Review: Compulsion by Martina Boone

Title: Compulsion

Author: Martina Boone

Publisher: Simon Teen

Publication Date: 10.28.2014

Pages: 448

Genre: Young Adult, Southern, Gothic, Magic

Series: Heirs of Watson Island #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

Review:

This is one of those books that you love so much you don't know where to start. It's intriguing, suspenseful and touching all at the same time.

I immediately loved Barrie. She is one of those girls that you feel like you can connect with. She is shy but determined and wants nothing more then to make everyone happy and do the right thing by helping everyone else before herself.

Cue Mr. Hottie Eight. He has that sexy mysterious vibe to him. Which, personally makes him all the more yummy. He tries to help Barrie but ends up helping himself while making his life a confused mess at the same time.

You can really feel with Barrie. The sense of loss, betrayal, and hard to find love all seem to jump out at you. And that but of mystery magic that just pulls you in and keeps you on your toes.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I never put much thought into the contemporary fantasy genre, until now. And I love it.

Buy: Compulsion (Heirs of Watson Island)

Review: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

Title: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

Author: Lynn Weingarten

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Publication Date: 12.27.2011

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary, Magic

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

Review:

Few books literally make me cringe in the first chapter. Not because the book is awful—far from it—but because I already feel so much for a character that when I see she’s about to become horribly embarrassed, I literally pray the author isn’t that cruel. But if Lynn Weingarten had taken more pity on her lead, Lucy, there wouldn’t be this fun and amusing novel.

Oh, Lucy. This poor, misguided girl. She reminded me of this younger cousin I have—annoying, devastatingly naïve, but I can’t not love her. All her quirks and obsessive tendencies could get grating, but there was something about her that made me cheer for her. I wanted her to win and come out of this ordeal a better person. I won’t lie, I sometimes wanted to slap her, but that would be like kicking a puppy.

I love Weingarten’s way of telling a story. It’s light, airy, and refreshingly unencumbered. Her words come across as playful, but look past the superficial craziness and you can see there is a deeper meaning hidden in those words.

I think this book is a solid read for younger teens. Older teens and adults might be a bit put off by Lucy’s juvenile way of thinking, as I almost was initially. I felt I needed to shift my mindset to a younger way of thinking and approach this as a fun, easygoing story. Once I did that, it was smooth sailing and I enjoyed reading it.

Buy: Amazon