Review: Fever

Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Chemical Garden Trilogy #2
Pages: 341
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind. 

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. 

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.


Review:

I must admit, I didn't come into this book thinking I would like it.  I read Wither a while ago and it was okay for me, but this book...this book is something special.

I loved it.  Loved loved loved it.  The writing, the story line, the characters, everything, it was all perfect.  Although it was boring at some times, I still really loved the series of events that lead to the climax, which is what should happen in any book.  The adventure was great, and the writing topped everything off and really made this book wonderful.

In the first book I wasn't really a big fan of Gabriel.  Well, I am now.  Love love love love him.  He's so sweet and caring and sexy and just PERFECT!  Why oh why can't he be real!?
I also really really liked Rhine.  She was such a strong character, one of the strongest I've ever read about.  She was smart, kick-ass, and strong.
And, of course, I have to mention the little cute baby in this book, Maddie.  I really liked her.  Although she couldn't speak she had personality, and I think DeStefano did a great job developing her.

Before I sign off I have to say one more thing.  I hate this cover.  It looks like she drugged out.  After the amazing cover that was Wither this one really disappoints.  But, that isn't a big enough thing to make me hate this amazing book! :p

Review: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman
Series: If I Stay #1
Pages: 262
Format: Paperback
Rating: 2.5/5

Summery:
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

Review:

I had heard that this book is really sad and that people cried over it and all that.  So when I sat down to read it in my little reading nook I had a box of Kleenexes beside me and...nothing.

I've heard that this book was heartbreaking and heart-wrenching and that people bawled their eyes out over it, but I just didn't get that.  And I'll tell you why: When Mia's parents died she showed no emotion.  She didn't fall to her knees and scream "Why them?" then bawled her eyes out.  She was just kind of like "Oh, they're dead" and that was it.  And that isn't enough for me.  If you're going to make something sad you have to go all out, you need the main character to be broken and crying.  And that just wasn't a part of this book.
The idea was really good, the story line was ok, and the writing was pretty good, but the story moved along at a snail's pace and I found myself skipping pages to get to some action.
One thing I did like were the flashbacks.  They really explained Mia's background, and they were basically the story.

One of my favorite characters in this book is the mom.  She is hilarious!  On all her scenes I couldn't stop laughing.  she was strong, punk, and didn't care what anyone thought about her, and I love that.
My other favorite character is Adam. *swoon*  Need I say more?  He was so cute, sexy, and extremely nice and caring, and I felt so bad for him when Mia was hurt.
And finally, there's Mia herself.  I'd have to say she's one of my least favorite characters in this book.  I know it's kind of hard to have personality when you're on your death-bed, but in the flashbacks she didn't have any.  I think she was the most under-developed character in this book.

I do think I will be reading the next book (I want more Adam!!) but I'm not really excited about it.

Review: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #1
Pages: 338
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Review:
Oh my God.  Oh my God.  I love this book.  When I started it I didn't think I would like it because Tahereh Mafi had this weird way of writing that I wasn't used to, but wow.  I loved it.  This review is going to be really short because this book is so good.

The story line was amazing.  The writing was amazing.  The idea was amazing.  I mean, how did Mafi even think of this?  It's amazing.  And by half-way finished I had finally gotten used to Mafi's writing and actually really enjoyed it because it got the point across better.  I really don't know how to explain it, but it just really, really worked.  I loved the action, I loved the humor, I loved everything.

I LOVE ADAM.  And I'm serious.  I TOTALLY AM IN LOVE WITH ADAM.  He sounds so cute and caring and just the most perfect guy you could think of.  Why, oh why, can't he be real?
I also really liked Juliette.  She was strong, kick-ass, and really got on Warner's nerves, which I loved.
Speaking of Warner, I HATE HIM.  HATE, HATE, HATE HIM.  He is the most evil person I have read about in a long time and I really, really wish Juliette had killed him.
One of the most funny characters I've read in a while is Kenji.  Gosh, this dude is just so funny.  He's so full of himself and gosh, just the comments he makes, they crack me up.

All in all, hands down the best book I've read this year, and probably the best I'll read all year.  Mafi is amazing.

Review: Bloodrose

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: Nightshade #3
Pages: 406

Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Calla has always welcomed war.

But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping Ansel safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha, facing unnamanble horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all. And then there's deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

Review:
I'm kind of sad this is the last book in the Nightshade series because I actually really enjoyed it.  But I'm also glad I finished it because I got to read Wolfsbane (which I loved) and this book, so it's kind of bitter-sweet.

