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Deck of Lies #1
Justice
A House of Cards...
When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.
I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they’re hiding.
The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can’t stop until I’ve discovered them all. I’ll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what’s underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.
I just hope I can survive the crash.
When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.
I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they’re hiding.
The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can’t stop until I’ve discovered them all. I’ll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what’s underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.
I just hope I can survive the crash.
190 pages, Nook
First published December 23, 2011
1 person is currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Jade Varden
11 books163 followersJade Varden writes young adult novels for teen readers. When she’s not crafting mysteries in her books, Jade also blogs practical writing tips for authors who self-publish. Jade currently makes her home in Louisville, Kentucky, where she enjoys reading and reviewing indie books by other self-published authors. Follow her on Twitter @JadeVarden. Visit Jade’s blog at http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/ for reviews, writing tips, self-publishing advice and everything else you ever wanted to know about reading and writing books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 18, 2012
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free from the author on a read-to-review basis.)
OMG! I really don’t know where to start with this book, but man, is ‘Deck of Lies’ an apt title for this series!
If you’ve read the blurb (above), you’ll notice that it is very cryptic and doesn’t give much away, so I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading this book, and let me tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised!
I don’t want to give too much away, because it is the mystery that makes this book such a captivating read, but I will tell you a little bit – because if you have an idea what this book is about you will be rushing to download a copy too
16-year-old Rain Ramey lives with her parents and older brother. She’s starting at the prestigious ‘Sloan Academy’ having won a scholarship, and she knows that things will be very different for her starting at a new school where nobody knows her.
What Rain could never have guessed, was that when she left home that day for her first day at Sloan Academy, that she would never really go back to her parents and her home again.
An unfair trick, played on her by the new school’s queen bee – Carsyn, changes Rain’s life as she knows it forever, and nothing will ever be the same again.
As I said I really don’t want to tell you any more, because this book is just full of mystery, and I really couldn’t guess what was coming next. Every chapter bought fresh excitement, and even more questions to light, and I just had to keep reading.
Rain is just such a likeable character, has such a clear, fresh voice. Rain’s thoughts almost felt like my own whilst reading this book, and I was living every moment of this book right alongside her.
There was a touch of romance in this book, although it is almost a side-story, what I liked most about the romance aspect of this book though, is that even when two different guys are interested in Rain, she’s open and tells guy number 2 that she is sort-of dating guy number 1, and doesn’t string him along. I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles, and I like that Rain was honest enough to try and prevent the situation happening to her!
There is so much more I could say about this book, but I really want you to uncover the mysteries yourself and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did! I’m off to read the next in the series!
Highly recommended YA fiction!
8.5 out of 10.
(Book length: 3765 kindle locations)
OMG! I really don’t know where to start with this book, but man, is ‘Deck of Lies’ an apt title for this series!
If you’ve read the blurb (above), you’ll notice that it is very cryptic and doesn’t give much away, so I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading this book, and let me tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised!
I don’t want to give too much away, because it is the mystery that makes this book such a captivating read, but I will tell you a little bit – because if you have an idea what this book is about you will be rushing to download a copy too
16-year-old Rain Ramey lives with her parents and older brother. She’s starting at the prestigious ‘Sloan Academy’ having won a scholarship, and she knows that things will be very different for her starting at a new school where nobody knows her.
What Rain could never have guessed, was that when she left home that day for her first day at Sloan Academy, that she would never really go back to her parents and her home again.
An unfair trick, played on her by the new school’s queen bee – Carsyn, changes Rain’s life as she knows it forever, and nothing will ever be the same again.
As I said I really don’t want to tell you any more, because this book is just full of mystery, and I really couldn’t guess what was coming next. Every chapter bought fresh excitement, and even more questions to light, and I just had to keep reading.
Rain is just such a likeable character, has such a clear, fresh voice. Rain’s thoughts almost felt like my own whilst reading this book, and I was living every moment of this book right alongside her.
There was a touch of romance in this book, although it is almost a side-story, what I liked most about the romance aspect of this book though, is that even when two different guys are interested in Rain, she’s open and tells guy number 2 that she is sort-of dating guy number 1, and doesn’t string him along. I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles, and I like that Rain was honest enough to try and prevent the situation happening to her!
There is so much more I could say about this book, but I really want you to uncover the mysteries yourself and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did! I’m off to read the next in the series!
Highly recommended YA fiction!
8.5 out of 10.
(Book length: 3765 kindle locations)
July 31, 2012
Initially I didn't think I would enjoy this book because at first it seemed to be another story of how a normal teenage girl, living a normal unprivileged life couldn't possibly fit in with the rich and powerful students at her new school and I couldn't help but despise the cliche but boy was I WRONG!
I really should take my own advice and not judge a book by its cover because this story was not even close to what I was expecting. Varden's writing is fast paced and leaves you wanting more, the secrets come thick and fast and where each secret is revealed and resolved a new one quickly rushes in to take its place.
At times the story was a little predictable but this in no way ruins it because it is great to see how Rain deals with everything thrown her way. I like Rain, I think she's genuine and easy to connect with. She's a typical teenage girl: awkward and shy at times but she's always herself no matter how much the people around her want her to change. Her situation is far from normal but she seems to take everything in her stride and it's endearing to say the least.
The interesting thing about this story is that there isn't a love triangle it's more of a love quartet. Revolving around Rain, River, Tom and Owen. This may make it seem like there's too many characters in play but Varden doesn't make things easy and the results are surprisingly unexpected.
River is an interesting character and although he seems like the typical bad boy/damaged kid in the beginning, he is far more than that. It's not surprising that he has more than a few secrets of his own. I really like him as a character and I really hope his his issues get resolved in the next book because I am dying to see more of him. His relationship with Rain is complicated and yet surprisingly easy at the same time, when they are together i can't help but smile. He distracts her with normalcy at a time in her life when everything is far from normal.
And Owen? I can't even begin to describe how i feel about his character, at first I really thought he was just a sweet, nice guy that was obviously with the wrong girl but now? Now I believe he's got deep dark secrets of his own that are just waiting to be spilled. I have a feeling they are going to be far worse than anything else we've covered in the book so far.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotion, full of so many twists and turns that it's hard to remember what's real. Everyone has secrets but these secrets are unlike anything Rain has ever come across.
I reccommend to anyone that wants a book that's shrouded in mystery, tainted with sadness and full of intrigue.
I really should take my own advice and not judge a book by its cover because this story was not even close to what I was expecting. Varden's writing is fast paced and leaves you wanting more, the secrets come thick and fast and where each secret is revealed and resolved a new one quickly rushes in to take its place.
At times the story was a little predictable but this in no way ruins it because it is great to see how Rain deals with everything thrown her way. I like Rain, I think she's genuine and easy to connect with. She's a typical teenage girl: awkward and shy at times but she's always herself no matter how much the people around her want her to change. Her situation is far from normal but she seems to take everything in her stride and it's endearing to say the least.
The interesting thing about this story is that there isn't a love triangle it's more of a love quartet. Revolving around Rain, River, Tom and Owen. This may make it seem like there's too many characters in play but Varden doesn't make things easy and the results are surprisingly unexpected.
River is an interesting character and although he seems like the typical bad boy/damaged kid in the beginning, he is far more than that. It's not surprising that he has more than a few secrets of his own. I really like him as a character and I really hope his his issues get resolved in the next book because I am dying to see more of him. His relationship with Rain is complicated and yet surprisingly easy at the same time, when they are together i can't help but smile. He distracts her with normalcy at a time in her life when everything is far from normal.
And Owen? I can't even begin to describe how i feel about his character, at first I really thought he was just a sweet, nice guy that was obviously with the wrong girl but now? Now I believe he's got deep dark secrets of his own that are just waiting to be spilled. I have a feeling they are going to be far worse than anything else we've covered in the book so far.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotion, full of so many twists and turns that it's hard to remember what's real. Everyone has secrets but these secrets are unlike anything Rain has ever come across.
I reccommend to anyone that wants a book that's shrouded in mystery, tainted with sadness and full of intrigue.
March 16, 2013
Wow, this book was very enjoyable. It kept me hooked, and the story didn't seem too rushed for only 146 pages. This fairly addictive, well written novel is a must read for people looking for something fresh, quick, and mysterious.
The description is not very elaborate, which is, as it turned out, a very good thing. I haven't been this surprised only 20 or so pages into the book for a while! Because of this, however, it makes it a little difficult to write this review, so if I am vague, it is just so I don't spoil anything. And it would be a shame to spoil this twisty plot!
So, Justice starts out with Rain Ramey attending her first day at ultra fancy Sloane Academy. Almost nobody is very nice for her. She has made enemies of two very popular girls, already. It doesn't help that she isn't rich. By this point I was getting a feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was good writing and characters, but the ideas just didn't seem that original, and I was kind of thinking this was a lost cause. Where could it go without just blatantly copy another plot?
But then, Rain gets in trouble with the police, after being framed by aforementioned popular girl, Carsyn. They take Rains fingerprint and analyze it. All of the sudden, her parents are in handcuffs and she is let off easy. What happened? Well, I can't tell you anything beside that! No spoilers!
The rest of the book was amazing. Pages 18 to 146 were very addicting. Filled with unique characters, and mysteries. The whole time I was questioning everyone and everything. There are definitely some lies, mysteries, and things I doubted or felt like something wasn't right! I can't wait to find out in the next book!
Rain is an awesome protagonist to root for. She has a nice voice, is realistic, and relatable. Sometimes I felt like she could be stronger though. I hope we see character growth throughout the series. River was another one of my favorite characters. He is sweet and unique, but has his own mystery behind him, actually a couple. I love how he was there for Rain whenever she needed him, though.
Carsyn, the mean, popular gurl, was very er... The word I am looking for is hateable. Although her parents are partly to blame probably. They barely deserve to be called parents. I wasn't sure about some of the characters. Owen, a boy at Sloane Academy seemed a little off to me. Is he bad or good? I know I don't trust him. Plus, he goes out with Carsyn.
Overall, I recommend this book highly. The plot is wonderful and the characters are amazing. I am addicted to the mystery and lies!
4/5 stars
The description is not very elaborate, which is, as it turned out, a very good thing. I haven't been this surprised only 20 or so pages into the book for a while! Because of this, however, it makes it a little difficult to write this review, so if I am vague, it is just so I don't spoil anything. And it would be a shame to spoil this twisty plot!
So, Justice starts out with Rain Ramey attending her first day at ultra fancy Sloane Academy. Almost nobody is very nice for her. She has made enemies of two very popular girls, already. It doesn't help that she isn't rich. By this point I was getting a feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was good writing and characters, but the ideas just didn't seem that original, and I was kind of thinking this was a lost cause. Where could it go without just blatantly copy another plot?
But then, Rain gets in trouble with the police, after being framed by aforementioned popular girl, Carsyn. They take Rains fingerprint and analyze it. All of the sudden, her parents are in handcuffs and she is let off easy. What happened? Well, I can't tell you anything beside that! No spoilers!
