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PineLight #1
PineLight
"I loved him - that was my torment. And I was losing him all over again."
Walls crumbled all around me. An undeniable force pulled at my core. I tried to fight it, I tried to deny it the power, but I was weak. I felt pain in my side, and I knew that this dark force was winning. My veins started to burn, and I screamed, but it didn't stop.
Walls crumbled all around me. An undeniable force pulled at my core. I tried to fight it, I tried to deny it the power, but I was weak. I felt pain in my side, and I knew that this dark force was winning. My veins started to burn, and I screamed, but it didn't stop.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2011
8 people are currently reading
2815 people want to read
About the author
Jillian Peery
2 books169 followersJillian Peery is the author of the paranormal romance novels, PINELIGHT and TIGERLILY. She is the founder of Book Motion City, a company dedicated to book cover design, book advertisement films, and helping authors get their books noticed.
Jillian currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Clint, and mini-schnauzer, Zoe.
jillianpeery.com
bookmotioncity.com
Jillian currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Clint, and mini-schnauzer, Zoe.
jillianpeery.com
bookmotioncity.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
July 2, 2011
Well I know my wife is the Author of this book but I must say that this is the first novel I have read front to back(Twice). I begged her to let me read it months ago but she would not allow me to read her unfinished product. The day came for me to sit down and read PineLight and I immediately new this was her calling! God has blessed her with a gift and I am so proud of her. We are excited about what this book is and what we believe it can become.
Now for my review of the book. IT WAS AWESOME!! Clara is a quiet High School student who really doesnt know anything about her past or who she really is. The book opens immediately with an altercation and builds from there. I will have to tell you though when I got to chapter 6 and met Maytide I did not want to stop reading. There were times in this book I got chills. The characters are so uniqe and I almost found myself liking the villian (once you read it you will know what I mean). When everything comes together later in the book I remember looking at Jillian and going woooooooooooow!! Anyway, I really hope you check this book out, you wont be disapointed.
Now for my review of the book. IT WAS AWESOME!! Clara is a quiet High School student who really doesnt know anything about her past or who she really is. The book opens immediately with an altercation and builds from there. I will have to tell you though when I got to chapter 6 and met Maytide I did not want to stop reading. There were times in this book I got chills. The characters are so uniqe and I almost found myself liking the villian (once you read it you will know what I mean). When everything comes together later in the book I remember looking at Jillian and going woooooooooooow!! Anyway, I really hope you check this book out, you wont be disapointed.
June 30, 2011
I have fallen in love. This book has a twilight feel to it, but it offers so much more in story. It's funny because as I read it, I could see it being turned into a film. I hope it does! The story is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Clara and her journey to find the truth about who she really is. Along her journey into a lost world, she meets a dark and handsome boy whom she is strangely drawn to and another who she feels a deep connection with. There is a wonderful tension throughout the entire story, building all the way to the end! What will become of Clara? Who will she choose?
I'm afraid that this review does not do the book justice at all. Just believe me when I say thatthis book is awesome....
I'm afraid that this review does not do the book justice at all. Just believe me when I say thatthis book is awesome....
June 25, 2011
Well, I am biased here...but...
I really enjoyed writing PineLight. I fell in love with each character from the get-go and I can't tell you how much fun I had writing their story. I'm excited that I'm finally sharing this hauntingly beautiful world with readers. That's all I'm going to say for now--no spoilers! Lips silled x
Much love to those who have supported me through this entire adventure. You are the heroes of the world.
I really enjoyed writing PineLight. I fell in love with each character from the get-go and I can't tell you how much fun I had writing their story. I'm excited that I'm finally sharing this hauntingly beautiful world with readers. That's all I'm going to say for now--no spoilers! Lips silled x
Much love to those who have supported me through this entire adventure. You are the heroes of the world.
August 24, 2011
Two years ago, Clarabella moved to Red River Parish with her aunt after a tragic accident stole both her parents and her memories. She befriends a neighbor boy named Erik, a boy she finds unnaturally mesmerizing. A guy who – as she heart-breakingly discovers as the book opens – has blatantly violated their friendship and who now gives off a threatening vibe. Hurt and betrayed by his strange behavior and haunted by terrifying nightmares, she begins to unravel the mystery behind her memory loss. As her true identity slowly comes into focus, Clara is swept up into a fantastic adventure in a strange world where the battle between good and evil rages. And Clara has become a key player in the struggle. Forces will battle for her soul as two men wrestle for her heart. Whom will Clara choose?
Grand in scale and described in brilliant detail, the world of Pinelight is simultaneously unsettling and lovely. Evoking a fairytale feel while imaginatively weaving in religious and mythological elements, Peery creates an intriguing backdrop against which she tells her story. The physical rendering of the world is wonderfully described: from the haunting loveliness of the Louisiana bayou, to creaky sailing vessels, to magnificent castles, to surreal dreamscapes. I had no problem visualizing Clara’s surroundings, which remind me of a cross between Wonderland and Narnia.
However, despite the detailed descriptions, the explanation of the world wasn’t as clear as I would prefer. This might be a deliberate move on the part of Peery, as this is only the first book – the introduction – to her Pinelight series. She may be planning to reveal further fundamental details in subsequent books. But I felt like a few key points were not clarified well enough for my understanding of this story, and made things a little confusing at times.
I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot beyond what I’ve already shared in the summary, because the fun and excitement of Pinelight is in the twists and turns. Suffice it to say that the story was very fast-paced and always moved ahead with purpose. The mystery behind Clara’s forgotten past was well done and built at a nice suspenseful rate. I wish, however, that the revelation of the mystery had been a little more gradual, but nevertheless, it was enjoyable. I also loved the romance in this book. Again, I’ll be as vague as possible, but the way the romance played into the story, it could have seemed rushed and a little inst-a-romance-ish, but I thought it felt genuine, sweet and very well-developed.
