ARC Review of Cracked by Eliza Crewe (GIVEAWAY!)

Title: Cracked (Soul Eaters #1)
Author: Eliza Crewe
Review by: Sarah
Release Date: November 5th, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Pages: 326

 

Ever since my mom was murdered, I’ve been completely alone. I live in the shadows, because there’s no one like me. I have no choice because I have to fight the Hunger, the Hunger that drives me to hunt people and eat their souls. And I have to fight it if I want to stay out of the darkness.
 Who am I?
I’m Meda Melange.What am I?I don’t know—but I’m not human.And now, I finally have the chance to find out.
In this first book of the gripping Soul Eater trilogy, find out who Meda is and which side she will come down on in a thrilling tale of the war between good and evil.

So Meda knows she is a monster. Never bothered to find out the specifics, exactly. But she's too busy eating people's souls, anyway. She needs them to survive. For the sake of her late mother, she tries to limit herself to only the Bad Guys, a la Dexter. When the book opens, we meet our wouldn't-be heroine, Meda, who is currently plotting some nefarious deeds while locked away in a mental institution. Awesome. Meda's voice is the perfect mix of sarcasm and sass, with just a touch of hidden depths, making the reader laugh with her, cringe at her, and sympathize with her all in the span of a few pages.

Fast forward, and Meda is now thrown into is a world of Templars and demons. The Templars are a special brand of humans that devote their lives to ridding the world of demons. Meda involuntarily ends up tagging along with a young group of Crusaders-in-training after they mistakenly think they've saved poor, innocent Meda from a nasty death by demons. In reality, Meda herself is part demon (oops) though she didn't know until now. She plays up the damsel in distress act, careful not to inform her new companions of her true identity, but if they find out, she can just eat them, anyway. No skin off Meda's back. Or is it? What she's really after is finding out the truth about her parentage and her existence, only to come upon a lot more than she bargained for.

Meda's characterization was probably one of my favorite things about the book, it's not everyday you see such unabashed anti-heroism in a main female character in young adult literature. I've been craving this kind of character to pop up more in YA novels, so I was very excited when I saw this book was giving me just that.  I loved that she was decidedly unaffected by the boy-hero character and went back and forth between plotting his untimely death on multiple occasions. Even though she struggles with coming to care for the people she tentatively calls her "friends", she's a looking out for number one kind of girl, and I loved that. That being said, it was fascinating to see Meda's progression throughout the book and I think it will be even more interesting to see how her character progresses throughout the rest of this series as she battles between the light and dark inside of her.

Another thing I particularly enjoyed was getting to know this world the author has set up for us. I haven't been this excited about a new fantastical/paranormal world in quite some time. Though a bit complicated, the world of Cracked is easy to follow and understand and I can't wait to learn more about it as the series continues. Not to mention our colorful cast of characters, especially a certain someone, a hot someone (hey, Meda's words, not mine!) in particular I suspect when haven't seen the last of.

This book was fast paced, action packed, and fun as much as it is heartwrenching. I always hate to be That Guy that says, "it's like blank meets blank!" So I'll try to be a little less cheesy and say I think fans of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural and books like Vampire Academy would eat this up! Especially my voracious readers out there who aren't ready to come off their Halloween high just yet. You'll be excited to get your hands on this book and I'm sure it won't disappoint!

3 and a half coffee cups!

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Review of Once We Were by Kat Zhang

Title: Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2)
Author: Kat Zhang
Review by: Sarah
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 352

 

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.
Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.
Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

Wow! It's always a crazy feeling when the second book in a series is so much better than the first. Usually, for me, it tends to be the other way around. Second Book Syndrome is a killer. But when I finished What's Left of Me, I kind of figured I'd end up enjoying the sequel more so than I did the first. I just didn't expect it to be this substantial of a difference! 

Things that bothered me about What's Left of Me were quickly forgotten almost as soon as I started Once We Were. Little things about the world building that irked me were explained in this book in a way that was like, oh...well that makes so much more sense now...why couldn't that have been in the first one? When reading the first book, I found myself putting it down constantly. It seemed to drag on forever and I often felt like I was forcing myself to get through it. I read Once We Were entirely in one sitting, I literally think I only put it down once. The pacing was so much quicker, the plot more engaging, I just completely fell into the story in a way I hadn't been able to until close to the end of the first book. The intensity of the relationship between Addie and Eva really propels the story, and the development leap their characters take in this story is truly heart wrenching.I care about everything else because I care about both of them. But there were many characters I found infinitely interesting in this book, and some of the quotes were nothing short of stunning. I love a book with really quotable moments where you can just feel the impact of the words hitting you like a brick. 

