Review: A Thousand Pieces of You

A Thousand Pieces of You
by Claudia Gray

Pages: 357, paperback

Publisher: Harper

Date Released:

Premise: 

Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their more astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite's father is murdered, the killer--her parent's handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul--escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.
Marguerite can't let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul's guilt--and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.
A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we can witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and as whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

I was hesitant about starting this book. The cover is so gorgeous, but I've learned enough times that sometimes the story isn't as lovely as the packaging.

It has such an interesting, promising premise: a murder mystery that spans not just our universe, but the multiverse--a universe for every single decision made. An infinite world of infinite possibilities. Marguerite Cain is on a mission to catch her father's killer, even if it means turning herself into "atomic soup".

Marguerite, I found, is a boring character. Even when she inhabits the bodies of the Marguerites from other worlds, she has no personality. She's just a blank slate hidden inside other blank slates.

All the plot is shoved aside to make room for a ridiculous romance that literally comes from out of nowhere. First Marguerite is so sure that this guy killed her father, and the next moment, she's pining away about his body heat and their almost touching. It made me want to gag, it was so sappy.
The discussion of fate--of things that happen in all universes, such as the love between two people--just makes the romance even more gag-worthy. It's just so forced.
It's such a shame about the lack of plot because it was such a unique concept that could have been fantastic under the right circumstances.

I found myself constantly bored by the story. Even when she's a grand duchess in Russia, the story manages to fall flat in lieu of the romance. All danger and consequences are thrown away for the sake of the romance. There was nothing at stake except for this true love.
In the end, I had to DNF this book. The contradictory nature of the multiuniverses verses fate just left me too frustrated to go on.
That's not to say it's bad. I was just expecting more sci-fi than romance. If you're in the mood for star-crossed lovers, then this is probably for you.

Total:

Cover Art: 4

Plot: 1 

Writing: 1

Characters: 1

Interest: 1

No stars, just one very sad cloud.

Review: The Girl at Midnight

The Girl at Midnight

by Melissa Grey

Pages:  361

Publisher: ATOM

Date Released: April 28th 2015

Premise:

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.


But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

It is believed that only one thing will stop the centuries-old war between the bird-like Avicen and the dragon folk, the Drakharin, and it's up to Echo to find it.

After being found in a library after dark, Echo is adopted by the Ala, one of the Avicen, and brought to live in their magical world, hidden amongst the folds of humanity. When given the opportunity to end the war that ravages her people, Echo jumps at the chance, even if it means following a fairytale.

Late to the Party: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Pages: 487, paperback

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Date Published: May 2011

Genre:  Romance / action / dystopian

Source:  library

Get from Book Depository

Premise:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I'm so late to this bandwagon. Like, 4 years late, so I supposed it was about time I read it and found out what the big deal was about. *SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review: Passion

Passion by Lauren Kate

Pages: 420, paperback

ISBN: 9780385618083

Publisher: Doubleday

Date Released: June 16th, 2011

Genre: YA / romance / paranormal / angels / bad romance

Source: library

Premise:

Before Luce and Daniel met at Sword & Cross, before they fought the Immortals, they had already lived many lives. And so Luce, desperate to unlock the curse that condemns their love, must revisit her past incarnations in order to understand her fate. Each century, each life, holds a different clue. But Daniel is chasing her throughout the centuries before she has a chance to rewrite history. How many deaths can one true love endure? And can Luce and Daniel unlock their past in order to change their future?
(Taken from Goodreads)

*SPOILERS AHOY!*

I shouldn't be surprised that I hated this book. After what the first two books made me feel, I should have avoided Passion like the plague.

In My Mailbox (04)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where bloggers showcase the books they received over the week.

My mailbox was quite lovely this week. I received an abundance of library books (of course), a couple of books from The Book Depository, and something that really surprised me.

Mail:

 From top to bottom:

- Geist by Philippa Ballantine; I love fantasy, and the cover is so amazing. It's done by the same guy who did the cover for the Theatre Illuminata series, Jason Chan

- The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey; I'd begun this book earlier in the year, but it was from the library, and I had to give it back half-read. But it was good enough for me to want to buy.

- Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington; This was a lovely gift from Hachette, as part of their reviewing program for Date a Book. I'd read and reviewed the first  book here on my blog, Embrace and have the second book waiting to have its review written up. Good series, and I'm so happy to have an early-release copy.

Library:

 From top to bottom:

- Seduced by Moonlight by Laurell K. Hamilton; Man, I've really been digging this series. I'm in a sort of smutty paranormal romance mood, so this is right up my alley.

- All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin; I've been hearing interesting things about this book, and the premise is intriguing. Can't wait to check it out.

- Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen; I'd read the first book earlier this year as part of my ABC Challenge, and I'm really interested in historicals set in the 1920's.

- Act of Faith by Kelly Gardiner; I really really really love historicals. And the premise looks interesting.

-Possess by Gretchen McNeil; Man, I've been waiting impatiently for this book for ages. It looks so creepy and awesome. So can't wait to dig in to this.

- The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh; This book has been on my radar for ages. I'm so ecstatic to finally be able to have it in my hands. So so so can't wait to read this one.

- Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures Volume One by Laurell K. Hamilton &; Oooh, a graphic novel. I love graphic novels so much, and am ridiculously happy that popular urban fantasy series are getting turned into graphic novels.

- Fables: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham; This is the 11th volume of the Fables series, and man, I'm so excited to read this. The series has been a massive ride, and I totally recommend it to everyone.

So, that's it for my mailbox.
What did you get in you mailboxes this week? What do you think of the books I got? Feel free to leave your links in the comments.

