Thursday, September 22, 2016

Review: The Form of Things Unknown by Robin Bridges

The Form of Things UnknownThe Form of Things Unknown by Robin Bridges


The Form of Things Unknown is the second book in this series. Both of which involve teens having to deal with some pretty heavy stuff amidst falling in love and trying to figure things out in general.

In The Form of Things Unknown Natalie's family has moved in with her grandmother to help take care of her since she has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Apparently Natalie's ex boyfriend gave her some ecstasy that triggered hallucinations of her own and with her family history of mental health issues she now has to take medication to keep her from possibly having more hallucinations. This would understandably be tough on anyone, much less a teenager. So I don't find it hard to believe when she makes some mistakes with skipping her medication or drinking with it when she is hanging out with friends. This may not be the smart move or even be what us as readers would want her to do but it is very realistic for her age and situation. It also adds to the mystery of her believing that she may be seeing things at the theater. It really keeps you wondering if it's because she isn't taking her medications properly or is it because the theater is truly haunted, or maybe it's something else entirely. Add in the possible budding relationship with Lucas a boy she knows from the rehabilitation facility and it definitely keeps things interesting. I like that it's not all gloom and doom and there is humor throughout as well and some fun characters like Lucas's younger sister and the boy Natalie's brother has a crush on to help keep things light. I find it refreshing to find characters in ya contemporary dealing with some big real life issues such as mental health and not just boy drama. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more novels by Ms. Robin Bridges.

** I received this book from the publisher in exchange for honest review **


Sunday, September 18, 2016

Review: Secret Heart of Lacie Blade




My Review:
 The entire Robbin' Hearts series has been so magical and Secret Heart of Lacie Blade is a wonderful new addition to that. It takes place in the same familiar setting of Bender lake as the previous books and features one of my favorite characters, Granny Tinker. It could definitely be read as a standalone since this story does not depend on the previous ones to be told. With that said, I do recommend reading the series as a whole because it is so wonderful and Reed just has this beautiful mystical aspect to her work that I so enjoy. This one is a bit quirky much like the first book of the series and has that gypsy aspect that is just so cool. I haven't read many books with gypsies and Granny Tinker is a really unique character that really breathes life into every scene she's in. Although this is a short story it is not lacking in depth or story. Small packages can pack a big punch as I'm sure Lacie Blade would tell you ;-) . 
I'm not sure if Ms. Reed has more stories in mind for this series but I am always happy to visit Bender Lake. I highly recommend this entire series and hope that you love it as much as I do. 

** I received this book from the author in exchange for honest review. **