Review: ReVamped

ReVamped by Ada Adams
Publication date: February 20, 2012
Publisher: Copy provided by the author

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue. When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

Tired of emo vampires? Ada Adams takes the vampire genre and turns it on its head. ReVamped is funny, lighter in style, and I found myself laughing out loud at moments. Is Ada the first to change it up? No. I can think of other vampire titles that take on the lighter side, but it's a nice addition to the minority.

For a self-published book, it's one of the best ones that I have read. It was the synopsis that originally drew me to ReVamped. I'll also admit that the cover did too. Gorgeous! I didn't know what to expect and, honestly, was a little worried but it all turned out wonderfully! I really like the world that Ada built: humans know that vampires exist and love them. It also has its own mythology which I enjoyed. The story, itself, I found to be a bit predictable but I couldn't guess the how or why, so I was pleasantly surprised by the twists.

The characters in ReVamped came across as a bit stereotypical to me, minus Hunter who is not a vampire I've read about before. Even for the small part he plays, I found him fascinating. The book has quite a few characters, so putting a lot of back story for EVERYONE into one book would make it pretty long and boring, right? Good thing there's going to be a second one! I want to learn more about these people. Particularly, Sophie. I like her. And of course, it wouldn't be a YA supernatural novel or vampire book without some swoon-worthy gentlemen. Legal-age gentlemen, might I add, that I don't feel so guilty swooning over! Yay!

Read ReVamped for the well-written action scenes, the snarky and kind-hearted kick-butt heroine, the boys (Team Sebastian), the funny, and definitely if you're looking for something different in your vampires.

Review: Torn

Torn (Trylle #2) by Amanda Hocking
Publication date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
SPOILERS IN SYNOPSIS FOR BOOK ONE

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story… She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction. Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

If you read my earlier review of Switched you'll remember I wasn't that big of a fan, but was interested enough to read the second. After some urging from a few of my fellow bloggers, I decided to pick up Torn sooner than I was planning. Well, I'm happy to say I am quite pleased with how Torn turned out!

Wendy definitely grows into herself in this book. She is stronger and fights for what she thinks is right. Second, the writing is much better. I found there to be less faults in editing than I found in the first one. The story is exciting, the politics are intriguing, the characters are better developed, and their relationships are more complicated. Plus, we get a few new additions. One being named Loki. *heavenly sigh* *daydreams* Loki...

*clears throat* 

I can't say much because of spoilers, but as in Switched, I think the author has a bad habit of taking the easy way out of most situations. Anyway, there was a character-trait-surprise I wasn't expecting that is more delved into in the third book, Ascend, which I just finished. I have an issue with it, but that will be for my review of the last book.

This was a quick and much more enjoyable read than I was expecting!

Review: When the Sea is Rising Red

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Publication date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.

I was looking forward to this book like whoa, so when I got it, I put what I was going to read next aside and picked up When the Sea is Rising Red. And...I was a little disappointed.

Hellisen's writing is great. She is very descriptive and I enjoyed the world that she built, along with the mythology that comes with it. I love the fact that each of the noble families have different magical talents. I also think the idea of having to use a powder called "scriv" to use the magic is brilliant. It's all very thought-out, but here's also where it fell apart for me: the environment/world of the book comes across as a bit of a hodgepodge of myths. Example, the book has things like unicorns and vampires and sea witches. Hellisen pulls some from here and some from there and some more from over there, then puts it all in a pot. But instead of it mixing together to make something complete, it feels more like pieces of different stories. Yes, there's a fascinating reason within the story that explains the unicorns, but a unicorn is still a unicorn. I wanted her magical world to work for me, but sometimes it didn't. It all came across as too complicated. I feel dumb, but for the majority of the last half of the book, I was confused. Then the climax happens and I have almost no idea what's going on. It all happens too fast and it's like the author is trying to explain everything that she's been building up to in the last third of the book. I wish it could have been longer.

Characters: Felicita has her moments, but none of the characters, expect Jannik, held much interest for me. I really like Jannik and found him to be the most intriguing character in the story.

All in all, it was an okay read. My main complaint is the fact that I felt stupid for not knowing what was happening there at the end, but I mostly figured it out and all is well. If you're looking for something different, then check this one out! This is a book with a lot to digest, so don't read it too quickly. Just take your time and is should be okay.

