{Review} The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce

Title: The Weight of Souls

Author: Bryony Pearce

Format: Netgalley, eARc

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Date Read: June 23rd to July 7th, 2013
Rating: ✭✭

Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…

 She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.

But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.

Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him?

And what happens if she starts to fall for him?

There isn't really much going for this book other than the premise. Dude, how awesome is the idea of a girl cursed by ghosts to hunt murderers? For some reason though, Pearce thought it a better idea to make Taylor's social life the main point of the book instead of I don't know, her curse. 

Brilliant, just brilliant. Yes, that's a perfect idea. Focus on high school, because obviously that's going to attract more YA readers who can't read books without a huge focus on high school.


While, sure we do get some time focusing on the curse, most of the book doesn't pay much attention to it. I really only read the book because of the awesome sounding plot and Pearce does a very poor job of keeping it the center of attention. Instead it gets piled under loads of unnecessary bits and pieces that detract from the overall book. I don't get it. Why would you bog down your murder mystery with an boring drama and angst? 

It honestly seemed like, that even though there was a lot resting on this, Taylor really didn't care too much about finding Justin's murderer. She seemed more interested in his pretty body to be honest. It was more of something she had to do at some point but it didn't really matter when. If it took a while, she would basically shrug her shoulders and say "c'est la vie". 

Taylor, gurl, you do realise you, the main character, don't even care about your own plot? At all? I don't think that's how it usually works but okaaay...

Like I said, Pearce focuses so much of her efforts into building drama and angst that the curse is largely underdeveloped. We are given the bare bones to work with and are basically left to speculate about the rest. There is some backstory but it's presented in such a way that it makes it a chore to read through and I, like many others, really just skimmed or skipped these parts. 

The Weight of Souls isn't an entirely bad book. The main character, Taylor, is actually pretty cool. She's one of those fun narrators that aren't really amazing but just keep the book going and you reading. Taylor is pretty level headed and actually, fairly intelligent.

Before I end this review, I have to mention two things: Justin the asshole and the 'illusive super secret organisation' that is part of the mystery for a long time. 

Justin the asshole is this guy who's died and now he's a ghost who refuses to acknowledge this. He's also, *gasp*, the love interest. You're so surprised, I know. Who would have guessed right? Well, he's also the guy who bullied Taylor for years. You know, the guy who sent his goons after her. The goons harassed her and called her horrible things all under the blessing of this Justin guy.

Yeah, really romantic backstory.

Somehow, when someone bullies you, it means that they have a crush on you. Yes, friends, every bully that will ever bully you is actually someone who has a huuuge crush on you and you'll end up living happily ever after.



What? No. That's not how it works. Bullying ≠ Crush nor will it ever. Romanticizing bullying is absolutely horrible and should not be accepted. 

The second thing is much less atrocious, and more humourous. 

I'm going to try and not spoil anything but basically this extremely powerful club is a bunch of kids doing dares and having sleep overs. But not just any dares, *whispers* bad boy dares. Oh yeah, they're doing big kid dares. So. Scary.

There is a lot of unexplored potential in this book that really just went to waste. The Weight of Souls could have been so much more if certain aspects were fleshed out a bit more and others given a more minor role. Overall, The Weight of Souls was a huge disappointment. While it wasn't completely unenjoyable, it wasn't very good either. I don't really recommend this book to anyone.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Title: School Spirits
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Format: Netgalley e-book ARC
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release date: May 14, 2013
Date Read: April 3, 2013 - July 2, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures.

But when Izzy's older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break. Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it's not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate.

But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it's strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush. Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

Well, it seems like this month’s sequels just aren’t living up to their predecessors, huh?

I liked the HEX HALL series for its wit, charm, and hilarity. Sophie, the main character, was a hilarious and relatable girl in an interesting school setting with a much better plot. SCHOOL SPIRITS focuses on Izzy, a girl we briefly met in the HEX HALL series, and her ghost-busting adventures at a new school.

I liked Izzy well enough, but she was rather blah compared to Sophie. Her companion and boyfriend, Dex, I very much adored. Funny, odd, and awkward, he was just what the story needed - as for the other characters, I can’t say the same.

The plot was chunky and boring - I’ve never been very engrossed by ghost stories (hell, the pilot episode of SUPERNATURAL had me rolling my eyes like nobody’s business - don’t worry, though, I grew to adore the series after a few episodes) but it felt like a roadside attraction. SCHOOL SPIRTS wasn’t really about the ghost - it was about Izzy and her friends, Izzy thinking about her missing sister, and Izzy in a normal, human, high-school environment.

