Reviews written by Alanna Shaw

Eh. I was SO into this book until I hit the end. What a disappointment. I can't begin to tell you how irritated I get when books end abruptly in the middle of the climax. That is such a no-no. I was fuming. Seriously. My husband was driving the car...

If I could describe this book in one word it would be... lackluster. I was SO excited to see this book on NetGalley. I love retellings of SHakespeare's plays. One of my all time favorites is Ophelia by Lisa Klein. Unfortunately, this book did not live up...

There are several things in life that I find hard to resist: shoes, free books, and retellings of fairy tales. A True Princess (Diane Zahler) was a quaint retelling of the classic fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” Unlike the well-known fairy tale version, however, this retelling is packed...

It is a well documented fact that England, during the 1500s, faced many foes. The Pope and the Spanish empire were both displeased with the newly appointed Queen Elizabeth. But who would have thought that Queen...

Brigitta and her younger sister, Himalette, are the only two faeries in their entire village of White Forest that have not been affected by a mysterious curse. During the preparations for the annual festival, every living being in the White Forest is turned to stone. Brigitta suddenly finds herself faced...

Kate Winters has spent the last four years of her life taking care of her sick mother. Now, her mother has decided she wants to return to her home of Eden, Michigan for one last time before she dies. Kate isn’t thrilled with the idea of moving from New York...

The story begins with Lisa’s attempted suicide. Before she can overdose on her mother’s pills, Death intercedes and appoints her as Famine. She thinks she is dreaming, until she notices a large, black horse living in her backyard and Famine’s scales sitting on her kitchen table. At night, Lisa takes...

Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, and people all in a row. Not exactly the nursery rhyme that we remember from our childhood, right? In S.A. Bodeen’s The Gardener, this is exactly the type of garden found inside of The Greenhouse...

Sadie has spent the three years since her mother’s death moving from one foster home to another. She is labeled crazy by her peers and the adults in her community because she refuses to believe her mother is truly dead. After all, there was no body found at the scene...

After 62 years of “sleeping” in a stass tube, Rose Fitzroy is awakened. To her horror she has found that everyone she once knew has died. She is a foreigner in a new time. She doesn’t fit in with her new surroundings, and she is terribly out-of-date in both fashion...

I must say that it has been a long time since I’ve read a paranormal romance novel that I actually enjoyed as much as the Twilight series. Even if you’re not a fan of the Twilight books, you would still like this book. It’s very fresh and original. The concept...

I hate to admit it, but this is the first Meg Cabot book that I have read. I own many of her books, but I have never read them. I enjoyed Jinx. It’s not overly complicated or highly original, but I still liked it. The inside flap makes you think...

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I can’t say that I loved it. In fact, I’m a little disappointed. I have been reading so many raves about this series, that I just knew it would be great. And the first half...

I love this book! It is such a fun, easy, and enjoyable read. It’s an adventure story with a few surprises and fantasy elements added in. Young Gaylen is on a quest to poll the kingdom’s response for the royal dictionary’s choice for something “delicious.” Unfortunately, no one can agree...

Gabry is the type that always follows the rules. She has a safe life within the walls of Vista, and never dreams of traveling to the Dark City. Her life is built around boundaries, until someone pushes those boundaries. When a trip to the abandoned roller coaster beyond Vista’s protective...