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This world is full of coincidence...
I said it was full of pervs with a boner for pubescent kids, murderers lurking in the shadows, and God-awful things I didn't care to think about.
God. I didn't know if I qualified to say that anymore. How did things get so out of control, so messy? I was normal, once. Put on my bra one arms strap at a time, laced my Converses from bottom to top just like everyone else. Granted it was a slightly different version of normal--a little too far left of kosher, maybe? But before all of this twistedness happened, I was me. I was a little ignorant, a little naïve. I was whatever my social network profile said. But I hadn't updated it in, like, three months, so...
Three months ago, I was the girl who wore her hair in a saggy ponytail, the girl with the stutter. I despised my mom's cooking, gamed too much, and laughed at all my dad's jokes even when they were corny as hell. I'd never been kissed or gotten into trouble. I was Mikayla Blake, human, prone to fuckups and mishaps. No more, no less.
Three months ago, my new life started. And nothing's been coincidence since.
This world is full of coincidence...
I said it was full of pervs with a boner for pubescent kids, murderers lurking in the shadows, and God-awful things I didn't care to think about.
God. I didn't know if I qualified to say that anymore. How did things get so out of control, so messy? I was normal, once. Put on my bra one arms strap at a time, laced my Converses from bottom to top just like everyone else. Granted it was a slightly different version of normal--a little too far left of kosher, maybe? But before all of this twistedness happened, I was me. I was a little ignorant, a little naïve. I was whatever my social network profile said. But I hadn't updated it in, like, three months, so...
Three months ago, I was the girl who wore her hair in a saggy ponytail, the girl with the stutter. I despised my mom's cooking, gamed too much, and laughed at all my dad's jokes even when they were corny as hell. I'd never been kissed or gotten into trouble. I was Mikayla Blake, human, prone to fuckups and mishaps. No more, no less.
Three months ago, my new life started. And nothing's been coincidence since.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2011
15 people are currently reading
2413 people want to read
About the author
Sharde Richardson
2 books75 followersBio in 140 characters or less: Somewhere in the cosmic collision of life, God saw fit to make another Alabamian.
The nitty: An Alabamian who loves cheese and life. She works in a nursing home and steals stories from the elderly in exchange for sponge baths. Next year her debut YA novel, Watched, will be released.
The nitty-gritty: She grew-up in the South. Almost as far south as you can get. She says things like "y'all" and "ain't" and "shut the front door"(which is more or less an expression of shock). She married a giant man and they have one, semi-giant son who's sometimes called Cluckey or The Child. During the daytime hours she works in a nursing home with the elderly.(Side note: She wants to inform you never, under any circumstances, be late for a sponge bath or try to take their dentures. The elderly are very protective of their dentures.)At night, she churns out stories and conspires to take over the world from the confines of her computer room.
Some quick and dirty facts:
1. She once severed her pinky toe and had it sewn back on.
2. Her worst vice is the use of four letter words. In public. Around children.(Rest assured, she is getting a handle on this.)
3. Since sixteen, she's had over thirty speeding tickets. She's twenty-four and counting, by the way.
4. Her wisdom teeth are intact.
5. She's had several affairs on her husband. All were with dairy products and various forms of cheese.
6. Sharde is lactose intolerant.
7. She likes to visit cemeteries.
8. One year, Sharde won a trip to Hawaii by guessing the mystery flavor of a Starburst.
9. Sometimes she buys groceries barefoot.
10. She is neither an Alabama nor Auburn College football fan.
11. Sharde once wet her pants in a Chinese restaurant after laughing at one of her husband's jokes.
12. As a kid, her favorite TV show was Bonanza. Ah, the joys of being reared by grandparents.
13. She's an American without all the fancy prefixes.
14. There are random notes all over her house with unfinished scenes from stories. Or from her dreams.
15. Sometimes she eavesdrops on other people's conversations to make her dialogue sound authentic.
16. She write stories that she likes to read. She knows that this is selfish.
17. Sharde laughs at gore. Case in point: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974 film was another instance in which she wet her pants.
18. No other voice but Sam Elliot's could narrate her life.
The nitty: An Alabamian who loves cheese and life. She works in a nursing home and steals stories from the elderly in exchange for sponge baths. Next year her debut YA novel, Watched, will be released.
The nitty-gritty: She grew-up in the South. Almost as far south as you can get. She says things like "y'all" and "ain't" and "shut the front door"(which is more or less an expression of shock). She married a giant man and they have one, semi-giant son who's sometimes called Cluckey or The Child. During the daytime hours she works in a nursing home with the elderly.(Side note: She wants to inform you never, under any circumstances, be late for a sponge bath or try to take their dentures. The elderly are very protective of their dentures.)At night, she churns out stories and conspires to take over the world from the confines of her computer room.
Some quick and dirty facts:
1. She once severed her pinky toe and had it sewn back on.
2. Her worst vice is the use of four letter words. In public. Around children.(Rest assured, she is getting a handle on this.)
3. Since sixteen, she's had over thirty speeding tickets. She's twenty-four and counting, by the way.
4. Her wisdom teeth are intact.
5. She's had several affairs on her husband. All were with dairy products and various forms of cheese.
6. Sharde is lactose intolerant.
7. She likes to visit cemeteries.
8. One year, Sharde won a trip to Hawaii by guessing the mystery flavor of a Starburst.
9. Sometimes she buys groceries barefoot.
10. She is neither an Alabama nor Auburn College football fan.
11. Sharde once wet her pants in a Chinese restaurant after laughing at one of her husband's jokes.
12. As a kid, her favorite TV show was Bonanza. Ah, the joys of being reared by grandparents.
13. She's an American without all the fancy prefixes.
14. There are random notes all over her house with unfinished scenes from stories. Or from her dreams.
15. Sometimes she eavesdrops on other people's conversations to make her dialogue sound authentic.
16. She write stories that she likes to read. She knows that this is selfish.
17. Sharde laughs at gore. Case in point: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974 film was another instance in which she wet her pants.
18. No other voice but Sam Elliot's could narrate her life.
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February 2, 2017
Attitude in spades, snark galore, and I loved it! Safe to say Sharde Richardson has her own style of writing and it is earthy, quirky and feels like some reality is sandwiched between those book covers! WATCHED is total entertainment, from the paranormal aspects to the plot to the characters, total entertainment!
Mikayla was your average ponytail wearing, less than popular girl with a horrible stutter that made her fodder for others. She has those parental issue things most kids have as they are testing the waters of life.
It was on her seventeenth birthday that her life went totally off the rails and her ride would never be the same again. Mikayla was skating, alone, enjoying the solitude that brought peace, until she got “that feeling.” The one that says she is being watched and she was right. She was also the target for murder, but survived, waking up in a hospital, alive, and changed. Very changed. Was it the near death experience that gave her the ability to see auras around people and discern their intent? Can she really see demons? Demons? Seriously? That isn’t all that has changed for Mikayla, either. It seems she has a mission in life, a very special, very dangerous mission and swallowing that knowledge is like believing in the tooth fairy for Mikayla, but hey, this girl is up for the challenge, once she gets past her disbelief.
She is about to set off on a new road, a new life and there will be someone at her side. Lucas has had his eye on Mikayla for a while, but what are his motives and how does he know so much about her, heck even she cannot remember anything past her thirteenth birthday!
Sharde Richardson has a tale to tell and characters to love! If you think you have read all there is to read about young adult demon hunters, clearly you haven’t tried Watched and it is time to rectify that situation! Get ready for Sharde, she is an author to read!
I received this copy from Sharde Richardson via Instafreebie.