I’d recommend SCHOOL SPIRITS for younger readers, or readers who really loved HEX HALL - but if you had mixed feelings about the prequel series, I doubt you’ll enjoy SCHOOL SPIRITS very much.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.

{Review} Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release date: March 19, 2013
Date Read: March 19, 2013 - April 13, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

I can dislike Cassandra Clare, her MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series, and what she's done for however long I'd like, but that doesn't mean I don't absolutely adore this series. I won't feel ashamed for loving THE INFERNAL DEVICES. I refuse. 

This is one of my favorite series, and nothing will change that.

I read CLOCKWORK PRINCESS very slowly. I don't know why; perhaps it was because I didn't want to finish it, maybe it was because I was in a reading slump, or more likely: I just wasn't interested.

It took over a month of staring at the book, picking it up, and putting it back down before I forced myself to open it up, for realthis time, and start over.

And once I was sucked in, that was the end. I stayed up late at night reading; I skipped the first few minutes of class to hide in corner of the bathroom and finish the chapter; I stopped watching GAME OF THRONES for a few days just so I could reach the end.

The day I finished was one of the most miserable days in my existence. It wasn't just the book, though that contributed for sure. I pushed a chair against my door, and curling up in my bed, threw the covers over my head and began to cry. I sobbed and sniffled pathetically for at least an hour, and then I took a shower and went to bed at nine. I had a horrible nightmare and woke up sweating.

CLOCKWORK ANGEL has a special place in my heart, because it was one of the first books I ever 'reviewed' when I joined the blogosphere. I fell in love with the characters, and the story, and the writing when it wasn't riddled with hundreds of similes and metaphors.

I was fearful that CLOCKWORK PRINCESS would disappoint me and cause me unnecessary stress and sadness. 

It didn't disappoint me, not at all, but it sure devastated me.

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS wraps up the whole series lovingly and grievingly, sparing none of your emotions and crushing your heart. The conclusion will leave some thrilled and others crying uncontrollably. I, unfortunately, was in the latter group. 

Every character was so carefully detailed and crafted. It was hard for me not to love them all I failed at not adoring them, sorryharder for me not to scream and pull my hair out when bad things happened to them. They were so real, and that will always be Clare's strongest point in writing. They're so realistic; they act like assholes and they make mistakes and they go through the same pain that real people do.

I'd always enjoyed reading about Tessa; she was likable if a little dull, and she developed so much in this book. Looking back at the first book, the difference between past Tessa and current Tessa is unbelievable. 

Same with Will: I hated him with a burning passion at first. You, Will, were hysterical...



By CLOCKWORK PRINCESS, he was nearly unrecognizable. His horrible, prickly exterior had been stripped off, and beneath was a stunningly insecure soul who just needed love. He was still hilariously snarky at times, but it wasn't meant to degrade anyone.

Jem Carstairs has been my favorite literary character of all time since I read CLOCKWORK ANGEL a few years back. His undying sweetness, kindness, and loyalty to Will melted my heart the very first page he was introduced. CLOCKWORK PRINCESS revolves around Jem's illness and the countdown to his death, and that was probably the main reason CLOCKWORK PRINCESS hit me so hard. 

Jem and Will have this love for each other that even Tessa will never be able to interfere with. It's so beautiful and strong and unbreakable. I honestly spent most of my time holding back tears every time they were together.

There was so much angst in CLOCKWORK PRINCESS, and the love triangle was so damn... well, angsty. I was shipping Jill (Jem and Will) by page thirty, and all I wanted them to do was to say FUCK TESSA and elope and adopt beautiful children. Who cares if parabati can't have relationships? Besides being a Jill shipper, I'm also a Wessa shipper but a bigger Jessa shipper, so I was really quite hoping they'd have a threesome and just end it there.

Obviously, it didn't happen in that exact order that didn't happen.

Jem and Tessa have such a beautiful, lasting, strong bond. It's impossible to sever and only gets stronger with time. But Will and Tessa's love is bright and explosive omg I want to say TACO BELL but that's not appropriate and passionate. Tessa is in love with them both, and yes, I think it's possible.