I have to admit, this book has one of the best story lines I've seen in a while.  There were twist and turns, things I didn't even see coming, and the ending was great.  But it was also really sad (I won't tell).  It had great writing, great action, and another thing I loved about it was the love-triangle.  I know, I know I always say I hate love triangles, but sometimes the book really needs it to make it exciting, and I feel like the love-triangle was perfect for this book.  But what I really liked, and I think Andrea Cremer is a genius for doing this, is Calla putting a hold on both her relationships with Ren and Shay.  It really kept you captivated because she kind of went from one boy to the other, sneaking a private moment, and I LOVED it.

Coming into this book I was totally Team Ren.  I hated Shay because he was so possessive and he just wasn't as sexy as Ren.  But as I read I started liking Shay more and more, until they were about even.  Ren is so sexy and caring, and he really, really loves Calla.  With Shay, I didn't really get those vibes.  But I'm so sad the love-triangle ended like it did (let's just say there wasn't a third person to make it a triangle).

Although I wasn't a huge fan of Nightshade, and Wolfsbane was better, I think that Bloodrose is the best of the series.  And I'm so glad I own it so I can go back and read it again and again whenever I want.

ARC Review: Where it Began

Author: Ann Redisch Stampler

Pages: 369
Format: ARC
Source: Simon Pulse (Thanks Ann)
Rating: 3.8/5

Summery:
Sometimes the end is just the beginning.

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. but when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.
And Billy's nowhere to be found.
All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way.
It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.
Especially if it means everything changes.

Review:
I've always believed that the ending of a book is the deciding factor as to whether it's a meh book or a good book.  This book was gearing up to be a meh book, but then ther was the ending.  And it completely changed my mind.

This was a good idea from the start, and while the writing wasn't the best I've ever seen, it was still a pretty good book.  It had a really, really good story line and the staging was amazing.  And the ending.  Wow.  Don't even get me started.  It has got to be the best ending ever.  And I've read a lot of books with really good endings.  But it wouldn't have been that great it Stampler hadn't staged it in the very beginning of the book, and you have to give her full credit for that.

In most of the books I've read, I usually like the moms.  In this one, I have to completely opposite feeling.  I hated Lexi's mom.  All she cared about was Lexi looking good and being popular.  Even when she was in the freaking hospital her mom wasn't worried about her, she was worried about people seeing her.  And while I will admit that Lexi did screw up pretty bad, she still deserves better than that.
Even with her obvious issues, I still really like Lexi.  She screwed up, and now she's trying to fix it, and I really respect her for that.
Now, if you have a severe aversion to hate, you might not want to read this next part.  Because I hate Billy more than I have hated anything in this world.  He is the perfect example of a boy you want to stay away from. He is the meanest, most controlling, self-centered *********** **** ********** **** I've ever seen (I didn't actually swear, I just held down the key randomly :P)

All in all, a pretty good YA debut.  This book really produced feelings I haven't felt in a while, pretty much the negative kind, because there are some characters in here I don't like at all.

Huge thanks to Ann Stampler for sticking with me when I was bugging her for an ARC of this book.  I really appreciate it and thanks so much. :):):)

Review: Ripple

Author: Mandy Hubbard

Pages: 260
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love-again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.
Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free or her curse is giving him up.

Review:
I knew I was going to love this book after I read the summery.  I knew it was going to be amazing and the story line would be captivating.  And I was totally right. :p

I love this book.  Everything just works together perfectly: friends, boyfriends, her being a siren.  The story line was amazing, the writing was amazing, and the ending was amazing.  Hubbard wrote it like there was no way Lexi could break the curse and still keep Cole, but somehow she managed (I'm not going to tell how so don't ask :p).  It was a great idea from the beginning, and it was just perfect, well rounded book.

I love, love, love, love, love, love, love Cole.  He is the perfect boyfriend.  I adore him. *swoon*.  Totally, totally, totally swoon-worthy.  He's just so nice and caring and he really, really loves Lexi.
I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate Erik.  Words cannot describe how much I hate him.  The little slime-ball. ************ ***** * **** ***.  That's what I think of you.
I also really, really liked Sienna, and I'm so sad that things didn't work out between her and Lexi because I really, really wanted it to.

