop on the blog tour for Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson hosted by YA Bound Book Tours! I'm really excited about this book tour and so happy I got the chance to review it for you all! It sounded so interesting to me, even with the whole werewolf/wolf type element which I'm personally not actually a fan of but this one was an exception. Not only is this book gorgeous, but it definitely had surprises waiting for me.

Before I get further into the details about what I thought about this book, be sure to check down below to follow the rest of the blog tour as well as details on where you can purchase the book and enter the GIVEAWAY! Whoot whoot! I hope you guys enjoy!

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Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson

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Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Page Count: 394

Stand Alone

Publisher: Self-Published

Published: July 25th, 2016

A powerful new YA novel by award-winning dark romance author AM Hudson. 

Do not go gentle into the wolf's asylum... 

Once every twenty years, pack alpha Luther takes a new wife. On the day of Selection, Red is chosen. Just as her family always planned. Just as she always planned. Until she met Alex Plain. 

Alex took Red to worlds she never imagined, where the ordinary is seen as magical, and the upright is abstract. With the help of this new friendship, Red begins to see a future for herself outside of the pack. But, unfortunately, Alex Plain came along too late. 

Red is obligated to marry Luther now, and taken to live in the mysterious Ravenswood Mansion, where truth lies and the walls have eyes. What Red learns there about her alpha will ignite some burning questions—ones that, when answered, could undo the entire order of the pack: 

What happened to all the children born there? Why hasn’t this mansion left the seventeenth century? And where are all his previous wives?

Review:

PROS:

1. Right off the bat, I was interested in reading this one not only because it seemed like a retelling of little red riding hood but also because I felt like stepping out of my comfort zone. If you know me, you know I don't read books with vampires, werewolves, or any other creature of the night. They're just not my thing. However, this one sounded rather intriguing so I thought I'd give it a chance. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by this book for many reasons. Let's start with my favorite reason first, shall we? 

2. Going into this book, I was expecting a less modern setting than the one I got. I was surprised to see that this book is set in modern times, which I found refreshing since it actually was a realistic type setting other than the overdramatic and darker modern day settings most urban fantasy books that I've read have been set in. It was a lighter atmosphere without starting off heavy somehow. I really loved the fact that the characters also didn't have the most depressing background stories ever other than two, whose background stories were both sad but realistic as well.

3. The way this story is told caught me a little by surprise since I was expecting a retelling of little red riding hood. Instead, I was introduced to an entirely new tale which I found really enjoyable. I loved all of the twists that were made for this story to really give little red riding hood a fresh new spin on the classic tale and I found it to be really interesting and it kept me hooked until the very end. The character development of every single character was just great and I was able to connect with all of them, including the big bad wolf himself which was only a sign as to how great the characters really were.


4. The storytelling and pace this book takes was both intriguing and relaxed, fantastical and realistic at the same time and I fell in love with the book as it progressed. I loved how real the setting was for the book, but also how it had an old time feel with Red being trapped in a mansion that seemed to have been left in the 1800's, following her story as she digs deeper into who this mysterious Luther is that she's to marry and what exactly is going on behind closed doors, discovering secrets and lies that can get her harmed or even killed. The book kept me interested in the story because of the unique turns in the story, the unique setting, the realistic views on life and grief, and also took me on an adventure while also teaching some very valuable lessons on life.

 5. I could go on and on about this book from the beautiful cover to the great ending but I'll end with saying that my favorite part about this whole book was that it really focused on the importance of friendships and families, no matter how strange or weird they may seem. I loved that Red never lost sight of what really mattered to her and was quick to set aside her own problems when it came to helping out her friends who were in need, even if she had enough to worry about already. I loved the themes of family and friendship littered throughout the book and I especially loved that the romance element was only a hidden theme, only really taking life towards the last few chapters of the story with hints thrown in here and there.

6. This book deals with grief, facing your mistakes, accepting that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows but also learning to accept that there's still a little bit of magic left even when it seems your own little world is shrouded in pain or hurt. Overall, this book was fun to read, something fresh, realistic in its characters and storytelling, and most importantly added something new and touching to the story of little red riding hood that I fully enjoyed.

The reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because I'm just personally not a huge fan of werewolf stories so it was a bit out of my comfort zone at some points when the story delves into the history of Red's family and where her pack comes from as well as the traditions of old. Other than that, I really recommend this one!

You Can Purchase The Book Here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

Barnes & Noble

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About The Author

From the town that brought you Sam Worthington, the city that brought you Heath Ledger, and the country that gave you Chris Hemsworth, comes the AusRom TODAY Author of the Year 2015 and Best Established Author nominee AM Hudson. 

