Choices Stories

Choices Stories Review 4/5 Stars: The Elementalists 2

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Young Adult , , , ,
very cool cover for the book. Love that they included Sherya this time.

*Spoilers are possible

Summary:

You’re back at Penderghast College as either a guy or a girl who just saved the world from Raife with your twin brother/sister. And incidentally sort of set a worse dude free from his happy little prison. Hartfield wasn’t doing it for ya as a college, but Penderghast is just what you need.

Additional Comments:

  • Okay, so the misspelled magick thing is slightly bothersome, but less so this round than last one.
  • Shreya and Beckett are still my favorite side characters. Griffin and Zeph are cool too, but I guess I’m just about the attitude this round.
  • I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the last book, which is strange for Choices stories. Usually, I’m all about the sequels. I think it was the imbalance of school life and the world is ending. The bad guy this round was way overpowered. His little cat and mouse game with the MC was charming at times, but illogical.
  • I loved the extra scene though.

Conclusion:

A worthy series. I’m really hoping they continue this one. The end note sort of implied this would be it for the Elementalist series, but it’s such a cool world. Maybe like with Bloodbound, there will be a spinoff series that has the same world as this series. I started book 1 again. Didn’t get too far, but I remember really loving the first story.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

Choices Stories Review 5/5 Stars: The Elementalists

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Young Adult , , , , ,
cover for the story

Genre: Fantasy

*could be spoilers ahead

Summary:

The main character looks in a mirror and sees a strange version of himself or herself. College is sort of a drag. Until the weird shadow version of yourself pulls you into the mirror and you land at Penderghast College.

Additional Comments:

  • The book had a nice balance between classes, new spells, budding romances, frivolous school things, and building friendships. And mortal danger for the MC.
  • This round, Pixelberry asked what your MC would be into from the beginning. I found that interesting. Usually, the love interests are chosen through the choices. And pretty much in most of the stories you could romance everybody.
  • You’re introduced to a gang of sidekicks, two ladies and two guys. But Aster’s not really a full part of the crew this game.
  • I think the stakes this round were just right. The bad guy’s after the MC for a reason.
  • The beginning chapters worked out fine, but I really loved the ending chapters. There’s danger and action and you finally get to use those lovely spells you’re supposed to be hording throughout the game.
  • The frog turned out to be a decent companion.

Conclusion:

It’s always expensive to play games where you have to collect something like mystery clues. I’m also a sucker for pets. I settled for a frog knockoff the first round, but second round, I may choose the seahorse looking one. I think the series probably has some replay value.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

4.5/5 Stars Choices: It Lives Beneath

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Horror , ,

*May Contain Mild Spoilers

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Summary:

This is one of my favorite horror stories Pixellberry has made. I’m not even sure why. The

Additional Comments:

  • I named my character Marina, and I think I chose a lot of frizzy hair.
  • It’s sort of unique in that you get to see a lot of the younger brother character.
  • Not sure what about this story made it so much better than the first one. Maybe, it was the simple fact that the MC’s not a high school kid. She’s definitely college or beyond. She doesn’t seem to have much of a job, but she’s also reeling from the opening events.
  • Book’s also unique in that you get to know Grandpa a bit…and he’s delightfully grumpy.
  • I also love the twists and turns in the book. Good guys/bad guys flips and flops all over the place, except the monsters. They’re pretty straight forward trying to kill you types.
  • The creepy music is always fantastic.
  • Love interests are not the best or the worst of Pixelberry’s offerings. I personally chose the cop figure, but I believe Tom from the original story was also a choice.
  • The end is bittersweet.

Conclusion:

If you enjoy horror stories, you won’t want to miss this one.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

3/5 Star Choices: It Lives in the Woods

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Horror , ,

*Will contain mild spoilers

Genre: Horror/mystery

Summary:

One of your friends went missing a few years ago. The MC is a high school kid. Some very weird stuff begins happening. Oddly, some of the things are “good” for you or one of your friends.

Additional Comments:

  • I really loved the character I created. I forget what I named her though.
  • The concept of nerve was interesting. Basically, you start scared to death and gradually build up your nerve through various conversations and actions.
  • This definitely fits the horror genre. There are some gross things that happen.
  • The flashback scenes are adorable.
  • Don’t remember much about the side characters, but they are okay. I do remember there being a tough girl, a basketball star, a popular girl, etc. I think they tried to represent most of the cliques. Jocelyn wasn’t a main side character, but I do like her character development.
  • I didn’t like the ending choices. Probably the reason it got 3 instead of 4 stars.