It's like someone asking, "what's your favorite book?" I'm betting over seventy percent of bloggers and readers can't answer that, because they love so many. Tessa has two favorites, because she's a lucky bitch and lucky bitches get what they want.

The love triangle ended in a way that I was half pleased with and half distressed over. 

If you're a Jill shipper, you'll cry.
If you're a Jessa shipper, you'll cry. 
If you're a Wessa shipper, you'll cry. 
If you're a Wemssa shipper, you will definitely cry. 

Either way, you're fucked.

I've always admired Clare for the way she manages to intertwine THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS with THE INFERNAL DEVICES. All the family trees are kept straight and correct unlike the Warriors series, where Rowanclaw apparently undergoes an operation to turn into a male, and various questions that have appeared in her MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series are answered here. Though, I would love to see her try to manage the family tree with four possible Shadowhunter series. *snorts*

I feel as if Clare saw all the angry status updates a lot of bloggersincluding me were posting up about the SHEER AMOUNT OF SIMILES AND METAPHORS IN THESE GODDAMN BOOKS. Pages and pages of her MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series could've been cut if she had calmed the fuck down with the purple writing. CLOCKWORK PRINCESS shows a growth and maturity in the writing style that I never thought Clare could handle. 

Now, CLOCKWORK PRINCESS is not without its faults. Several parts of it annoyed and frustrated me beyond understanding.

And, of course, that ending. Tears.

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS was an appropriately heart-breaking ending to a beautiful series, and though I'm sad to see it end, I don't think it will be the last time we hear of the trio.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.

{Review} Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: January 3, 2012
Date Read: April 5, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent energy storms will. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must come together to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

I owe this book so much.

For several months, I’d been a horrendous reading slump - the kind where you have a pile of books to choose from and read, but you actively avoid them all and spend your free time stuffing your face with junk food and watching Netflix.

I’d received a lot of advise for the slump: read novellas, read comedy books, and watch more television (which was a really bad idea, because then I watched all eight seasons of SUPERNATURAL in a row).

But I decided to pick up UNDER THE NEVER SKY because it just seemed like something that would interest me.

And oh, gods, did it.

This book bitch-slapped me out of my slump and set me on a ridiculous path to read as many books as I’d missed out while on my little... vacation.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY takes place in a world where the city dwellers live in a community known as the Reverie, completely excluded from the dangerous outer wasteland, where cannibals feast and the land is swamped with Aether storms. Our protagonist, Aria, gets into a bit of a fight with some very important bastards and gets thrown out of the Reverie, left to fend for herself.

However, she’s not alone for long. ‘Savage’ Perry is on a quest to find someone, and Aria goes along with him to seek out answers and look for her missing mother.

I’m going to be perfectly honest: the beginning of UNDER THE NEVER SKY was no picnic. It was confusing and I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t understand what Aria meant by Pods and the Reverie and Smarteyes and Aether. Hell, I still didn’t even know what the words meant by page one hundred! I would’ve preferred info-dumping to the lack of information in the first half.

But slowly, you began to unravel the meaning behind the words, and that’s when the world building got awesome. It was like someone had wiped and cleaned my finger-print ridden classes soon as I figured it all out.



I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IT WAS EPIC

The world Rossi had created for her characters was richly imaginative. The science fiction was so engrossing, but the outskirts, outside the enclosed city, was even better. I couldn’t put the book down. 

I literally considered skipping math class to hide out in the bathroom and continue reading.

but the bathroom is full of weave and dirty toilet paper and weird moth bugs so I was just like FORGET IT I'LL RUIN THE BOOK'S COVER

The characters all had these realistic backstories and personalities. I didn't like Aria at all for the first half of the book, but as soon as she got her shit together, I really started to appreciate her. Perry I loved as soon as I met him - he was kind of a badass awkward penguin that I couldn't help but adore.

And Roar.

ROAR, YOU GUYS.


okay, so a gif of my baby Castiel exploding probably wasn't my best move ever, but still

There was no insta-love in Perry and Aria's romance, though there was a bit of romantic tension after they became friends. Their relationship was so adorable and realistic, and equal. Perry snapped at Aria when she was being a bitch, Aria called out Perry when he was being a unknowing jerk, and it was all well and good. There were also hysterical moments in their relationship, like when Aria thinks she's dying because she got her period, and Perry is the one who tells her that she's menstruating.

I was crying from laughing so hard. 