All in all, the best siren book I've ever read.  (Ok, so it's the only siren book I've read, but...still good. :P)

Review: Dead Beautiful

Author: Yvonne Woon

Series: Dead Beautiful #1
Pages: 455
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Renee Winters was a typical, sunny California girl until the day she discovered her parents in the redwood forest, dead in what appeared to be a bizarre double murder. Now her grandfather has sent her to Gottfried Academy, an old-fashioned, elite boarding school in rural Maine.
Soon Renee uncovers the school's dark secret: students have died in the exact same way as her parents, but none of the teachers will talk about it.
Most perplexing of all is the behavior of an elusive, devestatingly beautiful boy named Dante Berlin. He never speaks to anyone besides Renee, and seems by turns fascinated and unsettled by her. When they are together, Renee feels more alive than she ever has before.
Even as she falls in love, Renee realizes that being with Dante is dangerous. Possibly deadly. A future without him seems unthinkable. But is true love worth dying for?

Review:
I was kind of reluctant to read this book, but after finishing page one I knew I would never regret it.

Wow.  Just wow.  I honestly didn't think I'd like this book, but I love it.  It went right into the action on page one, it had a great story line that kept me guessing literally the whole way through, and amazing writing.  I was trying to figure out what would happen, what Dante was, but I just couldn't, and I love that.  The build-up to the climax was great, and I feel like a professor I know so much about Dante.  Woon just explained it so well.  And that ending. *swoon*  What an ending.

I really like Renee.  There was just something about her, spunk or something, that I really liked.  She was the one who kept at it and figured out about the murders, not someone else.  I think she was a really strong character and I really have nothing bad to say about her.
And then there's Dante. *swoon* Oh Dante.  That guy is smokin'.  I love him.  He's so sweet, unselfish, and nice.
I also like Eleanor too.  She's not huge in the book, but I like the way Woon wrote her.
And Renee's grandfather.  In the beginning I hated him, but he grew on me as the story progressed.

All in all, this is a truly amazing book, and I can't wait to read the next one, Life Eternal.

What do you think? :)

Review: Carrier of the Mark

Author: Leigh Fallon

Series: Carrier Trilogy #1
Pages: 342
Format: Paperback
Rating: 1/5

Summery:
From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.

Review:
Leigh Fallon.  I really, really hate to be mean, but if you don't take criticism well, please don't read this review.  I hate bashing authors and I hate it even more if they read it and hate me.

I was so excited about this book.  I thought it would be amazing.  I even bought it!  What a waste of money.  I didn't even finish it.

I hate ripping authors.  I don't enjoy criticizing their hard work.  So it's going to be hard to write this review without seeming down-right mean.  I respect Leigh Fallon for making something happen, for putting her work on Inkpop to try and get it published.  But, honestly, I don't see how it was.  In the beginning I loved it.  It had a really great story line, a really good idea.  Then Adam made his entrance, and from then on I hated it.  The dude is just creepy.  I like nothing about him.  I can't explain why, but he just doesn't seem right to me.  And the writing.  The writing wasn't very good.  It was choppy, disconnected, and didn't flow AT ALL.  And the romance.  Where the heck did that come from?!  One second Megan is walking into a school and the next she's making out with Adam.  The romance is supposed to grow and be sweet and slow.  This one was like *snap fingers* that.

My favorite character in the whole book would have to be Caitlin, because she was the least creepiest, the least shallow, and the one with the most personality.
I hated Megan.  She was sappy, shallow, and weak.
Like I said earlier, I hate Adam.

All in all, I won't be buying the next book but I will read it because I really, really, really want Leigh Fallon to redeem herself.

Review: The Truth about Forever

Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 374
Format: Paperback
Release Date (of my copy): May 11, 2004
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

Review:
All of Sarah Dessen's books that I've read have a girl in a difficult situation meeting a guy and falling in love, all the while learning things about themselves.  Well, I've read like four of her books that are like that, and it never gets old.

Sarah Dessen is a genius.  That's all I can say.  The way she writes, the way she explains things, the way she tells us the story, it's  just mesmerizing.  I especially loved the way she told us readers about Wes and Macy's past, with a game of Truth.  I thought it was genius and imaginative, and it totally worked.  I have never seen any other author use that kind of thing to explain their characters, and you have to tip your hat to Sarah Dessen for even thinking about doing it.  Other than that, the story was great.  I do believe that you should be smart and driven, but what Macy was doing, it was just nuts.  I'm so glad she changed, but still stayed the same.  She's still smart, she's still going to do well.  I really, really like this book.

