Book Nerds Across America: Stacey Kade

Showing posts with label Stacey Kade. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Book Review: Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade

Goodreads Overview:

Caroline Sands has never been particularly good at making friends. And her parents’ divorce and the move to Arizona three years ago didn’t help. Being the new girl is hard enough without being socially awkward too. So out of desperation and a desire to please her worried mother, Caroline invented a whole life for herself—using characters from Felicity, an old show she discovered online and fell in love with.

But now it’s time for Caroline to go off to college and she wants nothing more than to leave her old “life” behind and build something real. However, when her mother discovers the truth about her manufactured friends, she gives Caroline an ultimatum: Prove in this first semester that she can make friends of the nonfictional variety and thrive in a new environment. Otherwise, it’s back to living at home—and a lot of therapy.

Armed with nothing more than her resolve and a Felicity-inspired plan, Caroline accepts the challenge. But she soon realizes that the real world is rarely as simple as television makes it out to be. And to find a place where she truly belongs, Caroline may have to abandon her script and take the risk of being herself.

Jacque's Review:

I have to thank Stacey for an advanced copy of Finding Felicity. I took it with me on spring break and enjoyed this wonderful story while basking in the sun. It has been a long winter in Ohio and this was a great way to kick off the spring/summer season.

Caroline Sands is happier watching Netflix on her laptop than interacting with others. It is safe within the confines of her bedroom and there is no chance of rejection. The real world isn't so kind. She gets nervous around others and often stumbles upon her words. She wants to make friends and become part of the popular crowd, but she doesn't know how to go about it. When she leaves for college she is determined to play the part of various characters to make friends and attain the life she thinks she wants.

When her plan doesn't go as she envisioned, she has to improvise. She always believed all of the other students had life figured out and she was the only one scrambling to stay afloat. She begins to realize everyone else is scrambling as well. They are just better at faking it.

While she always thought she wanted to be part of the partying crowd, she soon discovers where she truly belongs.

I thought this was a great story that any teen should read and would likely enjoy. Unless you are one of the few super popular kids at school, the grass always seems greener in someone else's shoes, but that rarely is the case. I enjoyed seeing Caroline take some risks and assert herself. It wasn't easy for her, but once she began establishing connections with some of the girls in her dorm she gained some confidence. She learned some valuable lessons and discovered who she really is and where she best fit in on campus.

It has been several years since my college days, but I could relate to many of the events and found certain scenes to be ridiculously funny. If you are looking for a fun summer read, I would look no further.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Upcoming Book Release: Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade

Description:

Felicity meets Fangirl in this contemporary novel about a young woman who must leave behind her fantasy life—inspired by her favorite WB show from the 1990s—and create a real one at college.

Caroline Sands has never been particularly good at making friends. And her parents’ divorce and the move to Arizona three years ago didn’t help. Being the new girl is hard enough without being socially awkward too. So out of desperation and a desire to please her worried mother, Caroline invented a whole life for herself—using characters from Felicity, an old show she discovered online and fell in love with.

But now it’s time for Caroline to go off to college and she wants nothing more than to leave her old “life” behind and build something real. However, when her mother discovers the truth about her manufactured friends, she gives Caroline an ultimatum: Prove in this first semester that she can make friends of the nonfictional variety and thrive in a new environment. Otherwise, it’s back to living at home—and a lot of therapy.

Armed with nothing more than her resolve and a Felicity-inspired plan, Caroline accepts the challenge. But she soon realizes that the real world is rarely as simple as television makes it out to be. And to find a place where she truly belongs, Caroline may have to abandon her script and take the risk of being herself.

Why you should read Finding Felicity:

I have read almost all of Stacey's books and enjoyed each and every one of them. She has said on more than one occasion that readers will enjoy Finding Felicity even if you haven't watched the television show, but I felt like I needed to have a basic understanding of the characters if I wanted to fully appreciate the book. All of the episodes are available on the ABC app, so I watched the first two and was pleasantly surprised. I had no idea what the show was about, but I found it to be very funny and highly entertaining. Now I can hardly wait to read Finding Felicity! The timing couldn't be any better because I leave for spring break the Thursday after the release. Thanks to Stacey I already have a copy of the book downloaded to my eReader, so you can count on a review shortly after my return.