This internationally successful author has captivated fans all over the world since her Dark Secrets series was released in 2011. Known for her character-driven novels and twisted plots, her epic stories will confuse you, draw you in, make you feel something, including a strong desire to slap the protagonist. 

When she's not making people fall in love with her works, she spends time sorting a mountain of laundry for her four sons and drags shoelaces around the house for her Ragdoll cat Pudding to chase. 

Mrs. Hudson loves a good chat about all things bookish, so come find her on Facebook at 'AM Hudson', and she absolutely loves readers that leave reviews. 

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Amazon

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Review: Queen Of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (Queen Of Hearts Saga #1)

Queen Of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (Queen Of Hearts Saga #1)

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Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Score: 3.5 stars

Page Count: 306

Book #1 of the Queen Of Hearts Saga

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: May 3, 2016

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.

Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

Review:

PROS:

1. First off, can we just appreciate the cover art? Like, oh my goodness. I was pretty much sold on this book when I first heard about its release because of the fact that it's a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, more specifically, a retelling of the Queen Of Hearts. I'm becoming more of a fan of Alice every day and now that there are so many Wonderland retellings coming out within the next year, I really wanted to start by reading this book. Here's the review:

2. I thought the characters were so interesting and they were all dark and whimsical just like you'd expect. I liked the characters because they reminded me a lot of the Tim Burton representations. Dinah aka the future Queen Of Hearts, is more or less the hero of this story. She's a teenager getting ready to take her father's throne one day in order to be a better ruler than he ever was. She was very determined to stay out of her father's way but was also set on challenging him whenever she thought it was worth it. She was also very loyal to her friends which was a nice element to the villain we've come to know her as. This retelling did a great job as portraying Dinah in more a hero sense.

Her father was very abusive and you can't help but hate the guy's guts. He was quick to put Dinah in her place using fear and physical abuse as a way to do that. Charles was easily my favorite character in the book, a familiar character that you already know and love. He was innocent and Dinah would do anything in order to protect him from the world and her own father.

3. I liked the world of the book, though I wish there was a little more detail about it since I thought it had a lot of potential. It was definitely dark and had a gothic feel and a place I'd be both excited to visit and terrified to venture through. It seemed like a world in which only nightmares lived and that was greatly expressed with the Black Towers and the areas surrounding the palace. There were also interesting creatures such as the Hornhooves and the general feel of the book was both scary and thrilling but also fun and full of wonder and whimsy. 

4. Lastly, I enjoyed it overall. It was a promising start to this series and having read the first pages of the next book in the series, I'm intrigued on what will happen next to the Queen Of Hearts. It's a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for a darker read on a playful subject and of course, to fans of Alice In Wonderland if you want to explore this retelling of Dinah.

The reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because it was a bit slow. It didn't pick up the pace for me until about 3/4 of the way into the book and I did find myself getting a little bored in some parts of the book. The ending was a nice one, though it also wasn't something I found amazing. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters but I still enjoyed their story. 

So, I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! Is there a retelling you can't wait to read? What fairytale would you like to read a retelling of? Let me know in the comments! Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Most Anticipated August YA Releases!

I'm fully aware that I did in fact skip telling you guys which books I was excited for in July but it was quite a slow month for new releases that I was excited about, I only ended up finding two that caught my attention. But I'm back with five new releases for the month of August that I just have to check out and put on my bookshelves! Here are my most anticipated August releases!

Title: Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine

Author: Stephanie Tromly

Release Date: August 4

Genre: Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: Preparing to survive a typical day of being Digbys friend wasn't that different from preparing to survive the apocalypse.

Her first day not in school (because she cut) in her new hometown that will soon be her old hometown (because she's getting out of Dodge as fast as she can) Zoe meets Digby. Or rather, Digby decides he's going to meet Zoe and get her to help him find missing teenager. Zoe isn't sure how, but Digby—the odd and brilliant and somehow…attractive?—Digby always gets what he wants, including her help on several illegal ventures. Before she knows it, Zoe has vandalized an office complex with fake snow, pretended to buy drugs alongside a handsome football player dressed like the Hulk, had a throw-down with a possible cult, and, oh yeah, saved her new hometown (which might be worth making her permanent hometown after all.)

A mystery where catching the crook isn't the only hook, a romance where the leading man is decidedly unromantic, a story about friendship where they aren't even sure they like each other—Trouble is a Friend of Mine is a YA debut you won’t soon forget.

