Jen's review of "Unleashed" By Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles #1) by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Publication date: December 8th, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday Children's books
Number of pages: 383
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
Description:  Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

These two authors have written some of the best books out there. From the Wicked series to their Crusade series, and now comes a new brand of genre books. We are introduced to Katelyn. After the death of her mother, Katelyn gets uprooted from sunny California to a small town in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas. If she had a choice, she would be with her friends finishing high school where she knows best and feels the most like at home, but she doesn't have a choice in this matter. 

Upon arriving in Wolf Springs, her grandfather tells her what has been going on. A girl turned up dead in the woods, and where does her father, and now she have to live? The woods. Oh joy.
Soon enough, she meets a new friend who is also a friend of her grandfather's. His name is Trick and he is a little mystery and you don't exactly know what is going on with him.
But he is there for her, takes her to school since he is her only way to and from school. The more she spends time with him she starts to develop feelings for him, which complicates things especially when he acts out of character, and Katelyn starts to wonder what is up with him.

It wasn't long until she develops a friendship with the popular school in school, and the two seem to click even though there is something about her new friend that seems a bit strange and peculiar that Katelyn can't seem to understand.
But things get a little odd when Katelyn meets Cordelia's cousin, Justin. The moment he and Katelyn meet something crazy happens that seems out of their control: They can't seem to be able to keep their hands off one another and don't understand why.

But there is something dark and dangerous going on around town. The town seems to have a wolf problem, and when something tragic  happens to Katelyn, she'll have to try find her own place in this new world she has found herself in.

First off, I will say that I am a big fan of Justin and ship Justin/Katelyn so hard. I was so mesmerized by him the moment he came onto the scene. There is just that chemistry between them that draws me to them. It's not something they, nor I can understand, but it's just so compelling that makes me want these two together. But that task won't be an easy one.

Katelyn, while she didn't come off first as a strong character -- but as she journeys through the books and deals with -- stuff, she does become stronger as a person, especially for someone that is 17 years of age.
The fact she has to deal with having no parents, and moving in with someone she barely knows can't be an easy thing.
But after so many things that happens, she starts to grow and harden up, which I think she will need to be.

I can't wait to see what will happen in book 2.. which, I think gets released in December 2012.

                                                              Rating:  4/5

Jen's review of "Winter's Light" by M.J. Hearle

Winter's Light (Winter Saga #2) by M.J Hearle

Publication date: May 1st, 2012

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Number of pages: 438

Format: Paperback

Purchase: The Book Depository

Description: Blake is gone.

He sacrificed himself to save Winter, leaving her alone, unprotected... hunted.

An ancient enemy is rising, but Winter is no longer the innocent girl who was fated to die at Pilgrim's Lament. She will not wait to be saved. She will do what she must to survive, even accept an unsavoury alliance with those who destroyed her love.

In the gathering darkness, the enemy of an enemy is not always a friend, and Winter must find the strength to stand alone and fight for the one she loves. For she is the key to unlocking the secrets beyond the veil of shadows.

And she is Blake's only hope.

The sequel to 'Winter's Shadow' brings everything you anticipate and more. If you thought the first book was good, then you aint seen nothing yet. In Winter's Light, Blake is gone, but Winter can't stop thinking about him and wondering what happened to him when the Shivers took his soul to The Dead Lands where the malfarie would be doing God knows what with it. Fast-forward three months  and Winter is graduating from high school.
Her sister Lucy finds herself with a new boyfriend, and there are two strangers stalking Winter who happen to be Demori out for Winter after she made the horrible mistake in calling for them when she didn't mean to.

Winter soon finds herself getting introduced to a few new people who aren't exactly on her side, but need her help, and she finds that in the end she also needs their help in getting what she wants.

And what she wants? Blake.

I just might have enjoyed this one much more than the first. I loved Winter's Shadow for many reasons, with the most being that it explored the relationship between Winter and Blake. But this book I loved for different reasons. I loved that we saw more of the past and how it related to Winter and to Blake. 

It only just made me miss Blake so much. Winter and I both lived on through her memories of him and the hope that he is still somehow alive in  The Dead Lands, which means there would be a way to get him back to her.

Winter soon has to decide who she can trust and whether she would be willing to follow with something even if in her heart she knows is wrong -- all in the name of love.

