The Immortal Rules review

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodreads:
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Review: I love dystopians. I love the future. What made this book even better was taht it was a vampire dystopian. It was interesting. Vampires rules the world because of some disease that started killing humans or turning them into rabids (zombie vampires). The city, New Covington, is were our main character lives. If you've ever seen the city of Ba Sing Se from Avatar, the Last Airbender, then picture that but with vampires and black and poor and dirt everywhere. Then outside of the city is ruins from old cities and desert and forrest. Now, my details maybe just general, but Julie gets down to the bare bones. Her attention to detail is spectacular. In your mind, you can see everything as you read. Now, for those who aren't fans of a lot of details and bi paragraphs without dialogue and action, just thoughts and descriptions, remember, Allie is the main character and this is about her journey as a vampire outside of the city, so you're going to read a lot of her thoughts, especially when she's traveling with Zeke and his family.

The action in Julie's books is what I believe makes Julie's books her books. Since there could be rabids or evil vampires or evil bikers anywhere, the group was always on their guard. And when they did fight, there was a lot of fighitng and blood. The action is one of the best things I liked about this book. And a stubborn, kick ass girl (and she's Asian!) with a katana equals a lot of it.

Second thing I like about her books are her characters. Either they are goodie tooshoes or smart-asses or stubborn as hell. Allie's 2/3. She had spunk, and didn't give up. Sure, she's not that fond of being a vampire, but she still tries to keep in touch with her humanity by helping Zeke and the others reach Eden, an isolated island full of only humans. Even when they found out she's a vampire, she doesn't give up helping them. Plus, she's stubborn and won't listen to Zeke when he tries to make her leave.

The romance in the book is okay. Not as good as Ash's or Meghan was but good. Could have been a bit better. Zeke wanted to know Allie better and she wanted to bite him and make him a vampire. There were moments when they sharedc a bit of intimacy, like standing too close, but it could have been more. But I did liek how the tesion between them got so great that Zeke caved in and kissed her. *Sigh.

The ending sucked. I say this because there was a big ending cliffhanger. And I hate them. It left me mad and impatient. May 2013 is when the next one comes out. It's totally unfair!

Future: I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR!

Quotes:

Pg 410. Scene between Allie and Zeke

"Maybe we're both a little crazy."

"I can live with that," Zeke murmured and finally did what I'd been fearing and hoping and dreaming he'd do from the very start. His other hand reached up, framing my face, as he leaned in and kissed me.

Rating & Cover

Ending

*Won this book. No review was required.

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:



Acutally, I finished it already. I have to get the review typed up. Soon!

Read More

Dystopian April #5: Pandemonium

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodreads: ’

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Review:

Okay, first of all, let me just start out by saying this book was incredible. I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The tension and the suspene was there from the middle to the end. The beginning the soft recovering Lena goes through was just right. GOD! I dont' like it that I have to wait forever for the last one!

Okay, so, the book takes place six months after Lena escaped Portland. Now you're wondering what happened in those six months? Well, in the book, for the most of it, it goes back and forth between Now and Then. Then being when Lena was in the Wilds recovering and trying to put herself back together. Now being the six months later and Lena's in New York on an undercover mission. I personally like it when there's flashback in a book. It gives more background information about what happened in the past and what didn't.

In the book, we get introducted to a new set of Invalids, the Scavengers, and a new organization, the Deliria-Free Americ, or DFA. The Scavengers want the cure completely gone. The DFA want the cure done even earlier. They use Thomas Fineman's, the leader, son, Julian, as an example on why because he's dying of a tumor in his brain. They say the cure will save him. Gah. That's b.s. But later on at the rally, well, something happens and it's kinda obvious if you're extremely smart. After I read, I said to myself "Duh. Why didn't I see this coming?" I really liked what happened, I just hate it how and why Julian and Lena were involved in it.

One thing I was somewhat disappointed in was that I expected there to be much more action. I figured that there be some big rebellion and Lena would be a part of it. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of action, but it contained a surprise attack and some fighting toward the end. I just wish there was more.