Conclusion:

The lore set up here wasn’t their best, but it wasn’t the worst either. I enjoyed bits and pieces of the story. And I really liked the sequel.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

Choices Stories Review 3.5/5 Stars: Across the Void

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, scifi , , , ,
I didn’t buy the spiffy hair, but it does look spectacular.

Genre: Scifi

*possible spoilers

Summary:

The main character is a starship captain straight outta flight school. Your best friend is off to be a Star Marshall. You have an older(??) brother and a younger sister. But then you end up getting a dream job. And your siblings decided to tag along too.

Additional Comments:

  • There’s some friction between your siblings. Brother’s a marshall, and sister is a mechanic.
  • There’s a civil war on in the universe. Brother supports the orderly folks, and sister supports the rebels.
  • The morality in the story shifts and nothing’s clear cut.
  • I absolutely loved the vast majority of the chapters. Scifi is an amazing genre. Besides Perfect Match, this is the only scifi I can think of from Pixelberry.
  • The music was downright awesome.
  • You get to play as the brother and sister occasionally.
  • Didn’t much care for the love interests. There actually aren’t that many for the MC because they also had one dedicated to the brother.
  • I named my starship captain, Katrina. Overall, I enjoyed the character.
  • I didn’t buy the pet this round. I think they offered it pretty far into the game.
  • Didn’t care for the end; hence the sorta low rating.
  • Some of the diamond choices they offer you are the ones that would make you a decent human being. I sprang for a few of them.
  • The upgrades and protections didn’t really affect the story.

Conclusion:

I hope they pick up and do another science fiction story. They could even use the same universe. There’s so much potential, and they put a heck of a lot of work into universe building. I would absolutely play another, even though the ending kinda annoyed me.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

Choices Stories Review: 3/5 Stars: Hero

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Choices Stories, superhero , ,
the cool costume I was too cheap to buy.

Genre: Superhero stories

Summary:

Not sure how much I remember from this story. I think it landed on a cliffhanger, but I don’t think they bothered making a sequel. The Pixelberry people probably have some sort of tracking system to see which stories are most profitable.

Additional Comments:

  • The main character can be male or female this time around. I went with a lady.
  • An accident gives the MC the ability to fly. You should be able to gather that from the cover for the book, so it’s not really a spoiler.
  • The MC is not the only one imbued with special powers. With great good, also comes evil. Bad guys also get some awesome super traits.
  • I typically do not enjoy the stories that have this kind of animation, but this one was fine. I think the Endless Summer series is the same. I liked the story better than that, but still not as much as some of the other series.
  • I didn’t care much for the love interest in this story. Pretty sure it’s your boss. In that regard, it reminds me of Adrian’s relationship with the MC of Bloodbound. It’s been a while. I don’t remember his name.
  • You can rename the nickname, but Firefly seemed to fit the character.
  • I’m a cheapskate, so my hideout was quite rustic.
  • I’m surprised how much partying they try to squeeze into each of these stories. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it doesn’t.

Conclusion:

Superhero stories follow their own brand of logic. I have never been a huge fan of the genre, but then again, I like Arrow, Batman, and so forth. If you enjoy superheroes, this is perfect for you.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – Christian Mystery. 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

Choices Stories Review 4/5 Stars: Wishful Thinking

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Choices Stories, Fantasy , ,
cover art for Wishful Thinking

Will attempt to keep this spoiler free.

Summary:

This book wins for weirdest way to get a cool power. It’s cliché, but I don’t think they’ve done anything like it before. The MC gets struck by lightning and suddenly can read people’s and animals’ thoughts.

Additional Comments:

  • It was a tad strange to me that the two love interests this round, Aubrey and Jaime, have names that I’d most likely associate with girls. As usual, the pair was ridiculously hot. Pixelberry must have their minions working very hard on male models.
  • The main character’s boss is a genuine jerk. Kind of reminds me of the best friend’s boss from Red Carpet Diaries.
  • I adopted the puppy and the kitten. Sort of wish they had more scenes with the main character. They were adorable.
  • Plotwise, this one turned out to be of a similar vein to an episode of Leverage or Pixelberry’s other tale about Big Sky Country. *Spoiler* Little guy vs big company. It’s a somewhat tiresome tale, but they pull it off very well.
  • The MC lost their powers at a very convenient time. I think plot twists like that are cheap shots, but I can also seeing that the plot wouldn’t have worked very well if she’d kept her powers through that time.

