Saturday, January 26, 2013

BLOG TOUR: "Allusive Aftershock" - Susan Griscom




Title: Allusive Aftershock
By: Susan Griscom
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Published by: Amber Glow Books
Release date: December 18, 2012



BLURB:
 

What happens when a major earthquake changes life as you know it and the boy you thought you hated ends up saving you? Three times!

Courtland Reese is the guy everyone hates and makes fun of because … well, he is weird. He communicates with animals. Strange or interesting, seventeen-year-old Adela Castielle can’t quite figure out, but when he saves her from being trampled by her own horse, she begins to understand him a little better and wants to learn more about him.

But, Max--her best friend/dream guy/someday-to-be-her-husband-only-he-doesn’t-know-it-yet--hates Courtland with a passion. Adela wants to know why, except neither boy is talking.

When Max leaves her stranded in his parents' wine cave with his worst enemy, Courtland, after what the experts are calling a “megathrust” earthquake, Adela starts to question her loyalty to Max as steamy kisses in a dark damp cellar only fuel her emotions with more conflict.

But does she really have time to worry about that when fire, destruction and mayhem surround her?




 
 
 
A NOTE FROM SUSAN:



I daydream often and sometimes my daydreams interrupt my daydreams. So I write to remember them. If I didn't write, I think my mind would explode from an overload of fantasy and weirdness. To the annoyance of my friends and family, my characters sometimes become a part of my world. During my childhood, I would frequently get in trouble in school for daydreaming. Eventually, my vivid imagination paid off and I had the privilege of writing and co-directing my sixth-grade class play—a dreadful disaster, though not from my writing, of course, I must blame it on the acting.

I love writing about characters living in small quaint towns and tend to lean toward the unusual and spooky.

My paranormal playing field delves into a different milieu, abandoning vampires and werewolves, but not discounting them. Someday I might like to write a novel about vamps and those furry creatures. But for now I like the bizarre mixed with romance. A strong hero or heroine confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers and capabilities gets my blood running hot.




EXCERPT:
 
 


With no electricity, I could barely make out the two figures standing by the door to the cellar. If not for the half moon, I would not have been able to see them at all. I stepped up to them and realized they were staring up at the sky and my eyes naturally followed their gaze. I had never seen such an awesome sight. Without any city lights for miles and miles, the stars in the sky were unusually bright and plentiful. A truly beautiful sight.

“Wow,” I whispered, standing between Max and Court. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Court’s focus change and he stared down at me. There was something strange about the way his eyes bored into me, as if he could see into my soul. I waited for him to look away but he held his gaze on me while I pretended to marvel at the sky. I’d never seen him stare at me that way before and I got nervous. My fingers fidgeted with each other and I clamped two of them in my other hand to steady them. If I hadn’t known better, I never would have guessed in a million years he had injuries. His eyes stayed fixed on me with an intense tenderness I had never seen from a boy before. Maybe Courtland Reese wasn’t so bad after all. Standing between the two of them in all their glorious hotness had my stomach doing flip-flops. I knew it was wrong to think these things under the circumstances, but maybe my mind just needed the distraction … or confusion. I loved Max, but I was beginning to like Courtland too. Man, I was in so much trouble.

 
 
 
MY REVIEW:



“Allusive Aftershock” by Susan Griscom

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really good and I liked it a lot. Although this Young Adult novel was a work of fiction, there were subjects and events that unfortunately happen in reality. Author Susan Griscom wrote this novel very tastefully and she captivated me from the beginning. I would definitely recommend “Allusive Aftershock” to fans of Young Adult Romance, and I would rate this novel 4 STARS.

The small, barely there town of Pleasant Ridge, California was hit by a mega thrust earthquake. There was tremendous damage as well as many aftershocks. When the town’s people thought things were safe enough to get back in the usual routine of school and work…they were wrong. Extremely strong aftershocks caused so much damage and death. When the unfortunate and disastrous events of the earthquake tore apart the small town of Pleasant Ridge…things changed. Many of the survivors lost their families and homes, and had no food or water. Trouble was everywhere and Adela, Max, and Courtland needed to get to safety quickly. Problem is, Max and Court do not get a long at all. To add to that, Adela has a major crush on Max, while Court is in love with Adela. So we got ourselves a little love triangle going on. Court got hurt in the damage of the aftershock and Adela tended to him while Max left to find help. Although some people in the town became delirious, Adela finally started seeing things clearly. She began seeing Court for who he really was and not what the rumors said. They got to know each other quite a bit while she was caring for Court’s wounds and trying to survive together. She also gained some perspective on her and Max’s relationship. More aftershocks occurred causing more damage, and they decided they needed to keep moving and find help and also find out why Max never came back. Chaos is everywhere, but Adela will not give up until she finds her family…or find out what happened to them.

“Allusive Aftershock” is a story of disaster, tragedy, loss, and love. The very first pages grabbed my attention with the action. I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I was immediately intrigued with the characters. Adela and Courtland were fabulous and I loved how the point of view switched back and forth between them throughout the novel. It was great getting into Courtland’s head to see his perspective, as well as Adela’s. I loved Courtland from the very beginning because he was the “odd man out” and I love routing for the underdog. Everyone loved Max, Adela’s lifelong best friend and crush, but everyone thought Courtland was a freak. I hate bullies and always feel bad for the victims, so I felt an immediate connection to Courtland. Although Adela wasn’t bullied, she did live in the shadows of Max and was never seen by him the way she wanted to be. I felt right away that Adela and Court were meant for each other, he appreciated everything about her…and let her know it. But, you will have to read this book to find out who Adela ultimately wanted to be with. I know I want her with Court, but find out what Adela decides for herself…Max or Court?

I would recommend this 4 STAR book to Young Adult lovers. People who want to read a book with real life situations, like earthquakes and the damage they bring, as well as a young love, will enjoy this book. “Allusive Aftershock” by Susan Griscom is a great book and I will definitely read more of Susan Griscom’s books. She has a talent for intriguing the reader and connecting her audience with the characters.



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*~*Must purchase the ebook to be eligible for the swag pack. Please enter your receipt number. New purchases only, date must fall between 1-14 and 2-14. If you purchase my book and then win an e-book copy of AA, I will reward you with another book of equal value of your choice. Winners will be chosen on my birthday, February 23rd.*~*




 

1 comment:

  1. Hi Brianna,
    Thank you for being a part of the tour and the great review. I'm so glad you enjoyed Allusive Aftershock.

    Susan

    ReplyDelete

I absolutely love getting comments and I would love to hear your feedback!

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