Lena in this book is so different from Delirium. In Delirium, she's the good girl that falls in love and starts taking risks. In Pandemonium, she's fearless, bold, and a good fighter. In the Then chapters, she's very weak, but as she goes through the months trying to gain her strength, she starts to become stronger in mind and body. But despite this, she still has nightmares about Alex, her mom, and some of the other people she left behind, which sometimes comes back to her during the day, making her vulnerable.

Julian. I didn't like him at first because he felt more like a child than a teenager to me. He was molded in to be a perfect child. He didn't know how Lena would act or what to do if and when they got free from their prison. Afterwards, when Lena starts getting weak a bit, he does start acting like his age and helping her and talking to others. But I think it's mostly because he's never been around girls that I thought he acted like a child. But due to his curiosity and his newness to Love, he starts to fall for Lena.

Speaking of falling, I hate it that Alex was not in the book. Well, he was, but in spirit. I will say that Lena thought he was dead since she hear no word about him from the beginning, leaving her cause to fall for another. BUT IT SUCKS! I loved Alex. And I feel that Lena just kinda forgot about Alex and moved on to Julian, who I don't think they should be 'in love' because they didn't know each other for that long. I think they just both wanted to feel again. But what happens at the end. I hated it!

The rest of the characters were very well developed, each with their own story and personality. I hated Raven's back story. It was so sad. And what happened to her later on in the book got me so frustrated! I wanted to punch something. And then there was the surprise near the end of the book with a character you wouldn't have thought was still alive. I was like "No way. This can't be." It was amazing!

Wish Alex was in this book more.

Future: One more. That's depressing just thinking about it.

Quotes:

Dialogue between Julian and Lena on page 300. Some parts were left out.

"What does it feel like to be infected?"

"I--I can't describe it."

"I want to know." His words are a whisper, barely audible. "I want to know with you."

"Don't believe her." Page. 175. Read it and you'll understand.

This book had me sitting on edge the whole time. Suspene, drama, and romance don't lack in this book. Beware for an emotional, action packed ride of your life.

Rating

It was AMAZING! I want to say I couldn't put it down, but my weekend got busy.

Cover:

You can really see the difference in the covers. Lena on Delirium is the good girl, whereas on Pandemonium she's the girl with attitude that will kick butt when needed.

Ending:

(Pardon my language.)

F*** Cliffhangers!

*Won this book.

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:

Like it so far!



Read More

Dystopian April #2: Cinder

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

(note: my first review got deleted of this because my computer shut down on me. bare with me)

Goodreads: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: First of all, I hate that there was WWIV (I forget what it's called in the book) and that China got destroyed. That's my home country people! Although, New Beijing isn't very far from Beijing today. Crowded, up-to-date with technology, the capital. GO BEIJING!

Setting: First of all, I love dystopians. Second favorite type of genre. I love the future. Anyway, I love it that New Beijing is so modern yet old. Today, China has a president, not an emperor. There a lot of people that live poorly or richly or are middle class, but there are some that still can afford new gadgets. And the city, well, this is what Marissa had on her site and I love it!

Don't you love it! I do. It's just what China does look like--a bit. Crowded, yes. That ancient, no. Believe, I know. I lived there and have gone back. :D

Plot: Well, true to the actually Cinderella story, Cinder is a cyborg that lives with her horrible stepmother, Adri, and two stepsisters, Peony and Pearl. She works as a mechanic in the market to earn money for the family and does chores Adri assigns her. Well, one day Prince Kai comes along and asks her to fix an android of his that broke. Afterwards, a little boy gets the plague and mass chaos happens.

This scene in the book is what really forms the whole plot to Cinder, what she is, and who she discovers who she is. Because of the plague in the market, Pearl gets it later on, and Adri blames Cinder, and then forces her to become a volunteer at a place where they are trying to develop the cure.

Well, from there, Dr. Erland discovers that Cinder is immune to the disease, and wants to use her and her blood to as specimens and starts paying her to come to palace to get tested again. But while he's at it, he discovers something else that endangers Cinder from then on.

Now because of this, somehow she gets into a situations (not spilling) and comes face to face with the prince, and then again later on. These encounters lead to them starting to really like each other.