Title: Reawakened (The Reawakened #1)

Author: Colleen Houck

Release Date: August 11

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.

Title: Court Of Fives (Court Of Fives #1)

Author: Kate Elliott

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: August 18

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Jessamy's life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes's family apart, she'll have to test Kal's loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys 

Author: Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters

Genre: Horror

Release Date: August 18

Publisher: Dial Books

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror 

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors.

Title: Mechanica

Author: Betsy Cornwell

Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk

Release Date: August 25

Publisher: Clarion Books

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. 

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: YA, Romance, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 550

Book #3 of the Lunar Chronicles Series

Publisher: Macmillian

Published: February 4, 2014

 

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. So ever since I finished reading Scarlet, the second book in the Lunar Chronicles series, I couldn't get over how much I needed to know what happened next with the characters and the story and all that jazz! I finally was able to pick this book up and flew through all 550 pages in just a couple of sittings.

 

2. The first thing obviously is the characters! I thought I loved them in the first book, the second but oh my gosh did I love them in this third book so much more! I really loved how strong Cinder's characters grew to be in each book. She just kept getting more courageous and strong and determined to overthrow Queen Levana and it was awesome to see her grow in that way. Scarlet, however, didn't make much of an appearance in this third book which really disappointed me because I really wanted to see her character develop a little more. In this third book, Cress is introduced into the group of misfits and I really loved her character despite how naïve and how much of a dreamer she was and couldn't really grasp reality. Captain Thorne takes on a bigger role in this book as well and I have to say, I couldn't get enough of him! Wolf and Kai obviously make their appearances as well which I didn't mind of course. Prince Kai is just everything. And, of course, the story wouldn't be complete without the lovable and precious Iko! She's just perfect in this book!

 

3. The story took on such a fast-paced turn compared to the last two books. The third book is by far my favorite book so far in the series with all of it's action packed scenes, funny moments, and romantic elements all blending so well into the story. I loved how much more adventure and suspense was in this book and it truly had me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time! I loved reading how the characters planned on taking down Queen Levana and how they planned on getting to Luna without dying. That would be bad.

 

4. I could honestly go on forever talking about this book! Character development was just so great in this book as well as the continuous world building and storyline. It was just a really exciting read overall and I honestly can't imagine how much better the fourth and final book in this series will be! I really love this series and I have to say this book left me wanting so much more and wanting to know more than anything what happens next in the story!

 

5. Can we just talk about that ending though? I mean, seriously, Cinder and Kai are just life.

 

Winter by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #4)

Available: November 10, 2015

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Rating: PG

Genre: YA, Romance. Science Fiction, Dystopian

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 452

Book #2 of the Lunar Chronicles Series

Publisher: Macmilllan Publishers

Published: February 5, 2013

 

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. The second book to Cinder in The Lunar Chronicles Series might just be my favorite so far. I really loved Cinder to the moon and back (pun intended) and I was really excited to pick up Scarlet and continue the story. I was a little nervous about the second book since Cinder was such a great book but I was happy to find that Scarlet is an amazing continuation of the story.

2. We do get a whole new batch of characters in Scarlet which I really ending up loving. I really enjoyed reading about all the characters and getting to know them, where they're from, etc. I felt that Scarlet was an amazing female protagonist seeing as she was strong and not willing to give up on anything she set her mind too. I also really loved how characters from the first book intertwined in the second book and I really loved reading from their point of view every now and then because I really loved them in Cinder.

3. The story line was reminiscent to Little Red Riding Hood but also had it's own twist to the story which I really enjoyed. I really liked how the story had Little Red elements such as the red cape, the big bad wolf, the grandmother and a few other things. But I really loved seeing how even those main factors had their own twist and was made an original element for this amazing retelling. Needless to say, Marissa Meyer knows how to rewrite a classic fairytale without restricting herself to subtle changes.

4. As I mentioned earlier, the book is told in three different POV's, one from Cinder, one from Scarlet and one from Prince Kai. I really liked that the story was told this way because I got to see what was happening in another part of the world while something else was playing out at the same time. I thought it was pretty cool to see what was happening with one character when something else was playing out for another character. I also thought it was a great way to bring back the old characters from the first book and intertwine them.

5. Overall, I fully enjoyed reading this book and recommend this series to any fairytale lover looking for a good retelling of the classic bedtime stories. This book had something for everyone: romance, action, cool lunar powers, suspense and even comedy. I'm excited to pick up the third book in the series, Cress, and continue with the story to see what happens next!

Age Recommendation: 12+

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!