Review: Dark Angel

Dark Angel by Eden Maguire

Pages: 398, paperback

ISBN: 9781444901863

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Date Released: August 4th, 2011

Genre: YA / romance / paranormal / angels

Source: review copy sent by Hachette

Premise:

Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart. Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains. And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon

Dark Angel was nothing like I expected it to be. To sum it up in one word, it was intense.

From the beginning, we’re introduced to one of the most terrifying of enemies: fire. Tania lives in a town surrounded by dense forests, where fires can start with little to no warning. I think it’s really imaginative to make a natural disaster like forest fires to be a prevalent source of tension, fear, and hope in the book. Fire is the worst enemy: it doesn’t have a motive, it doesn’t care who gets in its path, and when it’s strong enough, it’s nearly impossible to fight. But, on the other hand, fire can also bring about new life. And I love how Dark Angel embraces all of these points. Tania rises from the ashes to become a completely new person, someone who is strong enough to fight an even scarier enemy.

Angels are usually seen as something pure, innocent. It’s where we get the word angelic from. But the angels in this book are anything but. These angels kept me on the edge of my seat, kept me biting my nails, and kept me up until 3 or 4 am each night to find out what happens next. They are evil beings, their only motive is to destroy.

When Tania’s best friend, Grace, has a complete personality about-face, Tania knows that it’s up to her to save her. Grace suddenly begins to hang out with the beautiful, ridiculously talented and rich folk at the ranch. She abandons her friends and family. She hurts everyone around her. I really hated how Grace acted, but at the same time, I was scared for her. You could tell that it wasn’t her acting the way she was. There was something sinister behind her, and it was terrifying finding out.

The best thing about this book was the relationships between the characters. The characters were all very real, but it was their relationships that defined them. Grace and Tania the best friends. Grace and Jude, the perfect couple, always in love. Holly and Tania, the friends-who-are-only-friends-because-they’re-neighbours. Holly and Aaron, the on-again, off-again couple. And finally, Tania and the sexy Orlando, the couple that no one can get between. I fell in love with Orlando from the very beginning, and I felt as if I was friends with everyone else.

I think the only downfall of the book was the writing. While it wasn't horrible, it still could have been better. It felt like it was a first draft at times. And since Maguire has had 4 previous book published, you'd think that she'd have honed her writing skills.

I can’t wait for the sequel, Twisted Heart (pre-order it now.). I’d give up my first born child to read it now.

This is a book that everyone should dig into.

Also, since I have an extra copy of Dark Angel, and I'm feeling particularly generous, I'll be hosting a giveaway in a few days. So keep your eyes peeled for that. (Note: as I'm new and lacking in followers, it'll be a follower only giveaway, so be sure to click the join this site button!)

Cover Art: 2
Plot: 3.5
Characters: 4
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 3.5

Total Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: The Iron Duke

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Pages: 378, paperback

ISBN: 9780425236673

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Date Released: October 5th, 2010

Genre: Adult / romance / historical / steampunk / action

Source: library

Premise: 

First in an all-new series where seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon

This was something that I'd been looking forward to for a while I love steampunk with all my heart. In fact, I constantly wish that I had been born in an alternate reality where society depended on steam and clock powered machinery, where the limits of society could be pushed. And that's what I think is the most appealing thing about steampunk: that the real social rules and gender expectations can be changed. In a dark, bleary world filled with smog and machinery, everyone needs to be strong, even the women. Here, there's a chance to make strong women who can handle their own.

The world building here is amazing. From the beginning, we're thrown into a world where England is recovering from being taken over by a foreign power called the Horde. They're technologically advanced,  depending on nanoagents to survive in the smoggy streets of London. With each word, I got more and more hooked into this incredible world.
And it doesn't just stop at London. No, they travel across the English channel, in an airship, sailing across a ravaged Europe that's been taken over by zombies. Even their time aboard the airship is fantastic, because it's new, it's steampunk, it's described as this awesome setting.

I loved most of the characters, except for the Iron Duke (more on him later). There was no shortage of strong female characters. Mina is a half-English, half-Horde detective, and because of that, she's seen as a sort of abomination. People still resent the fact that they had been dominated by the Horde for so long, and a lot of them express distaste towards her appearance.
In that regard, I liked the way the Horde was portrayed, because she herself has it running through her veins. But it didn't stop me from feeling uneasy every time the Horde was described as a people. The way the text described them was done so in a fairly racist manner. The Horde was clearly meant to be an Asian power of some sort, due to the constant amount of times they were described as Mongols, and having slanting eyes, and that an entire race of people are made into the bad guys, well, it just doesn't sit well with me. Now, I'm sure it wasn't the author's intention to villainise  an entire race/culture, but it's still kind of awkward to read.

Another strong female character that I loved was Yasmeen. Man, she was tough. She sure doesn't take shit from anyone. She's a captain of her very own airship, and literally does what she wants, when she wants (and sometimes for a hefty fee). Like I said, the strong female characters are certainly present.

There is so much action here, that you wouldn't believe. There's always something ridiculously fast-paced going on, and sometimes, there isn't time to take a breath before you get plunged into the next action-packed scene. This book has it all: plenty of explosions, zombies, kraken, devious plots, sword-fights. You won't tire of the story here.

One major downfall, though, is the romance. This is described as a romantic--or at least sizzling--steampunk novel. For the first half of the book, the Iron Duke harasses Mina, begging her for kisses and constantly propositioning her, despite her saying no very clearly, and many times.
Then he sexually assaults her, thinking that she couldn't possibly say no to sex if he shows her what she's been missing out on. After all, she just hasn't witnessed the greatness of his dick, or something along those lines.
Then, he rapes her twice: once while she's sleeping, and another time at the very end of the book--where she very firmly tells him no. But it's okay, because he's so sexy, that it makes the whole situation romantic, right? Ugh.
This book would have been a 5 star book, and would have earned a place on the favourites shelf and I would have bought myself a copy immediately. But the rape-y bits just made me squirm uncomfortably.

