Becoming Charlie: Part 2 by Kristie Haigwood

What do you say about an author that consistently puts out amazing books? The "Becoming" series is her first foray into the Young Adult genre. I thought she'd pulled out all the stops on "Becoming Charlie: Part 1." Boy was I wrong. So very wrong.

Part 2 picks up at the end of the school year with Charlie arriving at Sean's father's house for the weekend. The tension between Sean and his father reaches from the page to ensnare the reader, willing or not. His feelings regarding his stepmother are quickly made apparent.

Haigwood's deft handling of her characters is evident from the beginning. There is more of reality in this series than in any of her other stories to date. She skillfully weaves the drama that is high school into a story that is impossible to put down. Haigwood was not my introduction to the YA genre, but she is far and away my favorite.

The story may be fiction, but what her characters experience accurately reflects what the modern teenager deals with in high school - the loner geek, the hot sports star boy, the snooty clique that puts down everyone else as beneath them, the unexpectedly loyal goth girl all feature large in Charlie's life. As the story progresses, Charlie starts having dreams that leave her confused. Are they memories, or is her subconscious just messing with her? There are revelations that erode her trust that must be worked through. The summer goes by far too quickly and everyone is back in school

Coming home from school one day with Sean, Charlie sees a black sedan in her driveway with a US Army emblem on the door. She runs screaming to the house. My father served during the Bay of Pigs. As a military daughter, I was too young to know the fear my mother felt every time my father was called to grab his go-bag from beside the door and jump in the truck to go to the airfield. As a veteran myself, I've seen first hand how absolutely terrifying it is to have that car pull up to someone's home. I gave thanks that it never pulled up to my home. It never brings good news.

Haigwood inserts a "Message from the author" for readers asking how she could "do that" to characters they fell in love with. And she offers a solid answer. Life happens and it's not all roses and champagne. She also provides links at the end of the book for hotlines and charities that offer help. 

Although only her second YA book, there is no aspect of teenagers' life in high school that she fails to touch upon. She does it all with respect for the situation and the reader. This book can absolutely be read by everyone from kids as young as junior high (or middle school if you prefer) to grandparents.

To date, I've only seen one other author capable of taking me through the entire gamut of emotions in one book. I was into his third book before I felt he was worthy of the title of Bard. I have read every book Haigwood has written, including one she never published, each one a masterpiece. With this series she has placed herself in rarified company with this second installment of her "Becoming" series. I felt book one was solid gold. This one continues her gold streak.

For her deft handling of sometimes painful, sometimes sensitive topics, continuing development of believable and relatable characters, she gets 5 stars from me. She's earned every single one.

Crimson Shadow: New World Order (Volume 7) by Nathan Squiers

What do you say about the end of a series you've come to love? To know when that last page is turned there won't be another that follows it? I have read every book Squiers has written about Xander Stryker and the world in which he lives. Every book in Xander's world written by his wife, Megan J Parker-Squiers. And every book they have co-authored together.

From the very beginning these books were meticulous in detail. An entire world was developed before the first word was written. An entire back history created before the first page was published. I would come to recognize that attention to detail was Squiers' trademark.

Through each successive book I was captured anew, enthralled, sucked in, and had my mind blown. I've burst into unexpected laughter, felt lost, and cried. There is no corner to which you can retreat when reading his work. You are his for the duration of the book and he doesn't let go.

I have known for some time that Squiers had in mind only a certain number of books for Xander and company. However, it was always "someday," but not today. "Down the road," but not today. "Someday" has arrived and "down the road" has come to an end. This is it and the reader in me that is so addicted to this series hurts.

Let me just diverge here for a moment so you understand what I am saying. I am a bibliophile. I have over 700 books in print, and over 6000 Kindle and Nook books. I've read them all. I love to read. So when I make space on my shelves for a (print) series, it has to be pretty darned special. As you can imagine, with that many books, I know a well-written one when I get it.

Back to the subject at hand. In this latest, and last, venture into the world of Xander Stryker, his wife, cohorts, friends, and of course his enemies, any residual questions you may have had are answered. However, before you get those answers, Xander gets a world class beating, breaks the biggest taboo of the Mythos world... on t.v. no less, and disappears. Wait! What!?!? Yup. Squiers doing what only he can. He's not only throwing curveballs, his curveballs have curveballs.

