Vacations From Hell >> Book Review

Vacations From Hell by various authors

(5 short stories)

paperback pages: 280

My Overall Rating 3.5 stars

Life's a beach...

and then you're undead?

In this must-have collection, five of today's hottest writers-Libba Bray (A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY), Cassandra Clare (CITY OF BONES), Claudia Gray (EVERNIGHT), Maureen Johnson (13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES), and Sarah Mlynowski (BRAS & BROOMSTICKS)- tell supernatural tales of vacations gone awry. Lost luggage is only mildly unpleasant compared to bunking with a witch who holds grudge. And a sunburn might be embarrassing and painful, but it doesn't last as long as a curse. Of course, even in the most hellish of situations, love can thrive...

From light and funny to dark and creepy, these stories have something for everyone. When vacation time comes, you definitely won't want to leave this collection at home!

My Review

Vacations From Hell is a book that holds 5 short stories. Stories about vacations, that didn’t end up well. And of course each of them had their share of paranormal.

I will review each one of them. It’s really hard to give you an idea for each of them without spoiling them because of their short length, the stories start right away.
So I’ll try my best.

CRUISIN, by Sarah Mlynowski
My Rating 1 star

This story follows two girls that are cruising when they hear rumours of vampire attacks on cruises. Basically these two girls go on vacation without their parents and the one of them has a goal to achieve. This goal though seems to be interrupted by vampires or maybe not. I can’t say much because I will spoil it. 

Overall I didn’t like it.

I DON’T LIKE YOUR GIRLFRIEND, by Claudia Gray
My Rating 5 stars

This story is about witches and a group of women that practises their magic. 

Every summer they gather together in order to practice magic together. For their husbands it’s a vacation, because one of the rules says that men are forbidden to know about their magic. 
Cecily doesn’t want to go because Kathleen will be there. They hate each other. 
Cecily though finds out that Kathleen has been messing around with magic, breaking one of the rules. She tries to tell her mother but she doesn’t believe her so it’s up to her to try to solve it. 

I liked this story, it’s my favourite of all five stories and I would definitely read it if it was a novel. There was an incident actually that I wanted to share with you. My highest rated stories were actually kind scary and definitely creepy. So when I was reading this story, there was a scene where this Cecily was practising her magic under the light of some candles. And while I was reading the exact scene the lights in my house went off, and if I was alone I would surely have freaked out! Lol.

Overall I would suggest reading this short story if you like reading about witches.


THE LAW OF SUSPECTS, by Maureen Johnson
My Rating 5 stars 

I loved this story! 
It’s about two sisters who go to Paris for the summer but they end up in an old village where there is no phone line and their cell phones don’t have any bars. If it wasn’t only for that, there aren’t also any people near them expect their really scary neighbour that lives next door. 

I can say there isn’t anything really paranormal in it but it’s for sure creepy and scary. I now look at my neighbours with another eye. Lol.

There is also a small romantic encounter in this book. Nothing as a full length book could provide but let me tell you something I got from this story. Looks can deceive.

Overall loved it and I hope it becomes someday a full length novel.

THE MIRROR HOUSE, by Cassandra Clare
My Rating 3.5 stars

Ok, this reminded me her trilogy Mortal Instruments. The story wasn’t similar to her trilogy, but the sister and brother thing was. 
So this is a story about a brother and sister who are in love. 

They are not actually blood related but by law related. Their parents got married and now they are on their vacation all together trying to hide the fact that they are more than brother and sister.

As the days pass they find a beach where a strange lady lives in a house full of mirrors. That lady captures her brother and now it’s up to her to find the way to save him. 

Overall, not crazy about it. The brother and sister set me off a little, mostly because she has already done it but the story line didn’t appeal to me much.

NOWHERE IS SAFE, by Libba Bray
My Rating 4.5 stars

I liked this story a lot! And it was the scariest of them all!

So this story is about 4 Americans who travel around Europe and they come across a small village with a weird name and even weirder reputation. In their travel brochure it says that the village is haunted by evil spirits. They laugh about it and think they should see the place thinking it will be an ordinary, even boring village.
What they find though is human sacrifices to the Satan and they wish they hadn’t gone there.

I can’t say much but it’ll make your skin crawl.

Overall I would like to read this as a full length story but I would make sure it’s day and long before I go to bed.


Frosy


Buy the book at Amazon | Book Depository  (Format Hardcover)
and Amazon | Book Depository (Format Paperback)

City of Glass >> Book Review

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments book 3

hardcover pages: 541

My Rating 5 stars

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Timesbestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

My Review

This is the last book of the trilogy The Mortal Instruments. Clary must go to the City of Glass in order to wake up her mother but Jace doesn't want her there. 
Clary will discover secrets that they were kept in dark for years.... but Jace is not willing to help her. Clary finds Sebastian who is too eager to help her but he is hiding something....... 

Love it, love it!!!!!!!!!!! It was a good closure for the story. 
I loved Alec in this one. At the previous books he was so into Jace and against Clary that kind of made me not like him but in this book you see him being more mature and willing to face his fears. 

In this book we see Isabelle being more emotional. We can see that behind the Shadowhunter gear she’s just a girl and even though she can handle everything (expect from cooking.. lol ) and be strong, she’s fragile just as she’s strong. 