So, avoid this book if you're prone to being tirggered by mentions of rape. I wish I had known about that.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series, Heart of Steel, which comes out in November of this year, and apparently follows Yasmeen, which I'm excited about. 

10 Second Review: Fantastic world building, strong female characters, and enough action to make you think you're stuck in an 80's action flick. WARNING: rape scenes dressed up as romance.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 5
Characters: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Level of Interest: 4


Total Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Pages: 240, paperback

ISBN: 9780340945018

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Release Date: July 5th, 2007 (first published September 28th, 1991)

Genre: YA / romance / paranormal / vamps

Source: library

Premise: 

Elena is the school beauty, but she's bored, until a new boy turns up in her class. Stefan is dark and mysterious - and she's determined to get to know him better. But Stefan is just as determined to resist her...until a series of attacks in the area terrify the town and Stefan is held responsible. Elena is the only one who offers to help and, falling in love with her, Stefan tells her his terrible story. He is a vampire, on the run from his evil brother, Damon, who doesn't share Stefan's qualms about drinking human blood. And Damon is the one Stefan suspects of really being behind the recent attacks...Can Elena help prove his innocence - without revealing his secret?
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon

So, I'd been seeing all this fuss about the TV show, and when I finally got around to to watching it, I was blown away. It was really good--well, at least compared to my expectations of it. After a few episodes, I decided that I should check out the book that it was based on.

Now, this book is rather poor compared to the show. Maybe I think that because I was exposed to the show first. I don't know. But despite the poor quality of the book, I found it ridiculously entertaining.

Elena is a bit of a horrid bitch in the book. She sets her eyes on Stefan and decides that she must have him despite already having a boyfriend. And, despite showing absolutely no interest in her, Elena is still set on 'winning' him, so to speak.
I found her to be a really difficult character to relate to. I just kept hoping that something horrible and painful would happen to her, because her overall attitude towards people is just atrocious. She acts like the stereotypical cheerleader bitch cut-out.

The writing is nothing special, the only redeeming features being that it's really quick and easy to read. You could probably read the entire book in an hour or two.

I noticed a lot of similarities between this and Twilight, which was a bit jarring, though it was interesting, since this book was released, what, 15 years before Twilight?

I ended up reading the rest of the series, for continuation's sake, and man, they read like a cheesy vampire drama for teens... Oh wait, that's exactly what they are. Nevermind.
It's hardly quality literature, but there's something weirdly addictive about them.

10 Second Review: The original Twilight. Cheesy, with a bitchy main character. This is a quick read, that's a good filler for a bad day.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 2
Characters: 2
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 3

Total Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Review: Firelight

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Pages: 323, hardcover

ISBN: 9780061935084

Publisher: HarperTeen

Date Released: September 7th, 2010

Genre: YA / romance / fantasy / dragons

Source: library

Premise:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: Book Depository / Amazon

I won't lie. For a YA, this blew me away.

The writing is so vivid and descriptive, and it paints the perfect image in the readers head. It's so engaging that it becomes fairly impossible to put down. The writing was definitely my favourite part of this book, especially the first couple of chapters, when we see Jacinda in the wild, where she belongs. The descriptions of her surroundings are amazing, and her world is one that the reader can immerse themselves in.

Jacinda was a character that really liked. She was strong, defiant and loyal. Her relationship with her sister is rocky, since Jacinda is a draki, but Tamra isn't. Tamra's jealousy got in the way of their friendship as they were growing up, because Tamra was the black sheep in the family and in the pride. But once they escape the pride and live amongst the humans, the tables turn. It's Tamra's turn to fit in naturally, and Jacinda is the odd one out. She doesn't belong in the human world.

Now, regarding that, that's where my problems lie.Their mother takes them to the desert to kill the draki inside of Jacinda, claiming it's for her own good. She never once asked for consent in that matter, and the idea of slowly losing her draki actually bothers Jacinda a whole lot more than her mother expects. A friend of mine recently opened my eyes regarding consent in stories--particularly in the case of Tangled, when Ryder cuts her hair without consent. I didn't think these little things mattered, but now, it really bothers me to see that.

That said, Jacinda's relationship with her mother is strained. Jacinda tells us that whilst her father was proud of Jacinda's draki, her mother was wary, as if Jacinda was "someone she had to love, but wouldn't have chosen". That's why it's so easy for her mother to decide to kill Jacinda's inner draki. It's kind of tragic, really, that their relationship is like this. It's the cause for Jacinda's rebellious stage, because she's tired of her mother making all of her decisions.

All the characters here are selfish. Tamra and her mother have no qualms with killing Jacinda's draki, just to have a normal life as humans, and Jacinda is doing all she can to keep her draki alive. I'm not sure if this is intentional or not, but I sort of love it. Their intentions parallel the others', and it sort of works.

Regarding the romance, I'm sort of on the fence. The writing--as I said before--was fairly fantastic, and it especially shows in the uber hot makeout scenes. The chemistry between Will and Jacinda is just breathtaking, sexy and hot, and it makes me wish that it weren't YA, so that I could read the hot sex scenes that would have arisen. But Will is an odd character. One moment, he's sweet, the next, he's controlling, telling Jacinda what to do. He acts like he has multiple personalities. Also, he sort of breaks into her house and makes her breakfast. It's sweet that he makes her breakfast, I guess, but still really creepy that he let himself into her house without her permission, especially after knowing her for only a month. And by then, they 'love' each other, which I find unbelievable and hardly realistic.
What I liked between them was that this time, it was the girl who was different. It was a nice change, but unfortunately, didn't stop her from constantly switching from "OMG I love him" to "But we can't be together :(" and back in a matter of seconds. Ugh, just make your decision and stick with it, please?