Yet, an evil queen, Queen Levana of Luna (the moon) wants to come to Earth and marry Kai, who is now emperor, and take over the world. I thought this was an interesting twist on the tale. Instead of Cinder and Kai living Happily Ever After, Cinder's on the run and Kai might be preparing for war.Yippe!

Characters:

The characters in the book are like the actual characters in the original story, except our Cinderella and Prince Charming are better developed. Cinder is a strong girl that does put up with ther stepmother, but also has that spunk where she doesn't put up with anyone else's crap. Kai is a teenage boy that's emperor and might or might no have to marry the evil queen. But what I love about these two is that their relationship is just a crush. Kai more than Cinder. Smitten is the word Dr. Erland uses. But she lightens up.

The rest of the characters are awesome. Just one thing:

After one review and going through the book a few times, I finally realized that Dr. Erland's the fairygodmother.

Future: I can't wait for Scarlet! And Cress, and Winter! And I already kinda figured out some things, with help from Marissa's blog site.

1: Cress is on the moon. She made a cameo in Cinder as that girl on the other end of that video feed. The one that programmed the chip. It's based on Rapunzel, but I don't get where you get Cress from Rapunzel.

2: Winter is about Princess Winter wanting to escape Luna. Based on Snow White. Only thing I hope is that she doesn't get the hots for Kai. I will be pissed if she does.

And on goodreads, I found this sneak peak!

The next book in the Lunar Chronicles is called Scarlet, and is about Little Red Riding Hood. What is appealing to you most about this character as you work on the book?
Scarlet is awesome—she's very independent, a bit temperamental, and has an outspokenness that tends to get her in trouble sometimes. She was raised by her grandmother, an ex-military pilot who now owns a small farm in southern France, who not only taught Scarlet how to fly a spaceship and shoot a gun, but also to have a healthy respect and appreciation for nature. I guess that's a lot of things that appeal to me about her, but she's been a really fun character to write! (The two leading men in Scarlet, Wolf and Captain Thorne, aren't half bad either.)

I can't wait!

Quotes:

Dialogue between Cinder and Dr. Erland.

“I don't know. I don't actually remember anything from before the surgery."
His eyebrows rose, his blue eyes sucking in all the light of the room. "The cybernetic opetation?"
"No, the sex change."
The doctor's smile faltered.
"I'm joking.”

Forget the page number.

Cinder is a fun, alluring read for anyone. It captivated me every step of the way. I can't wait for the sequel.

Rating,

I just love retelling of fairytales. Cinder was definately one of my favorite retellings. I loved it.

Cover:

Ending:

Hate cliffhangers!

*bought at BN

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:

Actually, I already finished this. Review to come soon.

Read More

Dystopian March #1: Under the Never Sky

*WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodreads:

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.
DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Review:

This is the first book part of my Dystopian Month. It was suppose to be Cinder, but I don't to do the review without my copy (which was lent to a friend).

Anyway, I really liked this book. Dystopians always have that alluring pull on me. The fact that they take place in a futuristic society might be why. I love it how they give you an idea of what could happen. (Globle Warming ISN'T a myth. The hole in the ozone isn't there for it's health.) Like in the book, we could end up living in Pods with the outside being a baren waste land with freaky storms threatening to kill us all. It's possible, with technology at the rate it's going.

So, in the book, Aria, our heroine, is tossed out of her pod because of information she has on the head honcho's son, Soren, who's a really SOB. He's the definition of a spoiled child. Anyway, without her Smarteye (which is basically a computer that can manipulate your brain to think you are somewhere else and are feeling this certain thing), she's nothing. She revolved around her Smarteye and the Pods. Now, she's out in the "Death Shop" and is ready to die.

This is were our hero comes in. Perry, or Peregrine, got kicked out of his tribe because they believe, mostly their Blood Lord, his brother, Vale, brought the Dwellers (Pod livers) to come and take Talon, his nephew. Well, he's on a quest to save him, and he needs Aria to do it so he can get in and get him. Well, there a few complications.

1: The Coven. Man eating people that go around and.....well, eat people.

2: The Smarteye Perry stole the night Soren attacked Aria doesnt' work.

