BOOK REVIEW: EYES EVER TO THE SKY BY KATIE FRENCH

Eyes Ever to the Sky by Katie French

Published: April 9, 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Age Demographic: YA Sci-Fi Fantasy

Pages: 192

When Hugh wakes up in a smoldering crater—no memory, no clothes—a single thought echoes in his head…trust no one. Frightened and alone, with no memory of who he is, he stumbles upon a grisly murder scene and is fatally shot. He wakes, only to find he can heal himself. He has superpowers, and he’s going to need them.

Desperate and bleeding, Hugh stumbles upon fifteen-year-old Cece, who’s got enough troubles of her own. Between caring for her bipolar mother and trying not to get evicted from her run-down trailer, Cece may be the only person struggling as much as Hugh. Drawn to Hugh, Cece finds a love she’s never known. But when the real killer—a man-hunting beast—chooses another victim, Hugh and Cece realize they must unlock the clues to their past if they have any chance at a future.

To Purchase Eyes Ever to the Sky by Katie French: Amazon

Eyes Ever to the Sky is a quick read with potential for an interesting plot and likable characters. Conceptually it was inspired in some ways, but in other's I tend to feel as if it kind of missed the mark a little bit. Katie French's writing style is one where the reader will either like or not, making it a bit hard to enjoy the book as one normally would. It isn't uninspired by any means necessarily, but it is or was actually harder for me to really connect with the characters on an emotional level, in the way that I normally love to while reading. They just seemed to need a bit more tweaking, a little more development, and backstory to balance things out.

Novels, such as Eyes Ever to the Sky, are ones that I typically fall for and it was a bit of a let down when this one didn't live up to my expectations. I don't know, maybe I had set them a little too high, but this book just didn't seem to pull me in as much as I hoped it would have. The characters were slightly interesting, but there wasn't enough development there for me to really easily connect with them in the way that I would have normally liked to. I found the sci-fi elements of this novel to be a bit lacking as well, or well, I don't know if that's the right word to use or not. I wanted more of an explanation regarding Hugh, more of an understanding regarding him and his people.

The whirlwind romance that seemed to form rather quickly between Cece and Hugh, was another thing that seemed to put me off as far as this novel is concerned. I can't say that I'm a big fan of insta-love, in any capacity, which is another reason that I gave this book a lower rating than I normally would have. I have a feeling that if French would have just slowed down the quick romance and focused more on developing the characters, introducing background knowledge, and building the potential even higher for the premise of this novel that it would have been a lot more enjoyable than I personally found it to be.

On the whole, the beginning of this novel, started out as a promising and intriguing read. Soon after that, though, it started to tumble down hill for me. However, with that being said, I have to point to some obvious goodness that did come out of this book, like the beautiful prose that lent itself to some pretty imagery. French definitely has a way with words and they helped to paint a chillingly dark and scary atmosphere that evoked some intense feels from me while reading certain parts of the novel. I did enjoy, that while amidst the bleak and dreary atmosphere, there was also some wonderfully beautiful and intensely poetic vivid details brought to light that may have otherwise been missed.

Eyes Ever to the Sky was an enjoyable book, it just wasn't the novel that I was expecting to blow me away, when I read the promising synopsis. Again, perhaps, I expected too much out of this novel. The thing is, I really wanted to be blown away, I wanted it to be better than it was. The dark and dreary paranormal aspect, the sci-fi elements, those were all filled with so much potential that I feel just wasn't tapped as much as it should have been. Perhaps, Katie French, will continue this story and the sophomore novel will be better, maybe Eyes Ever to the Sky will turn out to be like City of Bones or The Vampire Academy and will function as the book that sets up the premise to what could potentially be a fantastic new young adult paranormal sci-fi trilogy. In any case, this is what I am hoping, and I will definitely be sticking around for the second book in the trilogy, to see if the background and development that I was so craving in this novel shows up in the next one. I don't want to give up on what could turn out to be a really intriguing series.

For those who enjoy quick, fast paced paranormal romance, I would say to go ahead and give this book a chance, and then decide for yourself what you make of it.

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Katie French imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher. In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. Though her social life suffered, her love for literature thrived. She studied English at Eastern Michigan University, where she veered from writing and earned an education degree. She spent nine years teaching high school English. Currently she is a school counselor, doing a job that is both one of the hardest things she's ever done and the most rewarding. In her free time she writes, reads great books and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She is a contributor and co-creator of Underground Book Reviews, a website dedicated to erasing the boundaries between traditional and non-traditional publishing. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.