Review: Born Wicked

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood
Publication date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave.

Everyone seems to love Born Wicked. This will, unfortunately, be another book I will go against the grain on. I feel like the narrator, Cate, only talked about two things: what everyone is wearing and she hates being a witch.

What Everyone Is Wearing:
Every time someone enters a room, Cate describes in great detail what he/she/everyone is wearing. I began to dread the party scenes. I understand it's a historical novel and period clothing is a part of the atmosphere the author wants to create. I get that and I usually love that, but I feel like Spotswood went overboard. I get that Cate and her sisters' new clothing was important to them. It's a big deal. But the author would also go into great detail about the clothes of other people Cate was with or saw. This was perplexing to me because from what I got from the book, Cate doesn't care for clothing so why would she talk about it in great detail? There's a difference between an important piece of clothing that means something to the character and just a piece of clothing.

She Hates Being a Witch:
Cate hates being a witch and she talks about how much she hates it all the time. Normally I can stand a negative nelly. Example, I adore Briony in Chime and, holy crap, does that girl hate herself. I wish I pinpoint the difference in the two characters, but Cate began to get on my nerves a bit. Maybe because she doesn't have the self-deprecating humor that Briony has?

Spotswood does a great job of world building and giving Born Wicked a "classic" feel. Her writing style fits the time period perfectly. I didn't realize the book was going to be mainly centered around the romance. Don't get me wrong, I love romance in my books. Romance is da bomb, but I think the reason I wasn't pulled into this one is because I didn't feel a connection between Cate and her two love interests. It felt kind of bland to me. I also found myself wanting more story progression in Born Wicked. I feel like the majority of the book is Cate talking about clothes and attending parties and just talking. All of the action finally comes into play in the last few pages and it is awesome. I thought the book was finally getting interesting at the end and then it ended. Sad face. Luckily, there's a next one.

I recommend this book to fans of romance and historical fiction. Just because I felt this way, doesn't mean you will. I seem to be in the minority anyway. ;)

Oh Born Wicked, how I wanted to love you. I like you, but I guess we should just shake hands, say we had a good time, I'll tell you I'll call you, and then part ways.

Review: Obsidian (Lux #1)

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication date: November 29, 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Obsidian is my first book by Jennifer Armentrout and I have to say, I'm pleased. I think she definitely lives up to the hype I've read from other reviewers. The best description I can come up with for this book is FUN. It's a perfect example of a fun read. You don't learn any life lessons from it and it doesn't really add anything new to the genre, but it sure is a blast to read. And quite a steamy read. There was a moment in the book where I was quite surprised at how far it went. I felt my eyes grow big in shock and thought to myself how is this categorized as YA?? But then it suddenly cut off and I admit I may have been a little disappointed. Ha! So like I said, FUN!

I love the narrator Katy: strong, snarky, a book blogger. She is a great example of a girl who can stick up for herself and she shows that she can hold her own against mega-douche Daemon (cafeteria scene anyone? I internally cheered when that happened). Speaking of Daemon, yes, I called him a mega-douche. "Sensitive" on the inside or not, he's a jerk-face and this stays pretty much constant throughout the book. Personally, I would have stopped talking to him after my first few confrontations with him but I'm not Katy and then there would have been no story, so I'm glad I wasn't the main character.

The pace of the book is great and I appreciated the natural dialogue. I loved every scene that Katy and Daemon share. Honestly, I probably could have read the whole book without the other characters and just enjoyed Katy and Daemon in a room talking and making-out. Those two are the highlight of the book. Oh, and the story ain't bad either. ;)

All in all, I found this to be a great introduction to Armentrout's work and I look forward to reading her other books. Can't wait foe Onyx (Lux #2)!

Review: Switched (Trylle #1)

Switched (Trylle #1) by Amanda Hocking
Publication date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

This review consists of SPOILERS, just so you know.

