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booksabrewin's review
4.0
I received an e-copy of this book for a book tour in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of the first book tours I joined when I first started blogging. The premise was intriguing and unique. I had never read anything that referenced Druid practices nor had I read anything that had an air of psychological studies that completely enthralled me as a Psychology major.
Emma is being shipped off for the summer away from her friends and the father she is extremely close to in favor of spending time with her mother who left her father for another man and had saw fit to create a whole new family without her. The animosity Emma carries from the airplane to the quaint home she will now share with her absent mother, her mother's new family, and an attractive research assistant to her new stepfather, is incredibly thick and suffocating.
Needing an escape, Emma starts exploring her new surroundings in fantastic England. Along the way she meets an odd but sweet girl, named Ash, who introduces Emma to a new world of Druid rituals and a togetherness she never imagined possible. Among Ash's friends is the dark and mysterious, Simon, who Emma feels inexplicably drawn to from the very start.
As Emma dives further into the depths of her Druid family, she starts to wonder if Simon truly is as wonderful as he seems, or if the love of her life may just be spending the summer under the same roof as her. Josh or Simon? Welcome to the wonderful world of love triangles!
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading By Blood. I thought there would be more mystical magic as is usual in paranormal reads, but what I got was more of a mystery. What is real? What is only in Emma and her friends' minds? It was surprising how much psychology was found in the book instead of the paranormal being the main focal point. I was pleasantly surprised.
What I had issue with was Emma's boy hopping. She ultimately danced between Josh and Simon as is usual in a love triangle. But there were also other points in which she flirted and delighted in the company of others. I understand that she was struggling with her family dysfunction and was looking for some sort of comfort in any arms she could find, but that left me feeling like any sort of connection she feels with the two main male characters was false. When something went wrong with Josh, Simon was the one she was fawning over and vice versa. I have never liked girls that used men in that manner. My feelings for Emma were lacking, but my love for preppy and studious Josh made up for it a bit.
By Blood is the perfect mesh of ancient history and modern psychology. It causes it's reader to question the reality of the paranormal as well as embracing the importance of family and having a strong support system. Sometimes the people one thinks care the least are actually the people who care the most.
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lolasreviews's review
4.0
I got a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book get's a solid 4 stars, maybe even a 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book, it has the perfect combination of drama, fantasy and mystery and sometimes even a little bit scary. I really enjoyed it! The story is really consistent in it's enjoyabilty and pacing.
When I started this book I had forgotten most of the blurb already, I only remembered the main character was visiting England and that was explained pretty soon in the book too. Emma has to spend the summer with her mom, her mom's new boyfriend and their baby. And she is not exactly looking forward to it. Emma could be a bit annoying at the beginning, but I could understand why she was acting like that. Instead of enjoying her summer she is stuck in another country, with people she hardly knows or is holding a bit of a grudge against.
I really liked the story and how it progressed and because I had forgotten the blurb I was really surprised when the druids where introduced. The story has some predictable moments, but it really surprised me too. There are some twists and turns I really didn't see coming and one twist I did see coming, but the main character didn't. The pacing was really consistent trough the whole book and there where no boring parts. I basically read this book in two sittings, because as soon as I picked this book up I couldn't stop reading. This book has a perfect combination of drama and mystery.
We mainly get to know Emma in this book, because the focus is on her. Also some of her new friends and a bit about her family. I really liked Emma as a characters, she did make some dumb descisions and acted a bit nasty towards her mom in the beginning, but I could understand why she acted the way she did. I liked how her relationship with her mom progressed. I also liked Ash and Josh and would've liked getting to know them better.
There is also a sort of love triangle in this book. I wasn't really a fan of the love triangle, but I liked how it turned out in the end. Also while there is some romance in this book, it's only part of the story. Other parts of the story are Emma's relationship with her family, her new friends, exploring Oxford and everythign surrounding the druids.
There is not a whole lot of world building in this book, but I really liked the way the magic/fantasy element was handled. It felt real, like this really could be happening. There wasn't a whole new world, just some magic that might or might not be real. And at the end I am still wodnering what exactly happened. There is no clear explanation, but the whole druid thing is handled so well. I really liked the fantasy/magic aspect and the idea of druids was fairly original.
To conclude: I really liked this book, the pacing and ejoyability was really conistent and there where no dull moments. I got sucked into the story and read it basically in two sittings. I did like Emma, but would've liked getting to know the side characters a bit better. I wasn't a fan of the love triangle, but I did like the end. I also really liked how the druid thing was handled in this book, a lot of mystery and not a lot of world building, but it worked so well. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!
