TOXIC (Part 1) Celestra Series #7 by Addison Moore-a review

TOXIC (Part 1) Celestra Series #7 by Addison Moore-a review

TOXIC Part One (Celestra Series #7) by Addison Moore

TOXIC is the next to last instalment (September 2012 release)  in Addison Moore’s young adult Celestra series. I am not sure where to begin. I have both enjoyed and been disheartened by this series. The premise is interesting-a young girl who would be the savior in a centuries old war between good and evil, but apparently no one is willing to tell her what she is to do or how to do it. So, along the way she comes up against impossible odds, and throws everyone into a war that the Celestra are quickly losing. Without guidance, Skyla flounders in what can only be described as ‘teens gone wild’ movie premise, as she tries to convince the others they have the wrong girl.

Skyla Messenger is back in the 7th storyline along with the entire cast of Counts, Fems, Celestra, mean girls and love starved teens and yet the storyline doesn’t really progress any further along than the previous book. Skyla is still in love with Gage, Logan and Marshall, and they too, are in love with her. The angst of this particular love nest is pushing my proverbial button. I am not sure how Addison will be able to justify the eventual pairing because throughout the series each love interest has either tried to kill, killed or hurt the object of their affection more than once. As the dueling cousins, Gage and Logan are at the top of the love food chain, but each has hurt Skyla with their twisted attempts to both save and guard the young woman who is destined to rule the Celestra kingdom. And Marshall, although appearing to be a pervy old man, comes across as her knight in shining armor albeit with an ulterior motive. And I am not sure whether his motives are necessarily altruistic or something else. And to complicate the entire love quad, Skyla is in love with all 3 men, but not necessarily on an equal par.

Most of the adult figures in the storyline are either evil or oblivious to everything going on. Skyla’s adopted parents are embroiled in their own little world where trying to make babies interferes with their parenting skills as well as their ability to get a grasp on reality. And on every page her step-father hurls accusations of sex orgies and illicit drug use all the while allowing the young men of the household to participate in said dalliances. I have never seen 2 parents more oblivious to the world around them unless under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sadly I have no sympathy for many of the characters because the lack of respect accorded the children is equal to the lack of respect in return. The storyline is a study in bad family dynamics-all around. Even Skyla’s birth mother is a questionable parent when she is willing to let her daughter die for a greater cause. Skyla is the perpetual target for her step-father’s anger, and yet the household siblings seem to live in a glass dome as it pertains to the parental units. Regardless of events, it seems Skyla is on the receiving end of too many toxic relationships in her short life.

Back to Skyla’s love life. (sigh) This must be one amazing young woman to have so many boys and men professing their love and adoration for someone so inept and clumsy that she accidently kills or maims many of the so called friends and aquaintances she encounters on her daily rituals. Not only does she have the unending worship of Gage, Logan and Marshall but her awe-inspiring persona has trapped a few other young men in her world of inept seduction and teen angst. Even the evil counts want to get into Skyla’s pants. But Skyla remains a virgin, much to her chagrin, even though she is ready and more than willing to prove her love to both Gage and Logan, by sacrificing her virginity for the greater good.

Sadly, I will be happy to see this series come to fruition. The teenage love quad alone has forced my acceptance that sometimes all things must come to an end. Several hearts will be broken unless by some miracle we discover that there are 3 Skyla’s who have inadvertently time travelled and arrived at the same time period-it is possible –she has encountered herself on many occasions in the past and future. Perhaps this is the only way to have a true HEA. I was disappointed that the storyline did not progress beyond previous book as it seem to go around in circles, but this is part one of book seven and we hope that all of our questions and concerns will be addressed in the final instalment.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Addison Moore-Interview & Giveaway with the Author

Addison Moore-Interview with the Author

Addison Moore-Interview with the Author.

∞∞∞∞∞∞GIVEAWAY∞∞∞∞∞∞

Addison and The Reading Cafe are offering 3 e-copies of her first book in the Celestra series-ETHEREAL.

To qualify for ONE of 3 e-copies of ETHEREAL please read the following instructions.

 

1.  You must be a member of The Reading Cafe.  If you are not a member, please join today.

2.  The giveaway is open to ALL members of The Reading Cafe.

3.  Please leave a comment or ask a question.  Say hello to Addison!!

TRC: Hi Addison.  We would like to thank you very much for allowing us to interview you for our website The Reading Café.  It is always a pleasure to meet the authors behind the books we read. WE would like to start with some biographical information.

TRC: Would you tell us something about yourself?

Addison: Me? I’m perfectly boring. I have four wonderful kids, two of which are almost older than me, lol. Three boys and one precious little girl. I married my high school sweetheart and we’re just like anybody else, making ourselves crazy with driving schedules, softball games and girl scout meetings.

TRC: When did you first start to write?  Have you always wanted to write?

Addison: Yes, I have always wanted to write. I wrote my very first story in kindergarten about a girl lost in the woods who meets up with three bears. Lets just say I wasn’t aware of the plagiaristic implications of it all. By fifth grade I had a little series going and I look back at those days fondly. I wrote here and there in my teens but really picked up again once I graduated from college.

TRC: You are currently an indie publisher.  Your novels are available in eBook Kindle.  Would you tell us why you went the independent publishing route?

Addison: I wanted to get my work out there. I had just acquired a literary agent and she suggested I slow down my writing, that I was already ten years into my career and I found that depressing. So, I thought instead of letting the publishing industry make me sit on my hands I’d write my heart out and publish the books myself. 

TRC: Would you please tell us about the INDELIBLES?

Addison: The Indelibles is a group of mega talented writers whom I’m humbled to be acquainted with. The group was launched late last year and it’s been a great Indie support for me.

TRC: Do all of the authors involved with the INDELIBLES only write MG (Middle Grade) and YA book formats?

Addison: It’s a staple in all of our writing but there are other genres floating around in there as well.

TRC: Many of the MG and YA readers do not necessarily have access to ereaders. Is there any possibility that these storylines may one day, be available in paper format?

Addison: I’m working on that with Celestra. I’ve given them to my agent to see if she can land me better distributorship than I could on my own, but since I’m unwilling to relinquish my eBook rights it’s a tough market to put myself in. I’m writing a new series, The Countenance and that will be available for purchase in paper as soon as the eBook is out or shortly thereafter. I have several other series in the works as well and those too will be available in paper.

TRC: The Celestra Series is available for Kindle only.  Have you considered publishing in paper format?  If not, why?

Addison:The Celestra series is available for Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Smashwords, and I’m working to get it into paper as well.

TRC: The Celestra Series is a Young Adult series, but at The Reading Café we believe that Young Adult storylines are not just for kids.  How do you feel, knowing that the YA books are read by every age group?  Have you been able to track your readership age group?

Addison: It’s funny because there isn’t really a way I could track my sales data by age demographic but I’ve had so many moms reading my stories. I can’t tell you how much I love that. I think the real reason is that YA has a huge crossover into all kinds of demographics. It’s fun to see.

TRC: Would you please tell us about the Celestra Series?

Addison: The Celestra series follows Skyla Messenger who discovers she has Nephilim bloodlines of the coveted Celestra faction. The story itself takes place on fiction Paragon Island off the coast of Washington state. It’s a story that spans good and evil and have I mentioned hot guys?

TRC: Who or what was your inspiration for the Celestra Series?

Addison: Years ago I had written a series about a group of teenagers that lived on an island and another story in which a young girl starts seeing her guardian angel. Neither of those storylines where going anywhere but when I morphed the ideas together, it felt right. 

TRC: Skyla and Logan are the main protagonists, along with their “friends and frenemies” including Chloe.  Would you tell us what is your inspiration with the development of these particular characters?

Addison: I feel like I’ve known Skyla, Logan and Gage, and, yes, even Chloe, for years. I can see them so vividly and visiting them on Paragon has become the best escape for me. They each formed naturally on their own and in time their characters took on very strong personalities.

TRC: Your latest book in the Celestra series was VEX (book 5) . Would you tell us something about VEX?

Addison: Vex is the fifth book in the Celestra series. In Vex Skyla is forced to examine her relationship with Logan and decipher whether or not she believes he is a friend or an enemy. Chloe is still busy ravaging her relationship with Gage, and Skyla finally has enough and decides to do something about it. The resolution ends in a peculiar tragedy which opens book 6 nicely.

TRC:  Your next book in the Celestra series is EXPEL (book6) .  Would you please tell us something about this book?  Do you have an expected release date?

Addison: EXPEL is finally getting the love and attention it needs from my freelance editor and my betas. I would love to give a hard date of release but I have no idea when they’ll be able to get the book back to me. I’m still hopeful for mid March. EXPEL is full of plot twists in addition to the faction war beginning. EXPEL segues to the last leg of the Celestra storyline I’ll be penning in the very near future.

TRC: EXPEL was released March 22, 2012

TRC: As with any YA and MG series, the characters eventually grow up.  How many books have you planned for this particular series?

Addison: Since both VEX and EXPEL were unreasonably long I’ve decided to write shorter books for the rest of the series. I don’t know how many more of those books it will take but I’m thinking less than three, which would probably equal one book the length of EXPEL. Yes, EXPEL is that unreasonably big. 😉

TRC: Have you ever considered writing adult storylines?  Why or why not?

Addison: I have written books for adults in the past but I found I had enjoyed it less. I started out writing YA and I always seem to be most comfortable in YA. Honestly, young adult fiction feels like my sweet spot. I would love to try different genres again some day.

TRC: Who is your muse?

Addison: Lol! Oh, that is my forever guarded secret. I’ll give you a hint, he’s tall, dark, and handsome, and looks amazingly like my husband.

TRC: Many writers bounce idea and information around with family and friends. Who catches and returns your ideas?

Addison: My husband. He helps me nurture my ideas until they’re well outlined and developed. He’s the world’s best listener.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Addison: I would love to pass on a piece of advice to anyone with a dream. If you believe in your heart’s desire and are willing to put in an amazing effort, no dream is too big to accomplish.

LIGHTNING ROUND

FAVORITE DESSERT – ice cream (chocolate preferably)

FAVORITE FOOD – sushi

FAVORITE AUTHOR – Silvia Plath

FAVORITE TV SHOW – Most reality TV. It’s far too embarrassing to admit to.

FAVORITE MOVIE – The Princess Bride *sigh*

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW – Judy Moody (at home with my daughter)

DARK OR MILK CHOCOLATE – Dark, dark, dark…

RED OR PINK ROSES – I’m a sucker for pink, but my husband can paint my world red anytime.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Two furry people grace my home a Pekinese and a Golden Retriever. 

TRC: Addison, we would like to thank you for taking the time to answer some of our questions. We look forwards to your next instalment in the Celestra series. Keep us up to date and let us know what is in store for Skyla, Gage and Logan.

LINK to Addison Moore’s Website: Addison Moore

To order Addison Moore’s Celestra series of books CLICK the title links below:

Ethereal-Book #1
Tremble-Book #2
Burn -Book #3
Wicked-Book #4
Vex-Book #5
Expel-Book #6

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