Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was such an unexpected gem. To describe the basic plot wouldn't do it justice. This author takes risks and I for one appreciated that fact. This is not your typical YA and I mean that in the best of ways. Penryn, our heroine, is everything you'd want in an upside down dystopian: brave, practical, courageous along with a bunch of other little flaws that make her realistic. Raffe, our angel in need of assistance doesn't change his characterization when it would be convenient to make this a softer story. It's unflinching in some of it's depictions of a world where humans fight for their very lives on a daily basis. I am impressed and eagerly await the sequel slated for next summer.

Author's Website: http://www.susanee.com
Copy source: Ebook Purchased

Fury (The Fury Trilogy #1) by Elizabeth Miles

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you've seen the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer, the overall theme and feel of this book is the same. Em and Chase have done some things they're not proud of but are still teenager-type mistakes. We know from the very beginning that they'll be punished by mythical Furies, but I thought the execution was somewhat lacking. Where things could have been scary or creepy they were just vaguely uncomfortable. If fact, the book didn't even pick up for me until the last 70 pages or so. The ending left a lot of questions open for a sequel, but at this point I don't know if I'd read it. The writing itself was fine and the dynamics between the characters were realistic, but I can't get past the sheer prosaicness of the first half of this book.

Copy Source: Library

Ruthless (The House of Rohan #1) by Anne Stuart

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I've read Black Ice by this author and if you're in the mood for a heroine that has next to no backbone and a hero that could just as easily be the bad guy, then I'd recommend it. I thought I give this a try to see if a change in category from suspense to historical would help her romance evolve a bit more. Unfortunately that just wasn't the case.

I should say first that there were quite a few good things about this story, especially the nice little side romance between Lydia and Charles. They had many sweet, lovable qualities that were plainly absent for Elinor and Rohan, our main couple. If they had had a bit more of the spotlight I would have been happy.

Elinor has some poor self-esteem (and not without reason the way her mother treated her) and Francis is a connoisseur of all that is sinful (but not truly you guys, because he draws the line at children, duh!). Elinor is in dire straights because her mother has slowly run their family into the ground as a fallen women going crazy from syphilis, ewww. When her mother escapes one night, she has to rescue her from one of Rohan's crazy parties. They meet and the rest is history, unfortunate and predictable history.

Some of my favorite snippets for everyone's enjoyment:

After we've learned about Elinor's tragic past, we get this gem,
"My sister will be safe and well cared for if I get in your bed?"
He laughed,. "Acquit me of be quite so gauche, child. I have innumerable women to satisfy my carnal urges."
The ice vanished and she was hot, hot in shame. Of course he didn't want her. How foolish could she be?
APPARENTLY VERY FOOLISH!! Why shouldn't a guy basically holding you captive not want your body, what's wrong with you (read: what's wrong with this author).

Next up this gem comes straight from Rohan whilst trying to woo Elinor to sleep with him, but then again who would be able to resist him after this Jersey Shore-like argument:
"Indeed Madame is waiting for me and she tends to be quite insatiable. I can only hope that I have not stayed away so long that three men have taken my place."
"Why three?"
"Darling, it takes that many to replace my skills."
Be still my beating heart, I think he means business, rawwwr!

Then we have to have the tough (but really kind) love of a hero to make our heroine see the light of her mistaken ways:
"Someone restrain her," Rohan said in an unconcerned voice. "Without hurting her," he added, and the footmen took her arms and forced her back in the chair, careful not to be too rough. She sat back, knowing when a battle could not be won.
WTF, Rohan even has to get footmen to do his dirty-work. Clearly the heroine should sit back and relax because she's at the mercy of a crazy man.

Then to top if all off, our hero is such a romantic that just in case Elinor is diseased he's still willing to try those newfangled condoms for the first time, just to be with her. Isn't that romantic!

Ugh, I don't expect these books to be perfect, but I am SO tired of seeing the same plot constructs. Yet when I do find the ones that rise above this it makes it all worth it.

Copy Source: Ebook Purchased

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had the same issues with this last book as I did with the two before it. Sam and Grace remain mostly uninteresting (for my tastes). I mean, don't get me wrong, I get that it's a quiet and gentle love that should make some girls sigh, but not me. Give me Cole and Isabel with all of their sarcasm, pain, and hang-ups any day over Sam and Grace. This, of course is a personal preference and some readers may feel exactly the opposite. Yet for me the most interesting story to follow was Isabel and Cole and counting the pages until their POV does not a perfect story make.
Once again the resolution presented itself too quickly and the truth about what causes the werewolf disease wasn't terribly exciting. I can say that I found Stiefvater's writing in Forever to be the best I've seen in this series. The time she takes to describe the different relationships is poignant at some moments, even if exasperatingly boring at other times. What can I say? I'm as conflicted as Grace's own emotions with this one and the jury's still out. I for one didn't mind the open-ended nature of the ending, because in a way the author let's you take a piece of the story as your own. Of course this is a must for those already invested in the series as well as for fans of this genre of YA, but as to a glowing endorsement for the entire trilogy, it's just not there.