Overall, Jillian Peery’s Pinelight was a compelling, mysterious debut with an interesting mythology set in a hauntingly beautiful world. I can’t wait to read the next installment in Clara’s story.
Grand in scale and described in brilliant detail, the world of Pinelight is simultaneously unsettling and lovely. Evoking a fairytale feel while imaginatively weaving in religious and mythological elements, Peery creates an intriguing backdrop against which she tells her story. The physical rendering of the world is wonderfully described: from the haunting loveliness of the Louisiana bayou, to creaky sailing vessels, to magnificent castles, to surreal dreamscapes. I had no problem visualizing Clara’s surroundings, which remind me of a cross between Wonderland and Narnia.
However, despite the detailed descriptions, the explanation of the world wasn’t as clear as I would prefer. This might be a deliberate move on the part of Peery, as this is only the first book – the introduction – to her Pinelight series. She may be planning to reveal further fundamental details in subsequent books. But I felt like a few key points were not clarified well enough for my understanding of this story, and made things a little confusing at times.
I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot beyond what I’ve already shared in the summary, because the fun and excitement of Pinelight is in the twists and turns. Suffice it to say that the story was very fast-paced and always moved ahead with purpose. The mystery behind Clara’s forgotten past was well done and built at a nice suspenseful rate. I wish, however, that the revelation of the mystery had been a little more gradual, but nevertheless, it was enjoyable. I also loved the romance in this book. Again, I’ll be as vague as possible, but the way the romance played into the story, it could have seemed rushed and a little inst-a-romance-ish, but I thought it felt genuine, sweet and very well-developed.
Overall, Jillian Peery’s Pinelight was a compelling, mysterious debut with an interesting mythology set in a hauntingly beautiful world. I can’t wait to read the next installment in Clara’s story.
June 28, 2011
My best friend recommended this to me and thought I would give it a try since it was only .99 on kindle. It has been such a good find! I read through it so fast do to my crush on Edmund (he's kind of a bad boy) What I really found interesting was the take on Vampires. The author makes them out to be more like Fallen Angels. It just really did it for me. The author is new, I think, but I expect to see more from her. I believe there is going to be two morebooks in the series and I'm waiting for those to come out!
July 11, 2011
As soon as I started this book I was hooked! The author surrounds the main character and the surroundings with such intriging mystery that you can't help wanting to read it all in one sitting. I really enjoyed the character interaction also, especially between Clara and Finn. Overall, this was a very good book and i am looking forward to reading the next installments!
July 1, 2011
This book is amazing! It's a cross between The Shack and Twilight but a new twist.
I read this book in 3 days and couldn't put it down! I can't wait for the next one to come out!
Its very descriptive and imaginative, well written and very thought through! Great job Jillian!!!!!
I read this book in 3 days and couldn't put it down! I can't wait for the next one to come out!
Its very descriptive and imaginative, well written and very thought through! Great job Jillian!!!!!
June 30, 2011
not to sound gay or anything, but i really liked this book. It is a love story, but there are vampires and pirates and a lost world...a lot of action...definitely buying the paperback.
November 7, 2011
I’ll be honest; I’ve been struggling to write this review for a few weeks now. I struggled with this book and although I can see how much hard work and love has gone into the story, it pains me to say that…..it just wasn’t for me.
PineLight start with Clara, a young girl who lives with her aunt after losing her parents. Clara doesn’t remember anything about her past but she knows that the people around her, who loves her, are protecting her from something. Her best friend Erik has hurt her by stealing pages of her journal but when Clara’s aunt is kidnapped, she is thrown into a dangerous world where she must go on the run and try and find out her destiny.
If you’ve read the blurb you will know how intriguing this book sounds and although this is what attracted me to the book in first place, after reading it….I just don’t get it. I did find the first few chapters very intriguing but I quickly got confused. I was confused because there’s a lot of weird things happening to our main character from page one. And because I never actually knew what’s going on, I constantly felt like I was missing something. I had to back track and re-read pages just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. I didn’t understand the Biblical references and how it combines with the mythology and I also felt there was too much jumping about in the story. There were so many different characters from vampires, to pirates to little girls and even mysterious boys….it was just too much and everything happened far too quickly for my liking.
The characters I felt we’re lacking. With Clara being our main character I felt she wasn’t developed that well, she’s quite naïve and never really questions what’s going on around her. Although I tried to like her and I did feel for her for the situation she was in, I couldn’t connect to her and that’s what I need from a main character.
Now I know this is only book one in the PineLight series and yes, I do believe the series will get better as it goes on but I need something to capture my interest, I almost felt I was reading a mystery book and mystery isn’t really my thing. But, even now when I look at all the other reviews on Goodreads….other people liked it, so that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t if you tried it. I do believe that many of you will like this story, so try it and make up your own minds.
PineLight start with Clara, a young girl who lives with her aunt after losing her parents. Clara doesn’t remember anything about her past but she knows that the people around her, who loves her, are protecting her from something. Her best friend Erik has hurt her by stealing pages of her journal but when Clara’s aunt is kidnapped, she is thrown into a dangerous world where she must go on the run and try and find out her destiny.
