Awaken by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast, book 8

Book Description

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

Summary

The book starts of where it ended in the last book with Stark and Zoey on the Isle of Skye and the return of Kalona to Neferet. Zoey and Skye use their time on the Isle to recover from the Otherworld and explore their relationship but are soon called back to Tulsa after a tragedy.

Review

What can I say except I think this series is brilliant. Every book has new developments that are heart rendering and perfectly integrated so that I’m never disappointed in the way the story moves. All the characters engage my interest with character development and engaging personalities. The plot-lines are complex and multi-layered with seamless connections between books and complications, in one single long running story. The ability of P.C. and Kristin Cast to be able to do this for such a long running series shows, what I believe to be, an impressive display of writing skill. It’s hard to keep every reader satisfied, especially with longer running series, since people expect and enjoy different things from the books they read. They also become more invested in the storyline. However, I was surprised at the amount of lower rated reviews when I looked to see what the general reaction to the book was but I guess this had something to do with it. 

Awaken had a lot of new turning points in the storyline. Some were expected but well executed and others were a complete surprise to me (in particular the ending). I don’t think this book was as good as the last few and considering how emotional Burned was, I’m not surprised. I think almost anything would be diminished in comparison to the emotion stirred in the last one (if I remember correctly, I had the tissue box close by). However, Awaken showed that this series won’t slow down any time soon.

Stevie Rae had some major developments and I’m a lot less worried about her character now. The tempo of the book was a bit different from previous books. For example, there was less group co-operation between Zoey and her friends but it makes sense with the storyline progression. There wasn’t much I didn’t like about the book, except it seemed a little slower than previous books. I think this had something to do with the lack of action in this book. However, I definitely wouldn’t call the book ‘slow’. I loved seeing the new relationship developments after the ending of Burned for Zoey and Stark and I loved the developments with Stevie Rae. There were instances where the developments were not happy but I love how P.C. and Kirstin Cast are willing to have sadder endings for the characters. Her books show that life is not always completely happy but when one door closes another opens. It also shows that when certain things happen it doesn’t mean the end of all happiness. In general, I think the life lessons used in the books are really appropriate for teenagers.

For parents: There are a few references to sex and making love in this book but no graphic descriptions.

My rating out of 5:

4/5

Richelle Mead - Last Sacrifice - Vampire Academy Book 6

 

Book Description

Rose is on trial for high treason and the death of Queen Tatiana. Someone is trying to frame her and it looks like even Dimitri might not be able to save her now.

Review

*May contain spoilers*

Out of the whole series I think this book was the one I least enjoyed. That being said it was still fabulous. Richelle Mead is one of my absolute favorite authors. I've never read a book of hers that I haven't really enjoyed and most likely gushed over. So when I say I think this book could have been better it is based on really high standards. 

First for a last book there were quite a few loose ends. Richelle has mentioned there will be a spin off series so I’m assuming these issues will be resolved in those books, since they don't directly relate to Rose. There were lots of little things but one issue that was not completely concluded was the servitude of the Dhampirs to the Moroi. I was really hoping there would be some change here. There was some indication by Lissa that there would be change concerning it in the future, but that was it. The same thing can be said for the Moroi fighting.

Second it felt a bit rushed in some aspects and drawn out in others. The romance between Rose and Dimitri had a sudden turn-around from Dimitri saying he couldn’t love anyone anymore, too I love you, and I want to be with you. In contrast the search for Lissa’s sister was longer than I thought it needed to be. I thought this could have been completed quicker and enabled Rose to return to court to flesh out the situation between Rose, Adrian and Dimitri and embellish on the conclusion and some of the loose ends. I think this would have been a better solution than cheating on Adrian. By the end of the book I felt really bad for Adrian.

A lot of time in the book was spent in Lissa’s perspective at court. I found a lot of this pointless. Usually I enjoy reading the bits where this happens but there was too much of it in this book. I would estimate 50% with Rose and 50% with Lissa. Most of this time with Lissa was searching for the queen’s killer and court duties which could be a bit boring at times. Other things that got concluded too quickly was the insanity Rose was gaining from Lissa, her relationship with her parents and her response to how she caused potential problems for other characters that helped her such as Jill.

My rating out of 5

4/5

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvator

Book description

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn't cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it's only me who's not firmly in my own skin.

Review

Linger was just as beautifully written as Shiver (see review). The love between Sam and Grace was really beautiful. I could really feel their love through Maggie’s writing; the emotions were so clear. In fact the emotions of all the characters were strong and compelling.