Series: Mikayla Blake, Demon Hunter - Book 1
Publisher: Jolt Books (May 31, 2011)
Publication Date: May 31, 2011
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 290 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Mikayla was your average ponytail wearing, less than popular girl with a horrible stutter that made her fodder for others. She has those parental issue things most kids have as they are testing the waters of life.
It was on her seventeenth birthday that her life went totally off the rails and her ride would never be the same again. Mikayla was skating, alone, enjoying the solitude that brought peace, until she got “that feeling.” The one that says she is being watched and she was right. She was also the target for murder, but survived, waking up in a hospital, alive, and changed. Very changed. Was it the near death experience that gave her the ability to see auras around people and discern their intent? Can she really see demons? Demons? Seriously? That isn’t all that has changed for Mikayla, either. It seems she has a mission in life, a very special, very dangerous mission and swallowing that knowledge is like believing in the tooth fairy for Mikayla, but hey, this girl is up for the challenge, once she gets past her disbelief.
She is about to set off on a new road, a new life and there will be someone at her side. Lucas has had his eye on Mikayla for a while, but what are his motives and how does he know so much about her, heck even she cannot remember anything past her thirteenth birthday!
Sharde Richardson has a tale to tell and characters to love! If you think you have read all there is to read about young adult demon hunters, clearly you haven’t tried Watched and it is time to rectify that situation! Get ready for Sharde, she is an author to read!
I received this copy from Sharde Richardson via Instafreebie.
Series: Mikayla Blake, Demon Hunter - Book 1
Publisher: Jolt Books (May 31, 2011)
Publication Date: May 31, 2011
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 290 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
August 11, 2011
***This review will be posted to Bookish on 12 August 2011
Watched by Sharde Richardson is the perfect example of how you shouldn’t judge the book by its cover. I absolutely loved the cover from the moment I first laid my eyes on it – it’s fabulous, dreamy, colorful and just looking at it makes me happy. Judging by the cover I expected some sort of a fairytale retelling. I thought something along the lines of a big, bad wolf and red riding hood. I did not at all expect it to be a thrilling demon story with kick-ass characters and wild, breath-taking twists! This book rocked my socks!
The main protagonist of the story is Mikayla, a snarky teenager with a weird q-tip habit, known in town as “the girl with the stutter”. Although she doesn’t remember anything that happened to her before her thirteenth birthday, she considers herself to be just another teenage girl, no more, no less.
The story kicks-off with a total jaw-dropper. I actually had to re-read the first chapter twice to make sure I got everything right. Mikayla is about to go ice-skating to celebrate her seventeenth birthday, when suddenly a weird looking stranger appears right in front of her and attacks her with a knife. Stabbed, Mikayla passes out and wakes up in the local hospital. But that’s just the beginning of it! Ever since her near-death experience, Mikayla can see weird auras around people. These auras, as it turns out, are the signs of demons and Mikayla is able to see them because she is a demon Hunter! That’s not all, though! There’s another weird fella following her around, only this one seems to be rather friendly and far more handsome! Plus he seems to know a lot about Mikayla and her newly acquired ability. There’s a lot more going on and the story just keeps on getting crazier with every chapter!
It is an absolute MUST READ for any YA fan. Now, I am about to say something that will send hordes of Cassandra Clare’s fans chasing after me with pitchforks, but you know what? I actually liked it better than Cassie’s Mortal Instruments. Don’t get me wrong, Mortal Instruments series is awesome and I love it, but this book.. This book is just phenomenal! It’s a wild thrill ride right from the get-go. It’s also snarky, sharp and filled with hilarious quotes. The characters are really, really great. Mikayla is bright, tough and witty. She’s the kind of girl you would love to have as your best friend. She’s just endlessly awesome. The story is told from her first-person perspective and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was so fun to see the world through her eyes. The way she thinks and the things she says.. top notch! I was constantly highlighting quotes from this book! The whole book is like a giant, insanely hilarious quote. You just have to read it!
And one more thing I’d like to talk about is the romance part of this book, which is very subtle and almost non-existent. Sharde Richardson brilliantly laid the foundation for something that could be a really beautiful romance, but she didn’t force it. Instead she focused on developing her characters and letting us get to know them better. I can’t express how thankful I am for that, Sharde! I am so fed up with all the cheesy love stories in YA novels. This was a great refreshment!
The bottom line is: Go get yourself a copy. Period.
Watched by Sharde Richardson is the perfect example of how you shouldn’t judge the book by its cover. I absolutely loved the cover from the moment I first laid my eyes on it – it’s fabulous, dreamy, colorful and just looking at it makes me happy. Judging by the cover I expected some sort of a fairytale retelling. I thought something along the lines of a big, bad wolf and red riding hood. I did not at all expect it to be a thrilling demon story with kick-ass characters and wild, breath-taking twists! This book rocked my socks!
The main protagonist of the story is Mikayla, a snarky teenager with a weird q-tip habit, known in town as “the girl with the stutter”. Although she doesn’t remember anything that happened to her before her thirteenth birthday, she considers herself to be just another teenage girl, no more, no less.
The story kicks-off with a total jaw-dropper. I actually had to re-read the first chapter twice to make sure I got everything right. Mikayla is about to go ice-skating to celebrate her seventeenth birthday, when suddenly a weird looking stranger appears right in front of her and attacks her with a knife. Stabbed, Mikayla passes out and wakes up in the local hospital. But that’s just the beginning of it! Ever since her near-death experience, Mikayla can see weird auras around people. These auras, as it turns out, are the signs of demons and Mikayla is able to see them because she is a demon Hunter! That’s not all, though! There’s another weird fella following her around, only this one seems to be rather friendly and far more handsome! Plus he seems to know a lot about Mikayla and her newly acquired ability. There’s a lot more going on and the story just keeps on getting crazier with every chapter!
It is an absolute MUST READ for any YA fan. Now, I am about to say something that will send hordes of Cassandra Clare’s fans chasing after me with pitchforks, but you know what? I actually liked it better than Cassie’s Mortal Instruments. Don’t get me wrong, Mortal Instruments series is awesome and I love it, but this book.. This book is just phenomenal! It’s a wild thrill ride right from the get-go. It’s also snarky, sharp and filled with hilarious quotes. The characters are really, really great. Mikayla is bright, tough and witty. She’s the kind of girl you would love to have as your best friend. She’s just endlessly awesome. The story is told from her first-person perspective and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was so fun to see the world through her eyes. The way she thinks and the things she says.. top notch! I was constantly highlighting quotes from this book! The whole book is like a giant, insanely hilarious quote. You just have to read it!
And one more thing I’d like to talk about is the romance part of this book, which is very subtle and almost non-existent. Sharde Richardson brilliantly laid the foundation for something that could be a really beautiful romance, but she didn’t force it. Instead she focused on developing her characters and letting us get to know them better. I can’t express how thankful I am for that, Sharde! I am so fed up with all the cheesy love stories in YA novels. This was a great refreshment!
The bottom line is: Go get yourself a copy. Period.
August 23, 2011
Watched might seem to you like a tale of Red Riding Hood when you look at the cover. Let me tell you, It is a long way from Grandma's house. The cover even though I do love it, at first it made me think of Red Riding Hood, now that I've read the book, I can see what they are capturing and its the auras that Mikayla sees. Well at least that it what I think it means. Either way it works for me and the story.
Watched is a fast-paced thriller that includes some of the funniest humor I read in a while. The style of writing that Sharde uses feels more like if I'm sitting with friend and we are sharing our latest adventures. She uses writes with so many real details, some even remind me of my earlier days growing up. Watched grabs me by the seat of my pants and there was no easing off not even after I finished the book. This book pretty much has everything a YA book should contain. Great characters, thrilling story and humor that not even Saturday Night live can compete with.
