Review ~ Don't Fear the Reaper, by Michelle Muto

Grief-stricken by the murder of her twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her ticket to eternal peace and a chance to reunite with her sister. When Keely succeeds in taking her own life, she discovers death isn’t at all what she expected. Instead, she’s trapped in a netherworld on Earth and her only hope for reconnecting with her sister and navigating the afterlife is a bounty-hunting reaper and a sardonic, possibly unscrupulous, demon. But when the demon offers Keely her greatest temptation—revenge on her sister's murderer—she must uncover his motives and determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, both reaper and demon are keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true—that her every decision will change how, and with whom, she spends eternity.(From GoodReads)

My Review

In One Word ~ Stunning

I have been trying to start this review for an hour. I have typed and erased my opening at least ten times now. I just don't think I can explain what this book did to me. I don't know what I expected from Don't Fear the Reaper. I do know that I was really excited when author Michelle Muto sent me the book. I had read another of her books, The Book of Lost Souls, and adored it. So I went into reading this one with no trepidation, an awesome feeling.

I knew I was in for an emotional journey within the first few lines of Don't Fear the Reaper. The main character, Keely, emotionally devastated after the murder of her twin, commits suicide while in the midst of desperate grief. After months of torture, praying for a sign that her sister is safe on the other side, a sign that never comes, Keely just wants peace. She wants to be reunited with Jordan. At first, Keely doesn't realize her attempt was successful. And she's relieved. But then she is greeted not by Jordan, but by Banning and Daniel, a Reaper and a Demon. Keely learns that to decide her fate, she must pass a "test" with guidance from Banning and Daniel, all while searching for her sister.

I found Don't Fear the Reaper to be one of the most unique books I have ever read. To be honest, I haven't read much involving suicide and certainly nothing from the perspective of a "successful" suicide. I have to give the author kudos on the first chapter. It is dark and overwhelming. I re-read it a few minutes ago, just to be sure that my feelings were accurate. It literally took my breath away again. I know I said it is dark and overwhelming, but it is also, and I know this may sound weird, peaceful and delicate. She handled it with respect, without judgment towards Keely.

That respect towards Keely is what makes Don't Fear the Reaper so unique. Although Keely regrets the inevitable pain her parents will endure, and hates that she has done this to them, I never felt anger or judgment towards her. Muto gave such a detailed background and relayed Keely's anguish so well, that you understand why she felt she had no other choice. I just wanted to hold her hand and take the painful journey with her.

But Keely does have someone to take the journey with her, Banning and Daniel. As a Reaper and Demon, they should be used to this routine. But something about Keely makes them throw everything they should do out the window and put their eternal fates on the line to help her. As much as I loved Keely, I think I loved Banning and Daniel equally. They also have tragic pasts that drew and attached me to them.

Don't Fear the Reaper is a story about the love of two sisters. Love that would cause each one to make radical, ultimate sacrifices if it meant the slightest chance at peace for the other. It is about taking chances. In the case of Banning and Daniel, it's taking a chance on someone who may not seem likely to succeed, but who is worthy of the risk. It is about letting go.

I feel truly honored that Michelle Muto asked me to read Don't Fear the Reaper. This book was a privilege to read. And I look forward to reading it again in the future. This book will haunt me for a long, long time.

Favorite Quotes:

"The mystery that was Banning reminded me of an old book tucked into the farthest crevices of a
  library shelf; dusty and forgotten, his painful memories cast in ink and meant for no one else to see,  
  but committed to fragile paper nonetheless."

"I'd lost sight of heaven, God, and everything good, but not Jordan. Some things transcended both life
 and death. Some things never died."

Kindle Edition

Published September 23rd 2011 by Dreamscapes, Ink

Find Don't Fear the Reaper at:

GoodReads  |  Amazon |  Smashwords  |  Barnes & Noble

Find author Michelle Muto at her website.

*I received a copy of Don't Fear the Reaper from the author, in exchange for an honest review.*

Review ~ Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga, #1) by Michelle Mado

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.(From GoodReads)

My Review

I don't know why, but I always want to start my reviews with a one-word summary of the book. Not easy to do if you just feel "Meh" about the book, or worse, you hated it. But when you really enjoy or are swept away by, it's astonishing how easy it is. My one-word summary for Remembrance is ENCHANTING.

Remembrance swept me up and carried me away on a romantic, exhilarating ride. The ride started with the cover. This cover is just simply beautiful and full of promises. I've seen bloggers get aggravated because people like me talk about covers. And yes, I know "You can't judge a book by it's cover". I am a firm believer that for people, no it's not right. But for books? Oh yes, you can judge a book by it's cover. And the cover for Remembrance is spectacular. In fact, I noticed it a few months before the author asked me to review the book.

Once I began reading Remembrance, the joyful ride continued. Michelle Madow's writing has such an ease about it. I don't know if it's her natural writing style or if it was polished until it shined, but every word, every gesture, every nuance was perfectly placed. That perfection made Remembrance such an easy, enjoyable read.

I learned before reading Remembrance that one of the inspirations was Pride and Prejudice. I love that book, it's without a doubt my favorite from Jane Austen. I enjoyed being able to pick up on the influence while reading and loved the references to P & P from main character, Liz.

Speaking of Liz, I have to say that I loved the characters in Remembrance. Except the ones I didn't, but I'm pretty sure that was the author's intentions. Liz is what you find in a lot of YA heroines. She's bright, brave and reliable. Liz's love interest Drew was sexy, charming (sometimes) and romantic. Because of his actions at the beginning of Remembrance, I was afraid that I wouldn't warm to him. But as the story unfolded, Drew's motivation became clear and understandable.

The main arc of Remembrance is the hidden past/connection between Drew and Liz. The handling of that connection could have gone very wrong and become frustrating. Luckily, Madow handled it just right. As a reader, you know immediately about the bond between the two, but you don't know exactly what it is. The author builds the understanding at a nice pace. She gives Liz, and the reader, enough insight that any possible frustration is held at bay. Bit by bit, the realizations come, leaving you hanging on and wanting more.

Because of the slow reveal, I found Remembrance impossible to put down. Desperate to learn the whole truth, I kept telling myself "One more chapter". But I just couldn't stop. In fact, I stayed up way past my bedtime. Actually, I never went to bed. If you must know, a zombie who somewhat resembles me is typing this review.

Remembrance is the perfect book if you're looking for a girly, swoony (but not over the top) romance. Just be sure you don't start it close to bedtime.
Favorite Quote:

"My feelings for Drew couldn't just disappear. They were ingrained within every fiber of my being, and I needed them just the same as I needed air to breathe."

Paperback, 314 pages

Published July 27th 2011 by Dreamscape Publishing

Find Remembrance at:

GoodReads  |  Smashwords  |  Book Depository  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Find author Michelle Madow at her website.

* I received a copy of Remembrance from the author, in exchange for an honest review.*