As I said in my review for the first book, I also find it very refreshing that the romance is not the main focus of this story. There's definitely more of it in this book, but it's presented in such a way that just adds to what the characters are going through rather than taking away from it. With so many characters in such a complex situation, I feel like it'd be quite difficult to write the romance aspect of this novel. So hats off to the author for doing it so seamlessly. 

I'm very excited for the next book, now. Zhang has set up a complex, dynamic cast of characters and and smacked them all down at an incredibly precipitous point. I need to know what's going to happen to everyone and what's going to become of this strange and frightening world. 

4 coffee cups!

ARC Review of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Naturals
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Review by: Sarah
Release Date: November 5th, 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 304
Format: E-ARC
Source: Netgalley

 

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want.  But, it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.   What Cassie doesn't realize is that there's more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive. 
Think The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars—Jennifer Lynn-Barnes’ The Naturals is a gripping psychological thriller with killer appeal, a to-die-for romance, and the bones of a gritty and compelling new series.

Another case of: Is this a series? The blurb on netgalley led me to believe so, but all I can say is, if it's a standalone, I will be angry for the rest of my life. 

 So let me quickly set the scene for you. Cassandra 'Cassie' Hobbes is a young girl living with the Italian side of her family as her father is in the Air Force, and her mother was murdered when she was young. Cassie feels odd and out of place in this family, as she looks so much like her red-headed mother, and finds it hard to truly connect to these people. (Side note: I loved Cassie's nonna, and if this does turn out to be a series I do hope there is more of her and the family. ) The other thing Cassie takes from her mother is her uncanny ability to read people and their behaviors and make scarily accurate assumptions about them from thus. Her mother was so good at this she made a living from it, posing as a psychic. And Cassie is so good at it the FBI tracks her down to be recruited into a secretive program for Naturals (aka kids with almost-inhuman abilities that would be of use to the FBI, be it profiling, lie-detecting, statistic memorization, etc.) So Cassie, hell-bent on finding her place in the world and ravenous for answers about her mother's unsolved murder, immediately hops on board. And after shakily getting her overprotective extended family to agree to this, Cassie sets off to start her new life as a Natural Profiler (as in, profiling serial killers) and aiding the FBI in solving cold cases. 

 Now, obviously, this is a book you have to really suspend your disbelief for. To enjoy it, I think you have to really put yourself in the mindset of 'this is a story'. Because a lot of what happens is unrealistic and plot-convenient. I see this being a love it or hate it type of book and whether you love it or hate it will most likely come down to if you are able to quickly latch onto the characters or not. At first, unfortunately, I was not. I found Cassie to be a likable enough heroine, but the character I assumed to be her love interest did nothing for me, and the slow burn of the beginning had me putting down the book often and forgetting about it. But being a big fan of JLB's writing, I thought, I've got at least stick it out to 100 pages. And I'm very glad that I did. 

 As soon as the other Naturals came into play, I was hooked. I adored their clashing personalities and the dynamic between all of them. I loved the fact that even though they're 'special kids' working for the FBI, they're all still very much teenagers and get up to very teeny hi-jinks. I would love to have some bits from the other Naturals POV, especially Lia (Natural lie-detector), who is an absolute enigma. Sloane (Natural with numbers and probabilities) was adorable. I have a soft spot for tropey 'computer-brain' type characters. And Michael (Natural emotion reader), though I didn't find him as swoon-worthy as Cassie seems to, is indeed a very interesting character.

 And then, of course...there's Dean. Dean Dean Dean.

 

 I feel like I don't want to say too much about Dean as it ruins the fun of readers getting to know him for themselves. So just know that he is *fangirl noise*. I can't believe I almost put down this book for good without meeting him. That would have been a travesty. 