If you’ve read the blurb you will know how intriguing this book sounds and although this is what attracted me to the book in first place, after reading it….I just don’t get it. I did find the first few chapters very intriguing but I quickly got confused. I was confused because there’s a lot of weird things happening to our main character from page one. And because I never actually knew what’s going on, I constantly felt like I was missing something. I had to back track and re-read pages just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. I didn’t understand the Biblical references and how it combines with the mythology and I also felt there was too much jumping about in the story. There were so many different characters from vampires, to pirates to little girls and even mysterious boys….it was just too much and everything happened far too quickly for my liking.
The characters I felt we’re lacking. With Clara being our main character I felt she wasn’t developed that well, she’s quite naïve and never really questions what’s going on around her. Although I tried to like her and I did feel for her for the situation she was in, I couldn’t connect to her and that’s what I need from a main character.
Now I know this is only book one in the PineLight series and yes, I do believe the series will get better as it goes on but I need something to capture my interest, I almost felt I was reading a mystery book and mystery isn’t really my thing. But, even now when I look at all the other reviews on Goodreads….other people liked it, so that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t if you tried it. I do believe that many of you will like this story, so try it and make up your own minds.
June 28, 2011
omg omg omg! I had to take Pinelight with me to work tonight bc I couldn't put it down! I don't know where to start in this review...
First off, Clara is so easy to relate to...I really felt like I was living in her shoes and finding out pieces about my forgotten past along with her! The beginning was really interesting bc it was set in Red River Parish Louisiana, but I have to say that the book turned into a nonstop page flipper at Chapter6. THat is when I was hooked! Clara meets a Traituese (which is like an old Cajun healer) and then all of these crazy fantastic things start to happen. She ends up journeying to a dark world where she finds beauty and love in the most unexpected place!
IF you liked books like Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, Hush, hush and Tigers Curse, then you will love Pinelight!
Dark fallen Angels, mysterious vampires, a lost world...you just can't go wrong here!
This quickly shot to my favorites list!
First off, Clara is so easy to relate to...I really felt like I was living in her shoes and finding out pieces about my forgotten past along with her! The beginning was really interesting bc it was set in Red River Parish Louisiana, but I have to say that the book turned into a nonstop page flipper at Chapter6. THat is when I was hooked! Clara meets a Traituese (which is like an old Cajun healer) and then all of these crazy fantastic things start to happen. She ends up journeying to a dark world where she finds beauty and love in the most unexpected place!
IF you liked books like Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, Hush, hush and Tigers Curse, then you will love Pinelight!
Dark fallen Angels, mysterious vampires, a lost world...you just can't go wrong here!
This quickly shot to my favorites list!
June 29, 2011
Great read! Begins to cast its spell from the beginning! Clara is rebuilding a new life in a small town after a tragic circumstance has left her without parents and little memory of her past. Her attraction to Eric (shockingly handsome, but rather dark) will suddenly catapult her into a quest to save not only her beloved aunt, but her own self as well. At this point, you won’t be able to stop reading as you will soon meet a mysterious traiteuse and learn there is much more to Clara’s past! Be prepared for a fantastic adventure as this quest leads Clara to Ireland where she finds herself unwittingly drawn into a world of danger---powerful, mesmerizing characters, beautiful and alluring places, and numerous dangerous exploits. Ending will leave you anxiously waiting for the next book in the series! Jillian Peery
July 1, 2011
What a great book!! I started this book yesterday and finished just a few short hrs ago. I could not put it down. I do not want to give anything away but the end had me in awe. The adventure really begins when Clara meets Maytide. After that good luck making time to sleep. I loved it and I hope there is a second book. Does anyone know if there will be? Check it out if you like Twilight/Chronicals of Narnia/Harry Potter.
July 25, 2011
All I have to say is wow!
June 29, 2011
Awesome book! Almost done with it. Quick read, fast-paced and exciting! A real page turner!!
January 21, 2013
So I’ve been trying for a while to come up with some brilliant way of introducing this book. At first I tried touching on the poetic-ness of its writing, but ten sentences in I realized this train of thought brought out the “rambling” side of me, so I shelved it. Then, I tried to find a quote. Something about good versus evil seemed appropriate, so off I went. And then subsequently failed. (You do not even want to know what pulls up when you Google THAT.) And then I had an epiphany (or something very close to it.) There was (I was almost sure of it) a quote from somewhere in this book that could sum up my exact feelings. Now I just had to find it. (Lucky for you… I have way too much damn time on my hands. Here it is.)
“Everything I had experienced in the last forty-eight hours had been surreal. I was still trying to process the idea of vampyers – or fallen angels – and now I had to add pirates to the list?”
See why I had a problem?
“I loved him—that was my torment. And I was losing him all over again. Walls crumbled all around me. An undeniable force pulled at my core. I tried to fight it, I tried to deny it the power, but I was weak. I felt pain in my side, and I knew that this dark force was winning. My veins started to burn, and I screamed, but it didn’t stop. Thrilling and seductive, PINELIGHT is a bittersweet love story submerged in a dark and beautiful world.”
Here is the thing about Pinelight (and probably the reason it has such mixed reviews) it reads like an acid trip for the first 78% of the book. Now, it’s a beautifully written acid trip, (with lyrical passages and breathtaking imagery) but an acid trip all the same.
Imagine for a second that you are reading a book about a girl who gets into this crazy fight with her boyfriend. You have zero idea why they are fighting, but it seems pretty intense, so naturally… you are intrigued. But instead of getting answers (because that would just be crazy right?) you get a ten page monologue from a voodoo priestess, some weird “mirror” moment in a shack, and then said (apparently evil) boyfriend decides to drive the plot into some mega-budget epic movie type chase scene.
Not too bad right? You could probably follow that if need be. No big deal. You are a smart person!
Yeah, I thought so too. *insert sad face* Until Peery took it upon herself to introduced vampires, pirates, angels, castles, sleeping potions and the…devil (?) in a matter of two chapters with absolutely no indication of a plot.