This book get's a solid 4 stars, maybe even a 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book, it has the perfect combination of drama, fantasy and mystery and sometimes even a little bit scary. I really enjoyed it! The story is really consistent in it's enjoyabilty and pacing.
When I started this book I had forgotten most of the blurb already, I only remembered the main character was visiting England and that was explained pretty soon in the book too. Emma has to spend the summer with her mom, her mom's new boyfriend and their baby. And she is not exactly looking forward to it. Emma could be a bit annoying at the beginning, but I could understand why she was acting like that. Instead of enjoying her summer she is stuck in another country, with people she hardly knows or is holding a bit of a grudge against.
I really liked the story and how it progressed and because I had forgotten the blurb I was really surprised when the druids where introduced. The story has some predictable moments, but it really surprised me too. There are some twists and turns I really didn't see coming and one twist I did see coming, but the main character didn't. The pacing was really consistent trough the whole book and there where no boring parts. I basically read this book in two sittings, because as soon as I picked this book up I couldn't stop reading. This book has a perfect combination of drama and mystery.
We mainly get to know Emma in this book, because the focus is on her. Also some of her new friends and a bit about her family. I really liked Emma as a characters, she did make some dumb descisions and acted a bit nasty towards her mom in the beginning, but I could understand why she acted the way she did. I liked how her relationship with her mom progressed. I also liked Ash and Josh and would've liked getting to know them better.
There is also a sort of love triangle in this book. I wasn't really a fan of the love triangle, but I liked how it turned out in the end. Also while there is some romance in this book, it's only part of the story. Other parts of the story are Emma's relationship with her family, her new friends, exploring Oxford and everythign surrounding the druids.
There is not a whole lot of world building in this book, but I really liked the way the magic/fantasy element was handled. It felt real, like this really could be happening. There wasn't a whole new world, just some magic that might or might not be real. And at the end I am still wodnering what exactly happened. There is no clear explanation, but the whole druid thing is handled so well. I really liked the fantasy/magic aspect and the idea of druids was fairly original.
To conclude: I really liked this book, the pacing and ejoyability was really conistent and there where no dull moments. I got sucked into the story and read it basically in two sittings. I did like Emma, but would've liked getting to know the side characters a bit better. I wasn't a fan of the love triangle, but I did like the end. I also really liked how the druid thing was handled in this book, a lot of mystery and not a lot of world building, but it worked so well. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!
willowisp79's review
4.0
This is a very easy read - i read it all in one sitting.
I think aimed at the YA audience, but still a good read for older readers. Little bad language and theres only a couple of steamy kisses but thats it.
The story revolves around Emma, who normally lives with her dad, is off to England with her mum and her new husband and baby. Shes NOT looking forward to it to say the least!
The house she got the smallest bedroom which started off the holiday not very well!
Her mums new husband who is a professor has a "helper" who is also living in the house for the summer. Confusing relationship for these two throughout the book.
Emma meets Ash, an English girl who introduces her to Simon and the main theme of the story - "The Grove" - a group of people following the Druid way of life.
Ensue ups and downs, likes, hates and lusts.
A good story that doesn't take a lot of thinking and fun to read!
Read on behalf of Xpresso Tours for an honest review
I think aimed at the YA audience, but still a good read for older readers. Little bad language and theres only a couple of steamy kisses but thats it.
The story revolves around Emma, who normally lives with her dad, is off to England with her mum and her new husband and baby. Shes NOT looking forward to it to say the least!
The house she got the smallest bedroom which started off the holiday not very well!
Her mums new husband who is a professor has a "helper" who is also living in the house for the summer. Confusing relationship for these two throughout the book.
Emma meets Ash, an English girl who introduces her to Simon and the main theme of the story - "The Grove" - a group of people following the Druid way of life.
Ensue ups and downs, likes, hates and lusts.
A good story that doesn't take a lot of thinking and fun to read!
Read on behalf of Xpresso Tours for an honest review
jasmyn9's review
4.0
Emma Wong is quite the character and she isn't afraid to let it show - primarily in her clothing from the sounds of it. I loved her vibrant personality and outgoing outlook (most of the time). She gets a bit down when she is told she will be staying with her estranged mother, her new step dad, and their new baby in England for the summer. But there's a hot research assistant staying with them as well that she quickly develops a crush on.
During one of Emma's explorations she meets Ash - a young woman claiming to be a druid - part of a group of people trying to figure out how the old religion really worked - and it does seem to work. After taking part in a couple rituals Emma is ready to jump on board and become a believer, but even this outrageous trip won't end up being that simple and easy.
