REVIEW for Managing your Money

As always, I have to say a huge thank you to Erika and the wonderful people at John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. for sending me this book.  Wiley has the best collection of non fiction books that I have ever seen - and its ALL Canadian!!!

TITLE:                Managing Your Money

GENRE:              Personal Finance

RATING:            4 Stars

First off, let me say that Managing your Money is Canadian - which means that it looks at financial issues faced by Canadians - which I love.  This book is also found exclusively at Indigo Books and Music and Chapters bookstores across Canada - 100% Canadian.

I basically devored this one.  Its pretty short with 120 pages - which is just fine with me because this book is about giving you the most important information - without all the padding and fanfare that so many other personal finance books seem to feel a need to add.  This means that you get right down to reading about the things that touch you on a day to day basis.

The chapters are divided by categories such as Setting Realistic Expectations and Distinguishing Needs and Wants - which, in my opinion, is probably THE most important part of the entire book.  I came away shaking my head after reading this chapter (which is the second chapter).  Much of my financial issues (as well as many other individuals) I believe, is the fact that I always think that when I think of buying something - I just assume it is something I NEED - just because I thought about it.  In reality, there are lot more wants in life than needs.

I also really liked the chapter on how to use your banking services - which is, frankly, something I had never really considered in the past.

This book is well written and clear and concise.  The nitty-gritty stuff you need to know is in here and the book even offers the readers the opportunity of jotting down their own financial numbers directly on the individual pages.

Loved this book, especially around tax time - which always makes me feel as though somehow, I should be doing more.

IN MY MAILBOX - Week Ending February 26, 2011

Another week has flown by.  Its crazy busy here and I feel as though the weeks/months are just flying by.  I still found time to read though, so here are the books that came into my home this week (it's been a quiet one - bookwise).

From Abebooks:

-  The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy

From the publisher:

-  The Fifth Rule by Don Aker (showed up for review)

That's it. 

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

REVIEW for Rhymes with Cupid



A big, big thank you to HarperCollins Canada for sending me this book!

TITLE:                 Rhymes with Cupid

AUTHOR:           Anna Humphrey

GENRE:              Chick Lit

RATING:            3 Stars

I was excited to read this book and, in the end, I have rated as 3 stars.  The good stuff:

I liked the main theme of the book - hating St-Valentine Day.  The vivid descriptions of the sillyness that both the sellers and buyers accept when it comes to this themed day makes you feel as though you are actually immersed in the goings on.  I also loved that the main character is so against the whole concept (at least in the beginning).

What I did not like:  the pacing of this book is slow and the writing was, at times (read often) kind of silly.  The way the sentences were phrased made me feel as though I was reading a low budget type of story, making the entire book feel like a bit of a chore.

Sorry, I wish I could have been more enthused about this one - but I have to say, it is your basic 3 star average kind of book.

REVIEW for On Parade

Thank you to the wonderful Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited for sending me this book.

TITLE:                  On Parade

AUTHOR:             Rob Laidlaw

GENRE:                Non fiction

RATING:              3 Stars

On Parade is the kind of book that I have incredibly mixed feelings about. It is important that someone be brave enough to write these types of books, but I have to say that reading this book was so difficult.

The author takes an honest and hard look at just how animals are treated in the entertainment industry and, unfortunately, it is about as bad as I thought it is out there.



The book is obviously well researched and informative and this is definitely "need to know" information, but wow, I wish the world was a way different world when it comes to the way it treats these beautiful animals.

REVIEW for Visconti House

Thank you Jess from Random House Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE:                    Visconti House

AUTHOR:               Lisbeth Edgar

GENRE:                  YA

RATING:                4 Stars

I have to admit that this novel is not really my usual YA type of read.  This book, while it can be argued, is certainly a coming of age one - it is also about adventure, romance and a little mystery. 

As I read the first few pages, I found myself immediately engrossed in the storyline about Laura - who is a young girl who feels completely out of her element and certainly different from everyone around her (especially the requisite "mean girls").  In fact, Laura pretty well feels as out of place as that big house - but, as we come to discover, both have alot more to them than meets the eye - which is an interesting take - as we come to discover more about the house, Laura also gets to discover more about herself.