The rest of the book was amazing. Pages 18 to 146 were very addicting. Filled with unique characters, and mysteries. The whole time I was questioning everyone and everything. There are definitely some lies, mysteries, and things I doubted or felt like something wasn't right! I can't wait to find out in the next book!
Rain is an awesome protagonist to root for. She has a nice voice, is realistic, and relatable. Sometimes I felt like she could be stronger though. I hope we see character growth throughout the series. River was another one of my favorite characters. He is sweet and unique, but has his own mystery behind him, actually a couple. I love how he was there for Rain whenever she needed him, though.
Carsyn, the mean, popular gurl, was very er... The word I am looking for is hateable. Although her parents are partly to blame probably. They barely deserve to be called parents. I wasn't sure about some of the characters. Owen, a boy at Sloane Academy seemed a little off to me. Is he bad or good? I know I don't trust him. Plus, he goes out with Carsyn.
Overall, I recommend this book highly. The plot is wonderful and the characters are amazing. I am addicted to the mystery and lies!
4/5 stars
June 25, 2012
What would you do if everything you found out about your life was a lie? Justice (Deck of Lies #1), by Jade Varden, follows Rain Ramey who has to answer this exact question. The book starts off with Rain getting ready for her first day at Sloane Academy, an upscale high school full of the typical cliques. Rain, already apprehensive about going to a new school, soon has her anxiety confirmed as she faces some crazy incidents on the first day. The book then continues, taking the reader on various and unpredictable twists and turns. There is definitely more to this novel than what initially meets the eye.
I found Justice to be a smooth and easy read. I was easily able to follow Rain on her journey as the plot progressed. Though this is a Young Adult novel, it kept my attention the entire time. When I thought I had figured out what would happen next, Jade would throw in another twist that caught me completely off guard. For me, the dialogue was one of the best parts of this book because it seemed natural and realistic. Jade also did a great job of describing the setting and characters’ appearances. I truly felt as if I were reading the thoughts of a teenager, and not that of an adult writing from a teenager’s perspective. The mystery and suspense kept me wanting to read more.
I did think two things could have been improved. One is regarding the Ramey family. They were active characters in the beginning, but then dropped out of the rest of the novel. Though I understand why this had to happen (and I can’t say why without giving away the plot), I found their lack of involvement to be unrealistic. I’m hoping they are more active in the next book of the series. Secondly, some of the characters could have used more emotional depth to make them come even more alive. This is especially true in regard to Asher, whom I had a difficult time figuring out.
Other than these two areas, I liked reading Jade’s novel. I think teenagers would find the story interesting, especially because the author has a good grasp of the high school life. I’d characterize it as a young adult mix of mystery, drama, and romance. Many of the questions were unanswered in this novel, but this is due to it being a part of a series. It was a smart tactic for Jade to use in keeping the reader interested in what will come next. I can see Jade’s series growing and becoming even better and better.
I found Justice to be a smooth and easy read. I was easily able to follow Rain on her journey as the plot progressed. Though this is a Young Adult novel, it kept my attention the entire time. When I thought I had figured out what would happen next, Jade would throw in another twist that caught me completely off guard. For me, the dialogue was one of the best parts of this book because it seemed natural and realistic. Jade also did a great job of describing the setting and characters’ appearances. I truly felt as if I were reading the thoughts of a teenager, and not that of an adult writing from a teenager’s perspective. The mystery and suspense kept me wanting to read more.
I did think two things could have been improved. One is regarding the Ramey family. They were active characters in the beginning, but then dropped out of the rest of the novel. Though I understand why this had to happen (and I can’t say why without giving away the plot), I found their lack of involvement to be unrealistic. I’m hoping they are more active in the next book of the series. Secondly, some of the characters could have used more emotional depth to make them come even more alive. This is especially true in regard to Asher, whom I had a difficult time figuring out.
Other than these two areas, I liked reading Jade’s novel. I think teenagers would find the story interesting, especially because the author has a good grasp of the high school life. I’d characterize it as a young adult mix of mystery, drama, and romance. Many of the questions were unanswered in this novel, but this is due to it being a part of a series. It was a smart tactic for Jade to use in keeping the reader interested in what will come next. I can see Jade’s series growing and becoming even better and better.
November 24, 2012
Wow. It is 4:09 am. My friend Nicole sent me this book to review at 10:21. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought maybe I’d read a little bit of it until I got sleepy. That was about 12:10.
I have just finished the book and as soon as I finish writing this I will be finding the next in the series.
Jade Varden has completely sucked me into this story she is weaving.
What could oh so easily have been just another fish out of water story full of trite and tired cliché is instead a well thought out and cleverly written page turner.
I’m normally a science fantasy and occasional history inspired thriller type (with the occasional historical romance fling) so this isn’t something I would have picked up on my own.
Rain/Chloe is an emotional angsty teenage girl – who happens to have just found out that her parents aren’t her parents, her brother isn’t her brother and nothing else makes sense either in the new life she is dropped into. But she isn’t annoying or over the top. I like her. I would have wanted to be friends with her.
That is the key point that makes this more than just throw away YA fiction. Rain/Chloe seems real and that makes the extraordinary situation and everything that revolves around it work.
Varden has created a fantastic cast of supporting characters as well. They are fully realized individuals not just plot devices or frosting. She also has a knack for throwing in surprises you drop your jaw at but also work.
Jade Varden is an excellent storyteller with a deft hand at flowing prose. The story is compelling and interesting. The reader is drawn in and lead through the book in a journey made seamless by the adroit choice of words and sentence structure.
I was surprised, shocked, upset and angry right along with Rain/Chloe.
I am trying really hard not to give any spoilers away in this review and it is hard. The shocking revelations and intrigue start almost immediately. Who should she trust? What is still being hidden?
If Justice (Deck of Lies #1) is any indication this is going to be an excellent series.
Well done and thank you Jade Varden.
My only suggestion at this point would be to rethink the cover art. The current choice does not do justice to the story within.
P.S.
It is now 8:33 am and I have read books 2 and 3
I have just finished the book and as soon as I finish writing this I will be finding the next in the series.
Jade Varden has completely sucked me into this story she is weaving.
What could oh so easily have been just another fish out of water story full of trite and tired cliché is instead a well thought out and cleverly written page turner.
I’m normally a science fantasy and occasional history inspired thriller type (with the occasional historical romance fling) so this isn’t something I would have picked up on my own.
Rain/Chloe is an emotional angsty teenage girl – who happens to have just found out that her parents aren’t her parents, her brother isn’t her brother and nothing else makes sense either in the new life she is dropped into. But she isn’t annoying or over the top. I like her. I would have wanted to be friends with her.
That is the key point that makes this more than just throw away YA fiction. Rain/Chloe seems real and that makes the extraordinary situation and everything that revolves around it work.
Varden has created a fantastic cast of supporting characters as well. They are fully realized individuals not just plot devices or frosting. She also has a knack for throwing in surprises you drop your jaw at but also work.
Jade Varden is an excellent storyteller with a deft hand at flowing prose. The story is compelling and interesting. The reader is drawn in and lead through the book in a journey made seamless by the adroit choice of words and sentence structure.
I was surprised, shocked, upset and angry right along with Rain/Chloe.
I am trying really hard not to give any spoilers away in this review and it is hard. The shocking revelations and intrigue start almost immediately. Who should she trust? What is still being hidden?
If Justice (Deck of Lies #1) is any indication this is going to be an excellent series.
Well done and thank you Jade Varden.
My only suggestion at this point would be to rethink the cover art. The current choice does not do justice to the story within.
P.S.
It is now 8:33 am and I have read books 2 and 3
February 28, 2013
I was contacted by Varden through my blog for a review request. After reading the synopsis I happily accepted the request. I was definitely not disappointed. This book quickly grabbed my attention and became impossible to put down. For those reasons, it was a FOUR STAR read.
The book is told in Rain's perspective. It is generally in present tense with a few future tense comments from Rain. The future bits were more like a 'wish I'd known then what I know now' type of feel and they always kept the reader hooked and waiting to find out what she knows in the future that she doesn't know during the story. I was rapidly hooked and found it incredibly hard to put the book down finishing the read in less than a day. It starts with Rain attending a new school full of prissy little rich kids. It tells the tale of her struggles to fit in through all the chaos that becomes her life. Without giving too much away, it really is hard to say more about the plot. Just know that it was a fast paced novel that will not disappoint.
The only suggestion I would have for improvement would be to edit more carefully, there were a few spelling errors that were missed. At one point the wrong name was used. The future bits were great but slightly overused. When the reader is already hooked, they were not needed to hook the reader. The errors in the book were not numerous and did not detract from the story greatly. The ending was short, and without reading the prologue provided at the end of the book, I would not be hooked enough to pick up the second book in the series. However, because I did enjoy the book as greatly as I did, personally, I would be picking up the next book regardless.
Overall, it was a great read. As I have stated several times over now, I could not put the book down. It took up a lot of hours that I should have been studying for a philosophy test that I'm not looking forward to. But it was a great escape and tool for procrastination. However, now that it is finished, and the reviews are posted, I guess I really should start reading my philosophy books. Great work Varden. I really enjoyed the read and look forward to future works.
The book is told in Rain's perspective. It is generally in present tense with a few future tense comments from Rain. The future bits were more like a 'wish I'd known then what I know now' type of feel and they always kept the reader hooked and waiting to find out what she knows in the future that she doesn't know during the story. I was rapidly hooked and found it incredibly hard to put the book down finishing the read in less than a day. It starts with Rain attending a new school full of prissy little rich kids. It tells the tale of her struggles to fit in through all the chaos that becomes her life. Without giving too much away, it really is hard to say more about the plot. Just know that it was a fast paced novel that will not disappoint.
The only suggestion I would have for improvement would be to edit more carefully, there were a few spelling errors that were missed. At one point the wrong name was used. The future bits were great but slightly overused. When the reader is already hooked, they were not needed to hook the reader. The errors in the book were not numerous and did not detract from the story greatly. The ending was short, and without reading the prologue provided at the end of the book, I would not be hooked enough to pick up the second book in the series. However, because I did enjoy the book as greatly as I did, personally, I would be picking up the next book regardless.
Overall, it was a great read. As I have stated several times over now, I could not put the book down. It took up a lot of hours that I should have been studying for a philosophy test that I'm not looking forward to. But it was a great escape and tool for procrastination. However, now that it is finished, and the reviews are posted, I guess I really should start reading my philosophy books. Great work Varden. I really enjoyed the read and look forward to future works.
February 6, 2012
Justice is a really great read. In fact, it surprised me how good it was and how quickly I got hooked on it.
I have to admit, I’m not crazy about the cover and would have skipped over it had I seen it on the shelf – maybe I’m not a pink person, but to me it looks much more like a romance novel than it actually is. In reality Rain Ramey’s story – it’s told from her first person POV – is predominantly a mystery, with smatterings of romance and school angst thrown in. Because of the tarot connection I’d have preferred more sinister artwork to draw you in – however, I think the blurb IS good, which is why I gave this a go. (The author Jade Varden has contributed guest posts the blog, which was how I first saw this book – so look out for those coming later in February).