 Another interesting thing I'd like to touch upon is the fact that every few chapters the reader is treated to The Killer's POV. Now, I've read a few serial killer-esque books in my day, and I've noticed that a lot of the time the writer seems to take The Killer's POV too over the top. Extremely dramatic ~serial killery~ prose that almost makes you laugh rather than cower. This book doesn't have that problem. JLB has perfectly captured the just-creepy-enough tone of The Killer to make their POV really, really uncomfortable to read. I salute her for that. 

 This book was something new and refreshing. And though it did come across as a bit cheesy and 'well what are the f#%&!*g chances' at some bits, the plot is still great. I tore through it in a matter of hours. And the characters are even better. I need more of these characters! Like, I NEED THEM. I feel like I'm going to die if I don't get more. I need more about Cassie's family, about her mother, about Michael and Sloane and Lia and DEAN. And their lives before the Natural program. I just need it. The world needs it. And you need to read this book so we can all cry together. That is all.

3 and a half coffee cups!

Review of Wither by Lauren DeStefano

WITHER (#1) 
By: Lauren DeStefano 
Review by: Kaede
Release Date: March 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Pages: 358
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought

 

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

When I started WITHER, I'm not quite certain what I expected from it. But it certainly wasn't what I got, although I couldn't be more pleased. 

Captivating me with it's writing style from the very beginning, it was almost like there was a certain ease for me when it came to reading WITHER. Flipping pages after pages without the thought of putting it down was natural, and it had me wanting to stay up late to finishing it. Now for me, that is the markings of a good book. 

I found that I felt something different for a lot of the characters we meet in WITHER. While I'm not sure if I connected with Rhine to the extent that I have with some other heroines, her narrative was one I enjoyed. I liked Rhine because she was strong and felt real to me. Trapped in a pretty prison, Rhine is determined to escape, find her brother, and return to the life she was forcefully taken from. But will there be some things not worth forsaking for a chance at freedom? Linden was a bit of a difficult character for me to place my feelings on, because in one sense I did like him, but in another I really hated him. Hated him for being able to be so blissfully naive and ignorant of the world outside when so many people - Rhine included - don't have that opportunity. But also like Rhine, I couldn't bring myself to ever fully hate him completely, or really at all...too much, and found that maybe I did like Linden. Although I couldn't stop the voice in the back of my head that hoped that somebody would tell Linden everything that his father had done. Anybody? 

Rhine's relationship with her sister wives was something I liked seeing, because the contrast in all three of them was so apparent. Their views differed, and yet they were still able to form a connection. Cecily was my least favorite of the three because there were times where she really annoyed me, but I could understand where she was coming from. Cecily is the youngest, a bit of a dreamer, and believes the mansion is a place she can be happy, especially considering that she has everything now when she had nothing before. 

Vaughn was a slightly disturbing character, because of all the things he did without so much of a second thought. I think he's the type of person that if I knew him in real life, every time he enters the same room, I'd run out because...well...uhm...I like to live? 

All in all, I think you can definitely tell the characters and their relationships were my favorite part of WITHER. From Gabriel to Jenna, there was something interesting about each individual we meet in the story. DeStefano was also able to create Rowan, a character we don't know officially, but is described by Rhine to the point where I can have such a clear view of him that it's almost like he was present in the story the whole time. 

The world building aspect was satisfying, but it definitely isn't this series's strong point. I know that there are a lot of readers who consider the world building weak, but personally I've never really saw detailed, plausible world building as a requirement for a enjoyable dystopian. It's nice to have certainly, but if there are other elements I enjoyed, and the world seems possible, then it's good enough for me most of the time, which worked in WITHER's favor. 

Essentially, Lauren DeStefano's writing is not only simply solid, but comes so naturally you can't help but be pulled in. If you can put aside the fact that you probably won't find one of the most layered and complex worlds in young adult dystopian, I think there is a very good chance you'll really like WITHER. I mean, honestly, there had to be something special about it if I was so insistent on finishing it in one night, even though I had two exams the next day and I barely had enough time to study because I was reading.

If anything, Lauren DeStefano is the type of author that I feel will only get better and better, and so I will definitely read every book she comes out with from here on with confidence that they'll be amazing. 

4 coffee cups! 