I had a huge problem with Brooklyn and Tamra, though. Brooklyn was the stereotypical blonde bitch, who's angry at the new girl because the hot guy likes newbie more than herself. Brooklyn attacks Jacinda in the bathroom, and when Jacinda fights back--with her fire power, though, so a bit dumb on her part--Tamra throws a massive hissy fit because according to her, Jacinda started that fight just to ruin Tamra's chances of making friends. Just... no. Tamra didn't even want to hear Jacinda's side of the story. Tamra is the most selfish, bratty, conceited sister ever, and I feel really sorry for Jacinda.

Despite that, I'm still really excited to read Vanish, which is expected to come out this September. After the ridiculous cliff-hanger and the plethora of unanswered questions at the end, I'm itching to get my hands on Vanish.

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Writing: 4
Level of Interest: 5

Total Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: The Dark Divine

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Pages: 372, hardcover

ISBN: 9781606840573

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: December 22nd, 2009

Genre: YA / romance / paranormal / werewolves / bad romance

Source: library

Premise:

A Prodigal Son

A Dangerous Love

A Deadly Secret

Grace Divine—daughter of the local pastor—always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: The Book Depository / Amazon

Warning: this is a very long and rant-filled review.

Let me just start off with this: I hate the cover. But that's because I hate feet (they make me feel queasy). Especially the ones on the cover. Now I'm not normally one to nitpick on someone's looks, but those feet look particularly yucky. Sorry, I'll stop now.
Otherwise, the cover is pretty, with the purple fabric and the all around foreshadowing of doom and blackness.

The book starts off slow, and right from the beginning, I could tell that I was not going enjoy it that much. For starters there are some very deep Christian themes, and whilst I'm not against any religions, I'm not too much a fan of books that are heavily based on a certain religion, especially if the characters are stereotypical cut-outs. Example, Jude. He was so portrayed as such a good Christian, as such a gentle, sensitive and caring person (choosing not to play hockey because he doesn't want to hurt any of the opposing players. PUH-LEASE!) that he no longer seems like a guy. He acts like a middle aged woman's idealised version of the perfect gentleman. I was so glad to finally see him loosen up during the end of the book. He fights, he threatens and he no longer holds car doors open for ladies!! Hurrah, he's finally manning up!
Even the rest of Grace's family were incredibly annoying, and I just couldn't stand them and the way they preached their Christian values. I think that was my main issue with the book and the characters and the themes: it was so preachy. It's like Despain wanted me to convert. Ugh.
The only character I can find remotely interesting is Don, and that's probably because, despite being insane, he's the most well-crafted character. He actually acts like a real person. But it doesn't make the book that much better.
Grace's character, I didn't really mind because she despite being incredibly annoying with her morals and with her goody-goody ways, she showed times of weakness. That provided some relief.
And, now for the character I hated the most: April, Grace's supposed best friend. She seemed to have no purpose except to be the unsupportive friend, who spends the first half of the book pining over Jude, and the second half snogging him. As far as I could tell, she played no real part in the story, so I wonder why she was kept at all. She did nothing to further the plot, she was a bad best friend who ditched Grace the moment Jude showed any interest in her, and then she does nothing to improve Jude's character growth, except by showing us that Jude loves kissing. Wow!
Another thing, the blurb on the back of my particular copy, written by Becca Fitzpatrick (author of Hush, Hush), described Daniel as a 'bad boy'. I'm starting to question if Fitzpatrick actually knows anything about stereotypes, because she certainly does not know what a bad boy is. Daniel certainly isn't a bad boy (and neither is Patch from her own novel). Daniel is instead overly confident, arrogant, smug, and suffers from horrible mood swings that make him agressive one minute, and cry whilst declaring his love for Grace (this actually happened) the next. He was more annoying than bad, and was incredibly hard to deciper. I found it difficult to feel sympathy for him and his past because of the way he portrayed himself.

Okay, that's my character rant over and done with. Now, what was up with the font?!?I probably should have mentioned this earlier in the review, but it was completely bolded. Has anyone else who's read this book noticed this or is it just my copy?
It was incredibly distracting, and made my eyes hurt a bit if I read it for too long. It was just frustrating having to take breaks every few minutes because of the headaches that the unnecessary boldness. Why not just have normal, unbolded font?

I really couldn't stand the structure of the book, with all the subheadings that said things like (and I'm not lying here, this is taken right out of the book) "An hour and a half later" and "after lunch", or simply, "later". NO. JUST NO. One simply does not put that in books. Readers aren't that dumb that they need that sort of indication to know that the next scene is occurring 'later'. Instead of having a heading that states "The next morning", Despain could have simply written: The next morning, Grace woke up. See? Simple and effective. The subheadings were a big indication of the poor writing skills. Not only that, but the sentence structure was off, nothing flowed well, the writing was not unlike that of a twelve year old girl who suddenly decides that she wants to write (nothing wrong with that, but such a girl would essentially improve with her writing as time progressed.)
Despain failed to properly engage me, her reader, and I felt bored and found myself skimming through the pages at some points. Her foreshadowing was poorly used, and the hints she dropped were far too obvious to be called hints. It took all the mystery from the novel.

Now, onto the main thing: the plot.
The paranormalcy happening in the book was confusing, tedious and obvious. It turned out that Daniel was a werewolf, but I guessed that in the first chapter, although, it felt as if Despain was trying to decide between creatures: angels, demons, werewolves (oh my!). It felt as if she couldn't make up her mind about which creepy creature would work best for her novel, so she would constantly switch ideas, and when she finally decided on a combination of the three, and called it werewolves. It made her story look poor, unstructured, unorganised and as if no thought had gone into it.
There even came a part when she tried to infuse all these creatures to make one super-creature. That's when I totally lost it and decided that I hated this book.