Rain’s character is very well done – you really get a feel for her through her interactions with the other characters – and because of the out of control situation she finds herself in you can sympathise with her actions and behaviour. The fact that events come one on top of another adds to the pace of the novel and so there are mini-questions within the overall mystery. Some I guessed, others I didn’t, so I liked those aspects.
Book 1 – it’s obviously a series – and so there’s some questions I’ve got from this book I’d like to see get answered and the new mystery thrown in towards the end is a good cliff hanger…I have my suspicions but will have to wait and see whether they’re right!
Overall, a well written YA mystery – good pace and enough action to keep you reading (I read pretty much in one sitting) – look forward to seeing where this goes. And FYI – I’m rooting for RVR!
I have to admit, I’m not crazy about the cover and would have skipped over it had I seen it on the shelf – maybe I’m not a pink person, but to me it looks much more like a romance novel than it actually is. In reality Rain Ramey’s story – it’s told from her first person POV – is predominantly a mystery, with smatterings of romance and school angst thrown in. Because of the tarot connection I’d have preferred more sinister artwork to draw you in – however, I think the blurb IS good, which is why I gave this a go. (The author Jade Varden has contributed guest posts the blog, which was how I first saw this book – so look out for those coming later in February).
Rain’s character is very well done – you really get a feel for her through her interactions with the other characters – and because of the out of control situation she finds herself in you can sympathise with her actions and behaviour. The fact that events come one on top of another adds to the pace of the novel and so there are mini-questions within the overall mystery. Some I guessed, others I didn’t, so I liked those aspects.
Book 1 – it’s obviously a series – and so there’s some questions I’ve got from this book I’d like to see get answered and the new mystery thrown in towards the end is a good cliff hanger…I have my suspicions but will have to wait and see whether they’re right!
Overall, a well written YA mystery – good pace and enough action to keep you reading (I read pretty much in one sitting) – look forward to seeing where this goes. And FYI – I’m rooting for RVR!
September 13, 2012
3.75 Stars
First I would like to say thank you to Jade Varden for providing me with a copy of her book to read and review!
I will admit, going in I wasn’t sure what to expect…the cover…well, it’s interesting…and very PINK!! But I know better than to judge a book by it’s cover
The book was a fast paced book in that there are so many twist and turns that you really can’t be sure what will happen next. A little over mid-way through the book I saw what I hoped was not coming, what I hoped the author would not allow to happen…and I was like, okay if “THIS” happens…i’m done…I refuse to continue reading this book because that is just WHACK! And then BAM!! just what I thought it was leading up to happened and I was like okay that’s it…I’m done. That is just too BIZARRE for me!! I literally turned the kindle off and went to bed.
But of course I picked it back up today and continued to read because despite that it was CRAZY!!!! I had to find out how everything was going to turn out. Now, of course I know I’m not making any sense because you have no clue what I’m talking about…and you won’t because I can’t give it away! No Spoilers here. I will say that it held my attention and left me wondering what happens next…so it looks like I will be venturing on to Book 2 in this series. I just can’t leave everything hanging and not know what happened…
This book is a page turner and keeps you guessing all the way through to the very end…and leaves you questioning…what could possibly happen next?!?
http://bookpusher.com/book-review/jus...
First I would like to say thank you to Jade Varden for providing me with a copy of her book to read and review!
I will admit, going in I wasn’t sure what to expect…the cover…well, it’s interesting…and very PINK!! But I know better than to judge a book by it’s cover
The book was a fast paced book in that there are so many twist and turns that you really can’t be sure what will happen next. A little over mid-way through the book I saw what I hoped was not coming, what I hoped the author would not allow to happen…and I was like, okay if “THIS” happens…i’m done…I refuse to continue reading this book because that is just WHACK! And then BAM!! just what I thought it was leading up to happened and I was like okay that’s it…I’m done. That is just too BIZARRE for me!! I literally turned the kindle off and went to bed.
But of course I picked it back up today and continued to read because despite that it was CRAZY!!!! I had to find out how everything was going to turn out. Now, of course I know I’m not making any sense because you have no clue what I’m talking about…and you won’t because I can’t give it away! No Spoilers here. I will say that it held my attention and left me wondering what happens next…so it looks like I will be venturing on to Book 2 in this series. I just can’t leave everything hanging and not know what happened…
This book is a page turner and keeps you guessing all the way through to the very end…and leaves you questioning…what could possibly happen next?!?
http://bookpusher.com/book-review/jus...
August 13, 2012
Book Review; 2 Treasure Boxes
Rain Ramey received a scholarship to the Sloane Academy, but when she arrived the other students made it very clear, that she didn’t belong. Rain’s whole life falls apart after the Queen Bee of the school plays a dirty trick on her.
Jade Varden is the author of the Deck of Lies series, currently there are 3 books in the series with book 4 coming soon. The books are YA fiction and are told in a first person narrative from the point of view of the main protagonist.
Justice is captivating, but at times it was surreal, and had a soap opera feel. Rain is a likeable teenager who faces numerous challenges after it is revealed that her whole life has been a lie. There were numerous moments when I was shocked at the outcome. The story has several twists and turns, some expected, but others were totally unforeseen.
This is not a standalone book, but it is an intriguing start to an entertaining series. As soon as I completed this book, I quickly picked up the second book in the series, The Tower. I recommend this book as a good read.
For more of my reviews go to http://books-treasureortrash.com
Rain Ramey received a scholarship to the Sloane Academy, but when she arrived the other students made it very clear, that she didn’t belong. Rain’s whole life falls apart after the Queen Bee of the school plays a dirty trick on her.
Jade Varden is the author of the Deck of Lies series, currently there are 3 books in the series with book 4 coming soon. The books are YA fiction and are told in a first person narrative from the point of view of the main protagonist.
Justice is captivating, but at times it was surreal, and had a soap opera feel. Rain is a likeable teenager who faces numerous challenges after it is revealed that her whole life has been a lie. There were numerous moments when I was shocked at the outcome. The story has several twists and turns, some expected, but others were totally unforeseen.
This is not a standalone book, but it is an intriguing start to an entertaining series. As soon as I completed this book, I quickly picked up the second book in the series, The Tower. I recommend this book as a good read.
For more of my reviews go to http://books-treasureortrash.com
May 29, 2012
This was a freebie on Amazon and not my usual genre. I think it's YA but turned into a murder mystery. The first few chapters before the shoplifting are boring as hell and I almost gave up as it's full of teeny prep school dynamics with rich kids vs poor kids, etc. As a writer and reader, I would've put the shoplifting chapter first and then bored everyone for a bit. Stick with it, though, Jade Varden is a good writer and captures the petty teen scene quite well. She does toss in a few twists and turns. By the end of the book she's turned it all around into a murder mystery. Part 2 is .99 cents. I'm tempted...
February 5, 2015
*4.5 Stars*
What a wild ride! I knew going into this book there was going to be some mystery and some twists. Little did I know, HOW MUCH it would contain. I had a quite a few shouts reading this.
“Saaaaay WHAT!?” ”Oh.My.Gosh!” “ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?”and “HOLY.FREAKIN. BATMAN” ….You get the idea
My face O_O
Right from the start, this book throws you into the drama and it NEVER.STOPS. The writing is spectacular! I feared since the story isn’t a long one (around 154 pages) that I wasn’t going to be able to connect with our protagonist, Rain. But I was wrong. SO wrong. And that my friends, is just one amazing thing about this book. I easily connected with Rain. Not to mention, how smoothly the story flows. It was BAM.BAM.BAM but it was done so astonishing well. You are sucked in and wholly engrossed in this girls story!
Rain is one tough cookie. I couldn’t even IMAGINE going through the crap she went through. Her life is turned upside down and sideways. It’s just remarkable how she handles it all. She had her moments of grief and what not, but it didn’t consume her. I understood why she was driven to find out the truth about her life. I actually applauded her for her patience and sanity (because honestly, I probably would have went to jail dealing with these folks), her loyalty and her ability to be just be herself. All that shannigans didn't go to her head, even though she was essentially forced to change who she was on the outside.
There are a lot of secondary characters but not too many to where you can’t keep up. I started to wonder why we had so many different people introduced into the story but after things started to unfold, I discovered how crucial their presence really is to the plot. And to Rain herself. Some of the interactions were brief, maybe too brief. Despite the fact that it was necessary-since there is so much going on- I wanted to see more between Rain and few of other characters.
This plot.. whew. I could never imagine so many crazy, insane things happening to ONE person… in that amount of time! Once I started to recover from a twist, another one sprouted. It was insane. There was only one twist I predicted, but it was something screaming Rain in the face, so I can’t honestly give myself too much credit. A lot of mysteries make me impatient because I just want to know what the hell is going on. But this story is so rapidly paced, I never got impatient with it. And I was FAR from bored! It’s drama filled, hectic and just all around fantastic!
I really wish I could go into more detail about this book but I can’t. There is just too much going on and I know that I will eventually spill something. Otherwise, I could rant and rave about quite a few things that happened! Oh and the ending? *drops jaw* O_O
Overall- I loved it! It was exciting, crazy and full of twists and turns you never see coming. I highly recommend it! I am looking forward to the next one
*A copy was provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review*
Lilybloombooks
What a wild ride! I knew going into this book there was going to be some mystery and some twists. Little did I know, HOW MUCH it would contain. I had a quite a few shouts reading this.
“Saaaaay WHAT!?” ”Oh.My.Gosh!” “ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?”and “HOLY.FREAKIN. BATMAN” ….You get the idea
My face O_O
Right from the start, this book throws you into the drama and it NEVER.STOPS. The writing is spectacular! I feared since the story isn’t a long one (around 154 pages) that I wasn’t going to be able to connect with our protagonist, Rain. But I was wrong. SO wrong. And that my friends, is just one amazing thing about this book. I easily connected with Rain. Not to mention, how smoothly the story flows. It was BAM.BAM.BAM but it was done so astonishing well. You are sucked in and wholly engrossed in this girls story!
Rain is one tough cookie. I couldn’t even IMAGINE going through the crap she went through. Her life is turned upside down and sideways. It’s just remarkable how she handles it all. She had her moments of grief and what not, but it didn’t consume her. I understood why she was driven to find out the truth about her life. I actually applauded her for her patience and sanity (because honestly, I probably would have went to jail dealing with these folks), her loyalty and her ability to be just be herself. All that shannigans didn't go to her head, even though she was essentially forced to change who she was on the outside.
There are a lot of secondary characters but not too many to where you can’t keep up. I started to wonder why we had so many different people introduced into the story but after things started to unfold, I discovered how crucial their presence really is to the plot. And to Rain herself. Some of the interactions were brief, maybe too brief. Despite the fact that it was necessary-since there is so much going on- I wanted to see more between Rain and few of other characters.
