Excerpt: Doppelganger by Milda Harris

Please enjoy this free excerpt of Doppelgander by Milda Harris!

Blurb

Citrus Leahy is having a really bad day. First she's late to school. Then she runs into the girl who drives her nuts because she always calls her Orange instead of her name. To cap it all off, when Citrus finally makes it to class, she sees herself already inside. Wait. What? Citrus Leahy has a doppelganger! It's probably aliens taking over the world and her life has just turned totally upside down. Goodbye, normal. Hello, paranormal. Luckily, her crush Aedan has the exact same problem!

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Excerpt

“Citrus Leahy?” The Receptionist said as if on cue.

I jumped up and made sure not to turn and look at Melissa. I could feel Melissa staring at my back, regardless. Why did she want to talk to me anyway? I focused my gaze on the Receptionist, who was watching me approach.

“You weren’t here first period?” The Receptionist asked.

“No,” I said, “That’s why I’m in the office. For a late pass, so I can go to second period. I have a test.”

The Receptionist frowned and I noticed that she was looking at an attendance sheet. She grabbed a pencil and made an erasure. I felt overly anxious. What was this woman doing? There wasn’t time. I was going to miss my test and it was going to majorly affect my grade. The day was definitely not going well. I needed to get to class.

“Okay, here’s your tardy slip. This one’s a warning. One more and you have detention,” The Receptionist said in monotone, as she handed me the slip. She obviously made this speech all the time.

It was a relief about the detention, but now I was worried about missing the test. I grabbed the slip and immediately turned to leave. I was only going to be about ten minutes late. I could finish the test in forty minutes. I may not have studied adequately, but I was a great test taker.

“Bye Orange!” Melissa yelled after me.

I cringed, but outwardly ignored Melissa and sprinted for my World History class. I didn’t even have time to go to my locker. I’d have to swing back and get my Spanish book before third period, but I’d be okay for history.

As soon as I rounded the corner away from the office, I broke into a sprint. My class was at the other end of the school. The quicker I ran, the more time I had to take the test.

I was breathing hard by the time I made it to the right hallway. I was definitely not a runner. Sweat drops were forming on my face. It was going to be one of those days where I just couldn’t wait to get home and take a shower. I couldn't believe I felt gross and it was only second period. I couldn't help thinking that I was probably going to get a pimple from the sweat on my nose or something too. I bet that it would be one of those ones under the skin, that wouldn't pop and totally hurt. The lengths I went through to get decent grades and be the good kid.

I walked the rest of the way to my classroom, totally forgetting to obsess over World History facts and instead wondering if I had any face wash in my gym locker to try and head off that pimple. I couldn't remember if I had taken it home or not. I crossed my fingers that the face wash would still be there, in my locker, when I had gym in a few hours. I tried to even out my breathing and dabbed the sweat off my face with the bottom of my shirt. I wasn’t going to give the other students anything to talk about by running in, out of breath, and sweaty. I was just going to walk in and hand Mr. Meadows the tardy slip, ask for the test, sit down, take it, and get a decent grade, and hopefully not a pimple. Then I could get back to reading my fun book and not worry about my grades for the rest of the day.

My mind was already planning how it was all going to turn out, as I caught a glimpse of the classroom through the window in the door. That’s when everything froze for me. The Receptionist in the Main Office had been correct in thinking that the attendance reports were strange because they were. How else could I be standing outside of my World History class waiting to go in and take my test and also be inside, already busy with the business of test taking? I swear. I'm not kidding. I was dressed in different clothes, but it was definitely me - same body type, a little longer than shoulder length dirty blonde hair and side swept bangs, oval face, and green eyes. Well, I'm guessing her eyes were green because the girl I was looking at was focused on her test and not looking directly at me. Still, it was me in there. I just knew it.

The thing is - I didn’t have a twin. What I was seeing was totally impossible. I couldn’t be in two places at once. What in the world was happening? And, really, could my day get any worse?

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

 

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

 My Thoughts:

Okay, this book is definitely interesting. At one point earlier in the week, I was sitting down and typing away when I thought: I have to keep reading Clockwork Angel. Why am  I wasting time doing this other stuff?