So, to sum this book up in one word: ATROCIOUS. Don't read it, it's of worse quality that Twilight. Even the romance in this book is worse than Twilight. It was a painful read. When I finally finished the book, I rejoiced and vowed not to read the next books in the series.

Cover Art: 2 (feet, UGH. This is just a personal issue, though)
Plot: 0 (what plot?)
Characters: 1
Writing: 0
Level of Interest: 1

Total Rating: 1/5

Review: The Replacement

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Pages: 375, paperback

ISBN: 9780857071385

Publisher:Simon & Schuster

Date Released: October 1st 2010 (first published September 21st 2010)

Genre: YA / paranormal / urban fantasy / faeries / romance

Source: library

Premise:

Mackie Doyle is the Replacement. Thought he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass guitar or spend time with an oddly intriguing girl called Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs.

(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: Book Depository / Amazon

Okay so I was a bit reluctant at trying this story out. On the one hand, the premise sounds awesome. I mean, the main character is a boy AND a changeling, which makes me really curious. On the other, I've heard some less than spectacular reviews about this book, and I was worried that the MC wouldn't sound like a boy--like Ethan from Beautiful Creatures and Sam from Shiver. Thankfully, he doesn't sound like a girl, but that might be the only good thing about him.
It seems that most of my problems with this book stems from the characters, so expect a lot of ranting about that.

From the very beginning, I found that the writing was awkward. It was purple, it was fragmented at times, and sometimes, it just didn't make sense at all. It was as if the writer was trying too hard to craft her words. Underneath the awkwardness, I could see bits and pieces that stood out, but they were overwhelmed by the flower-y, tryhard lyrical prose. An example of the awkward prose:

"[Emma was looking] lonely as a lighthouse. Sad as a nun." -pg 40

Now, I'm not sure that nuns are particularly sad about what they do. In fact, I would think that they'd be happy, since that's sort of what they're devoted to.

There were a lot of things to the story that left me confused. For starters, Mackie's sister, Emma, somehow remembers the event of her brother being replaced. I forget what age she was supposed to be at the time, but it's still highly unlikely that she would remember it. And on the very unlikely occasion that she were to remember it, why on earth would she believe it to be real, even several years after it happened? When I was her age, I was certain that I was adopted and that my parents were either royalty or faeries. Doesn't mean that it's true. It just seems unlikely that she'd believe it so much. It makes this whole issue so unbelievable, and every time Emma mentioned it, I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "yeah, right."
And why does Mackie believe some random creep that tells him he's dying? Especially when that creep corners him in a club. If I were Mackie, I'd think the guy was high or drunk, and I'd try to avoid him, not, y'know, believe him.

My biggest problem with Mackie was that he was a loner and a major emo, and blamed others for it. He blames his popular best friend, Roswell, for his awkwardness around people and his inability to effectively communicate. He blames his father for people having expectations of any kind of him, and the list goes on. Everything wrong about him, Mackie points fingers and shifts the blame to someone else. Which is ridiculous and disgraceful. Maybe if he actually tried talking to people instead of actively avoiding them, he'd have more friends and wouldn't be seen as a freak (but actually, he does seem to be popular, despite what he says. I mean, he made out with the most popular girl in the school. I'd think that one has to be pretty high up in the school's hierarchy to be able to do that).
And I really really really hate how Mackie constantly whines about the threat of being lynched for being different. Um... what? As far as I can tell, Mackie is not black, nor does he live in the 1940's. People do not get lynched for having quirks, not in this era. He has nightmares and is told a story of a guy who was lynched for being different... IN GODDAMN 1930! Every time he mentions that, I just want to hit him with the book, and tell him to shut the fuck up and to stop being such a drama queen. I swear, 85% of this book is is Mackie angsting over how he's different, and 10% about Tate, while the other 5% is actual plot.

Speaking of plot, for the most part, it doesn't exist because of the ANGSTING. Most of the time, there's severe angsting for several pages, with maybe a paragraph or two of actual plot developments, and then back to angsting. I wonder if Yovanoff knows that angsting =/= character development?
And because of the lack of plot, there won't be much in this review on plot.

Now, back to the characters.

What the hell is wrong with Tate? Why is she so convinced all of a sudden that Mackie knows something--anything--about her sister? He's never given her a reason to suspect him of anything, yet she won't get off his back. She just keeps harassing him, and it makes me want to hit her with a mallet. She is such a disgusting character. She makes rude comments and sarcastic gestures towards girls who act 'girly' and not as 'tough' as her, as if wearing pink is a sign of weakness. She's a horrible person, and from the beginning, her attitude made me hate her vehemently. And she constantly goes on to insult Mackie, while at the same time, demanding that he help her. Why should he, when she's constantly demeaning him? This is a case of abusive relationships, but with the tables turned. And Mackie is weak against her, and is passive whenever she says something insulting.
Being tough doesn't make a character strong. And I don't see Tate as strong, just as a person who needs an attitude check.

And then there's the relationship between Tate and Mackie that seemed to pop up out of nowhere.When Mackie told Tate that he liked her, I was surprised. Up until then, he showed signs of liking Alice--even going so far as to find out that she has a tongue ring, kekeke--, and hating Tate. And why the hell would Tate be such a horrid person to someone she liked? What had changed? They showed no romance, not even any friendship. It felt like Yovanoff suddenly decided that she wanted Mackie and Tate to be together, so she made them both do an about-face concerning their feelings. And um... what's with the part where she gives him a handjob behind the churchyard, soon after? It didn't do anything to further the plot, and hardly did anything to develop their relationship and selves. If I were an editor, I would have cut it.

I do have to admit, though, that I really liked the character of Morrigan and the other fairies. They acted so mystical, so all-knowing, yet so cryptic, almost like I imagine fairies would really be like. Their descriptions were fantastic, and I believe that the story greatly improved once they were introduced. In fact, I was almost my wit's end and was thinking of dropping the book, just as the fairies were introduced.
The fairy lore that Yovanoff had created was fantastic, and it's a shame that the rest of her story didn't seem to follow suit.