Watched is the story of Mikayla, a young girl that lives in Sulphur Springs where you can still find a Piggly Wiggly. Mikayla is your ordinary girl unless having a Q-Tip addiction and seeing Auras makes you different. She was known in town as the girl that stutters and has no memory before her 13th birthday. When you read the 1st chapter be ready to probably read it once again. The 1t chapter begins with a bang when Mikayla gets attacked on her seventeenth birthday while she is ice skating. After being stabbed by the strange thing or attacker, Mikayla wakes up in a hospital alive. This near-death experience just sets off all these new events in Mikayla's life. She can see auras and even demons now, what she can do with all that she has yet to figure out. That might be remedy when she meets Lucas, the strange good looking guy that has been following her around. Will Lucas help Mikayla or is he just another one of the Demons out to get her.
This book is a MUST READ and you have been warned about the ending. Be ready to either chuck the book at the wall or take a bite. I told Sharde that if she would have been in front of m, I might have had to choke her until she gave me the next book to know what was taking place. The book for me gets major point with all the funny quotes or saying written in. I even shared a few lines with my husband that doesn't read because it was just too funny not too. I don;t know who I want to hang out with more Sharde herself or Mikayla, probably both if it were possible. Bottom line of this review is Buy it, you will thank me later.
review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2011...
Watched is a fast-paced thriller that includes some of the funniest humor I read in a while. The style of writing that Sharde uses feels more like if I'm sitting with friend and we are sharing our latest adventures. She uses writes with so many real details, some even remind me of my earlier days growing up. Watched grabs me by the seat of my pants and there was no easing off not even after I finished the book. This book pretty much has everything a YA book should contain. Great characters, thrilling story and humor that not even Saturday Night live can compete with.
Watched is the story of Mikayla, a young girl that lives in Sulphur Springs where you can still find a Piggly Wiggly. Mikayla is your ordinary girl unless having a Q-Tip addiction and seeing Auras makes you different. She was known in town as the girl that stutters and has no memory before her 13th birthday. When you read the 1st chapter be ready to probably read it once again. The 1t chapter begins with a bang when Mikayla gets attacked on her seventeenth birthday while she is ice skating. After being stabbed by the strange thing or attacker, Mikayla wakes up in a hospital alive. This near-death experience just sets off all these new events in Mikayla's life. She can see auras and even demons now, what she can do with all that she has yet to figure out. That might be remedy when she meets Lucas, the strange good looking guy that has been following her around. Will Lucas help Mikayla or is he just another one of the Demons out to get her.
This book is a MUST READ and you have been warned about the ending. Be ready to either chuck the book at the wall or take a bite. I told Sharde that if she would have been in front of m, I might have had to choke her until she gave me the next book to know what was taking place. The book for me gets major point with all the funny quotes or saying written in. I even shared a few lines with my husband that doesn't read because it was just too funny not too. I don;t know who I want to hang out with more Sharde herself or Mikayla, probably both if it were possible. Bottom line of this review is Buy it, you will thank me later.
review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2011...
August 16, 2011
First of all, please, do me a favor and look at the cover of this book. If you need to enlarge it click on it.
Done? Awesome. Now, what did you think about it? Because the main reason I decided to buy this book was the cover. The colors, the light, the design and the shadows are superb. And if you actually buy it you will notice that the cover is so soft... *daydreaming*.
Yeah, sorry, I'm back. Anyway, if the cover is amazing then the story is so good that I can't describe it with words. But of course I'm going to try ;)
The story begins with Mikayla, a seventeen/eighteen year old girl that considers herself very normal. Of course she stutters a lot (nothing to be ashamed of, I stutter a lot myself) and has a very funny habit with Q-tips. Oh, and we can't forget that she doesn't remember anything before her 13th birthday.
Besides from that, yeah, pretty much normal. Right.
Well, everything is about to change when she is almost killed by a very weird guy and somehow appears in the hospital door before is too late. When she wakes up the stutter is gone and she believes she is crazy... I mean, if you could see black shadows whirling around every person you would think that too. And there's a very interesting bird that is always at her window in the hospital.
When she finally gets out after a lot of time she meets a very freaky guy covered in dirt that tells her she is not going crazy. She immediately thinks that, judging by his looks, HE is nuts so she decides to leave. But he doesn't stop and finally tells her that she is a Hunter and he is her Sentry and that those shadows are demons who will keep killing people if they don't stop them (so far two people in her small town are dead).
The name of this marvelous, great and handsome guy is Lucas, he is a shape-shifter and hides a few important secrets that could change everything...
The writing is funny, clever and hilarious. Mikayla's mind is amazing, Sharde did a terrific job showing us the way her thoughts linked with each other. The whole book is full of sarcastic quotes that will make you smile and laugh page after page. You won't get bored or tired, in fact, you won't be able to put it down until you reach the end, and when you get there you will be thinking "What?! Did it actually finished?! But... but... I need to know what happens next, she can't do this to me!" and then you will run to your computer to search for more information. But you won't find any, at least not yet. And believe me, I've checked already...
And for those wondering about the love part of this book let me tell you this: Mikayla and Lucas don't rush into things, you can sense that the love is there but Sharde took well care that it didn't develop until the perfect moment and for that I'm grateful.
Now the only thing I have left to say is that I'm going to be sitting here, waiting for the next book to come out and waiting for your thoughts about "Watched". Don't miss it, go out and buy a copy as soon as you can so we can talk about it until the release of the second part :D
Done? Awesome. Now, what did you think about it? Because the main reason I decided to buy this book was the cover. The colors, the light, the design and the shadows are superb. And if you actually buy it you will notice that the cover is so soft... *daydreaming*.
Yeah, sorry, I'm back. Anyway, if the cover is amazing then the story is so good that I can't describe it with words. But of course I'm going to try ;)
The story begins with Mikayla, a seventeen/eighteen year old girl that considers herself very normal. Of course she stutters a lot (nothing to be ashamed of, I stutter a lot myself) and has a very funny habit with Q-tips. Oh, and we can't forget that she doesn't remember anything before her 13th birthday.
Besides from that, yeah, pretty much normal. Right.
Well, everything is about to change when she is almost killed by a very weird guy and somehow appears in the hospital door before is too late. When she wakes up the stutter is gone and she believes she is crazy... I mean, if you could see black shadows whirling around every person you would think that too. And there's a very interesting bird that is always at her window in the hospital.
When she finally gets out after a lot of time she meets a very freaky guy covered in dirt that tells her she is not going crazy. She immediately thinks that, judging by his looks, HE is nuts so she decides to leave. But he doesn't stop and finally tells her that she is a Hunter and he is her Sentry and that those shadows are demons who will keep killing people if they don't stop them (so far two people in her small town are dead).
The name of this marvelous, great and handsome guy is Lucas, he is a shape-shifter and hides a few important secrets that could change everything...
The writing is funny, clever and hilarious. Mikayla's mind is amazing, Sharde did a terrific job showing us the way her thoughts linked with each other. The whole book is full of sarcastic quotes that will make you smile and laugh page after page. You won't get bored or tired, in fact, you won't be able to put it down until you reach the end, and when you get there you will be thinking "What?! Did it actually finished?! But... but... I need to know what happens next, she can't do this to me!" and then you will run to your computer to search for more information. But you won't find any, at least not yet. And believe me, I've checked already...
And for those wondering about the love part of this book let me tell you this: Mikayla and Lucas don't rush into things, you can sense that the love is there but Sharde took well care that it didn't develop until the perfect moment and for that I'm grateful.
