Reality Alternatives

Science fiction for the modern age...

The cover actually caught my attention, it shows 2 girls seemingly in parallel worlds. Turns out that is exactly what it is.

Chloe is a physicist and she is working on an experiment that is exactly like VR except she and her assistant Emily, are working on reaching a parallel world.
The first experiment seems like it doesn't work, chloe goes into the VR headset and see's what she thinks is an ocean, but where she lives there is no ocean nearby. She's thinking that a parallel world should reflect what she currently knows, and not somewhere else.

Second time she tests out her experiment she realizes, that it was not an ocean she was seeing but a pool, which made more sense. She soon realizes she has a whole different life, a husband and 2 sons. She's happy, in love, and soon forgets all about the real world.

She spends a few hours immersed in the VR world, she is living as this other Chloe, except everything and everyone is not as happy as her. Her brother Colon, a war vet is suffering from severe depression in this other world, while in real life he is perfectly healthy and happy. In this parallel world he is a paraplegic, suffering injuries related to war in Iran.

Eventually Chloe becomes obsessed with this VR world, we have been following her journey through it, and some strange things are happening over there, her 2 sons and Chloe have "magic" they have suddenly been able to make things levitate, appear, stop mid air.... Things don't happen like that in the real world-- but to Chloe that is her real life, she doesn't remember she is only in a VR immersion...

Around thanksgiving time, she tells her family she has to work through the holiday and her family accepts that, but in reality she is going to VR immersion again. She has a hired a nurse to give her IV fluids and nutrition so she can test how long someone can stay in VR for.. We follow her throughout VR until Christmas eve, where she is awoken, very upset she goes back... While she is there her magical abilities have caught the eye of the town, and Homeland Security, now we are following Chloe and her family as they run from the government, and all the trouble that comes with having superpowers.
Eventually she is pulled out again this time by her brother Colon, he is worried sick about her, she has been missing for weeks now- her family unable to get in contact with her, and no one has seen her. Little does she know it is now February and she has been in VR since thanksgiving.
Her brother destroys her VR headset, and Chloe is unable to return to her happy life with a husband and children.

Does this husband exist her real world? Maybe... The ending will leave you smiling and hoping for a sequel to see how the events play out in the real world or was it just Chloe dream to have this happy life she saw in VR...

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The Darkest Lies

Captivating, Thrilling, Murder Mystery!

This book will have you hooked from the moment you begin reading to the very last page!

Imagine your 13 year old daughter tells you she is going to stay over at her BFF's house for the night, as you are walking her there, she begs you to let her finish the walk by herself and you allow her because that is what growing up is all about...
When you wake up in the morning you call her friends mother to find out what time she will be coming home- when you get the worst news ever-- She never made it there and never planned on being there.... Where is your daughter ?

Follow a mother's journey through grief as her daughter goes from being missing to her body being found left for dead in the nearby marsh. While Beth (13 year old) is fighting for life in the hospital, her mother Melanie is out looking for justice. Follow Mel as she suspects every person in her village, and as we follow her journey you will have your own suspects... But the one person you never suspect, the one were never taught not to trust may be your own worst enemy.

Then after finding out who left poor Beth for dead, we get another shocker, pay attention to the little details because before the book ends you will know what really goes on & what skeletons someone is hiding right in front of you!

Wicked Frat Boy Ways

Erotic romance- starts off with 2 main characters- Brandon and Phil, they are playing a dangerous game of seduction, sex and manipulation. They are both gay, one is the chapter president for their fraternity house and the other is the house "whore". Brandon is off enjoying part of his summer at his aunts house, but spends most of his time at his current play things, then the other half is spend at Fire Island in NYC. While back at the fraternity house Phil is playing nice to a new kid Ricky who just moved in-- since he is family of someone important to the chapter house they have to kiss a little ass and play nice. Phil has come up with a plan to destroy Ricky's Uncle's life ( the important guy to the chapter house-- gives money to support), Phil finds out from Uncle that ricky is gay, but his uncle isn't the warm welcoming type, he's actually quite homophobic... So what does Phil do? Come up with a sick little game for him and brandon to play..

While Brandon is off at Fire Island with some friends, a new guy has just arrived at the house- and brandon was warned to stay away from this one- he's engaged and not to be seduced. But what fun if not a challenge ?? Will the game change- could he finally be the one that is different?

