Heidi R. KlingCríticas

{my thoughts} - This book is about Lily and Logan. Lily is a witch teenager and Logan is a warlock teenager. Both teenagers are forced to decide with what they have been taught to believe in to be right. Which is that each other is each other's enemy. And what their hearts are trying to tell them is right. It's a different kind of book then I have ever read before because it's a choose your own path {adventure} book. It gives you choices at various points within the book and you choose where to go from there. Over all it was a good read and I really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to read book number two! I am dying to find out what they both are going to choose!

{reason for reading} - I was contacted and told that it was free to download through Amazon. So of coarse, since I had it on my to be read list I downloaded it. And I don't regret it one bit.

{my thoughts} - This book is about Lily and Logan. Lily is a witch teenager and Logan is a warlock teenager. Both teenagers are forced to decide with what they have been taught to believe in to be right. Which is that each other is each other's enemy. And what their hearts are trying to tell them is right. It's a different kind of book then I have ever read before because it's a choose your own path {adventure} book. It gives you choices at various points within the book and you choose where to go from there. Over all it was a good read and I really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to read book number two! I am dying to find out what they both are going to choose!

{reason for reading} - I was contacted and told that it was free to download through Amazon. So of coarse, since I had it on my to be read list I downloaded it. And I don't regret it one bit.

This would have been decent, bordering on fun, but for goodness sake politics does not belong in this kind of book!

4.5 stars.

"I wanted to tell him that you can meet someone and they can change your life forever, even if you have only known them for a short while, that when you leave, you’re a different person than before you met them…"

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, I am just quoting from what I received.

I wish the book had been longer! I feel like a lot happens in too few pages. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the orphanage, or pesantren, and spent more time with the children there. The art and group therapy were interesting, and I would have liked for it to have been expanded on. It was eye-opening listening to them recall their memories of the tsunami, and seeing how far they had come after such a traumatic experience.

It's a sweet story with a whirlwind romance. I wouldn't really call what they had an insta-love, it was more like an insta-attraction. I like that Sienna wasn't afraid to act on her feelings, and that she trusted herself and Deni. Their feelings did grow rapidly, but don't all new relationships start off that way? They were both in a unique situation, and they never forgot that their time together was temporary. They wanted to enjoy what they had and live in the moment.

Deni is still a mystery to me. His entire life before Sienna and the tsunami is still unknown, and something else I wanted to know more about. I also felt like the information about her friends at home, Bev and Spider, was limited. I had hoped to learn a little more about them, too.

Oh, and Bapak? Deni made a lot of serious accusations against him that were never investigated. I feel like someone should have either verified his claims, or at least looked into them. I really love the story and the concept for this book, I just wish there had been more.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on December 12, 2017
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2017/12/where-i-found-you-sea-1-by-heidi-r-kling.htm...

You can find more of this review on my blog, Carlene Inspired.

Paige has agreed to spend the summer after high school at her dad's ranch in Wyoming, not so much because she wants to, but because she needs to get away. A string of suicides at her school have left her raw and disconnected. The smartest, most athletic, and popular kids are gone and her mom doesn't want her to be next. After years away from the ranch, Paige is surprised to see it bad condition, not realizing that her dad is incredibly ill. She also meets Jake, a handsome cowboy, who opens her eyes to a world she thought she'd left behind. As summer goes by, Paige finds herself again and processes the events from the school year prior.

I can't explain what this book did to me completely, but I can say this, it will leave you reeling. Heidi R. Kling writes about a very sensitive subject with tact, bravery (it's based on true events), and obvious experience. With a lot of grace, Kling writes about the suicides, the friends in pain, the worried family members, and Paige's processing of it all. Told in a past and present format, Paige's life in Wyoming continues moving forward, helping her grow mentally, and allowing herself to go back and write about what happened, the events, her feelings, what she wished she had done and how much it affected her. Without speaking about it anyone else, she processes it all alone.