Links to Purchase the Book:

If you would like to purchase a copy of Finding Felicity here are a couple of links.

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Barnes & Noble

Chapter One Excerpt:

Bustle posted an excerpt from the first chapter, which can be found here.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Book Review: Bitter Pill by Stacey Kade

Jacque's Review:

Bitter Pill is one of Stacey's earlier releases that was published using the name Stacey Klemstein in 2008. The book was edited and re-released in 2013 under Stacey Kade.

Rennie Harlow grew up in a small town and moved to Chicago after high school. She graduated from college, got married, and had a great job. Life was moving along smoothly until she discovered her husband was having an affair with his paralegal. She moved back to her hometown and is now living in the apartment above her mother's garage while working as a freelance writer for the local paper. As if being divorced and returning home isn't scandal enough, trouble constantly surfaces around her. She has discovered not one, but three dead bodies over the past year and the townspeople are definitely talking.

At the beginning of this book she finds the body of the local pharmacist. She arrived early that morning to pick up her mother's medication and became concerned when the store was still dark and Doc Hallacy didn't open the door promptly at 8:00 a.m., which has been his routine for as long as she can remember. As an investigative reporter she takes it upon herself to assist the attractive young sheriff, Jake Bristol, with the investigation. Not only does she need to clear her name, but the first hand knowledge will make for a great story in the paper.

This is a light and sometimes humorous murder mystery. Rennie isn't a skilled investigator, but she is personable and people feel comfortable talking to her. She also has great intuition and can think outside the box. That is why Bristol allows her to unofficially assist with the investigation and often invites her along to watch how people respond in various situations. Being young and naive she finds herself in some dangerous situations and doesn't always interpret the clues correctly. Especially when the warnings are directed at her.

I have enjoyed all of Stacey's book, but I would have to list this one towards the top. 738 Days is probably my favorite with Bitter Pill a close second. I would recommend this book to any reader and not just someone looking for a mystery. I flew through this book in only a couple of days and was definitely surprised by the ending. It wasn't at all predictable and was highly entertaining from start to finish.

Monday, October 31, 2016

For This Life Only by Stacey Kade

Jacque's Review:

For This Life Only is very different from Stacey's other books. It doesn't contain her usual quick wit and humor that I have come to expect. In fact, it was a bit of a tearjerker at the end, so you may want to keep that in mind if you are planning on reading this book in public. Stacey grew up as a PK (pastor's kid), so I'm sure this book was harder for her to write than most of the others because it certainly hits closer to home than ghosts and aliens.

Jace and his brother Eli are the twin sons of the local minister. Their father expects everyone in the family to maintain a perfect image and to always reflect positively on the family and the church. Their grandfather was the minister before their father took over and everyone assumes they will eventually carry on the family tradition. For Eli, that may be a possibility, but Jace is well on his way to a baseball scholarship and plans on moving as far away as possible. Everything changes the night Eli and Jace are involved in a car accident. Jace injures his arm and leg and will never be able to pitch again. Eli was even less fortunate.

The majority of the book revolves around Jace's family struggling with the loss of Eli. Jace always viewed Eli and the "good twin" while he was the "bad twin" or the screw up. They were two halves of a whole and without his brother, he is only half of what he should be.

Jace has always been taught to believe in the afterlife, but after nearly dying and losing his brother, be begins to question his beliefs. He can't turn to his family or the church, so he seeks guidance from Thera, who he discovers was secretly friends with Eli. The reason for the secrecy....she is the daughter of the local psychic and the church does not approve of this profession. The church would also like to take over her mother's property, which is located directly across the street from the church, and they have been trying to force them out for years. The more Jace gets to know Thera, the more he realizes his brother may not have been as perfect as he seemed.

