K's Book Review

Hey everyone back again really quickly! I'm taking a brief break from the absolute hell-scape of homework, presentations, and papers that are all due on the same day. I haven't had time to read or to do any of my writing, which is the saddest part of all of this to me. But I need a break and I promised I would do a review for this book, so I shall. First things first, this is a zombie book. By far my favourite genre of books (if it can be considered its own separate genre). When I do get brief moments at school when I decide paying attention is for people going somewhere in life I like to reread a variety of different zombie novels. If there's anything I've learned from studying them it's that to stand out among the many out there it has to be unique. And this book is unique in the way that it draws off the classic zombie story. Let me tell you about it: Dallas is just your normal teenage girl. She's in high school and dreams of being a singer when she gr...

Hey everyone. Late post, I know. I was going to work on this yesterday but when your roommate says "Harry Potter Movie Marathon" it's hard to say no. And last week I didn't get a chance to post because I had a 15 page term paper to turn in and didn't finish the book. But this is the last week of school before Summer begins for me and who needs to do readings for the last week anyway? This book was kindly sent to me by the lovely author, who I've done reviews for before. I know that he is good at creating a creepy environment for a story so I was excited to get started on it. There were a few things that concerned me when I started reading this book, but I'll get to those after the description. Once I came to terms with what the book was I enjoyed it a lot more. Let me tell you about it: The Jersey family has just moved to a new house with the hopes of starting over. What the family doesn't know is that there has been a dramatic disaster that ha...

Hey everyone. I hope you are having a good Monday. Since we are now getting a butt load of snow it makes for the perfect time to do a lot of reading. Even with all the school work I have to do I'm managing to get in a few books here and there. For the longest time I haven't been reading second books in series because I don't have time to read them. But now that I am stranded on campus for long hours without my laptop I've been taking the time to catch up on all the books I haven't had time for in the last little while. This is technically the second book in the series, the first of which is called Allison Hewitt is trapped. I did a review for this book probably over a year ago. At the time I knew this book was from a different point of view with a different story. But because of the first couple chapters I read I decided I didn't want to read it at the time. Now that I have read it I remembered how much I enjoyed reading the first book. Let me tell you a ...

Hey everyone I hope you had a great weekend. It's Halloween today and the perfect day for a spooky, scary book. So when the Tick-or-treaters finally call it a night you can finish off the evening with the perfect eerie book. I had been searching around the net for a book that would be good to read leading up to Halloween when I came across this one. It was highly recommended by a few different sight. The description seemed to have an original spin on things so i thought I'd give it a shot. From the very first chapter I noticed that this was a new take on a zombie novel. The longer I read the more things began to change. I had many more questions than the beginning that seemed like there would be no answer to. Let me tell you a bit about it: Over a week after a horrible virus spread through the globe five survivors huddle together in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle traveling across the country. Before all of this they were ordinary people without any fighting experience. The...

Hey everyone I hope you had a great weekend. As you may have noticed Halloween is quickly approaching. I’m so excited to read all of the spooky stories that are posted this time of year. If you have any requests for horror, thriller, or paranormal books you’d like me to read drop me a line through my contact form along the right hand side of the page. This week I finally broke down and bought a book that I’ve been seeing in stores for years. The only reason I did was because it was on sale at my bookstore on campus for $2. Even then it sat in my bag until I literally had nothing else to read. The first thing I noticed when I started looking at the book was it was written by an author I had read before. This wasn’t overly reassuring for me since I didn’t have the best review for his first book I read. Despite this I tried to have an open mind. Right from the start I enjoyed the story. I expected more drama and bullsh!t based on the description but for both sides of the argument th...

Hey everyone I hope you had a good Thanksgiving (for those of you in Canada). I was lucky enough that my boyfriend had the day off to make me and my roommate a nice dinner, since I was unable to make it home to be with my family due to work. But despite being so busy I still managed to get a book read for today. For the last couple weeks I have been looking for good Apocalypse books with little luck. I saw this book but the description didn't really fit what I was looking for. When I couldn't find anything else to read I said "screw it" and read it anyway. The first thing I found when reading the book is that it was WAY better than the description lead on. There was a whole other theme to the story that wasn't even mentioned in the description. The moment I started I couldn't put it down and within 24 hours I had read the second book and was working on the third book. So let me tell you a bit about it: Alex ran away from her Aunts place to fulfill her ...

Hey everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. This week I started reading a book called UFO Files that I found at the bookstore for $2. But one thing I find about this book, which I haven't finished reading yet, is that it really makes me want to read other books. It's not that the book isn't good (it's alright) but there is something about the themes it talks about that makes me want to read a book with that theme. So because of that I ended up finding this book. Amanda Hocking has a long history of writing books for the teen audience. I first ran into her books when I read her Switched at Birth trilogy, which I don't think I did a review for on this blog. Since I recognized her I thought I would give this book a shot. The description of the book was very basic. It has the classic "girl in a zombie apocalypse trying to find someone she loves" feel. And there is something about a book set in the 'after apocalypse' centred around the apocalypse...

