Reviews written by Alanna Shaw

Sucked me in from the first page! Great hook! Anytime someone is murdered in the first chapter, my attention is caught. Hook, line, and sinker. (har har) I have one small negative about this book, so I'll go ahead and get it out of the way...

Let me start by saying that The Little Mermaid is one of my all time favorite fairy tales (and Disney movies). I love it-- even the super sad ending. That story started my obsession with all things mermaid. A few years ago I picked up some other books in the...

Yep, still love this series. I am convinced that it is the perfect read aloud for middle schoolers. Last year, I read the first book aloud and had a captive audience every day. Maybe it was due to my dynamic reading that could win a Grammy, or maybe it was...

I am so proud of myself for reading outside of my normal genre. The Christopher Killer is a realistic forensic murder mystery… A far cry from my normal fantasy books. Even though this is not my usual type of read, I enjoyed it. One...

I really like this series! The mermaids in this story are terrifying! It’s no wonder that Lisa Papademetriou calls them sirens. They are vicious. In Fury’s Fire, the suspense factor is amped up to a whole new level. I loved that some of the old characters that seemed so stable...

I am going to do the unthinkable and say that I have mixed feelings about this review. Ack. Go ahead and gasp and tell me how horrid I am. I’m ready for it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this book; however, there were some things that keep...

Oh. My. Goodness. This was such a great book! Why didn’t I read it before now? Shame on me. As you’ve probably guessed, Hannah killed herself. What you (and the other characters) don’t know is why she did it. Until the tapes arrive....

Wow. Where to begin with this one? Um… I really wanted to like this book. I promise I did. I haven’t read any selkie stories, so I was pretty stoked when I found this one on the shelf at the library. I also thought the hidden references...

Move over Hunger Games and Divergent, I think I have a new favorite dystopian novel! Neal Shusterman’s Unwind was amazing. Dark, deeply disturbing, but amazing. Brilliant, even. I really want to know where he got the idea for this story! Like the uber popular Hunger Games series,...

I really wasn’t that into this book. I’m not sure what it was exactly that bothered me, but I had a really hard time wanting to read Linger. I vaguely remember feeling the same way about the first book, Shiver. However, I can truly say that I did find myself...

Eh... Sometimes I read a book that I just can't connect with. I really wanted to like this book. I tried soooo hard. I even read the whole thing when I wanted to stop 3/4 of the way in. But I just couldn't get the warm fuzzies about this one....

Kiss of Frost picks right up where the first book ends, and you are instantly hurtled into a steamy love triangle. Logan can’t make up his mind about what (or who) he wants and Gwen’s feelings for the Spartan have only grown stronger. Poor girl. She’s an emotional, conflicted mess....

Two words: complicated and intense. The great care that was taken to develop the setting in this book was amazing. It completely sucks you in. The story takes place in Salem in the early 1900s, which makes it the perfect setting for a super creepy story....

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone, but I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised with what I read. For some reason I thought there was a paranormal element to this book. I have no idea why that...

This is probably the hardest review I have ever written. I really don’t know where to start. I was giving this book awhile back for review, but I put it off until I was in the right emotional mindset to read such a difficult topic. As fate would have it,...