Overall, this was a very thought provoking book. Stacey doesn't attempt to provide the answers to Jace's questions about loss and the afterlife. She does; however, share some research and evidence that allows readers a chance to explore their own thoughts on the subject without pressuring anyone into a certain set of beliefs. We also get to see Jace mature and stand up for himself and the things he believes in, which provided a silver lining in this otherwise tragic story.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Review: 738 Days by Stacey Kade

738 Days was my top priority on Friday at BEA. I left Columbus, Ohio at 7:00 AM to ensure I arrived before 1:00, which was when they were going to start passing out tickets for this signing. Stacey didn't think there would be a problem with them running out of tickets, but I wasn't taking any chances. I've read all of her books, except Bitter Pill, and really wanted a signed copy to add to my collection.

The story is told with an alternating point of view. Amanda Grace was abducted at the age of fifteen and was held captive for 738 Days. The book starts out with a look at her rescue, but flashes forward to a couple of years later. She is still dealing with anxiety and her family life remains strained from the incident.

Chase Henry is a famous actor who has fallen from grace. Success got the better of him and he found himself lost in a life of alcohol, which led to a number of bad choices. He has been sober for ten months and wants to get his life and career back on track. He is filming a movie near Amanda Grace's hometown and his publicist insists it would be a great career move for him to invite her to the set. It was his picture on a poster that gave her the courage to survive, so the connection makes complete sense.

Amanda decides to take Chase up on the offer and they settle on a mutually beneficial agreement. She will help him with some publicity while he allows her the chance to branch out from her overly protective life and family. What neither of them expected was for their troubled pasts to provide a real connection between them. They provide a sense of comfort and support to each other that both has been desperately needing. As their feelings begin to escalate, the shaky ground their relationship was built on threatens to tear them apart. Add in a crazy celebrity stalker and this book is full of romance, action and suspense.

738 Days is by far my favorite of Stacey's books, which is definitely saying a lot. She is one of my favorite authors and I would highly recommend reading any of her books. I gave this book 5 stars and enjoyed every page from start to finish. The pacing was perfect and everything wraps up nicely in one novel, which is rarely the case anymore.

Please be advised that 738 Days is NA and not her typical YA. There is some adult language and content that readers may not expect based upon her previous novels. The "adult scenes" were very well written and not over the top, but the added spice definitely keeps the pages turning. I really hope she continues to write NA since this book was an absolute pleasure to read.

As a side note...Stacey, you totally underestimate yourself. After reading this book, the tickets should have been gone within minutes :)

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Thursday at BEA - Fierce Reads Blogger Event

BEA was in Chicago this year, which is a pretty easy drive for me from Columbus, Ohio. I arrived around noon on Thursday with the hopes of meeting Ransom Riggs, David Levithan, and Stacey Kade.

I missed Ransom by an hour or so, but I was thrilled to meet David Levithan. I tried to get his autograph at BEA 2014 when I was in New York, but it didn't work out. It felt like I ran into him everywhere this time around and was surprised by how personable and accessible he was. Even when he wasn't at a signing or a show event, he was hanging out in the booth . I even saw him passing out copies of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven King during her signing.

Then I was off to see Stacey Kade, who I have been Facebook and Twitter "friends" with since meeting her at RT back in 2012. I loved her Ghost and the Goth and Project Paper Doll series, which are both YA. 738 Days is her first NA novel, which is scheduled to be released June 7th. I will try my best to have my review up prior to the release.

That evening Mary and I attended the Fierce Reads blogger event at the Berghoff, which was definitely one of the highlight of our trip. THANK YOU Fierce Reads for the invitation!!

Below is a picture Fierce Reads shared on their twitter page thanking the bloggers. Mary and part of me made the photo, so I had to share it :)

This is about as crazy as it gets at a book event, so I will caption this one Authors Gone Wild.

From left to right are Kami Garcia, Marissa Meyer, Caleb Roehrig, and Leigh Bardugo.

Here I am with Marissa Meyer, the author of the Lunar Chronicles series. I've read the first two books in the series (Cinder and Scarlet) and LOVE this series. It amazes me how creative and imaginative she is.

