Iron King by Julie Kagawa - BOOK REVIEW

Title: Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey, Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: February 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 363
Source: bought it
Rating: 5 stars

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

REVIEW

What can I say about Iron King?? WOW- I am SO glad I picked up this book!!! LOVED IT!
I think I had this book sitting on my shelf for almost a year now, not really wanting to read it. I'm not really into the fairy-books much but boy, am I glad I read it. 

The story is about Meghan Chase a girl seemingly very normal at first glance, but going through the story Meghan ends up discovering her connection to the fey world. Her little brother Ethan, got kidnapped and taken into the fey world and Meghan is ready to do anything to get him back. When I was reading the parts with Ethan my heart sank at the thought of that cute little kid alone with vicious faeries. I had to glance at the last page(which I don't do anymore... too many spoilers) just to see if Ethan got back safely, or else I would be too preoccupied with his state rather than focusing on the story.

The story was fast paced, things happened... a lot! I believe Meghan got herself almost killed, a bunch of times throughout the book, which gave you nice action scenes and you got to see Ash in a few of them!!
By the way...I'm team ASH..(fanning herself) But you also got to see a lot of the fey, bad ones & good ones, and different kind of creatures that live in the Nevernever(fey world).

Meghan doesn't only have to worry about her brother but herself too, since she got to Nevernever pretty much everyone wants her. She has to stay alive and focus on finding Ethan without getting distracted from Ash...

Oh, Ash... I always liked seemingly cold characters that warm up to the potential love interest but Ash is pure ice...which I love!! He is the son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie court and freeking produces ice from his hands!!!! I don't know why but when I see a character with a power that has to do with ice I instantly love them! (like Gray from Fairytail) Even though in reality I hate cold and ice lol.
In this book we get a glimpse of his character and a little of his back-story and I can't wait to see more of him in the next book The Iron Daughter. 

Overall I loved it and can't wait for the rest of the books, and mostly to see more of Ash....
Definitely pick it up if you are interested in paranormal books with a forbidden love story... my favourite!!!

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Book Review

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: 2010
Format: paperback
Pages: 323
Source: bought it
My Rating: 3 stars

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
(Taken from Goodreads.com)

REVIEW
I was looking forward to reading this book and I was excited after some of the reviews praising it so much.... but it felt short for me.

Halfway through the book the story felt like it hadn't really started yet, which I didn't like since the book isn't that long.

The romance for me was almost non-existence. It felt forced throughout the whole book. I mean, there were a few scenes between Sophie and Archer, but not enough of them spending time together to make you believe that they like each other. Sophie on the other hand declares she has a crush on him since he is extremely hot. And I don't doubt that, but I do doubt how that crush turned into love after a couple of months of barely any interaction. They do spend a lot of time together but we, as readers don't get to see much of that time together, so I didn't really feel the love there.

Another thing I really wish I could see was the school. I was so excited about this school full of supernatural kids, going to this school that was on an island to learn their magic that I was jumping up and down. It's no secret that I LOVE Harry Potter and thought that this might be a tiny bit similar to it but not really. Just the aspect of having a school full of paranormal creatures had me in high hopes.

I wish I could have seen more of those defence classes, which Sophie spends all her time with Archer. We would get to know the cool stuff they're learning and see the two of them interact more. Or even see Sophie learning new magic tricks and learn more about her abilities.

On a side note, Sophie's only main interaction with a male student is Archer. She does have a little incident with a male shape-shifter and with the healer of the school but other than that we don't get to see her interacting with other guys which just seemed off to me. I never pay attention to stuff like that but it just seemed weird for some reason. She also doesn't have many friends so it could be that, and that I'm reading too much into it.

Overall I enjoyed it. I love anything that has to do with magic in general. I just expected a bit more I think in the love department at least, but I'm keeping my hopes high for the sequel Demonglass.

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - BOOK REVIEW

Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: July 2013
Format: Paperback, 312 pages
Source: My Local Library
My Rating: 3 stars

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about. (Taken from GoodReads.com)

My Review
The Distance Between Us didn't really do much for me.
It is a cute short book about Caymen meeting this rich guy, Xander, and eventually falling for him against her wishes. Caymen and her mom don't like rich people and for a reason, so the only interaction they have with them is through the doll shop her mom owns.