I love Macy.  She's smart, she's funny, and she could use some self esteem.  Like I said before, I'm glad she changed, but still stayed the same.
Will *swoon* oh Will.  I need a fire extinguisher here!!!  SMOKIN' hot.  And so artistic.
In all books you need the character that opens the main characters eyes and is funny at the same time.  In this book, that was Kristy, and I absolutely loved her.  She was funny, smart, kick-ass, I can't even describe it.  I just loved her.
I hate, hate, hate, hate the mom.  I'm sure some would feel bad for her, but I don't.  I hate what she made Macy go through, it was horrible.

All in all, one of my favorite Dessen reads.  I'm so glad I own it.

Review: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1
Pages: 290
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 1st, 2010
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Review:
Wow.  What a book.  It is so hard to describe this book, it's unlike any book I've ever read.  This review is probably not going to be very good just because I won't find the right words to describe this book.

The plot is amazing.  I have to say that first and foremost.  The writing is amazing.  The book...gosh, I can't describe it.  Eery, in a good way, sweet, gosh, I don't know.  There was such a tenderness and wildness to it, I just loved it.  I'm usually not a huge fan of werewolf books, but this one was amazing.

There are only a few books that I've read where I want the boys to be real.  Well, this is one of them.  Sam is so cute, so loving and caring, it is so sweet to read about him and Grace.
I also really like Grace.  She's a strong character and she really cares about Sam.
I don't really like Grace's parents, though.  They should pay more attention to her.  But, if they did the book wouldn't have worked out (I have never read a book with this parent/werewolf situation before).

I own this book, and if the rest of the series is this good, Maggie Stiefvater is going to have some extra money because I am totally buying it.

What are your thoughts about this book?

Review: Fire Study

Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Study #3
Pages: 441
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 1st, 2008
Rating: 5/5
Summery:
The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before....

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

Review:
Wow.  That's all I can say.  Wow.  I have mixed feelings about this book.  On the one hand, I'm sad.  Sad because this is the final book in this AMAZING series.  And happy, because I was given the privilege of reading this amazing series.

I love, love, love the plot.  Every time, Maria V. Snyder comes up with a new, exciting plot and wows me again and again.  And this time Yelena was in even more trouble than usual.  I loved the twists and turns, the battles, the action, the magic, everything.

I love Yelena.  She's strong, fearless, and she can take care of herself.
I love Valek.  He's so sexy.
I like Cahil and teensy-tiny bit more, but I still hate him.

All in all, this is one really bad review for a really good book.  This review does not do the book justice, so if you decide to read a book based on a review, ignore mine.  Words just can't express how much I love this series.

Review: Angelfire

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire #1
Pages: 453
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 15th, 2011
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Review:
I have wanted to read this book so bad and I'm so happy I finally have.  And boy, was it ever worth the wait.

WOW.  That's all I can say.  This is going to be a very bad, very short review because I can't describe it.  It was just amazing.

The story line was amazing.  The plot was awesome.  There were times when I was reading so fast, so caught up in the story, I actually didn't know where I was.
I loved the fighting scenes.  I'm so glad that Moulton described them with such detail.

And OMG.  WILLL!!!!  SO HOT!!  I can't get him out of my head.  He is hot, he's nice, and he's a bad-ass fighter.  Wow.  I think I may be in love.
I loved Ellie.  She was such a strong character.  And I love the role she played.

All in all, MOULTON BETTER RELEASE THE SECOND BOOK ASAP OR I WILL EXPLODE!!!

Review: XVI

Author: Julia Karr

Series: XVI #1

Pages: 325
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 6th, 2011
Rating: 4/5

Summery:
Every girl gets one.
An XVI tattoo on the wrist--sixteen.

Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay.

Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past.

But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure...

For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet.

Review:
Wow.  This book is really, really complex.  The plot is so good.  Zarr did such a good job writing this book to make it look like Nina had no way to make all the problems right, but I was really impressed with how she did it.

When I started reading it I thought, Wow, I'm not going to like this book very much, because Zarr came up with all these new abbreviations for everything, like PAVs and feLS, I had no idea what they were.  But as the story progressed and grew I finally figured them out and started to really enjoy it.  The plot is simply amazing.  There were so many elements and things going on, I don't know how Zarr kept track of it all.

When Zarr first introduced Sal I didn't really like him at all, but towards the end he started to show his sensative, caring side and he grew on me.
I love that Nina's mom was a strong, defiant woman that saw through the facade the goverment had put up.
I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate Ed.  That guy is a slime-ball.
I felt so bad for Sandy at the end (not telling what happens).  Although she was completely swept up in being a sex-teen, I kind of liked her and really hoped Nina would make her come to her senses.