Happy Monday everyone. This week I read Jaws. Most of you have probably seen the movie depiction of this book that came out a long time ago. I didn't know that it was based on a book until I got a recommendation to read it online. And even though I am not a big fan of watching movies like that I do love reading thrillers. So after searching for it online I finally found it on Kobo and decided to give it a read. Before reading it I figured it would just be exactly the same as the movie. It wasn't until I did some research that I found that the book actually came out before the movie and it was based on it. Once I found that out I wasn't sure whether the book would be as good as the movie depiction of it. For those of you who haven't seen the movie let me give you an idea what the book it about: In the small town of Amity the people thrive on the summer months when the tourists come from all over America to play on their magnificent beaches. Without these tourists ...

Hey everyone. I hope you are having a good Monday. This week I read another thriller/horror novel, which was generously send to me by the author. As many of you know I am a big fan of thriller books because they require talented writers to make them work. So when the author contacted me about reading it I was thrilled to get the chance. My first impressions of the book was that is was a little boring to start off with. But as I continued reading I found that I got used to the writing style and it wasn't so boring. This is one of the books that takes a bit of dedication to enjoy. Let me tell you a bit about it: Blaire is a volunteer teacher working with United Care to bring aid to children in other countries. She boards a train with another volunteer, Travis, who is a nurse to go to a small town to work at an orphanage for a year. When they arrive they find that things are worse than they seemed. The town is small with very few people in and even less friendly people in it. ...

Hey everyone. I hope you are having a great Monday! With Canada over and the 4th of July past it is time to get back to work. I am lucky to have a whole week off to do my reading so I am using it to catch up on my books. This week I finished Raven's Peak, a book that was sent to me by the very generous author to do a review for before it is published. By the way, the publishing date is TOMORROW! The first impression I got from this book was that it was very well written. The dialogue was smooth, the descriptions were short and to the point, and the characters were introduced with enough mystery to grab your attention. I had the idea that the story would be dark and scary throughout from the cover but instead there was a perfect amount of mystery, action, and thriller rather than horror. Let me tell you a bit about it: In our world humans go about their lives unaware that demons walk in the skin of our friends. One Order moves to manage these demons and stop the cults that al...

When I was in high school two of my friends were very into this series and I used to hear them talk about it all the time. At the time I was interested in a different sort of books so I never thought about reading them until now, when I was in the need of some well rated popular books. I loved the idea of everyone older than 14 being a danger to society. Some of you may remember that a few weeks ago I read Quarantine where anyone in their teen years was the danger to the adults. This contrast works greatly when read back to back because you get to see two complete opposites of the same sort of story. Big difference with this books than most I read, it is set in London, England instead of the USA. It's a great change in my opinion. In the US it is much easier to get guns than it is in England (so I have been told) so the children had to actually be creative in finding ways to fight off the adults and defend themselves. I would have liked the have read more about the story star...

Hey everyone I hope you are having a good Monday. A few weeks ago someone reached out to me about downloading this book from Kobo or Amazon since it was free. I figured, since it was a free book, I didn't have much to lose. I checked out some of the other ratings for this book, as I normally do to get a few different opinions before forming my own, and it didn't look promising. While I always look at the lowest and highest review for the differing opinions I found it hard to find a good review. For my own opinion I tried not to think too much about the negative things I read. The author didn't have the strongest voice and I had a problem with the dialogue since it wasn't very realistic. The story itself had promise but I found it was just another take on a popular topic. Since Zombies have become such a popular part of our culture I find an author has to have a very unique new way of presenting them to catch anyone attention in a big way. But let me tell you what I...

Hey everyone, this is coming at you pretty late. I had ordered a crap ton of books a week ago with the hopes that they would come in before today but apparently they only got shipped out today. Just what I was hoping for. Whatever. Since mail comes later in our apartment I was left with nothing to read that I could finish by the end of today so I decided to go back to an old book that I started reading but stopped for no reason. I started reading this book because since I was a kid I have loved ancients sharks and this was a well rated book fitting the bill. For some reason it is really hard to find this book at any book store and ordering it online only shows up the rest of the books in the series so I had to get the ebook version. And since this book is hard to find I will tell you all about it! Dr. Jonas is a man who has lost so much in his life. After he caused an accident that took the life of two people he lost his credibility and sunk into a depression. His wife is plott...