Of course, there is a boy - Leon - who gravitates to the wounded Laura (not to mention the house) and together, they set off a series of events that will help both of them discover more about themselves, but also, surprisingly, about the people around them - the good and the bad.

Well written and engaging this story makes you sit back and consider the possibilities - especially the one that tells you that you should never compare your insides with someone's outsides!!!!

REVIEW for All you Get is Me and Interview Author - BLOG TOUR

I was very happy when Harper Collins Canada asked me to be part of this blog tour!  Here is my review and a great interview with the author.

If you would like to "browse" the book, simply follow this Harper Collins Canada link:  http://browseinside.harpercollins.ca/index.aspx?isbn13=9781554685141

I really wasn't sure what to expect with All you Get is Me, but I have to admit that both the cover AND the title attracted me greatly.


Having said that, I have to admit that I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that the author threw so much stuff into the storyline that frankly, if you don't focus on the plot, you will eventually get lost in the happenings.

I liked the main character Roar - her life has been and continues to be completely turned around and, for the most part, she often feels completely out of control - without much of a say about what is going on with her or her life. This, to me, was one of the more interesting aspects of this book. Roar is finding out all about her life and that destiny has its own way of making itself known - whether you like it or not.

Whether it is about discovering first love, or trying to find a way to put difficult and painful events into perspective, this book is a great reminder to all YA that life can be challening but also wonderful - as long as you are open and willing to feel and live your life.

The writing was great, not preachy and definitely engaging. I am a big fan of novels that show you how life has its own way of "giving you all that need" if not "all that you want".


Excellent job by the author.

A special thank you to both Melissa at Harper Collins and author Yvonne Prinz for giving me a great opportunity.


I am thrilled to have Yvonne Prinz as a guest author on my blog. Here is the interview that she was kind enough to give me.


1) The title of this book is interesting and it goes well with the storyline, how did you choose it?


It's the title of a k.d Lang song that I've always loved. In the book, Aurora leaves her city self behind and eventually becomes a more authentic version of herself. She grows to love who she is and I believe that it's this more confident, more self assured Roar that Forest falls in love with.

2) One of the main themes of this novel, in my opinion, is about accepting destiny and believing in it - do you believe that life is predestined? or do you believe that choose your own path?

That's a good question. I'm not really sure. I do sometimes think that destiny needs a kick in the butt to really get it going. What I mean by that is you can up and move to Colorado and fall in love and find your way in the world but it was you who had to up and move before any of that could happen. You have to be brave sometimes, take the leap that jumpstarts your destiny.

3) There are a lot of things going on in Roar's life at the same time - which single event do you think defines her life the most? (personally, I think it is her mother)

Absolutely. Her abandonment by her mother is the event that pushes her into her new self. For most of the book, she's struggling with it but that day in the chicken coop, she finally understands that she's the woman of the farm. There are events that take place in the story, like the accident, and the photography contest, and falling in love, that change her forever but losing her mother is the most devastating thing that's ever happened to her and the one thing she has to move on from.

4) Why do you write YA novels?

I started with a middle grade series (Still There, Clare, Not Fair, Clare, and Double-Dare Clare). I had a great time writing about Clare, an odd young girl who thinks for herself but keeps a constant dialogue going with her imaginary friend. It occurred to me that I could get a lot deeper into a young woman's psyche if I wrote YA so I gave it a shot. I also like the idea of exploring social issues and sexuality in my characters.

The YA market has changed a lot since I started writing and I'm not sure it's for the better. I hope that there will always be a place for smart books on the YA shelf.

5) Who was your favorite author when you were growing up and did she/he influence your writing?


I was a voracious reader. I went from stacks of Pony Club Camp books to Judy Blume to Truman Capote. I was the kid in the corner curled up with a book that you don't see so much anymore. I loved mysteries and crime novels and then I started reading anything that was set in New York. I became obsessed with New York as a backdrop. I imagined it as this place where intellectuals populate the streets and everyone talks like Woody Allen. I suppose it is like that in a way. I think that the way I write dialogue was highly influenced by all the books and movies I saw as a kid.

IN MY MAILBOX - Week Ending February 19, 2011

This week has felt very long to me.  I am soooo done with this weather and it somehow does not seem to want to go away.  It feels as though I have been wearing my winter jacket, boots, hat and scarf for a year!!!!!

