Thursday, April 26, 2012

ExtraNormal Blog Tour: Review + Author Interview



Hi everyone!!  Thanks for checking out my stop in this great tour.  Today I have a review and author interview so I hope you stick around to read them and it should be fun!  Thanks Suze Reese for asking me to be a part of this fantastic blog tour.  YOU ROCK!!

~Review~

Author: Suze Reese
Series: ExtraNormal #1
Pages: 370
Rating: 2.5/5 

Summery:
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she's really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated. But a series of serious accidents make it clear that someone wants to force her return. Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.

Review:
I was super-excited to read this book.  I loved the cover and the summery made it seem like a really original, interesting book.  Sadly, it was the complete opposite.

I really wanted to like this book, I really did.  But I just couldn’t.  It was so clichéd and dramatic and…dumb.  I couldn’t stand it.  First off, I had no idea what Mira was.  Reeze didn’t explain ANYTHING.  She just assumed we already knew everything.  The writing was good, the idea was good, but the story line was horrible.  I feel like Reeze was trying a bit too hard.  I don’t watch any of the mystery shows out today like CSI or Cold Case or anything, but I’m pretty sure that if I did I would feel like I was reading this book.  There was no originality; it was just the typical mystery drama.  And speaking of drama, I hated the romance.  It was way too dramatic, and kind of creepy.  Jesse thought Mira was helpless and followed her home every night.  That’s not romantic, that’s creepy.  He’s like a stalker.  I just think it was way overdone.  Here’s a quote about the romance:

“Listen Jesse, if I do have to leave…and I promise to try to let my pattern go back to how it was…will you promise to do the same? To move on and find someone else?”
“No. I can’t even imagine…”
“Neither can I. But if I’m willing to try …”

That’s what the entire book was like: drama drama I’ll never get over you and more drama.

I really really wish I could say that I liked Jesse even a little bit, but I can’t.  He was so annoying.  He stalked her every night, thought she was weak and couldn’t take care of herself, and was just downright annoying.
Same for Mira.  Way to dependent on Jesse.

I really wish I had liked this book more, and I really tried to, but I just couldn’t.  The clichés and annoying romance was just too much to overlook.

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~About the Author~

Author of YA paranormal romance ExtraNormal. In real life I fight pirates, travel to outer space and am trained in lethal jiu jitsu. In my imagination I sit in front a computer all day writing and eating peanut m&ms. Or maybe its the other way around. I get confused. I have published in a different genre, but this one is way way more fun. I have a degree in communications. Which I guess means I know how to communicate good.


~Interview~


1. Why did you start writing?
I've always been a writer, though it took years for me to decide to write fiction. I was in my twenties when I read a book (won't say which one) that I thought was really awful. I kept picking it apart until eventually I told myself I could do better. And then I accepted the challenge.

2. Who are your biggest influences?
My high school English teacher Mrs. Haws (isn't that cliche?) But it's true. As far as writing influences, there are way too many to list but I'll throw out some that come to mind. When I was really young I inhaled Judy Blume and Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Back in those high school days I loved Twain and Poe and even Chaucer (total geek, I know). Some of my favorites as I was considering becoming an author myself were Lisa Wingate, Scott Westerfield, and maybe even Orson Scott Card.

3. Where do you like to write?
I do my writing curled up on a couch. I use my netbook and sit by a window where I have a view of the valley below me. I do my editing in my office on the home computer. The room is stuffy and cluttered, but I have a giant monitor that lets me use a giant font so I can catch my mistakes.

4. Any special talents?
I play the piano really poorly. One of my favorite things in the world is leading a choir. In high school I could do Chinese splits and put my leg behind my head. Impressive I know.

5. Five random things about you?
Random. Hmm. Let's see:
1. I was born with a hole in my heart and a few adult teeth missing. My Mom was 42 when she had me, so my siblings say I was put together with spare parts.
2. I have this condition with my hands (unrelated) that causes my fingers to lock up. Sometimes that means my middle finger won't bend. I do not recommend driving that way.
3. I love both mountains and beaches. I don't know which I'd choose if I had to pick just one.
4. I hate hate hate pickles.
5. I couldn't whistle a note to save my life.

6. Favorite candy?
Chocolate. Red Vines. Peanut M&Ms. Chocolate. (Some of those might sound familiar if you've read ExtraNormal.)

7. Favorite movie?
Right now I'm really into the Avengers. And anything with Johnny Depp.

8. Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale?
Noooo!!!! Don't make me choose! Seriously, I love them both. Peeta is noble and humble and determined and fiercely loyal. Peeta is beautiful and self-less. I'd like to take them both home and comfort them and care for their wounds.