Don’t get me wrong. I am all about the “challenge” when it comes to figuring out a book, AND I (generally) offer up bonus points to any author that can blindside me, BUT that’s no excuse for blatant negligence.
If you have a novel with more than one paranormal entity…we have to know why. Otherwise it just reads like a muddled foggy dream with no means to an end. More importantly, you can’t leave that reason until 79% which is exactly what Peery did. (Let’s just say there were lots of “You’ll know later” “Look inside yourself and you will know the truth.” “It will all make sense in time!” -s )
This is the sentence that changed the entire book.
“Victor wants your soul; he wants that power. That is why we have kept you hidden these past years.”
Not much right? But…it is literally the most important sentence in the entire novel. It finally allows you get a grasp of what is happening. (We HAVE TO KNOW what the story is ABOUT!) Post sentence, the book is an action packed ride of awesome. (*ding* here come the mixed reviews!)
Unfortunately, it’s short-lived (since it came so late.)
After this “revelation” (and a story -told by another character- that accompanied it) I was finally able to take in, and experience the amazing expressions of emotion (like the one below.) Without it, this declaration would have meant nothing, which is kind of sad since it is so beautiful.
”Now that you are here, alive, you have made me weak. Because now – I have something to lose. This thought consumes me with every breath. If I lose you again, there will be nothing left of me, only an empty shell of a man.” He paused, pushing his hair from his face. “So don’t be offended if I keep my distance. You are still something I recover from.”
So what did I think about it once it was all said and done and I had all of the pieces?
Easy… the begging was blah and the ending was brilliant.
My recommendation (as sad as this is because I REALLY wanted to like this book) is to take a pass. There are a handful of other novels out there that tackle the same topic with a more fluid concept. This one was just too much of a struggle to truly enjoy.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: If at first you don’t succeed. Try, try again.
“Everything I had experienced in the last forty-eight hours had been surreal. I was still trying to process the idea of vampyers – or fallen angels – and now I had to add pirates to the list?”
See why I had a problem?
“I loved him—that was my torment. And I was losing him all over again. Walls crumbled all around me. An undeniable force pulled at my core. I tried to fight it, I tried to deny it the power, but I was weak. I felt pain in my side, and I knew that this dark force was winning. My veins started to burn, and I screamed, but it didn’t stop. Thrilling and seductive, PINELIGHT is a bittersweet love story submerged in a dark and beautiful world.”
Here is the thing about Pinelight (and probably the reason it has such mixed reviews) it reads like an acid trip for the first 78% of the book. Now, it’s a beautifully written acid trip, (with lyrical passages and breathtaking imagery) but an acid trip all the same.
Imagine for a second that you are reading a book about a girl who gets into this crazy fight with her boyfriend. You have zero idea why they are fighting, but it seems pretty intense, so naturally… you are intrigued. But instead of getting answers (because that would just be crazy right?) you get a ten page monologue from a voodoo priestess, some weird “mirror” moment in a shack, and then said (apparently evil) boyfriend decides to drive the plot into some mega-budget epic movie type chase scene.
Not too bad right? You could probably follow that if need be. No big deal. You are a smart person!
Yeah, I thought so too. *insert sad face* Until Peery took it upon herself to introduced vampires, pirates, angels, castles, sleeping potions and the…devil (?) in a matter of two chapters with absolutely no indication of a plot.
Don’t get me wrong. I am all about the “challenge” when it comes to figuring out a book, AND I (generally) offer up bonus points to any author that can blindside me, BUT that’s no excuse for blatant negligence.
If you have a novel with more than one paranormal entity…we have to know why. Otherwise it just reads like a muddled foggy dream with no means to an end. More importantly, you can’t leave that reason until 79% which is exactly what Peery did. (Let’s just say there were lots of “You’ll know later” “Look inside yourself and you will know the truth.” “It will all make sense in time!” -s )
This is the sentence that changed the entire book.
“Victor wants your soul; he wants that power. That is why we have kept you hidden these past years.”
Not much right? But…it is literally the most important sentence in the entire novel. It finally allows you get a grasp of what is happening. (We HAVE TO KNOW what the story is ABOUT!) Post sentence, the book is an action packed ride of awesome. (*ding* here come the mixed reviews!)
Unfortunately, it’s short-lived (since it came so late.)
After this “revelation” (and a story -told by another character- that accompanied it) I was finally able to take in, and experience the amazing expressions of emotion (like the one below.) Without it, this declaration would have meant nothing, which is kind of sad since it is so beautiful.
”Now that you are here, alive, you have made me weak. Because now – I have something to lose. This thought consumes me with every breath. If I lose you again, there will be nothing left of me, only an empty shell of a man.” He paused, pushing his hair from his face. “So don’t be offended if I keep my distance. You are still something I recover from.”
So what did I think about it once it was all said and done and I had all of the pieces?
Easy… the begging was blah and the ending was brilliant.
My recommendation (as sad as this is because I REALLY wanted to like this book) is to take a pass. There are a handful of other novels out there that tackle the same topic with a more fluid concept. This one was just too much of a struggle to truly enjoy.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: If at first you don’t succeed. Try, try again.
October 3, 2011
UGH! The whole reading experience was awful. I'm not sure whether I liked the book or not because I'm still not sure what's going on. I was confused the whole time! And I'm still confused! I kept going back chapters at a time because I thought I was missing something. It got so many great reviews on GR, but maybe I'm just too dumb to get it. I guess I liked the story from the last two or three chapters, but what about the rest (the majority) of the book?
