Review: The Otto Digmore Difference (The Otto Digmore Series, #1)

Author: Brent Hartinger
Started reading: May 7th 2017
Finished the book: May 7th 2017
Pages: 174
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT
Published: February 21st 2017
Source: Got a digital copy from the author
Goodreads score: 4.37
My score:

Synopsis
Otto Digmore is a 26-year-old gay guy with dreams of being a successful actor, and he’s finally getting some attention as a result of his supporting role on a struggling sitcom. But he’s also a burn survivor with scars on half his face, and all indications are that he’s just too different to ever find real Hollywood success.
Now he’s up for an amazing new role that could change everything. Problem is, he and his best friend Russel Middlebrook have to drive all the way across the country in order to get to the audition on time. It’s hard to say which is worse: the fact that so many things go wrong, or that Russel, an aspiring screenwriter, keeps comparing their experiences to some kind of road trip movie. There’s also the fact that Otto and Russel were once boyfriends, and Otto is starting to realize that he still might have romantic feelings for his best friend. Just how far will Otto go to get the role, and maybe the guy, of his dreams?

My thoughts

I was so surprised by this book! I was getting in there with no expectations at all actually. The fact that Otto Digmore is 26 years old is a nice change for once. I read books with main-characters who are a lot younger, usually around 16/18 years old. The book is exactly as long as it should be, not too long, not too short, just the right length.

Pros

• Otto: Otto is maybe my #1 favorite male main-character so far! The way he describes his feelings and makes everything feel so relatable is very strong. He is very self-aware and constantly thinking about the way the world sees him and the way he wants them to see him. I can relate with that, since it's one of my characteristics as well.
• Character development: Otto felt like a different person at the end of the book. I love how he is growing as a character, as a person and as a friend to others as well. He is getting so much insight from the different people around him. Utterly clueless at the beginning of the book and more emotionally involved with others at the end.
• References: The references in this book are awesome. The references to different actors, but to movies and series as well. You'll just have to read it to understand what I'm talking about, but it totally felt like something unique and so relatable.
• 1-sitting: I read this book in 1 sitting and it didn't even cost me that much time/energy/effort. It was so much fun and I was kinda sad that the book ended. Lucky for me; this was book 1 in a series!

Cons

Can't think of any, really.

Overall

This was a very relatable story. The book overall was a feel-good story for me. Even though Otto is struggling with himself, his dreams and people around him, I highly recommend this "Road Trip" together with Otto!

Other opinions about this book

"Hits the narrative sweet spot."

- NPR's All Things Considered

"Downright refreshing."

- USA Today

"Touching and realistic... hilarious."

- Kirkus Reviews

Memorable quotes from this book

"I am what I am. Like the truth is what it is. It's not good or bad, it just is. The truth is neutral. We're the ones who decide if something is good or bad."

What book did you read in 1 sitting recently?

  

Review: April (Calendar Girl #4)

Author: Audrey Carlan
Started reading: May 5th 2017
Finished the book: May 6th 2017
Pages: 100
Genres: Erotic, Romance
Published: April 30th 2015
Source: Kindle
Goodreads score: 4.09
My score:

Synopsis
Baseball, beer, and a hot boy. Nothing can beat that. Until I meet Mason “Mace” Murphy the next “it” pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and my client. He’s immature, arrogant, sexy as sin, and the last man that’s going to get into my panties. He’s not used to hearing the word no from women, so I’m going to spell it out for him. N = Not going to happen. O = Out of your league buddy.
I was hired to cuddle up to the annoying, beautiful athlete, and give prospective advertisers and fans a different view of this hot-shot professional baller. Only he’s everything I detest in a man all wrapped into a dream package. Baseball player, talented, athletic body, sculpted face, and ass you can bounce quarters off of. Unfortunately, he also believes he’s God’s gift to women, a man-whore, throws money around like it grows on trees, and conceited. The challenge for him, to break down my defenses and get in there. My challenge, avoid hopping in the sack with him at all costs.

My thoughts

This book wasn't the worst one in the series. I kinda liked Mia at some point, she is developing as a character, which I like. The story in this book wasn't all about her and the steamy sex she has as well. Next to that, she is doing something good for society, so it was pretty okay.

Pros

• Mia: At some point in this book I could relate to Mia. I understood the choices she made and she felt more like a real person.
• Think Pink: The fact that there is breastcancer awareness in this book is something I could appreciate. I like the fact that the book wasn't all about the sex, this one. It was more about the story, doing good things and about Mia as a person.
• Solid Story: The story wasn't about having sex all month and earning a lot of money with it. It wasn't about how Mia is having 5 orgasms a day and receiving new clothes and going to great parties. This story was more about the people around you, about growing as a person and helping out.

Cons

• Mia: So Mia get's better this book, but I'm still not that fond of her. The fact that she can't go without an orgasm for 2 weeks and is spying on people who have sex to get off herself, is really not something that was necessary in this book.

Overall

This book was a little better than last one. Mia is developing as a character and I hope the books are getting better. It's a quick read, for about a 100 pages and I feel like these books shouldn't be any longer. It's just a nice light read for in between books.

Other opinions about this book

"Sinfully delicious from start to finish. Sexy, smart, and so unique! I was completely immersed in Mia's journey."

- Katy Evans, NYT Bestselling Author

"This book, and Mia's encounters, are hot enough to make your panties damp, make you squirm, and make you want to climb men like trees."

- Give Me Books

"I am hooked on this series and Mia's adventures! They keep betting better and better and the guys hotter and hotter."

- Rising IndiesUnited Blog

Did you read anything from this series?

What's your opinion about the books?