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

ARC Review of The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond

Title: The Woken Gods
Author: Gwenda Bond
Review by: Sarah
Release Date: September 3rd 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Pages: 384
Format: E-ARC
Source: Netgalley

 

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father's secrets.
Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it.

It's been quite some time since I actually sat down to write an honest to God book review so forgive me if this one is a little disjointed, alas I am rusty.

First things first, is this a series? I haven't found anything that says it is, which is disappointing. It ended in a very series sort of way. If there's not going to be another book I'm going to be seriously bummed out (and it also might force me to deduct a half star...you'll see why as I ramble)

The main thing I am pleased to report about this book is that it is not a cliche romance dressed up to look like it has an interesting premise. It's actually very much about what the summary suggests. A strange, unique sort of dystopia where every God from every religion is party rocking in our world. Weird. And scary. There is a bit of a lack of world building, but sometimes I'm not too bothered by that sort of thing. I mean, there's definitely information scattered throughout, but to be honest, when it comes to book like this....*whispers* I kind of would just rather have a massive info dump. I'm sorry, blasphemous talk, I know. But when it comes to such a world as the one in this book, I want to understand every little thing about it. There were times when I found myself confused as to what exactly this world even was. I would have liked to know more about The Society and how it was founded, the actual awakening of the gods, more about what it was like when that first happened. But, perhaps that's just me, craving information where it actually isn't necessary. 


I was pretty pleased with the inclusion of the gods themselves and their characterization. Of course I would have liked an even deeper, more detailed look into the Trickster's Council and its members, but again this might just be me and my own weirdness.

The plot, for me, was medium paced but steady, I didn't really feel like it was a drag to read at any point and I don't even think I skimmed, which is a miracle for me. I'm an olympic skimmer. The characters, while all diverse and interesting, were disappointingly a little bit underdeveloped. As I've said a million times over, I read books for the characters. Even if your book lacks plot and backstory (not saying this one did, I'm just making a general point), if you get me to fall in love with your characters then that's the end of it. In this book I was so close to falling in love with them. I actually did a little bit. But I didn't fall as hard as I like to. Kyra is a very realistic, entertaining depiction of a young girl in an unfathomable situation. She's sassy and rebellious, a little clueless, and doesn't seem to have any idea what she's doing until she's about to do it. I really liked Kyra, a lot. At times she was like a mini female Dean Winchester, which is about the highest praise I can give any YA heroine. Her cleverness, her snark, her unwavering loyalty to her loved ones and heartbreaking insistence to put her life on the line while pushing others out of harms way...Kyra's quite the character. 

The minor characters: Kyra's friends Tam and Bree and then Society boys Oz (*whispers* love interest) and his best friend Justin. All of which have chapters included from their pov. I still don't know if I liked the way this was done. I understand why the author chose to do it, but it just missed the mark with me. Now back to what I was saying about character development. Aside from Kyra, I don't really feel like there was all that much? I adored Oz but I feel like I don't really know much about him. I mean, I know enough. But it's not...Enough. That could be said for pretty much all of Kyra's entourage. Don't get me wrong, the characters were perfectly interesting and engaging, but I don't really feel like I understand them on a deep level. You know? Now, if there's going to be another book I don't really have a problem with this. Plenty of time to give me tons of charactery goodness in the next one, if it exists. If not...I'm taking back that half star. *pouts*

This book is good, bordering on great. I sincerely hope you choose to pick this one up, because it's something fresh and different and exciting and awesome. I'm very picky and critical in my reviews, even with books I like, so I hope you don't take that as me not enjoying this book, because I absolutely did. Just take a gander at my status updates while reading. So many feels.

3 and a half coffee cups!

ARC Review of Awaken by Meg Cabot

AWAKEN (#3)

By: Meg Cabot

Review by: Kaede 

Release Date: July 2nd, 2013

Publisher: Point 

Pages: 343

Format: e-ARC

Source: NetGalley (Thank you, Scholastic!) 

 

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.

As far as conclusions go, I honestly think AWAKEN was done very well. A fantastic wrap-up of the series, it leaves you with a sense of closure but also the promise that the story doesn't just end with the last world. The characters' journeys will continue, and maybe even one day they'll return to tell us about all that they've seen since the last time we saw them. But for now, this is the right time to say goodbye. 