This plot.. whew. I could never imagine so many crazy, insane things happening to ONE person… in that amount of time! Once I started to recover from a twist, another one sprouted. It was insane. There was only one twist I predicted, but it was something screaming Rain in the face, so I can’t honestly give myself too much credit. A lot of mysteries make me impatient because I just want to know what the hell is going on. But this story is so rapidly paced, I never got impatient with it. And I was FAR from bored! It’s drama filled, hectic and just all around fantastic!
I really wish I could go into more detail about this book but I can’t. There is just too much going on and I know that I will eventually spill something. Otherwise, I could rant and rave about quite a few things that happened! Oh and the ending? *drops jaw* O_O
Overall- I loved it! It was exciting, crazy and full of twists and turns you never see coming. I highly recommend it! I am looking forward to the next one
*A copy was provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review*
Lilybloombooks
April 14, 2012
Originally posted over at Confessions Of A Bookaholic
Cover Rating: 2/5 - Not crazy about the pink myself
Overall Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: "A House of Cards... When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day. I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding. The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet. I just hope I can survive the crash."
This book saved my life, well not literally. I had run out of books and was about to freak out but luckily Melanie (Cusick-Jones) offered to ask the author of this book if I could have a review copy and I was given one. I really enjoyed this book and it had been one of the only ones I haven't been able to predict. I was constantly thinking I didn't see that coming! When usually I'm like I knew that was going to happen, I bet this will happen next... oh what do you know, I was right. Rain Ramey was quite a good main character and she didn't annoy me too much. There was the stereotypical mean girl character but I didn't hate her either weirdly enough, her brother was okay. I really liked Owen at the beginning and I loved River. The only character I actually hated was Violet, she was just so annoying.
The book is a mystery with a pinch of romance mixed in. Wow it sounds like a recipe now. When we got closer to the end I began to feel creeped out by a certain character - not saying who - and I have suspicions that I need validating! I think I know something important but knowing this book there will be another twist and my suspicions will prove to be wrong. I'm not really one for a mystery but after reading this I don't know why. It was a change from my usual genre but a good one. I would recommend this book to people who like working out mystery's along with the main character. Like a competition who can work it out first, usually I'm good at that. I would give this book 4/5 stars and look forward to reading the second book.
My favorite quote:
"I never meant to run off on you the other day. Believe me, I've got no problem with pretty girls who want to hit on me," he actually had the nerve to wink."
Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK
Cover Rating: 2/5 - Not crazy about the pink myself
Overall Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: "A House of Cards... When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day. I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding. The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet. I just hope I can survive the crash."
This book saved my life, well not literally. I had run out of books and was about to freak out but luckily Melanie (Cusick-Jones) offered to ask the author of this book if I could have a review copy and I was given one. I really enjoyed this book and it had been one of the only ones I haven't been able to predict. I was constantly thinking I didn't see that coming! When usually I'm like I knew that was going to happen, I bet this will happen next... oh what do you know, I was right. Rain Ramey was quite a good main character and she didn't annoy me too much. There was the stereotypical mean girl character but I didn't hate her either weirdly enough, her brother was okay. I really liked Owen at the beginning and I loved River. The only character I actually hated was Violet, she was just so annoying.
The book is a mystery with a pinch of romance mixed in. Wow it sounds like a recipe now. When we got closer to the end I began to feel creeped out by a certain character - not saying who - and I have suspicions that I need validating! I think I know something important but knowing this book there will be another twist and my suspicions will prove to be wrong. I'm not really one for a mystery but after reading this I don't know why. It was a change from my usual genre but a good one. I would recommend this book to people who like working out mystery's along with the main character. Like a competition who can work it out first, usually I'm good at that. I would give this book 4/5 stars and look forward to reading the second book.
My favorite quote:
"I never meant to run off on you the other day. Believe me, I've got no problem with pretty girls who want to hit on me," he actually had the nerve to wink."
Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK
July 11, 2012
Justice (Deck of Lies)
Rain wakes up to a new day. Excited, scared and a normal teenager, starting a new school. Rain received a scholarship to Sloane, a private very rich school. Out of thousands of applicants she is one of 5 poor kids to receive the scholarship. Her parents and brother talk of the future. Rain leaves her house happy with her family's support and excited about a new future. When she gets to school, she is met by Laurel. She shows her around but doesn't befriend her. The school is full of privileged kids,who treat Rain as if she doesn't belong. Carsyn, Von Shelton, one of the most popular girls at school, doesn't let Rain forget she is not wanted or welcomed there. Carsyn comes up to Rain and offers to take her shopping. Rain wanting to fit in, and hoping maybe for a friend at the new school, accepts the offer. Trying on clothes and all the expensive things was something new and exciting. So when she puts on a bracelet and Carsyn says she has already paid for it, she believes her. When the security guard grabs her and charges her with theft, she is very surprised. At the police station she explains what happened and they believe her and call her parents. Rain knows she is in a lot of trouble. After they finger print her, her world goes from bad to worse. The police seclude her and will not let her talk to her parents. When the social worker gets there, they inform her she is a missing person. Rain was kidnapped as a small toddler and has been missing for 14yrs. Her name is not Rain but Chloe. Chloe Van Shelton!
This was a VERY good YA mystery. It is told from young Rain's point of view. She goes through hell. To have a loving family and discover it is all lies, or to think it is, would be horrifying. The author does a great job with Rain on how she deals with everything. Rain is a girl who is put in a unimaginable situation and deals with things as best she can. Rain wants to find out why she was kidnapped. She doesn't want to believe that her parents she has known are bad. She knows there has to be an explanation for it all. As she discovers answers more questions unfold and you want to know more of the mystery evolving their families. River and Rain's relationship is complex but cute and has potential. This story is a entertaining and makes you think and wonder. As an adult, I wanted to know more and wanted to follow Rain on her journey. I am hoping the author will send me the next book of Rain's story. It was defiantly worth the read for any adult or teenager! Thanks for the awesome read.
complimentary book given for a free review
Rain wakes up to a new day. Excited, scared and a normal teenager, starting a new school. Rain received a scholarship to Sloane, a private very rich school. Out of thousands of applicants she is one of 5 poor kids to receive the scholarship. Her parents and brother talk of the future. Rain leaves her house happy with her family's support and excited about a new future. When she gets to school, she is met by Laurel. She shows her around but doesn't befriend her. The school is full of privileged kids,who treat Rain as if she doesn't belong. Carsyn, Von Shelton, one of the most popular girls at school, doesn't let Rain forget she is not wanted or welcomed there. Carsyn comes up to Rain and offers to take her shopping. Rain wanting to fit in, and hoping maybe for a friend at the new school, accepts the offer. Trying on clothes and all the expensive things was something new and exciting. So when she puts on a bracelet and Carsyn says she has already paid for it, she believes her. When the security guard grabs her and charges her with theft, she is very surprised. At the police station she explains what happened and they believe her and call her parents. Rain knows she is in a lot of trouble. After they finger print her, her world goes from bad to worse. The police seclude her and will not let her talk to her parents. When the social worker gets there, they inform her she is a missing person. Rain was kidnapped as a small toddler and has been missing for 14yrs. Her name is not Rain but Chloe. Chloe Van Shelton!
This was a VERY good YA mystery. It is told from young Rain's point of view. She goes through hell. To have a loving family and discover it is all lies, or to think it is, would be horrifying. The author does a great job with Rain on how she deals with everything. Rain is a girl who is put in a unimaginable situation and deals with things as best she can. Rain wants to find out why she was kidnapped. She doesn't want to believe that her parents she has known are bad. She knows there has to be an explanation for it all. As she discovers answers more questions unfold and you want to know more of the mystery evolving their families. River and Rain's relationship is complex but cute and has potential. This story is a entertaining and makes you think and wonder. As an adult, I wanted to know more and wanted to follow Rain on her journey. I am hoping the author will send me the next book of Rain's story. It was defiantly worth the read for any adult or teenager! Thanks for the awesome read.
complimentary book given for a free review
July 26, 2012
There is a certain type of book I like to read in the summer—frothy and light, and not too serious. I want books that are like summer blockbuster movies— full of action, and adventure, and stuff blowing up. If I can’t have that then I want a little bit of mystery and a dash of romance. Essentially, I want a complete escape from reality. These are the kind of books I drag to the beach, read in furious spurts during lunch, and generally indulge myself in when it is so hot that my brain feels like it might melt.
Jade Varden’s Justice is just that kind of book.
The first in the Deck of Lies series of YA novels, Justice is about Rain Ramey, a poor scholarship kid at an elite private school whose run in with the school’s Queen Bee on her first day ends with her arrest for shoplifting and the unwitting tip-off to the police about her real identity.
Apparently, she isn’t Rain Ramey.
She is Chloe von Shelton, a rich girl with a huge bedroom(s), a BMW Roadster, and her private school enemy as a sister. Kidnapped by the people she thought were her parents, Rain/Chloe is determined to unravel the secrets of her past (and kiss a lot of hot boys along the way).
Cue Suspense music.
Justice might sound convoluted and soap opera ish and highly improbable—and it is; the willingness to suspend disbelief, and the refusal to think too hard will aid in the happy reading of this book.
As expected, (or at least I expect it from most YA) the supporting characters are a smidge one dimensional and cliché-- Justice is full of mean girls, generically hot boys, and the requisite mysterious and sulking hot boy. As the main protagonist, Rain/Chloe could stand to be less of a goody-goody and passive. She gets talked into shoplifting bracelets, dates guys she seems ambivalent about, and takes most of what people tell her at face value. I kept waiting for her to figure out how to harness her inner Katniss Everdeen but she never does.
Highs:
Justice is well written. The writing is crisp and clear and the novel keeps a brisk pace that serves the mystery plot well and makes for a fast read.
Lows:
Frequently, clues, revelations, or important conversations are followed up by comments like, “If only I knew then what I know now,” or “Later I would find out that [insert character name] wasn’t telling me the whole truth.” It was like reading neon flashing letters that read “CLUE ALERT” or “MISINFORMATION”. I think a little more credit needs to be given to the reader to parse various clues and conversations. Trying to unravel a mystery before the main character is half the fun of reading a mystery. Justice takes away that suspense and tension unnecessarily.
Jade Varden’s Justice is just that kind of book.
The first in the Deck of Lies series of YA novels, Justice is about Rain Ramey, a poor scholarship kid at an elite private school whose run in with the school’s Queen Bee on her first day ends with her arrest for shoplifting and the unwitting tip-off to the police about her real identity.
Apparently, she isn’t Rain Ramey.
She is Chloe von Shelton, a rich girl with a huge bedroom(s), a BMW Roadster, and her private school enemy as a sister. Kidnapped by the people she thought were her parents, Rain/Chloe is determined to unravel the secrets of her past (and kiss a lot of hot boys along the way).
Cue Suspense music.
Justice might sound convoluted and soap opera ish and highly improbable—and it is; the willingness to suspend disbelief, and the refusal to think too hard will aid in the happy reading of this book.