Anyway, on the brighter side, quite a lot of books came my way this week:

From The Book Depository:

Concierge Confidential by Michael Fazio

From the Atwater Library (book sale in the YA section of the library):

Girlfriend Material my Melissa Kantor (I have already read this one but could not resist for $2.00)

David Inside Out by Lee Bantle ($2.00)

From the Publishers:

Managing your Money (from the Canadian Dollar & Sense series) - from the publisher for review.
Want to go Private by SarahDarer Littman (I loved her book Purge - so I am really hyped about this one!) from the publisher for review.
The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson - from the publisher for review.
Recovery Road by Blake Nelson - from the publisher for review.

That's it for this week.  To all my friends in OTHER parts of Canada and the US who are all lucky enough to have a wonderful long weekend ahead of them - enjoy! and hopefully, you will have lots of time to read.

WISHFUL WEDNESDAYS.....

I love reading other readers "wishlist" of books, so I thought I would create a post myself of the books that I am dying to read  in March 2011 :)

MARCH 2011

• I am J  by Cris Beam;
• Recovery Road by Blake Nelson;
• Made for You and Me, Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home by Caitlin Shetterly;

ARC GIVEAWAY - WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE - Sarah Dessen

Well, I have officially decided to do an ARC giveaway of Sarah Dessen's newest book (will only be released in May 2011 - but I have an ARC ready to go).  Its called What Happened to Goodbye and yes, I have read it, but will keep my review for the release date! (sorry guys, you will have to make up your own mind :)

I hesitated to do this giveaway/contest because shipping books out of Canada is very, very expensive since there is no "media mail" available, but I thought I would spread a little "good" karma as I feel as though everyone needs more of that :)

About the ARC.  Its in good shape. No loose or missing pages, however, there is a coffee stain on the top of the book.  You can see it when the book is closed - but you can't really see it on the individual pages.  So, for those of you who are addicts of "pristine books" this isn't it.  Otherwise, its in good shape!

Here is how to enter:

• You get 5 ENTRIES if you are already a follower and leave me a message as to which of Sarah's books you prefer;
• You get 4 ENTRIES if you become a new follower and tell me that you are now following me;
• You get 10 ENTRIES (plus any combination of the above extra entries) if you blog about this on your site and let me know.
• Finally, if you Twitter and Facebook about this contest, you will get an additional 10 entries!

The contest is open to EVERYONE (yep, International is fine) as long as you all know that I will use the cheapest shipping method.  The contest ends on March 6 at midnight (no particular reason why) and I will use Randomorg.com to select the winner.

Good luck !!!!!!

REVIEW for A Shore Thing - Snooki

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

TITLE:                      A Shore Thing, Snooki

AUTHOR:                 Snooki

GENRE:                    Novel

RATING:                  1 star

Okay, I have to admit that despite my best efforts, I still somehow managed to hear about Snooki. I don't even know if the show she is on is actually available in Canada - but I certainly hope not - because the last thing this person needs is yet another 15 minute of fame.


I have to admit that she managed to surround herself with some savvy business people - how else can you explain this book? especially the fact that it is published by the wonderful Simon & Schuster that has published so many books that I have adored and reread over and over again.

I own up to the fact that Simon & Schuster asked me to review this book and I admit to being a tiny bit curious to see if Snooki was as silly and ridiculous as I thought she was - unfortunately, this book proved me right.

Loaded with a bunch of stuff that I won't go into - I found myself at times yawning and/or skipping also entire paragraphs in the dim hope of getting to a "good passage" - it never happened.

I am glad that I did not pay good $$$ for this book - and, while I wanted to be able to review it positively, I honestly can't do it.

IN MY MAILBOX - Week Ending February 12, 2011

I did not do a post last week because no new books came into the house!  This week was much better, thank goodness, because I actually ran out of books and ended up heading to Chapters in an attempt to find something to read.