The prologue was awesome. It was so intriguing. But that's where the awesomeness stops. At least until the last couple of chapters.
It was so frustrating to read. During the entire story, Clara was running away from something, and we're not sure what's she's running from. And she didn't know what's going on, and no one would explain to her. About a third of the way through, Fergus tries to explain to her saying: Do you remember those stories I told you. She goes: Yeah, you told one every week. And then he says: Those stories are true, and they're your history.
But they never tell you what the stories are. You're left to imagine based on what you know (common knowledge) and based on what other books have explained between the battle of good and evil. And they explain a little of her past in maybe the third or second to the last chapter (that's REALLY LATE in the book), but WTH man. The explanation wasn't satisfactory, and I have so many questions left unanswered.
MY QUESTIONS - POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
I still don't know what's so special about Clara? Why is she so powerful compared to the other "guardians?" I think they said that female guardians are only born like every 500 years or whatever the number is? What is her mother? So I'm guessing her grandfather and father were the guardians, but didn't Victor want her mother (so does that mean her mother was a guardian)? And speaking of the awesome prologue. I'm still not sure who was the guy? Was it Victor or Edmund? Victor, I guess?
The ending was left to interpretation and left us unsatisfied. Where did Finn go? What happened to Edmund? I'm guessing, there's going to be a sequel.
The prologue was awesome. It was so intriguing. But that's where the awesomeness stops. At least until the last couple of chapters.
It was so frustrating to read. During the entire story, Clara was running away from something, and we're not sure what's she's running from. And she didn't know what's going on, and no one would explain to her. About a third of the way through, Fergus tries to explain to her saying: Do you remember those stories I told you. She goes: Yeah, you told one every week. And then he says: Those stories are true, and they're your history.
But they never tell you what the stories are. You're left to imagine based on what you know (common knowledge) and based on what other books have explained between the battle of good and evil. And they explain a little of her past in maybe the third or second to the last chapter (that's REALLY LATE in the book), but WTH man. The explanation wasn't satisfactory, and I have so many questions left unanswered.
MY QUESTIONS - POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
I still don't know what's so special about Clara? Why is she so powerful compared to the other "guardians?" I think they said that female guardians are only born like every 500 years or whatever the number is? What is her mother? So I'm guessing her grandfather and father were the guardians, but didn't Victor want her mother (so does that mean her mother was a guardian)? And speaking of the awesome prologue. I'm still not sure who was the guy? Was it Victor or Edmund? Victor, I guess?
The ending was left to interpretation and left us unsatisfied. Where did Finn go? What happened to Edmund? I'm guessing, there's going to be a sequel.
August 16, 2011
I have finished PineLight and here are some of my comments. First of all, I really liked the book. I was in to it from begining to end. I think this is a book that every teenager, girl or boy, will enjoy and relate too. The story of Clara and the struggle she faces is very much like the struggle that all teenagers face at some point in their early life. Your ability to intertwine Clara's problems with solutions involving "mystical versus modern" is very contemporary with the books and movies of today and you have done a great job. Throughout the book you have been able to express how Clara struggled with her innocence and her naïve trust of others. There is no question that in this first book of PineLight, Clara has grown up to learn what and who she can trust. I can hardly wait to find out what happens next in the second book. Even though I believe this book was written with the younger crowd in mind, I think that adults will enjoy and relate to the book as well.
shall-never-read-ever
August 5, 2011YOU'RE FROM A WHOLE OTHER WORLD, A DIFFERENT DIMENSION, YOU OPEN MY EYES AND I'M R EADY TO GO, LEAD ME INTO THE LIIIGHHHTT~
Wanna bet it's the Young Adult version of Katy Perry's ET?
Gurl, it ain't creative if you're jacking ideas from songs and the girl on the cover of your book looks like she would be suffering from back pain in the future but is being abducted by aliens.
Wanna bet it's the Young Adult version of Katy Perry's ET?
Gurl, it ain't creative if you're jacking ideas from songs and the girl on the cover of your book looks like she would be suffering from back pain in the future but is being abducted by aliens.
July 30, 2011
I loved this amazing story. I fell in love with Clara and Finn. I look forward to more of this series.
May 6, 2012
Ok. I tried. I give up. Only 50 pages left and I can -not- bring myself to finish this. Not without copious amounts of drugs.
Wtf was going on with this author? Did we sit down and make a list of all the ideas you found "cool" then threw them at this one story, not really caring if it made sense? Angels/Demons/Vampires/Mythology/Religion/Pirates/Illusions/Nightmares.. etc. etc. etc. And do we get an explanation? With only 50 pages left hell no you don't get an explanation. Whytf would you want an explanation? You should be more like Clarabella and -NEVER- question!! Anything!! Ever!!
And this girl.. Clarabella. If she's our great hope then we are all seriously fucked. And I say that in the nicest possible way.. but seriously fucked is the most perfect description. She questions NOTHING! Don't get me wrong, there are times when all they do is question question question and I want to hit them in the head with a baseball bat. If it's happening right in front of your eyes.. how can you possibly still be questioning this? But Clara... simple, slow, insipid Clara.. Following your childlike self after she falls or jumps off a cliff(I'm assuming it was her childlike self she never questioned it and it wasn't explained with only a few pages left in the book) Get shoved into an underwater cave by some unseen force.. (doesn't question it) gets stuck and the cave fills with water and you come out the top in a new world! (nope.. still no questions) Does Clara look around and say wtf?! like anyone with a working brain cell would? Heck No! Clara takes a stroll through the glowing trees! Naw, don't turn around and go back.. Don't question anything just talk about how beautiful it is then lay down to take a nap. *sighs*
Then, kidnapped by pirates. (Really? -.-) Then rescued by some masked man. (because he's buying the other kidnapped women. Why? No fucking clue. Ask Carabella -.-) This is another part of the writing that drove me up the wall. HE'S FUCKING MASKED!(and I'm not talking Zorro masked, he's masked so no one can see his face) So the descriptions of her seeing him smile/feeling his cheek against hers/him drinking from a goblet .. How the hell is this possible?!? It's a MASK! NO ONE CAN SEE HIS FACE MUCH LESS FEEL IT! And these annoying descriptions kept me going back over and over thinking I'd miss the part where he took his mask off. BAH! Then there's the flickering illusions when she's with him. Everything is beautiful and amazing -BLINK- everything is dirty and neglected. And Clara doesn't even pause.. just stumbles blindly along. Like I said.. Seriously. Fucked.