Favorite Quote (and there were a lot of great ones):
"The thing I was beginning to figure out about Sam and Grace, the thing about Sam not being able to function without her, was that that sort of love only worked when you were sure both people would always be around for each other. If one half of the equation left, or died, or was slightly less perfect in their love, it became the most tragic, pathetic story invented, laughable in its absurdity. Without Grace, Sam was a joke without a punch line."

Copy Source: Library

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Talk about drama! Even though the author's hints throughout about what happened to Jenna are about as subtle as a bomb exploding, I found my enjoyment for this one was less because of something else altogether. That reason is the cause for a lot of debate here in the US. It's our relationship with science. I don't feel that it's very spoilerish to say that science in the time and place of this story is looked at with extreme suspicion mixed with an a little bit of hope. Most of the arguments about nature vs science examined were moot points for me, so even though I could understand both sides, it wasn't really new territory.

My own sentiments aside, for some readers the author could raise somewhat valid (even if it's not very realistic) questions for a future where bioengineering has exceeded medicine's wildest expectations. Where do we have to draw the line? Who gets to draw it? Can there ever be exceptions? The author attempts to answer these questions in a very heavy-handed manner much to my disappointment. The last chapter was my favorite and I'd recommend just for that, but there were many things I thought could have been better developed.

Copy Source: Purchased Paperback

Die for Me (Revenants, #1) by Amy Plum

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

"If Vincent wouldn't tell me anything, maybe I could figure it out for myself." That's the one line that I wish Katie would actually listen to herself and follow. From the beginning she has to be spoon-fed the facts and doesn't seem to understand how to connect point a to point b. I would understand her utter disbelief in the beginning, that's only normal, but to continue the same way under the pretense that she wants to know everything, but then hide her head under a rock once she does is exasperating! She literally had to be held by the hand the entire way through this book. At one point she knows her sister is in danger and instead of calmly trying to explain herself, she goes to visit her 'lover' (ha!) and leaves her sister to her own devices.

On another note, I'm sure there might be some women or men that convince their significant other to leave the military or police force because of the dangers. It's understandable that the risks their partner takes may be too stressful for the other half. Yet there are men and women that bravely put their lives on the line for others every single day they step into uniform. The main difference between them and a character in this book is that this character will COME BACK, not just once by EVERY TIME. This character feels an immense urge to sacrifice their life so that others may live but Katie decides she would be too upset to see that happen because after her parents sudden demise it's too traumatic. It's true she doesn't suggest the character willingly not save lives, but she doesn't mind when they suggest something along those lines. Then the icing on the cake is that by the end, Katie 'bravely' decides she would sacrifice her life for this character. Give me a break! What's good for the goose isn't good for the gander, I guess.

Her immaturity leads me to another point. The fact that she didn't need to be in this relationship was obvious to me. The interactions between her and Vincent are so little before they decide they can't live without each other(ugh!). I'd believe it if it rang with any kind of true sentiment, but it didn't to me. Plus, at Vincent's age he should know better and at least leave her alone for a few years.

As you can probably tell this book hit some nerves. I know that many of the things that bothered me other readers would gobble up. In fact the romantic scene at the end reminded me so much of Twilight it was hard not to compare the two. So I can definitely say fans of that series would like this one. It's not for me.

Copy Source: Purchased

Dark Descendant (Descendants, #1) by Jenna Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I can say I was honestly surprised by how much I loved this story. I liked the author's other adult series, but it didn't really wow me and I haven't continued with it. When I heard she had a new story out related to mythology I was hopeful yet again because I'm a sucker for anything related to mythology (Greek, in particular). I'm happy to say this one hit all the right notes for me and Nikki Glass is now one of my fav UF heroines right up there with Kate and Mercy. She had the strength and courage to do what she needed to do, even if she did think she's a 'bleeding heart'.

I recommend this one if you like your UF a little on the grittier side (because honestly, where else should it be if you're playing around with immortals) if your playing around with the stuff of legends. I loved the basis of the plot and the world-building was superb. I will be hard-pressed to wait for the next in the series.

Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was an okay book that could have been so much better. Abandon is Cabot's take on the Persephone myth. I liked the appropriately dark and mysterious tones she took with John and I sympathized with the way Pierce cared about others, even if it was a bit much at times.

The real drawback was while I enjoyed the idea of Cabot's Underworld, I didn't like the baddies she decided used the conflict. I have to admit I haven't brushed up on my mythology lately, but Cabot's Furies were dare I say it, boring. That's worse than being bad, because my interest level zoomed to nil once I saw the direction the story was taking.

