Book Review - The Claires: An Ascenders Novel by C.L. Gaber + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Four girls are born together but, they are not identical. They are named Claire and each has a different ability. One can see visions of the future, another can feel another person's pain, one can tap into the spirit world, and other has clear knowing. 

They were originally born in 1911 and first died together in 1928. The Claires are a victim of a curse where they perish at the age of seventeen and are reborn two months later. The Claires are always violently murdered and then reborn to a woman who finds out she is pregnant. The Claires try to break the curse that ensures they die young. Can they find a way to break the curse?

This novel was my foray into the Ascenders series. The writing style was engaging and easy to get into. I was in between loving this novel and liking it. The story was very engrossing read about four young women trying to change their destiny. Since I am new to the series, I felt like I was missing some story nuances on the characters. There were some portions of the novel that felt strange and completely unbelievable. For example, the way Claire C. slaps a student on the face in front of the school's administration. Instead of being punished, I felt like the Claires could do whatever they want. I had a hard time understanding how they can try to do nice acts to save themselves but, be so cruel to people. Then they start becoming annoyed when someone was being cruel to them but, they are cruel to other people for no reason. I think if I read that other books in the series, the Claire characters would be more clear to me. I can't wait to read the other books in the series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Print Length: 417 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0996242015
Publisher: Big Picture Media Inc. (January 14, 20MTV.com20)
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Language: English
ASIN: B07ZYB6W2J

Praise for THE ASCENDERS SERIES

"Teenage angst like you've never seen it before." —MTV.com

"I wish I could go back and read it again and again - not knowing what would happen." —MUGGLENET.com, the world's largest Harry Potter site.

Four beautiful girls. Quadruplets. They are not identical.
But each is named Claire.
Claire V is Clairvoyant—clear seeing with visions of the future.
Claire S is Clairsentient—clear feeling as she embraces another’s pain.
Claire A is Clairaudient—clear hearing to tap into the spirit world.
Claire C is Claircognizant—clear knowing with 100% accuracy.

Born in 1911, they first died together in 1928 at age seventeen. Two months later, they were reborn. And reborn. THE CLAIRES only live to seventeen and then they’re violently murdered. Somewhere in the world, a woman finds out she’s pregnant with quads. The Claires return to a new family as they try to break a curse that guarantees they die young.

It’s current-day Los Angeles, and once again, their seventeenth birthday is looming. Can they save themselves, clean up the streets in the name of penance, and crash their own prom?

The Claires is the first novel spin-off of the best-selling Ascenders Book Saga. Also available in paperback starting on January 14, 2020.

You can purchase The Claires: An Ascenders Novel at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from C.L. Gaber

I’m C.L. Gaber, an author and film journalist for the New York Times Syndicate and Chicago Sun Times. I also co-authored Jex Malone series. Originally from Chicago, I make my home in Nevada with my husband, bonus daughter and two unruly dogs.

My husband knows that Ascenders began with me in bathroom half the night writing on tiny notepads because I didn’t want to wake him. When daylight did roll around, I told him, ”Baby, I had the most incredible dream”.

        

PART ONE - REVIEW AND INTERVIEWS

FEBRUARY 24th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

FEBRUARY 25th TUESDAY Books, Dreams, Life EXCERPT

FEBRUARY 25th TUESDAY BookHounds YA INTERVIEW 

FEBRUARY 26th WEDNESDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

FEBRUARY 26th WEDNESDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

FEBRUARY 27th THURSDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW 

FEBRUARY 27th THURSDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW 

PART TWO - REVIEWS

FEBRUARY 28th FRIDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW 

FEBRUARY 28th FRIDAY Books Less Travelled REVIEW

FEBRUARY 28th FRIDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

FEBRUARY 29th SATURDAY Pages and Pugs REVIEW

FEBRUARY 29th SATURDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW

MARCH 1st SUNDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW 

MARCH 1st SUNDAY J.R.'s Book Reviews REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Book Review - Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by by Micah Dean Hicks + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

The small town of Swine Hill is filled with ghosts. The ghosts have taken over the abandoned downtown area and haunt places that they have unresolved dealings with. Some ghosts have been known to hurt people and sometimes, even change them. In Swine Hill, there are more dead things than living.

