Book Review - Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Savannah Darcy Rose is a gifted ballerina. She is known as "Sparrow" to her friends and family. Sparrow has a lot of secrets that she keeps from her loved ones.  She was taught at a young age to keep secrets for her late mother.  However, after a brutal attack from her perfect boyfriend, Sparrow must find the courage to confront her past.

As a person who has been in an abusive relationship, I thought I would have enjoyed this novel. I find that I hated it and I couldn't relate to the main character at all. I liked that each of the characters had nicknames until it became overwhelming. I felt like some of the dialogue between the characters didn't feel authentic or real.

The novel skips from Sparrow and Tristan's first date to Sparrow being terrified of him. I feel like this doesn't give us a chance to see the "good guy" that Tristan is. Was their relationship strong in the beginning or was Tristan always violent? The reason I am asking is that I have a hard time understanding "why" Sparrow insists Tristan is a good guy when all we see is his abusive behavior towards her. Sparrow mentions that he treats her good by "apologizing and buying her things". However, I don't feel that Sparrow and her family needs money as her father is a criminal defense attorney and uses a Montblanc pen. I am wondering if there is an emotional need that Tristan was filling for her.

I wish there was more details given about Sparrow and her mother's death. The author hovers around the incident without going into detail. Another issue I had with the book was that Sparrow observed that she wished her father knew she was in pain and would protect her. However, whenever her friends or family observed Sparrow and her relationship she would get defensive. This wasn't the book for me and I couldn't finish reading it around the 70% page mark.

**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.**

BOOK INFORMATION

Sparrow

by Mary Cecilia Jackson
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: March 17th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, a devastating but hopeful YA debut about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future.

There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey

I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been.

javascript:void(0);My name is Savannah Darcy Rose.

And I am still prey.

Though Savannah Rose―Sparrow to her friends and family―is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed―“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”―will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe. But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever….

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33004248-sparrow

Amazon: https://amzn.to/39Xb2yN

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sparrow-mary-cecilia-jackson/1131253775

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/lookup?isbn=9781250771292

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Sparrow-Mary-Cecilia-Jackson-Andrew-Eiden-Rachel-L-Jacobs/9781250263506

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sparrow-17

Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Mary_Cecilia_Jackson_Sparrow

BOOK AUTHOR

Mary Cecilia Jackson has worked as a middle school teacher, an adjunct instructor of college freshmen, a technical writer and editor, a speechwriter, a museum docent, and a development officer for central Virginia's PBS and NPR stations. Her first novel, Sparrow, was an honor recipient of the SCBWI Sue Alexander Award and a young-adult finalist in the Writers' League of Texas manuscript contest. She lives with her architect husband, William, in Western North Carolina and Hawaii, where they have a farm and five ridiculously adorable goats.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://www.marycjackson.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16090834.Mary_Cecilia_Jackson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marycjackson

Instagram: www.instagram.com/mceciliajackson/

TOUR SCHEDULE

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/02/tour-schedule-sparrow-by-mary-cecilia.html

We will be updating this link daily.

GIVEAWAY

Prize: Win a copy of SPARROW by Mary Cecilia Jackson (US/CAN Only)

Starts: 17^th March 2020

Ends: 31^st March 2020

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86476/?

 

Library of Flowers Luminary Honeycomb

I love lighting a candle during the weekend and reading a nice book. I love the packaging from Margot Elena's products. The candle has a delicate scent and  doesn't last very long. I could barely smell the candle when I got up from my chair and walked a few steps away. Definitely not my favorite candle but, I am still open to trying other scents from the brand.

Cast of Characters
Top: Sugared Fig
Middle: Ambrosia Honey
Bottom: Royal Bee Blossom

Inara Cosmo Beauty Nail Polish - Pulse

I love painting my nails at home. I saw this strikingly beautiful color. The polish went on smoothly and dried quickly without leaving any streaks. Unfortunately, no matter what I do, this polish always chips within a few hours. Very disappointing since its a beautiful color.

Book Review - The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney

Photo Credit - Amazon

When Abbie wakes up in a strange room in a daze with no memory of who she is and how she got there. The man at Abbie's side claims that he is her husband. He is the founder of an innovative start-up and an idolized genius in the tech world. He tells Abbie that she is a talented artist, a surfer, a loving mother to their autistic son, and most importantly, she was the perfect wife.

Five years ago, there was a terrible accident and she was bought to life as a bot. She is a miracle of science and one of a kind.  However, as  Abbie starts to piece together her memory, she realizes her husband might be hiding things from her. She is wary of her husband; who insists that she was the perfect wife.