Something I found myself doing a lot while I was reading that I didn't expect was laughing. It isn't to say ABANDON and UNDERWORLD didn't have moments where it was funny, but they definitely couldn't compare to AWAKEN for me. Although, as a whole, I wouldn't say comedy and humor are this series's main priority or strong point, so I can't really hold anything against the first two books for not being as amusing as the last. 

There were a few issues I had with AWAKEN, one of them particularly perplexing to me. If something seems odd or unusual, chances are that something is likely off about the picture. I watched as Pierce would think about how something looked out of place and then the next second she'd forget all about it on a few occasions and I didn't understand why. 

However, AWAKEN was also filled with action and suspense that managed to keep me interested all the way through. I kept flipping pages, curious to see what would happen next. As far as characters went, Pierce definitely isn't my favorite heroine of all time, but she isn't the worst. I definitely do prefer the secondary characters when it comes to this series though.

I really liked Cabot's writing style in AWAKEN, and the overall way she presented the finale to her series. Problems were wrapped up nicely with resolutions and answers were given so that there would be little to no questions left. Although I still can't figure out why I found some of things John said so funny. All in all, if you enjoyed ABANDON, I would encourage you to continue on to AWAKEN. While this series isn't an absolutely favorite, I certainly don't regret reading it. 

4 coffee cups! 

*An advance copy of this book was provided  for review. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.*

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

Review of Between You and Me by Marisa Calin

by: Sarah

Author Website/Goodreads/Amazon

Release Date: August 7th, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 242 pages 

My Format: hardcover

Rating: ★★★★☆/ 3.5 out of 5 

Phyre knows there is something life-changing about her new drama teacher, Mia, from the moment they meet. As Phyre rehearses for the school play, she comes to realize that the unrequited feelings she has for Mia go deeper than she’s ever experienced. Especially with a teacher. Or a woman. All the while, Phyre’s best friend—addressed throughout the story in the second person, as "you"—stands by, ready to help Phyre make sense of her feelings. But just as Mia doesn’t understand what Phyre feels, Phyre can’t fathom the depth of her best friend’s feelings . . . until it’s almost too late for a happy ending. Characters come to life through the innovative screenplay format of this dazzling debut, and unanswered questions—is "you" male or female?—will have readers talking

Now, I personally found it easy and pleasant to slip into the writing style of this book which is set up in the format of a screenplay.  I do realize that perhaps some modern young readers out there might not like this, and I feel as if the older crowd might roll their eyes and find it pretentious or contrived, but I didn't. I actually went into this book expecting it all to be a bit hipstery and 500 days of summerish, but it's not at all. I really like the way Marisa Calin writes and am excited to read more from her. She's got what I like to call the "magic touch" when it comes to effortlessly capturing the voice of young people.  I found Phyre's inner monolgue to be consistently honest, brash, and at times cringe-worthy, which in my opinion means the author is doing a good job.  I thought Phyre's thoughts were very realistic, especially when trying to come to terms with the fact that she has a crush on another female, something that's never happened to her before. There was one scene in particular that stuck out to me, in which Phyre proclaims to herself that it's not a big deal at all, only to moments later realize she's suddenly "different" than the rest of her peers, and wish her feelings would just go away.  There were many little moments like that, where I just really felt what Phyre was feeling, because I'd felt it all myself in my own life, and I think Calin has hit the nail on the head for what's going through the mind of a high school girl going through this sort of situation. There were tons of things I really admired about the writing. It had some really great metaphors strewn through, the play-within-a-play device, the artistic choice to leave out the gender of Phyre's best friend, I could go on. Marisa Calin knows what's up.

Now, despite the fact that the writing and characters were beautifully crafted, the story itself was a little lacking for me. Just a little! It was all very predictable and maybe that's partially the fault of the summary giving so much away? But as I was reading I kept waiting for something really big to happen. I imagined perhaps Phyre getting drunk and publicly declaring her feelings or her best friend doing something like this or maybe even for Phyre and her teacher to kiss in some awkward, accidentally-on-purpose way - NOT that I wanted them to be together- I just wanted shit to hit the fan in some way because the book was building up on such a dramatic tone and then it was just sort of like, nothing really happened? Granted there was quite an embarrassing revelation of Phyre's affections, but I guess I was just expecting something a bit more intense. But, in a way, it's a nice direction to go in. Like hey, it happened, and it wasn't the end of the world! 