Simon. Ok, I usually don't like a character who goes between a couple, and that's the case here, but I really liked him. In the previous books he was trying to win Clary over Jace but in this book he realises that he can have her only as a friend and that's what he does..... not like Jacob in Twilight.. (These books has nothing to do with Twilight but if you have read them you know what I mean by Jacob insisting that he was the one for Bella... huh!) 

Anyway that's one of the reasons that I love Simon, that he understands what Clary wants and steps aside to stand by her as a friend.... the other reason is that now he’s more involved in the story, he’s stronger now and ready to have some action and take responsibilities. 

Jace. What can I say about Jace. I can start from how much I love him!!!!!!!! :) 
He is very strong as a character and deep. You can see that behind his arrogant remarks, he’s just a boy struggling to find who he is and to get use to the idea that Clary is his sister. 

Clary. I wouldn't say that I loved her but I can say for sure that I liked her. She is strong, she’s all willing to jump in and help her friends..... 

Valentine. I didn't like him as being the bad guy.... The only part I actually felt same hatred towards him, would be at The City of Bones where he tells Clary and Jace that they are related. Other than that I didn't feel that he was the bad guy... I was close to liking him at the end and kind felt sorry for his ending. 

I think that's the only part I don't like form the books, that Valentine's character isn't developed enough and that his reasons for wanting to destroy the Shadowhunters aren't believable. 

Overall the book was good; my favorite though is the City of Ashes... more drama in it..... and I love good drama! 
One of the reasons that I love this trilogy is that combines humor, adventure, drama, love story.... pretty much everything but I loved it mostly because of the humor in it. It made me laugh so many times and I still do when I read the funny quotes. The author was able to put humor into serious conversations without stopping them for not being serious.... and that's really difficult to do.... and I loved it!!!!!!!!! 

Of course this is the last book of this trilogy but the author is having three more books on our heroes. It'll kind be like a second trilogy. Yeah! More Jace!

The 4th book is planned to be out on April 2011.

Frosy

Buy the book at Amazon | Book Depository (Hardcover Format)

and Amazon  | Book Depository  (Paperback Format)

City of Ashes >> Book Review

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments, Book 2

paperback pages: 453

My Rating 4 stars

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? 

Clary would love to spend more time with her bets friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't let her go-especially her handsome, infuriating newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil-and also her father. 

When the second of the Mortal Instruments is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

My Review

In the second book we find Clary and Jace struggling to accept that they brother and sister and nothing more even thought their feelings tell otherwise. If that wasn’t enough they have to go through the stares and whispers as now everyone knows that they are Valentine’s children.

I loved this book as much as the first one and maybe more. You get to know the characters better and see the powerful but strange relationship Jace and Clary have.

The drama is bigger and the pain and acceptance that Jace and Clary are siblings are enough to handle without the murders. Someone is murdering Downworlders and Simon is acting strange.  

Magnus is acting as usual but somehow has focused more on Alec. Isabelle is insane as always and Jace more brooding as it can get.

Valentine is supposed to be the villain but to me he didn’t seem like one. His actions seemed to be planted on the go and he lacked motivation. As the bad guy I thought I would see some minions working for him.... where are they when you need them? I can’t think of a villain that didn’t have or didn’t control other people for personal use. But we find out later on why is that (on the 3^rd book) so I am not going to spoil it for you. J

When the second mortal instrument is stolen though, they suspect Jace. Jace is now wondering what to do next to prove that he is innocent and for the first time we see him scared as he faces the accusations.

Overall.... I loved it! One of favourites for sure and I can’t wait for the third book. You should definitely read this one if you want a strong, suffering love story with a dark and funny adventure background.

I didn’t give it 5 stars as the previous book because I thought it needed more action scenes.

Frosy

Buy the book at Amazon | Book Depository  (Hardcover Format)

and Amazon | Book Depository  (Paperback Format)

City of Bones >> Book Review

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments Book 1

paperback pages:

My Rating 5 stars

When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons-end keeping the werewolves and vampires in line. It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. 

Within twenty-fours hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like  Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

My Review

This is the first book in the Mortal Instruments Trilogy and I don’t have enough words for it. It’s a story about a world that is hidden from the humans where these Shadowhunters fight the demons that have entered the earth.

Clary is our main character and she discovers that she is one of them when her mother went missing and a demon attacked her. As she was drawn into this world so did I when I started reading the first pages. The author, Cassandra Clare has a certain way with the words that makes you want to live into this magic world.

I found all the characters enjoyable and for the first time I think I found a book that combines funny scenes, dark elements, fast paced action and deadly gorgeous men all thrown into the mix to make the most delicious book. Add to that a very complicate love triangle and you have a hit!

There is a lot of drama in this book but the events and the characters justify each action taken in this book.

The writing style is my favourite. It’s written on third person narrative which made the story stand up. This way we could get a glimpse of every character in this book.

Overall this book was amazing! City of Bones will keep you reading with the hot action and twists till the very late hours.

Frosy


Buy the book at Amazon | Book Depository (Hardback Format)
and Amazon | Book Depository (Paperback Format)

I found a fan-video made by traube7 which I love and think shows the book really good.