Things aren't what they seem and she quickly finds herself in way over her head. The suspense in this one built all the way up until the end and still left you wondering just a little bit. The downside was that the Emma wasn't my favorite character - I fell in love with Ash about two sentences after she appeared and wish she had more scenes in the story. With lots of twists this one was hard to put to put down at times.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/#sthash.Pk8POYiG.dpuf
During one of Emma's explorations she meets Ash - a young woman claiming to be a druid - part of a group of people trying to figure out how the old religion really worked - and it does seem to work. After taking part in a couple rituals Emma is ready to jump on board and become a believer, but even this outrageous trip won't end up being that simple and easy.
Things aren't what they seem and she quickly finds herself in way over her head. The suspense in this one built all the way up until the end and still left you wondering just a little bit. The downside was that the Emma wasn't my favorite character - I fell in love with Ash about two sentences after she appeared and wish she had more scenes in the story. With lots of twists this one was hard to put to put down at times.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/#sthash.Pk8POYiG.dpuf
emilyanne3000's review
3.0
By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart was an extremely entertaining read, and I would definitely recommend the book to fans of Young Adult Paranormal. The story is one you will read in one sitting, and I will definitely get my hand on the sequel, Moon Child, sometime soon.
The main character, Emma, was fun to read about. She felt real, vivid, and she is in no way a wishy-washy character. Another one of my favorite characters was Josh, who I found sweet, and Emma's new friend, Ash. However, I did not like Simon, who I kind of hated from the start. I kind of wished Emma had the same feelings as me about him.
I also liked the family drama aspect in the novel. It is very relatable, and, as the author states in the interview below, both of the parents are alive. *Whew* Also, I found it more amusing than I should have that Emma called her brother Fermin "Vermin". I liked the way things turned out in the end.
Now, may I mention the setting? Oxford, England was an amazing place to set By Blood! I have always wanted to go to England... and it is England! Who couldn't love a book set there? I also feel that the author is passionate about the setting, which brings much more life to the story and writing.
The only problem I had with this book is that sometimes Emma seemed a little too naive, especially about Simon. However, I know this was just a way to show she was flawed. That doesn't mean I didn't want to shake some reality into her sometimes. Fortunately for her, she continued to redeem herself with her bright personality.
The pacing was perfect, and kept me on my seat. The writing is mysterious, funny, scary, and an array of other type of tones. So, really, you will enjoy this book no matter what mood you are in. I would also call this s "quick and addicting read" so don't be afraid to pick it up! You will have it finished in no time. There are literally no boring parts.
Overall, I really enjoyed By Blood and would award it a shining 3.8 stars! It is an amazing read, and highly recommended by me. There is a great heroine, an adorable love interest, and great mystery/paranormal aspects. Also, I loved the dialogue and the way it flowed realistically and didn't seem forced. Go pick up this book!
-----3.8/5 Stars----
The main character, Emma, was fun to read about. She felt real, vivid, and she is in no way a wishy-washy character. Another one of my favorite characters was Josh, who I found sweet, and Emma's new friend, Ash. However, I did not like Simon, who I kind of hated from the start. I kind of wished Emma had the same feelings as me about him.
I also liked the family drama aspect in the novel. It is very relatable, and, as the author states in the interview below, both of the parents are alive. *Whew* Also, I found it more amusing than I should have that Emma called her brother Fermin "Vermin". I liked the way things turned out in the end.
Now, may I mention the setting? Oxford, England was an amazing place to set By Blood! I have always wanted to go to England... and it is England! Who couldn't love a book set there? I also feel that the author is passionate about the setting, which brings much more life to the story and writing.
The only problem I had with this book is that sometimes Emma seemed a little too naive, especially about Simon. However, I know this was just a way to show she was flawed. That doesn't mean I didn't want to shake some reality into her sometimes. Fortunately for her, she continued to redeem herself with her bright personality.
The pacing was perfect, and kept me on my seat. The writing is mysterious, funny, scary, and an array of other type of tones. So, really, you will enjoy this book no matter what mood you are in. I would also call this s "quick and addicting read" so don't be afraid to pick it up! You will have it finished in no time. There are literally no boring parts.
Overall, I really enjoyed By Blood and would award it a shining 3.8 stars! It is an amazing read, and highly recommended by me. There is a great heroine, an adorable love interest, and great mystery/paranormal aspects. Also, I loved the dialogue and the way it flowed realistically and didn't seem forced. Go pick up this book!