Roar's relationship with Aria was fantastic, too, because even though he was a flirt, they were just friends, and they both knew it. Roar was in love with someone else, and I'm thankful Rossi didn't pull the dreaded love-triangle card on us.

I loved Rossi's writing. It was pretty and easy to read, going along with the intense world-building perfectly. UNDER THE NEVER SKY is indeed written in third-person with both Aria and Perry's points of view - but their voices were so varying and unique I never had to worry about mixing them up.

Veronica Rossi got me out of a damn slump with this amazing read, and I have her to thank for many months to come.

Also, I blame her for tearing my throats to shreds.

I honest-to-goodness screamed and snorted and squealed my way through this lovely work, and while my throat didn't enjoy the ride, I sure did.


DAMMIT MORIARTY WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK IN MY REVIEWS

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.

{Review} The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: NetGalley ebook ARC
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: April 23, 2013
Date Read: February 27, 2013 - March 3, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review.

Someone help me pick up my jaw, please.

*points at jaw on floor* Yup, right there. Thanks.

Julie sure knows how to write a soul-crushing cliffhanger, doesn't she?

THE ETERNITY CURE was a book that I was excitedly looking forward to. I'm unashamed to say that I'm a Julie Kagawa fangirl, and though THE IMMORTAL RULES was a four-star read for me, I loved THE ETERNITY CURE even more.

It follows vampire Allison Sekemoto as she searches for her soulmate, PLEASE mentor, Kanin, who is being tortured by the bat-shit crazy vampire Sarren. Along for the ride are Jackal, a former vampire Prince who has a lot more in common with Allie than she originally thought, and her romantic interest Zeke, a human. But saving Kanin isn't the only problem on their mind: a new strain of The Red Lung has appeared, a plague that can kill humans and vampires alike.


But apparently Allie and her friends do.

THE IMMORTAL RULES moved at a very slow pace for me, but THE ETERNITY CURE was snapping its fingers in my face and not slowing down. It was very rapid, with a lot of action that I couldn't help but adore. It was split into three parts, just like its predecessor, but all the sections were intense - so intense, in fact, that I couldn't put THE ETERNITY CURE down until I forced myself to...

... at three in the morning.



Julie's writing is superb. If I'm going to be perfectly honest, her style hasn't changed one bit - but I'm glad that it didn't. First person, present-tense, with lots of detailing that Julie managed to rein in so it didn't get too purple and flowery. 

The characters in THE ETERNITY CURE were unbelievably fascinating, especially Sarren, the psychotic vampire even though I wanted to rip his head off for hurting Kanin. Fleshed-out and detailed, they had a personality to speak of and a story to tell. 

It's true that I didn't love Allison in this book as much as I did in THE IMMORTAL RULES. When it came to killing, most of the time, she was the same Allison I had fallen in love with. The merciless bad-ass Asian chick who accepted what she was and didn't argue with it. However, when she was with Zeke in THE ETERNITY CURE, she became a sappy girl that constantly whined about not being able to be with him because she was a vampire.

And it got annoying, really fast.

Zeke also got on my nerves, because his mind was constantly changing about Allie. One moment he'd push her away and tell her that they'd never be together, but in the next he'd try to convince her to run away with him. I didn't care much about him - at all, actually - though that might be because I'm kind of a Kallison shipper.



Eek, let me explain. 

Yes, I adore Allison and Kanin together, but only if they're not technically daughter-and-father. Allison, at times, referred to Kanin as her father, but she also mentioned that they weren't actually family. So, Allison, make up your damn mind.

Kanin and Jackal were my favorite characters in THE ETERNITY CURE. Kanin ripped my heart out and handed it back to me in pieces while I sobbed uncontrollably. His sweet, shy, and quiet demeanor made me fall in love with him, hard. Kanin is one of the most emotionally depressed and broken characters I've ever encountered, and all I wanted to do was scoop him into my arms and stroke his hair.

Because that's not creepy AT ALL.

Jackal was like the eviler, meaner, murdering, PMS-ing version of Grimalkin from Julie's other book, THE IRON KING. I couldn't love him after everything he did in the previous book, but he did make me laugh out loud a couple of times. Jackal was a very dynamic character, and seeing him change throughout the book - though he maintained his violent, cold personality - was amazing.

And can we talk about Chapter 13, please? Oh my gods, my heart was racing while I read it. The chapter gave me the middle finger and stomped all over me, screaming, OCEANA, PLEASE WATCH THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE SHATTER 

I adored THE ETERNITY CURE and I think a lot of people will love it as well.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.