I thought she was heading in the right direction as Pierce and John began to know one another, but even in that respect the story faltered. The flashbacks weren't interesting and made the story seem disjointed at times. I was glad her young age was acknowledged, but other poignant developments in their relationship were lacking as she grew.

Disappointing, but I may give the second a try from the library if I can get over the boring antagonists.

Copy Source: Library

Tithe (The Modern Faerie Tales, #1) by Holly Black

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first discovered books by Holly Black after reading White Cat, which I loved. So it made sense for me to try her others. Tithe's world-building is based on faeries, the Seelie and Unseelie. I've seen this genre time and time again being a fan of fantasy, but I have to say Black didn't do too bad this time around, either.
Kaye has always felt like an outsider. When she was little she remembers playing with faeries and that they were anything but imaginary. Her mom fronts various unsuccessful bands which means that her life is often turned upside down when she's moved around in hopes that her mom can find her big break. After a bad incident, Kaye and her mom go back to her grandmother's and odd things start happening again.
For the most part I liked Kaye. There were a few moments when her quirky emo-angst was a bit annoying, but toward the end she found a lot of her own inner strength. This was a quick read and the story kept me turning the pages because Black managed to find the right balance in making the faeries inhuman, but still accessible. Her human relationships could have used a bit of work, because there were a lot of loose threads in that department.

Copy Source: Library

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I didn't like this one. It's the first I've read by this author, who has quite a following, but I've heard plenty about her controversial books. I guess this one wasn't really controversial, but I could see why some might think that.
Pattyn was a sad girl and even though the author tries to show the reasons why her life was so terrible, I never identified or felt like she was a fully realized character. The same can be said for Ethan and Aunt J. It felt cliched and a bit tacky in it's PSA lessons and as if she was bunching so many incongruous big life messages together for more shock and awe. Even if I'm in the minority with this one it was not for me.

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a book that you'd be hard pressed to describe to another person, but makes perfect sense within it's own pages? That'd be this book. Temple is only fifteen years-old and all she's ever known is a life filled with fighting, death and zombies. We join her in her travels and get intimate glances at what has happened to the world and the changes to what is left of humanity.
Temple fights a lot of her memories because nothing can be taken for granted. She hides herself and what she could have been because if she didn't she'd be zombie fodder. As people gather in clusters of form some semblance of a city or town she knows she'll never find a place among them. It was tough to read about her life and the snatches of memory she chooses to share. I wasn't a fan of the ending, but the interactions between her and another character had me shaking my head and hurriedly reading the next paragraph to see these two and their Old West-style showdown would unfold.
This was more than scary zombies and things that go bump in the night, but then again that's what all the good ones really accomplish.

Copy Source: Library

Venom (Elemental Assassin, #3) by Jennifer Estep

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

***SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH FOR THE PREVIOUS 3 BOOKS***

Venom is the third installment in Estep's elemental series. I was very happy overall with the story for the most part, but others felt a little phoned in. Estep often uses the same phrases in each of her books to describe the same thing. A few things like eyes meeting gray on violet, or gray on green, or whatever colors. She always talks with the same phrasing Bria as her baby sister, not little sister or even just sister, even the other characters do this, maybe she's going for the dialect but stop repeating the same tired phrases again and again. She even rehashes the plot from the previous books in the same way and I've been reading the same similes and metaphors for three books now.
I like that Gin is becoming the reluctant crusader because it suits her. However it was really annoying when she blames someone else's stalker problems on herself. The blame is with the psycho-stalker, not with the person that inadvertently introduced them! Owen Grayson is also a welcome addition and a better replacement for the boring Donovan Cain. I'm looking forward to seeing her final confrontation with Mab Monroe, but I don't know how convinced I am that Estep can continue to make this a fresh, exciting story. I'll definitely continue with the series, but I hope some things get polished up a bit.

Copy Source: Ebook Own

Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin, #1) by Jennifer Estep

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gin Blanco is an assassin. She's a good assassin and takes after her trade-name, the Spider. Before retiring she decides to take the 'one last gig' and ends up in a heap of trouble.
I'm really glad I started this series. Gin is the kind of UF-ballsy heroine that I like to read. She does her job and tries to stay one step ahead of her ugly past, which doesn't seem to want to let her go. I admired that for the most part she keeps things real and honest, even if it's uncomfortable. She keeps her own assassin's code: no children or people who are innocent of wrongdoing. I enjoyed following her on her high stakes investigation. Plus the worldbuilding is superb and I fell right into her world of dwarfs, giants, vampires and elementals- people with magical control over one element (air, ice, fire and stone). The fact that Gin doesn't rely on her own magic is a welcome respite from others in this genre who seem to have unbelievable feats of strength and power from the beginning. I'll definitely be continuing with this series.

