{Review + Giveaway} Exposure: (Twisted Lit #2) by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Published: January 18^th, 2013 (Merit Press)

Pages: 223

Rating: 3/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly! In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate. Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenzie: the man who would be Prom King. Can Skye save the boy she loves — and herself — before they get caught in the crosshairs

? [Description from Goodreads]

I’ve never read Macbeth (no, I really haven’t- don’t hurt me) so I can’t say whether Exposure follows the story well or not. As a story, though, Exposure does pretty well. It’s a fun, quick read, with a bit of humor, but nothing that should be taken too seriously. It’s cliché at best, but I was surprised and a little pleased at the ending.

Some of the character’s relationships confused me. Take Craig and Skye, for instance. He gets in with the popular crowd, virtually ignores her for the rest of high school, and yet she’s still completely enthralled with him. Um, back up a second. Girl, if he’s not going to give you the time of day, he’s not worth it. In that respect, Skye seemed overly needy and almost stalker-ish. I was a bit confused at how he’s portrayed. Is he supposed to be a jerk or a hero? I’m guessing that’s for us to decide.

Also, while Exposure has its climactic bits, towards the end I felt like the story was dragging. There were many opportune times for an ending, but it just kept going. Don’t get me wrong- I liked where it ended, but I could have used a little more excitement.   

So, while Exposure was a somewhat entertaining read, it probably won’t be all that memorable for me. The story is similar to the countless other fluffy, overused high school dramas, but can still be a fun read if not overly analyzed.  

 Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: Mild (some minor words scattered throughout)

Violence: Mild- Moderate (a guy is pushed into a frozen lake and dies; a girl confronts another girl with a knife)

Sexual: Mild (some kissing; a girl is suspected of getting pregnant)

Other: A character’s parents get divorced; the same character is somewhat disrespectful to her parents. Underage drinking.

*Giveaway*

Rules: US residents only; must respond to winner email within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

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Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes (Review + Giveaway)

Published: December 18^th, 2012 (Merit Press)

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Miranda, a former A-lister fallen from glory, comes into work at the mall one blustery night. Much to her dismay, her and her coworkers are fatefully snowed in- not only trapped together, but with a criminal on the loose somewhere within the empty bowels of the mall. Even worse, Miranda and her new snarky acquaintance, Caleb, are accidentally handcuffed together and must spend the time side-by-side, each other’s presence causing more irritation than either of them can handle. It soon becomes apparent that it’s going to be a very long night.

Tempestuous is a fun little tale that I quite enjoyed. I was doubtful of it at first, mostly because it sounded a bit ridiculous to me, but that opinion faded once I really started reading. The Shakespeare aspect initially drew me in, and the story kept me hooked the rest of the time.

Having never read Shakespeare’s The Tempest, I can’t say I got any of the references to that work of literature, but despite that fact, I truly enjoyed Tempestuous. It’s a fun, light, clean read that is suitable for both middle-grade readers as well as more mature readers. This is what I’d dub as a good distraction- it’s funny, quirky, and has a bit of a thrill to it, thanks to the crime-fighting antics of Miranda and her gang. And being only slightly over 200 pages, you could easily curl up on a snowy night with a cup of tea (or coffee…) and finish this “Twisted Lit” novel before bedtime.

Reservations? It’s hard to have reservations about a book this short and sweet.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: Mild (A few words here and there.)

Violence: None

Sexual: Mild (A kiss or two. It’s revealed that three girls have slept with the same guy. Couples doze off together on the mall floor but nothing sexual happens.)

~Giveaway~

Enter the giveaway below to win a hardback copy of Tempestuous!

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