{Review} The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

Title: The Blood Keeper
Author: Tessa Gratton
Format: Library Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release date: March 5th, 2012
Date Read: February 15th 2013
Rating: ✭✭

For Mab Prowd, blood magic is as natural as breathing. She spends her days on a secluded Kansas farm with other blood witches, practicing spells for healing and trying to avoid boring lessons like algebra and history.

Wild and confident, Mab uses magic to understand her entire world. But when one of Mab's spells mistakenly taps into a powerful, long-dormant curse, she finds her magic spinning out of control - and crashing right into Will Sanger, a boy from town.

Will has always relied on the logical, tangible things in his life, like his dogs, his soccer team, and even his complicated family. So he tries to dismiss all he sees and feels around Mab. Still, the strangeness and beauty of her magic draw him in.

As Will and Mab grow closer, the unbound curse grows stronger. Hiding in the shadows of the forest, it seeks to manipulate Will and gain Mab's power - even if that means destroying everything they love.

THE BLOOD KEEPER is a book that started off smoothly and had everything I loved: blood magic, action, and mystery; however it didn't continue like that. A few days after reading the initial hundred pages or so, I picked it up again and to my great disappointment, it soon felt like a completely new book.

This book is actually a sequel, something I didn't find out till a few moments before writing this review. I didn't even suspect it since this book felt like a standalone. From what I see, the first book has nothing to do with this book - please correct me if I'm wrong however.

There are three POVs in THE BLOOD KEEPER - Mab's, Will's and Evie's. Mab's POV and Will's POV are very similar, the only difference being Mab knows what she's doing and Will is basically doing what ever Mab wants. He's so infuriatingly spineless. He needs to be saved every few minutes and he never seems to stop fainting (ok, I'm exaggerating - I think he only fainted once or twice).
 
Evie's POV is set a few decades in the past, I think 1920s. I think it is meant to be a surprise why it was linked to the story but it was all quite predictable. However, I still enjoyed the short story that the POV told, finding it darker than the rest of the book.

While I have no problem with YA romance - or romance in general - I do hate when the romance seems to govern the plot, like in this book. The romance seems to overtake anything, including the interesting blood keeper concept, which is why I loved the first 100 pages so much more than the rest of the book.

Characters

Mab is the Blood Keeper, which basically means she maintains the land around her with her blood magic which is cool and all but she doesn't really do that in the book. She mostly dreams about Will and saves him and possesses people (actually that's pretty cool).

Will is the one of the weakest heroes ever. He doesn't do anything. I don't like heroes who can do anything but I sort of prefer them to do something other than ask Mab what to do. I think he's like that so the Gratton can say "wow look at me, my heroine is so strong. Flipping around gender stereotypes, yes sir." I'm sorry but it doesn't work like that.

Will's only strength is his amazing ability to whine and whine and never stop whining. Practically the whole book was spent whining about how is parents want him to join the military and how he doesn't want to and how they're like totally not understanding. 

Dude, I get it, you don't want to join the military and I fully understand and appreciate that but in case you haven't noticed, something really bad is going on and I don't think whining about your evil parents is the right thing to do right now.

The romance between the two happens to be the worst part about it. Scenario:

Will and Mab are talking about how horrible what's going on is. Will then think about how much he wants to kiss her. Switch to Mab's point of view and she's pretty much thinking the same thing. After longing looks are exchanged, they go back to talking about how dire the circumstances are.



The saddest thing is that this scenario happens all the time in the book. I swear, it happens at least five times. Romance = good. Romance at the wrong time = very bad.

Plot and Writing

Plot

The concept of blood magic which is tied to the land instead of the as an antithesis to nature is an interesting take on the subject. Most authors go with the conventional blood magic is evil thought, which I have to admit I was part of. I never really thought of blood magic as tied to the land, the animals, and life, which makes complete sense if you think about it.

As you have seen, I loved the concept. Blood magic in YA fantasy is almost unheard of, or at least not all the common. Though I would hate it become the new dystopian (I highly doubt it will), I'm glad to see that blood magic is popping into YA lit.

My major qualm with THE BLOOD KEEPER is the lack of defined plot after a certain point. Though you can always tell what the main plot is, it seems like the characters are more focused on how beautiful the other one looks at the moment. 