She becomes a stronger, independant woman in this novel. When she has a mission in mind, she'll do all she needs to go through with it.
A an old character from Winter's Shadow also makes a re-appearance in the name of Sam. Remember him? After the events that happened in the previous book, Sam finds himself on the run to the point where he can't run anymore. He comes back to town and saves Winter which pretty much puts her in debt to him, which is not something she liked considering she didn't trust him.
I really adored him in this story. He and Winter find themselves on the same side this time around and while Winter can't trust him at first, she soon finds herself in this unlikely friendship.

Winter, Sam and Winter's best friend, Jasmine find themselves on a journey to a place that will change their lives forever. They find themselves travelling to Paris where Winter has a task to achieve to attempt to rescue her love, Blake. During this trip, nothing is as easy and simple as she thought it would be.

M.J. Hearle such does an amazing job with this sequel, where the story only gets even more intriguing and captivating than ever before. And guess what? There is one heck of a cliffhanger. Who would have thought, eh? LOL

I can't believe we have to wait until 2013 for book 3. How will I ever survive?

I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for a honest review, thanks to Pan Macmillan.

Rating: 5/5

April's review of 'Wings' by Aprilynne Pike

Wings (Wings #1) by Aprilynne Pike

Publication Date: May 1, 2009

Publisher: Harper Teen

Number of Pages: 290

Format: Paperback

Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

Description:

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful--too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

 In this amazing debut we are swept into the magically world of the Fae. Laurel had lived in a small town with her parents while her mom home schooled her. When her father decides to buy a bookstore in a town almost an hour away, the family moves into a bigger town and Laurel has to go to public school for the first time. You can tell early on that Laurel is different from everyone else. The only thing that she can eat are fruits and vegetables. Being indoors all day with no natural light also drains her and she doesn't like a lot of noise. David, a boy in her biology class, is the first to befriend her along with his friend Chelsea. Everything seems to be perfect in her life until she wakes up one morning to a bump on her back. Initially she believes it's a zit. But each day the bump gets bigger, until the morning she wakes up and there's a flower coming out of her back.

I think Laurel handles the flower a lot better than anyone else would of. She does clip a piece of it off and takes it to David's for him to look at under his microscope. He confirms that it's a plant, and amazingly believes her when she tells him that it came from her. Laurel goes with her parents to their old house, a cabin surrounded by a bunch of land that has been in her mom's family for generations. While wandering through the forest she encounters a man, Tamani, who claims to have the answers to her questions. Tamani tells her that she is a faery and indeed a plant. Not wanting to believe him she runs away from him. Telling David about the encounter he believes that Tamani is telling the truth and urges Laurel to go back to talk to him. When a mysterious realtor, Jeremiah Barnes shows up to buy the land. Laurel immediately gets an uneasy feeling from him. With Tamani asking her to try to stop the sale, Laurel begs her mom not to sell. But when her dad falls ill and looks like he's going to die, her mom has no choice but to take the offer. Following him to his office, Laurel realizes that Barnes isn't who he claims to be. It's a race to stop the sale and to find a cure for her dad before the clock runs out. 

I'm actually surprised how much I love this series. Pike's depiction of the fae is very original and creative. You can tell that there's a romance building through David and Laurel's friendship. David is a very sweet and kind guy, but I felt like something was missing. When we met Tamani you could feel the chemistry between them two. She is drawn towards him and has to fight her feelings. We learn that the fae age differently then humans, and even though she looked 3 years old, she was really 7 but the fae are more mentally mature. Through a series of events she's been giving a potion that made her forget her fae like, and that she had a whole another life and knew Tamani. By the end of the book I was on Team Tamani all the way. 

Rating:

5/5

 

Waiting on Wednesday #4: INSURGENT! ♥

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Publication date: May 1st, 2012

Jen's review of "The Book of Blood and Shadow" by Robin Wasserman

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Publication date: April 10th, 2012

Publisher: Random House

Number of pages: 448

Format: Kindle/ARC/Netgalley

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora’s best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

I admit, I had a hard time trying to get through this book. I don't know what it was, I can't really explain it. For the first few chapters I felt like something was putting me to sleep and I couldn't bare to move forward. The pace was slow and nothing was really happening, but I knew I had to stick to it and I did.
It was a hundred or so pages inward that things did start to pick up and get interesting. That was when the plot and story started to happen. Where things begun to make sense and you understood the premise of the story which you had read about in the description for the novel.

