{Book Review]: Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Title: Tempest Rising
Author: Tracy Deebs Website | Facebook
Stand Alone or Series: (Tempest, #1)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (May, 2011)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN: 9780802722317
Source: Purchased
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

My Review

First Impressions: Based on the description from GoodReads this sounds like the story of the daughter of the little mermaid. If the little mermaid had a daughter with a surfer guy and left her daughter. (It does to me!) 


Plot & Characters: Tempest for most of the story struggles between what she wants and what she needs. She wants to stay on land with her family, yet her body longs for the sea. This seems to me like a problem she creates. Why can't she spend time in both places? I know she says she doesn't want to abandon her family but it just doesn't seem like that big of a problem.


Tempest has a boyfriend on land but introduce a dose of instant love and a few pages later she is attracted to another. I usually don't have a big problem with instant love but in this story it just seemed wrong. She threw away a relationship and years of memories and suddenly all she could think of was this new guy. Not cool. 


The mythology was interesting. I enjoyed learning about mermaids and the other sea creatures. The evil witch was great and terrifying. The missing mother added a very interesting element to the story. I was anticipating the moment when I would finally meet her and learn why she abandoned her children. When she finally appears I felt ripped off. I was not given the reunion I wanted. 


Final Thoughts: I enjoyed Tempest but was not able to connect with the main character. I recommend it if you enjoy mermaid stories and are not bothered by instant love.


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Borrow. I enjoyed Tempest and will read the next in the series but for now it doesn't stand out enough for me to say buy.


My Rating:

{Book Review}: Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellcaster
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Spellbound, #2
Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: HarlequinTeen (March 27th 2012)
Hardcover: 384 pages
ISBN:  9780373210503 
Source: NetGalley*
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:
Finding your eternal soulmate - easy. 

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much… 

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close.... 

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

My Review

First Impressions: I enjoyed Spellbound and thus was excited about book #2.


Plot & Characters: One of the things I enjoyed the most about Spellbound was Emma's sense of humor and it was not the same in Spellcaster. Although I enjoyed it, it just didn't seem that different from the 1st book. Emma and Brendan fight for their love against a psycho[path, everything seems hopeless but their love and determination win in the end. I just wanted less predictable. I enjoyed it but expected more.


Final Thoughts: An ok series for those who enjoy YA Paranormal Romance. I will read the next on just to see where the story goes.


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Borrow, you can always buy later if you love it. :)


My Rating:

{Review}: This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

Title: This Is Not A Test
Author: Courtney Summers Website | Twitter
Genre: YA/Horror
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 19th 2012) 
Paperback: 322 pages
ISBN:  9780312656744 
Source: Publisher
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.
To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.
But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. 
When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

My Review

First Impressions: I don't usually read horror stories. I have an overactive imagination and reading such books leaves me sleepless for a few nights. Yet, when This Is Not A Test arrived and I read the synopsis I was intrigued because it sounded more like a book about a girl finding a reason to survive then a gory retelling of people's flesh being torn off by the living dead. 


Plot & Characters: Sloane has had it with life. She decides to end it but in a strange string of events she finds herself in her Cortege High taking refuge from the living dead with five other teens. I usually find it hard to relate to a character that wants to end her life and dislike when they are written in an over dramatic way but Courtney Summers does a wonderful job with Sloane. I loved the character and was almost praying for a fictional character. 


The five other students are great because they show very different reactions to a catastrophic event. They have to not only deal with the zombies at their door but like typical teenagers the relationships between them.There are a few extremely sad moments as well as many very scary scenes. This Is Not A Test contains very little romance, it is more about raw human emotions in a time of crisis. Just as a warning, know that Courtney Summers is not scared to kill a character you really like and are hoping will survive. 


Final Thoughts: This Is Not A Test does not have a dull moment. From beginning to end I was biting my nails scared for Sloane's life. If you enjoy contemporary books with tough issues or if you enjoy zombie/horror I think you will really enjoy this book. I wouldn't recommend this book to a younger audience because of the tough subject matter.


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Buy, but if you have an overactive imagination DO NOT read at night.


My Rating:

{Book Review}: Above by Leah Bobet

Title: Above
Author: Leah Bobet Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books  (April, 2012)
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN:  9780545296700 
Source: Publisher
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook
Description from GoodReads:

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee’s wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above—like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.
But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe’s history and the shadows’ attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home—not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

My Review

First Impressions: Above sounds like a fun read full of adventure and wonderful characters. It sounds different from anything that I have read.