  

Review (re-read): A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: April 3rd 2017
Finished the book: May 6th 2017
Pages: 421
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 5th 2015
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:

Synopsis
Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My thoughts

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. Since the new book arrived in my mailbox last week and I really wanted to review the other two books, I decided to do a re-read. To quote myself in my last review, this book is:

Dazzling, emotional, gripping, intense, powerful, unique, astonishing, captivating, magnificent, fascinating, memorable, breath-taking, heart-breaking, spine-tingling and tear-jerking!

READ. IT.

Pros

• Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding in this book is so strong. Sarah J. Maas is using her first book as a really good set-up to explain the world Feyre is in and the creatures she is meeting. It's so fascinating, all the names and new species she can come up with and I SWEAR it just all makes sense...
• Feyre: Feyre is my #1 heroine! She is fierce, loving and ready to give her all for the people she loves. I'm a very big Feyre-fan, she is all you want in a series like this.
• Ending: It seems like a thing, to break my heart at the end of a book. I know how book 2 is going to end, and Sarah J. Maas is a BOSS in ending books with a big shock. I LOVED the ending. I cried so hard, even the second time, it was perfect, it was great and it makes you want MORE. I couldn't wait to read the second book after this first one.

Cons

NO!!

Overall

I am such a huge ACOTAR fangirl. I LOVE the books. I really don't know what I'll do with my life once this series ends. Can't even think about it right now. I totally recommend this book to fantasy lovers. I know the books are kinda hyped right now, maybe? But I can't imagine anyone hating these books...

Who can hate a book when it leaves you like this:

Other opinions about this book

"A gorgeously written tale as lush and romantic as it is ferocious. Absolutely spellbinding."

- Alexandra Bracken, NYT Bestselling Author

"Readers will find the author's trademark blend of action, romance, and witty banter as well as a sexier edgier tone."

- School Library Journal

"Suspense, romance, intrigue and action. This is not a book to be missed!"

- The Huffington Post

Memorable quotes from this book

"Do you lie awake at night to come up with all your witty replies for the following day?"

"A kiss for each day we'd spent apart, a kiss for every wound and terror, a kiss for the ink etched into my flesh, and for all the days we would be together after this. Days, perhaps, that I no longer deserved. But I gave myself again to that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn."

"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy."

What's your opinion about this series?!

  

Review: The Suffering Tree

Author: Elle Cosimano
Started reading: April 29th 2017
Finished the book: May 1st 2017
Pages: 368
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Mystery
Published: June 13th 2017
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 3.6
My score:

Synopsis
Tori Burns and her family left D.C. for claustrophobic Chaptico, Maryland, after suddenly inheriting a house under mysterious circumstances. That inheritance puts her at odds with the entire town, especially Jesse Slaughter and his family—it’s their generations-old land the Burns have “stolen.” But none of that seems to matter after Tori witnesses a young man claw his way out of a grave under the gnarled oak in her new backyard. Nathaniel Bishop may not understand what brought him back, but it’s clear to Tori that he hates the Slaughters for what they did to him centuries ago. Wary yet drawn to him by a shared sense of loss, she gives him shelter. But in the wake of his arrival comes a string of troubling events—including the disappearance of Jesse Slaughter’s cousin—that seem to point back to Nathaniel.

My thoughts

Trigger warning: Self-harm is an ongoing subject in this book.

This is the kind of story that I've never read before. It seems a historical romance but there are fantasy elements as well. Not sure if this book would be YA in my opinion because of the harsh subjects in the book.

Pros

• Ending: The ending was a good one. I felt satisfied with the ending, which should be the case if the book is a standalone.
• Lot of mystery: There is a lot going on that you don't understand and it takes almost the whole book for you to get your answers. Things point to some of the wrong people and the wrong places, but you will get your answers in the end!
• Different POV's: This book is written from 3 different POV's, which made it very interesting for me. You have the current time, you have the visions Tori is having and there is the history told by Nathaniel. I liked the variety and the way the story is told from different POV's. For me, different POV's don't always work or have the effect they should have. But it worked for me in this book!

Cons

• Did not always make sense: There is so much going on in this book that I don't understand. The book had fantasy elements, but I wouldn't call it a fantasy book. The way things evolved didn't always make sense and I'm still not sure I understand what actually happened in the book...
• Selfharm/Slavery/Rape: Such harsh subjects.. I'm not sure I would put those subjects in a book that I call YA. It's also weird to me that there is no note or warning somewhere in the synopsis or book-blurb. For people struggling with harsh subjects, it could be a shock to read those passages.
• Didn't enjoy it all the time: There were moments in this book when I wasn't that excited to keep reading. I didn't understand a lot of things that were happening, together with the subjects named above, it wasn't always a pleasant read.

Overall

A story with a lot of promise. It didn't always make sense to me, Tori was hard to understand as well as her choices. Wouldn't tag this book as a YA, because of the underlying subjects in the book. When you like your casual zombie-boyfriend and a nice mystery and if you're not scared away by the above named subjects, you might enjoy this book.

Other opinions about this book

"Spellbinding and haunting... Cosimano weaves a riveting tale of secrets, dark magic, love and revenge. Part history, part paranormal mystery and part modern-day thriller, The Suffering Tree hooked me from the moment Nathaniel Bishop climbed out of his grave."

- Cat Winters

"Riveting... A dark mixture of mystery, history, romance, and fantasy."

- Kirkus Reviews

"Cosimano's story is rich in historical detail and eerie atmosphere."

- Publishers Weekly

Memorable quotes from this book

"Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone, But still miraculously my own.

Never forget for a single minute, You didn't grow under my heart, But in it."

"No matter where you are raised or what name you are given, you will endure.

You will swim, you will dance and you will love without fear."

Do you feel harsh subjects in a book should get a trigger-warning?