Now the only thing I have left to say is that I'm going to be sitting here, waiting for the next book to come out and waiting for your thoughts about "Watched". Don't miss it, go out and buy a copy as soon as you can so we can talk about it until the release of the second part :D
June 27, 2011
GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance
THEME: Shapeshifter and Demons
RECEIVED: Received from Author for Review
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I was really excited when Sharde Richardson asked me to review her book Watched, it was on my wish list and I couldn’t of been happier. The beautiful cover originally captivated me for Watched, as always… It seems to me covers are get more exciting with every new book I find. Watched was defiantly what I would call snarky with a twist of shebang! This was a non stop thriller with everything a paranormal romance reader loves, not only is there sarcasm, angst and the goodie ness of romantic interest but the original story was so fantastic that when I hit the end, I went and re-read it.
Mikayla our lead and extremely snarky badmouth seventeen year old was brilliant. I would have befriended this girl back in high school if I’d met her. She has a strange Q-tip habit, which I thought was hilarious whenever she was caught doing it, as some people in the book call her Q-tip girl… not something I would enjoy being called.
But anyways Mikayla has some heavy stuff to deal with, her past before thirteen is completely gone, which brought her to her adoptive parents who care very much about her. She gets hurt extremely bad and soon problems start occurring when she notices unusual auras surrounding people and family. These auras are signs of demons, which she soon finds out she is connected to in every which way.
To make matters more interesting, Lucas a mysterious boy starts working for her mother and seems to know way to much about Mikayla for her own liking. Now she has a destiny and needs to learn how to keep these demons from hell from hurting her and her friends.
I absolutely loved this book; I have to say it has entered my spot in the top five favorite YA books that I’ve read this year. It was so different with Richardson’s writing being extremely bold and really captivating me into this fantastic whirl wind of a story. The characters Mikayla and Lucas were just fantastic, I loved how Mikayla stuck to her gut feelings and really just wanted to be a normal girl. Lucas was my favorite kind of bad boy with a hint of tease.
Now for the ending, oh how it left me with my heart jumping all over the place. Meaning it was intense, shocking and down right awesome! I can’t wait to read the next installment of Sharde Richardson Watched Series. This is a much read!
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a Young Adult Novel with minor adult language. Fan of Lauren Kate’s Fallen Series and Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade series will love this book.
THEME: Shapeshifter and Demons
RECEIVED: Received from Author for Review
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I was really excited when Sharde Richardson asked me to review her book Watched, it was on my wish list and I couldn’t of been happier. The beautiful cover originally captivated me for Watched, as always… It seems to me covers are get more exciting with every new book I find. Watched was defiantly what I would call snarky with a twist of shebang! This was a non stop thriller with everything a paranormal romance reader loves, not only is there sarcasm, angst and the goodie ness of romantic interest but the original story was so fantastic that when I hit the end, I went and re-read it.
Mikayla our lead and extremely snarky badmouth seventeen year old was brilliant. I would have befriended this girl back in high school if I’d met her. She has a strange Q-tip habit, which I thought was hilarious whenever she was caught doing it, as some people in the book call her Q-tip girl… not something I would enjoy being called.
But anyways Mikayla has some heavy stuff to deal with, her past before thirteen is completely gone, which brought her to her adoptive parents who care very much about her. She gets hurt extremely bad and soon problems start occurring when she notices unusual auras surrounding people and family. These auras are signs of demons, which she soon finds out she is connected to in every which way.
To make matters more interesting, Lucas a mysterious boy starts working for her mother and seems to know way to much about Mikayla for her own liking. Now she has a destiny and needs to learn how to keep these demons from hell from hurting her and her friends.
I absolutely loved this book; I have to say it has entered my spot in the top five favorite YA books that I’ve read this year. It was so different with Richardson’s writing being extremely bold and really captivating me into this fantastic whirl wind of a story. The characters Mikayla and Lucas were just fantastic, I loved how Mikayla stuck to her gut feelings and really just wanted to be a normal girl. Lucas was my favorite kind of bad boy with a hint of tease.
Now for the ending, oh how it left me with my heart jumping all over the place. Meaning it was intense, shocking and down right awesome! I can’t wait to read the next installment of Sharde Richardson Watched Series. This is a much read!
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a Young Adult Novel with minor adult language. Fan of Lauren Kate’s Fallen Series and Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade series will love this book.
August 31, 2011
http://obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com
What a wonderful start to this brilliant new series by Sharde Richardson.
When I recently read the most wonderful review of this novel on a fellow bloggers site I instantly placed my order and literally devoured this book in one sitting – it was amazing!
The main heroine is Mikayla; she is an adopted 17 year-old with no recollection of her life prior to the age of 13 and lives in the small town of Sulphur Springs. On a day out ice-skating, her life is about to forever change when she is stabbed by a mysterious stranger and ultimately ends up in the hospital.
As a result of her near death experience, she no longer has her stutter and is able to see dark auras surrounding people which she soon finds out are actually demons. She has also gained a new protector in the form of a handsome, scarred Sentry named Lucas.
Lucas is a shape-shifter and has been entrusted to protect Mikayla against the demons as well as teach and train her how to ban them since she is the last trait holder with this power, the past they share is certainly intriguing and I look forward to finding out more about it.
When a number of murders begin to take place around town, all the result of demons, it forces Mikayla to become more aware of her abilities and come to accept her destiny.
I absolutely loved Mikayla and her unusual q-tip habit; she was quirky, fun and sarcastic! I really enjoyed the humor and found myself laughing on numerous occasions. Ms Richardson certainly has a way with words that I found entertaining. I also enjoyed what I hope is the start of a new relationship between Mikayla and Lucas; It was refreshing to read a YA novel that didn’t hold the clichéd ‘insta-love’.
Ms Richardson has written a real winner with Watched, her world building and descriptive story telling is unique and wonderful. The pacing and plot was spot-on for me as was the characterization. I came across a few grammatical and spelling errors but nothing that makes it confusing or can’t be overlooked.
We are left with a bit of a cliff-hanger – the introduction of the Raven and the mystery surrounding him as well as what is to happen with Uncle Joe has left me anxious to read the next installment.
What a wonderful start to this brilliant new series by Sharde Richardson.
When I recently read the most wonderful review of this novel on a fellow bloggers site I instantly placed my order and literally devoured this book in one sitting – it was amazing!
The main heroine is Mikayla; she is an adopted 17 year-old with no recollection of her life prior to the age of 13 and lives in the small town of Sulphur Springs. On a day out ice-skating, her life is about to forever change when she is stabbed by a mysterious stranger and ultimately ends up in the hospital.
As a result of her near death experience, she no longer has her stutter and is able to see dark auras surrounding people which she soon finds out are actually demons. She has also gained a new protector in the form of a handsome, scarred Sentry named Lucas.
Lucas is a shape-shifter and has been entrusted to protect Mikayla against the demons as well as teach and train her how to ban them since she is the last trait holder with this power, the past they share is certainly intriguing and I look forward to finding out more about it.
When a number of murders begin to take place around town, all the result of demons, it forces Mikayla to become more aware of her abilities and come to accept her destiny.
I absolutely loved Mikayla and her unusual q-tip habit; she was quirky, fun and sarcastic! I really enjoyed the humor and found myself laughing on numerous occasions. Ms Richardson certainly has a way with words that I found entertaining. I also enjoyed what I hope is the start of a new relationship between Mikayla and Lucas; It was refreshing to read a YA novel that didn’t hold the clichéd ‘insta-love’.
Ms Richardson has written a real winner with Watched, her world building and descriptive story telling is unique and wonderful. The pacing and plot was spot-on for me as was the characterization. I came across a few grammatical and spelling errors but nothing that makes it confusing or can’t be overlooked.
We are left with a bit of a cliff-hanger – the introduction of the Raven and the mystery surrounding him as well as what is to happen with Uncle Joe has left me anxious to read the next installment.