This was a cute read. It felt very short in my opinion, I would have liked to see more in the story. The romance didn't convince me, maybe because the story was short. Like Caymen I didn't trust Xander at the beginning and there were some indications throughout the book that made me mad and wondered what she saw in him. He did though have a nice smile. :) 

I was quite disappointed in the end, not that the story didn't end up well but I would have liked to see how the characters were doing a month or so after those events. We know from the beginning that the store is not going well so I would have liked to see what happens with the store. 
Also we meet some new characters at the end, from her mom's past which I totally didn't see coming. I knew at the end someone would come forward but definitely not them.

Overall the book was ok. It's a quick read perfect for summer reading. I would suggest it to anyone who likes short contemporary stories about the rich and not. 

DIVERGENT - MOVIE!!!

Let me say and ask myself why the heck I have not read this yet???? well I know why....

I haven't picked up Divergent by Veronica Roth because of all the hype... I admit I'm afraid of picking up books with so much hype around them. I just don't like disappointing myself....

So I decided to watch the movie and maybe borrow the first book from the library to see If I would enjoy it. I was almost certain I would not enjoy it. Well... the movie I very much enjoyed.

Now I went to this knowing nothing about the story except for Tris and Four, which I knew were the main characters but nothing more.

Now, I'm not going to say anything about the plot because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but only that the ending left me wanting more. Honestly I have no idea what it's going to happen next. My mom was surprised to know there are two more books to the story. I would be too if I hadn't known. It ended quite well. I'm really looking forward to the books and next movies. Oh, can we all agree how handsome Four is?? ;)

Monthly Status Update - April

This month I didn't manage to read a lot. I only read three books. I'm really hoping to read 4 books at least a month, that's my goal for May at least. So anyways let's get to the books:

So in April I read 2 books and 1 manga:

The Earl & the Fairy by Mizue Tani  -  5 stars

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost  -  5 stars

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West  -  3 stars

Now to the books I plan on reading for May and hope I do!

 

Splintered by A.G. Howard - I am still reading this one since last month so I really hope to finish it this time. The story is very interesting but I can't seem to get into it.

Brida by Paulo Coelho - This one came from my TBR jar. After years of owning this book it's finally time to read it.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - YES!! I am so glad I started this book! I have heard so many good things about it. It has been sitting on my shelves the last 14 months!!!! I have already started this book and I'm loving it so far!

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt - Another book from my TBR jar. I believe I won this a year or two back from a blog and I really wish I remembered.... but it's ok since this sounds like a nice read. I have been meaning to read more contemporary so I guess it's good timing. 

SO what's your reading update??

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Book Review

Title: Obsidian (Lux #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: 2012

Format: Kindle e-book

Source: Bought it

My Rating: 4 stars

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbour, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is. (Taken from Good=Reads.com)

MY REVIEW

It's been a while since I read any books and I am glad I grabbed this one to start with. I really needed a good fast paced book to get me into reading again and this delivered.

Obsidian is the first book of the Lux series. So far 4 books have been published and #5 is on its way.

I must say that I don't really like books about aliens so much. Never thought I would pick up an alien book and didn't quite realize either what this book was about at the beginning. Someone raved how good this book was, plus it was cheap on Kindle... so here I am, glad I picked it up. 

Obsidian is a fast paced story which I enjoy nowadays... and all the characters are enjoyable. Thankfully there was no annoying best friend to the main character which I hate the most. Katy, our main character, is pretty much in love with books (like we all are of course!) and you see that with her own book blog please! She is an enjoyable character, way too obsessed with Daemon if you ask me, but she is going through the whole process of 'I hate you but not really' and that's too frustrating watching as an outsider since they clearly like each other.

Daemon is still quite a mystery to me... not sure if I like him just yet. He was quite an asshole in the beginning which I guess he had his reasons but still.... he better step up his game on the second book in order to convince me! He does sound hot though ;)

I can't say much about the story without spoiling it and you get the main idea from the synopsis, but I can say it has the typical new girl in town full of weird things and then she discovers the school's hottest guy is an alien. Then story gets serious and things get real.

Overall I enjoyed it and can't wait for the second book. I would suggest picking up this book even if you are hesitant about the aliens thing. Honestly half way through the book I didn't care if it was about aliens or not because the story kept me from leaving. It was good! I know the second book will be even better and can't wait to find out what happens next!

Book Review: Pyxis: The Discovery by K.C. Neal

Title: The Pyxis: The Discovery

Author: K.C. Neal

Series: Pyxis, Book 1

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Release Date: October 2011

Format: e-book, ARC

Source: given by the author

My Rating: 4 stars 

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path.

Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

I'm not sure what Pyxis is about even now that I've finished the book. I am a label type of girl, meaning I like to categorize my books by vampires, werewolves, etc. but for this one I had non. Well it's definitely a fantasy novel and a good one. 

I can tell you for sure it has nothing to do with your typical paranormal books. I would say it has more to do with magic but I would have to see about that after reading the next book. The story ends right where things start to get clear about Corinne and what her destiny is.

The book starts when Corrine bakes some cupcakes and uses some stuff that were supposedly food colouring, only they weren't. Weird stuff begin to happen and she starts to investigate what those colourful bottles are that she found inside a box called Pyxis.

Now the romance part- because you know how much I love my stories to be accompanied by love stories. 

I liked the fact that Corinne and Mason already knew each other and there was already the initiation from being friends into something more. It was so refreshing because no matter how much I love it, it's beginning to be a little tiring the whole girl meets boy and fall in love without really knowing each other. 

Mason was one of the main reasons I wanted to keep reading and not stop. I wanted to know what had happened between them and if they were going to end up together. The suspense lol! That and of course what the heck Pyxis is and what Corinne is and Mason. They may share mutual feelings but they have more in common than they think and an unbreakable connection.

Overall, I loved and I will keep reading the series. It's perfect for those who want something new and unpredictable.

Book Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire, Book 1
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: 2011
Format: e-book, ARC
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5 stars

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.
Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.
Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

This book was awesome! I'm always hesitant towards books that everyone seem to like and strongly recommend and I was glad to find out that all those people were right!

I love the aspect of reincarnation. In this book Ellie keeps coming back in order to fight demons. Not exactly what I would expect from a typical reincarnation book. I'm more of coming-back-to-life-for-love type of girl. But there is plenty of love in the air in this book.

Will is the one who brings her memories back or tries to couple of times and the attraction between them is clear but of course it wouldn't be that easy for them to get together and here comes the big and unexpected twist which I totally didn't see coming. Add more drama and tension to the love story and it's insta-love for me! What can I say? I love my characters to go through hell first in order to be together which I guess won't be far from the truth... in the next books.

Ellie as a person who has lived many lives, is filled with memories which she gradually gets back. Some flashbacks were terrible like the way she died, but others were little snippets of her and Will which makes you see the bond they share with each other and how strong it is. I hope though flashbacks continue on the next book.

Overall I loved it! Anglefire is a fast paced and action driven novel with a forbidden love that'll make you want to come back for more.

Book Review: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

Title: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl
Author: Tanya Lee Stone
Publisher: Quercus
Release Date: 2006
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Source: Bought it

Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva all get mixed up with a senior boy, a cool, slick, sexy boy who can talk them into doing almost anything he wants.

In a blur of high school hormones and personal doubt, each girl struggles with how much to give up and what ultimately to keep for herself.

How do girls handle themselves? How much can a boy get away with? And in the end, who comes out on top? A bad boy may always be a bad boy.

But this bad boy is about to meet three girls who won't back down.

This is the story of three high school girls that get involved with a bad boy and the consequences of that. It is a short story wrote in verse and we get a glimpse of the three girls falling for the same boy. He moves from Josie to Nicolette and finally to Aviva looking for one thing. Sex.

I would describe this story as a cautionary tale of what happens when you get involved with a boy who looks for one thing only and you know it but choose to ignore it.

I recommend this to all girls stating high school as this could help them make the right choices.

Frosy

Book Review: Wake by Lisa McMann

Title: Wake
Author: Lisa McMann
Series: Dream Catcher, Book 1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 210
Source: Bought
My Rating: 3 stars

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

It was very interesting to see Janie getting sucked into dreams. Because that was what was happening. She couldn't help but be sucked into someone's dreams when she was near them. Some of them were nice but some of them were pure nightmares and it was almost impossible to get out of them.

The story is short just about 230 pages and the writing is simple and to the point. It didn't take me long to finish it. The plot was pretty much simple too with the big surprise in the end. I did not expect that about Cabel!

The romance between Janie and Cabel was pure sweetness. That's what it comes to my mind-sweet-they were so cute together and you could see how they bonded with each other, because they both have scars and burdens but they helped each other.

Overall I liked it. I wouldn't have read this if I hadn't seen it at the bookstore at the time. It was a sweet story and I'm looking forward for the rest.