The story soon transformed into something I didn't expect. It was captivating and fulfilled those promises in which we came to expect from this book.
Robin Wasserman did a great job in building this story and the world she created. It might have started off slow and took a little while to get going, but once it did it changed into something you couldn't put down. There was twists and turns so shocking that you just had to see what is going to happen next.

I really liked each of the characters in this book. I think my favourites were Nora and Chris, and Max for a time even if he acts a little creepy at times.
But by the end of the book, you will start to wonder whether you really knew certain characters at all. There are certainly things you don't see coming, but it doesn't take away from the story at all. If anything, it just only adds to it.

If you are looking for a book of mystery, and a little dark. That is full of intrigue, romance with dead-set shockers that will leave you gasping for more, then this book is for you.

I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This was an exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

'Winter's Light' Teaser Trailer by M.J Hearle

Hey everyone,

Here is a little teaser trailer for M.J Hearle's new book "Winters Light", which hits the shelves next week, so be sure to look out for it.

Since I am currently reading the book, I thought it would be the perfect time to share this video with everyone. If you haven't heard of this author or the book series, make sure you do so. The first book is called "Winter's Shadow" and now followed by "Winter's Light." I love it. Even though its made by Mike and his family and friends it's also very well done. I quite like the little effects made in the video, and it makes you intrigued enough to be curious to read the book. You start to wonder... ooh, I wonder what effect this takes in the book.
Ok. I'm done. Enjoy.

Jen's review of "Vengeance" by Michelle Madow

Vengeance (Trancend time #1.5) by Michelle Madow

Publication date: December 8th, 2011

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing

Number of pages: 64

Format: Kindle

Purchase: Amazon

Description: How far would you go to get revenge?

When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she'd never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea's willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe -- that she shared a past life with Drew -- is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it's downright crazy.

Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay?

This short story is more like a bridge between Remembrance and the final book, Timeless which will be released sometime this year. It's Chelsea's POV as she deals with the fact that her boyfriend left her for her best friend. Ouch. Yeah, I am sure some of us have been in her position one time or another.

In this story, Chelsea hates them both, but mostly Lizzie as Chelsea sees it as her best friend stealing the boy Lizzie knew she liked/loved. She wants revenge. Vengeance.
When Shannon comes to her out of nowhere and tells her that she must come with her to visit someone who will be able to give her what she wants.
Chelsea isn't into the paranormal or magical type stuff, but she decides that since she doesn't have anything to lose, why not?.

What she discovers is something she never expected to be told. Does she believe it? Not really, but she sure wants to.
Chelsea gets told that she too also shared a past life with Drew, and she'll do anything to get back the way it was, and the way it should be again. But at what cost?

I really loved this story of Chelsea's. I find that it's easy to relate to her in this.  I felt bad and sorry for her and understood where she was coming from.
If that was me.. I don't know if I can say I would react the same way, but I certainly wouldn't want someone else to have the happiness and life that was mine, and should be again. Is that selfish? Sure, but come on.. it's a natural instinct.

I do believe that there are bits of the story we are missing, and will be left for the final book in this saga. The end of this story just makes you yearn for more and more, and then you realize... "Oh no, it's the end."

I would recommend this short stories to fans of Michelle Madow's Remembrance novel. If you loved that, then you would love this as well, as it gives you insight to Chelsea's thoughts and the reason she feels so betrayed by Lizzie, and rightfully so.

I would like to thank Michelle for sending me a copy of this book!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Jen's review of "Bloodfever" by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever (Fever #2) by Karen Marie Moning

Publication date: October 16th, 2007

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Number of pages: 303

Format: Hardcover

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository (Free shipping)

Description: I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them

Bloodfever is the 2nd installment in the FEVER series, and things get up and running pretty quickly. When we left Darkfever, Mac and Barrons had just discovered the Book, Sinsar Dubh is moving around, or at least someone is moving it. When we start back up, Mac gets a fright of her life when she finds herself battling shades after someone decides to scare her off from Dublin. Not only that, Inspector Duffy comes and brings her maps, whom has formed the same idea she had previously about how a lot of places in Dublin no longer exist today, but they did in the maps from seven years prior. He wanted to know what she knew, but she couldn't let him in that kind of danger.