So I'm done. I don't care.. I don't want to know. I'm sure she somehow blindly manages to save the day, ends up with the good guy and saves the worlds. *blinks*
Wtf was going on with this author? Did we sit down and make a list of all the ideas you found "cool" then threw them at this one story, not really caring if it made sense? Angels/Demons/Vampires/Mythology/Religion/Pirates/Illusions/Nightmares.. etc. etc. etc. And do we get an explanation? With only 50 pages left hell no you don't get an explanation. Whytf would you want an explanation? You should be more like Clarabella and -NEVER- question!! Anything!! Ever!!
And this girl.. Clarabella. If she's our great hope then we are all seriously fucked. And I say that in the nicest possible way.. but seriously fucked is the most perfect description. She questions NOTHING! Don't get me wrong, there are times when all they do is question question question and I want to hit them in the head with a baseball bat. If it's happening right in front of your eyes.. how can you possibly still be questioning this? But Clara... simple, slow, insipid Clara.. Following your childlike self after she falls or jumps off a cliff(I'm assuming it was her childlike self she never questioned it and it wasn't explained with only a few pages left in the book) Get shoved into an underwater cave by some unseen force.. (doesn't question it) gets stuck and the cave fills with water and you come out the top in a new world! (nope.. still no questions) Does Clara look around and say wtf?! like anyone with a working brain cell would? Heck No! Clara takes a stroll through the glowing trees! Naw, don't turn around and go back.. Don't question anything just talk about how beautiful it is then lay down to take a nap. *sighs*
Then, kidnapped by pirates. (Really? -.-) Then rescued by some masked man. (because he's buying the other kidnapped women. Why? No fucking clue. Ask Carabella -.-) This is another part of the writing that drove me up the wall. HE'S FUCKING MASKED!(and I'm not talking Zorro masked, he's masked so no one can see his face) So the descriptions of her seeing him smile/feeling his cheek against hers/him drinking from a goblet .. How the hell is this possible?!? It's a MASK! NO ONE CAN SEE HIS FACE MUCH LESS FEEL IT! And these annoying descriptions kept me going back over and over thinking I'd miss the part where he took his mask off. BAH! Then there's the flickering illusions when she's with him. Everything is beautiful and amazing -BLINK- everything is dirty and neglected. And Clara doesn't even pause.. just stumbles blindly along. Like I said.. Seriously. Fucked.
So I'm done. I don't care.. I don't want to know. I'm sure she somehow blindly manages to save the day, ends up with the good guy and saves the worlds. *blinks*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2011
Like some of the other reviewers here on GR, I really wanted to like this book. The cover is compelling, as is the book blurb tempting the reader to buy it. I won this book in a contest and was excited to give it a whirl.
The things I liked: The prologue was excellent. It really grabbed my interest and had me wondering what on earth was going on. It also helped set the reader up with the understanding that there is something beyond the normal happening.
Also, Ms. Perry has a wonderful turn of phrase. There were times when I read a sentence and thought, "Well, that's just gorgeous!" She has the ability to describe a scene so that the reader feels like a part of the story. Her description of the main character, Clara, wading through the Louisiana bayou at night, for example, was very nicely done.
What didn't work for me: The story took too long to get going. At least half of the material in the opening chapters could have been edited out without it affecting the rest of the story. The main characters we really need to know about in the beginning (Erik and Clara's aunt) aren't even major players in many of those opening scenes. Erik suddenly leaves after the first few pages, and Clara's aunt is working most of the time, so the connection to them that the reader is supposed to carry through to later in the book just didn't happen for me.
Another issue I had related to the protagonist's reactions and thoughts. Many times, they were unrealistic and out of sync with the scene. That made it difficult for me to connect with her, as I constantly wondered why Clara wasn't thinking or reacting a certain way to the events occurring around her.
The last concern of mine centers around the world crafted in the story. Without getting into spoiler territory, I'll say the reader never fully learns the origins of this world and how it actually relates to our world. I failed to understand Clara's true role in either world, and in the end I was left ambivalent about how her story will end.
In sum...this book will appeal to some readers for the beauty of the prose alone. For me, there were too many disconnects to make it a compelling read.
The things I liked: The prologue was excellent. It really grabbed my interest and had me wondering what on earth was going on. It also helped set the reader up with the understanding that there is something beyond the normal happening.
Also, Ms. Perry has a wonderful turn of phrase. There were times when I read a sentence and thought, "Well, that's just gorgeous!" She has the ability to describe a scene so that the reader feels like a part of the story. Her description of the main character, Clara, wading through the Louisiana bayou at night, for example, was very nicely done.
What didn't work for me: The story took too long to get going. At least half of the material in the opening chapters could have been edited out without it affecting the rest of the story. The main characters we really need to know about in the beginning (Erik and Clara's aunt) aren't even major players in many of those opening scenes. Erik suddenly leaves after the first few pages, and Clara's aunt is working most of the time, so the connection to them that the reader is supposed to carry through to later in the book just didn't happen for me.