Like a lot of other reviewers before me have said, I really like that Hocking chose to use trolls as her choice of mythical being as opposed to vampires, werewolves (though, gosh, I love werewolves), fairies, or witches (though, gosh, I love fairies and witches too). They are described as gorgeous trolls, but they are trolls nonetheless, so thank you Amanda Hocking. You have a place in my warm and never cold heart. I also like the idea of Trylle, a nice little secluded, gated community of trolls in the mid-west. The character Finn is the usual sensitive bad boy fare and I am intrigued by Tove . While there are definitely moments that I enjoyed, Switched has some situations that I had trouble overlooking:

1. I feel that Wendy is too quick to accept her new situation. She finds Trylle and discovers that she's not only a troll, but also a princess and then seems to just go with the flow with no argument. There's a moment later in the book when Wendy is told how she is strong-willed like her mother, but since entering Trylle, I had not seen her do anything that would show this. For a main protagonist she seems a bit too passive.

2. No one ever explains to Wendy what is going on or gives her details on her new life. Then when she makes a mistake, they look at her like she's dumb for not knowing anything or what she's supposed to do. I can understand if this was chosen as a character trait, particularly for her mother, but almost every single Trylle character does this and Wendy, once again, just seems to accept it. Fight it Wendy! Get them to answer your questions! An example is when Elora and Finn find her after she's fallen asleep with Rhys. When Finn apologizes to her for overreacting, Wendy tells him that actually he and her mother were right to be angry. It made me upset that she gave into them because it wasn't right that they were angry because they never gave her a reason why. Sleeping in Rhys's room was only an accident.

3. Contradictions. I noticed a lot of these. Finn is very protective of Wendy and flips his lid (like he should have) when she is attacked outside of her home. Now, there's a moment later in the story when Wendy finds a painting showing her hurt that was done by her mother Elora. Supposedly this picture is from a moment in Wendy's future and Finn doesn't even react. In fact, he brushes it aside. This felt off to me and very unlike Finn. I feel like Finn would have at least reacted in some way. Also, Finn is always telling Wendy to ask her mother when Wendy asks a question. Then later, there's a moment when he tells Wendy that it's his fault she doesn't know anything and how Elora designated him to teach her about Trylle. If this is the case, then why was Finn always telling Wendy that he couldn't answer her questions and to ask Elora? There are more, but this is getting long.

4. The ending. A hole in the fence? Escaping took, like, two pages. This seemed too easy to me. I craved so much more from the ending, especially after all the action that had happened before it. BUT it did leave me intrigued as to where the story will go, so...

I want to make my readers aware that I never had a problem with the actual story and am hoping the second in the series will be more fleshed-out. If not, well...then there will be no third for me, but for now, I'm still interested in reading about Wendy outside of Trylle with her new knowledge. It's not on the top of my TBR pile, but it's in there.

Review: Dark Seeker (Seeker #1)

Dark Seeker (Seeker #1) by Taryn Browning
Publication date: October 4th, 2011

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

So, I thought I was over vampires but I saw a review of this book at Giselle's blog Xpresso Reads (shout out, yo!) and knew I had to have it. Sooo...it turns out apparently I'm not over vampires.

One of the things I like about Dark Seeker is that it has vampires that will not love you, but will actually kill you on sight. Browning has, of course, introduced her own breed of vampires and they're pretty dangerous. Now, if you've been following my blog, you'll have noticed that I love girls who kick-ass, literally. If you're just joining me, I love girls that kick-ass (literally) and Janie does just that (literally). The action scenes were a lot of fun to read. Janie is something fierce, but is still a kid. I noticed when she's out on the streets or with her friends, Janie acts all cool, but when she's in the presence of her mom, Janie reverts back to a teenager. Just like real-life! Or was that just me in my teen years (minus the "out on the streets")?

For those supernatural romance fans, Dark Seeker has the usual recipe:

1 supernatural bad boy with a sensitive soul, make sure he's sexy
A pinch of instant connection and wait 5 minutes to grow
1 other boy, the complete opposite of the first one, to form a love triangle

I poke fun, but Kai and Janie have great chemistry and I liked "watching" their romance develop. Their connection didn't feel contrived to me, it just works with the story. Now onto the problem I have: Kai has a big secret. His secret is HUGE (notice the caps), but I feel like it is handled kind of nonchalantly. It's there and then it's gone. The way it "resolves" (I found myself not truly convinced by the way that it is) feels like an easy way out and I wish the secret had added more tension to the story than just a few pages of drama. That aside, it's an enjoyable read and I had fun! The ending leaves you with a feeling of closure, but enough to leave you awaiting the next book. I look forward to where the story will go!