Things soon pick up pace as Mac gets a surprise visit, and her fears were confirmed to what she knew all along.
Mac also meets a newcomer, Dani who is a fellow Sidhe-Seer, along with that old woman Mac had met in the bar on her first few days in Dublin. Who would have thought she would be someone who Mac might have needed in the future?
During the course of this novel, she goes on a self discovery journey as she does these she normally wouldn't do, but that's because she has evolved from the person she was to the person she is now.

She realizes that you can't count your chickens right away. If something seems dead... it may not be necessary true.

We also discover some more of the Fae history when Mac makes a deal with the devil and by that I mean V'Lane. Since he is the perfect source of information she knows its best to get it from him, even though he probably shouldn't be telling her this, than from someone else who may not know all the facts.

Mac is still grieving her sister, but along the way she stops hurting so much. She still has the need for revenge, but for a gift of kindness, Mac receives a special present that helps her grieving process.

Barrons is still a mystery, although there are plenty of theories about what he is, and I have a feeling they are not nearly close to the truth than some people may think.
The end is another cliffhanger, and a bigger one this time. Karen sure does love leaving readers panting and eager for more. But that's one of the things I love about her. She knows how to draw you in.

                                                       Rating: 5 out of 5
                                          

In My Mailbox #03

I can't spend a lot of money, but  I did manage to get a few books today.

Winter's Light by M.J Hearle - Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending this to me.
Immortal City by Scott Speer
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

I got the last two at the bookstore today. I figured I should start the Shadow Hills series, which I have been meaning to for so long now.

What did you get this week?

Cover Reveal:: Endless by Jessica Shirvington

Endless (Violet Eden Chapters #4) by Jessica Shirvington
Australian release.

Publication date: October 2012.

Jen's review of "Demonglass" by Rachel Hawkins

Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins

Publication date: March 22nd, 2011

Publisher: Hyperion

Number of pages: 359

Format: Hardcover

Buy:  Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

In the second installment to Rachel Hawkins "Hex Hall" trilogy, comes an action-packed adventure that takes Sophie and her friends on a journey which will change their lives forever.
After the events from Hex Hall, six months have gone by as Sophie waits for her father to come and collect her so she can get the removal, in which means she'll no longer have these powers that she hates.
When he does arrive he doesn't agree with what she wants to do, but instead, gives her a compromise that may be too good to pass up, so she agrees to his terms.
Sophie, Jenna and Cal along with her father then fly off to London where they stay in this castle-like house that would put anything else to shame.

What Sophie discovers in London changes everything she thought she knew. About her dad. Hex Hall and most importantly, herself.
Not to mention she can't escape the Eye. It's reported there was sighting of a certain boy in London, but it's the question about whether or not she'll bump into him... was part of the reasons she wanted to go there was because she knew she could see him? Even just a glance?

I really loved this sequel to Hex Hall. There was a lot more action involved compared to the first book. Now that we know and understand the characters, things get even more interesting.
I even came to like Cal, but also kinda felt bad for him because it was fairly obvious that Sophie just would never feel the same way that he does. It would always be Archer in her eyes. Her heart. In every aching bone in her body. He was there, even when he wasn't there.

Sophie also grew stronger. Not only as a person, but also as a demon as she dealt with things pertaining to what she was, and how not everyone is as capable of staying strong as she. There are others who have no control and just pure demon.

We also have villians in this book, and I say that as plural. I would think there is one person more evil than the other, but nonetheless they are together in this plan.
The truth behind what is really going on back at Hex Hall will shock you, or maybe it won't, to a point where you can't believe something like this is going on.
And this little plot it also goes back to the attacks in book 1 with the friends of Elodie's and what really happened to them.

And last, but not least we come to the relationship between Sophie and Archer. It's no shock that I adore them to pieces, and how the ending to Hex Hall tore me to shreds. I wondered what would happen with them in this book, and I was glad that Archer wasn't gone forever. In this book, you discover more to him than we knew before. More than you thought you knew about him.. and it just makes you love him even more (or, well it did for me).
They find themselves in quite the situation when they come face to face, and it's almost a romeo and julie-esque type situation. They are from two different entities who hate the other, but together they can't help how they feel for one another. What are two teenagers to do? Love has no boundaries. Love just is.

I can't wait to read the final book in this trilogy, and I just know it's going to be just as awesome as this one was.

                                                   Book Rating

Waiting on Wednesday [03]: ICED by Karen Marie Moning

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

No official summary yet. Although, I am eagerly awaiting one. The release date is October 30th, 2012. And I think the last time I was this excited about a release was Shadowfever. There is one thing you should know me about (technically us both): This is my favorite series and author, so I can sometimes get a little too excited or carried away at times.