Another issue I had related to the protagonist's reactions and thoughts. Many times, they were unrealistic and out of sync with the scene. That made it difficult for me to connect with her, as I constantly wondered why Clara wasn't thinking or reacting a certain way to the events occurring around her.
The last concern of mine centers around the world crafted in the story. Without getting into spoiler territory, I'll say the reader never fully learns the origins of this world and how it actually relates to our world. I failed to understand Clara's true role in either world, and in the end I was left ambivalent about how her story will end.
In sum...this book will appeal to some readers for the beauty of the prose alone. For me, there were too many disconnects to make it a compelling read.
August 10, 2011
I'm not sure how I feel right now. It held my interest that's for sure. I wasn't holy crap can't put it down like others. I was a tad confused at times. All these different worlds or dreams just thrown out there with no explanation. Then it all starts flowing out at the end like tidal waves. Good vs evil, being in hell, having faith, I think your get the picture here haha.
Her descriptions in some areas were so amazing that it was like I could touch them & they were real. I liked that. I wish there was more about some characters that I didn't seem to get, but it wasn't so much so that I didn't understand them.
The ending was a "no that is not how that ended!" so I'm guessing there will be another? Not sure but it feels that way. The book description, for me, is what drew me to the book & I don't think that answered anything really after I was done.
The cover is beautiful! I'm glad I bought the paperback so it'll be on my shelf. If there's another I'll read it. It wasn't a bad book by any means, I just wish I was more OMG about it has I thought I would be :)
Any way thanks for letting me into your world & muses. It was an enjoyable read, just not what I was expecting. I don't even know if I can say if you like Twilight, like some have said, you'll want to read this. I'm a big Twilight fan & it isn't close or compared in any form for me, and that's a good thing in my eyes. If you want a different, fantasy (YES that's what it is to me now that I say it out loud) type story, then give it a shot. You might find it interesting.
Her descriptions in some areas were so amazing that it was like I could touch them & they were real. I liked that. I wish there was more about some characters that I didn't seem to get, but it wasn't so much so that I didn't understand them.
The ending was a "no that is not how that ended!" so I'm guessing there will be another? Not sure but it feels that way. The book description, for me, is what drew me to the book & I don't think that answered anything really after I was done.
The cover is beautiful! I'm glad I bought the paperback so it'll be on my shelf. If there's another I'll read it. It wasn't a bad book by any means, I just wish I was more OMG about it has I thought I would be :)
Any way thanks for letting me into your world & muses. It was an enjoyable read, just not what I was expecting. I don't even know if I can say if you like Twilight, like some have said, you'll want to read this. I'm a big Twilight fan & it isn't close or compared in any form for me, and that's a good thing in my eyes. If you want a different, fantasy (YES that's what it is to me now that I say it out loud) type story, then give it a shot. You might find it interesting.
August 5, 2011
Ummmm....speechless is a good word for how I feel after finishing this book. I decided to read it after looking at some of the reveiws the book received. I was intrigued by the cover and the storyline. But I am not completely sure how I feel about it!
It started off really interesting. Clara doesn't remember her past and the people she cares about most in the world are protecting her from something. Clara's friend, Erik has hurt her somehow and she is relling from it. She realizes that Erik is evil and knows she needs run, but to where? With the help of her friend, Fergus, Clara winds up in Ireland to find out who she is....and this is where the story gets really interesting, to say the least.
From vampyres, pirates, a little girl in a red hood to falling down a "rabbit hole", I felt like I was in a mixed up tale from the Brothers Grim and Disney World. The premise of the book and the addition of all the different fairy tale characters was promising. The character developement was lacking and I felt like I was always missing something. I wanted to know more about the different relationships between Clara and the other characters. What was written was very vague.
If one of Jillian Peery's objectives in writting PineLight was to make you feel as helpless and lost as Clara did during the discovery of her lost memories and life, then Ms Peery triumphly succeeded.
It started off really interesting. Clara doesn't remember her past and the people she cares about most in the world are protecting her from something. Clara's friend, Erik has hurt her somehow and she is relling from it. She realizes that Erik is evil and knows she needs run, but to where? With the help of her friend, Fergus, Clara winds up in Ireland to find out who she is....and this is where the story gets really interesting, to say the least.
From vampyres, pirates, a little girl in a red hood to falling down a "rabbit hole", I felt like I was in a mixed up tale from the Brothers Grim and Disney World. The premise of the book and the addition of all the different fairy tale characters was promising. The character developement was lacking and I felt like I was always missing something. I wanted to know more about the different relationships between Clara and the other characters. What was written was very vague.
If one of Jillian Peery's objectives in writting PineLight was to make you feel as helpless and lost as Clara did during the discovery of her lost memories and life, then Ms Peery triumphly succeeded.
August 29, 2011
LOVED LOVED LOVED! After reading the reviews for PineLight I was more than anxious to start this book. The cover is beautiful, the book trailer is awesome (love the guys voice by the way) and the back cover blurb simply invites you in....
This is one of those books that pulls you into a different world and leaves you wanting to know more! I read a few reviews and it sounded like a few readers didn't enjoy the book because of the fast past switch into the other world or the lack of answers, but that was one of the things that I loved about the story! I liked finding out information along with Clara and I liked feeling a little bit confused at times. That's what made it so real and so believable. Throughout the story you are given answers to Clara's forgotten past and everything comes together at the end. There are a few things I would like to know about the backstory of Edmund and Finn and I would also like to know more about the lost world and the origin of the fallen angels (vampires), but I imagine that will come in the sequel. That's why I'm so excited about this series!