September 30, 2011
A captivating and certainly intriguing urban fantasy, filled with a world of paranormals, a mysterious hotty, and an ordinary girl who thought she lived an ordinary world till one dark night;death came knocking at her door.Sharde has woven mystery and intriguing parnanormalsthroughout that keeps you on the edge of your seat in sheer anticpation. A read that Im sure will keep your interest piqued from the begining. At first I did find it hard to get into, but the mystery of it all keeps your interest buzzin - you must take word for word and venture on, emotions are portrayed in such depth - its kinda creepy and scary = dont get me wrong this created the intended depth - its also an introduction into how Mikayla met her destiny and her world around her changes. Moments where you find yourself giggling from the characters sense of humour, a q-tip addict Im sure you will find amusing, and a smoking hotty that Im certain you will keep your interest enhanced !!! ** Im definelty fascinted with his healing methods ** wink wink **
Overall a must read, a little on the dark side, intriguing storyline, and twists, n turns at every page to keep you friskly reading to find out more !! The climax left us hanging and I certainly cant wait till book 2 !!!!
4 1/2 stars !!!!
Overall a must read, a little on the dark side, intriguing storyline, and twists, n turns at every page to keep you friskly reading to find out more !! The climax left us hanging and I certainly cant wait till book 2 !!!!
4 1/2 stars !!!!
October 12, 2011
Meh-eh. Not my kind of heroine, not my kind of mystery (What is going on exactly?), not my kind of youth slang, not my kind of snottiness, not my kind of book. I'll stop after mere 15% and forget about it quickly.
And ... I know reading excerpts would be the sensible thing, but I cannot get myself to do it most of the time. Either I plunge into a book with the hope of a beautiful ride through a new story or I don't. Testing something with a road-stop in view is no real option. Especially since I usually do not read a freshly acquired book at once. And that always means: Back to square one.
And ... I know reading excerpts would be the sensible thing, but I cannot get myself to do it most of the time. Either I plunge into a book with the hope of a beautiful ride through a new story or I don't. Testing something with a road-stop in view is no real option. Especially since I usually do not read a freshly acquired book at once. And that always means: Back to square one.
Want to read
January 28, 2016...beautiful cover, pretty decent reviews...
...ends on a cliffhanger... (FML)
...and the author has disappeared off the face of the Earth! I'm thinking this one is being pushed far, faaaarrrrr down Mt. TBR.
...ends on a cliffhanger... (FML)
...and the author has disappeared off the face of the Earth! I'm thinking this one is being pushed far, faaaarrrrr down Mt. TBR.
March 11, 2017
I liked this book. Although, I felt it had a lot of areas where it seemed to skip forward. This threw off the flow of the book. The plot is really intriguing, the characters are really intriguing but there was still some issues with the pacing. I'm not even sure how I want to rate this book. This book is definitely not a four-star book but I wouldn't say it's a three-star either. I have to say it somewhere in between maybe a 3 1/2 or 3.75 star. Overall I enjoyed Mikayla and I'm super intrigued about her past. So I need to read the next book to really know if this is a series that I'm going to continue with. I do recommend that people give this book a chance. Just to see if they like it because it is really intriguing even with the difficulties in the pacing.
September 5, 2011
OVERALL:
Plot-16/20
Characters-14/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-10/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-8/10
=75/100 C
★★★/5
REViEW:
Okay, I have to start out by saying that it has been a few weeks since I finished reading this book. I usually like to review it right after I read it, but that didn't really work out time wise with me. Oh well. On the review... Watched's plot was pretty good. It was intriguing and very unique. I really enjoyed the whole premise of this book. My biggest complaint about this entire book was the language. It had a lot of ban language in it and all of it was unnecessary. If swearing bother you, this is not the book for you.
The characters were realistic. I liked Mikayla and her attitude and her personality. I also loved her relationship with Lucas. It wasn't the typical "head over heels" relationship that you usually see in YA. I absolutely adored their romance! Overall, I really enjoyed the character, they were lifelike and very entertaining. Their dialogue added a lot of depth to the characters and was exactly the kind of conversations that I would have with my friends (minus the talks about demons). It was very enjoyable to read about character that had quirks (like Mikayla's q-tip obsession) and had difficulties.
I don't remember much about the ending, so it must've not left that much of an impression. *Goes back to re-read ending.* The ending is a major cliffhanger. There's still a lot to explain in another book. The ending was good but it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. The ending is surprising but I thought it would be built up a little more.
My Favorite Part: The characters and their romance. They were very interesting and I loved being able to get inside their heads.
ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Sure, it wasn't my favorite book, but it was different and realistic.
Will I be reading the sequel? Probably. (If there is one.) I'm unclear if there will be a sequel but I think that there will because of the major cliffhanger.
Plot-16/20
Characters-14/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-10/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-8/10
=75/100 C
★★★/5
REViEW:
Okay, I have to start out by saying that it has been a few weeks since I finished reading this book. I usually like to review it right after I read it, but that didn't really work out time wise with me. Oh well. On the review... Watched's plot was pretty good. It was intriguing and very unique. I really enjoyed the whole premise of this book. My biggest complaint about this entire book was the language. It had a lot of ban language in it and all of it was unnecessary. If swearing bother you, this is not the book for you.
The characters were realistic. I liked Mikayla and her attitude and her personality. I also loved her relationship with Lucas. It wasn't the typical "head over heels" relationship that you usually see in YA. I absolutely adored their romance! Overall, I really enjoyed the character, they were lifelike and very entertaining. Their dialogue added a lot of depth to the characters and was exactly the kind of conversations that I would have with my friends (minus the talks about demons). It was very enjoyable to read about character that had quirks (like Mikayla's q-tip obsession) and had difficulties.
I don't remember much about the ending, so it must've not left that much of an impression. *Goes back to re-read ending.* The ending is a major cliffhanger. There's still a lot to explain in another book. The ending was good but it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. The ending is surprising but I thought it would be built up a little more.
My Favorite Part: The characters and their romance. They were very interesting and I loved being able to get inside their heads.
ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Sure, it wasn't my favorite book, but it was different and realistic.
Will I be reading the sequel? Probably. (If there is one.) I'm unclear if there will be a sequel but I think that there will because of the major cliffhanger.
June 22, 2011
“Watched” By Sharde Richardson is a tale gripping novel. It is dark, Realistic, humorous and different. Sharde’s writing is very detailed and this new world she created seems so real but frighting at the same time. The darkside of “Watched” scared me and caused me to look around my room as if these dark shadows were going to out of no where to grab me. I love when a book can catch my attention and cause me to think about Reality. There are so many Authors out here who do not make the world their writing about seem real and Sharde Richardson did what they didn’t do, She made her world real.
I am not a big Fan of female lead characters but Mikayla chsnged my mind. Mikayla is not a boring , she adds humor in this dark , cruel, world filled with demons and death. Even when Mikayla is in pain she is cracking jokes and making funny remarks and I love Mikayla because she is not a character who feels sorry for herself. Mikayla keeps moving forward. May I add that I want her Red parka!! I want her hoodie!
Sharde Richardson is detailed writer and breath of fresh air compared to a lot of these bland writers out here. It makes me wonder why Authors like Sharde are not on the bestsellers list?!?! You want something dark ,humorous, and a novel that has a kick ass female lead? Read WATCHED by Sharde richards! BOO-YEAH, BIOTCH!!!
I am not a big Fan of female lead characters but Mikayla chsnged my mind. Mikayla is not a boring , she adds humor in this dark , cruel, world filled with demons and death. Even when Mikayla is in pain she is cracking jokes and making funny remarks and I love Mikayla because she is not a character who feels sorry for herself. Mikayla keeps moving forward. May I add that I want her Red parka!! I want her hoodie!