Copy Source: Purchased e-book

Wither (Chemical Garden, #1 by Lauren DeStefano

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I was really excited to start this one since I was in the mood for some dystopian goodness. I don't know exactly what's between these pages, but after reading I wouldn't call it dystopian per se, but maybe that will change later in the series. I had to suspend quite a bit of disbelief to enjoy this one. The premise is that humanity is slowly dying after a failed utopian-type experiment to produce a generation of humans without disease. Every child born after the golden "first generation" is dying too early. Girls live only twenty years and boys only twenty-five. The first generation seems to be enjoying an unnaturally long lifespan, but cannot find the cure to stop the 'virus' that seems to be claiming the young.

As a kidnapped child-bride, Rhine is angry, scared and wants nothing but to return home to her brother. She places her efforts to escape in befriending her young husband only to find that most of her bitterness is directed at the wrong person because the one that holds the strings is Linden's father.

The plot of this story is very linear and the progression is a bit predictable. The strength of the story is the characters and the world DeStefano has created. Although I don't find many things plausible, like how an entire population would agree to in vitro fertility, or how anything would be accomplished when the next generation only lives to twenty-five at the most, or how the first generation expects anything to be done for them when it seems like everyone else is either cloistered in luxury or dying in poverty. Whenever these types of questions would come to mind I'd remind myself this is a story meant to entertain not a textbook I'll be quizzed on at the end. Otherwise I found myself immersed in Rhine's bubble of a world with the glimpses to the outside and what has become of it. I'll definitely read the next in the series to see if the author can pull off the grandiose ideas and stories she's put into play.

Copy Source: Library

Hard Bitten: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel (Chicagoland Vampires, #4) by Chloe Neill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've noticed that a lot of readers seem to fall on either side of the spectrum of love or hate for this one. Myself, I'm definitely leaning toward love, but there were some major bumps along the way. Hard Bitten is the fourth in the series and Merit is settling in as much as she can into her role as vampire and Sentinel of the Cadogan House. Unfortunately there are some nefarious characters that aren't about to let her rest on her laurels. Add in a dose of extra awkwardness whenever Ethan enters the equation and you have….well, you have something somewhat interesting.

It's been established by the author that vampires as a group are very political and love intrigue, alliances and the sort. We definitely see that side here. Sure Merit spends some time "investigating" the raves we learned about in the previous book, but most of the plot is about maneuvering correctly between the people of Chicago, its mayor, and the GP which governs the vampire houses. We see the relationship is very tenuous at times, but I'm not a PR person and it wasn't interesting for me to listen to Merit wax philosophical about the various repercussions of different plans of action.

To be honest it was the very end that got me or more specifically, the last couple of chapters. Normally this wouldn't be enough to redeem a book in my eyes, but DAMN this was an awesome ending. I can see two totally different camps of readers forming based on this one event. If you like safe status quo and familiar plots then you won't like it, but if you like a little shock and awe every now and again I think it may work. Don't worry it's not the end of the world, dear readers, it's just an author not taking the easy way out. I will definitely be reading the next.

Copy Soure: Ebook Purchased

Red Glove (Curse Workers, #2) by Holly Black

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Slight Spoilers for the previous book

After reading the first in this series, White Cat I was really impressed with the surprise ending (for me, anyway). Cassel was a character I could sympathize with in his endeavors to do the right thing in a family where cons are the norm. Red Glove continues right where we left off. Cassel's mom is out of prison and doing what she does best. The school year is about to start again and it's senior year so things are a little more serious in the academic arena. At the beginning we discover Phillip has been shot and killed by a mysterious person in red gloves and Cassel has been "recruited" to help figure out who was behind it.

The struggles in this book for Cassel are much more about trust and making the right decisions. We know just how much he's been manipulated in the past and now that he knows too, he has to find a way to avoid going back to the person he was. Lila is also going to the same school and the curse Cassel's mother put on her only makes things worse, because now he can't trust his own feelings, must less Lila's.

I was happy with some of the developments for Cassel. I hope he can find more to trust in the world, but still keep clever and realistic about the people in his life. Family has always meant the most to him, but the reasons are starting to become a little more blurry in the face of the truth. Cassel's got a lot to work out and I'm looking forward to seeing what he decides.

Copy Source: Library

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Source: Free Ebook from NetGalley
Release Date: April 19, 2011

I've always liked Greek mythology, but especially the story of Persephone. It's probably why I also like Wuthering Heights and those doomed misery-laden relationships. The synopsis admittedly seemed interesting. Katie is new to the town of Eden since her mother has decided to move home to finish her last days before she succumbs to cancer. Suddenly a mysterious stranger appears before Katie and makes a bargain to save her mother that rings very similar to Persephone's story, or not so mysteriously as Henry straight-up tells her to research the myth (very subtle storytelling here). This one encounter will change her life forever.
One of the biggest problems I had with this story was the character development, because it just didn't ring true. Her friendships were sudden and not very genuine. Katie was reliable to a fault and never made the wrong decision because she weighed everything so carefully to the point we revisited events/thoughts/feelings/reasonings ad nauseam. Her interactions with Henry seemed too childish for her age and she couldn't even say the word sex out loud, but liked to refer to it as that thing. It got old and by the time the end rolled around I didn't care what happened anymore because I wasn't connecting with any of these characters. I can't really say I'd recommend this one and I know I won't be continuing.