This post has been brought to you by "quotation marks" and (parentheses).

Review: The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1)

The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1) by Avery Williams
Publication date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

The Alchemy of Forever is one of those rare books that is the perfect length. I didn't think any scene was unnecessary and I felt like there was no point in the story where it dragged. Is it the most fast-paced, action-packed book ever? No. In fact, there's very little action, but I don't think that was supposed to be the purpose of the book (I don't speak of the series as a whole, but the first one).

Cyrus is one of the most frightening antagonists I've experienced in YA fiction recently.  He scared the crap out of me and I fully understand why Sera is so scared of him. Cyrus's controlling and abusive personality seems all too real. On the other hand, Sera is a character I loved. For a girl who has lived 600 years, she has an innocence and naivety about her that I found endearing. For all of those years, Sera has always been under Cyrus's control and after her escape, I'm excited to watch her mature as the series progresses. She's a girl who has a lot of growing up to do and I think she has a great strength within her (this sentence is cheesy, yet true, so I kept it. Please forgive me Goddess of Originality).

If there's one complaint I have about this book, it's that it is too short. I know, I know! In my first paragraph I said it was the perfect length, but as I was coming up to the end, I just wasn't ready to let Sera or the story go quite yet. So I tried to read...really...slowly...but it didn't work and the book ended with a cliffhanger to die for! When can I get the next one??

I can't wait to start recommending it to my customers!

Review: The Near Witch

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Publication date: August 2, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. I would pick up the ARC at work, then put it down, then pick it up to look at it again, and then proceed to put it down. Not because it didn't sound appealing but because apparently I am dumb.

The Near Witch has a lot going for it. It has a narrator you can't not love, magic, creepy bits, suspense, and a cute boy I want for myself. Despite the tense moments of the book, it's a very calm read as a whole. This is a good thing. Schwab writes beautiful prose and the reader can tell how much thought and time went into creating the folklore of the Near Witch within the book. The story takes a bit to get going and the mystery of the book is predictable, but I didn't mind it because I was too busy enjoying the writing.

For a novel in which I didn't know what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good read. 

Review: Sweet Venom

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster. 

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though. 

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

Sweet Venom reminds me of a first act of a screenplay (this is where my TV background comes into play). It is the first 25-30 pages that are supposed to set up the movie and take you into the second act which is where the conflict begins. In the case of Sweet Venom, the first act is one book and it's about 350 or so pages long. And you know what? It wasn't boring! Even though the story really starts at the end of the book, I was thoroughly entertained.

The triplets have very distinct personalities and I liked that if I forgot to read the name of the narrator at the beginning of each chapter, I was still able to tell who was speaking. The writing is fun. The romances are tame (and still fun!) with a lot of room for growth. I liked this too, as the couples didn't immediately "fall into bed" with each other (pardon my risqué term, I'm feeling spicy).

It was a quick and enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next one! Hopefully it comes out tomorrow, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Review: The Space Between

Synopsis by Goodreads:

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

I loved this book. The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff stands out among its genre (the supernatural one).

The Space Between is a dark and heavy novel. It stomped on my heart many times, but there is enough humor to balance it all out. It would make me laugh or smile on one page, then on another it would make my heart hurt. What makes this novel different is it shows demons in a different light. A good light. Are there evil ones? Of course. In fact, the majority of the demons in Hell are not good peeps, but Daphne and her brother Obie are different from the others; they stand out among the bad. I never would have guessed I would ever read a book where I was rooting for the demons and not the angels.

Even with its supernatural elements, The Space Between feels realistic. I love that. It deals with depression and suicide in a very real way. I felt empathy for Truman. I felt for Daphne. I felt for Obie. The book is vivid in its descriptions and the writing is heartfelt. Another thing I loved, the romance between Daphne and Truman didn't feel rushed, and the whole story takes place within 3 days! Yovanoff slowly brings Daphne and Truman together in, again, 3 days (!!) when in other books, the romances can feel rushed and fake.

I'm surprised that the publisher recommends this book for ages as young as 12. Maybe it's changed since the release of the ARC, but I feel that this book is not for young teens. It deals with mature issues and there is a bit of hotness in a shower (and I'm not talking about the temperature of the water). I just wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this novel to a 7th grader.