Sharde Richardson is detailed writer and breath of fresh air compared to a lot of these bland writers out here. It makes me wonder why Authors like Sharde are not on the bestsellers list?!?! You want something dark ,humorous, and a novel that has a kick ass female lead? Read WATCHED by Sharde richards! BOO-YEAH, BIOTCH!!!
June 17, 2011
Wow, now that is a great ending to a great book. Have just put my iPad down after finishing this. Am definitely looking forward to the next book.
When I first started reading this I was not prepared for the intense descriptions and emotions portrayed. I don't know if it was that or me being distracted by other things in my life, but I found it hard to get into at first because of it. But hey, don't get me wrong. Once I got my head wrapped around the basic storyline and felt comfortable with the characters I was struggling to put it down. Finding myself looking at the clock saying, "just a few more pages" to find it's 3am in the morning. LOL.
Mikayla and Lucas' snide remarks to each other added to my interest. This girl is as sharp as a tack with her comebacks I tell ya. And the sexual tension is so tight. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be eagerly awaiting the next. Great job Sharde.
When I first started reading this I was not prepared for the intense descriptions and emotions portrayed. I don't know if it was that or me being distracted by other things in my life, but I found it hard to get into at first because of it. But hey, don't get me wrong. Once I got my head wrapped around the basic storyline and felt comfortable with the characters I was struggling to put it down. Finding myself looking at the clock saying, "just a few more pages" to find it's 3am in the morning. LOL.
Mikayla and Lucas' snide remarks to each other added to my interest. This girl is as sharp as a tack with her comebacks I tell ya. And the sexual tension is so tight. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be eagerly awaiting the next. Great job Sharde.
July 7, 2016
99c
This was an excellently written novel complete with witty quips from the first person. The big issue is that this novel was released in 2011 as the first book in the 'Mikayla Blake, Demon Hunter' series. Now in 2016 there still doesn't appear to be any scheduled release of the 2nd novel. Sad sad sad.
It would be OK to read this as a stand alone if, as a reader, you make your own conclusions regarding her relationship issues. No cliffhanger problems.
This was an excellently written novel complete with witty quips from the first person. The big issue is that this novel was released in 2011 as the first book in the 'Mikayla Blake, Demon Hunter' series. Now in 2016 there still doesn't appear to be any scheduled release of the 2nd novel. Sad sad sad.
It would be OK to read this as a stand alone if, as a reader, you make your own conclusions regarding her relationship issues. No cliffhanger problems.
Want to read
December 30, 2010marked it to read just because of its pretty cover.
Want to read
August 21, 2012Love the cover. I hope its a quality book, because I want to support black paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi authors.
September 26, 2011
This book was brilliant! Full Review --> http://youtu.be/yR9rEyUlHHc
February 6, 2017
DNF: Chapter One
This book was rather annoying right from the start. The MC tried to be funny and relatable, but they were honestly just really cringey. Plus their stutter was extremely annoying. I've read books about characters with stutters and sometimes they're portrayed really well. In fact, I recently gave a five star review to a book about a character who develops a stutter. But the MC's stutter in 'Watched' was way too over the top and excessive, therefore making it to be extremely annoying. I also was not a fan of the writing style—it was very jumpy and difficult to follow, even in just the first chapter. I'm glad this book was a freebie, but it's honestly a waste of space on my tablet. Sorry.
This book was rather annoying right from the start. The MC tried to be funny and relatable, but they were honestly just really cringey. Plus their stutter was extremely annoying. I've read books about characters with stutters and sometimes they're portrayed really well. In fact, I recently gave a five star review to a book about a character who develops a stutter. But the MC's stutter in 'Watched' was way too over the top and excessive, therefore making it to be extremely annoying. I also was not a fan of the writing style—it was very jumpy and difficult to follow, even in just the first chapter. I'm glad this book was a freebie, but it's honestly a waste of space on my tablet. Sorry.
July 12, 2018
This was an interesting book about Mikayla. Mikayla has no clue about being a Hunter. Mikayla has help learning to be a Hunter from Lucas, her sentry.
December 1, 2011
Actual Rating: 3.5
Reading Watched is somewhat akin to being tossed into the deep end of a pool with little or no warning while our surety of our ability to tread water is far less than absolute, and so we begin this tale left to our own devices, floundering to catch our breath and open our eyes despite the sting and disorientation in trying to do so. We struggle a bit as Mikayla is brutally attacked, her understanding of what’s happening to her chaotic and bizarre, fed to us in flashes and short sentences that give us just a few moments to claw our heads above water and search out the familiar before we are plunged back under. So much of the world Ms. Richardson has created is darkly intriguing, however, we are given pieces of so many different aspects to Mikayla’s new existence without any of them fully expounded upon that we find ourselves continually searching for–but not finding–the footing that will allow us to break the surface, blink away the excess drops of water, and finally see clearly.
Mikayla has a the potential to be an extraordinarily strong and memorable heroine, her snarky attitude amusing and her ability to digest her new supernatural role in life admirable, but at times the overabundance of teenage slang that falls from her mouth dilutes some of the richness we know is there. This “teenage speak” is most apparent in the beginning chapters, but luckily it seems to taper off a bit as the story progresses though every once in a while it’s as though we’re listening to a favorite record, completely absorbed in the sound and the lyrics until all of a sudden Mikayla resorts to that slang and causes the record to skip, jolting us from our reverie. By the end a tenuous bond has formed, one that could easily strengthen depending on how she grows in subsequent books or one that could just as easily fizzle, fading away to nothing because some of her phrases and mannerisms block our way to knowing the girl behind them.
In addition to a young woman we definitely want to get to know better despite our inability to figure out how to crack her shell, we also find ourselves challenged by the seeming immensity of her role as a Hunter of demons. Terms are tossed around but not fully defined, her past is oh-so briefly alluded to but never illuminated, and her relationship with Sentry Lucas we're told is complicated for reasons that have yet to be revealed to us. By the time we reach the last page, even the most unorganized of us has an almost overwhelming desire to make a chart that details all the things we know and compare them to the colossal number of questions we have remaining, however before we can we're quickly catapulted out of the story on a cliffhanger that leaves us blinking in disbelief.
Overall, despite the confusing nature of how we are introduced to the world of demon hunting, this is an entertaining read with a very tense and interesting relationship between Mikayla and Lucas that could easily turn into one of those unforgettable and deliciously difficult romances. The desire to know more outweighs the slight frustration of being left with so many things unaddressed, and I will certainly be continuing on to see if Mikayla allows herself that growth and maturity I know is there waiting.
Reading Watched is somewhat akin to being tossed into the deep end of a pool with little or no warning while our surety of our ability to tread water is far less than absolute, and so we begin this tale left to our own devices, floundering to catch our breath and open our eyes despite the sting and disorientation in trying to do so. We struggle a bit as Mikayla is brutally attacked, her understanding of what’s happening to her chaotic and bizarre, fed to us in flashes and short sentences that give us just a few moments to claw our heads above water and search out the familiar before we are plunged back under. So much of the world Ms. Richardson has created is darkly intriguing, however, we are given pieces of so many different aspects to Mikayla’s new existence without any of them fully expounded upon that we find ourselves continually searching for–but not finding–the footing that will allow us to break the surface, blink away the excess drops of water, and finally see clearly.
Mikayla has a the potential to be an extraordinarily strong and memorable heroine, her snarky attitude amusing and her ability to digest her new supernatural role in life admirable, but at times the overabundance of teenage slang that falls from her mouth dilutes some of the richness we know is there. This “teenage speak” is most apparent in the beginning chapters, but luckily it seems to taper off a bit as the story progresses though every once in a while it’s as though we’re listening to a favorite record, completely absorbed in the sound and the lyrics until all of a sudden Mikayla resorts to that slang and causes the record to skip, jolting us from our reverie. By the end a tenuous bond has formed, one that could easily strengthen depending on how she grows in subsequent books or one that could just as easily fizzle, fading away to nothing because some of her phrases and mannerisms block our way to knowing the girl behind them.