Yes, I craved to read that book (like a vampire thirsts for blood). Which is strange since I don't usually have that feeling. 

This feeling pervaded until I finished the book. I still want more of Cassandra Clare and her writing. 

Why?

Because she creates this world full of magic and mayhem that is just so believable that you want to keep reading and finding more about. Constantly, I was thinking of how my world building skills don't even come close to hers. But I will definitely work on it.

And of course, some other things (which I will discuss later on in the book review) kept my attention gripped and thirsting for more.

However, that doesn't mean I didn't have any issues with the book. 

The one problem I had that really kept annoying me (and maybe other readers had the same problem) is all of the description. I just skipped over paragraphs and paragraphs of description.

I would shudder to think about how much the editor had to cut from the original manuscript.

Anyway, let's dissect this sucker.

Torn by Amanda Hocking

 

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story…

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

My Thoughts:

Well, I read this second book in literally (takes out the calculator) 7 hours-ish. 

Yes, I ripped through this book in literally less than a day. And that's very rare for me to do since a) I'm a picky little reader and b) I don't usually have the time. 

Once I picked this book up it was literally painful for me to put it down. I think it barely left my hand to be honest. 

Since I don't want to ruin the book for y'all, I'll list the negatives and positives.

Positives:

1. One word: Loki

Yes, I absolutely ADORED this character which is strange because in real life I would hate him. Literally loath him since he's an arrogant jerk who knows he's incredibly drop dead gorgeous (which made me want to gag in a few places but then I laughed too).

So I have to admit, Amanda Hocking did an excellent job giving us a taste of personality without having me hate him. Then again, he has a great sense of humor. I loved how he slaughtered Finn's name! I had to stop and laugh out loud at that one. Then read it again with a smile. That was too funny! 

Anyway, I have to applaud Amanda Hocking on making a normally annoying guy into a guy I would actually like to know more about. 

Btw, I kept wondering why I kept bumping into Loki's name and I figured out why: Loki is the god of mischief. In myth anyway. And yes, I learned that off the movie Thor. :) Anyway, Loki ABSOLUTELY lives up to his name! Omg, he really lives up to his name 1000%.

2. The Editing has improved

I have to say the only typo I found was so minimal I barely caught it. My teacher antennas went up so yeah. Anyway, I'm very very very happy that the editors actually did their job this time and swept through it with a fine tooth comb. So yippee!

3. Plot Thickens

The whole reason behind why Vitten hunting Wendy down like a dog makes a whole lot of sense. And most of the plot only deepens as the story goes along. There was only one snag as far as I'm concerned. I'll mention it in the negatives later.

4. Relationships Deepen

I love how Amanda Hocking intertwines all of the relationships together and makes them stronger or weaker as we go along. And seeing them develop and take shape is fascinating to me. Especially as new relationships develop. 

And no, I'm not going to tell you about Finn and Wendy. You'll have to find out about what happens to them yourself. :) 

 

5. Twists and Turns

Hocking definitely threw some curveballs in there. Some of the curve balls she threw at me I never saw coming. I mean some of them made sense but others I was like woah. Epic. So yeah. 

6. Great Theme

I love the topics she addressed in the book and with such deepthness. It struck home for me. A little too close to home, but it struck home nonetheless. So yeah, I really appreciate it when an author can deliver a message about life with a light tough and in a non-preachy matter.

Negative:

1. Solution to the Problem

I thought the solution to the problem presented was an easy one. I won't say what I thought since Amanda Hocking kindly explains to me why my solution won't work. I still think it was a weak excuse to the problem, but I'll leave it alone. At least she addressed it in a reasonable way.

2. Pace

The pace was a bit off for me. It was fast in places I wish she would slow down. It's almost like she rushed some stuff because she had a deadline to meet and I hate to see authors do that. Drives me absolutely crazy. Then again, she was self-publishing first so I don't see why the pace was off since the books are the same (I think). So yeah. That confused me a bit.

Overall: Would I recommend this book?

Absolutely! I would suggest you read the first book (of course) and I can assure you that the second book is ten times better.

The age group is wide open since there's nothing that leaps out at me that would be inappropiate for  my students (who I think can handle the subject matter at 13) so it's a win win. 

Enjoy and thank me later!