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And that's all for today.  Isn't she awesome?!  I hope you guys enjoyed reading and if you feel like saying something feel free to comment below.  Thanks again to Suze Reese for inviting me to be a part of this fab blog tour and for being such a good sport and answering my questions. <3

18 comments:

  1. This book looks really good! I want to read it! Loved the interview!

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  2. Thanks for the honest review. Too many people read a book and say it was great even when they really didn't like it.
    The stalking, oops I mean following her home every night, kinda sounds like Edward, in Twilight, standing over Bella watching her sleep.

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  3. Sorry, Emily, but I have to disagree with the review, as I thought the book was original and unpredictable. Maybe I'm easily fooled, but I read a lot of books and thought this was a breath of fresh air.

    I loved the author interview and your blog in general. What a cute site! I appreciate review blogs--I have found a lot of great books that way. Thanks, and have a great day!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kimi. Thanks for commenting. That is totally fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and you obviously respect mine because you weren't mean so therefore I respect yours. If you're a blogger could you leave the link so I can check out your review and follow you? I'm really interested to read what you thought. Have a great day too!! :)

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  4. I have to admit I'm only on chapter 6 but I've enjoyed what I read so far. I loved the mystery in the first chapter of figuring out why Mira was so different from everyone else. It made me want to keep reading. Sorry you didn't like it. I'll be interested to see how it turns out. Thanks for your honest review.

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    Replies
    1. Good! I'm glad you like it! This review is just my opinion. Not everyone has to love or hate it. Everyone has their own opinion and if you like it, then I'm glad! :)

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  5. Woah...a hole in your heart? O_o

    my mom had me when she was 42 too, and I was early born by two months, so I wasn't even four pounds...

    PEANUT M&MS! love those things!

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  6. I really liked your interview! Too bad you didn't like the book that much. MMM. i always buy peanut M&Ms with my custard!

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  7. I have to say, I completely disagree with your review of the book. I thought it was pretty much the opposite of how you described it. I feel like you may not have caught everything the author explained, like the whole Jesse "stalking" Mira thing. She explains in the book that Mira can sense Jesse's feelings and feels that he is not being creepy, he's just trying to look out for her. I loved the way we find out about who Mira is and where she came from. I feel like the author gave her audience credit instead of laying everything out at our feet. If you didn't like the romance, then I guess to each his own. But I will say that we should all keep in mind who the target audience is for this book. Its a Young Adult fiction, i.e. 12 to 18-year-olds. I felt like the romance was fun, exciting and appropriate for that age group. Now, I have to be honest, I find it in poor form that you would agree to be a part of a blog tour and insist on completely slamming the book, even though you have an author's interview, which you could have easily posted without your review. It's very off putting to read such a harsh review, and then see you praise the author in the next sentence. It makes me loose respect for your opinion when you exhibit such a lack in grace.

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    1. Hi Sharla. Thank you for your opinion. I realized when I posted this how weird it would be to have a bad review right before an interview, but when I signed up for this blog tour I had not read the book so I couldn't help it. I am glad that you liked it but please remember that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, and this is mine. It was unfortunate for me that I had this weird combination of good and bad but I am doing what I can with it and I'm not going to lie and say I loved it. Suze Reeze is super nice as a person-I love her- I just didn't like her book. It's nothing personal, just my opinion.

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  8. It's really too bad you didn't enjoy this one. But I am very grateful that you're honest about your opinion. It may just be a book that isn't for everyone.

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  9. I respect you for writing an honest review, but I do have to agree with some others and say that I actually really enjoyed the book. The writing style, the paranormal elements, the relationship between Mira and Jesse, and the mystery Mira had to solve were all right up my alley. But to each their own! :)

    Loved the interview with Suze Reese! (Also love me some peanut m&ms... although peanut *butter* m&ms are even higher on my love list.) Thanks for posting! :)

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  10. Thanks for the honest review. Not all books are for everyone!

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  11. There are a few popular books out right now that I've read and wondered "why does everyone love this??" Every reader has different tastes so every review will be different and that's good. I read a book once that I didn't really care for. Then I was bored and picked up again and really like it the second time!

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  12. Thanks for your honest review. I do prefer for the main characters to be able to stand on their own two feet and not be dependant on someone to do everything. However I will still give this book a try and see if I liked it or not.

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  13. Very nice interview and review. Sounds like a good book.

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  14. Nice review and interview! I especially liked that last question of the interview! :)

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