GUEST POST: VOTE FOR STRAIGHTJACKET BY MEREDITH TOWBIN BY TEAMNERD REVIEWS TEAM!

An IMPORTANT Request From TeamNerd Reviews Team!

Hiyaz Nerd Peeps!

We have a VERY IMPORTANT request to ask of y'all!

Our dear new author friend Meredith Towbin and her YA book STRAIGHTJACKET (we featured both in our I HEART YA 2013 event) have entered into Walmart’s Geton the Shelf Contest. The contest allows people to compete for a chance to get
their products sold in Walmart and on Walmart.com.

She learned two
days ago that her video entry made the cut and is now in the audition round!
Which is amazing since her video entry is not actually a book trailer but a
ridiculous infomercial!

Here’s the thing:
SHE NEEDS VOTES! Lots and lots of votes. If she gets enough votes, she’ll move
onto the finalist round and she’ll be so, so close to getting STRAIGHTJACKET
into stores! She’s up against some stiff competition – BIC, Zenith, rubber
thingies that prevent hoses from leaking . . . but she’s the only YA novel up there.

You can watch
the video and vote for STRAIGHTJACKET (up to once per day) through September 2, 2013 at the following link: https://getontheshelf.walmart.com/product/145b/Straightjacket-(the-YA-n

So PLEASE-OH-PLEASE with cookies and cream ice cream with sprinkles on top, GO VOTE FOR STRAIGHTJACKET! We will surely APPRECIATE all the support thrown Meredith's way and we know she definitely does as well!

Nerds over and out!

~Annabell & Bridget & Meredith

About Meredith Towbin: Meredith Towbin writes dark contemporary young adult fiction. Her first novel, STRAIGHTJACKET, explores teen mental illness.

Before she wrote fiction for teens, she taught them all about English lit in the classroom. Later she edited textbooks and wrote review workbooks for, once again, all those lucky teens.

These experiences, along with her own vivid memories of being an awkward teenager, provide material for her works in progress.

Where to Find the Author: Website/Goodreads/Twitter/Facebook

About Straight Jacket

Check out on Goodreads!

Purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Anna has lived her whole life in shame, losing herself in books to cope with crippling panic attacks triggered by her abusive parents. Forced into a psychiatric hospital, she can’t imagine a future that’s anything but bleak—until she meets Caleb, a gifted, 19-year-old artist who insists he’s an angel.

He swears his mission is to help Anna break free from her parents’ control and fulfill a destiny that she can only dream of. The doctors, however, are convinced that Caleb is delusional.

Anna doesn’t want to be that girl who’s in love with the crazy guy, but when she sees his stunning portraits of her and the way he risks everything to keep her safe, she can’t help but imagine a new future for both of them, filled with hope. But just when it seems they’ve created heaven on earth, Caleb’s past emerges full force, threatening to destroy their tiny, blissful world. And Anna has to decide if she should follow her heart, or if Caleb’s really as troubled as his doctors say…

COVER REVEAL: CHAOS BY CHRISTINE O'NEIL

Today I've got a treat for you guys. ChristineO’Neil and Entangled Teen Ember are revealing the cover for book 1 in The Kardia Chronicles Series, CHAOS. It's coming out this August, so be on red hot alert for it because you're definitely gonna want to snag a copy of this amazing novel!

Annnnnnnnnd now for the reveal!

*presto-chango!*

Blurb:

My name is Maggie Raynard. After sixteen years being just plain me, suddenly I can kill people when I lose my temper. Turns out I'm a semi-god, descended from Aphrodite. Sounds cool in theory, but when I accidentally put my ex-boyfriend in a coma, things go downhill pretty fast.

Now some new guy named Mac Finnegan has made it his mission in life to continually piss me off. I'm stuck learning how to use my new powers while also dealing with regular high school problems, and with this---annoying and super-hot---guy all up in my business, I'm about to flip out.

But it gets worse. I just learned there's this council for semis that wants me dead. They think I'm bad to the bone and when my ex suddenly dies, it's like everyone is determined to take me out. Mac might turn out to be my only salvation, but he's got secrets of his own---that may just kill us both.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iBooks

"Exclusive Excerpt"

from Chaos

I was done with guys. Not in that fake, I-say-that-but-deep-down-I-really-want-a-boyfriend kind of way, but in, like, the seriously-I'd-rather-eat-maggoty-cheese kind of way. No relationships. Not for me. Not now and maybe not ever. Who I am…what I am, and what I’m capable of? Everyone’s better off this way.

"I have to stop at my locker real quick," I said, veering to the right and cutting through the crush of kids heading straight like wildebeests to a watering hole. Libby followed and then stood by me as I fiddled with the lock.