In linger, Maggie uses two more points of view (POV): Isabelle and Cole. Both of these characters were complex with hidden torments and motivations. All the characters were completely human. No character was perfect. All were realistic in that that had times where they could be selfish or considerate. Isabelle and Cole were not always kind or sensitive but this did not make them unlovable. They had too much character and enough redeeming qualities to move them away from bad or unfeeling to complex and relatable. In fact Isabelle was my favourite character. Their story of improving themselves, self-forgiveness and healing was touching and confronting. I also adored how honest and upfront Isabelle was. 

However, once again, I found Linger slow to read. Not really a lot happened for the first half of the story. While the characters explored their relationships with each other, their own feelings and reminisced a lot for the purpose of character introduction, when I got to half way and thought about what had happened it was interesting to realize that I couldn't really identify much of a plot-line. As a result of this I enjoyed the second half of the book far more than the first half. While I liked the introduction of Isabelle and Cole the four different POV’s contributed to slowing down the plot progression. In essence, the story had emotional development with little plot development. The exception to this was the cliff-hanger ending. The ending was well thought out and interesting leading to a (potentially) really good book with Forever. 

While I enjoyed Linger I can’t say I think it is as good as the hype lead me to believe (sorry to those who loved it). In fact there were times when I was a little bored and went off to do other things even though there was nothing else I particularly needed or wanted to do. While Maggie’s lyrical writing makes wonderful quotable material, I don’t think the story was particularly memorable. 

My rating out of 5:

3/5

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvator

Book description

For  years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Summary

Shiver explores the relationship between Grace and Sam. When Grace was young she was attacked by wolves. One of the Wolves saves her and Grace develops a fascination with them and in particular the wolf that saved her (Sam). In time, Grace discovers Sam shivering on her back porch, then witnesses his transformation to wolf. The world falls into place for Grace with this discovery but it might all be taken away because Sam might not be able to turn into a human again. Instead, Sam may be stuck as a wolf forever.

Review

I think the key feature of Linger was the beautifully written prose. There was a lot of descriptive language including metaphors, similes and poetic writing but it was also just really well written. To me the word beautiful can sum up the whole book. When, in the future, I think back to Maggie’s book that is what I will best remember.

The love story between Grace and Sam felt like a real, once in a life time, true love relationship. I think this feeling was, in part, largely created by the beautifully written prose, in contrast to gaining this impression from the story line or what the characters think or say. In spite of this it was still believable. In fact, I think it was more believable than if Maggie had explicitly stated how much they loved each other.

The character creation was also very well done. Both characters had a lot of depth and dimensions. Maggie created a complete view of the characters instead of a basic outline of a person. I felt that I really understood them as people and could understand their reactions to events and possibly even predict their reactions to future situations. Maggie achieved this though a detailed personality analysis, a clear character history and descriptions about their current environmental situation.

There were a few things that reduced my enjoyment of the book. First of all, Grace’s initial obsession with the wolves was a little weird. I thought it was sweet that there was such a connection between her and Sam after he saved her as a girl but it was a bit strong and a little unhealthy. After Grace’s attack looking for ‘her’ wolf and the wolves in general, were what her life seemed to revolve around. In addition, when she said her relationship had changed with the wolf lately (i.e. since she got older) and she couldn’t talk about it as easily with her friends, in combination with her previously made mention to not finding the right boy yet to have a boy friend, I couldn’t help but think ….. ‘beastiality’. I knew he was a werewolf, but she didn’t (at that point). 

Second, there wasn’t a lot of falling in love. They almost started out as ‘in love’ from the first meeting and at most the relationship developed over the first few nights after Sam had turned into a human. If you’re a fan of love at first sight this might be a good romance for you but for me it left the story a little lacking.

Finally, the story line was also a little lacking. The story seemed very slow. Not much happened in terms of a main plotline except descriptions by Grace and Sam to with their relationship and the problems involved with it, such as the possibility of Sam turning back into a wolf forever, at any time. The sub-plots were not explored to any great degree and they were in general far too predictable. In fact the whole story was a little too predictable. There was also a noticeable absence of tension between the characters. This made me a little bored with their relationship despite the obvious connection between them.

Of note for parents, there is a reference within the book to making love with the use of protection. However, the scene was discrete. It did not have detailed descriptions instead there was only a vague outline of the act.

My rating out of 5

3/5

Review: Shannon Delany - 13 to life - book 1

Shannon Delany - 13 to life - book 1

Book Description

Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

Summary

When a new student comes to Junction High, the mysterious Russian-American turns Jessica's world completely around. At first Jessica can’t stand Pietr, but as she gets to know him she can’t deny the attraction between them. Soon she is drawn into his world and her belief that she has been through the worst she could imagine, when her mother died is tested.