In addition to a young woman we definitely want to get to know better despite our inability to figure out how to crack her shell, we also find ourselves challenged by the seeming immensity of her role as a Hunter of demons. Terms are tossed around but not fully defined, her past is oh-so briefly alluded to but never illuminated, and her relationship with Sentry Lucas we're told is complicated for reasons that have yet to be revealed to us. By the time we reach the last page, even the most unorganized of us has an almost overwhelming desire to make a chart that details all the things we know and compare them to the colossal number of questions we have remaining, however before we can we're quickly catapulted out of the story on a cliffhanger that leaves us blinking in disbelief.
Overall, despite the confusing nature of how we are introduced to the world of demon hunting, this is an entertaining read with a very tense and interesting relationship between Mikayla and Lucas that could easily turn into one of those unforgettable and deliciously difficult romances. The desire to know more outweighs the slight frustration of being left with so many things unaddressed, and I will certainly be continuing on to see if Mikayla allows herself that growth and maturity I know is there waiting.
October 17, 2013
So, I'm not exactly sure what I expected going into this book. I was put off quite soon however, when Mikayla finds out that one of the girls from her High School killed herself, and she calls that girl "a copout". Now, everyone can have their own opinions yadda yadda, but STILL. That's just a big, fat no. Mikayla admits not to have really known the girl, so she couldn't possibly know if she might have been bullied or what her situation was at home, etcetera.
The term "slut" is also a very big word in this book. Apparently, everyone who engages in any kind of sexual activity and is a female is a slut by proxy. Even girls that sleep with their betrothed are sluts. New girls, that fall in with the popular kids? Get denoted as "mattresses" - even though Mikayla really had no way of knowing if that girl slept with anyone at all. This is, of course, a form of slut shaming and I think this book sends the wrong message. Too many things in our society already tell girls it's wrong to enjoy/live their sexuality. It shouldn't be in books aimed at young women either.
Now, away from the content and onto the writing: I think the book tried very hard to appear teenager-y. Maybe I don't understand some of those references because I'm not an English native speaker, but I was quite confused very often and wondered if there were words missing or whether I just didn't get the reference. This wouldn't be something I'd criticize if it weren't for the fact that I read a lot of (almost exclusively, actually) English novels and I have never had this problem before.
I have to admit at this point that I did not finish this book. I saw early on that I wasn't going to enjoy this and I was already annoyed enough with it as it was. I'm not recommending this book to anyone.
The term "slut" is also a very big word in this book. Apparently, everyone who engages in any kind of sexual activity and is a female is a slut by proxy. Even girls that sleep with their betrothed are sluts. New girls, that fall in with the popular kids? Get denoted as "mattresses" - even though Mikayla really had no way of knowing if that girl slept with anyone at all. This is, of course, a form of slut shaming and I think this book sends the wrong message. Too many things in our society already tell girls it's wrong to enjoy/live their sexuality. It shouldn't be in books aimed at young women either.
Now, away from the content and onto the writing: I think the book tried very hard to appear teenager-y. Maybe I don't understand some of those references because I'm not an English native speaker, but I was quite confused very often and wondered if there were words missing or whether I just didn't get the reference. This wouldn't be something I'd criticize if it weren't for the fact that I read a lot of (almost exclusively, actually) English novels and I have never had this problem before.
I have to admit at this point that I did not finish this book. I saw early on that I wasn't going to enjoy this and I was already annoyed enough with it as it was. I'm not recommending this book to anyone.
August 16, 2011
This is a very dark and short novel. The dialog is gritty and not very sweet. At first it did get in the way of the story, but as the paranormal part picked up it smoothed down just a bit and so it fit perfectly. In other words it was more sarcastic at first and then went into my beloved snark. ;) There are about 3 mysteries within this book. All of them related to Mikayla, one of them about her past. Mikayla grows a lot within this short story and I enjoyed that a lot. There is also a potential love interest that may please those that hate insta-love romances. There is reason for the intense feelings of these teens. You will enjoy figuring that part out. ;)
Favorite quote (yes the book is dark): Hurt shouldn’t pile up like this inside of someone. No one should suffocate beneath pain on top of pain. You should have time to breathe, time to scream it out until it doesn’t exist anymore.
Oh I don't want to tell too much about this story. *evil laugh* I will warn you of a few things. One is that there are some spelling and gramatical errors within the book. They didn't bother me, but I know some out there it might annoy. There is also the one thing I hate in all of YA lit. The cliffie! There is more than one cliffie in this book! You will be clamoring for more after reading it.
Therefore, I give this book 3 stars. It really is a wonderful and fun ride within a paranormal mystery. I just wish it was longer to spare me at least a few cliffies!! If you want to pick up this book, it's only about $3 on Kindle! Oh and could someone get me the next book please?
Favorite quote (yes the book is dark): Hurt shouldn’t pile up like this inside of someone. No one should suffocate beneath pain on top of pain. You should have time to breathe, time to scream it out until it doesn’t exist anymore.
Oh I don't want to tell too much about this story. *evil laugh* I will warn you of a few things. One is that there are some spelling and gramatical errors within the book. They didn't bother me, but I know some out there it might annoy. There is also the one thing I hate in all of YA lit. The cliffie! There is more than one cliffie in this book! You will be clamoring for more after reading it.
Therefore, I give this book 3 stars. It really is a wonderful and fun ride within a paranormal mystery. I just wish it was longer to spare me at least a few cliffies!! If you want to pick up this book, it's only about $3 on Kindle! Oh and could someone get me the next book please?
November 29, 2011
Mikayla is an average girl that doesn't remember anything before she woke up alone in a hospital room at the age of 13. On what she thinks is her Seventeenth (which she finds out later is really her Eighteenth) Birthday she is attacked and almost killed after ice skating at night by herself and from the moment she again wakes up in a hospital room her life is not the same.
I found Mikayla to be annoyingly stubborn at a lot of turns and it made me want to knock her upside the head and tell her to open her eyes and cut the crap. She put things off because she didn't want to believe them which ended up making things worse. After everything she has been through in the book some of the easiest most logical things were the hardest for her to digest. Like I said, annoyingly stubborn. I like Lucas, he is mysterious, dangerous and all around knight in wolf armor. He is Mikayla's Sentry and wants to keep her safe even though Mikayla does everything to make it difficult. There isn't any romance in WATCHED but I'm hoping the next book will get into a more romantic state between the two of them. I enjoyed finding out the secrets that were Mikayla and her past. I was a little frustrated at times that more wasn't revealed. Even at the end of the book there is still a ton of mystery and not a lot of answers. Even after saying that I still found the book fascinating and want to know more about Mikayla, her skills, her past and where she goes next with hopefully Lucas by her side.
I found Mikayla to be annoyingly stubborn at a lot of turns and it made me want to knock her upside the head and tell her to open her eyes and cut the crap. She put things off because she didn't want to believe them which ended up making things worse. After everything she has been through in the book some of the easiest most logical things were the hardest for her to digest. Like I said, annoyingly stubborn. I like Lucas, he is mysterious, dangerous and all around knight in wolf armor. He is Mikayla's Sentry and wants to keep her safe even though Mikayla does everything to make it difficult. There isn't any romance in WATCHED but I'm hoping the next book will get into a more romantic state between the two of them. I enjoyed finding out the secrets that were Mikayla and her past. I was a little frustrated at times that more wasn't revealed. Even at the end of the book there is still a ton of mystery and not a lot of answers. Even after saying that I still found the book fascinating and want to know more about Mikayla, her skills, her past and where she goes next with hopefully Lucas by her side.
