Beneath the Skin Book Review

Book Review

of

Beneath the Skin by Kyla Stone

A truly emotional read!

If you are looking for a book that tugs at your heart strings pick this one up. I wasn't certain what I was getting into when I won a copy of this book on Library Thing, I just knew it was for young adults and the cover was cool.
At first, I was horrified by the things this girl went through. The torcher from her mother, her peers and self mutilation. The author made sure to pull you into Sidney's world, to make you feel the hate she had for herself. It was awful. To believe a person truly hated themselves with this much passion... I felt it with each word I read. What would drive someone to feel this way?  I was speechless as I read the chapters. I wanted to help her, to break down her door and show that someone loved her and she didn't need to carry around all this pain she felt. Sidney was abused in every way imaginable. Her father changed her into this monster she felt she was. She didn't think she deserved a friend or a single person who cared. When they did, they just turned on her because they didn't understand the life she lived.
The book shows the life of so many teens out there. This unfortunately could happen. It makes you sad and angry all at once.
Sidney stood up for her family. She decided to help herself, her brothers and to be happy for once. She may have done something that most people don't approve of but it saved her. It saved her brothers from being like him. It saved her mom from being a deadbeat mom, even if what she did was for herself. Sidney was a hero, even if she didn't see it. Her friend Arriana saw it. Sidney gave her the strength to be who she wanted to be, to not beat herself down because her mother saw something differently.
In the end, Sidney works hard to not do some of the things she had done, cutting, but she has a future. A life she can look forward to having with friends, family and a boyfriend. It is something she didn't think she would ever have.

  * I received this book from the author for my honest review. *

Muriel Avenue Sluts

by

Maggie Hasbrouck

When I first read the title I wasn't certain if this was a book I would want to read. Because it's going to be about sluts and it's supposed to be for young adults.It didn't seem like an appropriate plot for a story.

At first, I was amazed that Jules was proud of her mom and the other women on Muriel's Avenue because of what they did.She was excited to turn 18 and be part of the sluts. They weren't technically sex workers but they had a business that catered to men and they got paid to do it. When Jules' best friend Anna is being raped by one of her mother's clients, she takes matters into her own hands and stops it. She kills him and makes it look like an accident. Later on, Jules finds out other girls in school have been abused by their father or someone in their family. She feels bad, even angry and tries to help out a friend but it back fires on her and she goes on the run. At the end of the book, Jules figures out home is the safest place to be when your surrounded by people you love.

The author did a great job with the plot, the dialogue was written well and I enjoyed the story. I felt as if the book was based on truth because of the things that happened to these girls. It was a well thought out look at the life of a teenager. There were elements of it I didn't like for it being young adult. Jules is so happy that her mom is known as the queen of sexual pleasure.Would you be proud of your mom? For instance, Jules decides she wants to have sex and another woman tells her to use a cucumber. She actually tells about it. I don't think this is good for a girl who is twelve. I don't like how Jules is fascinated with Vivian. When she sees her boobs she wants to touch them but she really loves Charlie. She kisses another girl. I get that girls are confused and curious about things when they are 17 but do author's have to encourage it in their stories? This is only my opinion.

Over all, I gave the book 4 stars because the author was thorough and a great storyteller.

*I received this book from the author for my honest review.*

Amazon.com
http://a.co/ejcbSBG

Goodreads.com
 https://www.goodreads.com/maggiehasbrouck

Website
https://www.goodreads.com/maggiehasbrouck

Paranormal or MC Romance

Can a Book be Both?

Paranormal and MC

 

On my down time, between writing the books in my series, I write on an adult book. It is a way for me to experiment with a world I really don't know much about--the adult romance world.

I'm a big fan or J.R Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I'm a sucker for a man who saves the woman he loves and so forth. I like the whole soul mate idea. Call me old fashioned but that is what I like. I believe a man should take care of the woman he loves by doing manly things.

When I started this book, I never thought of it as an MC romance. I actually didn't know there was a category that represented motorcycle clubs. See, I'm new to the adult world, so I'm learning as I go. I always thought my book would be paranormal. It has vampires and shape shifters in it. There is also angels and demons. So I wonder, is this book an MC romance?

The book is about a motorcycle club who is made up of different species. Each chapter is a different group; vampire, angel so on. These men are signed to protect humans from rogue versions of themselves. 

Every paranormal book I've read is about a vampire, demon or something, so naturally I assumed my book would be called a paranormal romance.

A crit group I am in suggested my book be considered for MC. I thought about it and actually looked through a few, reading the first few chapters. I noticed the ones I picked up are all contemporary fiction. Would that hinder my book from being considered for an MC romance when it is definitely not contemporary?

I would love some feed back on this. What do you think makes a MC romance and Paranormal different?