-----3.8/5 Stars----
nogenreleftbehind's review
4.0
Emma Wong is quite the character and she isn't afraid to let it show - primarily in her clothing from the sounds of it. I loved her vibrant personality and outgoing outlook (most of the time). She gets a bit down when she is told she will be staying with her estranged mother, her new step dad, and their new baby in England for the summer. But there's a hot research assistant staying with them as well that she quickly develops a crush on.
During one of Emma's explorations she meets Ash - a young woman claiming to be a druid - part of a group of people trying to figure out how the old religion really worked - and it does seem to work. After taking part in a couple rituals Emma is ready to jump on board and become a believer, but even this outrageous trip won't end up being that simple and easy.
Things aren't what they seem and she quickly finds herself in way over her head. The suspense in this one built all the way up until the end and still left you wondering just a little bit. The downside was that the Emma wasn't my favorite character - I fell in love with Ash about two sentences after she appeared and wish she had more scenes in the story. With lots of twists this one was hard to put to put down at times.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/#sthash.Pk8POYiG.dpuf
During one of Emma's explorations she meets Ash - a young woman claiming to be a druid - part of a group of people trying to figure out how the old religion really worked - and it does seem to work. After taking part in a couple rituals Emma is ready to jump on board and become a believer, but even this outrageous trip won't end up being that simple and easy.
Things aren't what they seem and she quickly finds herself in way over her head. The suspense in this one built all the way up until the end and still left you wondering just a little bit. The downside was that the Emma wasn't my favorite character - I fell in love with Ash about two sentences after she appeared and wish she had more scenes in the story. With lots of twists this one was hard to put to put down at times.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/#sthash.Pk8POYiG.dpuf
tracythewriter's review
5.0
I guess it's, like, a thing for authors to rate their own books? So...sure! Why not. :-)
I loved writing BY BLOOD...Emma is the kick-ass, fashionable girl I wish I'd been in high school...with two sexy boys I'd have loved to have fighting over me. She's flawed, full of "piss and vinegar" as my grandfather might have said, and she finds it all too easy to get into trouble, a talent I definitely had at her age.
The setting - Oxford, England - is also dear to my heart. I spent a year there attending graduate school and absolutely fell in love with its architecture, sense of history, and numerous pubs! Not to mention the largest bookstore in the world (supposedly). Oh, and that cookie Emma enjoys with Josh from the covered market? It's gooey deliciousness comes from a real place, Ben's Cookies, and I highly recommend the dark chocolate and ginger if you ever find yourself in town.
I hope you enjoy reading BY BLOOD as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment!
I loved writing BY BLOOD...Emma is the kick-ass, fashionable girl I wish I'd been in high school...with two sexy boys I'd have loved to have fighting over me. She's flawed, full of "piss and vinegar" as my grandfather might have said, and she finds it all too easy to get into trouble, a talent I definitely had at her age.
The setting - Oxford, England - is also dear to my heart. I spent a year there attending graduate school and absolutely fell in love with its architecture, sense of history, and numerous pubs! Not to mention the largest bookstore in the world (supposedly). Oh, and that cookie Emma enjoys with Josh from the covered market? It's gooey deliciousness comes from a real place, Ben's Cookies, and I highly recommend the dark chocolate and ginger if you ever find yourself in town.
I hope you enjoy reading BY BLOOD as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment!
adkwriter15's review
3.0
The book opens up not where you would expect it at all. Emma is teaching a self-defense class with her cop dad. Sheâs really good at it. But then, on the way home, her dad drops a bomb. Her mom (his ex wife) is heading to Oxford, England, for a sabbatical, with her new husband and baby. She wants to bring Emma along to âhelp with the baby.â Her dad thinks itâs a good idea she goes. Emma doesnât get an option. Oxford, of course, is her own personal hell. Her room is small, all her clothes donât fit, she has to deal with baby puke and the too-cute, live-in research assistant her step-disaster has. Then she meets Ash, who introduces her to the fiery hot Simon and her Druid group, and ⌠well, the story goes on from there.
One of my bigger problems was how long it took to get to the action-y part of the book. I felt like almost 50% of the book was ramping up to get somewhere. You understand later why Emma was almost incapable of making smart life choices, but after she makes stupid mistake after stupid mistake, it just starts to get annoying. Now, IN the second half of the book the tension is palpable and my heart was racing, so it was fantastic. It just took forever to get there.
I liked Emma as a character when she wasnât being an idiot. Sheâs a fierce fashionista with a lot of sass and sarcasm. But behind all that swagger is a girl who is still trying to figure out how everything goes, and it shows in the most awkward, realistic moments. I felt really bad that all the stuff about her family was shoehorned in around all the guy drama, because I thought that that really needed more fleshing out. Itâs a really big deal, but it just becomes a thing that happens and then is kinda jumped around for the rest of the book.