Frosy

Book Review: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Title: Cold Kiss
Author: Amy Garvey
Series: stand alone book so far
Publisher: Harper Collins
Expected Release Date: September 20th, 2011
Format: e-book, ARC
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2.5 stars

"It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn't going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn't think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest."
When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can't imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she's inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved. 
Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can't turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him-and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Cold Kiss was my first book about zombies and I found myself waiting anxiously to read it. Sadly I was dissapointed. When I heard it was about zombies my first thought was that the book will be filled with a lot of zombie action but found that the book was focused on Wren and her feelings for her undead dead boyfriend. See the zombie in this story is her boyfriend that she brought to life because she couldn't handle the loss.

Throughout the book we get glimpses of how their relationship was before Danny died and Wren realizing as the time passes that the Danny she brought back has nothing to do with the Danny she fall in love with. There wasn't really any action in it but it kept me reading in the hopes I would find some in the end. Needless to say I loved Danny's and Wren's relationship, at least the 'alive' Danny.

In this story we are being introduced to the new love interest named Gabriel. I couldn't see a connection between Wren and Gabriel unfortunately and just couldn't believe that those two were falling for each other. Wren acts selfish pretty much throughout the novel and Gabriel just stood there. If I were him I would be long gone.

Another aspect of the story was Wren's family and their magical abilities which was not explained at all in the book. By the end of Cold Kiss we know nothing about their abilities expect from the fact that the women do have magic but not their uses or where it came from and what kind of powers they have. 

Overall I liked the book. I was just expecting something else.

Frosy

Eve by Anna Carey BOOK TRAILER!

Eve is one of the books I'm dying to read and recently got through Netgalley so I can't wait to start reading it! Then I saw the trailer. Is it me or book trailers are becoming really good? (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Gathering)

Here is the synopsis of the book and trailer.

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?
Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.
In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.

Frosy

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer TRAILER!

I just came across the trailer for the book The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and I'm even more excited about the book now if possible. This must be the most well done book trailer I've seen. I love everything about it!

Here is the synopsis of the book and the trailer. What do you think? It comes out on September 27th. I think I need to go to the bookstore next week.

***Does anyone know why I can't copy paste pictures on blogger anymore??***

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

Frosy

Book Review: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Title: The Eternal Ones
Author: Kirsten Miller
Series: Eternal Ones, Book 1
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: 2010
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 411
Source: Bought it
My Rating: 3 stars


"So how does it work?" Haven asked. "How do people find each other again?"
"All I know is that we're drawn to the people we've loved before."
"And do we find each other in every life?"
The sorrow in Iain's face gave her a sense of how little she knew. "I look for you in every life, but I don't always find you. And sometimes I find you too late."

What if life refused to die?
Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.
In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

When The Eternal Ones got out I rushed to buy a copy because I'm such a sucker for love stories and this one promises a love that lasts forever. It deals with reincarnation and when I read the premise I knew in an instand that I'd love it. I haven't read anything before about true lovers being reincarnated and the idea behind the book was exciting and thrilling so I had big expectations when I picked it up. Having the love of your life find you in each life is awesome and epically romantic!

Unfortunately it wasn't what I was expecting. I couldn't see the connection between Iain and Haven and they barely spend any time together. There were of course a few scenes between them but it felt strange. There wasn't enough time between them to see the actual romance. Another downside that put me off at first and thought it was unnecessary was the first 150 pages. It dragged so long at the beginning that I was loosing patient and thought multiple of times to put it down. I understand that the author wanted to give us a feel of Haven's home situation but I think that it could have be done in less pages. I was more eager to learn about Iain's and Haven's story. ;) 

Another reason why I disliked the beginning was probably Haven's family and town. I think I must have found a character that I absolutely hate. Her grandmother was unbelievable! I could not understand this woman! When someone in your family has strange visions or whatever, you'll most likely take them to the doctor not to the priest for a quick exorcism. I got so mad that I had to put the book down for a couple of weeks before picking it up again.

The ending of the story didn't convince me. The bad guy of the story, which I won't name so I don't spoil anything to you, was really bad at being evil. I mean he had them and then left them go?? 

Will I read the next book All You Desire? Definitely. I haven't given up to this story and it has great potential. I'm curious to see what's next for Iain and Haven. Besides the title is just gorgeous! 