Teaser Tuesday 04

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Want to play along?

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers
• Share the title and author

For once Tamani did not grin. His face was stony and his eyes hooded. "Stealth," he replied softly. "Stealth and speed. It's the only advantage I have." 

 

Jen's review of "Bloodrose" by Andrea Cremer

Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer

Publication date: Feb 21st, 2012

Publisher: Sphere

Number of pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Is true love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

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 unnamable 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.

In the final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Andrea Cremer creates a novel with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final pages. A dynamic end to this breathtaking trilogy.

In the thrilling conclusion to Andrea Cremer's 'Nightshade' trilogy where everything breaks loose. There are heartbreaking moments and swoonworthy scenes, but really its a ticking clock to the final countdown to where the battle begins and ends. 

When this story picks up, it comes straight from the end of Wolfsbane where Calla goes to find Ren and to convince him to come back with her and to join them, for fear of what would happen to him and what the Keepers would do.
But once she does get him to come back with her that's when the story really starts. We find Calla playing with Ren and Shay's feelings, well okay, mostly Ren's. I think that's one of the things that pissed me off in this book. She knew who she had chosen, but yet she led him on because she didn't want to risk him leaving. I mean, come on. Can't you have trusted him and that he would have stayed?
The things Calla did in this book made no sense to me, and really Ren never stood a chance where Calla was concerned.  If this was me.. I would have had Calla explore her feelings for both boys and given them both a f air chance at wining her heart, and then she could make a decision. But, it wasn't my book, and we just have to go on what Calla did do, even though I didn't agree with her choices.

Of course, as expected there was a big showdown between the keepers and the searchers, and it was a battle that was quite interesting and I enjoyed reading. This has been building up for three books now, and its one that involved blood and death.

There was unexpected relationships, which I found that I enjoyed and took my mind off Calla's stupidness and ignorance. We have Ethan and Sabine, who find themselves in a surprising relationship, which was interesting to read about given how Ethan feels about the guardians, and then we have Adne and Conner, which was actually kind of sweet. I had a feeling there was something there back in Wolfsbane, but it's not until this book that you get to see what really had been going on, and the feelings between the two of them.

There are surprising reveals. New discoveries and new found families.

The end.. although, I was highly shocked at what happens, but I guess in a way it does make a bit of sense. And it was sure an interesting way to end the series.

There was hints in this book about a spinoff, well actually more like a prequel, and I am actually quite looking forward to it.
Even though my Team didn't win in this series... It didn't make them even less amazing, and in another world would have been right.

Andrea Cremer is quite the author, and she is very good at world building and taking us into the world she creates with these characters, and although I sometime hate on some parts of this series, in the end.. it was different take on werewolves and one I would remember forever.

                                                                

                                              RATING ::  3/5

Follow Friday {04}

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Its a way to get out there and meet new bloggers and discover new blogs. :)

Q. What is one book that you would be nervous to see a movie adaptation of because you think the movie could never live up to the book?

 

Oh, that's a hard question since many of my favourite books are being adapted into movies, but I would  "The Fever" series by Karen Marie Moning as its been purchased by Dreamworks, and while I trust that Karen wouldn't have sold them the rights if she wasn't positive they would do right by the series, I just feel that something as amazing as this series it would be hard to stay true to the whole mythology and story.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt and wait until things move forward and then see what happens, but I can't lie and say it doesn't make me a little bit nervous since they wouldn't be able to fit everything that's in each book into a movie.

Jen's review of "Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Publication date: Feb 1st, 2012

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Number of pages: 375

Format: Paperback

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

In which was one of the most anticipated sequels of 2012 comes the second installment from Lauren Oliver in her Dystopian trilogy. If you remember at the end of the last book, Delirium, Lena had barely escaped while her boyfriend Alex was trapped. When we pick up with this story, Lena finds herself on the other side in the Wilds where she soon is found by some people who help her adjust to this new life and find some purpose.

This book is a little different than what we are used to. We have two POV's. The THEN, and the NOW.. meaning it talks of the present and the past.
It can be a little confusing to begin with, but the more you go forward with the story you tend to get used to the tenses.
In the THEN tense, we have Lena and her new group of friends as they show her what this life is about, and how nobody has a past... you are who you are once you come to this place and nothing else matters.
In the NOW tense... we are taken to Lena in NYC where she is attending school, but also her true mission for being there is to keep an eye on the DFA -- Delirum Free Association. Her part/role is to follow and watch for the son of the head of the company, Julian.
When the two of them start to get closer together... Julian will start to wonder whether he knows what he is getting himself into, and start to ask himself if he is on the right team.