This week, the books/dvds that have come into my house:

From Abebooks:

• In the Basement of the Ivory Tower by Professor X (ARC);
• What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (ARC);

From The Book Depository:

• Ravenous by Dayna Macy;

From the Publishers:

• The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald (ARC) from Random House Canada (for review)
• Surf Sea Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice from Mills & Boon (for review)
• Molly Cooper's Dream Date by Barbar Hannay from Mills & Boon (for review)
• A great goody bag from Mills & Boon including a chocolate bar and tote bag (see picture)
• All you Get is Me by Yvonne Prinz from HarperCollins Canada (for a blog tour)

From the Montreal Library:

• Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies (I read this one about two years ago and loved it!) she is publishing a second book in August, so I wanted to "brush up" on this one again
• Monk DVD (season 5) - I am slowly but surely working my way down the entire collection
• 8 Simple Rules DVD (season 2) I never got a chance to watch this show while it was on - so doing some catching up
• Crocodile DVD - continuing to rent "B" movies - including killer rats, snakes, birds and now, apparently crocodiles

Like I said - busy week - and nothing beats coming home to a package or 10! waiting for me. Thank goodness for my mailman who tries very hard to "shove" these books in my mailbox AND my wonderful suprintendant who basically is my "go to" person when it comes to package deliveries.  All the delivery people (from Canada Post to FedEx to Canpar to UPS to Purolator) seem to know that if I am not home, they should automatically ring his doorbell.  Thanks to my superintendant, I haven't had to visit the post office for months!!!!

REVIEW for Delirium

The wonderful people at HarperCollins Canada sent me a beautifully finished copy of this book!

TITLE:                    Delirium

AUTHOR:               Lauren Oliver

GENRE:                  YA

RATING:                 4 Stars

I read Lauren Oliver's previous book and enjoyed it (I was surprised, because this is not usually my type of book) so when I received Delirium, I was thrilled.

The pull for me, with this book, was the utterly fascinating premise - "love has been declared a dangerous disease" and in order to survive, you need to get a procedure called "the cure".  Our main character, Lena has always believed that this way of life was the right one for her, but as so often happens, monkeywrenches are thrown into the mix and things are no longer as easy as they once seemed.  Particularly if you mix in romance and love.

In fact, Delirium is interesting because it gives us the opportunity of exploring what life would be if we did not have the issues and heartache of love.  If life and who with spend the rest of it with was predictable and all done in a very logical manner.

Having had my share of heartaches, I have myself wondered about this myself.  Except that in Delirium, "true" love finds its way into an ordained world - ready to set it and its characters on its ear.

For me, the morale is that no matter what world you live in, no matter how you plan things out, in the end, destiny will win out each and every time.

As for the book, I loved, loved the storyline.  I find that, at times, Oliver tends to put too much in her prose - making me to skip a few sentences, but in the end, the storyline is compelling enough to keep me engaged and very interested.

REVIEW for Will Work for Prom Dress

A huge thank you goes out to Goodman Media for sending me a copy of this book - which has been on my "must have" list!

TITLE:                   Will Work for Prom Dress

AUTHOR:              Aimee Ferris

GENRE:                 YA

RATING:                4 Stars

I love, love, YA that features social angst and this book is full of both social angst AND humor - a wonderful mixture that makes reading Will Work for Prom Dress one of the funniest (and best) reads I have had in a long time.

Our main characters are working towards saving enough money for their "betterment plan" actually, for their dream prom event - which leads to some funny episodes and some great dialogue. It also leads to Quigley and Ann meeting some hot guys - namely David and Zander

The opening chapter is hilarious with Ann and Quigley trying to have some fun as they are "stuck" making frozen pizza (how much fun can that be?).

The plotline moves along quickly and for the most part, the writing is great, although if I have one negative it is to say that, for some reason, I did not bond with the main characters all that much as I found them to be a tad immature at times.  Yet, this "immaturity" also promoted some great moments that were honestly quite funny - a bit of a catch 22 for me.

Nonetheless, this book was hoot to read.

REVIEW for Discovery of Witches

TITLE:                  Discovery of Witches

AUTHOR:            Deborah Harkness

GENRE:               NOVEL

RATING:             3 Stars

Thank you to the Penguin Group for sending me a copy of this book.

For those who regularly read my blog, you know that this is not really my usual type of book.  However, in the last few months, I have been trying to expand my reading tastes, mainly because this genre of book is so popular right now that finding anything in other genres is becoming both a challenge and a huge frustration.  So, when I got the opportunity of reading this one, I jumped on it.