I first named Squiers a bard when I reviewed "Crimson Shadow: Forbidden Dance" for his ability to weave a story, and his skill at making us feel what he wants, when he wants. That was April 2014. He has come so much farther since then, grown so much more with each book that, were we living in the times of the ancient bards, he would be the chiefest among them.

Although "New World Order" has come to an end, Xander and his worldscape will continue on because they are a treasured part of my library. Nathan Squiers has shared a bit with me of what he plans to do next and I anxiously await the question, "will you review it?" But I will cherish this series most because they introduced me to Nathan and Megan Squiers and the world they created for Xander Stryker.

This is a somewhat emotional review, but I truly fell in love with this series. Subtle life lessons were offered under the guise of prose. Challenges have been faced and either passed or failed. But is it a fail if you learn the lesson the challenge offered? So as a reader of these books, and this one as the last offering for the series, I'm urging you to add this one to your collection. Take one last wild ride with the Stryker gang. You won't regret it.

An unparalleled author, exceedingly good at his craft. A true Bard in these modern times. For all of the above reasons, I'm giving this 5 stars. You've earned every one Nathan.

Contrition (Faltering Souls Book 3) by Haven Cage

I purchased this book because I loved the first two so much, and am so happy I did. Remember where we were at the end of book 2? Contrition picks up right there. Rhett has escaped and taken over Nevaeh's body. It takes a while, but the angels do catch on. Satan is out for revenge and left a new guy (reluctantly) in charge of Hell. Nev's gifts are being used for all the wrong reasons by the absolute worst person that could have control of them.

It's really hard to predict where this story will go from one page to the next. I was taken on a full rollercoaster ride of emotions. I found myself at points trying to encourage some of my favorite characters and wanting to kick tail on others. Once the angels figure out who's controlling Nev's body it's game on. From there to the end of the book, just hold on tight to your seat because it doesn't slow down. I wasn't expecting the conclusion I read, but it was definitely the right one.

The depth of each character is richer with each book in the series. This is to be expected from any reasonably good author who is continually honing their craft. Haven Cage is more than reasonably good. All of her books are compelling, and Contrition is no different. I didn't want to put it down. But there comes a point when you have to give in. Sleep is required to function and reading when you're so tired that your vision blurs does not do justice to the story. I do see myself rereading this trilogy again at some point, possibly even purchasing the books in print.

There were two errors in the book, much fewer than I've seen in many books by Indie authors. But for those two, I would have happily given her five stars. As it is, I'm still happy giving her four stars. She definitely earned them. I can't wait to see what she has next for us.

This book is available on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Craving Love & Death by Haven Cage

Oh boy, where to start... I took on this book because I've read and loved her "Faltering" books. She did warn me this one was nothing like that series. I had no idea how true this statement would turn out to be.

That our female lead, Vivienne, is troubled and survived a traumatic past is obvious immediately. You open the book and she's drowning a man she just had sex with. As a waitress and sometimes nightclub singer, her sultry voice and beauty ensure men flock to her. Those she is attracted to enough to want to take to bed also have her wanting to fight that attraction because she knows the craving to kill him is inextricably interwoven with sexual desire.

Her killings haven't gone unnoticed by the Russian mob either. She has become hunted and is on the run with the man assigned to kill her for them. Unfortunately for him, she's also very attracted to him. Where it goes from here is for you to read.

This is a dark story, much darker than I generally read as it's not really my preference. I struggled with this book for this very reason. Cage is an excellent author. Her narrative is concise without being abrupt. Her characters have depth to them necessary for a quality read. This book could have been drawn from life. Everything felt quite real as I was reading, disturbingly real for my imagination. There's twists and turns aplenty to keep you riveted to the story.

It's obvious that the author has honed her craft. The editing left nothing at all to complain about. I found absolutely no errors in my reading. For these reasons alone this book deserves 5 stars. Did I like it? No. As I said, it's far too dark for me. I struggled to finish the book. For that, I would only give her 3 stars, which would not at all be fair for all the work she put into this story. I will ignore my posted rating scale by giving her 4 stars. Why? I believe there IS a market out there for this story. As I stated previously, the book is well-written and well-edited. So yes, in spite of not enjoying this book, I must in all fairness, give her 4 stars.

This book is currently only available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.