If you are looking for a good adventure novel with a fantastic paranormal romance, then check this book out! I imagine you will fall in love with Finn and even Edmund (the bad boy) the same way I did.
This is one of those books that pulls you into a different world and leaves you wanting to know more! I read a few reviews and it sounded like a few readers didn't enjoy the book because of the fast past switch into the other world or the lack of answers, but that was one of the things that I loved about the story! I liked finding out information along with Clara and I liked feeling a little bit confused at times. That's what made it so real and so believable. Throughout the story you are given answers to Clara's forgotten past and everything comes together at the end. There are a few things I would like to know about the backstory of Edmund and Finn and I would also like to know more about the lost world and the origin of the fallen angels (vampires), but I imagine that will come in the sequel. That's why I'm so excited about this series!
If you are looking for a good adventure novel with a fantastic paranormal romance, then check this book out! I imagine you will fall in love with Finn and even Edmund (the bad boy) the same way I did.
November 3, 2011
Umm.. this is really tough for me.
This is more like 1.5 star for me.
I felt kind of disconnected with it.
It made me feel lost, confused and short-changed.
I kept refering to the previous chapters to ensure that I had not miss out any point and to find nothing, I gave up making reference with previous chapters and just read on. This is not a good sign, in my opinion.
Felt the story was kind of rushed, certain scenes doesn't make sense and the romance? I don't get it and I don't feel it?
I get that boy A wants her so bad because she is special but I want to know who is this boy at the first place and how did he get to know the girl and then there is boy B who loves her since young and still loves her.
I mean.. if we are going to tell the poor girl what memories she had lost before, at least please explain this as well.
And the way she defeated the bad guy? Hmm... I don't know.. it's sort of anti-climactic for me.
Perhaps a re-read later might help but not anytime soon. :(
This is more like 1.5 star for me.
I felt kind of disconnected with it.
It made me feel lost, confused and short-changed.
I kept refering to the previous chapters to ensure that I had not miss out any point and to find nothing, I gave up making reference with previous chapters and just read on. This is not a good sign, in my opinion.
Felt the story was kind of rushed, certain scenes doesn't make sense and the romance? I don't get it and I don't feel it?
I get that boy A wants her so bad because she is special but I want to know who is this boy at the first place and how did he get to know the girl and then there is boy B who loves her since young and still loves her.
I mean.. if we are going to tell the poor girl what memories she had lost before, at least please explain this as well.
And the way she defeated the bad guy? Hmm... I don't know.. it's sort of anti-climactic for me.
Perhaps a re-read later might help but not anytime soon. :(
September 13, 2011
This is horrible spoiler alert!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!Wow!!!! So the story opens with Clarabella trying to escape someone before she loses her memories. She escapes and ends up living in mordern day Louisiana with her aunt. Her so called friend Erik, steals pages from her jornal and strange things start to happen around him. Her aunt is kidnaped by the crazie friend, she learns about vampires, and goes to Ireland. A lot of moving huh, lol. When she gets to Ireland, she goes chasing after a little girl and ends up ina forest. She is quickly captured by pirates and taken to a king, in lands she has never heard of. The king makes her see things that arent true and a knight from her past comes to her aid. She must discover her past and her true destiny.
I was mind boggled that so much story fit into such a tiny book. This is very well written and even with all the crazy stuff in it, blends smoothly. I can not wait for the next one!
I was mind boggled that so much story fit into such a tiny book. This is very well written and even with all the crazy stuff in it, blends smoothly. I can not wait for the next one!
February 24, 2012
It was Awesome...Simple as that!! I'm really bad at writing reviews...but i did want everyone who's on the fence about reading it know that i liked it! It was really different from any other book i've read... It was crazy trying to decided who was good and who was bad..who to trust.... It def keeps you guessing until the end! Then once you get to the "end" you realize that it may just not be the end yet... :/ WOW.. I really liked it! Im not sure if their is going to be another book, but even without, im very satisfied with it that way it wrapped up! There is a lot going on in the book and it is def well thought out! I really liked this book and would recommend it to all!
January 1, 2012
Another angel story. I liked the last part better than the previous chapters. There were some parts that left me confused. Clarabella, (I liked her name) is a guardian. Her memory was taken by Victor (he's sort of an evil) who wanted her soul. According to their story, there are only one female guardian born every 500 years and has a great gift. And also Edmund, a guardian turned to be dark angel who wanted Clara to be her Queen. I think he loves her. And there's Finn who wanted Clara to be protected and yet far away from her. I don't know what his problem but I want them to be together. Obviously, they're in love with each other. Is there a sequel? I'm dying to read more.
November 7, 2011
Great ebook and surprisingly was only $.99 cents. There's a great mystery through the entire book that keeps you guessing...it really helped me relate to the main character who is finding pieces of the puzzle as the story progresses. The romance between the characters starts later on in the story, but it's a very sweet and (at times) intense relationship. I'm hoping that there will be more between them in the next book! From the way the story ended, I believe there will be. I enjoyed how the book takes you to a different realm, filled with magic, allure, and sexy dark characters. I hope to learn more about these guys and more about the world she discovers!
July 25, 2011
This book was a chore to get through. The writing was stiff and seemed forced most of the time, taking the reader through some scenes too quickly and others far too long, with so many extra descriptions that I found myself wanting to skip ahead. There was nothing in this story that made me care about any of the characters or what happened to them; I just wanted it to be over. I am exceedingly happy that this book was only 99 cents. That being said, this book may appeal to much younger female readers.
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