The writing is beautiful, the "then" parts were raw and filled with heavy emotion, while the "now" Paige was slowly loosening up and finding her way. I liked Paige, a lot. While she may seem like the stuck up girl, as you get to know her, you find she's as lost as everyone else. You can feel her pain, as well as feel the worries the other characters have for her. As she deals with loss of classmates, she has to find a way to accept what her method of coping used to be. How she can forgive her parents, her stepbrother, and even herself. On top of that, her father's illness is a hard one, one that brings a whole new story line to the book. Heidi R. Kling not only wrote about suicide sensitively, but also long-term diseases and how that affects those in their life. There is also romance, something Kling wove into this story so smoothly you might not see it coming. It's the kind of romance that's a slow burn, that doesn't take over the story, and allows the reader to join the character in the journey. I saw strength in Paige and I really appreciated that the minor characters in this book, including her dad, his caretaker, and the cowboy, Jake, saw it in her too. The Wyoming Paige is like a different person, a different book, and yet it all comes together so well.

While Paint My Body Red is about a topic that's hard to imagine, experience, and talk about, the book itself is so easy to get into. With relatable characters, raw truth, and a lesson in acceptance, this book is one that I am happy to say I read and loved. I think it's a book that should be read, by everyone, and could easily be used to work with youth struggling through similar situations. I think it opens up a valuable discussion on self worth, honesty, and moving forward in life. This book may hurt to read, the sensitive subject may be too much for some, but I am grateful that Heidi R. Kling took the time to write something so meaningful and with such grace.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I also took a bit longer to review this book because I wanted to read the other books that preceded this one. This is the fourth in a series, I wanted to make sure I would know the storyline before I jumped in in the middle. I don't think there would be an issue if anyone didn't do that, it was just personal preference for me but I believe it takes away from the experience of the story.

I enjoy the whole series, this one in particular was about a three star. I felt that the characters were in some ways well written, with some interesting evolution in Lily things develop, but in others, I felt lacking. The relationship between Lily and Logan is actually touching in a quite a few ways, with being able to share the multiple points of view.

All in all, the series is what makes this book worth a read. Its a good series, and this book definitely continues it.

Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling
Source: Author
My Rating: 3½/5 stars
My Review:

Felix James has a pretty fantastic life. He is just good enough without much effort to get through his classes, he is a wicked good surfer and surfs often, the ladies love him and he totally likes the ladies, and his reputation is solid. Felix stays out of the drama that seems to constantly surround his friends and every chance he gets, he mixes it up with his sister’s best friend, Hazel. Since they were kids, Felix and Hazel have taunted and teased one another mercilessly and neither would have it any other way.

Hazel McCallister’s life runs perfectly right down to the minute; her every action, her every plan is scripted. Hazel is top of her class and according to her life plan she will get into her first choice college, her damn-near perfect boyfriend will, of course accompany her, and at the appropriate time (see the schedule!) they will get engaged, married, and have children. The world, according to Hazel is meant to run with precision and accuracy and Heaven help the fool who dares mess with the plan. Enter, Hazel’s damn-near perfect boyfriend, Jay and her best friend, Kimmy.

Publicly and quite humiliatingly, Jay and Kimmy decide to announce their new relationship to the world. As Hazel’s world crumbles around her in the middle of the cafeteria, it is Felix who comes to her rescue. Felix, the flirt, the never takes anything seriously guy boldly stands by Hazel as her boyfriend and best friend rise to the top of her, those who must not be named list. Heartbroken and reeling, Hazel agrees to Felix’s crazy plan to fake their own relationship in order to get back at Jay and Kimmy. The goal, make the betrayers so jealous and upset that they will feel as awful as Hazel.

Because this is a YA read, Hazel and Felix keep the revenge on the lighter side and as you would expect their friendship (established long ago) and fake relationship blossoms into real feelings which leaves each wondering how to navigate the change in their relationship. Again, as expected each initially tries to deny his and her feelings and, once accepted refuses to talk to the other out of fear of rejection. Of course, this causes more drama which continues until it is almost too late. Just in the nick of time, Hazel and Felix realize sacrificing a potentially awesome relationship for the sake of a little revenge just isn’t worth it.