The chemistry between these two is so real. The way they get to know each other makes you believe that just maybe... she might belong with him.
But then, her heart also still lies with Alex. He might not in the book, but he is constant in her thoughts and her heart.
And the all and mighty cliffhanger in which we are left until 2013 with. It certainly gives you that 'oh no, you so did not' feeling about the end, and the dreaded feeling that we'll now have to wait a year until the finale.

I enjoyed the new characters, especially Julian. He was my favourite character from this new book, and I have changed to Team Julian. Lauren even wrote it in my book when I met her recently.
I admit.. while I did love Alex in book 1... I didn't feel the kind of chemistry with Lena that I did with Julian, and by the end of the book I knew whose team I was on.

                                                            Rating: 4/5

April's review of "Sacrificial Magic" by Stacia Kane

Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts #4) by Stacia Kane
Publication Date: March 27th 2012
Publisher: Del Rey
Number of pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble 
Description:  READING, WRITING, AND RAISING THE DEAD

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.
As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

 Sacrificial Magic picks up about a month or so after City of Ghosts left off. Chess and Terrible are finally together. But it's a far cry from happy ever after. Bump, Chess drug dealer and Terrible's employer, is the only one who knows about their relationship. Terrible insists they keep it a secret to protect Chess from his enemies. Chess is sure Terrible doesn't trust her and she doesn't blame him. 


Chess's new case is a haunting at a high school that lands her right in the middle of Slobag's territory. And the original debunker on the case went crazy and ran away.  Not to mention that someone is doing sacrificial killings and burning down Bump's building. With Slogbag as the number one suspect, Chess uses her friendship with his son, Lex to try to get information. With a few attempts on her life, for the first time Chess is unsure if she can make it out of this case alive.

It's so hard trying not to spoil the book. Honestly I'm surprised I fell in love with this series. It's very dark and Chess is usually someone I don't tend to root for. We are never formally given her back story, but throughout the series we are given snippets of her past. Being a child in the foster care program she was always bounced around, and never landed with a good family, being raped and abused. She grew up thinking she was worthless and no one could ever love her. Only escaping because her tests for the Church were high. To ease her pain she has turn to drugs. Chess if a full on junkie always needing a fix and has no plans to quit. The only good things in her life are her pills, Terrible, and her supervisor, Elder Griffin. 

In this book we see Chess's insincerities full blown.  At one point I wanted to slap her. I would of figured that Chess would of turned her back on Lex completely. But instead still keeps his friendship. We also meet Lex's sister, Blue. Which I'm surprised and wonder why she doesn't speak Downside speak. And it also seems like that Chess is slowly forming a friendship with her. Which I think Chess really could use a female friend. We also learn that Elder Griffin is getting married and his partner is a guy. Which that took me by surprise. Not that I'm against same sex marriage, but there was no surprise reaction from Chess. Which makes me think that it's common in this world. Going into the fourth book we know enough about the world, but not everything. Which is another thing I love about this series. 

This series is slowly turning into one of my favorites. It's not for everyone, only those who can handle dark series. And the Downside speak can be hard to understand at first. 

Rating:

5/5

 

Teaser Tuesday 03

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Want to play along?

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers
• Share the title and author

And his musclemen, the ones who could rip her apart if they wanted to and probably didn't have any idea that would mean putting themselves at the top of Terrible's kill list. Assuming he had one, which she figured he did.

 

Jen's review of "Hex Hall" by Rachel Hawkins

HEX HALL (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Publication date: March 2nd, 2010

Publisher: Hyperion

Number of pages: 336

Format: Hardback

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Meet Sophie Mercer. 16 years old. Witch.

If only that was the only part of the story.

Sorry...

After a love spell gone wrong, Sophie gets sentenced to a place where there are others 'freaks' like her. This school, or prison, Sophie likes to refer to it as contains kids of all kinds. Witches, faeries, shifters and even vampires.