Plot & Characters: I wanted to love this book but I was completely confused at the beginning. The book is written to reflect Mathew's background. He lacks a proper education so he is missing words, or just strange structure in his sentences. I found the writting style interesting but had difficulty understanding. It brought to mind me the book Room by Emma Donoghue not in the subject matter but in the writing style since Room is told by a child.


After a few chapters I was able to relate to Matthew and understand him. However, I was not able to get into the story and found it difficult to finish this book. Above is more the story of individuals that are trying to find a place where they belong than a story about supernatural creatures and their adventures. 


Final Thoughts: This is one of those book that you will either love or hate. If you enjoy books that are written in creative ways then this may be the book for you. If you are looking for a fun read where you will read the adventures of the beautiful bee girl in the cover of this book then read the synopsis again because the cover is deceiving. I think the cover is beautiful but a bit misleading.


Buy, Borrow or Skip: I would say borrow for this one. 


My Rating:

{Review}: Halflings by Heather Burch

Title: Halflings
Author: Heather Burch Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: (Halflings, #1)
Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Zonderkidz (January, 2012)
Hardcover: 287 pages
ISBN: 9780310728184
Source: *NetGalley
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.
A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

My Review

First Impressions: Talk about an action packed start. In the first pages Nikki is chased by hell hounds.


Plot & Characters: Not one, not two but three supernatural mysterious guys. Mace, Raven, and Vine are trying to find out what it is about Nikki that causes the forces of darkness to want her dead. I enjoyed the love triangle, the strong female character and learning about the history and role of Halflings. The mysterious villain is someone I wish to learn more about in the next installment of this series.


There are many parts where you can predict what will happen next and wonder why it is taking the character so long to figure things out. There are other parts where you are left wondering and trying to figure out what is going on. The writing is good but I just don't feel that Halflings offers anything different from the rest of the YA angel paranormal romance novels that are out there. I enjoyed it and will read the next one mostly because I want to find out more about the villain.


Final Thoughts: If you are a hard core YA paranormal romance reader that cannot get enough  love triangles, mysterious bad boys, "I love you but It's better if we are not together" conflict and demon fighting angels then you will enjoy Halflings.


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Borrow for now, I really have to see where this story is going. The first book was good but nothing stood out.


My Rating:

Book Trailer: 


*Thanks Zondervan and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read Halflings prior to its release in exchange for an honest review.

{Review}: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Title: Sweet Venom
Author: Tera Lynn Childs Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: (Medusa Girls, #1)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books ( September, 2011) 
Hardcover: 345 pages
ISBN: 9780062001818 
Source: Borrowed from Library
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

My Review

First Impressions: I heard great things about this author so I was looking forward to reading one of her books. Sweet Venom totally had me at descendants of Medusa. It just sounds extremely cool.


Plot & Characters: Not fallen angels, or vampires but descendants of Medusa. We meet Grace, Gretchen and Greet. Tera Lynn Childs creates another magical world where these three girls from different backgrounds come together to discover their role in an ancient prophecy. The writing is great I was able to distinguish the three personalities and I was never confused as to who was narrating. The multiple narrative was a bit confusing at first but it doesn't take long before you get used to it and enjoy it. 


Sweet Venom was fast paced and left me wanting more. This is one of those times when I was happy that this book was part of a series because I need answers. If you enjoy romance there is a bit of that. The story does not center on the girls love story it is more on meeting them and accompanying them on their discovery of who they are.


Final Thoughts: Recommend to those who like adventure and action packed YA fantasy mixed with mythology. 


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Buy. A great start to a series from an amazing author. A great addition to my library.

My Rating: 

{Book Review}: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Incarnate, #1
Genre: YA Fantasy/Dystopian
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books  (January 31st 2012) 
Hardcover: 374 pages
ISBN:  9780062060754 
Source: NetGalley
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

My Review

First Impressions: The cover is beautiful. The idea of reincarnation and soul-mates are common among YA novels so I was hoping that this story stood out among the rest.


Plot & Characters: At first like most post-apocolyptic stories the setting is a bit hard to understand. In Ana's world a predermined number of souls where born and are reborn again and again into different bodies and retain all of  their memories. Which leads to 5,000 year old souls living and crating a community together. 


The problem arises with the birth of Ana. She is a new soul that has replaced one of the old souls. Ana is raised in a world of ancients with no place where she belongs, that is until she meets Sam.