The Bottom Line: Not Okay, Cupid is exactly what it is advertised to be, a sweet contemporary YA romance with few surprises and an HEA. That is exactly what I was looking for when I sat down to read  I love the unconventional names, Hazel and Felix and both characters worked really well for me. Hazel evolves as she learns more about Felix and Felix evolves as he begins to accept his feelings for Hazel. Their banter is witty and spot on especially when they are firing back at Jay and Kimmy. Their revenge plans are just right for the age group and the HEA ties up almost everything in the end. The only thing that didn’t get resolved for me is what happened to Jay and Kimmy. With that being said, I put Not Okay, Cupid on the recommend list though it should be reserved for that time when you are maxed out on the heavy reads and looking for something light and easy.½

Although shorter than the others in this series, I think that this one might have been my favorite in a lot of ways. This book is active fiction, like the others, but is almost two novellas in one. The first section is Lily's version of events, with choices for you as the reader to make. The second section is Logan's story, with more choices to make. There is also a third section that is called "Bonus Materials" and it tells Daisy's story of that fateful night and changes the story entirely so READ THAT, too!

This installment does a lot to answer many of the questions we had during the first two books and sets the stage for more in the ongoing Spellspinner saga. It is such a fun series to read. The active fiction aspect makes it a book that can be reread for a different experience!

Things to love...

--Logan. There is so much to this character, so much depth.
--Lily and Jonah. They are not necessarily what they seem!
--Daisy. I can't wait for more of Lily's spunky little sister!

My Recommendation: Read the first two in the series, and then indulge in this one!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=9971.

This is such a fun series to read! The story surrounds the Spellspinners, witches and warlocks that have been separated into two communities and cursed. They have been given 100 years to fulfill a destiny of change or their magic is lost forever. Magic and curses are not a new premise, but the mythology that the author has built around them is very different.

I also love the active fiction format of this series. It is so much fun to make choices for the path that your experience takes. It also makes it fun to reread the book and make different choices. They begin and end the same ways but the path to get there changes with every choice.

There is much more mystery and intrigue in this book, a lot more darkness. There are twists and turns galore in this one, too, bringing in all new and disturbing aspects to the story line. The past truly comes back to haunt the current generation and there are so many secrets that are revealed.

Things to love...

--The characters. The characters are more fully developed this time and we learn so much more of the mythology and back story through them.
--The darkness and the secrets. The intrigue level is so intense in this book!

Some Quotastic Goodness

--More than anything I wanted Logan to bear the mark. To be the Chosen (Loc.15).
--I inched along the slick walls in the dark, my palms slipping against the smooth concrete. Then suddenly the surface wasn't cool and hard anymore. I felt my hands squish wet indentations into the wall that smelled of fresh blood (Loc. 211).

My Recommendation: A fantastically fun read!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=9965.

Witch's Brew is the first book in The Spellspinners of Melas County series and is an "active fiction" read. I have not read this kind of "choose your path" book before so it was a new experience for me. There are two places at which you, as the reader, must make a choice. The beginning and ending is the same, but the choices you make will affect how the characters get from point A to B. I will be reading it again to follow some other paths to the end!

The book is set in a version of our own world, the geography recognizable. But the world of magic exists alongside humanity, with most never knowing very much about its existence. Witches and warlocks live separately, forbidden to interact with one another. They live very different lives with very different values and priorities. The story is told from the alternating points of view of Logan and Lily, a warlock and a witch. I love that technique because it allows us to really know both sides of the same story.

Logan and Lily are fantastic characters with great voices. Both have fully embraced the worlds they live in, ready and willing to accept anything and everything that comes along with that. Right up until they meet one another and realize that there is something more going on between them. There is a very clear line drawn between good and evil in this book, with Logan coming from the side of evil, but it is impossible not to love him for reasons that unfold over the course of the book.

The mythology is rich, drawing on some real principles, but with so many new elements of its own. There is a lot of of mystery on both sides, secrets and betrayals and so much more. The story grows more and more intense the farther into it you get and there is a fantastic cliffhanger waiting for you at the end...!