Defiance (Strange Angels, #4) by Lilith Saintcrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Somewhat Spoilery for the Previous Books---Beware---

If the last in the series could be considered Graves's turn in 'wooing', this one is really Christophe's. Dru is still dealing with the ramifications of the last book, Jealously. She is impatient to find and save Graves and is tired of being 'dealt' with, instead of actively involved with his search. Christophe is there once again to provide the angst, which I'll be the first to say I love. Yet even with the lovely detours Christophe-ness I have to admit that I was a tad bit disappointed with the direction this installment, because while I saw Dru take some steps in the maturity dept. there wasn't enough happening with the plot. Sure Dru needs a time-out and escape from the pressures of her life, but I don't need three-quarters of the book to follow that. I wish there had been more demanding and less acquiescing.
The title is Defiance, which Dru lives up to, but not in the sense I had hoped. It looks like she will continue to go through the school of hard-knocks, but it makes me wonder just where St. Crow will take her in the last book, because Dru's been dragging her feet for awhile now. I always enjoy taking the time to visit with these characters and I still would recommend this series, I just don't feel like this is the strongest of the bunch.

Copy Source: Purchased Kindle version

Read 'ems

When I find a series or book I really like and want to share words may not suffice. Instead I will resort to enthusiastic pointing and simple instructions, hence the title of this post: Read 'ems. Simple enough, right?

I finally have my copy of Defiance, which I can't wait to start reading.

This is one of my favorite YA-series. I would totally, enthusiastically recommend it!

Start with Strange Angels, which takes a little bit to find it's pace, but once you move onto the second book you'll be hooked. There's a lot of inner-monologue, but it gets better and Dru is ahead of most girls in paranormal YA fiction. Plus there's Graves, who helps Dru navigate her new life and he pretty much makes this series for me.

The second in the series is Betrayals where Dru has to deal with many of the truths that were kept from her. I like that the author doesn't solve things in a matter of chapters and Dru is allowed to show some depth, be stubborn and mulish in a way that's realistic.

Jealousy is full of fun Graves scenes, oh and some other stuff I'm sure...

The last in the series, Reckoning is sure to be the cat's meow and we only have to wait until November. However I would have to mention...just say no to the Count Chocula jacket and bad highlights, plus the unintentionally hilarious dude in the corner!

Now I'm off to spend time with Defiance!

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bea has just moved to a new town after being uprooted from school every few years because of her professor father. While she has to adjust to a new school in a small town (never good for the newcomer) she also has to deal with her mother's increasing depression.
On the first day Bea decides to try to find the average looking girl, make nice, and promptly start fitting-in. She meets Jonah, who also goes by the moniker Ghost Boy, which his classmates mockingly bequeathed him. Through their shared sense of odd humor and love of late night radio they forge a friendship. Then Jonah discovers a secret that causes him to re-evaluate things. For me it's just the start to a mostly one-sided friendship, because even though Bea is accused of having the emotional depth of a robot, it's Jonah that can't seem to make his feelings compute. It was realistic for him to act the way he did, considering the years of bullying he endured, but it didn't make me like him anymore, especially in his relationship with Bea.
The ending was wistful, but felt hollow because of all the unresolved issues. I guess you could argue that that's life, but I wanted more darn it! So while the writing was spot-on, the result was less satisfying.

Copy Source: Library

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I can see why this author's other series has been made into a movie, because that's exactly how this story reads. It was like watching an enjoyable rom-com where the heroine's ditsy, but endearing and the problems are serious, but they don't make you feel too uncomfortable.

You see, Lexie's had a minor accident and she's fine except for the fact that she cannot seem to remember the last three years of her life. Apparently it was an important three years, because she's married to a handsome millionaire and has a powerful executive spot at her company where she was only a pion before. Not just that but she's become the boss from hell and has earned the nickname Cobra (which she is absolutely aghast to find out about). Somehow overnight she's done a 180 and has to figure out how to reclaim an entire life where she feels out of place.

It was a very sweet story and the characters were exactly as you would expect them to be without any deviations. I think this would be the kind of story you would read curled up on the couch with some hot cocoa. It's a feel-gooder, which isn't bad in it's own way, but exactly what you need sometimes.