The idea of having a robot replace a loved one was interesting. However, the only thing I liked about the book was their young kid, Danny. I had a hard time relating or even liking any of the characters. The book was written from two points of view, robotic Abbie's feelings and her trying to figure out the truth and the telling "real" Abbie's past with Tim. I didn't like that the only thing we knew about Abbie was that she was perfect and on some level, everyone worshiped or loved her. Yet, as the reader, we know nothing from Abbie's point of view. The book felt like a convoluted and confusing hot mess that I regretted spending the time to even bother reading it.

**Disclosure -  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.**

Book Review - Mermaid Moon by Susann Cokal

Photo Credit - Amazon

Sanna is a mermaid but, she is half landish. When Sanna was born, an old sea witch cast a forgetting spell that made Sanna, her mother, her father, and her people forget the details of her birth including her mother. When Sanna turns sixteen years old, she decides to find her mother as she feels like an outsider in her seavish flok. Determined to find her roots and identity, she apprentices herself to the sea witch who cast the spell on her and her family.

After learning the magic to make a pair of legs for herself, she decides to follow the clues to the location of her mother. Before she leaves, the sea witch gives her a cryptic quest to complete. As Sanna begins her journey, her flok wait for her news on her journey. While on land, Sanna comes across a village who is desperate for a miracle and a baroness who will stop at nothing to live forever.

I was quite torn with this review. I thought the novel was beautifully written but, then at times, it was just too much. I was more than 85% done with the book before I couldn't be bothered anymore. The story progressed so slowly that the story didn't even progress in 50 pages. It was mostly 50 pages of atmosphere building or Sanna debating what to do or the sea life that lives on the old witch's body. I wasn't a fan of the different points of view because I felt like it added little to the story. I wanted to enjoy this book more because I love a good tale. I am still looking forward to other books by the author.

**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.**

Book Spotlight - The Ghosts of Saratoga by David R. Ossont and David Dampf + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

About The Book:

Title: THE GHOSTS OF SARATOGA

Author: David R. Ossont & David Dampf

Pub. Date: July 21, 2019

Publisher: Milford House Press

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 159

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, TBD

In 1777, seventeen-year-old Roland McCaffrey joins the American Revolution. He is part of the army trying to stop the invasion force of British general John Burgoyne. Fighting alongside his sergeant and mentor, Roland becomes a skilled rifleman. He feels guilty for killing but plays an important role in the American strategy. At the Battles of Saratoga, Roland engages in combat under Benedict Arnold.

About The Authors:

David R. Ossont has worked as a musician, a Fish and Wildlife Technician and for nearly three decades taught science to seventh and eighth graders. He received his college education from several colleges of the State University of New York. He has two children, Kyle and Hayley and lives with his wife Pam in upstate New York, not far from where the events of Ghosts of Saratoga take place.

​

David Dampf has been a middle school social studies teacher for the past 28 years.  He has a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Potsdam with a major in history and secondary education and a Master’s degree in reading from SUNY Cortland.  Since he believes that understanding history is essential to being an educated, thoughtful adult, he has spent his life telling stories that make history come alive.  He lives in Oneida, New York, with his family. 

Website | Facebook

Giveaway Details:

One winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

Ten winners will win signed bookmarks, International.

Giveaway Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21067/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/9/2020	Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog	Spotlight
3/10/2020	Mythical Books	Excerpt
3/10/2020	momfluenster	Instagram Stop
3/11/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Interview
3/12/2020	Hurn Publications	Review
3/12/2020	Little Red Reads	Instagram Stop
3/13/2020	Lifestyle of Me	Review/Spotlight
3/13/2020	kelly_lyn_90	Instagram Stop

Week Two:

3/16/2020	Books,Dreams,Life	Excerpt
3/16/2020	BookHounds YA	Instagram Stop
3/17/2020	BookHounds YA	Interview
3/17/2020	Preciousbooksworld	Instagram Stop
3/18/2020	Locks, Hooks, and  Books	Review
3/19/2020	Two Points of interest	Review
3/20/2020	Savings in Seconds	Review

Erno Laszlo Multi-Task Eye Serum Mask

The hydro-gel eye mask is packed with algae extract, vitamin B3, amino acids, and allantoin. It promises to fight signs of dark circles, puffiness, fine lines, and wrinkles.  The eye gels had a pleasant cooling effect when applied to my skin. The masks weren't drenched in serum so, they stayed in place. However, even with continued use, I have not noticed a difference and probably use a cheaper eye mask for relaxation purposes.