Jane has been haunted since she was a child. Her ghost feeds on the secrets and fears of people around her. She loves to share her findings with Jane, even if Jane doesn't want to know. Jane's brother, Henry, is also plagued by a ghost. His ghost takes over and causes him to build strange and dangerous machines. Her mother is possessed by a lonely spirit who craves attention and burns anyone who she touches.

When newcomers start obtaining coveted jobs at the pork processing plant, both the living and dead are upset. They are worried about their future and where they would go. Jane and her family have loyalties to both sides and try to survive when things start getting violent. Will Jane and her family be able to escape Swine Hill?

I found the book to be an interesting read. It definitely had a different plot that I would have expected or used too.  I found each character to be well developed and interesting. However, I found it annoying that some characters knew how to get rid of ghosts but, didn't really make the attempt to do so until things went downhill. For example, Jane was trying to make her friend's life better but, yet she continued to let her mother suffer from her ghost. Overall, the novel was an interesting read from books I normally read.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**  

SYNOPSIS

Swine Hill was full of the dead. Their ghosts were thickest near the abandoned downtown, where so many of the town’s hopes had died generation by generation. They lingered in the places that mattered to them, and people avoided those streets, locked those doors, stopped going into those rooms . . . They could hurt you. Worse, they could change you.

Jane is haunted. Since she was a child, she has carried a ghost girl that feeds on the secrets and fears of everyone around her, whispering to Jane what they are thinking and feeling, even when she doesn’t want to know. Henry, Jane’s brother, is ridden by a genius ghost that forces him to build strange and dangerous machines. Their mother is possessed by a lonely spirit that burns anyone she touches. In Swine Hill, a place of defeat and depletion, there are more dead than living.

When new arrivals begin scoring precious jobs at the last factory in town, both the living and the dead are furious. This insult on the end of a long economic decline sparks a conflagration. Buffeted by rage on all sides, Jane must find a way to save her haunted family and escape the town before it kills them.  

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE BONES

“A tour-de-force of the imagination. Hicks has created a world that is beautifully and brutally surreal and yet, at the same time, BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE BONES stands as a hyper-realistic psychological portrait of the death of the American factory town. My own identity as an American was disturbed and changed by this novel; some dormant understanding was shaken awake. This is a stunning and profound debut.” ―Julianna Baggott, bestselling author of New York Times Notable Book Pure

“Hicks’ debut novel is a thoughtful tour of the rotted and haunted heart of America. Highly recommended.” ―Jeremiah Tolbert, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author

“I can’t stop thinking about this book. It’s a haunting story that burrows under your skin like an insect laying eggs that hatch within you in the middle of the night. Hicks’ mesmerizing imagery kept me turning the pages and asking myself ‘How is this book happening? What sort of literary witchcraft am I witnessing?’” ―Maurice Broaddus, author of Buffalo Soldier and The Usual Suspects

“BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE BONES is a breathless wonder of a debut novel… Hicks is a magician with words and has written a spellbinding, haunting and necessary book.” ―Anne Valente, author of Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down

“Hicks has crafted a haunting story with multi-generational appeal, where the very real horror of poverty meets supernatural horror, and social issues like xenophobia, racism and economic anxiety are addressed organically through allegory and gripping storytelling.” ―Chris L. Terry, author of Black Card and Zero Fade  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Micah Dean Hicks is the author of the novel Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones. He is also the author of Electricity and Other Dreams, a collection of dark fairy tales and bizarre fables. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. Hicks grew up in rural southwest Arkansas and now lives in Orlando. He teaches creative writing at the University of Central Florida.  

PHOTO CREDIT: SCOT LERNER 2018  

WEBSITE: https://micahdeanhicks.com/

TWITTER: @MicahDeanHicks
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FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/micahdeanhicks
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/micahdeanhicks/

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