Copy source: Hardcover purchased

Zombie Blondes by Brian James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hannah and her father move from town to town in search of a job for her father that he can actually be happy about and keep. Their latest move takes them to Maplecrest, where some things are not as they seem and the cheerleaders have an eerie perfectness and an odd blue fire in their eyes. Plus there's the social outcast Lukas who is absolutely convinced that they're zombies and Hannah is about to fall under the allure of their beauty and popularity.
This was an odd one. At times Hannah and her desire to fit in were very easy to empathize with because who hasn't been the new person in school or some other setting? Who doesn't want to, as Hannah puts it, be adored (or at least not the butt of jokes)? The Stepford feeling is easy for Hannah to brush-off, but she has to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to be in the popular clique. To me that's the real heart of this story, forget about the title and the creepy vibe. Hannah's inner struggles to fit in and process her ever-changing life come together and form a crossroads. The ending was a bit disappointing and too rushed, although it does end with a humdinger. I guess I'd recommend this one, but it's not for everyone. Don't go into it looking for too much zombie action, but instead much more teen angst and you'll be set.

Copy Source: Library

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clara is part angel, or as they like to be called angel-blood. Her mother decides to move Clara and her brother to Wyoming after Clara receives a vision that leads them to believe she has to be there to save someone's life.
Clara was an interesting character and I appreciated her level-headedness, especially with all of the curveballs thrown her way. I didn't expect to like a story based on angels as much as I did and the author found ways to tap more into spirituality than preachiness, which is a fine line to walk. The other characters were also believable and the relationships that develop in Clara's new life are interesting to watch. Yet I could definitely tell this was the first book in a series. I thought that there could have been a bit more in the way of resolutions and the ending wasn't all it could have been because there were so many things left hanging, which I'm sure she'll address later but left me feeling like my book was missing a few pages.
I would definitely recommend this one as YA a cut above the rest, especially in the paranormal genre. You won't find a Bella or an Edward, but a girl that can see beyond the guy in front of her and a guy that is mature and awesome enough to be around her.

Copy Source: Library

Dreamfever (Fever, #4) by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once again Moning has me in a love-hate relationship with her story. I like the new Mac, the kick-ass Mac. Yet I can't stand any of the males she writes. Luckily the amped drama with the LM is intriguing and his revelations have me scratching my head in a good way. This one also has Mac recovering from the effects of the previous installment, of which the cure is almost as bad as the disease (or that's what Moning would have Mac deluding herself in thinking). Mac has many stages of grieving she needs to tackle, not to mention the enormous amount of craziness that has become her life. Again we only take a few baby-steps forward revelationwise and the ending is a doozy of a cliffhanger, but not unbearable. I'll be reading the next to finish the series (although when I last read on her website she's now contracted for 2 more in this world).

Copy Source: Library

Faefever (Fever, #3) by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Okay, I'm going to say just how much I liked this book, but first I've got to go into what keeps this book (and series) from being 100% for me. It's the skeevy feeling that always seems to accompany any of Moning's male characters. Whether it be the blatantly obvious death-by-sex fae V'lane (ugh, I don't like that name either) to the massively testosterone-laden Barrons who goes from faintly intimidating to absolutely freaking ridiculous in the span of a few moments. Moning has the ability to ramp up the emotions and I've loved following Mac's changes, but it gets dashed to the side after it follows with some kind of pent-up lustful scene where Barrons acts like an ass and on some level it turns Mac on, no thanks.
The plot picked up the pace significantly in this one which I was very happy to see. We get the answers to some questions which in turn leave us asking even more, just the way I like it! I also like the doom and gloom because I am so tired, TIRED of the damsel in distress. I like to see Mac working angles and realizing that's she's got to look out for numero uno if she wants to live through this.
All in all, I'm stoked to get my hands on the next one. I'm happy to have started this series later, because she has some hellacious cliffhangers for endings. However I'm still not happy with her relationship with Barrons and I have a feeling that this will be something I'll have to get used to not liking, as alpha asshole guys seem to be her forte.

Copy Source: Library

The Vampire Dimitri by Colleen Gleason

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Source: Free Ebook from NetGalley
Release Date: April 26, 2011


This is the second in the Regency Draculia series from Colleen Gleason who is also author of the Gardella Vampire series, which is still on my TBR-pile. In this series, Gleason's vampires have made a pact with Lucifer for eternal life, but they must feed on blood and sin. Restraining their baser urges causes a the mark they bear to become an agony, which is another trial for Dimitri as he's decided to lead a rather chaste life as penance. When Maia's brother disappears, it's up to Dimitri to chaperon her and her sisters until Maia's fiance, Alexander, returns from traveling.
It was a very disappointing start to what I thought would have been a unique story. Instead we spend the first quarter recounting the events that happened in the first book from the POV of Dimitri and Maia. Part of what can make a good romance is subtlety, which is what we saw in the burgeoning romance between them in the first book. Even though these books can be picked up out of order, I think it does a disservice to this couple to repeat the exact same story of the first book, just with a different POV. Once we moved to new ground it wasn't exactly thrilling anymore. I liked the give and take between the characters and I liked the influence of Beauty and the Beast, but in the end Dimitri and Maia felt like charted waters and I was already ready to move on. I can't say I recommend this installment of the series, but it's still better than some others out there. I won't be continuing with Narcise's story, which is released next.