So, no, I didn't really like this story. I found it to be a waste of time. Yovanoff needs a better editor, and better beta readers, ones who know what a plot is, and that wangsting is NOT character development. At all. Ever.

Cover Art: 2 (why is there a light shining from his ass?)
Plot: 2
Characters: 2
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 2

Total Rating: 2/5 stars

Review: Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Pages: 393, hardcover

ISBN: 9780340980910

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Date Released: February 3rd, 2011

Genre: YA / dystopian / romance

Source: library

Premise:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that one love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love. (Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: The Book Depository / Amazon

Dystopia is a hard genre to write in. Usually because it takes a topic and magnifies it, and in this case, the topic is love. So my question is: why the hell is love outlawed? Usually, dystopian only really works if the issue is a current issue that we're facing, and dystopians explore what would happen in the future if the problem hasn't been handled (for example: global warming [though I haven't come across many dystopians that handle that]). Already, before picking the book up, I have problems with it. How had it gotten to the point where love could be considered a disease? For a dystopian, it sounds rather unbelievable.

On page 3, Oliver already managed to piss me off, though, I'm sure it was unintentional on her part. There is a passage that goes:

"Instead, people back then named other diseases--stress, heart disease, anxiety, depression, hypertension, insomnia, bipolar disorder--never realising that these were, in fact, only symptoms that in the majority of cases could be traced back to the effects of amour deliria nervosa [love]."

Now, as someone who suffers from 4 of the 7 things named above, I take offense to the idea that these are merely symptoms to something like love--something they tried to eradicate. And once these people are 'cured' of love, they are also cured of these 'symptoms'. I find it really frustrating when people act that way towards mental problems like the ones mentioned. Their lack of understanding is the reason why there is this stigma towards mentally ill people.

I will have to admit that I loved how much like sheep the society acted like, and how determined Lena in to do well by her governments standards. I think that an important part of dystopians is the realisation--the epiphany that the main character has--that everything is a lie. In this book, it's done fairly fantastical. In the beginning, Lena is just like the rest of society, but after things start turning awry, she starts questioning the rules. And that's when shit hits the fan, and the moment that I cheered.

There are some innaccuracies in the story that could have easily been fixed with some simple research. For example, I don't get how six months can make any difference in a procedure, especially when everyone is different. Technically speaking, some people might be physically matured enough to handle such a procedure from a younger age, and others when they're in their 20's. It seems as if Oliver just didn't bother picking up any books on neurology and psychology. And unfortunately for her, one of my hobbies is reading those kind of text books for fun, so I've picked out all these mistakes.
Also, this baffles me: Lena's father apparently died of cancer. So, they can cure a non-existent disease INSIDE YOUR BRAIN, but not cure cancer. It makes little sense.

I disliked Lena. She was so passive. She was worse than Bella Swan, and we all know what that girl is like. Lena just let people push her around, and she hardly did anything active, except for the last 100 or so pages, but even then, she's only so active because of some guy.
I'm not sure how I feel about Lena and Hana's friendship. On the one hand, they contrast each other in a way that it works; they're dependent on each other's strengths. Lena is so passive, and Hana is rebellious and strong and has a mind of her own. There were often times that I found myself wishing that Hana was the main character, because she wasn't some weak pansy.

Lena also seems to be only capable of making stupid decisions, like trying to go to a secret house party to warn people that there's a raid going on. She puts herself at great risk trying to do something that has a very unlikely chance of working, since the raiders were literally right behind her. If I were her, I'd have stayed at home, where it was safe. After all, everyone at the party knew the risks. They knew that there was a fairly good chance of getting caught, and they all knew that the punishments would be severe.
Then, at the party, she gets mauled by a dog. While she is profusely bleeding from her leg, all she can think about is how sexy Alex is without a shirt on, while she's in a shed that smells of animal piss. In fact the entire time she's with Alex after the raid, she doesn't think about Hana, even though she was the main reason Lena went to the party. Instead of worrying for her best friend, she's making out with some random guy.

I really liked the writing. It felt like one of the few good things about this story. Oliver really has a way with words. It made it hard to put the book down at times. Also, I liked the world-building, even though the reasons behind the world were unbelievable.The setting, the history and the people made the world feel realistic, and I wanted to know more.

For a while, the only thing that kept me fairly happy was that Romeo and Juliet wasn't used in a positive "twu wuv" light like most other books that done. The society believed it to be a cautionary tale, which I could believe in that instance. But then Alex went and ruined that notion by claiming it to be a "great love story", and I wanted to hit him with a heavy, blunt object several times over his thick noggin. It seems that anyone in publishing that refers to Romeo & Juliet seem to kind of totally miss the whole point of it. I mean, have they read the ending? They die.

For about 200 pages, nothing seems to happen. All we get from the narrator is 200 pages explaining why she loves Alex so much. She's known him for a month of two. How can she love him? She barely knows him. I was hoping that Delirium wouldn't follow that trope, but alas. As I expected, there's the unhealthy viewpoint of love, that without love, you don't have anything else and life isn't worth living.

"I'd rather die loving Alex than live without him." - pg 379

I don't understand why this sort of stuff is allowed when books like The Bermudez Triangle (Maureen Johnson) are being banned for having a gay character. Gay people are harmless. Telling impressionable young teens that their lives are worthless if they don't have their true love is dangerous.

Sorry for this rant-like review, but I didn't like this book too much. I would recommend reading it, though, in case you do end up liking it. I'm just fairly critical.