All in all, a really good dystopian novel, and I can't wait to read the second one.

What do you think about this book?

Review: Fury

Author: Elizabeth Miles
Series: The Fury Trilogy #1
Pages: 370
Format: Hardcover
Publish Date: August 31st, 2011
Rating: 3/5

Summery:
It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...
Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.
On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.
In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.
Em and Chase have been chosen.

Review:
I really, really, really want to like this book (well, I do kind of like it) but the negatives outnumber the positives.  By a lot. ):

In a well written book, the story builds on itself.  The author drops hints here and there to give the reader clues to what this book is about.  Mermaids, unicorns, werewolves, ect.  But Elizabeth Miles didn't do that.  She went on and on for about 200 pages about Chase and Emily's social life, and at the end of every chapter they see someone looking through their window.  That does nothing.  That doesn't help the reader figure out what's going on, what creature is out there, or why.  All it says is that Emily and Chase are popular and that someone is looking at them.  The one good part of the book was the end, and that was pretty much because I finally found out what the heck was going on.

I really wish that Elizabeth Miles had incorporated more into the story, had dropped hints and had things happen.  The only things happening were Emily making out with Zach and Chase running around after Ty.  And that would be completely fine if Elizabeth Miles had just gone for a real-life, chic-lit type story, and not even mentioned supernatural.  But, as the wrote it, it didn't work out.

There really isn't any boy to swoon over in this book. ):  Zach's a jerk, Chase is an idiot, and J.D. is sweet but not swoon-worthy.  Although he is my favorite guy in the book.

The mistakes Elizabeth Miles made were beginner's mistakes, and as she learns more and writes more she will learn to make the plot complex and build the story up.  I really hope her next book shows all she will learn.

OTHER COVER EDITIONS:

What do you think about the covers?  And the book as well, of course? :P

Review: Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Pages: 325
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Rating: 5/5
Summery:
Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.
Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .
Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Review:
Wow.  Before I read this book I never thought I would like reading about the Titanic, but did Claudia Gray ever prove me wrong.

This book is amazing.  The plot was so complex, and the characters were so good.  If Claudia Gray had picked a single other historical event and had the same paranormal stuff going on, I don't think it would have worked half as well.  The plot was amazing, all the events happening and flowing together and leading up to one another.  The way Gray wrote Tess's situation, it was like she was pretty much guaranteed to be killed, but somehow, she always managed to survive and keep her cool.  If I had been in that situation, with some lunatic werewolf coming after me, I would have freaked. :p

I love Tess.  I love her name, I love her strong will, and I love her defiance.  She is the kind of strong female character that all books like this need, and she's so sweet to Mr. Marlowe and Miss Irene.  She is the perfect character for this book.
I hate Mikhail.  Hate, hate, hate him.  But in a way I also like him because his evilness and ruthlessness was what made this book as good as it is.  He is the perfect villain.
I really, really wanted Tess to take Irene with her when she quit her job, because I just felt so bad for her.  Her mother is so mean, and Irene is so kind and different from the rest of her family.
Alec *swooning*.  OH MY GOSH!!!  I love Alec.  He is so cute!  He is so kind and gentle, and he really feels bad about what he does when he is "different". (I won't say anything more because I would give away the story.)

All in all, this is a really sweet romantic fantasy that I think everyone will love.  And you also learn about the Titanic :P

OTHER COVER EDITIONS:

  

Which cover is your favorite?  And what do you think about this book? (:

Review: Hooked

Author: Catherine Greenman
Pages: 276
Release Date: August 9, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4/5
Cover Rating: 4/5

Summery:
Thea Galehouse has always known how to take care of herself. With a flighty club-owner mom and a standoffish, recovering-alcoholic dad, Thea has made her own way in her hometown of New York, attending the prestigious and competitive Stuyvesant High School. But one chat with Will, a handsome and witty senior, and she's a goner—completely hooked on him and unable to concentrate on anything else.
Always worried that she loves Will more than he loves her, Thea is pleasantly surprised when their romance weathers his move to college and Will goes out of his way to involve her in his life. But then, Thea misses a period. And that starts Thea and Will on a wild ride that neither of them could have possibly prepared for. When they decide to keep the baby, their concerned parents chip in what they can to keep Will in school and give both teenagers a comfortable place to raise their child. But when a freak accident leaves Thea shaken and threatens to upend their little family altogether, Thea is forced to turn to the last place she would have chosen for comfort: her stiff, uncompromising father.
This smart, touching first novel brims with realistic, beautifully drawn characters, and reminds us that love is never as easy or predictable as we might like it to be.

