{Review:} White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (February 2011)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 9781416963974
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.
Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.
Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

Review:

I was a little hesitant about reading this book. Holly Black's writing is not for everyone. Her character are not the sugar and spice type of characters. White Cat is not the exception. Cassel, her main character, has to deal with a dark past, a troubled family and a dangerous future.

I enjoyed reading a book from a male's perspective. I am not sure how accurately she got it since I am not a male but it sounded convincing enough to me. I also liked that there are no vampires or were-wolfs. It was great reading about curse workers and the magical alternate world Black created.

Overall, I think this was a good start to the Curse Workers series. I liked that it had a good ending and didn't leave me with more questions than answers, like some series do. Yet, she still ended White Cat with enough questions to leave the reader waiting for the next installment.

We will just have to wait and see what new problems await Cassel.

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{Review:} The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephanie Meyer

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Little Brown Books (June 2010)
Hardcover: 178 pages
ISBN: 9780316125581
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. 
In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. 
Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire. 
All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out. 
Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

Review:

The idea of a novella based on the short second life of Bree Tanner did not sound very exciting to me. Bree is such a minor character in Eclipse that I really couldn't imagine what she would write about.

Yet, it was interesting to see the Cullens from an outsider's perspective.

Overall, I liked it. I did not love it but it was OK. It's a good read if you just want something to help with the wait for the next Twilight movie and if you are a fan of the series. If you are not then I don't think this is the book for you.

I really hope we find out what happened to Freaky Fred since he was the only new born that actually left and did not fight the Cullens.

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{Review:} Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Title: Under the Tuscan Sun
Author: Frances Mayes
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Broadway Books (Sept 1997)
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN: 978-0767900386
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

Frances Mayes entered a wondrous new world when she began restoring an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. There were unexpected treasures at every turn: faded frescos beneath the whitewash in her dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles in the garden, and, in the nearby hill towns, vibrant markets and delightful people. In Under the Tuscan Sun, she brings the lyrical voice of a poet, the eye of a seasoned traveler, and the discerning palate of a cook and food writer to invite readers to explore the pleasures of Italian life and to feast at her table.

Review:

I decided to read this book because I have heard many people speak wonder and other say that it is horrible. So I had to give it a try and judge for myself.

The author takes us on her journey as she buys an abandoned villa named Bramasole. We join her as she discover her new life both her joys and he hardships. From re-building her villa to discovering new recipes and the joys of a simple life.

I found it a little difficult to get into the story because it is not writing in the usual story format. The journal style way it is written makes it a great book to pick up and escape your life and join her in the Tuscan countryside.

If you are looking for a romantic story then this may not be the book for you but if you want to read a well written book that serves as a perfect escape and window into life in Italy. Then Under the Tuscan Sun is a must read.

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{Review} Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Angelology
Author: Danielle Trussoni
Genre: Literature & Fiction/ Mystery & Thriller
Publisher: Viking Adult (March 2010)
Hardcover: 464 pages
                                    ISBN: 9780670021475
                                    Source: Library Book
                                    Available on: Amazon
Rating: 4/5

Plot: 17/20
Setting: 18/20
Writing: 18/20
Characters: 15/20
Creativity: 18/20

Total: 86/20 = 4/5 stars

Description from GoodReads:

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now twenty-three‚ her discovery of a 1943 letter from philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late Mother Superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans‚ the Nephilim

Plot: Good: Danielle Trussoni creates a fabulous world where the Nephilim still exist and are evil, selfish, 7 foot beautiful creatures. Angelologist have come together to fight the control of the powerful Nephilim. The ancient battle between good and evil never ceases to exist. We meet Evangeline, a beautiful nun that works in the library of her convent and Verlaine, a young art historian and both have to dig into the past to unravel the mystery of certain correspondence between Abigail Rockefeller and a simple nun and why this information is worthy of killing for to the Grigori family.In their journey they discover that the powerful Grigori family and Evangeline share a past that might change the future of both humans and Nephilim. Bad: It took me about 100 pages to really get into the story. It would have also liked if it explained how study of Angelology began.

Setting: Good: The mountains of Bulgaria were a great setting for the Angelologist's discovery. The author does an incredible job in transporting the reader to it's locations.

Writing: Good: The way Trussoni describes how the Nephilim came to existence was captivating. Bad: The narrative voice was a bit dry. It was also strange how ancient Nephilim, nuns, Angelologist from different times and art historians all read the same.

Characters: Good: I enjoyed reading about Celestine, in my opinion the most developed character in the book. Bad: The main characters are undeveloped and flat.

Creativity: Good: The Nephilim are not a new concept but I found the part of their degenerative disorder refreshing.

Extras

Cover Art: A beautiful cover!
Action: As a thriller is has plenty of action.
Romance: It's there, not a major part but definitely there. I would have liked a romantic ending but it left me wanting to read the next installment.


Overall: This is a must read if you, like me love history, mysteries, theology, and fallen angels with a love story.

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