Cover Art: 2
Plot: 2
Characters: 1
Writing: 3
Level of Interest: 3

Total Rating: 2/5 stars

Review: Bumped

Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Pages: 336, hardcover

ISBN: 9780061962745

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Release Date: April 26th, 2011

Genre: YA / romance / dystopian / satire

Source: galley from the publisher

Premise:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common. (Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: The Book Depository / Amazon


So, this is supposed to be a satirical piece regarding teen sexuality, where teens are both encouraged (for example, Teen Mom, 16 & Pregnant) or chstised for having sex in the first place. This is the first thing that interests me. I'm a fan of satirical pieces regarding modern society.

I'd heard that the biggest problem that most people had with this book was the slang. And now I see what they meant. This book is almost impossible to understand at the beginning, and it hardly gets any easier from there. There are all these made up words, and abstract definitions of preexisting words.
There is a part where Harmony says "I'm able to understand approximately one in every five or so words that came out of Zach's mouth." I laughed so hard, and had to agree with that, but I'm so thankful that there were a few explanations for some of the terms--even if they come several pages after the word is first used.

The differing viewpoints of the sisters was annoying at the beginning. The changed constantly, were so short that sometimes they were even a page long at times. While they had very unique and differing voices, it was still hard to keep up with.
Harmony, I felt, sounded forced. She overused saying the same religious phrases, such as "Oh my grace!", and the repetition didn't sound realistic, just fake and overused. Melody, on the other hand, actually felt fairly realistic, even with the overabundance of slang. Her intentions and actions just felt right for someone in her position.

I didn't like Harmony at all. For someone who tried to do so good in the eyes of God, she really turned into this massive contradiction. People with beliefs that ingrained into their mind don't just change in an instant. In fact, even the average person doesn't change so drastically. Harmony was the cause of all the conflict, and I couldn't understand her actions, nor could I understand why Melody was so calm about it.

I found it bad that the entire basis of the story centered around the mistrust and secrets between two twin sisters. As a result, I had a hard time feeling the relationship between the two sisters grow, and, I couldn't see much individual character growth. I suppose most of that came from the lack of sympathy I had for them, I simply couldn't relate to them in any way.

Overall, this story didn't stand out much to me. It felt bland and really fell short for me. I was rather disappointed, and think I might not bother with this growing trend of dystopians. The biggest disappointment was the language. How is anyone supposed to enjoy a book if they can't understand it?

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 2
Characters: 2
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 3

Total Rating: 2/5 stars

Review: Nightshade

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Pages: 454, paperback

ISBN: 9781907410277

Publisher: ATOM

Date Released: January 20th, 2011 (first published October 19th, 2010)

Genre: Young Adult / paranormal / romance / werewolves

Source: library

Premise:

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice? (

Buy it from: The Book Depository / Amazon


First things first: LOOK AT THAT COVER. It is beyond gorgeous, with those colours, and the flower and the font of the title. It just instantly drew me into it.

Now, the book started out confusing. I was introduced to characters and settings and rules that were hardly explained, leaving me feeling rather lost and confused for the most part. After a few chapters, I had to give up trying to act like I knew what was happening, and wait for everything to slowly be revealed (such as who the Hell the Keepers were and why they were held in such high regards and whatnot). That said, I did quite love Cremer's world-building, and the myths that she wove into the story. They were very well developed and believable, but I nly wish that they weren't so slowly revealed, because for most of the book, I had very little idea of what was going on.

The characterisation is weird at times. Calla sometimes acts bipolar in her decision making. She'll be totally against an idea, and will do anything to stand her ground, and then half a page later, she'll give in and act like she was all for that idea in the first place. It was so annoying. It's poor and awkward, and it hardly made her character more likeable, and believe me, I had a hard time liking her in the first place.

The love triangle is also something that needs work. Calla is drawn to Shay because he is mysterious (doesn't that remind you of a certain sparkly vampire?) even though her relationship with Ren seems to be stronger. Ren is a bit of a dick sometimes (man, what is with all these bipolar personalities?) but they've shared moments where you can see a nice romance blossoming. In fact, it sometimes felt as if Shay was imposing on their relationship, and I often wanted him to fuck off because he's useless.

The plot is slow and steady, and really only becomes intriguing after the first 150 pages. After that, there really is mystery. Shit hits the fan, and it's hard to put the book down. By the end, all hell breaks loose, and you just need to know what happens.

Though, the ending kind of made me roll my eyes, when Calla chooses Shay on a whim, and runs off with him, and almost gets herself killed for his sake. Good work, Calla, you don't look like Bella Swan at all.

The strongest part of this book was the world-building, but I feel that this book would have stood better if it hadn't been a romance (sadly, pretty much all YA books have romance in them. ICK!).

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 3
Characters: 2
Writing: 4
Level of Interest: 3

Total Rating: 3/5 stars

Review: Fallen

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Pages: 452, paperback

ISBN: 9780385618021

Publisher: Doubleday

Date Released: December 17th, 2009

Genre: YA / paranormal / romance / angels

Source: library

Premise:

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is. (Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it now from The Book Depository

I have to begin this review by stating that I did not enjoy this book at all. It struck me as a generic copy of Twilight, or Hush, Hush, as the craze seems to be lately.

The writing was plain, and it had no redeeming qualities to speak of. I thought that the point of view didn't seem right. As much as I hate to say this, I think first person would have worked better. I mean, I'd hate to be any closer to Luce than I already was, but the third person just felt awkward as I tried to trudge on. The use of third person lost any potential voice that would have otherwise been given to us.
Also, the phrase "Oh my God" is often used. Now, in third person, that just sounds sloppy and trashy. Like I said, better off suited for first person.

The chapter titles are easily forgettable, and often didn't seem to hold any relevance to the chapters themselves. After a while, I ended up ignoring them completely, because they were just a distraction.

