Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs, Tracy Deebs Review

"Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers."

Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"When life gives you a blank canvas, make art.

Sloane Whitaker hates everything about moving to Texas. She hates leaving behind her friends and half her family in New York, starting over senior year at Austin’s NextGen Academy, and having to say she lives in Texas. Most of all, she hates that it’s all her fault. If she wants to earn her way back to the Big Apple, she has to prove she can still be the perfect daughter.

Which means no vandalism art, no trouble at school, and absolutely no Tru Dorsey, her serial screw-up neighbor, who loves nothing more than pushing her buttons.

But from the moment he vaults onto the roof outside her bedroom, there is something about him that makes her want to break every rule. Suddenly it’ s not the ten things she hates about Tru that are at the top of her list. It’s the ten reasons she doesn’t want to be without him."

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.

When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uber exclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes: supersmart and super beautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods."

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"The action-packed second book of Tera Lynn Childs's Greek mythology–based Sweet Venom trilogy is perfect for teen fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series.

Three teenage descendants of Medusa must figure out where their fate will take them. The warring factions among the gods of Olympus are coming for them, the creatures of the abyss are pushing into San Francisco, and the boys in their lives are hiding dangerous secrets.

Gretchen has fought the monsters the longest, but teaching the girls the ropes is hard. Can she rely on Grace and Greer, or even trust herself to keep them safe? Greer has pressing social commitments and little time to train her newfound powers. But her second sight won't leave her alone. Grace is worried about her brother, Thane, who has disappeared. His secrets might have to do with the heritage the triplets share.

How can the girls embrace the shadows of their legacy?"

Sweet Shadows is the second book of this trilogy. It comes after Sweet Venom and follows the paths of Grace, Greer, and Gretchen. I would call them the G-Girls, if I'm talking about all triplets. For individual ones, I'll simply use their first names (never last). And I refuse to let myself use names for two girls.

Sweet Shadows mostly focus on Greer and Gretchen. Gretchen, especially. She has her boy problems, tons of boy problems named Nick. Apparently, he is someone related to a god of justice or something like that and well... It is complicated. (Why are demi-gods always complicated?). Too complicated, I might add. Greer, well... That is a long story for most people, not including me. Needless to say, she got cheated on and was the Queen of Sass for the year. I love her statements and her words. Hold your head high and never let them see you cry! (Sounds like Let it Go, right? I'll stop now). Grace is still with Milo, who isn't anything special. At least, I don't think he is. (And I hope he isn't. For once, can we have a normal guy?).

Out of all the girls, it is probably Gretchen and Greer who changed the most. Gretchen's prejudices are starting to unravel while Greer is getting used to chaos. Not everything has appointments and organization when it comes to monsters and Greek Mythology. Grace, on the other hand, remains the same. Mostly. She seems to take this world of monsters pretty well actually. She is just like her other sister, Gretchen.

The plot of Sweet Shadows moved so much yet also so little. It is like talking big about little details. Okay, that probably doesn't make sense, so I'll try another explanation. The plot moved slowly yet also quickly. It seemed slow after you read it. But while you were reading Sweet Shadows, the plot went by fast. It is so annoying.

Nick is a jerk. Don't date him, Gretchen. A man who lies will never change. (And the girl who changes him is legendary). I learned that from my mother. And my thoughts are final. Don't date him.

The ending of Sweet Shadows leave off with a cliffhanger. It isn't a The Mark of Athena cliffhanger, but it is a bit more subtle. I can tell you that I can't wait to get my paws on the next book, Sweet Legacy. Everything has to be sweet, eh?

Rating: Three out of Five

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight."

Sweet Venom has some roots in Greek mythology. There is Greer, whose powers is similar to this book's Medusa. Gretchen and Grace are the other two sisters of Greer. And yes, they are triplets. They are all equally identical. Imagine that. Wouldn't it be so confusing to tell them apart? Well, no. There is the words on the page that help you... Okay, okay. There are other ways of telling them all apart.

Greer is the mean girl. And she is a know-it-all for normal stuff. She keeps thing organized and won't miss an appointment. She probably has tons of speeding tickets because of that. Surprisingly, she doesn't appear until about three quarters of Sweet Venom. Plus, she takes the Greek mythology pretty well for a first-timer. Percy Jackson didn't believe in it even after he fought the minotaur. It was only when he met Medusa when he knew. (Love interest: Kyle).

Gretchen is the type to grit her teeth and keep going. She has great endurance and strength. She cares little and she is a soldier in her own way. Of all three girls, Gretchen is the one to make it through to the end. She rarely responds to jokes and is the most serious of them all. However, she is the most similar to Greer. They are both serious in their fields and sharply-willed. Gretchen may seem to be Bella Swan clumsy at first. You'll soon realize that trait is only a little fitz. (Love interest: Nick, who appears to be more than he claims to be).

Grace is the most naive and innocent of them all. You can think of her as the little sister of the bunch. She is the one making peace instead of war. She is polite and kind whenever her sisters are rude and mean. She is eager and stunningly hungry for socializing. Those kind traits remain to be her best traits. (Love interest: Milo, her brother's best friend).

And who is the most annoying of the triplets? I would say Greer. She is the most annoying. Then Gretchen. Last, Grace.

Sweet Venom is lighthearted and sweet. (Ooo. A bit redundant). It is that type of book that younger teens read. I mean, thirteen or twelve years old. There isn't anything wrong with it. Yet. Besides, I don't think Tera Lynn Childs is the type of author to write racy stuff. (Unlike Leigh Bardugo. Now I want to cry all over again. Those ads all over Goodreads are making me cry). With great Greek mythology allusions (that are a bit shifty), Sweet Venom certainly will get kids interested in the great old myths of the older times.

The writing is a bit annoying. Shifting between three POVs, I swear that I have a little trouble keeping track of all the names. Still, it is logical. And that is what really matters, right?

Rating: Three out of Five

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up—Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams?"

I always like the Fins Trilogy. Fins Are Forever is the second book of the Fins Trilogy. It's been awhile since I read the first book, so I'm slightly off on Fins. 

Fins Are Forever did a good job of recapping as it tells the plot and situations. As it go, the characters like Lily or Quince usually recap what happens in the first book as the situations or conflicts pop up. 

The plot is not so twisty or fun like the first book. In my opinion, Fins Are Forever is a boring book, written to just get readers excited about nothing. (Sorry, Tera Lynn Childs.) The setting is much better than the plot. I love the under the sea castle. Too bad, there isn't a part in the book where the crab, all the sudden, sings some random song about how great is the sea. 

The ending is so weird and not so surprising. I mean, we all know what it is going to be like in the end, but it's the 'how' that is interesting. Wow, Lily, you have to make that decision, but then Lily is the princess and princesses/rulers should make the best choice for their kingdoms.

Off-topic: I hope the last book doesn't turn Barbie at the last second.

Lilywater is sometimes a little too whiny that I just want to give her the... She's a little ignorant about life and can't but help failing the SATs and her GPA. Lily is getting the little picture; she's not exactly getting the bigger picture until the end. For most of the book, she's in her own little world. (Isn't she blond?)

Quince is better than Lily. He's smart and cute! Despite her innocence and ignorance, Quince sticks around Lily. The chemistry between Quince and Lily isn't that strong in Fins Are Forever. It's would be prefered if there is more Quince/Lily moments. Quince is forgiving and has a bad boy attitude. (Yes, he still has it.)

Rating: Three out of Five.