Lastly, you know what else is nice? Reading a complete stand-alone novel. With all the trilogies being released, there isn't a feeling I find more satisfying than not having to read another book to continue the story. No cliffhanger. Let's all breath a sigh of relief.

Review: Legacy

Synopsis by Goodreads:

When her widowed father dumps 16-year-old Katy Jessevar in a boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts, she has no idea that fate has just opened the door to both her future and her past. Nearly everyone in Whitfield is a witch, as is Katy herself, although she has struggled all her life to hide her unusual talents. Stuck at a boarding school where her fellow studens seem to despise her, Katy soon discovers that Whitfield is the place where her mother commited suicide under mysterious circumstances when Katy was just a small child. With dark forces converging on Whitfield, it’s up to Katy to unravel her family’s many secrets to save the boy she loves and the town itself from destruction.

I've decided to stop summarizing the books I review. Why do it when someone else can do it for me (and better!)?

It's been forever, literally forever, since I've been able to read a book that wasn't for my English class. Now that my thesis is out of the way, I got to read something I wanted to! Yayness. My first choice? Legacy by Molly Cochran.

Once I started Legacy, I couldn't put it down. I thought it was a bit predictable at times, or at least it was for me because I'm the smartest person in the world, but I didn't care in the least. The humor is dry just the way I like it (from now on I'm calling "world peace" "world peach"), I loved the characters, and the suspense was...suspenseful! I also found it to be darker than I was expecting, which to me, I thoroughly fancy because my heart is made of darkness. Oh, and it has one of those awesome epic romances that are so epic they'll only ever exist in your mind. It was awesome. I want a Peter.

All in all, it was an enjoyable book that entertained me all the way through!

RELEASE DATE: December 20, 2011

Review: Every Other Day

You know what I love? Well-written supernatural books. You know what Every Other Day is? A well-written supernatural book.

Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl every other day. On the days she's not human, Kali is...well she's not sure what she is, but it involves an intense urge to hunt and kill evil supernatural creatures. Kali, one day at school, notices a mark on a girl and knows that this mark will mean death within twenty-four hours. Too bad for the girl that it's Kali's wrong twenty-four hours.

I hate comparing Every Other Day to Buffy the Vampire Slayer because I feel like every story/movie/show involving a kick-butt heroine is compared to Buffy and most aren't even worthy of it. Well, Kali is worthy of the title. Did any of you ever read the Buffy novels? I did and it was like reading them over again, but so so so much better (unless they were a tie-in written by Nancy Holder or Christopher Golden, then they are up there too)! 

This book is packed full of action. Extremely detailed bloody, gory action. It was awesome! I even cringed a few times while reading and said "ew." I'm really jealous of authors who can write action (I'm looking at you Barnes!). My scenes would have looked like this:

"...and it attacked her and Kali stabbed it. It died."

Oh wait! And did I mention the snark? I love love love (good things come in threes) smart, sarcastic teen heroines. There are so many sides to Kali and it pained me that someone who is so physically strong, is incredibly vulnerable on the inside.  :(  <---this is a sad face

A thoroughly entertaining read with a great balance of humor and tragedy. A definite recommendation for fans of the supernatural genre. There is even a little romance for those who can't read any book without some. 

RELEASE DATE: December 27, 2011

Review: Chime

I read Chime by Franny Billingsley about a month before it came out in March of this year. It's not a recent read, obviously, but I am in love with the book so much that I want to share it with you. Besides, I can review something I read a while ago because it's my blog and the only thing I seem to have control over in my life. This is where you go "oh, that's so sad" and this is where I say "don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for the people who hate to read."

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads. I actually have trouble summing up this book because I'm worried about what might be considered spoilers and I worry that my own summary wouldn't do the story justice. I want you to be interested, even in a minor way.

I was instantly addicted to Chime within the first couple of pages. I connected with the main character, Briony, which can been considered strange because how can one love a character that hates herself so much? I wanted her to love herself, I wanted Briony to succeed, I wanted her to see herself as I see her. I'm talking about the character like she's a real person...anyway, I seem to have wanted everything that Eldric wants for her in the story. Speaking of Eldric, I found him to be an incredibly likable character and one of the high points in the book for me. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Briony and Eldric which is fun and quick. There was always something to make me smile or become giddy about.