I haven't read any of Leigh's books, but her The Grisha and Six of Crows series are both on my TBR list. I think I'm going to start Six of Crows first since Flo gave it a 5 star review.

Caleb was definitely the life of the party. The Book Nerds will be reading his debut novel, Last Seen Leaving, as our June read along. The release date isn't until October, but we can't wait that long. If you have the chance to meet him, keep an eye out for the little purple hat he is wearing.

Kami Garcia was a completely new author to me. I looked her up on Goodreads and she has quite a few books and series currently available. I have obviously been living in the dark. We received a copy of The Lovely Reckless, which is a contemporary YA romance scheduled to be released October 4th.

When we left the party, we each received a bag containing Last Seen Leaving, The Lovely Reckless, Heartless by Marissa Meyer, and George Orwell's 1984 along with some other great swag.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

The Trials by Stacey Kade

Jacque's Review:

The Trials is the third and final book in the Project Paper Doll series and resumes pretty much where the previous book left off. Zane is missing and Ariane is back in her quarters at GTX after being captured by her creator, Dr. Jacobs. She believes Zane is dead and feels she has nothing further to lose in the trials. She is willing to sacrifice herself to ensure that no future alien/human hybrids are produced. She continues to hone her skills while devising a plan to wipe out all of the major players in the trials.

Everything is going as planned until she discovers that Zane is alive and is now a part of the trials. What??? How can a human become part of this competition? You will need to read the book if you want to find out :)

The majority of the book focuses on the trials, which are held in Chicago. My step-sister lives in Chicago, so I have had the chance to tour and see many of the landmarks, museums, etc. that are mentioned throughout the book. Using real locations helps to more accurately visualize the setting. It also allowed Stacey to focus on the plot and character development, which is definitely a plus.

The pace and action continued to escalate as the stakes increased throughout the trials. The contestants realize not everyone is going to come out of this competition alive, but there is more on the line than they ever imagined. They will need to work together if any of them wants to walk away from this alive.

Overall, this was an excellent conclusion to the series. There were several surprises and a few new characters to keep the story interesting. The relationship development between Zane and Ariane was very believable and the characters remained true to themselves. I also loved the tie in between the the first book and the conclusion. While "The Rules" may have changed, there will always be rules to follow as long as GTX and similar corporations are in existence.

I thoroughly enjoyed both her Project Paper Doll and Ghost and the Goth series and would definitely recommend them to any YA fan.

Monday, June 16, 2014

The Hunt by Stacey Kade

Book Summary
Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life. But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger. Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

Flo's Review
Okay. This was my tweet to author Stacey Kade when I finished reading this one: "I just finished The Hunt and what are you trying to do to me?!?! OMG!! I CAN'T with that ending!!! *breathes into paper bag*". So now that you know my emotional state about this book, let's discuss! Ariane and Zane are basically trying to figure out what to do now that she's escaped GTX and there's still out to get her. Pretty early on in the book she received some distressing news that GTX is not the only one after her and that she is putting Zane in danger. Dilemma time! This book was rich with the dilemma and the effect of love. Zane and Ariane love each other and it's really beautiful to see how this plays at the front of their decisions and actions. Also, I love you Zane Bradshaw. So. Much. Love. I said at the end of The Rules that I needed to give him a hug, and I still do. A very long one. We learn an interesting fact about Zane's mom that changes how Zane sees her. I flew through the majority of this book in a day, only putting it down toward the end when I had to. This happily did not have middle book syndrome at all and kept me well engaged from beginning to end. Speaking of the end -- OMG. What a set up for Book 3! I need Book 3. Right now. I can't even. You guys just need to read this! Trust me!!

Jacque's Review:

The Hunt is the second installment in the Project Paper Doll trilogy. In the first book, The Rules, we were introduced to Ariane who was created in a lab. (She is half alien and half human.) On the surface she looks like a human, but she has some very unique abilities. Zane is your typical high school boy who happens to be in love with a "hybrid".

