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