I really enjoyed this story. The connection and relationship between Ana and Sam was great. I really believed their relationship. The other characters such as Sam's friends and Ana's mother where fun to read about. Great character development in this story. The setting was also well developed their community, the rules they lived with, what they believed in. It is all explained so as to bring the reader into Ana's world so they too can feel like a new soul learning everything.


Final Thoughts: if you are looking for a fantasy/dystopian/romance/good book then you should give Incarnate a try. 


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Buy! Great story and beautiful cover. A great addition to any library.


My Rating:

Book Trailer:

{Book Review}: Tempest by Julie Cross

Title: Tempest 
Author: Julie Cross Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Tempest, #1
Genre: YA Fiction/Sci-fi
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin  (January 17th 2012)
Hardcover:  334 pages
ISBN:  9780312568894 
Source: For honest review from publisher
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

My Review

First Impressions: I am not an usual reader of this genre but the idea of time-traveling and the motives of trying to save the girl he loves pulled me in to read this book.


Plot & Characters: Jackson is trying to live a normal life and control his time-traveling abilities. That all changes when his girlfriend is shot and he finds himself stuck in the past. 


I enjoyed the adventure Tempest takes you on. However, I was not able to relate to the characters or understand how their world worked. Especially when it came to the rules of time travel I have no clue how they work. I was constantly having to go back and forth trying to figure out what year it was. There were other aspects that were a little hard for me to believe like his friends Adams incredible knowledge.


The pulling force in this story is Jackson's want to save Holly's life. This is what made me want to read this story. Yet, I found their relationship weak and at times a bit strange. 


Final Thoughts: The adventure and suspense where great but the story and character development were a bit weak for my taste. The only other time-traveling story I read was The Time Traveler's Wife and Tempest was very different so I can't compare it. It could be that I am not an usual reader of this genre or that it lacked the romance or connection between Jackson and Holly for me to give this a higher rating. 


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Borrow unless you enjoy action packed sci-fi thrillers and are not looking for the romance between the characters.


My Rating:

Book Trailer:

{Book Review}: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Under the Never Sky, #1
Genre: YA Fiction/Dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins (January 3, 2012)
Hardcover: 374 pages
ISBN: 9780062072030 
Source: NetGalley
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse. 

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, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. 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 accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

My Review

First Impressions: Under the Never Sky sounds very promising. I just hope it stand out and doesn't feel like the many others I have read.


Plot & Characters: It begins with aria being forced to leave her protected home. She is thrown out to die. In a world of wild violent storms and cannibal tribes, odds where not in her favor that is until she meets Perry.


The dual narrative helped the reader understand the world from both perspectives, from that of an outsider and that of a dweller. The added "magical/evolutionary" elements were amazing and made this a better story. 


It was great that both Aria and Perry had goals and drives, they did not exist and were not there just to be the others love interest.


Final Thoughts: A great dystopian that shows us another world where I wouldn't last a minute. :)


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Buy.


My Rating:

Book Trailer:

{Book Review}: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed 
Author: Josephine Angelini Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Starcrossed, #1
Genre: YA Fiction/Mythology
Publisher: HarperTeen May 31, 2011
Hardcover: 487 pages
ISBN: 9780062011992
Source: Purchased
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:
Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention. 

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

My Review

First Impressions: I have heard many people compare Starcrossed to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I cannot imagine how they will be similar but I enjoyed Twilight and hope to enjoy this book.


Plot & Characters: Starcrossed was action packed from beginning to end. The way Josephine Angelini interwove greek mythology with the life of two young adults was a joy to read. You will find romance, revenge, and mystery in Starcrossed. Even though this is the first of a series, the ending left me wanting to read more yet satisfied until the next one.


The hate the characters feel for each other when they meet was very refreshing. I was loved that Helen didn't just fall in love with Lucas at first sight. I don't necessarily have a problem with instant love but it is a bit refreshing to see something different.The characters in this story are amazing, from Helen's friend to Luca's family there are many well developed characters that help make this a great story. 


* There were a few things that might be compared to Twilight but for the most part they are very different. I would imagine that those who enjoyed Twilight will enjoy Starcrossed but that is because they are both good stories with young characters that fight supernatural obstacles to protect their love. 


Final Thoughts: Starcrossed will keep you entertained and transport you to a world where gods, curses, and prophecies are an everyday problem. 


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Buy! A great story and the beautiful cover will make a great addition to any library.