When a witch coven tries to covert her, finding out she has a vampire for a roomate and then developing feelings for a hot, yet unavailable warlock....Sophie might wish her life was simplier.
This story is jam packed with all sorts of crazyiness. We have ghosts along with the all the other supernatural creatures at Hex Hall.
Sophie gets a history lesson and by the end of the book she'll start to wonder whether she knew who she really was to begin with, and she discovers who really sent her to this hell of a school, and that admission won't earn her any points with the people there.

I found Sophie to be a strong character. She grew up as normal as possible, especially with a mother who was human, but things didn't stay that way when she came into her powers that she didn't quite understand or know what to do with.

We have a hot boy crush. Archer.
Who doesn't love him? He is sort of mysterious in his book, and you don't quite understand him or the things he does in this book, and by the end of it... you'll start to think.. that maybe you, nor did Sophie know him at all.
The two of them have a little... beginning of a romance going on, but it's also kind of difficult when he has a girlfriend, who seems to hate her.. the feelings seem to be mutual though.

This book was thrilling and I loved it from the very first page. I like that we get to see different types of creatures. I adore the friendship between Sophie and her roomate, the vampire. Her relationship with Archer, and even the scenes between her and the ones she dislikes. It makes for interesting reading.

The plot is interesting. It's one of those books where once you start and the more you get into the story you cannot stop until you have finished.
For the first book in a trilogy.. Rachel Hawkins did an amazing job, and I have a feeling that Book 2 will be just as great, if not even better.

                                                            Rating: 5/5

Jen's review of "Between" by Jessica Warman

BETWEEN by Jessica Warman

Publication date: October 1st, 2011

Publisher: Hardie Grant Books

Number of pages: 436

Format: Paperback

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Elizabeth Valchar --- pretty, popular and rich --- wakes up the morning after her 18th birthday on the yacht where she’d been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead. She has no memory of what happened to her, and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death.

She’s also soon joined by Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her high school who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two keep each other company, floating in and out of memories and trying to piece together the details of what happened to each of them.

In her regular life, Liz was a runner. It wasn’t abnormal for her to run 8-10 miles per day. But as memories from closer to her death begin to surface, Liz finds that she’d been running much more than normal, and that she’d all but stopped eating. Liz’s mother, who died when Liz was nine, had battled with anorexia as well, and those around her worried that Liz was following in her mother’s footsteps. But something more sinister was consuming Liz from the inside out..

I admit, this is probably usually not the sort of book that I would pick up, but I found the blurb quite fascinating and I just knew I had to read it.
I was glad too, because It was such a riviting and compelling story and one that was also unique in its own right.

The first chapter got me glued in on the story, as we get taken to the night in question. Elizabeth wakes up in the middle of the night after celebrating the night before her 18th birthday with her friends on her father's boat.
Things don't go as planned, because when she wakes up she discovers something rocking against the boat.. a body.

HERS.

Intriguing, right? Yes, I thought so.  From that point onwards it was only a waiting game until someone discovers her body and so she can remember what just happened, and who killed her. Or was it an accident?

Not too soon after she discovers her own body does she find herself not alone. A boy stands next to her and he can see her. She can see him, which only means one thing: He is also dead.

She soon realizes that they know each other, and they figure they can see each other because they are meant to help one another move forward. They seem to be stuck in the 'between' not alive, not dead. But in between planes.
Together they go on a journey to discover what really happened to her, and Liz soon finds out that she wasn't the sort of person she thought she was.
New discoveries of her own life and the ones of her friends soon come to light, and by the end she will question whether she knew who she really was to begin with.

Its interesting how much a person can change after death. I didn't really like the person she was before she died, from the parts we saw, but I did like the person she was after all this happened. I like that we got inside her life, and found out things about why she was the person that she was as there was a reason for it.

Rating: 4/5

In My Mailbox [02]

In My Mailbox is a weekly blog post hosted by Kirsti over at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

 I went to a $5 bookstore and got these

Since I got the Kate Daniels books for $5 I have decided to give them another shot, since the first time I read them I wasn't about to connect to the series. I can't wait to read The Darkest Seduction & Bound by Darkness, which are the newest in those series.

Click on the links below to to to their GR page
[01] Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian
[02] The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter
[03] Bound by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
[04] Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
[05] Magic Strikes  by Ilona Andrews

Jen's review of "Balthazar" by Claudia Gray

Balthazar by Claudia Gray

Publication date: March 6th, 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Number of pages: 374

Format: Paperback

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description:  Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

The fans talked and Claudia listened. Since the beginning of the series, people have always wanted a story with Balthazar, and we finally got that wish granted. In what is his very own book, we get taken into the story of Balthazar and an old Evernight classmate, Skye. If you remember her as the one whose boyfriend broke up with her and she went to the dance with Lucas in Stargazer.