June 17, 2011
3.5 stars. This story grabbed me from the beginning and held my attention. It was clever and original and I loved the gritty, urban writing style. The characters were likeable and well developed.
Mikayla is not your average teenager. She has a past she cannot remember, which is somewhat brought to light after a harrowing accident. Within a few months, she learns that she’s a “Hunter,” responsible for ridding the world of demons that want to eat our hearts and souls. But she also finds out she is not alone in this responsibility, and this is where the story gets interesting. (Lucas is a yummy addition.) I liked that Mikayla was imperfect but highly adaptable.
My main reason for a 3.5 (rather than 4) star rating is that the book has quite a few spelling and grammatical errors and needs a second review by a good editor. There were things like making a word possessive, rather than just pluralizing it (such as perv’s instead of pervs, soda’s instead of sodas, and Converse’s instead of Converses). Also, many words were misused (such as women instead of woman, you instead of your, my instead of me, and so on). I’m very anal about these kinds of things, and it threw off the flow of the book for me.
Even so, I appreciate books that grab my attention and make me want to read more. The book had a spectacular ending, and I definitely want more!
$3.99 on Kindle
Mikayla is not your average teenager. She has a past she cannot remember, which is somewhat brought to light after a harrowing accident. Within a few months, she learns that she’s a “Hunter,” responsible for ridding the world of demons that want to eat our hearts and souls. But she also finds out she is not alone in this responsibility, and this is where the story gets interesting. (Lucas is a yummy addition.) I liked that Mikayla was imperfect but highly adaptable.
My main reason for a 3.5 (rather than 4) star rating is that the book has quite a few spelling and grammatical errors and needs a second review by a good editor. There were things like making a word possessive, rather than just pluralizing it (such as perv’s instead of pervs, soda’s instead of sodas, and Converse’s instead of Converses). Also, many words were misused (such as women instead of woman, you instead of your, my instead of me, and so on). I’m very anal about these kinds of things, and it threw off the flow of the book for me.
Even so, I appreciate books that grab my attention and make me want to read more. The book had a spectacular ending, and I definitely want more!
$3.99 on Kindle
June 19, 2012
This is one of those stories where if you don't read it right now, like right this second, you will be kicking yourself later for having waiting for so long. I'm not sure what I expected as I opened up this book and stepped into this world. But I can tell you that I came out one giddy gal!
As s avid reader, I have had my fair share of stories. This story started off with a bang and lead me down a road of never-wanting-to-finish kind of read. The best part of the story is the main character Mikayla. She is snarky, feisty, says exactly whats on her mind and more. Her attitude remind me of myself back when I was a teen. Her constant smart re-marks made me laugh and snort. There was not one time where I felt bored. With every new chapter, I grew to love the protagonist more. The racing plot line left the reader breathless.
The love interest took twist where I didn't expect it, but it made me fall even harder for the book. Amazing detail in descriptions, feelings,and places, Ms. Richardson literally picks up the reader placing them in a whole new world. And believe when I say that the guys is amazing. Totally hot and amazing!
Watched is definitely a masterpiece. The perfectly balanced plot line is ambitious and witty. With action and secrets that no one can resist, Watched is a delightful story.
As s avid reader, I have had my fair share of stories. This story started off with a bang and lead me down a road of never-wanting-to-finish kind of read. The best part of the story is the main character Mikayla. She is snarky, feisty, says exactly whats on her mind and more. Her attitude remind me of myself back when I was a teen. Her constant smart re-marks made me laugh and snort. There was not one time where I felt bored. With every new chapter, I grew to love the protagonist more. The racing plot line left the reader breathless.
The love interest took twist where I didn't expect it, but it made me fall even harder for the book. Amazing detail in descriptions, feelings,and places, Ms. Richardson literally picks up the reader placing them in a whole new world. And believe when I say that the guys is amazing. Totally hot and amazing!
Watched is definitely a masterpiece. The perfectly balanced plot line is ambitious and witty. With action and secrets that no one can resist, Watched is a delightful story.
June 12, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the writing style (gritty-which I liked) and sexual references (there was no sex in the novel but constant references to throbbing parts etc) were more suited to an adult audience. In fact if the character had been a bit older it would have made an excellent adult urban fantasy novel. I am not skeeved by sex in teen novels when it is handled tactfully, after all I know very well that teens have sex! However, the references in this book were much more in your face than in most ya fiction I've read. In addition, the main character, while portrayed as a teenager, acted and spoke as if she were far older than her years. There were many grammatical and spelling problems (spell check is not always right-some of these made for some unintended lol moments!) that prevented this book from being a 5. In reality there were so many I probably should have given it a 3 but the story was SO good.
December 30, 2016
Slight confusion in the beginning, but immediately turns into a WTH is going on? In a good way. Main character Mikayla leaves us hoping in the beginning that she really isn't such a ninny, but she comes right out of the bull pen ready to embrace as much crazy as she can. And considering a whole lotta crazy has just landed in her lap, I'd say she has to this point done well. With sudden deaths in her little town, strange new girl with bad vibes at school and people with creepy things come out of them that NO ONE can see, Mikayla has a lot to think on. Is she about to go around the river bend to Green Acres? The jury is still out on the Raven and Lucas who both seem to think keeping her in the dark while trying to help her is the best thing. Hellooooo boys, destiny as a Hunter... Sable needs to have her butt whooped, just for sheer enjoyment and My is my favorite witch with her ways. Cant wait to read on!
April 21, 2017
This will be a short review, only because I read the second book before the first. You can check that out here
I am in love, I have found a new series that has everything I love!
The opening, just wow and holy hell, what a scene.!!
It does slow down a bit but it not a bad slow, it was needed and we get to learn lots about Mikayla's home life and parents.
The wanting to know what's going with her was a little frustrating more so because it was a bit forced. There was no ease in period and I don't know if I liked that to much, but it moved the story along faster.
Lucas was a bit of a dick at the start, but he grew on me and now I'm fan-girling all over the place..
I highly recommend this book, it's fast pace, bloody, and it takes you on a unique ride to things unknown and evil. Your heat will be racing and your mind will be reeling.
Happy Reading
E.A. Walsh
I am in love, I have found a new series that has everything I love!
The opening, just wow and holy hell, what a scene.!!
It does slow down a bit but it not a bad slow, it was needed and we get to learn lots about Mikayla's home life and parents.
The wanting to know what's going with her was a little frustrating more so because it was a bit forced. There was no ease in period and I don't know if I liked that to much, but it moved the story along faster.
Lucas was a bit of a dick at the start, but he grew on me and now I'm fan-girling all over the place..
I highly recommend this book, it's fast pace, bloody, and it takes you on a unique ride to things unknown and evil. Your heat will be racing and your mind will be reeling.
Happy Reading
E.A. Walsh
March 20, 2012
This was the most bizarre and weird book i think i have ever read. I'm still not sure how to put it into words. It was like 3 different books all mixed into one. It didn't make any sense to me. The story itself is really not very clear and the writers style is so choppy and jumpy it made me feel sea sick. I could only read this book in small chunks. The heroine and book are NOT to be compared to The Mortal Instruments, that is simply an insult. Yes there were a few very similar situations in this book but that's where it ends. The second i finished this i actually said aloud What The F**k????
To sum up it had a very confusing storyline, lots of swearing, a 'man-child' love interest, murder, fighting, a bizarre use of Q-tips, magic saliva (which made me feel physically sick) demons and an ending that made no sense. What a shame. The covers gorgeous though!
To sum up it had a very confusing storyline, lots of swearing, a 'man-child' love interest, murder, fighting, a bizarre use of Q-tips, magic saliva (which made me feel physically sick) demons and an ending that made no sense. What a shame. The covers gorgeous though!
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