Things to love...

--Daisy. Lily's little sister is spunky, sassy and fun!
--The witch's naming. All of the witches are named after flowers, a nice tie-in to the nature worship aspect of witchcraft.
--The ink. It's a warlock thing, but as a lover of tattoos, I like it!
--The cover! GORGEOUS!

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More Daisy. She's hilarious!
--More Melas County!

Some Quotastic Goodness

--Sucking him in, I took a mental picture of his pale face, the almond shape of his eyes, the sharp outline of his jaw. He was beyond hot. Smoking hot. Tree-caught-on-fire hot (Loc. 207).
--"You have a pink car," I deadpanned into his window. "Correction." He grinned. "The band has a pink BUS. We call it the Pink Twinkie (Loc. 1581)."

My Recommendation: This is a really great read! There is a little of everything... love, mystery, intrigue, humor, magic! I gave it 4.5 mugs.

I thought this would be one of those great YA books, so dissapointed, it was good, just not as good as I thought it would be. *sad face*.

Ah! Finished and still more...? I thought this series was a trilogy -- just so you know, it is not. There is a lot more to go in this storyline after Devil's Frost.

This third book in the series picks up at the betrayal and the Stones becoming a huge mess. Lily has to run, Logan is hurt and there are still many questions left unanswered.

The plot of this installment was to clear up a lot of the questions the first two books leave you with. Things that will be helpful later in the story as well. I cannot really say too much about the plot without giving too many good parts away, so I will move on.

Lily is better in this book again, she can be a little too trusting almost all of the time, but that really is her downfall throughout the series.

Logan is more and more becoming my favorite character, the sections of the book from his POV are wonderful to read and very interesting. I am glad in this book that we are getting both Lily and Logan's POVs there are some scenes that I wanted more of and got them because if it.

Again this book is an active read, there are a few choices throughout and they are still just as entertaining as the last 2 books.

I think that the story is going to get a lot deeper and more emotional as it goes on, because the end of this one was both an aww moment but left me a little anxious for what is to come.

In book 2 there most of the action took place and there was a lot of emotional stress on Lily and Logan, they are about to go into the power exchange battle of The Gleaning and there is a lot of crazy happening around them -- without giving too much away -- Lily and Logan are destined to be together and they are learning more and more why and how.

So why 3 stars? Well this book, while it had the most action in it, made things confusing for me. There were a few times I had to turn back and reread because I missed a very small detail that was VERY important somehow, and when you are book-binging (as I was) sometimes those moments get lost. I also found Lily to be wishy-washy, one moment she is strong, a leader, and loves Logan and other times she is whine-y, confused and not sure if she can trust Logan.

I also found many of the twists and plot goodies to be predictable and not as outrageous they could have been.

I have owned Witch's Brew for a long time, I got it as a Kindle deal and it has sat on my reader forever, I just never had a chance to read it with other blog tours and books that I was reading. I was given the chance to be on the Spellspinner's tour and was thrilled because now I could read the book that I had been wanting to for some time now AND I was getting the other 2 books in the series as well!

First thing to note is that the Spellspinners books (as stated above) are "Active Fiction" i.e. remember those choose your own adventure books some of us read as kids, well it is kind of like that, only regardless of how you choose you come to the same end, the only difference between the choices is that you get ore of less detail depending on your tastes. SO if you want action ALL THE TIME you can skip over the more informational bits and learn about those thing later in the story, or if you want to know ALL the details, you can read it in that way . I chose both styles depending on where I was in the story, so it was a lot of fun.

Book one begins our introduction into the world of Spellspinners aka witches and warlocks and how they became divided and enemies 100 years prior, not there is a prophecy that may or may not help to reunite them if they can get past their differences.

I really enjoyed this book, but it at times let me asking strange questions, like who the heck people were, there were a lot of flower names, names that start with J and then Lily and Logan (the two L's as I started referring to them as) are the main characters. I also wanted to know more about how the Spinners came to be, and you get more and more of that as you read the other books, but I wanted am overview in book one and it was not really there.