The ending will leave you shocked and screaming OMG! Did one of them take it too far? And what happened? I won't tell you, but i will tell you its worth the read... the last page leaves you questioning what is about to happen and although it's a cliff hanger its not one of those that annoy you, it really leaves the decision up to you what is happening to the one "brother" that if left...

Marriage Is Pure Murder

This book isn't something i would have normally read, but as i am trying to expand my reading and give different reviews i read this:

I found the book to be very boring at first, it took me a lot of effort to sit down and read it since the first few chapters didn't pull me in. I found myself bored because all they were talking about was this small sleepy town, and the woman's wedding. Once the action began though it held me throughout the book.
The flower shop owner is found dead in her backroom by non other than the woman we have been learning about, Dana. Apparently this isn't the first time Dana has found a dead body either- but now she is on a mission to find out who and why someone would kill the flower shop owner... The police keep questioning her like she is a suspect and she's due to get married in only days. Can she find the murderer and clear her name?

Once Dana starts on her mission to find the killer, their are a lot of suspects- except the one person who actually did it wasn't on my top list- While it is a great twist and I'm sure someone will figure it out before they finish the book, i was pleasantly surprised.
Once justice has been served, the wedding goes on and the ending is cute and leaves a smile on your face.

Strange Magic Review

""Rosie Strange doesn't believe in ghosts or witches or magic. No, not at all. It’s no surprise therefore when she inherits the ramshackle Essex Witch Museum, her first thought is to take the money and run.

Still, the museum exerts a curious pull over Rosie. There’s the eccentric academic who bustles in to demand she help in a hunt for old bones, those of the notorious Ursula Cadence, a witch long since put to death. And there’s curator Sam Stone, a man about whom Rosie can’t decide if he’s tiresomely annoying or extremely captivating. It all adds up to looking like her plans to sell the museum might need to be delayed, just for a while.

Finding herself and Sam embroiled in a most peculiar centuries-old mystery, Rosie is quickly expelled from her comfort zone, where to her horror, the secrets of the past come with their own real, and all too present, danger as a strange magic threatens to envelope them all.""

- The book begins by introducing us to Rosie Strange- Septimus granddaughter. Septimus owned the Essex Witch Museum and has sadly passed away- in his death he leaves this museum to Rosie. She is only planning on going to take inventory and sell the place off. We follow her journey to the museum where she meets Sam who is the curator of the museum and he gives her a bit of history on the place. While the two are talking they have an unexpected visitor, and this visitor tells them it is of dire importance that they help him find a witch's human remains. Rosie and Sam both believe he has lost his mind and isn't thinking straight until they agree to go meet other people who will support his claims. They meet with Dr. Chin, their visitor and another gentleman, and they learn the truth of what this man is saying. It is of dire need that they find these remains and quickly. A young boy by the name of Max has fallen out of a tree and is now laying in the hospital dying- except he's not dying from the fall- someone has taken over his body- a spirit who is demanding his mother's remains.
Now we follow Rosie and Sam's adventure throughout London to find Ursula, the 450 year old witch and we learn why she is of such importance. But as they take this journey, strange things begin to happen, Rosie who doesn't believe in ghosts, and witches is beginning to have odd things happen. As well as Sam who has a healthy belief in the unknown.
    When they finally locate her remains, the following day they are supposed to be picked up, Sam and Rosie get a call that they have been stolen. Come to find out now they are fighting a Mob boss and his girlfriend for her remains. Sounds crazy right- but the mob boss and girlfriend are part of a cult that wants to extend their lives- and Ursula's remains are the main part of that ritual.  Will they get back the remains and save the young boy who's body is dying because a spirit won't leave and can't rest until he has his mother with him? Read &  find out....

If you love reading about witchcraft, learning the history behind the tall tale, and the ever excitement of when it all comes together then this is the book for you- I don't want to give too much away but this book will hook you and leave you smiling!

The Face Behind the Mask Review

No one truly knows what is hiding behind the big red smile and the white face paint of the clown mask... You can be anyone, a friendly clown? a serial killer? a simple minded child?
It's 1950 and the circus is in town, a young boy has made a clown suit for himself and he's going to run off to the circus, except his parents will have no part in it... So he takes care of them- Now he's joined the circus and has become the most famous clown Tufty... But something is burning inside him- some desire he cant ignore...
Fast forward to current time in England, a woman named Annie and her husband Will- both police officers, Annie is home on materniety leave with their 8 month old son, while they don't go into detail she had a near death experience with a serial killer before and she has now been able to tap into a sixth sense and has the ability to see and speak to the dead. Her husband Will is still working in the department as head detective in every single murder case that is springing up in their small town. While Will is working the murders Annie is home trying to figure out who the ghost in her home is- the ghost will not speak to her, and will not show him/herself. A string of murders and a new ghost has shown... connected somehow?
The book switches between current time and Summer 1950 but it moves very smoothly and you will not expect the ending- total twist that you never see coming- and once you do get to the end all the little clues throughout the book all come together and make so much sense.
This is defiantly a book for the thriller, suspense lover!!
* Based in England but reading for American readers was pretty easy- some words just had to be changed to the way we say them- Arse (ass) and Coppers (cops) and i found that it helped to understand a little better*

