Hereafter Review

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Publish Date: June 7, 2011
Format: Kindle
Stars: 3.5 stars
Summary: Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.


Review: Covers like this make me envious of people who have mastered Photoshop. How can you not expect a great story with a cover like that? It's (kind of) a lie. Hereafter had unfulfilled potential, but I didn't hate it. It took me a while to get into (I put it down for literally a year, picked it up, and finished it in a day). Once you power through the first 50 pages, the story picks up and finally gets somewhere. Sadly, the characters are not fully realized, but this could be expanded on in the sequels. Will I read the sequels? Yeah, most likely, but they haven't shot up in my to-be-read pile.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Review

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publish Date: August 15, 2013
Format: Kindle/Library
Stars: 4 Stars
Summary: You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch

Review: When I closed my Kindle after reading this, I literally went WTF? I had no idea what I had just read, but I loved it! What first drew me was the cover. It's so beautiful and eye catching and I was salivating. A girl named Violet lives in this once beautiful, but now decrepit mansion with her twin brother as her parents are in Europe and never visit. She meets this hot creeper named River, who can make people see things. Her town thinks he is the devil (Violet included) but the devil has never looked so good and Violet can't control herself. The main complaint I had was that this book needed a better editor; the plot needed to be tightened immensely. I feel like I can't give a concrete review to this book, but I devoured it and will read the sequel most definitely!

Midnight Frost Review

Title: Midnight Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Release Date: July, 2013
Format: Kindle/Library
Stars: 3.5 stars
Review: I'm normally a big fan of the Mythos Academy series, but this one did not tickle my fancy. I read the first four books in a row, and had to wait for this one. By the time I got around to this one, I felt like the series had lost its spark a bit (mostly Logan/Gwen lovey dovey scenes were absent). I still love Gwen to pieces and I will finish the series, but this was definitely a forgettable book. I don't want to give spoilers away, but I'm sure the final book will be a step up. This book seems like a filler or set up book for the finale, which I can respect. Oh, the plot? Gwen is nearly poisoned (and Nickamedes is poisoned!) by the Reapers, so Gwen and company go to another Mythos Academy campus, where Gwen meets some new characters and fights some more reapers! The fight scenes were great, but the new characters were kind of unnecessary, though it was interesting to hear more about Gwen's family background.

Top Ten Series I Have Started, but Not Finished

1.) Vampire Academy: I read the first one when I was eighteen and dear lord, did I love this series! I have only the last book to read, but I just haven't picked it up and probably won't unless I do a reread of the entire series. Rose Hathaway = best female character in a long time!

2.) Wither: The first book was so creepy good, but the human trafficking/statutory rape kind of turned me off. Not to mention, the love interest was super boring. I have Fever on my to-read list at the library, so there may still be hope!

3.) The Mortal Instruments: Read the first two, most likely won't pick up the rest. I found CC's writing to be exhausting to read (half of it could be cut out) and the movie casting seriously ruined the images in my head. Jace Wayland (or whatever his real last name is) deserved so much better than Jamie Campbell Bower.

4.) Graceling: I hated Graceling at the beginning and loved it at the end. Fire is on my to-be-read list and I promise to pick it up this year!

5.) Blue Bloods: I LOVED BLUE BLOODS! But the last book (the fifth, I believe?) did not keep my interest at all. More Jack/Schuyler and I'm a happy girl!

6.) Divergent: I didn't make it through the first Divergent and refuse to try and reread it. I do not get the love AT ALL for this book.

7.) Across the Universe: I liked the first book, the second was meh, but the covers were so beautiful. Until they changed them! The final book is on my life and I will probably read it sometime this year.

8.) The Wolves of Mercy Falls: This is a series I'm not sure why I haven't finished as Shiver was flawless. I have been meaning to pick up the author's other books, but alas, here I am.

9.) Hereafter: Another beautiful cover for a 'meh' book. I have no strong opinions about the series, but I should probably finish it just because I started it and didn't totally hate the book. This clearly needs to be a rule of mine.

10.) The Iron Fey: I love this series, but it's gotten lost amongst other books I want to read. This is another author I want to start another series with, but so much to read, so little time!

City of Bones

Title: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) 

Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 512 pages
Source: My kindle
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Paranormal

Summary: When Clary Fray witnesses three tattoo-covered teenagers murder another teen, she is unable to prove the crime because the victim disappears right in front of her eyes, and no one else can see the killers. She learns that the teens are Shadowhunters (humans who hunt and kill demons), and Clary, a mundie (i.e., mundane human), should not be able to see them either. Shortly after this discovery, her mother, Jocelyn, an erstwhile Shadowhunter, is kidnapped. Jocelyn is the only person who knows the whereabouts of The Mortal Cup, a dangerous magical item that turns humans into Shadowhunters. Clary must find the cup and keep it from a renegade sector of Shadowhunters bent on eliminating all nonhumans, including benevolent werewolves and friendly vampires. Buy it Here!