Conclusion:

I thought I’d like it more, but it turned out decent. Not sure there’s a lot of replay value though.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

3/5 Stars Choices: The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Horror , ,

Summary:

The MC lost a sibling (I think) and ends up trying to find answers in an old mansion. Pretty sure there’s a best friend around too. This is one of the shortest Pixelberry stories. I believe it’s only 5 chapters long.

Additional Comments:

  • It’s an okay story. They are definitely not kidding about the flashing lights that could be a problem if you get headaches from such things.
  • Don’t remember much but I’m pretty sure there’s a ticked off ghost running amok.
  • I want to say the MC connects with some young, cute ghosts too. I think there’s one about the MC’s age and then a few little ones.
  • It’s impressive that they tell a whole story in 5 chapters. It’s not a very in depth one but it suffices. I gather it was one of their first horror ventures. They’ve gotten way creepier in more recent stories.

Conclusion:

This story’s on par with a Nancy Drew-esque story of a haunted mansion. There’s a backstory for the ghost, ways to help them, and a solid dose of flashy lights.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

2/5 Stars Choices: Endless Summer Book 1

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Choices Stories, scifi , ,

Summary:

Kind of like the TV show Lost. You’re in a plane crash with some of your high school acquaintances. I think the premise is that you won the trip to an island paradise.

Additional Comments:

  • I didn’t like the animation style. It’s too much like a cartoon.
  • For some reason, none of the side characters really grew on me. Jake’s kind of a jerk, though I do like his nicknames for the MC. Estela’s got a major chip on her shoulder. Diego’s okay. Don’t remember many of the others.
  • It might be better to see it on Youtube with all of the diamond scenes. Not sure. Pixelberry has so many other great stories, I kind of only bothered with this one to get the ch completion diamonds.
  • The plot kind of meanders. Maybe it makes more sense if you’re willing to spend diamonds, but I just didn’t care enough to bother.
  • There’s no real conclusion at the end of book one. It really is an endless summer. Some stuff happens and your friends are in danger and other people are trying to kill you. Big mysteries are still on the horizon.

Conclusion:

Not their best story.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 3:

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, contemporary, drama, mystery, scifi , , , ,
lovely ad for cool story

*Will contain spoilers if you haven’t read the stories*

Introduction:

Sorry, I had to break it up a bit so it wouldn’t be the post that never ends.

Aside:

I like how these stories are expanding my genres. I would typically avoid some of the type of stories, but in small doses, it’s enjoyable. Thriller and mystery still top my likes, but I found a surprising number of romances and dramas to get into.

Second Aside:

I do love the little references they put in each series to other ones. Ryan Summers has shown up in a few series, including Most Wanted and Red Carpet Diaries. The Crown and the Flame is a TV show in The Freshman Series. A random dude on the cruise ship from Rules of Engagement is absolutely obsessed with The Crown and the Flame.

Ratings Batch 3:

Most Wanted 4/5 Stars: Action thriller. Sam and Dave have pretty cool chemistry. This is one of the few books where the MC’s actually a set person, not whoever you make him or her to be. I think The Crown & the Flame did that too, but most stories you choose your main character.

Open Heart 5/5 Stars: Another surprise for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this medical drama. Don’t watch TV a lot, but I’m starting to see the appeal.

Perfect Match 1 and 2, 4/5 Stars: If rated individually, I think 1 might be slightly lower and 2 higher. I overall enjoyed the series though. The MC takes on a big time corporation over their androids.

Red Carpet Diaries, Book 1, 4/5 Stars: I actually almost left the default name intact here. The MC I made looked like a Jessie to me instead of Jessica. Fun story of fame and fortune. Twists in the first book were neat.

Rules of Engagement Series 3/5 Stars: I remember being annoyed by large portions of this story. It follows a family gives some weird bucket lists by a dead grandmother. In order to inherit, you’ve got some serious hoops to hop through.

Veil of Secrets 4/5 Stars: Might bear another run through.

Conclusion:

I’ll continue to post individual reviews as I check out some of the stories again. There are a few series I still want to start, but the summer should give me a chance to catch up. It’s been ages since the first book, maybe I’ll return to that. I think I unlocked most of The Crown and the Flame.  

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime



The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



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