Ashley Girardi

"I had such high hopes for you."
So said the Emperor to Galen as he butchered him on the operating table, grafting metal to his skin. This isn't canon, but the video game has an alternate ending where that cutscene exists.

"I had such high hopes for you." So said I before writing a review on how the author butchered this book.

First let me just say that I was enchanted about a quarter of the way through, just before she went back to her family. I mean I came in expecting nothing (getting a free book tends to do that to you), and was pleasantly surprised when I wasn't immediately met with a horrible bitch in the role of a main character. Instead I was greeted with a character who was slightly rude, badass in a regular way (no magic, or teeth, and shifting at midnight.) She rode motorcycles in late-night street racing, and could sense magic. So far so good. I even started to raise my expectations a little.

And then it hit. She was taken back to her house and turned into a grade-A Mary-Sue. She no longer was able to make decisions for herself. She whined, and waxed eloquent about how things were too hard, or were too human. She was boring.

Then she had to go and get her eye set on a boy, so that we could have a romance angle added to the novel. This is a call to all authors so they know that a book can still be complete without a romantic angle.

I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies: at least there wasn't a true love triangle.

Halfway through the book and I was wondering when anything interesting would happen. The girl's life had turned from just barely surviving by the skin of her teeth to "familial" espionage (if the silly, shallow mindbogglingly boring life of a teenage girl can be considered espionage). We meet nobody-boy with an on-again off-again relationship - you know, the one where either one or both of the characters says: "I'm not good for you, but still. But no! But still!", etc. etc.

From then on, the book just goes downhill, culminating in a predictable safe finish.

I never did get to see her motorcycle-riding badassery show up again. I feel cheated.

One final thing: You'll probably notice I didn't use the girl's name. The reason behind that is not some subliminal message or something. The fact of the matter is I simply forgot. And I only read this book two days ago. I guess I really was bored.

Oh well. At least it was free.… (plus d'informations)

Wayward is the first in a young adult paranormal series self published by Ashley Girardi. I’m hesitant to accept YA for review usually but my interest was piqued by the synopsis and excerpt and fortunately I found Wayward an easy read with an engaging story.
Helena ‘Hex’ Wayward is an outcast amongst her powerful family. As the seventh child of parents who themselves were the seventh children, she was expected to wield great magic and was treated badly when it seemed she would not live up to her potential. When her ability finally reveals itself she is seduced by it’s strength but eventually recognises the danger it presents and flee’s the corrupting influence of her lover and her family. Eventually she is found and forced to return home, coerced into a deal that compromises her spirit, and threatens her life.
I liked the bones of the premise and there are some really interesting concepts at play yet the story has the appropriate simplicity for a mature young adult audience. There are some dark undertones but also some positive messages and Hex faces issues teenagers can easily relate to. Hex’s world is well imagined, the witches exist hidden within human society with a distinct hierarchy that Girardi develops well though some background detail is lacking. I hope the author exploits the potential of this network in further installments.
Hex is likeable, with an admirable determination and inner strength. Despite the intense pressure and bullying she has experienced she is determined to hold onto her own core values. She defends her friends even at great risk to herself.
Hex’s human friends, Sam and Zach, are fairly standard constructs but amiable enough. Her relationship with both evolves quite naturally and Zach provides the touch of forbidden romance that is de riguer in a YA novel. Cynthie is the mean girl whose hatred of Hex is twisted by unacknowledged jealousy and I thought she she was probably the best actualised character with the strongest motivation for her actions. I would have liked Hex’s relationship with Valentine to be a little more defined – he serves as a catalyst for the plot but remains fairly one dimensional.
Wayward has some weaknesses but overall it is a promising first effort from a young writer and I believe the series has the potential to improve as the author gains experience in the craft. If you are a fan of paranormal YA then Wayward, available at the bargain price of 99c, is a risk worth taking.… (plus d'informations)

I really don’t have that much to say in this review other than I love Wayward!

It was such a great read that I seriously could not put down for the life of me. It’s really not at all what you’d expect it to be. It certainly left me shell-shocked at times with how dramatic it was and how easily I was hooked to the plot.

I loved the main character in this one. She was a real bad girl but at the same time she had her open, vulnerable moments that made her such a great character.

I only have one criticism, if you can call it that, and that was that the main character did seem to be a bit older than she actually is in the story but it did seem to fit at times considering her back-story and what she had to go through.

Wayward was also surprisingly creepy at times. It actually made me shudder at one point especially where Hex’s family is involved. It was definitely a new for me.

What got me though was the fabulous ending! It was so great. I couldn’t read anything else for a while for thinking about this read and what might happen next…it’s a definite must read! Please go and check it out!… (plus d'informations)

The only reason why I joined the eBook tour for Wayward was its cover. I did not read its synopsis. This time there were no speculations that I could create like I used to do. It’s all because the cover did not tell me much. But for sure, the girl eyes attracted me in the first place.

Although in the beginning Helena “Hex” Wayward was drawn like another ordinary girl, she already grabbed my attention. And I was totally falling for her when she told me who she really was. All story about her past and her family were strung me out.

As written in synopsis, Hex was a witch without magic. It was easy to get the picture how miserable it was. The pressure that she got from her family became the reason why she avoided all family gathering or reunion. She did not need pity, but I just could not help myself. Especially when I found out the way they treated her. I felt so fired up when one night, an incident changed her life. For the first time, she was counted. I liked this movement.

What happened next was written very well. Another character such Sam, Cynthie, Zach even her cynical father made this story better. However the climax did not happened as I expected, the whole chapters were enjoyable. I am glad that Wayward is the first book of The Wayward Trilogy / The Witch Wars Saga as what written in Goodreads. I want to read the next book.

Cover
Her face and creepy eyes made me want to read this book. Love it… (plus d'informations)