When the book starts, we are taken to Skye's home town where she stumbles upon some vampires who seem to be after her for a reason.
She has a savior though in the form of one Mr. Balthazar who got word that she might be in need of some protection, and once he discovers just who is after her.... well, he'll make it his life's purpose to protect her.
This threat against her is someone Balthazar knows well, someone from his very own tragic past and it takes him back to a place he wish he could forget.


The more time Balthazar spends with Skye protecting her and making sure that she stays safe, he finds himself getting to know her, and soon he finds himself being drawn to her very presence to a point where he starts to question everything he told himself he wouldn't do and wouldn't feel.
Can two hearts... even though they both are from different worlds, but also get drawn together by a common enemy find some kind of happiness?

I think this just might be my favourite, and including the whole EVERNIGHT series. The story Balthazar and Skye have is everything you could wish and hope for.
Even though they are in a lot of trouble as they battle individual and common demons, the chemistry between them begins to simmer and it stirs something up between that that I'm not even sure they even can resist.

You finally start to understand Balthazar a lot more than we did in the earlier EVERNIGHT books, and you even get to know Skye herself an discover that she has a unique force about her that makes her unresistible to vampires. She gets thrust into this world and she didn't even ask for it.. it just happened.

There are a few minor appearances from a couple EVERNIGHT original characters, but the main focus in on these two as they start to unravel just what it means to feel and fall in love.

                                                  Rating: 4/5
                                         

April's review of "The Divide" created by LJ Smith written by Aubrey Clark

The Divide (The Secret Circle #4) creator by LJ Smith written by Aubrey Clark
Publication Date: March 20th 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 352
Format: Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description: Keep your enemies close. . . .

For the first time since moving to New Salem, Cassie Blake feels normal. She's dating her soul mate Adam and making new friends in town. But between the secret coven of witches she belongs to and the incredible power she holds within her, Cassie is leading a far from ordinary life. When tragedy strikes the Circle, Cassie realizes being extraordinary can be a curse.
 
The Circle is being hunted by an unknown enemy—and anyone could be the next victim. As they struggle to protect themselves, alliances are formed and relationships are tested. No one knows who to trust or who to fear. Will Cassie be able to save the Circle . . . and herself? Or will her choices break it apart forever?

I'll be honest. When I first heard that a forth TSC book was coming out after all these years I was a little weary. I never got the point in continuing a series after nearly 20 years. Even though I love the original TSC books and the original TVD books I was glad that LJ didn't actually write this book herself. Aubrey Clark did a wonderful job with it. You can't even tell that it's not LJ writing. 

The forth book picks up right where the last one left off. With Black John gone the Circle can now relax. Cassie is getting used to not only being a leader but actually being with her soul mate, Adam. But for some reason Cassie just can't shake the feeling that trouble is ahead. After Melanie's Aunt Constance passes away, it's revealed that there are ancient witch hunters in town. And these witch hunters are nothing compare to Portia's brothers from the original three books. These hunters are the real deal and they have power. Promising not to do any magic the Circle struggle to stay alive. Once a hunter marks a witch there is nothing you can do to escape death.  Cassie struggles with her position in the Circle when she discovers she has a half sister from her father. And that after finding out she's kidnap by the hunters. She doesn't understand why the Circle wouldn't risk saving her family. Even Adam sides against her. Cassie may just make a mistake that will cost her everything she loves. 

I really did enjoy this book. I do wonder if the author and the tv show writers collaborated. Or if she had took ideas from the show. There are a lot of tv show connections in the book. It's very easily to fall back into this world. I do have to say Diana and Cassie were just breaking my heart. For most of the book there's a big rift in between them. Which is to be expected. Even though Diana told Adam and Cassie that they had to be together it's can't be easy for her. Not to mention for years Adam and Diana had always went to each other for advice and shared everything. Habits like that are hard to break. Not only is Cassie struggling with her friendship to Diana, there is also Nick. Nick has pretty much shut Cassie out, but she is determined to resume the friendship they had. 

There's a few surprises in store and at the end two members of the Circle are mark as witches. I would say if you love the original series this is a must read. 

Rating:

4/5