As expected, (or at least I expect it from most YA) the supporting characters are a smidge one dimensional and cliché-- Justice is full of mean girls, generically hot boys, and the requisite mysterious and sulking hot boy. As the main protagonist, Rain/Chloe could stand to be less of a goody-goody and passive. She gets talked into shoplifting bracelets, dates guys she seems ambivalent about, and takes most of what people tell her at face value. I kept waiting for her to figure out how to harness her inner Katniss Everdeen but she never does.
Highs:
Justice is well written. The writing is crisp and clear and the novel keeps a brisk pace that serves the mystery plot well and makes for a fast read.
Lows:
Frequently, clues, revelations, or important conversations are followed up by comments like, “If only I knew then what I know now,” or “Later I would find out that [insert character name] wasn’t telling me the whole truth.” It was like reading neon flashing letters that read “CLUE ALERT” or “MISINFORMATION”. I think a little more credit needs to be given to the reader to parse various clues and conversations. Trying to unravel a mystery before the main character is half the fun of reading a mystery. Justice takes away that suspense and tension unnecessarily.
August 28, 2012
More of my reviews @ Reading 24x7
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Justice. It had almost everything I like in a YA novel and was damn engrossing. I seriously couldn't put it down once I started reading it. All the characters were nice and the story as a whole was amazing!
I honestly wasn't expecting Justice to be so awesome mainly because of the cover. I love the colour pink but if I had to judge the story by its cover I would've flatly said, "Boooring" but it wasn't! It was far, far from boring. I am not a big fan of YA mystery books so I was a little hesitant at first but I'm so, so glad I got a chance to read such a wonderful story! There were many surprise elements neatly tucked into the story and just the right amount of romance in it. :)
I liked Rain. Even though she was a completely normal character, the way the story was written just sucked me into her life. Her nature was really nice and likeable. I'm glad she wasn't another one of those female protagonists who're too stupid for their own good and keep making mistakes again and again. I felt like I could actually connect with her and the credit for this obviously goes to Ms. Varden for writing Rain's POV so beautifully. I loved almost each and every chapter.
Even though I really liked River, I seriously wish Rain and Tom could have something more between them. When the awkwardest moment of the story came I was like WTF?!? This is not happening!! I love Tom! :( I guess would've been funny if I wasn't so heartbroken...
Anyway, as the story moved on, I got over it and thought that now maybe Rain will give River a chance (Rain, River there names are so cool! Although I honestly think River is a slightly feminine name :P)but she didn't. And I was too busy biting my nails to see what was gonna happen next to get too bothered about it.
The best part of the book was that it's pace was just perfect. It wasn't too slow or too fast. I could easily just relax and lose myself in the story without any problem. I really, really liked Ms. Varden's writing style. It was simply superb! After the end of every chapter, there was that mysterious cliff-hanger that made me want to continue the story. I just couldn't leave it, and when I did, all I could think of was, what would happen next?? I was enchanted. :)
The accurate rating for this book would be 4.5 stars. Justice is a must-read for all YA book lovers. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!! :D
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Justice. It had almost everything I like in a YA novel and was damn engrossing. I seriously couldn't put it down once I started reading it. All the characters were nice and the story as a whole was amazing!
I honestly wasn't expecting Justice to be so awesome mainly because of the cover. I love the colour pink but if I had to judge the story by its cover I would've flatly said, "Boooring" but it wasn't! It was far, far from boring. I am not a big fan of YA mystery books so I was a little hesitant at first but I'm so, so glad I got a chance to read such a wonderful story! There were many surprise elements neatly tucked into the story and just the right amount of romance in it. :)
I liked Rain. Even though she was a completely normal character, the way the story was written just sucked me into her life. Her nature was really nice and likeable. I'm glad she wasn't another one of those female protagonists who're too stupid for their own good and keep making mistakes again and again. I felt like I could actually connect with her and the credit for this obviously goes to Ms. Varden for writing Rain's POV so beautifully. I loved almost each and every chapter.
Even though I really liked River, I seriously wish Rain and Tom could have something more between them. When the awkwardest moment of the story came I was like WTF?!? This is not happening!! I love Tom! :( I guess would've been funny if I wasn't so heartbroken...
Anyway, as the story moved on, I got over it and thought that now maybe Rain will give River a chance (Rain, River there names are so cool! Although I honestly think River is a slightly feminine name :P)but she didn't. And I was too busy biting my nails to see what was gonna happen next to get too bothered about it.
The best part of the book was that it's pace was just perfect. It wasn't too slow or too fast. I could easily just relax and lose myself in the story without any problem. I really, really liked Ms. Varden's writing style. It was simply superb! After the end of every chapter, there was that mysterious cliff-hanger that made me want to continue the story. I just couldn't leave it, and when I did, all I could think of was, what would happen next?? I was enchanted. :)
The accurate rating for this book would be 4.5 stars. Justice is a must-read for all YA book lovers. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!! :D
January 5, 2013
Posted on Amazon Kindle US ...
Being a huge supporter of Indies, and new to Kindle ebooks, I decided to save my first review for an Indie. Preferably one just starting out. After about three months, and many false starts, I discovered Jade Varden's 'Justice; Deck of lies'.
Originally, I nearly didn't read the inside sample as the cover didn't really catch my attention. I'm glad I did. I was compelled enough to purchase the book.
While Justice; Deck of Lies, was not what I was expecting from the cover and the blurb, I give it a steady 4 stars when compared to other books in the YA genre. I would even go as high as 41/2 stars at times. But when I include the very important value for money factor, this book is an easy 5 stars.
Following the journey of Rain Ramey when she receives a Scholarship to Sloane Academy, an exclusive high school for the very rich, the story started off at a nice pace, drawing me in so that I got to know Rain and her family. Then BAM! Suddenly the author threw in an unexpected twist and I completely forgot I was reading an Indie book. I was just reading any book I may have purchased at the store, or have borrowed from the library.
I can't say too much without giving away all the many twists and turns the story takes.
While more discerning readers may believe that some of the twists are too coincidental, once you lose yourself in the story, and imagine it taking place in a small setting, the twists and turns in the plot become fully plausible.
I believe that Rain Ramey is a well developed character who will quickly find a place in the hearts of many readers as she plays the hand she was dealt, (a reference from the cover) as will Owen, the boy Rain meets on her first day at Sloane, Tom - the boy she can never have, and the mysterious River - a boy with an aura of darkness and intrigue who has secrets of his own.
Covering issues of belonging and identity, Rain is a character all teens will be able to relate to as she questions who she is, and where she fits in the world. This is a trying time for any teen, but in Rain's case - the issue is somewhat more complex when she discovers she is not who she thought she was.
I found myself disappointed when I reached the end of what is obviously part of a series. But not in a bad way. It just left me wanting for more the way any good story does. I was delighted to find a teaser for the next book, though. The only question now is how long do I have to wait to find out the answers to my many questions?
Note for parents: this book is squeaky clean. There is nothing unsuitable or inappropriate for the intended age group.
Being a huge supporter of Indies, and new to Kindle ebooks, I decided to save my first review for an Indie. Preferably one just starting out. After about three months, and many false starts, I discovered Jade Varden's 'Justice; Deck of lies'.
Originally, I nearly didn't read the inside sample as the cover didn't really catch my attention. I'm glad I did. I was compelled enough to purchase the book.
While Justice; Deck of Lies, was not what I was expecting from the cover and the blurb, I give it a steady 4 stars when compared to other books in the YA genre. I would even go as high as 41/2 stars at times. But when I include the very important value for money factor, this book is an easy 5 stars.
Following the journey of Rain Ramey when she receives a Scholarship to Sloane Academy, an exclusive high school for the very rich, the story started off at a nice pace, drawing me in so that I got to know Rain and her family. Then BAM! Suddenly the author threw in an unexpected twist and I completely forgot I was reading an Indie book. I was just reading any book I may have purchased at the store, or have borrowed from the library.
I can't say too much without giving away all the many twists and turns the story takes.
While more discerning readers may believe that some of the twists are too coincidental, once you lose yourself in the story, and imagine it taking place in a small setting, the twists and turns in the plot become fully plausible.
I believe that Rain Ramey is a well developed character who will quickly find a place in the hearts of many readers as she plays the hand she was dealt, (a reference from the cover) as will Owen, the boy Rain meets on her first day at Sloane, Tom - the boy she can never have, and the mysterious River - a boy with an aura of darkness and intrigue who has secrets of his own.
Covering issues of belonging and identity, Rain is a character all teens will be able to relate to as she questions who she is, and where she fits in the world. This is a trying time for any teen, but in Rain's case - the issue is somewhat more complex when she discovers she is not who she thought she was.
I found myself disappointed when I reached the end of what is obviously part of a series. But not in a bad way. It just left me wanting for more the way any good story does. I was delighted to find a teaser for the next book, though. The only question now is how long do I have to wait to find out the answers to my many questions?
Note for parents: this book is squeaky clean. There is nothing unsuitable or inappropriate for the intended age group.
July 24, 2012
Oh wow! I LOVED this book! So much so that as soon as I finished it I went and downloaded book 2 and after that book 3. I cannot wait for book 4 later this year and have already publicly urged Jade, the author, to hurry up!
I was asked by Jade to read and review Justice so she sent me the copy for free. I hadn't heard of the book before and so I didn't know anything about it. The cover and the synopsis don't give much away as to what the story is about. I was intrigued enough to agree to review it though, and I am soooo glad I did!
Rain Ramey is 16, lives with her parents and older brother, and has recently won a scholarship at Sloane Academy. The story starts off on her first day and we get to see how normal, down-to-earth and proud her family are. What Rain doesn't know when setting off on her first day at her new school is that she'll never be returning home again after the most popular girl in school pulls a prank that lands Rain at the local police station.
It's really hard to review this book (I think I always say that!) without giving too much away but I'll try!
I really liked Rain. She was a normal girl who had the mother of all shocks that afternoon after school! The way she dealt with it all was phenomenal and showed me just how strong and mature she was. Rain as the narrator of the story worked well and I liked how she expressed her inner thoughts. She was a well developed character and I really sympathised with her situation.
Carsyn (AKA the most popular girl in the school) was a complete cow! Again, it was how well her character was developed that provoked me to hate her. I definitely wouldn't like to count her as one of my friends!
There were quite a number of other characters, ones that I won't name for fear of spoilers. Some of them I really didn't like (but that was obviously the point!), others I loved.
Justice was well written, had a good pace, and had so many twists to the plot it was really hard to work out what might happen next. That was a good thing though, it's nice not to be able to work out the plot before you've got to that part.
You definitely should go and download a copy after reading this review, I don't think you'll regret it. Now I just have to sit tight and wait for Jade to release book 4.
Read more of my reviews and book news at Have Book, Will Read
I was asked by Jade to read and review Justice so she sent me the copy for free. I hadn't heard of the book before and so I didn't know anything about it. The cover and the synopsis don't give much away as to what the story is about. I was intrigued enough to agree to review it though, and I am soooo glad I did!