3: To get to the guy who can fix it, it takes a while to get there. A while as in at least a week.

Well, not to go into too much detail, Perry and Aria meet up with Roar, a friend of Perry, who tells them not so great news. This information isn't forgotten; for in the end, Perry makes a discovery that not only rocks his tribe, but him personally. If I had learned this, I'd be shocked too.

Anyway, plot is awesome. Usually with a dystopian it is. But in this one, I feel that the romance lacked a little. Why? Well, Aria and Perry totally hate each in the beginning and only stay together so Perry can get Talon and Aria can get home. Later on, when they are traveling, Perry, who can smell and hear well, starts to see her as a girl instead of a Mole (a.k.a., Dweller). This causes him to start developing feeling for her, and later falling for her in a short period of time (Gah). Aria, for her, it kinda just clicks on. In most of the book, she shows she cares if he's okay, a little bit of crush, and indifference. In the scene where they finally admitt they like each other a bit more than friends, we finally see them inimate with each other. There's a little bit before that, but not much. It's mostly Perry that we see really fall for Aria. Well, rendering to her. (I really like how that sounds in the book. A unique way of saying 'falling in love'.) Wish we had a bit more from Aria's view.

Speaking of views, I love it how it would switch back and forth between Aria's and Perry's view. Books that do that, I believe, are better books because it's not just one person's eyes we're looking through, but two. We get two perspectives on a situation that can be taken different ways. Plus, it's easier to read the reactions of both of our heroine and hero.

To leave you guys on a little cliffhanger, heres on person who I wish we had more information on in the book: Cinder. Cinder is this little boy who follows the group around. Now, unlike most Outsiders, he doesn't have super hearing, sight, taste, etc. For some reason, he has a different power. And I believe it has to do with the Aether.

I loved this book. It really drew me in and held my attention. Made me smile, made me laugh, made me angry. If anyone is looking for a good book, this is it. The sequel is defintely on my wishlist. :D

Future: Through the Never Sky

Quotes:

Dialogue taken from page 230.

  "Roar leaned across the table and smiled at her seductively, his dark hair falling into his eye. 'When you say everything happens in the Realms, do you mean everything?'

  "Aria laughed nervously. 'Yes. Especially that. There are no risks in the Realms.'

  "Roar's smile widened. 'You smiply think it and it happens? And it actually feels real?'

  "'Why are we talking about this?'

  "'I need a Smarteye,' he said.

  "Perry rolled his eyes. 'There's no way it's the same.'"

When I read that I cracked up laughing.

Rating:

Cover:

I love the colors and the trees in the back. Kinda wild. The only thing stopping it from being a 5 is the girl. She kinda looks bored to me. That or too serious, but with determination.

Ending:

As much as I hate cliffhangers, this one had a good ending.

*Bought myself.

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:

Actually, already started. It's okay. Almost done.

Will get Cinder review up soon!



Read More

Contemporary March #10: The Sky is Everywhere

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.
This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

Review: Okay, I will admit, I wanted to read this book because I liked the cover, the original cover, not the one above. The one above is the paperback copy, a.k.a., the one I have. I mean, I like the paperback one, love the colors, but not a fan of the girl on the front.

Anyway, here are the postives and negatives of this book. (Note: these are just in random order. No sequence.)

+ I actually felt the emotions of the characters. Lennie's and her family's grieve and pain. The anger of Joe when he caugh Lennie kissing Toby, Bailey's (dead sister) boyfriend.

- For some reason, when I read contemporary and it's very emotional, I start to think dark/negative/suicidal thoughts. Don't know why. At lunch the other day I was really depressed.

+ Joe is a total French American cutie.

- When he was hurt, he went out with the bitch Rachel.

- Lennie lost her sister.

+ She gets through it through her music.

+ Joe plays every instrument under the sun.

+ Joe has two cute older brothers.

- He was heartbroken before. :(

- Bailey left behind her boyfriend.

- They were suppose to get married and she was pregnant.

-Mom left her two girls with Grandma because she didn't have it in her to take care of the girls herself.

+ Girls got along fine without her.

- Boyfriend is extremely sad and turns to Lennie for comfort.