Don't wake up Review

The worst things that's ever happened to you... and no one believes you. The description caught my attention right away on this book- you wake up tied to an operating table, naked and you hear a unrecongizabble voice above you, the voice says what does "no" mean? Showing you your "slutty" choice of clothing... He wants you to say yes... then next thing you know your waking up in the hospital... You try to tell everyone, the police, hospital workers, your boyfriend that something terrible happened, but they don't believe you. They all believe you have lost your mind... 

Sounds crazy right? I thought so too, i found i did enjoy the book but took me a while to find myself really interested in it. It is based in the UK, so here for American readers points were a bit difficult to understand. I also found the book lacked the action, i was hoping for something more- while it did have a crazy story line- and people kept being found dead and overall crazy story it missed something. I also was disappointed with who turned out to be the serial killer/ kidnapper. I was actually hoping for it to be someone else, because of points made throughout the book... Turns out the person i thought was just a true jerk. LOL. Glad i read this book but not something i would read again ... 

The Stranger Inside Review

"After mystery author Diane Christie loses her husband to suicide, she and her son move to the small coastal town of Fog Harbor, Massachusetts. Her daughter is attending college nearby, and Diane hopes that her family can now begin to heal. But rebuilding their lives after the tragedy isn’t so simple.

Diane’s depressed college-age daughter, Alexa, still avoids her, critical of everything Diane does, and even her generally amiable teenage son, Josh, has started acting out. Diane pushes forward, focusing on her writing and her volunteer work at a local crisis hotline. She knows that healing takes time.

But then a girl from Alexa's college is found strangled. Worse still, the murderer uses the crisis hotline to confess to Diane . . . and claims she is the only one who can stop the killing. And just when the glow of new love from an attractive admirer begins to chase away some of the darkness, more girls turn up dead, and Diane races to solve a mystery she fears will hit terrifyingly close to home." (description from book).

My Review: I found this book to be crazy! While at first it started off a little dull, not as captivating as i was hoping for-- i found by the middle to the end i couldn't put this book down! Once more and more girls are showing up dead- and everyone is becoming a suspect in Diane's life, your dying to know who it actually is! NO SPOILERS- But when you do finally find out who is the killer your in shock because it's the one person you never expected!!

This is a must read for any fan of mystery/suspense!! 

13 Reasons why- Book & Netflix review

So i read this book many years ago- and i enjoyed the book very much. It hits a lot of subjects that are hard for people to talk about.. Suicide, sexual assault, bullying, and low self esteem. In the book the main character Hannah has ultimately ended her life, but she left behind cassette tapes- yes they use to be a thing! On these tapes she has left 13 reasons why she committed this act. Since the main question after someone commits suicide is always WHY? Hannah gives us this answer. The book was hard to read, because it does hit emotional points that everyone has gone through during one point in life.
Fast Forward to 2017- Netflix just created the series based off the book- and WOW they did an amazing job of recreating the book on TV- no extra things added- and stayed true to the story the book was presenting. I found the netflix show to be just as hard- if not harder to watch as the book. During the show we once again hear about the tapes- but we learn more about how her death affected each and everyone on those tapes. It shows the bullying, the sexual assault, and her suicide. It was tough to watch, but this opens the door for families, for friends, for anyone to begin the discussion of suicide.
Because wether we like it or not- depression is a real thing- suicide happens to people you know, this is not something that happens to other people but no one you know. It does- it happens all the time, all over the country. If you know someone who may be suffering get them the help they need- go tell your parent- go to the school- yeah they may hate you for a while but so what? Your saving their life.
This show i pray opens the eyes of kids today- especially high school kids, because this shows how tough it is for everyone during that time, i can't imagine how hard it must be now- with the internet when the bully's dont stop at school, they have to come home and be harassed online and it's a never ending cycle.
Stop the hate- Stop the Bullying- Save a Life.