Choices

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 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

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.



OR



Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 2:

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Horror, monsters, mystery, romance, superhero , , ,

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

Introduction:

This batch contains some of my absolute favorites. The music often captures the essence of the stories, but the standouts to me are The Heist: Monoco and The Elementalists. The first being fun and whimsy and the second being quirky yet magical.

Aside on How I Spend Diamonds:

I’m a sucker for … pets, spells, collections. Favorite so far might be sassy cat from Wishful Thinking. I’ve not finished the story yet though, so I can’t tell for sure. The pet choices in The Elmentalists 1 and 2 are fun. I do love the little purple dog in the second book. I named the frog from the first one Tim, so of course, the puppy had to be Tiny.

I can usually resist … special outfits, most dates. Kind of just gives me the short version of the story, which is fine. The chapters range from about 20-40 minutes to read, depending on how quickly I skim.

Ratings Batch 2:

The Elementalists Book 1, 5/5 Stars: One of my favorites so far. I’m a sucker for buying spells. I intend to replay this one.

Endless Summer 2/5 Stars: Couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t like the graphics for one thing.

The Freshman Series 3.5/5 Stars: I’m only on Book 4, and I’ve enjoyed some of the story threads, but it’s not my favorite series.

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor 3/5 Stars: Largely forgettable ghost story. This one had flashing lights they were kind enough to warn me about, but I don’t remember much.

The Heist: Monoco, 5/5 Stars: Definitely a favorite. I love the replay value, though I do think my first cast pick was better. Still haven’t tried male MC, but I really like the female con artist I made. (Her name’s Mel.)

Hero 3.5/5 Stars: Typical comic book like action. Cliffhanger ending lost it some of my respect.

Home for the Holidays 3/5 Stars: It’s cool that the MC works for a publisher, but on the whole, the story is kind of forgettable.

It Lives in the Woods 3/5 Stars: I kind of slogged through this one.

It Lives Beneath 4/5 Stars: Actually liked this one. It pits the MC against cultists and tells a creepy ghost story at the same time.

Conclusion:

What makes something compelling to me is a solid story with characters I care about. The Elementalists has pretty high stakes for the main character. I like how it ran with the chosen one trope. Bad guys wants the MC for his own take-over-the-world scheme, but MC’s sister will fight for her tooth and nail. There are some cool themes throughout the stories, like family bonds.

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.



OR



Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 1:

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Horror, mystery, scifi , ,

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

Introduction:

I’ve been playing Choices stories for a few years at this point. Yes, I’ve spent money on diamonds. If I have time, I’ll give a summary of how I typically spend them. It’s been quite a while since I read some of the stories, so my memory of them may not be exact. Still, the impression of the stories remains.

Aside about Parents:

Fairly certain the Pixelberry people took detailed notes on how to treat parents from Disney. Let’s take a random sampling of ones I’ve read. Across the Void – parents aren’t really mentioned, assumed dead. America’s Most Eligible – parents not mentioned, assumed alive. Big Sky Country – assumed alive. Bloodbound – not mentioned. The Crown & the Flame – MC’s mother gets murdered before her eyes. A Courtesan of Rome – rare exception in that both are alive and well. Desire and Decorum – mother’s dead. The Elementalists – both parents are dead. They were murdered. Hero – mother’s around. Home for the Holidays – mother’s alive. It Lives Anthology – at least in the second book, the MC’s parents are brutally murdered. Sunkissed – dad’s dead. Wishful Thinking – mom’s dead.

Choices Stories Ratings:

Across the Void 4/5 Stars: Awesome story throughout. Classic scifi. Crappy ending.

America’s Most Eligible 3.5/5 Stars: You join the cast of a reality TV show.

America’s Most Eligible Book 2: All Stars 4/5 Stars: Better than the first. Vince is so deliciously loathable.

Big Sky Country 4/5 Stars: It might be getting an extra half star for my favorite chapter title: Not Today, Satan. Modern western and family drama. Pits a struggling ranch against big city developers.

Bloodbound 4/5 Stars: Oddly entertaining. You get caught up in the rough and tumble world of vampires. Haven’t tried book 2 yet.

The Crown & the Flame Book 1-3 4.5/5 Stars: It’s been a long time, but this is where I started. Classic sword and sorcery fantasy. I will likely replay it at some point. If I remember correctly, I dropped a lot of diamonds on this one. Should lead to fun replays.

A Courtesan of Rome 4.5/5 Stars: Full of history and family.

Desire and Decorum Books 1-2, 4/5 Stars: I’m actually not done 2 yet, but 1 was surprisingly enjoyable. I honestly thought I’d be non-plussed by regency romance.

Conclusion:

Overall, I’d say Pixelberry has some top-notch storytellers on their staff.

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.



OR



Choices Review: 4.5/5 Stars The Heist: Monoco

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories , ,

*Warning: Could be Spoilers

This song reminds me of the story.

Introduction:

I’ve been playing Choices stories for a while now. They’re all designed to make you spend money by spending diamonds. I generally skip a lot of the diamond outfits and extra scenes that don’t have an impact on the overall story, but sometimes, you just have to go all in.

Additional Comments:

  • The Heist: Monoco definitely has some Leverage vibes, right down to the music.
  • The cast of characters is pretty neat. It’s a double edged sword that you can’t play as all the characters at once, but that does give the game some great replay value.
  • Short who’s who: Eris is a hard-edged demo expert. Rye’s the preppy, details guy. As for the rest, first round, I chose Jones (muscle), Anton Edison (Hacker), Edison (Thief; diamonds), Fabien (driver), Miranda (Grifter; diamonds). Thankfully, they didn’t make you pay for the whole cast.
  • Music: usually great, but this is exceptional and fitting for the mood.
  • I chose to go with a female lead first round. Named her Mel, which oddly enough, fit perfectly.

Conclusion:

This might be my favorite story to date from Choices.

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.


OR