YA LGBT Books discussion

This thread is for Buddy Read/General Discussions of Haffling by Caleb James.



Blurb:

All sixteen-year-old Alex Nevus wants is to be two years older and become his sister Alice’s legal guardian. That, and he’d like his first kiss, preferably with Jerod Haynes, the straight boy with the beautiful girlfriend and the perfect life. Sadly, wanting something and getting it are very different. Strapped with a mentally ill mother, Alex fears for his own sanity. Having a fairy on his shoulder only he can see doesn't help, and his mom's schizophrenia places him and Alice in constant jeopardy of being carted back into foster care.

When Alex's mother goes missing, everything falls apart. Frantic, he tracks her to a remote corner of Manhattan and is transported to another dimension—the land of the Unsee, the realm of the Fey. There he finds his mother held captive by the power-mad Queen May and learns he is half-human and half-fey—a Haffling.

As Alex’s human world is being destroyed, the Unsee is being devoured by a ravenous mist. Fey is vanishing, and May needs to cross into the human world. She needs something only Alex can provide, and she will stop at nothing to possess it… to possess him.

Proposed Start Date: September 20 2016
Proposed End Date: September 30 2016

Participating readers:
Jason
Kaje
Darren
Sammy
Eva
Fay
Rhett

(anyone is welcome to join in, at anytime)

I probably won't start this one till later in the month. If anyone wants to participate, let me know and I'll add you to the reader list.

I want to participate

Darren wrote: "I want to participate"

Yay! Added you to the list bud.

Just to let you know that Exile, the sequel to Haffling, will release on January 24, 2017.

Harmony Ink wrote: "Just to let you know that Exile, the sequel to Haffling, will release on January 24, 2017."

Sweet! Thanks for the info, Harmony Ink!

I'm in on this one!

Sammy Goode wrote: "I'm in on this one!"

Nice! Adding you now.

Thanks for posting this one. Later in the month works for me.

ooh! for some reason I thought this was an adult book. Definitely have to check it out.

CR wrote: "ooh! for some reason I thought this was an adult book. Definitely have to check it out."

I did too, when I first saw it. Ulysses, an author who's reviews I enjoy, reviewed it and he does't usually do YA. Then I saw it was a Harmony Ink title.

Definitely looking to participate. Probably won't start until later though.

Eva wrote: "Definitely looking to participate. Probably won't start until later though."

Awesome Eva, adding you to the list, I won't be starting it until later in the month myself.

Seems interesting. Count me in.

Fay wrote: "Seems interesting. Count me in."

Cool beans, Fay! Adding you to the list.

I'll be starting this around the 20th. Has anyone already started?

Jason wrote: "I'll be starting this around the 20th. Has anyone already started?"

No, but I'm good to go then as well!

I stopped reading it, will read my other books on the 'reading' list first. I'll wait for you all to catch up :)

The 20th is good for me too.

I've been offline a bit recently, but I definitely want to join this!

I've read it, but I really loved it. Here's my review on GR:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rhett wrote: "I've been offline a bit recently, but I definitely want to join this!"

Awesome Rhett! I remember you mentioning you wanted to read this. Adding you to the list.

Ulysses wrote: "I've read it, but I really loved it. Here's my review on GR:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Ulysses - Your review is what made me nominate this title this month. I'm so excited to read it.

sooooooo, just to be sure, we start September 20, yes? I already started, but stopped so that you all can catch up :)

Darren wrote: "sooooooo, just to be sure, we start September 20, yes? I already started, but stopped so that you all can catch up :)"

I can't speak for everyone else, but I'll be starting on the 20th, but feel free to start anytime. I'm currently reading an adult title for a BotM in another group, but hope to get to this one soon.

Ok--I am about half way and I like this book but I have to say that I am not loving it-but I am keeping an open mind.

I finished the book. I must say that I am not normally a fantasy-lover, but I really like this one and wouldn't mind if FINALLY that sequel was written, but it never was.... prolly not even started writing it.

I just started it yesterday. Too early to form an opinion, but so far so good.

Anyone already an opinion about how the story evolves? Or are you all still reading and wondering :)

There's a whole lot going on in this novel and I'm a bit worried that the ending is going to either be this huge glut of wrapping up or one that leaves lots of plot points unfinished. Now at about 75%.

I got seduced by other books... still planning to read this, but not quite yet LOL

I hope the author pulls off the ending, Sammy, although I think it's a series book.

A 'series' book, yeah....
But one that has most probably no follow-up
If it had one, it would be about other characters that had only a side-role in this book btw, so Haffling as it is, is standalone :)

Haffling works towards a real ending and has one. Since this is SO not my cup of tea, these kind of books, I must say I like the book, but I won't read another one like it soon.....

ok--this was a good book (3.75 stars) --I really enjoyed much of it--particularly the back story of Alex and his sister. I must admit that even though the author did a fantastic job of weaving reality with fantasy there were moments when I felt lost in the story--trying to figure out just where we were. But the ending is what gave me the most problem----it just felt so contrived and unbelievable to me. There were just s many plot points banging around in this story that I often felt none of them really received their due--the feeling that because there was little time for Alex and Jerod's relationship to build made it feel like insta-love and as a result more shallow than the author may have intended. Anyway--you can read my entire review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I think I would definitely read this author again--and even a continuation of this story but would need a solid recap of the first to make sense of any sequel.

I let myself get way behind on this one as I spontaneously decided to do a reread of a favorite NA title. I know the Buddy Read is technically over, but I will still add my thoughts once I finish.

I'm about half-way through. Spontaneously decided to download this and give it a go. I found the beginning a little bit slow, but I'm getting into it now.

I did like the book, but to me it was too confusing. It almost reads as two separate books, situated in two different worlds, and I hade
problems connecting the two. It caused the individual characters to be too superficial, because there were so many. And they all had quite an important role in the story.
Overall I think it an entertaining read, but it's just not my sort of book.

Are we going to do a buddy read for October? Me being in hospital gives me plenty time to read :D

We can do one or more - if you have a book you've been wanting to read, feel free to start a thread. Or you might wait to see how the Book of the Month voting goes, if you want to buddy read one of the non-winners.

We're also going to have a read of The Ghost of Buxton Manor after it comes out on the 12th

Kaje wrote: "We can do one or more - if you have a book you've been wanting to read, feel free to start a thread. Or you might wait to see how the Book of the Month voting goes, if you want to buddy read one of..."
Oh yeah forgot about Buxton Manor. I can wait :)

Darren wrote: "Kaje wrote: "We can do one or more - if you have a book you've been wanting to read, feel free to start a thread. Or you might wait to see how the Book of the Month voting goes, if you want to budd..."

I'm super excited about The Ghost of Buxton Manor. Love a good paranormal story.