Rain Ramey is 16, lives with her parents and older brother, and has recently won a scholarship at Sloane Academy. The story starts off on her first day and we get to see how normal, down-to-earth and proud her family are. What Rain doesn't know when setting off on her first day at her new school is that she'll never be returning home again after the most popular girl in school pulls a prank that lands Rain at the local police station.
It's really hard to review this book (I think I always say that!) without giving too much away but I'll try!
I really liked Rain. She was a normal girl who had the mother of all shocks that afternoon after school! The way she dealt with it all was phenomenal and showed me just how strong and mature she was. Rain as the narrator of the story worked well and I liked how she expressed her inner thoughts. She was a well developed character and I really sympathised with her situation.
Carsyn (AKA the most popular girl in the school) was a complete cow! Again, it was how well her character was developed that provoked me to hate her. I definitely wouldn't like to count her as one of my friends!
There were quite a number of other characters, ones that I won't name for fear of spoilers. Some of them I really didn't like (but that was obviously the point!), others I loved.
Justice was well written, had a good pace, and had so many twists to the plot it was really hard to work out what might happen next. That was a good thing though, it's nice not to be able to work out the plot before you've got to that part.
You definitely should go and download a copy after reading this review, I don't think you'll regret it. Now I just have to sit tight and wait for Jade to release book 4.
Read more of my reviews and book news at Have Book, Will Read
March 18, 2013
I'm told on a regular basis that I rate books too highly, but I can't, in good faith, downplay the merit of a story I enjoy as much as I do Justice, the first installment of Varden's Deck of Lies series--it is a highly entertaining read deserving of at least 4 1/2 stars.
I call it an "installment" because this is NOT a standalone story. Like many indie-published YA books (those of my own series included!), Justice ends without offering much in the way of conclusion. If shorter-format serials aren't your thing, you may be disappointed by the cliffhanger ending. Otherwise, you're in for a treat.
Justice opens with some fairly generic YA themes: Rain is a less-than-popular smart girl who is nervous about beginning her first day at a new school. Sound familiar? Hang in there...because within the space of a couple of chapters, Varden begins turning the genre standards upside-down with an onslaught of twists and turns--most of which I did not see coming! Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that "Deck of Lies" is a very apt title.
My only complaints (and here I'm nit-picking) are, first, that some of the disclosed truths about Rain's family seem far too coincidental. I'm willing to accept this sort of thing in a fantasy story where fates or fortunes or fairies or whatever are weaving characters' storylines together, but Justice is a mystery--too good a mystery for the continual interconnections between characters. I found myself hoping that Rain's mother's tarot card reading in the first chapter (which is a brief scene that doesn't have much impact on the plot of this installment)is a hint of some yet-unseen fantasy element that will be revealed in the overarching story. My other grief is that the protagonist seems to be interested in any boy who gives her the time of day. Perhaps that's realistic, but I found it odd for a girl who is busy wrestling with questions regarding her identity.
These small distractions aside, Justice is well-written and very original. The dialogue is believable and often humorous, which effectively lightens what could be a very dark story. It's a fast read, in part because it is somewhat short but mostly because the plot is so engrossing. I learned my lesson this time and will plan on setting aside time to read the sequel straight through! Well done, Jade Varden! I look forward to following the remainder of the series.
I call it an "installment" because this is NOT a standalone story. Like many indie-published YA books (those of my own series included!), Justice ends without offering much in the way of conclusion. If shorter-format serials aren't your thing, you may be disappointed by the cliffhanger ending. Otherwise, you're in for a treat.
Justice opens with some fairly generic YA themes: Rain is a less-than-popular smart girl who is nervous about beginning her first day at a new school. Sound familiar? Hang in there...because within the space of a couple of chapters, Varden begins turning the genre standards upside-down with an onslaught of twists and turns--most of which I did not see coming! Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that "Deck of Lies" is a very apt title.
My only complaints (and here I'm nit-picking) are, first, that some of the disclosed truths about Rain's family seem far too coincidental. I'm willing to accept this sort of thing in a fantasy story where fates or fortunes or fairies or whatever are weaving characters' storylines together, but Justice is a mystery--too good a mystery for the continual interconnections between characters. I found myself hoping that Rain's mother's tarot card reading in the first chapter (which is a brief scene that doesn't have much impact on the plot of this installment)is a hint of some yet-unseen fantasy element that will be revealed in the overarching story. My other grief is that the protagonist seems to be interested in any boy who gives her the time of day. Perhaps that's realistic, but I found it odd for a girl who is busy wrestling with questions regarding her identity.
These small distractions aside, Justice is well-written and very original. The dialogue is believable and often humorous, which effectively lightens what could be a very dark story. It's a fast read, in part because it is somewhat short but mostly because the plot is so engrossing. I learned my lesson this time and will plan on setting aside time to read the sequel straight through! Well done, Jade Varden! I look forward to following the remainder of the series.
Read
August 8, 2012First Thoughts
I didn’t know what to think, I’m a romance type of girl not really suspense, mystery person, but the synopsis was so intriguing I thought I would give it a try. Expect
My thoughts
Deck of Lies sounds simply enough. Girl makes bad decision, girl discovers lies told to her, and then girl goes a path of discovering herself and unfolding all the lies.NO! Not that simple. Deck of lies is a story with twist and turns everywhere, and by the end you’re left wondering did all that just happen and only in the first book. And the answer is yes, a lot of stuff did go down, and what a rollercoaster it was.
The plot of this story is SUPER CRAZY. It’s one thing after the other. I won’t really give any more info other than what’s provided in the blurb because that is all you need to know, and anything else will just ruin the story for you. I will say that you will not be disappointed and don’t even try to predict what’s going to happen next because it won’t work.
Now on to the characters, there is Rain who is just your average teenage. She has loving parents, a younger brother, her life is simple. Then one day everything changes, she must rediscover herself and reevaluate everyone and everything around her. River is not your average team he hasn’t had the greatest year, and everything beginnings to change when he meets Rain. What I loved about both of these characters was how relatable they are. They’re not perfect, and that was a big plus for me. I love the flawed character because that makes the character real to me.
The end! Man was I mad that it ended the way it did. Wasn’t bad but I wanted more. I’m so impatient and not the biggest fans of cliffhangers. The only time I like a cliffhanger is when the second but is already out and lucky for me this one is!
Overall, Deck of lies was a fun, fast read. It will draw you in from the beginning and won’t relinquish your attention until the very end. It has suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance, and for the price you really can’t beat it! I will see this series out until the end!
Stars: 4.5
Source: giving to me from author in exchange for honest review
I didn’t know what to think, I’m a romance type of girl not really suspense, mystery person, but the synopsis was so intriguing I thought I would give it a try. Expect
My thoughts
Deck of Lies sounds simply enough. Girl makes bad decision, girl discovers lies told to her, and then girl goes a path of discovering herself and unfolding all the lies.NO! Not that simple. Deck of lies is a story with twist and turns everywhere, and by the end you’re left wondering did all that just happen and only in the first book. And the answer is yes, a lot of stuff did go down, and what a rollercoaster it was.
The plot of this story is SUPER CRAZY. It’s one thing after the other. I won’t really give any more info other than what’s provided in the blurb because that is all you need to know, and anything else will just ruin the story for you. I will say that you will not be disappointed and don’t even try to predict what’s going to happen next because it won’t work.
Now on to the characters, there is Rain who is just your average teenage. She has loving parents, a younger brother, her life is simple. Then one day everything changes, she must rediscover herself and reevaluate everyone and everything around her. River is not your average team he hasn’t had the greatest year, and everything beginnings to change when he meets Rain. What I loved about both of these characters was how relatable they are. They’re not perfect, and that was a big plus for me. I love the flawed character because that makes the character real to me.
The end! Man was I mad that it ended the way it did. Wasn’t bad but I wanted more. I’m so impatient and not the biggest fans of cliffhangers. The only time I like a cliffhanger is when the second but is already out and lucky for me this one is!
Overall, Deck of lies was a fun, fast read. It will draw you in from the beginning and won’t relinquish your attention until the very end. It has suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance, and for the price you really can’t beat it! I will see this series out until the end!
Stars: 4.5
Source: giving to me from author in exchange for honest review
July 9, 2012
Full review here on TotalTeenFiction
I was sent a copy of this book and I've been meaning to read it for a while. This is the first book in the Deck of Lies series and I wasn't really sure what to expect (the cover doesn't give much away!) but as soon as I started it I was pretty much hooked. The story is all about Rain Ramey who, after winning a scholarship to the prodigious Sloane Academy, suddenly starts to discover things about her past and her family that she never could have dreamt were true.
The plot itself was gripping. There's plenty of mystery as Rain has to discover just what's happened to lead her to the situation she's found herself in. With a little help from a guy named River she has to do a little detective work. I love mystery books so it was great finding such an interesting mystery in a YA novel. There were plenty of twists and turns as well, so much I wasn't expecting!
I really loved the main character. You sympathise with her straight away and feel for her as her life is flipped upside down. It's told from Rain's perspective and I just loved her voice throughout the story.
Rain gets a few romantic interests in the story which I liked. It kept me as guessing as to who she would end up with! The male characters are really interesting people, too. There was maybe a little too much juggling of male interest at one point but for the most part I liked those subplots.
The only thing that bugged me a little was when Rain's narrative flashed back and forth from past to present. At some points she was narrating as if everything had already happened, but for most of the book she was in the present so it took me out of the story a little each time.
I really enjoyed reading this book, though, and it only got better towards the end. I can't wait to read the next instalment in the series. There's so much more I want to know! Justice is a really great YA mystery and a book I'd definitely recommend
I was sent a copy of this book and I've been meaning to read it for a while. This is the first book in the Deck of Lies series and I wasn't really sure what to expect (the cover doesn't give much away!) but as soon as I started it I was pretty much hooked. The story is all about Rain Ramey who, after winning a scholarship to the prodigious Sloane Academy, suddenly starts to discover things about her past and her family that she never could have dreamt were true.
The plot itself was gripping. There's plenty of mystery as Rain has to discover just what's happened to lead her to the situation she's found herself in. With a little help from a guy named River she has to do a little detective work. I love mystery books so it was great finding such an interesting mystery in a YA novel. There were plenty of twists and turns as well, so much I wasn't expecting!
I really loved the main character. You sympathise with her straight away and feel for her as her life is flipped upside down. It's told from Rain's perspective and I just loved her voice throughout the story.
Rain gets a few romantic interests in the story which I liked. It kept me as guessing as to who she would end up with! The male characters are really interesting people, too. There was maybe a little too much juggling of male interest at one point but for the most part I liked those subplots.
The only thing that bugged me a little was when Rain's narrative flashed back and forth from past to present. At some points she was narrating as if everything had already happened, but for most of the book she was in the present so it took me out of the story a little each time.
I really enjoyed reading this book, though, and it only got better towards the end. I can't wait to read the next instalment in the series. There's so much more I want to know! Justice is a really great YA mystery and a book I'd definitely recommend
January 30, 2016
What happens when everything you know is a lie? When your life is turned upside down? How can a single choice change EVERYTHING?