Bloodfever (Fever #2) by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was hesitant to continue with this series, but when it was offered on sale I couldn't pass it up. MacKayla, or Mac as she likes to be called, has encountered quite a bit of craziness after traveling to Ireland to find answers in her sister's murder. What she finds is a humongous war between the Unseelie and Seelie fae, with mankind sandwiched in the middle for good measure. It's up to Mac to try and fight for the good side, whichever that side is because we spend much of this book trying to figure that out.

I was happy to see Mac thinking a lot more clearly about her situation. Her bursts of inner monologue were welcome this time instead or being verbal diarrhea. Yet there were many times I didn't like the adjective overload and felt it suffered from too muchness. For instance, at one point Mac is meeting with V'lane and she describes his robe: "It made me think of butterfly wings against an iridescent sky, lit by a thousand suns." Ummm, really?

I also got a little tired of her mysteriouso relationship with Barrons. I'm not a fan of a**hole neanderthals which is what he tends to bring to mind. Yet Moning did bring it on with the ending which left me scratching my head and wanting to read more. Nothing too important happened in this one, mainly just setting up the players, but I'm game for the next I guess.

Copy Source: Ebook purchased

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


If you loved Beastly you'll probably have no qualms with this one. Johnny is a shoe-repairer helping his mother with the struggling family business in Miami and when the beautiful princess Victoriana asks for his help in recovering her brother-turned-frog, he starts the adventure of his life.

This one had many different fairy tales blended into the story. At times it was too much and the story felt cluttered and just plain silly. This may not be a problem with readers not familiar with the older classics. Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the paper-thin characterizations and rambling plot.

I would recommend this one to those looking for something light and silly, even though to me it seemed like empty calories. I'm sure others will find its charm endearing.

Copy Source: Library

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Really disappointed, much ranting ahead, feel free to avert your eyes if you're a die-hard fan. I came into this one with such high hopes because there are almost 10,000 ratings on Goodreads and this book has managed to stay at 4-stars, plus someone liked the story enough to suggest making it into a movie. After I finished all I could think was really, are we reading the same story?
Thomas wakes up in a box with no memories of his past or why he's suddenly found himself in the middle of the Glade with other adolescent boys. Surrounding them is the ever changing Maze filled with creatures called Grievers that come out at night and have a terrible venom. They must return by nightfall because no one survives the night in the Maze. Each of the boys in this little community has their own job, and the job Thomas feels strongest about is a Runner. The Runners go into the dangerous Maze everyday to figure out an escape or some kind of pattern that will let them escape. Thomas feels he knows the answers, but the memories aren't there to help him solve the problems.
The most irritating thing for Thomas is not knowing the answers. As a reader I could identify with his feelings of isolation and frustration at his treatment. Yet after about halfway this song and dance became intensely irritating. Thomas spent what seemed like every other paragraph with these 'feelings' but took them nowhere. I wanted more action or some kind of something other than Thomas's recycled thoughts again and again. Plus the constant pep-talks from him were not inspiring, just awkward.
These boys have no adults keeping order and they've managed by following their immutable rules. I'm not expecting them to be mature, but they have the most annoying made-up cuss words, replacing shit with klunk and damn with shunk (or something like that, I can't recall). I thought it lent an air of silliness when the mood should have been desperate and serious. Just…terrible. The characters overall were also very one-dimensional in their predictability, especially Thomas and Chuck. Relationships like friendship were blah and I didn't believe a lot of their actions were realistic for their situation.
Then the actual meat of the story was the escape from the maze. It was very anti-climatic. This entire story felt like a mix of the TV show Lost with Lord of the Flies and not in a good way. Maybe this story is heading somewhere exciting, but I didn't get that this time around.

Copy Source: Paperback purchased

The City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I decided to read this one after seeing the enthusiastic review on The Book Smugglers. It's a quick read but I don't know if I'm as excited about this one. It is a more subtle and rich story which I can appreciate, but I didn't feel the character development was quite on par with the rest. It was playful and energetic storytelling at times, but slow and meandering at others and I never really found my stride as a reader. Recommended for fans of quiet, lyrical fantasy, but I can see others struggling to enjoy it.

I also have this author's Griffin Mage series on my TBR-pile. I'm looking forward to reading more this author has to offer.

Copy Source: Ebook purchased

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Synopsis from Goodreads: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.