Oh my goodness everyone, it is finally happening! For the first time I am hosting a book giveaway on my blog! But because this is the first time and I am short on money at the moment I am only opening it to US and Canada entries. Sorry about that. If I get a really good turn out for the giveaway I might consider opening it up to other countries. I will be giving away ONE copy of The First Days by Rhiannon Frater. Because it is my copy it isn't in PERFECT condition but it is in pretty good condition. I always take care of my books. The Link to my review on this book is here: http://ksteenbookreview.blogspot.ca/2014/03/the-first-days-by-rhiannon-frater.html Please read the rules before you enter this contest! THIS IS IMPORTANT! RULES No purchase or payment required. The odds of being selected as a winner depend on the number of entries received. To enter this contest you must be 18 years of age or older or the age of majority in your country. You must be a resident of The...

Sometimes when you start reading a book by the second chapter you already have a rating in mind. In many cases that rating will stay the same until the ending where the outcome will determine whether or not it loses a star, or gains a star. This book was one of those instances where the ending gained it a star. This book was something that I had seen many times when I went to the bookstore. Since I see it all the time and it is always in a well displayed section I thought I might as well give it a read. First thoughts of the book; the beginning had a slow start with a lot of questions and very little answers. The story switches between 4 different points of view, which I also am not a huge fan of. Thoughts by the ending; not going to lie, the ending messed me up a bit. I love a book where there is a good twist at the end that makes you see the whole book in a different way. This earns this book one extra star. Holly is at her last straw. Her son has been more than she can hand...

1. Kitty Hawk: This whole series has been such a great discovery for me. Growing up I loved Nancy Drew and this book has offered me the same girl packaged in a Canadian Goose jacket. Not only is every book set in a different location around the world but the author has done so much research that I wouldn't even be able to tell if he hadn't been there himself. 2. Under a Broken Sky: Post apocalypse at its best here with a scientific undertone. See how different groups react to the new world through the eyes of a man who is no hero by any standpoint. Start riots, steal whenever you cat, and watch out for the funnies. This book kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. 3. The Secret Apocalypse: First book free on Kobo and other e-readers. Imagine the zombie apocalypse. Now imagine it on an island. Now imagine it in Australia where the entire island has been sealed off from the world and no one outside the island knows what is going on. Follow one girl as she fights to ...

Hello everyone! I hope you are all recovering well from your holiday festivities in time for the new years celebrations. I have taken advantage of the money I received from family to restock my book collection. But before that I read this book, which was free through Kobo and Amazaon. I wouldn't exactly call this a novel. It is more of a short story or a novella then a full blown novel but it still had a pretty good story line. Let me give you a short description. Emma is a typical American girl who has just graduated from nursing school. Wanting to do something different and make a difference in the world she volunteers to assist in the Ebola Crisis in Africa. She is flown in and gets to work as soon as possible. But something isn't right inside the camp, from the strange doctors that are trying to keep the volunteers as far from the truth to the strange cases of people dying from the disease only to still be alive the next day. Emma wants to look deeper into the case...

Hey everyone I hope you are having a good day. This week I got my hands on a copy (online) of this book by James Harden. For some reason it was showing up Free on my Kobo but I liked it so much that I purchased the second book in the series just to help support the author.  You all know how much I love a good Zombie novel and I really love it when the author puts an original spin on things whether it be in story or in writing style. In this case it was the story that had the original spin on it. Let me tell you a bit about it. Rebecca has survived what we are told was a horrible incident back in Australia and that she was the only known survivor of the incident. She is being interviewed about the incident which has been kept quiet by the Australian government and the American military. Rebecca flashes back to when the events all started on the first day of school in Australia. The first anyone knew anything was wrong was when the school shut down on the first day due to hea...

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a good day. This week I read the Maze Runner, a popular book that has been made into a movie. To be honest this book has been on my shelf for over a year now and I have just not been in the mood to read it. I finally decided in an act of desperation to read it. Now that I have read it I can say that I am happy that I did. I love post apocalypse books and I love it when they have a thriller/horror sense to them. This book had all of that put together. Let me tell you a bit about the book: Thomas wakes up in a strange machine knowing nothing else besides his name. When he comes out of the box he is in he is surrounded by a couple dozen other boys all around his age (which he isn't sure how old he is to begin with). The boys don't seem surprised to see him and they try to help him cope with where he is. Though they refuse to tell him where he is or how he got there he begins to discover things on his own. This is what he learns: 1. A...

SPOILER ALERT! The Walking Dead Comics Police officer Rick is shot one day while on the job with his partner Shane. He wakes up several months later in an abandoned hospital with no idea what happened. As he wanders around trying to find a person he stumbles upon mass hordes of the undead. He accidentally kills one before escaping from the hospital to the outside world where he finds his hometown destroyed. He steals a bike from a dead woman on the ground and tries to make it home when a young boy knocks him unconscious. When he wakes up he meets his attacker a young boy and his father who thought he was undead. He helps them break into the police station to get weapons and then asks them to come along with him as he goes to find his wife and son in Atlanta, where he thinks they would have gone. They thank him but say they are safe where they are. Rick takes a horse from a local barn and rides down the deserted road towards Atlanta. The city there is abandoned and quiet unt...