I’m a firmly believer that life is the sum of all our choices. And whether the result of those choices is good or bad we have to keep going. This book is the prove that I’m not wrong! Life changes every second, with every word, every actions, every smile, every thought, second by second we face something new.
Rain is this young girl that we know on her first day in a new school. And not any school, an elite school to which she has to adjust. But things don’t go as she expected and her life gives a 180 degree turn.
Everything is turn upside down for her and she has to face a lot of discoveries and secrets and new people in her life. Taking all of her strength to go on and not to crumble, we discovered along her a series of well hidden (at least until now) secrets and lies.
Rain is one of the girls you most can feel relate to, a bit shy, a little awkward at times , true to herself, and in the search of her identity and is in the battle between who she wants to be and what other want her to be that she finds herself.
About the other characters: River, Owen and Tom, are the trio of boys we get to know in the book and I think they made the perfect team with Rain when it was needed. Each one has his moment in the story and brings something new to her life. And Carsyn is the perfect villain in the story, every
good story has one, and she is plays her part perfectly.
Every page leaves you wanting for more and she gives you sneak peek of what’s to come. So from time to time you found a thought such like: “If I knew then…” and you want to skip the pages to see why she says that.
This is an EXCELLENT book -it doesn’t matter if you label it as YA, suspense, thriller, drama, what truly is important is that these is a great book. Well written, with characters very developed, with great backgrounds and with the perfect amount of romance, action and secrets to resolve.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
I’m a firmly believer that life is the sum of all our choices. And whether the result of those choices is good or bad we have to keep going. This book is the prove that I’m not wrong! Life changes every second, with every word, every actions, every smile, every thought, second by second we face something new.
Rain is this young girl that we know on her first day in a new school. And not any school, an elite school to which she has to adjust. But things don’t go as she expected and her life gives a 180 degree turn.
Everything is turn upside down for her and she has to face a lot of discoveries and secrets and new people in her life. Taking all of her strength to go on and not to crumble, we discovered along her a series of well hidden (at least until now) secrets and lies.
Rain is one of the girls you most can feel relate to, a bit shy, a little awkward at times , true to herself, and in the search of her identity and is in the battle between who she wants to be and what other want her to be that she finds herself.
About the other characters: River, Owen and Tom, are the trio of boys we get to know in the book and I think they made the perfect team with Rain when it was needed. Each one has his moment in the story and brings something new to her life. And Carsyn is the perfect villain in the story, every
good story has one, and she is plays her part perfectly.
Every page leaves you wanting for more and she gives you sneak peek of what’s to come. So from time to time you found a thought such like: “If I knew then…” and you want to skip the pages to see why she says that.
This is an EXCELLENT book -it doesn’t matter if you label it as YA, suspense, thriller, drama, what truly is important is that these is a great book. Well written, with characters very developed, with great backgrounds and with the perfect amount of romance, action and secrets to resolve.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
December 1, 2012
Wow… Have you ever had one of those moments, when you know someone that makes something (either an artist who paints, an author who writes, a person who sings, etc) and bec you know that person, you are afraid to see, read or hear their work because what if it sucks?
You don’t wanna tell that person they suck. And you don’t want to be let down when you expected something better.
Well, that was my problem with reading Jade Varden’s books. See, I have been following her blog pretty avidly as I am planning on self publishing soon and she has AMAZING writing and publishing tips constantly. And I was afraid that when I read her books, I would be let down.
BUT man I was wrong. I can’t believe I have waited this long to read them.
Justice is about a girl, Rain Ramey, who was just a normal smart girl, until another student plays a horrible prank on her that ends up turning her world upside down. After being finger-printed for a crime she was framed for (and incidentally not charged with) they discovered she was the missing-kidnapped child from 14 years ago, that is actually the child of a very rich, respected family.
She has to try to fit in with this rich family, with a sister that hates her, and a brother that’s complicated, to try and reconcile the parents who raised her with hardened criminals that would kidnap a child.
On top of all that, she has these people that come into her life, (a couple of awesome boys) complicating it more. And she cant really tell who is telling the truth and not.
Its really an exhilarating ride, and once I started the book, I just couldn’t stop.
I gotta say, im pretty much all for River right now, and if she doesn’t end up with him… ill be very sad. Im not liking the Owen too much.
Now time to buy Tower, book 2.
Rating: 4.5 Stars!! (rounded up due to the price, and even though I really don’t like the cover too much.)
You don’t wanna tell that person they suck. And you don’t want to be let down when you expected something better.
Well, that was my problem with reading Jade Varden’s books. See, I have been following her blog pretty avidly as I am planning on self publishing soon and she has AMAZING writing and publishing tips constantly. And I was afraid that when I read her books, I would be let down.
BUT man I was wrong. I can’t believe I have waited this long to read them.
Justice is about a girl, Rain Ramey, who was just a normal smart girl, until another student plays a horrible prank on her that ends up turning her world upside down. After being finger-printed for a crime she was framed for (and incidentally not charged with) they discovered she was the missing-kidnapped child from 14 years ago, that is actually the child of a very rich, respected family.
She has to try to fit in with this rich family, with a sister that hates her, and a brother that’s complicated, to try and reconcile the parents who raised her with hardened criminals that would kidnap a child.
On top of all that, she has these people that come into her life, (a couple of awesome boys) complicating it more. And she cant really tell who is telling the truth and not.
Its really an exhilarating ride, and once I started the book, I just couldn’t stop.
I gotta say, im pretty much all for River right now, and if she doesn’t end up with him… ill be very sad. Im not liking the Owen too much.
Now time to buy Tower, book 2.
Rating: 4.5 Stars!! (rounded up due to the price, and even though I really don’t like the cover too much.)
January 1, 2013
Anyone who reads my blog knows that Young Adult is not usually my thing, but the author contacted me and the book sounded interesting and I liked the Tarot theme in the titles, so I figured I'd give it a shot and I'm not unhappy I did. As it was a short book, this will be a somewhat short review, but don't take that to mean I didn't like it.
I will admit, though, since most of my Young Adult reading has been Paranormal, I kept waiting for vampires to come out of closets, lol. They didn't. It's not that type of book, but I kept thinking it would be!
It started off very quickly and clipped along through the first chapters at a good pace, but didn't feel like it was missing anything. I felt like it kind of dragged here and there through the middle, mainly dealing with her in the new house, but not so bad that I couldn't continued reading.
This was one of those rare YA stories where I didn't hate the female narrator, so that was nice. Though she flip-flopped fast between guys and that was a little "meh" to watch, but not that bad either.
Varden has a very fluid way of writing, keeps you moving right along and keeps you curious about where the story will go and what the big finale will be. There were a couple... we'll call them "familial twists" to avoid spoilers, which I thought were bloody hysterical.
There was a lot of dramatic buildup, hints to future events in the book. I didn't feel the ending of this book matched those, but knowing that the next book picks right up where the first leaves off and it's a set series, I figured that the Big Ending will be saved for the final book. Which kind of bugs me, cause I wanted to know sooner, but I'm impatient. Ha.
Anyways, ultimately, I liked this book. It didn't quite grab me enough to jump and down raving about it -- probably just because YA still isn't ultimately my thing -- but I liked it quite a bit and think I'll be checking out the rest to find out the rest of the story. So, 4 for this one!
I will admit, though, since most of my Young Adult reading has been Paranormal, I kept waiting for vampires to come out of closets, lol. They didn't. It's not that type of book, but I kept thinking it would be!
It started off very quickly and clipped along through the first chapters at a good pace, but didn't feel like it was missing anything. I felt like it kind of dragged here and there through the middle, mainly dealing with her in the new house, but not so bad that I couldn't continued reading.
This was one of those rare YA stories where I didn't hate the female narrator, so that was nice. Though she flip-flopped fast between guys and that was a little "meh" to watch, but not that bad either.
Varden has a very fluid way of writing, keeps you moving right along and keeps you curious about where the story will go and what the big finale will be. There were a couple... we'll call them "familial twists" to avoid spoilers, which I thought were bloody hysterical.
There was a lot of dramatic buildup, hints to future events in the book. I didn't feel the ending of this book matched those, but knowing that the next book picks right up where the first leaves off and it's a set series, I figured that the Big Ending will be saved for the final book. Which kind of bugs me, cause I wanted to know sooner, but I'm impatient. Ha.
Anyways, ultimately, I liked this book. It didn't quite grab me enough to jump and down raving about it -- probably just because YA still isn't ultimately my thing -- but I liked it quite a bit and think I'll be checking out the rest to find out the rest of the story. So, 4 for this one!
May 30, 2013
Synopsis: "A House of Cards...
When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.
I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding.
The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.
I just hope I can survive the crash."
My Review: This book totally caught me off guard. I don't normally read mystery but do read a lot of young adult so thought I would give it a try. I completely forgot I was reading a mystery until things started twisting around towards the end! I was so absorbed in the story and the characters that I couldn't put the book down (I ended up hiding my kindle under the covers so my hubby wouldn't see me reading when I should have been sleeping), I finished it in a single day. The story builds and builds in intensity that you can't wait to follow Rain and see what happens next only to be left with a cliffhanger ending! The characters were so rich and real, I felt like I was watching a movie or even involved in their lives. I admit that some of the twists were a little predictable but it didn't matter as you moved on to the many other plot lines. I really can't explain how surprisingly great Justice was for me. I really hope you will give it a shot.
When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.
I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding.
The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.
I just hope I can survive the crash."
My Review: This book totally caught me off guard. I don't normally read mystery but do read a lot of young adult so thought I would give it a try. I completely forgot I was reading a mystery until things started twisting around towards the end! I was so absorbed in the story and the characters that I couldn't put the book down (I ended up hiding my kindle under the covers so my hubby wouldn't see me reading when I should have been sleeping), I finished it in a single day. The story builds and builds in intensity that you can't wait to follow Rain and see what happens next only to be left with a cliffhanger ending! The characters were so rich and real, I felt like I was watching a movie or even involved in their lives. I admit that some of the twists were a little predictable but it didn't matter as you moved on to the many other plot lines. I really can't explain how surprisingly great Justice was for me. I really hope you will give it a shot.
February 11, 2013
This book was a quick read - only 152 pages.
For the most part I enjoy Justice by Jade Varden. I know that it is a series so things will def be further explored, explained and executed later.
Rain was a interesting character and from the premise I was expecting a darker book, but it was pretty clean considering she is at a place surrounded by wealthy kids who have access to many things they otherwise would not, but that was okay. Rain was a well-developed character that had a clear voice that I really, really liked. She was not annoying and understood what she had to do to discover who she really is.
This book is littered with mysteries and it was pretty addictive! I mean I finished it in less than two hours, because even though somethings seemed a bit too coincidental, the unfolding of characters motives, histories and discoveries of lies were just fun! I wanted to know what happened next.