My Rating: 

Book Trailer:

{Review}: Die For Me by Amy Plum

 

Title: Die For Me
Author: Amy Plum Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Series (Revenants, #1)
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 10, 2011)
Hardcover: 341 pages
ISBN: 9780062004017 
Source: Borrowed from Library
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.
Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.
Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.
Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.
While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart--as well as my life and my family's--in jeopardy for a chance at love?

My Review

{Book Review}: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everneath
Author: Brodi Ashton Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Series (Everneath, #1)
Genre: YA Romance/Mythology
Publisher:  Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray  January 24th, 2012
Hardcover: 370 pages 
ISBN:  9780062071132 
Source: *NetGalley
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My Review

First Impressions: I admit that one of the main reasons I just had to read this book was because of its beautiful cover. There were also many things in the blurb that intrigued me because it appeared the author added a few things to the classic Hades and Persephone myth.


Plot & Characters: This is one of the books where even though amazing things are happening in the story the main focus is the characters and what they are feeling. Nikki was a very believable and likable characters. She goes through a lot in this book and yet she is still strong and determined. 


The guys, Cole and Jack are both add important elements to the story. Cole is one of the main triggers that set this story into motion, he takes advantage of Nikki's despair to not feel pain and uses it for his advantage. At first, he appears to be the villain of this story but there is more to Cole and his obsession with Nikki that I hope the next book will clarify. Jack is Nikki's ex-boyfriend, so throught the story we are trying to figure out what he did to hurt Nikki. Yet, at the same time we cannot help but like him because of the way he acts when Nikki comes back from the Everneath. 


Everneath has a great plot. It is told in such a way that allows for the action to begin from the first pages. It changes narration back and forth from past to present to tell the story of what caused Nikki to end up in the Everneath and what she is doing to not return and get her life back. The mythology is a bit confusing and it was the only things that i didn't really like just because I am still not 100% sure I understand how it works.


Final Thoughts: Highly recommended to those that enjoy young adult paranormal romance with a mix of mythology. Fast paced and emotionally engrossing. 


Buy, Borrow or Skip: I would definitely buy this book. I love the cover and I think it is a great start to what seems like an amazing series.


My Rating:

Book Trailer:


*Thanks Harper Collins and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read Everneath prior to its release in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Review}: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand Website | Twitter
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher (Jan 17, 2012)
Hardcover: 416 pages
ISBN:  9780061996184 
Source: NetGalley*
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:
For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

My Review

First Impression: I absolutely loved Unearthly by Cynthia Hand so I was just dying to read the second in this series. I love that it begins where the other left of.


Plot & Characters: We get more of our favorite characters. We get to know Christian a lot more and of course we get more Tucker. In Hallowed, Clara not only has problems with deciding which boy she likes the most but also trying to predict what loved one is going to die and of course deal with a certain Black Wing. Can her life get anymore complicated. The plot and characters where phenomenal. I loved every minute of this book. Make sure you have tissue prepared because this book made me cry.


Final Thoughts: Everything I expected. I loved the plot and that we learned more about Christian. Recommended to those who enjoy a healthy love triangle and a great angel story.


My Rating:
                  




Book Trailer:

{Book Review}: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Title: Fateful
Author: Claudia Gray Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen (Sept 13, 2011)
Hardcover: 328  pages
ISBN:  9780062006202 
Source: Purchased
Available on: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .
Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

My Review

First Impression: Have I ever mentioned how much I loved the movie Titanic? No? Well I absolutely do. I watched it like a million times. You can imagine my enthusiasm when I heard that Claudia Gray would be writing about about Titanic and adding paranormal creatures to it.


Plot & Characters: Fateful is like Rose and Jack backwards and with werewolves. Tess Davies is aboard the Titanic to change her life. She plans to leave the Lisle family and make a new life in America. Tess is a strong determined character that fights for those she loves. I enjoyed that even though she was just a girl from an underprivileged background and without supernatural powers she is able to stand up to everyone and fight for what she wants. 
     Alec Marlowe is not one of my favorite young adult paranormal swoon worthy guys. He constantly puts Tess in danger and does almost nothing to protect her. It seemed like it was the other way around with Tess protecting him.That however, did not stop me from enjoying their love story. As you can expect their falling in love happens rather quickly since they only have a few days in the Titanic. The limited time frame does not hinder this book from keeping you on the edge of your seat. I was constantly trying to figure out who would survive the voyage. The plot also adds a few twist that had me crying and rejoicing.


Final Thought: A great historical paranormal romance! Yes, we all know how the voyage ends but accompanying the characters on their journey to a new world is incredibly entertaining in Fateful by Claudia Gray. 


My Rating:
                   
Book Trailer: