Alex Hayes (1)

Setting aliens in the world of teenagers just finishing high school is an intriguing premise for this young adult novel.
The human teenager, Dean, must protect his little brother, Ty, from their abusive father and their indifferent mother.
The alien teenager, Cadi, must protect the crystal tree that provides life force for her species.
The enemy alien race that seeks out Cadi and her bonded partner, Idris are closing in on their location.
Can Cadi trust Dean after he outed her telekinesis last show more year?
Will Dean help her in the fight against her enemy?
Will Dean, Ty, and Shri accept her as a lizard-like alien?

The novel kept my interest. show less

This is my third novel by Alex Hayes and it is a companion novel to the Chameleon Effect Series. Book 1 and 2 have a paranormal romance feel to then compared to Steel Strings which is more of a young adult romance and can be read as a standalone.

When a beautiful young musical genius decides to make some changes in her life like a new boyfriend and to stand up to her psycho sister, all hell breaks loose.

A smile lifts one side of my mouth because I need a physics partner for next semester. And show more Marek fits the bill. The slow beat of his drumstick against a cymbal stops at the exact moment my eyes meet his. I blink once, offer a glowing smile and glance away. Jeez. That was beyond totally embarrassing, Brianna.

Brianna is the beautiful homecoming queen of her school and she dates the gorgeous quarterback, but she has agreed to stay with him despite the fact she has no romantic feelings toward him. In the meantime, she needs a brainiac partner for her physics project and Marek is on her list as one of the smartest kids in school, not to mention tall and sexy.

During Christmas break when her psycho and bitchy sister, Deya, comes home from college, she terrorizes Brianna at every turn to her mother’s cold indifference, and her father’s clueless irresponsibility. When an unforgiveable incident happens resulting in Brianna being rushed to the hospital, the truth starts to unravel.

Brianna and Marek’s growing attraction is a nice start to this interesting story which turns dark pretty fast containing abuse and attempts to hide it. The idea of Brianna making instruments from recycled materials is fascinating and I give kudos to Ms. Hayes for that interesting part of Brianna’s character. I also love Marek and how he stands up for Brianna when her own family won’t.

Though this is a standalone book, Ms. Hayes has done a fine job of giving more background on Marek and Idris who appear in her first book, Silken Scales, from the Chameleon Effects Series. If you enjoy fast-paced young adult romances with strong characters and strong subject matter, give this one a try. Recommend highly!

Thank you to Ms. Hayes for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review. show less

Romance receives a shot of tension with a dash of thriller to form an exciting read with more than a couple twists and turns.

Brianna has quite a few things going for her. She's pretty, one of the smartest kids in her class and has a talent for music and instruments. But few know the secrets she harbors, ones that she avoids fairly well until her sister returns for a visit from college. Even her so-called boyfriend doesn't know the true her, but he's being held at bay anyway thanks to their show more strange relationship. But even that's about to change as a boy she's had an interest on for years suddenly seems to turn her way.

This book starts with a bang for an opening scene, but it's importance doesn't really become clear until later on in the book. Not that this is a problem because there are quite a few surprises in these pages. Although it's sold as a contemporary romance, the story skirts along the edge of being a suspense/thriller. Brianna's life might appear blessed, but there are some very dark shadows behind her life's perfect facade. The author keeps these nicely at bay, letting them leak little by little to make the tension rise as the story unfolds. It made the book hard to put down as I was curious what would happen next.

The characters are nicely done and for the most part, come across well. Brianna's and her father's reactions did surprise me a little, especially since both are considered intelligent and/or well situated. Otherwise, Brianna was easy to like and definitely had a situation which made her a person to root for until the very end.

The romance has a natural flow. The teen angst of approaching someone and figuring out their feelings as well as battling ones own insecurities comes across well and builds a believable setting. This isn't a 'love-at-first-sight' but a romance that builds slowly with all of the hurdles and self-made obstacles along the way. It was sweet and both sides came across believable.

Fans of teen romance, who like a bit of suspense and hint of danger along the way, are sure to enjoy this one.

I received a complimentary copy and was surprised how exciting the read was. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts. show less

Silken Scales is a YA science fiction book with non-fiction themes of acceptance, self-respect, identity, and friendship. As the first book of a trilogy, Scales has a lot of set up and scene laying to accomplish which can leave the reader confused at times. The main characters are well thought out and by alternating between them, the narrative achieves a 3-D like effect. The short chapters can be jarring and sometimes it would be nice to continue with a promising plot development rather than show more switching back but it doesn't hinder the book overall. Seeing the characters grow or mature a bit more would have been nice. While their flaws make them interesting, they expect and get the world to change for them and don't seem to do much introspection. Overall an interesting concept with potential. show less