Frosy

Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Title: A Beautiful Dark
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Series: Beautiful Dark, Book 1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Release Date: September 27th 2011
Format: e-book, arc
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5 stars

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past. 
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

This book is about Angels which I had no idea it would be about. Before I started reading it I hadn't read or heard anything about it and the synopsis doesn't give away much so I had no idea what there was there for me. But I'm glad I read it. I loved it! And the main reason was Skye. Skye was so enjoyable and loved her to pieces. She knows what she wants and even though she gets distracted and confused she manages to get back in track.

The writing was a breeze and well written. Jocelyn Davies captured me with her fast paced writting and couldn't just stop after a couple of chapters. I had to keep reading and I ended up reading until 3 AM which haven't happened for a long time. I'm lucky it's summer. :)

The romane came in pretty quickly but not that quickly. Does that make sense? Probably not lol. At first I couldn't see a connection with either of them but after a while I warmed up towards Asher. What can I say? I like my men dark and mysterious ;). Of course there is a love triangle in this book -I'm team Asher by the way- and I'm a sucker for those! I have read many books with love triangles and never get bored with them. I just love the tension and drama! There wasn't much drama as I would have liked and it became clear to me which one of the guys I was rooting for.

The plot was really interesting on how Angels actually affect people, manipulate them even and finding out that they are not all shiny and pure as they look like. There aren't a lot of romantic moments in this book and I wish there were but it didn't bother me much since there is another book coming after A Beautiful Dark. 

Overall, I loved this book. It's the first book about Angels that I loved and I recommend reading this if you like Angels and love love-triangles.

Frosy

Book Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore

Author: Kelly Creagh

Series: Nevermore, book 1

Publisher: Atheneum

Release Date: 2010

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 543

Source: Bought it

My Rating: 5 stars

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look. Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares. His life depends on it. Taken from Goodreads.com

I bought Nevermore when it first came out but it took me months before I finally picked it up to read it. Most reviews that I had read at the time made me postpone reading this and I wasn't sure if I should but I'm glad I did. I LOVED it!

First of all if you're worried that you won't be able to enjoy or understand it because you haven't read Poe before reading Nevermore, don't worry you don't have to. I haven't read anything from Poe but I still managed to enjoy this because as Isobel tries to understand the dream world we get a glimpse of some of his work. I must say that after Nevermore I'm willing to read Poe. Something I wouldn't have done before.

Nevermore was nothing as I expected it to be. From the synopsis you get an idea of what the story will be. A cheerleader and a goth that fall in love but it's so more than that. Isobel was nothing like the typical mean, one-centered, cheerleader you see and expect from many YA books. She was nice and very down to earth. She loved cheerleading for what it was not what it represented. I loved her instantly when she stood up for Varen even if that meant loosing her friends. In this book we get to see Varen being bullied by Isobel's ex and Isobel did everything she could to stand up for him. Whenever I think of Varen and what he went through I just want to hug him! 

I adored Kelly Creagh's writing. I'm usually one of those people that want more action than description. I love my dialogues. Nevermore however had more descriptions of scenery than dialogue and it was perfectly fine by me because somehow it was just perfect for this kind of book and the writing was excellent. I don't mind it when the writing is good and in this case it was superb.

The story is complicated and you have to pay attention to it. I found myself wondering what the hell  was happening and when I thought I might know what was happening or who did what, I was mistaken and taken aback by something new. The story was unpredictable until the very last minute. 

Overall, I loved it. It has made my list of favourite books and I'm waiting anxiously for the next book in the series. 

Frosy

Book Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy 

Author: Kiersten White

Series: Paranormalcy, Book 1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: August 2010

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library

My Rating: 5 stars

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal 
Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. 
So much for normal. Taken from Goodreads.com

Paranormalcy was something I didn't expect. It was fun, cute and refreshing. Evie is very girly and we see it all the time. From her pink clothing to her obsession with her favourite soap opera. But those are the few things that make her feel normal until she realizes again that she lives underground and her main job is to capture and take paranormals in to IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency).

Evie has a special ability, an ability that makes her see through all glamours and she is vital to IPCA. When someone breaks in IPCA Evie is the only one who can see him and she is afraid she is already crushing on him. 

I liked that Evie was a kick-ass character but also at the same time very girly as a teenager her age would be. I knew I would like her when I learned about her taser which was pink and she had also named it tasey! How cool is that! Instand like. Evie is also sheltered from the outside world making her obsesion with normal things like school and lockers hilarious. Kiersten White managed to create such a fun world that I can not wait for the release of Supernaturally! 