Here Lily and Logan meet, and it is forbidden but also very mysterious and alluring. We learn about some of the background of their worlds and I loved how the book alternated back and forth between their POVs -- small issue though was that when they alternate it is sometimes a reply of what just happened but from the other's POV.

Overall it was a good read, but it took a few chapters to get into the style of the book and writing.

Big review closer to release date, but I LOVED everything about this book. In fact I am reading it over right now, because it has CHOICES! It feels like one of those choose your own adventure books we all read when we were young, but less childish and with higher stakes. The story of the witches was well thought out and great research went into the book about celtic paganism. I can't wait for more.

Love! I can't wait to see what happens in book 3!

I liked this book, but I just didn't love it.

My main problem with the book was Sienna. I just didn't feel a connection with her character... she felt one-dimensional and I didn't always find her very believable. I know she liked Deni and found him attractive and whatnot, but running away with him in a dangerous area when she barely even knows him? Maybe I'm jaded, but I simply didn't believe or understand her character.

I did, however, really appreciate the rest of this novel and plot. The focus on volunteering and the discussion of the tragedy that befell Indonesia and surrounding areas are very important topics and I commend Kling for including them in SEA. I felt inspired to go out and make a difference... regardless of how big or little. This novel has the potential to encourage readers to take notice of what's going on in the world and do their part to make it a better place and there's always more room for that in YA lit!

SEA is definitely worth exploring... and hopefully you'll have a deeper connection to Sienna than I did.

The tsunami that effected Indonesia and other countries in 2004 is an even in history you will always remember EXACTLY where you were when you heard the news. On Christmas, the day prior, I went snowboarding the first time with my now husband and a bunch of friends in Michigan. The following day, we went to a friend’s house to stay the night and woke up the next day and everyone was sitting on the sectional in the family room when we saw the news on the TV. At that point we had no clue of the devastation to come.

In Sea, out main character Sienna or Sea for short, takes us to Indonesia just six months after the Tsunami hit. During the first 30 or so pages before Sienna heads out, I wasn’t sure about the book yet. Knowing what happens during the book, I see we are just getting some background information on Sienna and informing us about characters who are important to the story. Once Sienna gets on a plane to Indonesia, the story takes off.

I felt horrible for the whole country while reading Sea. I wish I could go back in time and help out more! Seeing how children were effected after the tsunami is heart-wrenching. I’ve never read a book about a girl going to a disaster torn country before, I loved this one!

I’m never one to leave romance out of a review. It was a very whirlwind romance between Sienna and Deni…I loved every second of it!

The romance mixed with the tsunami aid made this book one of my favorite contemporary novels I’ve ever read! I was moved by this story and I was crying lots and lots!

After seeing so many rave reviews of this book, I knew I had to read it. But once I finally got through it, I was so disappointed. It was a good enough read, but a lot of things bugged me. First off, the main character is 15. So basically, this book is about a 15 year old going to another country and falling in love with an 18 year old. I'm sorry, but that's just too young for me. Of the 15 year olds I know, I would laugh if that happened to them because it's so unbelievable. Also, I didn't really feel the connection they had. Sienna was just suddenly like, oooh I can't take my eyes off of him after he stares at me and I'm just like seriously? And from the description, he doesn't even sound that attractive (goatees just don't do it for me). I would have been okay with the book if it ended 50 pages sooner. The events that happen in the last 50 pages made me feel like the story was just a waste of time. As good as the reviews and cover are, the story itself is disappointing and not all that believable.

Wow. What a stunning debut from author Heidi R. Kling. I heard about Sea during the Fall of 2009 and have been anxiously awaiting its release day, and it lived up to my expectation. Sea was beautifully written, full of emotions, and deeply touching.

Sea expertly deals with loss, love and life, all in one book. While reading Sea, I constantly found myself thinking what I would do in the characters situations and wondering what a struggle it is for some people to make it day to day.