- Lennie become attracted to him and feels guilty for it.

- Lennie feels guilty that she's living and falling in love while her sister is dead.

+ She writes sweet and deep poems throughout the book.

+ Those poems help Joe realize he made a big mistake.

+ There's a happy ending.

- Lennie has a low self-esteem.

+ After coming to terms with her sister being dead, she moves on and falls in love.

- Sex plays a signifcant part in the book.

+ Instead of mushy gooshy crap, it's real life and how sex is portrayed in it.

So you see, this book as it's pros and it's cons. Normally, with a book with its plot, I would have been bored by page 100 since the plot is kinda classic, but it was the emotions and hot French boy that kept me going. :D

Future: Stand alone.

Rating:

Cover:

Ending:

*Bought this book

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:



I really like it so far.

Read More

The Drake Chronicles Special

So, let's begin our journey through books 1-3.

 

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodreads:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.
Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.
Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.

Review: I love Lucy. Not the show, the character. She's my favorite heroine out of the entire series. Funny, brave, smart, and kickass fighter. Kinda like me. :)

Anyway, to the plot and overall stuff.

I love it that the Drakes' children and some children of other families can have children born human and later around sixteen they turn into vampire. I thought that was cool and creative. The bloodchange sounds like a bitch though. Anyway, girls being rare is awesome too. Usually when I read things like this, the boy is the rare born. Also, Solange and all the creepers that give her gifts because she's going through the change and her scent drives men insane. I love it and the wanna-be queen, Lady Natasha, crazy. She wants her dead because of some prophecy. Gotta love those.

Now the romance is something I really liked in this book, mostly between Nick and Lucy than Sol and Kieran, though I did like it. You'll learn about it later.

Goodreads:

It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.
The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.
This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.

Review: Now, in this book, Helena, the mom of the Drakes, is going through the possess of becoming Queen of the Vamps and signing treaties along with her husband, Liam. As a sign of respect, they invite Isabeau, handmaiden to the leader of The Hounds, to their house to stay. Well, soon, her sire, Greyhound (i think that's his name) starts tormenting her with momentos of the past and soon she starts figuring out that it's him and wants revenge.

Mean while, while all this is happening, she and Logan fall in love. And they're perfect together since they both love France and French things, they speak it, and they are old fashioned. Logan dresses like a priate a lot. LOVE THEM!

Goodreads:

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

Review: Hunter + Vampire + Old Tradional Grandpa = disaster.

Honestly, it does. So, in this one, Quinn is our main vamp. In this book, he helps Hunter, our heroine, out when students start getting sick and turning into Hel-Blar. Throughout this entire thing, Quinn also helps identify what's in the wacked-up pills some of the students are taking and soon he and Hunter start dating. Grandpa in the book thinks all vamps should be dead, and is dead set on Hunter NOT dating Quinn. This little fact plays a big part in Hunter's decision to date Quinn. That's all I'm going to say. No spoilers for you. :D

The negative side of these books:

Insta-love.

As much as it's used and a somewhat good element in many YA books, I am a firm believer that love takes time to develop. In the books, the romance usually developes over a day or so. The only exception is that Nick started to have feelings for Lucy a long time ago before he got up the nerve to ask her out, let alone kiss her. I'm fine with that. The rest, maybe it's that internal mating thing most paranormal creatures have. :)

Overall, The Drake Chronicles are a kickass series. I can't wait to get Bleeding Hearts & Blood Moon.

Ratings, Covers, Endings:

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:

I love the colors of #1, the overall cover of #2, I love #3, and love the blue of #4.

Read More

Contemporary March #9: My Life Undecided

 

*CONTAINS SPOILERS

 

Goodreads: PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!
Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.
Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.
But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!
Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.
But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

Review: Two words: Two days.

What does this mean? It means that's how long it took me to read this book. Would have been a day if not for school, play practice, and homework.

Why does this matter? Well, it's saying this:

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

A cute, funny read. Creative. This book is all and more.

