Review: Skid Out

Title: Skid Out
Series: Heavy Influence Trilogy
Author: Ann Marie Frohoff
Source: Received complimentary e-book in exchange for honest review

Find more info on Skid Out on Goodreads.

I give Skid Out 3.5 out 5 stars. I didn't really love or hate it. I thought the story was somewhere between okay and fairly good. Maybe I just need to know more before really forming an opinion on the series. Keep in mind, this is a short (46 pages) novella only covers one day before the actual Heavy Influence series begins.

The writing style was fine and I liked the alternating points of view from Jake to Alyssa. It was nice to hear the story from both characters and the author did a good job marking each chapter so you knew who's voice you were going to hear from. (I note this because I know in the past I have sort of slammed authors for not having a clear voice. Ms. Frohoff provided a good example of mixing point of views in Skid Out.)

I like the music element in the book. Who doesn't like guys in bands? And it certainly seems the main guy character Jake fits the bill. Hello, rocker hottie meets Abercrombie model. Also, there is always something smexy about an older, more worldly "man."

I thought there was a lot of gratuitous cussing in this book. I get that Jake is the lead singer of a band. But his potty mouth almost came across like he was TELLING me he was a bada$ rather than really SHOWING me. I guess most kids these days (geeez, I sound OLD!) do probably talk like that but I still felt like it was a bit much. I mean some I get, I've been known to swear with the best of them but even I was a tad uncomfortable.

I thought the main female character Alyssa was fickle, which maybe a function of her age. She starts the book with a crush on another guy, starts liking Jake and then also gets flutters about her friends brother. She is just a little all over the place but then again it has been ages since I've been a teen so what do I know. 

She also seems to think just because her dad is so strict that gives her a free pass to lie and sneak around. And she thinks he so hard on her but yet both her mom and dad both let her sips of alcohol with them. (That was NOT something that happened in my house growing up.)

The age difference is kind of odd to, it's not doesn't sound too bad, she's 14 and he's 17 but he's going to be a senior, in a rock band that goes on tour, who "hooks up" with girls he doesn't even like "like that" and she hasn't even started high school yet. It just seems the maturity level between the two might be on the same level.

Like I said, I didn't hate it but I think I'll reserve my full judgement until I've read more and decide what if any ramifications this has. I sort of feel bad, I looked at other people's reviews of Skid Out they all seem to really LOVE this book. So I don't know if I'm weird or if I was just in a weird place when I read or what. But I have to be honest, it just didn't blow my socks off. 

If the story sounds like something you might be interested in you should totally try it out. I haven't given up on the Heavy Influence series yet, I'm hoping to enjoy the next installment, First Kiss.

Short Story Sunday: Intuition

Hey y'all! I decided I like Short Story Sunday so much last week that I'd do it again this week! Here's what I like about short stories. They are cheap, fast, and easy. Hummm, that sounds awful but hopefully you know what I mean! Usually you can download a short from Amazon for free or up to about $2.99. (That's about my limit--cheap I said!) I've also seen where some authors will run specials on their websites or the publisher will host free a short story on their site. Clearly, shorts are accessible if you are interested. They are quick reads for obvious reasons, they are SHORT stories, duh. And easy because you may or may not be invested in the story based other works in the series or if it is a stand alone. A short story can give you a taste of the world the series is in and either help pacify you til the next book comes out or get you interested in the series in the first place. With the Olympics being on this week, my work schedule change and some required reading I've had for class at work my fun reading time has been really limited. But I can read a short story in less than an hour and still get the feeling of "escape" that I love.

This week's selection is Intuition by J. Meyers, which is a short teaser story that goes with Meyers' debut novel Intangible. Currently on Amazon, Intuition is available for the crazy amount of $0.00. Free y'all! And that, as aforementioned, fits my price range. It is Young Adult, another check! And after I read the approximately 16 pages, I was left wanting more!

Intuition introduces brother/sister twins who have special powers. She is able to heal and he is able to see the future but is unable to change it. Intuition shows us their powers in action and ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you with that "what happens next?!" feeling. It gives us a little insight to the relationship the twins have with one another and a past experience that did not go well for them. So another words, good background info on the characters. Seems like if Intangible follows in the same vein it should be a super read. I'm looking forward to it!

Summary: I liked it. I hope you will too. And Intangible has been added to my ever growing TBR list!

Short Story Sunday: Unspeakable

Hello y'all! This is just a little post to let you know what's going on in Alli's World...AND of course discuss some good writing. First, I want to tell you that the hubs, some of my family members and myself spent a couple of days together on Tybee Island, Georgia (and did the tourist thing in Savannah as well) earlier this week. Which was completely lovely and just what we all needed. The only unfortunate thing is that I didn't get to read as much as I thought I would while we were there, just not enough time to do it all! 

Second, my work schedule changed and I'm on night shift now. I'm still trying to adjust to that and it has really put a damper on my reading for the time being. (If I'm trying to read so late at night it tends to just make me more sleepy and that is certainly not what I need!) So, please just hang in here with me and the next 16 weeks of night shift will fly by and then we will be back to our regularly scheduled Alli's World. Heck, who knows, I might adjust so well I might want to stay on nights, we'll just have to see. 


So this past week I haven't really read much in my current read, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, not because it's not good of course but see above, for the whole night shift makes me narcoleptic thing exploitation. Plus once I get all done with it I really want to share with you guys some things we saw in Sav that you can also read about in the book. It's going be great, trust me. Until then I'll just give you one glimpse at the beautiful "Hostess City" of the South. This is the fabulous fountain at Forsyth Park, complete with the Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss.

BUT until I finish Midnight and get my "photo tour" ready to go live on the blog, I've actually been reading some short stories this week I downloaded on my Kindle app for my phone. The first two, I'm not even going to mention cause they were just that bad. Finally today though, I read some quality stuff! YaY!! I downloaded it a week or two ago and finally got around to reading it and it left me wanting MORE!!!

Click the pic for more info!

(Amazon-which I do NOT get paid for, 

just so you know, I just do this cause

I love books!)

I've been hearing about S.R. Johannes' The Nature of Grace series and my interest was piqued. THEN, I saw Unspeakable a short story to the first book Untraceable was a free download on Amazon I simply had to give it a try. Ohmygosh y'all! Just based off the little bit in the short story, I reallllllly want to continue reading. The characters are witty and mysterious. (What ARE they doing in the woods!?) And it ends on a cliffhanger that has me hooked. I told the hubs I think he might enjoy this one (and hopefully the whole series) because it has this whole out in nature aspect to it. (Bless hubs heart, he gets roped into reading most of what I read...but a family that reads together, stays together, right??) Basically, even though I'm like 20 books down in my to-read stack I really want to move this one to the top! PLUS the next book in the series Uncontrollable is due out late summer 2012 and I saw the third book is scheduled for a Christmas 2012 release date!


By the way, S.R. Johannes is a GEORGIA author! YaY for local authors! This makes me super happy! Here's a link to her site so you find out more info about the author and the books!


Anybody out there reading anything good? Got any good summer fun times, you'd like to share? Leave me a comment. I HEART comments!