Monday, February 10, 2014

Pushed by Corrine Jackson Review


Book Nerd Interview

Young adult author Corrine Jackson lives in San Francisco and has over ten years experience in marketing. She has bachelor and master degrees in English, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. Her novels include If I Lie (Simon Pulse) and the Sense Thieves trilogy (KTeen), comprised of Touched, Pushed, and Ignited (5/27/14). Visit her at CorrineJackson.com or on Twitter at @Cory_Jackson.

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EXCERPT

Gabe Blackwell never saw me coming.

In the tick of a hummingbird’s wings, I had launched myself at his back, taking him down in a tangle of arms and legs. Our bodies hit the blue mat in the middle of the Blackwells’ gym with a thud that shivered from my teeth to my backbone.

Gabe’s breath hissed out when Asher, leaning against a rack of weights, laughed at his older brother’s defeat at the hands of a gangly girl half his size. I took advantage of Gabe’s distraction to wrap an arm around his neck, putting the whole of my weight into pinning him. My height rivaled his, with me close to six feet and him just over, but he had a good sixty pounds of muscle on me. Unwilling to loosen my hold for even a second, I considered biting him in retribution for the thousand times he’d insulted me. And then I wondered if I might have given away my abnormal speed. I really hoped not.

“What is it you’re always yelling at me?” I pretended to think about it, enjoying my little victory over my boyfriend’s brother. With his sculpted features, Gabe never lacked for company, and he never let anyone forget it. I savored any opportunity I had to take his ego down a notch. “Oh right. I remember now. Never turn your back on the enemy, Protector.”

Gabe cursed and cut my amusement short when his muscles tightened and gathered under me. He might look twenty to my eighteen, but Gabe had lived more than a century, and his experience with our powers surpassed mine. Too late, I tried to strengthen my grip. The thought had scarcely occurred to me when I found my face planted in the mat with his knee bending my spine like a bow.

“I also told you to concentrate instead of getting cocky.” The cheer in Gabe’s proper British voice grated on my nerves. “Now, be a good little mortal, and say it.”

His humiliating version of saying “uncle,” he meant. Ten minutes ago I’d bet him that I could take him down in a fair fight, and he’d agreed with terms of his own if I lost.

“Come on, Healer. Say it. Tell me I’m the greatest Protector who ever lived.”

His knee pressed harder, as he settled in with more of his weight. Grunting, I tested my range of motion and felt an electric storm of agony gathering inside my body. Powerful energy, but not enough to turn the tables. Almost there, you smug jackass.

“All right.” Defeat colored my tone, and my body went limp. “You win. I’ll say it.”

I could picture the smirk on his carved, handsome face, and I used the anger to steel myself against the coming pain. In an explosion of movement, my body jerked backward, forcing his knee to dig in that little bit more I needed. A disk popped in my spine and slid sideways. The tempest exploded out of me, firing my pain into Gabe. Another pop and he collapsed with a thump next to me, his back now screwed up, too. Poetic justice. In the quiet that followed, I pressed my cheek into the cushioned mat and studied my nemesis, curled up in the fetal position next to me.

My voice came out weaker than I intended when I declared, “I am the greatest Protector who ever lived.”



She didn't know how far she’d go—until she was pushed.

Remy O’Malley was just learning to harness her uncanny healing power when she discovered the other, darker half of her bloodline. Now she lives trapped between two worlds, uneasy among her fellow

Healers—and relentlessly hunted by the Protectors.

Forced to conceal her dual identity, and the presence of her Protector boyfriend Asher Blackwell, Remy encounters a shadow community of Healers who will put her loyalties to the test.

Pushed to the limit, with the lives of those she loves most on the line, Remy must decide whether to choose sides in a centuries-old war—or make the ultimate sacrifice and go to a place from which she may never return…

This is Book Two in the Sense Thieves trilogy.


Corinne Jackson’s Pushed is a fantastic follow-up to Touched. It is quite often sequels tend to be in-between fillers in a series. However, Pushed displayed absolute beauty not just towards the story, but also the setting and most importantly the characters. Touched introduced Remy but Pushed certainly dissected the character as readers get to witness how much growth she’s had since we last saw her. The plot takes quite a twist and full emotions and action are felt at each turn of the page.

The pace that it followed was just perfect. We get to know more about Remy and her special abilities. Love is something she desperately wants. Although her protector Asher is her boyfriend, in his absence, she develops a strong feeling towards Gabe. I know some may turn away once this triangle comes into play. However, I have a feeling that Jackson has done this on purpose in order to create more of a huge surprise that is just beginning to scratch the surface. There is sure to be some trouble on the horizon and its something to keep our minds busy waiting for the next book.

The roller coaster ride that readers go through with this book is all worth it. Once the twists come into play, the story takes it up a notch and there is simply to turning back. Although Remy is already on a path of struggles and tribulations, the moment it felt like this path is becoming smooth and easy, Jackson pulls the rug right under your feet and the story is back on track to where you don’t know where the story is going next. This writing approach will certainly keep you on your toes and peaks interest towards the overall feel for the book. Remy’s journey is not a pretty one but readers are fully entertained being right next to her throughout. Pushed can strongly be a standalone, but there are bits and pieces that are not completely resolved. Pushed delivers a stunning reading pleasure that is becoming a rare thing to find in books.



You can purchase Pushed at the following Retailers:


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Check out this Amazing someecards that Corrine created for Valentine's Day. 
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