Few things:

The Little Sibling Syndrome. When the little sibling feels the pressure to be perfect like the older one. In this book, it's a big deal. Here's the thing. Brooks, our main character, has an older sister, Izzie, that got perfect grades and got into Harvard. Good for her, except that Brooks is prone to bad decisions and every time she screws up, like when she burnt her mom's company's model home, she's compared to her sister. "Why can't you be like Izzie? She never did anything like this......" It happens everyday. Thank God my parents don't to my sister. The only thing they want is for her to get good grades.

The idea for making a blog where everyone votes one what you should do is a new idea, but a stupid one. I mean, I've made my mistakes, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let someone else decide what I should do. In Brooks position, I see why she might go to this extreme, with all the bad decisions she made, but still, she just needs to talk it out. But her creating this blog made the book funny and interesting.

Not all the votes leads to bad things. Joining the debate team was one of the most smartest decisions Brooks was made to do. In more ways than you know. Reading the Grapes of Wrath was a stupid decision (again, a stupid book).

Like in most contemporaries, Brooks is just a teenager trying to get through high school. Except she's got a reputation. At two years old, she fell down an abandon mine shaft and was down there for fifty-two hours while firefighters worked to get her out. From there, she made more bad mistakes, like taking a drink of 409 cleaner. Not fun. She's been kinda in the spot light, which leads us to the bitchy 'best friend'.

Her 'best friend' Shayne, is the little rich brat of Colorado Springs. She loves the spot light. So, when Brooks is taken in because of the fire, Shayne dumps her and gets a new best friend. When Brooks is back in the spotlight after an incident at a 7-Eleven, BAM!, "I'm sorry, I was wrong to leave you like that. Can we be friends again?" Don't you hate girls like that. Well, Karma's a bitch, and it comes back to bite her in the butt. :D

Brian----my type of guy. The smart, cute nerdy type. :D

Love him!
Anyway, Brian's life is kinda like Brooks, where his dad wants him to do things his way and be like him, but he's defied him for most of his life. He's got guts, I'll tell you, but not in the girl department. It takes him a while to confront Brooks about their kiss they shared during a game of Truth or Dare. At least some things turn out good for him.

Future: It's a standalone, though I think there could be a spin-off book from it from Shayne's point a view. It would be about her struggle to find out what to do with her life now that her dad lost all his money. I think it would be a good read.

Quotes:

My cheeks hurt when I read this one.

      "Izzie starts blabbing the minute she steps off the plane and doesn't stop the entire ride home. Seriously, the girl can't shut up. She's like one of those creepy talking dolls........on steroids." Brooks, pg. 248

This book has cute and funny written all over it. With teenage romance and funny situtations twisted in, this book is a must read for anyone in love with contemporary.

 

Rating:

Cover:

Ending:

 

*I won this book a long time ago. No review necessary

 

Keep On Reading!

 

Up Next:

I started Out for Blood already, but have been going back and forth between it. Same with ReVamped. I like both so far. I will start The Sky is Everywhere soon. :D

Read More

Contemporary March #8: Lola and the Boy Next Door

*CONTAINS SPOILERS

 

Goodreads: Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door has a classic plot to it with a twist.

Plot:

• Girl's dating a boy.
• Girl's best guy friend likes her likes her.
• Girl starts returning the feelings.
• Girl is torn between the boys.
• Girl breaks up with boyfriend.
• Girl gets together with bgf.
• Happy Ending

The twist:

• Boyfriend is 5 years older than the girl.
• Girl's virginity isn't precious. She already lost it to the boyfriend.
• B.G.F. was once a 'boyfriend' to the girl, but then had to move, again.
• In my opinion, boyfriend is looking for a good time instead of commitment (even though he says he loves her).
• Sex plays a decent role in the book.
• Girl is into making costumes.
• Parents are gay.

This book was okay. I liked it, but I didn't love it. It wasn't one of those book that instantly clicked with me. Maybe it was because I was reading one book for English that took up most of my time (The Grapes of Wrath--horrible book), or that I was reading another book on the side. I don't know, but don't get me wrong, I did like it.

I want to say it was the classic plot. Girl getting through high school with an extremely close friend and a talent most people think is weird. I've several books like this. The only differences were the ones I listed above. I mean, how many books like this have you read with gay awesome parents? Not many.