Once again, I will say that I have no problem with romance in my books, but when either the romance takes over the plot or interjects itself into the scene at the weirdest moments I don't want it in my books. 

At all. Ever.

Writing

While it wasn't terrible, I was extremely annoyed at the lack of word building. Mab spent most of her time in a forest - or is it a valley? And where? It's obviously close to a biggish city where Will lives but if Will goes there to swim or something, does that mean anyone could go there? It seems like it's too open for a place with secret witches... 

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

- blood magic
- beginning

Dislikes:

- everything else

Conclusion

THE BLOOD KEEPER had a very promising concept but sadly, the execution was lacking extensively. I am very sad to say that I cannot recommend this book to anyone.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title: The Nightmare Affair
Author: Mindee Arnett
Format: Library Paperback ARC (won)
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release date: March 5th, 2013
Date Read: January 29 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Want to win a copy? Visit my giveaway!

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR is a sort of difficult book to explain, hence my almost a month late review. Though it is definitely an enjoyable read with numerous laugh out loud funny instances, THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR falls desperately below what I thought it would be like.

My expectations weren't high since I could tell that this book would be a classic example of funny-with-no-substance and even though this book met that expectation, it somehow fell short of what I thought it would be. 

The ideas weren't exactly unique, as the whole paranormal boarding school idea was been regurgitated throughout the years while little to no changes. This book is no different. I didn't hate it but I've never liked boarding school stories. 

The characters were humorous though at times they became excruciatingly boring and monotonous. Most of the characters were one-dimensional blobs but I say that in the kindest way possible. Truly.

The plot was horridly predictable with little plot twists that really surprised me. It wasn't a bad idea but it could have used some sprucing up I suppose. It needed something more substantial than what was given to the reader.

Characters

Dusty is a nightmare, which happens to be one of the most original aspects of this book. A nightmare basically feeds off dreams, not necessarily nightmares though. She can't talk to anyone or interact with anyone in the dream though. Personally, I found this whole "going into dreams" idea better executed in INSOMNIA.

Dusty is a fairly strong heroine. Nothing special really to say her but she wasn't a stupid unless you count the "big" twist, which honestly was easy to guess. 

Eli, the love interest, was surprisingly bland. I honestly expected something more than him being a side thing with little personality. His relationship with Dusty is undeveloped and bland. It seemed as if Dusty viewed him as a friend one chapter and in another as a potential boyfriend which is one of the lamest excuses ever.

Sadly, since I read this over a month ago, I couldn't tell you too much about the other character because for some reason, some of the plot and character elements of INSOMNIA by J. R. Johansson are seeping into this book even though they are utterly different books. All I remember is that the other love interest was entirely see-through and had more defining qualities than Eli.

I can end this segment by saying that by the end, I do remember not being very steady on who the characters were. They were under characterized at best, with no characterization at worst.

Plot and Writing

Plot

Though not terrible as I said, the plot lacked a lot of what I expected (well developed and paced with only moderate predictability). My expectations weren't high but somehow THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR somehow managed to fall past those. 

My biggest problem is that all the surprises in the book were predictable and I guessed the entire plot from very early on in the book. That almost ruined my reading experience for this book if it wasn't for the entertaining Dusty. Though her humor got on my nerves at times, she was still able to save the book from a two or even one star.

The pacing was weird at times, either very very slow or very fast. There wasn't much in the middle of those two extremes.

Another problem with the story is the murder mystery. I know it's the main focus of the book but I really didn't feel attached to it in any shape or form. I didn't care what happened or who killed the girl. It was disappointing as well.

Writing

The writing wasn't beautiful or eloquent but it was quick, fast, and fit the book well since I don't really take Dusty for the kind of girl who appreciates fine, flowing language.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

- Dusty Humor
- writing
- overall Tone to the book

Dislikes:

- lack of characterization
- too much Dusty humor
- plot
- predictability

In conclusion

I recommend THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR to someone who wants a quick, entertaining read because it's not really the book for anything else.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: NetGalley e-book ARC
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: April 23rd 2013
Date Read: February 12th 2013
Rating: ✭✭(.75)

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

For THE IMMORTAL RULES

THE ETERNITY CURE is sadly not as good as its predecessor, THE IMMORTAL RULES. It isn't a bad book but not nearly as great as the first book. THE ETERNITY CURE starts off around a month after the events of the first book, which basically means Allie is still trying to find Kanin, her mentor.