Overall I loved it and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun but still kick-ass book with a lot of pinky things involved in it! Also to those who love audiobooks do listen to this book. It was my first audiobook and I loved it! The narrator's voice was just perfect for it. 

Book Review: Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: Tris and Izzie
Author: Matte Ivie Harrison
Publisher: EgmontUS
Expected Release Date: October 11th 2011
Format: e-book, arc
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2 stars

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

My Review
I'm not familiar with the fairytale Tristan and Isolde although I may have seen the movie when I was little. Still can't remember what it was about it except from the fact that it's a love story between two star-crossed lovers... I think. So I jumped in to read this one since I always love me a good love story.

I'm not familiar with the author, haven't read anything else from her, but I liked her writing. It was simple and the story had a nice pace, without any boring moments. I wouldn't say the same for the plot though. Although I liked Izzie a little I found the story lacking a proper structure. The author doesn't give us time to know the characters and I ended up not caring about them. The scenes and dialogues between them seemed unrealistic. I mean how breaks up with his girlfriend and then after two minutes starts kissing his ex-girlfriend's best friend? Not really...

Tristan's and Izzie's love wasn't believable either. It was like they were forced to love each other or better Izzie was forced to love him... after leaving Mark. I was expecting swoon worthy moments from them but I was disappointed. Tristan was plain, one dimensional and I couldn't have cared less for him.

Sometimes Izzie would sound and act like a child. In a few scenes she sounded like those spoiled brads and I wanted to smack her head but then she would do something and change my opinion. Her attitude made me not care about her. I don't really have a problem with characters even when they are bad written as long as the plot is good. The plot or the idea behind it is good and could have been better if it was better developed.

Overall, I would say pass on this book. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it either. The cover though is amazing!

Book Review: Blue Noon

Title: Blue Noon
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Series: Midnighters, book 3
Publisher: HarperCollins/HarperTeen
Release Date: 2006
Format: Paperback
Pages: 378
Source: Bought
My Rating: 5 stars

The darklings will hunt once again. 
The secret hour when time freezes arrives every night at midnight in Bixby, Oklahoma. It's a dangerous time, when five teenagers are the only humans awake and dark creatures crawl out of the shadows, but at least the midnight hour is regular and predictable. 
Until suddenly, the blue time comes . . . in the middle of the day. 
The noise of school stops. Cheerleaders are frozen in midair, teachers brought to a standstill. Everything is the haunted blue color of the midnight hour. 
The Midnighters can't understand what's happening, but as they scramble for answers, they discover that the walls between the secret hour and real time are crumbling. Soon the dark creatures will have a chance to feed after centuries of waiting, unless these five teenagers can find a way to stop them. 
A desperate race against time, a mind-blowing mystery of paranormal logic, a tale of ancient evil and spine-chilling sacrifice: blue noon is the exhilarating third volume in the Midnighters series by acclaimed author Scott Westerfeld. Taken by GoodReads.com. 

Blue Noon picks up right after the events in Touching Darkness. Our midnighters are faced with the bigest threat of all. Blue time is on the verge of swallowing all of Bixby and even the world. This book has an "end of the world feel" and Scott Westerfeld managed to deliver. 

When I picked up the book I thought that whatever character development there was, was done during the first two books. I wasn't expecting much to change but I was wrong. I was surprised by Rex. In Touching Darkness he got that close to becoming one of the darklings. Now in Blue Noon we see the effects of such a close encounter with them and I was amazed by how strangely addicted I became to Rex. He became multidimensional and nothing like his old self, the boring and safe Rex he used to be. 

Through this book we got also the chance to learn more about the lore and the mechanics behind the secret time. All of our midnighters get to test their powers to their maximum and see that even though they thought they learned everything they could to fight the darklings they still didn't see it coming... the ending.

When I finished this book I was so mad that I couldn't think anything else for this book expect of how Scott Westerfeld ended this story. As I got invested into the characters and read their stories, I wanted for them to have good endings, happy endings. Scott Westerfeld managed to do that but with a sting to it. His ending was bittersweet leaving you with the impression that there might be more to this story. 

Overall I loved it even though I was shocked by the ending of the story. Hopefully there is more to the Midnighters and I will definitely be picking up more books from this author.

Frosy