Ex-Factor by Elisa Dane ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Hey there and welcome to my stop on the Ex-Factor Blog Tour hosted by LRT Blog Tours. Click here to follow along with the tour. 

Title: Ex-Factor

Series: The Diamond Girls #1

Author: Elisa Dane

Publication date: April 14th 2014

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Source: Review copy

Nevaeh Evan's life is uprooted after her father's death, when she moves in with her aunt and cousin, Livvie. Her plan to lay low at her new high school isn't working. Her friend's jerky boyfriend keeps asking her out, the guy she likes treats her like garbage, and the thought of tumbling again makes her want to hurl.

So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it. 

But Nev feels she doesn't deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died. 

Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he'll never play football again, and he's so far behind in credits he can't see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they're not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.

 

  

Ex-Factor is a novel I wanted to read for the emotional depth and impact I had a strong feeling it would have. This is a beautifully told story that will resonate with me long after the ending. I couldn't think of a better way to write about the topic of teenage drinking and driving - it wasn't preachy and didn't shove platitudes down my throat, and I appreciated that. I think the less preachy the writing, the more the consequences of the behavior will stick with you.  

Nev is a character I loved; she's witty and strong with a lot to offer the world. She doesn't feel sorry for herself even after everything she's been through. The problem is, she's so busy beating herself up over her father's death she isn't able to see her own potential. She's drowning in her grief, and I felt every moment of it. I identified with her and knew she was going to have a long way to go. You have to allow yourself to grieve to be able to come out on the other side.    

I was glad Nev and Bodie had each other to lean on once he stopped giving her the death stare. My only problem with him was the nickname he had for her - "Doll Face." I hoped he'd drop it once they became close. From the way Nev described him, I'd have fallen for him, too. I knew there was a lot more to him than what he showed on the outside.   

The competitive cheerleading aspect of the story only interested me as far as a way for Nev to deal with her grief and guilt in a healthy way. I didn't mind reading about it since I know nothing about what that world is like, and it served a purpose in the story. I loved Livvie and Erin, the new friend Nev made, so much. They were great for Nev and there for her, just as a cousin and a friend should be. 

I'm looking forward to the next book to get to know Livvie's story and see things from her perspective.    

My Rating:

I'm a lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!

I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.

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Omni by Andrea Murray ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

Hey guys, welcome to my stop on the Omni Blog Tour hosted by LRT Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the tour schedule. 

Omni

The Omni Series #1

by Andrea Murray

Publication date: November 1st 2013

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

Source: Review copy

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Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Synopsis

Pierce only wants a shot, a real shot, and not just the excuses he's been handed his whole life. Harmony wants to escape her future, the future she fears will be chosen for her. After their chance meeting, they might get exactly what they want.

Since taking over the US government years earlier, the Omni party has created a perfect existence. From consorts to job assignments, every choice, every facet of life is under their control. Each citizen has a specific role in one of the four strata. Seventeen-year-old Pierce is a Drudge, the lowest social stratum in society. For over two years, he's hoped - prayed - that his upcoming aptitude test will finally free him from his virtual slavery and give him a chance at a better existence. 

When he rescues Harmony, an Artist and member of the most successful stratum, at a publicity event for her latest movie, his life takes an unbelievable twist. With his gallant act and good looks, he becomes a media sensation. Every stratum in society seeks his membership for their publicity, but as he becomes closer to Harmony, Pierce realizes what fame in the all-seeing eye of Omni is truly like. His choices will not only affect him but Harmony as well. The life Pierce thought he wanted may not be worth the cost to either of them.

In this retelling of the classic story of Paris and Helen, love must struggle against an ultramodern, ultra-controlling society. They will risk everything, even challenging the all-seeing eye of the Omni government. But will the prize be worth the cost?

    

In the novel, Omni, a political party known as the Omni party has taken over the U.S. government and divided everyone up into four different stratum based on an aptitude test. At the top are the Artists, and at the bottom are the Drudges, which are the two stratum the two main characters, Pierce and Harmony, are in at the beginning of the novel. I thought this was an interesting concept for a dystopian society but was also reminded of how citizens in Divergent are divided into factions based on a test they must take. That's where the similarity ends. 

Pierce and his friend, Hale, are in the bottom stratum as Drudges. They haven't taken the aptitude test yet and were placed as Drudges because they grew up in a group home. Pierce was born to an unwed couple who didn't have permission from the government to have a child, and so he was taken away from them. You feel the unfairness of his situation, and you don't have to wonder where his bitterness comes from. I liked Pierce the most out of all the characters and understood him the best.       

Harmony and her twin sister, Caprice, are in the top level of the social structure as Artists. While I liked Harmony, I wanted more from her. She's weak and only slightly root worthy. I think it has a lot to do with the lifestyle she leads - she gets the best of everything and treated like celebrities in our society are treated. I had a lot of hope for her, that she would develop and grow over the course of the book but didn't unfortunately. 

I wanted to know more behind the Omni party and how they took over in the first place. What's the rest of the world like besides the U.S.? That's a question that rarely gets answered in dystopian novels. Since they were able to take over the entire U.S., what's to stop the Omni party from taking over other countries like Canada? Answers to questions like those would have all kinds of interesting story potential in my opinion. 

Omni has a lot of potential - if there had been more character growth, then I would have given the novel at least another star. The characters were a bit lacking, and that's what I wanted the most in this story. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading Omni and liked thinking about the similarities and differences between our society now and the society in Omni. I do think if you like dystopian novels, you should pick this one up and see where it takes you.  

My Rating:

About the Author

Andrea Murray has been teaching English for longer than most of her students have been alive. She has taught everything from junior high language arts to concurrent credit freshman composition. She lives in a very small town in Arkansas with her precocious daughter, energetic son, and race car-driving husband. 

When she isn't writing or reading novels for her students, she's probably watching reality television or cheesy science fiction movies. In addition to the Vivid Trilogy, she has also written Omni, her new YA dystopian romance. 

Buy her novels on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

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