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I could relate to it immensely on a personal level and I'm sure many other young people will also be able to. Throughout the first half of the book I was debating on whether or not to give 5 stars simply because of how lovely the writing was, but once I finished it out I was a little disappointed with the lack of a really good climax. Even so, it was still a good story. I definitely recommend! 

_________________________________________________________________

You can also check this out on my goodreads

Review of Eon by Alison Goodman

 ★★★★

Eon
By: Alison Goodman
Review by: Kaede

Publisher: Firebird
Pages: 531
Star Rating:  ★★★★/ Exceeded Expectations.

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.

When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.       

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 He released me, his face tight with disgust. "Always half the story. Never the whole."

Living a life constructed only of lies, 16-year-old Eona, disguised as 12-year-old Eon, has been training for years to be chosen as a Dragoneye apprentice. However the secret of her gender is said not only to bring misfortune, but will, if discovered, be the very cause of her death. Eona must hold the cold, hard fact that if the secret she and her master took every length to conceal should ever come to light, danger would not only be inflicted on to her, but to everyone she holds dear.

Faced with impossible odds, the gap between Eona and the other candidates seem to grow by every passing day. And if only to make meeting impossible ends more impossible, Eona is crippled. But we soon learn that Eona possesses not one secret, but many. One being that she can link herself to all the living energy dragons of good fortune, a feat unheard of. But will that advantage serve to be enough?

The world of Eon is a splendid blend of the Japanese and Chinese cultures, but still manages to hold a place of it's own. Eon is as entralling as it is imaginative and unique, but it is not without flaws. But it is those very flaws that enable to readers to connect to Eona, to her world of the dragons in the state of a battle for the Imperial throne.

There was one other course I could take, but Ido had seen my true nature; it was not in me to chose suicide. Perhaps it was cowardice, but I was not ready to die. Not for my emperor, not for the prince, not even for my friends. And for this shameful lack of courage, I was now slave to Ido's desires.

Eona, or if you prefer, Eon, is nothing like the typical damsel in distress. It's true that she is far from perfection, but who isn't? Eona is not invulnerable, but at least she knows where her loyalties lie, even if she is not able to act on them. If forced to draw a sword to save her friend's life, it would not be in Eona to drop her weapons and flee alone. I grew to admire her, slow and selfish as she may be, Eona was the kind of person who'd try and try again, and if she failed, she'd try again. With a man's appearance but a woman's heart at core, Eona is able to live the best of both worlds.

I found power in accepting the truth of who I am. It may not be a truth that others can accept, but I cannot live any other way.

Encountering and eventually befriending Lady Dela and Ryko, even if Eona did not know it then, would serve to be a great assist if she still wished to live after everything she'll go through. Being a strong believer myself that without well-developed and strong side characters, a book would not be even close to the level it could be, I must admit that I expected to prefer Lady Dela and Ryko over Eona and Ido the moment we were introduced to all of them. However, much to my shock but satisfaction, I found that I adored all of them. Down to the very last of the characters, even the very evil High Lord that sought to control by force. I was able to see a light to those who seemed to fall on dark side. Ido, Ido, Ido. That man sure is, if anything, something.

"He grunted. 'You have the courage of a warrior."
I watched him turn away and gather the clothes from the ground. He thought me courageous? But I was terrified - always terrified.
"No," I said flatly. "I don't."
He paused from stuffing the invaluable robe between two bales. "Are you frightened now?"
I nodded, shame flushing my skin.
"Is it going to stop you?"
"No."
"That is the courage of a warrior."

Indeed it is, my friend. Indeed it is.

Eon has pulled of quite the feat here. Not only has it managed blown away any disregard I had towards it, Eon left me wanting more. Now there's something that hasn't happened in months. Eona, the sequel, seems so near, yet so far. The size of the two books are really something, eh? And that's just about the only thing that's stopping me from tearing through Eon's successor. That and a ridiculous pile of to-be-reads.

And oh, so you say you've yet to read Eon? Well, darling:

Just what in the dragon's name are you waiting for?

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And yes, this was the slump-breaker book.  Don't know what that means? Refer back to this article.

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Review also found at: Goodreads.

