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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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