This book does have a love triangle potential, but luckily the author avoids it, by making Rain pick who she likes best, pretty early one. So you dodge a speeding and annoying bullet there, at least for now. It is only the first book in a series so it will more than likely be explored some more.
The side characters, especially those like Carsyn were fun and well-developed and in the few pages, you did get an understanding of who they are and that is always good..
The writing was fast paced and descriptive without being overbearing and allowed for novel to transiton along pretty fast.
I enjoyed Justice by Jade Varden and will def check out it's sequels.
Thoughts???
Buy Justice NOW!!: http://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Li...
~V
For the most part I enjoy Justice by Jade Varden. I know that it is a series so things will def be further explored, explained and executed later.
Rain was a interesting character and from the premise I was expecting a darker book, but it was pretty clean considering she is at a place surrounded by wealthy kids who have access to many things they otherwise would not, but that was okay. Rain was a well-developed character that had a clear voice that I really, really liked. She was not annoying and understood what she had to do to discover who she really is.
This book is littered with mysteries and it was pretty addictive! I mean I finished it in less than two hours, because even though somethings seemed a bit too coincidental, the unfolding of characters motives, histories and discoveries of lies were just fun! I wanted to know what happened next.
This book does have a love triangle potential, but luckily the author avoids it, by making Rain pick who she likes best, pretty early one. So you dodge a speeding and annoying bullet there, at least for now. It is only the first book in a series so it will more than likely be explored some more.
The side characters, especially those like Carsyn were fun and well-developed and in the few pages, you did get an understanding of who they are and that is always good..
The writing was fast paced and descriptive without being overbearing and allowed for novel to transiton along pretty fast.
I enjoyed Justice by Jade Varden and will def check out it's sequels.
Thoughts???
Buy Justice NOW!!: http://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Li...
~V
May 8, 2012
I was kindly asked to read and review this by the author, Jade Varden. I am so very glad that I had the privilege to do so.
This book caught me from the very first page. The characters were well developed, I felt emotional connection with the main character, Rain Ramey, from the get go. She was an average girl, with a nice, 'normal' family - Dad, Mom, and brother living in an average home. That is until one day when Rain left her average school, her friends, and her brother to go to a private school - which her family never would have been able to afford had she not gotten a scholarship. That day....everything changed.
It is very rare for me to not be able to predict the twists and turns in a story. This book was one in a million! The plots twists completely caught me off guard...and I LOVED IT! It's a little boring when you are reading a typical YA romance novel and you can predict everything from start to finish...I swear to you I could not have done that with Justice. I felt like a detective. The ending was great! It was totally unpredictable. It left you wanting to know more!
I would classify this book as a YA mystery/romance. If you enjoy trying to figure out what going to happen in a book, who did it, and why than you wont be able to put this one down. I sure couldn't!
Jade Varden has proved herself to be an amazing author! I definitely recommend this book to everyone. The next book in the series is called 'The Tower' and I cannot wait to read it!!
This book caught me from the very first page. The characters were well developed, I felt emotional connection with the main character, Rain Ramey, from the get go. She was an average girl, with a nice, 'normal' family - Dad, Mom, and brother living in an average home. That is until one day when Rain left her average school, her friends, and her brother to go to a private school - which her family never would have been able to afford had she not gotten a scholarship. That day....everything changed.
It is very rare for me to not be able to predict the twists and turns in a story. This book was one in a million! The plots twists completely caught me off guard...and I LOVED IT! It's a little boring when you are reading a typical YA romance novel and you can predict everything from start to finish...I swear to you I could not have done that with Justice. I felt like a detective. The ending was great! It was totally unpredictable. It left you wanting to know more!
I would classify this book as a YA mystery/romance. If you enjoy trying to figure out what going to happen in a book, who did it, and why than you wont be able to put this one down. I sure couldn't!
Jade Varden has proved herself to be an amazing author! I definitely recommend this book to everyone. The next book in the series is called 'The Tower' and I cannot wait to read it!!
June 11, 2012
This is a condensed version of my review. The extended version can be found here.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received a copy of this book for review from the author in exchange for my honest opinions.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I didn't really know what to expect going into this novel. I read the first five pages and found my mind whirling in a million different directions as I tried to figure out what was going to happen next.
I never could have guessed the direction this novel would go. I found myself getting drawn into the story more and more with each page I read. Rain Ramey, the main character of the story, was one that I loved getting to know more about. The more I read about her the more I liked her. That's not to say I didn't want to hit her over the head at times, because I did.
However, as much as I liked Rain, I loved Rivers. From the moment Rain met him, I really liked him and I did throughout the entire novel. I still do.
Varden's writing was compelling and left me thoroughly entertained. And that ending, man did that ending kill me. I have to know what happens next. I wouldn't say her ending is a cliff-hanger exactly, but it definitely left me dying to read what happens next.
I have all these thoughts and suspicions and I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happened. Any novel that can do that ranks high in my book.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received a copy of this book for review from the author in exchange for my honest opinions.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I didn't really know what to expect going into this novel. I read the first five pages and found my mind whirling in a million different directions as I tried to figure out what was going to happen next.
I never could have guessed the direction this novel would go. I found myself getting drawn into the story more and more with each page I read. Rain Ramey, the main character of the story, was one that I loved getting to know more about. The more I read about her the more I liked her. That's not to say I didn't want to hit her over the head at times, because I did.
However, as much as I liked Rain, I loved Rivers. From the moment Rain met him, I really liked him and I did throughout the entire novel. I still do.
Varden's writing was compelling and left me thoroughly entertained. And that ending, man did that ending kill me. I have to know what happens next. I wouldn't say her ending is a cliff-hanger exactly, but it definitely left me dying to read what happens next.
I have all these thoughts and suspicions and I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happened. Any novel that can do that ranks high in my book.
July 19, 2012
To see more of my reviews visit http://losttobooks.blogspot.co.uk
I must admit that when I first received a request for this book I was hesitant to accept; I wasn't exactly keen on the cover and from the description it didn't sound like a book I would usually pick up. However I am so glad I did accept, the book kept a good pace throughout and included lots of twists to keep me engrossed and in suspense of what was going to happen in Rain's life. As I started reading I presumed it would be another book like Girl Missing by Sophie Mckennzie but the story soon developed into it's own, with it's own voice and it was obvious this was not the usual girl-kidnapped-and-thrown-back-into-a-new-family-life book.
I loved the element of using the upper classes to contrast with Rain's character, it made her easier to relate to and sympathise with during the situations she found herself in. Also with the slight love interests throughout it made the story even more exciting as it gave me something else to anticipate and question; with some of my ideas turning out right, and others not, which was great as it meant the book was unpredictable.
Overall I found that I was not able to stop myself reading on, I told myself one more chapter and ended up reading six instead. The book leaves you on a cliff hanger and even though I have my suspicions about who did what, I am not as certain as I usually am when I read mystery books. I would recommend this book to anyone and can't wait to read 'The Tower' (the next in the series).
I must admit that when I first received a request for this book I was hesitant to accept; I wasn't exactly keen on the cover and from the description it didn't sound like a book I would usually pick up. However I am so glad I did accept, the book kept a good pace throughout and included lots of twists to keep me engrossed and in suspense of what was going to happen in Rain's life. As I started reading I presumed it would be another book like Girl Missing by Sophie Mckennzie but the story soon developed into it's own, with it's own voice and it was obvious this was not the usual girl-kidnapped-and-thrown-back-into-a-new-family-life book.
I loved the element of using the upper classes to contrast with Rain's character, it made her easier to relate to and sympathise with during the situations she found herself in. Also with the slight love interests throughout it made the story even more exciting as it gave me something else to anticipate and question; with some of my ideas turning out right, and others not, which was great as it meant the book was unpredictable.
Overall I found that I was not able to stop myself reading on, I told myself one more chapter and ended up reading six instead. The book leaves you on a cliff hanger and even though I have my suspicions about who did what, I am not as certain as I usually am when I read mystery books. I would recommend this book to anyone and can't wait to read 'The Tower' (the next in the series).
October 11, 2012
Ignore the fluffy, pink cover. Justice is a short novel with substance and a very interesting plot. I read a review of Justice that called it "predictable," but I couldn't disagree more. Jade Varden really kept me on my toes with this one. The novel starts with Rain starting a new school on scholarship, making the transition to a private school with very wealthy students who are nothing like herself. So at first I thought, "So it's going to be one of those books," you know, where a less-than-well-to-do kid gets shoved in with the rich kids and all kinds of drama ensues. Sure, that happens in this book, but it quickly turned into so much more.
As I kept reading I couldn't help but think Justice reminded me a lot of V.C. Andrews work, which is admittedly a guilty pleasure of mine. Rain's world is turned upside down when it turns out her parents aren't who she thinks they are. Meanwhile, Rain starts a new relationship with an attractive young man. I couldn't believe how that turned out! I really can't give it away, but I will tell you this quick book was anything but predictable to me, especially when the book ended with a dramatic crime.
Justice is a self-published book that was extremely well written. There wasn't a typo or error is sight as I read. Jade Varden really has a way with bringing her story to life, I could easily picture everything that was happening and I was never bored.
Four stars! I think fans of V.C. Andrews will really enjoy Justice, it definitely had that same kind of vibe.
...more YA reviews at pandareads.com
As I kept reading I couldn't help but think Justice reminded me a lot of V.C. Andrews work, which is admittedly a guilty pleasure of mine. Rain's world is turned upside down when it turns out her parents aren't who she thinks they are. Meanwhile, Rain starts a new relationship with an attractive young man. I couldn't believe how that turned out! I really can't give it away, but I will tell you this quick book was anything but predictable to me, especially when the book ended with a dramatic crime.
Justice is a self-published book that was extremely well written. There wasn't a typo or error is sight as I read. Jade Varden really has a way with bringing her story to life, I could easily picture everything that was happening and I was never bored.
Four stars! I think fans of V.C. Andrews will really enjoy Justice, it definitely had that same kind of vibe.
...more YA reviews at pandareads.com
November 8, 2012
I loved the development of the story line right from chapter one, which only made me want to read it more. It reminded me slightly of A Cinderella Story or even Mean Girls. Imagine your life changing one day, just because you go shopping with the queen bee of the school, in this case - Carsyn. One stupid prank and your life isn't what you thought it was. That's exactly what happened to Rain. She begins to discover every lie in her life, and she won't stop until she finds out the truth of every lie. It changes her world more than she ever thought it would, but it's too late to stop now. Lies upon lies are dug up over the course of this book... starting with a kidnapping. Rain soon discovers the truth about another kidnapping, a death, and so much more. It was sometimes unbelievable and unrealistic how much could happen to one person in their lifetime, and how many lies their truly were. I loved how Varden connected all of the characters though, in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Reading this book made me want to buy Deck of Lies- Tower, the second book, and I never buy books on my iPhone.
I would recommend this book to any young adult because it's the perfect amount of high school drama for any adolescent.
I would recommend this book to any young adult because it's the perfect amount of high school drama for any adolescent.
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