Having said that, I will readily admit that I may very well not be the target audience for this book after all.  Firstly, it is a pretty big tome - with over 550 pages - which, for someone who is only "dabbling" in the genre is extremely daunting.  Nonetheless, I persisted.

My overall comment on the book would be: okay to fair.  I loved the main character Diana Bishop who comes from a long line of "supernatural" characters and who has chosen to "fight her fate" by living the life of an "ordinary person". However, fate has other ideas for her and soon, thanks to her profession, she finds herself right in the middle of vampires and other various "undead" who are determined to make her realize what her true calling in life (and other realities) is.

If you are looking for a historical lesson, then this book is complete.  The author, I have read, is a teacher, which would explain the extreme details about history and locales in this book.  Although some of it was quite interesting, some of it definitely managed to "bog" down the storyline.

As I mentioned, however, the main character is charming, strong, witty and intelligent - just the type of main character that I enjoy in a novel - which is why I rated this novel a 3 star.

REVIEW for Pink

TITLE:                  Pink

AUTHOR:             Lili Wilkinson

GENRE:                YA

RATING:              4 Stars

Thank you to the wonderful Melissa at HarperCollins Canada for so kindly sending me an ARC of this book.

I am constantly amazed at the quality and variety of books that are being written for young adults today.


I have said this before, but I think it is definitely worth repeating it, young adults are lucky – they have a slew of great books, written for them, on a huge variety of very topical subjects available to them today. I am just happy that YA novels are so well written, in many cases, that they export themselves very well to the general public – which, of course, means that they can easily be ready by people who may no longer be considered in the YA age group J

Pink is exactly the type of book I am talking about. Author Wilkinson has chosen to write a book about what seems, on the surface, to be about homosexuality, but in reality it is about discovering and developing the person you are truly meant to be – once you put aside all the expectations of the world, your own insecurities and self imposed expectations.

Written from the point of view of the main character, who believes she is a lesbian, but feels at time confused by it all. This story of self discovery is wonderfully written – touching and intimate, without being overwhelming or preachy.

The author invites all of us to take a look at ourselves in order to truly start to understand who we are – and, if you haven’t figured it all out yet, that’s okay too – its all a process that will slowly reveal itself.

Loved, loved this touching book.

REVIEW for Random

Thank you to Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                        Random

AUTHOR:                   Lesley Choyce

GENRE:                      YA Novel

RATING:                    4 Stars

I have this previous books written by Lesley Choyce and I truly enjoyed them and Random is no exception.

I think what I loved most about this storyline is the whole "random" -vs- "planned" -vs- "pre destiny".  This is a subject that I have often talked and thought about over the years and Random takes a great look at just how life can throw you curves and how, while these may not make too much sense at the time - there is a bigger picture - if only you believe.

This YA novel is about trying to find your way through loss and through life.  Its about appreciating what you have.  Its about understanding that a power higher than you has a plan.

Joe is an endearing main character who makes you feel for him, all the while giving you hope that there is plan and that everything is as it should be.

REVIEW for the Cuisinart Prep 9-Cup Food Processor from CSN STORES

Everyone who knows me – even just a little bit is acutely aware of the fact that I am incredibly challenged when it comes to anything in the kitchen.

While I would love to say that I am a wonderful cook and/or baker, the truth is, I am highly incompetent in the kitchen. Most of this stems from the fact that I don’t actually enjoy cooking – as I have issues surrounding food. This means that the less time I spend preparing food, the better in some way.

Having said this, I made a 2011 resolution to spend more time creating healthy meals. Fortunately, I was incredibly lucky to receive the Cuisinart Prep 9-Cup Food Processor in Aluminum.



Firstly, this machine is impressive. It does just about anything except eat the food for you. It dices, slices, blends, mashes and anything else you may need. The machine comes with a series of accessories, which have come in handy for making absolutely every type of recipe possible.

Secondly, the machine looks good on the counter. It fits in perfectly with the décor and does not take up as much room as I thought it would be.



Thirdly, the machine is very easy to use, once you get the ‘hang’ of what each accessory is for and how best to use it. Fortunately, you get both a user guide and a handy DVD that explains the entire process. While I cringed at the thought of using a machine that actually needs a DVD explanation on its usages, it turns out that the entire process was surprisingly simple.