My thoughts:
Even though not wholly original, this book has some different themes than some YA out there. It was odd to have the teenage flutterings of Violet's crush on Jay juxtaposed with the raving thoughts of a serial killers, yet somehow it seemed to work. Violet's attempts to rein in her feelings for Jay were sweet, but I could see this causing potential eye-rolls for other readers. The build-up of the story is too slow at times and while I cared about Violet, I wanted to read more about her using her abilities rather than her boy-toy dramas, but it was never a dealbreaker and actually endearing in some parts. This story and Violet's abilities reminded me a lot of Harper Connelly in Charlaine Harris's series.
But then chapter by chapter little parts would start to bother me. For instance, Violet and Jay became entirely too sappy and trite or the villain would be too predictable, but at the same time totally unrealistic. So this also meant the ending was a letdown. Things began to snowball until I realized I didn't really want to read anymore. So while I thought the premise was interesting, the execution was lacking. I don't know if I'll be continuing with the series, but I can see why it could have its share of fans, even if I'm not one of them.

Copy Source: Ebook purchased

Warped by Maurissa Guibord

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

My two-cents:
What started out as an interesting premise quickly deteriorated into something much more juvenile and unsophisticated than I was expecting. The villain suffered from too-muchness, everything was amplified until she should have been twirling her mustache. Tessa and Will were a bit too much on the silly side as well. If I'd been transported across 500 years you can bet that dancing or trying new cuisine would not be the priorities on my to-do list.

I just wasn't convinced with the characters, and when the promise of the beginning led to such a letdown I can say I was sorely disappointed.

Copy source: Library

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) by Simone Elkeles

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First, I just have to say I totally love this cover, it's just so dreamy, Grease-esque. Anywho, with this installment we move from Alex to Carlos. Carlos is forced to live with Alex in Colorado after he gets into some trouble in Mexico. He meets Kiara and the fun begins.

Alex has some of the same problems that his brother dealt with as far as gangs are concerned, but with more opportunities that were not available to Alex. I think this one is much too similar in structure to Perfect Chemistry, but it's still a good fluff read.

Also, I may not be a teenage boy, but Carlos didn't really strike me as acting realistically for what Elkeles was trying to portray. It was nice, but there was never really anything Carlos was guilty of doing for being such a bad-boy. Maybe everything was a little too sugar-coated, which isn't bad, but it's not exactly good, either.

A simplistic story overall, but one that was worth the time. If you liked Perfect Chemistry, it's more of the same.

Copy Source: Ebook purchased

The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


***Review copy provided for free from NetGalley***
Anticipated Release Date: April 1st



Voss is part of the Draculia, men and women passed over judgement of Death by God because of a bargain with Lucifer. Forced to bare Lucifer's mark as a testament of their agreement, they 'live', but there is also a war brewing amongst their factions. Voss has returned to England with the purpose of retrieving some very valuable information: which of the Woodmore sisters possess the Sight. If he can glean the right information he's set.

I liked Voss, against my better judgement, almost immediately. He lives a life full of gluttony, but when you're going to live forever he feels there's really nothing else to fill the void of time. Angelica, our trusty heroine, was also refreshing. Lately, I've been very unimpressed with PNR heroines, because they swing to either side of the pendulum, sugary-sweet and innocent, or ass-kicking woman that doesn't take any prisoners. Angelica on the other hand has common sense along with not taking herself too seriously. It was a nice change of pace! Plus her reaction to the truth about Voss is what I've been looking to read, and that's all I'll say about that! ;)

Yet even with all of the things I did like about this story I was a bit disappointed with convenient resolutions to some of the problems. I thought it could have been fleshed out a bit more than black and white.

Definitely recommended for fans of PNR looking for something a cut above the rest. It was great historical romance, but with vampires! I know I'll be continuing with this series.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one where I think the movie may turn out to be better than the book. Also important to mention is that this is a review of the book, not a commentary on the method of its creation.

The one thing that really bugged me about this story were the simple declarative sentences. I never really felt any extreme emotions from 'John'. The premise is very dramatic, a group of children separated around the world are responsible for saving whatever is left of their home-planet from the Mogadorians that invaded years ago. This is some heavy stuff, but I never really felt that the characters acted like they should have in their situation. Would a 15-year old alien developing super powers on the run for his life really just want to go on the hay ride at school? Maybe, but I was still bored.

Then comes the action-packed ending was not very satisfying and once again I feel it's because of the author's lack of making the action really pop-out at me. I didn't feel any sort of adrenaline or sense of danger at the comical villains. So the ending was a disappointing one for me and it pretty much set the tone for how I've come to feel about this book.

I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, but it's definitely a library book.

Copy Source: Library

Let Me Introduce Myself...

I'm Sam. I like to read. I like to discuss books. It's really that simple. I've been posting my reviews on Goodreads for years, but I think it's time to do something a little more different, a little more fun.

So I'll probably going to make a ton of goofs and generally muck things up, but I'll try to have fun while doing it. ;)

I read fantasy of all shapes and sizes and I'm no stranger to sci-fi, either. You'll also find a lot of YA reviews plus a lot of general squeeing over new covers and release dates for upcoming books.