Contact me: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Review of Survive by Alex Morel

by: Sarah

 Author Website/Goodreads/Amazon

Release Date: August 2nd, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 272 pages 

Series: No

My Format: ebook

Rating: ★★★★☆ / 3.75 out of 5

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.

I went into this book a bit cynically, thinking it was going to be a typical YA cautionary "appreciate life" tale. Not that there's anything wrong with those tales, but being that I'm not brimming with teen angst and adolescent insecurities like I used to be, I didn't think it would resonate as deeply with me as it I imagined it would with someone younger.  Boy was I wrong, she typed furiously through her tears. 

In any case, this story is a little different from most of the teen books centered around suicide that I've read. Most of them present you with a character you automatically feel very sorry for. They're fresh off an unimaginable tragedy or their depression is explained in such stark and emotional detail that your heart aches for them right from the get go. That wasn't the case (for me, at least) when it comes to our main character, Jane. At first she simply seems detached and bored with life and the reader doesn't exactly know why. It's obvious she's got some anxiety and supressed issues but I remember reading a line about her "miserable" life and thinking, what's so bad about your life, kid? Come on, now. Only to be rewarded with that very information pages later. Ahhh, I get it now. Clever writing. I loved the bitter irony of a girl who thought she had nothing to left to live for being thrown into a situation where she now has to fight not only for her life, but someone else's as well. 

This book is quite short, sad, and sweet. It managed to take me on a rollercoaster from somewhat indifference, to yearning, to hope, and to tears in the span of 272 pages. And in that way I felt like I sort of developed as a reader in the same way that Jane developed as a character. Corny, I know, but it was an emotional experience. As I've said countless times before, I'm a character girl. If you get me to care about your characters, you've got me. And this book really got me. Even as sparse as this book was, I felt for Jane and Paul as if their characters had been fleshed out for ages. Definitely worth the read. The only thing I'll warn any potential readers against is that fact that it is a short read (though this may be preferable to some) and the "hatchet meets lost" tagline surrounding this book. I get the effort to draw in readers that way, but I think if you go into this book thinking you're going to get something as complex as Lost or as gritty as Hatchet, you might be a bit disappointed. Survive is it's own story, I don't think it needs any half-hearted comparisons to make it stand out.

ARC Review of Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

by Isabelle Doan

Website/Goodreads/Amazon

Random Info:
Release Date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Pages: 304 pages (paperback)

Series: Yes, this is #1

My Format: NetGalley

Time it Took me to Read: 10 hours

Rating: Library/Borrow/e-book/Paperback/Hardcover

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some CONFESSIONS to make... #1: I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?

#2: I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who "might" be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.

#3: High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry-get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.) (Sorry. That was rude.)

 From Underachiever's Guide to being a Domestic Goddess

The age of fourteen is probably the most awkward year of anybody's life. (And if you're shaking your head at the screen right now, I suggest you stop lying to yourself.)

It's the age where you're too young to do anything, and too old to do anything. Too young for parties, drinking, IT (ahem), and too old for bouncy castles and slides and eating off the kids menu. You know, all the fun stuff. Rose Zarelli realizes this, and thus begins her tumultuous freshman year of high school.

But there's a catch- her father died the summer before, and she's an Angry Girl. (Note the use of capitalization.)

In a way, I suppose that Rose's angry-ness would have made her unlikable. After all, she treats her friend, Robert, like crap. Robert is basically one of those clingy, whipped guys, and Rose continually ignores him and figuratively beats him up, even as Robert gives Rose gifts and treats her nicely. And he keeps coming back for more, just as Anastasia kept going back to Christian.

But the love interest is not Robert. It is Jamie, who is pretty much a jerk. He's older (a junior, I think), and he's taken. And YET Rose wants him.

...

...

Yeah, I would have not read this book based on what I just said.

However, things pick up. Although Rose is sort of unlikeable, she's real, and acknowledges her faults. There is amazing character growth, and as the credits were scrolling, I came to the conclusion that I did, in fact, like Rose as sort of an anti-hero.

The supporting characters were interesting as well. The cast includes Angelo, (although all I really know about him is that he likes Nirvana and Metallica), Tracy (the best friend who has a falling out with Rose), Michelle (the nice cheerleader), and others. They're all pretty much archetypes, but I can't blame Rozett. They all exist in high school.