The story can be predictable, but the characters and overall awesomeness of the book make up for it. I wasn't once disappointed when I came across an answer to something I had previously solved. Chime is full of wit and gorgeousness. There is mystery, romance, and a certain amount of darkness in the book. If you've been reading my past reviews you have figured out by now how much I love the dark and twisted. You'll find that in Chime.

Chime along with Blood Red Road are two of my favorite books this year, so far. I know I really love a book when I buy it in hardcover. P.S. My next hardcover purchases will be Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Scorpio Races. Just sayin'.

Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter

I had started The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver earlier this year, but had to put it down due to being behind on textbook reading and paper writing (why did I decide to go back to college, again?). Then it became hidden on my bookshelf until my Amazon wishlist reminded me that the second in the series was coming out on August 30. Um, that's next week! And before I even start the review, the fact that I put book two on my wishlist without barely starting the first should say something.

To give a quick background, it's the year 2018 in Atlanta and demons have been wreaking havoc on the world. Luckily, Atlanta has Paul Blackthorne and the local Demon Trappers Guild to take of things. That is, until tragedy strikes leaving Riley Blackthorne, an apprentice demon trapper and daughter of Paul, to pick up and solve the pieces.

I have a thing for smart-mouthed heroines who can kick ass and Riley doesn't disappoint. What I also love about Riley is that she may be tough, but she acts seventeen. Riley cries when she's supposed to, she worries about what others think, she can pout, she cares about her appearance, and can be a little immature at times. You know why? Because Riley is only seventeen! The idea of the incredibly strong seventeen-year-old female who can save the world one-handed is becoming an overly abused characterization in the YA world. Riley still has emotions, but I never thought for once she would ever stray from her goal because of them. In fact, it's these emotions, sometimes selfish ones, that push her forward.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter has a fantastically dark atmosphere, which I always love in a book. It made me laugh, has great action scenes, great characters, quick dialogue, and provides a promising set-up to the next installment in the series. I can't wait until next Tuesday and I won't forget to finish this one, even though classes start again on Monday. Screw you English and math courses, you've got nothing on Jana Oliver.

Review: Cryer's Cross

Who knew a book involving a haunted school desk could be mildly interesting? Was I aware it involved paranormal furniture? Nope, and if I knew, I don't think I would have picked it up. Surprisingly, I'm still glad I did.

I'm a fan of Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy, so when I found out a release of her's passed me by, I had to read it right away. To give a quick synopsis, Cryer's Cross is about a small rural town that begins to have disappearances involving a couple of teenagers. One of those teens happens to be Kendall's sort-of-boyfriend and soon, Kendall begins to hear his voice...through his desk...which Tiffany, the first one gone missing, used to sit at.

The book achieved its goal of being creepy. The voices and the mysterious writing on the desk pulled me in and I was excited to see where it was going. And then it got there. And then I wasn't so excited anymore. I felt like there was so much build up to something that was solved within the last ten pages of the book. Also, McMann makes it clear from the beginning that Kendall suffers from OCD. I thought this was a great character trait (and an important part of the book), but she didn't have to talk about how she was OCD on every page. I got it. Kendall has a disorder. The dialogue could also be a bit awkward and choppy at times, but the book as a whole is still worth a read and it's a really quick read. It only took me two and a half hours. Definitely something to get at the library.

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laini Taylor, the author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, creates a world with its own impressive mythology. A dark mythology. And I loved it. It's not often I am in awe of a book. I can like a book or love a book, but "in awe" means it's something special.

Karou, an art student in Prague, feels a bit empty inside. Literally. She's a bit different than the average teenage girl: her hair is naturally blue, she has the ability to speak many different languages (most you've never heard of), and her adoptive family are chimaera. You're now saying to yourself "what??" and I'm saying "it's true." While mysterious black handprints are appearing on doors all over the world, Karou is also trying to solve the mystery of who she really is. Enter a mysterious hot angel boy. Enter a mysterious hot angel boy who may have the secret to Karou's past. Don't you just love supernatural romance?

This book has creative complex characters, humor, a star-crossed love of sexiness, and lots of secrets. I think I can say with certainty, this is going to be an exciting start to a new series. Loved it.

Buy it. Read it.