Review: So I'm a bit late to the party, but at least I'm making my entrance! So how did I like City of Bones? Well, it took me two tries to finish it but I'm happy I did. I spent the first half of the novel pretty much bored but once I hit the 50% on my Kindle, the book took off! I don't really have much to say other than I'm not a fan of really anyone except Jace. Jace is all kinds of awesome and it saddens me that Jamie Campbell Bower is playing him, instead of Alex Pettyfer (dumb boy!) I absolutely love the setting of New York as well. Usually in books, New York is the setting but this time it was different. New York felt like a character in the book. The city has never felt so real to me. With that said, I'm off to continue reading City of Ashes!
Rating: 4 STARS

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Pages: 368 pages
Source: My kindle
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Faeries/Paranormal

Summary: On her 16th birthday, Meghan Chase's four-year-old half brother is exchanged for a changeling and she discovers that her best friend, Robbie, is actually Robin Greenfellow, aka Puck, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is her guardian and will lead her into the faery world to rescue her brother. Once there, Meghan learns that she is a princess, daughter of Oberon, king of the Seelie Court. With a mortal mother and a faery king for a father, she is very powerful, and Oberon and Queen Mab, queen of the Unseelie Court, are both fighting to keep her. With help from Puck and a talking cat, Meghan sneaks into the Unseelie Court to rescue Ethan, only to discover that he is held captive by more powerful forces that could destroy the entire fey world. Meghan is a likable heroine and her quest is fraught with danger and adventure. The action never stops, and Meghan's romance with Ash, the handsome prince of the Unseelie Court, provides some romance that is sure to continue in the sequel. Buy it here!

Review: So, I've never read a book about faeries before. I never found them to be very appealing to be quite honest. Oh, Julie Kagawa, how you have changed me! I flippin loved this book. It was literally nohing short of amazing and one of the very few books that I think just about every YAlit lover would devour. The story follows a sixteen year old girl named Meghan, who with the help of her faery in disguise best friend Puck (yes, Shakespeare's Puck!) goes into a world called Nevernever to retrieve her brother after he has been kidnapped by The Iron King.

While searching, she meets a slew of characters, such as a cat named Grimalkin ("I am a cat.") and the gorgeous and ice cold Winter Prince Ash. Kagawa definitely channels Shakespeare through more than just Puck by having a bit of a Romeo&Juliet type of relationship (she is a Summer Princess!). Kagawa also makes some veiled comments about our environment today later in the novel, but honestly, this book is just fun. There is action, adventure, humor, and looooove! I cannot recommend this book more, though my next review will be a different book as my brain needs a bit of break from the awesomeness that I just read!

Rating: 5 STARS

Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Misguided Angel
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Pages: 272 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Source: My kindle
Genre: Vampires, Paranormal Romance
Summary: After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence--with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the seven gates that guard earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silverbloods.

 

As the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler closer to a terrifying crossroads--and a choice that will determine the destiny of all vampires. Buy it here!

Review: So I absolutely adore the Blue Bloods series, but sadly, this book was definitely my least favorite but I still enjoyed it. The book is split up into three seperate stories: Jack and Schuyler, then Mimi, and a new character named Deming Chan.

The first story follows Jack and Schuyler after Jack has refused to return to New York and broke his vow to Mimi. The two of them are in various places, trying to stop Hell's Gates from opening and learn some dark secrets.

Mimi, who is in New York, is now the lead Regent for the Blue Bloods while her blood still boils at Jack and she misses her love, Kingsley. She discovers that someone has videotaped a vampire and her familiar and threatened to spill their secret. Then the familiar and the vampire go missing. This is when Mimi brings in Deming Chan to investigate.

The book was okay; nothing spectacular but if you love this series, then you'll find something to love with this as well. Most fans I know love Jack and Schuyler, who were seriously lacking in this novel. While I also love Mimi, she is much less entertaining without Kingsley or the halls of the school to taunt and menace, though she had some humorous scenes when she teams up with Oliver. Deming Chan was a nice character to add and her story was the most fast paced and interesting. Still, I'm hoping when the next novel Lost in Time comes out at the end of the month. The number one complaint I've heard about this novel is that readers think this story did nothing to advance the overlying plot over the course of the other novels. I agree, but this was still a fun read.

3.5 STARS

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Paranornal YA
Pages: 400
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (June 1, 2010)
Source: My Kindle
Summary: Grace, 17, loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home. It is here during the cold winter months that she gets to see her wolf—the one with the yellow eyes. Grace is sure that he saved her from an attack by other wolves when she was nine. Over the ensuing years he has returned each season, watching her with those haunting eyes as if longing for something to happen. When a teen is killed by wolves, a hunting party decides to retaliate. Grace races through the woods and discovers a wounded boy shivering on her back porch. One look at his yellow eyes and she knows that this is her wolf in human form. Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together, and as their love grows and intensifies, so does the reality of what awaits them. It is only a matter of time before the winter cold changes him back into a wolf, and this time he might stay that way forever. Told from alternating points of view, the narrative takes a classic Romeo & Juliet plot and transforms it into a paranormal romance that is beautiful and moving. Readers will easily identify with the strong, dynamic characters. The mythology surrounding the wolf pack is clever and so well written that it seems perfectly normal for the creatures to exist in today's world. A must-have that will give Bella and Edward a run for their money. --- Amazon (link to buy)

Stars: 5 STARS

Review: I am by now means a werewolf fan, but this book sucked me in right in the beginning. The novel follows a 17-year-old girl named Grace, who after surviving a wolf attack as a young girl, sees "her wolf" every winter; this is the wolf that saved her. As it turns out, "the wolf" is in fact a boy her age named Sam, who pines for Grace. During the warm months, Sam is human and the cold makes him turn back into a wolf. However, Sam's months as a human are dwindling as you can only change so many times before you become a wolf forever.

Sam and Grace meet and fall in love, with Grace finding out Sam's secrets just as her town prepares to kill the remaining wolves in the town because they supposedly killed a popular student.

Shiver is indeed a well-written book, with strong descriptions and a great love story. It is the first book in the Mercy Falls Wolves Series (the final book Forever comes out in July!) and I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a love story with a bit of paranormal mixed in.