The only downside I can see and I feel this way about EVERY kitchen accessory I have – is the cleaning. Unfortunately, they have yet to make a kitchen devices that will simply auto-clean itself in an instant once you are done with it. Sure, they have auto clean ovens, but really, how great are they?

This means that I had to spend considerable time cleaning the machine and the accessories and while some might argue that I could have used that time to simply cut and dice my own food – I have to say how much I enjoyed not having to fight with the bigger vegetables (think Rutabaga) as I tried desperately to cut it.

Overall, I am very happy with it.





REVIEW for Suck on This Year

A big, big thank you goes out to Penguin for sending me this wonderful book (love Denis Leary!!!!!!!!!!!)

TITLE:                  Suck on This Year, LYFAO @140 Characters or Less

AUTHOR:            Denis Leary

GENRE:               Humor

RATING:              4 Stars

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I am a huge, huge fan of Denis Leary, so I am not sure how "unbiaised" my review will be.


Let's face it, while Leary has clearly shown us that he does, in fact, have substantial depth as a person (just watch an episode of Rescue Me)it simply has not translated itself on paper.

Which brings us to Suck On This Year. Leary has found a clever way to be clever - with 140 characters or less using Twitter as the background.

This book is funny, funny, funny. It is no holds barred - just like Leary. Which means that if you love to read sarcastic books that actually dare to go where most people don't then you will love, love this one. I know that I did.

REVIEW for Cloaked

Thank you very much to HarpeCollins Canada for sending me this novel - a great discovery!

TITLE:                   Cloaked

AUTHOR:              Alex Flinn

GENRE:                 Fantasy YA

RATING:               4 Stars

Reading Cloaked was a very, very pleasant surprise for me. In 2011, I decided that I was going to expand my reading genres - so when I was offered Cloaked, I jumped on the occasion.

I loved, loved this book.  Author Flinn's take on rewriting and combining a variety of fairy tales and turning them into a charming fantasy about a prince that turns into a frog was totally entertaining.

Of course, I had to leave my "disbelief" at the door because I tend to like my novels more on the "standard" side - but the character Johnny is engaging and I found myself completely involved in the storyline - as if it could ALL actually happen in real life - which, to me, is a sign of just how great the storyline is.

I also loved that darn talking fox -yep, a talking Fox!!!!

REVIEW for Trapped

Thank you! thank you Nikole for discovering an ARC of this book and being so kind in sending it to me.

TITLE:                  Trapped


AUTHOR:            Michael Northrop


GENRE:               Novel


RATING:             3 Stars

I had heard quite a few positive things about this book.  In fact, it seems as though many bloggers raved about this one, so I was incredibly excited to read it, especially since I am a HUGE fan of "B" movies - anything depicting some kind of natural disaster gone awry - be it earthquakes, snowstorms or genetically altered locusts.

Interestingly, I started reading this book just as a major snowstorms hit the Eastern Coast of the US - dumping a ton of snow on New York (in fact this snowstorm was only the 5th biggest one for New York - since they have started monitoring these things) so it was huge.  Having said that, we actually did not receive as much as one snow flake in Montreal at that time - so I did not have to worry too much about "fiction" becoming my reality anyway, although I did feel for those poor people in the US.

Right off, I felt as though the writing was weird and a little all over the place.  The main plotline of 7 students being stranded in their school because of a huge snowstorm sounded really, really great - but the writing immediately turned me off.  Yes, I know that the premise is written from the point of view of young adults, who are put in a stressful and scary situation, but the author kept going off on tangents and weird directions that I just could not figure out and it seriously jeopardized the entire plotline.

The thing is - when you are writing this type of book, you have to sustain or increase the anxiety level of your characters, of the events and of the descriptions.  While the author would focus on detailing some of the events that were occuring he would then, for no apparent reason, start focusing on one of the main character's concern over a growing zit on his face.  While this may have been some kind of tactic to show us just how "scared" the character really was - by focusing on something like his zit, it simply did not work at all in the overall story telling.  In fact, it created passages that were boring, silly and more importantly, took away any type of suspense that may have been building.

I have to say that, in the end, this was just an okay read - I was disappointed because there was so much potential.