Then there is Simon and Josh. Simon is the dark, swoony, dangerous one. Josh is the cute, smart, geeky one. Do I need to say more? Because ARGH love triangles.
The Druid group was also filled with mostly stock characters. Youâve got the b*tchy one, the happy-go-lucky one, the slutty and all over each other guy/girl couple and the brooding, almost silent guy at the back. I thought that Ash, the happy-go-lucky one, certainly would have had some serious fleshing out if her family had been brought into it more, but they really werenât important so that just stayed in the background.
Honestly, my favorite part of this is the last 50% of the book. The tension, the stakes, the crazyâALL of it gets ramped up a bajillion notches. I also was NOT expecting the ending at all, and itâs really hard to get me not to guess how itâs going to end. What Banghart did, instead of making this your typical paranormal, was very interesting and unique and I really respect her for it. I canât talk about this part much, obviously, but know that getting through the first 50% is worth the second half. I promise. I really promise.
If youâre looking for a new taking on paranormal themes, I recommend this book to you!
One of my bigger problems was how long it took to get to the action-y part of the book. I felt like almost 50% of the book was ramping up to get somewhere. You understand later why Emma was almost incapable of making smart life choices, but after she makes stupid mistake after stupid mistake, it just starts to get annoying. Now, IN the second half of the book the tension is palpable and my heart was racing, so it was fantastic. It just took forever to get there.
I liked Emma as a character when she wasnât being an idiot. Sheâs a fierce fashionista with a lot of sass and sarcasm. But behind all that swagger is a girl who is still trying to figure out how everything goes, and it shows in the most awkward, realistic moments. I felt really bad that all the stuff about her family was shoehorned in around all the guy drama, because I thought that that really needed more fleshing out. Itâs a really big deal, but it just becomes a thing that happens and then is kinda jumped around for the rest of the book.
Then there is Simon and Josh. Simon is the dark, swoony, dangerous one. Josh is the cute, smart, geeky one. Do I need to say more? Because ARGH love triangles.
The Druid group was also filled with mostly stock characters. Youâve got the b*tchy one, the happy-go-lucky one, the slutty and all over each other guy/girl couple and the brooding, almost silent guy at the back. I thought that Ash, the happy-go-lucky one, certainly would have had some serious fleshing out if her family had been brought into it more, but they really werenât important so that just stayed in the background.
Honestly, my favorite part of this is the last 50% of the book. The tension, the stakes, the crazyâALL of it gets ramped up a bajillion notches. I also was NOT expecting the ending at all, and itâs really hard to get me not to guess how itâs going to end. What Banghart did, instead of making this your typical paranormal, was very interesting and unique and I really respect her for it. I canât talk about this part much, obviously, but know that getting through the first 50% is worth the second half. I promise. I really promise.
If youâre looking for a new taking on paranormal themes, I recommend this book to you!
tracybanghart's review
5.0
I guess it's, like, a thing for authors to rate their own books? So...sure! Why not. :-)
I loved writing BY BLOOD...Emma is the kick-ass, fashionable girl I wish I'd been in high school...with two sexy boys I'd have loved to have fighting over me. She's flawed, full of "piss and vinegar" as my grandfather might have said, and she finds it all too easy to get into trouble, a talent I definitely had at her age.
The setting - Oxford, England - is also dear to my heart. I spent a year there attending graduate school and absolutely fell in love with its architecture, sense of history, and numerous pubs! Not to mention the largest bookstore in the world (supposedly). Oh, and that cookie Emma enjoys with Josh from the covered market? It's gooey deliciousness comes from a real place, Ben's Cookies, and I highly recommend the dark chocolate and ginger if you ever find yourself in town.
I hope you enjoy reading BY BLOOD as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment!
I loved writing BY BLOOD...Emma is the kick-ass, fashionable girl I wish I'd been in high school...with two sexy boys I'd have loved to have fighting over me. She's flawed, full of "piss and vinegar" as my grandfather might have said, and she finds it all too easy to get into trouble, a talent I definitely had at her age.
The setting - Oxford, England - is also dear to my heart. I spent a year there attending graduate school and absolutely fell in love with its architecture, sense of history, and numerous pubs! Not to mention the largest bookstore in the world (supposedly). Oh, and that cookie Emma enjoys with Josh from the covered market? It's gooey deliciousness comes from a real place, Ben's Cookies, and I highly recommend the dark chocolate and ginger if you ever find yourself in town.
I hope you enjoy reading BY BLOOD as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment!
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