I still didn't like Jamie, though. He's a jerk to his girlfriend (Regina), who helped him in a time of need. WHY. Why would you do that?

From horrormovies.org. Yes, this is a real movie.

Because Regina is a stereotypical cheerleader that deserves to be punched in the face?

No.

NO.

I'm only hoping that in the sequel Rozett will make Regina more of a layered character, because I don't want to have to deal with some more cheerleader witches.

Other than that, the technicalities in this book were minor. There were a few discrepancies that removed me from the reading experience. For example, Robert works at a restaurant, and he's able to serve Rose's mom alcohol. It's illegal for minors to serve alcohol.

So. If you don’t enjoy reading about high school, don’t read this book. It is as much a tale of that dreaded place as any I’ve read.

Also, if you’ve never had anyone close to you die before- I probably wouldn’t read this book. It would be hard to connect with Rose, and I would understand why someone would find her character to be totally and utterly awful if said person could not make the connection.

But if you don’t fall into those categories, know that Confessions of an Angry Girl has a surreptitious way of filtering into your heart with its clever writing and humor. Definitely a worthwhile read.

4 STARS! 

Content: There's quite a bit of underage drinking, implications of sex, and mentions of condoms. However, none of these are condoned. 

Review and GIVEAWAY of Want by Stephanie Lawton

This book changed my frickin life.

by Isabelle Doan

Website/Goodreads/Amazon

Random Information:

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Pages: 318
Series: Nope
My Format: Received for Blog Tour
Rating: Library/Borrow/e-book/Paperback/Hardcover

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her. She can't understand why he suddenly gave up Boston's music scene to return to the South. He doesn't know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball-the pinnacle event for Mobile's elite-forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past. Will Julianne accept the help she's offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?

Let me fill you in on a little secret. Once upon a time, I auditioned for a spot on a junior panel of piano players. It was highly prestigious, and my hands were shaking like crazy. I prepared for this for months now, and I probably played the piece a million times, had nightmares over it, and gained twenty pounds for all the ice cream I ate when I played badly. When I stepped in front of those judges, my life flashed before my eyes.

Guess what happened?

I botched the audition. And then threw up.

I'll let you decide whether that's a true story or not.

I'm pretty sure this was me.
From Parents.com

My point is, I got Julianne as she struggled with her audition to the New England Conservatory, but that wasn't important at all. The story is more than that. It's an edgy coming of age Young Adult novel with characters that made me cry my own pools. (Which was very efficient for the summer season, I might add.)

As she struggled with her crazy mother (and I do mean crazy in the most literal sense), her decade older mentor/ love interest, her decade older hilarious other love interest, and others, my hands were shaking again. What was I doing? I wasn't playing piano or anything. How could a novel make me feel anticipation that I only felt with something important? Why did I feel like I was going to throw up?

No, not because I wanted to throw up on the book. This is, in fact my favorite read of 2012. It was because I was FLAILING all over the place as I read this. Every little thing made me whisper, "Be still, my hairy heart." It was all too much for me.

Well, that, or because I was reading in the car.

The characters are amazing. Dave is perverted, older, and pretty much everything you want in a guy. Issac is akin to Heathcliff literary-wise, and also pretty hot if I do say so myself. And I know you're wary of love triangles, but let me just say, Juli is not some helpless Bella. She doesn't focus on guys. She focuses on her music, with a few sexy excursions here and there.

The writing is stellar- writers, if you want the epitome of show, don't tell, THIS IS IT. There are so many little insinuations and things you have to pick up on yourself. The writing is interactive, which is great.

So why do I refrain from giving it a glorious five stars (other than the fact that I'm afraid of odd numbers?) Well, it's purely personal, but though Juli made the right choice in the end, I DIDN'T LIKE IT. Plus, this novel left me in a literary corner for days, so really, it made me feel four stars emotionally.

Perhaps that's what actually makes WANT such "bejeezus" worthy novel. 

Now, you've probably noticed that I've refrained from saying that "This was a lyrical novel that sang to me" or something like that because I hate praise puns. But, I've got to say it.

WANT was a lyrical novel that hit the notes in all the right places.

HAPPY?


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