Review

Jessica Gillmansen is now one of my favourite protagonists. She is fun loving, caring, funny, altruistic, brave, hardworking and smart. Her only downfall from being a great role model is her propensity to lie a lot, even though she usually means well. I also loved how Jessica didn't instantly fall for the love interest Pietr. She only started to when she found out more about him. This was a refreshing change from some of the books I've been reading lately. 

The story was fascinating. The twists and turns were making me dizzy but it was so interesting I couldn’t stop for a rest. As we progress through we find out more and more about the characters as they reveal their secrets and history. Some revelations are easy to anticipate while others left me gob smacked. The only negative aspect I can comment on is the relatively slow way the plot progresses.

One other aspect I didn’t particularly like was the two guys (Derek and Pietr) that Jess liked. Both had (in my opinion) annoying traits that stopped me from getting attached to them. Derek was a classic ‘jock’ character who, after saying he liked Jess, quickly moved onto kissing and dating another girl (for Jessica's sake, of course). Pietr was not as bad but he was very self pitying and after being (fairly easily) pushed into a relationship with Jess’s best friend (by Jess...long story), he later seemed to be quite happy to keep dating her (and later kissing her), while maintaining that Jess was the one he wanted. 

There were quite a few questions that were left unanswered at the end of the book but there was no real cliff-hanger instead it just ended quite suddenly. However, once I reached the ending I didn’t feel really anxious to read the next book as I suspected I would be. I will be reading it when it comes out though.

My rating out of 5

4/5

Review: Cassandra Clare- City of Bones

 Cassandra Clare- City of Bones - book 1

Book Description 

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Review

This was a book that I’d heard about for a while but had never gotten around to reading. What finally got me to read City of Bones was all the hype around Cassandra Clare’s latest book Clockwork Angel. Now I can say that it was good and I understand why I’d heard so many great things.

The characters in the book had strong personalities that were engaging. My favorite character was Simon. His strong loyalty to Clary was really sweet and his bravery when dealing in a world where he was significantly out matched (since he was just a human) was admirable. There were also some really great characters set as villains. They were horrible but it was possible to relate to them and understand how they got that way. This made the story believable and layered and I loved that.

 The world building was engaging with good details that were nicely spaced and the story was action packed and I never got bored. For example, Cassandra channeled some of the creative genius of J.K.Rowling and introduced the concept of a flying vampire motorcycle. Since the book was YA, I also loved how the author inter-weaved a negative slant on discrimination into the story.

The book was written using 3^rd person. Those who have read my other reviews will probably remember that I don’t enjoy 3^rd person narrative styles as much as 1^st. Well for this book it didn’t bother me. The main reason I don’t like this type of narrative style as much is because I find it harder to connect with the book. In this case the characters were so engaging and well developed that I had no trouble connecting to them and in particular the protagonist, which can be an area were 3^rd person struggles.

There were a few aspects of the book I didn’t like. The biggest was the ending. Now obviously I can’t explain this in much detail without giving away major spoilers but what I can say is that it made me uncomfortable. I have great confidence that Cassandra will fix what made me uncomfortable in the next two books, but I still wish she hadn’t done that particular plot twist at all. Frankly, it put me off the next book because I don’t want to wade through where she goes from there to get to the resolution.

The next thing I didn’t like was Jace and Clary’s ability to annoy me. I’m sorry to all the fans that really like these characters but I don’t really get the appeal. Jace was portrayed as strong and brave but to me he seemed reckless, inconsiderate and self-absorbed. I found Clary annoying for similar reasons. For example, I found Clary’s friendly neglect of Simon baffling. I felt that she should have been more protective of him since he was human and I didn’t understand how she could go long periods without thinking about him, and then feel annoyed when he was with Isabelle. I also didn’t like her handling of Alec and his crush on Jace. The last and final clincher in my feelings towards these characters was their romance. I didn’t really feel it, even though it seemed like Clary will end up with Jace. I’m thinking Cassandra was going with subtlety (which I normally love) but missed the mark.

I think this book could have been so much better with only a few differences, which is disappointing. It was Cassandra’s debut so maybe that has something to do with it.   

My rating out of 5

3/5

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Review: Melissa De La Cruz - Blue Bloods

Melissa De La Cruz - Blue Bloods - Book 1

Book Description 

Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she’s starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack Force, the most popular guy in school, is showing an interest in her. And when one of the popular girls is found dead, Schuyler and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of it.