"What's that?" She pointed to a white piece of paper sticking out half an inch from one of the slots in the olive metal door.

I tugged the padlock open and flicked the catch with my thumb. "Dunno." Maybe Bink had left me another note. Bink was my neighbor, bud, and—most days—my ride home. Last time I’d found a note in my locker, it was when his cell phone died and he needed to bail early. I seriously hoped this wasn’t a repeat performance.

I mentally ran down the list of people I could bug for a ride and came up empty. Libby always had to stay after for some activity or another, and I only really had two other people I could call "friends" and neither lived near me. I wrinkled my nose in anticipation of the dirty-sneakers-meets-day-old-bologna smell of a bus filled with kids who'd had last-period gym and opted not to change clothes. 

With a sigh, I pulled open the door and the white rectangle floated to the floor.

Libby bent to grab it and read it out loud. "'Dear Sad and Lonely…'" She trailed off and went quiet for a few seconds until her peachy complexion went hot pink, and then she gasped. 

"Oh my God. Holy… Oh, Mags, you are so not going to like this."

I snatched the paper from her, trying to ward off the growing pit in my gut.

Dear Sad and Lonely,

Since I can almost guarantee She is about to give you some seriously shite advice like she does every week, let me be the voice of reason. Your boyfriend is just like most high school guys. Cut him some slack and, even better, why not offer to learn how to play some of the games he likes? He'd probably appreciate the effort and might even take you somewhere nice after. If that doesn't work, sit him down and let him know how you're feeling so he can tell you what's going on with him. Could be that constantly calling the things he likes stupid isn't the best way to get what you want in this situation, yeah? In any case, don't let the ramblings of some bitter emo chick who's probably never had a boyfriend ruin your relationship.

Hope it helps,

He

The shock was too thick to let the anger in right away, but as stunned as I was, I knew exactly who was behind this. There was only one person in the whole school who would use the word “shite.” 

Mac Finnegan.

Opinionated, annoying, hot—did I mention annoying?—Mac Finnegan, who had barely given me the time of day since he'd come to Crestwood High a couple months ago. Mac Finnegan, who thought he

was soooo cool with his Irish accent and his mocking smile. Mac Finnegan, who inexplicably made me want to lick him like an ice cream cone and then immediately rinse my mouth out with acid.

How had he discovered my secret? Only Bink and Libby knew I was the girl behind “That's What She Said,” and I would have bet everything I owned that neither of them would have ratted me out.

Didn’t matter, though. One way or another, he knew. Even worse, he'd chosen to taunt me with it. Bitter emo chick who’s probably never had a boyfriend, indeed. I had a boyfriend once and it hadn’t ended well for either of us. I was in no rush to repeat the experience. Besides, what did this Irish asshat care?

Anger tightened my chest. I could feel the power rising in me, clawing to get out, roaring to be heard. The hair on my arms stood on end as I tried to breathe through it, to let the fury dissipate and flow out of my pores in harmless pings of energy, but it was no use. I pressed a hand to my locker and opened up the tiniest of escape valves, the spout of the teakettle, whistling off a stream of steam. The cheap metal instantly heated against my skin, the door buckling and warping on the spot just beneath my fingertips.

"Uh, Mags—" Libby whispered urgently, but a male voice cut her off.

"How's it going there, Libby? Maggie."

I turned around, still trying to catch my breath, and there he was, strolling by, a grin splitting his sinfully beautiful face.

Mac Finnegan, who had decided that being the new kid wasn't bad enough, so he had to actively go out of his way to make enemies. Mac Finnegan, who wanted to turn my world upside down rather than minding his own business. Mac Finnegan, who didn't know the meaning of live and let live.

Mac Finnegan, who clearly had no idea who he was fucking with.

 

About Christine:

Christine O’Neil is one half of the happiest couple in the world. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys and their two dogs, Gimli and Pug. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold ‘Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate…or, like, a ninja maybe. She loves writing fun and adventure-filled romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with rusty spoons. Christine loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to get in touch with her via the Contact Page. Christine also writes adult romance under the name Christine Bell.