One thing I did really like about this book was the way they protrayed sex. In the book, Lola does lose her virginity prior to the book to her boyfriend, and then has sex at least twice more afterward. So, instead of that "Oh, I'm going to wait until marriage to have sex!", Perkins shows what really happens these days with high schoolers/young people dating. More and more teens are having sex these days. I'm surprised that the sales of birth-control haven't spiked yet. But at least it isn't innocent love.

Cricket. Loved him. I feel sorry for him though. According to him, his great-great-great grandfather, Alexander Graham Bell, stole the idea of the telephone from someone else and took all the credit. And hates that the money the family has comes from the stolen idea. Plus, he feeling that his genius in engineering is a bit bad because of who he got it from. Though he does like his talent too.

Cricket isn't like most boys in YA. He's a tall, lanky, cute nerd. Not a hunk. It's different and I like it. Plus, he has cool pimp-stripped pants. :D And he's only a year older than Lola. It's better than five.

Lola is a different heroine from most YA heroines. Instead of being a paranormal fighter or some soft sweet girl or a girl trying to find her life, she's just a regular girl wanting to get through life with her mother bothering her family and having fun with her boyfriend while working at the local theather. A lot, but she's pretty normal, except the fact she wears costumes she creates and wiggs. Now, most people would view this as weird and she trying to hide who is actually is, like what her jackass (pardon my French, but it's true) boyfriend thinks, but it's the way she expresses herself. Plus, it shows off what she can do. The only thing I didn't like was her choice of a boyfriend. She could do so much better. Her boyfriend, Max, screams bad boy/gang member/pot head, which he is 2/3 of it. Thank God....let's leave it at that.

Calliope is a brat. From a young age, she's been a competitive figureskater. And with that, her schedule and coaches have made the family move constantly to the point where both were homeschooled. Cricket hates it, but no one really cares. And because they were always traveling, Cricket was her only friend. And she got protective of him, and because she didn't want to be lonely or be left behind when he went to college, she tried to push Lola away from him. What a brat! I really hate people like this. I wish they would stop thinking of themselves and see that keeping that sibling close to them is doing damage.

Future: Standalone.

Quotes:

"No. You're delightfully screwy, and I wouldn't have you any other way. Drink your tea." Max (unfortunately) pg. 17

Despite the fact that I didn't love this book, I still recommend it to anyone who loves contemporary. It's a cute read filled with costumes and gadgets made by our colorful characters.

Rating:

Cover:

Ending:

*I won this book. No review necessitary.

 

Keep On Reading!

 

Up Next:

Actually, the review for this will be up soon. I finished this one Thursday. :D

 

Read More

Valentine's Day Special

Aw, yes, Valentine's Day. The day of celebrating love. The day couples, married or not, celebrate their love and for families to celebrate the love within each other. The day where gifts backed by love are exchanged, romantic dates are created, and that special kiss at the end of the day is shared. Aw, Valentine's Day.

History:

According to most sites (and the History Channel) Saint Valentine married couples in secret because of the emperor's harsh law, which dictated that marriage is against the law. Later on, the emperor found out and had Saint Valentine arrested.

In jail, couples visited and gave him letters and flowers. Then, one day, Valentine and his jailer's daughter fell in love. On the day of his execution, he gave his love a note, with this famous phrase on it:

From Your Valentine.

From there, the tradition took off.

Now, why, may you ask, am I posting this? I am because I like Valentine's Day, and I wanted to share a few things with you.

The things I'm going to post are entirely my opinion, but I hope you come to like some of them.

Food

While randomly searching We Heart It, I came across some pictures of food I thought would be perfect on Valentine's Day. Sure, some might go out for dinner, but if you are going homemade, try making theses. Now note, these are only pictures, but they look simple to make. :D I can't wait to try them myself.

Rice Crippies

Cupcakes

Cookie Frosting Sandwiches

Strawberry Milk with cupcakes with heart imprints

Songs

I think these songs are perfect for Valentine's Day.

All About Us by He Is We ft. Owl City

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute

Our Kind of Love by Lady Antebellum

Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum

 

Cute Idea

 

Cute Pictures

 

And My Favorite

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Tayte

Read More