Now, onto problems with the story:
The setting was odd; it was set in a sort of school-slash-detention center for troubled teens. The students are forced to wear black--what the heck is wrong with Ms. Kate? Sure, make the students who have mental problems or aggression issues wear black, and force them to take random pills for the sake of it.
Now, I'm very knowledgeable in the ways of therapy, pills and the treatment of people under extreme stress, but Lauren Kate doesn't even seem to have the basics. When it comes to pills, there's a lot of trial and error in trying to find the right kind, but Luce seems to just have been given some random pills from some seedy guy in a back alley way (well, not quite, but she might as well have), not a real doctor who actually knows what he's doing.
In fact, everything that goes on in this place--this asylum, just about--is insane. I literally just can't understand the stupidity of it all.

So, after Luce moves to this new school/asylum, she sees this uber hawt guy. Who gives her the finger when he sees her, clearly indicating that he's not interested. This guy is Daniel, the man who will steal her heart. So, instead of ignoring him, or hating him for being a dick to her without even getting to know her, she goes through his school files to search for information on him, searches his family history on the internet, and actively stalks him until he finally caves in from her pressure. No joke! Fallen is essentially telling girls that it's okay to stalk the love of your life--even though he doesn't know it--in order to gain his affections.

The story itself was hardly anything original. It was a dark, wannabe-goth version of Twilight with angels, and the main character is the creepy stalker instead of the love interest. Although, the love interest hardly makes things right.

The whole concept of Daniel and Luce's reincarnation, and how they're supposed to be together for eternity just bothers me. It takes away all the choice in relationship. Luce and Daniel hardly have any choice in anything pertaining to them. They might think it, because they do get together but even in the second book--and if you haven't read it yet, then SPOILER ALERT--Luce finally figures out that she has a choice, but it's far too late for that. That time and time again they've been together through time, unable to be with anyone else. There's just something wrong with the idea that they're forever stuck with each other. At least, that's just the way I see it.

The story picked up in the last fifty pages or so, but by then, I just wanted it to all end. I was sick to death of everything that was happening.
When Miss Sophia, the apparent bad guy, tries to kill Luce and tells her how much of an idiot Luce is, I found myself nodding along, agreeing with everything the old woman was saying. Which is not a good sign, just sayin'.

So, would I recommended this book? Sure, if you want to read a long and tiring book about a girl who is TSTL. Not gonna lie, though, it was all of the above that made the book hilarious to read.

I suppose this just wasn't for me. This is clearly not a book you should read if you analyse everything you touch, but I could totally see it becoming a big hit with the younger, Twilight influenced crowd.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 2
Characters: 2
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 2

Total: 2/5 stars

Review: Swoon

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Pages: 425, hardcover

ISBN: 9781416974345

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Date Released: May 19th, 2009

Genre: Young Adult / paranormal romance / ghosts

Source: Library

Premise:

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree, and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him -- but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent -- and irresistible -- adversary, before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true? (Taken from dustjacket)

First off, can I just say that the cover is absolutely gorgeous? I don't know what it is that is just lovely, but I love it. It's like the perfect cover for a YA paranormal romance. The cover was the only reason I got this book from the library. I only allow myself to borrow 5 books at a time, so it was a toss up between this and Lillith St.Crow's Strange Angels. This only won because of the cover.

But apart from the cover, I wasn't really impressed with the novel. I thought it'd actually be worth a read, I thought I'd actually really enjoy it. The premise of the ghost of a boy possessing the body of a young girl's cousin is incredibly intriguing. Moreso, when you know that the young girl falls for the ghost, it's bound to be interesting. But all I was left with was disappointment.
The basic story started out great, when we were figuring things out, just learning about the plot. But as the novel progressed, I can't say I was too convinced. All the oddities that had begun to happen, and their reasons for occuring were incredibly far fretched.

The characters, I hated. I hated all but one, Marsh, because she was the only 'real' character, as in, she had real problems to deal with. Dice was a terribly confusing character, and it was hard to keep up with her "I love Sin, but I have to do something to stop him" thoughts. One minute, she was proclaiming her love to him, the next, she was telling the audience how evil he is, and how she hated him for what he was doing to the town. It was also hard to keep up with the narration, as her thoughts flowed too quickly, and the pacing changed so often that it was hard to get a grasp of. Half the time, the narration made no sense, and I had to go back some pages to try to figure out what I had missed.
Pen, I liked her at the beginning, before she turned into a SLUT. She was a fairly loveable character, she had her quirks, and she was spunky enough. But then the author decided that this character would be better off attempting to have threesomes, giving peep shows to old men in a dirty bar, and even trying to seduce a married man to ruin his marriage. Wow, just wow.
And Sin, what can I say about him? Other than the fact that he is beyond frightening, and I cant see why Dice has fallen for him, nothing. He uses Dice to serve out revenge to the townsfolk of Swoon. He takes her cousin's virginity, knowing that it's devastating poor Dice. He is a sick, twisted, horrible guy. I don't see what Dice sees in him. Also, for a guy born in 1751, his dialogue is frightfully modern. Way off.

Another thing that annoyed me was the overexcessive use of sex, drugs and booze. There were dozens of scenes where the characters are smoking joints, getting drunk, talking about sexual encounters, etc. Whilst I have no issue with those things in general, I'd prefer if they were actually relevant and actually progressed the story. They did nothing to the story. If anything, it showed that the author thinks that every teenager loves to have gratuitous sex, get drunk off their face and smoke copious amounts of dope, snort lines of coke and take ecstacy.
I found it offensive that such a view was so generalised within the teenage population within the novel. Not all teens get high. Not all of them have sex. Not all of them are only interested in getting 'smashed'.

To conclude, I had high hopes for this novel, but found myself being extremely disappointed and revolted. It had potential, but Malkin ruined it with unnecessary sex and drugs and generalizing.

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 1
Characters: 1
Writing: 1
Level of Interest: 1

Total Rating: 1/5