Website/Twitter/ Goodreads

  

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AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS: FEATURING LEIGH FALLON'S CARRIER SERIES

Carrier of the Mark was one of the very first ARC requests that I was approved for from HarperTEEN and I remember being extremely excited! I had such high hopes for this bright new shining debut and Leigh Fallon did not disappoint. It was so incredibly easy to fall into the deep intoxicating and beautifully created world that she so originally put forth in an amazing debut novel. I gobbled this entire book up greedily in a matter of hours and instantly wanted more. CRAVED MORE! No, I knew that I had to have more and I didn't want to be kept waiting. This was such a super fantastic world to get sucked into and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Shadow of the Mark so that I can see what happens next in this phenomenally gripping and intensely captivating series. I know that no matter happens, Leigh Fallon is not going to let me down whatsoever. She has such a fantastic way of weaving mythology and realism together, where they blend so effortlessly and you follow along with the natural ebb and flow of the story she's telling. She writes with so much passion, depth, and beauty that it's hard not to fall in love with whatever story she's spinning to life. Plus, she is one of the sweetest, most amazing, and nicest authors that I've had the pleasure of speaking with via email. I absolutely love her to pieces and I admire her talent, more than anything, to tell a story and captivate you until the end leaving you...CRAVING MORE!

So, yes, in my book LEIGH FALLON IS A ROCKSTAR!!!

Which, is why I am so super excited and stoked to have such a fierce author here on my blog today talking a little bit about the mythology behind the Carrier series. Be prepared to be wowed, amazed, stunned, and captivated as she takes you behind the scenes of the Carrier series. If you have not yet read this book, then you are definitely going to want to pick it up for sure. I cannot stress enough how amazing it is!

Creating the Mythology in the Carrier Series
by Leigh Fallon

I drew my initial inspiration for the beautiful Irish countryside, and in particular, the pretty town of Kinsale, it’s filled with ancient buildings, historical sites, and crumbling castles. I then delved into my childhood, to all my school tours that brought me to amazing historical sites around Ireland and in my hometown of Dublin. There were some places in particular that stayed with me. Trinity College, Christchurch, and Newgrange, to name a few.

Then I did a bit of research into Ireland’s pagan history and ancient celtic mythology and realized that many of the sites I’d loved as a child had ties to stories of the Goddess Danu. She was the mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Danu represents birth and beginnings. She is thought of as the goddess who came before everything else. She represents light and dark and giving and receiving. She is Mother Nature in many respects.

To the Celts, Tuatha de Danann, Danu’s children have to struggle against their enemies, the evil Fomorians, whose own “Mother Goddess” is Domnu. Irish lore contains many tales of the struggle between the Children of Domnu, representing darkness and chaos, and the Children of Danu, representing light and order.

In Carrier, I took the story of Danu and the Tuatha Dé Danann and played with it a little. I had it that Danu gifted each of her human children one of her powers, earth, air, fire, and water. Each of her children would bear ‘The Mark’ symbolizing their power and lineage. Then instead of having separate Children of Domnu representing the dark side of their powers, I had the Tuatha Dé Danann being both, representing the internal struggle of the power they hold the and pull of the light and the dark. I introduced the ancient druids (I adore the old stories of druidism in Ireland) who took on the role of protecting and guiding the Tuatha Dé Danann in their struggle to choose light over dark, and to achieve their ultimate goal, aligning the elements of earth to restore harmony in the absence of their mother, Danu.


As we all know, humans, in most cases, are deeply flawed, and I loved the idea of teens struggling with the usual issues along with out of control gifts that really belong in the hands of the gods. It all leads to oodles of trouble, but there’s a lot of fun to be had along the way.

Carrier of the Mark (Carrier #1)

"Their love was meant to be."

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.


Shadow of the Mark (Carrier #2)

"Their love could destroy them all."

Through the ages, Marked Ones have harnessed the powers of the four elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Much about the elements is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: A relationship between two Marked Ones has the potential to cause widespread devastation.

Megan and Adam—Air and Water—are determined to defy the risks.

But the power that swirls inside Megan is growing in twisted ways. And the closer she is to Adam, the closer Megan comes to unleashing a dark force that could spell destruction for the entire Marked line.

Visit these places below to purchase these beauties:

IndieBound  Amazon B&N  BAM   Book Depository

Leigh Fallon was born in South Africa, raised in Dublin, Ireland and moved to Cork in her 20’s. While living in beautiful Kinsale, Co Cork she discovered a love of writing. She writes mainly for the young adult market. Her debut novel, The Carrier of the Mark, prompted her to abandon her ‘riveting’ career in corporate treasury and she has been writing ever since. She has another three books in the Carrier series and a few other projects she's working on. Her family and she now share their time between Ireland and the US.

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To check out all of the other AWESOME FEATURED ROCKSTAR AUTHORS on this tour, please click the link below! I promise you, you are absolutely NOT going to want to miss out on this FUN for sure. There are so many amazing authors being spotlighted, so many fantastic giveaways, and just a lot of fun in general.