Schuyler wants to find out the secrets of the mysterious Blue Bloods. But is she putting herself in danger? Melissa de la Cruz’s vampire mythology, set against the glitzy backdrop of New York City, is a juicy and intoxicating read.

Review 

The blue bloods world has a great mix of two of my favorite paranormal themes: Vampires and Angels. Melissa used an unique idea where angels are cursed to drink blood after they have fallen from heaven, thus creating the vampire myth. She then combined this with high society chick-lit and a love triangle. While I loved the concept the book did not fulfill my expectations for a good YA read.

I couldn’t conceptualize 15-16 year olds drinking and going to clubs. I may have been able to get past this if they were being rebellious but it seemed to be an accepted part of the book that this was ok. Melissa explained this ambivalence away by saying their vampire nature didn’t allow them to feel the effects. 

The book was written using a 3^rd person narrative style and it switched between different character points of view. I didn’t like this. In general, I don’t like 3^rd person narratives as much as 1^st person but I’m usually still happy to read them. By switching between the characters I had to read from the perspective of characters that had little to redeem them (namely Mimi). The characters were often superficial, vain and boring.   

Schuyler Van Alen, the protagonist, was a bit of a loner, who doesn’t fit in with the other rich, high society kids at her school. Melissa set this character up nicely to captivate readers with her journey to self discovery but failed to deliver. Instead the character lacked consistency and depth, with her personality set out like a production. At the beginning of the book she is rather shy and lacking in confidence then towards the end of the book she has a bit of a personality transplant and is suddenly a lot more confident with at one point modeling half naked.

The mystery element of the book was intriguing with some good plot twists but it took too long to get into it. It was also a little confusing at the beginning because the author periodically placed historical diary entries that were way before their time in terms of the plot.

If I was asked if I would recommend this book I would say no, read something else, but if I was asked if I’d read the next book in the series I’d say yes, but only if I had nothing better to read.

My rating out of 5

2/5

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Love triangles

I have been reading a lot of books featuring love triangles recently. Especially young adult books.

When love triangles are good I really enjoy them, but if done wrong they can make me drop a book faster than anything else. However, what they never fail to do to is extract strong feelings from me.

Lately, some of the biggest selling series involve love triangles, but if the book doesn't end up the way you hoped, you can get disappointed.

A small sample of examples (YA):

1. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
2. House of night - P C Cast
3. Blue Bloods - Melissa De La Cruz
4. Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
5. Vampire Diaries - L J Smith
6. Darkest Powers - Kelley Armstrong
7. Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare


Possible love triangle scenarios:

1. The 'other' guy pines (very rare)
2. The 'other' guy finds someone else, no hard feelings (common)
3. The 'other' guy realizes that he never really loved her anyway but someone else (e.g. Twilight)
4.  The 'other' guy realizes he can live with it because he didn't love her enough.
5. The 'other' guy gets villianized.


I find it hard to say what works without a context but arguably my favorite scenario is when the the main character goes out with (loves) one guy but they break apart for a good reason. Then the main realizes how great the other guy was, or realizes the other guy loves her.

I don't like when the main character chooses one guy because of 'true love' instead of how the guy treats her and those around them. I also don't like when the author makes the love triangle the entire story, or when the author patches the situation quickly at the end (it's a series, use your time wisely).

My current favorite series with a love triangle:

• Carolyn Crane - The Disillusionist Trilogy

Where do you stand on love triangles... love or hate?

• Which books did you love and which did you hate? 
• What type of scenarios do you hate vs. love? 

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Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Book Description

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?

Review

I loved this book! I finished Nightshade in a single sitting despite the large 528 pages. Once you read the first chapter you will be hooked.

Young Adult books in this genre are becoming increasingly common but this is a truly standout addition. The NIGHTSHADE world is unique and detailed, with a cast of characters that bounce off the page. I'm a big fan of love triangles and the love triangle between Calla, Shay and Ren is brilliantly done with the author giving us different things to love about both Shay and Ren. I had a hard time choosing which character I want Calla to end up with and this made the story that much more engrossing. NIGHTSHADE has more sexually detailed themes than most young adult series but it's interwoven into the storyline so that it makes sense. In saying this, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 16 years old.

Andrea Cremer has excelled at writing a detailed history of the NIGHTSHADE world without giving it to the reader in large doses. The progressively given information is used to support the mysterious storyline as well as explaining aspects of Calla's connections to the other characters.

The story itself will have you guessing right up to the last page and desperately waiting for the next installment after reading the cliffhanger ending. You can't tell that this is Cremer's debut. It's better written than many successful authors. I can't recommend this book enough.

My rating out or 5

5/5

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