Though special in its own way, THE ETERNITY CURE didn't meet my sky-high expectations after reading the last one. Perhaps it's my own fault, for wanting a better book than THE IMMORTAL RULES but I honestly thought that was possible. 

It obvious wasn't.

THE ETERNITY CURE's biggest downfall happens to be THE IMMORTAL CURE's biggest strength and that is Allie. Allie, our resident vampire chick was one of the best heroines I'd met back when I first read it in May of 2012. She was all around awesome and I don't think I could describe her properly if I tried.

Basically, I love her.

In THE ETERNITY CURE however, she is still funny and intelligent but she seems to loose something about her. I can't really place all the reasons I didn't love her in this book, but I can name enough to count. The first reason is that Allie turns into one of those gah-vampires-are-humans-too vamps. The second reason is she suddenly develops an I-can-never-love-him-because-I'm-not-good-enough-for-him personality which is one of the most ANNOYING THINGS EVER. 

Another reason why THE ETERNITY CURE just didn't meet my expectations is with the ending, but I'll go into that deeper later. Basically: the ending sucked. A lot. 

Characters

In THE IMMORTAL RULES, Allie was a headstrong, street-smart girl who didn't give a shit about whether she was good enough for the guy she loves. I also really loved how she knew that she was a monster and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She drank human blood and killed people. She was awesome.

In THE ETERNITY CURE, she was less awesome and more focussed on whether or not she was good enough for Zeke. She was convinced that she wasn't and spent half the time crying over how she could never be with him and how she wasn't good enough for Zeke.


NO NO NO NO. Allie what happened to you? I loved you and now? I'm debating on whether or not I should take you off my Girlfriend list. You're still funny and occasionally badass but over all? You... *sigh* are just not the same girl I loved.

Zeke. Zeke. He got more annoying. I never loved him but now he's insufferable. He must be unable to make up his mind because in one part he's telling Allie how they can't be together and that he sort of hates her now but in the next chapter? He tells her how they can be together and they'll be perfect and that he loves her.

whut

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY BECAUSE THIS IS ANNOYING

The only redeeming character is Jackal, some may remember him from the ending of THE IMMORTAL RULES as the blood brother of Allie. In a terrible way, he was awesome. Jackal has very little morality and has no problem with killing. He has a very morbid sense of humor that I adored. He's never redeemed himself and I was unable to forget that he is a terrible person, but Jackal is a very fun character. 

Plot and Writing

Plot

The plot of THE ETERNITY CURE revolves around Allie trying to find Kanin who is currently dying at the hands of his torturer. Allie instead finds Jackal, her blood brother and everything goes wacko. For a while, there are only two characters: Allie and Jackal but later Zeke, Allie's sort-of-not-really boyfriend who hates her. Yeah... awkward. Shortly after they find Kanin and something happens which lead Allie and Co. to having to find a cure because people are dying.


*attempts to turn off sarcasm*

The plot isn't bad necessarily; it just lacked that "thing" that made THE IMMORTAL RULES so lovable. Maybe it was the characters and the character interaction because that's definitely something that this book was lacking since there are really only three characters in the story that are almost always present. 

The worst part of the story had to be the ending. The ending was sloppy, rushed and implausible. It was one of those "the more you think about it, the worse it gets" endings. Though not nearly the worst ending, it's really terrible.

Writing

The writing was pretty standard Kagawa, which is a great thing for some and a terrible thing for others. The writing hadn't really evolved since THE IMMORTAL RULES, or her newer one THE LOST PRINCE. I know some people hate her writing, some love it, and some - like me - don't really care about it.

One positive thing I have to say about THE ETERNITY CURE is that the pacing was fast and felt appropriate to the book. The narrative tone (look at me, I sound like my English textbook) was very strong and was one of the only things that didn't change from the first book.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

- Jackal

- Plot 

- Pacing and Narrative Tone 

- Allie to an extent

Dislikes:

- Ending

- Lack of characters

- Allie to a larger extent

- Zeke

In conclusion

THE ETERNITY CURE just doesn't measure up to its predecessor. It doesn't even come close. I'm hoping it's just middle book syndrome but I'm still very sad because I'd been looking forward to this book ever since I first read THE IMMORTAL RULES. I don't know if I'd recommend it to anyone except for fans of the first one. It was an enjoyable read but nothing amazing.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.