Short Story Review: Four Houses by Victoria Scott

 Title: Four Houses
 Author: Victoria Scott
Release: eBook June 26, 2011


Synopsis:
A young girl faced with four choices, must make a decision that will forever haunt her.



Excerpt:
The door in front of me is the ugliest shade of plum I've ever seen. It's a prune Grandma would eat, a raisin on its last leg, a swollen bruise in the most inconvenient of places. 


The waiting is the worst part, wondering who will open the door. But this time the waiting is killing me, tearing me down piece by piece and devouring me with its insatiable jaws. 


I bite my lip and raise my hand to knock. 

Review:
I loved this story! Certainly one of the best I have read. I've read a few in my lifetime and it's hard to come across Young Adult Short Stories -unless I'm missing something and if I am please let me know. The writing in this story was poetic and lyrical yet still realistic. I could picture what was happening each step of the way. I'm legitimately getting chills up spine now just thinking about it. 
The way the story is formatted is also very unique. I will admit when I looked at the first page I was thrown off, but after reading it I have to say the format fits the story perfectly.
This story is about decisions. Decisions. . .a word often dreaded. Even the simplest ones can be so hard to make. When we have to make one that will affect us forever, it is even harder. The main character Victoria has created has to make arguably her biggest decision ever.
A wonderfully haunting beautiful story. Don't miss this one!  
Rating: 5 Stars!

Get Victoria Scott's Four Houses here: http://www.victoriascottya.com/work/fourhouses/

Happy New Year!

I've been making resolutions ever since high school I think. Maybe a bit earlier than that. I didn't actually keep any of them until my 2011 resolutions. Because I made them more like specific goals. I did the same thing for this new year of 2012! 


So here they are, my New Year's Resolutions/Goals 2012:
1. Read 17 books in 2012.
2. Finish the first draft of my novel.
3. Edit my novel.
4. Send out queries to agents and publishers.
5. Set up an Etsy shop.
6. Practice yoga at least once a week.


For some reason, I think number 6: "Practice yoga at least once a week" will be the hardest to stick to. 


As for my blog, it's still fairly new and I'd like to make it better. I want to do more reviews, and I would love to start to receive books for review. I want to participate in more memes and would be absolutely ecstatic to do interviews with authors, writers, agents, editors, publishers and so on. 


The first review I desperately must do is of Four Houses by Tori Scott. I've been saying I would do a review for too long now. So my next post better be a review of Four Houses! 


<3 Amanda Leigh

My Top 7 Reads of 2011

Happy New Year! I'll start by saying I wish I had read more in 2011. (Besides the reading I did for classes. Which, being an English major, is quite a lot.) I read 15 books in 2011 - well, one was a play, one was a poetry collection and two were short stories. So I decided to compile a list of my Top 5.  However, it was extremely difficult to keep it down to 5 because the short stories I read were just so good. Everything on this list got my 5 star rating - one even got my 6 star rating. These are books I read in 2011, not all books that were published in 2011. Now, instead of My Top 5 Reads it is my Top 7 Reads and here it is for your pleasure.


1. The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight by L.J. Smith

I am a die-hard Vampire Diaries fan. I love this series, no matter what criticism the latest books may face. So it is safe to say The Vampire Diaries will always be on my list of Top Reads. What really keeps me coming back though, is the character of Damon Salvatore. Such a complex, complicated, intriguing character. I love him. This is the book that got my 6 star rating.

2. The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls by L.J. Smith

Just like I said above, I am a die-hard Vampire Diaries fan and I love Damon Salvatore. This one is of course on the list. Love it.


3. Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

I love this series, I think it is amazing. I love Grace and Sam. Even Isabelle and Cole. Isabelle and Cole are not always easy characters to love, but I do. Terrific, beautiful. I need to read Forever very soon. Even though I'll be devastated that the trilogy is over.

4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Wow. That is all I have to say. Wow. Whoa. Holy crap. Great great book. Quite a book. Real and powerful. Highly recommended.

5. I don't want to be crazy by Samantha Schutz

This is a memoir written in verse. It's about the author's struggle with anxiety disorder. This was a great read and is a great read whether or not you struggle with anxiety.


6. Four Houses by Tori Scott
A lot of people for some reason have an aversion to short stories; I have never been one of them. This, however, is one of the best short stories I have ever read. I'm not going to say a lot because it is easy to give too much away. (Plus, who knows, there may be a review of this coming soon. ;) I will say this: I LOVED it!

7. Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe 
Another example of short stories not being a "waste of time". Again, I won't say too much because I don't want to give too much away (and there may be a review for this coming up too! ;) Simply wonderful! I loved it! Can't wait for her novel Destiny's Fire to come out!


These were my favorites. Did you read any of these? Or are any going to be added to your list? What were your favorites of 2011?


<3 Amanda Leigh

Progress on My Project

So I have been working on my first YA novel, My Heart is Yours. This is a YA Romance novel. The idea for it started five years ago, when I was fifteen years old. It wasn't originally going to be a novel but the idea kept turning in my head and my characters kept talking to me. I'm sure all of us writers out there know what that's like. They say you do have to be a tad schizophrenic to be a writer. Argueably, we are just functioning schizoprenics.
Well, my characters wouldn't shut up. So I decided to take on this idea and turn it into a full length novel. If all goes well, I'll be finished with my first draft at the end of January. I'll keep you updated on the progress of my project. 
I promise I will blog more later. And it won't only beabout my book, it will also be about books, authors, writers, and hopefully have some interviews. I hope you enjoy! 


<3 Amanda Leigh