What I really enjoyed about Sea was the characters. All the characters, everyone from Sienna, to Deni, to Spider, were so real and well written. Each character was there own distinct person who had their own issues that they had to deal with throughout the book. For me, I loved Sienna. Her emotions were so real, I felt I could truly connect with her. When Sienna experienced sadness, I felt sad; when she felt joy, I was happy. I love when a book can make you connect with a character on a personal level and in Sea, that is truly what happened.

What I truly loved about this book was its setting and the topics it dealt with. Heidi truly recreates what it would be like living in Indonesia after the 2006 tsunami. You truly get a feel for Indonesian cultures and traditions thru Sea. Reading this book made me want to hop on a plane and go visit this country to see the beauty for myself. While reading this book, I also realized how catastrophic the tsunami in Indonesia was in 2006 and the struggles and loss that the people had to go through and it deeply saddened me. After reading this, I wished I could have gone back in time to help with the relief efforts in that country to less the pain of characters such as Deni.

Sea is one of those books that I know will stay in my mind forever. The powerful messages of loss, love and hope are messages that are crucial to living. As Sea reminds us we must Dare to Love and Dare to Live.

I won this ARC in a contest by the author of Restoring Harmony, Joelle Anthony. I am excited to read her book, but when I found out I won SEA from her, I was thrilled.

I don't want to go into too many plot details, because I knew nothing about the book when I started it and I really enjoyed taking Sienna's journey with her.

I love that she was portrayed as a true fifteen year old. She was very immature in several ways, and I appreciated that. All the teenagers in YA lit these days seem a little unreal because they don't act their age.

Heidi was good at describing the emotions that all the characters were feeling: Sienna about the loss of her mom three years previous to the story, and all the children in Indonesia that lost so much after the tsunami.

I am very much looking forward to seeing what Heidi Kling does next!

I would recommend this book because it's full of romance and wonder. To those people who like to read romance novels, this is a great book. There is a surprise twist at the end that threw me off-guard and didn't I didn't really enjoy it, but in the last chapter the author made sure the readers were satisfied.
5Q, 4P; Cover Art: Awesome!
This book is best suited for middle and highschoolers.
It was selected due to the cover and a title, then after reading the summary on the back and discovering it was about romance, it was a must-read.
Grade (of reviewer): 9th
(AR-AHS-NC)

Fifteen year-old Sienna is still grieving after three years since her mother died in a plane crash. But, on her birthday her father gives her a plane ticket and tells her she will go with him to Indonesia to be part of a tsunmai relief team at an orphanage. Sienna is terrified, but agrees to go. In Indonesia a hash reality awaits her. But so does adventure, romance, and self discovery. Sea is a beautiful, romantic, young adult novel. A fast read, but by no means shallow. I highly recommend to young adults and adults. This is Kling's debut novel and I'm looking forward to reading more by her.

When a book can make me cry, then I can't help but to consider it somewhat of a masterpiece. I can probably count on one hand the number of books that brought real, honest to god, tears to my eyes. This is one of them.

The descriptions used in this books were so realistic and heartbreaking at times. I could visualize the devastation that Kling weaved throughout her debut novel. The emotions from each of the characters were also written so well that I felt, happy, sad, confused, concerned and in love as the characters felt these things.

I imagine I would be somewhat the same as Sienna if I lost my mother. I would probably give up on everything I once loved, and I would feel lost. While a large portion of this story is devoted to the love between Sienna & Deni, the overall story, I feel, is about Sienna's growth. How she goes from, in the beginning, a motherless child, to at the end, a young woman who has seen partial horrors that others can't even imagine, and who learns to cope with what she has lost. The progress she makes is astounding. By learning to care for others, she learns to care for herself better.

While the story, characters and everything about this book are quite beautiful, I can't help but feel a little disappointed by the ending. To me, it seems the ending could have been drawn out a bit, it feels like it was just cut short.

PLEASE don't think that because I felt let down by the ending, that this book is anything but wonderful. I enjoyed the whole thing, I just wish the ending didn't feel so abrupt. (The ending is the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars!)

Overall, this is one of the best debuts I have read all year. Even without magic, this book is extremely magical. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.