At the end of The Rules, Ariane and Zane were on the run. Ariane's creator, Dr. Jacobs, wants to keep her locked up in the lab because he thinks she is too dangerous to be out in society. She wants to be free to make her own decisions and live a normal life. When Ariane discovers there are other hybrids living near Chicago she develops a plan. She thinks they can stop the challenges between the different labs and earn their freedom if the hybrids can all work together.

On the surface this sounds like a very simple idea, but Laughlin's hybrids (Ford, Nixon, and Carter) are not quite the same as Ariane. Ariane and Zane run into some difficulty, which turns into a very dangerous situation for everyone involved.

Drs. Laughlin and Jacobs are ruthless and will stop at nothing to win the challenge. The ending was action packed and Stacey left us with a HUGE cliffhanger. I was completely shocked by the direction the series appears to be taking, but at the same time I am REALLY excited to read the final book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I think Zane will finally be on an even playing field with the rest of the characters. The hybrids consider humans to be inferior, which in many ways they are, but Zane has proven his loyalty and may now be able to contribute on a greater scale.

This series is highly entertaining and is not as sci-fi as it may sound. I'm not usually a fan of sci-fi, but I love all of Stacey's books. She has a great sense of humor and you can't help but love her characters. She incorporates paranormal elements into the story, but her books focus more on high school relationships and drama. Any YA fan will enjoy this series.

Friday, May 31, 2013

The Rules by Stacey Kade

1. Never trust anyone.
2. Remember they are always searching.
3. Don’t get involved.
4. Keep your head down.
5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.” But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules… (from Goodreads)

Flo's Review
I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those that I read almost entirely in one sitting, only pausing to tweet author Stacy Kade, "Can I give Zane a hug?" (She responded that yes, he needs one.) I grabbed this book off of Netgalley after seeing someone tweet about it. I'd met Stacey at last year's RT conference, but have never read any of her books.

One really cool, interesting thing about this book was the idea of learning how to be human. We are an emotional, fun-loving, delicate yet powerful species. We form attachments to people and things, and we are motivated -- by love, by fear, by ambition. I really enjoyed reading how Ariane had to learn about humans -- what we are and what we do -- and then try to assimilate herself into our world. Stacey Kade did a great job of writing her so you never felt like, "This is WEIRD, I am reading about an alien." And the best thing is that Ariane comes to accept and use the best of both parts of herself.

But for real, though. I'm off to hug Zane. Talk to you after Book #2.

Jacque's Review

I really enjoyed The Ghost and The Goth and started following Stacey Kade on twitter. When she announced her latest trilogy Project Paper Doll, I was a little leery because I don't usually enjoy science fiction. I tried to read The Host by Stephenie Meyer and had to stop reading after a couple of chapters. I have been told countless times how great it is, but it just wasn't for me. I was afraid The Rules would be more of the same, but I LOVED it. I wouldn't really consider it science fiction. It is more of a contemporary with some paranormal elements.

Like her Ghost and the Goth series, this book is told from a dual character point of view. Ariane is half alien/half human and spent the first 6 years of her life living in a lab (GTX). There was an explosion at the lab, which provided one of its employees the opportunity to help her escape. Ariene has been living with the employee, Mark Tucker, for the last ten years posing as his daughter. She attends the local high school, but must live by five very important rules in order to keep GTX from finding and recapturing her.

Ariene lived a rather boring existence with minimal involvement with other students outside of school until Rachel Jacobs, the granddaughter of the head scientist at GTX, starts harassing her only friend, Jenna. Rachel is part of the high school's elite and decides to pull a prank on Ariene, which becomes very interesting when one of her friends turns the prank back around on her.

Zane is the other narrator in the story and I absolutely loved his character. He is not at all the person Ariene though he was. The more she gets to know him...the more she begins to trust him and that is where rule number one is broken. Once one rule is broken....the rest quickly follow suit.

There is a lot of action and high school drama mixed in with a love story that keeps the pages turning. I, too, will be counting down the days until the release of Project Paper Doll #2.

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