Review:
I know this is totally random and weird, but I got this book out of the library, and I think I may have been the first to read it.  That has never happened before and I'm really excited about it. :p
Ok, enough with the creepy statements and to the review.

Although I really enjoyed this book, there were some things I didn't like about it.  The romance was too quick.  They meet, talk, whatever.  That's fine.  But then they go on a date, have their first kiss, fall in love, in one evening.  And then soon after they do "it" all the time.  Thea was kind of easy.

Will was kind of creepy, and I didn't completely like him, even in the beginning.  And it wasn't just his eye; it was the things he did and the people he hung out with  He just wasn't what I would call "good boyfriend material."

I like and admire Thea for sticking with Ian and taking such good care of him and having him in the first place.  Although, I do think she messed up getting pregnant in the first place, I think she did the best that she could with the following situation.

Ian sounds so cute and perfect to me.  Which, I will admit, isn't saying much since I love babies and think they are the most adorable things ever.  Even animal babies. (Pandas are the cutest ;p)

You've just got to love characters like Carmen and the dad, and I guess the mom as well, although I didn't like her.
Carmen was so nice to Thea, helping her and all, and I really liked her.  I also really like the dad.  I thought he was a real jerk in the beginning, but after Ian was born, he started to soften up, and that's when I really started to like him.

What are your thoughts on this book?  Leave comments, I love them. (:

Review: Full Moon

Author: Rachel Hawthorne

Series: Dark Guardians #2
Pages: 263
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 1, 2009

Rating: 3/5

Summery:
I may be promised to another . . . but thoughts of Rafe consume me. I don't know how much longer I can resist.

Lindsey is wild and reckless, a natural rebel - maybe because her entire life was laid out for her even before she was born. Her parents are among the most powerful members of the Dark Guardians, an ancient tribe of werewolves, and they arranged Lindsey's betrothal to Connor long ago. The next full moon is coming all too soon, and then her commitment to Connor will be final - no turning back. She should be happy . . . so why can't she stop thinking about gorgeous, brooding Rafe?

When a dangerous threat on the pack escalates, so do tensions between Connor and Rafe. A fight over Lindsey is imminent, but will it be to the death?

Review:
I was really impressed with Hawthorne after I read this book because I had read the first book in this series, Moonlight, and didn't really like it as much.  But this one, I really enjoyed.

I loved the story line, and you really couldn't tell where the story would go.  The love triangle and indecision was awesome, and it kept me on my toes, and there were twists and turns and change ups that I never saw coming, but I did suspect a few (like the ending) :p
.
I really like Lindsay, she seems strong and kind.  Rafe, I don't really like the picture Hawthorne painted with him.  The name, the look, all that, it just didn't work for me.  And I loved Connor, he was so sweet.  I'm sad for him.

I can't wait to read the next book and see what happened to Brittany!


OTHER COVER EDITIONS:


Indonesian cover.  Rating 1/5







What did you think of this book.  Leave comments, I love them. (:

Review: The Iron Thorn

Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Series: The Iron Codex #1
Pages: 492
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 20, 2011
Rating: 4/5
Cover Rating: 4/5 (a bit raunchy)

Summery:
In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.
     Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

Review:
To be perfectly honest, I am very disappointed with Caitlin Kittredge's young adult debut.  NOT!!

The story is just amazing, to have the complex plot it has, it's just mind blowing.  The science, the "necrovirus", the monsters, the faeries, the whole shebang, it's amazing how Caitlin Kittredge managed to keep track of it all.
I don't usually like books with romance/adventure, but Caitlin wrote it in such a way that you don't really notice the romance, and when you did it was some huge event in the book.

I love that Aoife is a strong, smart-mouthed character who can take care of herself and is brave and selfless.
In the beginning I hated Cal because he was always calling her crazy and claiming everything she said was a result of the necrovirus.  I liked him more in the end when he saved them (I'm not going to tell you how so you'll have to read the book :p).
And Dean.  OH MY GOD DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED!!  I love Dean!!  I mean, really love him.  I can't really explain it.  He's really sassy, rebellious, smart-mouthed, and really nice, and as I read more and more I fell more and more in love with him.

All in all, I can't wait for the next book to come out because Caitlin Kittredge left this book on the biggest cliffhanger you could imagine, AND I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!

What are you thoughts about this book?  Leave comments, I love them. (: